uss frolick

You might also call them ventilation ports. They are shown in the berth deck portion of the deck plan.

From document called 'FOX 773', in the Josiah Fox Papers in the Peabody and Essex Museum collections, a comparison of the three 12-pounder 28-gun US Frigates Adams, John Adams, and Boston, noted as A, JA and B, respectively: "Length on gun deck from fore part of rabbet of stem to after part of wing transom [in feet, inches, half inches]: 128.4 A / 127.9 JA / 133 B. Breadth extreme including both wales: 35 A / 33.3 JA / 35.6 B Depth of hold from limber streak: 15. 6 1/2 A / 16.10 JA / 17.1 B Height betwixt berth and gun decks: 5. 6 1/2 A / 5 . 10 1/2 JA / 5.9 B Height betwixt gun and spar decks: 6.10 A / 6.4 1/2 JA / 6. 3 B [Note: The above dimension shows that the JA was still a frigate when this document was written, probably 1807.] Draught of water when dimensions were taken Forward: 13 A / 11.1 1.2 JA / Blank B Draught of water when dimensions were taken Aft: 17. 7 A / 13 JA / Blank B Breadth at Wing Transom including wales: 24.4 A / 21. JA / 22. 6 B Number of Ports exclusive of Bridle ports: 24 A / 24 JA / 24 B Height of lower ports cills from deck: 1.10 1/2 A / .7 JA / 26 [obviously an error!] B Ports fore and aft in the clear: 2.6 1/2 A / 3.3 JA / 2.6 B Ports up and down in the clear: 2.2 A / Blank JA / 2.3 B Number of ports on quarterdeck: 6 A / Blank JA / Blank B Number of ports on forecastle: 4 A / Blank JA / Blank B [This figure would have been useful!. But the JA might have still been fitted out as a double-banked store ship at this time.] Forepart of foremost port from forward: 13. 8 A / 11. JA / 12. 8 B Afterpart of aftermost port from Ditto: 121.3 A / 121 . 3 JA / 126.11 B Gundeck ports from foreside to foreside: 9.6 1/2 A / 9 10 1/2 JA / 10.2 B Number of gun deck beams: 23 A / 22 JA / 23 B ditto sided: 1.1 A / 1.2 1/2 JA / 1.1 B ditto moulded: 1.0 A / 1.2 JA / 1/0 1/2 B More to come ....

Ditto: The John Adams was very useful to the early navy as a flush corvette. So much so, that the specifications for the ten 1816 "Gradual Increase" sloops - the Boston/Concord Class - were to the dimensions of the old John Adams. But she was too small to carry long 24-pounders, even if only medium 24-pounder columbiads. Of all the subscription frigates, only the John Adams was built out of Southern Live Oak, (by accident of geography, as she was built in Charleston) and so she outlived all the others. The old Frigates Boston and New York, built of inferior north-eastern white oak, were found too rotten by 1808 to be worth repairing, but the JA lasted until 1829 with almost constant service.

From yet another bloody earlier Frolicky post: Here's a first hand account of the John Adams's encounter with Helicon and Scylla, from "Naval Adventures: Thirty Five Years of Service" , Volume 1, by William Bowers, London, 1833: "Not long after, in company with the Scylla, eighteen, about two hundred miles west of Scilly, we descried a large ship under heavy press of sail, steering about W by N, She was painted black, showed no guns or colours, other than a small white flag at the foremast,, which, with the manner which she shortened sail, and backed her maintop sail, keeping the fore sail and jib on her, after we had whipped a few shot across her bows, impressed us with being a merchantman. I proceeded to board her, and on pulling up in her wake, was struck with her breadth of beam, and warlike cut of her canvass. When close upon her quarter, I hailed her, and was given to understand she was the United States Ship John Adams, having on board the American Envoy from the Texel, bearing the proposals for peace, and with an Admiralty passport. The captain at the same time invited me on board, pledging his word of honour, that I should not be detained. On this I pulled up and mounted the side. To my astonishment, as I was about to step on deck, I found the whole crew at their guns prepared for action,the matches burning, and the men with the train tackles in hand prepared for running out the guns. This corresponded so little with the peaceful declaration I had just received, that, not choosing to risk my own honour and the fate of the two vessels, I instantly jumped into the boat and returned to report what I had seen. By this time the Scylla was on her weather quarter and her commander, a fine veteran of the old school, being senior officer, I reported to him what i had seen.. He replied, 'Bear a hand onboard your ship, tell W_____ to keep his jib boom on my tafferail, and we will soon see who he is.' few minutes later, both brigs ranged up on his weather beam, as close as we could without danger of falling on board, and with a voice roaring like an old lion, Darby then hailed ordering to send an officer with his passport. This being complied with, and all being found correct, I returned with the American first lieutenant, a fine young fellow,and was received very cerimoniously. On entering the cabin, I was introduced to the Envoy, Mr. Dallas, refreshment was offered and I am almost ashamed to say refused,however, a young man might be excused if. influenced by a national sentiment, and in a hurry of movement, he should overlook those nice shades of conduct, which should guide him according to time, place and circumstance ... The American Captain expressed himself hurt at the cavalier and impervious manner inwhich he was hailed by the English commodore, as he styled him. I assured him nothing offensive was intended, but it was his natural manner, being a plane rough seaman. This ship had been a frigate, now raz'ee, and mounting twenty forty-two pounders and two long twelves, with a crew of three hundred men." I don't consider Captain Samuel Angus to have done anything wrong, having cleared for action when two English sloops of war were bearing down on her, and firing shots across his bow! It was certainly not a bout of "temporary insanity" as John Quincy Adams termed it. Must have been more to that story. I also note that the John Adams's bulwarks must have been high indeed for her gun crews not to have been seen until she was boarded by an English officer! Obvioulsly, her half ports were in place. Nowhere can I find the name of the JA's first lieutenant who so impressed Lt. Bowers of HM Brig Helicon.

From an earlier post: The John Adams became whole again in early 1813. It is possible that the JA never had a full forecastle deck installed in 1812, just a short platform called a "topgallant forecastle deck" for conning, as well as the armed quarterdeck, since that is the definition of a j.a.c.k.a.s.s. frigate: a frigate with no forcestle. A confidential letter written by the new Secretary of the Navy William Jones, to Master Commandant William Crane, dated April 16, 1813: " ... You will proceed immediately to Baltimore and take command of the United States Ship John Adams, destined by the President, for a special and confidential service and in order to render her fit for service it will be necessary to cut down her topsides and reconvert her into an efficient corvette, as she was previous to her last repair and outfit at Boston. About 16 or 17 feet of the after part of the quarterdeck and the topgallant forecastle will be retained, but without armament, or any thing above other ... other [than] the crane irons and ridge ropes. Her armament will be twenty heavy 12-pounders and four long 18-pounders." Keep the cranes, Crane! The confidential mission was to have been a raiding mission around Cape Horn on to the Oregon/Canadian coast to destroy the British settlements, and to protect the American presence in the northwest. Long guns would be needed to bombard any land settlements, if they chose not to go quietly. Politically connected millionaire John Astor was to accompany the expedition, since he had financed the American settlements already there. And so the ship was fitted out in the best possible fashion, and she was ordered to carry only the highest quality stores. The plan was cancelled when Crane and the ships' entire crew was instead sent on emergency status to Lake Ontario. Crane had practical problems with the desired armament: "The long 18-pounders in the yard are so badly made that they will not stand the proof. One burst on Lake Ontario and one burst yesterday. The 12-pounders are short, heavy, clumsy pieces, not of which will clear the stern ports." Fox was known to have decreased the rake of the JA's stern when she was razeed in 1807-9, but she might have still retained an excess stern rake, so much so that the guns couldn't reach all the way out. Crane wanted 32-pounder carronades, but they could only have been transported from the foundries in Maryland and Philadelphia by sea, and the British blockade was too tight. Crane was unable to enlist a full crew in New York either, in another letter to the SecNav dated May 4, 1813.: "I discover a very strong prejudice in the seamen against the John Adams." Since the ship had been repaired and fitted for the tastes of Mr. Astor, it was decided to send her off on a diplomatic voyage. The retention of a long piece of the quarterdeck was probably to house Astor and his staff. On February 5, the JA sailed under Master Commandant Samuel Angus to England carrying "Peace Commissioners" Henry Clay and Jonathan Russell, to try and negotiate the end to the war. On the way back, the JA was to bring her namesake's son, Diplomat John Quincy Adams, home. John Quincey Adams noted in his memoirs on June 13, 1814: "She (the John Adams) carries twenty-two guns, but is now only half-armed, having but twelve forty-two pound carronades." Presumably the rest of her guns were moved into the hold. Apparently, Commander Angus suffered several "temporary attacks of insanity" after picking up Adams off the Texel, and even tried to pick a fight with two small British brigs of war on August 25, 1814, even though the JA was flying the flag of truce. The commander of one of them, the 10-gun HMS Helicon (only 18-pounder carronades), noted that the John Adams was a razeed frigate, she had all her guns mounted, and was painted all black. Her consort was the 16-gun ex-French HMS Achates (24-pounders). That would have been an interesting battle! CORRECTION, CORRECTION! HMS Helicon's consort was HMS Scylla, 18 guns, with 32-pounder carronades, a Cruiser Class Brig, not HMS Achates.

From an earlier post: In 1812, after the JA have been converted to a fine fast and powerful flush decked corvette, William Banibridge ordered her upper works put back on so that he could have another frigate in the stable. The only benefit was the addition of eight 18-pouinder carronades to the new quarterdeck. She was so unstable that her 42-pounder main deck guns had to be swapped out for 32-pounders, and her two chase guns were reduced to nine-pounder and were placed on the lower deck since the new mini-forecastle couldn't take the weight. These changes caused indignation amongst the officer corps, who new well the old ship. Master Commandant Charles Ludlow took the j.a.c.k.a.s.s frigate on her maiden voyage on September 7, 1812, and wrote to the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton: "I had a very good opportunity to try the sailing of the ship, and conceive it my duty to report the same. She cannot pass for more than a tolerable sailing merchant ship, and so crank that a ship of 20 guns ought to take her, in what would generally be called a topgallant breeze for ships of war." This means that her main deck gun ports were under water! Captain Ludlow continued: "When I took command of this ship from Captain (Joseph) Tarbell he insured me that it was his intention to apply to the department for orders to rejoin the ship again and wished me not to make any alterations. I have not made any of any consequence, but if Captain Tarbell is not to have her ... (which I will give up with much pleasure) I shall be under the necessity of applying for a survey of the ship, and trust can make it appear, that as a corvette, she will answer as a vessel of war, but at the present, she is unworthy of the name AMERICAN SHIP OF WAR, and I shall very reluctantly hazard the reputation of her officers and that of the service; in her present state; she will be considered by the public; and particularly with any vessel she may have to contend with, as a 32-gun frigate, when she mounts 32 guns." Captain Ludlow was of a great and influential naval family, he having a brother then serving as purser on the Constitution, and another brother Augustus Ludlow, destined to be the gallant, slain first lieutenant of the USS Chesapeake, of who the latter of which, many towns in the US would be named. (Ludlow, Vermont, for example.) Yet, he felt inclined to add: "With due deference I have made the above report, and hope I have not exceeded the bounds of rectitude." The report worked, and the JA sat out most of the war stripped of her guns in New York until the summer of 1814, intended as a 'harbor ship' for the defense of the port.

From an earlier post: There is a contemporary watercolor painting entitled "American Corvette" by William John Huggins. She is a flush decked corvette with a long rail-less poop and topgallant forcastle deck with 12 guns a side, exclusive of the broadside ports. I am 99% sure that it is of the John Adams, and I date the painting to her diplomatic mission of 1809-10. You can see it on the NMM site.

USS John Adams Chronology (From one of my earlier posts): 1799: Frigate with twenty-four long twelve pounders on the gun deck and two twelves, bow chasers, and six 24-pound carronades on her spar deck. She retained this form when she fought with Commodore Morris Squadron, bombarding Tripoli, firing at gunboats, and engaging and destroying the 26-gun Lateen rigged Frigate Meshuda fighting alongside the USS Enterprize. She did a lot of fighting during this service. She had a bust figurehead carved by William Rush of Philadelphia. She was the first US Navy ship to carry carronades. 1804: converted to a store ship when she joined Preble's squadron off Tripoli. Gun deck full of cargo with eight long six-pounders on her quarterdeck and six long twelve pounders in the Waste of her spar deck! This would have required her having been converted to a mini-double-banked frigate! The rest of her guns were in the hold, but her carriages were scattered among other ships. 1807-09: Converted to a 24-gun flush decked corvette carrying twenty-two 42-pounder carronades and two long twelve pounders. No poop deck. Fox wrote in a letter stating that he intended to replace the bust with a scrolled fiddle head. The watercolor appears to show this. At some unknown point in her history, she received a bust head of John Adams again. Her replacement ship had one. 1811-12: Reverted back to a frigate in j.a.c.k.a.s.s frigate form in Boston, carrying thirty lighter carronades and two chase guns. No forcastle! 1813-14 Converted back to a corvette of 22 guns: armament varied in port, but they settled on 42-pounder carronades again by her 1814 sailing. Differed from 1809 version by having a 17-foot long quarterdeck (poop) cabin with a flush roof. This appears the ship shown in the watercolor. Note the sailor dudes on it. Retained this form until her breaking up and replacement in 1829.

A Quick Note: The above plan was reconstructed from two plans, both in the Peabody and Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, in the Josiah Fox papers. 1. Outboard Profile/Inboard Profile (partial) of the frigate as designed and sent to the Frigate Committee in Charleston, SC, in 1799. 2. All Decks drawn atop one another circa 1807, 1/8th scale, as a razee, but showing main deck port positions, the addition of the bridle ports, all mast positions, hatch locations, iron ballast placement, and the five foot hull length added in Charleston, as reported. I'll add more data when I can. Thanks Talos !!!!!!!!!! AIN'T SHE PURDY? Another quick note: I should also point out that the body plan of the lines exists somewhere in the National Archives, but it was published in P.C. Coker's most-excellent book "Charleston's Maritime Heritage, 1670-1865". Since all other lines are derived from the body plan, that is all one would need, in addition to the above two plans, to reconstruct the frigate. And of course the stacked deck plan shows the shape of the hull as an added check, in showing the general shape of the waterlines.

Applewood!

Mark, I suspect that this ship will be modeled much.

From Wikipedia: "La Hermione was built in eleven months at Rochefort, by the shipwright Henri Chevillard as a light (French: légère) frigate, fast and maneuverable. Between May and December 1779 she underwent successful sea trials in the Gulf of Gascony under the command of Lieutenant de Latouche. General La Fayette embarked at Rochefort on 11 March 1780 and arrived in Boston on 28 April carrying the secret news that he had secured French reinforcements (5,500 men and 5 frigates) for George Washington. After the dramatic failure of the Penobscot Expedition, a large military expedition to dislodge the British from their new stronghold at the confluence of the Bagaduce and the Penobscot River on the east bank of Penobscot Bay in Maine (an area later known as Castine), the revolutionary council of Massachusetts asked Latouche if he would be willing to sail to Penobscot Bay for a quick military intelligence-gathering cruise, checking on the strength of the British garrison at Fort George. The Hermione then made the week-long voyage in mid-May, after which the frigate sailed to Rhode Island.[2] Next, she got underway again on 2 June and suffered serious damage in the fierce but indecisive Action of 7 June 1780 against the 32-gun HMS Iris, under James Hawker. Hermione received the American Congress on board in May 1781. She fought several times in company with the Astrée, commanded by Lapérouse, especially at the Naval battle of Louisbourg on 21 July 1781. After the end of the American Revolutionary War, Hermione returned to France in February 1782. She then formed part of a squadron sent to India to help Suffren against the British. However peace was declared and the ship returned to Rochefort in April 1784." Interestingly, she fought HMS Iris of 32-guns, which had been earlier taken from the Continental Navy, and was formerly the US frigate Hancock.

I've always thought that the small, ship-rigged corvette was the most beautiful type of man-of-war.

Hot Damn, the Alabam! I'll be watching in a comfy chair with a cool sweet tea, and a bag of Oreos!

"Which I'm coming, ain't I? Spilled the whole bloody bottle, Mark did - whole thing wasted, never a drop tasted! Poor Ol' Killick's gotta clean the mess, again."

Mark, How'd I miss this? Looks quite lovely, especially the long guns! In the words of Jack Aubrey: "Killick! Killick there! Able Seaman Taylor gets an extra grog ration tonight!"

One unusual thing about the Alliance: Late in the war, she was able to replace her 12-pounders with the guns that had been ordered to be cast for the lower deck of the Bon Homme Richard, had the latter survived - twenty-eight long French 18-pounders. No other contemporary American frigate could carry that many guns on their main deck, except the Confederacy! So the Alliance had some special characteristics of many other ships. But from the few contemporary paintings that do survive of her, every one conveniently sketched in John Millar's book, and unlike the Confederacy, the Alliance appears to carry a round modern bow, not a beak-head bulkhead.

One theory about the Alliance in "The Frigate Essex Papers" is that, since she was built by the same Hackett family that would go on to make the Essex 20 years later, both frigates were built to the same general model, with slightly differing dimensions.

A used copy of Michael Feather's Frigate Amphion book just appeared on Amazon. Softcover, 80 pages, only $113 plus shipping. Such a deal ! Too rich for me ... Is it really that good, or is it just very rare, or both?

I have the book too. It is fun to read! They are mostly reconstructions, but they are best guesses given what little information survives. Ex: The reconstruction of the Continental Frigates Providence and Warren based on the lines of the Privateer Oliver Cromwell, because the latter might have been built by the Brown Brothers of Rhode Island, who we know built the former two! Hey, why not? Could-da happened!

The Barbados was the Scourge. Just as well, since the term Scourge is often associated with marauding native americans, the figurehead might have been an Indian warrior like the Rattlesnake's, whereas Rhodes is associated with Greece (an island, I believe). An Indian figurehead trumps an allegorical Greek God in my book any day.

... Except the Rhodes is not the Rhodes! This according to author Miller in his 'Early American Ships' (1976), pp. 186-7. She was taken the same afternoon alongside another privateer called the Scourge by HMS Prothee. Both privateers were taken into the Royal Navy but only the slightly larger Scourge had her lines taken off. Chapelle mixed up the two ships in 'The Search For Speed Under Sail' (1967), since the Admiralty draught is of her after she was renamed, HMS Barbados. The surveys of both ships were printed in the letter-book of Lord Rodney, which allowed Miller to correct Chapelle. Makes little difference, however, except maybe for someone trying to reconstruct the figurehead.

Johann, I sure hope that you are planning to publish a book someday about your Creole build!

Eric Cartman is my hero: "Respect Mah Authori-tah!"

The Chatham series is outstanding! So many paintings, portraits, sketches and NMM plans packed into six volumes. Very informative text too. They were also published through Naval Institute Press here in the US. Well worth the cost if you are a RN history buff.