HMS Confiance Cannon

During the Battle of Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814, a cannon ball fired by the American flagship Saratoga struck the muzzle of a cannon from the British flagship HMS Confiance and drove the gun backward with great force into Captain George Downie, killing him instantly. There was no blood or obvious wound until a bad bruise was found on his right groin, and his pocket watch had also been crushed. The dent from the American cannon ball remained visible on the muzzle. The loss of the British leader helped bring victory to the American squadron in the hard-fought battle. The captured ensign of HMS Confiance is displayed in Mahan Hall, and the building behind the cannon is named for Commodore Thomas Macdonough, commanding officer of the American squadron, and serves as home to boxing, water polo, women's volleyball, gymnastics, and other sports facilities for the Brigade of Midshipmen.

Naval Academy, Maryland · United States