Battle of Woody Point
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Woody Point was an incident involving the Tla-o-qui-aht Nootka
natives
of the Pacific Northwest
and a United States
registered merchant ship. After trading in the region for furs in June 1811, the American vessel was massacred by Nootkas and scuttle
d by her crew off Vancouver Island
, in Clayoquot Sound
.
, a 290 ton bark
, reached the Columbia River
with the intention of trading with the natives of the northern Pacific coast. To do this a trading post was necessary, after sailing around the Columbia River's mouth for a while, the traders established Fort Astoria
, the first American claim on the Pacific. Now after establishing a base of operations, the traders were free to explore the region in pursuit of fine furs.
The Tonquin was crewed by twenty-three men during the time of battle, she also carried ten cannon
s. Though the vessel was American flagged and commanded by a United States Navy
officer, most of her crew were British
subjects. On June 5, 1811 the Tonquin left Fort Astoria and sailed north to trade with the Nootka around Nootka Sound
. About two weeks later, off Vancouver Island, at a place named Woody Point, the Tonquin proceeded with trade.
On June 14, 1811, a Nootka chief came aboard the Tonquin. Lieutenant Thorn hoped to purchase otter
pelts which were offered by the natives. Unsatisfied with price of the pelts, the Lieutenant tossed the pelt he was inspecting back at the chief. Apparently insulted, the chief left the vessel and later that night, a native woman came aboard the ship and warned the lieutenant that the Nootka were planning to attack the ship the following day. Thorn failed to believe the woman until the next day when large numbers of native warriors were spotted on the coast. Still Thorn was unconvinced the Nootka were hostile, a large canoe with over twenty native men was allowed to come to the ship and another canoe of some twenty men followed behind. The first twenty boarded with their weapons concealed under their clothing.
Somehow Lieutenant Thorn realized the danger his ship was in and gave the orders to hoist the anchor and sails. At this moment the Nootka revealed their weapons, killed Thorn, and began to attack the crewmen. The Nootka were armed with knives and some pistols and immediately the Tonquins crew armed themselves and began to resist the boarders. Eventually the second canoe arrived and another wave of warrior
s came pouring onto the deck. The crew fell back into the cabins. Close quarters combat ensued until the Nottka were defeated, though all but five of the crewmen died in the engagement. Four of the remaining men attempted to escape in their own canoe the following day but three of whom were killed by the Nootka after a gale blew them onto the coastline.
Only one man, a half Chinook
pilot named George Ramsay, or Lemazee, survived. One wounded man stayed aboard the Tonquin, James Lewis. After destroying the majority of Tonquins crew, the Nootka returned to the Tonquin to plunder her. James Lewis was capable of reaching the powder magazine, once there he lit some of the powder and the resulting explosion sunk the ship, killed Lewis, and dozens of natives. The Nootka acknowledged at least 100 dead and many more wounded, although other accounts say sixty-one to 200 natives were killed.
Nootka
Nootka may refer to:* The Nuu-chah-nulth indigenous peoples and their Nuu-chah-nulth language* The place called Nootka Sound* The island known as Nootka Island* The three treaties signed in the 1790s, known as the Nootka Conventions...
natives
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
registered merchant ship. After trading in the region for furs in June 1811, the American vessel was massacred by Nootkas and scuttle
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
d by her crew off Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, in Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. It is a body of water with many inlets and islands. Major inlets include Sydney Inlet,...
.
Background
On March 22, 1811, the TonquinTonquin
The Tonquin was an American merchant ship involved with the Maritime Fur Trade of the early 19th Century. The ship was used by John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company to establish fur trading outposts on the Northwest Coast of North America, including Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River...
, a 290 ton bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
, reached the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
with the intention of trading with the natives of the northern Pacific coast. To do this a trading post was necessary, after sailing around the Columbia River's mouth for a while, the traders established Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. After a short two-year term of US ownership, the British owned and operated it for 33 years. It was the first British port on the Pacific coast...
, the first American claim on the Pacific. Now after establishing a base of operations, the traders were free to explore the region in pursuit of fine furs.
The Tonquin was crewed by twenty-three men during the time of battle, she also carried ten cannon
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,...
s. Though the vessel was American flagged and commanded by a 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...
officer, most of her crew were 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...
subjects. On June 5, 1811 the Tonquin left Fort Astoria and sailed north to trade with the Nootka around Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
. About two weeks later, off Vancouver Island, at a place named Woody Point, the Tonquin proceeded with trade.
Battle
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
pelts which were offered by the natives. Unsatisfied with price of the pelts, the Lieutenant tossed the pelt he was inspecting back at the chief. Apparently insulted, the chief left the vessel and later that night, a native woman came aboard the ship and warned the lieutenant that the Nootka were planning to attack the ship the following day. Thorn failed to believe the woman until the next day when large numbers of native warriors were spotted on the coast. Still Thorn was unconvinced the Nootka were hostile, a large canoe with over twenty native men was allowed to come to the ship and another canoe of some twenty men followed behind. The first twenty boarded with their weapons concealed under their clothing.
Somehow Lieutenant Thorn realized the danger his ship was in and gave the orders to hoist the anchor and sails. At this moment the Nootka revealed their weapons, killed Thorn, and began to attack the crewmen. The Nootka were armed with knives and some pistols and immediately the Tonquins crew armed themselves and began to resist the boarders. Eventually the second canoe arrived and another wave of warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s came pouring onto the deck. The crew fell back into the cabins. Close quarters combat ensued until the Nottka were defeated, though all but five of the crewmen died in the engagement. Four of the remaining men attempted to escape in their own canoe the following day but three of whom were killed by the Nootka after a gale blew them onto the coastline.
Only one man, a half Chinook
Chinook
-Main uses:*The Chinook people of Native Americans.**Chinookan languages, in specific, Coastal Chinook and Upper Chinook*Chinook Jargon, a hybrid of Chinookan, Nootka, Chehalis, French, English and other languages*Chinook salmon...
pilot named George Ramsay, or Lemazee, survived. One wounded man stayed aboard the Tonquin, James Lewis. After destroying the majority of Tonquins crew, the Nootka returned to the Tonquin to plunder her. James Lewis was capable of reaching the powder magazine, once there he lit some of the powder and the resulting explosion sunk the ship, killed Lewis, and dozens of natives. The Nootka acknowledged at least 100 dead and many more wounded, although other accounts say sixty-one to 200 natives were killed.