USS Caledonia (1812) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 United States |
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| Name | USS Caledonia |
| Builder | British at Malden, Ontario |
| Completed | 1807 |
| Acquired |
|
| Commissioned | 1813 |
| Decommissioned | Circa 1815 |
| Stricken | 1815 (est.) |
| Captured | 8 October 1812 by the U.S. Navy |
| Fate | Sold May 1815 at Erie, Pennsylvania |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Brig |
| Tons burthen | 180 |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 53 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | 80-pound broadside |
The USS Caledonia was a type of sailing ship called a brig. It was originally a British ship named HMS Caledonia. During the War of 1812, the United States Navy captured this ship. Caledonia then became an important part of the American fleet on Lake Erie. After the war ended, the ship was sold.
Caledonia was the first warship in the U.S. Navy to have this name.
How Caledonia Was Captured
Caledonia was built in 1807 in Malden, near Amherstburg, in Canada. It was made for a company called the North West Company. This company used the ship for the North American fur trade on the Great Lakes.
In 1812, the ship was taken over by the Provincial Marine. This was a Canadian service that moved goods and protected ships. Caledonia helped a lot in the Battle of Mackinac Island. It carried cannons that helped force the American soldiers on the island to give up.
After American soldiers in Detroit surrendered, Caledonia and another ship, Detroit, were busy. They moved soldiers and supplies from Detroit and Amherstburg to the Niagara River. An American attack was expected there.
On October 8, 1812, the two ships were anchored near Fort Erie. Caledonia had two small cannons and a crew of twelve. There were also ten American prisoners on board. The ship was carrying valuable furs, worth a lot of money at that time.
A group of American sailors and soldiers attacked the ships. They were led by Lieutenant Jesse D. Elliott and Captain Nathan Towson. They boarded and captured both ships. The ship Adams got stuck in the river and was later burned. This was done to stop the British from taking it back.
Caledonia was successfully taken to the navy yard at Black Rock, New York. During the attack, one American sailor was killed. Four others were badly hurt by gunfire. The twelve Canadian crew members were taken as prisoners.
Caledonia's Role in the War of 1812
The U.S. Navy officially bought Caledonia on February 6, 1813. They added two large 24-pounder cannons and one 32-pounder carronade to the ship. This meant Caledonia could fire a total of 80 pounds of cannonballs from one side.
For several months, British cannons across the Niagara River stopped Caledonia and other ships from leaving Black Rock. But on May 26, the British lost the Battle of Fort George. They had to leave Fort Erie and the nearby cannons. Lieutenant Oliver Hazard Perry then had Caledonia and the other ships pulled by oxen up the fast-flowing river. This took several days.
Then, Perry sailed with them along Lake Erie to Presque Isle. This is where the other ships of his fleet were being built.
On September 10, Caledonia played a very important part in the Battle of Lake Erie. Lieutenant Daniel Turner commanded Caledonia in this battle. Perry praised him for how well he fought. At the start of the battle, most American ships could not reach the British ships with their cannons. Only Caledonia's long-range cannons could hit the main British ship and others in the middle of the fight.
After the Americans won, Caledonia carried American soldiers to Detroit and Amherstburg. The British Army had left these places.
In 1814, Caledonia was part of a trip to Lake Huron. This trip tried to get Mackinac Island back.
After the War
The ship was sold in May 1815 at Presque Isle.
It was then changed into a trading ship and named General Wayne. Some reports say it sank in Lake Erie in the 1830s. However, another story from 1934 said the ship was taken apart in Erie, Pennsylvania, and did not sink.
In 2009, a story in the Buffalo News talked about finding an old ship at the bottom of Lake Erie. It might be Caledonia.
