Peacock had long been in the West assigned. Undaunred, he eagerl y sought With the knowledge that a "target of opIndies and training at the guns had been rhe chance to reprise his successes in Ho r- portunity" lay just offshore, well within his replaced by polishing brass and freshen- net, chis rime on an even grander scale. grasp, Lawre nce co uld nor resist the temping paint. Additionally, the disparity in In his zeal, Caprn in Law rence paid a tation to get underway with his ill-prepared fighting moral e between the British and visit to his former commodore, Wi ll iam and untried co mmand and capture or sink American navies was significant; Law- Bainbridge, and requested the "loan" of this interloper. H e gave a rousing speech to rence's quick victory seemed to emphasize more than a dozen men from Constitution . his reluctanr crew, ending with the exhortachis difference and he reveled in it. Upo n H e established rendezvous to enlist new re- tion "Let's Peacock 'em , boys!" his triumphant return to ew York, the crui rs and cajoled yard worke rs to hasten H e sent o ut a local fishing vessel to American public, still basking in rhe glori - necessary repairs o n his frigate. H e person- scour our the situation, confirm that Teneous victories of rhe three frigate dos had been sent elsewhere, COURTESY NAVAL lll STO RICAL CENTER USS Chesapeake and report back. When the com esrs of rhe preceding four momhs (Chesapeake v Guerriskipper of th e smack reported ere, United States v M acedo nia, that HMS Shannon lay just beyond the Roads, he ordered and Constitution v Java) were again thri ll ed to welcome a new his crew to make sail. Shorthero and crowned Lawrence h anded, untrained, and dispirwith the victor's laurels. In a ited , the crew carried our his order amid rhe co nfusio n and cruise of less than six months, he and his crew had captured chaos on deck created by their one ship, two brigs, a schooner, own inex peri ence, and Chesaand a man-of-war. peake headed to sea to meet 1he srory, told and rerold , her destiny. Crowds gathered elevated Lawrence to rhe status on hillsides, rooftops, and any James Lawrence was pleased to be assigned to USS Chesapeake, of demi-god; with his charm, vantage poim that might offer his first opportunity to command a ftigate. a view of the first frigate condashing good looks, and his fears, he promptly becam e America's ally handled the recalcitrant merchants, test within easy sight of the shore. A fes tive man of the hour, joining the ranks of trading on his lofty status as the former atmosphere imbued the Boston citizenry Bainbridge, Hull, and D ecatur. U nfor tu- commander of the victorious H ornet. Lirde as they thrilled to the prospect of witnessnately, the newly-promoted captai n be- cam e of his efforts. Perhaps, had he more ing another American victory. Small boars lieved his own press. time, he might have enjoyed some success, fo llowed the fri gate our, cheering and ofAssigned to rake command of the US but a mere fo rtnight was clearly insufficient fering encou rage ment to "Cap' n Jim" and frigate Chesapeake (3 6) in May of 1813, rime for such a massive project. his stal wa rts. Captain Broke, seeing the he traveled to Boston and brought with Two British frigates had been sailing American ship heading our, heaved to and him Ho rnet's Lieutenant Geo rge Budd off and on President Roads outside Boston waited for his foe. The shortage of experienced sailors exand midshipman William Cox. His ac- Harbor while all this was going on. Tenedos complishments at sea had fin ally won him and Shannon were assigned to wa tch Con- tended beyond the confines of the fo'c'sle; command of a frigate, and he sought to stitution and delay or prevent her return to Law rence had no seasoned officers aboard continue to impress his public and th e sea. When it becam e apparent that "Old either. In fac t, he had elevated Chesap eake's Ironsides" wo uld be undergoing repairs for senio r midshipman, Augustus Ludlow, to Navy D epartmem with his derrin g-do. Chesapeake was a mess when Lawrence some rime, Tenedos was released to cruise acting lieutenant to fill the biller of first stepped aboard: her crew was unpaid , un - elsewhere, and Shannon, under Captain lieutenant. Midshipman Cox and two Philip V Broke, m aintained the watch. trained , short-handed , and undisciplin ed. others were also promoted to acting lieuShannon and Broke had been sailing tenants. In th e scant two weeks that the H er main topmas t had go ne by the boards and th e m izze n head had been sprung the North Adantic Station for nearly two new captain had been aboard, there had while working into Bosto n in a sto rm th e yea rs; the wearherworn ship bore all the been no training at the guns or sails; landsmonth befo re. Supplies and equipment, signs of continuous sea du ty, bur her m en m en (first timers) had !irde idea of their furnished by a reluctant citize nry in Bos- and officers were among the best in th e duries, and, without adequate leadership, ron (they wa nted no part of "M r. Madi- Royal avy. Nored for her gunn ery, Shan- they never wo uld. While surely more exson's War") we re slow in coming aboard . non proudly lived up to her reputatio n as perienced, the transfers from Constitution A more dispirited crew could nor be imag- the "crack" ship in rhe fl eer. Broke had im- had nor been integrated into the frigate's ined, and they we re deserting in numbers. plemented several innovatio ns to his guns, crew. No netheless, on 1 June 181 3, ChesaIt was to this scene that Captain Jam es including iron sights and train markings p eake headed! to sea to challenge Britain's Lawrence, eager to carry out his o rders to on deck; in the Bri tish fl eet, none were crack fri gate on the N orth American "get the ship under weigh forthwith," was better at their craft. Station. Thme Alnerican ensigns fluttered
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SEA HISTORY 114, SPRING 2006