USS Gallatin (1807)

USS ''Gallatin'' was a post-Revolutionary War sailing vessel that the U.S. Department of the Treasury purchased at Norfolk, Virginia, for the United States Revenue-Marine in December 1807. An explosion on board destroyed her in 1813.

Service history

On 5 December 1807, in Norfolk, Daniel McNeil paid US$$9,432.93 for the ''Gallatin''. He was her first master and he sailed her to Charleston, South Caroline to assume revenue cutter services. His master's commission for the State of South Carolina bears the same date. In February 1808 ''Gallatin'' arrested the schooner ''Kitty'' for violating the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of March 1807. She had 32 slaves on board and the seizure gave rise to a court case. The court voided the seizure on the grounds that the law was passed after ''Kitty'' had left the United States and her captain could not have known of its passage.''The Federal Cases: Comprising Cases Argued and Determined in the Circuit and District Courts of the United States from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Federal Reporter, Arranged Alphabetically by the Titles of the Cases and Numbered Consecutively'' (1896) Book 26 (West Publishing Company), pp.791-2.

War of 1812

America's declaration of war, in mid-June 1812, was followed shortly by the Enemy Trade Act of 1812 on 6 July, which employed similar restrictions as previous legislation such as the Embargo Act of 1807, including prohibiting all trade with Great Britain; the 1812 Act was as ineffective as prior acts. On 7 July 1812, Norfolk native and experienced merchant Edward Herbert, of Norfolk, and an experienced merchant captain, replaced McNeil as master of ''Gallatin''. Then in August 1812 the Treasury transferred ''Gallatin'' from Charleston back to Norfolk.

On 1 August 1812, ''Gallatin'', under the command of Daniel McNeil, captured the brig ''General Blake'', which was sailing from London to Amelia Island. ''General Blake'' was flying the Spanish flag and carried an illegal cargo, including African slaves. The capture was adjudicated in Charleston, South Carolina. A French privateer captured the ''General Blake'' as she departed Charleston in January 1813. According to a newspaper report, ''Gallatin'' captured a British letter of marque on 6 August as the British vessel was sailing to Jamaica. However, the ''New York Evening Post'' later declared the report false, and likely referencing the capture of the ''General Blake''.

On 12 August ''Gallatin'' escorted the British schooner out of American waters at Hampton Roads. The Norfolk privateer ''Dash'' had captured ''Whiting'', which had been bringing official dispatches to the US government from Britain and which was unaware of the outbreak of war. The US government ordered the release of ''Whiting''. Unfortunately for the schooner, the French privateer ''Diligent'' or ''Diligence'' captured ''Whiting'' shortly after she was released. On 2 September ''Gallatin'' escorted the ship ''Tom Hazard'' into Norfolk. The privateer ''Comet'' had captured her and the master of ''Comet'' had kept the ship's papers and manifest before releasing her. As far as McNeil was concerned, ''Tom Hazard'' was carrying an illegal cargo of British goods.

Then on 10 October, ''Gallatin'' detained the ''Active'', of London, and the ''Georgiana'', of Liverpool, for violation of the Enemy Trade Act. Nine days later, while on a cruise, ''Gallatin'' sighted a British warship near Savannah, Georgia. John Hubbard Silliman replaced Herbert as master after ''Gallatin'' returned to Charleston. His commission as a revenue cutter
master in the State of South Carolina is dated 22 October 1812. On 7 November, Silliman sailed ''Gallatin'' in company with the privateer ''Saucy Jack'' to attempt to intercept the British privateer ''Caledonia''. They were unsuccessful. In the new year, on 27 March 1813, the captain of the schooner ''Malaparte'' published a letter thanking Silliman and his men for helping to save his schooner's cargo after she went ashore near Savannah.

''Gallatin'' sank on 1 April in the harbour at Charleston, South Carolina. The cause of the sinking was an explosion that killed three men and seriously wounded five more.United States Coast Guard History Program: ''Gallatin'' (180

Accessed 8 October 2013. ''Gallatin'' had returned from a cruise the day before and Silliman had gone ashore, leaving orders that the crew clean the muskets and pistols. They were engaged on this task when the ship's magazine (artillery), powder room exploded. The cause of the explosion was never determined. On 31 March 1814 a Charleston newspaper reported that salvors had built a diving bell to retrieve ordnance and equipment from the sunken cutter.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallatin (1807)
War of 1812 ships of the United States
1800s ships
Maritime incidents in 1813