Demologos,later renamed Fulton after its creator Robert Fulton, was the first steam-powered vessel in the U.
S. Navy in 1815. The unique floating battery nearly did not receive that distinction. Only a matter of months earlier, or Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough nearly brought a steam-powered warship to the most decisive battle of the War of 1812. The United States and Great Britain had been at war since June 1812,and Napoleons defeat in April 1814 brought thousands of experienced soldiers to Canada. The war of 1812 began as a sideshow to the British government, but now had their military’s undivided attention.... Read the rest of this entry »
Source: navalhistory.org