Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Essex (I)

Frigate:

Built, date unknown, by Enos Briggs, Salem, MA

Launched, 30 September 1799

Commission, USS Essex, circa 17 December 1799, CAPT. Edward Preble in command

First US man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope, in March and August 1800

Essex, CAPT. William Bainbridge in command, sailed to the Mediterranean to protect American trade and seamen from the Barbary Powers

Repaired at Washington Navy Yard in 1802, Essex, CAPT. James Barron in command, resumed her duties in the Mediterranean until the conclusion of peace terms in 1806

Placed in ordinary from July 1806 to February 1809 at Washington Navy Yard

Recommissioned, February 1809 to patrol American waters

During the War of 1812 Essex, CAPT. David Porter in command, successfully conducted combat operations against the British seizing numerous enemy prizes which included HMS Alert on 13 August 1812

Forced to surrender in the harbor at Valparaiso, Chile in February 1814 after engaging the British frigates HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub

Repaired by the British and sent to England

Ex-Essex served as British prison ship at Kingstown, Ireland from 1833 to 1837

Sold at public auction in 1837

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 850 t.
Length on Gun Deck 141.5'
Beam 37'8"
Draft unknown
Depth 12' 3"
Speed unknown
Complement 228
Armament

twenty-six 12-pdrs

ten 6-pdrs

Propulsion sail

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	911k	Plan of the United States Frigate *Essex. From On-line Journal of Research one Irish Maritime History*	Robert Hurst
	305k	Pen and ink sketch of the US Frigate Essex, 1799. From "The History Of American Sailing Ships", by Howard Irving Chapelle, Bonanza Books, New York.	Robert Hurst
	172k	Pen and ink perspective drawn by Henry Rusk of the US Frigate Essex, 1799. From "The History Of American Sailing Ships", by Howard Irving Chapelle, Bonanza Books, New York.	Robert Hurst
	826k	Plan of the US Frigate Essex as redrawn from the plan in the United States Navy files. Stern reconstructed. Extent of gangways in deck arrangement uncertain. Plan shows the vessel as originally built in 1797. Drawn by Howard Irving Chapelle. From "The History Of American Sailing Ships", by Howard Irving Chapelle, Bonanza Books, New York.	Robert Hurst
	369k	Contemporary water color ship portrait of USS Essex by Joseph Howard. Same as black and white US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 61875	Tommy Trampp
	325k	Undated artwork of USS Essex underway. US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 63598	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	228k	Painting of USS Essex underway by artist E. Tufnell R.N. (Ret.) US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 72804-KN	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	286k	USS Essex, CAPT. Porter, engages HMS Alert, CAPT. T.L.P. Laungharne, in a brief engagement in the Atlantic, 13 August 1812. US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 55432	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	235k	USS Essex, captures HMS Alert after a brief engagement in the Atlantic, 13 August 1812. US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 55433	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	277k	USS Essex capturing HMS Alert, 13 August 1812. From "Our Country in War" by Murat Halstead (1898).	Robert Hurst
	28k	"The [U.S.S.] *ESSEX* [commanded by David Porter] capturing the British ship *ALERT" Illus. in: Memoir of ... David Porter*, 1875, opp. p. 94	Tommy Trampp
	312k	USS Essex and her prizes making for Washington Island, Pacific Ocean, by William Bainbridge Hoff.	US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 55439
	309k	USS Essex capturing prize *Nockton, 12 December 1812. Illustration by CAPT. William Bainbridge Hoff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2289* from the collection of CAPT Porter, Property of Department of the Navy Curator	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	341k	USS Essex burning the prize *Hector. Illustration by CAPT. William Bainbridge Hoff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2291* from the collection of CAPT Porter, Property of Department of the Navy Curator	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	424k	USS Essex and her prizes at Nukuhiva, Marquesas, November-December 1813. Drawing by D. Porter, engraved by W. Strickland. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 55437	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	284k	USS Essex and her prizes leaving Tumbey Bay, Australia in 1813. Drawing by William Bainbridge Hoff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 55438	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	75k	A Contemporary illustration of Valparaiso Bay, 1814. HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub lay in sight of USS Essex and *Essex Junior* for 6 weeks while at anchor in the harbor at Valparaiso, Chile.	Tommy Trampp
	254k	USS Essex offering battle to HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub off Valparaiso, Chile, 28 March 1814. Illustration by CAPT. William Bainbridge Huff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2254	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	237k	USS Essex being fouled by HMS Phoebe while engaging *Phoebe* and HMS Cherub off Valparaiso, Chile, 28 March 1814. Illustration by CAPT. William Bainbridge Huff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2290	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	233k	The battle between USS Essex, HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub off Valparaiso, Chile, 28 March 1814. Illustration by CAPT. William Bainbridge Huff. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 152r8	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	287k	Image of the Battle of Valparaiso between USS Essex and the British frigate HMS Phoebe and the sloop HMS Cherub, 28 March 1814. Image from "The Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812" by Benson Lossing. Same as US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 2047	Robert Hurst
NH 55429	234k	Painting of USS Essex, CAPT. David Porter, was captured by HMS Phoebe, CAPT Hillyar, and HMS Cherub, in the harbor at Valparaiso, Chile, 18 March 1814. US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 55429, NH 55430, NH 55427	US Naval History and Heritage Command
NH 55430	211k
NH 55427	363k
	1116k	"“We have been unfortunate, but not disgraced" - the Capture of USS "Essex" in the Battle of Valparaiso, 28 March 1814, off the Chilean coast during the War of 1812, CAPT. David Porter’s USS Essex was captured by the frigate HMS Phoebe, James Hillyar, and the sloop HMS Cherub in the Battle of Valparaiso. From the Beverley Robinson collection at the United States Naval Academy. Same as black and white US Naval History and Heritage Command NH 902501	Tommy Trampp
	604k	An undated image of the prison hulk *Essex* (formerly USS Essex) at Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), Ireland. The former Royal Navy frigate *Essex* arrived at Cork to serve as prison ship in October 1823, and, between 1824 and 1834 served at Kingstown, as floating prison and detention center for convicts awaiting transportation to Australia. From On-line Journal of Research one Irish Maritime History	Robert Hurst
	78k	Model of US Frigate Essex Courtesy by ModelShipMaster.com.	Tommy Trampp
	61k	1:76 scale model of US Frigate Essex	Tommy Trampp