War of 1812 article. Sault Daily Star Saturday May 8 1955 Peaceful St. Mary’s River Saw Naval Clashes In War of 1812 Three vessels principals in the war of 1812 and familiar craft on Saint Mary’s River, were the Nancy, the Tigress and the Scorpion. It was during that war that the Nancy met her doom. The Nancy, built in Detroit in 1789, was considered to be a masterpiece of workmanship and beauty. A description of her found in a record of one of the original owners, one John Richardson, a Montreal fur merchant, written September 23 1789 says:”the schooner will be a perfect masterpiece of workmanship and beauty... The expense will be great but there will be the satisfaction of her being strong and durable. Her floor timbers, keel, keelson, stem and lower futtock all oak. The transom, sternpost, upper futtocks, top timbers, beams and knees are all red cedar. She will carry 350 barrels. The Nancy was launched in September 1789 and the description goes on: “this is a very beautiful and substantial vessel, with a figurehead, made by the carver Skilling of New York of a lady dressed in the current fashion with a hat and feather.” From Niagara when she went there Richardson wrote: “She is spoken of in such high strain of encomium as to beauty, stowage and sailing, that she almost exceeds my expectation.” The Nancy was owned by the North West Company, when the war of 1812 began and as far as American commander Perry knew she was the only vessel left to carry supplies to Mackinaw. One particular objective was her capture and destruction. She made two successful trips on transport work and narrowly escaped capture in the battle of Lake Erie,. She reached Mackinaw in October, 1813, with her sails and ropes so badly damaged she was sent to the Sault for repairs. Fear that she might fall into American hands caused word to be sent to the post on the Nottawasaga River to move the little ship as far up stream as possible where she was to remain until more favorable times. Accordingly on August 4 1814 she ws towed about two miles up stream to a point where she would be completely concealed by the sand hills, through which the river flowed. As further protection a small blockhouse was erected and three guns placed in position. The American ships arriving there on August 13 were ignorant of the Nancy’s whereabouts and Colonel Croghan, who was in charge of American ships, received a glad surprise when a landing party, moving inland suddenly saw the masts of the schooner through the intervening trees. Upon investigating they discovered the ships on the farther side of the river under the shadow of the blockhouse and guns. Captain Arthur Sinclair of the American fleet, who had five ships under his command three brigs and two schooner, the Tigress and Scorpion, ran his ships in close and opened fire. At first there was little effect from the charge as their target could not be seen but by landing howitzers and firing across the sand hills, and through the trees, the British Lieutenant Miller Worlsley of the Royal Navy found his position so untenable that it was decided to abandon both schooners and blockhouse and blow them up. The schooner and blockhouse almost completely destroyed and the blazing hull of the proud, beautiful Nancy sank in the Nottawasaga River When the hull was discovered more than a hundred years later all that had been said of the little schooner’s beauty of line and excellence of workmanship was verified. The timbers and planks were sound and hard. The red cedar and oak, of the vintage of 1789, had been impervious to the storms and bouts she had weathered in the inland seas during her sailing days and had resisted decay during the years that followed her burning and final sinking in the waters of the Nottawasaga With the Nancy out of commission Captain Sinclair felt secure enough to sail away in his Niagara, leaving the schooner to deal with any trouble that might arise. With Lieutenant Daniel Turner in command a blockade was to be maintained at the Nottawasaga River until fall storms would drive them out. He was also to cruise at intervals in the vicinity of St. Joseph” Island to cut off any fur cargos headed for the French River. Turner had not examined the Nottawasaga River very carefully and though Sinclair believed its entrance had been blocked successfully there had been stored, by the British, at a point not very far distant from the entrance to the river, some hundred barrels of provisions, two bateaux and a large canoe. The English Worlsley and his naval detachment, who had hidden in the bush when their blockhouse was blown up, were keeping an eye on the American vessels. Eventually they found them absent and Worlsley determined to make a try for Mackinaw with his men and some of his provision. They cleared the river entrance August 18 and after six day’s hard rowing reached the vicinity of St. Joseph’s Island and that close to the American blockaders. It was impossible for the heavy bateau to pass unnoticed so Worlsley concealed them in a little bay and loading his men (25 in all) in the big canoe he set out for Mackinaw. They landed there without mishap and Worlsley communicated to Lt. CO. Robert McDougall, who was in charge at Mackinaw, his plan of attempting the capture of the Tigress and Scorpion before they returned to their duties at Nottawasaga. The next day four boats loaded with troops and guns and accompanied by 200 Indians in canoes left for the Detour passage. One of the two American schooner was soon discovered and a night attack was planned as the most likely to succeed. Accordingly the next night, September 3, the weather being propitious, the convoy sailed silently towards the ship lying at anchor. The operation was to well conducted that Worlsley’s own boat was but 10 yards away when the first alarm, was given. Moving quickly, the attacking force gained the decks of what proved to be the Tigers and in a few minutes the officers and crew were overpowered. Prisoners and crew were immediately sent away in boats and a canoe party was detailed to watch for the Scorpion. On September 5 news came that she was sailing down to the Tigress, unaware the latter had fallen into enemy hands. Early on the morning of September 6, Worlsley ran towards the Scorpion, flying the American colors, and before that ship’s crew realized what was happening Worsley opened fire. The two vessels came alongside each other and Worlsely’s men were soon to the Scorpion. Two men belonging to the Scorpion were killed and two were wounded, Worlsley had one seaman wounded. The American ships were taken to Mackinaw, the Tigress later renamed “Surprise” in reference to the manner of her capture and the Scorpion became “HMS Confiance.” The captured vessels were sent to Nottawasaga Bay and returned with ample provisions and supplies. From that time on Mackinaw and St. Mary’s River were free from threat.— A.B.C.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:37:51 +0000