Capture of USS Argus

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Capture of USS Argus


caption=
partof=the War of 1812
date=August 14, 1813
place=St. David's Head, Pembrokeshire
result=British victory
combatant1=flag|Great Britain
combatant2=flag|United States|1795
commander1=John Fordyce Maple
commander2=William Henry Allen
strength1=1 brig
strength2=1 brig
casualties1=2 killed
5 wounded
casualties2=10 killed
14 wounded
1 brig capturedThe capture of USS "Argus" occurred during the Anglo-American War of 1812. The brig USS|Argus|1803|6 had been audaciously raiding British merchant shipping in British home waters for a month, when intercepted by the heavier British brig "Pelican". After a sharp fight during which "Argus's" captain, Master Commandant William Henry Allen was mortally wounded, "Argus" surrendered when the crew of the "Pelican" were about to board.

Prelude

The "Argus" had broken out of New York on June 18, 1813, eluding the British blockade. The mission was not warlike to begin with; it was to deliver William H. Crawford to his post as Minister to the First French Empire. The "Argus" arrived at Lorient in Brittany on July 11, disembarked Crawford and then put out to sea again three days later to begin raiding British shipping in the English Channel and Irish Sea. During the next month, "Argus" captured nineteen ships. Rather than weaken his crew by sending the captured ships to American, French or neutral ports under prize crews, Allen set most of the captured ships on fire.

The shipping losses soon caused insurance rates for merchant shipping to be increased. The Admiralty sent orders to all available ships to hunt down the "Argus". H.M. Brig "Pelican" had just arrived in Cork in Ireland from the West Indies, and immediately put to sea again on August 10.

On August 13, the "Argus" took two final prizes. One of them was from Oporto in Portugal and was carrying wine. It is suggested by both AmericanRoosevelt, p.114] and British [Forester, p.134] historians that the crew looted some of the cargo, and that their debauched state affected their performance during the coming battle.

Battle

At 5 a.m. on the morning of August 14, the "Argus" and "Pelican" sighted each other 5 leagues west of St. David's Head. The "Argus" was the faster but more lightly-armed vessel (with eighteen 24-pounder carronades and a 12-pounder chase gun, against the "Pelican's" sixteen 32-pounder carronades, and one 12-pounder and two 6-pounder long guns), and Allen could have escaped. Instead, he accepted battle. The "Pelican" had the advantage of the windward position and opposed her starboard battery to the "Argus's" port battery.

Four minutes after the first broadsides were fired, Allen lost a leg. His First Lieutenant was also badly wounded, and the "Argus's" rigging was badly cut up. The "Pelican" now tried to cross the "Argus's" stern to deliver raking fire. The "Argus's" Second Lieutenant, U.H. Allen (not related to the commander) threw his sails aback to slow the American brig and instead raked the "Pelican". This did not fatally cripple the British vessel, and the two brigs continued to exchange broadsides, with the "Pelican" now to leeward. After four more minutes, the rigging of the "Argus" was too badly damaged for the Americans to prevent the "Pelican" from crossing the stern of the "Argus" and delivering several raking broadsides.

Finally, three quarters of an hour after the action began, the two vessels came into contact, with the bow of the "Argus" against the quarter of the "Pelican". As British boarding parties mustered but before they could board the "Argus", the Americans surrendered.

Aftermath

The "Pelican" and "Argus" went in to Plymouth. Allen died there of his wounds a week after the battle. He was buried with full military honours.

Unusually for the War of 1812, the American gunnery in this engagement was comparatively ineffective. British gunnery was "at least of the standard which had brought victory in a hundred victories against the French." [Forester, p.135] Allen's decision to accept battle against a heavier opponent rather than to continue his effective commerce raiding has not been explained.

Notes

References

*Forester, C.S.: "The Age of Fighting Sail", New English Library, ISBN 0-939218-06-2
*Roosevelt, Theodore: "The Naval War of 1812", Modern Library, New York, ISBN 0-375-75419-9