Hornet vs. Peacock 203 years ago – Half Cent Coin

Today, the Half Cent Coin remembers the sloop-of-war Hornet defeating the British man-of-war Peacock in a short, successful attack.

In Sea Power of September 1918, an article by Lieutenant Holloway H. Frost, U. S. N., described the sea battle of February 24, 1813.

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On October 26, 1812, the 44 gun frigate Constitution, Captain William Bainbridge, and the 18-gun ship-sloop Hornet, Master Commandant James Lawrence, sailed from Boston for a cruise in the East Indies.

The 32-gun frigate Essex was to sail from the Delaware at the same time and to join the squadron at one of three appointed rendezvous. As she was not found at either of the first two, Port Praya and Fernando de Noronha, Captain Bainbridge proceeded to the third, Bahia, Brazil.

He arrived there in December 13. In the port was found the British sloop of-war Bonne Citoyenne. Both American ships remained off the port blockading this vessel.

On December 26, the Constitution put to sea for a cruise, during which she eventually captured the British frigate Java, leaving the Hornet to continue the blockade.

Although the two ships were practically equal in strength, the Bonne Citoyenne very properly refused to come out and fight as she was carrying half a million pounds in specie to England, which would be lost if she were defeated.

The Hornet continued the blockade until January 24 when the ship-of-the-line Montagu arrived.

Captain Lawrence was himself compelled to run into port to avoid capture, but the next night ran the blockade and escaped.

The Hornet now worked north along the Brazilian coast, capturing a valuable prize on February 14, and arriving off Demerara on the 24th. Here the British sloop Espiegle was discovered at anchor.

Lawrence determined to attack her at anchor and was working his way in through the reefs when, at 3:30 P. M., he made out another British sloop to the eastward.

This proved to be the Peacock, commanded by Captain Peake and mounting 16 short 24-pounders and two long 12 pounders, throwing a total weight in shot of 210 pounds.

The Hornet mounted eighteen short 32-pounders and two long 12-pounders, giving a total of 279 pounds and a considerable superiority in fighting strength over her British adversary.

At 5:10 P. M. the two ships were standing toward each other on opposite courses, the Hornet being slightly to the windward and steering nearly east. The wind was south.

At 5:25 the two ships passed each other at close range, both firing their port broadsides.

The Hornet suffered but little from this fire while her fire had great effect on the Peacock.

As soon as the ships had passed Captain Peake wore, coming around to a course about northeast, and opening with his starboard battery.

Captain Lawrence imitated this maneuver, and running into a position close to the Peacock’s starboard quarter, pouring in a very effective fire.

The guns were worked so rapidly that buckets of water were poured over them to keep them cool.

At 5:36, after only eleven minutes of fighting, the British colors were hauled down. The Peacock had lost eight killed, including her captain, and thirty wounded. The Hornet had lost but one killed and four wounded.

After fire had ceased, the Peacock hoisted distress signals. The American officers did everything in their power to remove the wounded and to save the ship, but she sank only a few minutes after the surrender, nine of her men going down and three of the rescuing party being lost.

During this action the Espiegle, although in plain sight only four miles away, did nothing to come to the assistance of the Peacock.

Captain Lawrence made rapid repairs to meet her should she come out and by 9 P. M. was ready to fight another action.

At 2 P. M. the following afternoon the Hornet set sail for home; as she had no less than 277 men on board, it was evident that she could do no further cruising for the time.

The British sloop had been bravely fought but her gunnery had been very poor, only one shot having hit the Hornet’s hull during the entire action. Her commanding officer had paid more attention to the appearance of his ship than to his preparations for battle.

Roosevelt says very justly: “It appears that she had long been known as the yacht, on account of the tasteful arrangement of her deck; the breechings of her carronades were lined with white canvas, and nothing could exceed in brilliancy the polish upon the traversing bars and elevating screws. In other words, Captain Peake had confounded the mere incidents of good discipline with the essentials.”

The chivalrous Lawrence treated the British prisoners with such kindness that they expressed their appreciation to him in a formal letter.

It was only one example of the kindness with which our Navy has always treated its defeated enemies.

We may well be proud of the fact that no cruelty or inhumanity to helpless prisoners or civilians has ever stained our bright record of successes.

Note. A contemporary Halifax news paper said of the quick destruction of the Peacock : “A vessel moored for the purpose of experiment could not have been sunk sooner. It will not do for our vessels to fight theirs single-handed.”

Mahan says of this engagement: “The inequality in armament detracts inevitably from glory in achievement; but the credit of readiness and efficiency is established for Lawrence and his crew by prompt action and decided results. So, also, defeat is not inglorious under such odds; but it remains to the disadvantage of the British commander that his ship did no more execution, when well within the most effective range of her guns.”

In commenting upon this engagement, after noticing the dandy neatness of the Peacock, James says: “Neglect to exercise the ship’s company at the guns prevailed then over two-thirds of the British Navy; to which Admiralty, by their sparing allowance of powder and shot for practice, were in some degree instrumental.”

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The Half Cent Coin shows with an artist’s image of the sea battle between the Hornet and the Peacock.

Half Cent Coin