View source for USS Congress (1799)

{{short description|United States Navy frigate}}
{{other ships|USS Congress{{!}}USS ''Congress''}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = [[File:USS Congress (NH 57005).jpg|300px|alt=A drawing of a ship's sails. The ship has 3 masts in which all sails are set and full of wind. The bow of the ship is pointed to the right of the frame.]]
| Ship caption = ''Congress'' by Charles Ware, 1816
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1834}}
| Ship name = USS ''Congress''
| Ship namesake = [[United States Congress|Congress]]<ref name="DANFS">{{cite DANFS|title=Congress|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/congress-iii.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref>
| Ship ordered = 27 March 1794<ref name="DANFS"/>
| Ship builder = James Hackett
| Ship original cost = $197,246<ref name="Teddy48">Roosevelt (1883), p. 48.</ref>
| Ship laid down = 1795<ref name="Allen47"/>
| Ship launched = 15 August 1799
| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship maiden voyage = 6 January 1800
| Ship fate = Broken up, 1834
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship type = 38-gun frigate<ref name="Chapelle128"/><ref name="Beach32"/><ref name=rating group=Note/>
| Ship tonnage = 
| Ship displacement = 1,265 tons<ref name="DANFS"/>
| Ship tons burthen = 
| Ship length = {{convert|164|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[length between perpendiculars|lpp]]<ref name="Chapelle128"/>
| Ship beam = {{convert|41|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Chapelle128"/>
| Ship height = 
| Ship draft = 
| Ship hold depth = {{convert|13.0|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Chapelle128"/>
| Ship decks = [[Orlop deck|Orlop]], [[Berth (sleeping)|Berth]], [[Gun deck|Gun]], [[Spar (sailing)|Spar]]
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship propulsion = Sail
| Ship sail plan = 
| Ship speed = 
| Ship complement = 340&nbsp;officers and enlisted<ref name="DANFS"/>
| Ship armament = *'''1799'''
* 28 × {{convert|18|pdr|kg|0}}
* 12 × {{convert|9|pdr|kg|0}}
* '''1812'''
* 24 × {{convert|18|pdr|kg|0}}
* 20 × 32-pounder carronades
}}
|}

'''USS ''Congress''''' was a three-masted [[heavy frigate]], one of the [[original six frigates of the United States Navy|first six ships of the newly created US Navy]]. Built by [[James Hackett (shipbuilder)|James Hackett]] at the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]], she was launched on 15 August 1799 and [[Rating system of the Royal Navy#Practices in other navies|nominally rated]] as a 38-gun frigate (despite often carrying up to 48 guns). The name ''Congress'' was chosen from a list of ten names submitted to President [[George Washington]] by Secretary of War [[Timothy Pickering]] in March 1795.<ref>Pickering, Timothy (14 March 1795). [https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-17-02-0439 Letter to George Washington]. ''Founders Online'', National Archives. Retrieved 25 September 2019</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YcwsOf5Tw9IC&q=USS%20Constitution&pg=PA8|title=Ironsides! the Ship, the Men and the Wars of the USS Constitution|last1=Brodine |first1=Charles E.|last2=Crawford|first2=Michael J.|last3=Hughes|first3=Christine F.|publisher=Fireship Press|year=2007|isbn=9781934757147|pages=8|language=en}}</ref> As [[Joshua Humphreys]] intended for the frigates to serve as the young Navy's [[capital ship]]s, ''Congress'' and her [[sister ship]]s were larger and more heavily armed than the standard frigates of the period.

Her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the [[Quasi War]] with [[France]] and to defeat the [[Barbary pirates]] in the [[First Barbary War]]. During the [[War of 1812]], she made several extended length cruises in company with her [[sister ship]] {{USS|President|1800|2}} and captured or assisted in the capture of twenty British merchant ships. At the end of 1813, because repair materials were lacking, she [[Reserve fleet|was placed in reserve]] for the remainder of the war. In 1815, she returned to service for the [[Second Barbary War]] and made patrols through 1816. In the 1820s, she helped suppress piracy in the West Indies, made several voyages to South America, and was the first U.S. warship to visit China. ''Congress'' spent her last ten years of service as a [[receiving ship]] until she was [[Ship breaking|broken up]] in 1834.

==Construction==
{{main|Original six frigates of the United States Navy}}

In 1785, [[Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]], most notably from [[Algiers]], began to seize American [[merchant vessel]]s in the Mediterranean. In 1793 alone, eleven American ships were captured, and their crews and stores held for ransom. To combat this problem, proposals were made for warships to protect American shipping, resulting in the [[Naval Act of 1794]].<ref name="Allen4142">Allen (1909), pp. 41–42.</ref><ref name="Beach2627">Beach (1986), pp. 26–27.</ref> The act provided funds to construct [[Original six frigates of the United States Navy|six frigates]], but included a provision that if peace terms were agreed to with Algiers, the construction of the ships would be halted.<ref name="Beach29">Beach (1986), p. 29.</ref>

[[Joshua Humphreys]]' design was unusual for the time, involving a diagonal [[scantling]] (rib) scheme intended to restrict [[hogging and sagging|hogging]] while giving the ships extremely heavy planking. This design gave the [[Hull (watercraft)|hull]] a greater strength than a more lightly built frigate. Humphreys' design was based on his realization that the fledgling United States of the period could not match the European states in the size of their navies. This being so, the frigates were designed to overpower other frigates with the ability to escape from a [[ship of the line]].<ref name="Toll4953">Toll (2006), pp. 49–53.</ref><ref name="Beach2930">Beach (1986), pp. 29–30, 33.</ref><ref name="Allen4245">Allen (1909), pp. 42–45.</ref> However, ''Congress'' was a scaled-down version of his more famous designs for ''Constitution'', ''United States'' and ''President'', being closer in size to the standard European frigates of the day, and mounting the usual armament of 18-pounder guns.

''Congress'' was given her name by President [[George Washington]] after a principle of the United States Constitution.<ref name="Beach29"/><ref name="Toll61">Toll (2006), p. 61.</ref> Her keel was laid down by 12 December 1795<ref name="Allen47">Allen (1909), p. 47.</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v01p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume I Part 1 of 4 1785 through 1801 |pages=125 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref> at a shipyard in Kittery, Maine (then a district of Massachusetts). James Hackett was charged with her construction, and Captain James Sever served as a superintendent. Her construction proceeded slowly and was completely suspended when, in March 1796, a peace treaty was signed with Algiers.<ref name="NHFQW">{{cite web
 |title       = The Reestablishment of the Navy, 1787–1801: Historical Overview of the Federalist Navy
 |publisher   = Naval History & Heritage Command
 |url         = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/bibliographies/reestablishment-of-the-navy-1787-1801/navy-history-federal-quasi-war.html
 |access-date  = 28 January 2015
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905175705/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/bibliographies/reestablishment-of-the-navy-1787-1801/navy-history-federal-quasi-war.html
 |archive-date = 5 September 2015
}}</ref><ref Name="NA1794-2">''An Act to provide a Naval Armament''. {{USStat|1|351}} (1794). Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 December 2010.</ref> ''Congress'' remained at the shipyard, incomplete, until relations with France deteriorated in 1798 with the start of the [[Quasi-War]]. At the request of then President [[John Adams]], funds were approved on 16 July to complete her construction.<ref name="Allen1909-56">Allen (1909), p. 56.</ref>

===Armament===
{{see also|Naval artillery in the Age of Sail}}

[[File:USSConstellationUSSCongressHull1795.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A diagram with thin lines showing the outline and cross section of a ship's hull, along with straight lines with various numeric measurements.|Building plan of ''Congress'' and ''Constellation'']]

The Naval Act of 1794 had specified 36-gun frigates. However, ''Congress'' and her sister-ship, the {{USS|Constellation|1797|2}}, were re-rated to 38s because of their large dimensions, being {{convert|164|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[length between perpendiculars|in length]] and {{convert|41|ft|m|abbr=on}} in width.<ref name="Chapelle128">Chapelle (1949), p. 128.</ref><ref name="Beach32">Beach (1986), p. 32.</ref>{{refn|Chapelle states ''Congress'' and ''Constellation'' were re-rated to 38s during construction by Humphreys because of their large dimensions.<ref name="Chapelle128"/> Canney references Chapelle when rating ''Congress'' a 38-gun frigate, but also questions "...&nbsp;exactly what Humphreys had in mind with rating these ships as 44- or 36-gun frigates when the number of ports certainly did not correspond to the rating and, in fact, the ships rarely carried their rated batteries, reflecting contemporary European practice."<ref name="Canney">Canney (2001), p. 45.</ref> Beach states that Secretary of the Navy [[Benjamin Stoddert]] re-rated ''Congress'' and ''Constellation'' to 38s once he compared the dimensions of the two ships with the recently completed ''Chesapeake'', which had been reduced in size from a 44 to the extent that she was smaller.<ref name="Beach32"/>|name=rating|group=Note}}

The "ratings" by number of guns were meant only as an approximation, and ''Congress'' often carried up to 48 guns.<ref name="Teddy53">Roosevelt (1883), p. 53.</ref> Ships of this era had no permanent battery of guns such as modern Navy ships carry. The guns and cannons were designed to be completely portable and were often exchanged between ships as situations warranted. Each commanding officer outfitted armaments to their liking, taking into consideration factors such as the overall tonnage of cargo, complement of personnel aboard, and planned routes to be sailed. Consequently, the armaments on ships would change often during their careers, and records of the changes were not generally kept.<ref name="Jennings">Jennings (1966), pp. 17–19.</ref>

During her first cruise in the Quasi-War against France, ''Congress'' was noted to be armed with a battery of forty guns consisting of twenty-eight {{convert|18|pdr|kg|0}} and twelve {{convert|9|pdr|kg|0}}.<ref name="Canney"/> For her patrols during the War of 1812, she was armed with a battery of forty-four guns consisting of twenty-four 18-pounder long guns and twenty 32-pounder carronades.<ref name="Canney"/>

==Quasi-War==
{{see also|Quasi-War}}
''Congress'' launched on 15 August 1799 under the command of Captain Sever. After [[fitting-out]] in Rhode Island, she set off on her maiden voyage on 6 January 1800, sailing in company with the [[USS Essex (1799)|''USS Essex'']] to escort merchant ships to the [[Dutch East Indies|East Indies]].<ref name="Essex">{{cite DANFS|title=Essex|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/essex-i.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref><ref name="Toll136">Toll (2006), p. 136.</ref> Six days later, she lost all of her masts during a gale. Because her rigging had been set and tightened in a cold climate, it had slackened once she reached warmer temperatures.<ref name="Cooper133">Cooper (1856), p. 133.</ref> Without the full support of the rigging, all the masts fell during a four-hour period, killing the ship's Fourth Lieutenant, who had been trying to repair the main mast. She was away from the convoy at the time [[USS Essex (1799)|''Essex'']] lost sight of her, probably because of the dismasting, and was located at {{coord|38|22|N|52|07|W}}.<ref name="Allen151152">Allen (1909), pp. 151–152.</ref><ref name="MaclaySmith191">Maclay and Smith (1898) Volume 1, p. 191.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 1 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, Front Matter January Pg. 62-63 and 70 |publisher=U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio |accessdate=6 June 2024}}</ref>

The crew rigged an emergency sail, accomplished by 22 January, and limped back to [[Gosport Navy Yard]] for repairs, arriving off Hampton Roads on 24 February.<ref name="Allen153">Allen (1909), p. 153.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 1 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, Front Matter January Pg. 63 |publisher=U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio |accessdate=6 June 2024}}</ref> While there, some of Sever's junior officers announced that they had no confidence in his ability as a commanding officer. A Court of Inquiry was held on 26 April 1800 on board {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|6}}, and Captain Sever was cleared of any wrongdoing and remained in command of ''Congress'', though many of his crew soon transferred out to {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|6}}.<ref name="Allen153"/><ref name="Toll139">Toll (2006), p. 139.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v05p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 3 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, April 1800-May 1800 Pg. 451-454 |publisher=U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio |accessdate=15 July 2024}}</ref> Remaining in port for six months while her masts and rigging were repaired, she finally sailed again on 26 July for the [[West Indies]].<ref name="Morris120">Morris (1880), p. 120.</ref> ''Congress'' made routine patrols escorting American merchant ships and seeking out French ships to capture. On two occasions she almost ran aground; first while pursuing a French [[privateer]], she ran into shallow water where large rocks were seen near the surface.<ref name="MaclaySmith191"/> Although their exact depth was not determined, Sever immediately abandoned pursuit of the privateer and changed course towards deeper waters.<ref name="Morris121">Morris (1880), p. 121.</ref> Her second close call occurred off the coast of the [[Turks and Caicos Islands|Caicos Islands]], when during the night she drifted close to the reefs. At daybreak her predicament was discovered by the lookouts.<ref name="Morris121122">Morris (1880), pp. 121–122,</ref> On 29 August 1800, she recaptured the American merchant brig ''Experiment'' captured by privateer "Bayonnnese" on 26 August.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v06.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France |volume=VI Part 2 of 4: Naval Operations June to November 1800, July–August 1800 |pages=303–304 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref> On 2 October she spotted HMS Ticiphone with a brig following her, her prize under tow. Captain Sever decided to cut between the two ships and didn't notice there was a towline running between them until it was too late to avoid an accident. Sever sent an immediate letter of apology to Captain John Davie.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v06.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France |volume=VI Part 2 of 4: Naval Operations June to November 1800, July–August 1800 |pages=425–426 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=5 September 2024}}</ref>

A [[Convention of 1800|peace treaty]] with France was ratified on 3 February 1801 and ''Congress'' returned to Boston by 3 April.<ref name="Allen221">Allen (1909), p. 221.</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_quasiwar_v07.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France |volume=VII Part 1 of 4: Naval Operations December 1800-December 1801, December 1800-March 1801 |pages=180 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref> In accordance with an act of Congress passed on 3 March and signed by President [[John Adams]], thirteen frigates then currently in service were to be retained. Seven of those frigates, including ''Congress'', were to be [[Reserve fleet|placed in ordinary]] (mothballed).<ref name="Allen255">Allen (1909), p. 255.</ref> En route to the [[Washington Navy Yard]], she passed [[Mount Vernon]] on her way up the Potomac and Captain Sever ordered her sails lowered, flag at half mast, and a 13-gun salute fired to honor the recently deceased George Washington.<ref name="Allen258">Allen (1909), p. 258.</ref> ''Congress'' decommissioned at Washington along with {{USS|United States|1797|2}} and {{USS|New York|1800|2}}.<ref name="Allen258"/><ref name="UnitedStates">{{cite DANFS|title=United States|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/u/united-states-frigate.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref><ref name="New York">{{cite DANFS|title=New York|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/new-york-ii.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref>

==First Barbary War==
{{see also|First Barbary War}}

During the United States' preoccupation with France during the Quasi-War, troubles with the [[Barbary Coast|Barbary States]] were suppressed by the payment of a [[tribute]] to ensure that American merchant ships were not harassed and seized.<ref name="MaclaySmith215216">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, pp. 215–216.</ref> In 1801, [[Yusuf Karamanli]] of [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], dissatisfied with the amount of tribute he was receiving in comparison to Algiers, demanded an immediate payment of $250,000.<ref name="Allen058890">Allen (1905), pp. 88–90.</ref> In response, [[Thomas Jefferson]] sent a squadron of frigates to protect American merchant ships in the Mediterranean and to pursue peace with the Barbary States.<ref name="MaclaySmith228">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 228.</ref><ref name="Allen0592">Allen (1905), p. 92.</ref>

The first squadron, under the command of [[Richard Dale]] in {{USS|President|1800|2}}, was instructed to escort merchant ships through the Mediterranean and negotiate with leaders of the Barbary States.<ref name="MaclaySmith228"/> A second squadron was assembled under the command of [[Richard Valentine Morris]] in {{USS|Chesapeake|1799|2}} however, the performance of Morris's squadron was so poor that he was recalled and subsequently dismissed from the Navy in 1803.<ref name="Toll173">Toll (2006), p. 173.</ref> A third squadron was assembled under the command of [[Edward Preble]] in {{USS|Constitution||2}} and by mid-1804 they had successfully fought the [[Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor|Battle of Tripoli Harbor]].<ref name="Allen05199">Allen (1905), p. 199.</ref>

On 21 March 1804 the Secretary of the Navy [[Robert Smith (American cabinet member)|Robert Smith]] ordered Lt. [[John Cassin (naval officer)|John Cassin]], supervisor of the Washington Navy Yard, to prepare the ship for sea.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v03p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume III Part 3 of 3 September 1803 through March 1804 |pages=509 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=6 January 2025}}</ref>
President Jefferson reinforced Preble's squadron in April and ordered four frigates to sail as soon as possible. ''President'', ''Congress'', ''Constellation'' and ''Essex'' were placed under the direction of Commodore [[Samuel Barron (1765–1810)|Samuel Barron]].<ref name="Allen05199"/> She was recommissioned on 2 April.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume V Part 1 of 3 September 7 1804 through April 1805 |pages=11 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref> ''Congress'' was captained by [[John Rodgers (naval officer, born 1772)|John Rodgers]] and two months were spent preparing the squadron for the voyage. She sailed from the Washington Navy Yard on 21 May.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume V Part 1 of 3 September 7 1804 through April 1805 |pages=11 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref> She sailed from Alexandria, Virginia on 28 May, 1804.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v04p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume VI Part 1 of 3 April 1804 through September 1804 |pages=127 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=8 February 2025}}</ref> She arrived at Hampton Roads on 8 June.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v04p02.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume IV Part 2 of 3 April 1804 through September 1804 |pages=164 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=9 February 2025}}</ref> She left the capes on 5 July<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume V Part 1 of 3 September 7 1804 through April 1805 |pages=11 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=26 March 2025}}</ref> and arrived at [[Gibraltar]] on 12 August. ''Congress'' and ''Essex'' were immediately sent to patrol off the coast of [[Tangier]] and when they returned to Gibraltar two weeks later, ''Congress'' continued on to Tripoli.<ref name="Toll2252">Toll (2006), p. 252.</ref><ref name="Allen05219220">Allen (1905), pp. 219–220.</ref>

''Congress'', accompanied by ''Constellation'', assumed blockade duties of Tripoli. On 5 October, 1804 4 small costal boats attempted to run wheat through the blockade, 2 made it in, and 2 were forced ashore west of town.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume V Part 1 of 3 September 7 1804 through April 1805 |pages=102 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> On 26 October captured a Turkish ''[[xebec]]'' that was without papers.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume V Part 1 of 3 September 7 1804 through April 1805 |pages=101, 103 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> before sailing for [[Malta]] on 25 October for repairs.<ref name="Allen05219220"/> On 9 November Rodgers assumed command of ''Constitution'' and in his place, [[Stephen Decatur]] assumed command of ''Congress''.<ref name="Allen05220">Allen (1905), p. 220.</ref> The next recorded activity of ''Congress'' is in early July 1805 when she was sent in company with {{USS|Vixen|1803|2}} to blockade [[Tunisia]]. They were joined on the 23rd by additional U.S. Navy vessels.<ref name="Allen05268">Allen (1905), p. 268.</ref>{{refn|Sources do not specifically record ''Congress''{{'}}s activities between 25 October 1804 and early July 1805. They do however, imply that a number of ships spent the winter months of 1804–1805 undergoing repairs and resupply at Malta.|group=Note}} In early September, ''Congress'' carried the Tunisian ambassador back to Washington DC, sailing from Tangier Bay 22 September and arriving 13 November in Hampton Roads, was at the mouth of the Potomoc River 25 November and was aground at [[Greenleaf's Point]] on 29 November.<ref name="Cooper221222">Cooper (1856), pp. 221–222.</ref><ref name="Allen05269">Allen (1905), p. 269.</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v05p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume VI Part 1 of 4 May 1805 through 1807 |pages=36 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref> Afterward, placed in ordinary at the Washington Navy Yard, she served as a classroom for midshipmen training through 1807.<ref name="Toll282">Toll (2006), p. 282.</ref>

==War of 1812==
{{see also|War of 1812}}

[[File:Commodore John Rodgers.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A head and chest portrait of a middle-aged man facing left wearing a high-ranked military uniform. The uniform conceals his neck, he has a determined but distant look. He has a pudgy face with prominent cheeks, and a very high balding forehead. His hair is wildly standing up, wavy and midlength.|[[John Rodgers (naval officer, born 1772)|John Rodgers]] ca. 1814]]

In 1811 ''Congress'' required extensive repairs before recommissioning with Captain John Rogers in command. She performed routine patrols early in 1812 before war was declared on 18 June. Captain [[John Smith (United States Navy officer)|John Smith]] assumed command on 11 July 1812<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/essexinstitutehi63esse|title=Essex Institute historical collections|publisher=Essex Institute|year=1927|volume= LXIII|oclc=6140167}}</ref> and took her to join Rodgers' squadron, where she sailed in company with {{USS|Argus|1803|2}}, {{USS|Hornet|1805 brig|2}}, ''President'', and {{USS|United States|1797|2}}.<ref name="DANFS"/><ref name="Teddy7273">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 72–73.</ref><ref name="MacSmith322">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 322.</ref>

Almost immediately Rogers was informed by a passing American merchant ship of a fleet of British merchantmen en route to Britain from Jamaica. ''Congress'' sailed along in pursuit, but was interrupted when ''President'' began pursuing [[HMS Belvidera (1809)|HMS ''Belvidera'']] on 23 June.<ref name="Cooper244245">Cooper (1856), pp. 244–245.</ref><ref name="Teddy7374">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 73–74.</ref> ''Congress'' trailed behind ''President'' during the chase and fired her bowchasers at the escaping ''Belvidera''.<ref name="Teddy7476">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 74, 76.</ref> Unable to capture ''Belvidera'', the squadron returned to the pursuit of the Jamaican fleet. On 1 July they began to follow a trail of coconut shells and orange peels the Jamaican fleet had left behind them.<ref name="Teddy77">Roosevelt (1883), p. 77.</ref><ref name="MacSmith325">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 325.</ref> Sailing to within one [[day's journey]] of the English Channel, the squadron never sighted the convoy and Rodgers called off the pursuit on the 13th. During their return trip to Boston, ''Congress'' assisted in the capture of seven merchant ships, including the recapture of an American vessel.<ref name="MacSmith325"/><ref name="Teddy78">Roosevelt (1883), p. 78.</ref><ref name="Cooper247">Cooper (1856), p. 247.</ref>

Making her second cruise against the British with ''President'', ''Congress'' sailed from Boston on 8 October. On the 31st of that month, both ships began to pursue {{HMS|Galatea|1810|6}}, which was escorting two merchant ships. ''Galatea'' and her charges were chased for about three hours, during which ''Congress'' captured the merchant ship ''Argo''. In the meantime, ''President'' kept after ''Galatea'' but lost sight of her as darkness fell. ''Congress'' and ''President'' remained together during November but they did not find a single ship to capture. On their return to the United States they passed north of Bermuda, proceeded towards the [[Virginia capes]], and arrived back in Boston on 31 December. During their entire time at sea, the two frigates captured nine [[prize (law)|prizes]].<ref name="DANFS"/><ref name="Teddy106107">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 106–107.</ref>

[[File:USS Washington in 1814-by-John-S-Blunt.jpg|thumb|''Congress'' at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for the launch of the USS ''Washington'', on 1 October 1814]]

''Congress'' and ''President'' were [[blockade]]d in Boston by the Royal Navy until they slipped through the blockade on 30 April 1813 and put to sea for their third cruise of the war. On 2 May they pursued {{HMS|Curlew|1812|6}} but she outran them both and escaped. ''Congress'' parted company with ''President'' on the 8th and patrolled off the [[Cape Verde Islands]] and the coast of Brazil. She only captured four small British merchant ships during this period and returned to the [[Portsmouth Navy Yard]] for repairs in late 1813. By this time of the war, materials and personnel were being diverted to the [[Great Lakes]], which created a shortage of resources necessary to repair her. Because of the amount of repairs she needed, it was decided instead to place her in ordinary, where she stayed for the remainder of the war.<ref name="Toll419420">Toll (2006), pp. 419–420.</ref><ref name="Teddy174175">Roosevelt (1883), pp. 174–175.</ref><ref name="MacSmith521">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 521.</ref>

Louis F. Middlebrook in Vol. LXIII, October 1927 of Essex Institute Historical Collections listing following prizes taken by her under the command of Captain John Smith:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>November 1, 1812, off Western Islands, the British [[whaler]] {{ship||Argo|1804 ship|2}}, 10 guns and 26 men, with a cargo of oil and whalebone, bound for London, and ordered to the United States.</blockquote><blockquote>May 19, 1813, in Lat. 28 N., Long. 42 W., the British brig ''Jean'', 10 guns and 17 men, with a cargo of copper, hides, etc., bound to Greenock. After taking out the copper, the brig was burned.</blockquote><blockquote>May 22, 1813, in Lat. 24 N., Long. 40 W., the British brig ''Diana'', 10 guns and 14 men, with a cargo of copper and hides bound to London, and sent into Barbadoes with the prisoners, after throwing overboard her cargo.</blockquote><blockquote>October 25, 1813, in Lat. 19 N., Long. 40 W., the British ship ''Rose'', of 182 tons, crew of 12 men, with a cargo of wine and potatoes. Burned. All of her crew voluntarily enlisted in the service of the United States.</blockquote><blockquote>December 5, 1813, in the North Atlantic, the British brig ''Atlantic'', crew of 12 men and a cargo of sugar and cotton from the West Indies to Cork. This brig was sent into Boston.</blockquote>

==Second Barbary War==
{{see also|Second Barbary War}}
[[File:United States squadron under Com. Bainbridge returning triumphant from the Mediterranean in 1815 - J.B. Fanning des. ; G.G. Smith sc. LCCN2012645429.jpg|thumb|''Congress'' as a part of the United States ''Mediterranean'' squadron of 1815 ([[Second Barbary War]])]]
Soon after the United States declared war against Britain in 1812, [[Algiers]] took advantage of the United States' preoccupation with Britain and began intercepting American merchant ships in the Mediterranean.<ref name="MaclaySmithVIIP4-5">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, pp. 4–5.</ref> On 2 March 1815, at the request of President [[James Madison]], Congress declared war on Algiers. Work preparing two American squadrons promptly began—one at Boston under Commodore [[William Bainbridge]], and one at New York under Commodore [[Steven Decatur]].<ref name="MaclaySmithVIIP6">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, p. 6.</ref><ref name="Allen05281">Allen (1905), p. 281.</ref>

Captain [[Charles Morris (naval officer)|Charles Morris]] assumed command of ''Congress'' and assigned to the squadron under Bainbridge. After repairs and refitting, she transported the Minister to Holland [[William Eustis]] to his new post. ''Congress'' departed in June and after a few weeks at Holland, sailed for the Mediterranean and arrived at [[Cartagena, Spain]] in early August joining Bainbridge's squadron.<ref name="Morris181">Morris (1880), p. 181.</ref><ref name="Allen05292293">Allen (1905), pp. 292–293.</ref> By the time of ''Congress''{{'}}s arrival, however, Commodore Decatur had already secured a peace treaty with Algiers.<ref name="Allen05293">Allen (1905), p. 293.</ref><ref name="Morris182">Morris (1880), p. 182.</ref>

''Congress'', {{USS|Erie|1813|2}}, {{USS|Chippewa|1815|2}} and {{USS|Spark|1813|2}} sailed in company with Bainbridge's [[flagship]] {{USS|Independence|1814|2}}—the first commissioned [[ship of the line]] of the U.S. Navy—as a show of force off Algiers.<ref name="Morris182"/><ref name="Independence">{{cite DANFS|title=Independence|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/i/independence-ii.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref> The squadron subsequently made appearances off Tripoli and Tunis and arrived at Gibraltar in early October.<ref name="Allen05293"/><ref name="MaclaySmithVIIP20">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, p. 20.</ref> From there, ''Congress'' and many other ships were ordered back to the United States. She arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, remained there shortly, and proceeded to Boston where she decommissioned in December and assigned to ordinary.<ref name="Allen05294">Allen (1905), p. 294.</ref><ref name="Morris182183">Morris (1880), pp. 182–183.</ref>

==Later career==

In June 1816 Charles Morris again commanded ''Congress'' and began preparations for a cruise to the Pacific Coast of the United States. His objective was taking possession of [[Fort Astoria]] from the British and conducting inquiries at various ports along the coast to further improve commercial trade.<ref name="Cooper446">Cooper (1856), p. 446.</ref><ref name="Morris183184">Morris (1880), pp. 183–184.</ref><ref name="ScholHoway432">Scholefield and Howay (1914), p. 432.</ref> These plans were canceled, however, when a U.S. Navy ship collided with a Spanish Navy vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently, Morris commanded a squadron of ships in the Gulf to ensure that American merchant commerce in the area would continue unmolested.<ref name="Cooper446"/><ref name="Morris184">Morris (1880), p. 184.</ref>{{refn|The acquisition of Fort Astoria was completed by [[James Biddle (commodore)|James Biddle]] in August 1818.<ref name="Cooper446"/><ref name="ScholHoway432"/>|name=Astoria|group=Note}}

''Congress'' arrived in the Gulf of Mexico in December 1816 and made patrols through July 1817 performing duties that Morris described as "tedious and uninteresting".<ref name="Morris184"/> From there she sailed for Haiti where Morris and an agent of the United States negotiated a settlement with [[Henri Christophe]] over the case of a captured vessel. Afterward, ''Congress'' sailed for Venezuela to observe and gather information regarding the ongoing [[Venezuelan War of Independence]]. She arrived about 21 August and visited the Venezuelan city of [[Barcelona, Anzoátegui|Barcelona]] soon after.<ref name="Morris185190">Morris (1880), pp. 185–190.</ref>

Upon return to the Norfolk Navy Yard later the same year, Morris requested relief as commander because his health was failing; [[Arthur Sinclair]] assumed command.<ref name="Morris190191">Morris (1880), pp. 190–191.</ref><ref name="Sinclair">{{cite DANFS|title=Sinclair|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sinclair.html|access-date=28 January 2015|link=off}}</ref>{{refn|Morris did not record the date of ''Congress''{{'}}s return from Venezuela nor the date of his request to be relieved of command.<ref name="Morris191">Morris (1880), p. 191.</ref>|name=funkytimeline|group=Note}} Sinclair began preparing for a return voyage to South America carrying a diplomatic contingent to assure various South American countries of the United States' intention to remain neutral in their conflicts with Spain for independence.<ref name="Brack7778">Brackenridge (1820), pp. 77–78.</ref> The diplomats included [[Caesar A. Rodney]], [[John Graham (cabinet)|John Graham]], [[Theodorick Bland (judge)|Theodorick Bland]], [[Henry Marie Brackenridge|Henry Brackenridge]], [[William Reed (politician)|William Reed]], and Thomas Rodney.<ref name="Brack78">Brackenridge (1820), p. 78.</ref> ''Congress'' departed on 4 December and returned to Norfolk in July 1818.<ref name="Brack79">Brackenridge (1820), p. 79.</ref><ref name="Read238241">Read (1870), pp. 238, 241.</ref>

Early in 1819 ''Congress'' made a voyage under the command of Captain [[John D. Henley]] to China, becoming the first U.S. warship to visit that country. She returned to the United States in May 1821.<ref>Raymond (1851), p. 47.</ref> Shortly afterward, pirates in the West Indies began seizing American merchant ships and in early 1822, she served as the [[flagship]] of Commodore [[James Biddle (commodore)|James Biddle]]. She is recorded as collecting prisoners from the captured pirate ship ''Bandara D'Sangare'' on 24 July of that year.<ref name="Cooper448">Cooper (1856), p. 448.</ref><ref name="MaclaySmith28">Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, p. 28.</ref> Her next recorded activity is returning to Norfolk in April 1823 where Biddle immediately prepared for a voyage to Spain and Argentina to deliver the newly appointed Ministers, [[Hugh Nelson (congressman)|Hugh Nelson]] and [[Caesar Augustus Rodney]] respectively.<ref name="Wainwright171">Wainwright (1951), p. 171.</ref><ref name="Read241">Read (1870), p. 241.</ref>

Extensive modifications were required to the [[Deck (ship)#Common names for decks|berth deck]] of ''Congress'' to accommodate Rodney's wife and eleven children.<ref name="Wainwright180">Wainwright (1951), p. 180.</ref> Additionally, Rodney's household goods and furniture, described by Biddle as "enough to fill a large merchant ship," were loaded into her hold that required much of the ships stores to be relocated.<ref name="Wainwright179180">Wainwright (1951), pp. 179–180.</ref> She departed from [[Wilmington, Delaware]], on 8 June and arrived at [[Gibraltar]] where Hugh Nelson disembarked for Spain.<ref name="Read241"/> On 18 September ''Congress'' arrived at [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil, where Rodney hired his own merchant ship to carry his family the rest of the distance to [[Buenos Aires]].<ref name="Read241"/><ref name="Wainwright182">Wainwright (1951), p. 182.</ref> ''Congress'' subsequently returned to Norfolk on 17 December.<ref name="Wainwright183">Wainwright (1951), p. 183.</ref>

After her return, ''Congress'' served as a [[receiving ship]]; being moved between the Norfolk and Washington Navy Yards under tow as needed. She remained on this duty for the next ten years until a survey of her condition was performed in 1834, and found unfit for repair, she was broken up the same year.<ref name="DANFS"/><ref name="Toll474">Toll (2006), p. 474.</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | last = Allen | first = Gardner Weld| title =Our Navy and the Barbary Corsairs| publisher = Houghton Mifflin| location = Boston, New York and Chicago|year=1905| url =https://archive.org/details/ournavyandbarba01allegoog| oclc =  2618279}}
* {{cite book |author-mask=2|last=Allen | first = Gardner Weld | title = Our Naval War With France | publisher = Houghton Mifflin| location = Boston and New York | year = 1909 | url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_n2kSAAAAYAAJ | oclc = 1202325}}
* {{cite book | last = Beach | first = Edward L. | author-link = Edward L. Beach, Jr. | title = The United States Navy 200 Years | publisher = H. Holt | location = New York | year = 1986 | isbn = 978-0-03-044711-2 | oclc = 12104038 | url = https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesnavy00beac }}
* {{cite book|oclc=1995192|title=Voyage to South America, performed by order of the American Government in the years 1817 and 1818, in the frigate Congress|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQ8NAAAAIAAJ|author-link=Henry Marie Brackenridge|volume=I|last=Brackenridge|first=H. M.|publisher=T. and J. Allman|location=London|year=1820}}
* {{cite book | last = Canney | first = Donald L. | title = Sailing warships of the US Navy | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JEkV5RyAIKMC | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]] | location = Annapolis, Maryland | year = 2001 | isbn = 1-55750-990-5 | oclc = 49323919 }}
* {{cite book | last = Chapelle | first = Howard Irving | author-link = Howard I. Chapelle | title = The History of the American Sailing Navy; the Ships and Their Development | url = https://archive.org/details/historyofamerica0000chap | url-access = registration | publisher = Norton | location = New York | year = 1949 | oclc = 1471717}}
* {{cite book | last = Cooper | first = James Fenimore | author-link = James Fenimore Cooper | title = History of the Navy of the United States of America | url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_WK3mWOlYYNsC | publisher = Stringer & Townsend | location = New York | year = 1856 | oclc = 197401914}}
* {{cite book|title=Tattered Ensign The Story of America's Most Famous Fighting Frigate, U.S.S. Constitution|last=Jennings|first=John |publisher=Thomas Y. Crowell|location=New York|year=1966|oclc=1291484}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Maclay | edition =New| orig-year = 1893| first1 = Edgar Stanton | last2 = Smith | first2 = Roy Campbell | title = A History of the United States Navy, from 1775 to 1898 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=3tVCAAAAIAAJ|volume=1| publisher = D. Appleton| location = New York | year = 1898 | oclc =609036}}
* {{cite book|author-mask=2|last1 = Maclay | edition =New| orig-year = 1893| first1 = Edgar Stanton| title = A History of the United States Navy, from 1775 to 1898 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BthCAAAAIAAJ | volume =2| publisher = D. Appleton|location = New York | year = 1898 | oclc = 609036}}
* {{cite journal|last=Morris|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Morris (naval officer)|editor1-first=J. R.|editor1-last=Soley|year=1880|title=The Autobiography of Commodore Charles Morris U.S.N.|journal=Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute|volume=VI|issue=12|pages=111–219
|publisher=United States Naval Institute|location=Annapolis|issn=0041-798X
|oclc=2496995|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0LErckxQpPIC}}
* {{cite book|oclc=3720201|title=Biographical Sketches of the Distinguished Men of Columbia County|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DYpBAAAAYAAJ|last=Raymond|first=William
|publisher=Weed, Parsons|location=Albany|year=1851}}
* {{cite book|oclc=2095027|title=Life and Correspondence of George Read|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeandcorrespo00readgoog|last=Read|first=William T.|publisher=J.B. Lippincott
|location=Philadelphia|year=1870}}
* {{cite book | last = Roosevelt | first = Theodore |author-link = Theodore Roosevelt | title = The Naval War of 1812| year = 1883 | edition = 3rd | orig-year = 1882 | location = New York | publisher = G.P. Putnam's sons | url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Fb1CAAAAYAAJ | oclc = 133902576}}
* {{cite book|last1=Scholefield|first1=E.O.S.|last2=Howay|first2=Frederic William|title=British Columbia: From the Earliest Times to the Present|url=http://www.nosracines.ca/e/page.aspx?id=3621162|volume=I|year=1914|publisher=S.J. Clarke|location=Vancouver|oclc=5756128|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527181215/http://www.nosracines.ca/e/page.aspx?id=3621162|archive-date=27 May 2011}}
* {{cite book | last = Toll | first = Ian W. | location = New York | title = Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy | publisher = W.W. Norton | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-0-393-05847-5 | oclc = 70291925 | url = https://archive.org/details/sixfrigatesepich00toll }}
* {{cite magazine|last=Wainwright|first=Nicholas B.|date=April 1951|title=Voyage of the Frigate Congress, 1823|magazine=Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography|volume=75|issue=2|pages=170–188|publisher=[[Historical Society of Pennsylvania]]}}

==External links==
* [https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/MS_022.EAD.xml Guide to the Journal of the USS ''Congress'', 1816–1817 MS 22] held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
* [https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/MS_023.EAD.xml Guide to the Remarks Made on Board the United States Frigate ''Congress'', 1817 MS 23] held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
* [https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/MS_024.EAD.xml Guide to the Journal of the USS ''Congress'', ''the Citizen'', and the ''Canton'', 1816–1820 MS 24] held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy

{{USN Original Six}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Congress (1799)}}
[[Category:Sailing frigates of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Kittery, Maine]]
[[Category:1799 ships]]
[[Category:Quasi-War ships of the United States]]
[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Barbary Wars American ships]]
[[Category:Heavy frigates of the United States Navy]]