USS Argus (1803): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:06, 17 October 2005

Revision as of 06:04, 9 January 2006

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''Argus'' continued to cruise the Mediterranean until the summer of [[1806]]. She returned to the [[United States]] at the [[Washington Navy Yard]] on [[13 July]] and was laid up there in ordinary until [[1807]]. At that time, she was fitted out at the Washington Navy Yard and began a series of cruises along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Those cruises lasted into [[1813]] after America's entry into [[War of 1812|war against Britain]]. During one cruise between [[8 October]] [[1812]] and [[3 January]] 1813, she captured six valuable prizes and eluded an entire British squadron during a three-day stern chase. Through clever handling, she even managed to take one of the prizes as she was fleeing from the overwhelmingly superior English force.

On [[18 June]] 1813, ''Argus'' put to sea from [[New York, New York|New York]] bearing the honorable [[William H. Crawford]], the United States minister to [[France]]. She arrived in [[L'Orient]], France, on [[11 July]], disembarked the minister, and put to sea again on the 14th. She spent the next month conducting a highly successful anticommerce cruise in the [[English Channel]], thence around the southern coast of England and into [[St. George's Channel]]. At that point, early in the morning of [[14 August]], ''Argus'' ran afoul of [[HMS Pelican|HMS ''Pelican'']]. Failing to gain the [[weather gage]], ''Argus'' shortened sail and ran along the starboard tack as ''Pelican'' came up from behind. ''Argus'' wore ship and opened with her port battery. ''Pelican'' answered with her starboard guns. Soon into the action, <i>Argus</i>' commanding officer, [[William H. Allen]], suffered a mortal wound when a round shot amputated his right leg. The captain, however, remained at his station until he fainted from loss of blood. <i>Pelican</i>'s gunfire did fierce damage to ''Argus'' rigging. Within 15 minutes, ''Argus'' was unmanageable for all practical purposes, and ''Pelican'' raked her at will. At 6:45, the British ship was in position to board; but, as her seamen began to storm on board, ''Argus'' [[Striking the colors|struck her colors]]. During the 45-minute action, ''Argus'' lost 10 men killed&mdash;including her captain&mdash;and 13 wounded.

== See also ==