Henry Eckford and the Browns, Adam and Noah, were responsible for all American ships built on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. At Sackets Harbor, some merchant ships were converted into warships with the addition of cannons.
Other warships built were the 89-ton USS Lady of the Lake in 1813 and the never-finished 3,200-ton, 106-gun ship-of-the-line USS New Orleans, the corvette USS General Pike in 1813 and the frigate USS Superior in 1814.
Eckford and others knew that the key to defeating the British Navy on the Great Lakes was to build more ships than them. Some of the ships were partially built in New York and the pre-fabricated pieces sent to Sackets Harbor for completion.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
Showing posts with label USS New Orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USS New Orleans. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
United States Ships-of-the-Line-- Part 4: The Ships and Classes
From Wikipedia "Lists of Ships of the Line in the United States Navy."
CONTINENTAL NAVY: USS America, given to France in 1782. There were three others. One was abandoned when the British captured Philadelphia in 1777 and the two others canceled and never named.
UNITED STATES NAVY:
COLUMBUS-CLASS. There were to be six in the class, but all were cancelled in 1800.
INDEPENDENCE-CLASS: Independence, Washington, Franklin and Columbus.
CHIPPEWA-CLASS: Chippewa, New Orleans and Pennsylvania (1837-1861). (The Pennsylvania was the first state-named ship-of-the-line, a tradition that continued with battleships and today, some of our submarines.)
DELAWARE-CLASS: Delaware (1820-1861), Vermont (1848-1901), New Hampshire (1864-1921), Virginia (laid-down, never launched), New York (laid-down 1820, burnt on ways 1861), Ohio (1820-1861), North Carolina (1820-1866)
Unnamed Class: 4 authorized in 1832 and never built.
The Ships-of-the-Line. --Brock-Perry
CONTINENTAL NAVY: USS America, given to France in 1782. There were three others. One was abandoned when the British captured Philadelphia in 1777 and the two others canceled and never named.
UNITED STATES NAVY:
COLUMBUS-CLASS. There were to be six in the class, but all were cancelled in 1800.
INDEPENDENCE-CLASS: Independence, Washington, Franklin and Columbus.
CHIPPEWA-CLASS: Chippewa, New Orleans and Pennsylvania (1837-1861). (The Pennsylvania was the first state-named ship-of-the-line, a tradition that continued with battleships and today, some of our submarines.)
DELAWARE-CLASS: Delaware (1820-1861), Vermont (1848-1901), New Hampshire (1864-1921), Virginia (laid-down, never launched), New York (laid-down 1820, burnt on ways 1861), Ohio (1820-1861), North Carolina (1820-1866)
Unnamed Class: 4 authorized in 1832 and never built.
The Ships-of-the-Line. --Brock-Perry
United States Ships-of-the-Line-- Part 1
From Wikipedia.
This grew out of the entries on the USS New Orleans, the only (maybe) American ship-of-the-line ever built on the Great Lakes whose construction started during the War of 1812 in response to British seapower, and I imagine the construction of the HMS St. Lawrence, a ship-of-the-line, in Canada.
Ships-of-the-line were the battleships of the day in naval architecture. A huge ship designed to carry lots and lots of cannons and to batter enemy ships-of-the-line in battle.
Frigates were more like cruisers and I'd have to consider U.S. frigates like the Constitution more along the lines of a pocket battleship.
What We Need Are More Guns. --Brock-Perry
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
USS New Orleans, Ship-of-the-Line-- Part 3
From usgennet.
In February 1884, while the USS New Orleans was undergoing demolition, it collapsed, killing James Oates and seriously injuring three others while another eight narrowly escaped injury. Mr. Oates was horribly mutilated with a spike through his head and a bolt through his back.
The New Orleans had survived for many years since construction on it began way back in 1815 at Sackets Harbor, New York. The ship was named after General Jackson's glorious victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
The New Orleans was pierced for 110 guns but could carry 120. Wood for construction came from the surrounding countryside while nails, spikes and bolts were forged on the grounds. Gun Carriages were carried from the Mohawk Valley and made of mahogony and lignumvitae.
Some people today believe the New Orleans might have been more intended to be a floating battery at the head of the St. Lawrence River since its wood was green.
Work stopped with the coming of peace and the New Orleans remained in stocks and eventually the government had a house erected around it. It became a big tourist attraction as people came to see the monster ship.
Alfred Wilkinson of Syracuse bought it at auction for a $400 bid and reportedly cleared a profit of $4,000 by selling salvage from it.
Today, there is an exhibit about the New Orleans at the Sackets Harbor Visitors Center at the Augustus Sacket Mansion right near where the old ship stood for so many years.
--Brock-Perry
In February 1884, while the USS New Orleans was undergoing demolition, it collapsed, killing James Oates and seriously injuring three others while another eight narrowly escaped injury. Mr. Oates was horribly mutilated with a spike through his head and a bolt through his back.
The New Orleans had survived for many years since construction on it began way back in 1815 at Sackets Harbor, New York. The ship was named after General Jackson's glorious victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
The New Orleans was pierced for 110 guns but could carry 120. Wood for construction came from the surrounding countryside while nails, spikes and bolts were forged on the grounds. Gun Carriages were carried from the Mohawk Valley and made of mahogony and lignumvitae.
Some people today believe the New Orleans might have been more intended to be a floating battery at the head of the St. Lawrence River since its wood was green.
Work stopped with the coming of peace and the New Orleans remained in stocks and eventually the government had a house erected around it. It became a big tourist attraction as people came to see the monster ship.
Alfred Wilkinson of Syracuse bought it at auction for a $400 bid and reportedly cleared a profit of $4,000 by selling salvage from it.
Today, there is an exhibit about the New Orleans at the Sackets Harbor Visitors Center at the Augustus Sacket Mansion right near where the old ship stood for so many years.
--Brock-Perry
USS New Orleans, Ship-of-the-Line-- Part 2
From FlickR.
The New Orleans and its sister ship, the Chippewa, were authorized by Act of Congress on March 3, 1813. Both were laid down in January 1815 in Sackets Harbor, New York on Lake Ontario (probably built to counter the threat of the HMS St. Lawrence, the British ship-of-the-line being built in Canada for operations on Lake Ontario.
They were nearly complete when peace came and work immediately stopped.
The Niles Weekly Register of March 18, 1815, described them, reporting "six hundred carpenters at Sackett's Harbor had made great progress in the building of a ship to carry 98 guns and another of 74 when the building was arrested by news of peace."
A week later, the publication described the ships as "two lake monsters to carry 102 and 110 guns, now planked over."
The New Orleans remained on the stocks and was housed under until sold to H. Wilkinson, Jr. of Syracuse, NY, on September 24, 1883.
--Brock-Perry
The New Orleans and its sister ship, the Chippewa, were authorized by Act of Congress on March 3, 1813. Both were laid down in January 1815 in Sackets Harbor, New York on Lake Ontario (probably built to counter the threat of the HMS St. Lawrence, the British ship-of-the-line being built in Canada for operations on Lake Ontario.
They were nearly complete when peace came and work immediately stopped.
The Niles Weekly Register of March 18, 1815, described them, reporting "six hundred carpenters at Sackett's Harbor had made great progress in the building of a ship to carry 98 guns and another of 74 when the building was arrested by news of peace."
A week later, the publication described the ships as "two lake monsters to carry 102 and 110 guns, now planked over."
The New Orleans remained on the stocks and was housed under until sold to H. Wilkinson, Jr. of Syracuse, NY, on September 24, 1883.
--Brock-Perry
Monday, January 6, 2014
USS New Orleans-- Part 1
From Wikipedia.
Ship-of-the-Line laid down at Sackets Harbor 15 December 1814. Work on the ship halted March 1815 with the coming of peace in the War of 1812.
It remained on stocks and later was housed over until 24 September 1883 when it was sold.
It was to have been 204 feet long and was to carry 63 long 32-pdr. cannons and 24 other cannons.
This is the first I've ever heard of an American ship-of-the-line being on the Great Lakes. It would have been interesting had this ship been completed in time to have fought the British Ship-of-the-Line on the Great Lakes, the HMS St. Lawrence.
--Brock-Perry
Ship-of-the-Line laid down at Sackets Harbor 15 December 1814. Work on the ship halted March 1815 with the coming of peace in the War of 1812.
It remained on stocks and later was housed over until 24 September 1883 when it was sold.
It was to have been 204 feet long and was to carry 63 long 32-pdr. cannons and 24 other cannons.
This is the first I've ever heard of an American ship-of-the-line being on the Great Lakes. It would have been interesting had this ship been completed in time to have fought the British Ship-of-the-Line on the Great Lakes, the HMS St. Lawrence.
--Brock-Perry
U.S. Naval Power Grew to Match Mercantile Ambition-- Part 1: The Story of the U.S. Ships-of-the-Line
From the August 31, 2012, Bloomberg View by Alasdair Roberts.
Sackets Harbor in upstate New York was one of the U.S. Navy's most important ports and it guarded access to the St. Lawrence River. During the War of 1812, two major British attacks on it were repulsed .
As the war ended, there became an odd memorial in the form of the USS New Orleans which remained incomplete on the stocks for seventy years. Had it been launched, it would have been one of the most powerful ships ever built in the American Navy, larger even that the famed British HMS Victory which fought the French at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Its construction was stopped with the coming of peace.
From 1813-1816, Congress authorized the construction of 16 large warships. By 1830, only one remained in service after six of them had been launched, all of which were quickly removed from service.
More to Come. --Brock-Perry
Sackets Harbor in upstate New York was one of the U.S. Navy's most important ports and it guarded access to the St. Lawrence River. During the War of 1812, two major British attacks on it were repulsed .
As the war ended, there became an odd memorial in the form of the USS New Orleans which remained incomplete on the stocks for seventy years. Had it been launched, it would have been one of the most powerful ships ever built in the American Navy, larger even that the famed British HMS Victory which fought the French at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Its construction was stopped with the coming of peace.
From 1813-1816, Congress authorized the construction of 16 large warships. By 1830, only one remained in service after six of them had been launched, all of which were quickly removed from service.
More to Come. --Brock-Perry
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