Thursday, September 29, 2016

Rowdy Crossing Into The Illinois Prairies



Map In A Museum

General Hopkins' Kentuckians, undisciplined, and hopelessly insubordinate, after crossing into the Illinois prairies, became reckless and disorderly.  It was known among them that the success of the expedition depended entirely on their activity and secrecy.  Yet they loitered and shot game along the way and otherwise disobeyed the positive commands of the veteran general and his aids to such a shameful extent that the Indians in all the territory desired to be covered, learned the object of the movement and fled north to safety, just as had been feared when orders for secrecy and haste had been given.  The season was rainy and the roads naturally slow; competent guides were lacking and on the fourth day out from Ft. Harrison, the army lost its course in the vast prairies and returned disgraced, to the Wabash.  What a mortifying finish, after writing the following letter to Governor Shelby of Kentucky, as gallant old General Hopkins did!--Vincennes, Sept. 29, 1812 [Source]



Monday, September 26, 2016

Battle Of Fayal


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"...Captain Reid...had indeed done wonders, for so great was the damage he inflicted that the fleet was forced to stay a week at Fayal burying the dead and caring for the wounded. That week's delay was most important, for the Rota, the Plantagenet, and the Carnation, on their way to Jamaica to join the expedition against New Orleans, were prevented by the fight at Fayal from arriving on time and so delayed the fleet of Pakenham that Jackson had time to defend New Orleans.

Captain Reid, by his splendid defence of the General Armstrong, may therefore justly be said to have contributed not a little to Jackson's great victory on the banks of the Mississippi. [Source]


Friday, September 16, 2016

Monday, September 12, 2016

The Rolls Were Lost



Source [Battle Of Plattsburgh, 1814]


From A List Of Pensioners Of The War Of 1812:


Everest, Harry

Aged 60, Milton private in Capt. William Picket's Company, Vermont Volunteer Militia. ...defense of Plattsburgh...

The discharge of his company was verbal and the rolls were lost. 


The blog post, Vermonter Huldah Bates, Levi's Widow, Granted Land, was derived from the same publication.


Saturday, September 10, 2016

The Boasters Hurried To Leave Detroit



South Of Detroit And North Of Lake Erie

From Pioneer Collections...(recollections of Aura P. Stewart of St. Clair County, Michigan):

"On entering Smith's Hotel, he saw a number of British officers seated around a table drinking whiskey and discussing the probabilities of success to the British arms.  One of their number, a civil officer, after filling his glass and elevating it high, said, 'God will bless the British arms, and I drink to the success of our brave seamen now engaged.'  At that speech o the British official, father said he became excited, and knowing that he could gain no satisfaction by replying left the house in disgust; but soon after Mr. Truax returned from Malden and brought the glad news of Perry's victory [on Lake Erie]; it was then amazing to see the boasters hurry to get over the Detroit river."



Saturday, September 3, 2016

Captain Gordon's Potomac Activity


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Illustration Of An 1808 Battle Between HMS Seahorse Ad Badere Zaffer

Letter To Capt. Gordon, H. M. S. Seahorse From Admiral Cochrane:

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