View source for HMS Macedonian

{{Short description|Lively-class frigate of the Royal Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
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| Ship image= Thomas Birch - Engagement between the "United States" and the "Macedonian".jpg
| Ship caption= [[Engagement between the United States and the Macedonian|Engagement between the ''United States'' and the ''Macedonian'']], by [[Thomas Birch (artist)|Thomas Birch]], 1813
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name= HMS ''Macedonian''
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| Ship namesake=
| Ship ordered= 28 September 1808
| Ship builder= [[Woolwich Dockyard]]
| Ship laid down= May 1809
| Ship launched= 2 June 1810
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| Ship decommissioned=
| Ship in service=
| Ship out of service= 25 October 1812
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| Ship fate= Captured
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| Ship country=United States
| Ship flag={{USN flag|1828}}
| Ship name= USS ''Macedonian''
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| Ship namesake=
| Ship acquired= 25 October 1812
| Ship commissioned= April 1813
| Ship decommissioned= 1828
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| Ship fate= Broken up, 1834
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Ship class= {{sclass|Lively|frigate}}
| Ship tons burthen= 1082 [[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]]<ref>{{Cite Colledge2006}}, p. 242</ref>
| Ship length= {{convert|154|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam= {{convert|38|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
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| Ship draft= {{convert|18|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion= Sail
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| Ship complement= 306
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| Ship armament= rated as 38 guns
 28 × 18-pounder guns 14 × 32-pounder carronades
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'''HMS ''Macedonian''''' was a 38-gun [[fifth-rate]] {{sclass|Lively|frigate}} in the [[Royal Navy]], later captured by the {{USS|United States|1797|6}} during the [[War of 1812]].

==Construction and commissioning==
''Macedonian'' was built at [[Woolwich Dockyard]], England in 1809, [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] 2 June 1810, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] the same month. She was commanded by [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[Lord William FitzRoy]]. Among the original crew was the 13-year-old [[Samuel Leech]], who later wrote a memoir of his experiences.

==As HMS ''Macedonian''==
''Macedonian'' first delivered a company of soldiers to [[Lisbon]], Portugal, then remained in the area, guarding against the possibility of French naval attack. On 20 February 1811, she collided with ''Ives'' – a British [[merchant ship]] bound from [[Demerara]] on the north coast of [[South America]] to [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]] – in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] {{convert|50|nmi}} off Lisbon, and ''Ives'' was so severely damaged that she was set afire and ''Macedonian'' took her crew aboard.<ref name=CM230311>{{Cite news |title=Lloyd's Marine List – March 19, 1811. |newspaper=Caledonian Mercury |date=23 March 1811 |issue=13926 }}</ref> While ''Macedonian'' operated off Portugal, FitzRoy made personal profit by falsification of records of ships' stores, for which he was [[Court martial|court-martialled]] in March 1811 and dismissed from the service. (He was quietly reinstated in August 1811, presumably due to his aristocratic rank).

FitzRoy's replacement, [[William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave|William Waldegrave]], was an interim appointment whose command lasted for only a few weeks before he was himself replaced by [[John Surnam Carden]]. One of Carden's first actions was to hire a band, a move popular with the crew, but he did not get along with the first lieutenant David Hope.

In January 1812, ''Macedonian'' was ordered to secretly deliver some bills of exchange to [[Norfolk, Virginia]], and to bring back an equivalent quantity of gold and silver currency, as part of a scheme to keep the [[Bank of England]] solvent. During the visit, Carden socialised with the notables of Norfolk, including Captain [[Stephen Decatur]], but bungled the mission by inadvertently revealing what was planned, and had to return to Lisbon empty handed. Captain Carden dined frequently with Decatur and his wife Susan and jokingly bet a beaver hat on the outcome of a battle of their ships. They had come to consider one another friends.

In September 1812, ''Macedonian'' was ordered to accompany an [[East Indiaman]] as far as [[Madeira]], then to cruise in search of prizes as long as his supplies permitted.

=== Loss to USS ''United States''===
{{main|USS United States vs HMS Macedonian}}
''Macedonian'' left Madeira on 22 October 1812, but only a few days later, on the morning of 25 October, encountered {{USS|United States|1797|6}}, commanded by Carden's former dinner host Decatur. The United States had just declared [[War of 1812|war]] on the United Kingdom, and both captains were eager to achieve personal glory in a fight.

Unfortunately for ''Macedonian'', ''United States'' was a 44-gun heavy [[frigate]], and her broadside was {{convert|864|lbs|kg}} of metal, versus ''Macedonian''{{'}}s {{convert|528|lbs|kg}}. USS ''United States'' hove round, turning downwind and making HMS ''Macedonian'' chase her.  Within a few minutes of closing, fire from ''United States''{{'}}s 24-pounder cannons brought down all three of ''Macedonian''{{'}}s masts, and riddled the hull. ''United States'' then pulled away temporarily, leaving Carden and Hope time to contemplate their lack of options. Finally, with ''United States'' preparing to rake the British vessel again, Carden struck his colors, making ''Macedonian'' the second Royal Navy vessel to surrender to the Americans during the war.<ref>[[#Hill|Hill, 1905]] pp. 202–204</ref>

==As USS ''Macedonian''==
Decatur was careful to preserve ''Macedonian'', sending over a detail to help repair her.  This took a full two weeks. Decatur then brought the captured ship into [[Newport, Rhode Island]], as a prize on 4 December 1812, causing an immediate national sensation. {{USS|Constitution}} had previously beaten {{HMS|Guerriere|1806|6}}, but ''Guerriere'' had been too badly damaged to save. ''Macedonian'' was a sizable and welcome addition to the then tiny US Navy.

''Macedonian'' was immediately taken into the United States Navy, retaining the name as ''Macedonian'' under the command of Captain [[Jacob Jones (naval officer)|Jacob Jones]].

Early in May after receiving needed repairs ''Macedonian'', along with ''United States'' and the [[sloop-of-war|sloop]] {{USS|Hornet|1805 brig|2}} hoped to make their way to sea from the anchorage of Staten Island by way of Sandy Hook but were unable because of the British Blockade. Two ships of the line and three frigates were guarding that passage. Decatur, determined, took his squadron and crossing New York harbor made his way up the East River by way of [[Hell Gate]], [[New York (state)|New York]], 24 May 1813. While sailing along Long Island Sound on the night of 24 May the flagship ''United States'' was struck by lightning, causing damage to the main mast, which came crashing down and caused serious damage to the vessel. ''Macedonian'', being close by, immediately distanced herself from the periled ''United States''. After hasty repairs the fleet continued on their way eastward along the Sound. Because of unfavorable winds and a passage not favorable to heavy vessels, the fleet finally reached Montauk Point, the easternmost point of Long Island. The open sea was now before them but the British had blockading vessels there lying in wait. Outmatched, the fleet had no alternative but to turn back, making their way to the [[Thames River (Connecticut)|Thames River]], where ''Macedonian'' and the rest of the fleet remained until the end of the [[War of 1812|war]].<ref>[[#Mackenzie|Mackenzie, 1910]] pp. 192–195</ref>

On 20 May 1815 she departed for the [[Mediterranean]] to join Commodore Decatur's 10-ship squadron in the [[Second Barbary War]] in Algeria, a renewal of naval action against the [[Barbary]] powers, to stop harassment of American shipping. On 17 June the frigate assisted in the capture of the Algerian flagship, the frigate ''[[Mashuda]]'', by frigates {{USS|Constellation|1797|2}} and {{USS|Guerriere|1814|2}}, the sloops-of-war {{HMS|Epervier|1812|2}} and {{USS|Ontario|1813|2}}.

The signing of a treaty with [[Tunis]] and [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] on 7 August, following that with [[Algeria]] in June, won maritime freedom in the Mediterranean. The next three years ''Macedonian'' patrolled there and off the East Coast.

From January 1819 to March 1821 the frigate operated off the [[Pacific]] coast of South America, giving aid and protection to the commercial ships in the area during the disorders following the Latin American colonial revolts, before returning to [[Boston]] in June 1821.

During this period she worked as a banking ship, doing business with [[privateer]]s of every kind. Captain Downes often kept his midshipmen and other trusted aides busy counting specie. Many deposits were made, with many single deposits of over 100,000.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The men complained bitterly about their treatment, writing of how they were forced to eat mealy grain while counting hundreds of thousands of dollars in specie. Many of the men felt that Captain Downes was doing this for the "good of the Captain" and wondered when they would be used for the purpose they joined the Navy for rather than for the Captain's personal enrichment.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

On 2 April 1822 the ''Macedonian'' left [[Boston]] as part of Commodore James Biddle's [[West Indies Squadron (United States)|West Indies Squadron]]. Secretary of the Navy [[Smith Thompson]] had assigned the squadron to guard United States merchant shipping and suppress piracy. During their deployment seventy six of the ''Macedonian'' officers and men died. Seventy four of these deaths were by [[yellow fever]]. Biddle reported another fifty two of his crew were on sick-list. In their report to the Secretary of the Navy, Commodore Biddle and Surgeon's Mate Dr. Charles Chase state the cause as  "fever". As a consequence of this loss Biddle noted his squadron was forced to return to Norfolk Navy Yard early. The ''Macedonian'' crew upon arrival were provided medical care and quarantined at [[Craney Island (Virginia)|Craney Island]]<ref>NARA M125 volume 79 letter no. 15 "Captains Letters" James Biddle to Smith Thompson 3 August 1822</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Macedonian a list of the deaths |work=Connecticut Herald |date=20 August 1822 |page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sharp |first=John G.M. |title=Yellow Fever Aboard the USS Macedonian and USS Peacock in 1822 |url=http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/portsmouth/shipyard/yf1822.html |access-date=25 October 2019 |archive-date=25 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025010821/http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/portsmouth/shipyard/yf1822.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>[[File:James Biddle to Sec Nav Thompson re deaths aboard USS Macedonian 3 August 1822 p 1.jpg|thumb|A page from Commodore James Biddle's list of the seventy six dead aboard USS ''Macedonian'' 3 August 1822]]

She next cruised in the [[West Indies]], where she helped suppress piracy, into 1826.

On 11 June 1826 ''Macedonian'' departed Norfolk for service on the Pacific station, returning to [[Hampton Roads]], 30 October 1828. She was decommissioned in 1828 and was broken up at the [[Norfolk Navy Yard]]. The crew for this final voyage included [[William Henry Leonard Poe]], brother of American writer [[Edgar Allan Poe]].<ref>Silverman, Kenneth. ''Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance''. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991: 37. {{ISBN|0-06-092331-8}}</ref> HMS ''Macedonian''{{'}}s captured ensign was on display at Mahan Hall at the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]], but was removed on 27 February 2018 for preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/usnamuseum/photos/a.766528580031105.1073741847.137100856307217/2004261622924455/?type=3&theater |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/137100856307217/2004261622924455 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=U.S. Naval Academy Museum|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-28}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom}}
* [[USS United States vs HMS Macedonian|USS ''United States'' vs HMS ''Macedonian'']]
* [[List of frigate classes of the Royal Navy]]
* [[List of ships captured in the 19th century]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==

* {{cite book |last=Canney |first=Donald L. |title=Sailing warships of the US Navy |ref=Canney |year=2001 |publisher=Chatham Publishing / Naval Institute Press |page=224 |isbn=1-55750-990-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JEkV5RyAIKMC&q=united+states}}
* {{cite DANFS |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/macedonian-i.html |title=Macedonian I (Frigate) |publisher=Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |ref=Ship-XXX,USN |access-date=18 October 2011}}
* {{cite book |last=de Kay |first=James T. |title=Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York |year=1995}}
* {{cite book |last=Gardiner |first=Robert |year=2006 |title=Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars |publisher=Naval Institute Press |page=208 |isbn=9781591142836 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6eHFb_tqLfwC}}
* {{cite book |last=Hill |first=Frederic Stanhope |title=Twenty-six historic ships |ref=Hill |year=1905 |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London |oclc=1667284 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_aAMKAAAAIAAJ/page/n600 515] |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_aAMKAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book |last=MacKenzie |first=Alexander Slidell |author-link=Alexander Slidell Mackenzie |title=Life of Stephen Decatur: a commodore in the Navy of the United States |ref=MacKenzie |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_B7BCAAAAYAAJ/page/n464 443] |year=1846 |publisher=C. C. Little and J. Brown, 1846 – Biography & Autobiography |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_B7BCAAAAYAAJ}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Macedonian (ship, 1810)}}
* [http://www.dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0003240.htm Figurehead of the Macedonian at the U.S. Naval Academy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206155220/http://www.dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0003240.htm |date=6 February 2012 }}
* [http://todd.mainecav.org/model/macedonian/ Radio-Controlled model with additional data and history.]

{{Authority control}}

{{1811 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macedonian}}
[[Category:Frigates of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Sailing frigates of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United States]]
[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1810 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Woolwich]]
[[Category:Vessels captured by the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1811]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1812]]
[[Category:Second Barbary War]]
[[Category:Barbary Wars American ships]]