On April 15, 1814, Commodore Joshua Barney again wrote to Secretary of the Navy William Jones describing Captain Robert T. Spence’s resistance to transferring his men to the Chesapeake Flotilla. Barney was even more upset when the men finally arrived but were so drunk he had to “[put] the most of them in Irons” and send seventeen others to the hospital.
Detail of a grog cup with the incised letters “CW” which archaeologists believe may be the initials of USS Scorpion’s cook Caesar Wentworth. Courtesy of NHHC UAB, Department of the Navy
Writing for the U.S.S. Constitution Museum in Feeding a Frigate, Commander Tyrone G. Martin describes how the United States Navy inherited the tradition of a twice daily “spirit ration” from the British Navy. Since the 1740s, British sailors had enjoyed a serving of rum mixed with an equal share of water. By mixing alcohol and water, Rear Admiral Edward “Old Grog” Vernon (credited with inventing the unusual cocktail) hoped to discourage binge drinking since the water made the rum unpalatable in a short time so sailors could not save up rations for later.
Around 1801, Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith experimented with substituting American sour mash bourbon for the traditional West Indies rum. Around the War of 1812, a Navy sailor would typically receive half their ration at noon and the remainder in the late afternoon after a meal. Sailors who passed on their ration for the day were credited with four cents on their account. Evidently, the sailors recruited by Captain Spence in Fell’s Point the exercised no such restraint.
14th Cloudy morning but turn’d out to be a fine day – Went to Town, return’d to Dinner – Mr. Geo. Brown rode out to beg an Orange for a Sick Lady, which he obtain’d. Haul’d four loads of Rails from Fortune –
From the journal of Captain Henry Thompson, April 14, 1814. Courtesy the Friends of Clifton.
American Commercial and Daily Advertiser, April 14, 1814. Maryland State Archives SC3392
13th – Fine day – Wind East – Went to the Meadows and Town, return’d to Dinner. Fredk. haul’d 4 wagon loads of Rails from Fortune. Mr. & Mrs. Wirgman/Peter/Maria Peters & Mary Sterett drank Tea with us.
From the journal of Captain Henry Thompson, April 13, 1814. Courtesy the Friends of Clifton.
12th – Cold day – Wind N.E. Went to Town, return’d to Dinner. Hooper commend’d Fence to protect the Ever-greens on Eastern [end?] of the House. Paid Wm. Foose $6 on acct. of Post & Rail Fence putting up at the Meadows
From the journal of Captain Henry Thompson, April 12, 1814. Courtesy the Friends of Clifton.
11th – Return’d Home at one O’Clock from Hagerstown, with my four Sons all in good Health, after a Pleasant & satisfactory Journey & found all well at home
From the journal of Captain Henry Thompson, April 11, 1814. Courtesy the Friends of Clifton.
On April 11, 1814, Samuel Blodget, a man who symbolized the growth and ambition of celebrated in early America, died penniless at a Baltimore hospital. Born in New Hampshire in 1757, Blodget served as a Captain in the state militia during the American Revolution then became a successful merchant in Boston. He moved to Philadelphia in 1789 where he founded the Insurance Company of North America and pursued a amateur passion for architecture with a design for the First Bank of the United States (1795). Both the insurance business and the bank building have survived up through the present.
Blodget soon moved again to the new capital in Washington, DC where he successfully lobbied to win the position of superintendent of buildings and founded the city’s first bank. His once secure career began to fall apart when his mounting debts landed him in a debtor’s prison in 1802. His circumstances may have helped inspire his 1806 publication of Economica: A Statistical Manual for the United Statesnow considered the first American book on economics. The book did little to reverse his fortunes, however, and Blodget died in poverty at the age of 57.
On April 10, 1814, Captain Baker, commander of the Sloop Swallow from Baltimore wrote to his wife to share his frightening encounter with a British barge on St. Jerome’s Creek in St. Mary’s County on April 6. The Niles’ Weekly Register shared news of the fight on April 23 writing:
Capt. Baker, of the sloop Swallow of Baltimore, being chased into St Jerome’s creek by a British barge with 16 men with small arms and a 4 pounder in her bow left his vessel and being joined on the shore by two of the inhabitants having own muskets in all commenced a fire upon the enemy and though he had got possession of the sloop compelled him to abandon her with the loss of two killed one of them supposed to be an officer.
The Register published their account of the fight just below an update on the promotion of Admiral Cockburn, calling the British officer a “ruffian” who was “anxious to deserve this distinction by some act of great atrocity and meanness,” and reflecting the tension felt in Baltimore and around the Chesapeake Bay from the tightening British blockade.
“We have arrived at this place after passage of 20 hours from Baltimore. On the 6th instant, at daylight, we were off this place, but the wind being off shore, could not fetch in. At the same time, observed a schooner steering up the bay; also a remarkably long barge with three lug sails coming out of the Potomac. We concluded they were from Washington, bound to Baltimore. There were two or three other vessels in sight down the bay. We hove about and stood in for the creek; the schooner then tacked, stood for the barge, and soon after hauled down her head sails, apparently with a view to anchor, distant about 3 miles. We ran our vessels into the mouth of the creek, and although she grounded in consequence of the tide being so very low at the time, thought ourselves pretty secure should the vessels then in sight prove to be enemies, as we soon were convinced they were. In 30 minutes after we grounded, a boat was discovered coming from the schooner in pursuit of us, distant about one and a half miles. We immediately landed the most valuable articles. We found on further examination of the boat, that she rowed ten oars, carried a four pounder in her bows, and manned with 16 men. There being but three us on board, with two muskets only, I thought it most prudent to leave the vessel: and I do assure you it was with great reluctance we abandoned the Swallow to a set of infernal robbers.
We landed, and two gentlemen, whome I shall ever respect as brave men, by the names of Langley and Hopkins joined us in the combat. On their nearer approach, we hailed, and asked them where they were bound?- They replied by pointing to the sloop. We immediately commenced a brisk fire upon them, which was so well kept up and directed that notwithstanding they succeeded in getting alongside, four only of them dared to ascend the deck. [Capt. B. killed one of them.] One of the gentlemen who joined us, killed another in the stern if their boat, which, I suppose, was an officer. They hoisted the sloop’s sails, and swung her bow out. This exposed to our fire those who had been skulking under her lee in the barge; and in a few minutes we compelled them to leave their prize, after rowing three miles with the loss of two men! We immediately boarded her again, and got her safe into the creek. We received no injury on our side; there being so few of us it required good marksman to do execution.
‘The same boats, I am informed, captured a sch’r from Alexandria, said the be capt Holmes’s. They are making great destruction among the bay craft. A few of our barges would be great service in this creek.”
