In early 1814, the arrival of British naval ships released from European war duties brought economic hardships to Cape Cod. Provincetown became the headquarters for the H.M.S. Newcastle, commanded by Lord George Stuart, as well as the Acasta, Spencer, and Arab. Events leading to the Battle of Orleans began off Wellfleet’s Billingsgate Shoal on the night of December 12, 1814, when the H.M.S. Newcastle ran aground. At daylight, the crew began rafting spars, rigging, and other marine equipment to lighten the vessel, and Orleans citizens later destroyed some of those materials that washed into Rock Harbor. On December 13, Captain Stuart dispatched a yawl to recover the valued marine items. At the entrance to Rock Harbor, its crew found the sloop Camel full of provisions after it had evaded the bay blockade. The British commandeered the Camel along with the Newcastle’s lost materials and placed a captive American in charge as pilot. He grounded the Camel off Wellfleet, and everyone deserted ship. Five British prisoners were marched to Boston, and the provisions were recaptured by the militia patrol. Knowledge of Newcastle marine items and of three American vessels in the harbor prompted four armed barges to go to Orleans on December 19, manned by eight marines and fourteen seamen under Lt. Frederick Marryat. Three barges remained offshore while Marryat entered the harbor, where the abandoned sloop Camel, the Washington, the Nancy, and the schooner Betsy loaded with salt were found. Marryat ordered the Betsy to return to the Newcastle with an American prisoner serving as pilot, but the pilot grounded the schooner on Yarmouth beach, where the Yarmouth militia captured all the enemy seamen. A small force of marines landed to retaliate against Orleans citizens, setting the salt works afire and attempting to destroy the grounded sloops. A small militia force opened fire from a breastwork on the west side of the harbor. While returning fire, British seaman Thomas Walker was killed and several were injured. Orleans militia led by Captains Higgins and Knowles arrived and forced the British to retreat. Still determined to report back with booty, Marryat put a prize crew on the abandoned sloop Camel and ordered it to Wellfleet in the dark. His barge then headed north, encountered more snow squalls and rough seas, grounded off Wellfleet, and lost two crewmen who deserted and surrendered to the militia onshore. This small skirmish, known as the Battle of Orleans or Rock Harbor, was one of the last military incidents of the war. The peace treaty of Ghent, Belgium, was signed on 24 December 1814.