View source for Capture of USS Chesapeake

{{short description|Naval battle between an American ship and a British ship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Capture of USS ''Chesapeake''}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict    = Capture of USS ''Chesapeake''
|partof      = the [[War of 1812]]
|image       = File:The Shannon and the Chesapeake (BM 1940,1214.46).jpg
|image_size  = 300px
|caption     = Shannon and Chesapeake, print by Louis Haghe, after John Christian Schetky, after Capt. R H King, RN
|date        = 1 June 1813
|place       = Off [[Boston]], [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|coordinates = {{Coord|42|39|2|N|70|33|56|W|display=inline,title}}
|result      = British victory
|combatant1  = {{flagcountry|UKGBI}}
|combatant2  = {{flagcountry|United States|1795}}
|commander1  = {{flagdeco|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Philip Broke]]{{WIA}}
|commander2  = {{flagdeco|United States|1795}} [[James Lawrence]]{{KIA}}
|strength1   = Frigate {{HMS|Shannon|1806|2}}
|strength2   = Frigate {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|2}}
|casualties1 = {{plainlist|
* 23 killed
* 56 wounded
}}
|casualties2 = {{plainlist|
* 48 killed
* 99 wounded
* 232 captured
* ''Chesapeake'' captured<ref name=toll415>Toll 2006, p. 415.</ref>
}}
|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox War of 1812: Naval}}
}}

The '''capture of USS ''Chesapeake''''', also known as the '''Battle of Boston Harbor''', was fought on 1 June 1813, between the [[Royal Navy]] [[frigate]] {{HMS|Shannon|1806|6}} and the [[United States Navy]] frigate {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|6}}, as part of the [[War of 1812]] between the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]. The ''Chesapeake'' was captured in a brief but intense action in which 71 men were killed. This was the only [[frigate]] action of the war in which there was no preponderance of force on either side.

At [[Boston]], Captain [[James Lawrence]] took command of ''Chesapeake'' on 20 May 1813, and on 1 June, put to sea to meet the waiting HMS ''Shannon'', commanded by Captain [[Philip Broke]]. Broke had issued a written challenge to ''Chesapeake''{{'s}} commander, but ''Chesapeake'' had sailed before it was delivered.

''Chesapeake'' suffered heavily in the exchange of gunfire, having her wheel and fore [[topsail]] [[halyard]] shot away, rendering her unmanoeuvrable. Lawrence himself was mortally wounded and was carried below. The American crew struggled to carry out their captain's last order, "Don't give up the ship!", with the British boarding party quickly overwhelming them. The battle was notably intense but of short duration, lasting ten to fifteen minutes, in which time 226 men were killed or wounded. ''Shannon''{{'s}} captain was severely injured in fighting on the forecastle, but survived his wounds.

''Chesapeake'' and her crew were taken to [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], where the sailors were taken to [[prisoner-of-war camp]]s; the ship was repaired and taken into service by the Royal Navy. She was sold at [[Portsmouth]], [[England]], in 1819 and broken up. Surviving timbers were used to build the nearby [[Chesapeake Mill]] in [[Wickham, Hampshire|Wickham]] and can be seen and visited to this day. ''Shannon'' survived longer, being broken up in 1859.

==Prelude==

===Philip Broke and his naval gunnery===
[[File:Sir Philip Broke.jpg|thumb|right|Captain Philip Broke]]
During his long period in command of ''Shannon'', Captain [[Philip Broke]] of the [[Royal Navy]] introduced many practical refinements to his 'great guns', which were virtually unheard of elsewhere in contemporary [[naval gunnery]]. He had 'dispart sights' fitted to his 18-pounder long guns, which improved aiming as they compensated for the external narrowing of the barrels from the breech to the muzzle. He had adjustable tangent sights that would give accuracy at different ranges. He had the elevating 'quoins' (wedge-shaped pieces of wood placed under the breech) of his long guns grooved to mark various degrees of elevation so that his guns could be reliably levelled to fire horizontally in any state of heeling of the ship under a press of sail.  The [[carronade]]s were similarly treated, but the elevating screws on these cannon were marked in paint. As the decks of contemporary ships curved upwards towards the stern and bows, he cut down the wheels on the "up-slope" side of each cannon's carriage in order that all guns were level with the horizon. He also introduced a system where bearings were incised into the deck next to each gun; fire could then be directed to any bearing independent of the ability of any particular gun crew to see the target. Fire from the whole battery could also be focused on any part of an enemy ship.<ref>Padfield, pp. 27–29, 206.</ref>

Broke drilled his crew to an extremely high standard of naval gunnery; he regularly had them fire at targets, such as floating barrels. Often these drills would be made into competitions to see which gun crew could hit the target first and how fast they could do so. He even had his gun crews fire at targets 'blindfold' to good effect; they were only given the bearing to lay their gun on without being allowed to sight the gun on the target themselves. This constituted a very early example of 'director firing'.<ref>Padfield, pp. 37–39.</ref>

In addition to these gunnery drills, Broke was fond of preparing hypothetical scenarios to test his crew. For example, after all hands had been drummed to quarters, he would inform them of a theoretical attack and see how they would act to defend the ship. Though the use of cutlasses in training was avoided, a method of swordsmanship training called '[[singlestick]]' was regularly practiced. This was a game employing roughly similar cuts, thrusts and parries as were used with the cutlass, but as it was played with wooden sticks with wicker hand guards; hits, although painful, were not often dangerous. It soon developed quickness of eye and wrist. Many of the crew became very expert.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 120.</ref><ref>Brighton, p. 150.</ref>

===James Lawrence===
[[File:JamesLawrenceATcommons.jpg|thumb|right|Captain James Lawrence]]
Commander Lawrence of the [[United States Navy]] returned from a successful war cruise having defeated the sloop [[Sinking of HMS Peacock|HMS ''Peacock'']]. He was promoted to captain for his victory, and received orders to take command of USS ''Chesapeake''. It was not a command that he particularly wanted, as he had hoped for the larger frigate {{USS|Constitution}} instead. Lawrence travelled to Boston,<ref>Ian W. Toll, ''Six Frigates'', p. 398.</ref> where he found that most of the former crew of ''Chesapeake'' had left over a dispute over prize money, and had been replaced. Lawrence's prior experience of the Royal Navy worked against him: in his earlier battle with HMS ''Peacock'', the warship had been bravely fought, but the British gunnery had been nothing less than atrocious.<ref>Theodore Roosevelt, ''The Naval War of 1812'', location 2391.</ref> His crew was laden with good seamen; however, they lacked the time working together that was needed to change a collection of good seamen into an efficient fighting crew.<ref>Theodore Roosevelt, ''The Naval War of 1812'', location 2356.</ref> Lawrence's assumptions concerning the poor quality of the opposition made him over-confident in facing the adversary he was about to encounter.

===Issuing a challenge===
Eager to engage and defeat one of the American frigates that had already scored a number of victories over the Royal Navy in single-ship confrontations, Broke prepared a challenge. {{USS|President|1800|6}} had already slipped out of the harbour under the cover of fog and had evaded the British. ''Constitution'' was undergoing extensive repairs and alterations and would not be ready for sea in the foreseeable future. However, ''Chesapeake'' appeared to be ready to put to sea. Consequently, Broke decided to challenge ''Chesapeake'', which had been refitting in [[Boston]] harbour under the command of Captain James Lawrence, offering single ship-to-ship combat. Whilst patrolling offshore, ''Shannon'' had intercepted and captured a number of American ships attempting to reach the harbour. After sending two of them off to Halifax, he found that his crew was being dangerously reduced. Broke therefore resorted to burning the rest of the prizes in order to conserve his highly trained crew in anticipation of the battle with ''Chesapeake''. The boats from the burnt prizes were sent into Boston, carrying Broke's oral invitation to Lawrence to come out and engage him. Broke had already sent ''Tenedos'' away in the hope that the more favourable odds would entice the Americans out, but eventually began to despair that ''Chesapeake'' would ever come out of the harbour. He finally decided to send a written challenge.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 144–145.</ref> In this he was copying his adversary. Lawrence had earlier in the war, when captain of the sloop of war {{USS|Hornet|1805|2}}, sent a written invitation to the captain of the British sloop of war {{HMS|Bonne Citoyenne|1796|2}} to a single-ship contest. Lawrence's offer had been declined.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 126–127.</ref>
[[File:HMS Shannon taking USS Chesapeake, 1 June 1813 RMG BHC0601.tiff|thumb|right|HMS ''Shannon'', foreground, in action with USS ''Chesapeake'', from a painting by Thomas Buttersworth]]
[[File:The 'Shannon' as a hulk at Sheerness, 4 September 1844 RMG PW6175.tiff|thumb|right|HMS ''Shannon'', depicted in 1844, de-masted and roofed over as a receiving ship near the end of her working life. Ink and wash drawing by Captain George Pechell Mends]]
[[File:Chesapeake.jpg|thumb|right|USS ''Chesapeake'', modern painting by F. Muller.]]

{{blockquote|As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags. The Shannon mounts twenty-four guns upon her broadside and one light boat-gun; 18 pounders upon her maindeck, and 32-pounder carronades upon her quarterdeck and forecastle; and is manned with a complement of 300 men and boys, beside thirty seamen, boys, and passengers, who were taken out of recaptured vessels lately. I entreat you, sir, not to imagine that I am urged by mere personal vanity to the wish of meeting the Chesapeake, or that I depend only upon your personal ambition for your acceding to this invitation. We have both noble motives. You will feel it as a compliment if I say that the result of our meeting may be the most grateful service I can render to my country; and I doubt not that you, equally confident of success, will feel convinced that it is only by repeated triumphs in even combats that your little navy can now hope to console your country for the loss of that trade it can no longer protect. Favour me with a speedy reply. We are short of provisions and water, and cannot stay long here.|Philip Broke|challenge as condensed by James and Chamier 1837<ref>James and Chamier 1837, p. 199.</ref><ref group=Note>This is a shortened version, the original ran to six paragraphs in length. The full message can be found in Padfield, pp. 144–146.</ref>}}
Captain Lawrence did not receive Broke's letter. According to [[Ian W. Toll]], he had already decided to leave harbour at the first favourable weather.<ref name=toll409>Toll 2006, p. 409.</ref> The fact that it was not in his nation's interests at this point in the war to be challenging British frigates seems to have not entered into his reasoning. When USS ''President'' had slipped out of harbor, it was to embark on a commerce-raiding mission, which was deemed in the U.S. national interest.<ref>Toll 2006, pp. 4–8.</ref> Half of the officers and up to one quarter of the crew were new to the ship. In the short time he was in command of the ''Chesapeake'', Lawrence had twice exercised his crew at the great guns, walking the decks and personally supervising the drill. He also instigated a signal, a bugle call, to call on his crew to board an enemy vessel. Unfortunately the only crew member able to produce a note on the bugle was a "dull-witted" 'loblolly boy' (surgeon's assistant) called William Brown.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 140–141.</ref> Lawrence believed that he would win the battle and wrote two quick notes, one to the Secretary of the Navy pronouncing his intentions, and another to his brother in-law asking him to look after Lawrence's wife and children in event of his death.<ref name=toll409/>

Bostonians and their neighbours anticipated great results from the celebrated Lawrence and his crew.  Local authorities reserved a space at the docks in expectation of accommodating the captured British man-of-war. Also plans were set in motion for a gala victory banquet. As the American warship moved down the harbour, citizens raced to vantage points to witness the fight. Crowds gathered on available heights from Lynn to Malden and from Cohasset to Scituate. A diarist likened the Salem crowds to swarms of bees. The more daring took to boats to follow the ''Chesapeake''. A Boston newspaper reported the bay being covered with civilian craft of all kinds.<ref>Ellis, pp. 122–123.</ref>

HMS ''Shannon'' had been off Boston for 56 days and was running short of provisions, whilst the extended period at sea was wearing the ship down. She would be at a disadvantage facing USS ''Chesapeake'', fresh from harbour and a refit. A boat was despatched carrying the invitation, manned by a Mr Slocum, a discharged American prisoner. The boat had not reached the shore when ''Chesapeake'' was seen underway, sailing out of the harbour.<ref>Fowler 1984, p. 205.</ref> She was flying three American ensigns and a large white flag at the foremast inscribed 'Free Trade and Sailor's Rights'.<ref>Fowler 1984, p. 206.</ref> ''Shannon'' carried 276 officers, seamen and marines of her proper complement, eight recaptured seamen, 22 Irish labourers who had been 48 hours in the ship, of whom only four could speak English,<ref>The Irishmen had been captured by the Americans when ''en route'' from Waterford to Newfoundland in the brig {{ship||Duck|1812 ship|2}}, and were then released by the Royal Navy. Of these 40 Irishmen, 22 volunteered for service aboard ''Shannon''.</ref> and 24 boys, of whom about 13 were under 12 years of age. Broke had trained his gun crews to fire accurate broadsides into the hulls of enemy vessels, with the aim of killing their gun crews, rather than attempting to disable the enemy ship by firing at the masts and rigging. This was, however, the standard Royal Navy practice of the time, only Broke's efficiency in gunnery training distinguished him in this regard. Lawrence, meanwhile, was confident in his ship, especially since she carried a substantially larger crew. Previous American victories over Royal Navy ships left him expectant of success.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 151–152.</ref> Just before the engagement, the American crew gave three cheers.

The two ships were about as close a match in size and force as was possible, given the variations in ship design and armament existing between contemporary navies.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 140.</ref> USS ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s (rated at 38 guns) armament of 28 18-pounder long guns was an exact match for HMS ''Shannon''. Measurements proved the ships to be about the same deck length, the only major difference being the ships' complements: ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s 379 against the ''Shannon''{{'}}s 330.<ref>Toll 2006, p. 410.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+Comparison of the combatant vessels<ref>English measurement methods used for both ships; dimensions from Gardiner (2006) pp. 25, 32, and armament from Padfield p. 140.</ref>
|-
! !! HMS ''Shannon'' !! USS ''Chesapeake''
|-
| Length (gundeck) || {{convert|150|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} || {{convert|151|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}
|-
| Beam ||{{convert|39|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}} || {{convert|40|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}
|-
| Tonnage || 1065 tons || 1135 tons
|-
| Complement || 330 men || 379 men
|- valign="top"
| Armament
| 28 × 18-pounder long guns<br />16 × 32-pounder carronades<br />2 × 9-pounder dismantling guns<br /> 1 × 6-pounder long gun*<br />1 × 12-pounder boat carronade*
| 28 × 18-pounder long guns<br />20 × 32-pounder carronades<br />1 × 18-pounder chase gun
|}
'''*''' Broke shipped the smaller calibre guns (6-pounder, and 12-pounder carronade) in order that the younger midshipmen and ship's boys had light-weight ordnance that they could practise all aspects of gun laying and firing with.

==Battle==

===Gunnery duel===
[[File:Shannon and Chesapeake (NYPL Hades-118375-54321).jpg|thumb|right|''Chesapeake'', left, shortening sail as she bears down on ''Shannon'', who has backed her main topsail to await the American ship. Aquatint by Robert Dodd, London, 1813.]]
[[File:Shannon Chesapeake.jpg|thumb|right|The commencement of the action, with the two frigates exchanging gunfire at close range. Lithograph by L. Haghe, London, 1830.]]
[[File:USS Chesapeake.jpg|thumb|The crisis-point of the engagement – ''Chesapeake'' (right) has run ahead of ''Shannon'' and is 'luffing up' out of control, and presenting her stern quarter to ''Shannon's'' broadside. If the image is entirely accurate it must represent the moment after ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s helm had been destroyed, but before her fore-topsail halyard was shot away.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lossing |first=Benson |title=The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812 |url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_29136 |publisher=Harper & Brothers, Publishers |year=1868 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cihm_29136/page/n733 706]|isbn=9780665291364 }}</ref>]]
As the American ship approached, Broke spoke to his crew, ending with a description of his philosophy of gunnery, "Throw no shot away. Aim every one. Keep cool. Work steadily. Fire into her quarters&nbsp;– maindeck to maindeck, quarterdeck to quarterdeck. Don't try to dismast her. Kill the men and the ship is yours."<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 160–161.</ref>

The two ships met at half past five in the afternoon, {{convert|20|nmi|km}} east of the [[Boston Light]], between [[Cape Ann]] and [[Cape Cod]]. ''Shannon'' was flying a weather-worn [[blue ensign]], and her dilapidated outside appearance after a long period at sea suggested that she would be an easy opponent. Observing the ''Chesapeake'''s many flags, a sailor had questioned Broke: "Mayn't we have three ensigns, sir, like she has?" "No," said Broke, "we've always been an unassuming ship."<ref>Murdoch 1867, p. 354.</ref> HMS ''Shannon'' refused to fire upon USS ''Chesapeake'' as she bore down, nor did USS ''Chesapeake'' attempt to [[Raking fire|rake]] HMS ''Shannon'', despite having the [[weather gage]].<ref>Toll 2006, p. 411.</ref> Lawrence's behaviour that day earned him praise from the British officers for gallantry.

The two ships opened fire just before 18:00 at a range of about {{convert|35|m|ft}}, with ''Shannon'' scoring the first hit, striking ''Chesapeake'' on one of her forward gunports with two round shot and a bag of musket balls fired by William Mindham, the gun captain of the aftmost of ''Shannon'''s starboard 18-pounders.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 165.</ref> ''Chesapeake'' was moving faster than ''Shannon'', and as she ranged down the side of the British ship, the destruction inflicted by the precise and methodical gunnery of the British crew moved aft with the American's forward gun crews suffering the heaviest losses. However, the American crew were well drilled and, despite their losses, returned fire briskly. As ''Chesapeake'' was heeling, many of their shots struck the water or waterline of ''Shannon'' causing little damage, but American carronade fire caused serious damage to ''Shannon''{{'}}s rigging.<ref>Andrew Lambert, ''The Challenge: Britain Against America in the Naval War of 1812'', Faber and Faber (2012), p. 172.</ref> In particular, a 32-pound carronade ball struck the piled shot for the ''Shannon''{{'}}s 12-pounder gun that was stowed in the main chains; the shot was propelled through the timbers to scatter like hail across the gundeck.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 168.</ref>

{{blockquote|As the distance closed, the Shannon's gun crews and topmen kept up a relentless fire, and the unprotected quarter-deck became as uninhabitable as the surface of the moon.| Ian W. Toll <ref>Ian W. Toll, ''Six Frigates'', p. 406.</ref>}}

Captain Lawrence realised that his ship's speed would take it past ''Shannon'' and ordered a 'pilot's [[Luffing|luff]]'.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 166.</ref> This was a small and brief turn to windward which would make the sails shiver and reduce the ship's speed. Just after ''Chesapeake'' began this limited turn away from ''Shannon'', she had her means of manoeuvring entirely disabled as a second round of accurate British fire caused more losses, most critically to the men and officers manning ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s quarterdeck. Here the helmsmen were killed by a 9-pounder gun that Broke had ordered installed on the [[quarterdeck]] for that very purpose, and the same gun shortly afterwards shot away the wheel itself.<ref>Broke installed two 9-pounder "dismantling pieces", one at the break of the quarterdeck and the other at the break of the forecastle. These guns had picked crews and were specifically intended to target the wheel and headsails of an opponent. The 9-pounders had 'elevating and traversing carriages' specially designed by Broke himself, the carriages allowed for an elevation up to 33°, enabling fire at an enemy's tops and upper rigging. The "long nine", as it was known, was universally acknowledged to be the most accurate British naval cannon of the period, see Padfield, p. 140.</ref> Surviving American gun crews did land hits on ''Shannon'' in their second round of fire, especially American carronade fire which swept ''Shannon''{{'}}s forecastle, killing three men, wounding others and disabling ''Shannon''{{'}}s forward 9-pounder gun<ref>Lambert, p. 173.</ref> while one round shot demolished ''Shannon''{{'}}s ship's bell.<ref>[http://marinecurator.blogspot.ca/2013/05/an-artifact-from-heart-of-deadly-war-of.html Dan Conlin, "An Artifact From a Deadly War of 1812 Battle", ''The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic'']</ref>

At almost the same time as ''Chesapeake'' lost control of her helm, her fore-[[topsail]] [[halyard]] was shot away, her fore-topsail [[yard (sailing)|yard]] then dropped, and she 'luffed up'.<ref>The Americans had not secured this yard with iron chains as was often done before an action, possibly indicative of their overconfidence. As a "[[headsail]]", the fore-topsail was vital for manoeuvring the ship, and its loss at a critical moment in the action probably doomed the American vessel. See Padfield 1968, pp. 167–171.</ref> Losing her forward momentum, she yawed further into the wind until she was 'in irons', her sails were pressed back against her masts and she then made sternway (went backwards). Her port stern quarter (rear left corner) made contact with ''Shannon''{{'}}s starboard side, level with the fifth gunport from the bow, and ''Chesapeake'' was caught by the projecting fluke of one of ''Shannon''{{'}}s anchors, which had been stowed on the gangway. ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s [[spanker (sail)|spanker]] boom then swung over the deck of the British ship. Mr Stevens, ''Shannon''{{'}}s [[boatswain]], lashed the boom inboard to keep the two ships together, and lost an arm as he did so.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 167–171.</ref>

Trapped against ''Shannon'' at an angle in which few of her guns could fire on the British ship, and unable to manoeuvre away, ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s stern now became exposed and was swept by [[raking fire]]. Earlier in the action ''Shannon''{{'}}s gunnery had devastated ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s forward gun crews; this destruction was now inflicted on the gun crews in the aft part of the ship. The American ship's situation worsened when a small open cask of [[musket]] cartridges abaft the [[mizzen-mast]] blew up. When the smoke cleared, Broke judged the time was right and gave the order to board. Captain Lawrence also gave the order to board, but the frightened bugler aboard ''Chesapeake'', William Brown, failed to sound the call, and only those near Lawrence heard his command. By this time Lawrence was the only officer left on the upper deck, as Lieutenants Ludlow and Ballard had been wounded. [[William Sitgreaves Cox|Lieutenant Cox]], who had brought up men from the lower deck to form a boarding party, reached the quarterdeck only to find that his captain had been badly, indeed mortally, wounded by musket fire. Lawrence was clinging to the [[binnacle]] in order to stay upright; Cox, who had served all his sea life with Lawrence, carried him down to the cockpit with the help of two sailors. As he was being taken down Lawrence called out "Tell the men to fire faster! Don't give up the ship!"<ref name=padfield173>Padfield 1968, p. 173.</ref> D R Hickey, in a book under that title about  myths from the war, reports this but notes that others quoted his words as, "Don't surrender the ship!", "Never give up the ship.", or "Never strike the flag of my ship."<ref>Donald R Hickey, ''Don't give up the ship!'', page 111</ref>

===The British board===
{{multiple image
<!-- Essential parameters -->
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| header   = Contrasting impressions of the taking of the ''Chesapeake''
| width     =
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| image1    = 'Boarding and taking the American ship Chesapeake.jpg
| width1    =
| alt1      =
| caption1  = Broke leads the boarding party aboard ''Chesapeake''. In reality Broke wore a 'round hat' not a cocked hat in action.
<!-- Image 2 -->
| image2    = British valour and Yankee boasting or, Shannon versus Chesapeake by George Cruikshank.jpg
| width2    =
| alt2      =
| caption2  = [[George Cruikshank]] portrayed the Americans as hapless and cowardly.
}}
[[File:Below deck HMS Trincomalee geograph.org.uk 1605094 41c89220-by-Ian-Petticrew.jpg|thumb|right|The berth deck of a 38-gun frigate, {{HMS|Trincomalee}}.]]
In contrast to the confusion and loss of leadership aboard the American vessel, the British boarding party was being effectively organised. A number of small-arms men rushed aboard ''Chesapeake'', led by Broke, including the [[purser]], Mr G. Aldham, and the clerk, Mr John Dunn. Aldham and Dunn were killed as they crossed the gangway, but the rest of the party made it onto ''Chesapeake''. Captain Broke, at the head of not more than twenty men, stepped from the rail of the hammock netting onto the muzzle of the port-side carronade of ''Chesapeake'' closest to the stern, and from there he jumped down to her quarterdeck. As the British boarded there were no American officers left on the quarterdeck to organise resistance.<ref>Allen 1852, pp. 427–428.</ref>

The maindeck of ''Chesapeake'' was almost deserted, having been swept by ''Shannon''{{'}}s gunfire; the surviving gun crews had either responded to the call for boarders or had taken refuge below. Two American officers, Lieutenant Cox (who had returned from carrying Captain Lawrence down to the surgeon) and Midshipman Russell saw that the aftmost 18-pounders on the port side still bore on ''Shannon''. Working between them, they managed to fire both.<ref name=padfield173/>

Lieutenant Ludlow, who had been slightly wounded and had gone down to ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s cockpit for treatment, now returned to the upper decks, rallying some of the American crew as he did so. Lieutenant Budd joined him with a band of men he had led up the fore-hatch. Ludlow led them in a counter-attack which pushed the British back as far as the [[binnacle]]. However, a wave of British reinforcements arrived, Ludlow received a mortal wound from a cutlass, and the Americans were again thrown back. James Bulger, one of ''Shannon''{{'}}s Irishmen, charged into the Americans wielding a boarding pike and shouting Gaelic curses – "And then did I not spit them, beJaysus!" Lacking officers to lead them (Lieutenant Budd had also been wounded by a cutlass) and lacking support from below, the Americans were driven back by the boarders. American resistance then fell apart, with the exception of a band of men on the [[forecastle]] and those in the tops. A number of the Americans driven from the upper decks jostled each other to get down the main hatchway to the comparative safety of the berth deck.<ref>Historically, in the predecessors of the true frigate the deck below the deck with the main armament had been partially armed (early to mid 18th century), and the Royal Navy continued to call this deck the 'gun deck' even though it now had no cannon. The more accurate American usage was to call it the 'berth deck', as it was the deck where the crew slung their hammocks. Larger warships had no exact equivalent to this unarmed deck.</ref> Seeing this, Lt. Cox called to them, "You damned cowardly sons of bitches! What are you jumping below for?" When asked by a nearby midshipman if he should stop them by cutting a few down, Cox replied, "No sir, it is of no use."<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 173–176.</ref>

Fighting had also been ongoing between the [[Top (sailing ship)|tops]] (platforms at the junction of mast and topmast) of the ships, as rival sharpshooters fired upon their opponents and upon sailors on the exposed decks below. While the ships were locked together, the British marksmen, led by midshipman William Smith, commander of the fore-top, stormed ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s fore-top over the yard-arm and killed all the Americans there. Following this, the wind tore the two ships apart, and ''Chesapeake'' was blown around the bows of ''Shannon.'' This left the British boarders, about fifty-strong, stranded. However, organised resistance aboard the American ship had almost ceased by this time.<ref>Gardiner 1998, p. 60.</ref>

Broke himself led a charge against a number of the Americans who had managed to rally on the forecastle. Three American sailors, probably from the rigging, descended and attacked him. Taken by surprise, he killed the first, but the second hit him with a musket which stunned him, whilst the third sliced open his skull with a sabre or cutlass, knocking him to the deck. Before the sailor could finish Broke off, the American was bayoneted by a British Marine named John Hill. ''Shannon''{{'}}s crew rallied to the defence of their captain and carried the forecastle, killing the remaining Americans. Broke sat, dizzied and weak, on a carronade slide, and his head was bound up by William Mindham, who used his own neckerchief. One of ''Shannon''{{'}}s lieutenants, [[Provo Wallis]], believed that Broke's three assailants were probably British deserters. The desperate and violent attempt on Broke's life made by these men may have been motivated by the fact that they faced the death penalty under the Royal Navy's [[Articles of War]] as deserters.<ref>Lambert 2012, p. 178.</ref> Meanwhile, ''Shannon''{{'}}s First Lieutenant, Mr George T. L. Watt, had attempted to hoist the British colours over ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s, but this was misinterpreted aboard ''Shannon,'' and he was hit in the forehead by grapeshot and killed as he did so.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 173–181.</ref>

===''Chesapeake'' is taken===
[[File:Samuel Lane (1780-1859) (style of) - Captain Sir Philip Bowes Vere de Broke (1776–1841) - BHC2575 - Royal Museums Greenwich.jpg|right|thumb|Sir Philip Broke, portrait in full-dress uniform. He is shown standing on the ensign of USS ''Chesapeake'', in token of his victory.]]
The British had cleared the upper decks of American resistance, and most of ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s crew had taken refuge on the berth deck. A musket or pistol shot from the berth deck killed a British marine, William Young, who was guarding the main hatchway. The furious British crewmen then began firing through the hatchway at the Americans crowded below. Lieutenant Charles Leslie Falkiner of ''Shannon'', the leader of the boarders who had rushed the maindeck, restored order by threatening to blow out the brains of the next person to fire. He then demanded that the Americans send up the man who had killed Young, adding that ''Chesapeake'' was taken and "We have three hundred men aboard. If there is another act of hostility you will be called up on deck one by one&nbsp;– and shot." Falkiner was given command of ''Chesapeake'' as a British prize-vessel.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 181.</ref>

''Shannon''{{'}}s midshipmen during the action were Messers, Smith, Leake, Clavering, Raymond, Littlejohn and Samwell. Samwell was the only British officer other than Broke to be wounded in the action; he was to die from an infection of his wounds some weeks later. Mr Etough was the acting master, and conned the ship into the action. Shortly after ''Chesapeake'' had been secured, Broke fainted from loss of blood and was rowed back to ''Shannon'' to be attended to by the ship's surgeon.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 181–182.</ref>

The engagement had lasted just ten minutes according to ''Shannon''{{'}}s log, or eleven minutes by Lieutenant Wallis' watch. Broke more modestly claimed fifteen minutes in his official despatch.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 191.</ref> ''Shannon'' had lost 23 men killed, and had 56 wounded. ''Chesapeake'' had about 48 killed, including four lieutenants, the master and many other of her officers, and 99 wounded.<ref name=toll415/> ''Shannon'' had been hit by a total of 158 projectiles, ''Chesapeake'' by 362 (these figures include grapeshot). In the time the batteries of both ships were firing, the Americans had been exposed to 44 roundshot, whilst the British had received 10 or 11 in reply (these are figures for shot which would have produced casualties or material damage; some of ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s shot was fired low, bouncing off ''Shannon''{{'}}s side at waterline level). Even before being boarded, ''Chesapeake'' had lost the gunnery duel by a considerable margin.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 240–245.</ref>

A large cask of un-slaked [[Calcium oxide|lime]] was found open on ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s forecastle, and another bag of lime was discovered in the fore-top.<ref>Ludlow p. 87</ref> Some British sailors alleged the intention was to throw handfuls into the eyes of ''Shannon''{{'}}s men in an unfair and dishonourable manner as they attempted to board, though that was never done by ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s crew. [[Albert Gleaves]], historian and biographer of Lawrence, called the allegation "absurd," noting, "Lime is always carried in ship's stores as a disinfectant, and the fact that it was left on the deck after the ship was cleared for action was probably due to the neglect of a junior, or petty, officer."<ref>Gleaves 1904, p. 213.</ref> But Gleaves, who was a decorated officer of the United States Navy, had no answer for the presence of a bag of lime at the top of the foremast.

==Aftermath==
[[File:John Christian Schetky, H.M.S. Shannon Leading Her Prize the American Frigate Chesapeake into Halifax Harbour (c. 1830).jpg|thumb|right| HMS ''Shannon'' leading the captured USS ''Chesapeake'' into [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]] ([[John Christian Schetky]], 1830)]]
After the victory, a prize crew was put aboard ''Chesapeake''. The commander of the prize, Lieutenant Falkiner, had a good deal of trouble from the restive Americans, who outnumbered his own men. He had some of the leaders of the unrest transferred to ''Shannon'' in the leg-irons that had, ironically, been shipped aboard ''Chesapeake'' to deal with expected British prisoners. The rest of the American crew were rendered docile by the expedient of a carpenter cutting scuttles (holes) in the maindeck through which two 18-pounder cannon, loaded with grapeshot, were pointed at them.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 183.</ref>

[[File:WilliamParryWallisByRobertField.jpg|thumb|right|[[Nova Scotia]]n [[Provo Wallis]] commanded ''Shannon'' back to Halifax. Depicted as a commander in 1813, he later became [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]].]]
Lieutenant Provo Wallis commanded ''Shannon'' as she escorted her prize into Halifax, arriving there on 6 June. On the entry of the two frigates into the harbour, the naval ships already at anchor manned their yards, bands played martial music and each ship ''Shannon'' passed greeted her with cheers.<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 188.</ref> The 320 American survivors of the battle were interned on [[Melville Island (Nova Scotia)|Melville Island]] in Halifax harbour. Their ship, repaired and taken into British service as HMS ''Chesapeake'', was later used to ferry prisoners from Melville Island to England's [[Dartmoor (HM Prison)|Dartmoor Prison]].{{sfn|Shea|Watts|2005|pp=27–29}} Many officers were paroled to Halifax, but some began a riot at a performance of a patriotic song about ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s defeat.{{sfn|Shea|Watts|2005|p=30}} Parole restrictions were tightened: beginning in 1814, paroled officers were required to attend a monthly muster on Melville Island, and those who violated their parole were confined to the prison.{{sfn|Shea|Watts|2005|p=31}}

[[File:Chesapeake Mill - geograph.org.uk - 178198.jpg|thumb|left|Chesapeake Mill]]
As the first major naval victory in the war of 1812 for the British, the capture raised the morale of the Royal Navy. After setting out on 5 September for a brief cruise under a Captain Teahouse, ''Shannon'' departed for England on 4 October, carrying the recovering Broke. They arrived at Portsmouth on 2 November. After the successful action, Lieutenants Wallis and Falkiner were promoted to the rank of commander, and Messrs. Etough and Smith were made lieutenants. Broke was made a [[Baronet]] that September.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16779|page=1890|date=21 September 1813}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16852|page=280|date=5 February 1814}}</ref> The [[Court of Common Council]] of [[London]] awarded him the [[freedom of the city]] and a sword worth 100 [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]]. He also received a piece of [[Plate (dishware)|plate]] worth 750 pounds and a cup worth 100 guineas.  Captain Lawrence was buried in Halifax with full military honours; six British naval officers served as pallbearers.  ''Chesapeake'', after active service in the Royal Navy, was eventually sold at [[Portsmouth]], England, for £500 in 1819 and broken up. Some of the timbers of ''Chesapeake'' were used in the construction of the [[Chesapeake Mill]] in [[Wickham, Hampshire|Wickham]], [[Hampshire]].<ref>Winfield (2007), p. 176.</ref><ref>Brown and White, p. 97.</ref> ''Shannon'' was reduced to a [[receiving ship]] in 1831, and broken up in 1859.<ref>Brown and White, p. 328.</ref>

[[File:ShannonStadaconaHalifaxNovaScotiaCanada2.JPG|thumb|right|Gravestones for the casualties of ''Chesapeake'' (left) and ''Shannon'' (right), [[CFB Halifax]], [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]].]]
In the US, the capture was seen as a humiliation, and contributed to popular sentiment against the war. Many New Englanders, now calling the conflict "Madison's war" after [[James Madison]], demanded that he resign the presidency.<ref>Unger, p. 166.</ref> But while the ''Chesapeake'' was captured, Lawrence's  admonition to his crew has inspired American sailors ever since.

Accounts of ''Shannon''{{'}}s victory were ascribed to many reasons. Very few of these took into account that Lawrence had rushed into a fight with an untrained and unprepared crew for what awaited him. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] would later state this plainly, lambasting former American "history writers" while doing so. In less than two minutes, ''Shannon''{{'}}s crew had taken horrible losses and did not break, while ''Chesapeake''{{'}}s crew did.<ref>Theodore Roosevelt The Naval War of 1812, location 2426.</ref> Unfortunately for Lawrence, he did not meet an average British frigate of this point in the long wars, undermanned and with many men aboard who were not real seamen, but a frigate with a crew at the highest pitch of training, led by an expert in naval gunnery. Author Peter Padfield said of ''Shannon'', that "a more destructive vessel of her force had probably never existed in the history of naval warfare".<ref>Padfield 1968, p. 151.</ref>

Broke never again commanded a ship. The head wound from a cutlass blow, which had exposed the brain, had been very severe accompanied by great blood loss. Therapeutic bleeding, routinely employed at the time, was not performed by ''Shannon''{{'}}s surgeon Mr Alexander Jack, which was to Broke's advantage. The report of the surgeon described the wound as "a deep cut on the parietal bone, extending from the top of the head ... towards the left ear, [the bone] penetrated for at least three inches in length".<ref>Voelcker, pp. 152–153</ref> Broke survived the wound into moderate old age (64 years), though he was debilitated. He suffered, to a greater or lesser extent, from headaches and other neurological problems for the rest of his life.<ref>Toll 2006, p. 416.</ref> The casualties were heavy: the British lost 23 killed and 56 wounded in the fighting, and the Americans lost 48 killed and 99 wounded.<ref name=toll415/> Twenty-three of the wounded of both sides died of their wounds in the two weeks following the action. The total 'butcher's bill' was high for an action between two frigates, but the ferocity of the fighting is emphasised by all the casualties occurring within 11 minutes. The casualty rate was an unprecedented 20 men killed or wounded every minute. As a comparison, in the action between the USS ''United States'' and HMS ''Macedonian'' the casualty rate was two per minute.<ref>Padfield 1968, pp. 184-185</ref>

==Commemorations==
Graves of those who died of their wounds after the battle are marked in the cemetery of the [[Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax]] and at [[St. Paul's Church (Halifax)|St. Paul's Church in Halifax]]. Lawrence's coffin was later reinterred from Halifax to [[Trinity Church Cemetery]] in [[New York City]].<ref>Hugh Pullen, ''The Shannon and the Chesapeake'' (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1970), p. 102</ref> A [http://ns1763.ca/hfxrm/shannon.html plaque] was erected to commemorate the battle in Halifax in 1927 and may be seen at [[Point Pleasant Park]]. ''Shannon's'' bell is displayed at the [[Maritime Museum of the Atlantic]] in Halifax in an exhibit about the battle which includes a surgeon's chest and mess kettle from ''Chesapeake''. Cannons believed to be from ''Shannon'' and ''Chesapeake'' are displayed either side of [[Province House (Nova Scotia)|Province House]], Nova Scotia's legislature.

A [[sister ship]] of HMS ''Shannon'' has been restored and preserved, {{HMS|Trincomalee}} of the {{sclass|Leda|frigate|4}}; she can be seen in a dock at [[Hartlepool]] in the North East of England and is the oldest British warship afloat.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ship Project |url=http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/modern/gallery/the-ship-project.php |website=hms-trincomalee.co.uk|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313203616/http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/modern/gallery/the-ship-project.php |archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref>

{{multiple image
 | image1   = ChesapeakeCanonProvinceHouseNovaScotia.JPG|
 | width1    = {{#expr: (150 * 921 / 692) round 0}}
 | caption1 = Cannon from USS ''Chesapeake'' ([[Province House (Nova Scotia)|Province House, Nova Scotia]]).
 | image2   = HMSShannonCanonProvinceHouseNovaScotia.JPG|
 | width2    = {{#expr: (150 * 921 / 692) round 0}}
 | caption2 = Cannon from HMS ''Shannon'' (Province House, Nova Scotia).}}

==In fiction==
The capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' by HMS ''Shannon'' features prominently in ''[[The Fortune of War]]'', the sixth book in the [[Aubrey–Maturin series]] of [[historical fiction]] novels by [[Patrick O'Brian]], and first published in 1979. The main characters, having escaped Boston, where they were being held as prisoners of war, are on board the ''Shannon'' during the engagement. The battle is described with considerable accuracy by O'Brian, with his fictional characters playing only minor roles in the action.<ref>O'Brian, P. (1979) ''The Fortune of War'', Collins, London {{ISBN|0-00-222498-4}}</ref>

The battle is mentioned in chapter 12 of the science fiction novel ''[[Starship Troopers]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]], and was also referred to in the novel ''[[Anne of the Island]]'' by [[Lucy Maud Montgomery]].

==See also==
* [[USRC Surveyor|USRC ''Surveyor'']], captured on the same day

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Allen|first=Joseph|title=Battles of the British Navy|year=1852|volume=2|publisher=Henry G. Bohn|location=London|oclc=5852951}}
* {{cite book|last=Brighton|first=J. G.|title=Admiral Sir P.B.V. Broke, Bart.: A Memoir|url=https://archive.org/details/admiralsirpbvbro00briguoft|year=1866|publisher=Sampson Low, Son and Marston|location=London}}
* {{cite book|last=Borneman|first=Walter R.|title=1812: The War That Forged A Nation|url=https://archive.org/details/1812warthatforge0000born|url-access=registration|year=2005|publisher=Harper Collins|location=New York|isbn=0-06-053113-4}}
* Brown, Anthony G., and White, Colin (2006) ''The Patrick O'Brian Muster book: persons, animals, ships and cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin sea novels''. McFarland & Co.
* Cray, Robert E. "Remembering the USS Chesapeake: The politics of maritime death and impressment." ''Journal of the Early Republic'' (2005) 25#3 pp: 445–474. [http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jer/summary/v025/25.3cray.html online]
* {{cite book|isbn=978-0-87586-690-1|title=A Ruinous and Unhappy War: New England and the War of 1812|last=Ellis|first=James H.|publisher=Algora Publishing|location=New York|year=2009}}
* {{cite book|isbn=0-395-35314-9|oclc=10277756|title=Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783–1815|last=Fowler|first=William M.|author-link=William M. Fowler|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|location=Boston|year=1984|url=https://archive.org/details/jacktarscommodor00fowl}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Gardiner|editor-first=Robert|title=The Naval War of 1812|year=1998|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-86176-063-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Gardiner|first=Robert|title=Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars|year=2006|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=978-1-86176-292-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Gleaves|first=Albert|title=James Lawrence, Captain, United States Navy, Commander of the "Chesapeake"|url=https://archive.org/details/jameslawrenceca01gleagoog|year=1904|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons|location=New York|oclc=526283}}
* {{cite book|last=Hickey|first=Donald R | title=Don't Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812|url = https://archive.org/details/dontgiveupshipmy00hick/page/111/mode/1up|year=2006|publisher=Robin Brass Studio Inc.|location=Montreal|isbn=978 0 252 03179 3}}
* James, William, and Chamier, Frederick (1837) ''The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV,'' Vol VI. Richard Bentley, London.
* Lambert, Andrew (2012) ''The Challenge: Britain Against America in the Naval War of 1812'', Faber and Faber, London.
* Ludlow, J.M. (1862) ''A Sketch of the History of the United States from Independence to Secession'', Macmillan and Co., London.
* {{cite book|last=Murdoch|first=Beamish|title=A History of Nova Scotia|year=1867|volume=3|publisher=J. Barnes|location=Halifax|oclc=11506476}}
* {{cite book|last=Padfield|first=Peter|author-link= Peter Padfield | title=Broke and the Shannon|year=1968|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|isbn=0-340-02511-5}}
* {{cite book|oclc=1384754|title=Guns Off Cape Ann: The Story of the Shannon and the Chesapeake|last=Poolman|first=Kenneth|publisher=Rand McNally|location=Chicago|year=1962}}
* Pullen, Hugh Francis. ''The Shannon and the Chesapeake'' (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1970)
* {{cite book|title=The Naval War of 1812 or The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain|last=Roosevelt|first=Theodore|author-link=Theodore Roosevelt|year=1882|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons|location=New York|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9104|oclc=133902576}}
* {{cite book|last1=Shea|first1= Iris V.|last2= Watts|first2= Heather|date=2005|title=Deadman's: Melville Island & Its Burial Ground|publisher=Glen Margaret Publishers|location= Tantallon Nova Scotia|isbn=978-0-393-05847-5}}
* {{cite book|isbn=978-0-920427-68-2|title=Six Frigates:The Epic History of the U.S. Navy|url=https://archive.org/details/sixfrigatesepich00toll|url-access=registration|last=Toll|first=Ian|publisher=Norton|location=New York|year=2006}}
* {{cite book |title=John Quincy Adams |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780306822650 |url-access=registration |last=Unger |first=Harlow Giles |year=2012 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-306-82129-5 }}<!--|access-date=4 February 2013-->
* Voelcker, Tim (2013) ''Broke of the Shannon: and the War of 1812'', Seaforth Publishing {{ISBN|978-1473831322}}
* {{cite book |oclc=181927614 |first=Rif |last=Winfield |title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |publisher=Seaforth |location=London |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Capture of USS Chesapeake}}

{{Battles of the War of 1812}}
{{1813 shipwrecks}}

{{good article}}

[[Category:Battles in 1813|Chesapeake]]
[[Category:1813 in the United States]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1813]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the War of 1812|Chesapeake]]
[[Category:Military history of Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving the United Kingdom|Chesapeake]]
[[Category:Naval battles involving the United States|Chesapeake]]
[[Category:History of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:June 1813]]