HMS Little Belt was originally the mercantile sloop Friends Good Will, launched in 1811. Built during the winter of 1810–11 at River Rouge near Detroit by Major Oliver Williams, the vessel was designed for Great Lakes navigation, with a typical sloops-of-war configuration. After her construction, she was engaged in commercial pursuits, sailing between Chicago and Detroit, carrying military supplies and furs. Her early service was uneventful until July 17, 1812, when she arrived at Fort Dearborn just as the British had captured the fort earlier that day. Unaware of the war’s outbreak, Friends Good Will and other American vessels were captured by the British, who hoisted the American flag and took the ships as prizes. The British commissioned her into the Royal Navy as HMS Little Belt, arming her with three guns and assigning Lieutenant John F. Breman as her commander. She became part of Captain James Barclay's Lake Erie squadron. During the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, off Put-in-Bay, Ohio, Little Belt was attacked and captured by the American schooner Scorpion, commanded by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry. She was the rear vessel of the British squadron and came under fire during the engagement. Despite efforts to escape after the British defeat was evident, she was captured just south of Fort Malden near Amherstberg, Ontario, without casualties. Following her capture, Little Belt was repaired and entered service with the U.S. Navy. She joined Perry's squadron on October 23, 1813, playing a role in transporting General William Henry Harrison’s army to Buffalo and supporting American military operations on Lake Erie. On October 25, 1813, a storm drove her ashore at Black Rock, New York, where she was stranded. Despite attempts to refloat her, these efforts failed. Later, during the British attack on the American naval yard at Black Rock on December 30, 1813, she was captured by a British landing party and subsequently burned along with several other vessels. Her service history underscores her role in the naval conflicts of the War of 1812, transitioning from American to British hands and back, ultimately ending her career as a burned wreck in 1813.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.