Muskets and Tomahawks - HMS NANCY and the War of 1812

Muskets and Cutlasses - Arrows and Tomahawks

As a historian, and in terms of the subject at hand, being the importance of the adventures of HMS NANCY or as some would have it HM Schooner NANCY during the war of 1812, it goes without saying that all borders between countries have been established at the point of a musket. This is true the world over. It is also true for Mexico and the United States at the famous Alamo in Texas as it is for the British Dominions of Upper and Lower Canada and the United States with the success of the Nancy. Indeed it is still important as both countries continue to wrangle over economic and fishing treaties and the navigational rights in the far northern waters off Canada’s coast and the “North West Passage”

The War of 1812 was no different for Britain under King George III and the United States under President Madison. For the Americans, they saw it as a great opportunity to annex some land while the British were distracted with the conflict in continental Europe. Anything would do for an excuse and the forced boarding of American ships provided just that.

The history of the War of 1812 is well told, but what is less well told is the success of HMS NANCY AFTER the Battle of Lake Erie between Commodore Robert Heriot Barclay and one Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry on September 10th 1813. The battle itself is another story where the British forces lost the battle. But did we really, one wonders.

What is important is that the heavily armed war schooner NANCY now representing in its entirety the British fleet in the northern Lakes now received her commission and became HM Schooner NANCY along with her new commanding officer Lieutenant Miller Worsley, late of the Lake Erie squadron frigate HMS QUEEN CHARLOTTE who arrived on-board later the following spring of 1814 to join in with the captain of the now commission schooner one Captain MacIntosh of Moy Hall in the employ of the North West Company. The story of Alexander MacIntosh, the NANCY and the North West Company is yet again another story.

So the last surviving “ship” of the lake Erie squadron having lost her southern operational base at Moy Hall and hence Fort Malden sails back to her base in Matchdash Bay at the head of what is now called Severn Bay at the southern terminus of the North Channel below the head of the French River fur trade route, and what is interesting in today’s terms within sight of the replica HM Schooner NANCY’s new home at Port McNicoll.

So now then the Americans with the efforts of General Harrison [another story] and Commodore Perry control the trade on Lake Erie from the ruins of Fort Erie to the ruins of Fort Malden with Port Dover in the middle. The fiasco at Fort York [another sad story of ineptitude] now means that HMS NANCY is to be supplied via Montreal to Kingston to York up the Holland River past Kempenfelt bay to lake Couchiching to the Severn cut into Matchdash Bay or alternatively across the Ottawa River to the French River and down into Matchdash Bay. The Americans were well aware of the movements of HM Schooner NANCY and that she was armed with six long 4 pounders, and more importantly that through her efforts and “her associates” that she controlled the Upper lakes and “the Michigan territories”. Not good news.

And so it begins anew. Commodore Perry who won the day on Lake Erie is now with the Atlantic fleet and it is now up to Commodore Sinclair to “clear the lakes once and for all” of that pesky HM Schooner NANCY. To do this he brings both the American frigates into action up into Lake Huron, the USS NIAGRA and the USS LAWRENCE. More than that the American commander, in order to make sure of success against the “little NANCY” brings up three new war schooners, the USS SCORPION, the USS TIGRESS and the USS ARIEL. More than a fair fight I am sure. For the NANCY’s reputation as a fighting ship crewed by professionals and the fact that she never lost against superior odds even in running engagements, from Fort Erie and Fort Stevens all the way to Fort Malden was to be totally respected.

What happened is another story and we all know from the American texts in our schools that on that fateful day on August 13, 1814 the little HM Schooner NANCY was cut off from her exit route between the main land and what is now known as Christian Island into Matchdash Bay and destroyed up the mouth of the Nottawasaga River by the overwhelming American forces. It should be noted that it took the Americans the whole day to do this with all their firepower. But they quickly found out to their dismay that the crew and some of her allies had just received the new Baker Musket/Rifle which had been ordered expressed shipped from the Duke of Wellington’s quartermaster in London to Montreal to York and on up to Matchdash Bay. During the battle HM Schooner NANCY was stripped of all her arms and all taken to her base, having done that she was set on fire to prevent her hull from being taken by the Americans. The battle itself is another story where the British forces lost the battle. But did we really, one wonders.

As history would have it, within two weeks the British forces along with her “allies’ had taken two of those new American schooners now called HM Schooner SURPRISE and HM Schooner CONFIANCE. We were in better shape than we were just a couple of weeks earlier. And crewed by the NANCY’s crew. Defeat … hell no! And still we are not finished. Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo based at Fort Henry in Kingston was thrilled. The Montreal Gazette was equally delighted with the results. Especially after the NANCY’s crew and her Ojibwa allies along with Lt McDouall and Lt Livingston later took and held Fort Mackinaw, the Gibraltar of the north from the Americans.

Equally thrilled was the Duke of Wellington, disgusted by the efforts of Commodore Barclay, General Scheaffe and General Proctor finally saw the success of true professionals led by junior officers on those distant lands and Lakes of the Canadas.

This brings us to the Treat of Ghent, initially signed on December 24, 1814. Initially because sailing on the Atlantic in winter was to be avoided and the numerous other skirmishes of the War of 1812 had yet to take place, including the Battle of New Orleans on January 18, 1815. The treaty had to be re-affirmed in later that year. In fact tussle around the border continued for many years after that including the boundary treaty of 1818. In fact when the British finally relinquished Fort Mackinaw in 1815 they established Fort Drummond on Drummond Island right across from it and held onto it until 1823 long after the Treaty of Ghent, its boundary provisions and that of 1818 and 1826.

The point here is that by the efforts of HM Schooner NANCY and her crew and “allies” that by holding onto Fort Mackinaw, it gave the British negotiators the co-ordinates to mark out the 49th parallel. Overt the years including the boundary Treaty of 1818 this line of demarcation was extended due west all the way out to what became the future province of British Columbia.
In conclusion then, we ask the all-important question, so then just how important was HM Schooner NANCY during the War of 1812 to the Canadas and to the future of indeed Canada. The answer to that question my friend, is that HM Schooner NANCY was as important to the future of Canada as the Alamo was to Texas and the future of the United States.

There are songs about the little NANCY but I doubt if we will ever seen her emblazoned on our coinage. Perhaps with the return of HM Schooner NANCY this could be changed. The support of the Royal Canadian Legion came grudgingly like the admission of the Korean veterans to the Legion. The recognition of the NANCY by the American Legion and the President of the United States was almost instantaneously given. To this day the history of “the pesky little schooner” is well known in the United States. But what of our own Canadian history and our Canadian history teachers. That too may change one day. Ask the likes of Jack Grannestein and Pierre Berton and Sir William Stevenson.

Please support the return of the little NANCY. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you all.