USS Troup (1812)

The USS Troup was the British Post Office Packet Service packet Princess Amelia, which Joshua Barney in the American privateer Rossie captured at the start of the War of 1812. After a short but intense fight, Princess Amelia struck on 16 September 1812.

As a packet, Princess Amelia sailed from Falmouth on several voyages to Jamaica and to the Mediterranean. For instance, she arrived in Falmouth on 2 July 1811, having sailed from Jamaica in April. In August 1812 she left Bridgetown, Barbados. From there she sailed to St. Thomas, and from there she sailed for England. It was on this voyage back to Falmouth that she encountered Rossie.

Rossie was armed with ten 12-pounder guns and one long 9-pounder on a pivot, and had a crew of 95; Princess Amelia was armed with four 6-pounders and two 9-pounders, and had a crew of 27 or 28. Princess Amelia had to strike after she had lost three men killed, including her captain, Isaac Moorsom, and her sailing master, John Nankevell, and 11 men wounded. (Some of the wounded may have died later as a report on her arrival in Savannah gives her casualties as six dead and six or seven wounded.) American casualties were seven men wounded, one of them, the first lieutenant, severely.

Rossie sent her prize into Savannah, Georgia. There the United States Navy bought her and named her Georgia. The Navy then changed her name to Troup, naming her after Congressman George Troup of Georgia who had written to Secretary Hamilton urging her purchase.

The US Navy used Troup as a guard and receiving ship at Savannah for the remainder of the War of 1812, under the command of a Captain Walpole. She was sold at Savannah in 1815.