Capture of USS President

{{Short description|1812 US–British naval battle}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Capture of USS ''President'' | partof = the War of 1812 | image = Fitz Henry Lane, The United States Frigate "President" Engaging the British Squadron, 1815, 1850, NGA 195475.jpg | caption = ''The USS "President" Engaging the British Squadron, 1815'' Fitz Henry Lane, 1850 | date = 15 January 1815 | place = Outside New York Harbor, Atlantic Ocean | coordinates={{coord|40.509|-73.943|type:event_globe:earth_region:US-NJ|display=inline,title}} | result = British victory | combatant1 = United Kingdom | combatant2 = United States | commander1 = John Hayes | commander2 = Stephen Decatur{{Surrendered}} | strength1 = 4 frigates | strength2 = 1 frigate | casualties1 = 11 killed 14 wounded 1 frigate damaged | casualties2 = 35 killed 70 wounded 440 captured 1 frigate captured | campaignbox = {{Campaignbox War of 1812: Naval}} }}

The '''capture of USS ''President''''' was one of many naval actions fought at the end of the War of 1812. The American frigate {{USS|President|1800|6}} tried to break out of New York Harbor but was intercepted by a British squadron of four frigates and forced to surrender.

==Background==

USS ''President'' was a prime target of the Royal Navy during the War of 1812 as it was seen to have insulted British honor after the ''Little Belt'' affair.<ref name=":4">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref> By 1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur commanded ''President'', he had captured the smaller British frigate {{HMS|Macedonian}} on 25 October 1812, while in command of the frigate {{USS|United States|1797|6}}.

Napoleon's failed attempt at invading Russia in 1812 would relieve many British ships from European waters allowing them to impose a strict blockade on the United States. On 1 June 1813, Decatur tried to break out of New York in USS ''United States'' and {{USS|Macedonian|1810|6}} (which had been taken into the United States Navy), but he encountered a powerful British squadron which drove him into New London, Connecticut. The two frigates were effectively hulked or demilitarized in order to tow them far enough upriver to be safe from British cutting-out expeditions.<ref>Forester, p. 142</ref>

Coincidentally, this was the same day of the capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' which meant that in one day, nearly half of the United States frigates were incapacitated by British forces. By 1814, the US Navy was entirely contained with the exception of a few sloops.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=How Britain won the War of 1812 : the Royal Navy's blockades of the United States, 1812–1815|last=Brian|first=Arthur|date=2011|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=9781782040019|location=Woodbridge|oclc=811408069}}</ref> The frigate {{USS|Essex|1799|2}} was captured, the frigates {{USS|Columbia||2}}, {{USS|Boston|1799|2}}, {{USS|Adams|1799|2}} and {{USS|New York|1800|2}} had been destroyed, and ''United States'', ''Macedonian'', {{USS|Constitution||2}}, {{USS|Congress|1799|2}}, {{USS|Constellation|1797|2}} were blockaded.<ref name=":7" /> There was no chance of sailing in good weather, the only hope for escape was in the dangerous winter gales when the British forces would be blown offshore.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Broke of the Shannon and the war of 1812|last=Voelcker |first=Tim|year=2013|isbn=9781848321793|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, Great Britain |oclc=868141668}}</ref> Decatur tried to break out of New London in ''United States'' in early 1814, but turned back when he feared that pro-British local civilians were burning blue lights to alert the blockaders.<ref name=mhonline>{{Cite web |url=http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/19thcentury/articles/usspresident.aspx |title=Military History online article |access-date=6 August 2008 |archive-date=10 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910180013/http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/19thcentury/articles/usspresident.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> He and his crew of ''United States'' were transferred to the faster ''President'', which had been refitted in New York.

Meanwhile, the British squadron blockading New York consisted of the former ship of the line {{HMS|Majestic|1785|2}} which had been razeed (cut down) to create a 32-pounder frigate, the 24-pounder frigate HMS ''Forth'', and the 18-pounder frigates HMS ''Pomone'' and HMS ''Tenedos''. Commodore John Hayes was in overall command as the captain of ''Majestic''.<ref name=Lambert_9099>Lambert{{page needed|date=August 2017}}</ref> The 24-pounder frigate {{HMS|Endymion|1797|6}} had attempted to cut out (send the boats to board and capture) the privateer {{ship||Prince de Neufchatel}} and had lost many of her crew, and Captain Henry Hope had expected to be sent back to Britain as ''Endymion'' by that time was an old ship (built in 1797) and her crew had been weakened by the battle.<ref name=Lambert_9099/> To his surprise, however, Admiral Henry Hotham ordered ''Endymion'' to remain on the North American Station as ''Endymion'' was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy, and he ordered some replacement crew to be drafted from the 56-gun razee {{HMS|Saturn|1786|6}}. Hope went to unusual lengths to train his new crew in anticipation of imminent combat using the same methods as were used by Philip Broke on {{HMS|Shannon|1806|6}}.<ref name=Lambert_9099/> The combination of ''Endymion''{{'}}s handling, speed, 24-pounder armament and the crew's training meant that she was better prepared for battle than most other frigates.<ref name=Lambert_9099/> ''Endymion'' relieved her newer softwood sister ship ''Forth'' from the New York blockade, and Hayes' squadron now consisted of ''Majestic'', ''Endymion'', ''Pomone'', and ''Tenedos''.<ref name=Lambert_9099/>

==''President''{{'}}s breakout== ''President'' was in New York Harbor with the sloops-of-war {{USS|Peacock|1813|6}} and {{USS|Hornet|1805 brig|6}}, and the schooner-rigged tender {{USS|Tom Bowline|1814|6}}. By 1815 ''President'' was overdue for repairs.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|title=Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars|last=Gardiner|first=Robert|date=2006|publisher=Chatham Publishing|isbn=1591142830|location=London, England|oclc=83747176}}</ref> Unlike the other five of the six frigates, ''President'' was not fastened with diagonal riders which caused her hull to be prone to hogging and twisting.<ref name=":6" /> They were preparing to break out past the British blockade to embark on cruises against British merchant shipping.<ref name=Roosevelt221>Roosevelt, p. 221</ref> A blizzard blew up from the northwest on 13 January, and the British ships were blown off their station to the southeast. Decatur determined to take advantage of the situation by breaking out with ''President'' alone. (He may have been accompanied by a merchant brig, also named ''Macedonian'', carrying extra rations as a tender, but the brig does not feature in any subsequent events.)<ref name=mhonline/><ref name=Forester206>Forester, p. 206</ref> The plan was that the smaller warships would break out later and rendezvous with ''President'' off Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.<ref>Forester, p. 218</ref><ref>Roosevelt, p. 236</ref>

Decatur immediately met with disaster. He had ordered gunboats as harbor pilots to mark the safe passage across the shoal with anchored boats at the mouth of the harbor, but they failed to do so properly<ref name=Roosevelt222>Roosevelt, p. 222</ref> and ''President'' grounded on the bar and remained stuck there for almost two hours, enduring a pounding from the wind and heavy sea. The frigate was damaged by the time that it was worked free: some copper was stripped away from the hull, the masts were twisted and some of them had developed long cracks. Decatur claimed the hull was twisted, and the bow and stern hogged on the sand bar, although it is likely that this was the case before ''President'' had even left port as she was already overdue for repairs.<ref name=":4" /> Decatur decided that it was impossible for ''President'' to return to port, the wind was still strong. The logs from the British squadron claimed that the gale had stopped, though strong winds persisted. Decatur headed east, keeping close to the Long Island shore before heading southeast.<ref>Lambert p. 358</ref>

While ''President'' and her crew were struggling to float off the sand bar, the British blockading squadron was fighting to return to their blockading station.<ref name=":4" /> As the winds slowed, the British regrouped. Hayes realized that American ships might have taken the opportunity to leave port unobserved, so he left ''Tenedos'' to watch the Sandy Hook passage and headed north to watch the Long Island passage, rather than heading back to the harbor entrance.<ref name=":4" />

==Action== The British squadron sighted ''President'' at dawn on 14 January. Decatur immediately turned downwind and tried to gain speed by lightening his ship.<ref name="Lambert_9099"/> The winds had waned but they were still strong. In heavy seas and high winds, the largest ship will have the advantage in speed,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Seamanship in the age of sail : an account of the shiphandling of the sailing man-of-war, 1600–1860, based on contemporary sources|first1=John|last1=Harland|first2=Mark|last2=Myers|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0870219553|location=Annapolis, Md.|oclc=11036800}}</ref> and Hayes' ''Majestic'' gained on ''President'', as they were similar in length but ''Majestic'' was considerably heavier. The winds became more moderate at noon. After ''Majestic'' had fired some ranging shots which fell short, ''Pomone'' overtook ''Majestic'' and led the pursuit, but ''Tenedos'' appeared unexpectedly to the south and Hayes sent ''Pomone'' to investigate<ref name=Roosevelt222/> in case the sighting was another American ship. HMS ''Endymion'' overtook the rest of the British squadron. ''Endymion'' was regarded as the fastest ship in the Royal Navy, as she recorded speeds that were faster than clipper ships.

In the afternoon, ''Endymion'' and ''President'' began exchanging fire using their bow and stern-chase cannon.<ref name=Forester206/> At 2 pm, Captain Henry Hope took ''Endymion'' into position on ''President''{{'}}s starboard quarter so that none of ''President''{{'}}s stern chasers could bear.<ref name=":2">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref> From this position, Hope engaged ''President'' with ''Endymion''{{'}}s single brass 18-pounder bow chaser.<ref>Lambert, pp. 358.</ref> Decatur made several attempts to close on ''Endymion'', but he discovered that ''President''{{'}}s damage limited her maneuverability and exaggerated the advantage in maneuverability of the smaller ''Endymion''.<ref name=":1">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref>

Faced with this new dilemma, Decatur ordered bar and chain-shot to be fired to disable ''Endymion''{{'}}s sails and rigging. But ''President'' was trapped; Decatur could not escape to the north, as he would have reached the Long Island shore and been forced to the east once more; nor could he escape to the south, as ''Endymion'' would most likely slow ''President'' enough that the rest of the British squadron would catch up.<ref name=":0">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref>

thumb|300px|right|USS ''President'' (right foreground) engages HMS ''Endymion'' (left foreground) with her stern chaser<ref name=":5">James Stanier Clarke and John McArthur (2010) ''The Naval Chronicle: Volume 33, January–July 1815: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects'', reprinted by Cambridge University Press, p. 371</ref> Hope then yawed ''Endymion'' to rake ''President''{{'}}s hull, then quickly returned to position on ''President''{{'}}s quarter where ''President''{{'}}s guns would not bear.<ref name=":4" /> The first broadside sent splinters flying in the ''President''{{'}}s spar deck where Decatur was standing.<ref name=":4" /> A large splinter hit him in the chest and knocked him over, while another cut his forehead. His First Lieutenant was standing next to him and had his leg cut off by a splinter, and he was knocked down and through the wardroom hatch. Another splinter fatally fractured the skull of a lieutenant next to him too.<ref name=":4" /> The 24-pounder cannon from ''Endymion'' was more effective than the traditional 18-pounder shot that could not pierce the thick live oak sides of the United States' frigates,<ref name=":4" /> and three shots pierced ''President'' all the way through to the after powder room which was located beneath her mizzen step.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=The 44-gun frigate USS Constitution: "Old Ironsides"|last=Marquardt|first=Karl Heinz|date=2005|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=1591142504|location=Annapolis, Md.|oclc=61727947}}</ref>

thumb|300px|right|USS ''President'' (left foreground) and HMS ''Endymion'' (right foreground) exchanged broadsides and brailed up their spankers at 7 pm on 15 January 1815<ref name="Lambert pp.369-370">Lambert pp. 369–370</ref> Hope repeated the yawing maneuver three times and did considerable damage.<ref name=":04">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Teddy55562">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 55–56.</ref> At 7 pm, ''President'' brailed up her spanker and wore downwind with ''Endymion'' imitating the maneuver. Decatur had hoped to put ''Endymion'' out of the chase and escape, but ''Endymion'' aimed into ''President''{{'}}s hull, specifically targeting the gun ports.<ref name=":22">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref> Many members of ''President''{{'}}s gun crews were cut down, significantly reducing ''President''{{'}}s ability to fire back at ''Endymion''.<ref name=":32">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref> By contrast, ''President'' primarily directed her fire at ''Endymion''{{'}}s rigging in order to slow her down.<ref name="Cooper431">Cooper (1856), p. 431.</ref><ref name="Teddy403">Roosevelt (1883), p. 403.</ref>

''President'' ceased fire at 7:58 pm and hoisted a light in her rigging, indicating that she had surrendered. ''President''{{'}}s rigging was in a crippled state, and she was slowed to the point that she could not escape from the rest of the British squadron which would soon be in sight.<ref name=":02">Lambert{{page needed|date=November 2017}}</ref> The damage to her hull, however, was far more severe and she had taken on {{convert|6|ft|m}} of water in the hold.<ref name=":02" /> Her magazine had also been hit;<ref name=":02" /> 10 of ''President''{{'}}s 15 starboard gun ports were hit by shot, and six of the guns were dismounted or damaged.<ref name=":02" />

Following the standard practice, ''Endymion'' ceased fire and hove to for repairs once ''President'' had surrendered. ''Endymion'' could not immediately take possession of her prize, as she had no usable boats;<ref name=":4" /> Decatur took advantage of the situation, despite having struck, and made off to escape at 8:30 pm. ''Endymion'' hastily completed repairs and resumed the chase at 8:52 pm.<ref name="Lambert_9099"/> At 9:05, ''Pomone'' and ''Tenedos'' came up with the heavily damaged ''President'', unaware that she had already struck. ''Pomone'' fired two ineffective broadsides (there was minimal damage to ''President''{{'}}s starboard side) into her, following which Decatur hailed to say that he had surrendered. Shortly afterwards, Captain Lumley of ''Pomone'' took possession of ''President''.<ref name=":4" /> Decatur ordered his sword to be sent to the captain of the "black ship" a reference to Captain Hope of ''Endymion'' (which was unusually painted all black which can be seen in all three of the Thomas Buttersworth paintings of the action). According to British accounts, ''President'' had lost 35 men killed and 70 wounded, including Decatur; American sources give the losses at 24 killed and 55 wounded. British accounts reported that ''Endymion'' had 11 killed and 14 wounded.<ref>James (1824), vol. 6, p. 367.</ref> ''President'' had a crew of 480 and a broadside of 816 pounds; ''Endymion'' had a crew of 346 and a broadside of 641 pounds.<ref>Lambert pp. 364–365</ref>

thumb|300px|right|USS ''President'' (left foreground) having surrendered, HMS ''Endymion'' (right foreground) is shown with her fore topmast struck in order to replace the damaged topmast shrouds<ref name="Lambert pp.369-370"/>

'''Comparison of force''' (English measurement methods used for both ships) {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! HMS ''Endymion'' !! USS ''President'' |- | Length (gundeck) || {{convert|159|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} || {{convert|173|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} |- | Beam ||{{convert|42|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}} || {{convert|44|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}} |- | Tonnage || 1277 tons (bm)|| 1533 tons (bm) |- | Complement || 346 men || at least 458 men |- | Armament || 26 × 24-pounder, 20 × 32-pounder carronades 1 × 18-pounder|| 32 × 24-pounder 20 × 42-pounder carronades 1 × 24-pounder howitzer |- | Broadside weight || {{convert|641|lb|kg|abbr=on}} || {{convert|816|lb|kg|abbr=on}} |}

==Aftermath== {{more citations needed|section|date=January 2019}} The damaged ''Endymion'' and ''President'' sailed in company to Bermuda. They encountered a violent storm that dismasted both,<ref name="Roosevelt224">Roosevelt, p. 224</ref> but both reached safety. Official notification came soon afterwards that the war had ended. ''Endymion'' and ''President'' arrived at Spithead on 28 March 1815 to a crowd of onlookers who witnessed the disparity in force between the two vessels, and the size of the American 44-gun frigates that had been victorious earlier in the war.

On 18 January 1815 aboard HMS ''Endymion'', Commodore Decatur took time to report to the Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Crowninshield his losses and difficulty in providing exact figures "Of our loss in killed & wounded I am unable to present you a correct statement, the attention of our Surgeon [Dr. Samuel R.Trevett USN] being so on the wounded that he was unable to make a correct return... the enclosed list with the exception I fear of its being short of the [dying] will be found correct."<ref>Stephen Decatur to Secretary of the Navy dated 18 January 1815 with "List of Killed & Wounded on board U.S. Frigate President" NARA M125 "Captains Letters" RG260 volume 42, letter number 50</ref>

The British took ''President'' briefly into the Royal Navy as the 50-gun (later 60-gun) fourth-rate {{HMS|President|1815|6}} but broke up the dilapidated ship in 1818. They later built a 60-gun frigate which they also named {{HMS|President|1829|2}} to the exact lines of the captured ship in 1829, despite some elements of the design (countered stern) being obsolete. This ship was used as a political statement as it was commanded by George Cockburn (who led the Burning of Washington) and made flagship of the North American station to remind the United States of its greatest losses during the War of 1812.thumb|S. Decatur to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Crowninshield 18 Jan 1815 List of the killed and wounded partial

The smaller American ships still in New York sortied before hearing of the capture of ''President'', and reached the rendezvous off Tristan da Cunha. ''Hornet'' managed to sink the brig-sloop {{HMS|Penguin|1813|6}}, after which ''Peacock'' joined forces with her. The two American ships then mistook the British ship of the line {{HMS|Cornwallis|1813|6}} for an East Indiaman. ''Hornet'' narrowly escaped after jettisoning all her guns and most of her stores. ''Peacock'' subsequently captured several merchant ships in the Indian Ocean until receiving confirmation that the war had ended.

==See also==  * List of sailing frigates of the United States Navy * List of ships captured in the 19th century * Bibliography of early United States naval history

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== * {{Cite book|oclc=197401914 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WK3mWOlYYNsC |title=History of the Navy of the United States of America|last=Cooper| first=James Fenimore |author-link=James Fenimore Cooper |publisher=Stringer & Townsend, New York |year=1856}} * {{cite book |last=Forester |first=Cecil Scott |title=The Age of Fighting Sail: The Story of the Naval War of 1812|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmUHMQAACAAJ|ref=Forester |publisher=Doubleday, New York |year=1956 |isbn=0-939218-06-2 }} * {{Cite book| last = James| first = William| author-link = William James (naval historian)| year = 1837| title = The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV.| publisher =R. Bentley| volume =6}} * {{Cite book| last = Lambert | first = Andrew | author-link = Andrew Lambert | title = The Challenge – Britain Against America in the War of 1812| year = 2012| publisher =Faber and Faber| isbn= 978-0-571-27319-5}} * {{Cite book| last = Roosevelt | first = Theodore |author-link = Theodore Roosevelt | title = The Naval War of 1812 or The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain | year = 1883 | edition = 3rd | orig-year = 1882 | publisher =G.P. Putnam's sons, New York | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb1CAAAAYAAJ | oclc = 133902576}}

==External links== * [http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/19thcentury/articles/usspresident.aspx Story of the capture of USS ''President''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910180013/http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/19thcentury/articles/usspresident.aspx |date=10 September 2008 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060613140031/http://members.cox.net/shipkiller/data/frigate/president_frigate.html Documents relating to the capture of USS ''President''] * [https://archive.org/stream/navalchronicleco35londiala#page/34/mode/1up/search/halifax Naval Chronicle] {{Battles of the War of 1812}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capture of USS President}} President Category:1815 in the United States President President President Category:1815 in New York (state) Category:January 1815