Isaac Chauncey

Isaac Chauncey
Born	(1772-02-20)February 20, 1772 Black Rock, Province of Connecticut, British America
Died	January 20, 1840(1840-01-20) (aged 67) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried	Congressional Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1798–1840
Rank	Commodore
Commands	General Greene John Adams Hornet Washington
Battles / wars	Quasi-War First Barbary War War of 1812
Other work	President of the Board of Navy Commissioners (1837–40)
Signature

Isaac Chauncey (February 20, 1772 – January 27, 1840) was a United States Navy officer who served in the Quasi-War, the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. In the latter part of his naval career he was President of the Board of Navy Commissioners.^[1][2][3]

Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, to Wolcott Chauncy and Ann Brown.^[4] His father was the great-great-grandson of Charles Chauncy, the 2nd President of Harvard College.^[5] At 19, he was given the command of the ship Jenny, belonging to Peter Schermerhorn, grandfather of Mrs. Astor, and was appointed a lieutenant in the Navy from September 17, 1798.^[4] He fought with gallantry in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France; in the Mediterranean during the First Barbary War; and commanded John Adams (1804–5), Hornet (1805–6), Washington and the Mediterranean Squadron (1815–1820). He was promoted to captain in 1806.

Perhaps his most outstanding service was during the War of 1812 when he commanded American naval forces on Lake Ontario, conducting amphibious operations in cooperation with the United States Army and trying to counter a Royal Navy force under the command of Sir James Yeo stationed there. He also served twice as commandant of the New York Naval Shipyard. Isaac Chauncey played a prominent role in the creation of the navy yard. His service there, began prior to its official designation as a shipyard.^[6]

On November 6, 1812, Commodore Isaac Chauncey set out on a raiding expedition to intercept the enemy vessels on their return from Fort George to Kingston. The enemy's force was the Royal George, 26 guns, 260 men; the Earl of Moira, 18 guns, 200 men; the Prince Regent, 18 guns, 150 men; the Duke of Gloucester, 14 guns, 80 men; the Simcoe 12 guns, 76 men; and the Seneca, 4 guns, 40 men. On November 8, Commodore Chauncey fell in with the Royal George and chased her into the Bay of Quinte. On the morning of Nov. 10th he took a small schooner and burnt it, and chased the Royal George into Kingston harbor, and engaged her batteries for an hour and forty-five minutes, but stood off with night coming up. The American loss in this engagement was one killed and three wounded. The next morning, with winds too strong to attack, he turned out and soon came upon the Simcoe. They chased her over a reef of rocks and severely disabled her with shot. Commodore Chauncey returned to Sackets Harbor on the 12th of November with three captured British trading schooners.^[7]

In the following week, Commadore Chaunceys fleet made two short cruises and captured three vessels. Two of the vessels were brought into Sackets Harbor and the third was burnt and sunk.^[8]

Commodore Chauncey was the commander of the American fleet transporting 1,700 American Regulars with Benjamin Forsyth's Riflemen leading the way. The American raiding force landed on the beach and routed opposing British forces, who suffered several casualties and retreated from the field. The Americans occupied York for a while looting and burning private property. Then all of the Americans boarded Chauncey's vessels and the entire American raiding force withdrew safely.^[9][10]

From around July 30, 1813, to July 31, 1813. Commodore Chauncey with his fleet arrived near Burlington Heights from Niagara during the morning. A force of several hundred troops, including sailors and U.S. Marines, under Lt. Colonel Winfield Scott, debarked. About 150 British troops under Major Maule put up stiff resistance. The Americans seized some prisoners (civilians, possibly militia in the town) and returned to the ships. The American fleet then departed.^[11]

One of his most successful operations was taking part of a naval raid by transporting Winfield Scott's force of raiders in the successful raid at York, Upper Canada from July 31, 1813 – August 1, 1813. Isaac Chauncey transported Winfield's American raiding force of 340-500 men to York. The American raiders freed prisoners in jail, made wounded soldiers their captives (on paper), and confiscated British military baggage left there and whatever else they could find. The next day, the American raiders found a hidden bateau and carted off 400 barrels of food. The Americans also took 11 bateaux, 5 cannons, and some flour. Winfield and his American force of raiders set fire to barracks, a wood yard, and a storehouse on Gibraltar Point. Winfield and his force of American raiders withdrew safely aboard Chauncey's ships. The American raiders destroyed some artillery and boats, confiscated supplies and ammunition, and all withdrew back to New York.^[12]

Around October 5, 1813, Chauncey was sailing with his squadron and spotted some British vessels sail on Lake Ontario. Chauncey pursued the British ships, which consisted of seven gunboats being used as troops transports. Chauncey's squadron captured five gunboats and destroyed one. The remaining gunboat escaped. 260 enemy soldiers were captured. Isaac Chauncey and his fleet withdrew back to Sacket's Harbor with the captured ships and 260 prisoners of war.^[13]

Chauncey went on to be Brooklyn's longest serving commandant July 13, 1807 – May 16, 1813, and again December 21, 1824 – June 10, 1833.^[14] His letters to the Secretary of the Navy provide perhaps the fullest picture and most candid portrait by a career naval officer of the early yard. These letters deliver rich detail about the officers and employees, and the problems he encountered making the new yard a viable concern.

Writing November 27, 1807, to the Secretary of the Navy, Chauncey pleads for maintenance funds – "The following things are almost indispensable to promote the public service and for the accommodation of the yard. Two wells to be sunk, in the yard, with pumps in them, windows in the armory, a horse & cart to transport stores, fill holes about the wharf &c &c The tide ebbs & flows in 24 hours consequently leaving a dampness that must destroy the timber next to the ground very soon There is sufficient for the horse in the yard Six wheel barrows with more other little conveniences which I will hope you will leave to my discretion I will not abuse you're your confidence."^[15]

Commodore Chauncey was particularly tough when negotiating wages. Writing on January 5, 1808, to Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith he explained "Some of them (in consequence of Mr. Buckland having mentioned publicly that twenty three gun boats was to be built) immediately had an idea that we could not do without them and would not go to work.

I however was able to find a sufficient number willing to work at the reduced wages and these who refused will in a week come back and beg for work and I shall be able to reduce their wages 25 cents more for the merchants have no work for them to do therefore they must either work for us at our price or go unemployed."^[16]

In May 1829, while in command of the shipyard, Chauncey led a series of searches for the body of George Washington Adams, who committed suicide by jumping from the deck of the steamship Benjamin Franklin.^[17]

In December 1835 Chauncey led navy yard marines and sailors in suppressing the Great Fire of New York by blowing up buildings in the fire's path.^[18]

His last service was as member, and, for four years, President, of the Board of Navy Commissioners. Commodore Chauncey died in Washington, on January 27, 1840.

• Three different classes of destroyers USS Chauncey were named in his honor

Chauncey Street in Brooklyn, New York is named after him.

Issac was married to Catherine Sickles (c. 1778 – 1855).

The couple lived in Fairfield, Connecticut where they had three children.^[19]

• Charles W. Chauncey
• John S. Chauncey
• Peter Schermerhorn Chauncey (1810–1866)
  • Augusta Chauncey married to Maj. Elbert Ellery Anderson (1833–1903).^[20] Founding father William Ellery was his great-great-granduncle.^[21] His father was Knight commander Henry James Anderson, and his mother was Frances Da Ponte, daughter of Lorenzo Da Ponte of Venice, the father of Italian Opera in the United States, and associate of Amadeus Mozart.^[22][20] He was also cousin of Elbert Jefferson Anderson, a millionaire of 1892, son of Lt. Col. Elbert Jefferson Anderson.^[23][24]
    • Peter Chauncey Anderson married to Mary Yale Ogden, and were members of the "Social Register" of New York.^[25][26] She was the daughter of Elias Hudson Ogden and Martha Louise Goodrich.^[27] Her grandparents were Dr. Oren Goodrich and Olivia Yale, daughter of Colonel Braddam Yale, members of the Yale and Ogden families.^{[25][26][28][27]} She was a distant relative of Edith Ogden, wife of the Mayor of Chicago Carter Harrison Jr., cousin of US President William Henry Harrison, and of Senator Aaron Ogden, Governor of New Jersey.^[29]

• Dudley, William S.; Cogar, William B., Ed. (1989) "Commodore Isaac Chauncey and U.S. Joint Operations on Lake Ontario, 1813–14."
  In New Interpretations in Naval History: Selected Papers From the Eighth Naval History Symposium
  Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
• Hickey, Donald R. (1989). The War of 1812, A Forgotten Conflict. Chicago:
  University of Illinois Press, Chicago and Urbana. ISBN 0-252-01613-0. Url
• Paine, Ralph Delahaye (2010) [1920]. The fight for a free sea: a chronicle of the War of 1812.
  Yale University Press, New Haven, 1920. p. 235. ISBN 978-1-59114-362-8. Url

• The Isaac Chauncey papers, at the William L. Clements Library contain professional letters and documents from throughout Chauncey's naval career.

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.