25 OCT--This Day in US Military History, year 2

2015-10-26T08:51:54-04:00

1812 – The U.S. frigate United States captured the British vessel Macedonian during the War of 1812.

Soon after daylight, in latitude 29° north, longitude 29°30′ west, this American 44 fell in with, on her weather beam, the British 38-gun frigate Macedonian, Captain John Carden. The latter, then steering north-west-by-west, with the wind to the southward, immediately bore-up towards the United-States; whose force and national character (her colors being hoisted) were soon made out.
At nine o’clock, finding that the British frigate was bearing down to the attack in a heedless and confident manner, the United-States opened a fire from her long 24’s; almost every shot of which struck either the hull or masts of the Macedonian. As the latter closed and hauled-up to fire her broadside, the American frigate bore-way a little, to retain the advantage of her superior skill in gunnery.
Thus was the action maintained until nearly ten o’clock: by which time all the carronades on the Macedonian’s engaged side had been disabled, and much other damage and a very serious loss incurred; while the United-States was comparatively uninjured.
Satisfied now, that her opponent was more than half beaten, and that there was little danger in closing with her, the United-States backed her main topsail, and, coming to the wind, opened a rapid and most destructive fire from the whole of her broadside; receiving in return the main-deck fire alone of the Macedonian, and that too ill-directed to be of much effect.
By the time the action, from its commencement, had lasted full two hours, the Macedonian had had her mizzen-mast shot away by the board and her fore and main topmasts by the caps, her main yard cut to pieces, lower masts badly wounded, rigging of every sort destroyed, a small portion only of the fore-sail left to the yard, two guns on the main deck, and all on the quarter-deck and forecastle but two, disabled: she had also received upwards of a hundred shots in the hull, several of them between wind and water; had all her boats, except the jolly-boat towing astern, destroyed, and a great portion of her crew killed and wounded. While the British frigate lay in this defenseless condition, the American, in a comparatively perfect state, having shot ahead, was about to place herself in a raking position on the former’s bow. No alternative therefore remained; and at a few minutes past eleven the Macedonian hauled down her colors.
Out of her 270 men at quarters and twenty-two boys, the Macedonian had her boatswain, one master’s mate, her schoolmaster, twenty-three seamen, two boys, and eight marines killed, her first lieutenant, (severely,) third lieutenant, (slightly,) one master’s mate, one midshipman, one first-class volunteer, fifty seamen, (two mortally,) four boys, (two with each leg amputated,) and nine marines wounded; total, thirty- six killed and sixty-eight wounded.
The United-States is represented to have had her masts and rigging not materially injured, and to have received only nine shots in her hull: her loss, from the same authority, amounted to no more than five seamen killed, Lieutenant John Funk and one seaman mortally, and five others badly wounded.

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/october-25/

October 25

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Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Oct 26 at 2015 8:55 AM

2015-10-26T08:55:34-04:00

A most interesting read. Thank you for posting!

Response by SSG Leo Bell made Oct 26 at 2015 8:56 AM

2015-10-26T08:56:25-04:00

Nice history lesson

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Oct 26 at 2015 8:59 AM

2015-10-26T08:59:00-04:00

MSG Private RallyPoint Member thanks for the historical update. I really enjoy the updates, the best on the net!

Response by SPC Tony Fewell made Oct 26 at 2015 9:07 AM

2015-10-26T09:07:52-04:00

Thanks, very interesting read.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 2:26 PM

2015-10-26T14:26:54-04:00

It was a different time, when a Sailor had to have steel in their spine and ice in their veins.
When you think of how naval combat was back then, it makes you appreciate what your forebears did to bring us to where we are.