Research, or, When Nerds Get Excited

Yes, that's me.
Yesterday the NHS team received a very exciting bit of research from Stephen Duffy, author of Captain Blakeley and the Wasp - a copy of a letter and drawing sent by Isaac Chauncey in July 1805 to then Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith.  It reads:
Sir,
I have the honor to submit for your consideration and approval a plan of the head for the U.S. Brig Hornet building at this place -
      I have the honor to be (etc)                            
                                  Isaac Chauncey

As those who've read the cursory history of Hornet published on the NHS website, the ship was originally fitted with an eagle figurehead that could be unshipped and replaced with a plain billet head.  Several contemporaries wrote of admiring the carving, which reportedly had an eight foot wing span, and even Hornet's builder, William Price, reported that it was hoisted into position on the ship's stem from the roof of his home and office at 910 Fell Street in Baltimore - a building which still stands today.

This latest bit of research is the first actual sketch, drawing or illustration we've had of this apparently notable feature of the original ship, and needless to say, we're very excited.

Some interesting commentary...

I'm a huge fan of Google Books, and here's another example of why:

From Marine Engineering, 1898 

"THE STANDARD NAVY BOATS."
By Arthur B. Casmdy, Esq,. Member. (Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers)

By way of preface, the author refers to the New England dory, the New Bedford whaleboat, the Ranger boat for naval survey use in Central America, the racing cutter or barge, and the light steam or uaptha launch in common use on the coasts, as examples of highly successful craft for special uses. Navy boats have also been designed for their special purpose.

Requirements include: Strength to stand hard usage in rough water; stability under sail or oars: great carrying capacity, and weight as light as is consistent with necessary strength. Steam cutters must not only carry their own loads, but be capable of towing other heavily loaded boats. Aboard war vessels stowage space is limited, and the number of boats which can be carried also limited, so that the boats provided may be on occasions very heavily loaded with men, equipments and provisions—as in abandoning ship. Landing parties mean heavy loads, a probable pull through surf, and much banging upon the shore. In 1870 navy boats were classified according to size, but not form, and Chief Constructor Philip Hichborn has completed the standardization. In carrying out this scheme the best existing boats were selected and studied, also opinions invited from navigating officers who held different opinions about the rig. About 75 per cent favored the sliding gunter, and the others preferred the standing lug. The list of boats classified includes: Steam cutters, launches, cutters, barges, whaleboats, gig whaleboats and dinghies. Essential qualities of design for naval boats are: Safety, weight, comfort, and speed, in order. The author comments on each requirement, and gives much practical information concerning materials and methods of construction. In the matter of speed for steam cutters only a moderate rate is sought. In rough waters this ranges from eight knots for 40 ft. cutters to six knots for 28 ft. cutters. There are about a thousand boats in use in the Navy, and the average life is ten years.

199 years ago today....

Today marks an interesting anniversary - 199 years ago something significant happened.  This is in marked contrast to the tin sign hanging in the Dockyard that proclaims "On this site 200 years ago NOTHING HAPPENED".  Actually, we're not sure about that one but it seemed funny.  But today in history, a relatively small but significant 'first' ocurred having to do with USS Hornet.

A not-so-quick rough look at James Biddle

I've been putting off my much anticipated (or not) brilliant narrative (or not) about the 'six degrees of separation' among Hornet's people and the early American navy. If you're a history nerd like I am, you'll enjoy these. If not, give it some time and I'll go back to talking about steam bending frames for Monomoy No. 3 - set to start within the next few weeks.

At any rate - I think we'll start with Hornet's second most famous commander - James Biddle. Why? Because the letter signed by Biddle that I bought off eBay just arrived and I'm all excited about the fact that I own something that (I think) he touched. Again - if you're not a history nerd, go ahead and tune out.

What's in a name? Generally vowells and consonants, in some order.

One of the interesting questions that has come up in recent research is something so mundane it seems to go entirely unnoticed. While leafing through original manuscripts, we see that every handwritten usage of James Lawrence's name seems to be spelled Laurence. And very clearly too. But every printed spelling is made Lawrence. So what's the deal?

Lawrence is listed as the "anglicized spelling of Laurence", which according to most baby name sites (yeah, I'm on those) means "crowned with laurels". Appropriate for ol' Jimmy since he was certainly a front runner in the 1812-era Naval officer corps when it came to fame and popularity. R. Lee Ermey - get bent (about 4:00).

Back on topic.

Newspapers from the time show Lawrence, as does the epitaph on his tombstone, so the error must not have been too egregious or unpalatable to JL or his family. But still, the written name and the man's own signature still belie he spelled it differently.

In the end, its not that big a deal, but taking things down to the letter I'm finding a degree of flexibility in spelling that seems rather unique. Words in common usage I would have expected some variation (and there is) but names, that's a new one to me.

BT

Over the weekend I received a copy of The Weekly Register, April 3 1813 - a small-sized Baltimore newspaper. On that date it ran a several page spread describing HORNET's battle with PEACOCK. Good reading, but fragile pages. It's already starting to break up, I'll have to be quite careful.

One great excerpt:

"A wag proposes to petition the secretary of the navy to direct the commanding officers of our public vessels to use only one-half of their accustomed quantity of powder, that they may take the British ships "alive". The Guerriere, Java and Peacock would have made a pretty addition to the U. States navy, if Hull, Bainbridge and Lawrence had not mauled them so unmercifully."

Awesome.

More research to follow - and I've got hundreds - literally hundreds - of pages of notes that bear discussion.

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The story of Dimmock Charlton - or - wait, they did WHAT?

Getting back on focus with some history surrounding the Sloop of War HORNET - I offer the narrative of one man and his struggle for freedom.

It is difficult for us to imagine the social complexities of the United States as it was in the early 19th century. The rigid system of deference - that is, a tiered social hierarchy in which your place was decided by birth - is so foreign, so bigoted and prejudicial beyond anything we commonly encounter today that to imagine it involves evoking images of the Dark Ages. Members of the social elite were considered to have a responsibility to lead the rest, govern, employ and 'dispose of' them. Middling ranks were filled with tradesmen, shop keepers, entrepreneurs and 'tinkerers'. Lower ranks were laborers, providing some of the motive power. And below all of these were the Irish, most Eastern Europeans, Asians and Africans - often considered lower forms of life - less than human. These were grunt laborers considered more akin to oxen and mules than those at the top of the social ladder.

In keeping with my typical movie references - Fritz Lang's Metropolis comes to mind. The concept was a nightmare even in the early 20th century.

Analyzing the social progression is the subject of many books and theses - which I just don't have time, space or intellect to dive fully into. But suffice it to say that in the early 19th century our nation was still struggling with the idea of "all men" being "created equal".

BT

Dimmock Charlton - like the Sloop of War Hornet herself - is not a name readily recognized by the masses today, nor is he recorded in textbooks. But his story illustrates the complexities of the system slaves faced in early 19th century America - and the myriad pitfalls that beset any free black person in our nation at that time. Like the Amistad case several decades later, his is a story of perseverance against remarkable odds - and ultimately bittersweet triumph. His story was published in 1859:

A chronological description of Charlton's story begins halfway down page 8.

Read, digest, ponder.

BT

Now, the real meat and potatoes. If you go back and read the narrative of Hornet's service life, you'll see that after sinking Peacock, she sailed straight back to the US, calling at Martha's Vineyard to discharge prisoners before sailing to New York via Hell Gate. But in Charlton's narrative, Army Lt. William Henry Harrison (future PRESIDENT) led him to Savannah, GA. I need to go back and study Hornet's logs to see if she called at another port before proceeding to Martha's Vineyard. BUT either 1) Charlton was separated from the other Peacock prisoners while onboard Hornet and delivered up during that port call or 2) he was separated ashore after they'd landed at Martha's Vineyard. Either way, there is something really fishy going on there.

Why did this happen? Why did it take nearly half a century for this man to earn his freedom and freedom for some of his family despite being a foreign national, and a prisoner of war? Simple - a rigid system of undue deference, and the crookedness that maintained it.

Understanding our past - or at least attempting to - is the only way to ensure we don't repeat past mistakes, and ensure we "rise up and live out the true meaning of [our nation's] creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

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The Designers

The sloop of war Hornet is not only interesting for her own history, but also for the remarkable people that designed, built, sailed, fought and came in contact with her. Today, we start a look at the 'six degrees of separation' with a look at her designer and builder.

Before we start, I have to say there is a lot of information I have yet to collect about our two primary subjects - Josiah Fox and William Price. Despite being people you can easily Google and find information about, biographies are rare or non-existant. In other places, sources are skewed and little of the detailed information is readily available. When I get the sources I am waiting on, I'll be sure to provide an update and more detailed information.

Hornet's design is attributed to Josiah Fox (1763-1847). Fox was born in Cornwall UK and completed an apprenticeship at the Royal Navy Dockyard at Plymouth before emigrating to the United States in 1794. When the US Navy was created in that year, Secretary of War Henry Knox sought recommendations for qualified people to design its ships. Fox was recommended as draftsman by Andrew Ellicott - Surveyor General of the City of Washington DC - then under construction on a marshy patch of ground along the Potomac. Fox went on to work with Joshua Hunphries to lay down the plans for the now famous six frigates - Constellation, Constitution, President, United States, Congress and Chesapeake. Although most modern sources claim that Fox was a mere draftsman, there is a multitude of evidence - recently uncovered - that suggests he was far more involved with the design process than a mere draftsman would have been.

Appointed chief constructor at Norfolk for the Chesapeake he famously took several liberties with the design, making his the smallest of the six ships - of which three were to be larger 44-gun ships and three were to be smaller - but still large - 36 gun frigates. Fox fought with Humphries - quite publicly - and challenged his ideas about the huge frigates. Among other things, he argued that they were too long and fine in the ends, meaning they would be more succeptible to hogging and would have a tendency to bury their bows in storms at sea.

The argument was ultimately decided with the finished product. Despite some early success, Chesapeake came to be known as an 'unlucky ship' because of her infamous run-in with HMS Leopard and capture by HMS Shannon. Most books record that Chesapeake was a 'dull sailer' - she was certainly not as fast as the other frigates. But there are many sources to say that she was a fine ship - and quite fast - just not as revolutionary a design as her larger sisters. The failing here was the initial challenge. Because there was so much riding on the success or lack thereof due to the very public argument between the builders, the relative outcomes are magnified and pinned in a very personal way on the respective personalities. There is no doubt that Fox was dejected by the outcome, and felt some need to recover his public reputation.

He went on to build other very famous ships during the naval buildup of the 1790s, including frigates John Adams and Philadelphia among several others. He clearly viewed each of these an opportunity to prove that his ideas regarding ship design were correct and superior to the Humphrey's designs. Some of these ships, such as John Adams went on to fairly standard careers, while Philadelphia met her end aground and captured by Tripolitan pirates.

In the years following the initial Naval buildup, a series of cutbacks were made. President Thomas Jefferson was a huge opponent of the Navy, suggesting that a giant dry dock be built at Washington and all but a few of the Navy's ships put into it and a shed put up over it (!). Instead of a large standing naval force, he proposed to build small coastal gunboats that could be manned by militia forces when needed. Fox was immediately put to work designing gunboats, personally overseeing several designs and acting as constructor in many cases. And then, in the midst of a huge naval cutback and gunboat initiative came an anomaly - an authorization by Congress to build two 16-gun brigs - ocean going ships!

These seem to have been worked into proposals by suggesting craft to fill the need for light-draft ships for inshore work, the need for which was realized in the First Barbary War. It doesn't seem too much of a stretch that - in a period where inshore gunboats are being built wholesale - that two ships for inshore work might be shoe-horned into the budget as well.

Fox jumped straight into the initiative, laying down preliminary plans for the brigs and submitting his plans in 1804. From the large volume of surviving papers from this period, it seems he dived right in - and why not? he had been designing gunboats and trifling projects for several years when he really wanted to build blue-water ships. This was a golden opportunity. Many of the other constructors had gone back to building merchant ships and seem to have been too thoroughly occupied to bother with a pair of small ships. But not Fox.

Then the Navy department threw him a curve ball. Rather than simply allocating money to build the two ships side by side, the decision was made to have one ship built by a private yard and one by the Navy in the Washington Navy Yard. The outsourcing went to William Price, a prominent Baltimore shipbuilder famous for his swift "pilot schooner" built 'Baltimore clippers'.

As I stated in Part 1 of the ship's history, there is some debate as to who actually produced the design - no drawings have been uncovered that pre-date the contract settled with Price to build Hornet. Still, I think Mr. Footner's assertion that Fox stole credit for the design from Price is highly unlikely. While Price certainly made some changes to Fox's plans, Fox was certainly cognizant of the development of the Chesapeake Bay schooners and their characteristics. The fact that Hornet embodies quite a few of these features cannot be taken as sole evidence that Fox stole the design from someone else - and I've seen nothing about this in any contemporary material.

What is known by the facts are that Hornet came in ahead of schedule and under budget. Wasp had dramatic cost and time overruns. The discrepancy in time between the launching of both ships can hardly be attributed to the separation of eight months in the laying of their keels when they were launched 19 months apart - neither ship with a major break in construction.

Price certainly had a reputation for fast ships, and for producing quality ships for the Navy. Aside from being considered one of the foremost builders in Baltimore's Fells Point and a primary developer of the 'Baltimore clipper' schooner model, he built the schooner Experiment (1799) the brig Vixen (1803) and is believed to have been contracted to work on the frigate Constellation. The contract to build Hornet seems rather expected then, that Price should be engaged to build a fast, light-draft ocean-going brig for the Navy.

LEFT: Hornet's birthplace. Price's home and office at 910 Fell St in Baltimore is still there. His ships were built directly behind the building along the waterfront.

Assertions that Price had made mistakes in building Hornet abound - everything from placement of channels to catheads, gunports and even placement of masts. But these seem to be rather unfounded, and Fox's original specification of a brig rig for Hornet and Wasp seem to have caused many of her initial problems - the rig being too ponderous to deal with blue-water storms in the North Atlantic. Fox himself clearly saw this as a problem and changed Wasp to a ship rig before commissioning - but not before he'd already stepped her masts as a brig. Why then is Price laid with blame for this? Because he changed the mast placement by a few inches? Changed the channel heights from the original draft (another problem that Fox himself saw and changed in Wasp)? No. The answer seems more likely to be that the design was ambitious, modern, and in a degree more than Fox's other designs - and there were kinks that needed to be worked out. Critics point out that Hornet underwent major repairs at Charleston in 1807-08 and again in Washington in 1810-11. They seem to omit that Wasp herself was alongside Hornet at the Washington Navy Yard in 1810-11 - for the same type of repairs.

Ships of that type - simply put - suffered accutely from the effects of sea and weather, and most sloops of war had very short life spans, were lost at sea, or required frequent and costly repairs. Sorry, critics, but you simply can't point to Hornet and say that Price screwed her up - in fact the marvel ought to be that after her 1810-11 refit and later in her career she spent some very extended periods in service without overhaul.

Price would go on to design and build ships well into the 1820s. He seemed to have a knack for building sucessful merchant ships with the right blend of cargo capacity, seaworthiness and speed. His home and shipyard office still stands at 910 Fell St. in Baltimore. I visited the site last week and I have to say there are fewer historical neighborhoods so well preserved or where I'd like to live - if anyone wants to make a trip and marvel at the remarable preservation of this great neighborhood and the actual site of Hornet's construction let me know and I'll send you some notes (crickets.... crickets). Okay, whatever.

Fox seemed to get tangled in the complicated politics of the time and was subsequently not appointed to Navy work after 1811. He moved west, first to Wheeling WV and then to what is now Colerain OH where he bought a farm and settled down for many years before his death in 1847. I'm looking forward to reading a biography of him I just ordered from Xlibris - hopefully it will shed more light on his fascinating life and contributions.

LEFT: the only photo of Josiah Fox I've found, from his later life in Ohio.

More to follow tomorrow, when I'll outline Hornet's early Commanding Officers and the story of a murdered Midshipman.

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US Sloop of War Hornet, Part 7

Last night I attended a lecture and book signing at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore. So let me take this moment to plug the new book Perilous Fight - America's Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas 1812-1815 by Stephen Budiansky. The author had some interesting views on the subject matter and I look forward to examining the book in greater detail this weekend.

Part 7 - Ebb Tide

In 1828 Hornet was at New York and received a new commanding officer, Commander Otho Norris. Sailing on February 4th 1829, Hornet made her usual cruise to the West Indies Squadron.

However this time, counter-piracy operations were a slightly lower priority. General Santa Anna had kept up an ongoing fight against Spanish authority in Mexico, working to free that country from colonial rule. In September, the Spanish launched an assault against Santa Anna at Tampico, and Hornet was dispatched to stand by to evacuate the American Consul, his family and any other Americans along with their valuables.

Arriving on the scene, Hornet went to anchor outside the bar so as to prevent interference with the ongoing fight in and around the city by entering the harbor. Launching five boats, Hornet’s crew began moving valuables to the ship as people took stock of their homes and prepared for the trip out to the ship. On the evening of September 9th, a sudden gale sprang up, and Norris decided to get underway to weather the storm.“…the boats were suddenly recalled to the ship by signal, and accordingly instantly abandoned their task and repaired to their vessel. The boats were immediately hoisted in, the Hornet weighed her anchors, and, a little before dark, stood off to sea under close reefed topsails” (Rush).

Three other ships anchored nearby likewise made sail, following the general direction of the much faster Hornet. Though her prospective passengers were abandoned on the beach, they surely appreciated the result later on.

As night fell, the storm increased with tremendous fury. One of the three merchant vessels that had gotten underway with Hornet from the beach at Tampico capsized, and her captain and three other crew members spent the night clinging to the overturned hull. That captain later reported:

“…amid the roar of the tempest and the rush of waters, suddenly arose above the storm the shrill sound of a boatswain’s call. I was instantly aware of the proximity of Hornet…and suddenly she appeared. In a moment she had passed into the darkness… She came and went as a phantom ship.” (Rush)

This proved to be the last time anyone saw the ship and lived to tell of it. He goes on to specify that she was scudding under bare poles, that is to say had no sails set, and was running with the wind (Rush). Her upper masts had been run down and ‘housed’ to lower their center of gravity and her yards were lowered to the same effect – all common measures used by sailing ships to weather storms.

The storm was later recorded as one of the worst hurricanes anyone could remember. In the following weeks, pieces of boats and hats with the name HORNET painted on the tallies began washing ashore in Mexico. It is very fitting that the last glimpse of the ship revealed a crew hard at work (as evidenced by the boatswain's calls)– even in desperate odds, the Hornet and her crew fought on until the end.

When the news of Hornet’s demise reached Washington, Congress voted the widows and orphans of her crew payment of the departed sailors’ salaries for a full year after the reported sinking. Songs were written and poems were inked in newspapers and periodicals around the country. Though many other sloops of war and smaller vessels suffered the same fate on different occasions, none had the tremendous outpouring of public sympathy as did the Hornet.

BT

This and the previous six parts about the history of Hornet have been intended as a framework of sorts - next week, I'll start going back and filling in interesting details about her people and some of the unique connections the ship had - which in many instances far surpass the history of the ship itself in longevity and interest.

Standby for some fun entries to come - next week.

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US Sloop of War Hornet Part 6

This week we've been tracking the remarkable service history of the little Sloop of War Hornet. Despite the interest for some, I fully realize that this can get a little dry - don't worry, next week I'll start going back and filling in the framework and we'll get to play a little six degrees of separation - that is going to get REALLY interesting. I've been removing most personal details from this week's narratives, but today I'll leave a few of them in there to give you a small sample of the fun to come (yes, I am a history nerd - there's no escaping it).

For the rest of you - here's a ball.

Part 6 - Postwar Service
In 1818 the Secretary of the Navy decided to bring Hornet out of ordinary and restore her to active service. Commander George C. Read was assigned as her next commanding officer. Read had previously served as a midshipman, then lieutenant in USS Constitution, accepting the surrender of HMS Guerriere on behalf of Isaac Hull in that famous engagement in 1812. Commanding the brig USS Chippewa during the Second Barbary War, he was promoted from Lieutenant to the new rank of Commander in 1816.

Read sailed Hornet to Norfolk where she was assigned to the West Indies Squadron to bolster anti-piracy operations that were ongoing in that region. The need for protection of American flagged merchant ships there had become so great that the Secretary of the Navy ordered not only a permanent squadron to the station, but also that any ship going to or coming from the Mediterranean should pass through those waters to lend what assistance they could. Hornet cruised there for a short time before proceeding to Europe on diplomatic missions. In 1819 she cruised into the Baltic, where she brought the US Consul at Copenhagen back to the United States, arriving back at Boston in December.

In June 1820 Hornet was dispatched to West Africa with frigates Cyane and John Adams as well as schooners Alligator and Shark to enforce the 1819 Slave Trade Act. President John Quincy Adams had ordered the Navy to “seize all vessels navigated under our flag engaged in that trade” and clearly Hornet’s speed and shoal draft would be assets in chasing down the typically small, agile slave ships. She clearly had success in her mission, capturing two slavers - the brig Alexander and the sloop Ferret. Making the obligatory patrol through the West Indies on her way home, she also called at Charleston and Hampton Roads before returning to New York in December. In each of these places Hornet’s log records generals and prominent politicians going aboard, which may be some early indication of her fame and popularity not only in military circles, but also the general public.

In January 1821 Hornet was dispatched to Pensacola to assist in the peaceful transfer of West Florida from Spain to the United States. General Andrew Jackson presided over the event, leading US Army elements to ensure a smooth transition. Hornet later transferred several Spanish citizens to Havana Cuba, making four passages. General Jackson, who would of course later become President, dined aboard at Captain Read’s invitation at least twice during this time period (Read).

Returning to New York in September 1821, Read was promoted to Captain and elevated beyond command of Hornet. It is of note that Read went back to USS Constitution as her captain and made several cruises before taking command of the Philadelphia Naval School in 1839. After promotion to commodore, Read led the African Squadron then the Mediterranean Squadron before being appointed to the rank of rear admiral when the rank was created in 1862. He died later the same year after 58 years of Naval service.

Hornet’s next commanding officer was Robert Henley. Another prominent veteran of the Quasi-War and the War of 1812, Henley was a Williamsburg, Virginia native who had been a midshipman aboard Constellation during the First Barbary War. He later would command two squadrons of gunboats that drove three British frigates out of Hampton Roads in 1813 and was given a gold medal by Congress for his role as second in command at the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1814.

Under Henley, Hornet quickly got underway again and returned to cruising the West Indies in search of pirates. Reporting to the West Indies Squadron, Hornet met with familiar leadership – James Biddle, who had won much acclaim (along with a musket-ball permanently lodged in his neck) during his tenure in command of Hornet six years earlier. Biddle was now commodore in command of the squadron.In October 29th 1821 Hornet captured the pirate schooner Moscow, sailing the ship under a prize crew and conveying the pirates as prisoners into Cuba to be dealt with by the Spanish government – as the US had no legal recourse for doing so established at the time. On April 28th 1822 Henley reported running down a “small sloop observed attacking American brig in the offing”. The pirate didn’t get far, and after a warning shot was fired, hove to and sent a boat to Hornet to present her papers.

Hornet’s log records the following: “Rec’d onbd J. Lafitte known pirate with Spanish papers and letters of Marque, proved false.”

Later,
“Delivered to Spanish authority at the Morillo, Honda [Cuba] 9 prisoners incl J. Lafitte taken out of pirate sloop 28th inst.” (Henley)

Of course, this was the famous pirate Jean Lafitte who cooperated with American authorities in Louisiana during the Battle of New Orleans, but had returned to piracy soon after. In a confusing turn of events, the Spanish authorities promptly released Lafitte who went on to establish a base along the Colombian shore, and was killed in 1823. It is interesting to note that in an age of anti-piracy operations where the turnover of pirates is required by international law that the Navy of the 19th century was bound by just as many legal procedures.

Hornet returned to the United States at Hampton Roads in August 1822, where Henley was promoted to command the Norfolk Naval Rendezvous (recruit receiving station) until 1824 and transferred to South Carolina on similar duty in 1824. He died there after a bout of sickness in 1828.

Command of Hornet next passed to Commander Sydney Smith, who made another voyage to the Gulf of Mexico and captured three more pirate craft and a pirate shore base near Galveston, TX in a daring small boat operation. Returning to Norfolk the following year, Smith was also promoted and turned over command of Hornet to Commander Stephen Cassin.

Cassin was another veteran of the Battle of Lake Champlain who had been specifically charged to carry the captured battle flags to Washington. He had previously commanded sloops Ticonderoga and Peacock, and on assuming command of Hornet, Cassin promptly set to sea – keeping to Hornet’s usual busy schedule. He sailed back to join the West Indies where he led a small squadron in Hornet consisting of the schooner Grampus and four gunboats to attack pirate vessels on the North Coast of Cuba. Returning to Norfolk later the same year, he learned of his promotion, and turned over command to Edmund P. Kennedy to begin a general refit of the ship at what is now the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Making four more cruises to the West Indies Squadron from 1826 to 1829, Hornet continued on under the command of Samuel Woodhouse and Alexander Claxton. Notably from this time period, Midshipman Horatio Nelson Cady kept a series of journals that still survive today. His entry on reporting to Hornet in 1826 offers a glimpse into the character of the ship’s crew:

“I could not have asked for a more perfect ship. The men all know tiny bits of hidden damage from the late war…they look after them as trophies. For all my excitement and enthusiasm I find myself completely eclipsed by the alacrity and pride of Hornet’s people.” (Cady)

Tomorrow, the last installment - the death of Hornet.

BT

Cady, Horatio Nelson. "Cady, Horatio N. Papers, 1823-1831." Logbook kept by Midshipman Horatio Nelson Cady, U.S.N. Also contains "Remarks on board the USS Hornet," Samuel Woodhouse, commanding. National Archives Manuscript Division Room LM101.

Footner, Goeffrey M. Tidewater Triumph - The Development and Worldwide Success of the Chesapeake Bay Pilot Schooner. Centerville, MD: Tidewater Publishers, 1998.

Henley, Robert. Logbooks of USS Hornet, July 1821 - November 1822. 28 April 1822.

Read, George C. "Log of USS Hornet, November 1820 to August 1821." National Archives Main Branch, Washington DC..

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US Sloop of War Hornet, Part 2

Yesterday we discussed the construction of Hornet at Baltimore. Today - Part 2: Pre-war Service and Refitting.

After an exhaustive fitting-out, Hornet was commissioned in October 1806 under the command of Master Commandant Isaac Chauncey. Chauncey was no stranger to command, having his first at age 19 in the merchant service and also commanding the frigate USS John Adams for a portion of her service in the Mediterranean against the Barbary Pirates in 1803. After taking command of the new Hornet at Baltimore he sailed to New York, then back to Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads where he received orders to cruise the waters off Charleston to protect merchant shipping against privateers working in those waters. Of Hornet’s performance he noted “The Hornet… is one of the finest vessels of her class I ever saw. She sails uncommonly fast, steers and works well, and is an excellent sea boat.”

But before long, problems had begun to arise with respect to Hornet’s rigging. Chauncey reported taking considerable damage in heavy weather due to the disposition of the ship’s two ponderous masts supporting her large sailing rig. Distributing the large sail area over three masts, he argued, would alleviate this. Following commanders John Dent and Theodore Hunt both also reported difficulties in foul weather on cruises to Europe and the Mediterranean, forcing nearly a year of repairs at Charleston, South Carolina starting in late 1807. Aside from her high level of activity including a half-dozen transatlantic crossings, Hornet’s career was off to a rocky start.

Meanwhile, in the same year that Hornet put in for repairs at Charleston, a sister ship was launched. Superintended by Josiah Fox himself, the sloop of war Wasp was built to the same plan used to build Hornet. But while Hornet had been built by a contracted shipyard, Wasp had been built at the Washington Navy Yard by government workers. While she was being rigged, Fox – probably in response to Hornet’s difficulties in bad weather – changed Wasp’s rigging and added a third mast of square sails and better distributed her sail area. Wasp’s excellent performance after commissioning was proof positive that Hornet had not yet achieved her full potential, and she was called up the Potomac herself, to begin her conversion.

The original draught of lines for Wasp and Hornet drawn by Josiah Fox, 1804. William Price took several liberties in building Hornet, including a slight lengthening and narrowing of the hull and reduction of her draft, among others.

Arriving at the Washington Navy Yard in late 1810, Hornet was unrigged and her masts hauled out. Work then began on her hull. Originally built with 18 gun ports, the bulwarks were rebuilt and the ports shifted to accommodate another pair aft, giving her a new potential to carry 20 guns. The main mast step (base) was shifted forward and a small third or ‘mizzen’ mast was added. A new suit of sails and spars distributed the load of her sail area over all three masts in the standard ‘ship’ configuration. And to top off the overhaul, she was armed with 18 thirty-two pounder carronades – short barreled large-bore weapons capable of throwing a heavy ball weighing 32 pounds more than three quarters of a mile. Two conventional twelve pounder ‘long guns’, positioned forward for use when chasing, rounded out her battery. In contrast to her previous armament of standard nine-pounder conventional guns totaling 81 lbs in weight of broadside – the total weight of cannon balls she could fire at a single enemy at once - Hornet now carried firepower that raised her broadside weight to 302 lbs of iron. Labeled “smashers” by sailors at the time, these carronades would show their power in the years to come.

When Hornet left Washington in 1811, she had been completely re-worked. She was sailed south by her First Lieutenant to Norfolk, where she was to meet her next, and possibly her most famous commanding officer.

More to follow, next week.

Drawing showing changes to USS Wasp, Hornet's close sister ship built at Washington. Hornet's alteration to ship rig would have looked very similar to this.

US Sloop of War Hornet, Part 1

Some people have noticed a new project that went up online - a call for general research about the sloop of war USS Hornet (1805-1829). If you've been following pictures and the blog, you'll know that this is a subject I've been interested in for some time now. As I put the pieces together, I'm building a picture of a ship that was very famous in her day - possibly as famous as any of the big frigates. And yet many historians - amateur and professional - don't seem to be able to recount much of her history off hand the same way they can for the larger, more popularized counterparts.

And what makes our project all the more exciting - I never seem to meet the end of the primary source material (written by contemporaries of the original ship) in the National Archives, museum collections and in the Navy's own library. Remember, we're talking about RESEARCH here, and though you'll find the sources in the following more or less readily available, there is SO much more waiting to be discovered in dusty isles and damp basements...

So without further adieu, Part 1: Namesake, Design & Construction

Hornet is a name interwoven not only in the Navy’s history but also its modern culture. Of course, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the current mainstay of our combat aviation, the F/A-18. Many of us are likely familiar with the two venerable World War II aircraft carriers that bore this name, and some may even have heard of a tiny, short-lived ship that landed Marines on the shores of Tripoli giving a line to the Marine Corps hymn.

This longevity is appropriate for the name itself – during the American Revolution the symbol of the bee or the hive can be found on several flags and in printed material. The idea behind the symbolism is that bees labor collectively to produce a tangible heritage for their offspring (the hive), strike only when provoked and can produce a potent sting. And though this symbolism is largely forgotten in the conscious sense, these examples show that it has pervaded Navy culture throughout our history. The F/A-18 fighter has certainly demonstrated that even in the present day the hornet image – conceived by the revolutionaries who won our nation’s freedom – is still doing our nation’s work.

The third ship to bear the name Hornet proved to be one of the most long-lived and celebrated ships of her day, though little of her fascinating history is handily realized, even among naval historians. Built at Baltimore in 1805, she was originally conceived as a brig – that is, she had two masts. She was part of an initiative to build vessels suitable for inshore operations in direct response to a noted shortage of these in the First Barbary War (Canney 120). Her design is attributed to Josiah Fox, a British ex-patriot who emigrated to the United States after learning his trade in Royal Navy dockyards. There is some debate in that her form, based on what Fox referred to as an “English cutter” (Chapelle 210), more closely conforms to shipbuilding developments in the fast Chesapeake Bay pilot, or ‘clipper’ schooners, and might have actually been the work of Hornet’s builder William Price, a Baltimore native and well-known builder of ships of that type (Footner 143-144). Regardless of who may have actually set down her lines first, they reflected a ship that was built for speed and great seaworthiness combining many of the most modern (for 1805) advances in ship design.

The site of her construction is still marked in Baltimore. William Price’s home at 910 Fell Street was at one time situated at the head of a parcel of land reaching down to the water’s edge where Price built his ships. It was in this shipyard that Frederick Douglass worked as a slave before escaping to freedom – although he never had any contact with Hornet. Today this building still stands in the historic Fells Point District in Baltimore, though the ‘shipyard’ that used to exist behind it is now covered with other structures. It is situated on the City of Baltimore’s Historic Walking Tour route, just over a block away from Market Square.

When finished, Hornet was reportedly a very handsome ship. She was given an eagle figurehead that could be unshipped and replaced with a plain billet head in winter or in foul weather (Canney 121) and her lines are certainly graceful. About her launching, the Baltimore Evening Sun printed “with a general cheer the ship met the water and instantly was recognized by all to be one of the most handsome ships yet to grace our harbor” (Launching of the New Hornet).

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Canney, Donald L. Sailing Warships of the US Navy. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2001.

Chapelle, Howard I. The History of the American Sailing Navy. New York: Konecky & Konecky, 1949.

Footner, Goeffrey M. Tidewater Triumph - The Development and Worldwide Success of the Chesapeake Bay Pilot Schooner. Centerville, MD: Tidewater Publishers, 1998.

"Launching of the New Hornet." Baltimore Evening Sun 29 July 1805.

BT

If you have Hornet research that you'd like to include or discuss, please feel free to contact me at dockyard@navalheritage.org. I plan on publishing little truncated snippets of the research one day at a time, and then continually going back and filling in the fine detail over the following weeks. Enjoy!

BT

By the way, my friends over at Chris and Pac Take on Hollywood found this today, reminds me of our 'behind the scenes' project lately:




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An early Christmas gift - for ME!

I know I know, total update failure. I apologize to all three of my regular readers who noticed I had failed to post yesterday or Monday. Nevertheless, I was hard at work and got plenty accomplished to talk about here today. So. There it is.

There are very few people who could probably get that movie quote. 5 points.

BT

I spent my time this weekend out in the wintry weather taking lines of Monomoys No. 2 and 3 - which, by the way, are doing great in the cold - and also studying up and preparing for this week, where I've been travelling a bit, mostly where my job has been taking me. On Monday I had a great chance to go rummage through the collections at the National Archives Main Branch in Washington DC, an opportunity for which I'd been waiting some time now, and gleaned a great deal of information from many documents, many of which are 200+ years old (!). Those of you who follow NHS on Facebook have seen some of the pictures - and for those who haven't you might want to scoot over and check them out - but I'm sure there are questions about the subject of my study.

For about the last two years now I've been studying the American Sloops of War - ship-rigged vessels smaller than a frigate but still rather formidable. Nearly all were low, flush-decked ships mounting 16-22 guns, and only very late in the sailing Navy was a spar deck added to some. These vessels were truly a mainstay of the early American Navy, but are often overshadowed by the exploits of their bigger and longer-lived partners, the famous frigates. There is a great deal of information available on sloops, and studying the evolution of designs, their unique abilities including shoal-water action, and the range of their service has been of particular interest to me every time I pick up material on the American Sailing Navy.

There is one sloop that stands out for me above the others - Hornet. Built in Baltimore in 1805, this little ship, first built as a brig (two masts, square rigged) and later re-rigged as a ship (three masts square rigged), had an uncommonly long service life and a tremendous range of employments. From 1805 to 1810 she was employed chasing French privateers away from shipping on the US eastern seaboard, and in 1811 she sailed for Europe and brought back dispatches that caused Congress to declare war on Great Britain, starting the War of 1812. In 1812 she cruised in a squadron under Commodore Rodgers in company with the frigates PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES, CONGRESS and the brig ARGUS. She sailed with CONSTITUTION in a cruise to the South Atlantic and was a supposed favorite escort of that ship, specifically requested by several of her noted and famous captains. She captured several ships, including two men of war in famous actions prompting Congress to vote medals struck to commemorate the occasion. Her efficient gunnery was particularly noted among the entire fledgling Navy as having "no equal" by Commodore Isaac Hull.

After the War of 1812, she was dispatched to Tripoli for the second Tripolitan War. Later, she was one of the first ships to patrol the West coast of Africa against slavers when importation of slaves from there became illegal - our first joint activity (partnership) with the British. She voyaged to the Baltic on diplomatic missions, and into the Mediterranean repeatedly. She spent the later part of her career eradicating piracy from the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Her 24 year career (in an era when most sloops had a 6 to 10 year life span) ended in 1829 when she is presumed to have foundered off the coast of Mexico in a hurricane with all hands. At the time, she was participating in humanitarian efforts, pulling Americans out of Mexico during an insurrection. The last sighting of her was by a merchant captain, who from the wreck of his own capsized ship saw her scud by under bare poles "like a phantom ship", the crew working in the hurricane to get her upper spars down "in a flurry, but in good order". The account reads like a scene from a suspense movie.

The goal of our research was to identify where the ship was and when, so as to build a more complete record of her activities during her service life. We also gleaned valuable information such as handling characteristics in foul weather, notes after action, and the names of several prizes unrecorded elsewhere.

There is a certain moment of Zen when you handle these 180-200 year old logs and read "Cape Henry Lighthouse" or "Old Point Comfort" - places I see every day. There is even a deeper moment reading sightings of "Mount Pico" in the Azores and "Gibraltar" - far away places few people except mariners ever get to see - and many times over at that. Reading the navigational bearings off the volcanic mountains of the Azores reminded me of the first time I ever saw them aboard the Training Ship Empire State, and immediately connected with those long-dead observers 200 years ago. Goosebumps. and a smile.

So, good times in DC, but now its back to work.

BT

Due to the holidays, work travel and other distractions, I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from the regular entries here. Check back for regular 'quips' and whatnot but I don't anticipate writing much until the new year.

So until then, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a fantastic New Year to you all, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

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Dusty books are calling - answer in their language

Around this time of year, when we prepare to put our shoulders to the work of winter maintenance and construction projects, when the holiday preparations beckon more readily than the Dockyard, that I usually take several weeks off for myself. Of course, this just means that I'm going off on my own to play in different parts of the forest, still doing things relevant to NHS - I've come to grips with the idea that I am, in fact, fresh obsessed with the subject matter. And so this week, in the time I spend waiting on other people at work, I am preparing for some research at the National Archives in Washington DC.

I will not go into detail about the object of my research, except to say that it involves a scheme more hair-brained than any other I've concocted thus far, and not to worry, Monomoys 2 and 3 are my first priority when it comes to execution. But in terms of planning, I'll be focusing on the "master plan" for the next several weeks and accumulating vast quantities of knowledge in order to prepare to prepare to plan to begin my biggest shot in the dark yet. Be afraid.

BT

Yesterday I was out in the Framing Bay, surveying our foul weather preparations and repairing a little minor tarp damage from the winds thus far encountered this year. I am increasingly impressed and terrified at the durability and prospects for destruction, respectively, of the tarp tents we erected over Monomoys 2 and 3. They've held off 40 knot wind gusts, snow, ice, rain and the Dockyard dog Zaphod, whose temerity in getting where you least want him can only be experienced first hand. However as they continue to impress me with what they can withstand, I fully realize that with each passing day my luck grows thinner and thinner, and I live in full expectation of their crashing down at any time. If my luck holds out a little longer, maybe my anxiety will keep them upright and in good order.

BT

I've noticed that after reading page after page of manuscripts and small smudged print for hours on end that my writing takes on a tone particularly characteristic of those works, and that my best efforts notwithstanding, I've begun my regular process of assimilating into the world of my work little by little until I'm completely engulfed in a lifestyle where I remain duty bound to fight a duel with anyone who insults my honor. Realizing you're slipping into the abyss is the first step in being able to appreciate the last remnants of normalcy, I think. For now, I beg leave to report my judicious use of time in the interests of my current employment hereto and the requirements of my service to the government, and renew and reaffirm my commitment to preventing burnout where and whenever it should present itself or be perceived to lay in the offing...

Crap. Anyway

BT

I leave for DC on Sunday night, notes, laptop, digital camera and portable scanner in tote. Sunday and Monday night at Sturiale's Ordinary, between which my schedule is governed by the opening and closing of 700 Pennsylvania Avenue. Between now and then I am sorting the notes I already have and formulating the master plan for the research this visit. Belay your petitions to stop the insanity - this train is already rolling. Hobos welcome.

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Trying to talk to the girls - or - disappointment

Throughout the process of stabilizing Monomoys No. 2 and 3, we are attempting to dredge up details about their construction and service history. There are precious few details and a lot of circumstantial evidence. The boats themselves like to tell us about their service life - where they've been damaged, repaired, painted, repainted, painted again - but they offer few substantial clues about their origin.

One of these are a series of numbers stamped onto the top of their keels, almost hidden by the keelsons, wear and age. These are as follows:

(No. 2) N36123
(No. 3) N36114

As usual, I am always very pleased when the ladies give me their numbers.

But there is a problem. Like that woman in the bar who gave me an 8-digit phone number, it turns out there are too many digits to identify the boats. Records from Norfolk Naval Shipyard show boats beginning with N- and having three or four digits. The National Archives in College Park has lists from Charlestown MA showing boats beginning with B- and also having three or four digits and from the Washington Navy Yard beginning W- and three or four digits. Noticing a trend?

It seems the Navy numbered its boats by the Navy Yard. This isn't so far fetched, as even today boats don't belong to the ships they serve - they are issued them by a shore-based authority. Hmmmm. If that were the case, then our boats belonged to the Norfolk Navy Yard. But there are no FIVE digit boats listed from 1888 to 1962, based on the records I've found - which, I'll admit may have some gaps. Besides, the boats were donated by the State University of New York Maritime College. How did they get there? The school had no information to offer on this. Also, it seems a little odd that two Navy boats would end up in the hands of a Merchant Marine training school.

Dig farther.

The boats have doubled frames, known in boatbuilding as sister frames. These are a common repair technique when frames are damaged or broken. But these boats BOTH have sister frames throughout their mid-sections, rather than sporadically as one might expect in a repair. According to several sources, boats built for arctic service were either built or altered with the midships frames all sistered. Again, no answers only more questions.

I went back to the numbers. If I remove the first digit and check the books, I come up with two 32-foot racing cutters built in 1939. Nope. If I remove the last digit however, I come upon the records of four "Monomoy Whale Boats" contracted for in 1904 with a notation "arctic svc" and "Peary Exp" penciled in the margin. NO WAY! Think about it - the last digits are 3 and 4 - could this have been simply tacked on as the boats were matched up - four to a set. Again, circumstantial, but hey - its a possibility. I immediately set about reading everything I could on Peary and Arctic adventures.

As it turns out, Robert Peary made several expeditions to the Arctic in attempts to be the first to reach the North Pole. In the process, he and his crew produced several illegitimate Inuit children and lost all but two toes. His 1909 expedition was recognized by Congress as the first to reach the pole, even though he refused to release his journals and logs - AND to do so would have required an all-too convenient departure from his previous days' distances.

The first piece of the whole mess that seemed to connect everything was that Peary's navigator - the man who he would rely on to determine their exact position at the pole - was one Ross G. Marvin - a graduate of the New York Nautical School in 1902 and the namesake of the present school's sciences building. DING! Marvin was killed by Inuits in a squabble over who got shotgun in the dogsled. Could Peary have given the boats to the school in his honor? That would explan everything!

But wait, this is all circumstantial. What I needed to find first were photographs of what could be our Monomoys onboard Peary's ship, S.S. Roosevelt. Peary's books provided everything I needed. In his books Nearest the Pole (account of the 1905-06 expedition) and The North Pole (account of the 1909 expedition that actually reached the pole) could be found numerous photos of his "whale boats". Deep breath.

No, they are not ours. Peary's boats were undoubtedly a narrower, sleeker style of whaleboat. In the 1909 expedition, he stopped at New Bedford to buy whaleboats. Those of the earlier 1905 expedition were Monomoy shaped but definitely smaller. No dice, sorry kids.

But we have the ledgers - the numbers, the notations. But they are clearly NOT Peary's boats. Could we have it all wrong? Absolutely. Right now there is nothing conclusive to tell us the boats are even that old. They were used by the school, run hard, broken, repaired - so many parts and pieces replaced. How did they survive so long?

There are so many questions to be answered.

All of this information was provided to the NHS Board of Directors, and with thorough review and discussion, it was decided to press on with the stabilization efforts. That entails getting the boats into a state where they will degrade least, thus preserving as much as possible.

Later this week, I'll be waiting on a vote to proceed with removing the existant stem post, which based on the feelings right now I am told will pass unanimously. After all, with only scanty information and conjecture, we can only do so much.

At the very least, the research was one hell of a ride!

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Where in the world is - THAT WHALEBOAT?

Yesterday I didn't write because we were approached with a unique logistical problem. The XO of a naval base sent me an email that he had a 26-foot motor whaleboat - the main staple power boat for US Navy ships for more than 80 years. The hull is in great shape, and just as a test one of the enginemen on base started her six cylinder diesel last month. She only needs a little TLC to get back on the water. This boat, he said, was destined to be scrapped (sounds familiar) unless we would take it off his hands for the bargain sub-basement price of $free.

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Now, as a bit of background, these are not exactly ugly boats. Their lines are very similar to the Monomoy Pulling Boat we use because the first ones were just that - motorized Monomoys. They are stout, seaworthy boats that saw a great variety of service in the navy and for a long time could be found on each and every navy ship in service. Today, as the navy auctions them as surplus, eager restoration types gobble them up and turn them into pleasure launches, selling for upwards of $30,000. A boat like this would be perfect to start the NHS Power Squadron, but we feared we could never afford one - until now.

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Of course as with most major opportunities, it comes with a catch. She's at the COMNAVMARINAS (Commander Naval Forces Marianas) base in Guam. I'll take a minute for you to Google that. Yes, 3,820 miles from Hawaii, which itself is 2,563 miles from Los Angeles, which is 2,350 miles from Norfolk. Wait - math time.

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3,820+2,563+2,350=8,733 miles

The circumference of the Earth at the Equator is 24,901 miles.

8,733/24,901 = 35% of the distance around the Earth, or only 70% of the way to the exact opposite side.

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Whew - I thought it would be too far. I draw the line at travel for any object more than 50% of the distance around the Earth.

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SO - now the question becomes how do we get this 5,500 lb boat and its 2,000 lb cradle to this side of the planet. We need a ship, we need a train, we need to pull our minds back on this side of the gunwale. Realizing that this is near impossible, the thought of a perfectly good boat being scrapped on the other side of the planet simply because we could not get to it appalling. Several of us are, in fact, Merchant Marine Officers - at least we were before we joined the Navy - so we've been calling our classmates to see if they can help. So far, we've established that if we could fit her into a shipping container, we can send it. Unfortunately, she's several inches too wide. We could break her a little, but we'll leave that as Plan X. Point is, if we could come up with a free ride in a container around the world, what can we do without one?

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Lots of thinking, lots of phone calls, emails etc. And the wood chips have stopped flying, at least for the next day - until we get this potential gem figured out or abandon it.

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Thanks to all of our donors who've pledged money to get her here - you'll be the first to know when new developments arise.

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