USS Julia ( 1812 ) USS " Julia " was a schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 . In September 1812 , Lt . Melancthon T . Woolsey purchased " Julia " for the Navy on Lake Ontario . " Julia " , Sailing Master James Trant in command , sailed from Sackets Harbor on 8 November 1812 with Commodore Isaac Chauncey ' s flotilla . That afternoon lookouts on the American ships spotted , the largest warship yet constructed on the Great Lakes , off False Ducks Island and sent her scurrying into the Bay of Quinte where she escaped in the rapidly falling night . The next morning they again sighted her and resumed the chase . When the British ship reached the shelter of the Canadian batteries at Kingston , Chauncey decided to follow her in to test the strength of the defenses and , if possible , to capture the warship . Led by and " Julia " , Chauncey ' s vessels , defying the fire from ship and shore , stood toward the harbor entrance . Approaching nightfall and threatening weather interrupted the raid by forcing Chauncey to haul off to deeper water where he anchored hoping to resume the action with the sunrise . However , heavy weather on the morning of the 10th ruled out a renewal of the attack and dictated a return to the American base at Sackett ' s Harbor . As the little flotilla retired , their lookouts spied the " Simcoe " and chased her into shoal water . Although fire from " Julia " , " Governor Tompkins " , and damaged the British ship considerably , " Simcoe " managed to cross a reef to safety . The attack on Kingston had given Chauncey confidence in the fighting ability of his officers and men and inspired the crews with respect and admiration for their leaders . At this point a bitter winter interrupted operations until spring . With the return of good weather , Chauncey ' s ships sortied from Sackets Harbor on 25 April 1813 for a raid on York ( now Toronto ) , Canada . Two days later , after landing some 1 , 700 men under General Henry Dearborn , " Julia " and her sister ships supported the American troops with grape at rapid fire , enabling them to beat off counterattacks by Indians and British sharpshooters while taking York . The American loot included large amounts of naval and military stores and the British brig . Moreover , a 24 - gun ship nearing completion was burned at York . On 8 May , bad weather , which had detained Chauncey at York , cleared enabling his ships to get under way beginning a fortnight ' s duty transporting and convoying troops and supplies for General Dearborn . On the 27th , " Julia " and led the flotilla into the Niagara River to open an attack on Fort George by shelling a British battery dug in near the lighthouse . The other American ships took preassigned positions where they shelled targets ashore . Meanwhile Captain Oliver Hazard Perry directed the disembarkation of troops . In three hours , the carefully coordinated attack drove the defenders from the field . With Fort George in American hands , the British gave up their forts on the Niagara frontier leaving Chauncey and Dearborn in control of the entire Niagara River . On the night of 7 – 8 August , " Julia " rescued a number of survivors of after that schooner had capsized and sunk in a heavy gale . During the next three days , the American flotilla and the British squadron maneuvered seeking to move into an advantageous position for a general engagement . On the 10th " Julia " and " Growler " were cut off from their sister ships and captured . The British renamed the schooners " Confiance " and " Hamilton " and used them as troop transports until Chauncey recaptured them near False Ducks Islands , on 5 October . However , the schooners , having proven unstable in heavy seas , were soon retired from service .