USS Essex Junior
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | Essex Junior |
| Namesake: | USS Essex |
| Acquired: | 29 April 1813 by capture |
| Captured: | 12 January 1814 |
| Fate: | sold on 26 August 1814 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 355 (bm) |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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| Notes: | |
The sloop Essex Junior, formerly the British whaler Atlantic, Captain Obadiah (or Obed) Wier (or Wyer, of Nantucket), was captured by the frigate Essex, Captain David Porter, off the Galapagos Islands on 29 April 1813. Porter took Atlantic to use as a tender, named her Essex Junior, and placed her under the command of Commander John Downes. The British recaptured her on 28 March 1814 when they captured Essex. They then sent Essex Junior to New York as a cartel.
From 1804 to August 1806 Obadiah Web had sailed the whaler Fame to the Pacific, returning to Nantucket with 1000 barrels of sperm oil. On this voyage, Atlantic had left Nantucket earlier in 1813.
Atlantic was already pierced for 20 guns though only mounting six, so Porter augmented her existing armament with 6-pounder guns and additional 18-pounder carronades. He also put on board a crew of 60 officers and men.
After cruising in the waters off the western coast of South America Essex Junior accompanied Essex to the island of Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas Group where repairs were made. Essex Junior returned with Porter in Essex, leaving on 12 December and reaching the coast of Chile on 12 January 1814.
On 8 February 1814 HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub arrived at Valparaíso, a neutral port, where Essex and her prizes were anchored. Having trapped Essex in the harbour, the British waited six weeks for her to come out and thwarted all her efforts to escape. Eventually, on 28 March, Porter attempted to break out of the harbour. A squall took off his main topmast and he attempted to return to harbour but Phoebe and Cherub drove Essex into a nearby bay and defeated her in a short engagement. Phoebe and Cherub also captured Essex Junior.
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