79 



The builders of the Essex hoped she might be useful in chas- 

 tising " French insolence and piracy;" but that destiny -was 

 not reserved for her. The difficulties with France were soon 

 settled, and the prowess of the Essex remained for exhibition in 

 the war against that country (England) with which her buil- 

 ders were (then) upon the best of terms ! 



Her first hostile service was rendered at the capture of the 

 town of Derne, in Tripoli, April 27, 1805, when, under Capt. 

 Barron, she headed the naval force, in conjunction with the 

 land forces under Gen. Wm. Eaton and the Ex-Bashaw. This 

 was during her second cruise, which was in the Mediterranean, 

 from 1802 to 1805. There she was employed in protecting 

 American commerce against the pirates of that sea, and was 

 commanded, successively, by Capt. W. Bainbridge, Stephen 

 Decatur, C. Stewart, George Cox, A. Campbell, and J. Bar- 

 ron. In 1810, she again went to Europe under Capt. John 

 Smith ; and in 1811, she composed one of Commodore Rod- 

 gers's squadron on the coast. 



When war with England was declared, in 1812, the Essex 

 was one of the first vessels to sail from New York, under com- 

 mand of Capt. David Porter, of heroic memory. War was de- 

 clared June 18, and the Essex sailed July 3. She repaired to 

 the vicinity of Newfoundland, and in little over a month took 

 nine prizes. One of these was the British national armed ship 

 Alert, of 20 guns and 28 men, which was taken after a short 

 and sharp action of only eight minutes. The Essex at this 

 time carried 46 guns and 319 men. The Alert was the first 

 armed vessel taken in the war — the engagement having occur- 

 red August 13, six days before the action between the Consti- 

 tution and Guerriere. The other prizes taken by the Essex 

 during this cruise were as follows : 



July 11. Brig Transport, -with 197 Aug. 2. Brig Hero. 



troops, cut out of a fleet " 2. Ship Nancy, 



of seven transports, con- " 3. Brig Brothers, 



voyed by the Nimrod of " 8. " King George. 



32 guna. *' 9. " Mary. 



" 13. Brig Lamprey. " 13. H. M. S. Alert. 

 " 26. " Leander. 



On the 27th October, 1812, the Essex, still under Porter, 

 sailed for the Pacific — and was the first national vessel to dou- 

 ble Cape Horn, as she had before been the first to double the 

 Cape of Good Hope. On his way Porter took three prizes, 

 and subsequently, in the Pacific, captured thirteen English 

 vessels, principally whalers, entirely destroying that branch 

 of the enemy's commerce. His prize money amounted to 



