Battle of Lake Erie-Sept 10, 1813

[Richard Lindquist]

Somewhere I read that one of the remarkable facets of the Great Lakes fleet was that, unlike America's blue water fleet, the fleet in the Lakes was manned primarily by nonsailors. Sort of by legend, a bunch of farmers and frontiersmen. Is that consistent with your readings?

 

 

There were only a small number of commercial sailors on the upper lakes (population pretty small at the time).

 

Perry had a total of 532 men to man all of his ships (numbers from the post-battle prize lists.

 

158 were either marines or soldiers acting as marines (110 were Kentucky riflemen on loan from Genm Harrison).

 

45 were recent volunteers (and may have been soldiers)

 

329 were officers, warrant officers, petty officers, and "seamen" by their rates (of these, 101 were in fact USN sailors borought to the lake by 2nd-in-command Jesse Elliot).

 

 

Barclay filled out his crews with drafts from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

 

 

 

.

[John_Ford]

Agree on the Brit guns.

 

When Detroit was completed, she was armed with anything Barclay could find. 1 X 18pdr, 2 X 24pdr, 6 X 12pdr, 8 X 9pdr, 1 X 24pdr carronade, 1 X 18pdr carronade

 

Queen Charlotte and Lady Prevost were armed conventionally for small ships with uniform batteries of carronades and a couple of long guns for chasers. Hunter was very ineffectually armed with 4 X 6pdr, 2 X 4pdr, 2 X 2pdr, and 2 X 12 pdr carronade.

 

 

 

An aside to that. Lawrence and Niagria were armed with 2 long 12's and 18 32 pd Carronades. Lawrence was getting hammered by the British Long guns until she got in range of her Short Carronades. She then pretty well pounded everything in reach.

[John_Ford]

This is taken form Wiki

 

 

[edit] Vessels involved

Listed in order of sailing:

 

Nationality Name Type Tonnage Crew Armament Notes

United States Scorpion schooner 86 35 1 long 32-pdr

1 32-pdr carronade Long gun dismounted (overcharged)

" Ariel schooner 112 36 4 long 12-pdr One gun exploded (overcharged)

" Lawrence brig 480 136 2 long 12-pdr

18 32-pdr carronade Flagship of O. H. Perry

surrendered but recaptured

" Caledonia brig 180 53 2 long 24-pdr

1 32-pdr carronade captured from British October 9, 1812

" Niagara brig 480 155 2 long 12-pdr

18 32-pdr carronade Commanded by Jesse Elliot

" Somers schooner 94 30 1 long 24-pdr

1 32-pdr carronade

" Porcupine schooner 83 25 1 long 32-pdr

" Tigress schooner 82 35 1 long 32-pdr

" Trippe sloop 60 35 1 long 24-pdr

 

Britain Chippeway schooner 70 15 1 long 9-pdr captured

" Detroit ship 490 150 1 long 18-pdr (on swivel)

2 long 24-pdr

6 long 12-pdr

8 long 9-pdr

1 24-pdr carronade

1 18-pdr carronade Flagship of R. H. Barclay

captured

" Hunter brig 180 45 4 long 6-pdr

2 long 4-pdr

2 long 2-pdr

2 12-pdr carronade captured

" Queen Charlotte ship 400 126 1 long 12-pdr

2 long 9-pdr

12 24-pdr carronade Commanded by Lieutenant Robert Finnis

captured

" Lady Prevost brig 230 86 1 long 9-pdr

2 long 6-pdr

10 12-pdr carronade captured (lost rudder)

" Little Belt sloop 90 18 1 long 12-pdr

2 long 6-pdr captured

 

 

[edit] Notes