Robert Heriot Barclay (18 September 1786 – 8 May 1837) was a British naval officer who was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and its North American counterpart, the War of 1812. Life He was born in Cupar, Fife, Scotland, the son of the Rev. Peter Barclay DD & Margaret Duddingston, sister of William Duddingston RN. The latter encouraged Robert's naval career. He entered the Royal Navy in 1798, aged 11. In 1805 he was promoted Lieutenant, and took part in the Battle of Trafalgar aboard . He was subsequently appointed the Second Lieutenant of the frigate , serving in the English Channel. In November 1809 he lost his left arm while leading a boarding attack on a French convoy. After recovering, he continued to serve as lieutenant aboard several ships and smaller craft on the North American station. After war with America broke out, the Commander in Chief on the North American station (Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet), detached Barclay and two other lieutenants (Robert Finnis and Daniel Pring) to act as "Captains of Corvettes" on the Great Lakes. Barclay arrived at Kingston on Lake Ontario on 5 May 1813, and took charge of the squadron there with the acting rank of Commander. Ten days later he was superseded by Captain James Lucas Yeo. Yeo first offered the command of the detached squadron on Lake Erie to his friend, William Mulcaster. Mulcaster declined, probably because of the undermanned and underequipped state of the force, and the post was offered to Barclay, who quickly accepted. The Americans dominated Lake Ontario and held the Niagara Peninsula. As a result, Barclay was forced to travel overland to Amherstburg, where his command was based, with a handful of officers and seamen. He arrived there on 5 June. Although the Americans had no armed vessels on the lake, they were constructing two large brig-rigged corvettes at Presqu'Isle, and also transferring several from Black Rock on the Niagara River. Barclay immediately set sail in two of his armed vessels. He first reconnoitred Presqu'Isle, and determined that it was defended by an entrenched force of 2000 militia, and the two American brigs had their lower masts fitted. He then proceeded to intercept the American ships from Black Rock, but missed them in hazy weather, although at one point the two forces were apparently only fourteen miles apart off the Cattaraugus Creek. For the next few