Коммодор Джон Даунс: Биография морского офицера США

US Naval officer

Commodore John Downes (December 23, 1784August 11, 1854) was an officer in the United States Navy, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.

John Downes was born in Canton, Massachusetts on December 23, 1784.

He served as acting midshipman from September 9, 1800, and was appointed midshipman June 1, 1802. He rendered distinguished service during the First Barbary War in 1804 in the frigate Congress, and distinguished himself again while a midshipman on the frigate New York in a boat attack upon Tripolitan feluccas.

In March 1807, he was made a lieutenant and served as executive officer for Captain David Porter on the Essex during her cruise in the Pacific in the War of 1812. In the action off James Island, Downes was in command of the sloop Georgiana during the capture of three British whalers. He also participated in the action off Charles Island before sailing to Nuku Hiva to assist in building America's first military base in the Pacific. Among the Essex many prizes was the whale ship Atlantic, "which Captain Porter fitted as a cruiser and classified as a sloop of war, with twenty guns, named the Essex Junior, and placed under the command of Lieutenant Downes who retained this place until the capture of the Essex, and the conversion of Essex Junior into a cartel, 28 March 1814." Downes was promoted to master commandant in 1813, and two years later commanded the brig , in the squadron employed against Algiers under Stephen Decatur. On June 17, 1815 he, in concert with the rest of Decatur's squadron, captured the Algerian frigate Mashouda. Two days later the Epervier and three of the smaller vessels of the squadron captured the Algerine brig of war Estedio with twenty two guns and 180 men off Cape Paios. After the conclusion of peace with Algiers, Decatur transferred Downes to his own ship, Guerriere. Downes also served on the Ontario and Independence. He became captain in March 1817.

Downes took command of Macedonian in 1818 and set forth on a three year show of power for America to South America and beyond. On this trip, he decided to use the ship for his own enrichment and became a banking ship, giving protection, passage, and banking service to privateers, pirates, and others. He took large amounts for his own private use. He took at least 2.6 million in specie during his trip. He so angered his associates, whom he kept busy counting money under poor conditions, that one of his midshipmen, William Rodgers, resigned from the Navy after coming ashore from this three year voyage. He cited not being able to "do what I joined this man's Navy to do. Not being able to serve my country but to simply be serving for the monetary good of Captain Downes". Captain Downes had so much specie aboard that he was able to bribe Lord Cochrane into allowing the Macedonian to pass Cochrane's blockade.

Downes became commodore of the Mediterranean Squadron, and from 1828 to 1829 he commanded the Java in the Mediterranean. The captain however, had been on shore with four of his crew. He returned to the ship, fled and received help from other American ships also trading on the coast. They returned to Salem, the headquarters of much of America's trade with the East at that time, and also reported that the local chieftain denied any knowledge of the attack in his harbor.) to circumnavigate the globe. The ship was also the first to host sitting royalty – the king and queen of the Hawaiian Islands. Downes' sea service terminated with this cruise.

On returning home, Downes was severely criticized for his harsh actions, but Jackson supported him, saying the fighting would deter future aggression. Yet the action wasn't absolutely successful – in August 1838 another American merchant ship, the Eclipse, was attacked by 24 Malays who had been allowed on board.

Three ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Downes in honor of him. Genovesa Island in Ecuador's Galapagos Archipelago is also known as "Tower Island", believed to be result of a string of corruptions of Downes's surname. Downes recorded the island's position in 1813 and the name Dowers's Island appeared in 1815, presumably in misspelled reference to Downes, andafter passing through Dowers's, Dowers, and Tower'sit was finally written as Tower on a British Admiralty chart in 1841.