Wasp was built in 1810 at Baltimore, Maryland. She received a privateer's warrant from the United States government in July 1812 when she put to sea for a privateering foray into the West Indies. During that cruise, she stopped three British merchantmen, allowed one to continue because she carried nothing of value, and took the other two as prizes. While putting a prize crew on board the last of the three, the schooner Dawson, the British 22-gun Sixth Rate Post-ship HMS Garland surprised Wasp. Both captor and prize hoisted full sail and got underway. Because Garland chose to chase Wasp, the prize crew easily took Dawson to safety at Savannah, Georgia. Wasp managed to outsail her pursuer; after sailing through a hurricane that cost her both her masts she finally returned to Baltimore on 28