Occurences aboard the USS Constellation, February 1800
An extract from the Naval Chronicle, February 25th, 1800: AMERICA. New York: To Benjamin Stoddart, Esq. Sec. of the Navy. Occurences aboard the USS Constellation, of 38 guns, under my command.
Feb.1. Throughout these 24 hours very unsettled weather; kept on our tacks bearing up under Guadaloupe; and at half past seven AM, the Road of Basseterre bearing E. five leagues distant, saw a sail in the SE standing for the SW which from her situation I first took for a large ship from Martinique, and hoisted English colors on giving chase by way of inducement for her to come down and speak me. Finding she did 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 54 guns. I immediately gave orders for the yards &c. to be slung with chains, top-sail sheets &c. stoppered and the ship cleared for action and pulled down the English colors. At noon the wind became light and I observed that the chace held way with us; but I determined to continue the pursuit. Passed two schooners standing to the northward. One of them shewed American colors and was a merchant vessel, the other I supposed the same.Feb 2. At 1PM the winds being somewhat fresher the prospect of our bringing the enemy to action began again to brighten. Every inch of canvas being set that could be of service, except the bog-reefs, which I kept in the top-sails in case the chase should haul on a wind and give us fair battle; but this did not prove to be her commander`s attention. I got within hail of him at 8 PM, hoisted our ensign, and had the candles in the battle lanthorns 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 nesessary, I sent Mr Vandyke to the different officers commanding divisions of the main-battery, to repeat my orders not to throw away a singlre charge of powder but to fire directly into the hull of the enemy; and load primarily with two round shot and now and then with round shot and a stand of grape. In a few moments I gained a position on the weather quarter that enabled us to return his salute and thus as close and as sharp an action as ever was fought between two frigates commenced, and continued to within a few minutes of 1 AM, when the enemy`s fire was completely silenced and was again sheering off.
It was at this moment I was considering him my prize and was trimming my much shattered sails; when I found that my main-mast was totally unsupported by rigging, every shroud being shot away, and some of them in several places, that even stoppers were useless. I gave orders for the men from the gun-deck to endeavour to secure it, but the effort was in vain and it went over the side a few minutes after, and carried with it the top-men among whom was the amiable young gentlemen who commanded the main-top, Mr James Jervis of New York. He had been apprised of the mast going by an old seaman but had so much of the principle of the officer ingrafted on his mind, not to leave his quarters on any account, that he told the man that if the mast went they must go with it, which was the case, and only one of them was saved.
I much regret his loss as a promising young officer, as well as on account of a long intimacy with his father, but have great satisfaction in finding that I have lost no other, and only two or three slightly wounded, out of 14 killed and 25 wounded. As soon as the main-mast went every effort was made to clear the wreckage. It being impossible to pursue the enemy I bore away for Jamaica for repairs.Captain Thomas Truxtun
Many similar Naval History articles can be found in The Portsmouth Telegraph, or Naval and Military Journal in the Naval History section.
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