Wars with the Barbary Powers, Volume VI Part 3
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Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume VI Part 3 of 4 Naval Operations including diplomatic background from May 1805 through 1807 United States Government Printing Office Washington, 1944 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. WARS WITH BARBARY POWERS To Secretary of the Navy from Cap- John Rodgers, U. S. Navy U S SHIPConstitution Syracuse 1 ** Janr 1806 SIB In answer to Duplicate of your letter of the 25'P of June 1805 by the Store Brig Washington permit me to say, that the Marine cloathing, in lieu of that ship'd in the Huntress, has been procured by Cap. Gale, of Marines, agreeabk to your Orders, - But that Gun Boat NP7 has not yet arrived in the Mediter- ranean - at least I have not yet heard of her - therefore !presume that subse- quent to the 25 Q of June you had given orders for her not to proceed - [NDA. Captain's LB, Vol. 1, 1806.1 To Secretary of the Navy from Ceptain John Rodgers, U. S. Bevy U. S. SHIP Comtituiion Syracuse 10,Jan? 1806 SIR The contents of your letter of the 25tb of July, directing that five PI Cent be allow'd, on the am$ of all purchases made by the Navy Agent a[t] Syracuse for the Use of the Squadron, I have made him acquainted of [LC. JRP, L Bk 3,May, 1805-July 1806.1 To Lieutenant David Porter, U. S. Navy, commanding 17. 6. Schooner Entapdu, from Captain C. Y. Schomberg, B. N. HIS MAJESTYSSHIP MCldf~d Mdta 1st January 1806 SIR, The Seaman you claim as a Deserter from the United States Schooner under your command having been entered onboard His Majestys Ship Madras under my command from the Ant Merchant Vessel where he appears to have shipped himself at Venice, as a British subject & Seaman, I can by no means take upon myself to restore him to you as a Deserter from the American Service, nor can I consider it necessary to enquire in what situation the man might have been prior to his being found on board the Ant, you are I trust Sir aware of the difference that exists between a British Seaman deserting from your service, and one deserting directly from it, into ours in that case he would have been be- diatly restored, altho' perhaps afterwards he would have been claimed as a British subject - [NDA. MC LB, 1806-1807.1 To Captain C. H.Schomberg, B. B.,commanding H. B. X. S. Ibladrua. from Lieutenant David Porter, U. S. Navy To which I returned the following reply U. S. SCH?Enterpri~e Malta 9d Jan? 1806 SIR, Retaliation seems justified by the lams of Nature and of Nations, therefore an act admited on principles of equity should excite no surprize. [NDA. MC LB, 1806-1807.1 To Secretary of the Navy from Captain John Bodgers, U. S. Bavy U, S, SHIP Constitution Syracuse 9 Janr 1806 - S~rc;As nothing material, relative to our affairs, had occurred between the time of my communications bv the Fri ate Congress, and my last letter from Leghorn of the 1-1 of the preceding ~ont%,farther than what you were informed of - I feel it unnecessary to add more, than merely to make you acquainted with subsequent Transactions I sail'd from Leghorn on the 94 November and arrived in Algiers Bay on the 17tP but a Gale coming on suddenly after my entering the Bay, I was obliged to put to Sea and was not able to Anchor until the 19Q at which time Coll Lear landed and was received by the New Dey in the most respectful and friendly manner: As Coll~Lear was absent at the time of the death (assassination) of the preceding Dey, his first object, of course, was to know the determination of 332 NAVAL OPERATIONS FROM 1806 TO 1807 W successor, concerning the Treaty; and on this subject he met with no a- cuity, m the Dey without hesitation acknowledged and confirm'd it, I understood from Coll~Lear, with so much apparent good humour, and in so friendly a man- ner that I am induced to believe, he feels it his interest, rather to secure to himself by friendly conduct, the benefits which he, at present, derives from the Treaty; than by a different behaviour, not only lose this important acquisition, but hazard to exposure the real weakness of the boasted strength of his Regency - The present Dey was private Secretary to the preceding one, and 'tis said ie a Man of much superior understanding, Algiers is very well defended by its fortifications except in the very place that requires it most, and this particular point, has, oweing to some circumstances, been so far neglected, as to render all their Batteries of little consequence, was they at war with an Active Entrepid Enemy possessing only a small Force wd chosen - The parts of Algiers bordering on Morocco & Tunis, altho they had Revolted, did not attach themselves to Tunis and Morocco as was stated, and as I wrote you from Leghorn; neither has the internal strength of the City itself been dected by their domestic contentions, more than is common in the destruction of one Dey, and another usurping his place. - The day after landing Coll~Lear, finding that our affairs wore as favorable an ihpect, at least, as they had ever done; and indeed even m well, as our Treaty in its nature, would admit; I took my departure and on the 28th ult~join'd the Squadron again at this place - On my passage from Algiers, I intended calling at Tunis, but by the time I reached it's Longt was prevented by a Gale, blowing directly into the Bay; however I since find, that my not calling was of little or no consequence: as the Argus (Cap. Hull) who I had, previous to my Departure from Syracuse, order'd thence to communicate with our Charge des Affairs during my absence, who had only left the Bay about two weeks previous to my passing it, being inform'd by Mr Dodge, that he had not experience'd any difference between then, and the time of the Squadron's leaving there, that the Bey appear'd friend1 toward the U. States, and that He as their charge des aEairs was treated wit1 proper respect. - Tripoli I hear from often, and the Bashaw professes that kind of warm friend- ship, which dear bought experience has taught him to be his interest. - The Vengeance Bomb, commanded by Lt Lewis arrived at Malta on the 25'P of August, but the Spitfire Lt MoNeill, altho ahe is the fastest Sailor of the two, not until the 12th of September and this, I am sorry to say, I have strong grounds for supposing was in a Great measure occasion'd by the Intemperance of her Commander, who by his own request, I have given permission to return to the U. States Mr McNeill, it appears was, on his passage from the U. States, at times Intoxicated for several days together, it also has been reported to me, that he lost some time in getting to the Squadron, by keeping company with a Merchant I7essel he met with, and having her master on board to dine with him - This latter circumstance alone, considering the Orders he was under, at the time, is proof possitive, that he is not (to give it no harsher name) calculated for the Service. - To Lieu$ Theodore Hunt, late of the Frigate Philadelphia, I have given com- mand of the Spit re, and to Lieu$ Benjamin Smith late of the same Ship, the command of the Fengeance. - Lt Lewis, whose conduct during his command of the Vengeance was such as to merit my entire approbation, I have placed on board of the Brig Argus, as one of her Lieu*; on no other account than the Juniotity of his Rank. - Indeed I shou'd consider myself wanting in Justice was I not to recommend him to your Notice, as a very promising Officer. Since my arrival here the Constitution has been put in the most complete order, from her keelson to her Trucks, - all her ballast washed and stow'd over again, and all her water casks, repair'd, The ground Tier of which were in a miserable state indeed; the Average of new Staves put in them were 11 to a cask - Having the entire use of the Arsenal here, the expence of her Repairs am very inconsider- able, in pro ortion to their magnitude; as they were executed principally by her own crew; Bowever altho' she is in most respects complete, she nevertheless will soon require new lower masts and Standing Rigging - The Vesmls of the Squadron in General, are in the handsomest order and fit for any service. The Gun Boats, most certainly, are superior to any thing of the kind that has ever yet been built; But the Bombs Vengeance and Spitfire are very indifferent, not oweing to the Veesels themaebea, but the constructions on which their Mortere are fixed. - Gun boat NQ 3, which I understand was built by Hutton, in Philadelphia, I think preferable to the rest, for altho she is much the smallest, ehe is capsble of WARS WITH BARBARY POWERS 333 carrying 32 pounders and of performing the same service of the larger boats; she draws less water and sails equally well, No 8, built in Boston is a fine Boat and saile Very fest; her and NQ6 built at New York; I think posseeaes more good prop erties than the rest, NQ41 excepted, NQ 2 is vastly inferior to all.