The Medallic History of the United States of America Part 38

James Madison President of the U. S. A. D. 1809. [Rx]. Peace and friendship.

PRESIDENT JAMES MADISON.

[_Fourth President of the United States of America._]

JAMES MADISON PRESIDENT OF THE U. S. (_United States_) A. D. (_Anno Domini: The year of our Lord_) 1809. Bust of President Madison, facing the left. On ring, R. (_Reich_).

PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP. Two hands clasped, in token of amity; on the cuff of the left wrist three stripes and as many b.u.t.tons with the American eagle on them; the other wrist bare; above the hands, a calumet and a tomahawk crossed--Indian emblems of peace and war.[74]

[Footnote 74: See INTRODUCTION, page xxiv.]

The dies of the reverse of this medal served for all the Indian Presidential medals struck previous to July, 1846, when new ones had to be made, as will be seen from the following extracts from despatches of R. M. Patterson, director of the Mint, to William Merrill, commissioner of Indian affairs, bearing date, Philadelphia, July 18, 1846:

"As the dies for the Indian medals belong to the War Department, it is proper that I should mention that the reverses are no longer in a condition to be employed. They have been used for all the medals struck since the time of President Jefferson, and it was with difficulty that they could be made to answer for those which we have just completed. A new set will be absolutely necessary, and it seems not unreasonable that they should be paid out of the appropriation made for these medals, in striking which they have finally failed."

And Philadelphia, December 5, 1846: (p. 152)

"In a letter which I addressed to you on the 18th of July last, I stated that the reverses used for the Indian medals were no longer in a condition to be again employed. I mentioned that the cost of a new set would be $300, and I asked your authority to have them made without further delay. This authority you gave me in your letter of the 21st of July. I have now to report that complete sets both of hubs and dies have been made, and that the hubs will put it in our power to replace a die, at any time, if it should be injured. All apprehension from this source is therefore removed for the future."

JAMES MADISON was born at King George, on the Rappahannock river, Virginia, March 16, 1751. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey, Princeton, 1771; studied law; was member of the General a.s.sembly of Virginia, 1776; of the Continental Congress, 1780-1783; of the State Legislature of Virginia, 1784; of the Philadelphia Convention, 1787; representative in Congress from Virginia, 1789-1797; secretary of State to President Jefferson, 1801-1809; President of the United States (first term), 1809-1813; (second term), 1813-1817. He died at his estate of Montpelier, Orange County, Virginia, June 28, 1836.

No. 25. (p. 153) PLATE XXVI.

_August 19, 1812._

Isaacus Hull peritos arte superat Jul MDCCCXII Aug. certamine fortes. [Rx]. Horae memento victoria.

CAPTAIN ISAAC HULL.

[_Capture of the Guerriere._]

ISAACUS HULL PERITOS ARTE SUPERAT JUL. (_Julii_), MDCCCXII AUG.

(_Augusti_) CERTAMINE FORTES.[75] (_Isaac Hull conquers in July, 1812, the skilled by stratagem, and in August, the strong in battle._) Bust of Captain Hull, in uniform, facing the left. On edge of bust, R.

(_Reich_).

[Footnote 75: As this legend refers to two events, Hull's celebrated escape from a British fleet in July, and his capture of the Guerriere in August, 1812, the official reports of both those important affairs are given.]

HORAE MOMENTO VICTORIA. (_Victory in the s.p.a.ce of an hour._) Naval action between the United States frigate Const.i.tution, of forty-four guns, Captain Hull, and the British frigate Guerriere, of forty-nine guns, Captain Dacres. The Const.i.tution, firing her starboard battery, carries away the Guerriere's mizzenmast, which, in falling, takes with it the mainmast; the Guerriere, having already lost her foremast, is completely dismasted; the Const.i.tution, on the contrary, is but slightly injured in her rigging. Exergue: INTER CONST. NAV. AMER. ET GUER. ANGL. (_Inter Const.i.tution navem Americanam et Guerriere Anglicanam: Between the American vessel Const.i.tution and the English vessel Guerriere_).[76]

[Footnote 76: See INTRODUCTION, page xxiv.]

ISAAC HULL was born at Derby, Connecticut, March 9, 1775. He was first in the merchant service, but entered the navy as lieutenant in 1798, and served under Commodores Preble and Barron before Tripoli, (p. 154) 1802-1805. In May, 1804, he was appointed master-commandant, and in April, 1806, captain. On July 17, 1812, and on the following two days, while in command of the frigate Const.i.tution, he found himself becalmed, with a fleet of five British vessels in pursuit of him, but by repeatedly sending out his kedge anchors and hauling his ship up to them, he kept out of their reach until the breeze sprung up again, when he soon left them far astern. A few weeks later, August 19, he fell in with and captured the British frigate Guerriere, Captain J. A.

Dacres, for which gallant action Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. After the war, he commanded in the Pacific and the Mediterranean. He was a member of the Naval Board, and was at the head of the navy yards at Boston and at Washington. He died in Philadelphia, February 3, 1843.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting Medals to Captains Hull, Decatur, Jones, etc._

_Resolved 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, and he is hereby, requested to present to Captain Hull of the frigate Const.i.tution, Captain Decatur of the frigate United States, and Captain Jones of the sloop of war Wasp, each a gold medal, with suitable emblems and devices; and a silver medal, with like emblems and devices, to each commissioned officer of the aforesaid vessels, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry, good conduct, and services of the captains, officers, and crews of the aforesaid vessels in their respective conflicts with the British frigates the Guerriere and the Macedonian, and sloop of war Frolic; and the President is also requested to present a silver medal,[77] with like emblems and devices, to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Bush, and one to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Funk, in testimony of the gallantry and merit of those deceased officers, in whom their country has sustained a loss much to be regretted.

[Footnote 77: The silver medals are copies of the gold ones given to the captains of the respective ships.]

SECTION 2. _And be it further resolved_, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, requested to present to Lieutenant Elliott of the navy of the United States, an elegant sword, with suitable emblems and devices, in testimony of the just sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct in boarding and capturing the British brigs Detroit and Caledonia, while anch.o.r.ed under the protection of Fort Erie.

Approved January 29, 1813.

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_Captain Hull to the Secretary of the Navy._ (p. 155)

To the Honourable United States frigate Const.i.tution, Paul HAMILTON, at Sea, July 21, 1812.

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: In pursuance of your orders of the 3d instant, I left Annapolis on the 5th instant, and the Capes on the 12th, of which I advised you by the Pilot that brought the ship to sea.

For several days after we got out the wind was light and ahead, which with a strong southerly current prevented our making much way to the northward. On the 17th at 2 P.M., being in 22 fathoms water off Egg Harbour, four sail of ships were discovered from the mast head to the northward and in sh.o.r.e of us; apparently ships of war. The wind being very light, all sail was made in chase of them, to ascertain whether they were enemy's ships or our squadron having got out of New York waiting the arrival of the Const.i.tution, the latter of which I had reason to believe was the case.

At 4 in the afternoon a ship was seen from the mast head bearing about N. E., standing for us under all sail, which she continued to do until sundown, at which time she was too far off to distinguish signals, and the ships in sh.o.r.e were only to be seen from the tops, they were standing off to the southward, and eastward. As we could not ascertain before dark what the ship in the offing was, I determined to stand for her and get near enough to make the night signal. At 10, in the evening, being within six or eight miles of the strange sail, the Private Signal was made, and kept up nearly one hour, but finding she could not answer it, I concluded she and the ships in sh.o.r.e were enemies. I immediately hauled off to the southward and eastward, and made all sail, having determined to lay off till day light, to see what they were. The ship that we had been chasing, hauled off after us, showing a light, and occasionally making signals, supposed to be for the ships in sh.o.r.e.

_July 18th._ At daylight, or a little before it was quite light, saw two sail under our lee, which proved to be frigates of the enemy--one frigate astern, within about five or six miles, and a line-of-battle ship, a frigate, a brig and schooner, about ten or twelve miles directly astern, all in chase of us, with a fine breeze, and coming up very fast, it being nearly calm where we were. Soon after sunrise the wind entirely left us, and the ship would not steer, but fell round off with her head towards the two ships under our lee. The boats were instantly hoisted out and sent ahead to tow the ship's head round, and to endeavour to get her farther from the enemy, being then within five miles of three heavy frigates. The boats of the enemy were got out, and sent ahead to tow, which, with the light air that remained with them, they came up very fast. Finding the enemy coming fast up, and but little chance of escaping from them, I ordered two of the guns on the gun deck, ran out at the cabin windows for stern guns on the gun deck, and hoisted one of the 24-pounders off the gun deck, and run that, with the forecastle gun, an 18-pounder, out at the ports on the quarter deck, and cleared the ship for action, being determined they should not get her without resistance on our part, notwithstanding their force and the situation we were placed in.

At about seven in the morning the ship nearest us (p. 156) approaching within gunshot and directly astern, I ordered one of the stern guns fired to see if we could reach her, to endeavour to disable her masts, found the shot fell a little short, would not fire any more. At 8 four of the enemy's ships nearly within gunshot, some of them having six or eight boats ahead towing, with all their oars and sweeps out to row them up with us, which they were fast doing. It now appeared that we must be taken, and that our escape was impossible, four heavy ships nearly within gunshot and coming up fast, and not the least hope of a breeze to give us a chance of getting off by outsailing them.

In the situation, finding ourselves in only twenty-four fathoms water (by the suggestion of that valuable officer, Lieutenant Morris), I determined to try and warp the ship ahead by carrying out anchors and warping her up to them. Three or four hundred fathoms of rope was instantly got up, and two anchors got ready and sent ahead, by which means we began to gain ahead of the enemy. They however soon saw our boats carrying out the anchors, and adopted the same plan, under very advantageous circ.u.mstances, as all the boats from the ship furthermost off were sent to tow and warp up those nearest to us, by which means they again came up, so that at 9 the ship nearest us began firing her bow guns, which we instantly returned by our stern guns in the cabin and on the quarter deck. All the shots from the enemy fell short, but we have reason to believe that some of ours went on board her, as we could not see them strike the water. Soon after 9 a second frigate pa.s.sed under our lee and opened her broadside, but finding her shot fell short, discontinued her fire, but continued, as did all the rest of them, to make every possible exertion to get up with us.

From 9 to 12, all hands were employed in warping the ship ahead, and in starting some of the water in the main hold, to lighten her, by which, with the help of a light air, we rather gained of the enemy, or at least held on our own. About 2, in the afternoon, all the boats from the line of battle ship, and some of the frigates, were sent to the frigate nearest to us, to endeavour to tow her up, but a light breeze sprung up, which enabled us to hold way with her, notwithstanding they had eight or ten boats ahead, and all her sails furled to tow her to windward. The wind continued light until 11 at night, and the boats were kept ahead towing and warping to keep out of the reach of the enemy, three of the frigates being very near us. At 11, we got a light breeze from the southward, the boats came alongside, and were hoisted up, the ship having too much way to keep them ahead, the enemy still in chase and very near.

_July 19th._ At daylight pa.s.sed within gun shot of one of the frigates, but she did not fire on us, perhaps for fear of becalming her as the wind was light. Soon after pa.s.sing us she tacked and stood after us. At this time six sail were in sight under all sail after us. At 9, in the morning, saw a strange sail on our weather beam, supposed to be an American merchant ship.

The instant the frigate nearest us saw her, she hoisted American colours, as did all the squadron, in hopes to decoy her down. I immediately hoisted English colours, that she might not be deceived. She soon hauled her wind, and it is to be hoped made her escape. All this day the wind increased gradually, and we gained on the enemy, in the course of the day, six or eight miles, they however continued chasing us all night under a press of sail.

_July 20th._ At daylight in the morning only three of them (p. 157) could be seen from the mast head, the nearest of which was about twelve miles off directly astern. All hands were set at work wetting the sails, from the royals down, with the engine and fire-buckets, and we soon found that we left the enemy very fast.

At quarter past 8, the enemy finding that they were fast dropping astern, gave over the chase, and hauled their own wind to the northward, probably for the station off New York. At half-past 8, saw a sail ahead, gave chase after her under all sail. At 9, saw another strange sail under our lee bow. We soon spoke the first sail, discovered and found her to be an American brig from St.

Domingo, bound to Portland. I directed the captain how to steer to avoid the enemy, and made sail for the vessel to leeward. On coming up with her, she proved to be an American brig from St.

Bartholomews, bound to Philadelphia, but on being informed of war, she bore up for Charleston, S. C.

Finding the ship so far to the southward and eastward, and the enemy's squadron stationed off New York, which would make it impossible for the ship to get in there, I determined to make for Boston to receive your further orders, and I hope that my having done so will meet your approbation. My wish to explain to you as clearly as possible why your orders have not been executed, and the length of time the enemy were in chase of us, with various other circ.u.mstances, have caused me to make this communication much longer than I would have wished, yet I cannot (in justice to the brave officers and crew under my command) close it without expressing to you the confidence I have in them, and a.s.suring you that their conduct whilst under the guns of the enemy was such as might have been expected from American officers and seamen.

I have the honour to be, with great respect, Sir, your obedient humble servant, Isaac HULL.

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_Captain Hull to the Secretary of the Navy._