Action of 13 December 1814 (Louisiana Campaign)
Encyclopedia
The Action of 13 December 1814 was a naval action during the War of 1812
. A flotilla of British
longboat
s were on their way to fight the Battle of Lake Borgne
. Before reaching the lake, they would encounter an American
schooner
of the United States Navy
.
Campaign
had begun, British ships were sailing off the American southern coast, destination New Orleans. The British landing area for the invasion of Louisiana was set for Lake Borgne
but in order to land, a squadron of American gunboat
s and other ships, had to be destroyed. At night, on December 13, 1814, the British set course for the lake.
Alexander Cochrane
, of the Royal Navy
, ordered Captain
Nicholas Lockyer to proceed to the lake with a force of forty-two armed longboats
, armed barges
, armed launches
and three armed gigs
. Manned by 1,000 to 1,200 sailor
s and marines with 8 to 24 pound guns
, mounted at the bow
of the longboats. The force pushed off from HMS Armide
at an unknown time of evening.
American forces, on USS Sea Horse
and commanded by Sailing Master
William Johnson
were on a mission to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
to destroy a store of weapons to prevent its possible capture by the British fleet sailing in the region. Sea Horse was armed with only one 6 pound cannon and had a crew of fourteen men.
Both sailors and artillery
were sparse in the then frontier
South
.
. As soon as Lockyer spotted Sea Horse from a distance, an unknown number of boats were sent in that direction to cut the American schooner off and capture her. At some point, Sailing Master Johnson spotted the Royal Navy boats and attacked.
A brief exchange occurred which resulted in light damage to the American schooner by a couple British shots. Two men were killed and another two wounded. William Johnson then ordered his crew to head for the nearby coastline, protected by an artillery battery
. The British vessels followed.
Once drawing the British boat fleet into range of the artillery battery, Sea Horse turned and headed back into battle. The artillery on the coast began firing and the British flotilla retreated. But only for a short while. After fighting off a first United Kingdom boat attack, Master Johnson felt the coastline under protection of the battery was a good place to anchor his ship until the next morning.
So the anchor was dropped and the Sea Horses crew began to settle for the night. After short while of rest, the British longboats returned, more in numbers this time. The Royal Navy was able to achieve a closer range than during their first attack, due to the Americans believing their action was over for that night.
One member of the fourteen man U.S. crew spotted the silently approaching British boats and the alarm was raised. Immediately the crew were ordered to arm themselves with the schooner's issue of musket
s, or man the sailing vessel's one gun. The British boats drew close and the Americans opened fire.
Hearing the Sea Horses fire, the American battery commenced. Accurate fire from the American's small arsenal of weapons proved efficient and another longboat attack was driven off. Captain Lockyer decided to abandon his attempt to capture the Sea Horse and ordered his men to continue on to Lake Borgne.
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...
. A flotilla of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
longboat
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...
s were on their way to fight the Battle of Lake Borgne
Battle of Lake Borgne
The Battle of Lake Borgne was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the American South theatre of the War of 1812. It occurred on 14 December 1814 on Lake Borgne and was part of the British advance on New Orleans.-Background:...
. Before reaching the lake, they would encounter an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
schooner
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....
of 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...
.
Background
The LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
had begun, British ships were sailing off the American southern coast, destination New Orleans. The British landing area for the invasion of Louisiana was set for Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to coastal erosion, it is no longer actually a lake but rather an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes from the French word borgne, which means "one-eyed".-Geography:...
but in order to land, a squadron of American gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s and other ships, had to be destroyed. At night, on December 13, 1814, the British set course for the lake.
Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
, of 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...
, ordered Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
Nicholas Lockyer to proceed to the lake with a force of forty-two armed longboats
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...
, armed barges
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
, armed launches
Launch
Launch may refer to:In boating:*Launch , a large motor boat*Motor Launch , a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy*Ship naming and launching, when a ship or boat is dispatched from a slipway, prior to fitting out and commissioning...
and three armed gigs
Captain's Gig
The captain's gig is a boat used on naval ships as the captain's private taxi. It is a catchall phrase for this type of craft and over the years it has gradually increased in size, changed with the advent of new technologies for locomotion, and been crafted from increasingly more durable...
. Manned by 1,000 to 1,200 sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s and marines with 8 to 24 pound guns
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
, mounted at the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
of the longboats. The force pushed off from HMS Armide
French frigate Armide (1804)
Armide was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class, and launched in 1804 at Rochefort. She served briefly in the French navy before the British captured her in 1806. She went on to serve in the British Navy until 1815 when she was broken up.-French service:She took part in...
at an unknown time of evening.
American forces, on USS Sea Horse
USS Sea Horse (1812)
The first USS Sea Horse was a one-gun schooner that the Navy purchased in 1812 for service on Lake Borgne, near New Orleans, Louisiana. She saw action as part of a squadron of gunboats, under the command of Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones, which opposed the British advance on New Orleans in...
and commanded by Sailing Master
Master (naval)
The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...
William Johnson
William Johnson
William Johnson may refer to:Arts and Entertainment* William Allen Johnson , organ builder, Johnson Organs* William Gary Johnson , called Bunk Johnson, American jazz musician* William H...
were on a mission to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
to destroy a store of weapons to prevent its possible capture by the British fleet sailing in the region. Sea Horse was armed with only one 6 pound cannon and had a crew of fourteen men.
Both sailors and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
were sparse in the then frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
Action
USS Sea Horse had not yet made it to Bay St. Louis when spotted by Captain Lockyer's longboats late at night on December 13, somewhere in a waterway between Lake Borgne and the Bay of St. Louis along the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. As soon as Lockyer spotted Sea Horse from a distance, an unknown number of boats were sent in that direction to cut the American schooner off and capture her. At some point, Sailing Master Johnson spotted the Royal Navy boats and attacked.
A brief exchange occurred which resulted in light damage to the American schooner by a couple British shots. Two men were killed and another two wounded. William Johnson then ordered his crew to head for the nearby coastline, protected by an artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
. The British vessels followed.
Once drawing the British boat fleet into range of the artillery battery, Sea Horse turned and headed back into battle. The artillery on the coast began firing and the British flotilla retreated. But only for a short while. After fighting off a first United Kingdom boat attack, Master Johnson felt the coastline under protection of the battery was a good place to anchor his ship until the next morning.
So the anchor was dropped and the Sea Horses crew began to settle for the night. After short while of rest, the British longboats returned, more in numbers this time. The Royal Navy was able to achieve a closer range than during their first attack, due to the Americans believing their action was over for that night.
One member of the fourteen man U.S. crew spotted the silently approaching British boats and the alarm was raised. Immediately the crew were ordered to arm themselves with the schooner's issue of musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s, or man the sailing vessel's one gun. The British boats drew close and the Americans opened fire.
Hearing the Sea Horses fire, the American battery commenced. Accurate fire from the American's small arsenal of weapons proved efficient and another longboat attack was driven off. Captain Lockyer decided to abandon his attempt to capture the Sea Horse and ordered his men to continue on to Lake Borgne.
Aftermath
The British suffered several armed longboats damaged in action and an unknown number of dead and wounded. The United States lost the said two dead and two wounded, as well as minor damage to the schooner. William Johnson, just after his encounter with the British, realized that the enemy fleet was nearby and the capture of his ship by the main Royal Navy fleet was indeed possible. So he ordered his ship to make for the nearest settlement. Once there, near a friendly location to prevent being stranded, Johnson ran his schooner aground on a beach and had her burnt.See also
- American South theatre of the War of 1812
- British occupation of St. Marys and Cumberland Island