View source for USS Vixen (1803)

{{other ships|USS Vixen}}
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|Ship image= [[Image:USS Vixen (1803).jpg|300px|USS Vixen 1803]]
|Ship caption=Artist's rendering of ''Vixen'' rigged as a brig
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1821}}
|Ship name=USS ''Vixen''
|Ship ordered=28 February 1803
|Ship builder= William Price
|Ship original cost=$20,872
|Ship laid down=  1803
|Ship launched= 25 June 1803
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|Ship commissioned= 3 August 1803
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|Ship fate= Captured by the British, 22 November 1812, and wrecked 27 November
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|Ship type= [[Schooner]]
|Ship displacement= {{convert|170|LT|t|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{convert|83|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{convert|23|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship hold depth={{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement=111 officers and enlisted
|Ship armament=*14 × 6-pounder<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v03p01.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume III Part 1 of 3 September 1803 through March 1804 |pages=12 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=3 December 2024}}</ref>
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'''USS ''Vixen''''' was a [[schooner]] in the [[United States Navy]] during the [[First Barbary War]]. ''Vixen'' was one of four vessels authorized by [[United States Congress|Congress]] on 28 February 1803. She was built at [[Baltimore, Maryland]], in the spring of 1803,  by the agency of Col. Stricker.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v02p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume II Part 3 of 3 January 1802 through August 1803 |pages=444 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref> Lt. Andrew Sterrett was ordered to assist in supervision of construction in late May.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v02p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume II Part 3 of 3 January 1802 through August 1803 |pages=417-418 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=18 November 2024}}</ref> In a letter dated 7 June Lieutenant [[John Smith (naval officer)|John Smith]] was ordered to take over supervision of construction.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v02p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume II Part 3 of 3 January 1802 through August 1803 |pages=444 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref> She was launched on 25 June, Lieutenant Smith in command.

==Service==

===First Barbary War===
Designed especially for operations in the shoal waters off the coast of [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], ''Vixen'' joined Commodore [[Edward Preble]]'s squadron for duty in the [[First Barbary War]] (1801&ndash;1805) immediately upon her commissioning. She sailed from Baltimore on 3 August 1803 under the command of Lieutenant [[John Smith (US Navy officer)|John Smith]], arriving in Hampton Roads on 5 August, sailing from there on 11 August<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/E/E3/nd_barbarywars_v02p03.pdf |title=Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume II Part 3 of 3 January 1802 through August 1803 |pages=509 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |via=Ibiblio |access-date=2 December 2024}}</ref> and deployed with the squadron off [[Gibraltar]] on 14 September.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Essex Institute historical collections|publisher=Essex Institute|year=1927|oclc=6140167}}</ref> Commodore Preble dispatched ''Vixen'' and the [[frigate]] {{USS|Philadelphia|1799|2}} in October to establish a blockade of Tripoli.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Navy of U.S., from commencement, 1775-1853; with brief history of each vessel's service and fate as appears upon record; compiled by Lt. George F. Emmons, U.S.N., from most reliable sources, under authority of Navy Department; to which is addedlist of private armed vessels, fitted out under American flag, previous and subsequent to Revolutionary War, with their services and fate; also, list of Revenue and Coast Survey vessels, and principalocean steamers, belonging to citizens of U.S. in 1850|last=Emmons, George F. |date=1853|publisher=Printed by Gideon & Co|oclc=244120613}}</ref> However, ''Vixen'' soon departed in search of two Tripolitan warships and was not present when ''Philadelphia'' grounded and was captured on September 30th. Instead, she carried the dispatches announcing the loss of the frigate and the imprisonment of Captain [[William Bainbridge]], his officers, and crew back to Gibraltar in December.[[File:Bombardment of Tripoli, 3 August 1804.tif|left|thumb|USS ''Vixen'' (in the forefront, the fifth from the right) participating in the bombardment of [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], 3 August 1804, painting by [[Michele Felice Cornè]], 1752-1845]]Retribution for this latest action by the Tripoli pirates came swiftly and dramatically. Lt. [[Stephen Decatur, Jr.]], boarded and destroyed ''Philadelphia'' where she lay in Tripoli harbor on 16 February 1804, and Commodore Preble later followed this up with five heavy bombardments of the pirate state on the 3, 7, 24, and 28 August, and on 3 September. ''Vixen'' participated in all these actions, and performed tactical service by helping to coordinate the movements of the various American vessels. While in Malta in 16 October 1804, she was rerigged as a [[brig]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Naval documents related to the United States wars with the Barbary powers.|last=United States. Office of Naval Records and Library.|date=1939–42|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Office|oclc=221027988}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|title=Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers ... Naval Operations Including Diplomatic Background. 6 vols|doi = 10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_sim030020021}}</ref> ostensibly to improve her sailing qualities, and was with the squadron, now under Commodore [[John Rodgers (naval officer, War of 1812)|John Rodgers]], in actions before [[Tunis]] in August 1805. The warship returned to the United States one year later in August 1806, under the command of Master Commandant George Cox.<ref name=":0" />

===Between wars===
''Vixen'' was placed in ordinary at the [[Washington Navy Yard]] immediately upon her return from the [[Mediterranean]]. She left the yard one year later and subsequently operated along the Atlantic coast under Lieutenants [[James Lawrence]] and [[Charles Ludlow]].

On 18 June 1810, ''Vixen'' came upon on the sloop {{HMS|Moselle|1804|6}} off Barbados, which fired on her. Commander Henry Boys apologized to the Americans, reporting that he had been unable to make out her colors and that he thought she might be a French privateer that he was seeking. The Americans suffered one casualty, a man wounded in the mouth by a splinter.<ref>''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 24, p.252.</ref>

===War of 1812===
''Vixen'' continued patrolling the Atlantic coast until the outbreak of the [[War of 1812]], at which time she sailed along the southern coast under [[Master Commandant]] [[Christopher Gadsden, Jr.]], and, after his death on 28 August 1812, under Lt. George Washington Reed, youngest son of General [[Joseph Reed (jurist)|Joseph Reed]]. During one of her war cruises among the [[West Indies]], ''Vixen'' encountered the 32-gun British frigate {{HMS|Southampton|1757|2}},  under the command of Captain James Lucas Yeo. ''Southampton'' chased, intercepted, and captured ''Vixen'' on 22 November 1812.

Yeo described ''Vixen'' as a brig armed with twelve 18-pounder [[carronade]]s and two 9-pounder guns. She had a crew of 130 men and had been out five weeks but had not captured anything.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16701|page=277|date=9 February 1813}}</ref>

==Fate==
Both vessels (''Southampton'' and ''Vixen'') were wrecked five days after ''Vixen''<nowiki/>'s capture on [[Conception Island, Bahamas|Conception Island]] in the [[Bahamas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hakenaudio.exavault.com/p/Lippold/SouthamptonAndVixen.pdf |title=Underwater Pictures and Narrative of the Capture of the United States' Brig Vixen by one of the Vixen's Crew |last1=Haken |first1=Lippold |author2=Vixen Crew Member |year=2004 |orig-year=1813 |access-date=14 December 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> All the officers and crews survived. Lt. Reed, however, died later of yellow fever in [[Jamaica]] before he could be exchanged.

== List of the known Ports of Call ==
3 August 1803 - Left Baltimore.

14 September 1803 - Arrived at Gibraltar.

7 October 1803 - Arrived off Tripoli with [[USS Philadelphia (1799)|USS ''Philadelphia'']].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=To the shores of Tripoli : the birth of the U.S. Navy and Marines|last=Whipple, A. B. C. (Addison Beecher Colvin), 1918-2013.|date=1991|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=1557509662|oclc=47183485}}</ref>

28 July 1804 - Closed on Tripolitan coast with [[USS Argus (1803)|USS ''Argus'']]'','' [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']]'','' [[USS Syren (1803)|USS ''Syren'']]'','' [[USS Nautilus (1799)|USS ''Nautilus'']]'','' USS ''Enterprise'' and [[USS Scourge (1804)|USS ''Scourge'']]''.'' Later in August [[USS John Adams (1799)|USS ''John Adams'']] and [[USS Intrepid (1798)|USS ''Intrepid'']] joined. Multiple bombardments of Tripoli were initiated in the following weeks.<ref name=":2" />

6 September 1804 - Left Tripoli for Syracuse.

7 September 1804 - Left Syracuse for Tripoli.

16 (or 18) September 1804 - Arrived at Malta.

28 October 1804 - Left Malta for Syracuse.<ref name=":1" />

29 October 1804 - Arrived at Port of Syracuse.<ref name=":1" />

3 November 1804 - Left Syracuse for [[Messina]].<ref name=":1" />

7 November 1804 - Arrived at Port of Syracuse. USS ''Essex'', USS ''John Adams'', USS ''Argus,'' USS ''Constitution'' and [[USS Congress (1799)|USS ''Congress'']] were anchored there.<ref name=":1" />

11 November 1804 - Departed to patrol off Tripoli with [[USS Constellation (1797)|USS ''Constellation'']], [[USS President (1800)|USS ''President'']] and USS ''Nautilus''.<ref name=":1" />

27 November 1804 - Arrived at New Tripoli. Fired a shot on shore.<ref name=":1" />

6 December 1804 - Arrived at Malta.<ref name=":1" />

11 December 1804 - Left Malta to patrol off Tripoli.<ref name=":1" />

29 December 1804 - Arrived at Port of Syracuse. She joined there USS ''Essex'', USS ''President'', USS ''Constellation'' and USS ''Congress''.<ref name=":1" />

4 February 1805 - Departed Syracuse.

7 February 1805 - Arrived at Malta.

11 February 1805 - Arrived at Syracuse.

22 February 1805 - Left Syracuse for Malta in a company of [[USS President (1800)|USS ''President'']].<ref name=":1" />

23 February 1805 - Anchored in the Harbor of [[Valletta]], Malta<ref name=":1" />

1 March 1805 - Left Malta for a cruise off [[Cape Bon|Cape Bon Tripoli]].<ref name=":1" />

6 March 1805 - On and off Tripoli, supporting the blockade.<ref name=":1" />

18 April 1805 - Left her patrol duty at Tripoli.<ref name=":1" />

21 April 1805 - Arrived at Malta.<ref name=":1" />

22 April 1805 - Arrived at Port of Syracuse.<ref name=":1" />

10 May 1805 - Departed Syracuse.

11 May 1805 - Arrived at Malta.

17 May 1805 - Departed Malta for Tunis.

21 May 1805 - Off Tunis.

24 May 1805 - Arrived at Malta.

26 May 1805 - Departed Malta for Tripoli.

28 May 1805 - Anchored at the harbor of Tripoli.

4 June 1805 -  Observed the Stars and Stripes flying again over the U.S. Consulate in Tripoli.<ref name=":2" />

1 August 1805 - ''Vixen'' along with the rest of the Rodgers's sixteen-warship squadron arrived to Tunis for a show of force as Bey Hamouda of Tunis was considering to declare war on the United States.<ref name=":2" />

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/v/vixen-i.html}}

{{coord missing|Atlantic Ocean}}

{{1812 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vixen (1803)}}
[[Category:Schooners of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Brigs of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Barbary Wars American ships]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Ships built in Baltimore]]
[[Category:1803 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1812]]