Jesse D. Elliott
| Jesse Duncan Elliott | |
|---|---|
Jesse Duncan Elliott
|
|
| Born | July 14, 1782 |
| Died | December 10, 1845 (aged 63) |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1804 - 1845 |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
| Commands held |
USS Niagara USS Ontario USS Cyane West Indies Squadron Boston Navy Yard Mediterranean Squadron Philadelphia Navy Yard |
| Battles/wars |
War of 1812 Battle of York Battle of Fort George Battle of Lake Erie Second Barbary War |
| Relations | Washington Lafayette Elliott (son) |
| Other work | Trustee, Dickinson College 1831–1833 |
Jesse Duncan Elliott (14 July 1782 – 10 December 1845) was a United States naval officer and commander of American naval forces in Lake Erie during the War of 1812, especially noted for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.
Elliott was born in Hagerstown, Maryland. His childhood home, the Elliot-Bester House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. He enlisted in the US Navy as a midshipman in April 1804 and saw action in the Mediterranean Sea during the Barbary Wars between 1805 and 1807, serving on board the USS Essex under Commodore James Barron. In June 1807, Elliott was on board USS Chesapeake when Commodore Barron was forced to allow a search of the ship by HMS Leopard.
Elliott won promotion to lieutenant in April 1810 and was assigned to Lake Erie to oversee construction of the US naval squadron on Lake Erie upon the outbreak of the War of 1812. On 8 October 1812, he and Army Captain 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. Caledonia escaped to an American port with a load of furs and became the USS Caledonia. 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 (today known as Unity 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 as commander of the Lake Erie squadron by Master Commandant Oliver H. Perry.
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