Engagements on Lake Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Engagements on Lake Ontario encompass the prolonged naval contest for control of the lake during the War of 1812
. Few actions were fought, none of which had decisive results, and the contest essentially became a naval building race, sometimes referred to sarcastically as the "Battle of the Carpenters".
had an early advantage on the Great Lakes
in that they possessed a quasi-naval body, the Provincial Marine
. Although not particularly well-manned or efficient, its ships were initially unopposed on Lake Erie
and Lake Huron
, and made possible the decisive early victories of Major General Isaac Brock
.
On Lake Ontario, they possessed the ships Royal George
and Prince Regent, and the brig
s Earl of Moira and Duke of Gloucester
, based at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
. The schooner
s Seneca and Simcoe were also taken into service. The chief officer was Commodore John Steel, who was seventy-five years old, or even older. He was retired and replaced by Commander Hugh Earle. The Americans possessed only one brig
, the Oneida
under Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
, and a small navy yard at Sackets Harbor, New York
. On 19 July, five vessels of the Provincial Marine attacked Oneida in the First Battle of Sackett's Harbor
but were beaten off.
To redress matters, on 3 September, the United States Navy
appointed Commodore Isaac Chauncey
, then commanding the New York Navy Yard
, to command on the lakes. Although Chauncey was nominally in charge of the naval force on Lake Erie also, he took little part in its construction or operations there but concentrated his attention on Lake Ontario. To supplement the Oneida, he first purchased or commandeered several trading vessels (including some captured Canadian schooners), but he also despatched large numbers of carpenters, shipwrights and so on to Sacket's Harbor to construct proper fighting ships. The chief architects were Adam Brown, his brother Noah and Henry Eckford
. They launched their first new ship, the corvette
Madison
, on 26 November. The trees from which it was constructed had still been standing in September.
Chauncey hoisted his broad pendant
aboard Oneida on 6 November and with his squadron, pursued the British ship Royal George into Kingston. He too was beaten off, partly by shore batteries and gunboats, and partly because a gun exploded aboard the schooner Pert, mortally injuring the schooner's commander and throwing the American squadron into confusion. After this engagement winter closed in, immobilising the ships of both sides in port. Chauncey feared an attack across the ice by British regular soldiers, and kept his carpenters sawing the ice from around his vessels so that they could at least bring fire to bear on any attackers. However, the British had no intention at that stage of making such an attack.
The British began building two corvettes to match the Madison, one each at Kingston and York. Their efforts were hindered, especially at York, by disputes between shipwright Thomas Plucknett, who had been selected by Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost
, the Governor General, to superintend the work, and officers such as Captain Andrew Gray, a staff officer in the Army in Upper Canada. Plucknett's work was reckoned to be disorganised, as was that of the shipwright at Kingston, who was dismissed and replaced by the more experienced Daniel Allen. Allen in turn was removed after fomenting disputes over working conditions in March, 1813.
Three officers (acting Commanders Robert Heriot Barclay
, Robert Finnis and Daniel Pring
) had been detached by Vice Admiral Herbert Sawyer
from the Royal Navy's North American Station in Halifax, Nova Scotia
to the Provincial Marine, and did much over the winter to refit the existing vessels at Kingston. However, the Admiralty
independently appointed Captain James Lucas Yeo
to command the naval establishment on the Great Lakes. He collected reinforcements and materials in Britain, and crossed the Atlantic early in 1813.
Chauncey had the advantage in ships and men once the ice melted. He and General Henry Dearborn
, the commander in chief of the American armies in the north, had the opportunity to strike a blow before British seamen and officers could reach Canada and travel up the St. Lawrence. An attack on Kingston would have been decisive, but Chauncey and Dearborn persuaded themselves that it was defended by 5,000 British regulars (there were in fact only 600). They instead attacked York, the provincial capital. On 27 April at the Battle of York
, they defeated the outnumbered defenders under Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe
and looted the town. They captured the brig Duke of Gloucester and also several cannon which were destined for the British squadron on Lake Erie, (which contributed to the later American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie
). The British themselves set fire to the part-completed corvette Isaac Brock to prevent it falling into American hands.
Chauncey and Dearborn then defeated the British army on the Niagara River
at the Battle of Fort George
on 27 May. At both York and Fort George, Chauncey's schooners and gunboats (commanded at the latter engagement by Oliver Hazard Perry
) had proved very effective in supporting troops landing from boats.
The American commanders had left themselves vulnerable to a potentially decisive counter-attack. While they were preoccupied at the western end of Lake Ontario, Commodore Yeo had arrived in Kingston, accompanied by 465 officers and seamen of the Royal Navy, to take charge of the British squadron. Embarking troops under Prevost, who happened to be in Kingston on public and Army business, he almost immediately attacked the American base at the Battle of Sacket's Harbor on 29 May. Although this was a strategically bold stroke, both Yeo and Prevost attacked cautiously and called off the attack when they met with stiff resistance. The Americans had prematurely set fire to the captured Duke of Gloucester and a heavy sloop of war under construction, the General Pike, but managed to put out the fire when the British withdrew. The Gloucester and large quantities of stores were destroyed, but the Pike was saved.
Chauncey hastened back to Sacket's Harbor, and remained in harbour awaiting the completion of the Pike. While the Americans declined to contest the lake, Yeo's squadron assisted in driving the American army on the Niagara peninsula back into Fort George, and captured or destroyed large quantities of stores. An attempt on 1 July to mount a raid on Sacket's Harbor in small boats to destroy the Pike while it was fitting out was called off.
Chauncey's full squadron put out on 21 July. They first contemplated an assault on the British defensive positions at Burlington Heights
at the western end of the lake, but found the defenders too well-prepared to risk the operation, and instead they briefly captured York again, this time causing little loss, and even returned some property looted in the earlier attack.
s and wanted to close in heavy weather. On the night of 8 August, two American schooners (the Hamilton
and Scourge) capsized and sank in a sudden squall. Of the 72 men aboard both schooners, 53 were drowned.
On 10 August, the British were to windward. Chauncey formed his squadron into two lines; six schooners were nearest the British, with the heavier ships further away to leeward. As the British edged closer, firing became general. At 11:30 am, Chauncey ordered his windward line to steer downwind and reform to leeward of the heavy vessels. The two leading schooners, the Growler and Julia
, failed to wear ship and were left cut off from the rest of Chauncey's squadron. Rather than try to beat upwind to rescue the two schooners, Chauncey withdrew downwind, hoping that Yeo would follow him. Instead, Yeo concentrated on the two isolated schooners, both of which were captured.
about 10 miles (16.1 km) east of the Niagara. The British squadron was becalmed and for several hours, the American schooners fired at them from long range, while the British attempted to work their vessels out of range by towing them with boats and using sweeps (long oars) through the gunports of the vessels. Towards evening, a land breeze sprang up, which allowed Yeo to pull away and withdraw into Amherst Bay.
and the Madison) were towing the schooners Asp
, Ontario
and Fair American
.
At about 12:40 pm, Yeo abruptly reversed course, intending to exchange a single broadside with the Pike while they passed on opposite tacks, and then concentrate against the weaker schooners at the rear of Chauncey's line. However, Chauncey also reversed course and the Pike and Yeo's flagship, the Wolfe, exchanged several broadsides on the same tack. The American fire brought down the Wolfe's mizzen- and main-topmasts. Yeo's second in command, Commander William Mulcaster
, interposed his ship, the Royal George, between the Wolfe and the Pike and backed his sails while the crew of the Wolfe cleared away the wreckage and headed downwind towards Burlington Bay
at the western end of the lake.
For a while, the two squadrons were mixed up together, and Chauncey's flag captain, Arthur Sinclair
, urged Chauncey to capture the two rearmost British vessels (the Beresford and Melville) but Chauncey apparently exclaimed "All or none" and chased after the Wolfe. He nevertheless refused to cast off the towline to the Asp, and no other American vessels were able to get within effective range.
After a chase lasting ninety minutes, Yeo dropped anchor off the north shore of Burlington Bay. The wind had risen to a gale, the American squadron had straggled, and the Pike itself had received damage. (There were several holes beneath the water line forward, and a cannon had exploded, causing several casualties and much destruction. Several other cannon had split and could not be used in case they also burst.) Chauncey called off the action, stating officially that if he had tried to continue the attack, both British and American squadrons might be driven ashore, into British-held territory.
The scene of action briefly shifted to the head of the Saint Lawrence River
. The American control of the lake had allowed them to complete the movement of their troops from Fort George to Sacket's Harbour in preparation for the planned attack on Montreal
late that year. As the army under Major General James Wilkinson
moved in many batteaux and other small craft to French Creek near present-day Clayton, New York
, some of the British vessels under Commander Mulcaster bombarded their encampments and anchorages until 5 November, when American artillerymen drove them off, setting fire to the brig Earl of Moira with hastily-heated red-hot shot. The crew scuttled the brig to extinguish the fire, and later salvaged it.
The American army then began to descend the St. Lawrence. Although Chauncey was supposed to blockade the British in Kingston and prevent them interfering, an effective blockade was difficult in the foul weather of late autumn, and amidst the many islets at the head of the river. This allowed Mulcaster's vessels to return to Kingston to embark a detachment of troops under Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Wanton Morrison
and pursue the Americans down the river. On 11 November, Morrison's force, aided by three gunboats under Mulcaster, defeated the Americans at the Battle of Crysler's Farm
.
The last event of the year was the transport of William Henry Harrison
's troops from the Niagara to Sackett's Harbor, to replace Wilkinson's army. However, this left the Niagara frontier denuded of regular troops, and the British took advantage of this in the Capture of Fort Niagara
and the Battle of Buffalo
.
Note: another British schooner of similar tonnage and armament to Simcoe, the Seneca, was part of the Provincial Marine in 1812 but does not appear to have been used as a warship in 1813 or 1814.
, which allowed them to construct the squadron which later won the decisive Battle of Plattsburgh
. In Kingston, an officer, Captain Richard O'Conor, who had served alongside Yeo during his earlier career, had been in charge of the dockyards since he arrived in May 1813, and had greatly extended the facilities.
Having been outgunned by Chauncey's vessels in 1813, Yeo had ordered the construction of two big frigates (HMS Prince Regent
and HMS Princess Charlotte). When these were ready shortly after the ice broke up, he held the initial advantage. On 6 May, he mounted the Raid on Fort Oswego
to interrupt the supply line from the New York Navy Yard to Sacket's Harbor. The raid was partially successful and the British captured several unarmed vessels, including the schooner Growler which changed hands for the third time.
Yeo's main aim had been to capture heavy guns intended for Chauncey's own new frigates and heavy brigs, but although seven guns had been captured with the Growler, most of the American guns had not yet reached Sacket's Harbor and were still 12 miles (19.3 km) up the Oswego River
. Yeo and the troops under Lieutenant General Gordon Drummond
did not attempt to capture them. Instead, Yeo established a blockade to prevent them reaching Sacket's Harbor. A few weeks later, Lieutenant Woolsey nevertheless tried to take several boats loaded with cannon, cables and other stores for Chauncey's new ships to Sacket's Harbor but was driven into a creek a few miles south of the base. A party of British marines and sailors under Captain Stephen Popham proceeded up the creek to "cut out" the American boats, but on 30 May they were ambushed and all were killed or captured at the Battle of Big Sandy Creek
.
Shortly after this, Chauncey received his guns and completed two frigates (the Superior
and Mohawk
) even larger than Yeo's, and the heavily-armed brig sloops Jones
and Jefferson
. However, his squadron was not ready for service until mid-July, and then delayed in port until the end of the month, as Chauncey was ill but refused to delegate responsibility to his second in command, Captain Jacob Jones
. This seriously hindered the operations of the American army commanded by Major General Jacob Brown
, and forced him to abandon a projected attack on Kingston and make an attack across the upper Niagara River instead. When the American squadron eventually did set out onto the lake, Yeo quickly retired into Kingston. The pattern for the year was set; whichever flotilla had a fleeting disadvantage in ships or guns stayed in harbour until they had built something bigger.
On 5 August, three British vesssels (the Netley, Charwell, and Magnet) sailed from York to the Niagara River with supplies. The Magnet had sailed later than the other two, and when Chauncey's squadron appeared suddenly, the Magnet was unable to escape. It was run ashore about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Fort George. After some stores were removed, the Magnet was set on fire and blew up before American landing parties could take possession of it. The Magnets commander, Lieutenant George Hawkesworth, was court-martialled in November, and found guilty of causing the loss of his vessel. He was dismissed from the Royal Navy, and later defected to the Americans.
However, Chauncey concentrated on "blockading" Kingston, which Yeo had no intention of leaving while he was inferior in strength, and was criticised by Major General Jacob Brown and other army commanders for his failure to assist the American army on the Niagara peninsula any further, which contributed to the indecisive result of the campaign there. Only three of the smaller American vessels maintained a loose blockade of the Niagara River. The crews of the three small British vessels (Star, Netley and Charwell) blockaded in the river under Commander Alexander Dobbs carried a gig and six batteaux overland, and boarded and captured two American schooners, belonging to the squadron on Lake Erie, in the upper reaches of the river. They subsequently took part in a storming attempt during the Siege of Fort Erie
, which failed with heavy casualties.
Eventually, on 21 September, Chauncey's ships transported Major General George Izard's division from Sacket's Harbor to the Genesee River to reinforce the American army on the Niagara. Izard, who was senior to Jacob Brown, refused to make an all-out attack on the outnumbered British army, and eventually retired to the American side of the Niagara.
to be laid down. Originally, Yeo had been authorised to construct a Third-rate
ship of 74 guns, but under Yeo and local shipwright William Bell (who replaced O'Conor, who had been promoted to post captain and appointed to the Princess Charlotte), the plans became rather more ambitious. On 15 October, Yeo put out in the three-decked First-rate
ship of the line Saint Lawrence
. On 19 October, the Saint Lawrence was struck by lightning, and narrowly avoided destruction. Chauncey retired into Sacket's Harbor and Yeo dominated the lake until 21 November, when winter set in. Like Chauncey, Yeo preferred to cruise off the enemy anchorage, neglecting to support Drummond's badly-provisioned British army at the western end of the lake until the last few days of navigation before the lake froze.
sent to reinforce the troops in Canada. The Admiralty nevertheless replaced Yeo also, on the grounds of his infrequent returns of accounts and correspondence. His replacement, Captain Edward Owen, did not arrive to take command until after news of the Treaty of Ghent
ended hostilities.
After the Treaty of Ghent
which ended the war, a separate pact known as the Rush-Bagot Treaty
was signed in 1817, to limit the number and strength of warships which could be maintained on the Lakes. On Lake Ontario, Britain and America could keep in commission one vessel each, of no more than 100 tons, and armed with one 18-pounder gun. No other armed ships could be built, and those already built should be dismantled.
In fact, very few of the existing ships were broken up. The British constructed a storehouse, referred to as a "stone frigate", to keep the rigging and other fittings - the building survives today as dormitory to Hudson Squadron at the Royal Military College of Canada
and is still referred to by the same name. In theory, they could have recommissioned their entire squadron within a few days. By 1827 however, all the ships were mouldering, and unfit for service. The stores were auctioned in 1834 and the surviving ships were written off or disposed of over the next few years. Several were sunk in Navy Bay near Kingston.
The American squadron also quickly fell into disrepair. It had been acknowledged when they were built that they would last only five or six years, with their green wood and rough finish. One survivor was the unfinished battleship New Orleans, which was enclosed by a great shed on the slipway. The shed collapsed in 1881 and the remains of the ship were sold in 1883.
The Americans had been based at Sacket's Harbor, and this small town was unable to cope with the great numbers of soldiers, sailors and shipwrights there. There were many deaths from cold, exposure and inadequate rations during the winter months, and from disease during the summer. On the British side, the effort required to ship all the ordnance and naval stores up the Saint Lawrence prevented them from deploying decisive numbers of troops in Upper Canada
. Prevost once reported paying £1,000 to transport one monstrous cable for the battleship Saint Lawrence to Kingston, and complained that the demands of Yeo's squadron pre-empted the entire transport service up the Saint Lawrence during the later months of 1814.
Both Yeo and Chauncey have been criticised by historians for their unwillingness to act decisively, and for the long and rambling excuses they made in their despatches for their setbacks. Chauncey has come in for more abuse from American historians than Yeo has from British historians. Roosevelt (and subsequent historians) argued that, since the overall American strategy was offensive, the American forces on Lake Ontario ought to have risked a decisive attack against Kingston, or Chauncey should have sought a decisive action against Yeo's squadron when opportunity offered. Instead, Chauncey (and the Army commanders Dearborn and Wilkinson) repeatedly shied away from any attack on Kingston, while Chauncey failed to pursue Yeo to destruction after the action in Burlington Bay. After the British attack on Sackett's Harbor, Chauncey continually hampered operations against targets other than Kingston. He either kept his vessels in port waiting for more ships, or refused to use them to support the Army's attacks elsewhere (on the Niagara peninsula, for example).
By contrast, it has been argued that since the British strategy under Governor General Prevost was defensive for most of the war, Yeo needed only to avoid defeat, and certainly succeeded in this. However, British (and Canadian) historians such as Forester and J. Mackay Hitsman have argued that he did so at such cost that other operations were curtailed or thwarted. For example, Yeo's hoarding of men and supplies, and failure to forward sufficient of these to the British squadron on Lake Erie, led to their decisive defeat. Similarly, a far smaller effort on Lake Champlain than that required to construct battleships on Lake Ontario would have made British victory on Champlain certain, and decisive.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Few actions were fought, none of which had decisive results, and the contest essentially became a naval building race, sometimes referred to sarcastically as the "Battle of the Carpenters".
Operations in 1812
When war was first declared, the BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
had an early advantage on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
in that they possessed a quasi-naval body, the Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the PM were designated HMS, they were operated in more of a coast guard manner than as a full fledged navy....
. Although not particularly well-manned or efficient, its ships were initially unopposed on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, and made possible the decisive early victories of Major General Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
.
On Lake Ontario, they possessed the ships Royal George
HMS Royal George (1809)
HMS Royal George was a British 20-gun wooden sloop of the Provincial Marine, and subsequently, the Royal Navy, operating on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812 with a crew of 200....
and Prince Regent, and the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s Earl of Moira and Duke of Gloucester
HMS Duke of Gloucester (1813)
HMS Duke of Gloucester was a 10 gun brig of the Royal Navy which was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario....
, based at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
The Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard from 1788 to 1853 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at the site of the current Royal Military College of Canada.-History:...
. The schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s Seneca and Simcoe were also taken into service. The chief officer was Commodore John Steel, who was seventy-five years old, or even older. He was retired and replaced by Commander Hugh Earle. The Americans possessed only one brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, the Oneida
USS Oneida
USS Oneida has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to:, a brig commissioned in 1810, sold in 1815, repurchased, and sold again in 1825, a screw sloop of war in commission friom 1862 to 1865 and from 1867 until wrecked in 1870, a patrol vessel in commission from...
under Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
Melancthon Taylor Woolsey
Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 and battles on the Great Lakes. He supervised warship construction at Navy Point in Sackets Harbor, New York, and later had a full career in the Navy.-Biography:Woolsey was born near Plattsburgh,...
, and a small navy yard at Sackets Harbor, New York
Sackets Harbor, New York
Sackets Harbor is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who founded it in the early 19th century.The Village of Sackets Harbor is within the western part of the...
. On 19 July, five vessels of the Provincial Marine attacked Oneida in the First Battle of Sackett's Harbor
First Battle of Sackett's Harbor
The First Battle of Sacket's Harbor was a naval battle fought on July 19, 1812, between the American and British naval forces that resulted in the American forces repelling the attack on their town and the shipbuilding yard located there.-Background:Sacket's Harbor is located on Lake Ontario in...
but were beaten off.
To redress matters, on 3 September, the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
appointed Commodore Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, 20 February 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy from 17 September 1798...
, then commanding the New York Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, to command on the lakes. Although Chauncey was nominally in charge of the naval force on Lake Erie also, he took little part in its construction or operations there but concentrated his attention on Lake Ontario. To supplement the Oneida, he first purchased or commandeered several trading vessels (including some captured Canadian schooners), but he also despatched large numbers of carpenters, shipwrights and so on to Sacket's Harbor to construct proper fighting ships. The chief architects were Adam Brown, his brother Noah and Henry Eckford
Henry Eckford (shipbuilder)
Henry Eckford was a Scottish-born shipbuilder, naval architect, industrial engineer, and entrepreneur who worked for the United States Navy and the navy of the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century.-Early life:...
. They launched their first new ship, the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
Madison
USS Madison
USS Madison may refer to:, was a 14 gun schooner launched in 1812 on Lake Ontario and served in the War of 1812, was a Van Buren-class schooner built in 1832 for United States Revenue Service and was returned to the Treasury Department and later to the United States Coastal Survey., was a...
, on 26 November. The trees from which it was constructed had still been standing in September.
Chauncey hoisted his broad pendant
Broad pennant
A broad pennant is a swallow-tailed tapering flag flown from the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of a commodore on board. It is so called because its dimensions are roughly 2:3....
aboard Oneida on 6 November and with his squadron, pursued the British ship Royal George into Kingston. He too was beaten off, partly by shore batteries and gunboats, and partly because a gun exploded aboard the schooner Pert, mortally injuring the schooner's commander and throwing the American squadron into confusion. After this engagement winter closed in, immobilising the ships of both sides in port. Chauncey feared an attack across the ice by British regular soldiers, and kept his carpenters sawing the ice from around his vessels so that they could at least bring fire to bear on any attackers. However, the British had no intention at that stage of making such an attack.
The British began building two corvettes to match the Madison, one each at Kingston and York. Their efforts were hindered, especially at York, by disputes between shipwright Thomas Plucknett, who had been selected by Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost
George Prevost
Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
, the Governor General, to superintend the work, and officers such as Captain Andrew Gray, a staff officer in the Army in Upper Canada. Plucknett's work was reckoned to be disorganised, as was that of the shipwright at Kingston, who was dismissed and replaced by the more experienced Daniel Allen. Allen in turn was removed after fomenting disputes over working conditions in March, 1813.
Three officers (acting Commanders Robert Heriot Barclay
Robert Heriot Barclay
Robert Heriot Barclay was a British naval officer who was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and its North American counterpart, the War of 1812....
, Robert Finnis and Daniel Pring
Daniel Pring
Daniel Pring was an officer in the British Royal Navy. He is best known for the part he played in the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States.He was born near Honiton in Devon...
) had been detached by Vice Admiral Herbert Sawyer
Herbert Sawyer
Admiral Sir Herbert Sawyer KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American Revolution, the French Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually rose to the rank of Admiral....
from the Royal Navy's North American Station in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
to the Provincial Marine, and did much over the winter to refit the existing vessels at Kingston. However, the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
independently appointed Captain James Lucas Yeo
James Lucas Yeo
Sir James Lucas Yeo KCB was a British naval commander who served in the War of 1812.Yeo was born in Southampton on 7 October 1782, and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman at the age of 10. He first saw action as a lieutenant aboard a brig in the Adriatic Sea, and distinguished himself during the...
to command the naval establishment on the Great Lakes. He collected reinforcements and materials in Britain, and crossed the Atlantic early in 1813.
Operations in 1813
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
, the commander in chief of the American armies in the north, had the opportunity to strike a blow before British seamen and officers could reach Canada and travel up the St. Lawrence. An attack on Kingston would have been decisive, but Chauncey and Dearborn persuaded themselves that it was defended by 5,000 British regulars (there were in fact only 600). They instead attacked York, the provincial capital. On 27 April at the Battle of York
Battle of York
The Battle of York was a battle of the War of 1812 fought on 27 April 1813, at York, Upper Canada . An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lake shore to the west, defeated the defending British force and captured the town and dockyard...
, they defeated the outnumbered defenders under Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe
Roger Hale Sheaffe
General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe, 1st Baronet was an American-born General in the British Army in the first part of the 19th century.-Early career:...
and looted the town. They captured the brig Duke of Gloucester and also several cannon which were destined for the British squadron on Lake Erie, (which contributed to the later American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
). The British themselves set fire to the part-completed corvette Isaac Brock to prevent it falling into American hands.
Chauncey and Dearborn then defeated the British army on the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
at the Battle of Fort George
Battle of Fort George
The Battle of Fort George was a battle fought during the War of 1812, in which the Americans defeated a British force and captured the Fort George in Upper Canada...
on 27 May. At both York and Fort George, Chauncey's schooners and gunboats (commanded at the latter engagement by Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
) had proved very effective in supporting troops landing from boats.
The American commanders had left themselves vulnerable to a potentially decisive counter-attack. While they were preoccupied at the western end of Lake Ontario, Commodore Yeo had arrived in Kingston, accompanied by 465 officers and seamen of the Royal Navy, to take charge of the British squadron. Embarking troops under Prevost, who happened to be in Kingston on public and Army business, he almost immediately attacked the American base at the Battle of Sacket's Harbor on 29 May. Although this was a strategically bold stroke, both Yeo and Prevost attacked cautiously and called off the attack when they met with stiff resistance. The Americans had prematurely set fire to the captured Duke of Gloucester and a heavy sloop of war under construction, the General Pike, but managed to put out the fire when the British withdrew. The Gloucester and large quantities of stores were destroyed, but the Pike was saved.
Chauncey hastened back to Sacket's Harbor, and remained in harbour awaiting the completion of the Pike. While the Americans declined to contest the lake, Yeo's squadron assisted in driving the American army on the Niagara peninsula back into Fort George, and captured or destroyed large quantities of stores. An attempt on 1 July to mount a raid on Sacket's Harbor in small boats to destroy the Pike while it was fitting out was called off.
Chauncey's full squadron put out on 21 July. They first contemplated an assault on the British defensive positions at Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights
Burlington Heights refers to an area of flat land sitting elevated above the west end of Burlington Bay in the city of Hamilton, Ontario.The "Heights" were the location of a British Army post during the War of 1812. Afterwards, the former army barracks were used as a hospital for immigrants with...
at the western end of the lake, but found the defenders too well-prepared to risk the operation, and instead they briefly captured York again, this time causing little loss, and even returned some property looted in the earlier attack.
Action off the Niagara
On 7 August, the Americans encountered Yeo off the mouth of the Niagara River. The two squadrons spent several days in cautious manoeuvres. Chauncey had an advantage in long guns and waited for calm conditions in which he could engage at long range, while Yeo had the advantage in carronadeCarronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s and wanted to close in heavy weather. On the night of 8 August, two American schooners (the Hamilton
Hamilton (schooner)
The first USS Hamilton was a United States Navy schooner which served on Lake Ontario from 1812 to 1813 during the War of 1812.Hamilton was built at Oswego, New York, as the merchant ship Diana in 1809 for the merchant Matthew McNair. On 21 October 1812, the U.S. Navy purchased her for use on Lake...
and Scourge) capsized and sank in a sudden squall. Of the 72 men aboard both schooners, 53 were drowned.
On 10 August, the British were to windward. Chauncey formed his squadron into two lines; six schooners were nearest the British, with the heavier ships further away to leeward. As the British edged closer, firing became general. At 11:30 am, Chauncey ordered his windward line to steer downwind and reform to leeward of the heavy vessels. The two leading schooners, the Growler and Julia
USS Julia
USS Julia may refer to:, was a schooner during the War of 1812, was an English sloop captured by the Union Navy 8 January 1863 and sold in 1865...
, failed to wear ship and were left cut off from the rest of Chauncey's squadron. Rather than try to beat upwind to rescue the two schooners, Chauncey withdrew downwind, hoping that Yeo would follow him. Instead, Yeo concentrated on the two isolated schooners, both of which were captured.
Action off the Genesee
Both squadrons withdrew to their bases for provisions before setting out again. On 11 September, there was an indecisive long-range skirmish off the Genesee RiverGenesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
about 10 miles (16.1 km) east of the Niagara. The British squadron was becalmed and for several hours, the American schooners fired at them from long range, while the British attempted to work their vessels out of range by towing them with boats and using sweeps (long oars) through the gunports of the vessels. Towards evening, a land breeze sprang up, which allowed Yeo to pull away and withdraw into Amherst Bay.
Action off Burlington
On 28 September, the two squadrons met again in York Bay. Chauncey was actually covering a proposed movement of the American army from the Niagara to Sacket's Harbor, while Yeo had just delivered supplies to the British forces on the Niagara peninsula. Both squadrons spotted each other early in the morning. They headed north until Yeo had sent a boat into York with dispatches, then reversed course and headed south in a heavy wind, with Yeo ahead and to leeward. Chauncey had been exasperated by the poor sailing qualities of most of his schooners, and his three fastest vessels (the Pike, the new purpose-built schooner SylphUSS Sylph (1813)
USS Sylph was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.She was a schooner built to strengthen Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario...
and the Madison) were towing the schooners Asp
USS Asp (1812)
The first Asp was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Asp, the former British merchant vessel Elizabeth, was captured on Lake Ontario in 1812 by the schooner , purchased by the Navy from the prize court: outfitted; and commissioned on 6 February 1813, Lt...
, Ontario
USS Ontario (1812)
The first USS Ontario was a lake schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Ontario was built as a merchant ship on Lake Ontario; purchased in October 1812; and placed in service in 1813, Sailing Master Joseph Stevens in command....
and Fair American
USS Fair American (1812)
USS Fair American was a United States Navy schooner which served in the War of 1812, taking part in several engagements on Lake Ontario....
.
At about 12:40 pm, Yeo abruptly reversed course, intending to exchange a single broadside with the Pike while they passed on opposite tacks, and then concentrate against the weaker schooners at the rear of Chauncey's line. However, Chauncey also reversed course and the Pike and Yeo's flagship, the Wolfe, exchanged several broadsides on the same tack. The American fire brought down the Wolfe's mizzen- and main-topmasts. Yeo's second in command, Commander William Mulcaster
William Mulcaster
Capt Sir William Howe Mulcaster KCH was an officer in the British Royal Navy who played a distinguished part in the Anglo-American War of 1812, in particular in the Engagements on Lake Ontario....
, interposed his ship, the Royal George, between the Wolfe and the Pike and backed his sails while the crew of the Wolfe cleared away the wreckage and headed downwind towards Burlington Bay
Burlington Bay
Burlington Bay, known more commonly as Hamilton Harbour, lies on the western tip of Lake Ontario, bounded on the northwest by the City of Burlington, on the south by the City of Hamilton, and on the east by Hamilton Beach and Burlington Beach...
at the western end of the lake.
For a while, the two squadrons were mixed up together, and Chauncey's flag captain, Arthur Sinclair
Arthur Sinclair
Commodore Arthur Sinclair was an early American naval hero, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War and in the War of 1812...
, urged Chauncey to capture the two rearmost British vessels (the Beresford and Melville) but Chauncey apparently exclaimed "All or none" and chased after the Wolfe. He nevertheless refused to cast off the towline to the Asp, and no other American vessels were able to get within effective range.
After a chase lasting ninety minutes, Yeo dropped anchor off the north shore of Burlington Bay. The wind had risen to a gale, the American squadron had straggled, and the Pike itself had received damage. (There were several holes beneath the water line forward, and a cannon had exploded, causing several casualties and much destruction. Several other cannon had split and could not be used in case they also burst.) Chauncey called off the action, stating officially that if he had tried to continue the attack, both British and American squadrons might be driven ashore, into British-held territory.
Later operations
While Yeo made hasty repairs in Burlington Bay, Chauncey effectively controlled the lake. From 29 September, there was a gale which prevented Chauncey watching Yeo. Yeo escaped from Burlington on 2 October. The next day, Chauncey set off in the direction of Yeo's supposed flight. On 5 October, seven vessels were sighted, which turned out to be gunboats and unarmed British schooners transporting troops. One escaped and one was burned. Chauncey captured the other five (which included the Growler and Julia), taking 264 prisoners.The scene of action briefly shifted to the head of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. The American control of the lake had allowed them to complete the movement of their troops from Fort George to Sacket's Harbour in preparation for the planned attack on Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
late that year. As the army under Major General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...
moved in many batteaux and other small craft to French Creek near present-day Clayton, New York
Clayton (town), New York
Clayton is a town in Jefferson County, New York, USA. The population was 5,153 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John M. Clayton, a federal political leader from Delaware.The Town of Clayton contains a village named Clayton...
, some of the British vessels under Commander Mulcaster bombarded their encampments and anchorages until 5 November, when American artillerymen drove them off, setting fire to the brig Earl of Moira with hastily-heated red-hot shot. The crew scuttled the brig to extinguish the fire, and later salvaged it.
The American army then began to descend the St. Lawrence. Although Chauncey was supposed to blockade the British in Kingston and prevent them interfering, an effective blockade was difficult in the foul weather of late autumn, and amidst the many islets at the head of the river. This allowed Mulcaster's vessels to return to Kingston to embark a detachment of troops under Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Wanton Morrison
Joseph Wanton Morrison
Joseph Wanton Morrison was a British soldier, best known for commanding the British troops at the Battle of Crysler's Farm during the War of 1812.-Early career:...
and pursue the Americans down the river. On 11 November, Morrison's force, aided by three gunboats under Mulcaster, defeated the Americans at the Battle of Crysler's Farm
Battle of Crysler's Farm
The Battle of Crysler's Farm, also known as the Battle of Crysler's Field, was fought on 11 November 1813, during the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British and Canadian force won a victory over an American force which greatly outnumbered them...
.
The last event of the year was the transport of William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
's troops from the Niagara to Sackett's Harbor, to replace Wilkinson's army. However, this left the Niagara frontier denuded of regular troops, and the British took advantage of this in the Capture of Fort Niagara
Capture of Fort Niagara
The Capture of Fort Niagara took place late in 1813, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. The understrength American garrison was taken by surprise, and the fort was captured in a night assault by a select force of British regular infantry.-Background:Fort Niagara was...
and the Battle of Buffalo
Battle of Buffalo
The Battle of Buffalo took place during the War of 1812 between British Empire and the United States on December 30, 1813 in the State of New York, near the Niagara River. The British forces drove off the hastily-organized defenders and engaged in considerable plundering and destruction...
.
Vessels on Lake Ontario in 1813
Both sides (especially the British) renamed, re-rigged and re-armed their ships several times during the war. Both sides also possessed several unarmed schooners or other small vessels for use as transports or tenders.| Nationality | Name | Type | Tonnage | Crew | Armament | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Pike USS General Pike (1813) USS General Pike was a corvette in the United States Navy, which took part in the Engagements on Lake Ontario during the Anglo-American War of 1812... |
sloop of war | 875 | 300 | 28 long 24-pdr | Launched 12 June 1813 | |
| " | Madison USS Madison (1812) USS Madison was a U.S. Navy corvette built during the War of 1812 for use on the Great Lakes.USS Madison was built at Sackets Harbor, New York by Henry Eckford. She was launched on Lake Ontario on 26 November 1812, Lieutenant Jesse D. Elliot in command. She was the first U.S... |
corvette | 593 | 200 | 28 32-pdr carronade Carronade The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon... |
Launched 26 November 1812 |
| " | Oneida USS Oneida (1810) The first USS Oneida was a brig of war in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Oneida was built at Oswego, New York 1808–1809, under contract awarded by her first commanding officer, Lieutenant M. T. Woolsey, to Henry Eckford and Christian Bergh. Although her displacement was 243 tons by... |
brig | 243 | 100 | 16 24-pdr | Already serving at start of war Notoriously slow-sailing |
| " | Sylph USS Sylph (1813) USS Sylph was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.She was a schooner built to strengthen Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario... |
schooner | 300 | unknown | 4 long 32-pdr 6 long 6-pdr |
Launched 18 August 1813 |
| " | Hamilton | schooner | 112 | 50 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 24-pdr 8 long 6-pdr |
Sunk in squall 08 August 1813 |
| " | Scourge | schooner | 110 | 50 | 1 long 32-pdr 8 12-pdr carronade |
Formerly Canadian trading vessel Lord Nelson Sunk in squall 08 August 1813 |
| " | Conquest USS Conquest (1812) The first USS Conquest was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Conquest, formerly the merchant ship Genesee Packet, was purchased 8 October 1812 at Oswego, New York, for service on Lake Ontario under Commodore Isaac Chauncey.Commanded by Lieutenant J. D... |
schooner | 82 | 40 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 12-pdr 4 long 6-pdr |
Formerly the trading vessel Genesee Packet |
| " | Tompkins | schooner | 96 | 40 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 12-pdr 4 long 6-pdr |
|
| " | Julia USS Julia (1812) The first USS Julia was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.In September 1812, Lt. Melancthon T. Woolsey purchased Julia for the Navy on Lake Ontario. Julia, Sailing Master James Trant in command, sailed from Sackets Harbor on 8 November 1812 with Commodore Isaac Chauncey's... |
schooner | 82 | 35 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 12-pdr |
Captured 10 August 1813 Recaptured 5 October 1813 |
| " | Growler | schooner | 81 | 35 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 12-pdr |
Captured 10 August 1813 Recaptured 5 October 1813 |
| " | Ontario USS Ontario (1812) The first USS Ontario was a lake schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Ontario was built as a merchant ship on Lake Ontario; purchased in October 1812; and placed in service in 1813, Sailing Master Joseph Stevens in command.... |
schooner | 53 | 35 | 1 long 32-pdr 1 long 12-pdr |
|
| " | Fair American USS Fair American (1812) USS Fair American was a United States Navy schooner which served in the War of 1812, taking part in several engagements on Lake Ontario.... |
schooner | 53 | 30 | 1 long 24-pdr 1 long 12-pdr |
|
| " | Pert | schooner | 50 | 25 | 1 long 24-pdr | |
| " | Asp USS Asp (1812) The first Asp was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Asp, the former British merchant vessel Elizabeth, was captured on Lake Ontario in 1812 by the schooner , purchased by the Navy from the prize court: outfitted; and commissioned on 6 February 1813, Lt... |
schooner | 57 | 25 | 1 long 24-pdr | |
| " | Lady of the Lake USS Lady of the Lake (1813) USS Lady of the Lake was a small schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Lady of the Lake was built for the Navy by Henry Eckford of Sacketts Harbor, New York, during the summer and winter of 1812-13, launched 6 April 1813 and entered service 13 days later, Sailing Master Flinn in... |
schooner | 89 | 15 | 1 long 9-pdr | Said to be "very sharp" Used as despatch vessel |
| Wolfe | sloop of war | 637 | 220 | 1 long 24-pdr 8 long 18-pdr 4 68-pdr carronade 10 32-pdr carronade |
||
| " | Isaac Brock | sloop of war | 637 | unknown | unknown | Burned on stocks 27 April 1813 |
| " | Royal George HMS Royal George (1809) HMS Royal George was a British 20-gun wooden sloop of the Provincial Marine, and subsequently, the Royal Navy, operating on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812 with a crew of 200.... |
sloop of war | 510 | 200 | 3 long 18-pdr 2 68-pdr carronade 16 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Lord Melville HMS Lord Melville HMS Lord Melville was a schooner of the Royal Navy launched at Kingston on 20 July 1813. She was altered to 14-gun brig in 1813. She served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, was renamed HMS Star on 22 January 1814. By 1815, she was unfit for anything but transport duties. She was sold in... |
brig | 279 | 100 | 2 long 18-pdr 12 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Earl of Moira | brig | 262 | 100 | 2 long 9-pdr 12 24-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Duke of Gloucester HMS Duke of Gloucester (1813) HMS Duke of Gloucester was a 10 gun brig of the Royal Navy which was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario.... |
brig | unknown | unknown | "10 guns" | Captured 27 April 1813 Subsequently burned 29 May 1813 |
| " | Beresford | schooner | 216 | 80 | 2 long 12-pdr 10 32-pdr carronade |
formerly the ship-rigged Prince Regent |
| " | Sidney Smith Simcoe (ship) HMS Sir Sydney Smith was a 10-gun schooner, later altered to brig, of the Royal Navy in 1814. She saw service on the on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.... |
schooner | 187 | 70 | 1 long 12-pdr 1 long 9-pdr 6 18-pdr carronade |
formerly named Simcoe |
Note: another British schooner of similar tonnage and armament to Simcoe, the Seneca, was part of the Provincial Marine in 1812 but does not appear to have been used as a warship in 1813 or 1814.
May to July
Over the winter of 1813-14, the Americans diverted shipbuilder Noah Brown and some shipwrights and materials to Lake ChamplainLake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, which allowed them to construct the squadron which later won the decisive Battle of Plattsburgh
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812...
. In Kingston, an officer, Captain Richard O'Conor, who had served alongside Yeo during his earlier career, had been in charge of the dockyards since he arrived in May 1813, and had greatly extended the facilities.
HMS Prince Regent (1814)
HMS Prince Regent was a 56-gun British warship that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. The Prince Regent was built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Upper Canada and launched on 14 April 1814. Following the War of 1812 the frigate was renamed HMS Kingston on 9 December...
and HMS Princess Charlotte). When these were ready shortly after the ice broke up, he held the initial advantage. On 6 May, he mounted the Raid on Fort Oswego
Raid on Fort Oswego
The Battle of Fort Oswego was a partially successful British raid on an American fort and village in May 1814 during the War of 1812.-Background:...
to interrupt the supply line from the New York Navy Yard to Sacket's Harbor. The raid was partially successful and the British captured several unarmed vessels, including the schooner Growler which changed hands for the third time.
Yeo's main aim had been to capture heavy guns intended for Chauncey's own new frigates and heavy brigs, but although seven guns had been captured with the Growler, most of the American guns had not yet reached Sacket's Harbor and were still 12 miles (19.3 km) up the Oswego River
Oswego River (New York)
The Oswego River is a river in upstate New York in the United States. This river is the second-largest river flowing into Lake Ontario. James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea is set in the Oswego River valley...
. Yeo and the troops under Lieutenant General Gordon Drummond
Gordon Drummond
Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB was the first Canadian-born officer to command the military and the civil government of Canada...
did not attempt to capture them. Instead, Yeo established a blockade to prevent them reaching Sacket's Harbor. A few weeks later, Lieutenant Woolsey nevertheless tried to take several boats loaded with cannon, cables and other stores for Chauncey's new ships to Sacket's Harbor but was driven into a creek a few miles south of the base. A party of British marines and sailors under Captain Stephen Popham proceeded up the creek to "cut out" the American boats, but on 30 May they were ambushed and all were killed or captured at the Battle of Big Sandy Creek
Battle of Big Sandy Creek
The Battle of Big Sandy Creek was fought in northwestern New York on May 29–30, 1814, during the War of 1812. The battle was an American victory in which American militia and Oneida Indians launched a surprise attack on British soldiers who were chasing them inland from Lake...
.
Shortly after this, Chauncey received his guns and completed two frigates (the Superior
USS Superior (1814)
The first USS Superior was built for the War of 1812, and was named after one of the Great Lakes where much of the shipboard fighting was done during that war. The Superior was a U.S...
and Mohawk
USS Mohawk (1814)
USS Mohawk was a U.S. Navy frigate that fought on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.USS Mohawk, a 42-gun frigate, was laid down 8 May 1814 by shipbuilder Henry Eckford at Sackets Harbor, New York, launched on 11 June 1814, and acquired by the U.S. Navy and placed in service shortly thereafter...
) even larger than Yeo's, and the heavily-armed brig sloops Jones
USS Jones (1814)
USS Jones was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Jones was built at Sacketts Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and was launched on 10 April 1814....
and Jefferson
USS Jefferson (1814)
The second USS Jefferson was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was named for Thomas Jefferson.Jefferson was built at Sackett's Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and launched 7 April 1814...
. However, his squadron was not ready for service until mid-July, and then delayed in port until the end of the month, as Chauncey was ill but refused to delegate responsibility to his second in command, Captain Jacob Jones
Jacob Jones
Commodore Jacob Nicholas Jones was an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812.-Biography:...
. This seriously hindered the operations of the American army commanded by Major General Jacob Brown
Jacob Brown
Jacob Jennings Brown was an American army officer in the War of 1812. His successes on the northern border during that war made him a hero. In 1821 he was appointed commanding general of the U.S. Army and held that post until his death.-Early life:Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Jacob Jennings...
, and forced him to abandon a projected attack on Kingston and make an attack across the upper Niagara River instead. When the American squadron eventually did set out onto the lake, Yeo quickly retired into Kingston. The pattern for the year was set; whichever flotilla had a fleeting disadvantage in ships or guns stayed in harbour until they had built something bigger.
August to October
While the Americans controlled the lake, they destroyed a 10-gun brig under construction at Presque Isle on the Saint Lawrence before it could be launched.On 5 August, three British vesssels (the Netley, Charwell, and Magnet) sailed from York to the Niagara River with supplies. The Magnet had sailed later than the other two, and when Chauncey's squadron appeared suddenly, the Magnet was unable to escape. It was run ashore about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Fort George. After some stores were removed, the Magnet was set on fire and blew up before American landing parties could take possession of it. The Magnets commander, Lieutenant George Hawkesworth, was court-martialled in November, and found guilty of causing the loss of his vessel. He was dismissed from the Royal Navy, and later defected to the Americans.
However, Chauncey concentrated on "blockading" Kingston, which Yeo had no intention of leaving while he was inferior in strength, and was criticised by Major General Jacob Brown and other army commanders for his failure to assist the American army on the Niagara peninsula any further, which contributed to the indecisive result of the campaign there. Only three of the smaller American vessels maintained a loose blockade of the Niagara River. The crews of the three small British vessels (Star, Netley and Charwell) blockaded in the river under Commander Alexander Dobbs carried a gig and six batteaux overland, and boarded and captured two American schooners, belonging to the squadron on Lake Erie, in the upper reaches of the river. They subsequently took part in a storming attempt during the Siege of Fort Erie
Siege of Fort Erie
The Siege of Fort Erie was one of the last and most protracted engagements between British and American forces during the Niagara campaign of the American War of 1812...
, which failed with heavy casualties.
Eventually, on 21 September, Chauncey's ships transported Major General George Izard's division from Sacket's Harbor to the Genesee River to reinforce the American army on the Niagara. Izard, who was senior to Jacob Brown, refused to make an all-out attack on the outnumbered British army, and eventually retired to the American side of the Niagara.
Late October to November
On learning that Chauncey was constructing frigates, Yeo had ordered a ship of the lineShip of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
to be laid down. Originally, Yeo had been authorised to construct a Third-rate
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
ship of 74 guns, but under Yeo and local shipwright William Bell (who replaced O'Conor, who had been promoted to post captain and appointed to the Princess Charlotte), the plans became rather more ambitious. On 15 October, Yeo put out in the three-decked First-rate
First-rate
First rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line. While the size and establishment of guns and men changed over the 250 years that the rating system held sway, from the early years of the eighteenth century the first rates comprised those ships mounting 100...
ship of the line Saint Lawrence
HMS St. Lawrence (1814)
HMS St Lawrence was a 112-gun first-rate wooden warship of the Royal Navy that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. She was the only Royal Navy ship of the line ever to be launched and operated entirely in fresh water.-Career:...
. On 19 October, the Saint Lawrence was struck by lightning, and narrowly avoided destruction. Chauncey retired into Sacket's Harbor and Yeo dominated the lake until 21 November, when winter set in. Like Chauncey, Yeo preferred to cruise off the enemy anchorage, neglecting to support Drummond's badly-provisioned British army at the western end of the lake until the last few days of navigation before the lake froze.
Winter to the end of the war
Although the Americans at Sacket's Harbor immediately laid down two ships of the line even larger than the Saint Lawrence, British construction over the winter of 1814-15 matched American attempts to regain the lead. However, Prevost and Yeo were becoming increasingly hostile to each other, following the Battle of Plattsburgh. Prevost had recommended that a Rear-Admiral be appointed to Quebec to superintend the Royal Navy's establishment on the Lakes but before this could be considered Prevost himself was relieved, partly because of Yeo's complaints on Prevost's conduct during the Plattsburgh campaign, and also through his conflicts with veteran Army officers of the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
sent to reinforce the troops in Canada. The Admiralty nevertheless replaced Yeo also, on the grounds of his infrequent returns of accounts and correspondence. His replacement, Captain Edward Owen, did not arrive to take command until after news of the Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
ended hostilities.
Vessels on Lake Ontario in 1814
The rival commanders and propagandists often exaggerated or discounted ships' capabilities during the 1814 campaigning season. Most of the American schooners (converted merchant vessels which had been alarmingly unstable with their heavy armament) had been disarmed and were now used as transports only. The British had re-rigged their schooners as brigs and renamed most of their vessels since many of them formerly belonging to the Provincial Marine had names which duplicated those of Royal Navy ships in commission at sea.| Nationality | Name | Type | Tonnage | Crew | Armament | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior USS Superior (1814) The first USS Superior was built for the War of 1812, and was named after one of the Great Lakes where much of the shipboard fighting was done during that war. The Superior was a U.S... |
frigate | 1,580 | 500 | 30 long 32-pdr 2 long 24-pdr 26 42-pdr carronade |
4 guns later removed | |
| " | Mohawk USS Mohawk (1814) USS Mohawk was a U.S. Navy frigate that fought on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.USS Mohawk, a 42-gun frigate, was laid down 8 May 1814 by shipbuilder Henry Eckford at Sackets Harbor, New York, launched on 11 June 1814, and acquired by the U.S. Navy and placed in service shortly thereafter... |
frigate | 1,350 | 350 | 26 long 24-pdr 2 long 18-pdr 14 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | General Pike USS General Pike (1813) USS General Pike was a corvette in the United States Navy, which took part in the Engagements on Lake Ontario during the Anglo-American War of 1812... |
sloop | 875 | 300 | 26 long 24-pdr 2 long 24-pdr chase guns |
|
| " | Madison USS Madison (1812) USS Madison was a U.S. Navy corvette built during the War of 1812 for use on the Great Lakes.USS Madison was built at Sackets Harbor, New York by Henry Eckford. She was launched on Lake Ontario on 26 November 1812, Lieutenant Jesse D. Elliot in command. She was the first U.S... |
corvette | 593 | 200 | 2 long 12-pdr 22 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Jones USS Jones (1814) USS Jones was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Jones was built at Sacketts Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and was launched on 10 April 1814.... |
brig | 500 | 160 | 2 long 12-pdr 20 42-pdr carronade |
Over-gunned and unstable |
| " | Jefferson USS Jefferson (1814) The second USS Jefferson was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was named for Thomas Jefferson.Jefferson was built at Sackett's Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and launched 7 April 1814... |
brig | 500 | 160 | 2 long 12-pdr 20 42-pdr carronade |
Sister ship to Jones |
| " | Sylph USS Sylph (1813) USS Sylph was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.She was a schooner built to strengthen Commodore Isaac Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario... |
brig | 300 | 100 | 2 long 12-pdr 14 24-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Oneida USS Oneida (1810) The first USS Oneida was a brig of war in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Oneida was built at Oswego, New York 1808–1809, under contract awarded by her first commanding officer, Lieutenant M. T. Woolsey, to Henry Eckford and Christian Bergh. Although her displacement was 243 tons by... |
brig | 243 | 100 | 2 long 12-pdr 14 24-pdr carronade |
|
| St. Lawrence HMS St. Lawrence (1814) HMS St Lawrence was a 112-gun first-rate wooden warship of the Royal Navy that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. She was the only Royal Navy ship of the line ever to be launched and operated entirely in fresh water.-Career:... |
battleship | 2,305 | 700 | 28 long 32-pdr 40 long 24-pdr 4 68-pdr carronade 32 32-pdr carronade |
||
| " | Prince Regent HMS Prince Regent (1814) HMS Prince Regent was a 56-gun British warship that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. The Prince Regent was built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Upper Canada and launched on 14 April 1814. Following the War of 1812 the frigate was renamed HMS Kingston on 9 December... |
frigate | 1,450 | 485 | 32 long 24-pdr 4 68-pdr carronade 22 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Princess Charlotte | frigate | 1,215 | 315 | 26 long 24-pdr 2 68-pdr carronade 14 32-pdr carronade |
|
| " | Montreal | sloop | 637 | 220 | 7 long 24-pdr 18 long 18-pdr |
Formerly Wolfe |
| " | Niagara HMS Royal George (1809) HMS Royal George was a British 20-gun wooden sloop of the Provincial Marine, and subsequently, the Royal Navy, operating on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812 with a crew of 200.... |
sloop | 510 | 200 | 2 long 12-pdr 20 32-pdr carronade |
Formerly Royal George |
| " | Charwell | brig | 279 | 110 | 2 long 12-pdr 14 32-pdr carronade |
Formerly Earl of Moira |
| " | Star HMS Lord Melville HMS Lord Melville was a schooner of the Royal Navy launched at Kingston on 20 July 1813. She was altered to 14-gun brig in 1813. She served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, was renamed HMS Star on 22 January 1814. By 1815, she was unfit for anything but transport duties. She was sold in... |
brig | 262 | 110 | 2 long 12-pdr 14 32-pdr carronade |
Formerly Melville |
| " | Netley | brig | 216 | 100 | 2 long 12-pdr 14 24-pdr carronade |
Formerly Beresford |
| " | Magnet Simcoe (ship) HMS Sir Sydney Smith was a 10-gun schooner, later altered to brig, of the Royal Navy in 1814. She saw service on the on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.... |
brig | 187 | 80 | 2 long 12-pdr 12 24-pdr carronade |
Formerly Sydney Smith Set on fire to avoid capture 5 August 1814 |
Ships under construction in at the end of the war
| Nationality | Name | Type | Tonnage | Crew | Armament | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans USS New Orleans (1815) New Orleans was a ship-of-the line intended for the U.S. Navy that was never finished.New Orleans was laid down on 15 December 1814 by Henry Eckford and Adam and Noah Brown at Sackets Harbor, New York. She was intended for U.S. Navy use on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812 and was the largest of... |
battleship | 2,805 | unknown | 130 guns (mainly 42-pdr) |
Not completed (remains sold 1882) | |
| " | Chippawa USS Chippewa Five ships of the United States Navy have been named Chippewa, after the Chippewa Indians, and/or the Battle of Chippawa in the War of 1812., was a schooner captured from British forces which later burned the ship in the same year.... |
battleship | unknown | unknown | 130 guns (mainly 42-pdr) |
Not completed |
| " | Plattsburgh | frigate | 1,748 | unknown | "64 guns" | Not completed |
| HMS Wolfe (II) | battleship | 2,152 | unknown | 36 long 32pdr 76 long 24pdr / 24-pdr carronade |
Not completed (cancelled 1831) Destroyed on stocks by storm 31 July 1832 |
|
| " | HMS Canada | battleship | 2,152 | unknown | 36 long 32pdr 76 long 24pdr / 24-pdr carronade |
Not completed (cancelled 1832) |
| " | Psyche | frigate | 769 | 315 | 28 long 24-pdr 28 32-pdr carronade |
Frame constructed in Britain, 1814 Completed after end of war Originally called "Frigate B" |
Aftermath
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
which ended the war, a separate pact known as the Rush-Bagot Treaty
Rush-Bagot Treaty
The Rush-Bagot Treaty was a treaty between the United States and Britain ratified by the United States Senate on April 16, 1817 . The treaty provided for a large demilitarization of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, where many British naval arrangements and forts still remained...
was signed in 1817, to limit the number and strength of warships which could be maintained on the Lakes. On Lake Ontario, Britain and America could keep in commission one vessel each, of no more than 100 tons, and armed with one 18-pounder gun. No other armed ships could be built, and those already built should be dismantled.
In fact, very few of the existing ships were broken up. The British constructed a storehouse, referred to as a "stone frigate", to keep the rigging and other fittings - the building survives today as dormitory to Hudson Squadron at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
and is still referred to by the same name. In theory, they could have recommissioned their entire squadron within a few days. By 1827 however, all the ships were mouldering, and unfit for service. The stores were auctioned in 1834 and the surviving ships were written off or disposed of over the next few years. Several were sunk in Navy Bay near Kingston.
The American squadron also quickly fell into disrepair. It had been acknowledged when they were built that they would last only five or six years, with their green wood and rough finish. One survivor was the unfinished battleship New Orleans, which was enclosed by a great shed on the slipway. The shed collapsed in 1881 and the remains of the ship were sold in 1883.
Results
Because neither side had been prepared to risk everything in a decisive attack on the enemy fleet or naval base, the result of all the construction effort on Lake Ontario was an expensive draw. The great demands for men and materials made by both squadrons adversely affected other parts of the war effort.The Americans had been based at Sacket's Harbor, and this small town was unable to cope with the great numbers of soldiers, sailors and shipwrights there. There were many deaths from cold, exposure and inadequate rations during the winter months, and from disease during the summer. On the British side, the effort required to ship all the ordnance and naval stores up the Saint Lawrence prevented them from deploying decisive numbers of troops in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. Prevost once reported paying £1,000 to transport one monstrous cable for the battleship Saint Lawrence to Kingston, and complained that the demands of Yeo's squadron pre-empted the entire transport service up the Saint Lawrence during the later months of 1814.
Both Yeo and Chauncey have been criticised by historians for their unwillingness to act decisively, and for the long and rambling excuses they made in their despatches for their setbacks. Chauncey has come in for more abuse from American historians than Yeo has from British historians. Roosevelt (and subsequent historians) argued that, since the overall American strategy was offensive, the American forces on Lake Ontario ought to have risked a decisive attack against Kingston, or Chauncey should have sought a decisive action against Yeo's squadron when opportunity offered. Instead, Chauncey (and the Army commanders Dearborn and Wilkinson) repeatedly shied away from any attack on Kingston, while Chauncey failed to pursue Yeo to destruction after the action in Burlington Bay. After the British attack on Sackett's Harbor, Chauncey continually hampered operations against targets other than Kingston. He either kept his vessels in port waiting for more ships, or refused to use them to support the Army's attacks elsewhere (on the Niagara peninsula, for example).
By contrast, it has been argued that since the British strategy under Governor General Prevost was defensive for most of the war, Yeo needed only to avoid defeat, and certainly succeeded in this. However, British (and Canadian) historians such as Forester and J. Mackay Hitsman have argued that he did so at such cost that other operations were curtailed or thwarted. For example, Yeo's hoarding of men and supplies, and failure to forward sufficient of these to the British squadron on Lake Erie, led to their decisive defeat. Similarly, a far smaller effort on Lake Champlain than that required to construct battleships on Lake Ontario would have made British victory on Champlain certain, and decisive.