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Macedonian Fr

 

Macedonian

A former British name retained. The name refers to any native or inhabitant of ancient Macedonia, comprising what is now northern Greece and parts of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, but especially to Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia from 365 to 323 B.C. The second Macedonian, a 36-gun frigate, was named for the first.

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(Fr: t. 1,325; 1. 161'6"; b. 40'; dph. 18'4"; cpl. 306; a. 38 guns)

The first Macedonian, sometimes spelled Macendonian, a 38-gun frigate, was built in Great Britain in September 1810; captured off the Canary Islands by 44-gun frigate United States, Commodore Stephen Decatur in command, 25 October 1812; arrived in New London, Conn., as a prize 4 December 1812; and taken into service by k,)ril 1813, Capt. Jacob Jones in command.

Macedonian made one futile attempt with United States and sloop Hornet to break the British blockade by way of Hell, Gate, N.Y., 24 May 1813. She then remained in the Thames River, Conn., until the end of the War of 1812.

On 20 May 1815 she departed for the Mediterranean to join Commodore Decatur's 10-ship squadron in the AlgerIan War, a renewal of naval action against the Barbary powers, to stop harassment of American shipping. On 17 June the frigate assisted in the capture of Algerian flagship, frigate Mashuda by frigates Constellation and Guerriere, and sloops-of-war Epervier and Ontario.

The signing of a treaty with Tunis and Tripoli 7 August, following that with Algeria in June, won maritime freedom In the Mediterranean. The next 3 years Macedonian patrolled there and off the Fast Coast.

From January 1819 to March 1821 the frigate operated off the Pacific coast of South America, giving aid and protection to the commercial ships in the area during the disorders following the Latin colonial revolts, before returning to Boston in June 1821. She next cruised in the West Indies helping to suppress piracy, into 1826.

On 11 June 1826 Macedonian departed Norfolk for service on the Pacific station, returning to Hampton Roads, Va., 30 October 1828. She decommisioned in 1828 and was broken up at the Norfolk Navy Yard.