CHAPTER V 

 1813 



ON THE OCEAN 



Blockade of the American coast The Essex in the South 

 Pacific The Hornet captures the Peacock American 

 privateers cut-out by British boats Unsuccessful cruise 

 of Commodore Rodgers The Chesapeake is captured 

 by the Shannon Futile gunboat actions Defence of 

 Craney Island Cutting-out expeditions The Argus 

 is captured by the Pelican The Enterprise captures 

 the Boxer Summary 



BY the beginning of the year 1813 the British 

 had been thoroughly aroused by the American 

 successes, and active measures were at once taken to 

 counteract them. The force on the American sta 

 tion was largely increased, and a strict blockade be 

 gun, to keep the American frigates in port. The 

 British frigates now cruised for the most part in 

 couples and orders were issued by the Board of 

 Admiralty that an i8-pounder frigate was not to 

 engage an American 24-pounder. Exaggerated ac 

 counts of the American 44/5 being circulated, a new 

 class of spar-deck frigates was constructed to meet 

 them, rating 50 and mounting 60 guns ; and some 

 74's were cut down for the same purpose. 1 These 

 new ships were all much heavier than their intended 

 opponents. 



1 James, vi, p. 206. 



(201) 



