Royal George was designed by Master Shipwright John Dennis of the Provincial Marine. The vessel measured 330 20⁄94tons burthen and was 96ft 9in (29.5m) long at the gundeck and 81ft 11+1⁄4in (25.0m) at the keel. The sloop had a beam of 27ft 7in (8.4m) and a draught of 11ft 0in (3.4m).[1] The vessel was quantified a "ship corvette, square-rigged with a flush upper deck."[2]
Royal George was initially armed with twenty 32-pounder (15kg)carronades. In early 1813, two of the carronades were replaced with two 9-pounder (4.1kg) guns. Later that year two more 32-pounder carronades were replaced with two 68-pounder (31kg) carronades and the 9-pounder guns replaced with 18-pounder (8.2kg) guns. By 1814, the vessel's armament was eighteen 32-pounder carronades, two 18-pounder guns and one 24-pounder (11kg) gun.[3] By 1815 Royal George was armed with eight 24-pounder guns, two 12-pounder (5.4kg) guns and ten 24-pounder carronades. The initial complement was 95, by 1830, it had grown to 175.[2][4]
Service history
In 1808, the British learned that the United States was constructing the brig Oneida at Oswego, New York. Their response was to order the construction of a warship that could match the capabilities of the American ship. The vessel's keel was laid down at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Upper Canada in February 1809 and launched in July 1809.[4][5]Royal George remained in a non-commissioned state until 1811 after the American embargo on Great Britain was lifted. The vessel entered service only after the Americans began to ready themselves for war.[5] In 1811, the Provincial Marine underwent a review by Major General Isaac Brock and command of the force was given to Lieutenant Hugh Earl, who was promoted to Master and Commander of Royal George, now the flagship of the Provincial Marine.[6]
The War of 1812 began in July of that year and at the outset of the war, the British fleet on Lake Ontario was more powerful than their American foe. On 19 July, Royal George, Earl of Moira, Prince Regent and Duke of Gloucester and a fifth unnamed ship, appeared off Sackett's Harbor, New York intent on battling with Oneida. At 06:00 Oneida sailed out intending to separate the British fleet into groups, but the British kept together and Oneida returned to port. There it anchored near the naval yard. Royal George, Moira and Prince Regent then sailed into the bay. The wind faltered during the British fleet's approach, allowing time for the carronades aboard Oneida to be carried ashore and mounted in the fortifications. As the British approached, the Americans began firing, claiming to have hulled Royal George several times. The British broke off their attack and retreated from the First Battle of Sacket's Harbor.[7] For the rest of the summer and autumn of 1812, Royal George would primarily be used as a transport service for men and ammunition for the British Army.[8]
On 1 October, Earl in Royal George anchored off the Genesee River and sent an armed party ashore to Charlotte, New York. The 80 armed men seized the dismantled sloopLady Murray and a revenue cutter. Departing that day, they returned on 2 October to demand the rigging and masts for the sloop. At the time of the raid, Royal George was crewed by fifty members of the Provincial Marine with 64 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment augmenting them. This was the only success during the Engagements on Lake Ontario that took place while the British fleet was under the sole command of the Provincial Marine.[9]
Flight of Royal George
In November 1812, Royal George was the largest warship on the lake, operating under the command of Hugh Earl (or "Earle"). On 9 November 1812, an American fleet of seven vessels under the command of Commodore Isaac Chauncey surprised Royal George as the sloop passed near the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. Royal George eluded the American vessels by slipping into the North Channel between Amherst Island and the mainland as night fell, making her way into the safety of her home harbour at Kingston by 02:00.[10]
The following morning, 10 November, the American fleet resumed the pursuit, burning a small commercial vessel near Bath and proceeding along the shore. As they approached Kingston, they came under fire from shore batteries. Chauncey directed his vessel, Oneida and the rest of the American squadron to bombard and attempt to seize Royal George within Kingston's harbour. Artillery fire from the shore batteries along the shoreline, including two batteries on Point Henry, attempted to prevent them from closing on the British vessel. Round shot from the American vessels penetrated into the town but they were unable to capture Royal George, which had retreated further into the harbour around 16:00. At the end of the day, they anchored out of sight of Kingston, intending to resume their attack the next day. However, an approaching storm caused Chauncey to withdraw to the American base at Sacketts Harbor without seizing their prize. One sailor was killed aboard Royal George, but little damage had been done to the ship beyond torn up rigging.[11]
This would be the only American attack on Kingston during the War of 1812 as more personnel were sent to this important military and naval centre and strong fortifications were built on Point Henry to defend the dockyards. It was the only time that shots were fired from Point Henry in its history.[12]
Arrival of Commodore Yeo
During the winter of 1812–1813, the condition of Royal George deteriorated and during an inspection, the vessel was found to be "filthy and disorganized."[13] In November Chauncey ordered the blockade of Kingston by gunboats which prevented Royal George and the rest of the British squadron from resupplying garrisons on the Niagara Peninsula.[14] In May 1813, CommanderRobert Barclay arrived to take command of the Lake Ontario squadron, replacing Earl who was made supervisor of the naval arsenal.[15] Barclay's posting was temporary as Captain Sir James Lucas Yeo had been named to take command of the naval forces on the Great Lakes, and given the flag rank of commodore. Yeo arrived at Kingston on 16 May 1813, with Barclay departing to command the squadron on Lake Erie. The commands of the ships were shuffled, and Commander William Mulcaster was given command of Royal George, which was now manned by mostly Royal Navy personnel. The remaining Provincial Marine personnel were scattered throughout the squadron.[16]
On 27 May, Royal George was part of the squadron that set out to attack Sacketts Harbor with elements of British infantry. The squadron arrived on 28 May and promptly captured 115 American troops transiting the lake. Though Royal George did not directly participate in the following battle, the British managed to succeed in half of their objectives, destroying the American shipyard. Following this, the British withdrew into the lake. On 3 June, the squadron departed Kingston to resupply General John Vincent's forces in the Burlington Heights area. After anchoring overnight at York, Upper Canada, Yeo's force spotted a large American encampment near Forty Mile Creek. Yeo then ordered Beresford and Royal George to bombard the camp while the rest of the squadron resupplied Vincent. Confronted by Vincent's advancing force and Yeo's bombarding ships, the Americans withdrew quickly to Fort George. The squadron remained off Forty Mile Creek until 11 June and then set sail along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, trading fire with the fortifications at Fort Oswego and raiding Sodus. The squadron returned to Kingston on 26 June, transporting some of the Americans captured at the Battle of Beaver Dams.[17]
The squadron returned to Lake Ontario on 31 July. On 6 August, Royal George's main powder magazine was flooded after the vessel sprang a leak. The sloop's store of powder was ruined and was only replenished from the other vessels of the squadron. However, the location of the leak was not found, with the pumps manned at all hours. The American squadron was spotted off Niagara River on 7 August at 04:30. Sailing southwest, the firing began at 07:30, but Chauncey turned east to keep his squadron under the protection of American shore batteries. In response, Yeo turned north, ending the engagement. On 10 August, the two squadrons came together again and Royal George, along with HMSWolfe and HMSLord Melville, forced the surrender of two American schooners, Julia and Growler. Following the engagement, the British squadron anchored at York on 11 August. There, Royal George's leak was found and repaired. The squadron departed on 13 August for Fort Niagara before heading for Kingston, arriving on 19 August.[18]
On 24 August, Yeo's squadron sailed again. They met the American squadron off the Genesee River on 11 September. Firing began at 14:30. Royal George and Lord Melville were the two British ships closest to the American battle line and suffered torn sails and rigging. Between the two vessels, they endured four killed and five wounded. At 16:00 the British retreated. Royal George was tasked with taking the schooner Hamilton under tow as Hamilton could not keep up with the rest of the squadron. The British returned to Kingston on 12 September. During the dockside period, Royal George received its circle-mounted 24-pounder long gun.[19]
Yeo and his squadron departed Kingston on 19 September, anchoring in Burlington Bay on 26 September. In what would become known as the "Burlington Races", Yeo engaged the Americans on 28 September. Trading shots with the American vessel General Pike, the British squadron's flagship Wolfe was crippled when the vessel's main topmast was brought down. Mulcaster placed Royal George between the two vessels, allowing Wolfe time to fix the problem. Royal George exchanged broadsides with General Pike, later joined by Lord Melville and Earl of Moira, forcing General Pike to turn away. Unable to fight aboard Wolfe, Yeo retreated to his anchorage in Burlington Bay, followed by the rest of the squadron. Once there, Royal George lost its foretopmast as it came into the anchorage. Once repairs were complete, the squadron sailed to confer with the British land forces commander, Major General Francis de Rottenburg at Four Mile Creek before returning to Kingston on 7 October.[20]
On 28 September, William Mulcaster was promoted to post captain and was awarded command of HMSPrincess Charlotte, under construction at Kingston. Royal George made one last patrol on 3 December before being laid up for the winter, during which the vessel was careened.[21]
As Niagara and fate
The attack on Fort Oswego, Lake Ontario, the Niagara is second from right in the picture.
Royal George was renamed Niagara on 22 January 1814.[4] The vessel was reclassified from a sloop to a sixth rate and Captain Stephen Popham was awarded command.[22] Once the Great Lakes became clear for navigation, Yeo intended to attack Fort Oswego. The squadron departed on 4 May with 400 Royal Marines and 550 soldiers embarked. They arrived on 5 May and during the night, Niagara and Montreal (the ex-Wolfe) slipped closer to shore, closing within 1,000 yards (910m). At 06:00 on 6 May, the two vessels opened fire attempting to enfilade the shore batteries. Niagara moved even closer to nearly within musket range and began trading fire directly with the fort. Niagara caught fire three times in the exchange. In the end, the British captured the fort and settlement, carrying away its supplies. The force returned to Kingston on 8 May.[23]
The squadron sailed again on 11 May along the south shore of the lake. On 19 May, the squadron imposed a blockade on Sackett's Harbor. Captain Popham was given command of two gunboats and ordered to intercept a flotilla of boats on 29 May. At Sandy Creek, Popham and nearly his entire command was either killed or captured by the Americans the next day. Niagara was manned only by a skeleton crew and to fill out the ship's company, personnel were shifted from HMS Magnet and HMSNetley. The blockade was lifted on 5 June and the squadron anchored in the Bay of Quinte. Captain Henry Davies was then given command of Niagara. The squadron returned to Kingston on 13 June and Niagara remained alongside for the better part of the summer.[24]
Following the launch of HMSSt Lawrence on 10 September, in the resulting command shuffle, Captain Edward Collier was given command of Niagara with Captain Davies being given command of HMSPrince Regent. St Lawrence, Prince Regent, HMSPrincess Charlotte, Montreal and Niagara sailed from Kingston on 16 October and returned on 24 October. Upon the arrival of St Lawrence on Lake Ontario, the American squadron retired to Sackett's Harbor and did not venture forth again for the remainder of the war. Collier was then ordered to set up a naval base near Penetanguishene, Upper Canada. Niagara departed Kingston on 28 November carrying twenty of Princess Charlotte's 24-pounder (11kg) long guns to be used on ships constructed in the new base. Niagara arrived at York, where the supplies and guns were unloaded to be carried overland to the new base. On 24 December 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the War of 1812.[25] Following the war, the vessel was used as a transport ship and was sold in 1837.[4]
Historical reenactment
From 30 June to 1 July 2012, a 3-day reenactment of the flight of Royal George was performed from Bath, Ontario to Kingston in recognition of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.[12] The role of Royal George was played by the brigNiagara, one of the last two remaining tall ships with an 1812 heritage.[26]
HMS Detroit was a 20-gun sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in July 1813 and serving on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. She was the most powerful British ship in the Lake Erie squadron until the Americans captured her during the Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September 1813. Detroit was commissioned into the United States Navy as its first USS Detroit. However, she was so damaged that the sloop took no further part in the war. Postwar, Detroit was sunk for preservation at Misery Bay off Presque Isle until 1833, when she was refloated and converted for commercial service. In 1841, Detroit was reduced to a hulk at Buffalo, New York where she was purchased with the intent of sending her over Niagara Falls. The plan went awry and Detroit ran aground on a shoal before the falls and broke up.
USS Jefferson was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was named for Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was built at Sackett's Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and launched 7 April 1814. She was manned by a crew from sloop of war Erie which had been laid up at Baltimore because of the British blockade of Chesapeake Bay. Comdr. Charles G. Ridgeley was her captain. Notable Master Gunner George Marshall a warrant officer, was responsible for the ship's artillery. Marshall was also from the sloop of war Erie.
USS Julia was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. Initially the privately-owned schooner Julia, she was captured at the onset of the war by armed boats looking for violators of President James Madison's embargo of trade with the British. Purchased by the United States Navy, the vessel was armed with two guns and made part of the squadron on Lake Ontario. Julia took part in the Battle of York and the Battle of Fort George. In August 1813, the schooner was captured by the Royal Navy after failing to execute a turn and was put in service as HMS Confiance. The vessel continued as a warship in British service for a couple of weeks before being converted to a troop transport. In October, Confiance was recaptured by the Americans and renamed Julia. No longer considered capable as a warship, the vessel was retired from service.
Sir James Lucas Yeo,, was a British naval commander who served in the War of 1812. Born in Southampton, he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 10 and saw his first action in the Adriatic Sea. He distinguished himself in combat multiple times, most notably during the Portuguese conquest of French Guiana, earning knighthoods in the Portuguese Order of Aviz and the British Order of the Bath. He was given command of the frigate Southampton, in 1812, but his ship was wrecked in the Bahamas although he was acquitted of blame for its loss. Yeo was then given command of the squadron on Lake Ontario and commanded it during several engagements with the Americans.
The Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor or simply the Battle of Sacket's Harbor, took place on 29 May 1813, during the War of 1812. A British force was transported across Lake Ontario and attempted to capture the town, which was the principal dockyard and base for the American naval squadron on the lake. Twelve warships were built here. The British were repulsed by American regulars, militia, marines and sailors.
USS Lady of the Lake was a small schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was built by Henry Eckford of Sacketts Harbor, New York, during the summer and winter of 1812-13, launched 6 April 1813 and entered service 13 days later, Sailing Master Flinn in command.
USS General Pike was a corvette in the United States Navy, which took part in Engagements on Lake Ontario during the Anglo-American War of 1812. She was launched in June 1813 and took part in several indecisive battles on the Great Lakes. She was laid up at the end of the war and was sold in 1825.
HMS Duke of Gloucester was a 10-gun brig of the Royal Navy which was launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario. A Provincial Marine vessel, during the War of 1812, the brig took part in several of the early engagements between British and American naval forces on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. While being repaired at York, Duke of Gloucester was captured by Americans in 1813. A month later the British destroyed the brig at the Battle of Sackett's Harbor.
HMS St Lawrence was a 102-gun first-rate wooden warship of the Royal Navy that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. Built on the lake at the Royal Navy dockyard in Kingston, Ontario, she was the only Royal Navy ship of the line ever to be launched and operated entirely in fresh water. Constructed in 1814, the ship's arrival on the lake ended all naval action and St Lawrence finished the war having never gone into battle. Following the war, the vessel was laid up, eventually being sold in 1832 to private interests. The ship was later sunk and is now a recreational dive spot.
HMS Princess Charlotte, later HMS Burlington, was a 42-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy built in 1814, during the War of 1812 at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Ontario. She had originally been built as Vittoria, but was renamed before being launched. She was constructed to a design by George Record, and was built under a private contract by Master shipwright John Goudie. She served on Lake Ontario, having been commissioned at Oswego on 5 May 1814 under Captain William Mulcaster.
HMS Psyche was a 54-gun fourth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Upper Canada during the War of 1812, using frames shipped from Britain and assembled in Upper Canada. The ship was not completed until after the end of the war in 1815 and did not enter service. Under the Rush–Bagot Treaty of 1816, the frigate was disarmed and laid up at Kingston. The ultimate fate of the ship is unknown.
The Engagements on Lake Ontario encompass the prolonged naval contest for control of the lake during the War of 1812. Few actions were fought, none of which had decisive results. The contest essentially became a naval building race, sometimes referred to sarcastically as the "Battle of the Carpenters."
HMS Prince Regent was a 56-gun British warship that served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. Prince Regent was built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, Upper Canada and launched on 14 April 1814. Rated as a fourth-rate frigate, Prince Regent took part in the Raid on Fort Oswego in 1814. Following the War of 1812 the frigate was renamed HMS Kingston on 9 December 1814. In 1817, the vessel was placed in reserve following the Rush-Bagot Treaty that demilitarized all the lakes along the United States-Canada border. Discarded in 1832, the vessel found no buyer and sank in Deadman Bay off Kingston after 1832.
HMS Moira was a British 14-gun schooner of the Royal Navy, that plied the waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River during the War of 1812. Initially constructed for the Provincial Marine in 1805, the vessel took part in the Engagements on Lake Ontario. Renamed Charwell in 1814, following the war, the vessel became a powder hulk and an accommodation vessel. The vessel was sold in 1837.
HMS Wolfe was a 20-gun sloop-of-war, launched at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard at Kingston, Upper Canada, on 22 April 1813. She served in the British naval squadron in several engagements on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. Upon her launch, Wolfe was made the flagship of the squadron until larger vessels became available. Along with the naval engagements on Lake Ontario, Wolfe supported land operations in the Niagara region and at the Battle of Fort Oswego. Following the war, the vessel was laid up in reserve and eventually sold in 1832.
HMS Lord Melville was a brig of the Royal Navy launched at Kingston, Ontario, on 20 July 1813. Initially designed as a schooner, she was altered to 14-gun brig in 1813. She served on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, and was renamed HMS Star on 22 January 1814. By 1815, she was unfit for anything but transport duties. She was sold in 1837.
HMS General Hunter was a 10-gun brig of the Upper Canada Provincial Marine then, in 1813, the Royal Navy for their squadron on Lake Erie. She was ordered and built as a schooner in 1806 to replace Hope, a Provincial Marine vessel that had run aground in 1805. General Hunter was launched in 1807, entering service that year. With the outbreak of the War of 1812, General Hunter was converted to a brig and rearmed. As part of the Lake Erie squadron, General Hunter was present at the Battle of Lake Erie where the United States Navy defeated the British and gained control of the lake. General Hunter was captured at the battle and taken into American service. With the ship's name shortened to Hunter, she was used as a transport for the rest of the war. Following the war, the ship was sold into mercantile service. In 1816, the ship ran aground in a storm on Lake Huron and wrecked. The ship's contents were salvaged, but the wreck was left to be buried under the sand. In 2004, the wreck became the site of archaeological excavations and artifacts were retrieved from the site and placed in museums.
Queen Charlotte was the ship-rigged ship-sloop constructed for the Upper Canada Provincial Marine in 1810 as part of the fleet renewal in the lead-up to the War of 1812. Ordered in 1809, the ship was designed by Master Shipwright William Bell and constructed at Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard in Amherstburg, Upper Canada on Lake Erie. The design was based on the Snake class and was considered an effective design. During the War of 1812, Queen Charlotte was part of the Lake Erie squadron. After the Royal Navy took over command of the Great Lakes, Queen Charlotte was commissioned in 1813. On 10 September 1813, Queen Charlotte and the rest of the Lake Erie squadron were captured at the Battle of Lake Erie. The ship entered service with the United States Navy, though after the defeat of the British squadron, saw no further action during the war. Following the war, the ship was intentionally sunk at Put-in-Bay for preservation. Raised and sold into commercial service in 1825, the vessel continued in service until 1844, when the ship was no longer considered serviceable and left to rot as a dismasted hulk.
Governor Simcoe was a merchant schooner launched in 1793. The Provincial Marine acquired her in 1813 and renamed her after the British naval officer Sir Sidney Smith. She saw service on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. The Royal Navy acquired her in 1814 and renamed her HMS Magnet. A few months later her captain had to blow her up to prevent the Americans from capturing the vessel.
Prince Regent was a schooner constructed for Upper Canada's Provincial Marine for use on Lake Ontario. Built just before the beginning of the War of 1812, the vessel took part in the attack on Sackett's Harbor, New York. With the arrival of the Royal Navy in the Great Lakes under the command of Commodore James Lucas Yeo in 1813, the vessel was renamed HMS Lord Beresford or General Beresford, or Beresford. The British detachment on the lake engaged the American naval squadron and attacked American positions in the Niagara region, while supporting British armies.
Lyon, David; Winfield, David (2004). The Sail & Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN1-86176-032-9.
Malcomson, Robert (2001) [1998]. Lords of the Lake: The Naval War on Lake Ontario 1812–1814 (Paperbacked.). Toronto: Robin Brass Studio. ISBN1-896941-24-9.
Malcomson, Robert (2001). Warships of the Great Lakes 1754–1834. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN1-8617-6115-5.
Winfield, Rif (2005). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN1-86176-246-1.
Further reading
David Lyon (1997). The Sailing Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy, Built, Purchased and Captured, 1688–1860. London. ISBN0-85177-864-X.
Jonathan Moore (2006). Archaeological and Historical Investigations of Three War of 1812 Wrecks at Kingston, Ontario: HMS St. Lawrence, HMS Kingston and HMS Burlington: Report for Province of Ontario Licence to Conduct Archaeological Exploration or Fieldwork 1999-096 at Sites BbGd-6, BbGc-45 and BbGc-46. Ottawa. ISBN0-9781712-0-9.
George F.G. Stanley, Richard A. Preston (1950). 'A short history of Kingston as a military and naval centre'. Kingston, Ont.
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