Back on May 18th, I wrote about a brief engagement between the HMS Sappho and an undermatched U.S. Gunboat No. 168 off Fernadina, Florida, which took place on March 13, 1812, several months before the War of 1812 began in June.
From NC1812 site by Jim Greathouse.
Gunboat No. 168 was one of three (Nos. 166, 167 and 168) built for defense of the North Carolina coast as war with Britain approached. Jum Greathouse has written a detailed history of Gunboat No. 166.
The Jeffersonian gunboats as they were often called were small warships intended just for defense that President Thomas Jefferson preferred because of their small cost to build and operate as opposed to the superfrigates like the USS Constitution.
He has noy yet done an article on the 168, but the stats on 166 were that it was 60 feet long, 80 tons and mounted two 6-pdr. guns instead of the one 24-pdr. or 32-pdr. as called for in the contract. The 168 was probably similar. Not too surprising that its short exchange of shots with the 18-gun HMS Sappho was so one-sided.
--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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