Capture of the Young Teazer

HMS Hogue, which trapped the Young Teazer

The Young Teazer was an American privateer schooner, which was in a naval battle off Chester, Nova Scotia with HMS Hogue during the War of 1812. Young Teazer was under the command of William D. Dobson and Lieutenant Frederick Johnson, while Hogue was under the command of Captain Robert Dudley Oliver. The battled started on 17 June and ended on 27 June. After ten days of pursuit, on 27 June 1813 Hogue trapped Young Yeazer in Mahone Bay. Moments before a boarding party from Hogue were to board the her, Young Teazer exploded.

Historical context

HMS Acasta (left) captured the Porcupine off Nova Scotia

There were many privateers who were attacking British shipping off the coast of Nova Scotia during the War of 1812. British ships patrolled the waters constantly. The British strategy was to protect their own merchant shipping to and from Halifax, Canada and the West Indies, and to enforce a blockade of major American ports to restrict American trade. Because of their numerical inferiority, the Americans aimed to cause disruption through hit-and-run tactics, such as the capture of prizes and engaging Royal Navy vessels only under favorable circumstances. The American Privateers were successful for the first part of the war. On June 1, 1813, the British had the famous HMS Shannon's victory over the USS Chesapeake in Boston, Harbour. The British prize was then towed victoriously to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

During the return of the HMS Shannon to Nova Scotian waters, early in June 1813, the crew of the Young Teazer boarded a vessel off La Have, but allowed her and her crew to proceed as she was in ballast, and hardly worth taking. When the vessel reached Halifax they reported the privateer's presence and description.

Shortly thereafter, Young Teazer captured two vessels right off Sambro Island Light, at the very entrance to Halifax Harbour. She then escaped possible capture by running into the harbor and raising British colors. The British discovered the ruse, but only after Young Teazer had left. Still, a number of British warships sailed in search of her.

On 17 June 1813, Valiant was in company with Acasta when they came upon Wasp in pursuit of an American brig letter of marque Porcupine off Cape Sable. The three British ships continued the chase for another 100 miles before they finally were able to capture the brig. After the capture, Wasp, which had recaptured a prize that the privateer Young Teazer had taken, sailed in search of the privateer.

Engagement

While Young Teazer was attempting to capture ships near Halifax, the largest Nova Scotian privateer, the brig Sir John Sherbrooke, came upon her and chased her. However, Young Teazer briefly escaped into fog before HMS Manly and another vessel spotted her and commenced their chase. They too lost her. A few days later, the frigate HMS Orpheus chased Young Teazer in to Lunenburg Harbour. However, Orpheus lost her near Mahone Bay due to light winds.

On June 27, 1813, the 74-gun Third Rate HMS Hogue picked up the chase and aided by a light breeze that escaped Young Teazer, cornered her in Lunenburg Bay. Orpheus soon joined as well. In the evening, HMS Hogue prepared a night boarding action. She sent five of her boats towards Young Teazer. The ship exploded.

The boats from Hogue returned to her. Next morning, when it was clear that hulk of Young Teazer was still afloat, the British sent boats out again to find any survivors. Captain Robert Dudley Oliver, of Hogue estimated that about 30 men died when Young Teazer blew up, and reported that some eight men got ashore, of whom two were badly wounded. The militia captured these survivors, most of whom had been on the forecastle.

The Young Teazer, gutted but still partially afloat, was surrounded by floating bodies and wreckage, including her figurehead and several Quaker guns – fake wooden cannons. Much of the wreckage was salvaged, including some timbers that were used for building construction in Mahone Bay. One of the lanterns is in possession of a citizen of Lunenburg County, while a piece of the keel, formed into a cross, is in the Anglican Church at Chester. A scorched fragment of the keel and a cane made from Teazer fragments is displayed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.

Folk Stories

While the official account of the battle indicates that the reason for the explosion is unknown, folklore was created to complete the story. The folk tales also assert that Frederick Johnson was responsible for blowing up his own ship. The folk tales make note of the fact that the Young Teazer was built to replace the Teazer, which had been set ablaze just months before. Frederick Johnson was also aboard that vessel. Johnson had been captured while commanding the old Teazer off New York. The British had released him after he gave his parole. Instead of waiting for an exchange he had joined Young Teazer. As a result, he feared what would happen should the British recapture him. The privateer First Lieutenant, Frederick Johnson, was said to be unwilling to surrender to the British, threw a handful of coals into the privateer's ammunition magazine.

This folk story of the Young Teazer inspired one of the best known ghost ships in Atlantic Canada, the so-called "Teazer Light". Supposedly, every year on June 27 on Mahone Bay off the coast of Halifax, there is a ghost ship or some sort of supernatural light that appears late in the evening.

References

• Maclay, Edgar Stanton. A history of American privateers. New York, D. Appleton and company. 1899. pp. 446-447 Book On Line
• Tanner, Dwight. "Young Teazer, the Making of a Myth," Nova Scotia Historical Quarterly , vol. 6, 1976, pp. 405-412.
• Archibald MacMechan. The 'Teazer' Light. In Tales of the Sea. McClelland & Stewart Limited. 1947. pp. 181-194