Stephen Champlin, USN-- Part 2: The Battle of Lake Erie

From Find-A-Grave.

His father was a farmer, but Stephen rejected the idea and went to sea at age 16.  He rose to the rank of captain in the West Indies trade within six years.

In the War of 1812, he was appointed sailing master in the U.S. Navy and given command of a gunboat.  Then he was ordered to Lake Erie and took command of the schooner USS Scorpion and was in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.  It is said he fired the first and final shots of the battle.

He captured the HMS Little Belt and afterwards was placed in command of two captured British warships: the Queen Charlotte and Detroit.

--Brock-Perry