That evening, she spied another sail on the horizon and gave chase.
By 2130, she had the brig under her lee bow and opened fire.
The enemy returned fire until 2200 at which time her battery seemed to cease fire.
When Wasp did the same and called for the stranger's surrender, the British ship answered with another cannonade.
Wasp again opened fire on the ship, now known to have been the 18-gun, 391-ton brig HMS Avon.
Some broadsides later, Avon's guns fell silent once more, and Wasp repeated the call for surrender.
Avon, at this point a battered hulk, had no choice but to comply.

However, just as Wasp began to lower the boat for the prize crew, the lookout sighted another enemy brig standing toward the two adversaries.
Wasp's crew manned their battle stations immediately in hope of taking the newcomer as well.
Just then, two more British ships appeared on the horizon and Wasp was forced to give up the destruction of Avon and see to her own salvation.
The lead British ship, however, failed to engage Wasp; instead, she hauled in close to Wasp's stern and loosed a broadside into the American's rigging which damaged sails, sheets, and braces considerably and then came about to rendezvous with the other two ships following her and the sinking Avon.
Although the Americans did not know it at the time, Avon sank soon after Wasp left her.
Avon had suffered 10 killed and 32 wounded.
Avon's primary rescuer was her sister ship, Castilian.

The American warship continued her ravages of the British merchant marine.
On 12 September 1814, she encountered Three Brothers, a brig, and scuttled her.
On 14 September 1814, she sank the brig Bacchus.
On 21 September 1814, an eight-gun brig, Atalanta (or Atlanta), ran afoul of Wasp, and she, too, suffered the ignominy of capture.
Deeming Atalanta too valuable to destroy, Blakeley placed her under the command of Midshipman David Geisinger and sent her to the United States.
She entered Savannah, Georgia safely on 4 November 1814.
That evening, she spied another sail on the horizon and gave chase. By 2130, she had the brig under her lee bow and opened fire. The enemy returned fire until 2200 at which time her battery seemed to cease fire. When Wasp did the same and called for the stranger's surrender, the British ship answered with another cannonade. Wasp again opened fire on the ship, now known to have been the 18-gun, 391-ton brig HMS Avon. Some broadsides later, Avon's guns fell silent once more, and Wasp repeated the call for surrender. Avon, at this point a battered hulk, had no choice but to comply.
However, just as Wasp began to lower the boat for the prize crew, the lookout sighted another enemy brig standing toward the two adversaries. Wasp's crew manned their battle stations immediately in hope of taking the newcomer as well. Just then, two more British ships appeared on the horizon and Wasp was forced to give up the destruction of Avon and see to her own salvation. The lead British ship, however, failed to engage Wasp; instead, she hauled in close to Wasp's stern and loosed a broadside into the American's rigging which damaged sails, sheets, and braces considerably and then came about to rendezvous with the other two ships following her and the sinking Avon. Although the Americans did not know it at the time, Avon sank soon after Wasp left her. Avon had suffered 10 killed and 32 wounded. Avon's primary rescuer was her sister ship, Castilian.
The American warship continued her ravages of the British merchant marine. On 12 September 1814, she encountered Three Brothers, a brig, and scuttled her. On 14 September 1814, she sank the brig Bacchus. On 21 September 1814, an eight-gun brig, Atalanta (or Atlanta), ran afoul of Wasp, and she, too, suffered the ignominy of capture. Deeming Atalanta too valuable to destroy, Blakeley placed her under the command of Midshipman David Geisinger and sent her to the United States. She entered Savannah, Georgia safely on 4 November 1814.
USS Wasp (1814)