Captain Charles Ferguson of Pylades ordered Branch to take charge of the "armed ketch" Gleaner, during the temporary absence of her proper commander,[10] and to search all the Greek vessels he could find to see if they were carrying French cargoes under a neutral flag.

The British Ambassador to the Sublime Porte argued that she should be declared a legitimate prize, but was unable to prevail and she was restored to Ottoman control.

She was reported to have arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 22 July to verify the news of war, but then sailed to New York.

On 18 July Ringdove, which was apparently serving on the Halifax, Nova Scotia station, captured the ship Magnet, of 172 tons (bm), from Belfast, bound to New York, with passengers, and a small quantity of linen.

[a] The next day Ringdove captured the schooner Rover, of 98 tons (bm), sailing from Liverpool for Amelia Island.

[b] On 27 February 1813, the "Gleaner hired armed ketch", Lieutenant William Knight, captured the schooner Amphrite, of 164 tons (bm).

[17] One month later, Knight wrote that Gleaner had captured the French privateer Adelaide some six leagues WNW of Cape St Vito (Sicily).

Knight's letter was dated at Plymouth on 6 May,[18] suggesting that Gleaner had been in the Mediterranean carrying dispatches, and then returned.

On 23 October 1813 Gleaner, still under the command of William Knight, was in sight when Andromache captured the French frigate Trave after an engagement of only 15 minutes.

She was armed with twenty-eight French 18-pounder long guns and sixteen 18-pounder carronades, and had a crew of 321 men, almost all Dutch.

Before she struck she had one man killed, and 28 men wounded, including her commander capitaine de frégate Jacob Van Maren.

Lieutenant Alexander Branch returned to command of Gleaner on 2 December 1813, on the north coast of Spain.

On 24 February 1814 when a flotilla of hired and purchased boats crossed the highly dangerous waters at the bar to the river, preparatory to erecting a floating bridge, Rear-Admiral Penrose hoisted his flag on Gleaner to supervise the operation.

The brig was able to rid out the storm until the next day, but then her crew was forced to cut her cables and to drive her on to the beach.

[25] The subsequent court martial acquitted Lieutenant Branch, his officers, and crew of any culpability in the loss of Gleaner.