USS Peacock was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy that served in the War of 1812 and later the United States Exploring Expedition. Peacock ran aground and broke apart on the Columbia Bar without loss of life in 1841.
Construction Funding for creating the Peacock was authorized by an act of Congress on 3 March 1813. Its keel was laid down at the New York Navy Yard on 9 July by Adam and Noah Brown and launched on 19 September.
War of 1812
Peacock served in the War of 1812 and captured 20 ships. She performed three cruises under the command of Master Commandant Lewis Warrington. On 12 March 1814, Peacock departed New York with supplies to the naval station at St. Mary's, Georgia. In late April the Peacock captured the 18-gun brig near the Bahamas. The prize was sent to Savannah, Georgia, where the United States Navy took her into service as USS Epervier.
She began her second cruise on 4 June, departing from Savannah and proceeding to the Grand Banks and along the coasts of Ireland and Spain, capturing 14 British merchant ships. Whilst sailing between St Andrews and Greenock the barque Willam was captured and scuttled by Peacock on 14 August. On 2 September, off the coast of Africa, Peacock captured the merchantman , cutting down her mast and sinking her. The crew of the Duck were left in the Canary Islands. Peacock returned via the West Indies to New York, arriving there in October 1814.
The third voyage of Peacock began on 23 January 1815, after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. She departed New York along with the and . The Peacock rounded the Cape of Good Hope and sailed into the Indian Ocean. Throughout June in the Sunda Strait of the Dutch East Indies the Peacock captured three merchantmen, Brio del Mar of Batavia, Union of Calcutta, and the . The pepper and gold dust cargo on the Union was seized. The goods stored in the Venus, including specie, opium, and bale goods, were thrown overboard. The crew of Peacock burnt the Brio del Mar and Union and converted the Venus into a cartel to carry her prisoners. Venus was sent to Batavia, arriving there about 11 July 1815. Because the captures occurred after the formal end of the conflict, the Phoenix and Star insurance companies of Calcutta applied to the U.S. government for compensation. In 1820, the United States Congress agreed to pay £12,000 for the Union and £3,000 for the Breo de Mar.
Last action of the War of 1812
On 30 June 1815 the Peacock captured the British East India Company brig HCS Nautilus in the Straits of Sunda during the final naval action of the war. The vessel was under the command of Bombay Marine officer Lieutenant Charles Boyce, who informed Warrington that the war had ended. Warrington claims to have suspected a ruse, although the journals of his officers note his knowledge about the Treaty of Ghent prior to encountering the Nautilus.
When Boyce refused to surrender, Peacock opened fire on Nautilus. Three Europeans and three Indian lascars were killed, while Boyce and five lascars were wounded. American casualties amounted to between four and five men wounded. When Boyce provided documents proving that the Treaty of Ghent ending the war had been ratified, Warrington released his victims. At no point did Warrington inquire about the condition of any injured aboard the Nautilus.
The Peacock returned to New York on 30 October 1815. A court of inquiry in Boston a year later exonerated Warrington of all blame. In his account on the incident, Warrington reported that the British casualties had only been lascars.
Post-war activities On 13 June 1816 the Peacock left New York for France with the Honorable Albert Gallatin and party aboard. She pulled into Havre de Grâce on 2 July. The Peacock proceeded to join the Mediterranean Squadron, where she remained until 8 May 1821, when she departed for home. The Peacock then went into ordinary at the Washington Navy Yard on 10 July 1821.
Combating Caribbean piracy On 3 June 1822, the Peacock became the flagship of Commodore David Porter's West India Squadron, which was tasked with rooting out piracy in the Caribbean. In an expedition alongside the U.S. Revenue Marine schooner and Royal Navy schooner , the Peacock broke up a pirate establishment at Bahia Honda Key throughout 28–30 September. Four vessels were captured, two were burnt, while the other two were staffed with prize crews and sailed to New Orleans. Eighteen of the captured pirate crew members were sent to New Orleans for trial. The Peacock captured the schooner Pilot on 10 April 1823 and another sloop on the 16th.
Disease Cases of "malignant fever" were reported among crew members of Peacock in September 1822, which eventually necessitated a recess from anti-piracy activities. The Peacock pulled into Norfolk, Virginia, on 28 November 1822. The frigate had recently lost 74 crew members to the disease before returning to Norfolk. The symptoms per Dr. Travett included bleeding in the mouth, nose, eyes, and the gastrointestinal tract. This caused vomit containing blood, hence the Spanish name for the disease, "", "black vomit". On 31 October 1822, Captain Stephen Cassin wrote to Secretary of the Navy, Smith Thompson, confirming the yellow fever outbreak on the Peacock.Cassin to Smith Thompson, 31 October 1822, Letters to the Secretary of the Navy, "Officers Letters" letter 67, volume 79, RG 260, NARA.
Pacific Squadron In March 1824 the Peacock joined the Pacific Squadron. It cruised along the west coast of South America, where colonies were struggling for independence. On 25 September 1825 Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones arrived at Lima to assume control of the Peacock. In early 1826 the Peacock accompanied the USS United States under the command Issac Hull across the Pacific coast of South America. The vessel hosted various dignitaries, including regional British and Dutch consuls, along with American consul William Wheelwright, and Don José Ramón Rodil after his defeat in the siege of Callao.
The Secretary of the Navy, Samuel L. Southard, had sent orders to Hull for the exploration of Pacific islands, the establishment of treaties with native rulers, and the protection of American commercial and whaling interests. Feeling events in South America necessitated his presence, Hull sent Jones and the Peacock to fulfill the directives in late May 1826. The Peacock sailed to the Marquesas Islands and later Tahiti to conclude diplomatic agreements. The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was reached on 11 October 1826. While there, Jones negotiated a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation with the kingdom. Despite never being ratified by the US Congress, the Hawaiʻian government operated on the assumption the treaty was legally valid.
The Peacock left Honolulu on 6 January 1827 for San Blas, Mexico. Rumors of war erupting between the United Kingdom and the United States over the Maine-New Brunswick Border detained the Peacock at San Blas. After a month news from Joel R. Poinsett confirmed these claims were false. On 9 March the Peacock departed for Lima. A sperm whale struck the ship on 29 March and caused serious damage. Nevertheless, the Peacock reached Callao on 14 May, where it remained for six weeks for repairs. After sailing around Cape Horn, it visited Rio de Janeiro on 11 August, before reaching New York City in late October 1827.
USS Peacock (1828)
The Peacock returned to New York in October 1827 to be decommissioned, broken up, and rebuilt for a planned expedition of exploration. Her size and configuration stayed about the same, but her guns were reduced to ten: eight long 24-pounders (10.89 kg) and two long 9-pounders (4.08 kg). When plans for the exploratory voyage stalled in Congress, the Peacock re-entered regular service in the West Indies from 1829 to 1831.
Following refit, both the Peacock and the newly commissioned 10-gun schooner USS Boxer were ordered to assist the frigate Potomac, which had just sailed on the first Sumatran Expedition. The two ships were also charged with diplomatic missions. The Boxer left Boston Harbor about the middle of February 1832. It was ordered to proceed to Liberia and from there join Peacock off the coast of the Empire of Brazil; the Peacock sailed on 8 March 1832 under Commander David Geisinger.
Diplomatic missions The Peacock conveyed Mr. Francis Baylies and his family to the United Provinces of the River Plate to assume the post of United States chargé d'affaires. This was in the aftermath of the USS Lexington raid on the Falkland Islands in 1831. On arrival, Royal Navy warships Hms Plantagenet and HMS Druid complimented her flag by playing Hail, Columbia. Also aboard was President Andrew Jackson's "special confidential agent" Edmund Roberts in the official status of Captain's clerk.
On 25 June 1832, having left orders for the Boxer to follow to Bengkulu, the Peacock departed war-stricken Montevideo. After taking water at Tristan da Cunha, the Peacock rounded the Cape of Good Hope. On either 9 or 10 August, while keeping about latitude 38° or 39°, a wave of uncommon height and volume struck the ship. It nearly threw the Peacock on her beam ends, completely overwhelmed the gig in the starboard-quarter, crushed it, and buried the first three ratlines of the mizen-shrouds under water.
On 28 August 1832 the Peacock picked up the southeast trade wind around and sailed to Bengkulu. The Dutch Resident of the city reported that Potomac had completed her mission. Under orders to gather information before going to Đại Nam, the Peacock sailed for Manila by way of Krakatoa. On the eastern side of the island hot springs boiled furiously through many fathoms of water one hundred and fifty feet from shore. Her chronometers proving useless, the Peacock threaded the Sunda Strait by dead reckoning.
Diarrhea and dysentery prevailed among the crew from Anjer to Manila; after a fortnight there, cholera struck despite the overall cleanliness of the ship. The Peacock lost seven crewmen and many who did recover died later in the voyage of other diseases. After 2 November 1833 no new cases of cholera occurred while under way for Macao. Within two leagues of either Lamma Island or the Wanshan Archipelago she took aboard a pilot. The fee for their services was thirteen dollars and a bottle of rum.
Six weeks were spent in the vicinity of Guangzhou. With the onset of the winter northeast monsoon and no sign of the Boxer, the Peacock sailed from Nei Lingding Island in the Pearl River estuary. The Peacock was ordered to explore the possibilities of expanding trade with Đại Nam. The bay of Danang was considered the best means to access the capital of Hué. Contrary winds from the northwest rather than the expected northeast quarter, coupled with a strong southward current, caused her to lose ground on every tack. On 6 January 1833, she entered the Vung-lam harbor of Phu Yen province.
Due to miscommunication the Peacock failed to secure permission to visit Hué. On 8 February the Peacock departed for the gulf of Siam. She anchored there on the 18th about from the mouth of the river Menam at , as was ascertained by frequent lunar observations and by four chronometers. On 20 March 1833 Roberts concluded the Siamese-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the minister representing King Rama III. The Peacock departed for Singapore on 5 April, where she stayed between 1 and 11 May.
While bound to Mocha the Peacock encountered the Nautilus on 29 August 1833 in the Red Sea. This was the same brig the Peacock had attacked after the end of the War of 1812. The Nautilus was sailing to Surat as escort to four brigs crowded with pilgrims returning from Mecca. Unlike their previous encounter, the Peacock did not attack the Nautilus.