CRUISE OF THE ENTERPRISE; THE BOSTON AND LE BERCEAU. Trumbull (Captain David Jewett) captured the French schooner La Vengeance, 8, off Jeremie. The prize was sent to New London and condemned, but was surrendered soon afterward on the ground that she was a national vessel according to the treaty concluded with France.* On July 26 the Ganges captured a French privateer off Matanzas, Cuba. The Guadeloupe station had been a scene of much activity. The Baltimore, the John Adams, and other vessels took a number of privateers and succeeded also in releasing many captured American vessels. On June 17 the Enterprise, 12 (Lieutenant John Shaw), captured the privateer Le Cynge (or Le Seine) of 4 guns and 54 men. Soon afterward the Enterprise captured Le Citoyenne, 6, the L'Aigle, 10 and Le Flandreau, 12† and later took three other vessels besides making a number of recaptures. On this cruise, according to Shaw's report, the Enterprise. took 13 vessels, made 300 prisoners, killed and wounded 61 men, and captured 42 pieces of artillery and 180 stands of muskets. Shortly afterwards, under a new commander, the Enterprise fell in with a French vessel of 12 guns, but, after doing considerable damage was compelled to leave her, as they were near the island of St. Bartholomew, with whose vicinity the Enterprise was unacquainted. On December 24 the Enterprise captured the privateer L'Armour de la Patrie, 6. The Experiment, under Charles Stewart, fell in with and captured the privateer Deux Amis, 8, and on October 1 captured the three masted schooner La Diane with a valuable cargo (and armed with 14 9-pound carronades), under convoy of a brig of 18 9-pounders. The brig escaped.* The Experiment also recaptured a number of American vessels. On October 12, 1800, when about 600 miles northeast of Guadeloupe, the frigate Boston sighted a ship and a schooner. The Boston started in pursuit and at about 3.30 o'clock came up with the ship, which then hoisted. French colors. At 3.45, when the Frenchman refused to strike his flag, the action began, lasting until 5.24. The sails and rigging of both ships were so shattered that it was impossible to work either of them, and they drifted apart. The Boston hastily repaired her damages, and at 8.30 o'clock the action was resumed, lasting until 10.20, when the French ship struck her colors. Her fore and main topmasts had been shot away, and went over the side soon after striking. She proved to be the Le Berceau, 46 * Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 205206; Allen, pp. 205-206; Cooper, Naval History, vol. i., pp. 183–184. 422 ACTIONS OF THE PRIVATEERS. (mounting 24), and during the action had lost 34 killed and 18 wounded. The loss on the Boston was 7 killed and 8 wounded.* The prize was taken to Boston harbor, condemned, and sold to the United States on January 15, but, under the treaty with France, had to be given up. She sailed for home on September 26, 1801.† During this war there were, strictly speaking, no American privateers, but most merchantmen were armed for defense and a large number were commissioned under the act of July 9, 1798. Though the French privateers were more heavily armed, the American vessels attacked them without hesitancy and generally emerged victorious. On July 5, 1798, the Eliza, of Charleston, was compelled to surrender to a French privateer, after an action lasting an hour and a quarter. On March 8, 1799, the Charming Betsy, of Baltimore, fell in with the French privateer L'Revenge and a warm action ensued. The Betsy sustained considerable damage in her rigging, spars and sails, both topmasts also being shot away. Her captain and three men were wounded. * See, however, Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 209-212, and Cooper (Naval History, vol. i., p. 181), who give different statistics. Maclay gives the loss on the Boston as 4 killed and 11 wounded, and on the Berceau as 4 killed and 17 wounded. † Allen, Our Naval War With France, pp. 210216. See also the data regarding this battle in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. xx., p. 270. The correspondence relating to her release will be found in American State Papers, Foreign Relations, vol. ii., pp. 428-439. L'Revenge suffered considerable damage, having had 10 men killed and wounded (four of whom were thrown. overboard on her arrival at Curaçoa).* On March 8 the Molly, of Philadelphia, was fired upon by a French ship and, although she although she compelled the French ship to strike her colors, it does not appear that she took possession of her prize. In June of 1799 the brig the Genius, of New York, captured the French ship Columbus and took her to Tortola, where she was condemned by a British court of admiralty. On July 10 the Planter, 18, was attacked by a French privateer of 22 guns, but finally compelled the enemy to retreat. The Mount Vernon, 20 guns and 53 men, fell in with a fleet of French merchantmen under convoy and was attacked by a French frigate. The American vessel poured in several broadsides and was rapidly gaining the advantage, when the French vessel fled. In July the same vessel met another French ship and compelled her to strike, but did not take her, because they were too near European waters, from which aid might arrive at any moment. On October 2, 1799, when about 40 miles north of Havana, the private armed vessel, the Chesapeake, 20, was attacked by a French privateer of 12 or 14 guns and a desperate encounter followed, lasting three-quarters of * Allen, Our Naval War With France, pp. 226227. † Ibid, pp. 228-229. Ibid, pp. 229–232. THE PERSEVERANCE, NANCY, AND HERALD. an hour. The quarter-deck of the enemy then blew up and she went down stern foremost, taking all her men with her. * On November 2, 1799, the Perseverance, 22, was attacked by a French frigate of 28 guns. The French gunners aimed so as to cut up the rigging of the American vessel, and were so successful that early in the action the Perseverance became unmanageable. At the second and third broadsides most of the carronades in the Perseverance were upset and on that side but seven remained with which to fight. Nevertheless, the Americans maintained so hot a fire that, after an action of one hour and ten minutes, the French ship withdrew. So complete a wreck was the Perseverance that she could not follow. Having repaired her damages, the French vessel renewed the attack; but, after an hour and a quarter of severe fighting, crowded on sail and fled. The Perseverance, with much difficulty, reached Libson.† In March of 1800 the Nancy, 10, of Boston, was attacked by a French schooner of 16 guns. Having disabled a greater part of the sails and rigging of the American vessel, the French ship tried to board, but was beaten off. Before she left, however, she put 3,000 shot of different kinds through the hull, sails and rigging of the American boat. The topsail, topgallant halyards, gib stay, topping lift 423 and braces were all shot away; the Silsbee It is estimated that during the war the navy took about 85 prizes from the French, not counting recaptured vessels and small boats. Of these, about a dozen surrendered because they were illegally captured, and two, . being national vessels, were after * Allen, pp. 237-238. Ibid, pp. 239-242; E. S. Maclay, A History of American Privateers, pp. 219-220; Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 207-208. Maclay, American Privateers, pp. 220–222. The Directory seeking peace Mission of George Logan Attitude of Adams toward the peace mission Hamilton and the Miranda enterprise — Talleyrand's willingness to receive new mission - Belligerent character of the President's proposed speech to Congress - Pickering's report on Gerry's negotiations - Submission to Congress of the French decree of October 29, 1798 - Suspension of commercial intercourse Nomination by Adams of new envoys to France Federalist indignation - Quarrel with the CabinetAdams' defence The treaty of Morfontaine signed by the envoys - Exchange of ratifications - Results of the dispute - Arbitration with Great Britain - Disposition of the claims against France. While these events were taking place, a peaceful solution of the dispute was being effected gradually. Long before a regiment had been raised, word was received that France was not likely to go to war. In the autumn of 1798 Gerry arrived, bringing assurances that the French ministry had no desire for war; but as his actions in France had intended to discredit his opinions, his words carried no weight. He had hoped to be vindicated by the publication of his report to Adams, but, though the Republicans sarcastically called for its publication, Pickering withheld it for several months.* Another indication of the mood of the French was the *See Jefferson's letter of January 16, 1799, to Madison, in Ford's ed. of Jefferson's Writings, vol. vii., pp. 316-317; John Adams, Works, vol. viii., pp. 616-617 and vol. ix., p. 7. See also Madison's reply to Jefferson, in Madison's Works (Congress ed.), vol. ii., p. 151. mission of Dr. George Logan, a Philadelphia Quaker, who, on his own ac * Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., p. 213. † Allen, p. 222. In addition to the works previously mentioned, see Nathan Sargent, The QuasiWar with France, in The United Service (July, 1883); Horatio D. Smith, The United States Revenue Cutter Service, in The United Service (November, 1889, to April, 1890); Charles O. Paullin, Early Naval Administration Under the Constitu tion, in Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute (September, 1906); Charles T. Harbeck, A Contribution to the Bibliography of the History of the United States Navy (1906); Charles W. Goldsborough, United States Naval Chronicle (Washington, 1824); A. T. Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793-1812 (Boston, 1894); George F. Emmons, Statistical History of the Navy of the United States (Washington, 1853); Ira N. Hollis, The Frigate Constitution (Boston, 1900); George H. Preble, First Cruise of the United States Frigate Essex (Salem, 1870); Autobiography of Com modore Charles Morris (Boston, 1880); Articles by J. F. Cooper on the frigate Constitution in Putnam's Monthly (May and June, 1853); the extracts from the log of the frigate Boston in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society (June, 1883); Biographical Sketch and Services of Commodore Charles Stewart (Phila LOGAN'S MISSION; ATTITUDE OF DIRECTORY. count, undertook to secure a definite assurance from the French government that it was inclined to peace. He succeeded in securing the release of some American prisoners taken by privateers, and in an interview with Talleyrand, endeavored to show how disastrous to the French interests in the United States had been the course adopted by the ministry. He returned to the United States, convinced that his journey had not been in vain; but his mission was regarded as a partisan interference in foreign affairs and caused much bitter comment, though undoubtedly the affair was made to appear much worse than it actually was. Logan called upon Washington to relate his experience, but was received very coldly, Washington remarking that it was peculiar that an unaccredited stranger could secure more information regarding the intentions of the French ministry than three accredited ministers of the United States. He said also that, if France really desired peace, she should prevent the seizure of American ships by French privateers. Logan afterward had an interview with delphia, 1838); The Yankee Tar; An Authentic U. S. N. (New York, 1904); Alexander S. Mac- 425 Adams, by whom he was received much more graciously.* The Directory had now changed its attitude. It no longer demanded satisfaction for the language contained in Adams' message, concerning which complaints had been made. No desire was expressed that the United States break Jay's treaty; American seamen were released; the further capture of American vessels was prohibited; and in August the government indicated its readiness to receive a new American minister, provided his political opinions were acceptable to the ministry. When Congress met in December of 1798 the Union was in great danger. The Republicans believed that the Federalists were bent on plunging the country into war, either foreign or domestic, as is witnessed by numerous letters written by Republicans. Gallatin wrote to his wife that the Federalists" avow a design of keeping up a standing army for domestic purposes " and that Hamilton had declared that a standing army was necessary." Undoubtedly the Federalists themselves believed that the crisis was at hand," that the question between the friends of order and government and the sedition-mongers [and] traitors would have to be settled by an appeal to arms." And the * McMaster, vol. ii., pp. 409-410, 415-416. See also Ford's ed. of Jefferson's Writings, vol. vii., pp. 273-275, 326 et seq.; Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. xiv., p. 130. † Adams, Life of Gallatin, p. 223. |