Action off Charles Island
| Action off Charles Island | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of War of 1812 | |||||||
USS Essex off Galapagos. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States | United Kingdom | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| David Porter | William Stavers | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1 frigate 2 sloops-of-war | 3 armed whaling brigs | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 sloop-of-war damaged |
89 men captured, of which 48 were released on parole after the battle 3 brigs captured | ||||||
The action off Charles Island was a naval battle fought during the War of 1812 in the summer of 1813 off Charles Island in the Galapagos. An American squadron of three vessels attacked three British armed whalers, and captured them. The engagement was notable for being one of the few to occur in the Pacific Ocean during the war and involved United States Marine Lieutenant John M. Gamble, the first U.S. Marine to command an American warship.