AH-WR-0931

Eagle

Brig · United States · Lost Laid up after the war and moved into the Poultney River around 1820, where the hull was allowed to sink; the precise date is not established in the sources reviewed. · Lake Champlain

A U.S. Navy brig that fought at the Battle of Plattsburgh Bay, later laid up and sunk in the Poultney River after the War of 1812.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Eagle was built at Vergennes, Vermont in 1814 for Thomas Macdonough's Lake Champlain squadron and took part in the American victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh Bay that September. After the war she was stripped of equipment and laid up at Whitehall, New York, then moved into the Poultney River around 1820 where her rotting hull was allowed to sink. In 1981 a survey by Kevin Crisman and Arthur Cohn located her remains along with the brig Linnet and the row galley Allen.

Vessel

Built: 1814
Builder: Not established
Yard: Vergennes, Vermont
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: United States Navy

Loss

Date: Laid up after the war and moved into the Poultney River around 1820, where the hull was allowed to sink; the precise date is not established in the sources reviewed.
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Poultney River, near Whitehall, New York
Water: Lake Champlain (Poultney River tributary)
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1981
Protection: Documented War of 1812 archaeological site

Position

Coordinates: 43.57° N 73.40° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Whitehall, New York
Region: Lake Champlain

Coordinates mark the general War of 1812 mooring/wreck area in the Poultney River as published by Lakes to Locks Passage; they are not specific to the Eagle's hull alone.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

The exact sinking date and present condition of the hull are not established in the sources reviewed.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, War of 1812 Wrecks
Service history, laying up at Whitehall, and disposition of the fleet.
Lakes to Locks Passage, War of 1812 Mooring Site
1981 survey details and general site coordinates.