The Medallic History of the United States of America Part 35

No. 21. (p. 128) PLATE XXII.

_February 2, 1800._

PatriAE. patres. filio. digno. Thomas Truxtun. [Rx]. United State frigate Constellation, of 38 guns, &c.

CAPTAIN THOMAS TRUXTUN.

[_Action with the Vengeance._]

PATRIAE. PATRES. FILIO. DIGNO. THOMAS TRUXTUN. (_The fathers of the country to their worthy son, Thomas Truxtun._) Bust of Captain Truxtun, in uniform, facing the left.

UNITED STATES FRIGATE CONSTELLATION OF 38 GUNS PURSUES ATTACKS AND VANQUISHES THE FRENCH SHIP LA VENGEANCE OF 54 GUNS 1 FEBY.

(_February_) 1800. Naval action between the United States frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, Captain Truxtun, and the French frigate La Vengeance, of fifty-four guns, Captain Pitot. The Constellation has lost her main mast. Exergue: BY VOTE OF CONGRESS, TO THOMAS TRUXTUN 29 MAR. (_March_) 1800.[71]

[Footnote 71: See INTRODUCTION, pages xxiii and x.x.xi.]

The engraving is an exact representation of the original gold medal, at present the property of Thomas Truxtun Houston, jr., of Washington, the great-grandson, in the female line, of Commodore Truxtun.

THOMAS TRUXTON was born in Jamaica, Long Island, New York, February 15, 1755. He served as lieutenant and captain of privateers during the War of Independence. In 1782, while engaged in carrying Mr. Thomas Barclay, United States consul-general, to France, he beat off a (p. 129) British frigate of thirty-two guns. After the war he commanded East Indiamen, but in 1794, on the creation of the American Navy, he received a commission as captain, and was appointed to the Constellation, of thirty-eight guns. In 1799, he captured l'Insurgente, a French frigate of thirty-six guns, Captain Barreault.

His celebrated engagement with La Vengeance, of fifty-four guns, Captain Pitot, took place February 2, 1800, and for this exploit Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. He afterward commanded the President, of forty-four guns. In 1802, Mr. Smith, secretary of the Navy under President Jefferson, having interpreted as a resignation Truxtun's refusal to accept the command of the Mediterranean squadron, unless a flag captain was given him, the country was deprived of this gallant officer's services. He retired to New Jersey, and afterward removed to Philadelphia, where he was high-sheriff of the city and county from 1816 to 1819, and where he died, May 5, 1822.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting a Medal to Captain Truxtun, etc._

_Resolved by the Senate and the 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 Thomas Truxtun a golden medal, emblematical of the late action between the United States frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, and the French ship of war La Vengeance, of fifty-four, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct in the above engagement, wherein an example was exhibited by the Captain, officers, sailors, and marines, honourable to the American name, and instructive to its rising navy.

_Resolved_: That the conduct of James Jarvis, a midshipman in said frigate, who gloriously preferred certain death to an abandonment of his post, is deserving of the highest praise, and that the loss of so promising an officer is a subject of national regret.

Approved March 29, 1800.

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_Captain Thomas Truxtun to the Secretary of the Navy._ (p. 130)

To Benjamin STODDART, Esq., United States ship Constellation, Secretary of the Navy. At sea, February 3, 1800.

Sir: On the 30th ult. I left St. Christopher's, with the Constellation, in excellent trim, and stood to windward in order to gain the station for myself before the road of Guadaloupe; and at half-past seven in the morning of the day following I discovered a sail to the south-east, to which I gave chase, and for the further particulars of that chase, and the action after it, I must beg to refer to the extracts from my journal, herewith, as being the best mode of exhibiting a just and candid account of all our transactions in the late business, which has ended in the almost entire dismantlement of the Constellation, though, I trust, to the high reputation of the American flag.

I have the honour to be, &c., Thos. TRUXTUN.

_Occurrences on board the United States ship Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, under my command, February 1, 1800_:

Throughout these twenty-four hours very unsettled weather; kept on our tacks, beating up under Guadaloupe, and at half-past seven in the morning, the road of Ba.s.seterre bearing east, five leagues distant, saw a sail in the south-east standing to the south-west, which, from her situation, I at first took for a large ship from Martinique, and hoisted English colours in giving chase, by way of inducement for her to come down and speak me, which would have saved us a long chase to leeward off my intended cruising ground; but finding she did not attempt to alter her course, I examined her more minutely, as we approached her, and discovered that she was a heavy French frigate, mounting at least fifty-four guns. I immediately gave orders for the yards to be slung with chains, top-sail sheets, &c., stoppered, and the ship cleared, and everything prepared for action, and hauled down the English colours. At noon the wind became light, and I observed the chase that we had before been gaining fast on held way with us, but I was determined to continue the pursuit, though the running to leeward, I was convinced, would be attended with many serious disadvantages, especially if the object of my wishes were not gratified.

Pa.s.sed two schooners standing to the northward, one of these showed American colours, and was a merchant vessel, and the other I supposed to be of the same description.

February 2d, at one P.M., the wind being somewhat fresher than at the noon preceding, and an appearance of its continuance, our prospect of bringing the enemy to action began to brighten, as I perceived we were coming up with the chase fast, and every inch of canvas being set that could be of service, except the bog reefs which I kept in the topsails, in case of the chase, finding an escape from our thunder impracticable, should haul on a wind and give us fair battle. But this did not prove to be her commander's intention. I, however, got within hail of him at 8 P.M., hoisted our ensign, and had the candles in the battle (p. 131) lanterns all lighted, and the large trumpet in the lee-gangway ready to speak him, and to demand the surrender of his ship to the United States of America; but he, at that instant, commenced a fire from his stern and quarter guns, directed at our rigging and spars. No parley being then necessary, I sent my princ.i.p.al aid-de-camp, Mr. Vand.y.k.e, to the different officers commanding divisions on the main battery, to repeat strictly my orders, before given, not to throw away a single charge of powder, but to take good aim and fire directly into the hull of the enemy, and load princ.i.p.ally with two round shot, and now and then with a round shot and stand of grape, &c., to encourage the men at their quarters; to cause or suffer no noise or confusion whatever; but to load and fire as fast as possible when it could be done with certain effect. These orders being given, in a few moments I gained a position on his weather quarter that enabled us to return, effectually, his salute; and thus a close and as sharp an action as ever was fought between two frigates, commenced and continued until within a few minutes of 1 A.M., when the enemy's fire was completely silenced, and he was again sheering off.

It was at this moment that I considered him as my prize, and was tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, in the best manner I could, my much shattered sails, when I found the mainmast was totally unsupported by rigging, every shroud being shot away, and some of them in several places, that even stoppers were useless, and could not be applied with effect. I then gave orders for the officers to send the men up the gun-deck to endeavour to secure it, in order that we might get alongside of the enemy again as soon as possible; but every effort was in vain, for the mainmast went over the side a few minutes after, and carried with it the top-men, among whom was an amiable young gentleman who commanded the maintop, Mr. James Jarvis, son of James Jarvis, Esq., of New York. It seems that this young gentleman was apprized of the mast going in a few minutes by an old seaman, but he had already so much of the principle of an officer ingrafted on his mind, not to leave his quarters on any account, that he told the men if the mast went they must go with it, which was the case, and only one of them was saved.

I regret much his loss, as a promising young officer and amiable young man, as well as on account of a long intimacy that has subsisted between his father and myself; but have great satisfaction in finding that I have lost no other, and only two or three slightly wounded, out of thirty-nine killed and wounded--fourteen of the former, and twenty-five of the latter.

As soon as the mainmast went every effort was made to clear the wreck from the ship as soon as possible, which was effected in about an hour. It being impossible to pursue the enemy, and as her security was the great object, I immediately bore away for Jamaica, for repairs, etc., finding it impossible to reach a friendly port in any of the islands to windward.

I should be wanting in common justice were I to omit here to journalize the steady attention to order, and the great exertion and bravery of all my officers, seamen and marines, in this action, many of whom I had sufficiently tried before, on a similar occasion, and all their names are recorded in the muster-roll I sent to the Secretary of the Navy, dated the nineteenth of December last, signed by myself.

All hands employed at repairing the damages sustained in the (p. 132) action, so far as to get the ship into Jamaica as soon as possible.

Thomas TRUXTUN.

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_President John Adams to the Secretary of the Navy._

To B. STODDART, Philadelphia, March 31, 1800.

Secretary of the Navy.

The President of the United States requests the Secretary of the Navy to take immediate measures for carrying into execution the resolution of Congress of the 29th, for presenting to Captain Thomas Truxtun a gold medal, emblematical of the late action between the United States frigate Constellation, of thirty-eight guns, and the French ship-of-war La Vengeance, of fifty-four, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct in the above engagement, wherein an example was exhibited by the captain, officers, sailors and marines, honourable to the American name, and instructive to its rising navy.

John ADAMS.

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_John Adams to Captain Thomas Truxtun._

To CAPTAIN THOMAS TRUXTUN, U.S.N. Quincy, November 30th, 1802.

Sir: I have many apologies to make for omitting so long to acknowledge the receipt of your obliging favour of the 10th of July. The copy you have done me the honour to present me, of the medal voted by Congress, and executed according to my directions to the Secretary of the Navy, I accept with great pleasure, not only from my personal regard to the giver, but because I esteem every laurel conferred upon you, for the glorious action of the 1st of March, 1800, as an honour done to our beloved country.

From both of these motives I have been highly gratified with the honour the gentlemen of Lloyd's Coffee House have done themselves in the handsome acknowledgment they have made of their obligations to you. I regret that the artist had not completed the medal in season, that I might have had the satisfaction of presenting it to an officer who has so greatly deserved it; and I lament still more that I had not the power of promoting merit to its just rank in the navy, that of an admiral.

The counsel which Themistocles gave to Athens, Pompey to Rome, Cromwell to England, De Witt to Holland, and Colbert to France, I have always given and shall continue to give to my countrymen, that, as the great questions of commerce and power between nations and empires must be decided by a military marine, and war and peace are determined at sea, all reasonable encouragement should be given to the navy. The trident of Neptune is the sceptre of the world.

I am, Sir, etc., John ADAMS.

No. 22. (p. 133) PLATE XXIII.

_March 4, 1801--March 4, 1809._