Naval War of 1812 79 



There also appeared on the lists the New York, 

 36, Boston, 28, and John Adams, 28. The two 

 former were condemned hulks; the latter was en 

 tirely rebuilt after the war. The Hornet was orig 

 inally a brig of 440 tons, and 18 guns; having been 

 transformed into a ship, she was pierced for 20 

 guns, and in size was of an intermediate grade 

 between the Wasp and the heavy sloops, built some 

 what later, of 509 tons. Her armament consisted 

 of 32-pound carronades, with the exception of the 

 two bow-guns, which were long I2's. The 

 whole broadside was in nominal weight just 300 

 pounds; in actual weight about 277 pounds. 

 Her complement of men was 140, but during the 

 war she generally left port with I5O. 20 The Wasp 

 had been a ship from the beginning, mounted the 

 number of guns she rated (of the same calibres as 

 the Hornet's) and carried some ten men less. She 

 was about the same length as the British i8-gun 

 brig-sloop, but, being narrower, measured nearly 

 30 tons less. The Argus and Syren were similar 

 and very fine brigs, the former being the longer. 

 Each carried two more guns than she rated ; and 



gress, Dec. 24, 1798; Letters of Secretary Paul Hamilton, 

 Feb. 21, 1812; "American State Papers," Vol. XIX, p. 149. 

 See also "The History of the Navy of the United States," by 

 Lieut. G. E. Emmons, U. S. N. (published in Washington, 

 MDCCCLIII, under the authority of the Navy Department. 

 80 In the Hornet's log of Oct. 25, 1812, while in port, it is 

 mentioned that she had 158 men; four men who were sick 

 were left behind before she started. (See, in the Navy 

 Archives, the Log-book, Hornet, Wasp, and Argus, July 

 20, 1809, to Oct. 6, 1813). 



