The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-05-10
From the Commercial Advertiser
Commodore Barron.


was announced in Yesterdays paper Ike wa.
the senior officer Of tho American army, having
been at the head Of the !lst OF Post Captains, the
highest grade in oui service known 10 the laws.
since 1916. The title Of Commodore is one Of
courtesy only.
The commanding oeicer Of squadron bears
That designation, whatever may be las actual
rank. For example. Macdonough. when he won
the victory on Lal.e Champlain, held the commits.
sion OF Master Commandant, the second grade in
the service but by virtue q. his seniority in that
station, he was entitled to the appelNtiou OF CON.
modore which honorable name lie was ever after
yards known by.
The public career Of Commodore Barron was
one OF great yicisoitude and intense modification:
but he was man Of unique, tionabe personal
frmEess, AMI At the time uf the affair With the
Leopard. was regarded as one Of the mos, ingen.
ious and ready scamen ,lat America ever pro-
duced
Barron entered TIE navy in l79s rs lisuten.
ant, and the following year was made Post Cap
tain. he was never atloat for any considerable
! period The Navy Register puts his sea service
under his commission as Post Captain, at years
and months. Most of tha, time he bad pom
mand Of the Essex, the smal. fl gate that Commo-
/ dore Porter distinguished himself ia du.iug the
N"l W 40 =, WI Nlle coast "a Oliltl anu Lttl.
/ Barron commanded her in the Mediterranean.
where las father was sent ont with large sqsaI-
ron 10 administer little wholesome cas,.ystijl
TO the Blshaw of Tripuli.
This was in lSO6, Immediately following the
return Of Commodore Preble to the United States.
ard Just after the capture Of the iriga;e PhadcI.
phia under Captain Bainbriisc. But the most
noticeable feature in Barons public life was his
affair with the British frgate Leopard. of the
capes Of Virginia, when in commlnl ui the ill
starred Chesapeake.
We are Induced to dwell. upon tlis circum-
stance, bscaase tie prevailing Impression IN The
country at the time wa that Mr. JeiTersnns al
min'iration had prepared the way Tor Barrm's
sacrifice, in order TO uyrIte the public Indignation
against Great Britain to such DEGREE that war
with that power should be inevitable. Y 3 i'm.
possible to say whether this impression was we'll
'burdcd but it is fair to assume, either that such
was the design of the administration, or that the
Secretary Of the Navy was wholly INADEQUATE to
the duties Of hs station 4 succiut statement Of
the facts can hardly fail to carry the reader to
thc sane conclusion,
In May, 1907, Barron was ordered to the Chcs.
apcake, then lying at Washington to proceed To
the Mediterranean, ~ commander Uf the squad.
ron Ii was known that u British fleet was Oft
the cspcs, and 1t was alledJeS by the British Min.
ster that three deserters from the squadron had
enlisted ameng the crew Uf the Chesa ppree and
d demand was made for them. The matter was
investigated, and 1t was asceTnncd that the
men were actually dcserters, but they all claim.
ed to be impressed Americans, who had availed
Themselves o, the first opportunity to escape from
unjust detention There seemed 10 be no doubt
Of this fact, and it was so reported to the English
l.. ,p.t lav Ia. p..t,.t AL II
ing more was said, But the British Admiral was
determined to take them at NIL hazards.
The Chesapeake, just out Of the hands of the
mechanics, went down the Potomac rnd arrived
ut Hampton Roads on the 4ih Of June. Under
the pressure o' stringent orders from the navy
department all haste was mals in preparing her
for sea While she was in an unfinished state,
Commodore Barron received peremptory orders
to proceed Immediately to sea. This left him no
discretion, and he got under way IN coN'itlon
toprcclude the idea of efficiency in case uf attack
HIS men had not been ut quarters but once or
twice. ard the guns had not been exercised at all
Aud such was the precipitation with which he
made sail, that his main deck was numbered Up
with water casks, rnd other articles necessary fpr
the voyage. And this, 1t mus, I've borne in mind,
was IN conformity with ordor, from Washington,
where il was kuown 'hcrc was a Britih feet oil
the Capc', waiting to intercept the Chesapeake
There was no necessity for ,h, unseemly haste
nothing TO Justify or excuse such nm unusual pro.
ceedng. The result va. wha, might have been
icrcsoen, and wha, II was all, gcd was desired Mt
Washington. The Leopard, u heavy British rig.
ate, nt least one fourth superior In weight Of ms.
tai to the Chesapeake followed her to sea. and on
the refusal Of Commodore barron to surrender
tho . descrters, poured broad SIDE into the doc
mcd ship The Chesapeake was Of course unable
to make any resistance. Her batteries were no,
ready. there was no priming powdcr--no means
OF any kind Tor returning the deadly fire of the
Leopard. II was kept up for nearly 30 minutes.
when Barron hauled down Gag. The Captain
Of the Leopard carried of the daser,er,, but de.
clined to receive che Chesapeake, and she return
cd Immediately TO Hampton Roads There were
q killed and wounded on board the chesapeakc.
! For this disaster Barron was tried by Court