War of 1812
1818 Letter To Captain E. Smith of the Brig Macedonian Delivered by Captain Downes of the Frigate Macedonian
September 20, 1818-Dated, Mauscript Letter Signed, “Jno.Ellery,” Boston, Fine.
This 192 year old letter was written by J.L .Ellery of Boston, having an integral envelope, which is heavily soiled and somewhat blackened on that side only, to “Captain Eliphalet Smith of the Brig Macedonian.” This may be the same Eliphalet Smith that fought as a Privateer during the American Revolution.

This letter was delivered by Captain Downes (Naval War Hero) of the Frigate USS Macedonian. The USS Macedonian was originally the H.M.S. Macedonian and was captured by Captain Stephen Decatur during the War of 1812 and Downes was given command of the frigate in 1818. The interior letter portion of this 8" x 9.5" (unfolded) letter remains quite clean ans is well written in dark brown. It was written on Sept. 20th 1818 and was delivered in October of 1820.

This letter is addressed to: "Capt. Eliphalet Smith of the Brig Macedonian of Boston. A small notation at the lower left of the envelope portion reads: “Chile - By Politeness of Capt Downes of the U.S. Frigate Macedonian." This letter reads, in full:

"Boston 20th of Sept. 1818, -

Capt. E. Smith of the Brig Macedonian - Dear Sir - I write this with scarce any idea that it will reach you as I presume by this time, you are off for Canton, at which place I have written you by W.George Sturgis, William Amidon and Capt. Endicott of Salem. Your wife and all your friends are well. We have seen your letter by Capt. Coffin of May 17th.. I hope you have been able to sell your vessel & that you have taken the proceeds to Canton to be invested in Silk & crapes, half each as those articles now pay handsomely. I depend on your executions. - I am your friend - Jno. Ellery”.

A short postscript follows, which reads: “I write this by Capt. Downes, one of our most distinguished officers & Captain of the Frigate Macedonian, bound to Chile to protect the trade."

This letter took more than two years to find its way from Boston to the Brig Macedonia. As an interesting side note, Captain Downes took command of USS Macedonian (the captured HMS 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 (then vice-admiral of the Chilean Navy) into allowing the Macedonian to pass Cochrane's blockade.Both ships in this letter are named "Macedonian" however, the Brig Macedonian is a commercial vessel and the Frigate Macedonian is a United States Warship.

This letter has some minor stains but overall is in very good condition.