The Navy's First Fights and Heroes
The American navy's first victory in the Quasi-War occurred off the coast of New Jersey in July 1798. Captain Stephen Decatur, Sr., received word of the plundering of a coastal trader by the French schooner Croyable. Decatur immediately set sail in the 20-gun schooner Delaware. Encountering the French privateer at sea, Decatur lured the Frenchman to approach by pretending to be a merchant vessel. By the time the Croyable, armed with only twelve guns, realized that this sought-after prize was in fact a more powerful ship of war, she herself had become a prize of the U.S. Navy.
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| Battle between the Delaware and French privateer Croyable. From the collections of The Mariners' Museum. |
Though the action was short and the outcome never in question, the American navy had won its first prize and added another ship to its growing fleet. Decatur escorted the Croyable to Philadelphia, where she was recommissioned as the Retaliation.
 Truxtun and the Constellation versus L'Insurgente
Decatur's capture of the Croyable was but a hint of actions to come during the Quasi-War. Among the naval commanders who took part in the battles against France, few are better known than Captain Thomas Truxtun.
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| Commander Thomas Truxton. From the collections of The Mariners' Museum. |
A former Revolutionary War privateer, Truxtun received a commendation from George Washington for his service during that conflict. During the 1780s and 1790s, Truxtun had earned a reputation as an extremely capable merchantman, navigator, and protector of his passengers, crew, and cargo. In 1794, Truxtun became supervisor of construction for the frigate Constellation in Baltimore. During the Quasi-War, Truxtun commanded this ship on her first armed cruise. The new Constellation had both speed and maneuverability, qualities that earned her the name "Yankee Race Horse." For operations in the West Indies and the Caribbean, Secretary Stoddert divided the fleet into four squadrons; Truxtun was given command of the Leeward Island Squadron, which consisted of the Constellation and two brigs.
On February 9, 1799, Truxtun was headed for the island of Nevis when he caught sight of the French frigate L'Insurgente. After pursuing the Frenchman, Truxtun prepared for action. However, as the two ships were on the verge of engaging one another, a squall engulfed them, snapping the main topmast of the French frigate. The loss of mobility, coupled with the French tendency to fire high into the opponent's rigging, gave Truxtun a deadly advantage.
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| Battle between the Constellation and the Insurgente. From the collections of The Mariners' Museum. |
Unable to maneuver and suffering from heavy damage to her hull by American gunnery, the 40-gun L'Insurgente was defeated by the 38-gun Constellation. The battle had lasted only seventy-five minutes. The Constellation suffered three casualties, compared to seventy sustained by L'Insurgente. "A very fine frigate [is] being added to our infant Navy" was the report sent to Stoddert.
The Constellation versus La Vengeance
A year later, Truxtun was again in the Caribbean when he spotted the French 50-gun La Vengeance, commanded by Captain Citizen Pitot, headed to France from Guadeloupe.
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| Battle between the Constellation and the Vengeance. From the collections of The Mariners' Museum. |
Although Truxtun realized his opponent outgunned him, he was convinced that the Constellation's greater maneuverability and more accurate gunnery would win the day. A four-hour battle ensued. Again, the French focused their fire on the American rigging, while the Yankee ship pounded away at the Frenchman's hull and timbers. The punishment to La Vengeance was so great that three times the French attempted to haul down their colors. However, in the growing darkness, Truxtun was not able to see the signal. After five hours of cannon fire, the French managed to weaken the Constellation's mainmast to the point that it snapped off at the deck. Truxtun pulled back to repair the damage, and La Vengeance escaped into the darkness. The Constellation limped to Port Royal, Jamaica, while the French frigate made her way to Dutch Curaçao. In his report to the French government, Pitot reported erroneously that he had just fought an American ship of the line. The American frigates had become a force to be respected by their opponents.
The Treaty of Mortefountaine and the Survival of the Navy
Contrary to the advice of most of his cabinet, President Adams continued to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. A peace commission was sent to meet with Napoleon, who knew that France's most ardent enemy was England and that a continued war would throw the United States further on the side of the enemy.
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Medal, "By vote of Congress to Thomas Truxton, 24 Mar. 1800." From the collections of The Mariners' Museum.
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Negotiations were held in Paris starting in April 1800, and the Treaty of Mortefountaine was approved by Congress in 1801. Meanwhile, the presidency had passed from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson. Through the terms of the treaty, the 1778 Franco-American Treaty of Alliance was annulled and France agreed to respect United States neutrality. In return, the United States canceled all claims against the French for attacks on shipping during the war.
Clearly, Truxtun's actions and several smaller engagements gained the U.S. Navy respect and status. The navy had succeeded in protecting American commerce and had fought a European naval power to the negotiating table. As a result of these actions, the navy's survival was assured, but its strength would remain in question. Many political leaders, particularly those in the administration of Thomas Jefferson, felt that a large navy was wasteful and unnecessary. Following the cessation of hostilities with France, Secretary Stoddert bowed to the inevitable and proposed the Peace Establishment Act, which would reduce the navy to thirteen frigates and cut the number of officers and crew. Of the thirteen frigates to be retained, six would operate under a reduced crew and seven would be put on reserve.
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