USS Siren-- Part 2

One of the crew members of the Siren when the HMS Medway captured it was Samuel Leech who later wrote an account of his experiences with the rather long title "Thirty Years From Home, Or a Voice from the Maine Deck, Being the Experience of Samuel Leech, Who Was Six Years in the British and American Navies, Was Captured in the British Frigate Macedonian Afterward Entered the American Navy, and Was Taken in the United States Brig Syren, By the British Ship Medway."

Sounds like an interesting book, even with a title like that.  I doubt that many sailors were captured while serving in both navies during the War of 1812.

According to Leech, afterwards, the crew of the Siren were taken to the Cape of Good Hope where they were landed and marched to jail in Cape Town and held there until transferred to England after the war was over.  They were later released.

--Brock-Perry