The first USS ''Oneida'' was a

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

of war in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. ''Oneida'' was built at

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oswego is situated at the mouth of the Oswego River (New York), Osw ...

1808–1809, under contract awarded by her first commanding officer, Lieutenant M. T. Woolsey, to Henry Eckford and

Christian Bergh Christian Bergh (April 30, 1763June 24, 1843), was the oldest and one of the first American shipbuilders in New York. He was known for not allowing drinking and was the first shipbuilder to employ African Americans at his shipyard. He contributed ...

. 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 (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

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 Sackett (surname), 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 Augus ...

, not far from the commencement of the St. Lawrence, while the British port of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

lay nearly opposite in Canada.

First Battle of Sacket's Harbor

On 5 June 1812, ''Oneida'' captured the British

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''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. Much broader than the ineffectual 1806 Non-importation Act, it represented an escalation of attempts to persuade Br ...

. 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 (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Isaac Chauncey Isaac Chauncey (February 20, 1772 – January 27, 1840) was a United States Navy officer 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 the Board of Navy Commiss ...

, 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

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

) 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 is named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions through the Louisiana Purchase territory, first ...

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 The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

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.

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