War of 1812
At the outbreak of war Hornet sailed under Lawrence's command on a raiding voyage to South America. She captured the privateer Dolphin on 9 July 1812, although the British recaptured the ship shortly afterwards. Hornet assisted in the blockade of HMS Bonne Citoyenne in the harbor at Salvador, Brazil, and on 24 February 1813 she sank HMS Peacock after a brief battle off Guyana. Following this she returned to New London.
On 14 November 1814, under new command, Hornet sailed on a second raiding voyage to the South Atlantic. On 23 March 1815, she captured HMS Penguin in a short battle off Tristan da Cunha. This was one of several naval engagements that took place after the war had ended. On 27 April, she engaged HMS Cornwallis, having mistakenly identified her as a merchant vessel. Hornet managed to escape by throwing overboard boats, guns and other equipment so to enable higher speed.
Read more about this topic: USS Hornet (1805 brig)
Famous quotes containing the word war:
“The dead have been awakened—shall I sleep?
The world’s at war with tyrants—shall I crouch?
The harvest’s ripe—and shall I pause to reap?
I slumber not; the thorn is in my couch;
Each day a trumpet soundeth in mine ear,
Its echo in my heart.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)