The Medallic History of the United States of America Part 44

CAPTAIN JAMES LAWRENCE.

[_Capture of the Peac.o.c.k._]

JAC. (_Jacobus_) LAWRENCE DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI[88]

(_James Lawrence. It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country._) Bust of Captain Lawrence in uniform, facing the right. FuRST. F.

(_fecit_).

[Footnote 88: Horace, Book II, Ode II, 13.]

MANSUETUD. MAJ. QUAM VICTORIA. (_Mansuetudo major quam victoria: Clemency greater than victory._) The action is over. The United States sloop-of-war Hornet, of twenty guns, Captain Lawrence, is lying to and sending her boats to the rescue of the crew of the British brig-of-war Peac.o.c.k, of twenty-two guns, Captain Peake, which has lost her mainmast, and is going down head foremost. Exergue: INTER HORNET NAV AMERI ET PEAc.o.c.k NAV ANG DIE XXIV FEB MDCCCXIII. (_Inter Hornet, navem Americanam, et Peac.o.c.k, navem Anglicanam, die 24 Februarii, 1813: Between the American vessel Hornet and the English vessel Peac.o.c.k, February 24, 1813._) On the platform, FuRST. F. (_fecit_).

JAMES LAWRENCE was born in Burlington, New Jersey, October 1, 1781. He was appointed a midshipman in 1798, and became a lieutenant in 1802; served against Tripoli, 1802-1804, and was second in command under Decatur, in the Intrepid, when the Philadelphia was destroyed off (p. 186) Tripoli. In 1810 he became master-commandant, and on February 24, 1813, with the Hornet, captured the British brig-of-war Peac.o.c.k, Captain William Peake. For this action, Congress awarded him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. As captain he commanded the Chesapeake in 1813 and fell, mortally wounded, in the engagement with the British ship Shannon, Captain Broke. His last words, when carried below, were, "Don't give up the ship!" He died four days after the combat, on June 5, 1813, and was buried with military honors at Halifax, Nova Scotia.

His remains were afterward taken to the United States, and now lie in Trinity church-yard, New York city.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolution of Congress Voting Medals to Captain Lawrence, 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 the nearest male relative of Captain James Lawrence, a gold medal, and a silver medal[89] to each of the commissioned officers who served under him in the sloop-of-war Hornet, in her conflict with the British vessel-of-war, the Peac.o.c.k, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and crew in the capture of that vessel; and the President is also requested to communicate to the nearest male relative of Captain Lawrence the sense which Congress entertains of the loss which the naval service of the United States has since sustained in the death of that distinguished officer.

[Footnote 89: The silver medals are copies of the one in gold given to Captain Lawrence.]

Approved January 11, 1814.

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_Captain Lawrence to the Secretary of the Navy._

To the Honourable United States ship Hornet, William JONES, Holmes' Hole, March 19th, 1813.

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.

Sir: I have the honour to inform you of the arrival, at this port, of the United States ship Hornet, under my command, from a cruise of 145 days, and to state to you, that after Commodore Bainbridge left the coast of Brazils, (on the 6th of January last,) the Hornet continued off the harbour of St. Salvador, blockading the Bonne Citoyenne until the 24th, when the Montagu 74 hove in sight, and chased me into the harbour; but night (p. 187) coming on, I wore and stood to the southward. Knowing that she had left Rio Janeiro for the express purpose of relieving the Bonne Citoyenne and the packet, (which I had also blockaded for fourteen days, and obliged her to send her mail to Rio in a Portuguese smack,) I judged it most prudent to change my cruising ground, and stood to the eastward, with the view of cruising off Pernambuco; and on the 4th day of February, captured the English brig Resolution, from Rio Janeiro, bound to Maranham, with coffee, jerked beef, flour, fustic and b.u.t.ter, and about 25,000 dollars in specie. As the brig sailed dull, and could ill spare hands to man her, I took out the money and set her on fire. I then ran down the coast for Maranham, and cruised there for a short time; from thence ran off Surinam. After cruising off that coast from the 5th to the 22d of February, without meeting a vessel, I stood for Demarara, with an intention, should I not be fortunate on that station, to run through the West Indies, on my way to the United States. But on the morning of the 24th, I discovered a brig to leeward, to which I gave chase; ran into quarter less four, and not having a pilot, was obliged to haul off; the fort at the entrance of Demarara river at this time bearing south west, distance about 2-1/2 leagues. Previously to giving up the chase, I discovered a vessel at anchor without the bar, with English colours flying, apparently a brig of war. In beating round Corobano bank, in order to get at her, at half past 3 P.M. I discovered another sail on my weather quarter edging down for us. At 4.20 minutes she hoisted English colours, at which time we discovered her to be a large man-of-war brig; beat to quarters, and cleared ship for action; kept close by the wind, in order, if possible, to get to the weather gage. At 5.10 minutes, finding I could weather the enemy, I hoisted American colours, and tacked. At 5.20 minutes, in pa.s.sing each other, exchanged broadsides within half pistol shot. Observing the enemy in the act of wearing, I bore up, received his starboard broadside, ran him close on board on the starboard quarter, and kept up such a heavy and well directed fire, that in less than fifteen minutes he surrendered, being literally cut to pieces, and hoisted an ensign, union down, from his fore-rigging, as a signal of distress. Shortly after, his main-mast went by the board; dispatched Lieutenant Shubrick on board, who soon returned with her first lieutenant, who reported her to be His Britannic Majesty's late brig Peac.o.c.k, commanded by Captain William Peake, who fell in the latter part of the action; that a number of her crew were killed and wounded, and that she was sinking fast, having then six feet of water in her hold; dispatched the boats immediately for the wounded, and brought both vessels to anchor.

Such shot-holes as could be got at were then plugged, her guns thrown overboard, and every possible exertion used to keep her afloat, until the prisoners could be removed, by pumping and bailing, but without effect, and she unfortunately sunk in five and a half fathoms water, carrying down thirteen of her crew and three of my brave fellows, viz.: John Hart, Joseph Williams, and Hannibal Boyd. Lieutenant Conner, Midshipman Cooper, and the remainder of the Hornet's crew, employed in removing the prisoners, with difficulty saved themselves by jumping in a boat that was lying on her bows as she went down. Four men, of the thirteen mentioned, were so fortunate as to gain the fore-top, and were afterwards taken off by the boats. Previous to her going down, four of her men took to her stern boat, which had been much damaged during the action, which I hope reached the sh.o.r.e (p. 188) in safety; but from the heavy sea running at the time, the shattered state of the boat, and the difficulty of landing on the coast, I much fear they were lost. I have not been able to ascertain from her officers the exact number killed. Captain Peake and four men were found dead on board. The master, one midshipman, carpenter, and captain's clerk, and twenty-nine seamen were wounded, most of them very severely; three of them died of their wounds after being removed, and nine drowned. Our loss was trifling in comparison. John Place, killed; Samuel Coulson and Joseph Dalrymple, slightly wounded; George Coffin and Lewis Todd, severely burnt by the explosion of a cartridge. Todd survived only a few days. Our rigging and sails were much cut; one shot through the foremast, and the bowsprit slightly injured.

Our hull received little or no damage. At the time the Peac.o.c.k was brought to action, the L'Espiegle (the brig mentioned above as being at anchor), mounting sixteen two-and-thirty pound carronades, and two long nines, lay at about six miles in sh.o.r.e, and could plainly see the whole of the action. Apprehensive that she would beat out to the a.s.sistance of her consort, such exertions were made by my officers and crew in repairing damages, &c., that by 9 o'clock the boats were stowed, a new set of sails bent, and the ship completely ready for action. At 2 A.M. got under weigh, and stood by the wind to the northward and westward, under easy sail.

On mustering next morning, found we had 277 souls on board, including the crew of the American brig Hunter, of Portland, taken a few days before by the Peac.o.c.k. And, as we had been on two-thirds allowance of provisions for some time, and had but 3,400 gallons of water on board, I reduced the allowance to three pints a man, and determined to make the best of my way to the United States.

The Peac.o.c.k was deservedly styled one of the finest vessels of her cla.s.s in the British navy, probably about the tonnage of the Hornet. Her beam was greater by five inches, but her extreme length not so great by four feet. She mounted sixteen twenty-four pound carronades, two long nines, one twelve-pound carronade on her topgallant-forecastle, as a shifting gun, and one four or six-pounder, and two swivels mounted aft. I find, by her quarter-bill, that her crew consisted of 134 men, four of whom were absent in a prize.

The cool and determined conduct of my officers and crew during the action, and their almost unexampled exertions afterwards, ent.i.tled them to my warmest acknowledgments, and I beg leave most earnestly to recommend them to the notice of government.

By the indisposition of Lieutenant Stewart I was deprived of the services of an excellent officer; had he been able to stand the deck I am confident his exertions would not have been surpa.s.sed by any one on board. I should be doing injustice to the merits of Lieutenant Shubrick, and of acting-lieutenants Conner and Newton, were I not to recommend them particularly to your notice.

Lieutenant Shubrick was in the actions with the Guerriere and Java. Captain Hull and Commodore Bainbridge can bear testimony to his coolness and good conduct on both occasions.

With the greatest respect, I remain, &c., James LAWRENCE.

P.S. At the commencement of the action my sailing master and seven men were absent in a prize, and Lieutenant Stewart and six men on the sick list.

No. 34. (p. 189) PLATE x.x.xV.

_September 11, 1814._

Tho. Macdonough. Stagno Champlain clas. Reg. Brit superavit.

[Rx]. Uno latere percusso. alterum impavide vert.i.t.

CAPTAIN THOMAS MACDONOUGH.

[_Victory of Lake Champlain._]

THO. MACDONOUGH. STAGNO CHAMPLAIN CLAS. REG. BRIT. SUPERAVIT. (_Thomas Macdonough Stagno Champlain cla.s.sim Regis Britannia superavit: Thomas Macdonough defeated the Royal British fleet on Lake Champlain._) Bust of Captain Macdonough, in uniform, facing the right. FuRST. F.

(_fecit_).

UNO LATERE PERCUSSO. ALTERUM IMPAVIDE VERt.i.t. (_Beaten on one side, he fearlessly turns the other._) Naval action on Lake Champlain, between the United States fleet, carrying eighty-six guns, under Captain Macdonough, and the British fleet, with ninety-five guns, commanded by Commodore Downie. To the right, the city of Plattsburgh in flames.

Exergue: INTER CLa.s.s. AMERI. ET BRIT. DIE XI SEPT. MDCCCXIIII. (_Inter cla.s.sim Americanam et Britannicam, die 11 Septembris, 1814: Between the American and British fleets, September 11, 1814._) On the platform, FuRST. F. (_fecit_).

THOMAS MACDONOUGH was born in Newcastle County, Delaware, December 23, 1783. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1800; served in the Tripolitan campaign, and was with Decatur in the Intrepid, when the latter blew up the Philadelphia. He was made a lieutenant in February, 1807, and a master-commandant in July, 1813. He defeated the British squadron, commanded by Commodore George Downie, on Lake Champlain, September 11, 1814, for which victory he received the thanks of Congress and a gold medal, and was promoted to the rank of (p. 190) captain. He commanded the Mediterranean squadron for several years, and died at sea, November 18, 1825, of consumption, on his homeward voyage to the United States.

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ORIGINAL DOc.u.mENTS.

_Resolutions of Congress Voting Medals to Captains Macdonough and Henley, Lieutenant Ca.s.sin, etc._

_Resolved unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled_: That the thanks of Congress be, and the same are hereby, presented to Captain Thomas Macdonough, and through him to the officers, petty officers, seamen, marines, and infantry serving as marines, attached to the squadron under his command, for the decisive and splendid victory gained on Lake Champlain, on the eleventh of September, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, over a British squadron of superior force.

_Resolved_, That the President of the United States be requested to cause gold medals to be struck, emblematical of the action between the two squadrons, and to present them to Captain Macdonough and Captain Robert Henley, and also to Lieutenant Stephen Ca.s.sin, in such a manner as may be most honourable to them; and that the President be further requested to present a silver medal,[90] with suitable emblems and devices, to each of the commissioned officers of the navy and army serving on board, and a sword to each of the midshipmen and sailing-masters, who so n.o.bly distinguished themselves in that memorable conflict.

[Footnote 90: The silver medals are copies of the one in gold given to Captain Macdonough.]

_Resolved_, That the President of the United States be requested to present a silver medal, with like emblems and devices, to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Peter Gamble, and of Lieutenant John Stansbury, and to communicate to them the deep regret which Congress feel for the loss of those gallant men, whose names ought to live in the recollection and affection of a grateful country.

_Resolved_, That three months' pay be allowed, exclusively of the common allowance, to all petty officers, seamen, marines, and infantry serving as marines, who so gloriously supported the honour of the American flag on that memorable day.

Approved October 20, 1814.

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_Resolution of Congress Complimentary to Lieutenant Silas Duncan._

_Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress a.s.sembled_: That the provisions of the joint resolutions of Congress pa.s.sed October twentieth, eighteen hundred and fourteen, ent.i.tled "Resolution expressive of the sense of Congress of the gallant conduct of Captain Thomas Macdonough, the officers, seamen and marines, and infantry (p. 191) serving as marines on board of the United States squadron on Lake Champlain," be so construed and extended as to include the names of Silas Duncan, a lieutenant in the Navy of the United States, in testimony of the sense which is entertained by both houses of Congress of the distinguished gallantry and good conduct of the said Lieutenant Duncan, in an action with the enemy's forces on the sixth of September, eighteen hundred and fourteen, on the same lake.

Approved May 13th, 1826.