Little Belt affair
| Little Belt affair | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the events leading to the War of 1812 | |||||||
A 16 May 1811 engraving of USS President battling HMS Little Belt | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United Kingdom | United States | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Arthur Bingham | John Rodgers | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
1 sloop-of-war 20 guns |
1 frigate 56 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
11 killed 21 wounded 1 sloop-of-war severely damaged |
1 wounded 1 frigate slightly damaged | ||||||
| Origins of the War of 1812 |
|---|
The Little Belt affair was a naval battle off the coast of North Carolina on the night of 16 May 1811 between the United States frigate USS President and the British sixth-rate sloop-of-war HMS Little Belt. After a chase and exchange of fire, Little Belt suffered 32 casualties and was badly damaged; President lost one man. It was one of many incidents that led to the War of 1812.