HMS Canso-- Part 1: Formerly An American Privateer

From the Feb. 2014 entry on HMS Statira.

From Wikipedia.

The HMS Canso was originally the American Letter of Marque schooner Lottery, launched in 1811. and captured by the British in 1813.  The Royal Navy took her into service for the duration of the War of 1812 and it served for awhile afterwards.

93 feet long, 23.8 foot beam, armament 16 guns. (though armed with just six 12-pounder carronades when captured)

Sailed under a letter of marque  dated 24 July 1812 with a crew of 30 under the command of  John Southcomb.     She captured one prize that proved to be of so little worth that it was released.  She captured a brig on her way back to Baltimore where she remained until February 1813.

On 8 February 1813, the Lottery was captured by nine boats and 200 men in Lynnhaven Bay (on the Chesapeake Bay).  It was quite a bloody fight.

--Brock-Perry

War Comes to Hampton Roads-- Part 1

From the february 10, 2013, Hamton Roads (Va.) Daily Press "War Comes to Hampton Roads" by Mark St. John Erickson. //// There was a British warship at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on February 4, 1813. Just one British 74-gun ship-of-the-line mounted more cannons than all the ones the Americans had to defend the Elizabeth River and Norfolk. //// That one ship was joined by more and more British warships who anchored between Lynnhaven Bay and Old Point Comfort. //// It didn't long for conflict to begin. On February 8, 1813, the U.S. six-gun schooner Lottery, out of Baltimore, was attacked by the British. A two-hour battle began the "campaign of fire, plunder and fear that would terrorize Tidewater and the bay for two years." //// --Brock-Perry

HMS Belvidera-- Part 3

Between June 1812 and Dec. 14, 1812, the HMS Belvidera captured seven American merchant ships In February 1813, she captured the letter of marque (privateer) Lottery which went on to become the HMS Canso.

The Belvidera continued capturing ships. On December 25, 1813, mentioned in my timeline, it captured the USS Vixen, a 14-gun brig commissioned for the Americans in that same year. The Vixen was sailing from Wilmington, NC, to Newcastle, Delaware, without armament or stores. This was an earlier USS Vixen which was captured by the HMS Southampton.

--Brock-Perry