Volume 2, Issue 4 I A Newsletter for the Supporters of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum I "Now My Brave Bays, Are You Ready?!" A joint American force turns back the British at Craney Island by Joe Mosier n the first few months after Congress declared war on I England in June 1812, Norfolk and Portsmouth were largely untouched by the conflict. It was an unpopular war with most of the merchants in the twin seaport cities. They had suffered heavily d · g.lhe embargo of 1807-1809 and had found it difficult to recover their markets under the Nonimportation Acts which followed. After the Federal government lifted the embargo of 1807, Hampton Roads merchants found that exporting grain to the British Army was a quick way to The target-during the War of 1812, the main objective of the British forces in Hampton Roads recover lost profits. The English need for was to seize and destroy the 36-gunfrigate USS Constellation. The British blockaded Hampton American foodstuffs had led to a gradual Roads with several warships including two to three ships-of-the-line which prevented Constellation from leaving its base in the Elizabeth River. (Sail plan from National Archives) relaxation of its long-standing anti­ neutral shipping policies. The British of the Jeffersonian Republicans and the three 74-gun ships of the line and four even repealed their policy of seizing desire to wrest Canada away from frigates. Warren was to be reinforced in neutral merchant ships that Americans Britain. March by a ground force contingent en­ found so offensive shortly before the war In the first year of the war, United route from England via Bermuda. The began. As a result of the lucrative grain States forces made three attempts to troops under the command of Col. Sir trade, many in Hampton Roads were invade Canada. Although none had Thomas Sidney Beckwith were opposed to President James Madison's proven successful, the British composed of two battalions of Royal · war policy as they saw darker motives government decided "to effect a Marines, a detachment of the 102nd behind the war motto of"Free Trade and diversion on the coasts of the United Regiment, two companies of Chasseurs Sailors' Rights." They believed the real States of America, in favor ofUpper and Britanniques (see page 11) and a roots ofthe war were the pro-French bias Lower Canada" by shifting the focus of detachment of Royal Marine Artillery - Inside The Day Book the war to the Chesapeake Bay. In a total of about 2,200 men. The object December 1812, Adm. Sir John Borlase ofthe expedition was a series of pin-prick • Director's Column............... 2 Warren, Commander in Chief for the raids that would force the Americans to New Acquisitions ..................3 American and West Indies Station, was pull troops off the border to protect their Brave or Insane?, pt. 2 ....... 4 directed to focus his 25-ship force heartland. Law & Order....................... 8 blockading the American coast as near The first of Adm. Warren's ships to the Chesapeake as possible. arrived within the Capes in February Volunteer News&Notes ..... lO For action within the Bay in support 1813. Simultaneously, the frigate USS Museum Sage.................... ll of Warren, Rear Adm. George Cockburn Constellation commanded by Capt. took command of a squadron including Craney Island continued on page 6 Reaching Out to the Public The Director's Column by Becky Poulliot his spring, the staff and the museum. volunteers of the Hampton Another outreach effort, TRoads Naval Museum began a a Speakers' Bureau, was campaign to reach out to the mentioned in the last issue surrounding community. Our goals of The Daybook. Under the were two-fold: to increase community capable leadership of awareness at large and to cultivate Chairman David Dashiell potential group audiences. the program got under way From February through April, the with 15 volunteer HRNM put together a three-part roving members. Docent Gurley lecture series on Naval aviation by local Ritter agreed to start a author and historian, Amy Waters pilot program with the Yarsinske. The talks focused on Norfolk Kiwanis Clubs, Hampton Roads, and appropriately which to date have netted enough each program was held at 15 presentations with good military bases: two on Naval Base reviews. We are now This issue ojThe Daybook is dedicated to the memory ofHRNM Norfolk and one on Naval Air ambitious. A brochure docent retired Capt. Leon Chevallay, who passed away on Station Oceana. With the support of advertising the program is April 22. Leon loyally contributed more than 300 hours of volunteer service to the museum. His kind and gentle spirit Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. being designed, and the will not be forgo/len. (Photo provided by Leon Chevallay 's Atlantic_F ieet ~ere ahle..to_<lff! lmr.ea.u_ha ex pand.e. Jam'"'. w-----~ farewell tour ofUSS America (CV -66) efforts to other local civic in combination with the session on the groups. Virginia Symphony. The symphony history of the aircraft carrier. The As for future events, we will will perform a free concert at Naval Association of Naval Aviation co­ continue our guest speakers series with Base Norfolk with a military theme. If sponsored the last talk at the Oceana Dr. James Valle (see page 9) on May you have questions about this, call me Officer's Club before a packed crowd. 15 and the ship's company of CSS at 444-8971 ext. 117. More than 400 attended this series, by Virginia on June 14. On June 6, the This issue of The Daybook focuses far the most popular lectures ever for Navy is sponsoring an evening with the on the War of 1812. The British had all but shut down the port of Hampton About The Day Book HRNM Staff Roads with a naval blockade and Director elected to attack the cities of Norfolk The Day Book is an authorized publication of the Becky Poulliot and Portsmouth. A gallant band of Hampton Roads Naval Museum (HRNM). Its contents do Curator sailors, Marines, militiamen and not necessarily reflect the official view of the U.S. Joe Judge soldiers met Britain's best at Craney Government, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy or Education Specialist the U.S. Marine Corps and do not imply endorsement Bob Malleson Island during the summer of 1813 and thereof. The HRNM is a museum dedicated to the study of Exhibits Specialist fought a sharp action. 200 years of naval history in the Hampton Roads region. Marta Nelson I regret to end this column on a sad The museum is open daily from I 0 a.m. to 7 p.m. Museum Technician note. It is with deep sadness that I must The DayBook's purpose is to educate and inform readers Ofelia Elbo on historical topics and museum related events. It is written Assistant Curator inform you that one of our volunteer .. by the staff and volunteers of the museum. The newsletter Tom Dandes BTCS (SW) docents, Leon Chevallay, died on April takes its name from a 19th century Norfolk newspaper. HRNM LPO 22 ofcancer . Leon contributed more than Questions or comments can be directed to the Hampton EM 1 Francis Cannon 300 hours of volunteer service to the Roads Naval Museum editor. The Day Book can be reached Editor of The DayBook at 444-8971 , by fax at 445-1867, or write The Day Book, Gordon Calhoun museum. His kind and gentle soul will Hampton Roads Naval Museum, One Waterside Drive, Suite Volunteer Coordinator not be forgotten. On behalf of the 248, Norfolk, VA 23510-1607. The museum can be found Edward Lane museum's staff and volunteers, I would on the World Wide Web at http://xroads.virginia.edu/-VAMI Director, HRNHF like to dedicate this issue of The Daybook varnhome.html. The Day Book is published bi-monthly with Maj.Gen.Dennis Murphy, a circulation of I ,000. USMC (Ret) to his memory. 2 Museum Acquires Two Intriguing Artifacts by Joe Judge he museum has added two early American Navy, a important accessions to its certain uniformity of dress T collection. One is an early existed. nineteenth century enlisted man' s In the early 19th century jacket. The other is a half-model of the the Navy procured famous ironclad USS Monitor. sailor' s clothing by The enlisted man's jacket is a dark contract. Clothing tailors blue, double-breasted, short coat. The manufactured jackets and U.S. Navy authorized jackets of this other items according to style in 1841 when it issued the first samples on view in the - ·"'~-~- / . :.J.J uniform regulation that addressed the various navy yards. They clothing of enlisted personnel. In the were then offered for sale by case of the enlisted jacket, the 1841 the ship' s purser in "slop regulation, like many 19th century stores," the forerunners of uniform regulations, merely authorized modern ship's stores. The an article of clothing that was already short jacket was one of the popular below decks. Sailors had been basic articles of early naval wearing the short double-breasted coat clothing, along with full since the Navy first signed on crews to bottomed trousers, vest the first frigates in 1797. Despite the and a hat. absence of a written instruction in the Still, tremendous variation in the dress of seamen continued This is an excellent example of the seamen 's jacket which the has to exist, many museum recently acquired. The picture is an 1836 woodcut engraving of Boatswain's Mate George Brown. (Navy wearing the same Historical Center photo ofan 1836Naval Magazine engraving) clothing in which they enlisted.