Shipwrights in Vergennes Were Key to Battle of Lake Champlain-- Part 3:

In a mere 40 days, for example, they built a 143-foot-long, 26-gun frigate named the USS Saratoga, to serve as Macdonough's flagship.

To give Noah Brown and his men a head start on a second vessel, Macdonough purchased  the completed hull of a merchant steamship under construction in the yard.  Macdonough decided to convert it into a sailing vessel.  It was a safer  course of action as  steam power was notoriously  unreliable and never used in battle at the time.

Macdonough had Brown use the steamer's hull as part of a 120-foot sailing  schooner which was armed with 17 guns and christened the USS Ticonderoga.

The shipwrights also built  six 70-ton row galleys, each measuring about 75 feet in length.  These each were armed with two large cannons.

The galleys were named the Viper, Nettle, Allen, Borer, Burrow and Centipede (the latter perhaps because of its appearance when using the oars).

Once work was completed, Brown and his workers returned to New York.

Wrecks of HMS Linnet and USS Eagle Found in 1981

In 1981, underwater exploration found the wrecks of the HMS Linnet, a row galley, and the USS Eagle.  The USS Allen was discovered near the Eagle.  It and five other row galleys were built in Vergennes, Vermont in the spring of 1814.

In 1815, after the war, the U.S. Navy tried to sell them, but only received low bids and the sale was cancelled.  They were sunk in the cold waters for preservation.

Only the USS Allen was kept in service for patrol and survey, which lasted until 1825 when it was laid up at the mouth of the Poultney River with other War of 1812 vessels.

Only the ship bottoms remain.

--Brock-Perry

Vermont's Battle of Fort Cassin, 200 Years Ago Yesterday-- Part 1

From May 13, 2014, Vermont Public Radio "Coffin: Fort Cassin" by Howard Coffin.

Two hundred years ago, there was no busier place than Vergennes, Vermont, where the U.S. Navy was shipbuilding at a fever pace.

One of the many battlefronts of the War of 1812 was on the 120 mile long Lake Champlain.  For the past two years there had been minor clashes as British ships prowled the lake from the Richilieu River and Ile aux Noix in the northern part.

In December 1813, the U.S. navy department ordered a massive increase in its Lake Champlain fleet.  The flotilla was commanded by Thomas Macdonough, 29, and already a veteran of Tripoli.    He chose Vergennes because of its surrounding supply of timber and iron.  The place already had forges, furnaces and sawmills powered by the falls of Otter Creek.

Knowing that the British were busily strengthening their fleet, he ordered non-stop work on his.  One of his projects was the 140-foot long, 26-gun USS Saratoga.  He also built six 75-foot row galleys mounting two cannons each.

--Brock-Perry

Underwater Archaeologists Discover Wrecks of USS Linnet, Allen and Eagle

The Poultney River runs through New York and Vermont and enters the south end of Lake Champlain.

In 1981, divers in the lower Poultney River found the wrecks of War of 1812 warships USS Eagle and USS Linnet (formerly HMS Linnet)  Then the wreck of the row galley USS Allen was discovered near the Eagle.  The Allen was one of five row galleys built at Vergennes, Vermont,  in the spring of 1814.

At the conclusion of the war, the Navy tried to sell the row galleys, but kept possession of them because of low bids.  The rest were sunk in the lake for preservation, but the Allen was kept in service for patrol and survey duties until 1825 when it was laid up in ordinary at the mouth of the Poultney River with other War of 1812 vessels.

Essentially, only the bottoms of the ships remain.

--Brock-Perry

Naval Arms Race on Lake Champlain

From the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, History: War of 1812.

Thomas Macdonough had quite a naval shipbuilding program underway during the winter of 1813-1814 at Vergennes, Vermont.  He had six 70-ton row galleys constructed armed with one 24-pdr. and one 18-pdr. cannon.  They were the Allen, Boxer, Burrows, Centipede, Nettle and Viper.

In late spring 1814, the 26-gun ship USS Saratoga (143-feet) was built in just in just 40 days.  Then, he had a steamboat hull converted into the  120 foot long schooner USS Ticonderoga (17 guns).

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 War Galleys

From the history.navy.mil. site.

The last post I mentioned the Row Galley Allen being launched at Vergennes, Vermont, near the end of April 1814.  I wasn't very familiar with them, but figured with the word row i n it, it probably had something to do with oars for power.

Row galleys were especially advantageous in Lake Champlain because they could be quickly built and relatively inexpensive and perfect for shallow waters.  Their low freeboards made then difficult to hit, especially at distances.  Movement was accomplished by sails or sweep oars.

Row galleys were 75-feet long, 15 foot wide, drew 22 inches of water and armed with a long 24 pdr cannon and 42-pdr carronade.  Forty oars complemented the sail power.

--Brock-Perry

U.S. Row Galley Launched at Vergennes, Vermont

In late April 1814, the row galley Allen was launched on Otter Creek below the falls at Vergennes, Vermont.  It was one of six row galleys ordered by Macdonough.  Others were the Borer, Burrows, Centipede, Nettle and Viper.

The Allen protected Fort Cassin, a makeshift battery at the outlet into Lake Champlain.    It was manned by 40 officers and men under sailing master William Robbins.

During the spring and summer of 1814, the Allen cruised Lake Champlaon looking for smugglers and it was at the American victory over the British in Plattsburgh Bay on September 11th.

After the war, it was put into ordinary at Whitehall.  Ot was recommissioned three years later for patrol duties under the provisions of the Rush-Bagot Agreement.  The Navy department closed Whitehall Station 1825-1826 and the Allen was sold.

--Brock-Perry