USS Nautilus (1799) facts for kids
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USS Nautilus
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | USS Nautilus |
| Builder | Spencer |
| Cost | $18,763 |
| Laid down | 1799 |
| Acquired | Purchased, May 1803 |
| Commissioned | 24 June 1803 |
| Fate | Captured by Royal Navy, 6 July 1812 |
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Emulous |
| Acquired | By capture 6 July 1812 |
| Fate | Sold or broken up 1817 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Schooner Rerigged as Brig 1810 |
| Displacement | 185 long tons (188 t) |
| Tons burthen | 213 (bm) |
| Length | 87 ft 6 in (26.67 m) (overall) 71 ft 6 in (21.79 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 23 ft 8 in (7.21 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 103 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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The Nautilus was a sailing ship called a schooner. It was built in 1799. The United States Navy bought it in May 1803. It was then named USS Nautilus, becoming the first ship with that name.
This ship played a part in the First Barbary War. Later, it was changed into a brigantine, which is another type of sailing ship. The British captured Nautilus early in the War of 1812. They renamed it HMS Emulous. The ship served the Royal Navy until 1817, when it was sold.
Contents
Building the Nautilus
Henry Spencer built the Nautilus in 1799. It was first a merchant ship, meaning it carried goods for trade. It was built on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
The U.S. Navy bought the ship in Baltimore, Maryland. This happened in May 1803. On June 24, 1803, the ship officially joined the Navy. Its first commander was Lieutenant Richard Somers.
Serving in the First Barbary War
The Nautilus left Hampton Roads on June 30, 1803. It sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. Its job was to deliver important messages to the U.S. Mediterranean Squadron. This squadron protected American interests and citizens in that area. At the time, the Barbary States were a threat.
The Nautilus reached Gibraltar on July 27. It then delivered messages to Captain John Rodgers. After that, it returned to Gibraltar. The ship waited there to join Commodore Edward Preble's squadron.
Commodore Preble arrived on September 12. His squadron then sailed to Tangier on October 6. This show of naval power convinced the Emperor of Morocco to renew a peace treaty.
On October 31, 1803, the Tripolitans captured the American ship Philadelphia. After this, the squadron focused on Tripoli and Tunis. The ships used Syracuse as a meeting point. They appeared off Tunis and Tripoli many times.
In February 1804, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur bravely sailed the ship Intrepid into Tripoli harbor. He burned the captured Philadelphia. During this time, Nautilus was cruising near Tunis.
Later, Nautilus went back to Syracuse for repairs. It returned to Tripoli in mid-March. In May and June, it was repaired in Messina. On July 5, it left Messina and joined the ship Constitution off Tripoli.
During August and early September, Nautilus helped in the siege of Tripoli. It took part in five major attacks. For the next five months, it continued to patrol near Tripoli and Tunis. It would return to Syracuse and Malta for breaks.
On April 27, 1805, Nautilus arrived off Derna. It helped in the attack and capture of that town. It stayed there until May 17. The ship provided cover for the forces of Hamet Caramanli. He was the former ruler of Tripoli. His forces were fighting against his brother, Yusuf ibn Ali Karamanli.
On May 17, Nautilus sailed to Malta. It carried messages and injured sailors. At the end of May, it returned to Tripoli. On June 10, the fighting stopped when a peace treaty was signed.
Nautilus stayed in the Mediterranean for another year. It operated from Malta and Gibraltar. In the spring of 1806, it was sent to Algiers for message duty. In June, it sailed back to the United States.
Between the Wars
The Nautilus arrived in Washington, D.C., in mid-July. It was then placed in storage at the Washington Navy Yard. In 1808, it was brought back into service. It worked along the East Coast until 1810.
At that time, the Navy changed it into a brig. This meant it had a different sail setup. It was also given new weapons: twelve 18-pounder carronades. The Nautilus was put back into service in 1811. It joined Stephen Decatur's squadron.
Captured by the British
The War of 1812 with Britain began on June 18, 1812. The Nautilus became the first ship lost by either side in this war. A British squadron captured it off northern New Jersey. This squadron included the ships Africa, Shannon, and Aeolus.
The Nautilus had been at sea for only 24 hours. It was on a patrol from New York when Shannon and Aeolus captured it. This happened on July 17. At the time, Nautilus had 16 guns and a crew of 106 men. Lieutenant William M. Crane was its commander.
HMS Emulous
The British quickly took the Nautilus into their service. They informally called it Emulous. This was because they had just lost another ship named Emulous. On August 29, the British Navy officially bought the ship.
On February 2, 1813, Emulous was officially put into service. Commander William Mackenzie Godfrey was its new captain. The ship was stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Emulous then captured several American privateer ships or merchant vessels. These were ships that either attacked other ships for profit or carried goods for trade.
- On August 25, 1812, Emulous captured the American ship Gossamer.
- That same day, it captured the American privateer schooner Science. This ship had five guns and 52 men.
- On September 17, 1812, Emulous helped capture the ship Melantho. This ship was carrying copper, furs, and money.
- On September 21, 1812, Emulous shared in the prize money for the brig Ambition. This ship was carrying flour.
- On April 5, 1813, it captured the American privateer schooner Cossack. This ship had one large gun and 40 men.
- On April 18, Emulous captured the American ship Bird. This schooner was carrying wood products.
- On May 5, Emulous and other British ships captured the schooner Ann. It was carrying cotton, lead, and animal skins.
- That same day, they captured the American privateer Montgomery. This ship had 12 guns and about 75 men.
- On August 4, 1813, Emulous recaptured the schooner Four Brothers.
- On September 21 or 24, 1813, the boats from Emulous and another ship destroyed the American privateer Orange.
- On October 10, 1813, Emulous destroyed two small American privateers. These were the schooner Orion and the row boat Camelion.
After the War and Its End
On July 22, 1814, Commander Godfrey left the Emulous. Commander John Gore took over on July 23, 1814. He stayed until February 3, 1815.
Later, Lieutenant John Undrell became commander on June 13, 1815. He was still on the Jamaica station. His replacement was Commander Thomas Wrenn Carter.
The last commander was Lieutenant Caleb Jackson. He sailed Emulous to Deptford, England. The ship was taken out of service there on June 19, 1816. It was then stored away. The British Navy sold the ship for £900 in August 1817.
The Emulous might have become a merchant ship again. It may have been renamed Nautilus. This ship was a type of sailing vessel called a snow. It was built in America and weighed 230 tons.
See also
- List of ships captured in the 19th century
