| Joshua
Barney’s Defense Proposal, 4 July 1813
Defence
of the Chesapeake Bay &c
The Enemy have
on this Station, 11 ships of the line, 33 frigates, 38
Sloops of war, and a number of Schooners &c.
Each ship of the line, now has
110 Marines, Total 1210
each frigate
50
1650
each Sloop of
War 30 1140
Marines coming
from England
2000
Two Batallions
of Royal Artillery, ditto,
1000
Two Batallions of Seamen (men they can
trust) 1200
8200
The Avowed
object of the Enemy, is, the distruction of the City
& Navy yard, at Washington, the City and Navy
yard at Norfolk, and the City of Baltimore, we see
by the above statement that upwards of 8000 men, can be
landed from the Enemies ships.
Frigates,
Sloops of War, Schooners with Barges and small craft will
be employed against those places; Now, what force have
we to oppose such an Armament, should they make the attempt
in a short time, which in my opinion will be done the
moment Admiral Warren returns from Bermuda, (where I conceive
he is now gone to meet the Marines and Royal Artillery
from England) there to organize, and provide every
thing necessary for the Campaign; he has already tried
our waters, knows our Channels, received information,
and will no doubt speedily return prepared for Mischief—
The
question is, how to meet this force with a probability
of success. Our ships (two frigates) cannot act, our old
gunboats will not answer, they are too heavy to Row, and
too clumsy to sail, and are only fit to lay moor’d,
to protect a pass, or Assist a Fort. I am therefore of
opinion the only defence we have in our power, is a Kind
of Barge or Row-galley, so constructed,
as to draw a small draft of water, to carry Oars,
light sails, and One heavy long gun, these vessels
may be built in a short time, (say 3 weeks) Men may be
had, the City of Baltimore could furnish Officers &
men for twenty Barges, we have now in Baltimore
150 Masters and Mates of vessels, all of whom have seen,
and some of them been, onboard such kind of vessels, in
Sweden and Denmark, and among the Spaniards,
these men can be relied on, and when no further services
should be required, would again return into the Merchants
service, by which means the officers of the U S Navy,
need not be called into this service. Let as many
of such Barges be built as can be mann’d, form them into
a flying Squadron, have them continually watching
& annoying the enemy in our waters, where we have
the advantage of shoals & flats throughout
the Chesepeake Bay, the Enemy could be followed by such
boats in every direction, without danger, their force
would be respectable, and the enemy dare not dispatch
Small ships, brigs, or Schooners upon any expedition whilst
such a force lay near them, these boats may be contructed
to Row, beyond all possibility of the enemy having
it in their power to Injure them, each boat ought to carry
50 officers and Men, and 25 Soldiers; A
Squadron of twenty Barges would require 1000 officers
& men, and 500 Officers & Soldiers, which
in a few hours could be transported to any given point,
and if necessary 500 or 1000 additional troops might be
added; let each boat have, one 24 pounder, and small arms
compleat, with such a force there would be no necessity
for Camps being formed at any given point, as this
force would always be hovering round the Enemy, and prevent
any partial attacks on our bay-shore, or within
our Rivers; such vessels as are here discribed, might
oblige the Enemy to quit our waters, for during the summer
months, they could so harrass them at Night: by
getting near the ships of War, and keeping up a constant
fire upon them, when no object would appear as a mark
for the enemy, so that little damage could be received,
especially as the Barges would be fitted to prevent boarding
from the enemy, even if they were disposed to make the
attempt, but a force like this would be sufficient to
deter such an undertaking.
Add to this
squadron three or four, light fast-sailing vessels, prepared
as fire-ships, which could with ease, (under cover
of the Barges) be run onboard any of the enemies ships,
if they should attempt to anchor, or remain in our Narrow
rivers, or harbours. In the Winter the Enemy could
not act, but then our Barges might be kept at Hampton
or in York river and other places at the mouth
of the Bay. Should the enemy land all their forces
with a design on any of our large Cities, they must be
met in the field, but unless their heavy ships
can cover the landing, and receive them onboard again,
the Barge squadron could cut off their retreat by acting
in concert with our troops onshore.
I
would recommend as absolutely necessary, that the
channel in the Potomac, below Washington be Imediately
stopped up by sinking of vessels, or other substance
for that purpose, let the frigate Adams,
and all the Gun-boats (Old ones) be stationed at that
place above the Obstruction, and also a floating Battery,
to prevent the enemy from coming up, this obstruction
can be easily removed when necessary, by ourselves,
I would also sink vessels &c and stop the channel
at Hawkins’s point, a few miles below the fort
at Baltimore; and defend the pass by armed schooners
now in service, and two floating Batteries, prepared
with furnaces for hot shot, and so fitted as to
prevent being boarded by the Enemy. The defence at Norfolk
I am told is nearly compleat—The expense of these Barges
would not be great, they would cost about 3000$ each,
and after the service was performed might be sold for
Coasters, having only a deck to put on them.
This plan was
before the Assembly of Maryland, a few days ago,
and a Bill passed the Senate for building and manning
twenty Barges, but was rejected by the house
of Delegates, by which means our Bay harbours and
Cities lay exposed to the fury of the Enemy. This is the
outlines of a plan of Defence & offence, the
details can be better explained verbally than in writing,
when all the advantages could be pointed out, in fact
we have no other mode of defence left us, but if we had,
I conceive this by far the best, most effectual, and cheapest;
50 Barges will not cost more than One half
the price of One frigate, the officers and men
will be on pay but a short time, and will have no further
claim on the government. This Marine force would
be separate from, and unconnected with the Navy,
and could be so organized, as to have One Regiment
of troops, annexed to it, the whole under the command
of an able, active Naval Officer, and one Colonel,
with powers to correspond, not only with the General Government,
but with the Governors of Virginia & Maryland,
and to act in concert whenever circumstances required.
Joshua Barney
July 4t. 1813
ADS, DLC, James Madison Papers, Ser. 1, Vol. 52,
No. 73. A draft copy is found in DNA, RG45, AF11 (M625,
Roll No. 405). Barney’s barge sketch is found with the
copy at the National Archives. |
