It Happened Here -- A Close  Thing (Twice)

At Sacket's Harbor   Part I

Barely a month had passed since the Congress of the United States in a far from unanimous vote, had voted to declare war on Great Britain.  Sacket's Harbor¹ residents must have steeled themselves for the future with feelings of both ambivalence and trepidation.  Since 1801 the sleepy little port town owed it existence mainly to trade across the lake, including a profitable trade in potash, destined for the nearly tree-less  Britain²  But now the British and Canadians were their enemies. For some time changes had been in the wind. Congress had enacted embargo acts in 1807 and in 1809 that made trade with Britain and France illegal and in 1809 the U.S. government had bought the brig Oneida from private owners on Lake Ontario to attempt to interdict this trade. In July of 1812 the Oneida had captured the Lord Nelson, a  Canadian merchant sloop carrying on trade between New York and Upper Canadian ports. Meanwhile, the British had built up a sizable little fleet based in Kingston, only a short distance away, across the lake. While the Lord Nelson and the eighteen gun Oneida rested at anchor in the harbor, on shore a blockhouse and gun emplacements were being hastily constructed. But the residents undoubtedly observed their were no guns for the new battery, and in fact the only ordinance in town was a huge old 32 pounder, obtained for the Oneida but rejected because the 6500 lb, 10 foot long cannon was simply too big and too heavy for the little brig

"Old Sow" Replica on the Sacket's Harbor Battlefield

On the Canadian side, the British war office was urging restraint in dealing with the Americans. Locked in a death struggle with Napoleon, they simply didn't need another war with another enemy on another front, no matter how weak and unprepared it was. On the other hand, they knew a few short miles away at anchor in a defenseless harbor, sat their ship that had been "pirated" from them with the brig that was the cause of their irritation.

On September 19, 1812 a British fleet comprised of the Royal George (24guns), the Seneca (18guns), the Prince Regent (20 guns), the Earl of Moira (20 guns) and the Simcoe  set sail for Sacket's Harbor.

The British attack force was first spotted from the masthead of the Oneida.  The American ship attempted to make for open water, but was cut off and returned to the harbor. There she
anchored and prepared to fight as a floating, stationary battery. Her eight shore-facing guns were removed and placed in the shore emplacements. Only the day before, the large 32 lb. gun had been mounted in a pivoting emplacement  at the head of the new battery. Captain Chauncey
placed sailing master William Vaughn in charge of this gun.

As the Americans began their final preparations they discovered a catastrophic oversight.  There was no ammunition large enough for the 32 pounder in town! When Vaughn attempted to use the 24 lb cannon balls in the larger cannon  much of the explosive force of the burning gunpowder simply roared past the smaller ball and the shot fell far short of its target.  From on board the attacking ships the artillery crews on shore could hear peals of derisive laughter.  Then Vaughn had an inspiration. The professional navy man knew
                                                            

Site of Ft. Tompkins Blockhouse; Gun Emplacements near the hedge

that riflemen achieved greater range and accuracy by wrapping their rifle balls in a patch of oiled cloth or buckskin, partly to contain the force of the gunpowder blast behind the ball, propelling it to its target. He ordered a bewildered subordinate to run to his house and rip up the parlor rug in his sitting room and bring it to him. When the man returned, he cut it into large patches which he wrapped around each shot before forcing them down the barrel of his "old sow" cannon.

By now the British ships were firing broadsides at the gun batteries and the American batteries were returning fire, but having limited effect because the Oneida's armaments were carronades--a shorter cannon, with shorter range, and the ships of the British fleet were careful to stay beyond their reach.

A Carronade at Sackets Harbor

A 24 lb. Canon at Sackets Harbor

For about two hours American and British artillery dueled.  But while the British shot were slamming into the rocks below the battery or plowing up the muddy earth beyond the American emplacements, cannon fire, mainly from Vaughn's gun was crashing into spars and bringing down rigging. Then as the Royal George tacked once again to bring its lake-facing guns around so they could fire at the shore battery, a lucky shot from the 32-pounder plowed into the rear cabin of the fleet's flagship, crashing through the whole length of the ship and exiting out of the bow. The destruction and carnage was terrific. From one end of the ship to the other, gun carriages were splintered  and cannon upended; sailors were crushed and dismembered; eight crewmen died immediately. Following this blow, the Royal George gave the signal to retreat and  the British fleet bore off to Kingston.

The next two plus years saw major changes at Sacket's Harbor as army, navy, marines and civilian shipbuilders flooded into this town of a few hundred souls, turning it briefly into the third largest city in New York State, becoming one of the nation's busiest shipbuilding ports.   Sacket's Harbor had escaped its first trial but it would face a more severe trial in a little over eight months.  (Next week Part II)

1Since its first settlement, Sacket's Harbor has been spelled a variety of ways. Some early documents refer to it as “Sackett's Harbor” For much of its history it has been “Sacket's Harbor.” Modern postal regulations do not allow for th use of apostrohes so today it is “Sackets Harbor.”
2Check out “It Happened Here - Pioneers and Potash” in NYSHMs: It Happened Here posted on 8-23-13.