The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History Volume III 1814–1815 Chesapeake Bay, Northern Lakes, and Pacific Ocean Part 3 of 7 Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy Washington, 2002 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. 198 CHESAPEAKE BAY THEATER JANUARY 1814-MAY 1815 199 (in consequence of the Information he has received & what he has Observed of SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JONES TO COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS the Enemy), to push on towards Washington, which I have confident Hopes he will give a good account of. I shall accompany him & of course afford him every Navy Department Augt. 19. 1814 Assistance in my Power! Sir I yesterday took One of the Gun Boats unhurt, which .rill Hittite is a good Ves­ The enemy has entered the Patuxent with a very large force indicating a design sel for these Waters- I likewise took several light Schooners which are load­ upon this place which may be real, or it may serve to mask his design upon Baltimore ing Tobacco at Pig Point, We therefore shall not return empty handed In either case it is exceedingly desirable to collect in our vicinity aU the dis­ posable force within reach as soon as possible. Every Body in the Naval Department has behaved admirably & we are all in You will therefore with the least possible delay proceed to Baltimore with high Spirits No Sickness amongst us & but little as yet in the Army Believe me about three hundred men (including officers) of the force under your com­ My dear Sir Most truly Your's mand and also order on the detachment of marines from Cecil furnace to meet G: Cockburn you at Baltimore where the further orders of the Department will await you I am respectfully Your Obdt. Servt. If you could Spare the Hornet to come as high as Nottingham with Spirits & WJones Bread it would assist us, as we are all getting Short of Provisions, she may re­ turn to you immediately after delivering it Commodore John Rodgers US. Ship Guerriere Philada. ALS, UkENL, Alexander F. I. Cochrane Papers, MS 2329, fols. 3-4A. ALS, DLC, Rodgers Family Papers, Series III-B, Container 51, fols. 5532-33. 1. Cockburn did not allude to Cochrane's short dispatch of 22 August (p. 197) recommending a Rodgers was at Philadelphia superintending the construction of Guerriere. recall of the forces, perhaps because the commander in chief did not phrase it as a direct order and because the rear admiral wanted to proceed against Washington. In his memoirs, Cockburn called the Cochrane note a "halter" that he disregarded. UkLNMM, Papers of Admiral George Cockburn, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JONES TO CApTAIN DAVID PORTER COC/ll, p. 134. Capt: David Porter Navy Department I U.S. Navy New-York August 19th. 1814 ,I Sir, Naval Preparations for the Defense The Enemy has entered the Patuxent with a very strong force indicating a rapid of Washington movement upon this city.- The court of Enquiryl will therefore be suspended and you will proceed without delay to this place, with as many of your late officers & Crew as you can collect and any others you may be enabled to engage, as well for the de­ Washington was ill prepared for the invasion force that sailed up the Patuxent River fence of the U.S. new Ship Essex, 2 destined for your command as for that of the national on 19 August 1814. Seeing no strategic advantage the British could gain by attacking Capital, and its important establishments.- I am respectfully &c the capital, Secretary of War Armstrong denied any need to defend it. Brigadier Gen­ W:Jones. eral Winder, the newly appointed commander of the justjormed Tenth Military Dis­ trict, energetically undertook Washington's defense, but after six weeks had accom­ LB, DNA, RG45, SNL, Vol. 11, p. 410 (MI49, Roll No. 11). plished little due to his own lack of organizational skills and Armstrong's inertia. Secretary of the Navy Jones, as with most of Madison's cabinet, but not the president 1. For more on the court of inquiry into the loss of Essex, see p. 760. himself, did not consider Washington threatened. lVhen faced with imminent peril, 2. Jones was referring to the frigate Columbia that was building at the Washington Navy Yard. however, Jones acted quickly and decisively. He immediately enlisted the assistance of three of his illustrious naval captains, John Rodgers, David Porter, and Oliver H. SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JONES TO MAsTER COMMANDANT JOHN O. CREIGHTON Perry, and promised them glory in defending the capital. At the Washington Navy Yard, the secretary engaged Master Commandant John O. Creighton to reconnoiter the Capt:John O. Creighton Navy Department British squadro1l prQgressing up the Potomac. Meanwhile, the commandant of the U.S. Navy, Present August 22d: 1814 yard, Thomas Tingey, responding to an oral order from Jones, employed the yard's clerk, Mordecai Booth, to secure wagons for transporting supplies to troops in the area. Sir, Booth's eyewitness account portrays the confused, panic-stricken state of the city in the The reports from the vicinity of Cedar point yesterday, state that six ships of days before the invasion. the enemy either had passed, or were at that time passing the Kettle Bottoms 200 CHESAPEAKE BAY THEATER J~ARYI814-MAYI815 201 and ascending the Potomac.-I What the nature of his force is, or whether ac­ Owing to some shameful irreglflarity in the Post Office, your Letter, altho' it companied with transports or troops is quite uncertain.- is dated the 19th. Inst., was not delivered until ten OClock yesterday morn­ It is desirable to ascertain by the discriminating eye of a naval officer the real in g.-With great respect I have the honor to be Sir Yr Obt Servt. extent & nature of this force as well as its probable object; whether it be to as­ cend the river, to act in conjunction with the invading army, or to create a di­ Signed-Jno Rodgers version of our force from that army.- You will therefore apply to Como: Tingey, who will furnish you with a fast gig & crew with which you will proceed Copy, DNA, RG45, CL, 1814, Vol. 5, No. 131Y:! (MI25, Roll No. 38). down the river & carefully reconnoitre the enemy, watching his movements & 1. The Delaware flotilla. penetrating if possible his designs, which you will report to me by a trusty ex­ press over land, or in any other safe & expeditious manner,- when you have completed your observations & satisfied yourself as far as may be practicable you will return to this city & report the result to this Department.-2 I am re­ SECRETARY OF THE NAW JONES TO COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS spectfully &c. 1 W:Jones Camp. Old Fields. 9 Miles East of Washington City. LB, DNA, RG45, SNL, Vol. 11, p. 448 (MI49, Roll No. 11). This letter was Augt. 23d. 1814. 12 past 8. AM Sir not entered in the letter book in its correct chronological sequence be­ Presuming that if circumstances have been favorable to your progress you will cause there was no time to record it before it was sent. Mter returning on 9 reach Baltimore this evening in pursuance of my order of the 20th._2 I have March 1814 from a six-week cruise in the Caribbean with the brigs Rat­ now to direct that with the utmost possible celerity you will move on with the tlesnake and Enterprise, Master Commandant John O. Creighton was em­ seamen and marines under your command to Bladensburg and endeavour to ployed refitting those two ships at Wilmington, North Carolina, until he have as early a communication with General Winder who commands in this dis­ was transferred in early May to the Washington Navy Yard to superintend trict and afford to him all the cooperation in your power advising the Depart­ the construction of the new sloop of war Argus. Creighton would be Com­ ment of your movements in order that the most efficient means may be em­ mandant Thomas Tingey's principal lieutenant at the navy yard during the ployed to aid in the common effort to preserve the national capital and its summer of 1814. invaluable establishments from the ruthless hands of our vengeful foe. The President calculates with confidence and pleasure on the influence of your zeal 1. As a diversion to deflect American attention from the main invasion body in the Patuxent, and patriotism in giving the best effect to the exertions of your brave seamen Cochrane ordered Captain James A. Gordon to lead a squadron of vessels up the Potomac who on all occasions and on either element are ready to prove their devotion to River and attack Fort Washington on the Maryland shore. Besides his own frigate, Seahorse, Gor­ the sacred cause of their country. don commanded the frigate Euryalus, the bomb vessels Devastation, Aetna, and Meteor, and the You will arm them with muskets, and on your arrival in this vicinity as many rocket ship Erebus. For more on this expedition, see Gordon to Cochrane, 9 Sept. 1814, pp. field pieces as you can conveniently fight will be added. Mr. Beatty will comply 238-42. with your requisitions for Baggage and provision waggons with cooking utensils 2. No report was found. It may have been made orally. and whatever else may be necessary for the service The effort will be but for a few days and I anticipate with pleasure the full share of glory our gallant naval officers and seamen will acquire on this occa­ COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS TO SECRETARY OF THE NAWjONES sion.