USS Beagle (1822)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Beagle was a schooner in the United States Navy
during the 1820s.
Beagle was purchased by the Navy on 20 December 1822 in Baltimore, Maryland, and commissioned early in 1823, Lieutenant John T. Newton
in command.
On 15 February 1823, the schooner put to sea from Hampton Roads, Virginia, in company with Commodore David Porter
's squadron, bound for the West Indies. Depredations inflicted on American shipping by pirates
in the Caribbean
constituted the reason this and other punitive expeditions were launched. The squadron arrived in the Virgin Islands
at the island of St. Thomas on 3 March and soon thereafter began searching for pirates.
On 21 July, while Beagle and schooner Greyhound
were reconnoitering Cape Cruz
on the southern coast of Cuba
, the commanding officers of both warships went ashore to investigate but found nothing on that side of the cape. Thereupon, they reembarked in their boat and pulled around to the other side of the promontory. When close to the shoreline, they came under fire that forced them to retreat around the cape to their ships.
The following day, Beagle and Greyhound rounded the cape and anchored within gunshot of the shoreline. One landing party went ashore to work around behind the pirates and cut off their retreat while another, supported by the guns of the two schooners, assaulted the pirates frontally. The pirates retreated, evaded the attempted encirclement, and escaped. The Americans located the pirates' base and destroyed it, carrying off the heavier weaponry. Beagle then resumed her patrols and continued to ply the waters of the West Indies until the autumn of 1823 when a severe outbreak of yellow fever
forced her and several other ships of the squadron to return home for new crews.
Beagle returned to the West Indies sometime in 1824. Late in October, she was at St. Thomas when some pirates from Fajardo, Puerto Rico
, stole about 5,000 dollars worth of merchandise from an American-owned store. One of the store's owners requested Lt. Platt—then commanding Beagle--to help in recovering the goods. Platt agreed and quickly set Beagles sails for Fajardo. Late that evening, the schooner entered the outer harbor at Fajardo and anchored for the night.
The next morning, 27 October 1824, Platt and a party of men from Beagle went ashore, in civilian garb, after having identified himself and his ship to local authorities. In a meeting with those same local authorities, he received assurances that the merchandise would be found and returned to its rightful owners. Satisfied that his mission was going well, Platt took his party to a public house for breakfast. At mid meal, summoned back to the mayor's office, Platt soon learned that the mood of the Spanish
authorities had changed markedly. In response to the captain of the port’s demand that he produce Beagles register, he declared that a warship carried no register. Thereupon, the captain of the port stated that Platt would be imprisoned if he did not come up with one. Platt attempted to leave the office, but a detail of soldiers barred his way. Finally, the lieutenant succeeded in getting permission for one of his party to return to Beagle to retrieve his commission and uniform.
When the designated sailor returned, Platt donned his uniform and presented his commission. The Spanish authorities, however, pronounced the commission a forgery, denounced Platt as a pirate, and briefly imprisoned him in a filthy guardhouse. He was soon taken back to the mayor’s office where the authorities granted him permission to send for his orders as Beagle’s commanding officer. After examining Platt’s orders, the Spaniards finally released him. Platt returned to Beagle and immediately set sail for St. Thomas to report this affront to the American flag and to the Navy to Commodore Porter.
On 12 November 1824, Porter reached St. Thomas in the frigate
John Adams
. Platt’s report of the incident enraged the commodore, and he at once resolved to extract a public apology from the Spanish authorities. The next morning, Beagle headed back to Fajardo in company with John Adams and Grampus. Only Beagle and Grampus completed the short voyage since shallow water at the halfway point forced the commodore to complete the journey in Grampus and leave John Adams to await his return. The two smaller ships, reinforced by about 100 men from John Adams, arrived at Fajardo just after sunrise on 14 November. Porter then sent Lieutenant Cornelius Stribling
and a small advance party under a flag of truce to deliver a letter to the Spanish authorities demanding a suitable public apology.
Later, Porter led the remainder of his large, well armed landing party inland toward the town. When he arrived near the town, he drew up his force and moved forward alone to confer with the officer in charge of an advance party of his marines. About 15 minutes later, Lt. Stribling appeared accompanied by Fajardo’s mayor, captain of the port, and several leading citizens. After some heated haggling in which the mayor indicated that he had been coerced by the pirates and factions favorable to them, he and the captain of the port finally made acceptable apologies to Lt. Platt. The commodore and his landing party returned to the beach, enjoyed some refreshments, and reembarked. He penned a report of the entire incident to the Secretary of the Navy. Confident that he had done his duty, Porter thought no more of it. Later, however, he would be recalled, court martialed, and suspended from the Navy for six months. Instead, Porter resigned his commission.
After the conclusion of the Fajardo incident, Beagle resumed her patrols against pirates. By the end of 1824, she scoured the coast of Colombia
searching for the seaborne predators on a cruise that lasted through the first two months of 1825. In March of that year, the schooner reentered Chesapeake Bay
and sailed up the Potomac River
to Washington, D.C.
Upon arriving at the Washington Navy Yard
, Beagle was decommissioned, and she was sold soon thereafter.
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...
during the 1820s.
Beagle was purchased by the Navy on 20 December 1822 in Baltimore, Maryland, and commissioned early in 1823, Lieutenant John T. Newton
John T. Newton
Commodore John Thomas Newton was an officer in the United States Navy.Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Newton commanded Beagle on her maiden voyage to the Caribbean. Newton was in command of Missouri during her historic crossing of the Atlantic, the first by a steam-power vessel...
in command.
On 15 February 1823, the schooner put to sea from Hampton Roads, Virginia, in company with Commodore 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 squadron, bound for the West Indies. Depredations inflicted on American shipping by pirates
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
constituted the reason this and other punitive expeditions were launched. The squadron arrived in the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
at the island of St. Thomas on 3 March and soon thereafter began searching for pirates.
On 21 July, while Beagle and schooner Greyhound
USS Greyhound (1822)
The first USS Greyhound was a United States Navy schooner in commission from 1822 to 1824.Greyhound was one of several ships the U.S. Navy purchased in 1822 to augment Commodore David Porters "Mosquito Fleet" combating piracy in the West Indies...
were reconnoitering Cape Cruz
Cape Cruz
Cape Cruz, , is a cape which forms the western extremity of the Granma Province in southern Cuba. It extends into the Caribbean sea and marks the eastern border of the Gulf of Guacanayabo....
on the southern coast of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the commanding officers of both warships went ashore to investigate but found nothing on that side of the cape. Thereupon, they reembarked in their boat and pulled around to the other side of the promontory. When close to the shoreline, they came under fire that forced them to retreat around the cape to their ships.
The following day, Beagle and Greyhound rounded the cape and anchored within gunshot of the shoreline. One landing party went ashore to work around behind the pirates and cut off their retreat while another, supported by the guns of the two schooners, assaulted the pirates frontally. The pirates retreated, evaded the attempted encirclement, and escaped. The Americans located the pirates' base and destroyed it, carrying off the heavier weaponry. Beagle then resumed her patrols and continued to ply the waters of the West Indies until the autumn of 1823 when a severe outbreak of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
forced her and several other ships of the squadron to return home for new crews.
Beagle returned to the West Indies sometime in 1824. Late in October, she was at St. Thomas when some pirates from Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Fajardo is a small city in Puerto Rico located in the east region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Ceiba and east of Luquillo.Fajardo is spread over 7 wards and Downtown Fajardo , which serves as the administrative center of the city...
, stole about 5,000 dollars worth of merchandise from an American-owned store. One of the store's owners requested Lt. Platt—then commanding Beagle--to help in recovering the goods. Platt agreed and quickly set Beagles sails for Fajardo. Late that evening, the schooner entered the outer harbor at Fajardo and anchored for the night.
The next morning, 27 October 1824, Platt and a party of men from Beagle went ashore, in civilian garb, after having identified himself and his ship to local authorities. In a meeting with those same local authorities, he received assurances that the merchandise would be found and returned to its rightful owners. Satisfied that his mission was going well, Platt took his party to a public house for breakfast. At mid meal, summoned back to the mayor's office, Platt soon learned that the mood of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
authorities had changed markedly. In response to the captain of the port’s demand that he produce Beagles register, he declared that a warship carried no register. Thereupon, the captain of the port stated that Platt would be imprisoned if he did not come up with one. Platt attempted to leave the office, but a detail of soldiers barred his way. Finally, the lieutenant succeeded in getting permission for one of his party to return to Beagle to retrieve his commission and uniform.
When the designated sailor returned, Platt donned his uniform and presented his commission. The Spanish authorities, however, pronounced the commission a forgery, denounced Platt as a pirate, and briefly imprisoned him in a filthy guardhouse. He was soon taken back to the mayor’s office where the authorities granted him permission to send for his orders as Beagle’s commanding officer. After examining Platt’s orders, the Spaniards finally released him. Platt returned to Beagle and immediately set sail for St. Thomas to report this affront to the American flag and to the Navy to Commodore Porter.
On 12 November 1824, Porter reached St. Thomas in the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
John Adams
USS John Adams (1799)
The first John Adams was originally built as a frigate in 1799, converted to a corvette in 1809 and later converted back to a frigate in 1830 for use in the United States Navy...
. Platt’s report of the incident enraged the commodore, and he at once resolved to extract a public apology from the Spanish authorities. The next morning, Beagle headed back to Fajardo in company with John Adams and Grampus. Only Beagle and Grampus completed the short voyage since shallow water at the halfway point forced the commodore to complete the journey in Grampus and leave John Adams to await his return. The two smaller ships, reinforced by about 100 men from John Adams, arrived at Fajardo just after sunrise on 14 November. Porter then sent Lieutenant Cornelius Stribling
Cornelius Stribling
Cornelius Kinchiloe Stribling was an rear admiral in the United States Navy who served during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
and a small advance party under a flag of truce to deliver a letter to the Spanish authorities demanding a suitable public apology.
Later, Porter led the remainder of his large, well armed landing party inland toward the town. When he arrived near the town, he drew up his force and moved forward alone to confer with the officer in charge of an advance party of his marines. About 15 minutes later, Lt. Stribling appeared accompanied by Fajardo’s mayor, captain of the port, and several leading citizens. After some heated haggling in which the mayor indicated that he had been coerced by the pirates and factions favorable to them, he and the captain of the port finally made acceptable apologies to Lt. Platt. The commodore and his landing party returned to the beach, enjoyed some refreshments, and reembarked. He penned a report of the entire incident to the Secretary of the Navy. Confident that he had done his duty, Porter thought no more of it. Later, however, he would be recalled, court martialed, and suspended from the Navy for six months. Instead, Porter resigned his commission.
After the conclusion of the Fajardo incident, Beagle resumed her patrols against pirates. By the end of 1824, she scoured the coast of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
searching for the seaborne predators on a cruise that lasted through the first two months of 1825. In March of that year, the schooner reentered Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and sailed up the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Upon arriving at the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
, Beagle was decommissioned, and she was sold soon thereafter.