A poor Marine, must take his ‘dozen.’”
On her first cruise the America was commanded by Captain Joseph Ropes, son of that Revolutionary privateersman, Captain David Ropes, who was killed in a bloody action aboard the Jack, off Halifax. Joseph Ropes was also a kinsman of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and of Nathaniel Bowditch, the two sons of Salem whose fame is world-wide. This captain of the America had sailed in her as a merchantman to the Mediterranean, and it is related that he made so favorable an impression upon the Sultan of Turkey that the potentate wished to negotiate through him a commercial treaty with the United States.
Tradition says that the only thing in the world Captain Ropes feared was reproof from his mother. She hated the sea because the boy’s father had lost his life upon it, and young Joseph ran away on his first voyage to the West Indies when he was little past the spankable age. He took care to send her as a peace offering a barrel of molasses before he dared return home and face her sorrowing indignation. Captain Ropes made only one cruise in the America, after which he retired from the sea. He captured six prizes on the Atlantic, valued at $158,000, all of them merchantmen which could make no resistance to the heavy battery of the privateer.
Her second cruise was in command of Captain John Kehew, who had been a first lieutenant under Captain Ropes. The America was at sea four months and took ten vessels without notable incident. The third, fourth and fifth cruises of the privateer were entrusted to Captain James Chever, Jr., who won a name for himself as one of the ablest and most daring sailors of the war. He had been in the America from her first voyage to Mocha, when he was an infant of twelve years, acting as cabin boy. He came of a sterling fighting and seafaring stock. His father, Captain James Chever, was a lieutenant of the first Grand Turk, privateer during the Revolution, which ship, among other notable achievements, captured a large cargo of military supplies intended for Cornwallis. These stores were delivered to Washington and were a great assistance in the siege of Yorktown. The son rose to be a master of merchant vessel before he was twenty, and when he was given command of the America privateer in 1813, he was twenty-two years old, with one hundred and fifty men to take his orders and one of the finest and fastest ships afloat to win him fame and fortune.
Captain James W. Chever, commander of the privateer America
The privateer America under full sail
From the log of his first cruise in the America the following extracts are chosen, as showing the daily life and business aboard a Yankee privateer a century ago:
“Dec. 14 (1813) Latter part, strong breezes and clear weather. At 11 A. M. saw a sail bearing E. by N. Called all hands and made sail in chase; and sent up Top Gallant yards. At 3 P. M. coming up with our chase very fast. He hoisted English colors and hauled up his courses. At half past 3 P. M. we hauled down our English colors; gave him a gun; and hoisted American colors. Passed within pistol shot of him, to windward, firing continually; exchanged three broadsides; in a few minutes afterward we past round his bow and gave him a raking fire. Our guns under water. There being a great sea and our decks full of water, and perceiving him to be a light transport of about six hundred tons, mounting 28 or 30 guns and full of men, we concluded if we took him we should not reap any advantage as he could not be of much value; therefore, thought it prudent to leave him. During the action received a number of shot, one of which cut away part of the maintopsail yard. The topsail being double reefed the shot went through both reefs; another shot went through our fore topsail; another cut away one of our fore-shrouds. John McIntire, a marine, while in the act of loading his musket, was shot through the left breast and expired instantly. From 4 to 6 P. M. employed sending down the main topsail and yard and getting up another. At half past six sent up the main topsail; while bending it lost a man out of the main topmast rigging by the name of Ebenezer Osgood. It being very dark and a long sea, thought it imprudent to get the boat out. At 8 set the maintopsail close reefed. Close reefed the fore topsail and took in the mizzen topsail and mainsail; at 9 took in the foresail; at 10 took in the fore topsail; at 11 took in the maintopsail and mizzen staysail and lay to under the fore and main staysail. Strong gales and cloudy weather. At ½ past 1 A. M. sent down the topgallant yards. At 3 set the mizzen staysail. At 7 set the fore and mizzen topsails. A gun bursted.”