The Niagara Falls Review, December 4, 2009
by Kathleen Powell, Niagara Falls Museums
In any conflict, there are bound to be people who don't get enough credit for their contributions. In the War of 1812 there were many unsung heroes, military and civilian, whose deeds have generally gone unrecognized.
One such unsung hero is Lt. Miller Worsley, who served in the Royal Navy on Lake Huron in the latter part of the war.
He was a native of the Isle of Wight who joined the Royal Navy as a first class volunteer in 1803 and became a midshipman in 1805. Worsley became a lieutenant in 1813. By this time, he was already a seasoned sailor, having fought in numerous engagements including the famed Battle of Trafalgar.
In 1813, Lt. Worsley was sent to Upper Canada and served on the HMS Queen Charlotte on Lake Ontario, where he participated in the assault on Oswego in May 1814.
In July that year, he was sent to Michilimackinac to replace the naval commander on Lake Huron. The British position on Lake Huron was precarious in 1814, and they held only one ship on the lake, the HMS Nancy.
The U. S. were in a powerful position on the western Great Lakes and, under the command of Capt. Arthur Sinclair, were determined to destroy the British post at Machilimackinac. They had five vessels and nearly a thousand troops on the lake for this purpose.
To protect the HMS Nancy, Worsley moved her into Nottawasaga Bay and erected a temporary blockhouse there. On Aug. 14, 1814 the Americans began bombarding the blockhouse and the Nancy with three ships and 300 soldiers against Worsley's 50 men and native allies. Despite being severely outnumbered, Worsley was able to resist for seven hours but eventually spiked his guns and retreated into the nearby woods.
A shell blew up the adjacent blockhouse and the ensuing fire burned the Nancy to the waterline.
This wasn't the end for Worsley, however.
He convinced his commander they should attempt to destroy the two ships left by the Americans to protect the lake - the Tigress and the Scorpion.
Worsley took his men on a 380 mile six-day voyage to Michilimackinac where he received support. On Sept. 3, 1814 he and about 90 men captured the Tigress in a brief but fierce engagement.
Worsley waited and kept the American flag flying on the ship and catching the Scorpion by surprise the next day
seized the vessel. In these few days, Worsley succeeded in changing the balance of power on Lake Huron. While the British position was tenuous, it allowed them to resupply the fort and their troops and they maintained that hold on the lake for the rest of the war.
Worsley was given accolades by his commanders and was promoted to commander in 1815. He remained in Upper Canada until October 1814 when he fell ill and eventually returned to the Isle of Wight. He was never given another naval command and died in 1835, one of the lesser-known heroes of the War of 1812.
Source: The Niagara Falls Review