USS Sea Horse (1812)
Encyclopedia
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 gunboat
s, under the command of Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones
, which opposed the British advance on New Orleans in December 1814.
In an action
on the night of 13 December 1814, she repelled two attacks by armed British longboats. Her commanding officer, Sailing Master William Johnson, then beached her and burned her to prevent capture.
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....
that the Navy purchased in 1812 for service on 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:...
, near New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. She saw action as part of a squadron of 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, under the command of Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones
Thomas ap Catesby Jones
Thomas ap Catesby Jones was a U.S. Navy officer during the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.-Early life:Jones was born in 1790 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Thomas ap Catesby Jones means Thomas, son of Catesby Jones in the Welsh language. His brother was Roger Jones, who would become...
, which opposed the British advance on New Orleans in December 1814.
In an action
Action of 13 December 1814 (Louisiana Campaign)
The Action of 13 December 1814 was a naval action during the War of 1812. A flotilla of British longboats 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....
on the night of 13 December 1814, she repelled two attacks by armed British longboats. Her commanding officer, Sailing Master William Johnson, then beached her and burned her to prevent capture.