American Fifth Rate frigate 'Chesapeake' (1799)

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Chesapeake	2395
Nominal Guns	36	DANFS
Nationality	United States of America
Operator	United States Navy
Ordered	30.6.1798	DANFS
Keel Laid Down	14.11.1798	DANFS
Launched	2.12.1799	DANFS
How acquired	Purpose built	DANFS
Shipyard	Gosport Shipyard - Gosport	DANFS
Designed by	Josiah Fox (1763-1847)	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Humphreys, Huttan & Delavue	DANFS
Category	Fifth Rate	DANFS
Ship Type	Frigate	DANFS
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	DANFS
Captured	1.6.1813	DANFS
Becomes	British Fifth Rate frigate 'Chesapeake' (1813) (38)

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck151' 8"Imperial Feet46.0288
Length of Keel127' 5"Imperial Feet38.7143
Breadth40' 11"Imperial Feet12.2174
Moulded Breadth40' 4"Imperial Feet12.2936
Depth in Hold13' 9"Imperial Feet4.0386
Burthen1,134 ⁶³⁄₉₄Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentDANFS
Length of Gundeck152' 8"Imperial Feet46.3335
Breadth41' 3"Imperial Feet12.573
Depth in Hold20' 1"Imperial Feet6.1214
Burthen1,244Tons BM

Armament

1800Broadside Weight = 462 Imperial Pound ( 209.517 kg)DANFS
Gun Deck30 American 18 Pounder
Spardeck12 American 32-Pounder Carronade

1813Broadside Weight = 459 Imperial Pound ( 208.1565 kg)B020
Gun Deck28 American 18 Pounder
Gun Deck2 American 12-Pounder
Gun Deck1 American 6-Pounder
Spardeck12 American 32-Pounder Carronade

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1800340Establishment?DANFS
1.6.1813381From the sworn statement of Lieutenant BuddW005
1.6.1813379Actual complementB020

7 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
12.1799 - 7.1807Captain James Barron (1768-1851)DANFS1802 - 1803Captain Alexander Murray (d.1828)E-WIKI25.4.1806 - 1807Master Commandant Charles Gordon (d.1817)W0571807Captain Stephen Decatur (1779-1820)DANFS1807Captain Alexander J Dallas (d.1844)DANFS4.7.1812 - 20.5.1813Captain Samuel Evans (d.1824)W00520.5.1813 - 1.6.1813Captain James Lawrence (1781-1813)DANFS

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
27.4.1802 - 1.6.1803Commodore Richard V MorrisDANFS

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1801 - 15.5.1801Lieutenant John Archerref:120315.8.1801Lieutenant John Ballard Resignedref:12031807First Lieutenant George Parker (d.1814)DANFS1807Lieutenant Augustus C Ludlow (d.1813)DANFS10.6.1807 - 1807Lieutenant Arthur Sinclair (d.1831)E-WIKI23.5.1812 - 1.6.1813Lieutenant George Budd (d.1837)DANFS1.6.1813 - 1813First Lieutenant Augustus C Ludlow (d.1813)DANFS1.6.1813 - 1813Lieutenant Henry E Ballard (d.1855)DANFS1.6.1813 - 1813Acting Lieutenant William Sitgreaves CoxDANFS

6 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
28.2.1800Master Edward Ballardref:120314.3.1800 - 8.7.1801Carpenter Robert Armisteadref:120318.4.1800 - Surgeon's Mate Sterling Archerref:120310.5.1801Chaplain William Balchref:120315.7.1812 - 1.6.1813Master William A White (d.1813)†W0491.6.1813 - 1813Gunner Mathew RogersE-WIKI

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1800 - 1803Midshipman Lewis Warrington (1782-1851)W053

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1.6.1800 - 31.7.1800Marine Private Ebenezer Carlisle (c.1779-?)ref:11449.1808 - 25.9.1809Marine Corporal John Francisco (c.1779-?)ref:1144

Service History

DateEventSource
6.6.1800Left Norfolk for a cruise of the southern coast of the USA and the West Indies
1801Placed in ordinary at Norfolk
1.1.1801Took the Privateer La Jeune Creole
11.5.1801Departed Gibraltar bound for North America
1.7.1801Arrived at Gibraltar
27.4.1802Recommisioned as Mediterannean Flagship of Commodore Richard V Morris
6.4.1803Left Gibraltar for America
1.6.1803Arrived at Washington Navy Yard and placed in ordinary soon after
1807Recommissioned
6.1807Left Hampton Roads
22.6.1807

Incident with Leopard (50), in which the Chesapeake suffered 21 casualties and had 4 men carried off

E-WIKI
13.12.1812Cruised in the Atlantic taking five British Merchantmen prize
9.4.1813Returned to the United States
1.6.1813Left Boston to engage Shannon (38)
1.6.1813Chesapeake vs Shannon
1.6.1813Taken by Shannon (38)

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
1802-1803	American Mediterranean Squadron 1802-1803	Richard V Morris

Notes on Ship

Casualties and DamageW057

In the action against the Shannon the Chesapeake had sixty-one killed or mortally wounded, including her Captain, First and Fourth Lieutenants, master, Boatswain and three Midshipmen, and eight-five wounded, including her both the other Lieutenants, five midshipmen and the Chaplain.

During the fifteen minute engagement the Chesapeake was struck by the following shot (From a table in Roosevelt)

39	eighteen pound
25	thirty-two pound
2	nine pound
306	grape
362	Total shot

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