Military history of Canada Washington, DC, in September at the Battle of Bladensburg, the British troops burned down the White House and other government buildings, only to be repulsed as they moved north for the Battle of Baltimore, while the forces attacking during the Battle of New Orleans were routed after suffering severe casualties. During the War of 1812, Nova Scotia’s contribution to the war effort was made by communities either purchasing or building various privateer ships to lay siege to American vessels. Three members of the community of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia purchased a privateer schooner and named it "Lunenburg" on August 8, 1814.
USS Scourge (1812) USS Scourge (1812) USS "Scourge" was an American warship converted from a confiscated Canadian merchant schooner. She foundered along with the American warship during a squall on Lake Ontario at 2:00am on Sunday, August 8, 1813. during the War of 1812. "Scourge" began its career as the schooner "Lord Nelson", named after the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson. The schooner was built at Niagara-on-the-Lake in Upper Canada for merchant James Crooks and launched on May 1, 1811 as an unarmed merchant schooner to carry freight between Upper Canadian ports. "Lord Nelson" was illegally seized by the US Navy on June