Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: General Burnside
- Type: Barkentine (later described as barge/schooner)
- Year Built: 1862
- Builder: John Oades
- Dimensions: 138 ft (42.06 m); 25.5 ft; 11.3 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 307 gross tons; 292 net tons
- Location: Near Southeast Shoal Light, western Lake Erie
- Official Number: 10163
- Original Owners: Fowler & Esseltyn, F. & E. Merrick, Calvin Carrier, Charles L. Thompson
- Number of Masts: Two masts; square rig on foremast
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The General Burnside was a wooden barkentine, later described as a barge/schooner. It featured a two-mast rigging with a square rig on the foremast, characteristic of barkentines.
Description
The General Burnside was a wooden barkentine with a registered tonnage of 307 gross tons and 292 net tons. She measured 138 ft in length, 25.5 ft in beam, and 11.3 ft in depth. She underwent substantial repairs and classification changes during her 30-year career, at various times referred to as a schooner or unrigged barge.
Constructed using the hull of the 1845-built QUEBEC, she represented a significant example of 19th-century lake vessel recycling and hull reuse—a not uncommon practice when older hulls were solid but upperworks obsolete.
History
The operational history of the General Burnside includes several ownership changes and incidents:
- 1862–1865: Enrolled at French Creek, NY; owned by Fowler & Esseltyn of Clayton, NY.
- 1871: Owned by F. & E. Merrick of Clayton, NY.
- 1872 (Sept): Collision with the steamer B.W. Genness off Point aux Barques, Lake Huron.
- 1876–1885: Changed hands multiple times, including to owners in Detroit, Vermilion (OH), and Cleveland.
- 1882: Described as a barge after repairs.
- 1887 (Jun 21): Enrolled at Port Huron; owned by Calvin Carrier.
- 1887 (Aug 27): Owned by Charles L. Thompson of Port Huron; designated as a schooner.
- 1888: Underwent major structural repairs.
Significant Incidents
Significant incidents in the history of the General Burnside include:
- Collision: In September 1872, the vessel collided with the steamer B.W. Genness off Point aux Barques, Lake Huron.
- Loss: On 16 July 1892, while transiting Lake Erie near the Southeast Shoal, she was overwhelmed by a northwest gale and began taking on water.
Final Disposition
On 16 July 1892, the General Burnside was overwhelmed by a northwest gale while transiting Lake Erie and began taking on water. The crew was rescued by the tug John Gregory before the vessel foundered. The cargo was not specified but was likely bulk material based on her late-career role as a barge/schooner. The vessel sank and was declared a total loss; it was not recovered.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern wreck discovery has been reported. The location near Southeast Shoal is within a busy shipping lane; if remnants exist, they may have been buried or broken up over time.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”general-burnside-us-10163-quebec-1845″ title=”References & Links”]
The General Burnside had a long, varied service life transitioning from a barkentine to a barge/schooner across three decades. Her loss in 1892 highlights the persistent hazards of Lake Erie’s volatile summer weather. Though not marked today as a dive site or navigational hazard, her history is representative of 19th-century hull reuse and adaptation in the Great Lakes bulk trade fleet.
Would you like help tracing the John Gregory tug that rescued the crew or identifying the Southeast Shoal region for a possible sonar site search?
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