HISTORY

War of 1812 Starts with a Naval Battle at Rochester, NY

From some perspectives, the first naval battle of the War of 1812 as fought near Rochester, NY. The USS Oneida (18 guns) seized the merchant ship Lord Nelson at the mouth of the Genesee River. Lt. Melancthon T. Woolsey stopped the British schooner while enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807. The Oneida’s commander didn’t believe the ship was carrying the right papers. The ship was sold to the U.S. Navy for $3,000 and converted into the USS Scourge (10 guns).

The only problem with the seizure is it occurred on June 5, 1812 … thirteen days before the United States declared war. In addition, the ship was trading between Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) and Prescott, both Canadian ports. So, the first naval victory of the War of 1812 was not only fought at Rochester, but it was also an act of piracy.

The USS Scourge served in the U.S. Navy until it capsized and sank in Lake Ontario in August 1813. Many American ships on the lakes were shallow draft ships which, although fast, were top heavy in a storm. Adding guns to her decks only increased the probability of capsizing in poor weather.

USS Oneida was built at Oswego and launched in 1809. It was decommissioned and sold in 1825 to a timber company in the village of Clayton.