Life Of Commodore Thomas MacDonough U. S. Navy

One of the most interesting of these is his autobiography, which covers the period from 1800, when he entered the navy, through 1822, and is published in full. The other papers consist of several hundred letters, orders, reports, etc., some of them personal, but most of them Among the signatures on these papers are those of Perry, Hull, Bainbridge, Porter, Chauncey, Stewart, Rodgers and other well known naval officers of that time. The official records in the Navy and the Treasury Departments at Washington naturaly furnished much interesting and valuable information. Original documents have been consulted and used whenever practicable. FEBRUARY 11, 1909, RODNEY AACDONOUGH. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE Macdonoughs ancestors - Thomas, of county Kildare, Ireland - James, the emigrant - Thomas, the Revolutionary soldier - The family home in Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I I Enters the navy -War with France - Joins the Ganges - Cruise to the West Indies against the French - War with Tripoli - Ordered to the Constellation - Cruise in the Mediterranean - Returns to the United States and is ordered to the Philadelphia for Mediterranean service - Providential escape from the fate of the officers and crew of the Philadelphia - Joins the Enterprise - Participates in the burning of the Philadelphia and in the operations before Tripoli - Peace with Tripoli - Returns to the United States- Ordered to Middletown, Ct. - Attached to various vessels - Voyage in the merchant service - War with England - Ordered to the Constellation and then to Portland, Me. -Takes command of the naval force on Lake Champlain - Operations in the Fall of 1812 -The year 1813 on the lake - Preparations in the Spring of 1814 - The engagement of September I I, 1814 - Criticizes the Eagle for shifting her position during the action - Directed to command the navy yard at Portsmouth, N. H. - Ordered to the Gucrrure -- Conveys our Minister to Russia and then joins the Mediterranean squadron - Relieved of his command by order of Commodore Stewart - Returns to the United States - Directed to resume command of the Guerrure - Declines and is given the Ohio 74 - Returns to Middletown - Journeys through the state of New York and down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec .................... Condition of the navy at close of the Revolution - Algiers preys on our commerce - The birth of a new navy - Peace with Algiers - Trouble with France - Navy increased - Hostilities with France - Our naval force in 1800 - Macdonoughs youth - Influences which governed his choice of a profcssion - A midshipmans life - His ration, uniform and prize money - Peace with France - Naval peace establishment ............ . 33 CHAPTER IV Our relations with the Barbary Powers -A squadron of observation sent to the Mediterranean - A second squadron sent to the same sea - Macdonoughs cruise in the Constellation - His first encountr with the Tripolitans ....................