Campaign Overview
The naval war on the Great Lakes was unique in that Lake Ontario and Lake Erie lay directly between the warring countries. Each lake was self-contained and incapable of reinforcing any other conflict or being reinforced, due to falls or rapids. Lake Ontario was deep and capable of taking any ship, whereas Lake Erie was much shallowe, especially the southern, American shore, where sandbars paralleled the coast.
On the eve of the war, the Americans had no military vessels on the lakes at all. The British had a handful of armed schooners and one 16 gun brig, the Oneida, which could not sail into the wind. The naval activities would consist of much shipbuilding and very little fighting.
Gunboats, armed schooners, sloops, and brigs were built at Kingston and Sacket's Harbor on Lake Ontario and Fort Malden (Amherstburg) and Presque Isle (now Erie) on Lake Erie. These small ships carried one to twenty guns. Carronades were favored over the long guns, partly because the swiftness of the ships almost guaranteed close actions, and partly because the carronade was easier to transport into these lakes.
Almost all of the vessels had fore-and-aft rigging (much like a modern day sailboat) which allowed them to sail into the wind. Overall, the ships were fragile, difficult to handle, and most were over-gunned. As a result, theee freshwater ships had a tendancy to be top heavy and prone to capsize in moderately rough weather.
It was understood that the naval war was the key to the whole military effort in the Canadas. Whoever controlled the lakes would ultimately win the war. Troops and supplies could be easily moved and raids could be mounted.
Aware that the entire war could turn on one afternoon's battle, the American Commodore Chauncey and his British counterpart Yeo played a cautious game for the entire war. Whoever could build a superior force would sail onto Lake Ontario only to have the other sail for the safety of his port. Once in port a new keel was laid, the roles would reverse, and the game would continue.
On Lake Erie a final showdown occured when Perry engaged Barclay on September 11, 1814.
Naval Actions on the Great Lakes
Full After Action Reports are shown below as activated links to full reports pages.
