The USS Fulton (United States Floating Battery Demologos): Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Last month I was writing a lot about Stephen Champlin's naval career and one of his commands was the steamer Robert Fulton during the 1838 Patriot War.  Initially, I had some confusion until I figured out that the USS Fulton and the steamer Robert Fulton were two different ships.

But the USS Fulton had a War of 1812 connection.  And then there was a second USS Fulton that had a Civil War connection.

This is about the first USS Fulton, originally named the Demologos, a steam driven catamaran-type U.S. Navy frigate.

The Demologos was the first warship to be propelled by a steam engine and built to defend New York City from the Royal Navy during the War of 1812.  It was based on a design by inventor Robert Fulton and was renamed the USS Fulton after his death.  Because the war was over soon after it was built, it never saw action.  No other ship built by the U.S. Navy was anything like it.

Stats:  Laid down 1814,  Commissioned 1816.  Blown up 1829.

153.2 feet long.  58 foot beam.    Regarded as a steam battery.   Thirty  32-pdr. cannons  Two 100-pdr Columbiads

It was armored with five foot thick wooden planking.  It had two hulls with the paddle wheel between them.

--Brock-Perry

The Patriot War of 1838-- Part 1

I wrote about the steamship Robert Fulton in the last four posts which Stephen Champlin of the U.S. Navy commanded as troops were sent to the Detroit area during this crisis which had the possibility of conflict with Britain.  The U.S. government chartered the Robert Fulton.

Even though this was after the War of 1812, the fact that Britain might get involved and Champlin being a War of 1812 veteran means I will take a look at this war.

From Wikipedia.

The Patriot War was a conflict along the Canada-United States border involving bands of raiders attacking the former British colony of Upper Canada (today's Ontario) more than a dozen times between December 1837 and December 1838.

This was not a declared war between nations.  The groups responsible for the war were both American and Canadian with the intention of liberating Upper Canada from British rule.

And, before Writing About Stephen Champlin I'd Never Heard Of It.  --Brock-Perry

Steamer Robert Fulton-- Part 4

From Meandering  Michigan History site.

As the situation worsened along Lake Erie and the Detroit area in the Patriot War of 1838, the U.S. government got involved lest these activities would anger Britain and set up a clash between the countries.

The government sent the steamer Robert Fulton from Buffalo to Detroit with three companies of U.S. regulars commanded by Colonel Worth.  The government frequently sent troops to patrol both up and down the Detroit River to stem the Patriot Movement, but the Patriots survived.

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There was another steamship named the Robert Fulton that was launched in 1821 and is regarded as the first steam powered ship to make the trip from New York City to New Orleans.  However, this was not the one that Champlin had with him.

--Brock-Perry

Steamer Robert Fulton-- Part 4: History

1844--  Owned by Forsyth, Clark & Atwood to run to Toledo, Maumee City and Monroe.

1844, October 23.  Stranded at Sturgeon Point, Lake Erie.

1858--   November 25.  Loading at Rochester, New York for Buffalo.

1858--  November 28  Arrived back at Rochester with with 5,300 bushels of wheat.

--Brock-Perry

Steamer Robert Fulton-- Part 3: History of the Ship

HISTORY

1836--  Ran the Erie Canal

1838--  In the Patriot War, chartered by U.S. government with the steamer New England to carry troops from Buffalo to Detroit.  This was when Stephen Champlin was involved.  And, again, this is not the U.S. warship USS Fulton.

1838--  First enrollment  Cleveland, Griffith, Standart & Co.

1838--  April 25--  Owned by  Giddings & Co. Cleveland

1838--  October 6  Owned by John Pease & Co., Buffalo, NY.

1842--  Running the Monroe to Buffalo route.

--Brock-Perry

Steamer Robert Fulton (1835)-- Part 2

ORIGINAL OWNER AND LOCATION:  Giddings & Co., Cleveland

OWNERSHIP NOTES:  Builder also noted as Fairbanks, Church; also noted, list of 12 owners, 1835.

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POWER

PROPULSION:  sidewheel

ENGINE TYPE:  High Pressure (Including HPNC)

PROPULSION: 90 hp engine, Slackhouse, Pittsburgh, Pa.  1835 , 3 years old

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DIMENSIONS

LENGTH:  139' 8"

BEAM:  26' 6"

DEPTH:  10' 8"

TONNAGE (OLD STYLE):  368  43/95

--Brock-Perry

Steamer Robert Fulton (1835)-- Part 1

This is the ship commanded by Stephen Champlin in the 1838 Patriot War.

In the Great Lakes Ships site "Fulton, Robert (1835 steamer)" Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Great Lakes Maritime Collection.

It is difficult to find information about this ship.  It is not to be confused with the two U.S. Navy ships named the Fulton.  It is a different ship.

YEAR OF BUILD:

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CONSTRUCTION AND OWNERSHIP

BUILT AT:  Cleveland, Ohio

VESSEL TYPE:   Steamer.  Note:  She and the DEWITT CLINTON reputed to be the first lake steamers built primarily as freighters with few passenger accommodations.patriot

HULL MATERIALS:  Wood

BUILDER NAME:  Seth W. Johnson

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Stephen Champlin's Post War Service-- Part 3: The 1838 Patriot War

In 1838, during the Patriot War, he was put in command of the military force that was sent, along with the steamers Robert Fulton and New England, to prevent  the developing  invasion of Canada by private forces.
These forces had as their goal, the liberation of Canada from the yolk of British colonialism.  That the Canadians did not want to be free was overlooked by these men so the U.S. government found it necessary  to head off the invasion before it caused another confrontation with Britain.

On January 25, 1838, Champlin's ships broke through the ice of Buffalo Creek and proceeded up the lake.  They captured many of the "deluded liberators" and averted further bloodshed.

(I'd never heard of this incident, but there is a big article in Wikipedia about it.  There was also a Patriot's War in East Florida back during the War of 1812.  The steamer Robert Fulton mentioned here was not a U.S. Navy ship, but a steamer chartered by the U.S. government, as was the New England.  There were also two U.S. Navy ships named the USS Fulton, neither of which was this Robert Fulton ship.)

--Brock-Perry