striking her colours at the
Battle of the Saintes in 1782
Nailing the colors to the mast is a traditional sign of defiance, indicating that the colors will never be struck, that the ship will never surrender. On 23 September 1779, Capt.
Richard Pearson of
HMS Serapis, nailed the British ensign to the ensign staff with his own hands before going into battle against
Continental Navy ship
Bonhomme Richard. Later, after
Bonhomme Richard's ensign was shot away, Pearson asked Capt.
John Paul Jones of
Bonhomme Richard to confirm he had struck his colors. However, Jones denied it and the battle continued. In 1807, the captain of
Chesapeake refused to allow inspection of his ship for deserters. Consequently,
HMS Leopard opened fire. Ten minutes later
Chesapeake struck her colors as a token of surrender. Her log recorded "Having... haul'd down our Colours." Almost exactly six years later, when the United States had declared war on Great Britain,
Chesapeake engaged
Shannon outside Boston in the only equal match of that war. Following a brief exchange of gunfire, 21 of the British crew boarded and took control of
Chesapeake. Since most of the American crew had fled belowdecks, the British sailors pulled down
Chesapeakes flag themselves. In 1811, while the
United States and
Great Britain were at peace with each other, U.S. frigate
President engaged HM sloop of war
Little Belt.
John Rodgers, Captain of
President reported to the
Secretary of the Navy, that "when perceiving our opponent's Gaff & Colours down... I... embraced the earliest moment to stop our fire and prevent the further effusion of blood." On 29 July 1812, at the start of the
War of 1812, Lt.
William M. Crane, USN, commanding officer of U.S.
brig Nautilus, reported his capture by a British squadron in these words: "the chasing ship put her helm up hoisted a broad pendant and English colours and ranged under my lee quarter—unable to resist I was compelled to strike the Flag of the United States." Captain
David Porter, USN, of U.S.
frigate Essex reported the capture of HM brig
Alert on 13 August 1812 in these words: "He avoided the dreadful consequences that our broad side would in a few moments have produced by prudentially striking his colours." On 19 August 1812, the U.S. frigate
Constitution chased HM frigate
Guerriere. "...it being now dark we could not see whether she had any colours, flying or not...[so I sent an officer under] a flag [of truce] to see whether she had surrendered or not." Captain
James Richard Dacres, RN, of
Guerriere reported the surrender of his ship, "When calling my few remaining officers together, they were all of opinion that any further resistance would be a needless waste of lives, I order'd, though reluctantly, the Colours to be struck." The Journal of
HMS Poictiers reports the capture of U.S. sloop of war
Wasp on 18 October 1812 as follows: "Fired Several Shot at the chase, Observed [chase] hoist American Colours,... Shortnd sail, the chase having Struck her colours." Captain
William Bainbridge, USN, reported a battle of HM frigate
Java with USS
Constitution on 29 December 1812, "...Got very close to the enemy in a very [effective] raking position, athwart his bows & was at the very instance of raking him, when he most prudently Struck his Flag." Lt. Henry D. Chads, RN, of
Java, reported her surrender, "At 5:50 our Colours were lowered from the Stump of the Mizen Mast and we were taken possession a little after 6." U.S. sloop of war
Hornet engaged HM brig sloop
Peacock on 24 February 1813. Badly damaged and sinking,
Peacock, signalled her surrender by lowering her ensign, As a signal of distress, she then hoisted an ensign upside down. Since the loss of rigging hindered visibility, her senior surviving officer made another sign, "I was compelled... to wave my Hat in acknowledgement of having struck[,] the Ensign having fallen with the Gaff into the Water." ==References==