HMS Confiance-- Part 2

At the Battle of Plattsburgh, the Confiance battled the Saratoga for two and a half hours and was at a major disadvantage because the crew was largely untrained (and only on the ship a few weeks. It was forced to surrender and taken to Whitehall for repairs. During the winter of 1814-1815, it was Macdonough's headquarters ship.

With the war over, it was stripped of cannons and anything useful and housed over to prevent deterioration. It was moved to a site below Whitehall.

Rot quickly spread because of the greenness of the wood. Later, it was towed to the mouth of the Poultney River, known as East Bay, and allowed to sink. In 1825, the Whitehall naval station was closed and all remaining War of 1812 hulks were sold.

In a 1839 map of the area shows a spot with the "wreck of the Confiance." Then, in 1873, dredging work to the channel caused the Confiance's wreck to slip into it and block it. Local contractor, J.J. Holden, known as "Nitroglycerine Jack" was hired and some mighty explosions erased the Confiance.

 Goodbye Confiance. --Brock-Perry