USS Macedonian (1810)

The first USS "Macedonian" was a United States Navy 38-gun sailing frigate, originally the HMS|Macedonian of the Royal Navy, captured by Stephen Decatur in the War of 1812.

This ship was 154 feet 6 inches long as built, to the draught of the HMS|Lively|1804|6. As measured in the US service, her length was 156 feet - reflecting the usual difference in measurement between British and American methods at the time, see the USS|President|1800|2 for a similar discrepancy. The discrepancy in her tonnage, given as 1080 tons British measure and 1325 tons US measure is due to various differences in measuring tonnage.

"Macedonian" (sometimes spelled "Macendonian") was built in Britain in September 1810, captured off the Canary Islands by 44-gun frigate USS|United States|1797|6, Commodore Stephen Decatur in command, 25 October 1812, arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, as a prize 4 December 1812, and taken into service by April 1813, Captain Jacob Jones in command.

"Macedonian" made one futile attempt with "United States" and sloop USS|Hornet|1805 brig|2 to break the British blockade by way of Hell Gate, New York, 24 May 1813. She then remained in the Thames River (Connecticut), until the end of the War of 1812.

On 20 May 1815 she departed for the Mediterranean to join Commodore Decatur's 10-ship squadron in the Algerian War, a renewal of naval action against the Barbary powers, to stop harassment of American shipping. On 17 June the frigate assisted in the capture of Algerian flagship, frigate "Mashuda" by frigates USS|Constellation|1797|2 and USS|Guerriere|1814|2, the sloops-of-war USS|Epervier|1814|2 and USS|Ontario|1813|2.

The signing of a treaty with Tunis and Tripoli 7 August, following that with Algeria in June, won maritime freedom in the Mediterranean. The next three years "Macedonian" patrolled there and off the East Coast.

From January 1819 to March 1821 the frigate operated off the Pacific coast of South America, giving aid and protection to the commercial ships in the area during the disorders following the Latin colonial revolts, before returning to Boston in June 1821. During this period she worked as a banking ship, doing business with privateers of every kind. Captain Downes often kept his midshipmen and other trusted aids busy counting specie. Many deposits were made, with many single deposits of over 100,000. The men complained bitterly about their treatment, writing of how they were forced to eat mealy grain while counting hundreds of thousands of dollars in specie. Many of the men felt that Captain Downes was doing this for the "good of the Captain" and wondered when they would be used for the purpose they joined the Navy for rather than for the Captains personal enrichment. The ship was so large that the men had a pet deer aboard. She next cruised in the West Indies helping to suppress piracy, into 1826.

On 11 June 1826 "Macedonian" departed Norfolk for service on the Pacific station, returning to Hampton Roads, 30 October 1828. She decommissioned in 1828 and was broken up at the Norfolk Navy Yard. The crew for this final voyage included William Henry Leonard Poe, brother of American writer Edgar Allan Poe. [Silverman, Kenneth. "Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance". New York: Harper Perennial, 1991: 37. ISBN 0060923318]

References

* Robert Gardiner, "Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars", Chatham Publishing, London 2000.
*Donald L Canney, "Sailing Warships of the US Navy", Chatham Publishing, London, 2001.
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m1/macedonian-i.htm

External links

* [http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/ships/html/sh_057400_hmsmacedonia.htm HMS Macedonian]