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On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of
war against Great Britain and the War of 1812 officially commenced.
At that time, the United States faced the Royal Navy's 600 ships
with a force of 17 commissioned U.S. Navy vessels, a fleet of small
gunboats, and 14 revenue cutters.
On the day Madison signed
the declaration of war, Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin sent a
one-sentence circular to the customs collectors, who controlled the
revenue cutters, writing, “Sir, I hasten to inform you that War was
this day declared against Great Britain”. Gallatin then ordered
cutters stationed along the East Coast to dispatch the news to any
underway Navy vessels.
As they would in future American
conflicts, the revenue cutters went in harm's way and participated
in some of the first encounters of the war.
On Thursday, June
25, 1812, Norfolk, Virginia-based cutter Thomas Jefferson captured
the British schooner Patriot bound from Guadeloupe to Halifax with a
cargo of sugar. Termed “Prize No. 1” by the press, this was the
first maritime capture in the War of 1812.
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"Revenue Cutter Thomas Jefferson Captures Three Royal Navy Barges and Personnel in Hampton Roads, 11 April 1813."
(Image of artist Patrick O'Brien's painting courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)
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The Jefferson's captain, William Ham, had worked his way
through the ranks starting as a mate on cutters in 1791,
before receiving his master's commission in 1804. His first
mare commission was the first commission signed by President
George Washington and his master's commission the second
signed by President Thomas Jefferson. Ham commanded the
cutter throughout the war and for several years thereafter.
While the Jefferson detained many vessels entering the
Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads, the local newspapers noted
only a few cases. For example, on September 2, 1812, the
Jefferson seized the brigs Ariadne and Rockland for carrying
illegal cargoes and escorted them into Norfolk.
During the War of 1812, revenue cutters
undertook new missions and established their reputation as
effective shallow water, or “brown water,” naval vessels.
The U.S. Navy sailing warships were too large to enter many
inland waterways of the American coastline, however, revenue
cutters were designed to catch smugglers in these waters and
proved effective in shallow water combat operations.
After the British tightened their blockade of the Chesapeake
Bay in early 1813, the Royal Navy began patrolling parts of
the southern Chesapeake in search of unlucky American
merchantmen. These British patrols often relied on shallow
draft armed barges that relied on sail and oar power.
One of these armed patrols met their match on the James
River in April 1813. On April 11, the Jefferson and a pilot
boat with a contingent of local militiamen overhauled three
Royal Navy barges. The barges attempted to escape up the
river, but the Thomas Jefferson ran them down. Just as Ham
was about to fire a broadside into them, the British
commander ordered the white flag raised and surrendered. Ham
ordered the nearly 60 British officers and men ashore under
an armed guard of 40 riflemen. The Americans also
repatriated the crew of the merchantman Flight, captured
earlier by the enemy barges.
Ham and his cutter
continued to fulfill wartime missions throughout the
remainder of the conflict.
Shortly after capturing of
the British barges, a Royal Navy squadron with troop
transports entered Hampton Roads with the intention of
capturing Norfolk and the frigate USS Constellation moored
there. No records have survived indicating the role played
by the Jefferson in the June 22 Battle of Craney Island,
however, Jefferson's cuttermen and cannon undoubtedly
defended the port of Norfolk just as Constellation's crew
and guns served in that battle.
On Christmas Eve,
1814, representatives of the United States and Great Britain
signed the Treaty of Ghent, in Belgium, to end the War of
1812, however, in North America the war continued on until
February 1815.
The Royal Navy sloop HMS Favorite
delivered the peace treaty to New York City under a white
flag on February 11, and the war concluded after President
Madison signed it on February 16, 1815.
By William H. Thiesen, Atlantic Area Historian, USCG
Provided
through
Coast
Guard
Copyright 2016
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