“all that was to be seen of the poor Peacock” – Oregon State Quarter Coin

Today, the Oregon State Quarter Coin remembers the USS Peacock and her demise at the entrance to the Columbia River 175 years ago.

The Army and Navy Chronicle of February 26, 1842 included the official report by Charles Wilkes of the loss of the ship. His document added the eyewitness report of Captain Hudson:

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The following is a copy of Captain Hudson’s report to me of the loss of the ship:

On the morning of the 17th of July, we obtained soundings in 190 fathoms off the Columbia River, after which we had light and baffling winds from S. by E. to S. W., made Cape Disappointment the same afternoon, and through the night had light airs and calms, accompanied with a dense fog. On the morning of the 18th, between 7 and 8, the fog cleared off, and we had a light breeze from the southward and eastward with pleasant weather, Cape Disappointment in sight ahead, distant 9 miles.

Until meridian we had light southerly breezes. At 9, got a cast of the lead and found 40 fathoms water; at 10. 15 obtained soundings in 14 fathoms, and wore ship off shore. At 11 wore again and stood in. At meridian the wind came out moderately from the southward and eastward; and weather a little cloudy. Soon after meridian, being off the entrance through the reef, called all hands to work the ship into port — had a lieutenant looking out on the foretopsail yard, and myself on the forecastle, and occasionally in the fore-rigging — stood in, according to my directions, through the channel or passage, until we brought Cape Disappointment to bear N. E. 1-4 E. by compass, and was leading up to it to bring Cheenook point to bear E.N. E. when we discovered the sea breaking ahead of us.

Believing myself rather too far to the southward, wore ship, and run a short distance until clear of the breakers, and where the passage appeared smooth and clear of break, both from below and aloft, when we again stood in, and in less than 5 minutes the ship touched.

The helm was immediately put a lee, and every effort made to bring her by the wind, and haul off, but thump after thump, and the heave of the sea, forced her on end, and rendered her unmanageable, every sail was immediately furled.

Stream-cable and anchor got ready for running out; 1st cutter hoisted out, launch ready, and Lieutenant Emmons sent to sound in various directions about the ship in one of the waist-boats. The wind had now got to the N. and W., and was gradually increasing, accompanied with haze and fog, and the ebb tide meeting the ocean swell, producing, in a few moments, a dangerous combing sea, which stove the 1st cutter, (with 2 careful hands in her, and moored with lines to play her from the fore and aft parts of the ship) and rendered her perfectly useless. It was with great difficulty and hazard Lieutenant Emmons got alongside after sounding, and his boat taken on board.

The ship was now lifting and striking heavily, and the sea had been too furious to venture the launch over the side to meet a like fate with the cutter; indeed, no boat could have lived about the ship. Had the pumps rigged, sent the royal and top gallant yards, masts and rigging on deck, and everything of weight, out of the tops, to save our lower masts from switching over the side.

Finding that the ship was now making water fast, divided the watches in gangs at the pumps, and kept them going from that time until the boats left the ship. Had the guns buoyed for heaving overboard; got a pendant tackle on the foreyard arm, and swung the larboard bower clear of her bottom, as she was now quartering to the sea, her after body lifting with every surge, coming down heavily, and the ship with all forging on end.

I was in hopes, by this process, to bring her head to sea, and have her strike fore and aft on her keel; our iron tiller now broke off some six or eight inched from the rudder head; rudder braces and pintal gone, and the rudder thrashing about violently with ever sea, unable to escape through the rudder-port, and acting, when its head brought upon the bottom, as a lever or pry upon the transom and stern frame, until it finally ground its way out; commenced heaving our shot over the stern, starting the water in the hold, etc. As I anticipated, the sea hove her stern around, and the force of her striking was sensibly diminished.

At low water we had but nine feet of water under the main chains, and the larboard bower nearly ahead of the ship, with 45 fathoms of chain out. We had the stoppers and lanyards several times carried away by the heave of the sea. At 8.45 P. M. parted the chain, when the ship was again hove nearly broadside to the sea, and striking very heavily; the starboard anchor was now let go, and the chain checked gradually, while the sea was heaving her aft body round; in this process she made some very heavy thumps, and when she got a head to the sea, we had twenty-five fathoms of chain out ahead, and the ship again striking fore and aft on her keel which sensibly lessened the force of the shocks to which she was exposed.

At 11.30 P. M. it was high water; sea somewhat abated, ship still striking, and occasionally with a very heavy thump. As the ebb tide made, let go the stream anchor from the stern to keep her from being thrown broadside to the sea, anticipating, as the tide runs out with great force, we should again be subject to the heavy combing sea.

At 1 A.M., the sea was rapidly increasing, and at 2, ship striking very heavily, the seas occasionally combing in over the larboard bow, etc., along the waist, which stove in the larboard bulwarks and flooded the spar-deck. —

The water was now knee deep on the gun-deck, although the pumps had been kept incessantly going, and the water was gaining so fast on us as to be over the shot lockers in the hold; knocked off the lower ceiling boards of the spar-deck bulwarks to free the deck of water, and tarpaulined the hatchways.

The ship at this time striking so heavily that I had little hopes of her holding together till daylight, and should have cut away the masts to ease her, but that would have left us without the means of getting out our boats should the occasion offer.

At 7 A.M., of the 19th, the first opportunity that occurred when a boat could be ventured over the side or reach the shore, Lieutenant Perry was dispatched with the charts, papers, and everything connected with the surveys of the present cruise, and Purser Speiden with his books and accounts.

Had the launch and three boats hoisted out, some trifling provisions put in the former, and all the boats of the ship successfully filled with the crew, officers and scientific gentlemen; the marines only taking their arms and accoutrements, and no one allowed to take any clothing but what they stood in, to prevent the lumbering and swamping of the boats.

Three or four of the boats succeeded in making a second trip, after which it became impossible from the violence of the sea and the force of the current for a boat to get off or live anywhere near the ship.

The crews and officers in charge of the boats deserve all praise for their perseverance in again endeavoring to rescue us at the hazard of their own lives, (we were painful witnesses at the time of one of the boats being swamped and capsized in the attempt,) and they only gave up the effort and returned to the shore, when we run our ensign union up on the stump of the mizen mast.

After the boats left us in the morning we had been compelled, from the dreadful roiling and thumping of the ship, the water having reached about eighteen inches above the birthdeck, to cut away the masts, hoping she would hold together long enough to save those of us who remained on board, although such hope was anything but flattering.

The boats again came off between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, but could not venture near the ship until just before sunset, when the remaining men, the boatswain, captain, purser’s steward, and Lieutenant Walker, were released from peril, and soon after dark, after a pull of about four miles, reached the encampment of our companions in misfortune at Baker’s Bay, where we found brush huts erected, fires burning, and the gentlemen of the Methodist mission, Messrs. Frost and Kone, and Mr. Birnie, agent of the Hon. Hudson Bay Co., from Fort George, with provisions for our relief.

All that have been saved from the ship are the charts made during the cruise, the work of the surveys, some few journals of the scientific gentlemen and officers, with the purser’s books and accounts, the chronometers, and all the boats, with the exception of the first cutter.

I feel thankful to a merciful Providence that all hands have been saved, although they have lost everything but what they stood in.

Through the night on which we landed, it was still and calm, and I had hoped the ship might hold together until morning and we should yet obtain something from her.

All the boats were dispatched soon after daylight for that purpose, but the spar-deck and most of her upper works were strewn to the winds and the waves, and all that was to be seen of the poor Peacock, that had carried us safely through so many hazards for the last three years, was the cap of her bowsprit, and very soon after, that disappeared.

I cannot sufficiently express my approbation of the conduct of the officers and men, on this painful occasion.

They have continued to the last strictly to perform their duties and carry out my orders, and I feel great pleasure in recommending them, through you as commander of the expedition, to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy,

W. L. HUDSON.

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The Oregon State Quarter Coin shows with an artist’s image of the loss of the Peacock in July 1841.

Oregon State Quarter Coin