Shotline Diving

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Eliza (1813)

Explore the historical significance of the Eliza, a small cargo schooner lost during the War of 1812, burned to prevent capture by American forces.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Eliza
  • Type: Schooner (Transport)
  • Year Built: circa 1800-1810
  • Builder: Unknown — likely built in Upper Canada or possibly acquired from private ownership for military service
  • Dimensions: 50-60 ft (15-18 m); Beam: 15-18 ft (4.5-5.5 m); Depth of hold: Unknown
  • Registered Tonnage: Estimated 30-40 tons
  • Location: Thames River, Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario)
  • Coordinates: 42°24'N, 82°11'W
  • Official Number: None recorded — no formal registration for impressed military vessels
  • Original Owners: Unknown
  • Number of Masts: Unknown

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Schooner (Transport)

The Eliza was a small cargo schooner, likely pressed into British military service in early 1813 for the planned assault on Fort Meigs, a key American stronghold along the Maumee River in Ohio. These small schooners were vital for moving troops, supplies, and artillery across the lakes and into the shallow rivers supporting frontier campaigns. Lightly armed (if at all), they were built for capacity, not combat.

Description

The Eliza entered British military service in early 1813, conscripted or purchased from the commercial shipping pool in Upper Canada. She carried military supplies, provisions, and possibly small artillery pieces during Major General Henry Procter’s campaign against Fort Meigs in the western Lake Erie theatre.

Following the failure to capture Fort Meigs and the wider collapse of British fortunes in the western frontier, Procter’s forces began a rushed retreat up the Thames River in October 1813, pursued closely by American forces under General William Henry Harrison.

With the Americans rapidly closing the distance, Procter ordered the destruction of military stores and transports that could not be moved further inland. The Eliza was among the vessels burned along the Thames, denying her valuable supplies and transport capacity to the Americans.

History

The Eliza was deliberately burned by retreating British forces during Procter’s retreat in October 1813. The vessel was lost in the vicinity of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, along the Thames River.

Significant Incidents

  • October 1813: The Eliza was burned to prevent capture by American forces during the retreat of British troops after the defeat at the Battle of the Thames.

Final Disposition

  • Cause of Loss: Deliberately burned by retreating British forces during Procter’s retreat.
  • Date Lost: October 1813.
  • Final Resting Place: Somewhere along the Thames River, likely in the vicinity of Chatham-Kent, Ontario.
  • Status: Completely destroyed, with no known archaeological discovery.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • Depth: Likely 1-3 metres (3-10 feet), consistent with the shallow reaches of the Thames River.
  • Bottom Composition: Soft mud, clay, and silt, typical of the Thames near Chatham-Kent.
  • Visibility: Typically very poor (<1 metre / 3 feet) due to suspended sediment.
  • Condition: Presumed completely destroyed, with only subsurface or scattered remnants potentially surviving.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The loss of Eliza reflects the desperate circumstances faced by Procter’s retreating forces, illustrating how even the smallest vessels played vital logistical roles during the War of 1812. Though her physical remains have long disappeared, her fate is part of the larger story of British defeat in the western theatre, where control of rivers and lakes determined the outcome of campaigns.

Her destruction on the Thames is also a reminder of how closely maritime and land campaigns were linked in the struggle for control of Upper Canada.