oscssw
Senior chief petty officer
Posts: 967
Likes: 1,575
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Post by oscssw on Mar 31, 2023 2:45:37 GMT
ALETERNATE TIME LINE WAR OF 1812
This is a short one I have been thinking about based on a few naval actions which end that stupid war much sooner
Major points of diversion are in GREEN1804 • April 30 –The Louisiana Purchase is finalized, adding more than 800,000 square miles to the western frontier of the United States • December 4 –Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France following a coup d'etat 1806 • April 18 - Non- Importation Act passed • November 21 –Napoleon issues the Berlin Decrees 1807 • June 22 – HMS Leopard fires on the USS Chesapeake • November 11 –Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders in Council, restricting international trade with France • December 22 –Embargo Act Passed 1809 • March 4 – James Madison is sworn in as the 4th President of the United States. 1811 • May 16 – The American frigate USS President fires on the British sloop HMS Little Belt • October 9 – Major General Isaac Brock is appointed Administrator of Upper Canada • November 11 –Battle of Tippecanoe 1812 • June 18 –The United States declares war on Great Britain • June 24 - Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. • July 12 –General William Hull invades Canada from Detroit • July 17 –Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to British-Canadian forces • August 5 –Skirmish near Brownstown, Michigan • August 8 –General Hull returns to Detroit • August 15 –British forces bombard Detroit • August 16 – General Hull surrenders Detroit • August 19 – The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere • October 13 – British-Canadians win the Battle of Queenston Heights, Ontario • November 27 – Skirmish at Fort Erie • December 28 – William Henry Harrison formally resigns as Governor of Indiana Territory and takes the rank of Brigadier General. • December 29 – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java 1813 • January 9 – Great Britain declares war on the United States • January 13 – John Armstrong replaces William Eustis as Secretary of War • January 18 – American forces seize Frenchtown, Michigan • January 22 – The Battle of River Raisin; roughly 40 to 60 American soldiers are killed in “The River Raisin Massacre” • February 22– Battle of Ogdensburg • March 4 – James Madison inaugurated for the second term as President • March 27– Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of the flotilla at Lake Erie • April 27 – Attack on York [modern today Toronto]; General Zebulon Pike is killed • April 29 – Raid on Frenchtown, Maryland by a British flotilla under the command of Admiral George Cockburn • May 1 – American forces evacuate York; Siege of Fort Meigs near modern-day Toledo Ohio begins • May 3 – Royal Marines land and burn Havre de Grace, Maryland May 27 – Engagement at Fort George May 27 – Privateer Scourge of New London, Master Samuel Nicholl passed Montauk point shortly afternautical twi-light and through the Race in full darkness of this moonless night. This was the beginning of one of the most important provateering voyages of the young Republic to Arctic, intercepting British summer trade with Russian ports on the White Sea. • May 29 – Battle at Sackets Harbor • June 1 – USS Chesapeake captured by the British frigate HMS Shannon; Captain James Lawrence dies days later • June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. June 6 – Engagement at Stoney Creek • June 22 – Battle of Craney Island • June 24 – Battle of Beaver Dams • June 25 – Burning of Hampton, Virginia • June 26 to July 18 Hunting together Decatur’s squadron sank, took or burned four British convoys of 67 ships and their escort of an old 50 gun ship, two frigates, two sloops of war and six Gun Brigs returning to England from India and the West Indies, with calamitous effects on British mercantile interests. The loss of fourteen “John Company” East Indiamen staggered both the Company and Lloyd’s. The wholesale destruction of that many Royal Navy vessels combined with the early war run of single Frigate and small warship victories over the Royal Navy off North Americ shook the confidence of the entire nation in it’s wooden walls ability to safeguard the vital commercial intrets of the empire.
• 19 July Scourge unexpectedly met with the U.S. frigate President under Commodore John Rodgers off North Cape. Rogers invited master Nicholl over to President to share a bottle or two of wine, swap the latest news and to make Scourge’s Skipper a proposition. The Commodore suggested that a public and private naval force of the United States might be brought to bear on a Russian convoys. Rodgers even had intelligence that the convoy was protected by two British brigs or sloops-of-war, which the President could blow out of the water with a few broadsides, leaving an entire convoy or series of convoys open to destruction or capture in the near-continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
•
• 20 July two bells into the afternoon watch with USS President and Privateer Scourge sailing in company off the North Cape, the Americans spotted two strange sails in sight to the southwest and gave chase. By the first dog watch the President was close enough for Rodgers to initially erroneously identify, the ships as a British ship-of-the-line and a frigate. Both President and Scourge were fast weatherly ships so Rogers decided to stand on for another hour or so and make sure of the strangers. As it turned out his hunch had been good and the supposed ship-of-the-line was a small 32-gun frigate, the Alexandria, and the supposed frigate was a fireship, the Spitfire.
The convoy consisted of 23 British merchant vessels, sailing from Russia with badly needed naval stores for the Royal Navy warships and the essemtial merchant ships that carried England’s life blood trade. Eighteen of the merchant ships were ultimately
condemned by a prize court in Bergen, Norway.
The two ship convoy escort’s frigate mounted twenty six 12-Pounder long guns and twelve 24-Pound Carronads with a crew of 215, including 24 marines. Convoy escort fireship Brig was armed with eight 12-pounder carronades, two 6 pounder long guns and four swivels. She had a crew of 55.
Rodgers, with Nicholl’s permission. had put a half dozen Marines and a signalling Party under a trusted master’s mate aboard Scourge for just such an occasion. He could not order Nicholl to do anything but he could suggest the Letter of Marque follow his wishes. Scourge’s Master was out for a financial killing that would make himself, his owners and his crew all wealthy men so he decided to do as The Commodore “suggested”.
Rogers’ nominal 44 gun heavy frigate actually carried 55 “Iron dogs”. President was armed with thirty-two 24-pounder long guns, twenty-two 42-pounder carronades, and one 18-pounder Chase gun. Rogers had before him the very situation U.S. commanders dreamed of and he was not going to be denied.
• Scourge mounted twelve 6-pdr guns and an equal numbers of 1 and half inch bore swivels; impressive for a Privateer brig that had once been schooner rigged. Like all privateers she had a vary large crew for her size of 70, all prime Seaman. Rogers suggested Nicholl stay clear of the Royal navy frigate. His brig’s planking and frames could not withstand the 18 pounder long guns and the 24 pounder Smashers of the enemy frigate. He had a lot of work for her to do in rounding up the convoy that had been ordered to scatter by the captain of the Royal Navy frigate. Nicholl agreed; no profit in fighting Royal Navy warships. He’d leave the Spitfire alone also.
• This trade was critical for Britain. Naval stores and timber for the Royal Navy’s masts and spars previously had come largely from the Baltic, where merchant ships had to run past the cannon of Danish fortifications and were subject to the vacillating policies of neutral Sweden. After Napoleon invaded Russia in June 1812, Russian timber and naval stores became available to the British—but through the harsh northern seas.
The destruction of this convoy returning from Russia undermined Britain’s ability to maintain its far-flung fleets against Napoleonic Europe and the United States.
Rodgers victory off the North Cape was followed by the addition of the privateer Rattle Snake to his task force and they sank, took or burned almost every merchant ship going to or from Russia. It took almost an entire month for the Royal Navy to scrape up a six ship squadron, flagged by a 74 gun British ship-of-the-line on the scene and reduced the effectiveness of the commerce warfare. By that time Lloyd’s and the ship owners of England demanded an end of the war. This was too much after Decatur’s squadron consisting of the USS United States, USS Macedonian, and USS Hornet wiped out the convoys returning to England from India or the West Indies in June. August 10– Battle of St. Michaels • August 30 – Attack on Fort Mims, Alabama • September 10 – Battle of Lake Erie • September 15 – England and the USA agree to begin peace negtiations at a time and place to be agreed upon.
• November 1 – Peace delegates convene at Ghent
• December 24 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed
• December 28 – The Treaty of Ghent is ratified by the British
•
1814
• February 16 – The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent
• February 18 – The Treaty of Ghent is declared; the War of 1812 is over |
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lordroel
Administrator
Posts: 67,964 
Likes: 49,369
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Post by lordroel on Mar 31, 2023 7:40:43 GMT
ALETERNATE TIME LINE WAR OF 1812
This is a short one I have been thinking about based on a few naval actions which end that stupid war much sooner
Major points of diversion are in GREEN1804 • April 30 –The Louisiana Purchase is finalized, adding more than 800,000 square miles to the western frontier of the United States • December 4 –Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France following a coup d'etat 1806 • April 18 - Non- Importation Act passed • November 21 –Napoleon issues the Berlin Decrees 1807 • June 22 – HMS Leopard fires on the USS Chesapeake • November 11 –Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders in Council, restricting international trade with France • December 22 –Embargo Act Passed 1809 • March 4 – James Madison is sworn in as the 4th President of the United States. 1811 • May 16 – The American frigate USS President fires on the British sloop HMS Little Belt • October 9 – Major General Isaac Brock is appointed Administrator of Upper Canada • November 11 –Battle of Tippecanoe 1812 • June 18 –The United States declares war on Great Britain • June 24 - Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. • July 12 –General William Hull invades Canada from Detroit • July 17 –Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to British-Canadian forces • August 5 –Skirmish near Brownstown, Michigan • August 8 –General Hull returns to Detroit • August 15 –British forces bombard Detroit • August 16 – General Hull surrenders Detroit • August 19 – The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere • October 13 – British-Canadians win the Battle of Queenston Heights, Ontario • November 27 – Skirmish at Fort Erie • December 28 – William Henry Harrison formally resigns as Governor of Indiana Territory and takes the rank of Brigadier General. • December 29 – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java 1813 • January 9 – Great Britain declares war on the United States • January 13 – John Armstrong replaces William Eustis as Secretary of War • January 18 – American forces seize Frenchtown, Michigan • January 22 – The Battle of River Raisin; roughly 40 to 60 American soldiers are killed in “The River Raisin Massacre” • February 22– Battle of Ogdensburg • March 4 – James Madison inaugurated for the second term as President • March 27– Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of the flotilla at Lake Erie • April 27 – Attack on York [modern today Toronto]; General Zebulon Pike is killed • April 29 – Raid on Frenchtown, Maryland by a British flotilla under the command of Admiral George Cockburn • May 1 – American forces evacuate York; Siege of Fort Meigs near modern-day Toledo Ohio begins • May 3 – Royal Marines land and burn Havre de Grace, Maryland May 27 – Engagement at Fort George May 27 – Privateer Scourge of New London, Master Samuel Nicholl passed Montauk point shortly afternautical twi-light and through the Race in full darkness of this moonless night. This was the beginning of one of the most important provateering voyages of the young Republic to Arctic, intercepting British summer trade with Russian ports on the White Sea. • May 29 – Battle at Sackets Harbor • June 1 – USS Chesapeake captured by the British frigate HMS Shannon; Captain James Lawrence dies days later • June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. June 6 – Engagement at Stoney Creek • June 22 – Battle of Craney Island • June 24 – Battle of Beaver Dams • June 25 – Burning of Hampton, Virginia • June 26 to July 18 Hunting together Decatur’s squadron sank, took or burned four British convoys of 67 ships and their escort of an old 50 gun ship, two frigates, two sloops of war and six Gun Brigs returning to England from India and the West Indies, with calamitous effects on British mercantile interests. The loss of fourteen “John Company” East Indiamen staggered both the Company and Lloyd’s. The wholesale destruction of that many Royal Navy vessels combined with the early war run of single Frigate and small warship victories over the Royal Navy off North Americ shook the confidence of the entire nation in it’s wooden walls ability to safeguard the vital commercial intrets of the empire.
• 19 July Scourge unexpectedly met with the U.S. frigate President under Commodore John Rodgers off North Cape. Rogers invited master Nicholl over to President to share a bottle or two of wine, swap the latest news and to make Scourge’s Skipper a proposition. The Commodore suggested that a public and private naval force of the United States might be brought to bear on a Russian convoys. Rodgers even had intelligence that the convoy was protected by two British brigs or sloops-of-war, which the President could blow out of the water with a few broadsides, leaving an entire convoy or series of convoys open to destruction or capture in the near-continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
•
• 20 July two bells into the afternoon watch with USS President and Privateer Scourge sailing in company off the North Cape, the Americans spotted two strange sails in sight to the southwest and gave chase. By the first dog watch the President was close enough for Rodgers to initially erroneously identify, the ships as a British ship-of-the-line and a frigate. Both President and Scourge were fast weatherly ships so Rogers decided to stand on for another hour or so and make sure of the strangers. As it turned out his hunch had been good and the supposed ship-of-the-line was a small 32-gun frigate, the Alexandria, and the supposed frigate was a fireship, the Spitfire.
The convoy consisted of 23 British merchant vessels, sailing from Russia with badly needed naval stores for the Royal Navy warships and the essemtial merchant ships that carried England’s life blood trade. Eighteen of the merchant ships were ultimately
condemned by a prize court in Bergen, Norway.
The two ship convoy escort’s frigate mounted twenty six 12-Pounder long guns and twelve 24-Pound Carronads with a crew of 215, including 24 marines. Convoy escort fireship Brig was armed with eight 12-pounder carronades, two 6 pounder long guns and four swivels. She had a crew of 55.
Rodgers, with Nicholl’s permission. had put a half dozen Marines and a signalling Party under a trusted master’s mate aboard Scourge for just such an occasion. He could not order Nicholl to do anything but he could suggest the Letter of Marque follow his wishes. Scourge’s Master was out for a financial killing that would make himself, his owners and his crew all wealthy men so he decided to do as The Commodore “suggested”.
Rogers’ nominal 44 gun heavy frigate actually carried 55 “Iron dogs”. President was armed with thirty-two 24-pounder long guns, twenty-two 42-pounder carronades, and one 18-pounder Chase gun. Rogers had before him the very situation U.S. commanders dreamed of and he was not going to be denied.
• Scourge mounted twelve 6-pdr guns and an equal numbers of 1 and half inch bore swivels; impressive for a Privateer brig that had once been schooner rigged. Like all privateers she had a vary large crew for her size of 70, all prime Seaman. Rogers suggested Nicholl stay clear of the Royal navy frigate. His brig’s planking and frames could not withstand the 18 pounder long guns and the 24 pounder Smashers of the enemy frigate. He had a lot of work for her to do in rounding up the convoy that had been ordered to scatter by the captain of the Royal Navy frigate. Nicholl agreed; no profit in fighting Royal Navy warships. He’d leave the Spitfire alone also.
• This trade was critical for Britain. Naval stores and timber for the Royal Navy’s masts and spars previously had come largely from the Baltic, where merchant ships had to run past the cannon of Danish fortifications and were subject to the vacillating policies of neutral Sweden. After Napoleon invaded Russia in June 1812, Russian timber and naval stores became available to the British—but through the harsh northern seas.
The destruction of this convoy returning from Russia undermined Britain’s ability to maintain its far-flung fleets against Napoleonic Europe and the United States.
Rodgers victory off the North Cape was followed by the addition of the privateer Rattle Snake to his task force and they sank, took or burned almost every merchant ship going to or from Russia. It took almost an entire month for the Royal Navy to scrape up a six ship squadron, flagged by a 74 gun British ship-of-the-line on the scene and reduced the effectiveness of the commerce warfare. By that time Lloyd’s and the ship owners of England demanded an end of the war. This was too much after Decatur’s squadron consisting of the USS United States, USS Macedonian, and USS Hornet wiped out the convoys returning to England from India or the West Indies in June. August 10– Battle of St. Michaels • August 30 – Attack on Fort Mims, Alabama • September 10 – Battle of Lake Erie • September 15 – England and the USA agree to begin peace negtiations at a time and place to be agreed upon.
• November 1 – Peace delegates convene at Ghent
• December 24 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed
• December 28 – The Treaty of Ghent is ratified by the British
•
1814
• February 16 – The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent
• February 18 – The Treaty of Ghent is declared; the War of 1812 is over Nice Senior Chief, have to check it out. |
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miletus12
Squadron vice admiral
To get yourself lost, just follow the signs.
Posts: 7,470 
Likes: 4,295
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Post by miletus12 on Mar 31, 2023 13:19:44 GMT
ALETERNATE TIME LINE WAR OF 1812
This is a short one I have been thinking about based on a few naval actions which end that stupid war much sooner
Major points of diversion are in GREEN1804 • April 30 –The Louisiana Purchase is finalized, adding more than 800,000 square miles to the western frontier of the United States • December 4 –Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France following a coup d'etat 1806 • April 18 - Non- Importation Act passed • November 21 –Napoleon issues the Berlin Decrees 1807 • June 22 – HMS Leopard fires on the USS Chesapeake • November 11 –Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders in Council, restricting international trade with France • December 22 –Embargo Act Passed 1809 • March 4 – James Madison is sworn in as the 4th President of the United States. 1811 • May 16 – The American frigate USS President fires on the British sloop HMS Little Belt • October 9 – Major General Isaac Brock is appointed Administrator of Upper Canada • November 11 –Battle of Tippecanoe 1812 • June 18 –The United States declares war on Great Britain • June 24 - Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. • July 12 –General William Hull invades Canada from Detroit • July 17 –Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to British-Canadian forces • August 5 –Skirmish near Brownstown, Michigan • August 8 –General Hull returns to Detroit • August 15 –British forces bombard Detroit • August 16 – General Hull surrenders Detroit • August 19 – The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere • October 13 – British-Canadians win the Battle of Queenston Heights, Ontario • November 27 – Skirmish at Fort Erie • December 28 – William Henry Harrison formally resigns as Governor of Indiana Territory and takes the rank of Brigadier General. • December 29 – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java 1813 • January 9 – Great Britain declares war on the United States • January 13 – John Armstrong replaces William Eustis as Secretary of War • January 18 – American forces seize Frenchtown, Michigan • January 22 – The Battle of River Raisin; roughly 40 to 60 American soldiers are killed in “The River Raisin Massacre” • February 22– Battle of Ogdensburg • March 4 – James Madison inaugurated for the second term as President • March 27– Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of the flotilla at Lake Erie • April 27 – Attack on York [modern today Toronto]; General Zebulon Pike is killed • April 29 – Raid on Frenchtown, Maryland by a British flotilla under the command of Admiral George Cockburn • May 1 – American forces evacuate York; Siege of Fort Meigs near modern-day Toledo Ohio begins • May 3 – Royal Marines land and burn Havre de Grace, Maryland May 27 – Engagement at Fort George May 27 – Privateer Scourge of New London, Master Samuel Nicholl passed Montauk point shortly afternautical twi-light and through the Race in full darkness of this moonless night. This was the beginning of one of the most important provateering voyages of the young Republic to Arctic, intercepting British summer trade with Russian ports on the White Sea. • May 29 – Battle at Sackets Harbor • June 1 – USS Chesapeake captured by the British frigate HMS Shannon; Captain James Lawrence dies days later • June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. June 6 – Engagement at Stoney Creek • June 22 – Battle of Craney Island • June 24 – Battle of Beaver Dams • June 25 – Burning of Hampton, Virginia • June 26 to July 18 Hunting together Decatur’s squadron sank, took or burned four British convoys of 67 ships and their escort of an old 50 gun ship, two frigates, two sloops of war and six Gun Brigs returning to England from India and the West Indies, with calamitous effects on British mercantile interests. The loss of fourteen “John Company” East Indiamen staggered both the Company and Lloyd’s. The wholesale destruction of that many Royal Navy vessels combined with the early war run of single Frigate and small warship victories over the Royal Navy off North Americ shook the confidence of the entire nation in it’s wooden walls ability to safeguard the vital commercial intrets of the empire.
• 19 July Scourge unexpectedly met with the U.S. frigate President under Commodore John Rodgers off North Cape. Rogers invited master Nicholl over to President to share a bottle or two of wine, swap the latest news and to make Scourge’s Skipper a proposition. The Commodore suggested that a public and private naval force of the United States might be brought to bear on a Russian convoys. Rodgers even had intelligence that the convoy was protected by two British brigs or sloops-of-war, which the President could blow out of the water with a few broadsides, leaving an entire convoy or series of convoys open to destruction or capture in the near-continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
•
• 20 July two bells into the afternoon watch with USS President and Privateer Scourge sailing in company off the North Cape, the Americans spotted two strange sails in sight to the southwest and gave chase. By the first dog watch the President was close enough for Rodgers to initially erroneously identify, the ships as a British ship-of-the-line and a frigate. Both President and Scourge were fast weatherly ships so Rogers decided to stand on for another hour or so and make sure of the strangers. As it turned out his hunch had been good and the supposed ship-of-the-line was a small 32-gun frigate, the Alexandria, and the supposed frigate was a fireship, the Spitfire.
The convoy consisted of 23 British merchant vessels, sailing from Russia with badly needed naval stores for the Royal Navy warships and the essemtial merchant ships that carried England’s life blood trade. Eighteen of the merchant ships were ultimately
condemned by a prize court in Bergen, Norway.
The two ship convoy escort’s frigate mounted twenty six 12-Pounder long guns and twelve 24-Pound Carronads with a crew of 215, including 24 marines. Convoy escort fireship Brig was armed with eight 12-pounder carronades, two 6 pounder long guns and four swivels. She had a crew of 55.
Rodgers, with Nicholl’s permission. had put a half dozen Marines and a signalling Party under a trusted master’s mate aboard Scourge for just such an occasion. He could not order Nicholl to do anything but he could suggest the Letter of Marque follow his wishes. Scourge’s Master was out for a financial killing that would make himself, his owners and his crew all wealthy men so he decided to do as The Commodore “suggested”.
Rogers’ nominal 44 gun heavy frigate actually carried 55 “Iron dogs”. President was armed with thirty-two 24-pounder long guns, twenty-two 42-pounder carronades, and one 18-pounder Chase gun. Rogers had before him the very situation U.S. commanders dreamed of and he was not going to be denied.
• Scourge mounted twelve 6-pdr guns and an equal numbers of 1 and half inch bore swivels; impressive for a Privateer brig that had once been schooner rigged. Like all privateers she had a vary large crew for her size of 70, all prime Seaman. Rogers suggested Nicholl stay clear of the Royal navy frigate. His brig’s planking and frames could not withstand the 18 pounder long guns and the 24 pounder Smashers of the enemy frigate. He had a lot of work for her to do in rounding up the convoy that had been ordered to scatter by the captain of the Royal Navy frigate. Nicholl agreed; no profit in fighting Royal Navy warships. He’d leave the Spitfire alone also.
• This trade was critical for Britain. Naval stores and timber for the Royal Navy’s masts and spars previously had come largely from the Baltic, where merchant ships had to run past the cannon of Danish fortifications and were subject to the vacillating policies of neutral Sweden. After Napoleon invaded Russia in June 1812, Russian timber and naval stores became available to the British—but through the harsh northern seas.
The destruction of this convoy returning from Russia undermined Britain’s ability to maintain its far-flung fleets against Napoleonic Europe and the United States.
Rodgers victory off the North Cape was followed by the addition of the privateer Rattle Snake to his task force and they sank, took or burned almost every merchant ship going to or from Russia. It took almost an entire month for the Royal Navy to scrape up a six ship squadron, flagged by a 74 gun British ship-of-the-line on the scene and reduced the effectiveness of the commerce warfare. By that time Lloyd’s and the ship owners of England demanded an end of the war. This was too much after Decatur’s squadron consisting of the USS United States, USS Macedonian, and USS Hornet wiped out the convoys returning to England from India or the West Indies in June. August 10– Battle of St. Michaels • August 30 – Attack on Fort Mims, Alabama • September 10 – Battle of Lake Erie • September 15 – England and the USA agree to begin peace negtiations at a time and place to be agreed upon.
• November 1 – Peace delegates convene at Ghent
• December 24 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed
• December 28 – The Treaty of Ghent is ratified by the British
•
1814
• February 16 – The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent
• February 18 – The Treaty of Ghent is declared; the War of 1812 is over Nice, but I do have questions about naval logistics. Where does Decatur scrape barnacles and victualize? |
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oscssw
Senior chief petty officer
Posts: 967
Likes: 1,575
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Post by oscssw on Mar 31, 2023 18:00:28 GMT
ALETERNATE TIME LINE WAR OF 1812
This is a short one I have been thinking about based on a few naval actions which end that stupid war much sooner
Major points of diversion are in GREEN1804 • April 30 –The Louisiana Purchase is finalized, adding more than 800,000 square miles to the western frontier of the United States • December 4 –Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France following a coup d'etat 1806 • April 18 - Non- Importation Act passed • November 21 –Napoleon issues the Berlin Decrees 1807 • June 22 – HMS Leopard fires on the USS Chesapeake • November 11 –Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders in Council, restricting international trade with France • December 22 –Embargo Act Passed 1809 • March 4 – James Madison is sworn in as the 4th President of the United States. 1811 • May 16 – The American frigate USS President fires on the British sloop HMS Little Belt • October 9 – Major General Isaac Brock is appointed Administrator of Upper Canada • November 11 –Battle of Tippecanoe 1812 • June 18 –The United States declares war on Great Britain • June 24 - Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. • July 12 –General William Hull invades Canada from Detroit • July 17 –Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to British-Canadian forces • August 5 –Skirmish near Brownstown, Michigan • August 8 –General Hull returns to Detroit • August 15 –British forces bombard Detroit • August 16 – General Hull surrenders Detroit • August 19 – The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere • October 13 – British-Canadians win the Battle of Queenston Heights, Ontario • November 27 – Skirmish at Fort Erie • December 28 – William Henry Harrison formally resigns as Governor of Indiana Territory and takes the rank of Brigadier General. • December 29 – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java 1813 • January 9 – Great Britain declares war on the United States • January 13 – John Armstrong replaces William Eustis as Secretary of War • January 18 – American forces seize Frenchtown, Michigan • January 22 – The Battle of River Raisin; roughly 40 to 60 American soldiers are killed in “The River Raisin Massacre” • February 22– Battle of Ogdensburg • March 4 – James Madison inaugurated for the second term as President • March 27– Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of the flotilla at Lake Erie • April 27 – Attack on York [modern today Toronto]; General Zebulon Pike is killed • April 29 – Raid on Frenchtown, Maryland by a British flotilla under the command of Admiral George Cockburn • May 1 – American forces evacuate York; Siege of Fort Meigs near modern-day Toledo Ohio begins • May 3 – Royal Marines land and burn Havre de Grace, Maryland May 27 – Engagement at Fort George May 27 – Privateer Scourge of New London, Master Samuel Nicholl passed Montauk point shortly afternautical twi-light and through the Race in full darkness of this moonless night. This was the beginning of one of the most important provateering voyages of the young Republic to Arctic, intercepting British summer trade with Russian ports on the White Sea. • May 29 – Battle at Sackets Harbor • June 1 – USS Chesapeake captured by the British frigate HMS Shannon; Captain James Lawrence dies days later • June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. June 6 – Engagement at Stoney Creek • June 22 – Battle of Craney Island • June 24 – Battle of Beaver Dams • June 25 – Burning of Hampton, Virginia • June 26 to July 18 Hunting together Decatur’s squadron sank, took or burned four British convoys of 67 ships and their escort of an old 50 gun ship, two frigates, two sloops of war and six Gun Brigs returning to England from India and the West Indies, with calamitous effects on British mercantile interests. The loss of fourteen “John Company” East Indiamen staggered both the Company and Lloyd’s. The wholesale destruction of that many Royal Navy vessels combined with the early war run of single Frigate and small warship victories over the Royal Navy off North Americ shook the confidence of the entire nation in it’s wooden walls ability to safeguard the vital commercial intrets of the empire.
• 19 July Scourge unexpectedly met with the U.S. frigate President under Commodore John Rodgers off North Cape. Rogers invited master Nicholl over to President to share a bottle or two of wine, swap the latest news and to make Scourge’s Skipper a proposition. The Commodore suggested that a public and private naval force of the United States might be brought to bear on a Russian convoys. Rodgers even had intelligence that the convoy was protected by two British brigs or sloops-of-war, which the President could blow out of the water with a few broadsides, leaving an entire convoy or series of convoys open to destruction or capture in the near-continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
•
• 20 July two bells into the afternoon watch with USS President and Privateer Scourge sailing in company off the North Cape, the Americans spotted two strange sails in sight to the southwest and gave chase. By the first dog watch the President was close enough for Rodgers to initially erroneously identify, the ships as a British ship-of-the-line and a frigate. Both President and Scourge were fast weatherly ships so Rogers decided to stand on for another hour or so and make sure of the strangers. As it turned out his hunch had been good and the supposed ship-of-the-line was a small 32-gun frigate, the Alexandria, and the supposed frigate was a fireship, the Spitfire.
The convoy consisted of 23 British merchant vessels, sailing from Russia with badly needed naval stores for the Royal Navy warships and the essemtial merchant ships that carried England’s life blood trade. Eighteen of the merchant ships were ultimately
condemned by a prize court in Bergen, Norway.
The two ship convoy escort’s frigate mounted twenty six 12-Pounder long guns and twelve 24-Pound Carronads with a crew of 215, including 24 marines. Convoy escort fireship Brig was armed with eight 12-pounder carronades, two 6 pounder long guns and four swivels. She had a crew of 55.
Rodgers, with Nicholl’s permission. had put a half dozen Marines and a signalling Party under a trusted master’s mate aboard Scourge for just such an occasion. He could not order Nicholl to do anything but he could suggest the Letter of Marque follow his wishes. Scourge’s Master was out for a financial killing that would make himself, his owners and his crew all wealthy men so he decided to do as The Commodore “suggested”.
Rogers’ nominal 44 gun heavy frigate actually carried 55 “Iron dogs”. President was armed with thirty-two 24-pounder long guns, twenty-two 42-pounder carronades, and one 18-pounder Chase gun. Rogers had before him the very situation U.S. commanders dreamed of and he was not going to be denied.
• Scourge mounted twelve 6-pdr guns and an equal numbers of 1 and half inch bore swivels; impressive for a Privateer brig that had once been schooner rigged. Like all privateers she had a vary large crew for her size of 70, all prime Seaman. Rogers suggested Nicholl stay clear of the Royal navy frigate. His brig’s planking and frames could not withstand the 18 pounder long guns and the 24 pounder Smashers of the enemy frigate. He had a lot of work for her to do in rounding up the convoy that had been ordered to scatter by the captain of the Royal Navy frigate. Nicholl agreed; no profit in fighting Royal Navy warships. He’d leave the Spitfire alone also.
• This trade was critical for Britain. Naval stores and timber for the Royal Navy’s masts and spars previously had come largely from the Baltic, where merchant ships had to run past the cannon of Danish fortifications and were subject to the vacillating policies of neutral Sweden. After Napoleon invaded Russia in June 1812, Russian timber and naval stores became available to the British—but through the harsh northern seas.
The destruction of this convoy returning from Russia undermined Britain’s ability to maintain its far-flung fleets against Napoleonic Europe and the United States.
Rodgers victory off the North Cape was followed by the addition of the privateer Rattle Snake to his task force and they sank, took or burned almost every merchant ship going to or from Russia. It took almost an entire month for the Royal Navy to scrape up a six ship squadron, flagged by a 74 gun British ship-of-the-line on the scene and reduced the effectiveness of the commerce warfare. By that time Lloyd’s and the ship owners of England demanded an end of the war. This was too much after Decatur’s squadron consisting of the USS United States, USS Macedonian, and USS Hornet wiped out the convoys returning to England from India or the West Indies in June. August 10– Battle of St. Michaels • August 30 – Attack on Fort Mims, Alabama • September 10 – Battle of Lake Erie • September 15 – England and the USA agree to begin peace negtiations at a time and place to be agreed upon.
• November 1 – Peace delegates convene at Ghent
• December 24 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed
• December 28 – The Treaty of Ghent is ratified by the British
•
1814
• February 16 – The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent
• February 18 – The Treaty of Ghent is declared; the War of 1812 is over Nice, but I do have questions about naval logistics. Where does Decatur scrape barnacles and victualize? 1. For the North cape Op area, any port controlled by Napoleon such as Bergen, Norway, not sealed tight by RN blockade, especially those used by Napoleon's and his "Allies" privateers.
2. Clandestine deals with those who will sell Stephen anything for the right price.
3. Given the fact sailing warships often undertook voyages of long duration his ship should be able to operate with little assistance for months. They were remarkably self sufficient.
4. Using the cargoes of prizes taken to supplement his needs. Take the David Porter's Essex in the Pacific for example.
Porter’s mission at the onset of the War of 1812 was to disrupt the British whaling fleet.
Porter was alone and operating against the most powerful navy
in the world. "I therefore determine to pursue that course which seems to me
best calculated to injure the enemy, and would enable me to prolong my cruize: this could
only be done by going into friendly a port . . . on the coast of Chili [sic].”
In February 1813, Porter noted that a significant portion of the British whaling
fleet was located in the Pacific. No other American warship was assigned to patrol that
vast ocean, so Porter boldly sailed around the horn —without orders. His success came
from surprise tactics , and the maintenance of his vessel while at sea for extended periods
by taking stores from seized British whale ships and captured fauna on the Galápagos
Islands. His biggest problems were the scarcity of fresh water and having few officers
and men to crew his captured prizes. Porter’s cruise was costly for the British and,
without doubt, had a major effect on British commerce in the Pacific.
By the fall of 1813, the Essex’ eleven months at sea and multiple battles produced
severe hull damage, deterioration of the ship’s sails and rigging and an infestation of
vermin that threatened the vessel’s stores. Their number became so great that they
threatened to “eat their way through every part of the ship.” Therefore, on 3 October
he set sail for the Marquesas Islands for a badly needed overhaul. While engaged in
doing his repair work, Porter perhaps hatched some of his cunning ploys. The first was
the use of the false British flag when approaching a vessel, then running up the stars and
stripes and seizing the surprised ship with either little or no resistance on their part. In a
more imaginative scheme, Porter ordered the recently captured British whaler
Seringapatam “painted exactly like the Essex, so that it would have been very difficult to
have known them apart at a short distance. I then changed entirely the appearance of the
Essex and gave to the Greenwich [another captured whaler that was turned into a store-
ship] the appearance of a sloop of war, hoping at some period to derive some advantage
over the enemy by deceptions.” xxvii In another gambit Porter took advantage of the fact
that the Galápagos Islands were a favorite stopping place for Pacific whalers. He left a
note on a bottle on the Galapagos’ Santiago Island that spoke of the death of many of his
crewmen. The note also said, “ The Essex leaves this in a leaky state, her foremast very
rotten . . . and her main mast sprung . . . Should any American vessel, or indeed a vessel
of any nation, put in here, and meet with this note, they would be doing an act of great
humanity to transmit a copy of it to America." In fact Essex was in excellent repair
with a healthy crew awaiting new prey — British whalers deceived into thinking they
were safe. Porter also made additional use of some the vessels that he captured. He
would send them out about seven miles from form his flagship but in opposite directions
to form radii. Each in turn could reconnoiter the sea about seven or more miles beyond
them. By using prearranged signals Porter, at the hub of this great circle, could monitor
sail traffic over hundreds of square miles of ocean around him.
5. For the operations in West Lant many, many ports and isolated bays to choose from and supply ships sent out from American ports to rendezvous at previously agreed upon. 
2. Any uninhabitted lonely bay
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miletus12
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Post by miletus12 on Mar 31, 2023 18:30:03 GMT
1. The armed Brits in the Pacific were few and far between which was why David Porter got away with his "suicide mission". 2. See MAP.  Now I know; John Paul Jones and all that, but Russian trade convoys, mostly passed through Danish controlled waters and the Battle of Copenhagen put an end to that problem as far as Britain was concerned. The Russian convoys were fairly unmolested after that one. The British had a lot of frigates close to home. One exploit the Americans NEVER looked at; was the Indian Ocean. A lot of the money that Britain used to finance those coalitions against Napoleon, they stole out of INDIA. If there was an area where an American squadron would find friends (Ottomans and Arabs would sustain piracy.) and fewer and mostly rag tag and incompetent Britons, it was in THAT ocean. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 31, 2023 18:39:20 GMT
• June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. Is this squadron made up of the USS UNITED STATES, the USS MACEDONIAN and the sloop of war USS HORNET. |
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oscssw
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Post by oscssw on Apr 1, 2023 2:27:21 GMT
• June 3 Decatur’s squadron of two frigates and one brig got past the Royal navy blockade and escaped into the Atlantic. Is this squadron made up of the USS UNITED STATES, the USS MACEDONIAN and the sloop of war USS HORNET. You got that right The Rock. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 1, 2023 6:29:59 GMT
Is this squadron made up of the USS UNITED STATES, the USS MACEDONIAN and the sloop of war USS HORNET. You got that right The Rock. Seems again i could have found out that if i just read your post better. So looking at your post, the War of 1812 is a year shorter than OTL, ore am i seeing it wrong. |
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oscssw
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Post by oscssw on Apr 3, 2023 15:16:30 GMT
You got that right The Rock. Seems again i could have found out that if i just read your post better. So looking at your post, the War of 1812 is a year shorter than OTL, ore am i seeing it wrong. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 3, 2023 15:21:27 GMT
Seems again i could have found out that if i just read your post better. So looking at your post, the War of 1812 is a year shorter than OTL, ore am i seeing it wrong. That means no Battle of New Orleans and at least the White House will not be burned in this TL. |
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oscssw
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Post by oscssw on Apr 3, 2023 15:24:19 GMT
The Rock my friend that is correct. A shorter war, while Britain is still embroiled with Napoleon, would mean much better terms for America which will appear in this ATL. That means no Battle of New Orleans and at least the White House will not be burned in this TL. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 3, 2023 15:31:18 GMT
That means no Battle of New Orleans and at least the White House will not be burned in this TL. So will a early end to the War of 1812 have any effect on the US Navy, i did find that the US Navy will see the 44-gun frigate USS COLUMBIA and the 22-gun USS ARGUS, both vessels that where being build at the Washington Navy Yard, which was set ablaze into service. |
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miletus12
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Post by miletus12 on Apr 3, 2023 16:07:18 GMT
So will a early end to the War of 1812 have any effect on the US Navy, i did find that the US Navy will see the 44-gun frigate USS COLUMBIA and the 22-gun USS ARGUS, both vessels that where being build at the Washington Navy Yard, which was set ablaze into service. That was not American practice. Such ships would be laid up into "ordinary" which is to say they would be weatherproofed and left on the weighs, unfinished, for times up to two decades until Congress approproated monies to finish construction and man and commission prior to a pending war. This was what was done during the Mexican American War and the Civil War and even the Spanish American War. That practice continues today with the "Mothball Fleet". |
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oscssw
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Post by oscssw on Apr 5, 2023 13:04:27 GMT
So will a early end to the War of 1812 have any effect on the US Navy, i did find that the US Navy will see the 44-gun frigate USS COLUMBIA and the 22-gun USS ARGUS, both vessels that where being build at the Washington Navy Yard, which was set ablaze into service. That was not American practice. Such ships would be laid up into "ordinary" which is to say they would be weatherproofed and left on the weighs, unfinished, for times up to two decades until Congress approproated monies to finish construction and man and commission prior to a pending war. This was what was done during the Mexican American War and the Civil War and even the Spanish American War. That practice continues today with the "Mothball Fleet". miletus12 is correct, as usual  . The young Republic was always strapped for funds. Our congress "Critters" were the same sort of scum bags we have today. Therefore, the Army and to a lessor extent, the USN were always cut back to bare bones after each war. As friend miletus12 pointed out, keeping new ships on the stocks for many years was a cheap way to free up funds these political hacks could use to repay the folks who got them their jobs at the tax payers' expense.
Actually leaving ships to weather on the stocks made for very, very strong hulls. Look at Victory.
Also these nearly completed ships provided a reserve of ship's that if required could quickly be launched and put into commission. The USN had adopted a system of training Junior Officers, in rotation aboard the few ships in peacetime commission. The senior officers rotated between shipboard commands, shore duties and long periods of unemployment by the Navy. They often skippered merchant vessels while waiting to be recalled. In time of war the ships could be quickly manned by very experienced sailors from the large American Merchant Marine. Aside from a much greater emphasis on gunnery the merchant seaman were fully trained and given the need of enough men to both sail and fight the ship the merchant sailors had it easy. "We had a half dozen navy men to do the job done by one sailor man aboard a merchant!"
In those days of privateers and outright pirates almost all merchant ships were armed and the crews were familiar enough with the few iron dogs aboard, not to blow up the ship and give a good enough account of themselves to beat off most pirates. The merchants also provided skill warrants such as Master's Mates, Bosuns, ship's carpenters etc to the expanded navy. many times men who had served in warships before rejoined in time of war. One very funny fact was that many of the senior PO's in the USN had been trained by the Royal navy.
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575
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Post by 575 on Apr 7, 2023 17:14:28 GMT
First post: May 16 – The American frigate USS President fires on the British sloop HMS Little BeltHMS Little Belt former Danish Frigate Lille Belt taken 1807. 20 guns - 2 8pdr. Guns, 18 30pdr. Carronade. And the action:  Going through Danish waters post 1807 might still be hazardous as the Danish Navy build row-gunboats to intercept RN warships when no wind had them immobilized. To guard against the 220 Danish gunboats the RN sailed in Convoy in Danish waters; Ships of the line, Frigates and Corvettes. Also Privateering was allowed more than 600 such ships were active. Some ships of the Danish-Norwegian Navy had escaped to Norwegian waters - These ships managed to capture a total of 10 RN Brigs. Activity: 3 June 1808 RN Brig The Ticler captured by Danish row-gunboats in Great Baelt. 9 June 1808 RN Brig The Turbulent captured by Danish row-gunboats in the Sound. 26 June 1808 RN Ship of the line Dictator is attacked by 5 Danish gun-boats off island of Stevns - Dictator leave the area. 15 October 1808 25 Danish gun-boats and 7 Launches try intercepting a Convoy of 137 Merchantmen, RN Ship of the line Africa, HMS Thunder and two Brigs. Africa tries to fend off the Danish Gunboats but wind calms and battle raged for 4 hours untill nightfall when both parties left the area - Africa limping into Swedish Navy Base Karlskrona for repairs. 24 October 1808 3 RN Ships of the Line, 4 Frigates and 2 light units attack Christians Ø in the Baltic used as a Danish Navy base housing at the time some 25 prizes and a number of gun-boats - attackers left the isles after a bombardment. 19 July 1810 Skagerrak 5 Brigs out of Norway capture 48 Merchantmen in Convoy by one RN Brig. Guerilla warfare at sea was waged. At least Merchantmen were captured as well as some RN light units and the RN kept ships in the Baltic and Danish waters that might have been used elsewhere. |
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. The young Republic was always strapped for funds. Our congress "Critters" were the same sort of scum bags we have today. Therefore, the Army and to a lessor extent, the USN were always cut back to bare bones after each war. As friend miletus12 pointed out, keeping new ships on the stocks for many years was a cheap way to 