USRC James Madison: A Rogue Cutter and the Coast Guard's First POWs

摘要

In the above quote, Secretary Gallatin wrote to Boston's customs collector regarding the proper use of revenue cutters. This letter was likely in response to the case of the rogue cutter James Madison, which had put to sea on an un-sanctioned cruise to capture British merchantmen. It would be the cutter's last patrol.In August 1812, just two months into the War of 1812, USRC James Madison's captain, George Brooks, got word of a large British convoy sailing off the Georgia coast bound for England from Jamaica. With no official orders nor a letter of marque, he set sail on Thursday, 13 August, along with two privateers, the schooners Paul Jones and Spencer. They located the British vessels a week later and, according to newspaper reports, the Madison single-handedly "cut out" two cargo-carrying merchantmen, placed prize crews on the captured ships, and sent them into port. It remains unclear whether Brooks flew the official ensign of the US Revenue-Marine during this privateering venture.On Friday, 21 August, Brooks's luck ran out. He ordered his men to attack the convoy a second time under cover of darkness but had mistaken the 32-gun frigate HMS Barbadoes for a large merchantman. According to reports, Brooks ordered his gunners to fire into the frigate and even tried to board the warship. After realizing his error, Brooks altered course and made haste with the frigate in pursuit. To increase their speed through the water, the cutter jettisoned two cannons and, after several hours, appeared to make good its escape. The wind died, however, and the British frigate deployed three longboats to tow the warship in pursuit of the cutter.