Talk:USS Alligator (1820)

Major mistake
William Henry Allen was killed in 1813, not 1820, according to the article on him. Velocicaptor 04:25, 11 July 2007 (UTC) Here is a biography gleaned from New International Encyclopedia. Velocicaptor 05:50, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
 * In an attempt to clarify the misleading and erroneous entries therein, I have scuttled the link to William H. Allen who was killed in 1813. I cannot locate any datum on the "Lt. William H. Allen" who was killed in 1822 while in command of the Alligator. Something has gone awry.  I feel certain that William Henry Allen wasn't aboard the Alligator in 1822.   Velocicaptor 14:00, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Possibility of vandalism
The statement that "Lt. William H. Allen" was wounded by "two musket balls" seems curious. Whom was "Lt. William H. Allen?" Fights involving two ships were with cannons, not with muskets firing "musket balls." Declarations in the article do not fit properly. I have tagged the article with a POV tag. Velocicaptor 12:36, 13 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Is the "Lt. William H. Allen" of 1822 a fictional person? Velocicaptor 13:24, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
 * William Howard Allen was killed in 1822 while in command of the Alligator. I will correct the link to point to him instead of to the better-known Lt. William Henry Allen.  I will remove my "POV" tag, too.  Velocicaptor 13:50, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Both men are listed in Category:United States Navy officers. Velocicaptor 14:10, 14 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Allen was in fact killed by two musket balls, not all naval battles are fought with cannon. When Allen's boat approached the pirate schooner, it opened fire with both cannon and musketry, the cannon apparently missed but the musketry did not. --$1LENCE D00600D (talk) 09:24, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Another Major mistake
The capture of the Portuguese brig section is completely false other than the fact that the Alligator captured a ship. The brig was not a privateer, she was an armed merchant ship returning from South America to Portugal carrying a load of precious cargo. There was no casulaties at all on either side and the brig was sent to Boston under a prize crew. Commander Sloat, in his defense, said that he took the ship as prize because of what he called a "piratical aggression." Alligator suffered only slight damage. When the sailors boarded the Portuguese brig there was no fighting and it's captain said that he thought the Alligator was a "pirate cruiser" coming to take his ship so he ordered his men to fire. When the captured brig arrived at Boston, the case was taken over by the Supreme Court who ruled that the Portuguese were not pirates or privateers as suspected by Alligator's commander Sloat. They found that the Portuguese ship was simply a merchantman with guns to defend against pirates and privateers. Each of the crew were awarded five hundred dollars for being taken prisoner by the Navy. --$1LENCE D00600D (talk) 09:24, 11 September 2010 (UTC)
 * DAFS states there were several casualties but does not give a number.XavierGreen (talk) 18:20, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Action of 9 November 1822
The Naval History and Heritage Command web page says (2015) the action took place on 9 November 1822. The Mariner’s Museum says (2021) that it was on 8 November 1822? Certainly the Mariner’s Museum is more accurate in terms of identifying the artist involved, but what about the date? Which is correct? Broichmore (talk) 14:35, 20 March 2021 (UTC)