HMS Fairy (1812)
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | HMS Fairy |
| Builder: | William Taylor, Bideford |
| Launched: | 1812 |
| Commissioned: | August 1812 |
| Decommissioned: | 1815 |
| Honors and awards: |
Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "The Potomac 17 Augt. 1814" |
| Fate: | Broken up, 1821 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Cruizer-class brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen: | 386 80⁄94 bm |
| Length: | 100 ft 1 1⁄2 in (30.518 m) (o/a); 77 ft 4 in (23.57 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m) |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: | 16 × 32-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder bow guns |
HMS Fairy (1812) was a Cruizer-class brig-sloop, built by William Taylor at Bideford and launched in 1812. She escorted convoys during the War of 1812 and participated in the Raid on Alexandria, the Royal Navy’s incursion up the Potomac in 1814. She was broken up in 1821.
Fairy was commissioned in August 1812 under Commander Edward Grey for South America. On 25 December she recaptured the Viagante. While on the South America station she escorted convoys; in June 1813 she joined a convoy of over 500 merchant vessels bound for Spain, Portugal, the Mediterranean, Brazil, North America, and the West Indies.
Commander Henry Loraine Baker took command on 18 April 1814. Two days later, Fairy left Portsmouth for the West Indies. Between 20 and 31 August she carried dispatches from Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. She fought her way up the Potomac River to recall Captain James Alexander Gordon (commanding Seahorse) and his squadron, who had taken Alexandria, Virginia, two days before. The British had also captured 21 merchant vessels and looted stores and warehouses of 16,000 barrels of flour, 1,000 hogsheads of tobacco, 150 bales of cotton, and some $5,000 worth of wine, sugar, and other items.
The Americans had a battery of five guns that fired on Fairy as she sailed to reach Gordon. The battery was situated high on a bluff at White House Plantation (modern day Fort Belvoir), and on 1 September, Gordon sent Fairy, Meteor and several smaller vessels in an unsuccessful attempt to engage the battery and impede its completion. In all, the Americans had placed a total of 11 guns—five naval long guns and eight artillery field pieces—as well as a furnace for heating shot.
The British spent most of 2 September mustering their ships and prizes for the run down river while awaiting favorable winds. At the same time they were working to free the bomb vessel Devastation, which had run aground.
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