Alphabet File page 23
He had, as stated, five gunboats, with 23 guns and 182 men, under the command of Lieutenant John D. Ferris, Isaac McKeever, Thomas A.C. Jones, Robert Spedden and George Ulrick. The sloop Alligator, 1 gun and 8 men, under Master R. S. Sheppard, was two miles away to the southwest, held by the calm. This boat was first captured by a detachment of Lockyer's boats, after which the attacking force was united. "At 10:30," says Jones, "the enemy weighed, forming a line abreast in open order, and steering direct for our line, which was unfortunately in some degree broken by the force of the current, driving Nos. 156 and 163 about 100 yards in advance.
As soon as the enemy came within reach of our shot, a deliberate fire from our long guns was oepned upon him, but without much effect, the objects being of so small a size. At 10 minutes before 11, the enemy opened a fire from the whole of his line, when the action became general and destructive on both sides.
About 11:49 the advance boats of the enemy, three in number, attempted to board No. 156, but were repulsed with the loss of nearly every officer killed and wounded and two boats sunk. A second attempt to board was then made by four other boats, which shared almost a similar fate. At this moment I received a severe wound in my left shoulder, which compelled me to quit the deck, leaving it in charge of Mr. George Parker, master's mate, who gallantly defended the vessel until he was severely wounded, when the enemy, by his superior numbers, succeeded in gaining possession of the deck about 10 minutes past 12 o'clock.
The enemy immediately turned the guns of his prize on the other gunboats and fired several shots previous to striking the American colors. The action continued with unabating severity until 40 minutes past 12 o'clock, when it terminated with the surrender of No. 23, all the other vessels having previously fallen into the hands of the enemy." Lieutenants Spedden and McKeever were also wounded, spedden losing an arm, and a considerable number of men were killed and wounded. The British reports show 45 boats, with 43 cannon, engaged.
Capt. Lockyer reported that on his barge, that fought Jones' boat, he was severely wounded, and most of his officers and crew were either killed or wounded. He succeeded only by the aid of the Tonnant's boats, under Lieut. Tatnall.
The total British loss was 17 killed and 77 wounded, including the captain and 15 officers. For his victory Lockyer was promoted to command of the captured flotilla, and Montressor, in temporary command, at once made use of it to secure possession of Lake Borgne. (See Latour's Historical Memoir and appendix.)
The advance guard of the infantry was landed on "Isle aux Pois, a small swampy spot at the mouth of the Pearl River," on December 16, and was joined there by Maj.-Gen. Keane and Admirals Cochrane and Codrington on the next day.
During the remainder of the campaign Ship Island harbor was the station of the British fleet, under Vice Admiral Cochrane, whose flagship was the Tonnant, 80 guns, and Rear Admirals Codrington and Malcolm, the latter of whom carried his flag on the Royal Oak, a seventy-four. There were three other "seventy-fours" in this Mississippi harbor, the Norge, Bedford, Raminies, and Asia; the Dictator of sixty-four, Diomede of fifty, Gordon of forty-four, and eleven ships whose guns were in the thirties, besides ten others of inferior armament. Some of these great men-of-war were then or afterwards famous in the annals of sea fighting. (Encyclopedia of Mississippi History, Vol. I, by Dunbar Rowland, 1907, pages 165-267)
BATTLE OF 1814 - Near the pierhead of John Martin's Wharf at Bay St. Louis, lies, in about eight feet of water, a bronze eighteen pounder cannon --a gun that was mounted on the bluff opposite in 1814 from one of the American gunboats that were shortly afterwards captured by Admiral Cochrane's boat Flotilla.
This gun was thrown into the sea, where it lies now, in 1861 (1862 ?) during one of the alarms created by the U.S. New London, the first Federal war steamer in these waters. This gun ought to be raised as it is a curious historical relic, having been captured by the Americans from one of the old English three-deckers. (Daily Picayune Thursday, March 24, 1870 p2 c1) -(Bay St. Louis Gazette March 19, 1870) From MISSISSIPPI by Dunbar Rowland page 226.
..See Mississippi Sound. J. F. H. Claiborne, in his 1876 address, told that a regiment of Mississippi militia was stationed in support of the battery, but made a hasty retreat to the Big Spring. An invalid lady from Natchez implored the colonel to fire one gun for the honor of the country, but failing to do so, she touched off a cannon with a cigarette handed her by John B. Toulme. It is, however, at least capable of inference from the official reports that the battery took part in the engagement. Subsequently a number of the young men of the region, led by Mr. Toulme, took their rifles and went in pirogues to aid in the defense of New Orleans. (Mississippi, by Dunbar Rowland, page 226).
Magnolia marker commemorating the Battle of 1814
On December 14, 1987, The HCHS dedicated the Magnolia marker commemorating the Battle of 1814, Dr. Bill Badford, President, Peggy Gibbens "past president". (Photo, SH, 12/14/87).
The program hand-out was as follows:
THE BATTLE OF THE BAY OF SAINT LOUIS
December 13th and 14th, 1814
On the night of December 12th, 1814, over 1000 British troops and 42 barges under the direction of Capt. Lockyer moved through the pass between Ship and Cat Islands and sailed westward along the Mississippi Coast. Lt. Thomas Ap Catesby Jones commanding the seven American boats standing off Malheureux Island sighted the fleet at mid morning on the 13th and he immediately dispatched the tiny tender, Sea Horse, under the command of Sailing Master Johnson into the of Bay St. Louis to assist in the removal of the public stores before they fell to the British. Three British boats were dispatched to capture the Sea Horse, which was endeavoring to load supplies below the bluff at Bay St. Louis.
At 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, Johnson seized the initiative and sailed in attack. Although assisted by two guns mounted on the shore, he had only a single 6 pounder on board. After half an hour of intense barrage he put the British to route.
Shortly, seven British barges returned to continue the battle. The Sea Horse gallantly fought the superior numbers and again the British were driven back to the safety of their fleet, several of their men having been killed or wounded and at least one of their boats was "apparently much injured". However, the odds were stacked too heavily against the little schooner and, that evening, rather than let the stores and boat fall into the hands of the enemy, both were blown up.
At dawn on the 14th, Jones, who was under orders from Commodore Patterson to "Sink the enemy or be sunk", sighted the approaching enemy flotilla and stationed his becalmed gunboats across the channel between Malheureux Island and Point Clear near Bayou Caddy. They were:
Gunboat #5 under Sailing Master John Ferris
Gunboat #23 under Lieutenant Isaac MacKeever
Gunboat #162 under Lieutenant Robert Spedden
Gunboat #163 under Sailing Master George Ulrick
Gunboat #156 was the flagship under Lt. Jones himself.
Alligator under Sailing Master Richard Sheppard was becalmed near the line of approach and was captured.
The British rowed their boats into current until they were about two miles away from Lt. Jones. There Capt. Lockyer calmly brought the barges to, so that his sailors could eat breakfast and rest from their long row.
About 10:30 they closed on Jones and his brave little fleet. By 12:40 the battle was over. Six Americans were dead and 35 were wounded. The British suffered 17 dead and 77 wounded. But more important was the loss of time which allowed Andrew Jackson to complete his fortifications for the defense at Chalmette, bringing victory for the Americans.(HCHS dedication brochure)