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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Ivory Coast expedition
|partof=the [[African Slave Trade Patrol]]
| image= USS Saratoga sailors 1842.jpg
| image_size = 300
|caption=Veterans of the expedition on board {{USS|Saratoga|1842|2}} in 1842.
|date=June–December 1842
|place=[[Ivory Coast]], [[Liberia]], [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|result=American victory
*Little Bereby destroyed
|combatant1={{flagicon|United States|1837}} [[United States]]
|combatant2= [[Bereby]]
|commander1={{flagicon|United States|1837}} [[Matthew C. Perry]]
|commander2=[[Ben Crack-O]]{{KIA}}
|strength1='''Land:'''<br/>50 [[marine (military)|marine]]s<br/>150 [[sailor]]s<br/>'''Sea:'''<br/>1 [[frigate]]<br/>2 [[sloops-of-war]]<br/>1 [[brigantine]]
|strength2=unknown
|casualties1=
|casualties2=
|notes=
}}
{{Suppression of the Slave Trade}}

The '''Ivory Coast expedition''', or the '''Liberia expedition''', was a naval operation in 1842, launched by the [[United States]] against the [[West Africa]]n [[Grand-Béréby|Bereby]] people. After the attacks on the merchant ships [[Mary Carver Affair|''Mary Carver'']] and [[Edward Barley Incident|''Edward Barley'']], the [[United States Congress|American Congress]] approved a [[punitive expedition]] to the area and placed [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[Matthew C. Perry]] in command. The expedition was successful in exacting redress by destroying the fortified town of [[Little Bereby]] and by killing the chief responsible for the attacks on American shipping.<ref>Ellsworth, pp. 3–7</ref>

==History==
===Expedition===
[[File:Cape Palmas etch.jpg|200px|left|thumb|''An etching of Cape Palmas in 1853.'']]
The expedition to the [[Ivory Coast]] began on June 6, 1842, when Commodore Perry hoisted sail at [[New York City]] in the 22-gun [[sloop-of-war]] {{USS|Saratoga|1842|2}}. At [[Porto Grande, Cape Verde|Porto Grande]], in the [[Cape Verde Islands]], Perry later transferred his flag to the 38-gun [[frigate]] {{USS|Macedonian|1810|2}}, which participated in the operation along with the 16-gun sloop {{USS|Decatur|1839|2}} and the 10-gun [[brigantine]] {{USS|Porpoise|1836|2}}. All of the ships, except ''Porpoise'', had a [[Marine Detachment]] aboard. From [[Cape Verde]] the Americans headed toward the coast, their mission being to support [[Liberia]], an American [[colony]] for [[freedmen]], in suppressing the [[African Slave Trade|slave trade]] and the [[piracy|piratical]] tribes in the region. This meant conducting an investigation of the ''Mary Carver'' and ''Edward Barley'' incidents. Perry arrived off the West African coast near [[Greenville, Liberia|Sinoe]] in mid-November and his first objective was to gain proof regarding the piracy in that area. Accordingly, the commodore disguised ''Porpoise'' as a merchantman and sent her in to shore. Almost immediately [[canoe|war-canoes]] appeared and tried to take control of the ship, but [[Commander]] Stellwagen was able to get away without firing a shot. Sinoe was selected as a base, partly because the Sinoe tribe was suspected of treachery as well as the Bereby tribe.<ref>Ellsworth, pp. 3–4</ref>

It was around this time that the ''Porpoise'' left the expedition for duty elsewhere. Early in the morning of November 29, a party of seventy-five marines and sailors landed at Sinoe where Perry had a meeting, or palaver, with [[Governor]] [[Joseph Jenkins Roberts]] of Liberia and his staff as well as the "''twenty kings''" to discuss the earlier incidents. During the palaver the African leaders claimed that the American sailors were the "''aggressors''" and that the Sinoes attacked in defense of themselves. Either way Commodore Perry ordered that the native's villages be burned. Three prisoners were also sent to [[Monrovia]] and the landing party then returned to their ships, taking Governor Roberts with them. By December 1, the three navy vessels were off [[Blue Barra]] where another landing took place to escort Perry for another meeting with African authorities. The party returned later that night after dispersing gifts as a sign of friendship. The shore party made another landing at [[Setra Koo]] on December 5 for the meeting with a "principal chief". Again the meeting was successful, so Perry sailed for [[Cape Palmas]] the same night and anchored off the town of [[Caval, Cape Palmas|Caval]] on December 7 where another palaver was held with the African Chief [[Ben Crack-O]] who was the overall [[king]] of the tribes in the area.<ref>Ellsworth, pp. 4–5</ref>

====Battle of Little Bereby====
[[File:USS Decatur (1839).jpg|200px|right|thumb|A drawing of USS ''Decatur'', circa 1839.]]
The landing at Caval was a tense one though there was no fighting.  Perry stationed [[Picket (military)|sentries]] at the gates of the royal [[kraal]] to help with escape should it be necessary. Crack-O denied that his people had done anything wrong, so he touched his ears and his tongue, with his sword, as a gesture of truthfulness. Governor Roberts asked Crack-O if he would attend the "''Great Palaver''" at Little Bereby and he accepted. Next Perry sailed his squadron for Little Bereby on December 11 and arrived on December 14 and landed his fifty marines and 150 sailors. The meeting was held in a house about fifty yards from the kraal gates, during which Roberts began discussing with Crack-O the ''Mary Carver'' and the ''Edward Barley'' affairs. It was apparent that the king was not telling the truth, so Commodore Perry stepped closer to Crack-O to advise him to stop lying and a scuffle ensued. The chief attempted to drag Perry to his [[spear]], but the commodore threw off his attacker, who then left the house as fast as he could. But before getting out the door, a marine [[sergeant]] opened fire with his musket and hit the king while two others bayoneted him. Simultaneously the native interpreter ran out of the house and skirmishing erupted between the American sentries and some Bereby riflemen.<ref>Ellsworth, p. 6</ref>

Now that hostilities had begun, Perry ordered his men to burn the town, and, after carrying out the objective, the expedition was returning to their ships when ambushed by native warriors in the woods. Another skirmish resulted and the marines and sailors charged towards the Africans and routed them. The three American warships also opened fire and helped silence the enemy, and a few war-canoes were captured as well. When the battle was over, many of the Africans were killed or wounded though the Americans suffered no casualties. Perry then sailed down the coast and the following morning he detected another Bereby settlement. The marines and sailors were again landed and they destroyed seven villages by burning them and inflicted serious losses upon the natives themselves, without suffering any casualties. After this mission the commodore decided that the Bereby people had been punished enough, so he ended the expedition and proceeded on with other duties. Chief Crack-O's body was buried at sea and his spear was taken as a prize by Perry. Pieces of ''Mary Carver'' and her flag were also found at the kraal, evidence that the Bereby were responsible for the attack.<ref>Ellsworth, p. 7</ref>

==See also==
*[[Africa Squadron]]
*[[West Africa Squadron]]
*[[Opening of Japan]]
*[[Sumatran Expeditions (disambiguation)|Sumatran expeditions]]
*[[Battle of Drummond's Island]]
*[[First Fiji Expedition]]
*[[Second Fiji Expedition]]
*[[Formosa Expedition]]
*[[Nukapu Expedition]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DANFS}}
*{{cite book|last=Ellsworth|first=Harry A.|title=One Hundred Eighty Landings of United States Marines 1800-1934|year=1974|location=Washington D.C.|publisher=US Marines History and Museums Division}}

{{American conflicts}}

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[[Category:Battles and operations of the African Slave Trade Patrol|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:United States Navy in the 19th century|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:19th century in Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1842|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Naval operations and battles|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:History of the Atlantic Ocean|Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Punitive expeditions of the United States]]
[[Category:Ivory Coast–Liberia relations]]
[[Category:1842 in Liberia]]