The battle of Lake Champlain, or Plattsburg, as it is often called, was
one of the most important, in its results, of all fought during the war
with Great Britain which began in 1812.
At the same time that the naval battle was fought, the Americans,
under General Macomb, obtained a decided victory over the British land
forces, which had advanced, on the west side of Lake Champlain, as far
as Plattsburg.
Although Lake Champlain had been the scene of so many important events
in the previous wars on this continent, two years of the “War of 1812”
elapsed before anything of importance occurred there. Nor would it have
then been the scene of any stirring event, if English military men had
been capable of learning anything from previous operations there.
Towards the end of 1814 large reinforcements had arrived in Canada,
from England, and an army of twelve or fifteen thousand men was
collected in the vicinity of Montreal.
With this force the enemy intended an invasion of the northern counties
of New York; undeterred by the fate of General Burgoyne, whose route,
practically, they intended to follow.
In spite of the obstinacy and stupidity of the English military mind
during these operations, many people have supposed that this expedition
was not intended to be pushed very far into a country much more capable
of resistance than in Burgoyne’s time, but that the officers were
probably directed to penetrate as far as Crown Point and Ticonderoga,
perhaps with a view to attempts at further conquests in the spring.
Some thought that they hoped to reach Albany; a measure that would have
involved the loss of their whole force, as double the number of men
could hardly have accomplished such a feat in Burgoyne’s time, through
a sparsely settled country.
It is altogether probable that they intended to occupy a portion of
the frontier, in the expectation of turning the occupation to account
in the negotiations which were known to be impending; as the English
Commissioners soon after advanced a claim which would have the effect
of driving the Americans back from their ancient boundaries, with a
view to leaving to Great Britain the entire possession of the lakes.
In such an expedition as this, with Canada as a base, the command
of Champlain became of great importance, as it flanked the march of
the invading army for more than a hundred miles, and offered great
facilities for forwarding supplies, as well as for annoyance and
defence.
Until the year 1814 neither nation had had a force of any moment on
Lake Champlain; but the Americans had built a ship and a schooner,
during the previous winter and spring. When it was found that the
enemy had serious intentions, both by water and by land, the keel of a
brig was laid, and a number of “row-galleys,” or gun-boats, were also
constructed.
During this period the English were not idle. In addition to several
small vessels they already possessed on these waters, they built a
brig, and, as soon as she was in frame, laid the keel of a ship. The
latter vessel was to be of the greatest force and size possible for
those waters, and great care was taken to make her so. The American
brig, which was called the Eagle, was launched about the middle of
August, and the English ship, which was called the Confiance, on the
25th of the same month. As the English army was already collecting on
the frontier, the utmost exertions were made by both sides, and each
ship appeared on the lake as she was got ready.
Captain Thomas McDonough, who commanded the American naval force, was
an officer who, though young, had repeatedly distinguished himself
since he had entered the service, in the year 1800, being appointed
from the State of Delaware.
McDonough got out on the lake a few days before his adversary, and as
cruising, in the ordinary sense of the term, was impossible upon such
a long and narrow body of water, the American Captain advanced as far
as Plattsburg, the point selected for the defence against the invaders,
and anchored, on the 3d of September, on the flank of the American
troops, which occupied entrenchments at that place.
Previously to this the English had made an attempt to sink a vessel in
the mouth of the Otter Creek, to prevent the Americans from getting
their vessels out, but they were beaten off. Otter Creek is some
distance down the lake, on the Vermont side.
About this time Sir George Prevost, the English Commander-in-chief,
advanced against Plattsburg, then held by Brigadier General Macomb.
The latter had only fifteen hundred men fit for duty, while Sir Geo.
Prevost’s army was estimated at twelve thousand.
Prevost’s army was divided into four brigades, which were commanded by
Lieutenant General De Rottenberg, Major Generals Brisbane, Power and
Robinson, and Major General Baynes was Adjutant General.
With this formidably officered force Sir George Prevost advanced slowly
down the right shore of the lake, waiting for the flotilla to get ready
and to appear on his left flank.
From the 7th to the 11th of August the American skirmishers and
scouts kept the English advance well upon the alert, while the latter
were engaged in bringing up their battering trains, stores and
reinforcements. Some fighting took place amongst detached bodies, on
shore, but no move was made upon the water.
Cooper will be chiefly followed in the account of the battle which
took place upon the lake, although Roosevelt does even more justice to
McDonough than Cooper does. Like Cooper, too, Roosevelt ranks McDonough
as much higher in the scale of ability, as a naval commander, than
Perry, the commander on Lake Erie, while in regard to courage and
conduct under fire, their claims are undoubtedly equal.
The English naval Captain, Downie, late in command of the Montreal,
on Lake Ontario, had been sent by Sir James Yeo, the British naval
Commander-in-chief, to take the command on Lake Champlain. He came,
with the express understanding that he was not to come out until he
considered his vessels ready.
In one sense, neither the English nor the American vessels were in
a very forward state of preparation. The largest English vessel had
been in the water but sixteen days when she was brought into action.
The second vessel in size of the Americans had been launched but
thirty days when she was fought in the battle. In point of fact, the
American Eagle was ready for service but eight days before the English
Confiance. As all these vessels had little need of the stores supplied
to a sea-going ship, and as the action between them was fought at
anchor, they were, really, not much more than floating batteries.
But to illustrate the difficulties under which naval operations in
those parts were carried on, we may say that when Captain McDonough
first arrived, to build and fit out a squadron, he was so short of
skilled seamen that he was obliged to turn to and strop blocks, and do
other seaman’s work, with his own hands.
Ready-witted Yankee landsmen soon learned to do a great deal, and after
a time, seamen, in small numbers, were procured, such as had seen
powder burnt.
On the 6th of September Captain McDonough ordered his galleys to the
head of Plattsburg Bay, to annoy the British land forces, which they
cannonaded for two hours. The wind then came on to blow a gale, which
menaced the galleys with shipwreck, and they were ordered to retire.
The boat which carried the order was in charge of a midshipman named
Duncan, and it is supposed the enemy thought McDonough himself was in
the boat, about to join the galleys, for they concentrated a fire upon
it, and Mr. Duncan was severely wounded, losing an arm.
The general direction of Lake Champlain is north and south, but,
at a point called Cumberland Head, in coming south, the land bends
north again, forming Plattsburg Bay, which is a deep indentation of
the shore, that leaves a basin open to the southward, and which,
consequently, lies nearly parallel to the main lake. The east side of
this bay is protected by the long, narrow neck of land that terminates
in Cumberland Head. Its bottom, or northern end, and its western
shore, are encircled by the main land, while to the southward and
eastward is the entrance. Near the centre of the western shore the
Saranac enters the bay, and on both banks of that river stands the town
of Plattsburg.
About a mile and a half from Cumberland Head, in a southwesterly
direction, and quite near the western shore, is an extensive shoal and
a small, low island, which commands the approach to the bay in that
direction.
At this spot, called Crab Island, the naval hospital was established,
and a one-gun battery erected.
Captain McDonough had chosen an anchorage a little south of the outlet
of the Saranac. His vessels lay in a line parallel to the shore,
extending north and south, and distant from the western shore nearly
two miles. The last vessel to the southward was so near the shoal as
to prevent the English from passing that end of the line, while all
the American vessels lay out so much toward Cumberland Head that they
brought the enemy within reach of carronades, should he enter the bay
on that side.
The Eagle, Captain Henley, lay at the northern extremity of the
American line, and what might, during the battle which followed, have
been called its head; the wind being to the northward and eastward. The
Saratoga, Captain McDonough’s own vessel, was second; the Ticonderoga,
Lieutenant Commanding Cassin, the third; and the Preble, Lieutenant
Budd, last. The Preble lay a little further south than the pitch of
Cumberland Head.
The first of the vessels just mentioned was a brig of twenty guns and
150 men, all told; the second, a ship of twenty-six guns, and 212 men;
the third, a schooner of seventeen guns, and 110 men; and the last, a
sloop of seven guns and 30 men.
The metal of all these vessels, as well as of those of the enemy,
was unusually heavy, there being no swell in the lake to make a heavy
armament dangerous.
The Saratoga mounted eight long 24s, six 42s, and twelve 32-pound
carronades. The Eagle had eight long 18s, and twelve 32-pound
carronades. The Ticonderoga had four long 18s, eight long 12s, and four
32-pound carronades, beside one 18-pound columbiad. The Preble had
seven long 9s.
In addition to these four vessels, the Americans had ten galleys or
gun-boats--six large and four small. Each of the large ones mounted a
long 24 and an eighteen-pound columbiad, while the smaller ones had
each a long 12.
The galleys had, on an average, about thirty-five men each.
The total force of the Americans consisted, therefore, of fourteen
vessels, of all classes, mounting 102 guns, and containing about eight
hundred and fifty men, including officers, and a small detachment of
soldiers, who did duty as marines, none of that corps having been sent
to Lake Champlain.
To complete his order of battle, Captain McDonough directed two of the
galleys to keep in shore, and a little to windward of the Eagle, to
sustain the head of the line. One or two more were to lie opposite to
the interval between the Eagle and the Saratoga; a few opposite the
interval between the Saratoga and Ticonderoga; and two opposite the
interval between the Ticonderoga and the Preble. If any order had been
given to cover the rear of the line it was not carried out.
The Americans were, consequently, formed in two lines, distant from
each other about forty yards, the large vessels at anchor, and the
galleys under their sweeps. Owing to the latter circumstance, the inner
line soon got to be very irregular, “some of the galleys pressing
boldly forward, while others were less impelled by the ardor of their
commanders,” which is certainly a good way of putting it.
The known force of the enemy was materially greater than that of the
Americans.
The largest English vessel, the Confiance, commanded by Captain Downie
in person, had the gun-deck of a heavy frigate, and mounted on it an
armament of thirty long 24s.
She had a spacious top-gallant-forecastle, and a poop which came as
far as the mizzen-mast. On her forecastle she mounted one long 24,
on a circle, and four heavy carronades; and on the poop, two heavy
carronades, making an armament of thirty-seven guns, in all. Her
complement of men is supposed to have been more than three hundred.
The next vessel of the enemy was the Linnet, a brig of sixteen long
12s, with a crew of about one hundred men.
They had two sloops; the Chubb and the Finch. The first carried
ten 18-pound carronades, and one long 6; the second six 18-pound
carronades, one 18-pound columbiad, and four long 6s. Each of these
sloops had about forty men.
To these four vessels were added a force of galleys, or gun-boats,
in number, either twelve or thirteen; Captain McDonough gives the
latter number; Captain Downie, the former. Thus, Downie’s whole force
consisted of sixteen or seventeen vessels, mounting, in all, one
hundred and fifteen or sixteen guns, and manned by about one thousand
men.
On the third of September the British gun-boats sailed from Isle
aux Noix, to cover the left flank of their army, then marching on
Plattsburg. The boats were under the orders of Captain Pring, and on
the 4th that officer took possession of Isle aux Motte, where he
constructed a battery, and landed some stores for the troops.
On the 8th, Captain Downie arrived, with the four large English
vessels, and remained at anchor until the 11th. At daylight of that day
the whole force weighed anchor and proceeded, in a body.
The American guard-boat pulled in, soon after sunrise, and announced
the approach of the enemy. As the wind was fair--a good working breeze
from the northeast--the English came down the lake rapidly, and Captain
McDonough ordered the ships cleared for action, and preparations made
to fight at anchor.
Eight bells were struck in the American squadron as the upper sails of
the British vessels were seen passing along the neck of land in the
main lake, on their way to double Cumberland Head, in order to enter
the bay. They had the wind a little on the port quarter, the booms of
their small vessels swinging out to starboard. The Finch led, followed
by the Confiance, Linnet and Chubb, while the gunboats, which, like
those of the Americans, each carried two latine sails, followed without
much order; keeping just clear of the shore.
The first vessel which came round the head was a sloop, which is
reported to have carried a company of amateurs, and which took no part
in the engagement. She kept well to leeward, standing down towards Crab
Island, and was soon lost to observation in the events which followed.
It is this vessel, undoubtedly, which has made the difference in the
numbers of the enemy reported by the two commanders.
[Illustration: McDONOUGH’S VICTORY ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN.]
The Finch came round next; and soon after the other large vessels of
the enemy opened from behind the land, and hauled by the wind, in a
line abreast; lying to until their galleys could join. The latter
proceeded to leeward and formed in the same manner as the larger
vessels. The two squadrons were now in plain view of each other, and
distant about three miles.
As soon as their gun-boats were in their stations, and the different
commanders had received their orders, the English filled away, on
the starboard tack, and headed in towards the American vessels, in a
line abreast--the Chubb to windward and the Finch to leeward--most of
their gunboats being to leeward of the Finch. The movements of the
latter vessel had been a little singular ever since she led round the
Head--for she is said not to have hove to, as the rest did, but to have
run off with the wind, halfway to Crab Island, then to have tacked, and
got into her station after the other vessels had filled.
This movement was either to reconnoitre, or to menace the American rear.
The enemy were now standing in, close-hauled, the Chubb looking well to
windward of the Eagle, the vessel which lay at the head of the American
line. The Linnet was laying her course for the head of the same vessel;
and the Confiance was intending to fetch far enough ahead of the
Saratoga to lay that ship athwart hawse. The Finch, with the gun-boats,
was standing for the Ticonderoga and Preble.
Captain McDonough had taken up his anchorage with the eye of a seaman.
As has been said, his line could not be doubled, on account of the
shoal; there was not room to anchor on his broadside out of reach of
his carronades, which formed so large a part of his armament; and in
order to close, it was necessary, let the wind blow as it might, to
stand in upon his vessels bows on. This was an experiment not rashly to
be attempted; yet the English, accustomed to see it succeed in their
European contests, did not hesitate to adopt it on this occasion, most
probably presuming upon their knowledge of the large proportion of
short guns in their adversaries’ vessels.
The Americans were, as a matter of course, anchored with springs. But,
not content with this, McDonough had laid a kedge broad off on each bow
of the Saratoga, and brought their hawsers in upon the two quarters,
letting them hang in bights under the water. This timely precaution
really gained him the victory.
As the enemy filled away the American vessels sprung their broadsides
to bear, and then, for a few minutes, the solemn silence which always
prevails before a naval action, in a well-disciplined ship, was only
broken by the footsteps of the vigilant officers.
Suddenly the Eagle fired, in quick succession, the four long eighteens
in broadside. In clearing the decks of the Saratoga some hen-coops were
thrown overboard, and the poultry turned out, to run at large about the
decks. Startled by the reports of these guns, a young cock flew upon a
gun-slide, clapped his wings, and crowed.
At this animating sound the men spontaneously gave three cheers.
This little incident relieved the solemn time which elapsed between
preparation and combat, and had an especially powerful influence over
the seamen--so apt to be swayed by signs and omens.
Although the enemy’s galleys now opened fire, McDonough refrained from
giving the order to reply, for it was evident that the Eagle’s guns,
which continued to try the range, did not yet reach. As soon, however,
as it was seen that her shot told, McDonough himself sighted a long
twenty-four, and the gun was fired. The shot struck the Confiance near
her hawse-hole, and passed the whole length of her deck, killing and
wounding several men, and carrying away her wheel. It was the signal
for the Americans to open with all their long guns, under which the
English flag-ship especially suffered.
Still they steadily held their course, in the most gallant manner,
confident that if they could once get their ships into the desired
position, the great weight of metal of the Confiance would decide the
fortune of the day.
But he had over-estimated his own powers of endurance, and, probably,
under-estimated the force of the Americans. The anchors of the
Confiance were hanging by the stoppers, in readiness to let go, and
her port bower was soon cut away by shot, as well as a spare anchor in
the port fore-chains. In short, after a long endurance of a galling
fire from the Americans, the wind began to baffle, and Captain Downie
found himself obliged to anchor while still distant a quarter of a mile
from the American line. The helm of the Confiance was put a-port; the
ship shot into the wind, and a kedge was let go, while the ship took a
sheer, and brought up with her starboard bower. In doing this her kedge
was fouled, and became of no use. In coming to, her halliards were let
run, and she hauled up her courses.
At this time the Linnet and the Chubb were still standing in, further
to the westward, and the former, when her guns bore, fired a broadside
at the Saratoga. The Linnet soon after anchored somewhat nearer than
the Confiance; getting an excellent position, forward of the Eagle’s
beam.
The Chubb kept under way, intending, if possible, to rake the
American line. The Finch, by means of her sweeps, got abreast of the
Ticonderoga, and was supported by the gun-boats.
The English vessels came to in very handsome style, and, although the
whole American line was now firing, the Confiance did not discharge
a single gun until she was secured. As soon as this was done her
battery was manned, and her side appeared one sheet of flame, as she
fired her whole broadside at once, mostly at the Saratoga. The effect
of this broadside, from sixteen long 24s, double-shotted, in perfectly
smooth water, at point blank range, and coolly sighted, was terrible
for the little ship which received it. Half her crew were prostrated,
although many were knocked down who had received no real injury, but
about forty men, or near one fifth of her complement were either killed
or wounded, on board the Saratoga, by this one broadside. The hatches
had been covered, as usual, but the decks were so encumbered by the
bodies that it was found necessary to take off the gratings, and pass
them below. For a moment the men seemed appalled, but then they resumed
their fire as gallantly as ever. Among the killed by this broadside was
Mr. Gamble, her First Lieutenant. He was on his knees, sighting the
bow-gun, when a shot entered the port, split the quoin, drove a portion
of it against his chest, and laid him dead, without breaking the skin.
Captain Downie was, a few moments later, killed by an American shot,
without breaking the skin, as a dismounted gun struck him in the groin.
By the loss of Mr. Gamble but one lieutenant, and he an acting one,
was left in the Saratoga. On the part of the principal vessels
the battle now settled into a steady, animated, but, as guns were
injured, a gradually decreasing cannonade. The Chubb, while manœuvring
near the head of the American line, received a broadside from the
Eagle, which crippled her, and she drifted down between the opposing
vessels, until near the Saratoga, which ship fired a shot into her,
and she immediately struck. A midshipman was sent in a boat, to take
possession. The young officer hove the prize a line, and towed her
down astern and inshore of the Saratoga; anchoring her near the mouth
of the Saranac.
This first success occurred within a quarter of an hour after the enemy
had anchored, and afforded great encouragement to our people; although
they well knew that on the heavily armed Confiance depended the fate
of the day. The Chubb had suffered much, and nearly half her ship’s
company had been killed or wounded.
After about an hour’s fighting, the Finch was also driven out of her
station by the Ticonderoga, and, being crippled, she drifted down upon
Crab Island Shoal, where, after receiving a shot or two from the gun
mounted in battery, she struck, and was taken possession of by the
invalids from the hospital.
At the end of the line the British galleys early made every effort to
come to close action, and soon after the Finch had drifted away they
forced the Preble out of the American line, that vessel cutting her
cable, and shifting her anchorage to a station considerably inshore,
where she rendered no more service that day.
The rear of the American line was certainly its weakest point; and
having compelled the little Preble to retreat, the enemy’s galleys
immediately attacked the vessel which was next ahead in the line, the
Ticonderoga.
This schooner was not only more powerful than the Preble, but she was
nobly fought by Lieutenant Cassin, her commander, who coolly walked the
taffrail, where he could watch the movements of the enemy’s galleys,
amidst showers of canister and grape.
He fired, in return, bags of musket balls, and other light missiles,
which kept the British gun-boats at a respectful distance. Many of the
latter were very gallantly fought, and several times approached quite
near, with the evident intention of boarding, but the steadiness of the
Ticonderoga’s fire beat them back, and completely covered the rear of
the line for the rest of the day. So desperate were some of the attacks
that the galleys got up within boat-hook’s length of the schooner.
While the fight was thus progressing in the rear of the American
line, the other extremity was suffering severely. The English vessel,
the Linnet, had a capital position, and was most admirably fought,
while the Eagle (which received all her fire and part of that of the
Confiance), having had her springs shot away, found herself so situated
as to be unable to bring her guns fairly to bear upon either of her
opponents. Captain Henley had, previous to the engagement, hoisted
his top-sail yards, with the sails stoppered, to the mast-heads. He
now cut his cable, sheeted home his top-sails, cast the brig, and ran
down and anchored by the stern, between the Saratoga and Ticonderoga,
necessarily a little inshore of both. Here he used his port battery,
which was fresh, upon the Confiance and the gun-boats. But this
movement left the Saratoga exposed to nearly the whole fire of the
Linnet, which brig now sprung her broadside so as to partially rake the
American ship.
Soon after this important change at the head of the line the fire of
the two ships began to materially diminish, as gun after gun became
disabled. The Saratoga, in particular, had all her long guns disabled
by shot; while most of her carronades were dismounted, either from the
enemy’s fire, or from a disposition in the men to overcharge them,
which the paucity of officers rendered it difficult to prevent. At
length, but a single carronade remained in the starboard battery,
and on firing it, the navel-bolt broke, and the over-heated and
over-charged gun not only flew off the carriage, but down the main
hatch.
This left the ship of the American commanding officer, in the middle of
the action, without an available gun. The only thing to be done was to
immediately attempt to wind the ship.
A stream anchor which was suspended astern was let go. The men then
clapped on the hawser that led to the starboard quarter, and brought
the ship’s stern up over the kedge; but here she hung, there not being
sufficient wind or current to force her bows round. A line had been
bent to the bight in the stream cable, with a view to help wind the
ship, and she now rode by the kedge, and this line, with her stern
exposed to the steady and well directed fire of the Linnet. The port
battery having been manned, Captain McDonough ordered all the men from
the guns, where they were uselessly suffering, and sent them forward.
By rowsing on the line, the ship was at length got so far round that
the port aftermost gun would bear upon the Confiance, and it was
instantly manned, and began to fire. The next gun was used in the same
manner; but it was soon apparent that the ship could be got no further
round, for she was nearly end on to the wind. At this critical moment
Mr. Brum, the Master, thought of the hawser which had been led to the
port quarter before the action commenced. It was got forward, under the
bows, and passed aft to the starboard quarter, when the ship’s stern
was immediately sprung to the westward, so as to bring all her port
guns to bear on the English ship with immense effect.
As soon as the preparations to wind the Saratoga were made, the
Confiance attempted to perform the same evolution. Her springs were
hauled on, but they merely forced the ship ahead; and, having borne
the fresh broadside of the American until she had scarcely a gun with
which to return the fire, and failing in all her efforts to get round,
her commanding officer lowered his flag, about two hours and a quarter
after the commencement of the action.
By hauling again upon the starboard hawser, the Saratoga’s broadside
was immediately sprung to bear upon the Linnet, which brig struck, in
about fifteen minutes after her consort.
At this moment, the enemy’s galleys had been driven back nearly or
quite half a mile. They were irregularly scattered, and setting fast to
leeward, while they kept up only a desultory firing. As soon as they
found the large vessels had submitted, they ceased firing, and lowered
their colors; and not a single British ensign was left flying in the
bay, out of the sixteen or seventeen which had entered it so gallantly
less than three hours before.
Although this action was fought at anchor, it may be truly said that it
was won as much by seamanship as by downright hard fighting.
The foregoing account, as has been said, is taken principally from
Cooper, whose account of this action is acknowledged, on all sides, to
be entirely impartial; while many capable persons have found fault with
his account of Perry’s victory on Lake Erie.
In the long and bloody conflict of Plattsburg the Saratoga had
twenty-eight killed and twenty-nine wounded; or more than one-fourth of
all on board. The Eagle had thirteen killed and twenty wounded; about
the same proportionate loss. The Ticonderoga had six killed and six
wounded. The Preble had two killed. The Saratoga was hulled fifty-five
times, and the Eagle thirty-nine times.
After the first destructive fire of the broadside of the Confiance, her
fire became less formidable, the shot passing higher at each discharge.
By her second broadside nearly all the hammocks in the Saratoga’s
nettings were cut to pieces; and it was seen, as the battle advanced,
that the English shot cut the standing rigging further and further from
the deck.
Few men were hurt, after the first fire, by anything but grape, or
by the shot of the well-fought Linnet. This was a curious fact,
considering the smooth water, and the ships being always at the same
distance. The American officers came to the conclusion that the enemy
had levelled his guns to point blank range, and that the quoins were
not properly replaced, after each discharge had loosened them.
When the Confiance made her abortive attempt to wind, her decks were
in great confusion, and after the battle, when the charges of her
guns were drawn, one gun was found with a canvas bag, holding two
round-shot, rammed home and wadded, without any powder; another with
two cartridges and no shot; and a third with a wad below the cartridge.
According to the report of the Captain of the Linnet, dated September
12th, the Confiance lost forty-one killed and forty wounded. At a later
date the English themselves stated the number of her wounded at 83.
This included the slightly hurt, no doubt; and would make her total
loss one hundred and twenty-four; and that number was thought to be
short of the truth.
The Linnet is reported to have had ten killed and fourteen wounded; the
Chubb six killed and ten wounded; while the Finch was reported by the
English to have had but two men wounded. No American official report of
the casualties on board the English vessels was ever given, or at least
published, nor was any report, of any kind, given, of the loss in the
English galleys, which were well up, during the action, and must have
suffered severely.
As soon as the Linnet struck a Lieutenant was sent to take possession
of the Confiance. She was found to be in a much worse condition than
her special opponent, the Saratoga. The Confiance had been hulled one
hundred and five times, had nearly if not quite half her people killed
and wounded, and her battery entirely disabled.
As the boarding officer was passing along the deck of the prize he
accidentally ran against a lock-string, and thereby fired one of the
Confiance’s starboard guns, which sent its shot towards Cumberland
Head. Up to this moment the English galleys had been slowly drifting
to leeward, with their colors down, apparently waiting to be taken
possession of; but at the discharge of the gun, which they appear to
have understood as a signal, one or two of them began to move slowly
off, and were soon after followed by the others, each pulling very few
sweeps. It appears that they did not hoist their colors again.
Captain McDonough made signal for the American galleys to follow; but
it was found that their men were needed at the pumps of the larger
vessels, to keep them from sinking, the water being found over the
berth-deck of the Linnet. The signal to chase was then revoked.
As there was not a mast among the larger vessels which would bear any
canvas, the English galleys escaped, going off, at first, slowly and
irregularly, as if distrusting their own liberty.
The turning point in the action just described was the winding of the
Saratoga, so successfully accomplished, and next in importance was the
defence of the rear of the line by the Ticonderoga, under Lieutenant
Cassin. Once or twice the nearest vessels thought his vessel in flames,
in consequence of the awful rapidity of her fire.
The Saratoga was twice on fire, from hot shot thrown from the
Confiance, and her spanker was nearly consumed. The English flag-ship
had a party of artillerists on board and a furnace for heating hot shot.
Captain McDonough, whose reputation as an accomplished officer was
before high, gained a great accession of reputation from this day’s
proceedings. His disposition for receiving the attack was highly
judicious and seamanlike. By the manner in which he anchored his
vessels, with the shoals so near the rear of his line as to cover that
extremity, and the land of Cumberland Head so near his broadside as
necessarily to bring the enemy within reach of his carronades, he made
all his force completely available. The English were not quite near
enough to give to carronades their full effect, but this disadvantage
was unavoidable, the assailing party having, of course, the choice of
the distance.
“The personal deportment of Captain McDonough in this engagement was
the subject of general admiration in his little squadron. His coolness
was undisturbed, throughout all the trying scenes on board his own
ship, and, although lying against a vessel of double the force and
nearly double the tonnage of the Saratoga, he met and resisted her
attack with a constancy that seemed to set defeat at defiance.” The
winding of the Saratoga, under such circumstances, exposed, as she was,
to the raking fire of the Confiance and Linnet, especially the latter,
was a bold, seamanlike, and masterly measure, that required unusual
decision and fortitude to imagine and execute.
Most men would have believed that, without a single gun on the side
engaged, a fourth of their people cut down, and their ship a wreck,
enough injury had been received to justify submission; but McDonough
found the means to secure a victory, even in the desperate situation of
the Saratoga.
Captain Downie’s personal conduct and gallantry were beyond censure,
yet the prudence and the nautical merits of his mode of attack have
been much censured.
The Confiance had been built in so short a time, and by exertions so
great, as to put it out of the power of the Americans to construct
a vessel of her size in sufficient season to meet her, and it would
be accusing the enemy of imbecility to suppose that, after the known
result of many combats, he had not made his vessel of ample force to
ensure victory.
Few naval men will deny that a ship with the gun-deck dimensions, metal
and battery of a 44, ought to have been fully equal, at least, to
contend with two such vessels as the Saratoga and Eagle. This admitted,
it follows that Downie had much the superior force.
The plan of the campaign that was destroyed by this defeat; the high
objects in view; the fact that the English were the assailants, and
that they could not but know the force they were to attack, together
with all the attendant circumstances, were so many assurances that the
battle of Plattsburg Bay was fought, on the part of the enemy, with a
confidence of victory only justified by this known advantage. The very
name given to their largest ship was a pledge to this effect.
Sir James Yeo, whose command extended to Lake Champlain, complained
that Captain Downie had been hurried into action by the Governor
General, before he was prepared; but he did not complain of an
insufficiency of force. That Downie went into action before his own
crew and vessel had been long subject to drill and preparation, is
true; but McDonough was laboring under precisely the same disadvantage.
These are the incidents and drawbacks peculiar to sudden enterprises,
and they must be met by the resources of true seamen.
The Constitution took the Guerrière with a crew that had been acting
together but little more than a month; and she was manœuvring
before the English squadron, off New York--a much more delicate
business--within five days of the time that a large proportion of her
crew had joined her.
Captain Downie’s professional character, as well as his published
declarations, prove that he considered the Confiance ready to meet an
enemy. Sir James Yeo, with greater reason than he had for his former
complaint, said that Captain Downie stood square into the bay to make
his attack--and by this exposed himself to a raking fire, which, no
doubt, contributed to the loss of the day.
The leading into a hostile squadron bows on had frequently been
practiced by the English in European waters, with comparative impunity.
But it was an eminently hazardous experiment to make under the guns of
an American man-of-war. Still, Downie’s bearing was highly gallant, and
assuring to his ships’ companies. The weatherly position he attained
was much in his favor; and, judging from the force of his own vessel,
could he have got the berth he aimed at, there is great reason to think
he would have been successful. That he was foiled, must be attributed
to the immovable steadiness, cool deliberation, and admirable fire of
the people he assailed.
Although many of the American officers were wounded, but two
commissioned officers were killed. These were Mr. Gamble, whose death
has already been alluded to; and Mr. Stansbury, the first lieutenant of
the Ticonderoga.
Mr. Stansbury suddenly disappeared from the bulwarks, forward, while
superintending some duty with the springs. Two days after the action
his body rose to the surface, near his own ship, and it was found to
have been cut in two by a round shot.
Many officers were knocked down, during the engagement, without having
blood drawn. At one moment there was a cry on board the Saratoga,
that Captain McDonough was killed. He was lying on his face, on the
quarter-deck, nearly senseless, and it was two or three minutes before
he recovered. During most of the action he sighted a favorite gun, and,
while bending his body to sight it, a shot cut the spanker boom in two,
letting the spar fall upon his back, a blow which might easily have
proved fatal.
In a few minutes the cry that “the Commodore” was killed was again
heard. This time McDonough was lying on the deck, between two guns,
covered with blood, and again nearly senseless. A shot had driven the
head of the captain of his favorite gun in upon him, and knocked him
into the scuppers. He soon recovered, as the blood turned out to be
that of the unfortunate man.
Mr. Brum, the Master, a venerable old seaman, while engaged in
winding the ship, had a large splinter driven so near his body that
it actually stripped off his clothing. He was thought to be dead,
but soon recovered, regained his feet, and, making an apron of his
pocket-handkerchief, coolly went to work again at the springs.
A few months after the battle this veteran died; as it was thought,
from the injury.
Lieutenant Vallette had a shot-box on which he was standing, knocked
from under his feet; and he, also, was once knocked down by the head of
a seaman, and at about the same time received a severe splinter wound.
In short, very few escaped altogether; and in this desperate fight it
appears to have been agreed, on both sides, to call no man wounded who
could keep out of the hospital. Mr. Smith, the First Lieutenant of the
Eagle, was severely wounded; but returned to his quarters, after his
wound was dressed.
On the part of the enemy, beside Captain Downie, several officers were
killed, and three or four were wounded.
Beside the usual medal from Congress for a successful engagement,
Captain McDonough received compliments and gifts from several States,
and was promoted.
The Legislature of New York presented him with a small estate on
Cumberland Head, which overlooked the scene of his triumphs.
His officers and crews met with the customary acknowledgments, and the
country generally rated the victory by the side of that of Lake Erie.
The Navy, best able to judge of all the circumstances, has always
placed the battle of Plattsburg Bay among the very highest of its
claims to glory.
The consequences of the victory were immediate, and very important.
During the naval action, Sir Geo. Prevost had skirmished in front
of the American entrenchments, and was evidently upon the point of
bringing up his overwhelming force for a more serious attack. As soon,
however, as he ascertained the fate of the British squadron, he made a
precipitate and most unmilitary retreat; abandoning much of his heavy
artillery, stores, and supplies; and from that moment, till the end of
the war, the northern frontier was cleared of the enemy.
Commodore McDonough died, in 1825, of consumption, at the age of 42,
while in command of the Mediterranean squadron, with his flag in the
Constitution.