BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Southeast -- Washington Navy Yard -- Pride of Baltimore II

DC -- Southeast -- Washington Navy Yard -- Pride of Baltimore II:

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Description of Pictures: As part of the anniversary of the burning of Washington DC, THE PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, a reproduction privateer from the War of 1812 era, came to visit at the Washington Navy Yard.

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. WNYPII_140824_021.JPG: Pride of Baltimore II presents The Baltimore Privateers Fast Ships, Bold Captains and Their Role in the War of 1812 Pride of Baltimore II is a reproduction of the famous Baltimore pilot schooner, the most successful privateering vessels of the War of 1812. Continue through the display to learn the history behind the ships, the daring men who sailed them and the role privateering played in defending freedom of the seas. Pride of Baltimore, Inc. has managed operation of the ship since her construction in 1987-1988. In 2010, ownership of the vessel was transferred from the State of Maryland to the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Continuation of Pride II's mission is contingent on support from corporate and individual sponsors. For information about how you can support Pride II contact: Pride of Baltimore, Inc. www.pride2.org 410-539-1151
2. WNYPII_140824_025.JPG: 200 Years Ago The United States has been an independent nation for only 36 years. There are just 18 states... but with the Northwest and Mississippi Territories, and the vast Louisiana Purchase, the country spans the entire North American continent. Our neighbors, British Canada to the north and Spanish colonies to the south and west are resistant to any further expansion of our borders. The U.S. population has reached about 7,700,000. Most Americans are settled along the Atlantic coast or within 100 miles of navigable waters. Western Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and areas along the Mississippi River are the "frontier" and settlers are just starting to move further west. In the Northwest Territory, the Iroquois, Seneca and other Native American tribes occupy major portions of land. The Cherokee, Creek and Seminole nations occupy the southeast and the ‘Floridas'. All are feeling the pressure of white settlers moving into their homelands. The "War Hawks", led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, support westward expansion and aggressive action against the Native tribes and the British. In some regions of the country, public reactions to events leading up to the war result in rioting and bloodshed. Regional and economic differences are at work as well. New England and the western and southern states all press to see that their interests are not ignored. The Threats of lost revenue from trade and exports cause some regions to actively oppose going to war. In some New England cities, there is talk of seceding from the Union if war is declared. Politically, the country is divided. Democratic-Republicans under President Madison support states rights over a strong central government, and moderate reactions to foreign interference. They are fully aware that our military forces are not prepared to go to war.
3. WNYPII_140824_026.JPG: 1812 - A World at War The United States' decision to declare war in 1812 was the result of years of foreign interference. By 1812, Britain and France had been at war for nearly 20 years. Napoleon Bonaparte had conquered most of Europe, and the Royal Navy was Britain's only defense against his planned invasion across the English Channel. Blockades were a major tool of war, as each side tried to stop the flow of food and supplies to the other. The British ‘Orders in Council' and the French‘Milan Decrees' interfered with the commerce of any neutral country, so American ships and cargoes were being seized by both sides. The U.S. fought a ‘Quasi War' at sea with France in 1798 over such seizures, and now interference with our trade by both sides is having disastrous effects on the U.S. economy. Between 1805 and 1811 diplomatic efforts and self-imposed embargoes failed to resolve the impasse. Ships were laid-up, exports sat on the docks, and U.S. merchants lost fortunes. "We consider a neutral flag, on the high safeguard to those sailing under it." -- James Madison Impressment is another serious grievance. With over 650 ships spread throughout the world, the Royal Navy's manpower needs are huge. To man their ships, the British resort to impressment: seizing any sailor they think might be British, regardless of their true citizenship, and forcing them to serve for indefinite periods. "Press gangs" round-up men in the seaports, and British officers can stop any merchant ship at sea to search for suspected deserters or other seamen to fill their crews. U.S. sailors are vulnerable due to their Anglo-American roots, and the fact that British laws do not recognize the right to renounce citizenship. Even "protection" documents issued by the U.S. government to verify a person's identity and citizenship are ignored. Between 1798 and 1811 over 6,000 American sailors were pressed into British service.
4. WNYPII_140824_028.JPG: 1812 - The War Begins The Declaration of War, approved by Congress on June 18, 1812, authorized the President to "use the whole land and naval force of the United States against the British Empire." Compared to the British, our forces are miniscule. The United States Army has less than 10,000 men on the muster rolls, and many of our senior officers are aging veterans of the Revolution. The Navy only has 16 ships fit for service and none of them is a match for a British "first rate" battleship. Against 40,000 hardened veterans of the Napoleonic Wars and the largest battle fleet in the world, the prospects for success are dim. Fortunately, Britain's attention is focused on defeating Napoleon in Europe, and that offers some breathing space to prepare for war. In the interim, as in the Revolutionary War, the call to arms is sounded -- private citizens enlist in the army, militia units are mustered, and ships begin fitting out as privateers. With a weak Navy, privateering is so critical to the war effort that it is outlined in a major clause of the declaration of war. The President is authorized to: ". . .issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof." A "letter of marque and reprisal" was a license which granted a private citizen the right to arm a vessel and seize any public or private British vessel, her cargo and crew as a ‘prize of war.' The prize was sent to a friendly port to be condemned in an Admiralty Court. If the prize was ruled legal, the ship and cargo were sold at auction, and the proceeds went to the owners. This was a time-honored and legal method to support the war effort by combining patriotism and the pursuit of profit. Privateering wasn't a new idea in 1812. The "letter of marque and reprisal" had legal precedence going back to the Middle Ages, and it was recognized and practiced at one time or another by nearly every seafaring nation. In fact, American privateers were very successful during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War -- and that earlier experience would come in handy during the early summer of 1812.
5. WNYPII_140824_030.JPG: Privateers vs. Pirates " destroy the shipping and burn the town. . . root out that nest of pirates and privateersmen." -- British Admiralty Orders to Admiral Alexander Cochrane The confusion about privateers and pirates results from the ways they have been portrayed in mass media since the 1890s. Awareness of privateering has been largely overshadowed by the romantic depiction of pirates in adventure novels, illustrations and films. Names like Blackbeard, Stede Bonnett, Henry Morgan and Captain Kidd, or tales of buried treasure chests and "pieces of eight" are well known. Even fictional figures like Long John Silver and Captain Jack Sparrow cause us to think of anyone who sails the seas capturing ships for a profit as a "pirate." Some pirates, indeed, began their careers as legal privateers and later turned to piracy because the political arena shifted or the profits were just too tempting. Sir Francis Drake is a famous example. With support from Queen Elizabeth I, his success as a privateer helped finance England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. In later raids on Spanish possessions, he acted out of a personal hatred of the Spanish and was considered a pirate. Henry Morgan and William Kidd also "crossed the line", after beginning as privateers, and they are best known today as pirates. How the enemy portrays the activity also plays a part in perceptions. In 1778, the British press railed against John Paul Jones' raids on the Irish coast, depicting him as a blood thirsty pirate. From 1801 to 1805 -- when our Decatur and the Tripolitan pirates. Navy fought the corsairs of Tripoli, Tunis and Algeria -- we referred to them as "Barbary pirates" although they were legally sanctioned by their governments. The basic differences between privateers and pirates are: Privateers 1. Operate only in wartime against a defined enemy. 2. Act under license and authority of the government. 3. Must post a bond which they forfeit if they stray outside the law. 4. All captured ships and cargo must be judged as legal prizes by an Admiralty Court. 5. Must provide fair treatment of prisoners and respect all personal property. Pirates 1. Act outside the bounds of international law and custom. 2. Respect no flag and attack any ship, regardless of nationality. 3. Owe allegiance to no nation. 4. Operate independently and entirely for profit. 5. Do not respect personal property, and often terrorize and kill any witnesses to their actions. 6. Know that the universal penalty for piracy is hanging.
6. WNYPII_140824_034.JPG: Joshua Barney and Rossie "I am only sorry my Cruise began so late, or I might have done more injury to the enemy." On July 12, 1812, just 23 days after war was declared Joshua Barney put to sea in Rossie, with Letter of Marque #1, the first privateer commission issued during the war. At age 53, Barney was no novice. Born near Baltimore in 1759, he went to sea at age 11 on a Chesapeake pilot boat, and took command of his first ship at 16. He later earned fame as a naval officer and a privateer during the Revolutionary War. Rossie, built in 1807 by Thomas Kemp of Fell's Point was selected by a group of investors and fitted out as a privateer. At 98' long and 206 tons, she was typical of the swift Baltimore pilot schooners that became popular during and after the Revolution. Being familiar with the type, Barney knew she would be able to outrun any ship she couldn't defeat. Armed with eleven 12 pounder carronades, one "long 9 pounder" and a crew of 100, Barney set out for a three-month cruise. He knew that by getting in on the hunt early, he could surprise the enemy. Cruising off Newfoundland and the New England coast, by September Barney had taken 15 vessels with an estimated value of $1,280,000. Nine ships were destroyed; the rest were sent to American ports for Admiralty Court proceedings. Deciding to shift to a fresh operating area, Barney took Rossie south, heading for the West Indies. His luck continued, eluding British cruisers and snapping up a few more prizes. A long way, Rossie fought her hardest encounter: "Sept. 16. Took His Majesty's packet ship Princess Amelia after a severe action of nearly an hour at pistol-shot distance. . . the ship and her boats were cut to pieces, all her rigging gone and sails torn from the yards." Rossie took two more prizes before returning to Baltimore on October 22, 1812. In 90 days at sea, Barney cruised from the Grand Banks to the Leeward Islands, and seized or burned 20 vessels and cargoes valued at $1,500,000. After deducting Admiralty Court fees, shares paid to the crew and other costs, the owners proceeds totaled $68,174. Barney's shares realized about $18,195 profit. Due to the damage from the action with Princess Amelia and her age, Rossie was in such poor condition that Barney refused a second cruise, feeling she was ‘too old and worn out'. She was sold at auction to new owners and sailed as a letter of marque trader until she was captured off the coast of France in January of 1813. Barney would return to naval service in the spring of 1813, as commander of U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla.
7. WNYPII_140824_036.JPG: Fast Ships out of Baltimore "She sat as light and buoyant on the water as a graceful swan" -- Unidentified spectator at Chasseur's launch In early Maryland the easiest way to move people, raw materials or other products was by water. Every planter had a boat of some kind -- for visiting, fishing, or carrying goods to market. To satisfy the local need for vessels, small shipyards developed around the bay and its tributaries. Local craftsmen integrated native log canoe building techniques and traditional methods, and soon began to experiment with ways to improve speed and performance. By 1750, Chesapeake shipyards were producing small craft for local use and ships for the coastal and West Indies trade; and those vessels were developing a reputation for speed. The need for ships during and after the Revolution spurred shipbuilding in Baltimore's deep water area called Fell's Point. By 1809 there were 9 shipyards, 11 sail makers, 4 ropewalks and 8 ship chandleries in the area; and about 40% of the population worked in the maritime trades. Fell's Point builders like Thomas Kemp and William Price became expert at building sleek vessels that were well suited to smuggling, privateering, or any situation where speed, evasion and surprise were important. Often called "sharp" or "privateer-built", the design was the result of the builders' willingness to experiment with the features they observed in other fast vessels. These ships became known as "Baltimore pilot schooners" or "Baltimore Flyers." "You might as well try to catch a bird flying." -- Joseph Alameda of the Kemp, 1815 By 1810, the pilot schooner's reputation for speed and agility was well known, based on their success as blockade runners, privateers and smugglers during the Revolution, the Quasi-War with France and the European conflicts. Design characteristics: * Flush deck and low freeboard. * Fine entry forward with pronounced keel drag aft. * Tall, raked masts. * Basic topsail schooner rig, but adaptable to other sail plans. * No figurehead or ornaments. The result? A fast, maneuverable ship that could catch most other vessels or out-run any ship they couldn't overpower. Between 1810-1815, Fell's Point builders would produce over 150 of these fast vessels for owners from Baltimore and other cities. Several of them would become famous as the most successful privateers of the war.
8. WNYPII_140824_039.JPG: The Business of Privateering Baltimore investors like McKim knew privateering wasn't as simple as getting a ship, hiring a captain and sending them out cruising for prizes. Patriotism and support of the war effort was important, but foremost, privateering was a business. It offered the potential for huge profits, but there were significant risks. As a government sanctioned business, privateering also had specific requirements, regulations, and fees. Here are some of the key components: The Syndicate: Investors bought shares in the venture to provide the capital to buy and outfit the ship, post the bond required by the government, and pay other fees involved. They shared the profits from the cruise based on the number of shares they held, and spread the risk of losing their total investment if the privateer was lost at sea or captured. Securing and outfitting a vessel: The syndicate may have formed with a specific ship in mind, with a plan to buy and convert an existing ship or to build a new one. They needed to outfit the ship with all the gear, guns and supplies required for the length of the cruise. To build and outfit an average privateer (about 200 tons and 100' long) cost about $25,000. Shipbuilders and other suppliers often took shares in the vessel as full or partial payment. "Letter of Marque and Reprisal": When the ship was ready, the owner applied to the local customs agent for a Letter of Marque and Reprisal. The certificate identified the ship, her size, port of origin, her officers and owner. The owner posted a bond with the government, $5,000 or $10,000, based on the size of the crew to ensure that they did not stray outside the law. Some ships were defined as "letter of marque traders". Their primary mission was to carry cargo, but they could, if the opportunity presented capture an enemy ship. Manning the vessel: Investors chose a captain based on his prior record of success and personal reputation, and they defined a share of the profits as his pay. The captain was responsible for recruiting the crew. The "Articles of Agreement" defined the terms for the crew -- their position assignments and the shares allotted to them. The Articles also recorded any advance pay they received, and the disposition of their shares if they were killed. Shares were paid out when the cruise ended, based on the profits from the sale of the captured prizes and cargoes that were successfully returned to port. For the crew of a privateer, the rule was: "No prizes, no pay."
9. WNYPII_140824_042.JPG: Prizes, Profits and Risks " .. Our Privateers have been expensively fitted, and fully manned. . . " –- T. and S. Hollingworth Once fitting out and manning were complete, it was time to get underway. The agent for the owners issued Instructions for the Master that might define the operational areas and the duration of the cruise, requirements for recording captures and reporting to the owners, where to send prizes for condemnation and sale, or any other instructions deemed necessary. Some privateers recorded captured prizes and cargoes in the ship's log along with routine records of weather, course changes, sightings, etc. Others kept separate, detailed listings of the cargoes captured. The ship's papers, cargo manifests and other documents from the prize were kept safe, to be used as evidence in Admiralty Court. Prizes were sent to American or friendly ports, to be evaluated as legal captures. An Admiralty Court reviewed the documents and reports of the capture and ruled on it's legality. If a capture was ruled valid, the ship and cargo were sold at auction and the proceeds paid to the syndicate. If the capture was ruled improper, the ship and cargo were released to the owner. A successful cruise with four or five prizes and valuable cargo, where all reached port and were ruled as legal, could realize huge profits, even after the expenses, fees and tariffs were deducted. Of course, the risks were huge as well. " . . .opportunity of making a fortune; counterbalanced by the possibility of getting my head knocked off, or a chance of being thrown into prison for two or three years." -- George Little, reflecting on the risks of privateering In the course of the war, 11 Baltimore privateers were captured by British warships, and another 8 were lost at sea or run ashore by pursuing cruisers. In one afternoon's action, four Baltimore ships: the privateer Dolphin and the letter of marque traders Racer, Arab and Lynx were captured in the Rappahannock River while waiting to run the blockade. Privateer crewmen were treated as prisoners-of-war. Over 5,000 American sailors were held in prison ships or at the notorious Dartmoor Prison, and some were held as late as 1816. Of the 271 Americans who died at Dartmoor, 24 were taken from Baltimore privateers or recaptured prizes. Less than one-third of all American prize vessels reached port safely. The majority were recaptured by British cruisers, while others were retaken when prisoners overpowered the prize crew. Of the 556 prizes taken by Baltimore ships, 138 arrived safely as prizes; 64 were retaken, lost at sea or restored by the courts; 158 were burned or sunk; and 95 were never accounted for.
10. WNYPII_140824_045.JPG: Successes and Losses "New privateers are daily pushing out from our several ports. There will be a precious tale told at Lloyd's within three months." -- The Weekly Register In 1811, Baltimore's Hezekiah Niles began publishing the Weekly Register, a subscription newspaper that reported on the events of the day. At the start of the war, he began publishing reports of privateer actions, captures, losses and the arrival of prizes drawn from customs records, captains' logs and a variety of sources. By the end of the war, Niles had compiled a record of American privateering activity that is unsurpassed even today. The Weekly Register, August 22, 1812: "The British have lately captured 3 fine privateers from Boston. . ." Dolphin and William Stafford " he did not expect to find a d -- d Yankee privateer in that part of the world" -- Hebe's Captain, as quoted in the Weekly Register In January 1813, Dolphin of Baltimore encountered Hebe, of 16 guns, and the 10-gun brig Three Brothers off the coast of Spain. Against the odds, Stafford pressed the attack on both vessels. Hebe's losses forced her to surrender, and the brig followed soon after. Success was short-lived -- both prizes were soon recaptured. Dolphin's career as a privateer ended soon after as well. On April 10, Niles reported that the British had captured Dolphin and three Baltimore traders in the Rappahannock, after "stout resistance." Dolphin was taken into the blockade squadron as a tender, and was active in raids on the Upper Chesapeake later that summer. The Weekly Register, February 25, 1814: "The famous privateer Decatur has returned to Charleston, S.C. after a cruise of 80 days without making a single capture." Surprise 1813 - 1814: The Weekly Register, April 15, 1815: "The Star arrived at New York on the 28th of February. Her cargo consisted of 1,180 bags sugar 5,028 bags coffee 45 tubs camphor 297 bags sago 240 cwt. Sapan wood, 22 bales nankeen, 83 cases cinnamon 45 cases tortoise shell. The whole worth about $300,000". Surprise was one of the largest of the Baltimore based privateers. 110' long, she carried 10 - 18 pounder carronades and a crew of 120 men. During three cruises under captains Cathell, Barnes and Barstow, she captured 45 vessels before being wrecked on the New Jersey coast. After the war, Niles rated Surprise as the most successful of all the American privateers. The Weekly Register, February 20, 1813: "The cartel ship Bostwick arrived in New York from Bermuda with 480 American prisoners on board. We hail their restoration. Among them are officers and crew of the Highflyer and Teaser privateers, famous for their successes, but at last overtaken by superior force".
11. WNYPII_140824_048.JPG: Thomas Boyle and Comet Thomas Boyle settled in Fells' Point around 1794. Born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, little is known of his early life, but by age 17 he had earned the confidence of Baltimore merchant John Carrere and commanded several vessels for him, including Vigilant. By 1806 Boyle was regarded as a seasoned commander, and owned several vessels. By 1811, Boyle was fully engaged in the business, civic, and charitable activities of his adopted hometown and was a leader in the Fells' Point community. On July 11, 1812, Boyle took command of Comet, a privateer schooner built in 1810 by Thomas Kemp. Comet measured 187 tons and 90'6" in length. She mounted ten 12-pounder carronades and 2 ‘long nines.' With a crew of 110 men, Boyle headed to sea. On July 25,1812 he captured the ship Henry, 400 tons, carrying sugar and wine. Three weeks later he took Hopewell, 346 tons, bound for London with sugar, cotton, coffee, and cocoa. On September 2, Industry was taken, 175 tons and loaded with sugar, molasses, coffee, cocoa and wine. On September 18, Boyle captured the British Letter of Marque John, 372 tons bound for Liverpool with sugar, rum, coffee, cotton, hardwood and copper. Slipping past the British blockade, Comet returned to Baltimore on October 6. The Weekly Register reported: "Comet overhauled every vessel she chased, and took every British vessel she saw, yet made only four prizes . . . but they are worth $400,000 and have all arrived safely." On November 12, 1812 Comet, with Boyle as master and now a part owner, sailed for the coast of Brazil and the West Indies. Boyle evaded several British warships, fought a Portuguese brig-of-war escorting a convoy of English ships and took five prizes before he returned to Baltimore in March, 1813. Financially, the cruise was a total loss, as none of the prizes reached port. However, word spread quickly among British authorities and Caribbean ports about Comet and a persistent American privateersman who told the Portuguese naval officer: ". . . if he did try to oppose me or fire on me while trying to take those English vessels, we must try our respective strengths as I was well prepared for such an event and would not shrink from it. " -- Boyle's report of the action with Portuguese brig-of-war, Libra During the summer of 1813, with the British squadron blocking escape from the bay, Comet and three other Baltimore privateers, Revenge, Patapsco and Wasp, were chartered for service with the Navy. Warranted as sailing master, Boyle patrolled the lower Chesapeake Bay to monitor and report on British activities. By the end of August, all four were released from patrol duty.
12. WNYPII_140824_051.JPG: War on the Chesapeake ". . . destroy and lay waste such towns and districts upon the coast as you may find assailable." -- Orders to Cockburn from Vice Admiral Cochrane By the spring of 1813, with Napoleon's defeat in sight, Britain was able to focus more attention and resources on the "American war". Troops fresh from victories in Spain and ships freed from blockade duty in France were redirected to the United States. Strengthening the forces on the Canadian border was a primary objective; and a campaign of raids and tightening of the blockade in the Chesapeake was planned to draw U.S. forces from the northern front. "Thirteen barges are coming up full of men. We are all under arms here, and expect another attack hourly" -- J. Sewell of Elkton, April 30, 1813 Under the command of Rear Admiral George Cockburn, British sailors and marines in tenders and barges ranged the bay, foraging for supplies, destroying stores of arms and gunpowder, seizing tobacco and other valuable spoils and ruthlessly punishing any armed resistance. On April 29, 1813, Cockburn's forces attacked Elkton and Frenchtown at the head of the bay. On May 3, the target was Havre de Grace. On the 6th, Georgetown and Fredericktown on the Eastern Shore were hit. Later in the summer, major raids targeted St. Michael's and Queenstown. Local militia forces were mostly ineffective against the British, except at Elkton and St. Michael's where they repelled British forces in the second raiding attempts on those towns in August. "I have it in mind to give them a complete drubbing before the peace is signed." -- Cochrane to Lord Melville Even with peace negotiations underway, when Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane assumed command of the North American Station in April, 1814, the tempo of British activity changed. Napoleon had been defeated and now it was time to "teach the Yankees a lesson". Cochrane planned to capture and burn Washington in retaliation for the destruction of government buildings in York (present-day Toronto) by U.S. forces; then he would attack Baltimore and destroy it's valuable shipyards and troublesome privateers. "Thus, we have beat them and their rockets, which they did not spare. . ." -- Commodore Joshua Barney Before the British could move toward Washington, they had to deal with a more troublesome ex-privateer: Commodore Joshua Barney, commander of the U.S. Chesapeake Flotilla. For seven weeks in June and July, Barney's flotilla of gun barges played cat-and-mouse with a British squadron in the Patuxent River. The British mounted a terror campaign, burning and plundering plantations and towns along the river, hoping to draw the flotilla from its secure position in St. Leonard's Creek. On June 26, Barney broke out, and under orders, moved his forces further up river out of reach. British troops landed at Benedict on July 19, and began the march toward Washington. On July 22, Barney was ordered to scuttle the flotilla, and he and his men raced to join the defenders outside the capital.
13. WNYPII_140824_057.JPG: Thomas Boyle Carries On On October 29, Boyle and Comet slipped through the British blockade in heavy weather and set a course for the West Indies. Over the next few months Boyle evaded British patrols, pursued a convoy of 60 ships and captured 10 prizes. On January 11, he had his first close call, engaging Hibernia, which proved to be a 22-gun British Letter of Marque. After a 6-hour running battle, both ships had serious damage, and both captains withdrew from the pursuit. Comet had three men killed and 16 injured, including Boyle. But Comet was back in action just two days later, cutting-out three vessels from the harbor at Virgin Gorda. After refitting in Puerto Rico, Boyle continued to take prizes and outrun every man-of-war he saw. On March 19, 1814, after five months at sea and taking 20 prizes, Comet arrived at Beaufort, North Carolina. After transferring command to his lieutenant, Clement Cathell, Boyle returned to Baltimore. The cruise was not as profitable as Boyle and his partners had hoped: all but 3 of the 20 prizes had been recaptured. British authorities in the West Indies also had intensified the hunt for Comet, and the merchants of St. Thomas had posted a sizable cash reward for her capture. Boyle needed a new area to cruise and a less recognizable ship -- one more suitable for a new plan he had in mind. The Weekly Register, March 26, 1814: "The privateers Comet and Chasseur of Baltimore, along with other ships of this port, are doing great business in the West Indies." Boyle and Chasseur - 1814 Chasseur, commanded by William Wade, was refitting in New York after a successful cruise. On June 13, 1814, the Baltimore syndicate purchased her and sent Boyle to New York to take command. Chasseur had been built by Thomas Kemp in 1813. At 85'8" length, 26' beam and 356 tons, she was the second largest privateer built in Baltimore. Boyle made two significant changes to Chasseur. He replaced her eight carronades with 10 long 12-pounders, giving her the ability to fight heavier armed ships at a longer range. He also ordered extra spars and sails so he could easily re-rig her as a brig, a brigantine or single topsail schooner. Finally, Boyle recruited more men to bring her crew strength up to 150. On July 24, 1814, Boyle took Chasseur to sea, sailing north to the Grand Banks. By mid-August, Boyle had cruised along the Newfoundland coast and crossed the Atlantic, holding gun drills and capturing five prizes on the way. On August 24, 1814, Chasseur cruised off the Scilly Isles, near the coast of Cornwall and the entrance to the English Channel. Thomas Boyle was ready to create a stir among the merchant shipping in Britain's home waters.
14. WNYPII_140824_064.JPG: Target: Baltimore! While Thomas Boyle and Chasseur were approaching the coast of Britain, things were looking grim back home. British forces intent on capturing Washington marched unopposed through Southern Maryland. On August 24th, at Bladensburg -- just five miles east of the city, 6,700 ill-prepared militia and regulars faced 5,400 British troops led by Major General Robert Ross. In just a few hours, the U.S. forces were in full retreat and the road to Washington was open. By 8:00 p.m., British troops occupied the city and the Capitol, the White House and other public buildings were in flames. After 26 hours, British troops left to rejoin their ships on the Patuxent River. Now all eyes were turned toward the next target: Baltimore. "Every American heart is bursting with shame and indignation at the catastrophe... Everyday, almost every hour, bodies of troops are marching in to our assistance" -- George Douglas of Baltimore, August 30, 1814 As British forces regrouped and prepared to sail, militia and volunteers from nearby states poured into Baltimore. Led by General Sam Smith, the city mobilized resources to strengthen its defense against the anticipated attack: water batteries and more heavy guns at Ft. McHenry, sunken ships to block entry to the port, and a mile of earthworks and gun batteries to block an attack from the east. When the British fleet arrived at the outer harbor on September 11, 1814, nearly 20,000 soldiers, sailors, militia and citizen volunteers were ready to oppose them. The British planned to attack by land and sea: a force of 4,700 soldiers and marines led by General Ross would attack city from the east, while the fleet's heavy guns and bomb ships would reduce the fort and attack the city from the water. On September 12, 1814, the British encountered General Stricker's force of 3,200 militia volunteers at North Point, about 15 miles east of the city. After a 3-hour skirmish, U.S. troops withdrew to the city defenses. The British had suffered heavy casualties, including General Ross; and decided to delay further action until Ft. McHenry was reduced and the fleet could support them. On September 13, at 6:00 a.m., the British fleet opened fire on the fort. Defenders led by Major George Armistead returned fire, forcing the British battleships to stay out of range of their heavy guns. British bomb vessels and rocket ships pressed the attack, lobbing over 1,400 bombs, incendiary shells, and Congreve rockets at the fort. 25 hours later, unable to reduce the fort defenses, the British land and sea forces abandoned the attack and withdrew. The "troublesome nest of pirates" had repelled the British invaders!
15. WNYPII_140824_066.JPG: Chesseur -- "the pride of Baltimore" Unaware of the disastrous events back home, Chasseur cruised British home waters from the English Channel to the Irish Sea, dogging convoys, outrunning their escorts, and capturing ships under the nose of the British Fleet. On August 28, 1814, Boyle sent the Marquis of Cornwallis to London to release prisoners and to deliver a document to be posted at Lloyd's Coffee House, the center of Britain's marine insurance business. "I do therefore. . . declare all ports, harbors, bays, creeks, rivers, inlets, outlets and sea coasts of the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland in a state of strict and rigorous blockade." -- Boyle's Proclamation of Blockade, 1814 Boyle's claim that he had a force sufficient to blockade all of Great Britain was a jibe at the British "paper blockade" of the American coast. But the document had real effects: within days insurance rates soared, Royal Navy ships were diverted to hunt for Chasseur, and merchants throughout Britain, Ireland and Scotland were insisting that the Admiralty do something about ". . . the horde of privateers that have literally swept our seas, blockaded our ports and cut up our trade" -- The Navy Chronicle, Fall 1814 By the end of August, Boyle headed for home. Chasseur had taken 10 prizes, and was holding 43 prisoners and captured cargo worth $100,000 on board. Boyle had created a stir on Britain's doorstep that would not be soon forgotten. Chasseur arrived in New York on October 24, 1814. On December 24, 1814, Boyle and Chasseur left New York for the West Indies, unaware that a peace treaty had been signed in Belgium that same day. Cruising in familiar waters, Boyle chased a large convoy, outran British escorts, and captured or destroyed 8 more prizes. On February 26, he sighted a likely prize off Cuba. After 15 minutes of hard fighting, Boyle learned that his prize was St. Lawrence, a Royal Navy schooner of 20 guns. In a report to his owners, Boyle wrote that he would not: "... have sought a contest with a King's vessel, knowing it was not our object... When I found myself deceived, the honor of the flag left with me was not to be disgraced." On March 15, 1815, Boyle received the news from a passing ship: the Treaty of Ghent had been ratified -- the war was over. He steered Chasseur toward home, arriving on March 25. "Chasseur -- ‘the pride of Baltimore' arrived in Baltimore Saturday last and saluted Ft. McHenry. She is perhaps the most beautiful vessel that ever floated on the ocean. . ." -- Niles Weekly Register, April 15, 1815
16. WNYPII_140824_071.JPG: Legacy of the Baltimore Privateers After the war, most Baltimore pilot schooners and captains returned to peacetime activity. Many of the ships were sold to foreign buyers, others went into the merchant trade. Between 1817 and 1820, some captains from Baltimore, including Thomas Boyle, accepted privateer commissions from Venezuela and Colombia during their revolutions against Spain. Other ships went into the West Indies trade, exporting flour and cotton and returning with coffee and sugar. But as traders, the pilot schooner was at a disadvantage. Built primarily for speed and maneuverability, they lacked the large cargo capacity needed to make them profitable. By the 1830's, a variation of the design appeared with broader, heavier hulls and less lofty rigs. It was in this period that the term ‘Baltimore Clipper' came into common usage, and some of these ships became associated with less honorable trades that required speed and stealth such as running slaves from the coast of Africa or smuggling opium from China. In 1833, Baltimore merchant Isaac McKim, commissioned a ship he named Ann McKim. At 143' long, 31' beam and 493 tons, she served in the China and South American trades, and was faster than any European ship of the time. Ann McKim is often called the first American clipper ship. In reality, she was a larger, ship-rigged version of her 1812 predecessors and had little in common with famous clippers of the 1850's like the Flying Cloud. Baltimore pilot schooners had an average service life of only five to ten years. Nonsuch was an amazing exception. Built in 1809, she was among the first group of Baltimore privateers at sea in 1812. After the war, she served with the Navy's West Indies squadron for ten years. Sold to a Danish firm in 1824, she was renamed Vigilant and served as an inter-island mail packet in the Virgin Islands for 55 years. Her long career ended in September 1928, when she was lost in a hurricane. The impact of privateering in the War of 1812 is often debated but the facts are clear: by the war's end, about 500 American privateers had captured or destroyed 2,500 British ships and caused over $40 million in damages to the British economy. The citizens of Baltimore led the way -- financing and manning 122 privateers, capturing 500 British vessels, and successfully defending their homeport against the greatest military power in the world. The years 1812-1815 would prove to be the zenith of privateering world-wide. Minor instances occurred afterward, but privateers would never again play a major role in national conflicts. The major European powers signed the ‘Declaration of Paris' in 1856, which effectively outlawed the practice on an international basis. The United States accepted the agreement in 1857; and other than a small number of letters of marque issued by the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, the practice of privateering faded into history.
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Wikipedia Description: Washington Navy Yard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C. The yard currently is a ceremonial and administrative center for the U.S. Navy, home to the Chief of Naval Operations, and is headquarters for the Naval Historical Center, the Department of Naval History, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, Marine Corps Institute, and numerous other naval commands. It was also former headquarters to the Marine Corps Historical Center, but it was moved in 2006 to Quantico. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Military history:

The land was purchased under an act of July 23, 1799. The Washington Navy Yard was established on October 2, 1799, the date the property was transferred to the Navy. The yard was built under the direction of Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the Navy, under the supervision of the yard's first commandant, Commodore Thomas Tingey, who would serve in that capacity for 29 years.

The original boundaries that were established in 1800, along 9th and M Street Southeast, are still marked by a white brick wall that surrounds the Navy Yard on the north and east sides. The next year, two additional lots were purchased. The north wall of the yard was built in 1809 along with a guardhouse. After the fire of 1814, Tingey recommended that the height of the eastern wall be increased to ten feet (3 m) because of the fire and subsequent looting.

The southern boundary of the yard was formed by the Anacostia River (then called the "Eastern Branch" of the Potomac River. The west side was undeveloped marsh. The land along the Anacostia was added to by landfill over the years as it became necessary to reclaim additional land for the yard.

During the first years, the Washington Navy Yard become the na ...More...
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2014 photos: Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Winchester, VA, Nashville, TN, and Atlanta, GA), Michigan to visit mom in the hospice before she died and then a return trip after she died, and my 9th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, Sacramento, Oakland, and Los Angeles). Ego strokes: Paul Dickson used one of my photos as the author photo in his book "Aphorisms: Words Wrought by Writers". Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Number of photos taken this year: just over 470,000.
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