Action off James Island
Encyclopedia
The Action off James Island was a naval battle of the War of 1812
. In May 1813 an American
sloop-of-war
captured three British
privateer
s off James Island
in the South Pacific
. The engagement was one of the few fought in Pacific waters during the war.
David Porter
's passage of Cape Horn
in USS Essex
a year earlier, the United States Navy
vessel focused on commerce raiding
by attacking British whaler
s off the coast of South America
. After taking several vessels, Captain Porter made a prize out of the Georgiana, a 280-ton converted sloop. The ship initially carried six guns but her armament was increased to six 18-pounders, four swivel gun
s and six blunderbuss
es. Lieutenant
John Downes
was placed in command with forty-two others and six volunteers, recently liberated American sailors. Downes was then ordered to proceed from the coastal area to harass the British off James Island in the Galapagos chain.
privateer Catherine which also operated as a whaler and she was accompanied by a 220-ton gun-brig named Rose. Downes ordered his men to give chase and raised the Union Jack to trick the enemy into believing that they were not under threat. When the Americans were within range they cunningly lowered a few boats filled with men and captured the two sloops without resistance. Later the British captains revealed to Downes that they did not realize they were being attacked until after the Americans were on deck.
On board the two vessels were a total of sixteen guns, eight each, and fifty sailors who were taken prisoner. But just as the capture of the Rose and Catherine was completed, a third vessel was spotted, it was the 270-ton Hector armed with eleven guns and crewed by twenty-five men. Georgiana maneuvered to pursue and after several moments of chasing, the sun had gone down before the Americans were in firing range. In the dark, the Georgiana fired a warning shot across the Hector and she returned fire with inaccruarate broadsides. The Americans then engaged and began raking the British vessel, ripping off its main mast and most of the rigging. Four more broadsides followed and when it seemed as though the privateer's fire was weakened, Georgiana moved in to board the enemy. Just as the Americans drew near, the British lowered their colors and surrendered so the boarding took place without hostilities.
Two British sailors were killed and six others seriously wounded. Apparently all of the British shots passed over the Georgiana or fell too short thus no damage or casualties were reported by the Americans.
. Georgiana returned to the Essex which was anchored of Tumbez, Peru
on June 24. On the same day as the action, David Porter captured two more whalers without incident, the Montezuma of eighteen guns and the Greenwich of ten guns. Captain Porter was now in command of nine armed vessels in the Pacific. Lieutenant Downes was promoted on November 28, 1813 for gallantry in many actions against the British and the natives of Nuka Hiva.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In May 1813 an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
captured three British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s off James Island
Santiago Island (Galápagos)
Santiago Island is an island of the Galápagos Islands. It is also known as San Salvador, named after the first island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea , or as James Island. The island, which consists of two overlapping volcanoes, has an area of 585 km² and a maximum altitude of...
in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The engagement was one of the few fought in Pacific waters during the war.
Background
Following CaptainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
David Porter
David Porter (naval officer)
David Porter was an officer in the United States Navy in a rank of commodore and later the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.-Life:...
's passage of Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
in USS Essex
USS Essex (1799)
The first USS Essex of the United States Navy was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812, during which she was captured by the British in 1814 and served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June...
a year earlier, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
vessel focused on commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
by attacking British whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s off the coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. After taking several vessels, Captain Porter made a prize out of the Georgiana, a 280-ton converted sloop. The ship initially carried six guns but her armament was increased to six 18-pounders, four swivel gun
Swivel gun
The term swivel gun usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun with two barrels that rotated along their axes to allow the shooter to...
s and six blunderbuss
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and/or caliber. The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun,...
es. Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Downes
John Downes (naval officer)
Commodore John Downes was an officer in the United States Navy, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.-Early life and career:...
was placed in command with forty-two others and six volunteers, recently liberated American sailors. Downes was then ordered to proceed from the coastal area to harass the British off James Island in the Galapagos chain.
Action
Leaving the Essex on May 12, Downes headed in a southern direction for James. While nearing the island in the afternoon on May 28, lookouts aboard the Georgiana sighted a mast and sails on the horizon. In fact the sails belonged to the 270-ton gun-brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
privateer Catherine which also operated as a whaler and she was accompanied by a 220-ton gun-brig named Rose. Downes ordered his men to give chase and raised the Union Jack to trick the enemy into believing that they were not under threat. When the Americans were within range they cunningly lowered a few boats filled with men and captured the two sloops without resistance. Later the British captains revealed to Downes that they did not realize they were being attacked until after the Americans were on deck.
Two British sailors were killed and six others seriously wounded. Apparently all of the British shots passed over the Georgiana or fell too short thus no damage or casualties were reported by the Americans.
Aftermath
Seventy-five prisoners were taken but because there was less than fifty Americans to guard them, Lieutenant Downes disarmed the captured Rose and transferred the prisoners to her. They were then released on parole and ordered to Saint HelenaSaint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
. Georgiana returned to the Essex which was anchored of Tumbez, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
on June 24. On the same day as the action, David Porter captured two more whalers without incident, the Montezuma of eighteen guns and the Greenwich of ten guns. Captain Porter was now in command of nine armed vessels in the Pacific. Lieutenant Downes was promoted on November 28, 1813 for gallantry in many actions against the British and the natives of Nuka Hiva.