The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 Part 57

PRO PATRIA PARATUS AUT VINCERE AUT MORI. (_Prepared to conquer or die for his country._) Naval action between the United States sloop-of-war Peac.o.c.k, of eighteen guns, Captain Warrington, and the British brig-of-war epervier, of eighteen guns, Captain Wales; the Peac.o.c.k, to leeward, is firing her port broadside. The epervier has lost her main-topmast Exergue: INTER PEAc.o.c.k NAV. AMERI ET EPERVIE (_sic_) NAV.

ANG. DIE XXIX MAR. MDCCCXIV. (_Inter Peac.o.c.k navem Americanam et epervier navem Anglicanam, die 29 Martii, 1814: Between the American vessel Peac.o.c.k and the English vessel epervier, March 29, 1814._) FuRST. F. (_fecit_).

LEWIS WARRINGTON was born in Williamsburgh, Virginia, November 3, 1782. He entered the navy as a mids.h.i.+pman in 1800, and served under Commodore Preble in the Tripolitan campaign; was lieutenant, 1807; and master-commandant, 1813. He sailed from New York in March, 1814, (p. 198) in command of the sloop-of-war Peac.o.c.k, and on the 29th of the same month took the British brig-of-war epervier, Captain Wales, for which gallant deed he received the thanks of Congress and a gold medal. He was promoted to the rank of captain in November of the same year, and subsequently served on the Naval Board. In 1842 he became chief of the ordnance and hydrographic bureau of the Navy Department, in which capacity he died in Was.h.i.+ngton, October 12, 1851.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolution of Congress Voting Medals to Captain Warrington, etc._

_Resolved unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled_: That the President of the United States be requested to present to Captain Lewis Warrington, of the sloop-of-war Peac.o.c.k, a gold medal, with suitable emblems and devices, and a silver medal,[94] with like emblems and devices, to each of the commissioned officers, and a sword to each of the mids.h.i.+pmen, and to the sailing-master of said vessel, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and crew, in the action with the British brig epervier, on the 29th day of April, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, in which action the decisive effect and great superiority of the American gunnery were so signally displayed.

[Footnote 94: The silver medals are copies of the one in gold to Captain Warrington.]

Approved October 21, 1814.

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_Captain Warrington to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honourable United States sloop Peac.o.c.k, at sea, William JONES, Lat.i.tude 27 47', longitude 89.

Secretary of the Navy, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C. April 29th, 1814.

Sir: I have the honour to inform you that we have this morning captured, after an action of 42 minutes, His Majesty's brig epervier, Captain Wales, rating and mounting 18 thirty-two pound carronades, with 128 men, of whom 8 were killed and 15 wounded, according to the best information we could obtain. Among the latter is her first lieutenant, who has lost an arm, and received a severe splinter wound in the hip. Not a man in the Peac.o.c.k (p. 199) was killed, and only two wounded, neither dangerously so.

The fate of the epervier would have been determined in much less time, but for the circ.u.mstance of our fore-yard being totally disabled by two round shots in the starboard quarter from her first broadside, which entirely deprived us of the use of our fore and fore-top sails, and compelled us to keep the s.h.i.+p large throughout the remainder of the action. This, with a few top-mast and top-gallant back-stays cut away, a few shots through our sails, is the only injury the Peac.o.c.k has sustained. Not a round shot touched our hull; our masts and spars are as sound as ever.

When the enemy struck he had five feet water in his hold, his main top-mast was over the side, his main-boom shot away, his fore-mast cut nearly in two and tottering, his fore rigging and stays shot away, his bowsprit badly wounded, and forty-five shot holes in his hull, twenty of which were within a foot of his water line. By great exertion we got her in sailing order just as dark came on.

In fifteen minutes after the enemy struck, the Peac.o.c.k was ready for another action, in every respect but her fore-yard, which was sent down, finished and had the fore-sail set again in forty-five minutes: such was the spirit and activity of our gallant crew.

The epervier had under her convoy an English hermaphrodite brig, a Russian and a Spanish s.h.i.+p, which all hauled their wind, and stood to the east-northeast. I had determined upon pursuing the former, but found that it would not answer to leave our prize in her then crippled state, and the more particularly so, as we found she had in her $120,000 in specie, which we soon transferred to this sloop. Every officer, seaman, and marine did his duty, which is the highest compliment I can pay them.

I am, respectfully, L. WARRINGTON.

No. 38. (p. 200) PLATE x.x.xIX.

_June 28, 1814._

Johnston Blakeley Reip. Faed. Am. nav. Wasp dux. [Rx]. Eheu! bis victor patria tua te luget plauditq.

CAPTAIN JOHNSTON BLAKELEY.

[_Capture of the Reindeer._]

JOHNSTON BLAKELEY REIP. FaeD. AM. NAV. WASP DUX. (_Johnston Blakeley, Reipublicae Faederatae Americanae navis Wasp dux: Johnston Blakeley, Captain of the American Federal Republic's vessel Wasp._) Bust of Captain Blakeley, in uniform, facing the right. FuRST. F. (_fecit_).

EHEU! BIS VICTOR PATRIA TUA TE LUGET PLAUDITQ. (_Plauditque_) (_Alas!

twice conqueror, thy country laments and applauds thee._) Naval action between the United States sloop-of-war Wasp, of eighteen guns, Captain Blakeley, and the British sloop-of-war Reindeer, of eighteen guns, Captain Manners; the Wasp, to windward, is firing her port broadside.

The British vessel is striking her colors. Exergue: INTER WASP NAV.

AMERI. ET REINDEER NAV. ANG. DIE XXVIII JUNIUS (_sic_) MDCCCXIV.

(_Inter Wasp navem Americanam et Reindeer navem Anglicanam, die 28 Junius, 1814: Between the American vessel Wasp and the English vessel Reindeer, June 28, 1814._) On the platform, FuRST. F. (_fecit_).

JOHNSTON BLAKELEY was born at Seaford, County Down, Ireland, (p. 201) October, 1781. He was brought, when very young, to North Carolina, where his parents settled, and where they died while he was still a child. He entered the navy as a mids.h.i.+pman, February 5, 1800, and served under Commodore Preble in the Tripolitan campaign. In 1813, when a lieutenant, he commanded the Enterprize, and in the same year became master-commandant of the sloop-of-war Wasp, with which, on June 28, 1814, he took the British sloop-of-war Reindeer, Commander William Manners. For this memorable action Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. He afterward cruised off the coast of France, and was lost at sea in the Wasp, of which no news has ever been received.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolution of Congress Voting Medals to Captain Blakeley, etc._

_Resolved unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled_: That the President of the United States be requested to present to Captain Johnston Blakeley, of the sloop Wasp, a gold medal, with suitable devices, and a silver medal,[95] with like devices, to each of the commissioned officers, and also a sword to each of the mids.h.i.+pmen, and the sailing-master of the aforesaid vessel, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and crew, in the action with the British sloop-of-war Reindeer, on the twenty-eighth of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen; in which action determined bravery and cool intrepidity, in nineteen minutes, obtained a decisive victory by boarding.

[Footnote 95: The silver medals are copies of the medal in gold to Captain Blakeley.]

Approved November 3, 1814.

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_Captain Blakeley to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honourable United States s.h.i.+p Wasp, William JONES L'Orient, July 8th, 1814.

Secretary of the Navy, Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C.

Sir: On Tuesday, the 28th instant, being then in lat.i.tude 48 36', north, and longitude 11 15' west, we fell in with, engaged, and after an action of nineteen minutes, captured His (p. 202) Britannic Majesty's sloop-of-war the Reindeer, William Manners, Esquire, commander.

Where all did their duty and each appeared anxious to excel, it is very difficult to discriminate. It is, however, only rendering them their merited due, when it is declared of Lieutenants Reily and Bury, 1st and 3d of this vessel, and whose names will be found among those of the conquerors of the Guerriere and Java; and of Mr. Tillinghast, 2d lieutenant, who was greatly instrumental in the capture of the Boxer; that their conduct and courage on this occasion fulfilled my highest expectations and gratified every wish. Sailing-master Carr is also ent.i.tled to great credit for the zeal and ability with which he discharged his various duties.

The cool and patient conduct of every officer and man, while exposed to the fire of the s.h.i.+fting gun of the enemy, and without an opportunity of returning it, could only be equalled by the animation and ardour exhibited when actually engaged, or by the prompt.i.tude and firmness with which every attempt of the enemy to board was met and successfully repelled. Such conduct may be seen, but cannot well be described.

The Reindeer mounted sixteen 24 pound carronades, two long 6 or 9 pounders, and a s.h.i.+fting 12 pound carronade, with a complement (on board) of 118 men. Her crew were said to be the pride of Plymouth.

Our loss in men has been severe, owing in part to the proximity of the two vessels and the extreme smoothness of the sea, but chiefly in repelling boarders. That of the enemy, however, was infinitely more so, as will be seen by the list of killed and wounded on both sides.

Six round shot struck our hull, and many grape which did not penetrate far. The fore-mast received a 24 pound shot, which pa.s.sed through its centre, and our rigging and sails were a good deal injured.

The Reindeer was literally cut to pieces in a line with her ports; her upper works, boats and spare spars, were one complete wreck. A breeze springing up next afternoon, her fore-mast went by the board.

Having received all the prisoners on board, which from the number of wounded occupied much time, together with their baggage, the Reindeer was on the evening of the 29th, set on fire, and in a few hours blew up.

I have the honour to be, etc., J. BLAKELEY.

_Killed and Wounded._ The loss on board the Reindeer was 25 killed and 42 wounded, total 67. On board the Wasp, 5 killed and 21 wounded, princ.i.p.ally in boarding; among the latter, mids.h.i.+pmen Langdon and Toscan, both of whom expired some days after the action.