Major Andrew Hunter Holmes-- Part 2: His Duel

Andrew Holmes fought a duel with a man named Peyton Smith near present-day Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  Both men were from prominent families in and around Winchester, Virginia.  Andrew killed Peyton.

This was one of three famous duels that took place which caused the Virginia legislature to pass the Anti-Dueling Act in 1810.

Mortified at killing his friend, Holmes left Winchester and enlisted in the U.S. Army.

As a member of the U.S. Dragoons, young Captain Holmes first military assignments were in Louisiana chasing smuggler and prate Jean Lafitte.  Lafitte managed to evade them for months, but was finally captured.

--Brock-Perry

Jesse Elliott, USN-- Part 7: A Duel, Command of USS Constitution and More Charges

In 1820, Elliott was second to Commodore James Barron when the latter fatally shot Stephen Decatur in a duel.  He was transferred to the Brazil Squadron in 1825, served as the captain of the USS Cyane for two years and commanded the West Indies Squadron from 1829 to 1832.

Elliott commanded the Boston Navy Yard in 1832 and then  to command of the frigate USS Constitution and the Mediterranean Squadron from 3 March 1835 to 18 August 1838.  During his Mediterranean assignment, he was charged for minor offenses by several of his junior officers, including using his official position for personal gain and  transporting animals he had purchased aboard the Constitution.

This looks like an interesting topic for more detail.

--Brock-Perry

Jesse Elliott, USN-- Part 6: The Feud Continues and Further Service

Oliver Hazard Perry left his list of charges and specifications against Elliott with his friend, Commodore Stephen Decatur when he left for his diplomatic mission to Venezuela (during which he died).  Elliott served as second for Captain James Barron in the duel in which Barron killed Decatur in 1820.

Decatur's widow published Perry's charges years later as she held Elliott at least partially responsible for her husband's death.

These people obviously did not like each other.

***********************

LATER CAREER

Elliott commanded the sloop USS Ontario during the Second Barbary War, and was promoted to captain in 1818, serving as on a naval commission selecting sites for navy yards, lighthouses and other coastal fortifications until 1822.

--Brock-Perry

U.S. Presidents Who Served in the War of 1812-- Part 2: Andrew Jackson and Others

As mentioned in the previous post, James Buchanan served in the War of 1812 as a private in Henry Shippen's Company, 1st Brigade, 4th Division of the Pennsylvania Militia and participated in the defense of Baltimore.

As stated before, only two of the Founding Fathers served in the American Revolution, but a total of five were in the War of 1812.  Starting with Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) and then William Henry Harrison (1841), John Tyler (1841-1845), Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) and James Buchanan (1857-1861).

But, the War of 1812 is forever linked to Andrew Jackson who led American forces to victory at the Battle of New Orleans.  It was a battle where a ragtag American Army defeated a larger trained professional British Army in a battle that saved the Mississippi River from British control and was actually fought after the war was over, but due to slow communication no one knew it was over.

It should also be noted that Jackson's military career began when he was just thirteen.  as a teenager, he served as messenger for an American unit during the American Revolution.  But he was definitely not one of the Founding Fathers at that age.

Moreover, during his quite colorful life, Jackson took part in 103 duels -- however killing just one man.

--Brock-Perry

Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton, the Children-- Part 1

From the July 11, 2016, Mental Floss "8 facts about Theodosia Burr Alston" by Chloe Arnold.

I was unaware until just now about the connection of the name Theodosia to the popular play "Hamilton."  Well, I didn't see it, so that's my excuse.  In the play, Aaron Burr sings "Dear Theodosia" to his daughter Theodosia and Alexander Hamilton to his son Philip.

It is song 22 in Act One.

Philip died in a duel in 1801 and Theodosia was lost at sea in 1813.  He was 19 when he died and she was 33.

So, a Hamilton Connection as Well.  --CootHam

U.S. Navy in War of 1812-- Part 7: The War at Sea to Capture Enemy Warships and Merchantmen

The war at sea to capture British warships and  merchantmen  was the most desirable objective for naval officers and has received the most writing in historical accounts.  The U.S. Navy had numerous victories in ship-to-ship duels.  Some of them are still the most recognizable events in our Navy's history.

They include Captain Isaac Hull and his frigate Constitution's capture of the HMS Guerriere, Captain Stephen Decatur and his frigate United States' capture of the frigate HMS Macedonian  and Captain William Bainbridge and his USS Constitution's capture of the frigate HMS Java.

However, these and most other U.S. victories occurred in the opening months of the war.

By early 1813, the British had eleven ships of the line, thirty-four frigates and fifty -two other warships operating off North America, while  the U.S. only had two frigates at sea.

By November 1813, Britain had established a commercial blockade that stopped all sea traffic regardless of nationality across the entire east coast south of New England.

--Brock-Perry

U.S. Navy in War of 1812-- Part 3: That Impressment Thing and Other Affronts Lead to War

The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, as it came to be known, enraged the American public and embarrassed the Navy.  President Jefferson levied a big embargo against the British and the British Admiralty recalled the Leopard's commander and admitted the error.   The situation deescalated  and soon was replaced with Vice President Aaron Burr's  conspiracy and trial for treason.

Actually, the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair didn't end until 1820, when the disgraced American commander of the Cheasapeake, James Barron, challenged American naval hero Stephen Decatur to a duel stemming from it and killed Decatur.

But, impressments continued.  Since 1800, Great Britain had captured 917 American ships and impressed 6,257 American seamen.

On June 1, 1812, President James Madison spoke before Congress, citing British impressment of American sailors, disregard for American sovereignty and plundering of American commerce, and asked that a state of war be declared.

With support from the War Hawks, who were seeking to gain control of Canada, Congress declared war on June 18, 1812.  Ironically, the British had rescinded the Orders in Council two days earlier.

--Brock-Perry

Naval Officers Dueling: An "Honorable" Way to Die, the End of Stephen Decatur

Captain Stephen Decatur himself died in a duel in 1820. 

As a military officer, Decatur believed he was obligated to accept  a challenge from anybody who was his social or professional equal or better.  He had survived a 1799 duel  and he was actually opposed to duels between midshipmen under his command.

However, Captain James Barron had taken offense in the role Decatur had taken at his court-martial after the 1807 Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, and he increasingly grew bitter afterwards.

He finally challenged Decatur and mortally wounded  him at Bladensburg, Maryland, the most famous duel in U.S. Navy history.

The blog entries on dueling were all taken from "Dueling Frigates" New London (CT.) Historical Society by Andrew W. German.

--Brock-Perry

Naval Officers Dueling: An "Honorable" Way to Die? The End of Hassard Stackpoole

From New London County Historical Society "Dueling Frigates."

The last ten posts were about ship-to-ship duels.  This one is about man-to-man duels and how two naval officers, one British and one American, lost their lives in duels.

Two of the officers mentioned in the earlier posts this month, not only lived by the dueling code of honor, but also died by it.

Captain Hassard Stackpoole of the Royal Navy's HMS Statira held a four year grudge against Lieutenant Thomas Cecil of the HMS Argo, who had said that Stackpoole "drew a long bow" (lied or exaggerated).  Three months after the frigate, sloop-of-war challenge at New London,  Stackpoole and Cecil met on a beach in Port Royal, Jamaica, in April 1814, and the crack shot Stackpoole was felled by Cecil.

--Brock-Perry

Dueling Frigates-- Part 10: Well, Now Dueling Sloops of War

Captain William Bowen Mends  of the HMS Loup Cervier suggested that he would make his crew equal to that of the USS Hornet and they could have their own little ship-to-ship duel if  Biddle would tell him the size of the Hornet's crew.

Biddle forwarded the proposal to Decatur, who replied that  'the Hornet shall meet the Loup Cervier, under a mutual and satisfactory pledge," but with their normal crews.

Since the Hornet's crew outnumbered the Loup Cervier's 167 to 103, another duel was averted, and Decatur soon moved his squadron back up the river to Gales Ferry.

So, Not Only Duels Between Men, But Also Ships.  Must Have Been a Naval Thing.  --Brock-Perry

Dueling Frigates-- Part 8: There Will Be No Frigate Duel

Then it was Sttephen Decatur's turn to balk:  "But sir, if the [HMS] Statira is to avail herself alone of this concession [ of adding crew], it must be obvious to you and everyone,that should I be yielding to you an advantage I could not excuse to my government; and in making the crew of the Macedonian in any degree equal to such a conflict I should be compelled to break up the crews of this ship and the Hornet, and thus render a compliance with my orders to proceed to sea utterly impracticable."

Like Hardy, he saved face for his subordinate:  "You will have the goodness, sir, to inform Capt. Stakpoole that his letter was shewn to Capt. Jones according to his request, that Capt. Jones is  is extremely desirous of  that a meeting should take place between the Statira and Macedonian, but it is controlled by me for the reasons I have stated."

Of interest, both Decatur and Stackpoole were later killed in duels.

--Brock-Perry

Dueling Frigates-- Part 3: The Shannon Versus Chesapeake

Proud of their ships and eager to fight them, captains sometimes went to the extreme of issuing an outright challenge  for a ship-to-ship duel.

One of the most famous ones of these took place between the HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake on June 1, 1813.

British Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke had such a well-trained crew on the HMS Shannon that he was really looking for a fight with an American frigate.  His counter-part, Captain James Lawrence, formerly of the USS Hornet, was also looking for a fight on his USS Chesapeake.

Both ships were rated at 38-guns, but both had  about 50, mostly 18-pounders.  The Chesapeake had a crew of 379 and Shannon 330.

On June 1, 1813, Captain Broke sent a challenge to Captain Lawrence, but he didn't get it as he was already on his way out of Boston Harbor and looking for a fight.  Late that afternoon, about 18 miles off of Boston, the Chesapeake, flying a large white banner reading "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights," came across the Shannon.

--Brock-Perry

Dueling Frigates: Why Standard British Frigates Were No Match for U.S. "Super Frigates" Like the USS Constitution

From the New London County (Connecticut) Historical Society "Dueling Frigates."

Not only did Navy personnel on both sides during the War of 1812 engage in duels, but also there were times when a sea battle between two enemy frigates was actually more of a duel in itself.

******************************

BACKGROUND

With a fleet of just six frigates (including three 44 gun super frigates), five smaller sloops of war, two brigs and a motley collection of  small coastal (Jeffersonian Gunboats) defense vessels, the U.S. navy was in no way in a position to face off with the Royal Navy which had more than 600 active vessels, about 100 of which were 74+ gun ships of the line.

Fleet actions characterized much of the fighting between the French and English,, U.S. ships went out singly or in small  squadrons to raid British commerce and engage single British ships when the opportunity arose.

--Brock-Perry

Dueling in the Early 1800s in the United States

I have been writing about Hassard Stackpoole of the Royal Navy, who was killed by another officer of the British Navy in a duel in 1814.

Duels were popular in this era.

From Wikipedia.

In the 1600s and 1700s, most duels were with swords and rapiers, but starting in the 1800s, the pistol became weapon of choice.

Dueling became a popular way of settling differences in the United States.  In 1804, former secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel by sitting Vice President Aaron Burr.

Between 1798 and the Civil War, the U.S. Navy lost  two-thirds more of its officers to dueling than to combat with the enemy at sea.  One of those was naval hero Stephen Decatur.  Most of the officers killed were midshipmen and junior officers.

Despite prominent deaths and public outcry, dueling continued before the Civil War, particularly in the South because of contemporary ideals of chivalry and because of threat of ridicule if a duel challenge was declined.

And, as we will see in upcoming posts, there was also "dueling" between warships.

--Brock-Perry

Captain Hassard Stackpoole

Fron the Three Decks Site.

HASSARD STACKPOOLE

British nationality.  First and last known service in Royal Navy:

February 8, 1795 to April 28, 1814.  Killed in a duel.

RANKS

Lieutenant Feb. 8, 1795

Commander March 12, 1800

Captain  April 29, 1802

COMMANDS

March 1800 to July 21, 1801  HMS Iphigenia (16 guns) Commander and commanding officer.

1802 to April 29, 1802:  HMS Alonzo  (18 guns)  Commander and commanding officer.

April 1809 to August 1809:  HMS Phoebe  (36 guns) Captain and commanding officer

1811 to April 28, 1814:  HMS Statira  (38 guns)  Captain and commander.

--Brock-Perry

Captain Hassard Stackpoole, Royal Navy

From the New London (Ct.) County Historical Society  "British Royal Navy Figures."

HASSARD STACKPOLLE (1769-1814)

Born in Limerick, Ireland, and joined the HMS Termagent in 1783.  He was promoted to lieutenant in 1795 and was in command of the HMS Iphagenia when she burned  at Egypt in 1801.

He was promoted to captain in 1802.  While serving on the HMS Tonnant in 1810, Lieutenant Thomas W. Cecil remarked that Stackpoole  "drew a long bow" (lied).

Stackpoole was in command of the HMS Statira by 1811 and served off New London 1813-1814, and was involved in setting up and arrangement for a "duel" between the former sister ships USS Macedonian  (former HMS Macedonian) and Statira in January 1814.

That didn't come to pass.

Stackpoole later encountered Lt. Cecil (from the HMS Tonnant) in Jamaica and challenged him to a duel.  The usually sure-shot Stackpoole  was killed by Cecil (who had no dueling experience) in one of the most notorious examples of dueling in the British Navy.

--Brock-Don't-Shoot Perry

Captain Hassard Stackpole Later Killed in a Duel

I mentioned that Captain Hassard Stackpole commanded the HMS Statira at the action of Alewife Cove in the last post.

I looked him up and found that he was later killed in a duel with another British officer.

The duel took place on 28 April 1814, between Stackpole, commander of the Statira and Lt. Thomas Walbeoff Cecil of the HMS Argo.  This  duel grew out of something that had happened on the HMS Tonnant, when Cecil had served with Stackpole.

Stackpole was still the commander of the HMS Statira at the time.

--Brock-Perry

Charles Rinaldo Floyd-- Part 1: Gen. Floyd's Son

From Wikipedia.

Born October 14, 1797,  Soldier in War of 1812.  Saw action at the Battles of Tallassee, Chalibee and Autossee versus the Creek Indians.

At age 16, he left home to accompany his father, John Floyd as an aid in the fighting against the Creek Indians.  He wrote in his journal at the Battle of Autossee that a rifle ball grazed his forehead and one passed through his coat sleeve.

He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point but was dismissed in 1817 for insubordination over what he considered a "point of honor."  He definitely had a penchant for dueling, something he continued with throughout his life.

--Brock-Perry

Class of 1806: Joseph Proveaux-- Part 3: Passionate About Dueling

Joseph Proveaux was nominated for the USMA from South Carolina and was one of the first cadets at that institution.

From the "Memoirs of Gen. Joseph Swift"  He was USMA graduate #1 in 1802.  One of a class of two members and future superintendent of the academy.

He had this to say about Joseph Proveaux:  "Joseph Proveaux from Charleston, S.C., a youth of seventeen, of generous spirit but passionate, addicted to dueling and much opposed to study."

 Proveaux must have been quite a character and live wire.I can find little about his death, but several sources say he was killed on November 10, 1813, in a duel.

--Brock-Perry

Peter Buell Porter

From Wikipedia.

PETER BUELL PORTER

(August 14, 1773-March 20, 1844) American lawyer, soldier, politician and U.S. Secretary of War. Graduated Yale College in 1791. Moved to Black Rock, New York, in 1809 and elected to Congress where he was a leading War Hawk. From 1810-1816 was a member of the Erie Canal Commission.

In the War of 1812, he was quartermaster general of New York State Militia. In 1812, he participated in and became a major critic of Alexander Smyth's botched invasion of Upper Canada. This led to the famous duel between the two. Neither hit their opponent.

Porter later raised and commanded a brigade of New York militia and he was presented with a Congressional Gold Medal for his conduct at the Battle of Chippewa, Battle of Niagara and the Battle of Erie.

His son, Colonel Petere A. Porter gained recognition, but died at the Battle of Cold Harbor during the Civil War.

--Brock-Perry