Jesse Duncan Elliott was born in Maryland, on the 14th of July, 1780. His father, Robert Elliott, was unfortunately killed by the Indians in the year 1794, near the Muskingum river, while transacting business for the army of the United States. The following resolution was passed by Congress on this melancholy event. “Be it enacted,” &c., “that the sum of two thousand dollars be allowed to the widow of Robert Elliott, who was killed by a party of hostile Indians while he was conducting the necessary supplies for the army commanded by Major-General Wayne, in the year 1794,” &c. &c. Until the year 1804, Jesse Elliott was engaged in prosecuting his studies at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, when he was appointed a midshipman in the navy, and ordered on board the United States frigate Essex. The United States being then engaged in a war with the Barbary powers, the above-mentioned frigate was ordered to cruise in the Mediterranean.

The little force that Congress was enabled to detach for that service—their limited means of annoyance—the treachery and ferocity of their barbarous antagonists, created a deep responsibility in the officers, and conspired to introduce a system of masculine intrepidity, severity of discipline, and promptitude of obedience, of which, even to the present hour, we reap the benefits. The treachery of our opponents taught our men to be ever on the alert, and their cruelty made them bold and resolute, even to rashness. Knowing how much was expected, and how scanty were their means, they supplied every deficiency by skill and courage. Contempt of danger was so rigidly enforced, that when one of our subordinate officers showed symptoms of fear in an engagement, and was tried by a court martial, the commodore assigned for his acquittal, a reason no less curious than just: viz., that the bare supposition that one coward existed on board of the American fleet was, of itself, a greater injury than the condemnation of this man could possibly be a benefit, as it would establish the fact. The British squadron in the Mediterranean minutely watched the movements of our little fleet for the purpose of sarcasm and jest. Their sarcasms were, however, soon converted into expressions of warm admiration. Amidst such a band of brave and kindred spirits, our young midshipman learned to smile at danger, while he grew familiar with it, and felt his ideas expanded and enlarged. Returning to the United States, in July, 1807, he obtained a lieutenancy on board the frigate Chesapeake, where he remained until June, 1810, when he was appointed acting lieutenant on board the schooner Enterprize, to cruise on the coast, and to enforce the embargo laws. In this service he remained till 1810, when he was appointed to carry dispatches to our minister at the court of Great Britain. For a short time after his return, he served in the John Adams, from which he was transferred to the Argus, as first lieutenant. On the 5th of April, 1812, he married the daughter of William Vaughan, Esquire, of Norfolk, Virginia. He had no sooner entered that happy state, than he was obliged to relinquish the sweets of domestic life for the hardier scenes of battle. War was declared against England, and he, with all speed, repaired to New York, to rejoin the vessel from which he had been furloughed, and to his mortification, found that she had already sailed. Commodore Chauncey, being on the eve of departing on a secret and novel expedition, to which he cordially assented, had applied to the proper department to receive his instructions. Lieutenant Elliott was immediately appointed to the command on Lake Erie, and received orders to repair thither, with all possible dispatch, purchase what private vessels he could, build two ships of twenty guns, and as early as possible have his fleet in readiness to meet that of the enemy. Lieutenant Elliott, aware of the importance of the command of the lakes in our war against Canada, and the difficulty and delay which would attend the building of the vessels, to say nothing of the expense, had purchased some vessels, but was much embarrassed with the difficulty in getting up the Niagara, and into the lake. After revolving in his mind all these obstacles, he formed the resolution of boarding and capturing two British brigs-of-war, called the Detroit and Caledonia, lying under the protection of the batteries of Fort Erie.

He accordingly embarked in two boats, with fifty men in each, and put off from the mouth of Buffalo creek, and at one o’clock in the morning came along side of the enemy.

He boarded, and captured the two vessels, and secured all the prisoners in ten minutes. Unfortunately the wind was not strong enough to enable him to make head against the rapid current in the lake. He was compelled to anchor opposite the enemy’s forts, within four hundred and fifty yards of their batteries, exposed to a heavy and incessant fire of round, grape and canister shot, from a number of pieces of heavy ordnance, and their flying artillery.

The Caledonia was, however, beyond the reach of the enemy’s guns, under one of the batteries at Black Rock. Lieutenant Elliott ordered all the guns of the Detroit to be mounted on one side, whence he kept up a constant fire against the enemy’s batteries as long as his ammunition lasted. He determined then to drop down the river out of reach of their cannon, and make a stand against the flying artillery. At this instant, he discovered, for the first time, that his pilot had deserted him. He, however, cut the cable, and falling astern, made good his way to Square Island. He sent the boarding boat ashore with the prisoners, himself and four others only remaining in the Detroit, directing the officer to return for him, and what property they might be able to save from the brig.

The officer was unable to return on account of the rapidity of the current. At length, discovering a skiff under the stern, he made for the shore in her with the remaining part of the crew.

During all this time, an incessant fire was kept up from both sides of the river, on the brig.

She received twelve shots of large dimensions in her bends, her sails were reduced to ribbons, and her rigging cut to pieces. Finding all attempts to carry off the Detroit were unavailing, he dismantled her of all her ordnance and stores, and set her on fire. The Caledonia was found to be a vessel belonging to the Northwest Company, loaded with peltry. Lieutenant Elliott’s party consisted of one hundred men. He was fortunate enough to capture one hundred and thirty prisoners with their officers, and to release from captivity forty of his own countrymen, belonging to the fourth United States regiment. Lieutenant Elliott, on boarding, opposed three of the enemy with no other weapon than his cutlass. During the hottest of the fire from the batteries, a cannon shot passed through, and striking a large silver wedge deposited in a trunk belonging to one of the officers, bent it double. This wedge is still preserved as a curiosity. As a proof of the gallantry displayed in this exploit, Congress presented to Lieutenant Elliott a splendid sword, with suitable emblems and devices, in testimony of the just sense entertained by that body, of his gallantry and brave conduct in boarding, and capturing the British brigs Detroit and Caledonia, while anchored under the protection of Fort Erie.

Shortly after this brilliant exploit, Lieutenant Elliott joined Commodore Chauncey at Sacket’s Harbor, and proceeded with six schooners, in quest of the enemy’s fleet. The next day he fell in with the Royal George, and followed her into Kingston channel, where he engaged her and the batteries for an hour and three-quarters, and determined to board her in the night, but from adverse winds, the pilot refused to take charge of the vessels; and the commodore was reluctantly compelled to forego his determination. Lieutenant Elliott, shortly after, was promoted over thirty lieutenants to the rank of master-commandant, and having the command of the Madison in Commodore Chauncey’s fleet, in the preparation for the attack on York, Upper Canada, he discovered that the ships could not be brought into action from the shoalness of the water. He asked, and obtained the commodore’s permission to lead the small vessels employed in covering the troops while they were landing and attacking the batteries. The troops under General Dearborne, amounting to seventeen hundred men, were embarked on board Commodore Chauncey’s fleet, and arrived at York, while the squadron taking a position to the westward and southward of the fort, covered the debarkation of the troops. The riflemen landed under a heavy fire, and seven hundred regulars, with one hundred Indians, marched to oppose the landing of the American army. General Pike, with seven hundred men, having effected a landing, routed the enemy, and pushed direct for the principal batteries. At this time the enemy blew up his magazine, and during the confusion precipitately retreated. Thirty-eight of our men were killed by this explosion, amongst whom we have to lament the gallant Pike, and two hundred and thirty were wounded. The town surrendered by capitulation, and Captain Elliott was appointed by Commodore Chauncey to see that the articles were carried into execution on the part of the navy.

In the beginning of August, 1813, Captain Elliott was directed to proceed to Lake Erie and take the command of the Niagara, under the orders of Commodore Perry. The battle of Lake Erie, which resulted in the capture of the entire fleet of the enemy, was fought on the 10th of September following. Of the conduct of Captain Elliott on this occasion, it will suffice to state here, that Commodore Perry, in his official account of the battle, dated September 13th, said, “Of Captain Elliott, already so well known to the government, it would be almost superfluous to speak. In this action he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgment, and since the close of the action has given me the most able and essential assistance.”

Let the highest authority known to our laws speak for themselves, on this occasion. Congress passed the following resolution:—“Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause gold medals to be struck, emblematic of the action between the two squadrons, and to be presented to Captain Perry and to Captain Jesse Elliott, in such manner most agreeable to them,” &c. (See Plate XI.)

In October following, Commodore Perry left the lake service, and Captain Elliott succeeded him in the command of the naval forces on Lake Erie. On this station he did not remain long, but at his own request, he obtained the command of the sloop-of-war Ontario. Peace with Great Britain being proclaimed, Captain Elliott, in the Ontario, joined the squadron which sailed in the spring of 1815 to the Mediterranean to exact reparation from the Barbary powers for injuries to our commerce. This service being performed, he returned to his own country and remained with his own family until 1817. From that time until 1824 he was employed as one of the commissioners to examine the coast of the United States. From 1825 to 1827, with a promotion to captain in the navy, he commanded the United States ship Cyane, cruising on the coasts of Brazil and Buenos Ayres, to protect our commerce in that quarter. Captain Elliott’s next appointment in 1829, was to the command of the squadron on the West India station, consisting, besides the Peacock, of five sloops-of-war and two schooners. On this station he remained three years. In 1833 he was appointed to the charge of the navy yard at Charlestown, Massachusetts. In 1835 he sailed for the Mediterranean to take command of the squadron there; and during the several years spent in that service, he visited some of the most interesting parts of the world, of Italy, Greece, Constantinople, Palestine, Egypt, &c. &c., at the same time making collections of such objects of curiosity as would add to the interest of our institutions. After several years’ absence from the United States, he returned, and in November, 1844, was appointed to the command of the Philadelphia navy yard. His health soon after began to decline, and he died on the 10th of December, 1845. Commodore Elliott was a strict disciplinarian, yet his personal friends can bear unequivocal testimony to the amiability of his deportment in his intercourse through life. The excellence of his private character was never called in question. His correspondence at different times with the functionaries of foreign governments, was highly creditable to him. He possessed much useful knowledge, the result as well of his own observation as of his reading.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDAL.

To Captain Jesse Duncan Elliott, of Baltimore, second in command, for gallantry in the action on Lake Erie. Decreed January 6th, 1814.

Occasion.—Victory on Lake Erie.

Device.—Bust of Captain Elliott.

Legend.—Jesse D. Elliott, nil actum reputans si quid supresset agendum.

Reverse.—A fleet engaged.

Legend.—Viam invenit virtus aut facit.

Exergue.—Inter class Ameri. et Brit. Die 10th Sept., 1813.