Jesse Elliott
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Jesse Duncan Elliot (July 14, 1782-December 10, 1845) was a United States naval officer and commander of American naval forces in Lake Erie during the War of 1812, especially noted for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Elliott enlisted in the US Navy as a midshipman in April 1804. Serving onboard the USS Essex under Commodore James Barron, Elliott would see action in the Mediterranean Sea during the Barbary Wars between 1805 and 1807. In June 1807, Elliott was onboard the USS Chesapeake when Commodore Barron was forced to allow a search of the ship by the HMS Leopard.
[edit] War of 1812
Winning promotion to Lieutenant in April 1810, Elliot was assigned to Lake Erie to oversee construction of the US naval fleet upon the outbreak of the War of 1812. On October 8, he and Capt. Nathan Towson captured the English brigs HMS Caledonia and the HMS Detroit defending Fort Erie and later commended by Congress. In February 1813, however, while beginning construction on the USS Lawrence and USS Niagara, Elliot was replaced by Commodore Oliver H. Perry.
Transferred to Lake Ontario, Elliot served under Commodore Isaac Chauncey as Captain onboard the flagship the USS Madison. Promoted to Master Commandant in July, Elliot took part in the Battle of York (Toronto) on July 21. Reassigned to the Erie fleet the following month, Elliot served as Commodore Perry's second-in-command onboard the USS Niagara. He felt Perry had insufficient combat experience, however, and was particularly critical of Perry's choice of Presque Isle for his shipyard.
[edit] Lake Erie
During the Battle of Lake Erie against Captain Robert Barclay on September 10, Elliott took command of the Niagara until Perry was able to transfer from the severely damaged Lawrence from which Elliott regrouped the remaining sloops of the fleet. Winning distinction for his actions and official praise from Perry, Elliott was be given command of the Erie fleet the next month, a post he would hold until the war's end in 1815. Some (including Perry) suspected, however, that he had deliberately held Niagara out of the battle in the beginning, and they would feud over this point to the end of their lives.
[edit] Later career
Commander of the sloop USS Ontario (1813) during the Second Barbary War, Elliot would be promoted to Captain in 1818 serving on a naval commission selecting sites for navy yards, lighthouses, and other coastal fortifications until 1822. Transferred to the Brazil Squadron in 1825, Elliot served as captain of the USS Cyane for two years, and later commanded the West Indies Squadron from 1829 to 1832.
Appointed commander of the Boston Navy Yard in 1833, after two years he was placed in command of the Mediterranean Squadron from 1835 until his return to the United States in 1838 where he was charged with minor offences by several of his junior officers. Politically unpopular at the time (possibly stemming back to his performance during the Battle of Lake Erie and subsequent feud with Perry), Elliot was convicted of these charges and suspended from duty for four years until the remaining charges were dismissed by President John Tyler in October 1843. Appointed commander of the Philadelphia navy yard in December 1844, Elliot would remain there until his death on December 10, 1845.
[edit] References
- McHenry, Robert. Webster's American Military Biographies, Springfield, Mass.: G & C. Merriam Co., 1978.
