Macdonough's Flagship: the USS Saratoga-- Part 1

From Wikipedia. //// I mentioned that the USS Saratoga was launched April 11, 1814, at vergennes, Vermont, to be added to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough's Lake Champlain fleet. //// A follow-up on the ship. //// The USS Saratoga was classified as a 143-foot corvette, mounting 26 guns with a crew of 212 and 734 tons. It didn't take long to build as it was just laid down March 7th. The addition of this ship put the American's ahead in the naval construction race on Lake Champlain. //// Macdonough took it to blockade Richilieu. //// The British fleet was upriver at Ile aux Noix where the 36-gun frigate HMS Confiance was rapidly built. This was the largest warship ever to sail on Lake Champlain. //// --Brock-Perry