Action between H.M.S. Phoebe and the American Frigate Essex off Valparaiso, Chile, 28th March 1814.

Item Details

1815

Watercolor and ink on paper, 18 x 25 1/2 in., conservation mounted within ebonized, walnut frame; original backing paper on reverse, on which is inscribed in the artist's hand the title above and the following: "Willm. Wilson/ 53 Paddington Street/ Portman Square/ London/ ae 1815 July 18th".

 One of the greatest naval feats of the War of 1812 was the devastation of the South Sea whaling industry of Britain by the USS Essex under the initiative of its captain, David Porter.  Earlier in the war, Porter and Essex made a successful cruise towards Bermuda and took ten prizes before returning to New York in September, one of which was the sloop HMS Alert, captured in action on August 13th.   Slipping his 32-gun frigate out of Delaware Bay for a planned cruise with Constitution and Hornet in October 1812, Porter determined to proceed on his own when the two other ships failed to show up at the prearranged rendezvous.  Rounding Cape Horn, he captured a British packet purportedly "bearing eleven thousand pounds in specie" while enroute to Valparaiso, arriving at that Chilean port on 14 March 1813.  Refitting and provisioning there, the Essex set sail for the South Pacific where she captured twelve whalers, approximately 60 percent of the industry in that sphere, arming one of the captured whalers and naming her Essex Junior. Sending Essex Junior with three prizes to Valparaiso, he set sail for the Marquesas, where he repaired Essex and, after being rejoined by Essex Junior, returned to Valparaiso in January 1814.

            In the meantime, a British squadron had been sent out to hunt the Essex down.  On the morning of February 8th, 38-gun frigate HMS Phoebe and ship-sloop HMS Cherub arrived off Valparaiso and found Essex and her consorts in the neutral waters of the harbor.  For the next three days, Porter and his new nemesis, Captain James Hillyar, engaged in a war of flags.  First, Porter had a white battle flag, bearing the motto 'Free Trade and Sailors' Rights' run-up.  Hillyar, presuming this was meant to foster desertion among his crew, countered the following day with a flag he had put together by Phoebe's sailmakers, with the words 'God and Country, British Sailors' Best Rights:  Traitors Offend Both' emblazoned upon it.  Three days later, Porter hoisted another white flag, with the rebuttal:  'God, Our Country, and Liberty: Tyrants Offend Them'.  Over the next six weeks, Porter made a few attempts to slip past the British blockade, but his efforts were thwarted.  Finally, amidst a gale on March 28th, Porter made another attempt but Essex lost her main topmast and was cornered by the enemy.  After a valiant, but unequal action (the Essex's carronades could not reach the Phoebe, while the latter's long, 18-pounder cannon pounded the American ship), Porter struck his colors.

            This striking battle painting is one of the only surviving works by British marine artist Wilson known to us today, although he exhibited 75 "Sea Pieces" at the Royal Academy between 1800-1820.  It is also one of only two contemporary paintings that depict the famous last battle of the Essex against Phoebe.  Painted shortly after the return of Hillyar's small squadron (including Essex with Porter and his captured crew) to England, the details of the action between the two frigates, down to their distinctive battle flags, are carefully delineated and clearly reflect the to the artist by the officer who commissioned the work.