An Insignificant Fort

An Insignificant Fort

Copyright 2015 – Gordon Mack

Author of The Assassination File and One Final Run

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction. Some of the names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Some references to historical events, real people or real places are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to other actual events, places, or persons is entirely coincidental.

Cover photo courtesy of the National Parks Service and Ft. McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine.

This work has been professionally edited by Joan B. Taylor, a 40-years plus writer who holds 30 writing awards and is a member of the National IMBA Hall of Fame. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Prologue

The USS Chesapeake Affair

22 June 1807

Chapter 1

The sun came up on a cloudless, humid morning off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. Dockworkers, sailors, soldiers, and merchants began intermingling around the harbor, preparing in their individual ways to greet the morning and get ready for the day's labors.

The three-masted frigate Chesapeake rode easily at anchor on the light waves a few hundred yards away from the docks. Launched in 1799 as part of the United States’ new Navy, she was one of six frigates commissioned by congress to provide the new nation with a viable naval presence. She was the smallest of the six and had only seen limited action in the Barbary Coast skirmishes several years earlier. American merchant ships were routinely being boarded in the waters around Tripoli and Gibraltar with provisions being stolen. The pirates of the area ultimately demanded ransoms from the United States or the ransacking would continue. President Jefferson responded by sending four frigates, with Chesapeake being one of them. However she suffered major damage to her main mast and bowsprit during the trans-Atlantic crossing. Some speculated that during her construction, the builders squabbled with each other over design specifications resulting in weakened timbers. This resulted in her seeing limited action while spending most of the time in repair docks. As sailors were quick to do in those days, they rumored that the Chesapeake was an unlucky or cursed ship. They may not have been too far wrong, as she quickly returned to the Washington Navy Yard and sat idle for four years until this new assignment was issued.

The Chesapeake was ultimately assigned to relieve the Constitution in the Mediterranean and continue the protective service for the U.S. merchant interests. Over the past few weeks, the ships' officers, under the command of Commodore James Barron and Master Commandant Charles Gordon as Captain, had been actively recruiting their crew. Many of the candidates were impressed British deserters from the Royal Navy. The U.S. and Britain had an uneasy alliance in recent years. There were tensions with France from both countries, and there were both British and U.S. warships regularly patrolling the US coastal regions. However the British Navy had a penchant for impressing sailors into their service – basically accusing sailors of other countries of unclear crimes and forcing them to become British sailors. Many of those who were impressed were able to jump ship and lose themselves into the Americas when their ships were in port. They naturally wanted to return to their homelands and were eager to sign on for any overseas duty they could find. Many of them found their way onto the Chesapeake's roster.

Commodore James Barron was dockside by 6:30 a.m. Captain Charles Gordon was finishing up acknowledgment of the cargo and passengers with the dockmaster when he saw the Commodore and came to attention with a salute.

Sir!

Be At Ease, Captain. Are we fully prepared to get underway?

"Yes, sir, as far as the provisions and passengers. They are only awaiting our arrival. But sir, I must, well, I am loath to say...

Say what, Captain? Speak up!

Well, sir, we have not yet had time to get our armaments at ready, and since we have a completely new crew I'm not comfortable that they are seaworthy from a combat situation. As you well know, many are from the impressed British ranks and we are only taking their word that they are battle trained.

The Commodore nodded. Yes Captain, your point is well taken. However, I'm of a sympathy to those poor souls and would like to get them to their homes. We can always re-stock our crew with others once we reach Gibraltar. I'm sure we'll probably find several Americans to bring back home. Besides, we'll have time to work them on their skills once we reach the open sea.

"I hope you're right, sir. The decks are already full of extra supplies for the Mediterranean fleet, equipment for that Italian band and their horse for God's sake, and that luggage for the Congressman's family!"

The Commodore just laughed. You're right, Captain – it's quite the cargo for a supposed replacement Flagship of the Mediterranean! But I don't expect we'll have any trouble from the French before we have time to sort things out. The British are blockading a couple of them now not far from here, the weather is perfect, and we should have clear sailing for a while. Let's get underway, shall we?

Aye, sir, the Captain sighed. Let's hope that 'curse' doesn't come up! he muttered.

What's that, Captain?

Uh, just mentioning that I have the course all made up, sir.

Right. Carry on and meet me at the launch.

Jackson Everett Stuart, the ship's new carpenter, paced nervously on the deck as he watched the Commodore's launch pull alongside the Chesapeake. He was always confident in his skills, having learned as an apprentice to the master carpenter during the construction of the Constellation. But this was his first assignment for an ocean-going voyage, and he had been tasked to ensure that all of the masts, spars and everything wooden down to the handrails were in ship-shape condition. As all dockworkers and sailors, he had heard the stories of the Chesapeake's lengthy repairs and the curse rumors. He wanted no part of starting any new tales.

The Commodore had hand-picked Stuart to be his carpenter for the weeks long voyage. He had heard of Stuart's skills and wanted the best man possible to squash any curse rumors once and for all. For Stuart's part, this voyage would help solidify his reputation as a master carpenter and ensure his family's security for years to come. He had never been away from Sarah and his young son Benjamin for this long before, but considered it a necessary evil.

Chapter 2

A result of the ongoing Napoleonic Wars between France and Great Britain was that a number of British warships were patrolling the North American Station looking for French merchant and war ships. In recent weeks, two French third-rate warships found themselves caught in the Chesapeake Bay after re-supplying their stores in Baltimore harbor. Several British warships quickly converged in the mouth of the Chesapeake and effectively blockaded the French ships. One was the HMS Leopard.

The Leopard had her orders. Break away from her blockade duties at first light on 22 June. The other three British frigates could easily contain the two smaller French ships until she returned. Commanded by Captain Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, she was tasked to intercept the USS Chesapeake once they had left American territorial waters. (All non-French ships were allowed free passage through the British blockades). Ostensibly, they were to ask the Chesapeake to accept some diplomatic dispatches – a common courtesy for ocean-going ships at the time. In reality, there were no dispatches.

The larger, and more heavily armed, Leopard easily overtook the heavily laden Chesapeake by mid-morning. Commodore Barron and Captain Gordon heard the hail across the short distance between the ships and agreed to receive an attaché with the dispatches. There was no cause for alarm.

Once on board the Chesapeake, the British attaché – Lieutenant John Meade – presented Commodore Barron written orders from his Vice-Admiral Sir George Berkeley. Commodore Barron and his officers were to muster his crew and passengers so that they could be questioned about being deserters. It seems that during the initial blockade of the Chesapeake Bay by the British, there were several British seamen that had jumped ship and made their way into Baltimore. It was suspected that they had been recruited by the Chesapeake and were making their way back to their homes in Europe.

Enraged, Commodore Barron ordered Lieutenant Meade off the Chesapeake. Meade merely smiled.

Respectfully, Commodore, your vessel is no match for us. I would beg you to reconsider.

The Commodore tried to compose himself. "You now resort to threats, LIEUTENANT? You were invited on board under false pretenses to illegally take Americans into your servitude! Look around these decks. Do we look like a functioning warship? Your