Wars with the Barbary Powers, Volume IV Part 3
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Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume IV Part 3 of 3 Naval Operations including diplomatic background from April to September 6, 1804 United States Government Printing Office Washington, 1942 Electronically published by American Naval Records Society Bolton Landing, New York 2011 AS A WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS PUBLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 328 NAVAL OPERATIONS, APRILSEPTEMBER 6, 1804 Extract from log book kept by Sailing Master Nathaniel Haraden, U. S. Navy, on board U. S. Frigate Conrtitution. Tuesday, 31 July 1804 Fresh Breezes from the Eastward with a rough Sea Stand' in for Tripoly (Squadron in company) under double reefed TO~S~S15 Courses - The Gun boats and Bombards are invariably continued in Tow by the Squadron - We condemned by survey 804 pounds of cheese Eotton, stinking & unfit for men to eat: the same was hove Overboard - At 1 P. M. we saw Tripoly bearing by compass S S E. We stood in for it till 4 P. M. when we wore to the Northc - The Bashaws Castle S E b S four Leagues - At this time strong breezes & cloudy weather. At 4 past 5 P. M. Tripoly S E b S S. 5 Leagues At 4 past 6 P. M. the wind shifted in a squall from East to N E b N - We sp[l]it the foresail from clew to Earing - In a few minutes after we split the Main Top sail - Unbent both & bent others - From this time till till 8 P. M. we were under a reef'd main- sail and close reefed fore topsail - At 7 down top gall! Yards; As the Gale is nearly dead on shore, it became necessary to press the ship which makes it hazardous in Towing the Gun boats & Bombards - At + past 9 handed the foretopsail; and set a reefed foresail At 10 Rove preventer tacks & sheets - by this time the gale had shifted by degrees to E B N - At Midnight strong gales from the Eastward. At past 2 A. M. the wind shifted in a squall from E b S to N N E, which heaves us direct aback. The two Bombards in Tow were very much exposed, but fortunately no damage was done - We immediately wore &- came to the same tacks as before - From this time till day light strong Gales from the K E. At 3 past 5 A. M. wore to the S E. The Squadron all in sight, many of them hull down - The Gale continued Strong till 8 in the morning when it became more Moderate At 7 A. M. set close reefed Main & hfizen Topsails - Sixteen hours out of the twenty four we have been necessarily under low sail with a rough sharp sea - Winds veering between N E $ East. Surgeons report 1 sick 3 convalescent At Noon we are under low sail. Squadron in Sight. - Standing in for the coast. Tripoly supposed to bear (Var: Cor:) S E b S 3 30 Miles Latitude Observed 33' 17' N. [LC. EPP, Log Constitution, 1803-1804.1 To Lieutenant John Cassin, U. S. Navy, Navy Yard, Washington, D. C., from Charles W. Goldsborough for Secretary of the Navy NAVYDEPM~ 1 Augt 1804. Mr Buller Cocke has been appointed Storekeeper to the Yard at this place, under the Act supplementary to the Act entitled "An Act providing for a Naval Peace Establishment and for other purposes". You will be pleased to deliver to him by Inventory all the Articles of Stores now under your charge; exce ting the Timber, taking his re- ceipt therefor as your voucher in the 8ettlement of your Store Account with this Department. As it is an object of considerable importance that the Accounts should be arranged and methodized with all prac- ticable dispatch, you will be pleased to lose no time in carrying the object of these Instruction into effect. WARS WITH BARBARY POWERS 329 A System will presently be devised and communicated to you which it is hoped will ensure methodicd operations in all the Departments contemplated by the supplementary Act above alluded to. - [NDA. OSW, Vol. 6, 1802-1805.1 To Captain Samuel Barron, U. S. Navy, from James Simpson, U. S. Consul, Tangier, Morocco TANGIER1et August 1804. - DEARSIR My last of 21 st July advised the Emperour had directed one thousand Fanegins Wheat being laden on His Ship Mirboh destined for the poor of Tripoly, - after Arraez Lubarez had actualy begun to receive that wheat he represented to His Majesty the not& cation I had made to him of Tripoly continuing to be blockaded. - By order of the Emperour, (I am assurd) the Wheat has been relanded and the Ship proceeded to Salle to join the two others at their return from Magadore. - Alcayde Hashash has however written me, complaining of the opposition I had made to Lubarez going to Tripoly and requiring a Passport for the Ship for that special Voyage; adding that by that means Peace will continue to subsist between us. - I answered his Letter yesterday and told him that as Tripoly con- tinues to be blockaded no such Passport as he asks can be granted - we shall see what reply he will make. - Under these circumstances I persuade myself you will see it proper to leave a couple of Frigates in the Straits untill these matters be, satisfactorily cleared up. - At return of an Express I fortunately dispatched on Saturday last with a Letter for His Majesty and another for the Minister I shall be, able to speak with precision on the subject. - 36 AUG~Since writing the foregoing I have received another Letter from Alcayde Hashash copy of which I enclose for your perusal - he has changed his stile and now requests as a favour what he m a manner demanded before. - I have answcred him that neither myself or any other Consul is competent to grant Passports to insure Vessels entrance into blockaded Ports. - I have besides represented to him the imposibility there is for any of His hlajestys Ships to go to Tripoly now the Neapolitan Squadron is in those Seas - I have told him that I should lodge copy of his Letter for your perusal at Gibraltar, and that you would give your answer to His Majestys request. - I am highly sensible of the very great impro- priety there 1s in Muley Soliman making such a request, but as Com- modore Morris authorised me to grant a Passport for a Cargo of meat to be sent to Tripoly after my return to this Country in the year 1802, I have thought you may perhaps have latitude to yield to His Majestys solicitations, especialy as such a favour might con- duce to the better treatment of the unfortunate Americans now in Tripoly, and I an1 persuaded the Em erour would receive it as a mark of articular attention to him. - '!he Wheat I am assured is to be distributed to the poor gratis. - As the Emperours Ship certainly cannot go on the intended Voyage because of the Neapolitan Squadron I should presume he would now 330 NAVAL OPERATIONS, APRIL-SEF'TEMBER 6. 1804 ropose to send a neutral Merchant Vessel, - which would certainly ge preferrable with us too, for I should not recommend an Armed Ship being permitted to enter Tripoly. - This morning it is said Lubarez is still at Larach, the certainty I shall know in a day or two and advise you - I repeat what I mentioned in the former art of this Letter, that I trust you will leave two Frigates at Gibrai' ter untill this matter be settled, to which I am instigated by the recollection that it was on a refusal of a similar request I was sent from this Country in June 1802 [Mrs. James S. Barron Col. KDA photostat.] To Secretary of State from Richard O'Brien On board The UNITED STATESFRIGATE Cowtitutwn The 1 @ oj august 1804 - 14 miles North of tripoli ESTEEMEDSIR After aiding Co! Lear to make a good Settlemt on the annuities and cash payment to the regency of Algrq on the same day of The 26" of March I left that city of Algiers. to render every service in my power on our &airs with tunis and tripoli - The Purport of the audiences I. and M' Davis had with the Pascha of tunis and his minister on the latter End of April will give you. with other communications - from Mr Davis a detail from which you can judge what course. That The united States. should steer relative to Tunis - Permit me to Observe, That it is more the interest of Tunis to Keep The peace with The U States. Than it is for us to offer anything extra to induce her to a permanent and pacafic conduct towards us - if our conduct. should convince her (which it has) that we are afiraid of her, Then 8 fathoms will not Annually content or feed Their Avarice - Comodore Preble & Col Lear, has given you full details, on this Subject and allso, you can Judge by The Purport of my conferances, and audiences with The Pascha of tripoli and his Minister on the 13th of June what is his Views. They are very great - agreeable to The intreau ing reports. and letters of The french Consul at tripoli - which ihhey were complied with, would bring on us - more extravi- gant in proportion from tunis and Algiers - We sailed from Malta the 21?3 ul! and on the 25tQmade the land to The East of tripoli on the 275b we anchored with our whole fleet.