"What Ship is That?"

The President - Little Belt Incident


by
Joseph C. Mosier

In the middle of May 1811, rumors abounded in the Hampton Roads area of a sea battle between unknown forces in the vicinity of the Virginia Capes. The Norfolk Herald reported on 20 May that Captain Garland of the schooner Temperance just arrived from Salem
"Thursday last at 9 in the evening heard a brisk cannonading for the space of 30 minutes to the S.E. This account of the firing is corroborated by 4 or 5 other captains arrived here."
On 24 May, The Norfolk Gazette and Publick Ledger carried the news that the master of the ship Pallas arrived in Baltimore reporting heavy firing about 20 miles east of Cape Henry for 20 to 30 minutes about 8 p.m. on the 16th. The paper cautioned,
"A rumor is now circulating in many a shape and shade, relative to a supposed battle between the United States Frigate President, Commodore Rodgers, and a British frigate. The firing heard by Captain West [of the Pallas], was not sufficient to induce a belief of such a combat. The President might have been scaling her guns."
It was not for another week that firm news was received to explain the incident. On 29 May, both newspapers were
"enabled to satisfy the public mind respecting the rumors lately circulating of an engagement off our coast."
According to reports just in from New York, the President had engaged HMS Little Belt in a short but bloody battle on the night of 16 May.

This battle was the outcome of two heavy grievances Americans felt toward the British. The first was outrage and humiliation engendered by the attack on USS Chesapeake by HMS Leopard in 1807. In that instance, the British ship had demanded Chesapeake's captain turn over British deserters reportedly onboard the American frigate. When he failed to do so promptly, Leopard fired two broadsides into Chesapeake, killing three and wounding 18. Four men were then forcibly removed to the British ship. The second factor was the long-standing British practice of impressing merchant seamen into Royal Navy service. Short-handed British officers were disinclined to believe protestations of American citizenship from a needed able seaman.

The latest case of impressment had occurred on 1 May. HMS Guerriere had stopped the American brig Spitfire near Sandy Hook, New Jersey and had taken from her the master apprentice, John Diggio, a Maine native. In response Navy Secretary Paul Hamilton ordered President and the brig Argus to patrolling stations off New York. President was then at Annapolis, Maryland while her captain, John Rodgers, visited his family at Havre de Grace. Rodgers immediately rejoined the ship and slipped down the Chesapeake on the 10th. Contrary winds slowed the trip, and it wasn't until late afternoon on the 14th that the frigate cleared the Capes. Rodgers spent the next day aiding two ships in distress. Shortly after noon on 16 May while about 45 miles northeast of Cape Henry, President spotted a vessel to the southeast. From the shape of the sails, Rodgers determined her to be a ship of war, hopefully the Guerriere. He cleared his ship for action and turned to close the stranger.

The ship Rodgers was pursuing was HMS Little Belt. Referred to variously a sloop of war or corvette, Little Belt had started life as the Danish Lille Belt, but had been seized by the British following the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. She was much the smaller ship, with a burden of 460 tons compared to President's 1576 tons. Her armament was correspondingly weaker, eighteen 32-pound carronades and two long 9-pounders versus the American's fifty-eight guns. Her captain, Arthur Batt Bingham, had been ordered to join HMS Guerriere somewhere along the coast. If (as was the case) he didn't meet up with that frigate, Bingham was to cruise alone in protection of British shipping. The Royal Navy commander at Bermuda, Vice-Adm. Sawyer told Bingham that, in view of the strained relations between the two countries, he must be especially careful not to offend the Americans.

Little Belt had spotted the taller President first at about 11 a.m. Determining her to be a frigate, Capt. Bingham closed her and hoisted the signal asking her to identify herself. He received no reply, but noticed the blue commodore's pennant which labeled the ship as American. Accordingly, Bingham turned south to resume his course to round Cape Hatteras. Rodgers in turn was curious about the stranger and began pursuit. By 3:30 p.m. he had closed sufficiently to make out the upper portion of Little Belt's stern. From this angle, Rodgers maintained the sloop had the appearance of a larger ship. The wind decreased about this time, and President began to lose ground, preventing a closer look. By 6:30 p.m. Bingham realized he would not be able to get away during the night. He decided therefore "to bring to and hoist colors." Rodgers in his report wrote that about 7:15 p.m. that Little Belt "hoisted an Ensign or flag at her Mizzen Peak, but it was too dark for me to discover what nation it represented." [Sunset would have been about 7:10 p.m.] Rodgers also said that the ship finally offered a side-on view "but night had so far progressed, that altho' her appearance indicated she was a frigate, I was unable to determine her actual force." Bingham was concerned that President seemed to be trying to get into position to rake his ship. To prevent this, the British captain wore his ship [brought the ship about by bringing the stern through the wind] three times.

Finally, by about 8:15 p.m., President had gained a position about 70 to 100 yards distant and forward of Little Belt's weather beam. At this point, both captains called out the standard hail; "What ship is that?" Both failed to answer but instead hailed again. The official reports of Rodgers and Bingham differ as to who hailed first. Both stated they felt they deserved a reply having made the first hail. According to the American account, just after Rodgers' second hail a single cannon fired onboard Little Belt. The shot struck President's main mast. Even before Rodgers could order a response, a single American cannon fired. A ragged response from the British ship grew into a full broadside. Rodgers claimed he had been hesitant to respond initially. After the broadside, he
"accordingly with that degree of repugnance incident to feeling equally determined neither to be the aggressor, or to suffer the Flag of my Country to be insulted with impunity; gave a general order to fire."
Bingham`s account varies significantly. After his second hail, he states,
"[Rodgers] again repeated my words & fired a Broadside, which I instantly returned. The Action then became general & continued for three-quarters of an hour."
Rodgers puts the length of the action at only 12 to 15 minutes. At the end of that time, Rodgers again called out, "What ship is that?" and this time was informed it was a Royal Navy vessel.

However long the firing may have lasted, it ended with the advantage to the Americans. President had only one boy wounded and slight damage to shrouds, main and fore mast. Bingham reported,
"His Majesty's ship is much damaged in her Masts, sails, rigging & Hull - [with] many shots thro' between Wind and Water & many shot still remaining in her Side and Upper Works all shot away, Starboard pump also."
Additionally, Little Belt suffered ten killed and twenty-two wounded. When daylight came on the morning of the 17th, Rodgers closed the injured sloop. He sent a boat across to find out the extent of her injuries and to offer help with repairs. Bingham reported his discussion with the boarding officer Lieut. John Creighton thus:
" He lamented much the unfortunate Affair (as he termed it) that had happened, that had he known our Force was so inferior he should not have fired at me. I asked his Motive for having fired at all, his reply was that we fired the first Gun at him, which was positively not the case. He offered me every assistance I stood in need of, and submitted to me that I had better put into one of the Ports of the United States, which I immediately declined."
Creighton returned to President and the two ships parted. Rodgers sailed directly to New York arriving on the 17th . Little Belt proceeded more slowly to Halifax having to weather a gale on the second day. Her damage proved to be so severe that the sloop was sold out of service later in 1811. Rodgers sought a court of inquiry following American publication of Bingham's account. The court, comprised of Stephen Decatur, Charles Stewart and Isaac Chauncey, met in New York from August 30 to September 12. After interviewing 51 witnesses, the court found itself in full agreement with Rodger's original after action report.

American popular opinion strongly supported Rodgers actions. Still dissenting voices were heard in the opposition press. In an early Nineteenth-Century example of spin-doctoring, a correspondent wrote the anti-administration Norfolk Gazette & Publick Ledger on 7 June:
"The agitation produced upon the public mind by the affair between our 50-gun frigate, and the British 22-gun sloop, having in some measure subsided, our citizens are prepared I trust to take dispassionate view of the subject. The conduct of Capt. Rodgers unquestionably sanctions the report (independent of other strong circumstances) that the frigate was sent out by the executive with orders to provoke a conflict with some British vessel. What does Capt. Rodgers say? That he was himself 14 leagues out of the jurisdiction of the United States - that he saw a sail a long distance from him in the east and of course just so much farther from our coast - that this sail was coming toward him - that he pursued her - that she soon changed her course and ran from him - that this pursuit continued from noon until nine at night when the encounter took place! What, let me ask, was the conclusion the British officer was to draw from such a pursuit? He knew very well the law of nations did not justify a neutral ship of war in pursuing any vessel at sea out of the jurisdiction of her own country, unless such vessel was first seen within that jurisdiction, and that was not in fact the case; and if such neutral vessel comes up with the vessel of any nation, he is bound to make it known he is a friend. In this instance, Capt. Rodgers does not say he made himself known, even when he was asked; and this neglect to make such a communication finds no apology from the sloop refusing to answer the frigate's first question; because the sloop had every reason to suppose her an enemy. As to the American flag being hoisted is no evidence, since all belligerents are in habit of hanging out neutral flags to decoy and deceive; and as Rodgers did not come up with the sloop until dark (nine o'clock) it was impossible to know the frigate was American.

I have always understood and believed our armed vessels were built to convoy and protect commerce - The present (nor the last) administration have not used them for that purpose. The government avow us a neutral nation, enemies to no country; and if we wish to maintain this character we must not continue to pursue every vessel that is seen at sea and in every respect assume the conduct and vexatious policy of a belligerent. There are men who consider this fracas an offset to the Chesapeake - I pray God it may not be an onset to War.
(signed) IMPARTIAL"
John Myers, then on a trip to England, was familiar with British response to the incident. A letter he wrote his father, Norfolk merchant Moses Myers, on 17 July reflected the opinion of many thoughtful Americans.
"Last week I got Rodgers' excellent letter on the affair off our Capes with the Little Belt. It gave me pleasure as it stated things so entirely favorable to his justification. I could wish him ready to resist any attack from a ship of any size, at the hazard of his ship & crew; or to punish any repetition of insult or aggression. But an unnecessary attack I should deplore, particularly against a vessel so much inferior. The letter perfectly justified his conduct to me, tho' the government will feel bound, I think, to inquire into the circumstances since the statement of Capt. Bingham as published officially yesterday, gives a diametrical contradiction in all the most material points. I have my own opinion on the letter of the English officer, from its general tenor, as well as my knowledge of Rodgers & his boarding officer Creighton; but not withstanding the unbearable aggression we have suffered, I wish with us in the conflict, if one is to ensue, the approbation of the World - & would establish the good conduct of an officer. I look forward to a repetition of this business on the first meeting of any ship of ours with any of the squadron of Sir Joseph Yorke which appears still to be off Plymouth, or in case of a meeting with any ship stationed on our coast, in which case, I do not see that hostilities can be avoided."

Fortunately, such British retribution did not appear immediately. Incidents of impressment did continue. A few months after the President - Little Belt affair, HMS Tartarus impressed three seamen off the Virginia brig Orion off the Capes. But no significant action occurred between warships of the two nations. President James Madison used the air of tension to bring Congress into action to "feel the duty of putting the United States into an armor and an attitude demanded by the crisis." Although Congress was willing to vote money to bring some mothballed ships into readiness, it refused to authorize any new construction. This had been predicted by the Norfolk Gazette & Publick Ledger shortly after the President and Little Belt had met. The paper had editorialized on 7 June: "The wonderful regard which the Democrats have recently manifested for our Seamen, and the Navy, would be pleasing, if we could believe it sincere. But when we recollect that only three years since these very democrats passed that cruel law [the Embargo Act of 1807], which left our brave seamen no alternative between starving in their own country, and seeking their bread in a foreign service, we cannot but doubt the sincerity of such professions. The same as the Navy - The opposition to the navy by the ruling party, is too well known to require proofs - and at this moment, the same hostility exists to a naval establishment."

Joseph Mosier writes and does research for The Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

Return to Maritime History Page