The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History Volume III 1814–1815 Chesapeake Bay, Northern Lakes, and Pacific Ocean Part 5 of 7 Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy Washington, 2002 Electronically published by American Naval Records Society Bolton Landing, New York 2011 AS A WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS PUBLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 532 NORTHERN LAKES THEATER JANUARY 1814-JUNE 1815 533 left to guard the vessel and property retreated upon the approach of our Boats- as soon as the vessel was intirely consumed Lieutenant Gregory reem­ as ,:e have nothing to oppose so overwhelming a force and as this class of ves­ barked his Men without having permitted one of them to enter a House.- On sel IS so much beyond any thing which the Government contemplated when I finding the alarm so general he thought it prudent to cross the Lake immedi­ had th~ honor of your instructions in January last, I should not feel myself ately- he stopped one day at Oswego for refreshment and arrived here last authOrIzed even to prepare to build any thing to oppose Such a vessel without evening having performed a most difficult service with his usual gallantry and Special authority.- good conduct Mter I have been a sufficient length of time on the Lake to ascertain Lieutenant Gregory speaks in the highest terms of commendation of Sailing whether th.e. Enemy will fight me without his 84 Gun Ship and there should be Master Vaughan and Mr. Dixon, as well as the Men under his command for no probabIlIty .of a Peac~ ~th England it will become absolutely necessary to their patient endurance of hunger and fatigue and the zeal with which they per­ prepare MaterIals for bUlldmg next Winter, provided we mean to contest the formed every part of their duty Supremacy of the Lakes and the sooner these materials are collected the better I think in justice to these brave Men that they ought to be allowed some­ thing for the destruction of this vessel-they have however every confidence in both for the Government and builder, as much of the Timber must be brought the justice and liberality of the Navy Department and submit their case most a considerable distance and the water conveyance lessens the price consider­ cheerfully to your decision I have the honor to be very respectfully Sir Yr. ably. I have the honor to be very respectfully Sir Yr. Ob. Hie. St. Ob. HI. St. Isaac Chauncey Isaac Chauncey LS, DNA, RG45, CL, 1814, Vol. 4, No. 138 (M125, Roll No. 37). LS, DNA, RG45, CL, 1814, Vol. 4, No. 98 (M125, Roll No. 37). Assessing Enemy Strength Both Commodore Chauncry and Commodore Yeo needed accurate inJonnation on the numbers oj ships and guns his opponent could bring to bear in the naval contest on Lake Ontario. They used various means, including spies, observations Jrom small boats, and information from deserters, to assess their apponent s strength. The numbers oj guns and ships were carefully totaled in an eJJort to match the opposingJorce. COMMODORE ISAAC CHAUNCEY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAW JO ES (No. 115.) u.S. Ship Superior Sacketts Harbor 24June 1814 Sir I have the honor to inclose a view of the American and British Squadrons on Lake Ontario.- I shall sail the first week in July to offer the Enemy battle if he accepts the invitation-the superiority on this Lake will soon be decided and the victors re­ main Masters of these Waters during the War If however the Enemy pursues the policy that he did last year and avoids a general action it will force us to a blockade of his Fleet untill he can add to it a force much superior to ours which will be as soon as he can launch and fit the 84. now in great forwardness at Kingslon-this Ship is progressing rapidly and the Enemy calculate to launch her by the first of August and fit out immediately-my own impression is however that she cannot be got ready for service before October-if however I should be mistaken and the Enemy add this Ship to his present force before next Fall I should again be obliged to submit to the mortification of a blockade [Enclosure] A View of the American Squadron on Lake Ontario Description of Names Rate actual Captains or Commanders Vessels force Ship Superior 44 58 I. Chauncey Do. Mohawk 32 42 John Smith Do. General Pike 24 28 Jacob Jones Do. Madison 20 22 Wm. M. Crane Brig Jefferson 18 21 Charles G. Ridgeley Do. Jones 18 21 M. T. Woolsey Do Sylph 16 18 Jesse D. Elliott Do Oneida 14 14 Thomas Brown Schooner Lady of the Lake 1 _1 Marvin P. Mix] This vessel is a small Pilot-boat built m schooner for a tender & Repeater I Chauncey Sacketts Harbor 24th. June. 1814. DS, DNA, RG45, AF7 (M625, Roll No. 77). 1. Acting Lieutenant Mervine P. Mix. [En lo.ureJ A View of the British Squadron on Lake Ontario Description of Vessels Names Force Captains Ship Prince Regent 58 Sir James L. Yeo Comm. '"CI:l .~'" ..c:..c: 4-< i-< O'Conner Captain o 1:l Ship Princess Charlotte 44 >-. '" ~ S <!).~ Ship Montreal 25 late Wolfe <!) S ~ ~ CI:l ..., Ship Niagara 24 Royal George ~Z~ <!)~ Brig Star 18 Melville <!)..c: u Brig ..c: ..., ~ 18 " Earl Moira r< "0 .~ <!) '" Brig 16 Sir Sydney Smith bD$l • ~ <I) Schooner 16 PO CI:l '" . ..c: '" 219 Z u ~ Besides the above the enemy has about Twenty heavy Gun Boats and two or three small Schooners mounting heavy Guns.­ I Chauncey Sacketts Harbor 24th. June 1814 DS, DNA, RG45, AF7 (M625, Roll No. 77). - - JANUARY 1814-JUNE 1815 536 NORTHERN LAKES THEATER 537 Enemy is momentarily expect'd in the River-I consider it my Duty not to be COMMANDER CHARLES CUNLIFFE OWEN, R.N., TO absent from the probable point of attack- COMMODORE SIRJAMES L. YEO, R.N. Vaughn & Dickson are both determined Men & I understand have collect'd good Crews &c- ~ FortWellington 17th.July 1814 Have the goodnes~ Sir; to let me know-t? what extent I may go in paying Extract of a Letter fm. Captain Owen R.N. people for Informauon- The Sum you did me the honor to mention-in to Commodore Sir J. L. Yeo employing confidential People (at least for a continuance) will not go far- Sir/ Since my arrival here, I have directed my attention towards the means of Signed C. Cunliffe Owen gaining Information as to the Enemy's movements & I have now the Honor of Communicating some Intelligence which may be relied on- Copy, CaOOA, British Military and Naval Records, RG8, I, "c" Ser., Vol. 684, pp. Informant is a man; well known to our Friends on the other Side & left Sack­ 160-63. etts on the 14th. Inst. The fleet was not expected to sail in less than fourteen days fm. that period 1. Joseph G. Chambers of Philadelphia was developing an experimental repeating gun for the waiting it is reported for the Equipment of the Flotilla-but it is generally navy. Some of these guns were sent to Lake Ontario in April 1814. Chambers guns were used in bat­ thought delayed through the want of Seamen- tle at Oswego, the Battle of Lake Champlain. and at New Orleans. Sixteen large Gun Boats are building & will be complet'd in the course of a 2. Perhaps Chippewa Bay on the Saint Lawrence River near Hammond, New York. fortnight- Informant has seen them & supposes them to be twice as large as 3.Judge Nathan Ford, St Lawrence County, N.Y See Dudley. Naval War of 1812, Vol. 1, p. 293, note 2. those taken at Sandy Creek & capable of each holding 200 Men- Four Gun Boats have been built of 60 feet keel-A great number of smaller ones are constructing-Two thousand Troops at the Harbour I have obtained some Idea of the fire arms on the Repetition Principle-1 Smuggling Naval Stores The Swivels (which are placed in the Tops) have seven Barrels-& throw 250 Balls at each fire- They have one Lock & the fire is communicated fm. Barrel The brazenness of some of the local residents in smuggling naval supplies, stores, cattle, to Barrel-& they discharge successively at the Interval of one Second- and foodstuffs to Canada outraged Commander Macdonough. Trade across the border They load very quick-The Balls are all perforated & are made up in Cartridges flourished d~ring peacetime and remained lucrative despite embargo and war. The officers for the Charge- Their Boarders Pistols have one Lock & throw Six Balls- of the A mencan na~y remained vigilant and intercepted quantities of supplies, including The Musquets have Two Locks & throw twelve Balls-Eleven at one Discharge the spars that were zntended to fit out the new British ship building at Isle aux Noix. & a reserve Ball for the Second Lock- The shock fm. these arms is not greater than that from ones on the common Construction-& which must be attributed to the Channel of the fire passing MAsTER COMMANDANT THOMAS MACDONOUGH TO through the aperture of each Ball- SECRETARY OF THE NAW JONES On the 14th Commodore Chauncey had 12 Swivels-50 Musquets & 200 Pis­ tols of this description-more were daily expect'd- U.S Ship Saratoga Two Men of the names of Vaughn & Dickson have fitted out each a Privateer at the lines 29th. June 1814 for the River- Sir. It is the common opinion at Sacketts, that a general attack will be made on ~ h~d information ye~terday that tw~ spars intended for the masts of a ship Kingston- bUIldmg at Isle Aux NOlX were on their way to canada in charge & under the I have ascertained that the Boat taken fm.