Battle of Lake Borgne
Battle of Lake Borgne | |||||||
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Part of the War of 1812 | |||||||
British and American Gunboats in Action on Lake Borgne, 14 December 1814, Thomas Lyde Hornbrook | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | United States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nicholas Lockyer | Thomas Jones | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
42 rowboats |
5 gunboats 1 sloop 1 schooner | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
94 killed and wounded[1] 1 rowboat sunk [2] |
41 killed and wounded[3] 6 boats' crews captured 5 gunboats captured 1 sloop captured 1 schooner scuttled |
The Battle of Lake Borgne was a coastal engagement between the
Background
In August 1814, Vice Admiral Cochrane had convinced the Admiralty that a campaign against New Orleans would weaken American resolve against Canada, and hasten a successful end to the war.[a] In the winter of 1814, the British had the objective of gaining control of the entrance of the Mississippi, and to challenge the legality of the Louisiana Purchase.[7] To this end, an expeditionary force of about 8,000 troops under General Edward Pakenham had arrived in the Gulf Coast, to attack New Orleans.[8] An anonymous letter sent from Pensacola, dated December 5 and addressed to Commodore Daniel Patterson warned him of this imminent threat,[9] and was received on December 7.[10] Patterson dispatched Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones and a small flotilla to wait outside of the Rigolets heading eastward, towards the passes Mariana and Christiana (marked on Lossing's map, close to Cat Island), to watch the movements of the British vessels.[11]
The American force consisted of five Jeffersonian gunboats - No. 156, No. 163, No. 5, No. 23, and No. 162 - the schooner USS Sea Horse with Sailing-Master Johnson commanding, and a sloop-of-war, USS Alligator, serving as a tender.[12] Gunboat No. 156, the flagship of the squadron, mounted one long 24-pounder, four 12-pounder carronades,[13] and four swivel guns. She had a crew of over forty men.[14]
Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, British Commander-in-Chief of the
Cochrane put all the rowboats of the British fleet under the command of
Jones's squadron headed back in the direction of the Rigolets, mooring at Bay St Louis on December 10. The following day, they prepared their boats to make an attack. On December 12 the squadron arrived at Cat Island, but found the overwhelming strength of the British would have been disadvantageous to the gunboats, so they returned in the direction of the Rigolets, and the fort at Petit Coquilles.[20] Owing to the strong current, they were only able to get as far as the channel between the mainland and Malheureux island on December 13.[21] Jones had been ordered by Patterson to position his gunboats across Pass Christiana (to the south of the modern day settlement of Ansley, Mississippi), at the mouth of Lake Borgne, then fall back to the Rigolets to make a stand.[22][17]
At night on December 12, the British rowboats, under Lockyer, set off to enter Lake Borgne, to attack the gunboat squadron.
The first contact was with three of Lockyer's launches and the schooner Sea Horse on December 13 at 3:45pm. At 2:00pm she had been sent to remove, or failing that to destroy, a stores dump at
At 8:00pm, Lockyer rested his boat crews, who had been rowing against the flow of the tide.[24]
Battle
After rowing for about thirty-six hours,[14] the British approached the five American vessels drawn up in line abreast to block the channel between Malheureux Island and Point Claire on the mainland. At daybreak, Jones noticed the British rowboats nine miles to the east.[28] As the British advanced, they spotted Alligator, immediately sent a few rowboats under Roberts to cut her off and the British quickly captured her at 9:30am.[13] At 10 o'clock on the morning of December 14, the British boats had closed to within long gunshot by St. Joseph's Island.[14] At this point Lockyer ordered the boats' crews to breakfast.[14] Lockyer formed the boats into three divisions. He took command of the first, gave Montresor of Manly command of the second, and Roberts of Meteor command of the third. When the British had finished their breakfast they returned to their oars and pulled up to the line of American gunboats. The main battle came at 10:39 am.[13] The British were rowing against a strong current and under a heavy fire of round and grapeshot.[14]
The American sailors killed or wounded a number of the rowboat crews in the process, including most of the men in Lockyer's boat.[14] Eventually the range closed and the British sailors and marines began to board the American vessels. At 11:50am Lockyer personally boarded Gunboat No. 156, Jones's vessel.[3] Both Lockyer and Jones sustained severe wounds. One rowboat from Tonnant, commanded by Lieutenant James Barnwell Tattnall grappled the gunboat and was sunk,[2] all of its boarding party transferred to the other rowboats.[29][14] Jones states that at 12:10pm the British captured Gunboat No. 156 and turned her guns against her sister ships.[13] The gunboat fired her broadsides and assisted the capture of the remaining American craft. One by one, the British took the other four American gunboats. The engagement was over at 12:30pm.[3] Lockyer had hypothesised that boarding and capturing the rest of the American flotilla took five minutes, rather than the twenty minutes in Jones's account.[14]
Aftermath
The engagement lasted about two hours, though the actual hand-to-hand combat was short. Whilst the British outnumbered the American seamen, Roosevelt does note the advantage Jones's flotilla had in defense, being stationary, having some long heavy guns and boarding nettings. This was offset by two of the five gunboats (No.156 commanded by Jones, and No.163 commanded by Ulrick)[24] having drifted out of line.[30]
The Americans lost their entire flotilla of five gunboats and crew,
In all, the six captured vessels of Jones's squadron comprised a loss of 245 men, sixteen long guns, fourteen carronades, two
The British took the five gunboats into service under the names Ambush (or Ambush No. 5), Firebrand, Destruction, Harlequin and Eagle. Several of these vessels remained in Royal Navy service into June 1815, and at least one perhaps beyond.[33][c] As well as the warships providing men for the boats, there were sailors from the following troopships too: Alceste, Belle Poule, Diomede, Gorgon. The following troopships were nearby, thus eligible for prize money: Bucephalus, Dictator, Dover, Fox, Hydra, Thames.[d][35]
Lake Borgne would become the landing zone for British forces preparing to attack New Orleans. After the population of the city learned of the engagement on Lake Borgne, panic overtook some inhabitants of New Orleans; so Andrew Jackson declared martial law on December 15.[36][37][5]
The loss of the gunboats meant that Jackson had no means of surveillance of the British, and it is noted that he did not deploy scouts as a substitute.[38]
One unintended consequence is that the gunboat crews in captivity were able to mislead the British as to Jackson's strength in numbers, when they were questioned.[39][40]
At the end of January 1815, the prisoners of war were transported to the Caribbean in HMS Ramillies.[40] In February 1815, following news of ratification of the peace treaty, HMS Nymphe was sent to Jamaica, to fetch the prisoners taken at Lake Borgne, and to repatriate the prisoners.[41][42]
Although Jones's squadron never made it as far as the fort at Petit Coquilles, it was decided to improve the coastal defences with the creation of Fort Pike commencing in 1819 to replace the earlier fort. It was the first of three forts to be constructed in Louisiana under the postwar "Third System", along with Fort Jackson, Louisiana and Fort Livingston, Louisiana.[43]
The engagement itself was not referred to as a "battle" in the literature of the 19th century.[8][2] Hornbrook's painting from the 1840s uses the word 'action' in its title.[44] Secondary sources in the 20th century do refer to the 'Battle of Lake Borgne'.[45][46]
Medal
In 1847 the Admiralty initiated the Naval General Service Medal. The clasps covered a variety of actions, from boat service to single-ship actions, to larger naval engagements, including major fleet actions. The engagement at Lake Borgne was deemed a boat service worthy enough of recognition by a clasp, and appears on the list of clasps for boat service during the War of 1812. The Admiralty issued a clasp (or bar) marked "14 Dec. Boat Service 1814" to surviving combatants who claimed the clasp. [e] [47] This was the largest Boat Action for which the Naval General Service Medal was granted. In all, 205 survivors claimed it.[25]
See also
Notes and citations
Notes
- ^ Gene Allen Smith makes reference to a letter from the Secretary of the Admiralty to Cochrane dated August 10, 1814, archive reference WO 1/141. A copy of this document is accessible at The Historic New Orleans Collection, via microfilm. Smith also mentions how several Royal Navy officers had suggested the idea of attacking Louisiana from 1813 onwards.[6]
- ^ William James comments on the geography, with the benefit of hindsight. 'But the flatness of the coast is everywhere unfavourable for the debarkation of troops, and the bays and inlets being all obstructed by shoals or bars, no landing can be effected, but by boats, except up the Mississippi; and that has a bar at its mouth, which shoals to 13 or 14 feet water.'[16]
- d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth 7s 10¾d.[34]
- ^ 'Notice is hereby given to the officers and companies of His Majesty's ships Aetna, Alceste, Anaconda, Armide, Asia, Bedford, Belle Poule, Borer, Bucephalus, Calliope, Carron, Cydnus, Dictator, Diomede, Dover, Fox, Gorgon, Herald, Hydra, Meteor, Norge, Nymphe, Pigmy, Ramillies, Royal Oak, Seahorse, Shelburne, Sophie, Thames, Thistle, Tonnant, Trave, Volcano, and Weser, that they will be paid their respective proportions of prize money.' [34]
- ^ The 'Names of Ships for which Claims have been proved' are as follows: warships
Citations
- ^ Casualty returns within "No. 16991". The London Gazette. 9 March 1815. pp. 446–449.
- ^ a b c Clowes (1901), p. 150.
- ^ a b c d e f g Roosevelt (1900), p. 77.
- ^ Remini (1999), pp. 62–64.
- ^ a b Remini (1999), p. 66.
- ^ Smith (2008), p. 89.
- ^ Grodzinski (ed) (2011), p.1
- ^ a b Roosevelt (1900), p. 73.
- ^ Latour (1816), p. 57.
- ^ James (1818), p. 57.
- ^ Latour (1816), pp. 57–58.
- ^ Roosevelt (1900), pp. 74–75.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Letter from Jones to Patterson dated 12 March 1815, within Brannan (ed). pp.487-490
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Letter from Lockyer to Cochrane dated 18 December 1814, reproduced in "No. 16991". The London Gazette. 9 March 1815. pp. 446–449.
- ^ a b c Letter from Cochrane to Admiralty dated 16 December 1814, reproduced in "No. 16991". The London Gazette. 9 March 1815. pp. 446–449.
- ^ James (1818), p. 347.
- ^ a b Reilly (1976), p. 223.
- ^ James (1902), p. 232.
- ^ James (1818), p. 352.
- ^ a b Court martial of inquiry commenced May 15, to investigate the conduct of officers and seamen on December 14, reproduced in Latour (1816), appendix LXII, pp.cxxxii-cxxxv
- ^ Latour (1816), p. 59.
- ^ Daughan (2011), p. 378.
- ^ a b Reilly (1976), p. 224.
- ^ a b c d Daughan (2011), p. 379.
- ^ a b Hayward, Birch & Bishop (2006), pp. 133–134.
- ^ Brown (1969), p. 78.
- ISBN 9780665291364.
- ^ Roosevelt (1900), p. 74.
- ^ James (1818), pp. 350–351.
- ^ Roosevelt (1900), p. 75.
- ^ James (1818), pp. 350–352.
- ^ Marshall (1830), pp.2-7
- ^ Paullin and Paxson (1914), p.436.
- ^ a b "No. 17730". The London Gazette. 28 July 1821. p. 1561.
- ^ "Lake Borgne 14 Dec 1814 and prize money eligibility". Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ James (1818), p. 354.
- ^ Declaration of martial law dated December 15, reproduced in Latour (1816), appendix XXI, p.xxxix
- ^ Daughan (2011), pp. 380–381.
- ^ Daughan (2011), p. 381.
- ^ a b Smith (2000), p. 30.
- ^ James (1818), p. 574.
- ^ Hughes & Brodine (2023), p. 1033-1034.
- ^ Coleman (2005), p. 136.
- ^ "British and American Gunboats in Action on Lake Borgne, 14 December 1814". Caird Collection. National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich.
- ^ Reilly (1976), p. 225.
- ^ Brown (1969), p. 77.
- ^ "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 247.
- Bibliography
- Brannan, John, ed. (1823). Official letters of the military and naval officers of the United States : during the war with Great Britain in the years 1812, 13, 14, & 15. Washington, D.C.: Way & Gideon. OCLC 1083481275.
- ISBN 0-8173-5100-0.
- ISBN 1-86176-013-2.
- Coleman, Elaine (2005). Louisiana Haunted Forts. Lanham MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-46-170909-1.
- Daughan, George C. (2011). 1812: The Navy's War. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-02046-1.
- Grodzinski, John, ed. (September 2011). "Instructions to Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham for the New Orleans Campaign". The War of 1812 Magazine (16).
- Hayward; Birch; Bishop (2006). British Battles and Medals (7th ed.). London: Spink. ISBN 1-902040-77-5.
- Hughes, Christine F.; Brodine, Charles E., eds. (2023). The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, Vol. 4. Washington: Naval Historical Center (ISBN 978-1-943604-36-4.
- OCLC 2226903.
- James, William (1902) [1837]. The naval history of Great Britain (1813–1827). Vol. 6 (New six volume ed.). London: Macmillan.
- Latour, Arsène Lacarrière (1816). Historical Memoir of the War in West Florida and Louisiana in 1814–15, with an Atlas. Translated from French into English by H.P. Nugent. Philadelphia: John Conrad and Co. OCLC 40119875.
- Marshall, John (1830). . Royal Naval Biography. Vol. sup, part 4. London: Longman and company. p. 2.
- Paullin, Charles Oscar; Paxson, Frederic Logan (1914). Guide to the materials in London archives for the history of the United States since 1783. Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington. OCLC 1112813591.
- Reilly, Robin (1976) [1974], The British at the gates – the New Orleans campaign in the War of 1812, London: Cassell, OCLC 839952
- Remini, Robert V. (1999). The Battle of New Orleans. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. ISBN 0-670-88551-7.
- Roosevelt, Theodore (1900). The Naval War of 1812. Vol. II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.
- ISBN 978-1-55750-848-5.
- Smith, Gene A. (2008). "Preventing the "Eggs of Insurrection" from Hatching: The U.S. Navy and Control of the Mississippi River, 1806-1815" (PDF). Northern Mariner. issue Nos. 3-4, (July–October 2008). 18 (3–4). The Canadian Nautical Research Society: 79–91. S2CID 247349162. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
External links
- Keyes, Pam (30 December 2014). "Patterson's Mistake: the Battle of Lake Borgne Revisited". www.historiaobscura.com/. Retrieved 19 December 2021.