Battle of Fayal

Battle of Fayal
Part of the War of 1812
The General Armstrong fighting the British off Fayal.
Date September 26–27, 1814 Location Fayal, Portuguese Empire Result American victory; British attacks repulsed American brig scuttled to prevent capture
Belligerents
United States	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Samuel Chester Reid	Robert Loyd William Matterface  †
Strength
Land: 3 artillery pieces 1 shore battery Sea: 1 brig	1 brig-sloop 12 armed boats Royal Navy sailors Royal Marine infantry
Casualties and losses
2 killed 7 wounded 1 brig scuttled to prevent capture	36 killed 93 wounded 2 armed boats sunk 2 armed boats captured 1 brig-sloop damaged

American victory;

The Battle of Fayal was an engagement fought in September 1814 during the war between the United States and the United Kingdom at the Portuguese colony of Fayal in the Azores. Three British warships and several boats filled with sailors and marines under assignment for the Louisiana Campaign attacked an American privateer in port. After repulsing two attacks from British troops and sailors, killing one of their commanders, the Americans won a tactical victory but scuttled their ship the following morning to prevent it from being captured.

The Royal Navy ship HMS Plantagenet of seventy-four guns, commanded by Captain Robert Loyd, was sailing to the West Indies with the thirty-eight gun frigate HMS Rota and the eighteen gun brig-sloop HMS Carnation for the Louisiana Campaign. On the night of September 26, the three were in company and cruising in Fayal Roads when they spotted the Baltimore Clipper General Armstrong, a brig of seven guns with a complement of about ninety men. She was commanded by Captain Samuel Chester Reid who was not prepared to surrender his ship. Captain Loyd ordered that a pinnace under Lieutenant Robert Faussett be sent from the Plantagenet to ascertain the nationality of the stranger in port. When the British came within gun range of the American vessel and requested that its crew identify themselves, Captain Reid declared that he would fire if the British came any closer.

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