Hurricanes: 1813 St. Marys, Georgia-- Part 5: Fernadina, Fla. Hit Too

"Gunboats ashore shouldn't be too damaged, a few new boats, 3 or 4 cables and anchors-- some canvas and carpenter work.

"The Gun Vessels and almost every Vessel on shore lay in the street.

"No. 6 lost rudder and channels.

"Nos 160 and 165 the ironwork of their rudder.

"The Saucy Jack, Privateer of Charleston, Laying Ready to sail is now laying high and dry on a marsh that must be at least five feet above the line of Low Tide.  She draws 14 feet, seven feet being the Common Rise.

"The town has suffered much.   Seven inhabited houses blown down but no lives lost.

"Fernadina has 20 houses blown down and every vessel in port drove on shore except a Swedish brig.  Considerable amount of mercantile property destroyed."

It Was Sure a Bad One.  --Brock-Perry

Hurricanes: 1813 St. Marys, Georgia-- Part 3: Damage to Gunboats

Commodore Hugh Campbell continued with his damage report:

"(Gunboats) Nos. 160, 158, 63 and 165 are on shore above high water mark and should be gotten off with little damage.

"160 and 158 in ordinary.

"No. 3 Hospital Vessel parted her cable and drifted over a body of marsh about three miles and is now on Florida shore and hope to get her off.

"No. 168, John Hulbert, cmdr, is laying off the south end of Cumberland when hit ran for harbor at Fernandina and anchored above it but driven over a marsh about 7-7 miles from this place with loss of its mainmast."

And, There Was Still More to report.  --Brock-Perry

Hurricanes in the War of 1812: 1813 Hurricane at St. Marys, Georgia-- Part 1

From the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Commodore Hugh G. Campbell wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Jones from St. Marys, Georgia,  on 18 September 1813:

"We had yesterday morning and night proceeding one of the most severe Gales I have ever witnessed--  It commenced about 6 p.m. at NNE and veered to NNW when it blew with the greatest force and continued until about 1 A.M. at which time the Tide, which had Risen to an uncommon hight ceased to flow, and for about one hour we were favored with a calm--

"About two o'clock the Gale recommenced, every Vessel in the harbor drove on shore or sunk at their moorings."

More to Come.  Brock-Perry

Fla.-Ga. Sept. 16-17 Hurricane-- Part 2" A Major Hurricane and the Saucy Jack

The descriptions of the damage, storm surge and wind directions make it clear that this was what has to be classified as a major hurricane, not just a regular one.

It made landfall at St. Marys River and proceeded some distance inland.  Its fury was also felt along the Georgia coast.

A letter from Commodore Hugh Campbell, commanding the naval forces at St. Marys to the Secretary of the Navy included: "The Saucy Jack privateer of Charleston, lying ready to sail, is now lying high and dry on a marsh that must be at least five feet above the level of low tide.  She draws 14 feet, seven feet being the common rise."  This would indicate a storm surge of at least 19 feet above Mean Low Water.

--Brock-Perry

The Florida-Georgia September 16-17, 1813, Hurricane-- Part 1

From the Chronological Listing of Tropical Cyclones Affecting North Florida and Coastal Georgia 1565-1899 site.

This storm would be classified as a hurricane in North Florida and Upper Georgia.  In Lower Georgia, it was a major hurricane.

Its landfall points were at Cumberland Island, Georgia, Amelia Island, Florida, and St. Marys.

Sections of three letters from these areas describe the storm.  They were by Mr. Phineas Miller Nightingale of Cumberland Island, Dr. William Baldwin on Amelia Island and Commodore Hugh Campbell.  They all described the passage of the eye over their locations.

U.S. gunboats protecting St. Marys were sunk or scattered.  Twenty members of the crew of Gunboat No. 164 drowned along with two more on the Revenue Cutter.  (I haven't been able to find out the name of the revenue cutter.)

At Stallings it was reported that twenty-eight persons perished.

--Brock-Perry