USS Oneida (1810)
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The first USS ''Oneida'' was a brig of war in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
. ''Oneida'' was built at Oswego, New York 1808–1809, under contract awarded by her first commanding officer, Lieutenant M. T. Woolsey, to Henry Eckford and Christian Bergh. Although her displacement was 243 tons by carpenter's measurement, her draft could compare with a sloop of 80 tons. This enabled her to enter the rivers feeding
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...
without fear of grounding. She was delivered by the contractors in the spring of 1809, but was not equipped and sent upon the lake until the fall of 1810.


War of 1812

''Oneida'' operated principally from
Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who ...
, not far from the commencement of the
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, while the British port of Kingston lay nearly opposite in Canada.


First Battle of Sacket's Harbor

On 5 June 1812, ''Oneida'' captured the British schooner ''Lord Nelson'', while enforcing the
Embargo Act of 1807 The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general trade embargo on all foreign nations that was enacted by the United States Congress. As a successor or replacement law for the 1806 Non-importation Act and passed as the Napoleonic Wars continued, it repr ...
. On 19 July, the British squadron sailed on Sackets Harbor where ''Oneida'' and her prize were anchored. After failing to gain the open lake, ''Oneida'' anchored again near a bank in a position to rake the harbor entrance. She mounted the guns from her off side ashore and presented a full battery. After an exchange of cannonade, of two hours duration, the British squadron broke off the engagement and sailed for Kingston, Canada.


USS ''Oneida'' vs HMS ''Royal George''

Depiction of the engagement of the ''Oneida'' and ''Royal George'' in Kingston harbour, 10 November 1812. On 8 November, ''Oneida'', flying the broad pennant of
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...
Isaac Chauncey Isaac Chauncey (February 20, 1772 – January 27, 1840) was an American naval officer in the United States Navy who served in the Quasi-War, The Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. In the latter part of his naval career he was President of th ...
, sailed from Sackets Harbor to intercept British ships conveying supplies to the Army at Kingston. The sloop was sighted and chased into the
Bay of Quinte The Bay of Quinte () is a long, narrow bay shaped like the letter "Z" on the northern shore of Lake Ontario in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes into the Gulf of ...
and lost sight of during the night. Sighted again the following morning, the chase was resumed. ''Oneida'' brought up the rear of the squadron to allow the heavy guns of her schooners to open way for a close attack. ''Royal George'' cut her mooring cables and attempted to make further headway up the channel, finally making fast to a wharf under the protection of troop muskets. ''Royal George'' suffered extensive damage, and ''Oneida'' had some damage aloft with one seaman killed and three wounded, but a gale ended the engagement and the Americans returned to Sackets Harbor.


Battle of York

On 25 April 1813, along with other ships of the American squadron, ''Oneida'' set sail from Sackets Harbor and arrived off York, Canada (now
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) on 27 April with troops under General
Zebulon Pike Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions under authority of President Thomas Jefferson ...
embarked. Boats were hoisted out and within two hours the brigade was ashore, soon capturing York despite the loss of General Pike. On the night of 26 May she again embarked troops and artillery and set sail with the squadron for Fort George, Canada. A landing was made about 9 a.m. on 27 May, and by noon the town and fort were taken. ''Oneida'' made a second unopposed landing at York on 27 July liberating prisoners and seizing provisions. On 31 July 1814, ''Oneida'' made for the Niagara River to blockade British ships anchored there. She was assisted by the brig and the schooner , while the remainder of the American Squadron blockaded Kingston. The blockade was lifted in September 1814, and ''Oneida'' returned to Sackets Harbor. Ice closed the lake in November, and peace was declared the following month.


Postwar

''Oneida'' was sold 15 May 1815, but afterwards was repurchased by the Navy, laid up at Sackets Harbor, and finally sold in 1825 to a timber company in the village of Clayton, New York. ''Oneida'' worked as a timber ship for several years before sinking in French Creek Bay near Clayton sometime in the 1830s. One of the ship's cannons is currently in Clayton's Memorial Park, while one of its anchors is in the possession of French Creek Bay Marina.


See also

*
Cruizer-class brig-sloop The ''Cruizer'' class was an 18-gun class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy. Brig-sloops were the same as ship-sloops except for their rigging. A ship-sloop was rigged with three masts whereas a brig-sloop was rigged as a brig with only a for ...
*
Bibliography of early American naval history Historical accounts for early U.S. naval history now occur across the spectrum of two and more centuries. This Bibliography lends itself primarily to reliable sources covering early U.S. naval history beginning around the American Revolution per ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneida (1810) Brigs of the United States Navy War of 1812 ships of the United States Ships built in Sackets Harbor, New York 1809 ships