HMS Epervier ( 1812 ) HMS " Epervier " was an 18 - gun " Cruizer " - class brig - sloop of the Royal Navy built by Ross at Rochester , England , and launched on 2 December 1812 . The USS " Peacock " captured her in 1814 and took her into service . The USS " Epervier " disappeared in 1815 while carrying dispatches reporting the signing of a treaty with the Dey of Algiers . War of 1812 . " Epervier " was commissioned in January 1813 under Commander Richard Walter Wales . On 20 August 1813 , " Epervier " captured the schooner " Lively " , which was sailing from St . Thomas to Halifax . Then one month later , on 20 September , she captured the " Active " . Under her master , E . Altberg , " Active " , of 390 tons ( bm ) , was sailing from Gottenburg to Boston with a cargo of iron . Three days later , " Epervier " , and captured the " Resolution " . On 5 October " Epervier " and captured the American privateer , " Portsmouth Packet " . She had been the Liverpool Packet , a noted Nova Scotian privateer , and returned to successful privateering under the " Liverpool Packet " name after the British recaptured her . At the time time of her capture , " Portsmouth Packet " was armed with five guns , carried a crew of 45 , and had sailed from Portsmouth the previous day . Almost a month later , on 3 November , " Epervier " and " Fantome " captured the " Peggy " of 91 tons ( bm ) , W . O . Fuller , master , which was sailing from George ' s River to Boston with a cargo of timber and wood . On 23 February 1814 " Epervier " was cruising off Cape Sable , when she captured the American privateer - brig " Alfred " , of Salem . " Alfred " , which mounted 16 long 9 - pounders and had a crew , variously described , as being of 94 or 108 men , surrendered without a fight . ( The British 38 - gun frigate , under the command of Captain Clotworthy Upton , was in sight about 10 miles to leeward . ) While returning to Halifax with " Alfred " , Wales found out that some of his crew were plotting with the prisoners from " Alfred " to take over one or both vessels and escape to America . Wales continued on to Halifax , where he arrived two days later , having sailed through a gale to do so . There he notified his uncle , Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren , the commanding officer of the station , that he didn ' t trust his crew . Warren dismissed Wales ' concerns and she sailed on 3 March with the same crew . She and the schooner " Shelburne " sailed with a small convoy bound to Bermuda and the West Indies . Before she left Halifax , Wales exchanged her two 6 - pounder bow chasers and the carronade for her launch for two 18 - pounder carronades . Capture . On 14 April " Epervier " sailed from Port Royal , Jamaica , calling at Havana , where she took on board $ 118 , 000 in specie . She left Havana on 25 April bound for Halifax . The 22 - gun sloop - of - war USS " Peacock " captured " Epervier " off Cape Canaveral , Florida , on 29 April , during the War of 1812 . " Epervier " s ' crew consisted mainly of invalids from the hospital , giving her the worst crew of any ship on her station . In the engagement " Epervier " suffered eight killed and 15 wounded , as well as extensive damage . US service . Despite the extensive damage inflicted in this engagement , John B . Nicolson , " Peacock ' s " First Lieutenant , was able to sail sail her to Savannah , Georgia . Following repairs , the US Navy took her into service as the USS " Epervier " . " Epervier " , under Master Commandant John Downes , sailed to join the Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore Stephen Decatur , Jr . , whose mission was to stop the harassment of American shipping by the Dey of Algiers . " Epervier " joined with " Guerrier " , " Constelation " , and " Ontario " in the Battle off Cape Gata on 17 June 1815 , which led to the capture of the 44 ( or 46 ) - gun frigate " Meshuda " ( or " Mashuda " ) . " Epervier " fired nine broadsides into " Meshuda " to induce her to surrender , after " Guerrier " had already crippled the Algerian vessel . Two days later the " Epervier " and three of the smaller vessels of the squadron captured the Algerine brig of war " Estedio " , of twenty - two guns and 180 men , at the Battle off Cape Palos . After the conclusion of peace with Algiers , Decatur transferred Downes to " Guerriere " . Loss . After the Dey signed a treaty , Decatur chose " Epervier " , under Lieutenant John T . Shubrick , " Guerriere ' s " former first lieutenant , to carry a copy of the treaty and some captured flags to the United States . Captain Lewis , and Lieutenants Neale and John Yarnall , came on board as passengers . " Epervier " sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 14 July 1815 and was never heard from again . She may have encountered a hurricane reported in the Atlantic on 9 August 1815 . In all , she was carrying 132 sailors and 2 marines .