Chippewa (Schooner), aground, 1 Oct 1813

On Tuesday last a schooner was discovered off Sturgeon Point, under bare poles, and evidently in distress. At 7 o'clock the schooner made the mouth of Buffalo Creek and anchored off---making signals of distress; having no pilot on board and the swells running too high for a boat to venture out to her relief, she lay at anchor until 11 o'clock, when the wind freshened, the schooner dragged her kedge anchor, (having lost the other) and beached 50 or 60 rods below Buffalo Creek. She proved to be the U. S. Schooner CHIPPEWA, captured from the British September 10th., Robert S. Tatem, master, who sailed from Put-In-Bay with baggage of the 27th. and 28th. Regiments U. S. Inf'y and some stores, and was bound to Malden; on the 10th. inst, within a few miles of the Detroit River, she parted with her anchor, in a storm (the sane as was felt at this place), and her sails blowing to pieces she became unmanageable, and it became necessary for the preservation of the lives of the crew, to heave overboard the baggage on deck, which was considerable, and belonged principally to the Officers of the 27th. Regt. The gale increased to such an degree, that it was with great difficulty that the schooner was kept above water. Many times during the way down, several of the crew inform us that the deck was frequently knee deep under water. The crew and passengers, consisting of about 40 persons, among whom, were three officers of the Army, and William Brown Esq., brother and aide of General Brown, at Sackett's harbor, who was on express from Sackett's harbor to Gen. Harrison; and melancholy to relate, fell a sacrifice to his imprudence, after suffering and escaping together with the rest of the crew, the fury of the storm; but a few minutes before the schooner beached, he, notwithstanding the most pressing entreaties of the officers on board, seized an oar and jumped overboard, probably fearing the vessel was going on the rocks, and thinking to reach the shore on the oar; but alas ! vain were his hopes, his strength was so far exhausted with the fatigues of the storm that he sank to rise no more.
There was no person lost, except the gentleman above stated. The amount of property lost cannot be estimated, as the contents of most of the trunks which were lost were unknown to the officers. The vessel was very little injured, and will after undergoing some necessary repairs, the first fair wind proceed up the lake.
The property in the hold was all preserved, although some damaged by the weather.
      the Buffalo Gazette
      Tuesday, October, 19, 1813


We regret, [says the Cincinnati Gazette] to inform our readers of the loss of the CHIPPEWAY, her crew and baggage, in a late gale on Lake Erie. The CHIPPEWA was a schooner carrying two guns and taken by the gallant Perry from the British. She was sailing from Put-in-Bay to Detroit, having on board 60 souls, among them three Lieutenants, the baggage of the 24th United States Regiment, all drowned and lost by the staving of the vessel.
      Kingston Gazette
      January 5, 1814