Shipwrights in Vergennes Were Key to Battle of Lake Champlain-- Part 4: Battle at Fort Cassin and the HMS Confiance

The British learned from spies the position of Macdonough's shipyard.  Alarmed by the extent of the American shipbuilding effort,  they sent a small fleet in May 1814 to land a detachment of  more than 150 soldiers.  British vessels intended to blockade the river to prevent Macdonough's fleet from living, while soldiers would   march to the falls to burn the American fleet.

But, Macdonough anticipated the British move and had an earthwork named Fort Cassin constructed at the mouth of Otter Creek. For an hour and a half, the fort traded cannon shots with the British ships. American marksmen positioned themselves on the shore to ward off any attempted troop landing.  The British withdrew.

Unwilling to be outgunned, the British set to work on a large warship at their shipyard at Ile Aux Noix on the Richilieu.  The ship was named HMS Confiance and was designed to carry 37 guns and remains the largest warship ever in service on Lake Champlain.

--Brock-Perry