Adams (brig)
Encyclopedia
HMS Detroit was a 6-gun brig
of the Royal Navy
. She served on Lake Erie
during the War of 1812
, giving the British control of the lake. She was briefly recaptured by the Americans, but came under heavy fire and had to be abandoned. Both the British and Americans contested her until her battered hulk was burnt.
in 1799. She was utilised by the General William Hull
, the US Army commander at Detroit, Michigan
, to transport troops and supplies to Fort Mackinac
and Fort Dearborn
. Adams was in drydock at Detroit for repairs and refitting when war broke out, and was surrendered to the British with the rest of the city
on Hull's capitulation.
The British armed the prize and commissioned her as HMS Detroit. She and gave the British undisputed control of Lake Erie
.
. Caledonia made it safely to the temporary American base at Black Rock, but Detroit, owing to light wind, was swept away by the Niagara River
's strong current and was forced to anchor within range of British guns. An artillery duel ensued. Elliott brought all his guns to his engaged side and continued the cannonade until his supply of ammunition was exhausted. Thereupon, he cut the cable; and the brig drifted down the river. She grounded on Squaw Island
within range of both British and American batteries. Elliott and his men left the ship, and almost immediately, some two score British soldiers took brief possession of the brig. American guns soon drove them out with great loss, and both sides began pounding her with gunfire. The Americans finally set fire to and destroyed the battered hulk.
and Mississippi
rivers in 1800 and 1801. The Askin Papers recorded that "In the spring of 1802, he (Brevoort) was ordered to Detroit to assume command of the Adams, which had been built at Rouge River...from this time until the War of 1812, Brevoort commanded the 'navy of the lakes', which during most of the period comprised the Adams and her crew."
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...
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...
. She served on Lake Erie
Lake 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...
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...
, giving the British control of the lake. She was briefly recaptured by the Americans, but came under heavy fire and had to be abandoned. Both the British and Americans contested her until her battered hulk was burnt.
American career and surrender
Detroit had previously been the brig Adams, a 200-ton vessel built on the River RougeRiver Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
in 1799. She was utilised by the General William Hull
William Hull
William Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
, the US Army commander at Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, to transport troops and supplies to Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...
and Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
. Adams was in drydock at Detroit for repairs and refitting when war broke out, and was surrendered to the British with the rest of the city
Siege of Detroit
The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812...
on Hull's capitulation.
The British armed the prize and commissioned her as HMS Detroit. She and gave the British undisputed control of Lake Erie
Lake 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...
.
British career
All changed early on the morning of 9 October 1812 when a boat expedition commanded by Lt. Jesse D. Elliott captured the two vessels right under the muzzles of the guns at Fort ErieFort Erie
Fort Erie was the first British fort to be constructed as part of a network developed after the Seven Years' War was concluded by the Treaty of Paris at which time all of New France had been ceded to Great Britain...
. Caledonia made it safely to the temporary American base at Black Rock, but Detroit, owing to light wind, was swept away by the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
's strong current and was forced to anchor within range of British guns. An artillery duel ensued. Elliott brought all his guns to his engaged side and continued the cannonade until his supply of ammunition was exhausted. Thereupon, he cut the cable; and the brig drifted down the river. She grounded on Squaw Island
Squaw Island
-United States:* An island in Canandaigua Lake, New York* Squaw Island in the Beaver Island group, site of the Squaw Island Light* Squaw Island, , an island in the Niagara River in Buffalo, New York...
within range of both British and American batteries. Elliott and his men left the ship, and almost immediately, some two score British soldiers took brief possession of the brig. American guns soon drove them out with great loss, and both sides began pounding her with gunfire. The Americans finally set fire to and destroyed the battered hulk.
Masters
Adams had three sailing masters during her American career, sailing under the command of Captain Peter Curry for her maiden voyage on 18 May 1800. Her second master was John Williams (not Joseph Campau's nephew), in the summer of 1801. Adams spent her longest period under Lieutenant Henry B. Brevoort, an army officer who had been master of the Gally Adams on the OhioOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
rivers in 1800 and 1801. The Askin Papers recorded that "In the spring of 1802, he (Brevoort) was ordered to Detroit to assume command of the Adams, which had been built at Rouge River...from this time until the War of 1812, Brevoort commanded the 'navy of the lakes', which during most of the period comprised the Adams and her crew."