USS Essex (1799)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Essex of the United States Navy
was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War
with France, the First Barbary War
, and in the War of 1812
, during which she was captured by the British in 1814 and served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June 1837.
The frigate was launched on 30 September 1799 by Enos Briggs, Salem, Massachusetts
, at a cost of $139,362 subscribed by the people of Salem and Essex County
. On 17 December 1799 she was presented to the United States Navy and accepted by Captain Edward Preble
.
, Rhode Island in company with to rendezvous with a convoy of merchant ships returning from Batavia
, Dutch East Indies. Shortly after commencement of her journey, Essex became the first U.S. Naval Ship to cross the Equator. Congress was dismasted only a few days out, and Essex was obliged to continue her voyage alone, making her mark as the first U.S. man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope
, both in March and in August 1800 prior to successfully completing her convoy mission in November.
commanded Essex on her second cruise, whereon she sailed to the Mediterranean with the squadron of Commodore Richard Dale
. Dispatched to protect American trade and seamen against depredations by the Barbary pirates, the squadron arrived at Gibraltar
on 1 July 1801 and spent the ensuing year convoying American merchantmen and blockading Tripolitan ships in their ports. Following repairs at the Washington Navy Yard
in 1802, Essex resumed her duties in the Mediterranean under Captain James Barron
in August 1804. She participated in the Battle of Derne on 27 April 1805, and remained in those waters until the conclusion of peace terms in 1806.
Returning to the Washington Navy Yard in July, she was placed in ordinary
until February 1809 when she was recommissioned for sporadic use in patrolling American waters and a single cruise to Europe.
When war was declared against Britain on 18 June, 1812, Essex, commanded by Captain David Porter
, made a successful cruise to the southward. On 11 July near Bermuda
she fell in with seven British (the being one) transports and by moonlight engaged and took one of them as a prize. On 13 August she encountered and captured the sloop HMS Alert after an engagement. By September when she returned to New York, Essex had taken ten prizes.
Essex sailed in South Atlantic waters and along the coast of Brazil
until January 1813, decimating the British whaling
fleet in the Pacific. Although her crew suffered greatly from a shortage of provisions and heavy gales while rounding Cape Horn, she anchored safely at Valparaíso
, Chile, on 14 March, having seized whaling schooners Elizabeth and Nereyda along the way. In the next five months, the Essex captured thirteen British whalers, including , (ex-Atlantic) which cruised in company with her captor to the Island of Nukahiva
for repairs. Porter put his executive officer John Downes
in command of that ship.
In January 1814, Essex sailed into neutral waters at Valparaíso, only to be trapped there for six weeks by the British frigate, (36 guns) and the sloop-of-war (18 guns) under Captain James Hillyar
. On 28 March 1814, Porter determined to gain the open sea, fearing the arrival of British reinforcements. Upon rounding the point, Essex lost her main top-mast to foul weather and was brought to action just north of Valparaíso. For 2½ hours, Essex, armed almost entirely with powerful, but short range carronades (which Porter had complained to the Navy about on several occasions), resisted the enemy's superior fighting power and longer gun range. A fire erupted twice aboard the Essex, at which point about fifty men abandoned the ship and swam for shore; only half of them landing. Eventually, the hopeless situation forced the frigate to surrender. The Essex suffered 58 dead and 31 missing of her crew of 154, while the British casualties were 5 dead, 10 wounded. One the crew members of the Essex present at this action was 12 year old Midshipman David Farragut
, the foster son of Captain Porter, who would rise to the rank of Admiral and achieve renown during the American Civil War
.
as HMS Essex, and in 1833 served as a prison ship
at Kingston, Ireland
. On 6 June 1837 she was sold at public auction. During some recent resurfacing work on the east pier of Dún Laoghaire harbour the permanent mooring anchor of the Essex was discovered embedded in the pier.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
with France, the First Barbary War
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War , also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the North African Berber Muslim states known collectively as the Barbary States...
, and in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, during which she was captured by the British in 1814 and served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June 1837.
The frigate was launched on 30 September 1799 by Enos Briggs, Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, at a cost of $139,362 subscribed by the people of Salem and Essex County
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
. On 17 December 1799 she was presented to the United States Navy and accepted by Captain Edward Preble
Edward Preble
Edward Preble was a United States naval officer.-Early life and Revolutionary War:Preble was born at Falmouth, Eastern Massachusetts, now Portland, Maine, 15 August 1761, the son of Gen. Jedidiah Preble. As a boy, his home was destroyed in the burning of Falmouth by British Naval Commander Henry...
.
Service history
With the United States involved in naval action against France on 6 January 1800, Essex, under the command of Captain Edward Preble, departed NewportNewport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Rhode Island in company with to rendezvous with a convoy of merchant ships returning from Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Dutch East Indies. Shortly after commencement of her journey, Essex became the first U.S. Naval Ship to cross the Equator. Congress was dismasted only a few days out, and Essex was obliged to continue her voyage alone, making her mark as the first U.S. man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, both in March and in August 1800 prior to successfully completing her convoy mission in November.
First Barbary War
Captain William BainbridgeWilliam Bainbridge
William Bainbridge was a Commodore in the United States Navy, notable for his victory over HMS Java during the War of 1812.-Early life:...
commanded Essex on her second cruise, whereon she sailed to the Mediterranean with the squadron of Commodore Richard Dale
Richard Dale
Richard Dale fought in the Continental Navy under John Barry and was first lieutenant for John Paul Jones during the naval battle off of Flamborough Head, England against the HMS Serapis in the celebrated engagement of...
. Dispatched to protect American trade and seamen against depredations by the Barbary pirates, the squadron arrived at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 1 July 1801 and spent the ensuing year convoying American merchantmen and blockading Tripolitan ships in their ports. Following repairs at the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
in 1802, Essex resumed her duties in the Mediterranean under Captain James Barron
James Barron
James Barron was an officer in the United States Navy. Commander of the frigate USS Chesapeake, he was court-martialed for his actions on 22 June 1807, which led to the surrender of his ship to the British....
in August 1804. She participated in the Battle of Derne on 27 April 1805, and remained in those waters until the conclusion of peace terms in 1806.
Returning to the Washington Navy Yard in July, she was placed in ordinary
In ordinary
In ordinary as a phrase has two technical meanings recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary:# In relation particularly to the staff of the British royal household, and more generally to those employed by the Crown, it is used as a suffix showing that the appointment is to the regular staff, for...
until February 1809 when she was recommissioned for sporadic use in patrolling American waters and a single cruise to Europe.
War of 1812
David Porter (naval officer)
David Porter was an officer in the United States Navy in a rank of commodore and later the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.-Life:...
, made a successful cruise to the southward. On 11 July near Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
she fell in with seven British (the being one) transports and by moonlight engaged and took one of them as a prize. On 13 August she encountered and captured the sloop HMS Alert after an engagement. By September when she returned to New York, Essex had taken ten prizes.
Essex sailed in South Atlantic waters and along the coast of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
until January 1813, decimating the British whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
fleet in the Pacific. Although her crew suffered greatly from a shortage of provisions and heavy gales while rounding Cape Horn, she anchored safely at Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile, on 14 March, having seized whaling schooners Elizabeth and Nereyda along the way. In the next five months, the Essex captured thirteen British whalers, including , (ex-Atlantic) which cruised in company with her captor to the Island of Nukahiva
Nuku Hiva
Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It was formerly also known as Île Marchand and Madison Island....
for repairs. Porter put his executive officer John Downes
John Downes (naval officer)
Commodore John Downes was an officer in the United States Navy, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.-Early life and career:...
in command of that ship.
In January 1814, Essex sailed into neutral waters at Valparaíso, only to be trapped there for six weeks by the British frigate, (36 guns) and the sloop-of-war (18 guns) under Captain James Hillyar
James Hillyar
Admiral Sir James Hillyar KCB KCH was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century, who is best known for his service in the frigate HMS Phoebe during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
. On 28 March 1814, Porter determined to gain the open sea, fearing the arrival of British reinforcements. Upon rounding the point, Essex lost her main top-mast to foul weather and was brought to action just north of Valparaíso. For 2½ hours, Essex, armed almost entirely with powerful, but short range carronades (which Porter had complained to the Navy about on several occasions), resisted the enemy's superior fighting power and longer gun range. A fire erupted twice aboard the Essex, at which point about fifty men abandoned the ship and swam for shore; only half of them landing. Eventually, the hopeless situation forced the frigate to surrender. The Essex suffered 58 dead and 31 missing of her crew of 154, while the British casualties were 5 dead, 10 wounded. One the crew members of the Essex present at this action was 12 year old Midshipman David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
, the foster son of Captain Porter, who would rise to the rank of Admiral and achieve renown during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
British Service
Essex was repaired and taken into the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as HMS Essex, and in 1833 served as a prison ship
Prison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
at Kingston, Ireland
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
. On 6 June 1837 she was sold at public auction. During some recent resurfacing work on the east pier of Dún Laoghaire harbour the permanent mooring anchor of the Essex was discovered embedded in the pier.
External links
- Essex, a scaled replica - A scaled wooden admiralty style model of the USS Essex.