January 17, 1813, the HMS Narcissus Captures the USS Viper

From Wikipedia.

Just over 200 years ago, the British ship HMS Narcissus pursued and captured the USS Viper in the Caribbean as it was trying to get back to New Orleans after it had become separated from its companion ship.  The Viper had a severe leak that enabled the British ship to overtake her.

The Viper was originally the revenue cutter USS Ferret, built between 1806 and 1809 at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia.  It spent most of its first years in service enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807 and during this time it was renamed Viper.

Later, it operated in the Gulf of Mexico out of New Orleans.  The Narcissus captured her off the coast of present-day Belize.

The British took her into their service and it was renamed the HMS Mohawk and operated in the Chesapeake Bay under Admiral Sir John Warren.  It was in several actions including the Battle of the Rappahannock River where boat crews from the Mohawk and other British ships rowed fifteen miles up the river and captured American privateer schooners Dolphin, Lynx, Racer and Arab.

It was sold in 1814.

Never Heard of This Two-Service Ship.  --Brock-Perry