Allen I (Galley)
(Galley: t. 70; 1. 75'; b.- 15'; dph. 4'; cpl. 40; a.- 1 24-pdr., 1 18-pdr. Columbian)
William Henry Allen, born in Providence, R.I., on 21 October 1784, was appointed a midshipman in the Navy on 28 April 1800. Between 1800 and 1807, he served successively in George Washington and Philadelphia. In 1807, he transferred to Chesapeake and, on 21 June, when that ship had her celebrated encounter with HMS Leopard, Allen was credited with firing the only gun discharged in her own defense by the American ship. By 1812, he was first lieutenant in United States and took part in the engagement with HMS Macedonian. At the conclusion of that capture, he was named to command the prize crew which took Macedonian into New York. In 1813, he took command of the brig Argus. On 24 August, he led his ship in the engagement with HMS Pelican during which battle he received mortal wounds. After Argus' surrender, Allen was taken to the hospital at Mill Prison where he died on 18 August 1813. Allen was buried with full military honors at Andrew's Churchyard.
I
The first Allen, a galley built in 1814 at Vergennes, Vt., by Adam and Noah Brown, was commissioned during the summer of 1814, Sailing Master William M. Robins in command. She became a unit of Commodore Thomas Macdonough's squadron on Lake Champlain and participated in the Battle of Lake Champlain on 11 September 1814 during which the American squadron bested and captured the remnants of the British squadron under Capt. George Downie, RN. After the War of 1812, she remained in active service for another decade. She was sold at Whitehall, N.Y., sometime in late 1824 or early 1825
