Lineage...

When to throw the yoke.
I mean really.
I have been thinking about, well …a lot of things. Primarily about my responsibilities, and trust me, those are many. Beyond the youth of my wilds consisting of kicking ass, taking names, and teaching others of my ilk to do the same in kind - then the separation of governance. The loneliness of position and status. The self reliance of a lion in the face of impossible odds. The ability to form ones own pride. The distinction and honor of name.

The original Enterprise was born Canadian as a small, fast moving, hard hitting sloop of timber and sail in St. John, Quebec, with the distasteful name of George … 

… on 18 May 1775 Colonel Benedict Arnold took Liberty on the Richelieu river and with a surprise attack captured the Enterprise (still named George at that moment) and took her as his prize. She was a green ship, just having been built that same year. His log book entry on the matter of the attack is quite exciting:

 "My last was on the 14th instant by Mr. Romans via New Haven. I then acquainted you of the occasion of delay in not carrying your orders into execution. The afternoon of the same day being joined by Capts. Brown and Oswald with 50 men enlisted on the road they having taken possession of a small schooner at Skeenesborough, we immediately proceeded on our way to St. Johns and at 8 O'clock P.M. on the 17th instant arrived within 30 miles of St. Johns. The weather proving calm, we manned out two small batteau with 35 men and the next morning at 7 O'clock arrived at St. Johns, surprised and took a sergeant and his party of 12 men, the King's sloop of about 70 tons with 2 brass 6 pounders and 7 men without any loss on either side.... We took such stores on board as were valuable and the wind proving favorable in two hours after our arrival weighed anchor for this place with the sloop and 4 of the King's batteau having destroyed 5 others, so that there is not left a single batteau for the King's troops, Canadians or Indians to cross the Lake if they have any such intention.... We are masters of the Lake and of that I make no doubt as I am determined to arm the sloop and schooner immediately"

From there the sloop Enterprise was given twelve guns, ten swivels, 50 men, slapped on the ass and put to war against the British in Lake Champlain, not the Atlantic. This was a incredibly strategic waterway during the revolutionary war as it effectively split what is now the borders of New York and Vermont. This inland lake that is connected to all the other great lakes and waterways leading out to the Atlantic was absolutely vital to the colonists. If this lake was lost, the British would cut the colonies in half, surround … isolate them … eventually prevail.

While the Enterprise played her part in maintaining control over Lake Champlain, there was much controversy over both who would command her and who would sail her.  Perhaps rightfully so, and as such things happen the fighting spirit of the ship prevailed during the Battle of Valcour island.

The Enterprise and her fleet, numbering fifth-teen, spotted the British fleet numbering forty-five ships - they where out gunned in weight of shot, guns and ships. Benedict Arnold carefully choose his position in a narrow channel, their mission was not survival but to slow the British advance on New York. The Enterprise and her fleet squared off against a British fleet of forty-five on the morning of 11 October 1776.
The Enterprise and her fleet fought their ships all day valiantly, however, buy the nightfall the Colonial fleet had suffered badly. Damaged and sinking the Enterprise and her fleet muffled oars and in the dead of night, through fog, weaved through a gap only a mile wide between British ships and Indian scouts placed on the shore. By morning, she had escaped.

Through horrible cold winds and rain the Enterprise and her remaining fleet struggled on and eventually made it to safety at Ticonderoga. The Enterprise was one of four of the original 15 to survive... There at Ticonderoga she stayed to provide defensive duties. While the losses where heavy it was the greatest strategic naval victory of the entire war. The British had to wait another whole year before attempting an attack on New York, and this led to the victory over British troops at Saratoga almost a year to the date on October 17 - 1777. The Enterprise and her valiant crew snatched freedom from the jaws of defeat.

On a evacuation mission during July of 1777, the Enterprise ran afoul of the British, and to avoid capture - was run aground and burned by her crew. Aside from Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and Jeremiah Halsey are well notables that also commanded her. She was considered the “nucleus” of the fleet and was often the flag ship…

 … …

The Committee of Secret Correspondence of the Continental Congress purchased a small successful privateer schooner on 20 December 1776, named it Enterprise, and set her about harassing the British Atlantic fleet based out of Chesapeake Bay.  Apparently she was decommissioned in Maryland in February of 1777 …
… …

Now, the actual first U.S.S. Enterprise sailed twenty two years latter in December of 1799 and was directed into the southern waters of the Caribbean and based in Basseterre, St Kitts. At that time the Enterprise and crew fought eight French privateers, many of which where larger than herself - that being a twelve gun schooner. The high number of prizes and rate of success’s earned her the nickname “Lucky Little Enterprise”.

So, now the Barbary Pirates are asking for protection money and Thomas Jefferson says the hell with that, the trade route is vital and teh CIC won't be bothered with pirates from Tripoli. The frigates President, Philadelphia, and Essex along with the Enterprise where ordered to the Meditiranan squadron and left June 1, 1801. The Enterprise left Hampton Roads, Virginia, with Lt. Andrew Sterret in command.

Before being given command of the Enterprise for what was certainly going to be a lively cruise, Sterret had already summarily executed two men aboard the U.S.S. Constellation - one for leaving his gun in combat - the other for backing away from boarders. He is quoted as saying “We would put a man to death for even looking pale on this ship” … He got horrible press in the American papers for his actions - and promoted.
On the journey from America to the Mediterranean the Enterprise sailed in formation with the fleet. The larger frigates has more sail to press and made better speed in the winds the fleet was sailing through. Eventually, the fleet commander, frustrated, ordered the Enterprise to make her own way.
Commodore Dale the squadron commander and his staff was flabbergasted to find the Enterprise at anchor when they arrived at Gibraltar on July 1. Sterret and the Enterprise had made adjustments to her trim and found favorable winds appropriate for a schooner - and had arrived five days earlier than the rest of the fleet.

One month after entering the Mediterranean, the Enterprise found its first fight, and fired the first shots of the First Barbary war on 1 Aug, 1801 with the corsair vessel Tripoli…
…Sterrett reports it best himself in his letter of report to Commodore Dale:

“I have the honor to inform you, that on the 1 of August, I fell in with a Tripolitan ship of war, called the Tripoli, mounting 14 guns, commanded by Rais Mahomet Rous. An action immediately commenced within pistol shot, which continued three hours incessantly. She then struck her colors. The carnage on board was dreadful; she having 30 men killed and 30 wounded, among the latter was the Captain and first Lieutenant. Her sails, masts and rigging were cut to pieces with 18 shot between wind and water. Shortly after taking possession, her mizzenmast went over the side. Agreeably to your orders, I dismantled her of everything but an old sail and spar. With heartfelt pleasure I add, that the officers and men throughout the vessel [Enterprise], behaved in the most spirited and determined manner, obeying every command with promptitude and alertness. We have not had a man wounded, and we have sustained no material damage in our hull or rigging”

For sharp action in the face of a stronger enemy, President Thomas Jefferson awarded a ceremonial sword to Sterret and gave a extra months pay to the crew. 

From there on out the Enterprise and her human element cruised the Mediterranean - specifically the coast of Tripoli, razing hell, burning ships and generally making itself a nuisance to the enemy. One brave action of note was the action with the U.S.S New York in which crew members from both ships stormed a beach head under heavy fire in order to burn a dozen enemy grain ships. The odds where 50 Americans to an estimated one thousand. The crew members who held that action against the enemy are noted to have taken great satisfaction, there faces beaming in the firelight of the burning ships.

The Enterprise’s command was turned over to a Lt. Decatur, and Sterret was offered command of a ship being completed in American shipyards. This all turned  for the worse very soon however when Decatur was promoted ahead of Sterret. Sterret resigned his commission in disgust, latter worked for the merchant marines and later died in Lima, Peru at the rip old age of 29.

Enterprises new commander made good use of his time on this very popular ship. At one point in 1803 during the Barbary Wars the U.S.S. Philadelphia was chasing enemy ships and ran aground a sand bar - thus captured. Decatur was given command of an additional ship, the Intrepid, and was ordered to sneak into the harbor at Tripoli and burn the now captured Philadelphia. A midshipman made this report:

“The sleepy Tripolitans never expected a gang of howling Americans to appear in the midst of a harbor protected by a massive fortress. Many of the Tripolitans simply leaped overboard; others fled below to the orlop deck; the rest were quickly cut down.... Fires were started in every corner of the ship, and the flames began to lick up into the tarred rigging. Decatur was the last man off -- in a flying leap into the rigging of the Intrepid.... When [the Philadelphia] was just under the [Bashaw's] castle, the fire finally reached her magazine and she exploded with an immense thunderclap that reverberated over the town and showered its inhabitants with blazing remnants”

 

 The Enterprise and the Intrepid’s crews received two months extra pay, their commander Decatur was made Captian, the youngest in the American navy at the time. British Naval commander Lord Nelson was quoted as saying on the action: “the most daring feat of the age” …

The Enterprise sailed through the Mediterranean seas making American interests all the way to 1810, well after the end of the Barbary Wars. The now decommissioned Enterprise escaped the auction block due to her popularity as a prize taking ship (which all saliors got a pieace of the prize money) and the fact that the maritme community rallied newspapers to save her.

She sailed again, completely rebuilt and rerigged as a 16 gun brig under the command of Master Commandant Johnston Blakely - one month latter - the stronger, faster, more agil, more experianced U.S.S. Enterprise entered into war with Britian on 18 June 1812...

  Stick around for Part Two: The Incredible saga continues … 

...and Part Three: If your going to imply an "Enterprise Mission" you better have balls enough to play the part.

Sword