uss frolick

Back to the USS John Adams:
 
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.
 
But she would get her salvation ...

Hey Mark, those same old ladies would also say that "Charleston is where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the Atlantic."

Hey Mark, those same old ladies would also say that "Charleston is where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the Atlantic."

Ahoy;
Brief descriptions about 2 well researched books I am reading.
 
First: The True Story of the Mutiny of the Bounty.  By Caroline Alexander 2003, ISBN-978-0-14-200469-2
This book is extremely detailed and very well researched.  All of the events are well described.  Before the voyage.  The voyage out  to the South Pacific. The mutiny, The Pandora. The return of Bligh to Coupang (Dutch Colony) and the trail of the mutineers.  The author takes all this information and creates a seamless narrative.  Many of the sources are letters from the sailors to family and diaries that the men kept.
 
In the back of the book it has all the sources for each chapter and select biographies.  Best book I have read about the HMS Bounty.
 
Second:  The Slave Ship - A Human History.  By Marcus Rideker (professor of History) 2007 ISBN-978-0-14-311425-3
Another book that is well researched.  The book discusses in detail the life, death and terror of the slave trade. The evolution of it.  The so called "Middle Passage"  From Africa to either the West Indies or the USA.  Insurrections, the lives of sailors, death and diseases on particular slave ships.  This book is not just about what happens to the slaves but everything that has to do with it.  The people involved and then several last chapters of the abolition of slavery.  You read about accounts that are quoted from actual court proceedings.
 
Again well researched with lots of sources quoted for each chapter in the book. 
 
Thank you for reading my brief review.
Marc

They are not upper deck windows. They are partial windows in the stern of the quarter galleries at the gun-deck level, but only on the upper half of the back of the galleries. You'll see what I'm talking about ...

There was allegedly a full set of plans of the lengthened USS Adams. The late Dr. William M. P. Dunne, of SUNY, told me that Howard Chapelle had them at home in preparation for his sailing Navy Book in the 1940s, but he got in a final knock-down fight with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and she reportedly burned them, along with several others (USS Portsmouth too) that belonged to the Fox Papers of the Peabody Museum in Salem Mass. How true this is, I don't know, but Dr. Dunne was in a position to know.

Charlie, I might have an answer for you.
 
If anyone has both a copy of 'The Naval War of 1812', Chatham Pictorial History, Vol. 6, Naval Institute Press ANA a functioning scanner, I beg you look at page 49, bottom, at an engraving entitled "United States and Macedonian Frigates passing Hurl Gate", New York, by P. H. Hansel, Philadelphia, 1817. I believe it to be the most accurate depiction of the United States's stern. My reasoning is thus:
 
1. The sterns of both ships are shown in great detail, and the styles are clearly different from one another, in both the style of the scroll work to the number of windows. Artists of the period who fudged the details, usually fudged both ships identically.  We already know that the Macedonian had the stern of the Lively Class frigates, two other drawings of which survive. The Macedonian is propperly depicted there with six windows across her stern, and the same style of carvings.
 
2. The United States is shown with seven windows across her stern, plus a pair of what I can only describe as half windows in the back of her quarter galleries. While this might be dismissed as whimsey, remember that the US had a double-decked stern and galleries at one time. So these half lights might be a remnant her her early configuration. The 1820's Charles Ware spar deck plan shows here with quarterdeck roundhouses, another remnant which no other American frigate carried. Seven windows means eight counter timbers, which the Essex was rebuilt with, and which at least one of the 36 gun ships might have been built with since a unidentified gun deck framing plan with eight counter timbers survives in the Fox papers. Congress? Philadelphia? The Guerriere class stern requires eight counter timbers too.
 
3. For a while, the United States and the Macedonian found themselves blockaded in the Thames River, and they were hauled up river as for as they could be, and anchored with guns run out the stern ports for protection against British boat attacks. They  hung boarding nettings and ran a cable acroos the river, and rowed a constant guard down stream. They became quite the tourist attraction, but nobody got too close, and so they were viewed only stern on. (Source: "The William Skiddy Journal", 1813-15, an unpublished private journal written by one of the USS Hornet's midshipmen. ) I believe that Mr. Hansel got to see them at that time, made his preliminary sketch, complete with two guns run out of the U.S's quarterdeck stern chase ports. His depictions of the ship's broadside are sketchy, because he could not have seen them on the Thames. He partially hides them with smoke for saluting guns, (a common artistic ploy) and he even erroneously places guns in the Macedonian's planked-up waist, a feature she never had. 
 
4. A contemporary pencil sketch of the battle, drawn soon afterwards by one of the US's crewmen, shows seven windows as well. The original was held by the Naval Academy museum, (and may or may not still be there), but was photographed and published in John Spears's "The History of Our Navy", a lively, yet slightly racist Victorian book that is otherwise best avoided.

Charlie, I might have an answer for you.
 
If anyone has both a copy of 'The Naval War of 1812', Chatham Pictorial History, Vol. 6, Naval Institute Press ANA a functioning scanner, I beg you look at page 49, bottom, at an engraving entitled "United States and Macedonian Frigates passing Hurl Gate", New York, by P. H. Hansel, Philadelphia, 1817. I believe it to be the most accurate depiction of the United States's stern. My reasoning is thus:
 
1. The sterns of both ships are shown in great detail, and the styles are clearly different from one another, in both the style of the scroll work to the number of windows. Artists of the period who fudged the details, usually fudged both ships identically.  We already know that the Macedonian had the stern of the Lively Class frigates, two other drawings of which survive. The Macedonian is propperly depicted there with six windows across her stern, and the same style of carvings.
 
2. The United States is shown with seven windows across her stern, plus a pair of what I can only describe as half windows in the back of her quarter galleries. While this might be dismissed as whimsey, remember that the US had a double-decked stern and galleries at one time. So these half lights might be a remnant her her early configuration. The 1820's Charles Ware spar deck plan shows here with quarterdeck roundhouses, another remnant which no other American frigate carried. Seven windows means eight counter timbers, which the Essex was rebuilt with, and which at least one of the 36 gun ships might have been built with since a unidentified gun deck framing plan with eight counter timbers survives in the Fox papers. Congress? Philadelphia? The Guerriere class stern requires eight counter timbers too.
 
3. For a while, the United States and the Macedonian found themselves blockaded in the Thames River, and they were hauled up river as for as they could be, and anchored with guns run out the stern ports for protection against British boat attacks. They  hung boarding nettings and ran a cable acroos the river, and rowed a constant guard down stream. They became quite the tourist attraction, but nobody got too close, and so they were viewed only stern on. (Source: "The William Skiddy Journal", 1813-15, an unpublished private journal written by one of the USS Hornet's midshipmen. ) I believe that Mr. Hansel got to see them at that time, made his preliminary sketch, complete with two guns run out of the U.S's quarterdeck stern chase ports. His depictions of the ship's broadside are sketchy, because he could not have seen them on the Thames. He partially hides them with smoke for saluting guns, (a common artistic ploy) and he even erroneously places guns in the Macedonian's planked-up waist, a feature she never had. 
 
4. A contemporary pencil sketch of the battle, drawn soon afterwards by one of the US's crewmen, shows seven windows as well. The original was held by the Naval Academy museum, (and may or may not still be there), but was photographed and published in John Spears's "The History of Our Navy", a lively, yet slightly racist Victorian book that is otherwise best avoided.

I recognize the corvette painting from this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1840673605where I believe it is identified as the John Adams. She was a fine looking ship in this state!
The painting of the sterns is remarkable, particularly for that of the constitution! It is close enough to the 1812 hull model for me to think they are the same , http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/pers-us/uspers-h/i-hull-x.htmand based especially off the quarter galleries might be the original, particularly given the quite close resembelence of president's stern in this contemporary print by baugean
 
http://imageweb-cdn.magnoliasoft.net/nmm/supersize/pu7389.jpg
http://www.maphouse.co.uk/photos/m2918.jpg
 
He also did one of United States vs Macedonian which shows it better, I'll post a link if I can find it

It's been driving me crazy, I've been trying to find a specific source I saw about the Dale-class 3rd-class sloops Preble was a member of.
 
I wanted to give a little background to the Dales though. They were small, trying to do too much on the tonnage and mounted medium 24-pounders initially. Later on they recieved small 32-pounders (27 cwt) to replace them. Several of the class existed well towards the end of the 19th century and there's a few good pictures of them. The drawing here is based on Chapelle's reproduction of the class draught. I've been piecing together the sail plan from the spar dimensions for Yorktown, it's still a work in progress.
 

 
The source I've been yanking out my hair to find is a report from Commodore Thomas Ap Catesby Jones to Congress informing them of what was going on in his Pacific Squadron. He complained about not having a single shell-firing gun and how most of the cannons on his ships were old (I think only one of his sloops only had the newer percussion locks). He had two Dales under his command, the name ship and the Yorktown. He said they sailed well and were weatherly and how that was a good thing....because they were horrible in every other respect. He compared their strength very unfavorably to the small British sloops and brigs on the west coast and commented that they were especially bad for Pacific use because they could only barely wedge in 4 months worth of supplies and a proper patrol in the region took closer to six. I'm going to keep looking for it and when I find the report, I'll post a transcript of it. It's up on Google Books somewhere.

Mark, thanks. Sort of figured there had to be outside influence for some naval commanders, too. Most of my study has been on the Brown Water ships along the Mississippi, which were novel with the Army built and run City class ships.
 
I've also heard it called the "War between the States", "War of Northern Aggression" and "War of Southern Arrogance". I usually call it the American Civil War or ACW for a quick reference.

I used the "Recent Unpleasantness" as that's what some wonderful 'older' ladies I've met down in South called it.  Kinda' weird in some ways since they were volunteers at several museums and battlegrounds I visited.   The younger ones just called it the Civil War or in one case:  "The Uncivil War".  
 
If you look at the trouble Lincoln had with Generals (the usual politically connected ones), there was some (much?) with the Navy by inference.  The only reason the incompetence didn't come out in the news of the day was there were no major battles fought on the blue water.  The rivers, as you say were the Army's turf and they had issues.  Things got messy when the Confederates were on the cliffs overlooking one of the rivers as they could never bring guns to bear.  Part of the issue was procurement for the guns and mounts... run by politics not by the guys who knew what they needed.

Please note above the watercolor of the stern of the Constitution with six windows! The artist was W. A. K. Martin, and although it is hard to see here, it is dated 1837. (See M.V. Brewington "Shipcarvers of North America")

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. If anyone can figure out how to repost it here, it would be informative ...

Please note above the watercolor of the stern of the Constitution with six windows! The artist was W. A. K. Martin, and although it is hard to see here, it is dated 1837. (See M.V. Brewington "Shipcarvers of North America")

Please note above the watercolor of the stern of the Constitution with six windows! The artist was W. A. K. Martin, and although it is hard to see here, it is dated 1837. (See M.V. Brewington "Shipcarvers of North America")

"If a man speaks alone in the forest, and his wife is not around to hear him, is he still wrong?"

Thanks for posting those Charley!
 
The lines were probably taken off just before she was broken up in 1828. The builders in Charleston altered the plan that Fox had provided for them. They were worried that she might not make it over the bar, so in addition to lengthening her five feet, they gave her broader floors to decrease her draught - most evident in the drawing - but this made her roll more, not a good quality for a gun platform.

There was allegedly a full set of plans of the lengthened USS Adams. The late Dr. William M. P. Dunne, of SUNY, told me that Howard Chapelle had them at home in preparation for his sailing Navy Book in the 1940s, but he got in a final knock-down fight with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and she reportedly burned them, along with several others (USS Portsmouth too) that belonged to the Fox Papers of the Peabody Museum in Salem Mass. How true this is, I don't know, but Dr. Dunne was in a position to know.

Let's let Captain Robert not-so-Handy of the Vincennes chime in:
 
"
 

Pope wrote another report trying to clarify matters:
 
"

Additional report of Captain Pope, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Richmond

U. S. S. RICHMOND,
Q~ Pass i~ (Ontre, lJfississippi River, October 17, 1861.
SIR: My report to you in regard to our leaving the Head of the
Passes having been made iii a great hurry, in order to acquaint you
as soon as possible of the leading facts of the case many incidents
vere omitted which I will now report.
After the first blow given to this ship by the ram, on the morning
of the 12th instant, it remained under our port quarter, apparently
endeavoring to fix herself in a position to give us a second blow, but
the slipping of our chain, and the ship ranging ahead under steam,
frustrated the object. The ram dropped astern, but soon gathered
headway and ranged our port beam, receiving the fire of our port bat-
tery, some guns of which were discharged twice. It then ranged
ahead, passing up the river, receiving the fire of the port battery o

Page 710

710 GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON.

the Preble, disappearing in the darkness. Owing to the darkness I
was unable to see the effect of our shot upon her, but some officers are
of the opinion they heard shot strike the ram. I passed the Preble
and stood up the river, when Acting Master Wilcox reporting we were
getting too close to the starboard shore, the helm was put up and
the ship rapidly fell off, presenting her broadside up and down the
river. As soon as she had drifted near the Head of the Passes, inef-
fectual attempts were made to get her head upstream, when I found
myself a mile and a half down the South West Pass. I then put the
helm up, continued down the river, hoping to be able to get her head
round off Pilot Town. In doing this she drifted some distance below,
grounding broadside to. Soon after this the enemy opened their fire
upon us, which was kept up for about two hours. The day before
leaving the Head of the Passes I had succeeded in placing one of our
IX-inch broadside guns on the topgallant forecastle, giving a long range,
and it was continually fired during the engagement.
About 9 oclock a. ni., during the firing, it was reported to me that
several boats filled with men were leaving the I79~ce~2~es; some went
on board the lYater TVUeL, others came to this ship. In a few nun-
utes Commander Handy, with several of his officers, canie on board,
Commander Handy having wrapped around his waist in broad folds
an American flag, and upon being asked, stated he had abandoned his
ship in obedience to signal. Being told no such signal had been made,
he insisted he so read it; that Captain Winslow had so read it. The fol-
lowing day Lieutenant Commanding Winslow, being asked, remarked,
he saw no such signal; that when he was asked by one of Captain
Handys officers if that was the meaning of the signal, sent word to
Captain Handy that it was impossible to get guns out of his stern ports
and fight his ship. As soon as it was thought from the description of
the slow match that it had gone out, Captain handy, his officers and
crew, returned to their ship. In the evening I received a note from
Captain Ilandy. a copy of which, and my reply, is enclosed.
After I had taken the guns and ammunition from the i1I~ Clellan she
was sent to the assistance of the T7ineeiines, and endeavored to get her
afloat; in the meantime I carried out a stream anchor from this ship
astern, and after unsuccessful attempts for two or three hours the
il/c (Yellan returned to this ship and was lashed alongside to wait until
a rise of the tide. At early daylight of the 13th instant the South
Garolima, Commander Alden, came in, and I directed him to proceed
and if possible get the Vincenne8 afloat. Soon after, this ship was got
afloat, her head downstream, and the McCeilan was instantly cast off
and went to assist in getting the Vincennes afloat. As there was not
room for this ship to lay at anchor, or to turii to point her head up the
stream, I had no other alternative than to cross the bar and anchor
outside. My mind was very much relieved, knowing that the arma-
ment of four rifled guns on board the iJilc (leilan, together with the
long gun of the South carolina, would keep the enemy at bay. At
about 2p. m. the Vincennes was got afloat, crossed the bar, and anchored
near this ship, and the South Uarolina was immediately dispatched to
Pass ~ lOutre to guard that place until I could send him a relief.
My retreat down the Pass, although painful to me, was to save the
ships, by preventing them being sunk and falling into the hands of the
enemy, and it was evident to me they had us in their power by the
operation of the ram and fire rafts. If I have erred in all this matte

Page 711

GULF I3LOCKADJNG ~4QIJADI~ON. 711

it is an error of judgment; the whole affair came upon me so suddenly
that no time was left for reflection, but called for immediate action
and decision.
The ram having made its appearance the next day at the mouth of
the river, the inipression is she sustained no injury from our shot,
only waiting an opportunity to destroy the ships.
ft having been rumored there was a panic on board this ship at the
time she was engaged with the enemy, I state it to be false; both offi-
cers and men exhibited the utmost coolness and determination to do
their duty. My orders and those of all the officers were carried out
with as much coolness as if it had been an everyday affair, and their
whole conduct merits high commendation, and they would feel grati-
tied to prove their bravery by being permitted to take part in the
contemplated attack on Pensacola, as requested in notes from me to
you on this subject. In both engagements with the enemy the whole
fire appeared to be directed to the destruction of this ship, most of
the shot being apparently directed to the quarter of this vessel, pre-
sumed for the purpose of disabling our rudder and propeller.
I omitted in my hasty report to mention the essential aid I have
received from Captain Gray, commanding the army transport M~ Ciel-
lam, in getting this ship and the Vineennes afloat. From Lieutenant
Commanding Winslow, commanding the Water TI7tck, I received every
possible assistance that could be rendered.
I directed Commander French, of the Preble, as soon as it could be
done, to pr~eed to Pass ~ lOutre to guard that entrance. This he was
unable to do at the time; the wind being ahead and a strong current
to leeward, he was barely able to hold his own. He came in and
anchored, and reported to me he was quite out of wood and coal. I
told him he could procure wood off the North East Pass, where he
would be stationed after the arrival of one of the steamers at Pass ~
lOutre.
He replied it was impossible to get wood there, and earnestly
requested to go to Ship Island, where he would, in two days, procure
wood sufficient for himself and the Vincennes. 1 reluctantly consented
to his doing so, knowing that one of the steamers, either the South
Carolina or huntsville, would reach Pass ~ lOutre in advance of him.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN POPE,
Flag-Officer WM. W. MCKEAN, (aptain.
(~ovmnandinq Gulf Blockadinq Squadron.

P. 5. This and my first report to you embrace all the facts to my
best recollection, and if they are not satisfactory I respectfully ask
for a court of enquiry in the matter; and if it can not be granted with-
out detriment to the service at this time, that it may be referred to the
honorable Secretary of the Navy.
JOHN POPE.
[Enclosure i.]  
 

I always liked them corollaries ...

Here is the link to the painting: http://prints.rmg.co.uk/art/496525/american-corvette

Just screen shot. If this is considered illegal or unethical please remove the post or ask me to do it