| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Trumbull |
| Laid down | 1799 |
| Launched | 1800 |
| Commissioned | March, 1800 |
| Fate | Sold, 1801 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sloop-of-war |
| Tonnage | 400 |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Complement | 220 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 18 × 12-pounder guns |
| Service record | |
| Commanders: | Capt. David Jewett |
USS Trumbull, the third United States Navy ship to bear the name, was an 18-gun sloop-of-war that took part of the so-called Quasi-War between the United States and France, between 1800 and 1801.
US Congress authorized the construction of naval ships and expansion of the US Navy in response to large losses of merchant ships to French privateers throughout the Atlantic coasts. On 30 March 1799, Benjamin Stoddert ordered Howland & Allyn Naval Agency from New London, Connecticut, the construction of a 360-ton ship with no more than 18 guns, but big enough to carry supplies for 6 months of sailing and a crew of 120 men. [1] The Trumbull was launched in Norwich, on the morning of 26 November of that same year.
Following fitting out, it departed New London in March 1800 under the command of Master Commandant David Jewett. Its first mission was to escort the provisions ship Charlotte from New York to the West Indies, replenishing the American Squadron operating against the French.
Trumbull joined the American Squadron commanded by Silas Talbot [2] in the USS Constitution. Trumbull's main duties in the area were protection of American shipping and the interception of French privateers and merchantmen.
In early May 1800, she captured the armed French schooner Peggie. This may have been the schooner of six guns, that had been sailing from Port Republican to Bordeaux with 70,000wt. of coffee. [3] By the end of the War she still hadn't been tried in Court, so she was returned to her owners. [4]
In August 1800 Trumbull, Augusta, andHerald were cruising near Aux Cayes. [5]
On 3 August, while off Jeremie in Saint-Domingue (future Haiti), Captain David Jewett and Trumbull captured the French privateer schooner Vengeance. Vengeance was pierced for 10 guns but armed with eight 4-pounder guns and two in her hold. [6] [Note 1] The schooner was fleeing Jeremie, Saint-Domingue at the fall of the port to forces of Gen. Toussaint with 130 people aboard, crew and refugees together. The refugees were mostly gens de couleur libres (also known as mulattos), 60-70 of those were Officers, including D'Artignave, Comandant of Jeremie, an Adjutant General, and Riguad's staff escaping the forces of Toussaint Louverture who had defeated André Rigaud's army in the War of Knives. Also captured at the same time was an open boat carrying the Commandant of Petit Trou and other Officers. [9] Talbot ordered Jewett home with Trumbull and Vengeance as a prize. Both ships were ordered to Norfolk, Va. but sailed on to New London, Connecticut, arriving by 20 September. [10] [11] For a little less than a year, those aboard the Vengeance were stationed in Norwich, Connecticut as prisoners of war, and among them was Jean-Pierre Boyer, future president of Haiti. [12] Vengeance was later condemned as a national vessel and was returned to France under the treaty soon afterwards concluded with that country. [13]
Trumbull then returned to patrol off Santo Domingo, before later transporting Navy Agent Thomas T. Gantt to St. Kitts to relieve Thomas Clarkson. Following the end of hostilities with France as a result of the Treaty of Mortefontaine, Trumbull returned to the United States about 20 March 1801, [14] where her crew was paid off. In a letter dated 20 February, 1801 to Josiah Parker, Chaiman of the Commitee on Naval Affairs, Navy Secretary Stoddert recommended selling her. [15]
Disposal:Trumbull was sold at auction in New York in May or June 1801 for $26,500 to Messrs. Robinson and Harthorne, local merchants. [16]
The USS Enterprise was a schooner, built by Henry Spencer at Baltimore, Maryland, in 1799. Her first commander thought that she was too lightly built and that her quarters, in particular, should be bulletproofed. Enterprise was overhauled and rebuilt several times, effectively changing from a twelve-gun schooner to a fourteen-gun topsail schooner and eventually to a brig. Enterprise saw action in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean again, capturing numerous prizes. She wrecked in July 1823.
USS Baltimore was a ship of the United States Navy.
The third USS Boston was a 32-gun wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate of the United States Navy. Boston was built by public subscription in Boston under the Act of 30 June 1798. Boston was active during the Quasi-War with France and the First Barbary War. On 12 October 1800, Bostonengaged and captured the French corvette Berceau. Boston was laid up in 1802, and considered not worth repairing at the outbreak of the War of 1812. She was burned at the Washington Naval Yard on 24 August 1814 to prevent her capture by British forces.
USS Philadelphia, a 1240-ton, 36-gun frigate, was the second vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Philadelphia. Originally named City of Philadelphia, she was built in 1798–1799 for the United States government by residents of that city. Funding for her construction was raised by a drive that collected $100,000 in one week, in June 1798. She was designed by Josiah Fox and built by Samuel Humphreys, Nathaniel Hutton and John Delavue. Her carved work was done by William Rush of Philadelphia. She was laid down about November 14, 1798, launched on November 28, 1799, and commissioned on April 5, 1800, with Captain Stephen Decatur, Sr. in command. She was captured by Barbary pirates in Tripoli with William Bainbridge in command. Stephen Decatur led a raid that burned her down, preventing her use by the pirates.
USS Constellation was a nominally rated 38-gun wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate of the United States Navy.
The first USS Essex of the United States Navy was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812. The British captured her in 1814 and she then served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June 1837.
The first USS Eagle, a schooner, was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1798, and commissioned in the Revenue Cutter Service under the command of Captain H. G. Campbell, USRCS.
USS Maryland was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy. She served during the Quasi-War with France.
USS Ganges was a man-of-war in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France.
USS Experiment was a schooner in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France.
The first USS George Washington was a frigate in the United States Navy. She was named after United States Founding Father and President George Washington.
The second USS Delaware was a ship which served in the United States Navy during Quasi-War with France.
USS Merrimack, was a ship launched by an Association of Newburyport Shipwrights and presented to the Navy in 1798. She was the first ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River. She saw action in the Quasi-War.
David Jewett was an American-born Brazilian naval officer known for his role in the sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata over the Falkland Islands. He was a naval commander in the Quasi-War with France and following the end of that conflict he offered his services as a mercenary in both the United Provinces and the Empire of Brazil. Licensed as a privateer by the United Provinces to seize Spanish ships, he was later accused of piracy following the seizure of American and Portuguese flagged vessels. Jewett finished his career in the Imperial Brazilian Navy, serving under Lord Cochrane and died in Rio de Janeiro in 1842.
USS Augusta was a brig purchased by the US Navy on 30 June 1799 at Norfolk, Virginia. She mistakenly went to Trenton, New Jersey arriving on 13 September, she was then ordered to Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania for inspection by naval constructor Joshua Humphreys to see if the transport would be suitable for use as a warship. Capt. Bird was replaced by Lieutenant Archibald McElroy on the 13th. Humphreys approved and fitting out began in September. She was placed in commission for service in the Quasi-War with France sometime late in 1799.
USS Richmond was a brig purchased for the US Navy in 1798 by the citizens of Richmond, Petersburg, Manchester and Norfolk, Virginia, while being built at Norfolk as Augusta for a Mr. Myers. Renamed Richmond, she was fitted out in the fall of that year and in December stood out from Hampton Roads for the Caribbean with Captain Samuel Barron in command for service in the Quasi-War with France.
USS Herald was a full-rigged ship of about 270 tons burthen built in 1797 at Newburyport, Massachusetts. The US Navy purchased her on 15 June 1798, and sold her in 1801. She became the French 20-gun privateer corvette Africaine. In 1804 a British privateer seized her on 4 May 1804 off the coast, near Charleston, South Carolina. The seizure gave rise to a case in the U.S. courts that defined the limits of U.S. territorial waters. The U.S. courts ruled that the privateer had seized Africaine outside U.S. jurisdiction. Africaine then became a Liverpool-based slave ship that made two voyages carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 she became a West Indiaman that two French privateers captured in late 1807 or early 1808.
The first USS Patapsco was a sloop in the United States Navy.
HMS Vengeance was originally the 48-gun French Navy frigate Vengeance and lead ship of her class. She engaged USS Constellation during the Quasi-War, in an inconclusive engagement that left both ships heavily damaged. During the French Revolutionary Wars, HMS Seine hunted Vengeance down and captured her after a sharp action. She was recommissioned in the Royal Navy as the 38-gun fifth rate HMS Vengeance, but the British apparently never returned her to seagoing service. Accounts are divided as to her eventual fate. She may have been broken up in 1803 after grounding in 1801, or continued as a prison ship until 1814.
The Connecticut was a sailing frigate built by Seth Overton at Chatham, Conn. and launched 6 June 1799 at Middletown, Conn. During outfitting, probably on or just before 7 July she foundered. She was refloated. She sailed 15 Oct. 1799 under the command of Captain Moses Tryon for the Guadaloupe Station, arriving off Puerto Rico on 28 October. She cruised in the West Indies for a year during the Quasi-War with France, protecting American commerce from French privateers. Connecticut's successful career was highlighted by the capture of four privateers and the recapture of seven American merchantmen. On 7 November, 1799 she recaptured a schooner captured 15 days earlier. On 6 December she recaptured brig "Penelope" captured by French privateer "Fleur de Mair" on 3 December. On 29 December she captured off Point Petre French privateer brig "Conqueror of Italy", the most successful privateer operating out of Guadeloupe having captured 200 American merchant ships. "Conquest of Italy" was put in service as a tender for USS Constellation. On 14 January, 1800 She fired upon a privateer but it found shelter by a fort on Demerara, later that day she chased a ship ashore at Deseada which bilged and sank. On 28 April, with USS Richmond, she recaptured Thomas Chalkley. 1 June she captured privateer schooner "Le Piege" off Descada, and on 3 July recaptured brig "Martha and Mary" on the north side of St. Kitts. On 5 June captured privateer schooner "La Unite". On 17 June recaptured a schooner off Guadalupe. On 15 July, with USS Philadelphia, captured French Letter of Marque ketch "Le Chouchou". Arrived at New London, Conn., 18 Oct. 1800. Capt. Richard Derby was ordered to replace Capt. Tryon on 1 November. In a letter dated 20 February to Josiah Parker, Chaiman of the Commitee on Naval Affairs, Navy Secretary Stoddert recommended selling her. Connecticut was sold at New York in 1801 for $19,300.
Frances Manwaring Caulkins.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.