USS Viper – commissioned as USS Ferret – was a brig

Brig

A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...

 serving 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...

 during the early days of the republic. Viper was assigned to enforce the Embargo Act of 1807

Embargo Act of 1807

The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...

 along the U.S. East Coast. 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...

, while cruising in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

, she was captured by the more heavily armed British warships. She then served the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 as HMS Mohawk until she was sold in 1814. While in British service she served in several actions that earned her crew the Naval General Service Medal,

Built in Virginia

The first ship to be named Viper by the Navy, was originally the cutter Ferret. She was designed by the naval architect Josiah Fox

Josiah Fox

Josiah Fox was a Cornish naval architect noted for his involvement in the design and construction of the first significant warships of the United States Navy....

 and built at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, between 1806 and 1809, and was commissioned under her old name on 18 April 1809, Lieutenant Christopher Gadsden, Jr., in command.

Enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807

Shortly after her commissioning, Ferret cruised along the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 to aid in the enforcement of the Embargo Act of 1807

Embargo Act of 1807

The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...

. She was renamed Viper during re-rigging as a brig at the Washington Navy Yard

Washington Navy Yard

The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...

 in 1809 and 1810, and from Washington sailed to New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, arriving there on 18 March 1811. Viper remained off the U.S. Gulf Coast enforcing the Embargo Act until the outbreak of 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...

.

Captured during the War of 1812

During the war, Viper proved woefully inadequate in deep water operations against the larger, more heavily gunned British warships. On 17 January 1813 the 32-gun frigate HMS Narcissus captured Viper off the coast of Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

, British Honduras

British Honduras

British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...

 and took her to New Providence

New Providence

New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...

 in the Bahama Islands. At the time of her capture Viper was armed with 12 guns, had a crew of 93 men and had been cruising for seven weeks off Havana, having made no captures. In March 1816 there was a final payment of prize money for the capture of Viper. A first-class share was worth ₤26 7s

Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...

 3d; a sixth-class share, the portion of an ordinary seaman, was worth 6s.

British service

The Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 renamed her Mohawk and commissioned her under Commander Henry Dilkes Byng for operations in the Chesapeake.

Battle of Rappahannock River

Mohawk was one of the vessels in the squadron under Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren

John Borlase Warren

Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...

's squadron that contributed boats and men to the cutting out party under Lieutenant J. Puckinghorne that rowed 15 miles up the Rappahannock River on 13 April 1813. The British captured four American privateer schooners: Dolphin, Lynx, Racer and Arab. Although the British sustained a number of casualties, Mohawk herself sustained no casualties.

The British took three of the schooners into service. The Lynx became . The Racer became , and the retained her name. It is not clear what became of Arab.

Mohawk was among the vessels benefiting from a number of captures. Announcements of prize money and head-money include:

Name	Date	First-class share	Sixth-class share
Dart	18 March 1813	£3 3d	3½d
Louisiana and Nautilus	20 March 1813	£1 9s 9d	1s 1d
Revenge	28 March 1813	£10 11s 9d	2½d
Vesta	18 April 1813	£1 15s 10d	2½d
Dolphin	3 April 1813	£16 14s 5d	1s 10d
Vesta	18 April 1813	£1 15s 10d	2½d

On 29 April 1813, boats from Mohawk, together with boats from , Dolphin and and Racer, which had not yet been renamed, went up the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

  to Frenchtown

Frenchtown, Cecil County, Maryland

Frenchtown was a historic settlement on the Elk River in Cecil County, Maryland, United States.Frenchtown was an important link in the north-south travel route during the 18th and 19th centuries. As a depot, it was burned by the British under Rear Admiral George Cockburn on April 29, 1813. The old...

 to destroy five American ships and stores; they also purchased provisions for the squadron from the locals. This took until 3 May 1813 to complete. On the way back, a battery fired on the British from the shore; a landing party destroyed the battery. The Admiralty would later issue the clasp "28 April Boat Service 1813" for the Naval General Service Medal to all surviving claimants from the action.

Mohawk was among the ships benefiting from the proceeds of the capture of the American ships Rolla (29 May) and Protectress (18 June). She was also among the vessels benefiting from the capture of the Spanish brig St. Iago (11 June 1813), the American schooner Surveyor (12 June), the American ships Governor Strong and Emily (12 June), Star (14 June), and Herman (21 June).

On 14 July 1813 the brigs and Mohawk spotted the American schooner USS Asp and the Scorpion

USS Scorpion (1812)

The first USS Scorpion was a self-propelled floating battery in commission in the United States Navy from 1812 to 1814.Scorpion was a sloop-rigged floating battery that could also be propelled by oars. She probably was built under contract for the U.S. Navy in 1812 for service during the War of...

 and immediately gave chase. Scorpion made good her escape up the Chesapeake, but Asp's poor sailing qualities forced her to put back into the Yeocomico River

Yeocomico River

The Yeocomico River is a tidal tributary of the southern portion of the Potomac River in Virginia's Northern Neck. The Yeocomico forms the boundary between Westmoreland and Northumberland counties...

. Contest and Mohawk anchored off the bar and prepared a boat expedition.

Contests cutter, under the command of Lieutenant Curry, and Mohawks cutter, under the command of Lieutenant Hutchinson, followed Asp three or four miles up the Yeocomico. Asp was armed with one long 18-pounder gun and two 18-pounder carronade

Carronade

The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...

s, together with some swivels

Swivel gun

The term swivel gun usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun with two barrels that rotated along their axes to allow the shooter to...

. She had a crew of 20 men under the command of Midshipman Sigourney.

As the British boats approached, Asp cut her cable and tried to escape further up the river. The American account states that three British boats attacked but were beaten off. Then two other British boats joined the first three for a second attempt, which proved successful. The Americans fought valiantly in spite of the lopsided odds. Midshipman Sigourney and ten of his 20-man crew were killed defending their ship while the remainder escaped ashore when the issue became hopeless.

Despite fire from Asp and from militia on the shore, the British captured Asp within a short time, but at a cost of two men killed and six wounded, including Lieutenant Curry (slightly). The British set fire to Asp and retired. At that point, Asps second in command, Midshipman H. McClintock, led the remnants of Asps crew back on board, extinguished the flames, and put her back in fighting trim. For whatever reason, the British declined to renew the combat.