USS Alligator was a sloop in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. The U.S. Navy purchased Alligator in 1813 (or 1812) at New Orleans, Louisiana. Commissioned as a tender at New Orleans, she served on that station under the command of Sailing Master Richard S. Sheppard until late in 1814 when the British captured her at the Battle of Lake Borgne. Service After the capture of Pensacola on 7 November 1814 Major General Andrew Jackson arrived at New Orleans on 1 December to make preparations for the defense of that city. He organized with Master Commandant Daniel Patterson of the U.S. Navy to send a flotilla to Lake Borgne to guard and defend against the approach of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and his fleet. Lieutenant Thomas Jones commanded the American flotilla of five large gunboats , which had about 180 men for the crews. The gunboats were armed with 24 and 32-pounder long guns, 6 and 12-pounder carronades, and swivel guns. Among the flotilla was the sloop-rigged Alligator with a long 6-pounder and two 12-pounder carronades with its crew of 20 men. On 12 December after most of the British fleet arrived east of New Orleans, Cochrane sent commander Nicholas Lockyer with a flotilla of about 42 open ship's boats and barges armed with a carronade apiece, three unarmed gigs and upwards of 1,000 bluejackets and Royal Marines to attack Jones' flotilla. By mid-morning on 13 December Jones had observed a large flotilla of longboats leaving the British fleet, which he supposed were disembarking troops. At 2pm he realised the British were approaching his gunboats. He quickly pulled up anchors and retreated westward with orders from Patterson to defend the passage into Lake Pontchartrain at all costs as this lake would give the British naval access to New Orleans situated on its southern shore. At the time the water level of the lake (Borgne) was lower than normal which forced Jones to lighten the load of his vessels, allowing him to elude the approaching British boats. That morning Jones sent Seahorse to remove ordnance and other supplies from the store house with the shore battery of two 6 pounder cannons on the north shore. Having skirmished with seven British longboats, the crew destroyed the store house and scuttled Seahorse at 7:30pm; this resulted in an explosion and a visible fire. Unable to withdraw any further Jones