Initially the privately-owned schooner Julia, she was captured at the onset of the war by armed boats looking for violators of President James Madison's embargo of trade with the British.

Purchased by the United States Navy, the vessel was armed with two guns and made part of the squadron on Lake Ontario.

Measuring 53 tons burthen, Julia was taken as a prize in June 1812 on the upper Saint Lawrence River by armed boats of the United States Navy for having violated President James Madison embargo of trade with the British.

That afternoon lookouts on the American ships spotted Royal George, flagship of the Provincial Marine, off False Ducks Island and sent her fleeing into the Bay of Quinte where she escaped due to nightfall.

When the British ship reached the shelter of the shore batteries at Kingston, Upper Canada, Chauncey decided to follow her in to test the strength of the defenses and, if possible, to capture the warship.

[2][4] Approaching nightfall and threatening weather forced Chauncey to retreat to Wolfe Island where he anchored hoping to resume the action the next day.

However, poor weather on the morning of 10 November ruled out a renewal of the attack and forced the Americans to return to Sackett's Harbor.

[7] On 27 May, Julia and Growler led the flotilla into the Niagara River to open an attack on Fort George by shelling a British battery dug in near the lighthouse.

On the night of 7–8 August, Julia rescued a number of survivors of Scourge after that schooner had capsized and sunk in a heavy gale off Twelve Mile Creek.

During the next three days, the American flotilla and the British squadron maneuvered seeking to move into an advantageous position for a general engagement.