Alistair Laird
Department Director
Lot 101
Derek George Montague Gardner(British, 1914-2007)The action between H.M.S. Endymion and U.S.S. President, 15th January, 1815
13 September 2011, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£2,000 - £3,000
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Derek George Montague Gardner (British, 1914-2007)
The action between H.M.S. Endymion and U.S.S. President, 15th January, 1815
sigend Derek G.M. Gardner (lower left)
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
25 x 36.5cm (9 13/16 x 14 3/8in).
sigend Derek G.M. Gardner (lower left)
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
25 x 36.5cm (9 13/16 x 14 3/8in).
Footnotes
The Anglo-American 'War of 1812' witnessed several justly famous frigate actions, the last of which was actually fought after peace had been concluded but before the news of it had reached the combatants. The Treaty of Ghent, bringing the War to an end, had been signed on Christmas Eve 1814 but, on 14th January 1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN, determined to break the British blockade, successfully sneaked the U.S.S. President out of New York harbour under cover of darkness only to ground on a sandbar near Sandy Hook. The following morning, by which time the President had floated free, Decatur set an easterly course but was sighted by a British squadron led by H.M.S. Endymion. Endymion, outsailing her consorts, gradually overtook President and engaged her at about 6.00pm. At first President seemed to have the advantage thanks to her superior firepower but Endymion's dogged persistence allowed her consorts to catch up and join the fight. At 11.15pm. Decatur realised that further resistance was futile and surrendered, but not before both President and Endymion had suffered extensive damage, particularly to their spars and sails.