Norfolk Highlights 1584 - 1881
By George Holbert Tucker
Chapter 30
The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
The prelude and epilogue of the Chesapeake-Leopard affair that came
close to causing hostilities between the United States and Great Britain
took place in Norfolk.
On June 22, 1807, the United States frigate Chesapeake cleared Norfolk
area waters for the Mediterranean to relieve the USS Constitution as
flagship of the European station. In command was Captain (later Commodore)
James Barron, who had been the senior officer aboard for only one day.
The Chesapeake was badly prepared for her mission. Her crew was shorthanded
and untrained, her decks were littered with unstowed gear, and her powder
flasks and loggerheads were stored away in her hold.
Standing down Thimble Shoals Channel, the Chesapeake passed a British
squadron anchored in Lynnhaven Roads. Catching sight of the Chesapeake,
one of the British vessels, the HMS Leopard, weighed anchor and followed
her.
Side by side the two ships sailed to about forty miles at sea, at which
point the Leopard passed the Chesapeake, then backed a topsail and waited
until the Chesapeake came down to her. At that point a British lieutenant
was rowed over to the Chesapeake in a small boat. When he came aboard
and was taken to Captain Barron, he informed the latter that his ship
would have to submit to a search for supposed deserters from the Royal
Navy who were believed to be on board. Barron naturally refused to comply,
and the British lieutenant was rowed back to the Leopard.
Seeing that the Leopard's gunports were open and her guns were run
out, Barron and his officers made a frantic effort to prepare the Chesapeake
for resistance, but they were hindered by the unprepared condition of
the vessel's armament. The Leopard then blazed away at the Chesapeake
for fifteen minutes, killing three men and wounding eighteen before
Barron struck his colors. The British lieutenant then returned to Barron's
riddled ship and took out three men whom the British claimed were deserters,
plus a fourth man for good measure.
When the news of the incident filtered back into Norfolk, enraged citizens
swarmed out in rowboats to every vessel which came in from the Virginia
Capes to question their crews and passengers. Finally, when they saw
a vessel approaching carrying eleven wounded men from the Chesapeake,
all doubts were dispelled.
Seeking immediate revenge, Norfolk citizens held a mass meeting at
which it was unanimously agreed to refuse all intercourse with any of
the British men of war in the area, either by providing them with pilots
or by selling them supplies or water. In the meantime, a subscription
was gotten up for the families of the men who had been killed by Leopard's
guns.
On June 27, 1807, when Robert MacDonald, one of the wounded Chesapeake
sailors, died in the Marine Hospital at Washington Point, later known
as Berkley, his funeral in Norfolk became the occasion of a great public
demonstration.
As his body was ferried across the river to the County Wharf, all of
the American vessels in the harbor displayed their colors at half mast,
while minute guns were fired by the artillery on shore. An estimated
four thousand citizens were waiting on Market Square, and while the
coffin was being landed, they formed themselves into a long procession.
The cortege was made up of the coffin accompanied by masters of vessels
in the harbor who had been selected as pallbearers, borough officials
and military companies, and captains, mates, and seamen from other vessels.
These and the long line of citizens then marched to the measure of muffled
drums to the first Christ Church on Church Street for an elaborate funeral
service in MacDonald's honor.
 Chapter
31
Historic Fort Norfolk
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