Captain James Sever-- Part 6: His Background in the Continental Army and U.S. Navy

James Sever was born in Kingston, Massachusetts, in 1781.  He graduated from Harvardin 1781 and immediately received an ensign's commission in the 7th Massachusetts Regiment.  he later transferred to the 4th Massachusetts Regiment and continued service until 1784.

After making several cruises to Europe, he was appointed one of the six captains approved by the Naval Act of 1794.

He was appointed superintendent of the frigate building at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the USS Congress in 1795, but the government suspended construction of it the following year in March when a treaty was signed with Algiers.

Construction resumed on July 16, 1798, as relations with France worsened.  The Congress was launched on August 15, 1799.  James Sever served as her captain through the Quasi War.  After a less-than-spectacular cruise, she returned to the United States and was placed in ordinary in 1801.

--Brock-Perry

USS Congress (1799)-- Part 5: Finished For the Quasi War with France

The Congress was given her name by George Washington  after a principle of the U.S. Constitution.  According to reports, her keel was laid down in 1795 at a shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (or close to it, Badger Island).

James Hackett was charged with her construction and Captain James Sever served as superintendent.  Construction proceeded slowly  and was completely suspended in 1796 when a peace treaty was signed with Algiers.  The Congress remained in shipyard, incomplete, until relations with France deteriorated in 1798 and the start of the Quasi War.

At the request of then-President John Adams, funds were approved 16 July to finish her construction.

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ARMAMENT

The Naval Act of 1794 had rated the Congress as 36-gun frigates, but, because of their larger size, upped to 38-guns.  However, ships of this era  had no permanent batteries as do more recent warships.  The cannons were completely portable and often exchanged between ships and stations as needed.

--Brock-Perry

USS Congress-- Part 4: A Special Kind of Frigate

In 1785, Barbary pirates, mostly from Algiers in North Africa, began to seize American merchant ships in the Mediterranean.  In 1793 alone, eleven sere taken with their crews and cargoes held for ransom.    This caused the U.S. to pass the Naval Act of 1794. to provide funds for the construction of six frigates.  But in cost cutting, a clause was added that if a peace treaty was signed with Algiers that construction would be stopped.

Joshua Humphreys design was unusual for the time with a long keel and narrow beam and mounting heavy guns.The "ratings" or number of guns carried, was a bit of a misnomer as these frigates carried many different numbers of cannons.  The USS Congress was rated at 38 guns, but often carried as  many as 48.

The designs also gave these ships much heavier planking on their sides than was to be found on frigates at the time, meaning they could withstand broadsides better.  Humphreys design took into account that the U.S. Navy could not stand toe-to-toe with the European powers at the time, but could do well against other frigates.  They could, though, escape from the more powerful but slower ships of the line.

--Brock-Perry

The Super-Frigates of the U.S. Navy (or, the Original Six Frigates )

 Wikipedia.

In case you're wondering about these six frigates built as per the Naval Act of 1794, of which the USS Congress was one, here is a list of them, along with site built, guns, naval contractor and Navy superintendent:

CHESAPEAKE:  Gosport, Virginia (Norfolk, Va.), 44 guns, Josiah Fox, Richard Dale

CONSTITUTION:  Boston, Massachusetts,  44 guns, George Claghorn, Samuel Nicholson

PRESIDENT:  New York, New York, 44 guns,  Christian Bergh, Silas Talbot

UNITED STATES:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  44 guns, Joshua Humphreys,  John Barry

CONGRESS:  Portsmouth, New Hampshire,  36 guns, James Hackett,  James Sever

CONSTELLATION:  Baltimore, Maryland,  36,  David Stodder,  Thomas Truxton

--Brock-Perry

USS Congress (1799)-- Part 1: Built at Badger's Island, Portsmouth, N.H.

From Wikipedia.

The USS Congress was a nominally rated 38-gun wooden hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the U.S. Navy.  Built by James Hackett in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Badger's Island.  She was launched 15 August 1799 and was one of the original six  frigates in the U.S. Navy authorized by the Naval Act of 1794.

The name Congress  was one of the ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering  in March 1795 for the six frigates to be constructed.

Joshua Humphreys, famed ship builder and naval contractor, designed these ships to be the young Navy's capital ships., so the Congress and her sister ships were designed  to be larger and more heavily armed than most frigates at the time (especially in the British fleet).  Essentially, they were Super-Frigates or, in the 20th century, heavy cruisers.

The USS Constitution was one of these six frigates.

A battle between them and a standard frigate would probably not go well for the regular frigate.

--Brock-Perry

USS New York-- Part 1: Quasi War and First Barbary War

From Wikipedia.

A three-masted, wooden sailing frigate that saw service during the Quasi War with France and the First Barbary War.  It was built by public subscription by citizens of New York, one of five frigates built by states to supplement the original six provided for by the Naval Act of 1794.

Length 145 feet, beam 28 feet,  340 officers and men,  Armament:   twenty-six  18-pdr. guns and twenty 32-pdr carronades.

It was built in New York City and commissioned in October 1800 with Captain Richard Valentine Morris in command.  The Quasi War took place in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas where French warships preyed on American shipping interests.  In 1800, the New York patrolled Caribbean waters.

In 1802, it went to the Mediterranean Sea.  Became flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1803.

--Brock-Perry

The USS Constitution-- Part 2: It and Her sister Ships Were the Fastest, Strongest, Most Heavily Armed Frigates Afloat

Soon afterwards the fleet was sold, our merchant ships started being harassed by the British and the North Africa Barbary Pirates.  In 1794, George Washington signed the Naval Act, authorizing $600,000 for the construction of six-medium-sized frigates.

Naval Constructor Joshua Humphreys was commissioned to build the Constitution, Chesapeake, President, United States, Congress and Constellation.  Knowing that our small Navy would be facing the huge British fleet, Humphreys designed his ships to be the fastest, strongest and most heavily armed frigates afloat.  They were essentially Super-Frigates.  No regular British frigate would have much of a chance against any of Humphreys ships.

Designed to either defeat or get away from any enemy ship.  They could easily take a British fleet in one-on-one battle.  If there were too many of them, the American ship could easily outdistance pursuit.

--Brock-Perry

Frigate USS President-- Part 1: A Super Frigate

From Wikipedia.

I mentioned in yesterday's and today's post, that the frigate USS President was captured this date (or yesterday) by four British frigates off New York City where it had just run the blockade.  Again, like at New Orleans, neither side was aware that the war had ended, pending ratification by the two countries, on Dec. 24, 1814 at the Treaty of Ghent.

I didn't know much about the USS President, so looked it up, of course to good old Wiki, always a fast source of information.

The USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate rated to carry 44 guns.  It was launched in April 1800 in New York City, one of the original six super frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 (the USS Constitution was another of these).

The President was the last one completed and designed by Joshua Humphreys.  These six were to serve as the U.S. Navy's capital ships (whereas the biggest British ships were ships-of-the-line, then came their frigates.  These six frigates were larger, more-heavily armed and built than their British counterparts.  That is one reason why British frigates lost whenever engaged one-on-one with these American ones.

--Brock-Perry