USS Lady Prevost (1812)
Encyclopedia
USS Lady Prevost was a schooner
captured from the British during the War of 1812
and pressed into use in the United States Navy
.
Built in 1810 as the Lady Prevost at Canadian Provisional Marine in Amherstburg, Ontario
, Canada, she was a 13-gun ship named for the wife of General Sir George Prevost
, Commander-in-Chief of the British armies along the Canadian-New York border in the War of 1812. She operated out of Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard
.
through 1812, in preparation for a campaign to gain control of the Great Lakes
and a subsequent invasion of the United States. Under command of Lieutenant James Buchan, RN, she was one of Captain James Barclay’s squadron which engaged the American squadron under Captain Oliver Hazard Perry
off Put-in-Bay in the Battle of Lake Erie
on 11 September 1813. In a gun duel first with schooners , , , and sloop , and then, as the tide of battle turned, with Perry’s flagship
, Lady Prevost suffered damage to her masts and superstructure and, with the rest of her squadron, surrendered.
For the remainder of the War of 1812, the squadron operated on Lakes Erie and Huron
, cooperating with the Army commanded by General William Henry Harrison
. Lady Prevost was primarily engaged in supporting American troops fighting the British and their Indian allies in the northwest.
, but was raised later that year and converted into a merchantman
. She was sold at public auction
late in 1815.
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
captured from the British during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and pressed into use in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Built in 1810 as the Lady Prevost at Canadian Provisional Marine in Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
, Canada, she was a 13-gun ship named for the wife of General Sir George Prevost
George Prevost
Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
, Commander-in-Chief of the British armies along the Canadian-New York border in the War of 1812. She operated out of Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard
Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard
Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard was a Royal Navy yard in Ontario.Located on Navy Island in the Niagara River, it served as a French naval base in the early 18th century and was acquired by the British in 1763. The Royal Navy used it for their Lake Erie fleet during the War of 1812. Abandoned by...
.
British service
The British schooner served as a training ship for Canadian seamen on Lake ErieLake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
through 1812, in preparation for a campaign to gain control of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and a subsequent invasion of the United States. Under command of Lieutenant James Buchan, RN, she was one of Captain James Barclay’s squadron which engaged the American squadron under Captain Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
off Put-in-Bay in the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
on 11 September 1813. In a gun duel first with schooners , , , and sloop , and then, as the tide of battle turned, with Perry’s flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, Lady Prevost suffered damage to her masts and superstructure and, with the rest of her squadron, surrendered.
American service
Taken prize at the surrender, the schooner was repaired and joined the American squadron on Lake Erie as USS Lady Prevost. In company with Niagara, , and Trippe under command of Captain Jesse D. Elliott, she sailed into Lake Sinclair on 29 September to cut the supply lines of the British Army attempting to invade western New York.For the remainder of the War of 1812, the squadron operated on Lakes Erie and Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, cooperating with the Army commanded by General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
. Lady Prevost was primarily engaged in supporting American troops fighting the British and their Indian allies in the northwest.
Disposition
Following the end of the war in 1815, Lady Prevost was burned and sunk by the Americans at Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, but was raised later that year and converted into a merchantman
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
. She was sold at public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
late in 1815.