Elliott, Jesse D. (Jesse Duncan), 1782-1845

Jesse Duncan Elliott, United States naval officer, was born on July 14, 1782 in Hagerstown, Maryland. In the War of 1812 he was second in command to Oliver Hazard Perry during the Battle of Lake Erie while aboard the Niagara. He was criticized for keeping his ship out of action during the battle. He was later court-martialed in 1840 for his conduct aboard the Constitution. He died on December 10, 1845, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From the description of Letter, February 28, 1835. (Naval War College). WorldCat record id: 46326025

Elliott (1782-1845) was a naval officer who served under Commodore Perry during the Battle of Lake Erie. The Clarke Historical Library has one of Elliott's published speeches.

From the description of Correspondence, 1843. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 43626858

American naval commodore.

From the description of Jesse D. Elliott letter to Dolley Madison [manuscript], 1845 January 15. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 647998710

American naval officer, commissioned 1810. Commands included West Indian Squadron, 1829-1832; Boston Navy Yard, 1833-1835; Mediterranean Squadron, 1835-1838. Court-martialed on a variety of charges and suspended from duty, 1839; reinstated 1843. Commandant of Philadelphia Navy Yard 1844-1845.

From the description of Papers, 1824-1839. (Rosenbach Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122616996

Naval officer.

From the description of Certificate issued by Jesse D. Elliott, 1813. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70980818

Elliott was born in Hagerstown, MD in 1782. He enlisted in the Navy in 1804 and saw action in the Barbary Wars, 1805-1807. He served in the War of 1812 and won praise for his actions at the Battle of Lake Erie. He took command of the Lake Erie Fleet once the battle was over. He served in the second Barbary War, the Brazil Squadron and commanded the West Indies Squadron and the Mediterranean Squadron. His last billet was commander of the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

From the description of Letter, January 20, 1834. (Naval War College). WorldCat record id: 704553691

Commodore James Barron, born 15 September 1768 in Hampton, Virginia, died 21 April 1851 in Norfolk, served under his father, Commodore James Barron the Elder, in the Revolutionary War. He was made Captain in the Virginia Navy in 1799 and transferred to the newly formed U.S. Navy in 1803. During the War with Tripoli he commanded the U.S. Frigates New York and President when his brother, Commodore Samuel Barron, was commander of the Mediterranean Squadron. He assisted his brother in that command when the latter's health failed and returned with him to Norfolk in 1805.

Appointed Commander of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1806 with the rank of Commodore, which title he retained for the rest of his life, he sailed aboard the U.S. Chesapeake. The British ship Leopard attacked the Chesapeake when Barron refused to allow his ship to be boarded in a search for British deserters. After a brief battle, Barron surrendered and on the request of his junior officers he was brought before a Naval court martial. The command was turned over to Capt. Stephen Decatur who in the Algerian War of 1815 became a national hero. Barron was suspended from the Navy for five years in a decision criticized by many, including B. Cocke of Washington and Robert Saunders of Williamsburg.

Barron took command of the merchant ship Portia, and after several voyages was caught in a Danish port by the outbreak of the War of 1812. He attempted to get passage home but was refused it because of the Danish neutrality and remained in Copenhagen until 1819. During this period he supported himself with his inventions including a new type of mill, a rope spinning machine, a cork cutter, and a dough kneading machine. Upon his return he sought a command in the Navy and in the course of this an argument by mail with Decatur resulted in the famous duel in which Barron was seriously injured and Decatur fatally. His second in the duel, Capt. J. D. Elliott was coupled with Barron in responsibility for the duel, though perhaps unfairly.

A Naval Court of Enquiry was held in 1821 to clear the name of Barron for his absence in the War of 1812 and other charges brought against him. The decision was very noncommittal and was criticized by many, including Carter Beverley and John Taliaferro of Williamsburg.

In 1824, Barron was given the command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, largely through the influence of his friend, General Andrew Jackson. While there he participated in the entertaining of General Lafayette when he visited the U.S.

Commodore Barron took command of the Gosport Navy Yard in 1825 where he remained until 1831 when he returned to the command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. In 1837, he resigned that command because an officer junior to him had been appointed President of the Naval Board in Washington, and was without command until 1842. From 13 March to 30 November 1842 he commanded the Navy Asylum, a retirement home for Naval men in Philadelphia. In that position he was also in charge of the training and examination of Midshipmen for the Navy, and his advice was asked when plans were being made for organization of the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1847. In 1845, he returned to Norfolk where he lived in retirement until his death in 1851.

During all this time he continued his interest in inventions which included a new type of pump and bellows ventilator for ships, a steam-powered battleship, a new type of dry dock, and a cylinder steam for ships developed with Amos Kendali. He was instrumental in the development of the Naval flag signal, which he first revised in 1798.

Commodore Barron supported the education of his grandson, James Barron Hope, whose early letters, a poem on Washington, and other poems are included at the end of Box 11. (See the James Barron Hope Papers for a continuation of these papers, and the Samuel Barron Papers for a chart to the genealogy of the Barron family.)

From the guide to the James Barron Papers (1), 1766-1899., (Special Collections, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary)