Jesse Elliott - War of 1812

War of 1812

Elliott won promotion to Lieutenant in April 1810 and was assigned to Lake Erie to oversee construction of the US naval fleet upon the outbreak of the War of 1812. On 8 October 1812, he and Capt. Nathan Towson captured the British brigs HMS Caledonia and HMS Detroit formerly the United States brig Adams anchored near the British Fort Erie in the upper reaches of the Niagara River. The Caledonia escaped to an American port with a load of furs and became the USS Caledonia. The Detroit was swept down the Niagara River into range of the British guns. Elliot battled the shore emplacement until his ammunition ran out and then beached the ship on Squaw Island and fled to the American side of the river. British and American guns destroyed the beached ship. Elliot and Towson were later commended for this action by Congress. In February 1813, however, Elliot was replaced by Master Commandant Oliver H. Perry.

Transferred to Lake Ontario, Elliot served under Commodore Isaac Chauncey as Captain on board the flagship the USS Madison, and took part in the Battle of York on 27 April 1813 and the Battle of Fort George on 27 May. He was promoted to Master Commandant in July and reassigned to the Erie fleet, to serve as Commodore Perry's second-in-command. He felt Perry had insufficient combat experience, and was particularly critical of Perry's choice of Presque Isle for his shipyard.