USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy, nominally rated at 44 guns; she was launched in April 1800 from a shipyard in New York City. President was one of the original six frigates whose construction the Naval Act of 1794 had authorized, and she was the last to be completed. The name "President" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March of 1795 for the frigates that were to be constructed.Pickering, Timothy (14 March 1795). Letter to George Washington. Founders Online, National Archives. Retrieved 25 September 2019
Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the Navy's capital ships, and so President and her sister ships were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. Forman Cheeseman, and later Christian Bergh, were in charge of her construction. Her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and to engage in a punitive expedition against the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
On 16 May 1811, President was at the center of the Little Belt affair; her crew mistakenly identified as , which had impressed a sailor from an American brig. The ships exchanged cannon fire for several minutes. Subsequent American and British investigations placed responsibility for the attack on each other without a resolution. The incident contributed to tensions between the U.S. and Britain that led to the War of 1812.
During the war, President made several extended cruises, patrolling as far away as the English Channel and Norway; she captured the armed schooner and numerous merchant ships. In January 1815, after having been blockaded in New York for a year by the Royal Navy, President attempted to run the blockade, and was chased by a blockading squadron. During the chase, she was engaged and crippled by the frigate off the coast of the city. The British squadron captured President soon after, and the Royal Navy took her into service as HMS President until she was broken up in 1818. Presidents design was copied and used to build the next in 1829.
Design and construction
During the 1790s, American merchant vessels began to fall prey to Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean, most notably from Algiers. Congress's response was the Naval Act of 1794.Allen (1909), pp. 41–42. The Act provided funds for the construction of six frigates; however, it included a clause stating that construction of the ships would cease if the United States agreed to peace terms with Algiers.Beach (1986), p. 29.An Act to provide a Naval Armament. (1794). Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
Joshua Humphreys' design was long on keel and narrow of beam (width) to allow for mounting very heavy guns. The design incorporated a diagonal scantling (rib) scheme to limit hogging (warping); the ships were given extremely heavy planking. This gave the hull greater strength than those of more lightly built frigates. Humphreys developed his design after realizing that the fledgling United States Navy could not match the navies of the European states for size. He therefore designed his frigates to be able to overpower other frigates, but with the speed to escape from a ship of the line.Toll (2006), pp. 49–53.Beach (1986), pp. 29–30, 33.Allen (1909), pp. 42–45.
George Washington named President in order to reflect a principle of the United States Constitution.Toll (2006), p. 61. In a report on progress of construction dated 12 December 1795 her keel had been completed, laid on the blocks and bolted together, and many parts received. Also noted that a large schooner carrying frame pieces along with other cargo had wrecked on Cape Hatteras on an unspecified date and was lost with all of her cargo. In March 1796 a peace accord was announced between the United States and Algiers. Construction was suspended in accordance with the Naval Act of 1794. At the onset of the Quasi-War with France in 1798, funds were approved to complete her construction, and her keel was laid at a shipyard in New York City. Her original naval constructor was Forman Cheeseman and the superintendent was Captain Silas Talbot.Toll (2006), p. 107.
Based on experience Humphreys gained during construction of Presidents sister ships, and , he instructed Cheeseman to make alterations to the frigate's design. These included raising the gun deck by and moving the main mast further rearward. President was built to a length of between perpendiculars and a beam of .
Although construction was begun at New York in the shipyard of Foreman Cheesman, work on her was discontinued in 1796. Construction resumed in 1798, under Christian Bergh and naval constructor William Doughty.Canney, Donald (2001), Sailing Warships of the US Navy p. 38.
Armament
Presidents nominal rating was that of a 44-gun ship. However, she usually carried over 50 guns.Roosevelt (1883), pp. 55–56. and was pierced for 64. During her service in the War of 1812, President was armed with a battery of 55 guns: thirty-two 24-pounder (10.9 kg) cannon, twenty-two 42-pounder (19 kg) carronades, and one 18-pounder (8 kg) long gun.
During her Royal Navy service as HMS President, she was initially rated at 50 guns, although she was at this stage armed with 60 cannons—thirty 24-pounder guns (10.9 kg) on the upper deck, twenty-eight 42-pounder (19 kg) carronades on the spar deck, plus two more 24-pounder guns on the forecastle. In February 1817, she was again re-rated, this time to 60 guns.
Unlike modern Navy vessels, ships of this era had no permanent battery of guns. Guns were portable and were often exchanged between ships as situations warranted. Each commanding officer modified his vessel's armaments to his liking, taking into consideration factors such as the overall tonnage of cargo, complement of personnel aboard, and planned routes to be sailed. Consequently, a vessel's armament would change often during its career; permanent records of the changes were not generally kept.Jennings (1966), pp. 17–19.
Quasi and First Barbary Wars
President launched on 10 April 1800—the last of the original six frigates to do so. After her fitting out, she departed for Guadeloupe on 5 August with Captain Thomas Truxtun in command. She departed Sandy Hook on 5 September. On 16 September she recaptured British ship "Ruth" from a French privateer () that had captured her the day before. On 16 October she detained and sent into St. Kitts schooner "Little George" without papers, but flying a Swedish flag, to determine ownership. She conducted routine patrols during the latter part of the Quasi-War and made several recaptures of American merchant ships. Nevertheless, her service in this period was uneventful. She returned to the United States sighting the Cape Henry Lighthouse on 16 February, and was in Hampton Roads on 17 February. after a peace treaty with France was ratified on 3 February 1801.Allen (1909), pp. 217, 221. During the Quasi-War, the United States paid tribute to the Barbary States to ensure that they would not seize or harass American merchant ships.Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, pp. 215–216. In 1801 Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli, dissatisfied with the amount of tribute in comparison to that paid to Algiers, demanded an immediate payment of $250,000.Allen (1905), pp. 88, 90. Thomas Jefferson responded by sending a squadron of warships to protect American merchant ships in the Mediterranean and to pursue peace with the Barbary States.Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 228.Allen (1905), p. 92.
On 22 May 1801 Capt. Truxton turned over command to Capt. Richard Dale. In May, "Commodore" Richard Dale selected President as his flagship for the assignment in the Mediterranean. Dale's orders were to present a show of force off Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis and maintain peace with promises of tribute. Dale was authorized to commence hostilities at his discretion if any Barbary State had declared war by the time of his arrival. Dale's squadron consisted of President, , , and .Cooper (1856), p. 151. She sailed 1 June 1801 from Hampton Roads. The squadron arrived at Gibraltar on 1 July; President and Enterprise quickly continued to Algiers, where their presence convinced the regent to withdraw threats he had made against American merchant ships.Allen (1905), pp. 94–95.Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 231. President and Enterprise subsequently made appearances at Tunis and Tripoli before President arrived at Malta on 16 August to replenish drinking water supplies.Allen (1905), p. 95.
Blockading the harbor of Tripoli on 24 August, President captured a Greek vessel with Tripolitan soldiers aboard. Dale negotiated an exchange of prisoners that resulted in the release of several Americans held captive in Tripoli.Cooper (1856), p. 153.Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, pp. 232–233. President arrived at Gibraltar on 3 September.Allen (1905), p. 98. While anchored in Algeciras Bay on 22 October one of her boats was sent to Gibraltar, about miles away, but capsized with all on board, except one, was lost. While leaving Mahón, under control of a Pilot, on 30 November, President struck a large rock while traveling at . The impact brought Dale on deck and he successfully navigated President out of danger. An inspection at Toulon revealed that the impact had twisted off a 16–17 foot section of the forward part of her keel, the lower stem was gone, and other damages.Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 233. Repairs were finished on 15 January 1802. President remained in the Mediterranean until 11 March 1802; She departed for the United States and arrived on 14 April and was placed "in ordinary".Allen (1905), pp. 99–100.
Although President remained in the United States, operations against the Barbary States continued. A second squadron assembled under the command of Richard Valentine Morris in . Morris' poor performance resulted in his recall and subsequent dismissal from the Navy in 1803.Toll (2006), p. 173. A third squadron assembled under the command of Edward Preble in ; by July 1804, they had fought the Battle of Tripoli Harbor.Allen (1905), p. 200.
Second Barbary patrol On 21 March 1804 The Secretary of the Navy ordered Lt. Cassin, supervisor of the Washington Navy Yard, to prepare her for sea. She was recommissioned on 2 April. In April 1804, President Jefferson decided to reinforce Preble's squadron. President, Congress, Constellation, and Essex prepared to sail as soon as possible under the direction of Commodore Samuel Barron.Allen (1905), pp. 198–199. Barron selected President as his flagship, but she required a new bowsprit and repairs to her masts and rigging. Some two months passed before the squadron was ready to sail. She left the Washington Navy Yard 25 May. She arrived at Hampton Roads on 13 June. They departed the Capes 5 July and arrived at Gibraltar on 12 August.Allen (1905), p. 218.Toll (2006), pp. 224–227.
President left Gibraltar on 16 August with Constellation; the frigates paused at Malta before arriving off Tripoli on 10 September, joining Constitution, , and .Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 297. Sighting three ships running the blockade of Tripoli, the squadron moved in to capture them; during the pursuit, a sudden change in wind direction caused President to collide with Constitution. The collision caused serious damage to Constitutions stern, bow, and figurehead. Two of the captured ships were sent to Malta with Constitution; President sailed to Syracuse, Sicily, arriving on 27 August.Allen (1905), pp. 219–220.Toll (2006), pp. 250–251.