The Action between the USS ''Boston'' and ''Berceau'', was a single ship action off

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

, during the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. (32 guns), Capt. George Little, captured the French

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

, ''capitaine de frégate'' Louis-André Senez. Cruising 600 miles northeast of Guadeloupe in the morning of 12 October, ''Boston'', spotted two vessels that by 8:00 A.M. were determined to be warships, a schooner (not identified) and the 24-gun ''Berceau'', which then headed in different directions. Pursuing the latter, ''Boston'' gained steadily before catching her in the late afternoon (the American report gives the time as 4:30 P.M., French 3:30 P.M.). ''Berceau'' then shortened sail and the two began a stubborn engagement, each trying to wreck the spars, sails and rigging of the other until the damage to the tops of both made them unmanageable and they drifted apart. The crews then spent the next several hours repairing their damage so that they could rejoin the fight. Well after dusk, the two were again able to engage (the French report gives an additional intermediate engagement), which they did for more than an hour. The action was finally terminated (American, 10:20 P.M.; French 11:30 P.M.) when, losing her fore and main mast and already having had boarding attempts repulsed, ''Berceau'' was forced to strike her colors. Following several days spent immobile, repairing spars, sails and rigging, ''Boston'' towed ''Berceau'' under prize-master Robert Haswell to its namesake home port of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. On arrival, it was discovered that the action had actually been fought two weeks after a peace agreement had formally ended hostilities. As a consequence ''Berceau'' was repaired at American expense and returned to France. The victory was also tainted by charges that the French officers had been plundered of their personal belongings and negro servants, with the active participation of most of their American counterparts. Acquitted in a resulting court martial proceeding, most of ''Boston''s officers were nonetheless dismissed from the Navy.

References

* James Truslow Adams, ''Dictionary of American History'', Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1940 * Frederick C. Leiner, ''Millions for Defense: The Subscription Warships of 1798'', Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1999 {{coord missing, France Naval battles of the Quasi-War Conflicts in 1800 1800 in France 1800 in the United States October 1800