The Naval History of the United States. Volume 2Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John)
History
The Naval History of the United States. Volume 2
Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John)
United States -- History, Naval
Long before this occurrence, Capt. Arthur Singleton, who had succeeded
to Perry's command, despairing of any active service on Lake Erie, had
taken his squadron of five vessels into Lake Huron, where the British
still held the supremacy. His objective point was the Island of
Michilimackinac (Mackinaw), which had been captured by the enemy early
in the war. On his way, he stopped and burned the British fort and
barracks of St. Joseph. At Mackinaw he was repulsed, with the loss of
seventy men; after which he returned to Lake Erie, leaving two
vessels, the "Scorpion" and "Tigress," to blockade the Nattagawassa
River. The presence of these vessels irritated the British, and they
at once set about preparations for their capture. On the night of the
3d of September the "Tigress" was captured after a sharp struggle,
which, as the British commanding officer said, "did credit to her
officers, who were all severely wounded." At the time of the attack,
the "Scorpion" was several miles away, and knew nothing of the
misfortune of her consort. Knowing this, the British sent their
prisoners ashore, and, hoisting the American flag over the captured
vessel, waited patiently for their game to come to them. They were not
disappointed in their expectations. On the 5th the "Scorpion" came up,
and anchored, unsuspectingly, within two miles of her consort. At
early dawn the next morning the "Tigress" weighed anchor; and, with
the stars and stripes still flying, dropped down alongside the
unsuspecting schooner, poured in a sudden volley, and, instantly
boarding, carried the vessel without meeting any resistance.
With these two skirmishes, the war upon Lake Erie and Lake Huron was
ended. But on Lake Ontario the naval events, though in no case
comparable with Perry's famous victory, were numerous and noteworthy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account