USS ''Wasp'' of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

was a sailing sloop-of-war captured by the British in the early months of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. She was constructed in 1806 at the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

, was commissioned sometime in 1807, Master Commandant John Smith in command. In 1812 she captured , but was immediately herself captured. The British took her into service first as HMS ''Loup Cervier'' and then as HMS ''Peacock''. She was lost, presumed foundered with all hands, in mid-1814.

US Service

In 1808 ''Wasp'' was heavily involved in supporting Jefferson's Embargo, including delivering an army garrison from New York City to Passamaquoddy in June, patrolling Casco Bay, Maine, in the winter of 1808-1809, and remaining at Portland until May, 1809. Until 1809 she was commanded by Master Commandant John Smith. In the final weeks of 1810, she was operating from the ports of Charleston, South Carolina, and

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

, presumably patrolling the waters along southern Atlantic coast. In 1811, she sailed to Hampton Roads,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, where she and the brig joined frigates and in forming a squadron commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur. On 9 March 1812 ''Wasp'' sailed from New York for France to deliver an Anglo-Irish mercenary named John Henry who had sold intelligence to President Madison indicating Britain's interest in determining if the New England states wished to secede from the union. The correspondence, known as the Henry Papers, helped build outrage in Congress against Britain that led to the declaration of war, however the documents are now widely believed to have been a forgery. The Wasp Boarding the Frolic

''Wasp'', under the command of Master Commandant Jacob Jones continued to operate along the coast of the middle states after the United States went to war with

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

in June 1812. On 13 October, she sailed from the Delaware River, two days later she encountered a heavy gale that tore away her

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsail ...

boom and washed two crewmen overboard. The following evening, ''Wasp'' encountered a squadron of ships and, in spite of the fact that two of their number appeared to be large men-of-war, made for them straight away. She finally caught the enemy

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

the following morning and discovered six

merchantmen A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are us ...

under the protection of a 22-gun sloop-of-war, HMS ''Frolic''. Roosevelt, 1883 pp.104-106 At half past eleven in the morning of 18 October, ''Wasp'' and ''Frolic'' closed to do battle. The engagement would be the first and only time ''Wasp'' saw combat. The two ships commenced fire at a distance of . In a short, sharp, fight, both ships sustained heavy damage to masts and rigging, but ''Wasp'' prevailed over her adversary by boarding her. The victory was short lived however. Unfortunately for ''Wasp'', a British 74-gun ship-of-the-line, , appeared on the scene. ''Frolic'' was crippled and ''Wasp''s rigging and sails were badly damaged. At 4:00 PM Jones had no choice but to surrender ''Wasp''; he could neither run nor fight such an overwhelming opponent.

British service

''Wasp'' was briefly given the name ''Loup Cervier'' on her capture.Winfield (2008), p.273. She was commissioned in 1813 on the Halifax station under Captain Charles Gill. Captain William William Mends succeeded Gill, taking command on 26 February 1813. In June ''Loup Cervier'' was off New London, where she helped blockade the squadron under Commodore Stephen Decatur. James Biddle, who had been

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

of ''Wasp'', had become captain of . He issued a challenge to Mends that their two vessels meet in an engagement. Decatur forbade the engagement until he was sure that it would be an even match. The day after he gave his assent ''Loup Cervier'' left New London to patrol elsewhere. Thereafter ''Loup Cervier'' captured or recaptured four vessels. On 27 June she captured the schooner ''Little Bill'', John Roach master, which had been sailing from St Bartholomew to North Carolina. She was carrying a cargo of sugar and molasses. ''Little Bill'' was restored. Another report gives the vessel's name as ''Little Bell''. Then on 28 August ''Loup Cervier'' captured the ship ''Hope'', of 468 tons (bm), J. Emery master. ''Hope'' was sailing from Lisbon to

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

with a cargo of salt. She too was restored. On 29 October ''Loup Cervier'' recaptured the brig ''John and Mary'', T. Collins, master. Lastly, ''Loup Cervier'' was one of four British warships that shared in the capture of the sloop ''Emeline'', of 44 tons (bm), O. Adams, master. ''Emeline'' was sailing from New York to Rhode Island with a cargo of 240 barrels of flour. At some point ''Loup Cervier'' was renamed ''Peacock'', ''Hornet'' having captured and sunk the in February 1813. Mends was appointed to command of on 23 March 1814. ''Peacock'' may then have been briefly under the command of Captain G. Donnett. In April or shortly thereafter Commander Richard Coote of was promoted to

post captain Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy. The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from: * Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) addressed as captain ...

and transferred to ''Peacock''. ''Peacock'' was one of the five British warships that on 21 April 1814 captured the Swedish brig ''Minerva''. Then on 15 May, ''Peacock'' recaptured the Swedish ship ''Providentia'', of four guns, 400 tons, and 17 men. She had been sailing from Amelia Island to Lisbon with a cargo of pine, cedar, etc. when an American privateer had captured her. That same day, ''Peacock'' recaptured the Russian ship ''Hendrick'', of eight guns, 80 tons, and 13 men. She had been sailing from Amelia Island to Amsterdam with a cargo of pine and cotton when captured.

Fate

''Peacock'' was under Coote's command when she disappeared off the

Virginia Capes The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America. In 1610, a supply ship learned of the famine at Jamestown when it ...

.Hepper (1994), p.150. She apparently had foundered on 23 July 1814.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

Citations

References

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* Dennie, Joseph (2009) ''The Port Folio''. (Books LLC). Vol. 3. *
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* Essex Institute, Peabody Essex Museum (1910) ''Essex Institute historical collections''. (Essex Institute Press). * * Mends, Bowen Stilon (1899) ''Life of Admiral Sir William Robert Mends, G. C. B.: late director of transports''. (J. Murray). * *