A first look at the Frigate John Adams, 1799-1829

[CharlieZardoz]

Probably more Wasp then Syren since Syren's quartergalleries appear to be false? I believe you mean this image yes?  I love the lines of the ship, small but sleek I'd be curious to see how she matches up when placed size accurately in Talos's draught comparison image on the prior page.

[Talos]

Both Wasp (the second one) and Syren's draughts show quarterbadges on the stern, not galleries. Wasp's sister, Peacock's, lines taken off before they scrapped her show a poop deck and quarter galleries though.

[CharlieZardoz]

Wasp (the 1812 one) had the galleries and cabins but not a poop deck.  Here's what I mean (below). The Syren by contrast had dummy -er mini-galleries?/badges as far as I am aware anyways.  And yes to my knowledge Peacock had both galleries and poop deck.

Edited November 14, 2015 by CharlieZardoz

[Talos]

Yeah, Wasp might have been built with galleries, but the original design draught I was talking about shows the badges originally planned there.

 

http://i.imgur.com/gjnTlHr.jpg

Edited November 14, 2015 by Talos

[CharlieZardoz]

The one I posted was the 1807 Wasp, looks like the 1813 one had badges like her sister the Frolic, yet Peacock which was also a sister ship had galleries.  I wonder if that was a builders decision or a captains?  Great comparison draughts though. 8)

[Talos]

It's possible Peacock had the galleries added later in a refit at some point, something Wasp obviously couldn't have since she was lost before the end of the war.

[uss frolick]

Just a note about the Wasp II of 1813.

 

The two Massachusetts sloops were to be built to same the design plan, one in Charlestown and the other up the coast in Newburyport, but the plans that Commodore Bainbridge received from Washington in 1813 were of the lines only, with no deck details. The positions of the gun ports were even omitted due to haste. So Bainbridge has Edmond Hartt, the builder of the USS Frolick, redraw the plans, fleshed out with 'improvements', insisted upon by Bainbridge. He had a final copy drawn up for Mr. Merrill of Newburyport for the Wasp (cost to the department, $20) and both sloops were built to the same plan. Along the way, Bainbridge ordered many changes to the plans from Boston , such as moving companionways, re-stepping the mizen mast from the keel to the planform, enlarging the ports to accept  42-pounder carronades (but the up-gunning was refused by the Secretary of the Navy), etc., amounting to about $800, which angered Mr. Merrill to such an extent, that he demanded payment for all the commodore's extra meddling before he completed the Wasp.

 

Commodore Bainbridge had a special interest in the Frolick, as it was to be commanded by his younger brother, Capt. Joseph Bainbridge. The lines of the two sloops were stretched version of the Brig Argus, the navy's fastest sloop. As Builder Edmond Hardt had designed the Argus back in 1803, he was probably allowed all liberties in altering the two new sloops.

 

 

 

Long story short, the Sloops-of-War Wasp and Frolick were as identical as two ships could have been built to the same plans, but in different towns. Both builders answered to Bainbridge.

 

Chapelle's "official" USS Wasp plan wasn't drawn up until 1814, by Mr. Dougherty's assistant , one "Mr. Spottswood", well  after the Massachusetts ships had already been completed.

Edited November 14, 2015 by uss frolick

[CharlieZardoz]

Interesting, so does that mean the 1813 Wasp plan isn't accurate? Or was it based on the ship as built?

[Talos]

It's the original construction plan, but things could always be tweaked a bit and ships were never 100% as they were on those plans. Just look at Frolic and Peacock, they were all nominally built ot the same draught. Only a draught "as-built" would be 100% accurate. As a bit of trivia, the construction plan goes to the inside of the planking, while Peacock's as-built probably goes to the outside of the planking. You see something similar with Macedonian, where the original replacement frigate draught goes to the inside, while the draught of the razee is to the outside, so if you overlay them, the sloop of war's plans are slightly bigger in all dimensions.

[uss frolick]

The Wasp plan represents, in lines, but not in details, the Wasp and Frolick as they had been meant to be built. They are the official surviving records of two sloops that were both lost in war. Anyone wishing to accurately model the Wasp of 1813, however, must use the 1816 Admiralty draughts of the USS Frolick (HMS Florida), as they were identical in all but name.

[Talos]

What's interesting to me about the Frolic design is the bow. Coming down off the head it's almost a straight line with just a little bit of curve. It also has ports sized for carronades, while Peacock's are smaller.

[CharlieZardoz]

I noticed the bow as well. Interesting design I wonder how that would affect sailing. If I get to it I think Id definitely like to build a model of the 1813 Frolick as well as the 1807 Wasp and 1813 Peacock

[Talos]

Those are interesting choices. I also find the rebuilt Peacock interesting to look at (though far inferior to the original ship, much more extreme hull lines, too sharp to carry as much weight). She was intended to look much like the original ship, but features an updated look, including large carronade ports and a round stern.

[uss frolick]

The USS Frolick was cruising off the Cuban coast in early 1814, disguised as a helpless American merchantman hoping to lure an English sloop of war thought to be in the area, into her trap. She instead attracted the attention of a large, fool-hearty pirate schooner which stood out from a west coast bay to attack her. A forty minute running fight ensued, ending with about thirty dead pirates and a sinking schooner. The survivors, including their version of "Captain Jack Sparrow", escaped ashore in the remaining boats. The Frolick's sails were too cut up, and Captain Joe Bainbridge was too disinterested to pursue them. The Frolick suffered no casualties. In this case, the only known instance where a US Navy vessel ever sank a pirate ship in battle, has been left out of the history books. The Frolick was captured by the Frigate HMS Orpheus and the Schooner HMS Shelbourne a few days later in the Florida Straights.

Edited November 15, 2015 by uss frolick

[CharlieZardoz]

"You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever head of!" "Ah but you have heard of me"

[uss frolick]

OK, back to the John Adams!

 

On May 16th, 1809, the Ship John Adams recommissioned as a corvette. Command of her was given to Master Commandant Samuel Evans. Had she not been cut down, Evans could not have commanded her, frigates being the exclusive domain of the full captains.

 

The next day, Fox wrote the following letter to Evans:

 

"The Frigate John Adams was cut down to a corvette in the latter end of the year 1807, having proved to be improperly constructed, and found to possess too many bad qualities for a frigate. Whilst under repairs, the gun deck beams afore the main hatch were removed, and replaced with new, and the deck raised forward about 3 inches to take out inequalities. . All the berth deck beams were kneed. The wales  and about 4 streaks under, are new, as well as the whole topsides, The overcharging of the stern, shortened and a new rudder of lighter construction made. The frame is of live oak and cedar, and appeared sound. The bottom plank ceiling, keelson and all the beams are of yellow or pitch pine. The pumps are new. The whole of the bottom overhauled and new coppered. The bowsprit mizen mast and fore mast new. Mainmast, new cheeked and repaired. All the other masts, yards, beams, top caps, etc, are new.

 

From an unknown cause, she is wider on the larboard side than on the starboard side, and always tends to list to starboard, from which circumstances I am inclined to believe she will be considerably stiffer on the starboard than on the larboard tack."

Edited November 15, 2015 by uss frolick

[uss frolick]

The Corvette first sailed from Baltimore to Hampton Roads on October 25, 1809 under Master Commandant Samuel Evans' with Lieutenant Johnston Blakeley (later the doubly victorious commander of Wasp II) as his first officer, with two senior midshipmen acting as lieutenants, John Pettigrew, as second, and Jessie Duncan Elliott, as third (villain of the Battle of Lake Erie). Her sailing had been delayed for three months due to lack of sailors, and supplies.

 

Samuel Evans wrote the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton two days later, praising the corvette's sailing qualities:

 

"Sir, I have the honor to inform you that I arrived here yesterday morning after a short run of 22 hours from Baltimore. The breeze was so good, and the ship appeared to move so well, I am of the opinion had we been bound out, and carried sail, we could have been at sea in less than eighteen hours, from the time we had made sail ..."

 

While on the subject of her sailing qualities:

 

An unidentified officer wrote of her during her maiden frigate voyage on November 15, 1799:

 

"We are now weighing our anchor and by 8 o'clock expect to be over the bar. She gave a good account of herself yesterday, in coming down from the Roads under mizzen, topsails and jib, she spun out about 7 knots per hour. The Pilot says, he is satisfied she will sail equal to any ship in the navy, he never saw a ship answer her helm so quickly, or slip through the water against the tide so rapidly. She is full, stiff, and we tried her yesterday in the heaviest of the blow ..." (South Carolina State Gazette and Timothy's Daily Advertiser.)

 

From the same source on December 4, 1799:

 

"... the frigate out-sailed every vessel she met with ..."

 

Same source, February 9, 1800:

 

"... Extract of a letter from an officer on board the Frigate John Adams, to his friend in Charleston: ...'I have the pleasure to inform you that the John Adams has been generally more approved of here, than any ship of her force belonging to the United States, that has been at the Island; and the English Captain in particular are much pleased with her. When we sailed from Charleston, the ship was too light, we have since taken in  twenty tons more ballast and completed our water for another cruise, and she now sails much faster, as we had experienced in bearing up from the Old Roads to Basseterre, when we had the opportunity of trying her against the US Schooner Enterprise, reputed to be the fastest sailor on the station, yet she could not gain on us! The John Adams does credit to Charleston.' "

 

Log of John Adams, December 31, 1804: The John Adams, then an armed  store-ship, out-sailed H. B Majesty's Ship Superb, 74: 

 

"... we out-sailed her three miles, under the same sail running to the eastward ..."

 

But Commodore Edward Preble of the Constitution wrote in December, 1805:

 

"...The John Adams, a dull sailor, and too narrow for a man of war, but will make a good merchant ship, and if not wanted as a transport, had better be sold out of the service ..."

Edited November 15, 2015 by uss frolick

[CharlieZardoz]

Talos were you considering putting together a draught of what she might have looked like as the corvette?

[Talos]

That is the plan.

[uss frolick]

Evans was to prepare for an as yet unspecified foreign cruise, but all was not well aboard.

 

Capt. Evans to SecNav Hamilton, November 4, 1809 ("Captains Letters Received, National Archives Microfilm, RG 45):

 

"... you will see that we are greatly deficient  in our compliment of seamen. A number of our ordinary seamen are possible, but much in want of sea exercise, and as we have some prospect of entering seamen here, I am contemplating taking a short cruise about the middle of this month, with a crew we then have, to try the ship and give our men the exercise they so greatly need."

 

His cruise took him up the coast to New York.

 

Again, Evans to Hamilton, November 17, 1809:

 

"Sir, I have the honor to inform you, that agreeable to your instructions of the 6th instant, I left Hampton Roads and arrived here this evening. I am happy to say that in my opinion, the ship sails much better than formerly, but we have a very bad crew, in fact there are not more than fifteen good seamen on board."

 

Hamilton back to Evans, November 20, 1809:

 

"The John Adams being required for foreign service, she must be prepared without delay for such service. To assist you, I have written Captain Chauncey directing him to loan to you, from the [New York Navy] yard, 40 able seamen, if he should have that number. In exchange until your return, you will deliver to him an equal number of ordinary seamen, and on your return, you will restore to him such men, and receive yours back again.

 

Confidential. It has been determined to send in the John Adams, a quantity of specie [gold] which you shall receive from such person as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct to deliver it to you, and you are to deliver such specie agreeably to the directions you will receive. "

 

Evans to Hamilton, November 23, 1809:

 

"Sir , I have ...made immediate application to Captain Chauncey for the 40 seamen you directed him to loan the John Adams. He states that there is not a seaman in the yard, and in fact, there is not, in his opinion, five men in it, who have been beyond Sandy Hook. We have had a Rendezvous open since our arrival, but have not been able to enter one seaman. Tomorrow evening, if the weather is favorable, we shall have completed watering and victualling for three months and will require nothing but seamen to be in a state of readiness for any service. I could wish very much, as the ship is to proceed on foreign service, and acting lieutenant. My reasons for this are the state of Lieutenant Blakeley's health, which frequently renders it impossible for him to attend to duty in bad weather, and in case of accident, we have no midshipmen that I would be willing to entrust to a watch. Should it be agreeable to you, to make an arrangement of that nature, I beg leave to mention Midshipman George Budd as the one I would prefer to any midshipman I am acquainted with in the service."

 

Hamilton replied that he had ordered Commodore Rogers of the President to give Evans all the sailors that he would need, but he couldn't have Mr. Budd, but instead ordered another midshipman, Walter Stewart of Philadelphia, and appoint him acting lieutenant instead. The John Adams was to be a diplomatic shuttle and to carry men and dispatches between the USS, Britain, France and Holland. Curiously, Hamilton asked Evans to give him a assessment of Stewart's abilities following the conclusion of the cruise.

 

The following letter, dated December 2, 1809, makes me think that the corvette had a large poop deck cabin already installed, even though Josiah Fox's spar deck plan does not show one as designed. Two very well-connected wealthy individuals needed a ride to France.

 

"Mr. Thomas Butler of Philadelphia, and his sister Miss Butler, being desirous of going to France in pursuit of health, I am very anxious that they should be accommodated with a passage on board your ship. I therefore request that, if it not materially interfere with the public service, you will receive them and their servants, for that purpose Mr. butler will make the terms agreeably to you. You will have the goodness to write Mr. Butler on the subject at Philadelphia. I need add no more than the respectability and objects of Mr. and Miss Butler, make me very solicitious, that you should accommodate them.

 

I have it in charge of the President of the United States to inform you that it is his desire, that one returning from France to Accommodate Mr. Dupont de Nemours of Paris with passage on board your ship. It is expected that the dispatches, which you are to convey to Europe will be sent by this place by mail on Tuesday. You will therefore hasten to compete your preparations to sail immediately on receipt of them. It may be necessary for me to add, that Mr. Dupont de Nemour the President entertains sentiments very favorable, and consequently, he is recommended to your attention. The President writes to him and you will receive him on such terms as in your discretion shall prescribe."

 

As a carrot to Evans, Hamilton allowed him the take on board $12,000 of private gold for transport to England. A service which would benefit only the captain, as he would receive percentage of the total value as his fee. The perks of command.

Edited November 16, 2015 by uss frolick

[Talos]

Before I get into replicating later versions of the ship, I thought I would try out a couple different rail configurations. The top is based on USS Philadelphia and New York, the bottom on Essex and Boston. The original draught only showed the quarterdeck rail, nothing else.

[mtaylor]

This is a fascinating history, Frolick.  I hope you will continue.... 

[CharlieZardoz]

Of the 3 I think the first one is probably the most probable and it is in keeping with the conjectural image I posted from the coker book on Charleston ships, however I assume the railings were relative based on designer/builder preference. What other ships were built by the builder of John Adams?

[Talos]

I don't know any others off the top of my head, since she was built down in Charleston. Fox, who was designer but not builder, designed the Philadelphia too, whose railings the second one is mostly inspired by. The third one is the same as the first, but with the addition of forecastle rails and little stub rails at the entryway.

[uss frolick]

Josiah Fox designed the Frigates Crescent [given as tribute to the Day of Algiers], John Adams, Chesapeake, Philadelphia and he altered slightly the draughts of the President. He designed the Wasp I and the Hornet, and he altered and lengthened Humphries' Adams to his own design.

[uss frolick]

OK, Mark, if you insist , I'm going to continue copying here the primary source materials for this cruise.  I wrote extensively about it in my biography of Johnston Blalekey*, in a chapter called "There Are Some Refractory Characters on Board", but I want to give the actual letters here, if you all will indulge me. This cruise is generally unknown, and most historians have the JA sitting in NY until 1814. I was able to write about it, only because I literally stumbled upon Evans' letters in the microfilm stacks. This cruise to Europe in 1809-1810 was very hard on both the ship and the officers, the first lieutenant of which was my guy, Blakeley. As Evans became too sick for duty soon after sailing from New York (from an earlier cutlass-dual wound across his face which, when flaring up, nearly blinded him) , Blakeley had to assumed command of the ship, even though he was chronically ill himself. By doing so, he made a great reputation for himself in Washington circles. Blakeley would have to prove himself to be not only an accomplished sailor, but a skilled diplomat as well. This cruise was the reason that Lieut. Blakeley was given the command of the Enterprise in 1811, and later the Wasp (II).

 

Also, this was the cruise, I now believe, that Artist John Huggins saw the John Adams and painted her. Although she returned to European waters in 1814, British accounts describe her as being painted all black, and she clearly has a stripe in the watercolor. Note also the quarter galleries, and a large poop deck, with presumably passenger accommodations underneath, which extends as far forwards at the helm and the mizen mast.

 

(* "Blakeley and the Wasp: The Cruise of 1814", Naval Institute Press, 2001: pitiful, shameless plug. )

Edited November 16, 2015 by uss frolick

[uss frolick]

On December 5, 1809, Secretary Hamilton penned his orders to Captain Evans:

 

"By the time this letter shall reach you, the John Adams will, I hope, be completely prepared for service.I have therefore now to direct you to weigh anchor without delay and proceed to L'Orient, Havre or any other such port in France, as you may be able, the mot convenient to make. Having arrived at such port, you will place the dispatches, you will herewith receive from the department of state, in the hands of a confidential officer, with orders to proceed with them without delay to Paris, and there deliver them into the hands of General Armstrong. [Note: He was our chief negotiator in France in 1809.] Such officer will then proceed to Amsterdam and thence wait for your arrival, when he will again join you.

 

Having landed such officer, and given him the requisite instructions, you will without delay proceed to Portsmouth in England, or to such other port as you may be able to most conveniently make, when on your arrival, you will receive the dispatches, you will herewith receive from the Department of State, in the hands of another confidential officer, with orders to proceed without delay to London, and there deliver such dispatches to Mr. Pinkney, our minister at that court, instructing such officer to remain in London, until your return to England. You will then proceed directly to Amsterdam, at which place, you will, agreeably to instructions from the Treasury department, deliver the Specie which you will have on board, on account of the United States."

 

Note: This gold specie was partial payment of our country's debt to Holland for helping us in the Revolution!

 

Hamilton continued:

 

"On your arrival in Amsterdam, the officer sent to Paris, will probably be ready to join you, with dispatches from General Armstrong. Having received such officer and dispatches, you will return to the port of England, from which you have sailed to amsterdam, , or to any other port in England, that you will be able most conveniently to make, , where you will receive the officer (that you have sent with dispatches to Mr. Pinkney) , with dispatches from Mr. Pinkney to this department. Having received such officer with Mr. Pinkney's latest dispatches, you will weigh anchor and proceed to the United States with all possible expedition, making this port, Norfolk, Philadelphia or New York.

 

These instructions are given to you, from the views we at present have of our affairs generally, but as unforeseen events may arise, to render a departure from them in some particulars, proper, it is deemed expedient to direct, that you will execute any instructions you may receive from General Armstrong or Mr. Pinkney.

 

As you may want supplies before you return, you are empowered by the enclosed letter of credit on Messrs James MacKenzie and A Glennie, to draw on them, as they have public money in their hands, and for years past have acted as agents to this department, forward to them without delay, your signature to guard against forgery. I will send four copies of the letter to those gentlemen, which you will forward to them seasonably.

 

On your return to the United States, you will report to me the state and condition of the ship under your command, and you will also report all the events of moments that may arise during the continuance of service you are hereby required to perform.

 

Should you want officers, apply to Commodore Rogers who will give you one or two of necessary experience, indeed two spare officers would not be amiss, as you have special service to perform, and you may expect to encounter severe weather."

 

[Captains Letters Sent by the Secretary of the Navy, RG45, NA.]

 

It just occurred to me that we can add yet another alteration of the John Adams' character: Treasure Galleon!

Edited November 16, 2015 by uss frolick

[uss frolick]

On December 7, 1809, Hamilton amended his instructions:

 

" ... it has been determined to send Captain Fenwick of the Corps of Marines in the John Adams for the purpose of bearing the dispatches to General Armstrong. On you arrival in France, you will instruct him agreeably to my latter to you of the 5th Instant, advancing him the necessary money to enable him to defray his expenses, which will ultimately be defrayed by the Department of State.

 

The Navy Agent at New York will pay over to you the sum of $2000 to enable you to defray the small expenses of the ship, and if you shall find necessary, you may require of the agent, an additional sum on account of pay, as it may possibly contribute to the comforts of the officers to have two or three months pay advanced to them."

 

The substitution of Marine Captain Fenwick might well have seemed to Evans to be a lack of confidence in the perceived abilities of the corvette's junior officers.

[uss frolick]

Captain Evans next wrote to Secretary Hamilton On March 11, 1810, from Portsmouth, England:

 

"Sir, but just recovering from a severe indisposition that has confined me for upwards of two months, I have scarcely strength to inform you that I have executed your orders of the 25th of December last, so far as, to have arrived here, where we have been waiting upwards of three weeks without anything of note occurring. i was handed a letter yesterday of Mr. [Jessie Duncan] Elliot, of this ship. who I charged with the dispatches for Mr. Pinkney, in which he mentions that, the latter has determined that he should leave London today, in which case we shall leave France tomorrow, or the morning after, where I received orders from General Armstrong to repair and take on board Captain Fenwick with his dispatches on our having concluded our business in England. But as I see the arrival of the Packet from New York announced in the London papers of yesterday, I think it probable he might detain Mr. Elliot a day or two longer. I must beg you in consequence of my debility to excuse for the present entering into any details of our proceedings since we left America."

 

Oh, but there was one interesting detail that Evans omitted to ever mention ... this from Moses Smith's Narrative "Naval Scenes of the Last War, etc.", Boston, Gleason's, 1846:

 

"About this time [the date of the telling was July, 1811, more than a year after the corvette returned] the John Adams arrived off Annapolis from a foreign cruise, and from her men, we learned a striking case of heroism, which is worthy to be told. A colored seaman belonging to New York had been pressed into English service and when the [John ] Adams was lying off their coast, he got the opportunity to come aboard her, as one of the boat's crew, sent with an officer on some errand. Thinking now his time had come to escape from the British, he determined if possible not to return. Accordingly, as he stood upon the deck of the [John] Adams, he suddenly seized a boarding axe, and in the presence of the crew, , cut off the fingers of his right hand at a single blow. Then with the left hand holding up the bloody stump, he exclaimed: 'Now let the British take me if they want me. However, disabled as he was, they took him back, our officers having no power to interfere. " [Warning! A politically incorrect statement ahead!] "If patriotism be anything but a name, then surely this noble African deserved a better fate, there are exalted qualities concealed beneath a darkened skin ..."

Edited November 16, 2015 by uss frolick

[michaelpsutton2]

This picture probably should be posted in a thread titled"Last look at the frigate John Adams"