Captain Preble left the ship because of ill health, and in command of Captain Wm. Bainbridge, she joined the Mediterranean squadron of Commodore Richard Dale. She made two cruises in this service until 1805, and played a peaceful part on the naval list until the coming of the War of 1812. At that time the eighteen-gun ship Wasp was the only American war vessel on a foreign station. A small squadron was assembled at New York under Commodore Rodgers, comprising the President, Hornet and Essex. Captain David Porter had been given command of the Essex and he sailed with this squadron which was later reinforced by the ships assembled with the pennant of Commodore Decatur. The Essex took several prizes, and fought a fierce single-ship action with H. B. M. ship Alert of twenty guns and 100 men, which he captured.
The immortal cruise of the Essex under David Porter began when he was ordered to meet Bainbridge’s ships, the Constellation and Hornet in South American waters. Failing to find the squadron at the rendezvous in the South Atlantic, in April David Porter headed for Cape Horn and the Pacific in search of British commerce. Early in 1813 he was able to report:
“I have completely broke up the British navigation in the Pacific; the vessels which had not been captured by me were laid up and dared not venture out. I have afforded the most ample protection to our own vessels which were on my arrival very numerous and unprotected. The valuable whale fishery there is entirely destroyed and the actual injury we have done them may be estimated at two and a half million dollars, independent of the vessels in search of me.
“They have furnished me amply with sails, cordage, cables, anchors, provisions, medicines, and stores of every description; and the slops on board have furnished clothing for my seamen. I have in fact lived on the enemy since I have been in that sea, every prize having proved a well-found store ship for me.”
In letters from Valparaiso Captain Porter was informed that a British squadron commanded by Commodore James Hillyar was seeking him. This force comprised the frigate Phoebe of thirty-six guns, the Raccoon and Cherub, sloops of war, and a store ship of twenty guns. “My ship, as it may be supposed after being near a year at sea,” wrote Captain Porter, “required some repairs to put her in a state to meet them; which I determined to do and to bring them to action if I could meet them on nearly equal terms.”
With this purpose in mind Captain Porter went in search of the British squadron. In his words: “I had done all the injury that could be done the British commerce in the Pacific, and still hoped to signalize my cruise by something more splendid before leaving that sea.”
“Agreeably to his expectation,” as Captain Porter phrased it, the Phoebe appeared at Valparaiso shortly after the arrival of the Essex in that port. But instead of offering a duel on even terms between the two frigates, the British Commodore brought with him the Cherub sloop of war. These two British vessels had a combined force of eighty-one guns and 500 men, as compared with the thirty-six guns and fewer than 300 men of the Essex. “Both ships had picked crews,” said Captain Porter, “and were sent into the Pacific in company with the Raccoon of 32 guns and a store ship of 20 guns for the express purpose of seeking the Essex, and were prepared with flags bearing the motto, ‘God and Country; British Sailors Best Rights; Traitors Offend Both.’ This was intended as reply to my motto, ‘Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights,’ under the erroneous impression that my crew were chiefly Englishmen, or to counteract its effect on their own crew.... In reply to their motto, I wrote at my mizzen: ‘God and Our Country; Tyrants Offend Them.’”
Alongside the Essex lay the Essex, Junior, an armed prize which carried twenty guns and sixty men. For six weeks the two American vessels lay in harbor while the British squadron cruised off shore to blockade them, “during which time, I endeavored to provoke a challenge,” explained Captain Porter, “and frequently but ineffectually to bring the Phoebe alone to action, first with both my ships, and afterwards with my single ship with both crews on board. I was several times under way and ascertained that I had greatly the advantage in point of sailing, and once succeeded in closing within gun shot of the Phoebe, and commenced a fire on her, when she ran down for the Cherub which was two miles and a half to leeward. This excited some surprise and expressions of indignation, as previous to my getting under way she hove to off the port, hoisted her motto flag and fired a gun to windward. Com. Hillyar seemed determined to avoid a contest with me on nearly equal terms and from his extreme prudence in keeping both his ships ever after constantly within hail of each other, there were no hopes of any advantages to my country from a long stay in port. I therefore determined to put to sea the first opportunity which should offer.”
On the 28th of March, 1813, the day after this determination was formed, the wind blew so hard from the southward that the Essex parted her port cable, and dragged her starboard anchor out to sea. Not a moment was to be lost in getting sail on the ship to save her from stranding. Captain Porter saw a chance of crowding out to windward of the Phoebe and Cherub, but his main-topmast was carried away by a heavy squall, and in his disabled condition he tried to regain the port. Letting go his anchor in a small bay, within pistol shot of a neutral shore, he made haste to repair damages.
The Phoebe and Cherub bore down on the Essex, which was anchored in neutral water, their “motto flags,” and union jacks flying from every masthead. The crippled Essex was made ready for action, and was attacked by both British ships at three o’clock in the afternoon. Describing the early part of the engagement Captain Porter reported to the Navy Department: