Engagements on Lake Ontario

"A scene on Lake Ontario - United States sloop of war Gen. Pike, Commodore Chauncey, and the British sloop of war Wolfe, Sir James Yeo, preparing for action, September 28, 1813"

Date	18 June 1812 – 23 March 1815
Location	Lake Ontario
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

United Kingdom

United States

Commanders and leaders

James Lucas Yeo

Isaac Chauncey

Strength

1 first rate ship of the line
2 frigates
6 sloops and brigs
4 schooners and gunboats

2 frigates
6 sloops and brigs
12 schooners and gunboats

Casualties and losses

1 sloop destroyed
2 brigs destroyed
1 brig captured

1 brig destroyed
2 schooners sunk
2 schooners captured

The Engagements on Lake Ontario encompass the prolonged naval contest for control of the lake during the War of 1812. Few actions were fought, none of which had decisive results, and the contest essentially became a naval building race, sometimes referred to sarcastically as the "Battle of the Carpenters".

When war was first declared, the British had an early advantage on the Great Lakes in that they possessed a quasi-naval body, the Provincial Marine. Although not particularly well manned or efficient, its ships were initially unopposed on Lake Erie and Lake Huron, and made possible the decisive early victories of Major General Isaac Brock.

On Lake Ontario, they possessed the ships Royal George and Prince Regent, and the brigs Earl of Moira and Duke of Gloucester, based at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard. The schooners Seneca and Governor Simcoe were also taken into service. The chief officer was Commodore John Steel, who was seventy-five years old, or even older. He was retired and replaced by Commander Hugh Earle. The Americans possessed only one brig, Oneida under Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey, and a small navy yard at Sackets Harbor, New York. On 19 July, five vessels of the Provincial Marine attacked Oneida in the First Battle of Sackett's Harbor but were beaten off.

...
Wikipedia