Vergennes Shipwrights Played Vital Role in Battle of Lake Champlain-- Part 6: A Fairly Even Battle

When the American and British navies met in Plattsburgh Bay (also called Cumberland Bay), the British had a slight advantage in terms of number of ships and guns aboard them.  But the work done at Otter Creek made it a fair fight.

The British shipwrights had had to rush their work to prepare for this battle.  In fact, work aboard the HMS Confiance was still underway when it was launched.  According to one account, the frigate had to stop at Cumberland Head, in Plattsburgh Bay, to drop off the last  of the carpenters aboard before the battle.

Brock-Perry

Shipwrights in Vergennes Were Key to Battle of Champlain-- Part 5: A Naval Arms Race on the Lake

Learning of the new larger threat of the HMS Confiance, Macdonough pleaded with the Navy to build another large ship.  Navy Secretary William Jones rejected this request saying there was not enough money.  However, President James Madison intervened.

This time, the Navy hired Adam Brown, Noah Brown's brother, who brought along with him about 200 shipwrights.  In just 19 days, they built the Eagle, a 120-foot long, 20-gun brig and launched it on August 11,  two weeks before the Confiance was launched.

The Browns and their bands of shipwrights were invaluable to the American cause, as was proven on September  11, 1814.

At the time, the British had troops invading south along the New York side of Lake Champlain and many of those troops were in the Plattsburgh area.  The British commander wanted to wait for the Royal Navy to defeat Macdonough's ships before storming Plattsburgh. (Plattsburgh with an "h" at the end of it because  that's the most common way the Battle of Plattsburgh is described.)

--Brock-Perry

Shipwrights in Vergennes Were Key to Battle of Lake Champlain-- Part 4: Battle at Fort Cassin and the HMS Confiance

The British learned from spies the position of Macdonough's shipyard.  Alarmed by the extent of the American shipbuilding effort,  they sent a small fleet in May 1814 to land a detachment of  more than 150 soldiers.  British vessels intended to blockade the river to prevent Macdonough's fleet from living, while soldiers would   march to the falls to burn the American fleet.

But, Macdonough anticipated the British move and had an earthwork named Fort Cassin constructed at the mouth of Otter Creek. For an hour and a half, the fort traded cannon shots with the British ships. American marksmen positioned themselves on the shore to ward off any attempted troop landing.  The British withdrew.

Unwilling to be outgunned, the British set to work on a large warship at their shipyard at Ile Aux Noix on the Richilieu.  The ship was named HMS Confiance and was designed to carry 37 guns and remains the largest warship ever in service on Lake Champlain.

--Brock-Perry

The Career of Thomas Macdonough-- Part 3: A Complete American Victory

Thomas Macdonough immediately took advantage of the situation  and using brilliant seamanship and ingenuity, Macdonough maneuvered his ship to fire a broadside into the Confiance causing that ship to surrender.

With the Confiance out of action, the British fleet lost its strongest ship, the remaining enemy ships were pounded by the Americans and it became a total victory for Macdonough's fleet.

The result was a total victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh (also called Battle of Lake Champlain)  The British withdrew to Canada and the British got serious about negotiating a peace.

--Brock-Macdonough

The Career of Thomas Macdonough-- Part 2: A Big Break for the Americans

The British came with both Army soldiers under the command of George Prevost and a Naval fleet under the command of George Downie.  Downie was a very experienced sea man who had attained much success fighting against France during the Napoleonic Wars.  He was he commander of the HMS Confiance.

Defending Plattsburgh was a much smaller American force of some 2,000 men under the command of General Alexander Macomb and, of course Macdonough's which was also outgunned.  Things looked bleak for the Americans.

Macdonough's fleet met head on with British fleet on September 11, 1814.  In a moment that changed the course of the battle, a cannonball fired by Macdonough's flagship, the USS Saratoga, smashed into a British cannon on the Confiance causing it to land on Downie, killing him instantly.

--Brock-Macdonough

USS Tigress-- Part 5: After the War

Both the HMS Surprise (USS Tigress) and HMS Confiance (USS Scorpion) served with the Royal Navy until the end of the war and since there were no other American vessels on Lake Huron, gave the British Navy superiority.

They were laid up after the war and allowed to sink at their moorings in the Grand River.

One of the wrecks was recovered from the Penetanguishene Bay in 1953 was not the Tigress as thought, but the HMS Tecumseth which is now the Tecumseth Center at the north end of Discovery Harbor,

--Brock-Perry

USS Tigress-- Part 4: The USS Scorpion Captured As Well

The survivors of the USS Tigress were sent ashore as prisoners of war.  The majority of the British stayed on board the Tigress and kept the American flag flying in hopes of luring the other American ship, the Scorpion close enough to capture.

The Scorpion arrived September 6 and anchored two miles away from the Tigress.  British Lt. Worsley got the Tigress under way and ran it alongside the Scorpion and captured her as well.

Both ships and their captured crews were taken to Mackinac Island where the ships were renamed the HMS Surpise (Tigress) and HMS Confiance (Scorpion).

--Brock-Perry

HMS Confiance is Launched at Ile aux Noix, Lower Canada

AUGUST 25TH, 1814:  Because of their ambitious 1813-1814 ship-building program, the Americans regained command of Lake Champlain.  In a bid to wrest back control of this waterway, Britain began laying down a large frigate at Ile aux Noix, Lower Canada.

Construction was delayed by a lack of supplies and the vessel was scarcely equipped in time for the Battle of Plattsburg Bay.

Armed with 37 guns, the Confiance would become Captain George Downie's flagship and, together with a number of smaller vessels also constructed at the naval yard, including gunboats and the brig HMS Linnett, made up the British fleet that fought at Plattsburg in which Downie died and his ship was captured.

The HMS Confiance was the largest ship on either side to sail on Lake Champlain during the war.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Confiance-- Part 2

At the Battle of Plattsburgh, the Confiance battled the Saratoga for two and a half hours and was at a major disadvantage because the crew was largely untrained (and only on the ship a few weeks. It was forced to surrender and taken to Whitehall for repairs. During the winter of 1814-1815, it was Macdonough's headquarters ship.

With the war over, it was stripped of cannons and anything useful and housed over to prevent deterioration. It was moved to a site below Whitehall.

Rot quickly spread because of the greenness of the wood. Later, it was towed to the mouth of the Poultney River, known as East Bay, and allowed to sink. In 1825, the Whitehall naval station was closed and all remaining War of 1812 hulks were sold.

In a 1839 map of the area shows a spot with the "wreck of the Confiance." Then, in 1873, dredging work to the channel caused the Confiance's wreck to slip into it and block it. Local contractor, J.J. Holden, known as "Nitroglycerine Jack" was hired and some mighty explosions erased the Confiance.

 Goodbye Confiance. --Brock-Perry

HMS Confiance: Lake Champlain's Largest-Ever Warship-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Was the largest warship ever to sail on Lake Champlain. It was 147-feet long, 831 tons and mounted thirty 24-pdrs, six 32-pdr. carronades and one 24-pdr. on pivot. Built very quickly, using green wood which proved to be a weakness.

Launched at Ile aux Noix on August 25, 1814, and gave the British Navy superiority on Lake Champlain. Served as Captain George Downie's flagship at the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814. (As you can see, the Confiance did not have but a three-week trial period.)

The Confiance was built in response to Master Commandant Macdonough's high-powered shipbuilding program and was part of the naval race on the Great Lakes between Britain and the U.S.. 

More to Come. --Brock-Perry

USS Linnert, USS Saratoga and USS Confiance Sold in 1825

While looking up information on these three War of 1812 ships involved in the Battle of Lake Champlain (PLattsburgh) in New York, I noticed that all three were sold in 1825. //// I thought that to be too coincidental until I read that the United States government closed the naval station at Whitehall, New York, in that year. All three ships were in ordinary or just hulks there at the time.//// The Linnert and Confiance were formerly British ships. I wasn't able to find out what happened to the Saratoga or Linnert after they were sold, but most likely they were broken up. There was information on the Confiance after 1825, which I will write about when I do the thumbnail sletch on it beginning today. //// --Brock-Perry

USS Saratoga and Battle of Plattsburgh-- Part 2

Thomas Macdonough sailed back south and anchored his fleet in a strategically superior position causing British ships to have a slow approach against the wind in such a fashion that they couldn't bring many of their guns to bear. //// He also dropped kedge anchors and arranged spring lines so he could turn his ships so alternately, his starboard and then port guns could be brought to bear. //// When the British assault began down Lake Champlain, crack British troops were rushed from Europe and were able to force American sokldiers southward on the west shore of Lake Champlain. //// The Saratoga primarily battled the Confiance and when her starboard huns were lost, swung around with its port guuns and forced the also battered Confiance to surrender. Next to surrender was the HMS Linnert. By then, the battle was over and an American victory. The British troops retreated and the U.S. was left in control of Lake Champlain. //// --Brock-Perry

Macdonough's Flagship: the USS Saratoga-- Part 1

From Wikipedia. //// I mentioned that the USS Saratoga was launched April 11, 1814, at vergennes, Vermont, to be added to Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough's Lake Champlain fleet. //// A follow-up on the ship. //// The USS Saratoga was classified as a 143-foot corvette, mounting 26 guns with a crew of 212 and 734 tons. It didn't take long to build as it was just laid down March 7th. The addition of this ship put the American's ahead in the naval construction race on Lake Champlain. //// Macdonough took it to blockade Richilieu. //// The British fleet was upriver at Ile aux Noix where the 36-gun frigate HMS Confiance was rapidly built. This was the largest warship ever to sail on Lake Champlain. //// --Brock-Perry

Vergennes, Vermont's Key Role in the War-- Part 1

From the May 7th Addison County (Vt) Independent "Museum will tell story of city's key tole in War of 1812" by John Flowers.

Vergennes is known as "The Little City."  It played a huge role in the US Navy victory that saved the Champlain Valley from British invasion and helped end the war.

There is a stone monument in the city park dedicated to the town's part in  it.

US Navy First Lt. Thomas Macdonough was hastily organizing a small fleet built in the Vergennes shipyard along Otter Creek.  The fleet beat a superior British fleet at the Battle of Plattsburgh (also called the Battle of Lake Champlain).

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will have an exhibit on the town's role.  Art Cohn, in charge of special projects for the museum, will lead a four-month tour aboard the canal schooner Lois McClure to tell the story.

Included will be War of 1812 artifacts found in Lake Champlain and its tributaries.  Many more will be from the museum's 4,000 artifact collection connected with the Battle of Plattsburgh, including the anchor from the HMS Confiance, a 36-gun British frigate and the main ship at the September 11, 1814, battle.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry