George Downie

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George Downie was a British Royal Navy officer during the War of 1812. He commanded the British fleet which attacked the anchored American fleet anchored in Lake Champlain in the Battle of Plattsburgh. Downie was leading into battle, inexperienced crews, many of them from provincial units and not from the cream of the Royal Navy against American forces which had time to prepare and coped better with the winds due to better experience. In the ensuing battle, Downie was decapitated by a cannon shot, thus ending any chance of the provincials fighting for Britain winning.