USS Vixen (1803)-- Part 4: Capture and Sinking

The Vixen continued patrolling  the Atlantic Coast until the outbreak of the War of 1812, at which time she sailed along the southern coast under Master Commandant Christopher Gadsden, Jr., and after his death on 28 August 1812, under Lt. George Washington Reed, youngest son of General Joseph Reed.

During one of her war cruises in the West Indies, the Vixen encountered the 32-gun British frigate HMS Southampton, under command of Captain James Lucas Yeo.  The Southampton then chased, intercepted and captured the Vixen on 22 November 1812.

Yeo described the Vixen as a brig armed with twelve 19-pounder carronades and two 9-pounder guns.  The Vixen had been at sea for about five weeks at the time, but had not captured anything.

Both vessels were wrecked five days later Conception Island in the Bahamas.  All of the crews and officers survived, but Lt. Reed, however, died later of yellow fever in Jamaica before he could be exchanged.

The Story of a Ship.  --Brock-Perry