On October 18th the sloop-of-war Wasp, of 18 guns and 135 men, commanded by Captain Jacob Jones, captured the British brig Frolic, of 19 guns and 110 men. The first lieutenant, Biddle, who had gallantly led the boarders, hauled down the Frolic’s flag at 12:15, forty-three minutes after the beginning of the action. Almost at once afterward both of the Frolic’s masts went by the board. Not twenty of her men had escaped unhurt. Every officer was wounded, and the first lieutenant and master died soon after. Her total loss was thus ninety killed and wounded. Says the distinguished French Admiral Jurien de la Gravière, commenting on this action: “On occasions when the roughness of the sea would seem to render all aim excessively uncertain the effects of [the American] artillery were not less murderous than under more advantageous conditions.” Unfortunately, a little later, the British Poictiers, 74, came in sight, and the Wasp not only had to yield her capture but was herself carried a prize into Bermuda, where Jones and his men were later exchanged. Captain Jones was promoted to the command of the Macedonian, which had been captured by the United States only a week after the Wasp’s own brilliant action.
The United States and Argus, under Commodore Decatur, had left Boston on October 8th in company with Commodore Rodgers, commanding the President and the Congress. The latter was successful in making one valuable prize and eight others of but small value, and reëntered Boston on December 31st. Decatur had separated from Rodgers’s command on October 12th, and on the 18th, about 500 miles south by west of the Azores, he met the frigate Macedonian, of 49 guns and 301 men, commanded by Captain Richard Carden. There was about the same difference in force as between the Constitution and Guerrière and about the same in destruction. The Macedonian had forty-three killed and mortally wounded, and sixty-one wounded; the United States had a lieutenant and six seamen killed or mortally wounded, and five wounded. The action lasted an hour and a half. The Macedonian had received over a hundred shot in the hull, her mizzenmast had gone by the board, and her fore and maintopmasts at the cap. Her rigging was badly cut and many of her guns had been dismounted. On the other hand, the United States had suffered no injuries which could not at once be repaired. It was clear that the American gunnery was immensely superior, though the Macedonian had been regarded a crack ship. The British ship had on board eight impressed Americans. These, though objecting to fighting their countrymen, were obliged to stay at the guns, and three were killed.
Fortunately the damages to the Macedonian were not so severe that she had to be destroyed; convoyed by the United States, she was carried into New London, reaching there on December 4th.
On October 26, 1812, Commodore Bainbridge sailed from Boston with the Constitution, which he personally commanded, and the Hornet, 18, Captain Lawrence. The Essex, under Captain David Porter, was also to be part of Bainbridge’s squadron, but she was in the Delaware and did not get to sea until two days after Bainbridge left Boston. In anticipation of a long cruise, the ship carried an unusual number of both officers and men. Very unfortunately, she had to retain, against Porter’s protest, a battery of short-range carronades with but six long 12-pounders. She was given the island of Fernando de Noronha, off Brazil, as a rendezvous. She was not to meet her consorts, but to have adventures of her own of a very remarkable character.
Bainbridge, touching at Fernando de Noronha, went into Bahia, Brazil, and found there a British sloop-of-war of the same force as the Hornet. Lawrence challenged her captain to a fight, pledging that the Constitution would not interfere. The challenge, however, was not accepted, among the reasons being that the Bonne Citoyenne had on board £500,000 in species. Bainbridge, leaving the Hornet to watch the British ship, went to sea. December 29th, being still near Bahia, he sighted two ships: one turned out to be the frigate Java; the other a captured ship, the William, in company. The latter was directed to go into Bahia and the Java stood toward the Constitution. The latter stood off to get clear of the land, in plain view, and thus get out of neutral waters. There was a mutual readiness to engage. The Java came down with a light free wind, furling her mainsail and royals. The Constitution, with royal yards aloft, and which she carried throughout the battle, was under about the same canvas. The firing began at 2:00 P.M., with a shot at long range from the Constitution, but the two ships quickly neared to pistol range. They approached so near that they were less than 600 feet apart. The Java was being so much cut up aloft that an attempt was made to board, but during this the Constitution poured in a most destructive raking fire (i. e., lengthwise of the enemy), bringing down the Java’s maintopmast and cutting away the foremast just under the foretop. The attempt to board failed, the ships fell apart and began anew as furiously as ever. Captain Lambert of the Java was killed and the ship continued to be fought gallantly by her first lieutenant, Chads, who was already wounded. But the British, with the wreck of the maintopmast with its hamper over the side, the foretopmast gone, and a little later the mizzenmast and what remained of the foremast, could do no more; the Java’s guns were completely silenced. At 4:05, the Java’s flag being shot away, Bainbridge thought she had struck. He then hauled by the wind and crossed the Java’s bows. The latter’s mainmast fell, leaving her a complete wreck. The Constitution went to windward, spent an hour in repairing the very moderate damages to her rigging, and then again stood down for her enemy, whose flag had again been shown. This, of course, meant nothing in such circumstances, and as soon as the Constitution stood across her bows it was struck.
The Constitution, after her repairs of an hour, was now again, in naval language, all ataunto. Her loss had been eight seamen and one marine killed; the fifth lieutenant, John C. Aylwin, and two seamen mortally wounded; Commodore Bainbridge and twelve seamen severely wounded; seven seamen and two marines slightly wounded; a total killed and wounded of thirty-four.
The Java had been cut to pieces; “she was a riddled and entirely dismasted hulk.” She lost her captain and five midshipmen killed or mortally wounded, and six officers and four midshipmen wounded. Her total loss was forty-eight killed and one hundred and two wounded.[31]
The two ships were not very unequal in force, the Constitution being about 10 per cent. stronger in weight of gunfire and with about 10 per cent. more men. The larger number of men aboard the Java than she usually carried was due to her having on board men for some other ships. Both ships were handled with remarkable skill and coolness, but the American gunnery had shown itself enormously superior. It had so wrecked the Java that Bainbridge, now 5,000 miles from home and on an unfriendly coast, gave up the idea of attempting to save the ship. He lay by for several days removing the wounded and saving the effects of the crew. The Java was then blown up, and the Constitution went into Bahia and paroled the Java’s officers and crew.
“Our gallant enemy,” reported Lieutenant Chads, “has treated us most generously,” and Lieutenant-General Hislop who with his staff were passengers in the Java for the East, presented Commodore Bainbridge with a very handsome sword as a token of gratitude for the kindness with which he had treated the prisoners.[32]