Lake Ontario, 7–10 August 1813

Canadian Military History Volume 11 Issue 3 Article 3 2002 The First Encounter: Fighting for Naval Supremacy on Lake Ontario, 7–10 August 1813 Robert James Williamson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Williamson, Robert James "The First Encounter: Fighting for Naval Supremacy on Lake Ontario, 7–10 August 1813." Canadian Military History 11, 3 (2002) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Williamson: The First Encounter The First Encounter Fighting for Naval Supremacy on Lake Ontario, 7-10 August 1813 Robert Janies Williamson Introduction command was at the New York Naval Yards and he knew all the right people in the right places. t the outbreak of the War of 1812, the United However, building a fleet takes time and as a AStates was woefully ill prepared to fight in stopgap measure Chauncey commandeered and the Great Lakes Basin. However, that is where armed seven merchant schooners. Not designed most of the warfare would take place. In that to carry heavy ordinance on their upper decks, relatively inaccessible part of the world where these schooners proved to be ungainly warships. few roads existed, both sides in this conflict knew that control of the water transportation To upgrade the fighting ability of the system was the key to military success. Despite Provincial Marine, the Royal Navy sent one of that, the Americans would start the war on Lake their best young commodores along with 465 Ontario with only one ship, a 16-gun, embargo- officers and ratings to operate the ships of the enforcement brig, named USS Oneida. Designed Lake Ontario squadron. This detachment of to chase small vessels sneaking contraband into Royal Navy personnel, including four hiding places and shallow bays, she was not a commanders, were all veterans with a wealth of good fighting ship. On the other hand, thanks sea experience. Commodore Sir James Lucas to the foresight of John Graves Simcoe, Yeo was described as a zealous, enterprising lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, in the officer whose daring was unequalled in the 1790s and General Issac Brock after 1805, the annuals of the Royal Navy. Hence his rapid rise Provincial Marine began the war on Lake Ontario to flag rank and his knighthood at the age of with two brigs and five schooners carrying a total thirty-one. of 105 guns. However, having a well-armed squadron and knowing how to use it effectively The purpose of this article is to illustrate as a fighting force are two different things. The that the way in which Chauncey and Yeo Provincial Marine was composed mostly of local conducted their operations on Lake Ontario was merchant sailors administered under a branch very much in keeping with their background and of the British army. These vessels served experience. It was evident from their first primarily as armed transports. encounter that Yeo, the veteran, was the confident aggressor while Chauncey, the Nevertheless, the Americans knew they were administrator, was wary of the reputation of his in trouble and assigned one of their top knighted opponent and unsure of his own administrators to develop a naval yard at Sackets squadron’s capabilities. Harbour on Lake Ontario. His orders were to immediately commence a ship building program. Part of this assessment has been made Although limited in war experience, Isaac possible by the recent discovery of the ship’s Chauncey was a consummate organiser. His last logbook of HMS Wolfe.1 The log is one of the © Canadian Military History, Volume 11, Number 3, Summer 2002, pp. 15-30. 15 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2002 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 11 [2002], Iss. 3, Art. 3 most important documents of the War of 1812 attempt to gain supremacy on Lake Ontario. For squadron. When Yeo appeared off Grimsby with pages of the log were damaged. This could have because it is a record of action kept by the that reason, extracts from the log of the Wolfe his fleet, the American army was completely happened when the log was captured or by flagship of Sir James Lucas Yeo from May to are used to form the basis of this article. intimidated. Fresh from their skirmish at Stoney improper storage by the Naval Department December 1813. As such, the ship’s log provides Creek, they abandoned their camp at the Forty before the document was turned over to the a detailed daily eyewitness account of a piece of Mile Creek (Grimsby) and rushed back to the National Archives. It is also possible that the first military history that decided the outcome of the security of their bridgehead on the Niagara River. few pages were removed on purpose specifically War of 1812, a war that would determine the xcept for the fact that it describes a way of This is an excellent illustration of how naval because they contained a record of the Battle of future of the developing nation that we call Elife in the navy almost two hundred years control of the lake influenced the action of land Sackets Harbour. The battle did not go well for Canada. ago, a ship’s logbook is not very exciting reading. forces. the Americans and there was a lot of finger It will be interesting fare to those readers who pointing that resulted in courts of inquiry. It is Interestingly enough, all histories of the War are devotees of Patrick O’Brien, a popular writer Although the Wolfe took part in the attack therefore possible that these pages became part of 1812, until recentiy, have been written without of 18th & 19th century seafaring tales. Most of on Sackets Harbour, there is no record of this of the trial records and were not returned. reference to this essential document. The reason a ship’s logbook consists of day-to-day recording action in the log. The pages are simply missing. However, it would be customary to submit the for this is that the existence of the log of HMS of routine information, such as date, time of day, The ship was launched at Kingston, Ontario on entire log to such proceedings rather than Wolfe remained unknown for almost 160 years. wind direction, weather, ship’s movements, 23 April 1813. Commodore Yeo arrived in remove the pages. Consequently, Canadian historians have written location and employment of the crew. Every once Kingston on 16 May 1813 to take command of their accounts of the war without the use of this in a while more exciting entries can be found in his squadron and new flagship. The squadron The best clue can be found on the last page important firsthand resource, resulting in more the log, such as storms, enemy activity, and set sail to attack the American naval base at of the log. Commodore Chauncey signed it off conjecture than truth in their interpretations. action taken. Logbook entries were made usually Sackets Harbour on 27 May 1813. At some point before forwarding this piece of enemy intelligence All too often there has been an over reliance on every four hours or as they occurred, depending between 23 April and 27 May an active ship’s to Washington. As senior officer on the Great American accounts that are abundant, but have on the Watch system used in a ship. Considered log would have been initiated. However, the Lakes, Chauncey was accountable for all actions little Canadian perspective. While reports written a mundane chore, it was a task assigned to the W olfe’s log as it was found in the National under his command. This was especially true of by Yeo and Chauncey to their superiors are junior officer or midshipman of the watch and Archives of Washington D.C. begins on 8 June his headquarters at Sackets Harbour, even helpful, it is important to remember that entries checked for legibility and accuracy by a senior 1813 at the mouth of Forty Mile Creek. At least though he was not present during the battle on in the ship’s log, unlike personal reports, are officer. To assist those readers who are less two weeks of record keeping are missing. It is a 29 May. However, his younger brother, based on observed facts. There is no after-the- enlightened in naval terms and behaviour, the mystery as to what could possibly have happened Lieutenant Wolcott Chauncey was, and did not fact massaging of information to excuse actions, editor has inserted into the text a series of notes, to the vital entries that would have taken place conduct himself well. Master Commandant satisfy egos or impress superiors. interpretations and observations in square during the Battle of Sackets Harbour. However, Leonard, who also was at Sackets Harbour brackets. To avoid excessive repetition, the editor the log does offer some clues and they are confided to Navy Secretary Jones that many The Wolfe’s log came to light by accident in has summarized the mundane recording of daily pertinent to setting the stage for the first officers suspected Lieutenant Chauncey of 1971 at the National Archives in Washington D.C. activities while at sea as “normal routine.” encounter. cowardice in retreating up the bay. He claimed Dan Nelson, a dentist in St. Catharines, Ontario, that the commodore placed officers friendly to found the log while doing research that Within two weeks of arriving at Kingston, Yeo The first surviving page of the log, himself on his brother’s court of inquiry in order eventually led to the discovery of the sunken led an attack against Sackets Harbour on 29 May commencing with entries for 8 June 1813, is to acquit him.

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