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In 1812, during the War of 1812, the Diana was purchased by the United States Navy and renamed the Hamilton in honor of Paul Hamilton, the Secretary of the Navy at the time. It was outfitted as a warship, equipped with ten guns, and served in the naval forces.
Tragically, on August 18, 1813, the Hamilton encountered a severe storm while waiting for an attack on Toronto (then known as York) in Ontario, Canada. Alongside another schooner named the Scourge, the Hamilton was caught in a line squall, which caused both vessels to capsize. The incident resulted in the loss of up to 100 lives.
The wreck of the Hamilton was rediscovered in 1975 by the Royal Ontario Museum. It was located approximately 6 miles off Port Dalhousie, Ontario, in Lake Ontario. The discovery served as a reminder of the devastating toll the War of 1812 took on both naval forces and civilian vessels.
The Diana/Hamilton’s history intertwines with the larger context of the War of 1812, a conflict between the United States and Britain that had significant naval engagements on the Great Lakes. The loss of the Hamilton and the Scourge during the storm stands as a tragic event in maritime history, highlighting the dangers faced by sailors during this turbulent period.
