History of the United States Navy the ship!". Despite their earlier successes, by 1814 many of the Navy's best ships were blockaded in port and unable to prevent British incursions on land via the sea. During the summer of 1814, the British fought the Chesapeake Campaign, which was climaxed by amphibious assaults against Washington and Baltimore. The capital fell to the British almost without a fight, and several ships were burned at the Washington Navy Yard, including the 44-gun frigate USS "Columbia". At Baltimore, the bombardment by Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner", and the hulks blocking the channel prevented the
USS Jefferson (1814) USS Jefferson (1814) USS "Jefferson" was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. She was named for Thomas Jefferson. "Jefferson" was built at Sackett's Harbor, New York, for service in Commodore Isaac Chauncey's fleet on Lake Ontario and launched 7 April 1814. She was manned by a crew from sloop of war which had been laid up at Baltimore because of the British blockade of Chesapeake Bay. Comdr. Charles G. Ridgeley was her captain. Most of the guns for the new American ships had not reached Sackett's Harbor by 19 May when the British fleet