Capture of East India Company ship Nautilus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capture of East India Company ship Nautilus
Part of the War of 1812
Date June 30, 1815 Location Off Fort Anjera, Java in the Sunda Straits, Dutch East Indies Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Lewis Warrington	Charles Boyce + (POW)
Strength
1 warship 22 guns 140 crew	1 warship 14 guns 80 crew
Casualties and losses
None	8 killed 6 wounded 1 warship captured

The capture of the East India Company ship Nautilus happened on June 30, 1815. This event was part of the War of 1812 between America and Britain. But here's the surprising part: the war had actually ended six months earlier! The American commander of the sloop of war USS Peacock simply didn't know it.

The British commander of Nautilus tried to tell the Americans that the war was over. However, he refused to lower his flag, which was a sign of surrender. So, Peacock fired its guns, hurting and killing some of the Nautilus crew. The British ship then gave up. Once the Nautilus's commander showed proof that the war had ended, the Americans let the ship and its crew go. This was the very last battle of the War of 1812.

Why Did This Battle Happen?

Towards the end of 1814, the American navy was getting ready in New York. Their goal was to stop British merchant ships in the Indian Ocean. Commodore Stephen Decatur led this group of ships. On January 14, 1815, Decatur's ship, the frigate USS President, left the harbor. It was a snowy day, and the British ships blocking the port had been blown away by a storm.

However, the President got stuck in the mud at the harbor's entrance. When it finally got free, the damaged ship met the returning British ships and was captured.

The other American ships in Decatur's group didn't know what had happened to the President. These ships were the sloops of war USS Peacock, led by Master Commandant Lewis Warrington, and USS Hornet. There was also a smaller ship called USS Tom Bowline. On January 22, a strong storm hit. The next day, these three American ships sailed out in thick fog. They managed to reach the open sea, even though the British ships were nearby.

The three American ships planned to meet the President at Tristan da Cunha, a faraway island. But Hornet got separated from the other two ships during the trip. Peacock and Tom Bowline arrived at Tristan da Cunha on March 18. A storm then forced them away. They came back on March 23. While they were gone, the Hornet had arrived. It had fought and captured HMS Penguin. The Penguin was too badly damaged to be fixed. It was later set on fire. Tom Bowline was sent to Rio de Janeiro to take Penguin's crew home.

After waiting for the President until April 15, Hornet and Peacock sailed together for the Indian Ocean. On April 27, they met the large British warship HMS Cornwallis. At first, they thought it was a valuable British merchant ship. But they soon realized their mistake. The American ships split up to escape. Cornwallis chased the slower Hornet. The Hornet escaped only by throwing all its guns and supplies overboard. It even got rid of parts of its own ship structure.

The Capture of Nautilus

Warrington, on the Peacock, continued into the Indian Ocean. Over the next few weeks, Peacock captured four valuable enemy ships. Instead of putting his own sailors on these captured ships and sending them to friendly ports, Warrington burned them. He took their cargo and useful supplies first. He still did not know that the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war between Britain and America, had been approved on February 18.

On June 30, Peacock was in the Sunda Straits, near the island of Krakatau. There, they saw the East India Company's armed ship Nautilus. The Nautilus was a smaller ship, about 200 tons. It had ten 18-pounder carronades and four 9-pounder guns. It had a crew of 80, many of whom were lascars (sailors from India). In comparison, Peacock had twenty 32-pounder carronades and two 12-pounder guns.

The commander of Nautilus, Lieutenant Boyce, sent a small boat to Peacock. His officer, Mr. Bartlett, was on board. Bartlett later said he told Warrington that the war had ended. But Warrington said he didn't hear this. As Peacock got closer to Nautilus, Lieutenant Boyce shouted again that the war was over. Warrington later claimed he thought this was a trick to help Nautilus escape. He believed Nautilus was trying to get close to the neutral Dutch fort of Anjer. Warrington demanded that Boyce lower his flag, which meant surrendering. Rather than give up like that, Boyce got ready to fight.

Peacock then fired a single powerful shot from its side (or two shots, according to Bartlett). This caused a lot of damage to the Nautilus. Warrington's attack killed one sailor, two sick European men, and three lascars on the British ship. It also badly wounded Nautilus's first officer. Lieutenant Boyce and five other lascars were also hurt. The Peacock itself had no damage or injuries.

What Happened Next?

When Lieutenant Boyce showed documents proving that the Treaty of Ghent had been approved, Warrington finally released the Nautilus. Warrington did not ask about Boyce's condition or the other injured people on Nautilus. The Peacock returned to New York on October 30. A year later, a navy investigation in Boston cleared Warrington of any blame. In his report, Warrington said that the only British people hurt were the lascars.