USS Niagara (1813) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sunk:	1820
Raised:	March 6, 1913
Restored:	1913, 1931–1943, 1963, 1988
Specific to 1813:
Specific to the present:

The US Brig Niagara or the Flagship Niagara, is a wooden-hulled

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

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...

that served as the relief flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

for Oliver Hazard Perry

Oliver Hazard Perry

United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...

in the Battle of Lake Erie

Battle of Lake Erie

The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...

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...

. It is one of last remaining ships from the War of 1812. The Niagara is usually docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum

Erie Maritime Museum

Erie Maritime Museum is a maritime museum located on Presque Isle Bay in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first new PHMC museum in twenty years when it opened its doors on May 21, 1998...

in downtown

Downtown Erie

Downtown Erie, is the central business, cultural and government center for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.Erie’s Central Business District includes Gannon University, UPMC Hamot hospital, Erie Insurance, and city and county government offices, as well as other non-government related commercial...

Erie

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

as an outdoor exhibit for the museum, but travels the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

during the summer, serving as an ambassador of Pennsylvania when not docked. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1973 and was designated the official state ship of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania General Assembly

Pennsylvania General Assembly

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...

in 1988.

The Niagara was constructed from 1812 to 1813 to protect the vulnerable American coastline on Lake Erie from the British and played a pivotal role in the battle for the lake. Along with most of warships that served in the war, the Niagara was sunk for preservation on Presque Isle

Presque Isle State Park

Presque Isle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on an arching sandy peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, west of the city of Erie, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The peninsula sweeps northeastward, surrounding Presque Isle Bay along the park's...

in 1820. Raised in 1913, it was rebuilt for the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie. After deteriorating, restoration of the Niagara was started again in the 1930s, but was hampered by the lack of funds caused by the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

and remained uncompleted until 1963. A more extensive restoration was carried out in 1988 in which much of the original ship was largely destroyed. The incorporation of new materials and modern equipment makes it ambiguous as to whether it is or is not a replica

Ship replica

A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...

Construction

In the beginning of September 1812, Daniel Dobbins

Daniel Dobbins

Daniel Dobbins was a sailing master in the United States Navy and captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service...

, a merchant on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

, arrived in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

to warn the United States government

Federal government of the United States

The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

of the vulnerability of the 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...

coastline to a British attack. Dobbins had been captured by the British after a surprise attack at 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...

in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

but, was able to negotiate his release. Dobbins was briefly detained again by the British in Detroit after the city was captured

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...

.
After several days of discussions with President James Madison

James Madison

James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...

and Secretary of the Navy

United States Secretary of the Navy

The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...

Paul Hamilton

Paul Hamilton was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Navy, from 1809 to 1813.Paul Hamilton was born in Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, on October 16, 1762. He left school at the age of sixteen due to financial problems...

, Dobbins convinced them that the safest place to build a fleet was in the sheltered bay

Presque Isle Bay

Presque Isle Bay is a natural bay located off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Its embayment is about in length, about across at its widest point, and an average depth of about . The bay is bounded on the north and west by a recurved peninsula that makes up Presque Isle State Park...

formed by Presque Isle

Presque Isle State Park

at Erie

Erie, Pennsylvania

, Pennsylvania. On September 15, Hamilton authorized Dobbins to construct four gunboats. Hamilton also granted $2,000 to be used for the construction and appointed Dobbins, a civilian, to the rank of 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...

in 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...

. On December 31, Captain

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

Isaac Chauncey

Isaac Chauncey was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, 20 February 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy from 17 September 1798...

, the commander of naval forces on Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

, arrived in Erie for a day, made some alterations to Dobbins' ship design and authorized him to build, additionally, two brigs. Oliver Hazard Perry

Oliver Hazard Perry

was promoted to commodore in February 1813 and was given orders to report to Erie from Newport

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

. Perry arrived in Erie on March 26, after being held up in Sackets Harbor

Sackets Harbor, New York

Sackets Harbor is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who founded it in the early 19th century.The Village of Sackets Harbor is within the western part of the...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

for two weeks by Chauncey in case of a possible attack by the British.

The construction of the fleet was largely supervised by Noah Brown, a shipwright

Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...

brought in from New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. The keel

Keel

In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...

s of two brigs were each constructed out of a single 14 inch black oak log. Due to a lack of iron, the timbers that made up the hulls were joined using wooden pins called treenail

Treenail

A treenail, also trenail or trunnel, is a wooden peg or dowel used to fasten pieces of wood together, especially in timber frame construction and wooden shipbuilding. It is an ancient technology. Covered bridges in the U.S. often use treenails as fasteners. Many such bridges are still in use...

s. In place of the oakum

Oakum

Oakum is a preparation of tarred fiber used in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels and the deck planking of iron and steel ships, as well as cast iron plumbing applications...

and pitch

Pitch (resin)

Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...

normally used to caulk

Caulking

Caulking is one of several different processes to seal joints or seams in various structures and certain types of piping. The oldest form of caulking is used to make the seams in wooden boats or ships watertight, by driving fibrous materials into the wedge-shaped seams between planks...

ships, lead

Lead

Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...

was used. The timbers used in the brigs were still green

Green wood

Green wood is a term used to describe wood products that have been recently cut and have therefore not had an opportunity to "season" by evaporation of the internal moisture. The term is used often in describing the relative moisture content of wood products such as firewood and lumber...

, as the builders did not have the luxury of time to allow the wood to dry properly. A total of 65 cannons were shipped to Erie to arm the fleet; Hamilton approved the production of 37 cannons by a foundry in Washington, D.C. and the rest were moved from Sackets Harbor. The Tigress
USS Tigress (1813)
The first USS Tigress was a schooner of the United States Navy that took part in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, which in September 1814 was captured by the British and subsequently served in the Royal Navy as HMS Surprise....

and the Porcupine were launched in April 1813, the Scorpion
USS Scorpion (1813)
The USS Scorpion was a schooner of the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was the second USN ship to be named for the scorpion....

in May, and the brig Lawrence
USS Lawrence (1813)
The first USS Lawrence was one of two 493-ton Niagara-class brigs built at Erie, Pennsylvania, by Adam and Noah Brown under the supervision of Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins and Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry, for United States Navy service on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.She was...

on June 25. The Niagara was launched on July 4 along with the Ariel.

One of the strategic advantages of building a fleet in Erie was that the bay formed by Presque Isle was cut off from the Lake Erie by a sandbar

Shoal

Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...

, which prevented British warships from being able to enter the bay. The brigs Niagara and Lawrence both had a draft

Draft (hull)

The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...

9 feet (2.7 m), which was too deep to cross the sandbar. On August 4, the Niagara was pulled onto the sandbar using its anchor in a technique called kedging and was lightened by removing its cannons and ballast

Sailing ballast

Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of...

. A pair of 90 by barges, called "camels", were placed on either side of the ship. The camels were sunk and secured to the Niagara. The water was pumped out of the camel, lifting the ship. By the following day, the Niagara was safely over the sandbar and was rearmed; the Lawrence was floated over the sandbar a couple of days before the Niagara. During the construction, the area was usually under daily surveillance by the British. On the day the Lawrence crossed the sandbar, a pair of British warships, the Queen Charlotte
USS Queen Charlotte (1813)
USS Queen Charlotte, a ship-rigged sloop built at Malden , Canada in 1807, for the Canadian Provincial Marine, was captured by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September 1813 and purchased by the United States Navy...

and the Lady Prevost
USS Lady Prevost (1812)
USS Lady Prevost was a schooner captured from the British during the War of 1812 and pressed into use in the United States Navy.Built in 1810 as the Lady Prevost at Canadian Provisional Marine in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, she was a 13-gun ship named for the wife of General Sir George Prevost,...

, observed for an hour and failed to notice the actions of Perry.

War of 1812

On August 6, Perry ordered a shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise

Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....

of the fleet, now totaling ten after the inclusion of three merchant vessels—the Somers
USS Somers (1812)
USS Somers was a schooner, formerly the Catherine, purchased by the United States Navy in 1812. She was purchased for $5,500 from Jacob Townsend, a pioneer and one of the first settlers of Lewiston, NY and purveyor of goods on the Great Lakes...

, the Trippe
USS Trippe (1812)
The first USS Trippe was a sloop in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was named for John Trippe.Originally named Contractor, she was purchased by the Navy on the Niagara River in New York in 1812 — was converted to a warship by Henry Eckford of New York; renamed Trippe; and placed...

and the Ohio
USS Ohio (1812)
The first USS Ohio was a merchant schooner purchased by the Navy in 1812; converted to a warship by Henry Eckford; and commissioned prior to June 13, 1813, with Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins in command....

—that were converted into warships and the Caledonia
USS Caledonia (1812)
USS Caledonia was a brig, formerly HMS Caledonia, which was captured by the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812 and taken into American service. The brig played an important role with the American squadron on Lake Erie, and was sold at the end of the war.Caledonia was the first warship in the U.S...

, which was captured from the British. Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

Daniel Turner

Daniel Turner (naval officer)

-Biography:Probably born at Richmond on Staten Island, Turner was appointed a midshipman in the Navy on 1 January 1808. Following brief duty at the New York Naval Station, he served in Constitution on the North Atlantic Station...

was placed in command of the Niagara for the cruise, as the fleet was still seriously undermanned; Dobbins had even written a letter, directed to Secretary Hamilton, out of desperation back in December 1812. Word arrived on August 8 that Jesse Elliott

Jesse Elliott

Jesse Duncan Elliot was a United States naval officer and commander of American naval forces in Lake Erie during the War of 1812, especially noted for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.-Early life:...

was enroute to Erie from Black Rock

Black Rock, Buffalo, New York

Black Rock, once an independent municipality, is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of Buffalo, New York. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal, but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of...

, New York with 89 men. Elliott was promoted to commodore and given command of the Niagara after arriving in Erie on August 10.

On August 17, Perry's fleet anchored off of Sandusky

Sandusky, Ohio

Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, where dispatched to boat to inform General William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...

of their presence. Harrison and his staff met with Perry aboard the ships the next day and agreed to a rendezvous in Put-in-Bay

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...

. In Put-in-Bay, Harrison made available 100 "Kentucky and frontier riflemen" to serve on board as Marines. Before the fleet made a stopover at Fort Amherstburg

Fort Amherstburg

Fort Amherstburg was built by the Royal Canadian Volunteers at the mouth of the Detroit River to replace Fort Detroit, which Britain was required to cede to the United States of America in 1796 as a result of the Jay Treaty....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

to gather intelligence, where the British fleet, under the command of Commodore Robert Heriot Barclay

Robert Heriot Barclay

Robert Heriot Barclay was a British naval officer who was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and its North American counterpart, the War of 1812....

, was based. While Perry's fleet was under construction, Barclay had ordered the construction of the Detroit, which was to be a match for the Niagara and the Lawrence. Unbeknownst to Perry, supplies in Fort Amherstburg were running out, as his fleet had cut off shipments from Long Point. Fearing an uprising caused by a shortage of food, Barclay and his fleet set sail as soon as the Detroit was complete.

Battle of Lake Erie

On September 10, both fleets got underway. The Detroit fired the first shot around noon, while still out of range. Perry formed the fleet into a line, with the larger ships each being assigned a target: the Lawrence to the Detroit, the Niagara to the Queen Charlotte, and the Caledonia to the Hunter
HMS Hunter (1812)
HMS Hunter was a 10-gun brig of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1812 and served on the Canadian Lakes during the War of 1812. Shortly after entering service she covered the British attack on Fort Shelby. She was part of a squadron under Commander Robert Heriot Barclay on Lake Erie in 1813 and...

. As the line moved to engage, the Niagara, under the command of Elliott, lagged behind the fleet. The cause of the failure of the Niagara to maintain formation is unknown, either deliberate on the part of Elliott, or because it was becalmed. After a couple of hours, all of the cannons on the Lawrence that were facing the British were out of commission and the brig could no longer be maneuvered. Perry lowered his battle flag

Battle Flag

"Battle Flag" is a song by Pigeonhed from their 1997 album The Full Sentence. It was remixed by Lo Fidelity Allstars featuring Pigeonhed for Pigeonhed’s Flash Bulb Emergency Overflow Cavalcade of Remixes album and later included and released as a single from the Lo Fidelity Allstars album How To...

, emblazoned with the last words of Captain James Lawrence

James Lawrence

James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he commanded the USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon...

, "Don't Give Up The Ship", and transferred to the still-intact Niagara via a small rowboat. Perry took command of the Niagara and crossed the British line perpendicularly in a tactic called crossing the "T"

Crossing the T

Crossing the T or Capping the T is a classic naval warfare tactic attempted from the late 19th to mid 20th century, in which a line of warships crossed in front of a line of enemy ships, allowing the crossing line to bring all their guns to bear while receiving fire from only the forward guns of...

. The Queen Charlotte, while attempting to prevent the Niagara from breaking through the line, collided with the Detroit and became entangled. The Niagara opened fire with both broadside

Broadside

A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...

s: the starboard broadside hitting the Queen Charlotte and the Detroit, and the port into the Lady Prevost. After several broadsides, the Queen Charlotte surrendered, followed shortly after by the Detroit and the rest of the British fleet.

After the battle, the Niagara assisted in the transporting of Harrison's army to the mouth of the Detroit River

Detroit River

The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...

in preparation for an invasion of southwest Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. On April 25, 1814, command of the Niagara was transferred to Arthur Sinclair

Arthur Sinclair

Commodore Arthur Sinclair was an early American naval hero, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War and in the War of 1812...

. After repairs, the fleet—consisting of the Niagara, the Lawrence, the Caledonia, the Scorpion and the Tigress—departed Erie for Detroit. In Detroit, soldiers under the command of Colonel George Croghan

George Croghan (soldier)

right|thumb|350px|Congressional medal presented by Congress Feb. 13, 1835. Obverse: Presented by Congress to Colonel George Croghan, 1835. Bust of Colonel Croghan Reverse: Pars Magna Fuit Ft...

embarked with the fleet, bound for Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...

. The fleet arrived on July 26 and landed

Landing operation

A landing operation is a military action aimed at a bringing the landing force usually via landing craft to a shore or to land with the purpose of power projection ashore by forces coming usually from ships and also aircraft and able to fight....

on August 4. The battle

Battle of Mackinac Island

The Battle of Mackinac Island was a British victory in the War of 1812. Before the war, Fort Mackinac had been an important American trading post in the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...

was ultimately lost, with Croghan being forced to retreat back to his boats. On August 13, the fleet arrived at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River

Nottawasaga River

The Nottawasaga River is a river in southern Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. It flows through the Minesing Swamp, recognized as a wetland of international significance , and empties into Nottawasaga Bay, an inlet of Georgian Bay, at...

where they attacked a blockhouse

Blockhouse

In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...

owned by the North West Company

North West Company

The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...

. The blockhouse was destroyed by the British, along with the schooner Nancy, to prevent their supplies from being captured.

After the Treaty of Ghent

Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

was signed, ending the war, the majority of the surviving ships that participated in the Battle of Lake Erie were disposed of in 1815. The Queen Charlotte, the Detroit, and Lawrence were sunk for preservation in Misery Bay on Presque Isle, whereas the Niagara was kept afloat and operated as a receiving ship. It was sunk in 1820 when the naval station at Presque Isle was closed. Benjamin H. Brown of Rochester

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

, New York bought all four ships in 1825, but sold them in 1836 to George Miles of Erie. Miles raised the ships, planning using them as merchant vessel

Merchant vessel

A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...

s. The Lawrence and the Niagara, not having a large enough hold

Hold (ship)

thumb|right|120px|View of the hold of a container shipA ship's hold is a space for carrying cargo. Cargo in holds may be either packaged in crates, bales, etc., or unpackaged . Access to holds is by a large hatch at the top...

and being in poor condition, were allowed to sink again.

Centennial

As part of celebrations for the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie, the Niagara was raised from Misery Bay in April 1913. Its keel was found to be in good enough condition for the brig to be rebuilt. Efforts to rebuild the Niagara were hampered by the lack of original plans. The restored Niagara was launched on June 7, complete with a new bowsprit

Bowsprit

The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow. It provides an anchor point for the forestay, allowing the fore-mast to be stepped farther forward on the hull.-Origin:...

, rigging

Rigging

Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...

and reproduction cannons supplied by the Boston Navy Yard

Boston Navy Yard

The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...

. From mid-July to mid-September, the Niagara was towed to various ports on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

—including Milwaukee, Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Detroit, Buffalo and Cleveland—by the USS Wolverine

USS Michigan (1843)

|USS Michigan was the United States Navy's first iron-hulled warship and served during the American Civil War. She was renamed USS Wolverine in 1905.-Early career:...

, the Navy's first iron-hulled warship. Ownership of the Niagara was transferred to the City of Erie in 1917, where it remained docked deteriorating.

The City of Erie transferred ownership of the Niagara to the newly formed "USS Niagara Foundation" in 1929, which was tasked with "acquiring and restoring the ship and making it the centerpiece of a museum." The onset of the Great Depression

Great Depression

forced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to take ownership, through the Flagship Niagara Commission, two years later. $50,000 was made available for another restoration in 1931, but by 1938 the state stopped its funding, leaving the restoration unfinished. The Niagara was transferred to the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, predecessor of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...

, and became a project for the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

. The Historical Commission contracted Howard I. Chapelle

Howard I. Chapelle

Howard Irving Chapelle was an American naval architect, and curator of maritime history at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.. In addition, he authored many books and articles books on maritime history and marine architecture.-Biography:...

to draw up plans for another restoration of the Niagara, based on other period ships that were built by Noah Brown, like the Saratoga
USS Saratoga (1814)
The second USS Saratoga, named for the Battles of Saratoga, was a corvette built on Lake Champlain for service in the War of 1812.-Service history:...

. According to Chapelle, very little of the original Niagara remained, as parts of it had been sold as souvenirs, and the 1913 reconstruction was not accurate to the period. The hull of the Niagara was launched in October 1943 without any masts, spar

Spar

In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...

s, or rigging. It was placed in a concrete cradle

Ship cradle

A Ship cradle is a support, made of wood or metal, to hold a ship or boat upright on land so that the vessel can be built or repaired. The vessel is chocked up by wooden chocks and fixed on the cradle...

in 1951. Discovery of rot

Dry rot

Dry rot refers to a type of wood decay caused by certain types of fungi, also known as True Dry Rot, that digests parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness...

throughout every part of the Niagara made it clear that a complete reconstruction would eventually be needed. Funds were appropriated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to make the Niagara "presentable" for the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1963 with the addition of rigging and cannons. The Niagara was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

on April 11, 1973.

Museum ship

In 1981, the Flagship Niagara League was formed with intent of reconstructing the Niagara so that it would be a working ship, instead of an "outdoor museum piece". The organization was eventually incorporated a non-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

associated with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Melbourne Smith was hired in 1986 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to head the reconstruction. The decay of the Niagara was so bad that it was dismantled and ultimately destroyed, with various timbers salvaged and used in non-structural areas of the ship. The destruction of the old ship and use of new wood often leads the Niagara to be considered a replica

Ship replica

. While the first Niagara was built hurriedly, the new Niagara was built out of properly seasoned

Wood drying

Wood drying reduces the moisture content of wood before its use.There are two main reasons for drying wood:...

and preserved yellow pine

Yellow pine

Yellow pine may refer to the following:*Certain pines in the subgenus Pinus subgenus Pinus:**In American forestry, a term for several closely related species of pine with yellow tinted wood, including the Southern Yellow Pines , and the non-Southern yellow pines and several others...

and Douglas fir

Douglas-fir

Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...

. The new Niagara was launched on September 10, 1988, but was not completed until July 18, 1990 when its sea trial

Sea trial

A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...

s were held. The Pennsylvania General Assembly

Pennsylvania General Assembly

designated the Niagara as the official flagship of Pennsylvania on April 29, 1988 and described its purpose as being a "sailing ambassador for Pennsylvania". In March 2008, the yellow pine mainmast was replaced with one of Douglas fir.

The Niagara is one of two remaining vessels that served in the War of 1812, the second being the USS Constitution

USS Constitution

USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...

. The United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

certified the Niagara as a Sailing School Vessel in August 2005. For safety reasons, the Niagara was equipped with modern equipment such as auxiliary diesel engine

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

s, lifeboats

Lifeboat (shipboard)

A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...

, radar, LORAN

LORAN

LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....

and radio.

The Niagara was also depicted on a commemorative Pennsylvania license plate

Vehicle registration plates of Pennsylvania

The U.S. state of Pennsylvania first issued vehicle registration plates in 1906. Until 1979, the embossed date or sticker on the plate represented the date of issue, as opposed to the rest of North America, where it represented the date of expiry...

. In 2009, the Flagship Niagara League assumed day-to-day management of the Niagara after a decision by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to cut $250,000 to fill a budget deficit. The Niagara was used to depict the whaleship

Whaler

A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...

Essex in an episode of the PBS

Public Broadcasting Service

The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

documentary

Documentary film

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

series American Experience
American Experience
American Experience is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American history...

.

Sources

External links

Flagship Niagara website
Niagara (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the official reference work for the basic facts about ships used by the United States Navy...

)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Construction

War of 1812

Battle of Lake Erie

Centennial

Museum ship

See also

Sources

External links