ii4 Naval War of 1812 



British fleet, under Captain George Downie, moved 

 from Isle-aux-Noix, on Sept. 8th, and on the morn 

 ing of the nth sailed into Plattsburg harbor. 



The American force consisted of the ship Sara 

 toga, Captain T. Macdonough, of about 734 tons, 13 

 carrying eight long 24-pounders, six 42-pound and 

 twelve 32-pound carronades; the brig Eagle, Cap 

 tain Robert Henly, of about 500 tons, carrying eight 

 long i8's and twelve 32-pound carronades; schooner 

 Ticonderoga, Lieut.-Com. Stephen Cassin, of about 

 350 tons, carrying eight long 12-pounders, four long 

 i8-pounders, and five 32-pound carronades; sloop 

 Preble, Lieutenant Charles Budd, of about 80 tons, 

 mounting seven long Q'S; the row-galleys Borer, 

 Centipede, Nettle, Allen, Viper, and Burrows, each 

 of about 70 tons, and mounting one long 24- and 

 one short i8-pounder; and the row-galleys Wilmer, 

 Ludlow, Aylwin, and Ballard, each of about 40 tons, 

 and mounting one long 12. James puts down the 

 number of men on board the squadron as 950, 



13 In Naval Archives ("Masters-Commandant's Letters," 

 1814, i, No. 134) is a letter from Macdonough in which he 

 states that the Saratoga is intermediate in size between the 

 Pike, of 875, and the Madison, of 593 tons; this would make 

 her 734. The Eagle was very nearly the size of the Law 

 rence or Niagara, on Lake Erie. The Ticonderoga was 

 originally a small steamer, but Commodore Macdonough had 

 her schooner-rigged, because he found that her machinery 

 got out of order on almost every trip that she took. Her 

 tonnage is only approximately known, but she was of the 

 same size as the Linnet. 



