The Sappho was commissioned in 1807. On March 13, 1812, it fired shots at U.S. Navy Gunboat No. 168at Fernadina, Florida, several months before the War of 1812 was declared. The Sappho had intervened at Fernadina to enable the loyalist merchant vessel Fernando (or Fernandeno) to leave the port of Fernadina, Florida.
This was a very mismatched battle with the Sappho having a huge gunnery edge and Gunboat No. 168 soon drew out of range. With the 168's withdrawal, several other merchant ships were able to escape from Fernadina.
With U.S, President James Madison and Georgia Governor George Matthews approval, a group calling themselves the Patriots of Amelia Island had seized the island and Fernadina and at first raised their flag, but then the American one.
American gunboats under the command of Commander Hugh Campbell helped maintain control of the island and locked down the port, causing the Sappho's intervention.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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