Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Orderly Sergeant Parish




Source
"[Jacob K. Parish] who was orderly sergeant of the said company...on the University grounds at Burlington, [came] upon a box of guns and while on their way to Plattsburg."



Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015

General Nathaniel Taylor


Source

General Taylor was born on 24 February 1771, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, though the family moved to the Watauga settlement in Tennessee.

"Long prominent in military affairs, as Brigadier General, he was ordered into service August 4, 1814."


Source - Fold3



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Smith's Knoll On Their Left Hand


Source [Portrait of Wm. Merritt Mentioned Below]

Journal and Transactions of the Wentworth Historical Society...:

The British, commanded by Col. Harvey, and consisting of 704 men, composed of parts of the 49th and 8th King's, with a few militia--the late Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, a militia dragoon officer, being one --having left Burlington Heights, where Gen. Vincent, with a force of about 1700 covered both sides of the present road or 1800 men were entrenched, they proceeded along the road leading to the Red Hill and to Niagara. These men left Burlington Heights about 11 p.m. on June 5th. On proceeding eastward they would have, on making the attack, the James Gage farm and cemetery on their right hand; the Williamson property (then owned by Wm. Gage) and Smith's Knoll on their left hand.

Archaeology activity near Smith's Knoll

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Near The Rapids Of The Maumee


Maumee River In Ohio

At the close of the Anglo-Indian war of 1791, the British Government still held, in contravention of the treaty of 1783, a strongly built fortress, near the foot of the Rapids of the Maumee, and which was persistently held by that Government for a length of time, and only vacated by British troops after many complaints and many remonstrances on the part of our Government. [Source]


Monday, September 21, 2015

A Court Martial Of Dr. Backus

Assistant Apothecary Christopher Backus was appointed 12 August 1814.

Reference to his court martial was found in Letters Received By The Office Of The Adjutant General, 1805-1821:

Dateline: Nashville, September 21, 1818

...proceedings of the General Court Martial for the trial of Doctor C. Backus and others held at New Orleans...

Another letter stated that Dr. Christopher Backus...is honest and faithful, but not equal to the duties....

His arrest by George Croghan, September 23, 1816, was listed in The Papers of Andrew Jackson.


Sunday, September 20, 2015

Escorting The Prisoners


Source

An entry from the Journal of Events....principally on the Detroit and Niagara frontiers...by Captain W. H. Merritt... .


On the 20th the militia returned to the Niagara Frontier escorting the prisoners*. My men were detained till the 7th of September collecting stores flour &c about the country.

*Taken in Hull's Surrender Of Detroit 

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Major Lanier's Block House


Fort In General Vicinity Of Greenville and St. Marys

On what is known as the Wolf farm, Harrison township [Preble County, Ohio], stood one of a series of block houses built and manned by citizen soldiers in the fall of 1813.

This block house was built by a party of drafted men, belonging to a company of riflemen which formed a part of the Old Battalion under the command of Major Alexander C. Lanier.  This company occupied the blockhouse during the winter of 1813-14 to protect the settlements on Miller's Fork.

 It was one of a series of block houses built and manned by citizen soldiers in communication with the settlements and line of forts between Cincinnati and the Lakes. [Source]


Was it Abbott's Block House on Miller's Fork?  This source recorded an incident at the Abbotts' house at that location.

"...the house of the Abbotts on Miller's fork...".

Weir Casady's (widow's) pension application indicated that he was under the command of Major Alexander Lanier, went from Preble County, and was briefly stationed at Abbott's Block House.



Note:  The soldier then went to Greenville and onto St. Marys before heading to Fort Amanda.



Friday, September 18, 2015

Ensign Canada


4th Lincoln Militia

War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, RG 9 1B7
Microform: t-10386


Ensign Canada

The surname of my Kennedy relatives who lived in the Lincoln County/Niagara area was also spelled "Canada." 


Thursday, September 17, 2015

Daniel Davis Was An Officer From New York


Did Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis attain the rank General?  Short answer:  Yes.*


Military Minutes...,State of New York, included Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis' regiment:

John Atchison, first major, vice J. Smith, resigned; James Ganson, second do, vice John Atchison, promoted.

Richard Waite, captain, vice James Ganson, do; Russell Davis, lieutenant, vice Richard Waite, do; Jacob Widener, lieutenant; Noble B. Douglass, ensign.

Frederick Roe, captain, vice Jones, deceased; William Henshaw, lieutenant, vice Frederick Roe, promoted; Matthew Dimie, ensign, vice William Henshaw, promoted.


Here's a document from the Pension Application of GENERAL Daniel Davis's widow (who later moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan):




General Davis was killed on 17 September 1814.


*Daniel Davis [Lt. Col. Ny Vols] in the Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914 [NARA]:



"...Present at Plattsburgh as Col. ...Reported on Returns of Militia of State of N.Y. dated 1814, as Gen'l (Brigadier).  Killed Sept. 17/14, at Ft. Erie, U.C."


Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Wool On The Beekmantown Road



Source

In the evening of the fifth instant [September 1814], Major Wool was ordered forward with his corps, to support the militia on the Beekmantown road. It was designed to reinforce him with two pieces of artillery, before daylight; but the officer having charge of the guns did not join him in season. At early dawn on the sixth, the enemy were in motion. The column on the Beekmantown road, consisting of the divisions of Generals Power and Robinson pushed forward with great rapidity. Major Wool and his men withstood them for some time with matchless hardihood and bravery, killing Lieutenant Colonel Wellington, of the Buffs, the leader of the advanced parties; but the militia were seized with an unhappy panic, occasioned, in part, by the red coats of the New York cavalry, stationed as look-outs on the hills; whom they mistook for the British soldiers. The firmness and intrepidity of Major Wool and his command failed to encourage them, and their premature flight soon compelled him to retire. [Source] 

Wool's actions from another source.



Monday, September 7, 2015

One Of The Great Rules Of Strategy



General Jackson Statue In New Orleans


"The battle of Plattsburg; a study in and of the war of 1812...General Macomb.... :

The same idea [as the British had before the Battle of New Orleans, to separate the country at the Mississippi River], combined with one of the great rules of strategy, was back of the battle of Plattsburg. The British believed — and had indeed good grounds for so believing — that if they won at Plattsburg, defeating both the fleet on Lake Champlain and the land forces, they could divide as regards military operations.


Sunday, September 6, 2015

Wool's Position In Beekmantown



Source

"Macomb was informed of this movement being in contemplation on the evening of the 5th and prepared to meet it. The gallant Major John E. Wool, ever ready for a daring enterprise, volunteered to lead some regulars to support the militia and oppose the advance of the foe. At about the time in the early morning of the 6th when the British broke camp at Sampson's, Wool moved from Plattsburg with two hundred and fifty regular infantry and thirty volunteers with orders to set the militia an example of firmness. This was done. He reached Beekmantown before the enemy appeared and took position near the residence of Ira Howe."

The John Ellis Wool papers are held at the New York State Library.  He was a Major in the War of 1812, and was promoted to the rank of General at a later date.


Saturday, September 5, 2015

Running The Gauntlet



Source

On the return of his scouts, Major Cruger moved rapidly forward reaching the village just as one of the prisoners had run the gauntlet.

In his progress, he ran so close to one of the lines that he frequently knocked over men and women; this brought him so far from the opposite line that those in it could not strike him with their whips. And thus he passed through the army of whips without receiving the least injury. This trial, however, was not satisfactory to the Indians, and they were preparing him for another when they were surrounded by the American forces and the captives released.

One of the released prisoners, who had suffered much during his captivity, borrowed a hickory ramrod from one of the American soldiers, and walking up to a gigantic hostile chief...plied the weapon on the bare skin of the Indian with such force that great red ridges followed every blow.

On his return from this adventure, Major Cruger received intelligence that he had been placed in nomination by the Democrats of Allegany and Steuben [New York] as candidate for member of Assembly [autumn of 1813]. [Source]

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Violations Of The Treaty Of Paris



Fort At Michilimackinac

"By the Treaty of Paris, in 1783, Great Britain recognized the independence of her American colonies. But she gave them up reluctantly, and soon proved that she would yield no more than she was compelled to. In violation of the terms of the treaty she kept garrisons for a dozen years at several western outposts--notably Niagara, Detroit, and Michilimackinac--and incited the Indians to harass the settlers who were crossing the Alleghenies. (The Americans were far from blameless. We had refused to pay debts owed to British merchants or to compensate Loyalists for the loss of their property. We had agreed to do both.)." [Source?]


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Dedication At Fort Meigs



Source


The ground, on River Tracts 65 and 66, comprising 36 acres, was purchased of the Hayes heirs June 12, 1907, for the sum of $10,800.