I’ve been trying to find more information about these helmets for the last two years but this is all I’ve been able to find. At least such things were mentioned in two separate biographies of different captains so I can believe they were actually a thing. Also they must have been used during the Second Barbary War.
…..you eventually live long enough to become the enemy. And by “enemy”, I mean I’ve been lowkey wanting to read War of 1812 romance novels.
I’m supposed to be about war and battles! Not that other emotion! >:U Anyway I’m over here betraying myself but I have a mighty need to this fulfillment. Why can’t I pretend I’m an aspiring lieutenant’s betrothed who hopes and prays he doesn’t get lost at sea-like on JOHNSTON BLAKELEY’S USS Wasp???🐝 Or doesn’t get slain in battle.
Bro spotted a convoy guarded by four sloops of war and thought it would be a fun idea to attack them. He decided to pick off the Avon which turned into a night time engagement sinking the HMS Avon. When the other ships came approaching the USS Wasp made a quick getaway and continued to sail around the English Channel. (Privateer Thomas Boyle from Baltimore would be in the same area at this time).
When the Wasp encountered a neutral Swedish vessel carrying American officers formally from the USS Essex after the their capture from the year prior, Blakeley took them aboard never to be heard from again. It was presumed the Wasp was lost at sea. Johnston Blakeley would rival Lewis Warrington capturing 14 enemy vessels but, Blakeley battled more ships which were equal in strength making him the more successful of the two.
With amateur sailors and marines might I add. Because William freaking Bainbridge kept swiping able seamen from Blakeley giving them to his younger brother who got captured anyway for being dumb! In 3 months Johnston Blakeley trained his men into a fighting force that managed to sink the HMS Reindeer and Avon to name a few.
Let’s see what the other boys got to say about William Bainbridge.
Jacob Jones: William Bainbridge’s second lieutenant on the USS Philadelphia. I don’t think I ever read anything bad happening between the two.
James Lawrence: The joke here is Lawrence’s mother died when he was an infant and his father was also a Loyalist but abandoned him when his mother died. Lawrence’s married, older half sister who was 15 years older than him had to raise him.
Johnston Blakeley: During the War of 1812, William Bainbridge was commander of the Charlestown (Boston) naval yard. He would commandeer all the best resources and sailors for his younger brother Joseph Bainbridge who was competing against Blakeley getting their respective ships underway forcing Blakeley to scrounge around (mostly to Isaac Hull) for the necessities.
Daniel Todd Patterson: Midshipman on the USS Philadelphia during the First Barbary War. While writing “woe is me” letters to Commodore Edward Preble, Bainbridge wrote intelligence with invisible ink between the lines.
John Rodgers: Way back when William Bainbridge was a teen in the merchant service, he stood 6 feet with a muscular physique ending an attempted mutiny on a ship and was rewarded as captain of it.
Charles Stewart and Charles Morris: In between the time of the First Barbary War and War of 1812, William Bainbridge applied for a furlough so was doing merchant business in Russia I guess. Once he got word war was declared, he immediately sped back home. Along the way there was a blizzard while in Sweden killing the driver of his carriage and a few of the horses. Bainbridge had to find another way back to the States and asked the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton for the command of a ship…….
Isaac Hull: After Isaac Hull relinquished command of the Constitution to Bainbridge, Bainbridge was like “you can take over the Boston naval yard.” Okay cool, so Hull did. When Bainbridge handed the Constitution over to Charles Stewart, Bainbridge wanted the Boston yard back. Being accommodating Hull bowed out. Second Barbary War happens. William Bainbridge was called to lead the second squadron to the Mediterranean. Hull takes over the Boston yard again but this time he wasn’t going to give it up when Bainbridge returned from the Mediterranean because well, Isaac Hull had a family to support and he wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore by William Bainbridge. Of course William Bainbridge didn’t like that so he had his secretary spy on Isaac Hull reading personal papers and planted seeds in subordinates’ heads that Isaac Hull was doing them dirty by not doing favors for them and it became a whole political thing. Charges were brought-and eventually dropped. But David Porter who was on the board of Navy Commissioners was sent to investigate if any corruption was happening. There was no findings but Isaac Hull was so disgusted by the experience that he vowed to never live in Boston ever again. Visit maybe but to live, never.
Hull eventually forgave Bainbridge years later which shows he’s a better person than I can ever be.
Yes I’m oversimplifying the ships building process events for the sake of this video. Going by my one book source, Bainbridge is still a piece of work.
