Still Smoking At Sackets Harbor

"Colonel Macomb received orders to return with four companies of his Regiment, with all despatch, to Sackett's Harbour."

Source of 1849 Map...Sacket's Harbor, New York, and Kingston, Ontario, Canada was LOC

Map exhibiting the rail road, canal, lake, and river routes from New York and Boston to the west : via Ocdensburgh [sic] and Sacket's [sic] Harbor, N.Y.

"The magazine of stores, fired by our own officers to prevent its falling into the enemy's hands, was still smoking. But the precautions taken, and the instructions given, by Colonel Macomb, prior to his departure for Fort George, had produced their desired effect, and the enemy was defeated."

"Colonel Macomb relieved General Brown, then Brigadier General of the Militia. Colonel Backus he found in his quarters, who was suffering from a wound in the action, and died a few days after."

Source Of Text: Memoirs Of Alexander Macomb...

Dr. James Sampson

Source

A post, Heart And Soul, at the Whig.com, mentioned activities of Dr. James Sampson during the War of 1812:

"During a violent battle at Michilimackinac in which the British vessel Nancy was attacked, exploded and burned, “Assistant Surgeon [James] Sampson had to amputate a man’s arm using a razor and common hand saw since all his medical instruments were lost aboard the Nancy...".

Dr. Sampson's memorial at FindAGrave

The Unoffending Citizens Of Canada

The Official letters of the military..., included what were most likely General Pike's last orders:


[Excerpt from the BRIGADE ORDER]

Courage and bravery in the field do not more distinguish the soldier, than humanity after victory; and whatever examples the savage allies of our enemies may have given us, the general confidently hopes, that the blood of an unresisting or yielding enemy, will never stain the weapons of the soldiers of his column.

The unoffending citizens of Canada are many of them our own countrymen, and the poor Canadians have been forced into the war. Their property, therefore, must be held sacred; and any soldier who shall so far neglect the honour of his profession as to be guilty of plundering the inhabitants, shall, if convicted, be punished with death.  But the commanding general assures the troops, that should they capture a large quantity of public stores, he will use his best endeavours to procure them a reward from his government.

Captain Of The Irish Greens

"...James Maher, well known for a considerable period as State Librarian, and in the War of 1812 as the gallant Captain of the "Irish Greens," a military company originating in Albany and which bore a prominent part in the famous conflict at Sackett's Harbor." [Source]

Source

James Maher's 1819 letter to John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War, regarding the military company he formed (Fold3):

In A Gale Of Wind

Report from Isaac Chauncey to the Hon. Paul Hamilton, Secretary of the Navy, Washington:

Source

Sackett's Harbor, November 13th, 1812
"I arrived here last evening in a gale of wind....".

The cover page and Jackson to Cocke from the same source.

Sackett's Harbor

Source

A British Slave, A British Soldier

Source

Source (Page 107)

Sir James Lucas Yeo

Source

Sir James Lucas Yeo

Operations At Sacket(t)'s Harbor

Source

A Noble Young Lad Named Hatfield

Source - Fold3

From the Speech of Com. Jesse Duncan Elliot, U.S.N., delivered in Hagerstown, Md. (1843) ...:

I [Commodore Elliott] may here relate a deeply affecting scene which occurred at that time [at Sacketts Harbor]. I had scarcely set my foot upon the deck of the Conquest, when a noble young lad named Hatfield, about 15 years of age, observed to his fellow-midshipman Clarke, "My dream is up! I dreamed that Captain Elliott came on board, and that I was killed." And true enough, the little fellow was killed! His leg was taken off just below the knee by a shot from the shore, while we were working up to the battery, against an opposing wind, the magazine of which was exploded on Gen. Pike's brigade; and while I was tying up his leg, and endeavoring to stop the blood, he said it was of no use, for he must die. I replied to him that he should not die, but live to be an admiral. He asked me if he had done his duty, and if I was satisfied with him? I told him I was, and that he was a brave little fellow. He then asked me if I would call on my way home, and tell his father and mother that he had been faithful. I did so. His father was an industrious mechanic, at Albany.

Pike's Last Orders?

From the Official letters of the military..., an excerpt of General Z. Pike's BRIGADE ORDER. :

Sacketts Harbor, April 25th, 1813.

When the debarkation shall take place on the enemy's shore, major Forsyth's light troops, formed in four platoons, shall be first landed. They will advance a small distance from the shore, and form the chain to cover the landing of the troops. They will not fire, unless they discover the approach of a body of the enemy, but will make prisoners of every person who may be passing, and send to the general.

It is expected that every corps will be mindful of the honour of the American arms, and the disgraces which have recently tarnished our arms; and endeavour, by a cool and determined discharge of their duty, to support the one, and wipe off the other. The riflemen in front will maintain their ground at all hazards, until
ordered to retire, as will every corps of the army.

Any man firing, or quitting his post, without orders, must be put to instant death, as an example may be necessary.

All those found in arms in the enemy's country, shall be treated as enemies; but those who are peaceably following the pursuits of their various vocations, friends — and their property respected.

By order of the brigadier general,

Z. M. PIKE,
Charles G. Jones,
assistant aid-de-camp.

For the subsequent death of General Z.M. Pike, see Loss Severely Felt.

Commodore Elliot's Speech

Speech of Com. Jesse Duncan Elliot, U.S.N., delivered in Hagerstown, Md. (1843) ...


Early in the spring I returned to Sackets Harbor...we proceeded accompanied by the whole fleet and 1200 men to York, Upper Canada... . ...with his [Commodore Chauncey's] permission I would like to lead all the schooners to the assault on the batteries. He assented, with the emphatic remark: "Do so; but be sure you bring your head back on your shoulders!"

Sackett's Harbor Map

Source

Moses Hardwick's Life After The War

From The Historical Society Of Wisconsin, a Sketch Of Moses Hardwick:

A detachment of troops commanded by Col. John Miller, 3d U.S. Infantry...arrived at Green Bay on the 16th day of July, 1816, and among them was the subject of this brief sketch. Moses Hardwick was born at Richmond, Ky, Oct 2, 1791. He early enlisted in the service of his country, participating in the war of 1812, having been stationed awhile at Sackett's Harbor NY, and received a pension during the latter portion of his life.

After his discharge from the army in 1817 still in the prime and vigor of early manhood he determined to remain at Green Bay as a permanent settler... .

Moses Hardwick...commenced carrying the mail in 1817, and for seven winters tramped the weary way between Green Bay and Detroit.

When Moses Hardwick made his claim for land it was in Brown County, MICHIGAN Territory.

Moses Hardwick (and some neighbors) on the 1830 Census taken in Brown County, Michigan Territory:

Moses Hardwick 20001 11001

John P. Arndt 0.1.1.1.12.3.1 0.1.0.2.0.0.1

Luther Leonard 0000101 

Frederick Blue 00000001 00001

William Farnsworth 2000241 100021

Joseph Ducharm 001120001 0000010001

Henry S. Baird 010101 20021

Jean B. St. Vincent 020001 10001

 Obituary Of Moses Hardwick, transcribed from the Green Bay Advocate, Thursday, Aug. 21, 1879.

Compiled Northern Theater Casualties

An article in the Watertown Daily Times (hat tip to NEGHS) was published December 29, 2011, and sheds light on casualties from War of 1812.

"It was a bad day and a good day for Sgt. Samuel Linnell of Pamelia.  “Wounded — hit with the breech of gun in back of head by an Indian — the Indians also tried to remove his testicles by tomahawk."  That information was found in the book, "A War of 1812 Death Register -- Whispers in the Dark"... ." 

The information in the book is "indexed by town, lists soldiers who were killed in action, captured, wounded or died from other causes. But it was the casualties at Sackets Harbor that astounded Mr. Bilow (author).

Lt. Col. Electus Backus was also mentioned in the article.

The book is available for purchase; details in the article.

Petition For Sabra Backus, Widow of Electus

From the United States Congressional serial set, Issue 112:

Mr. Foote, of New York, presented a petition of Sebra Backus, widow of Electus Backus, who died of wounds received in battle, while commanding a regiment in the army, in the late war with Great Britain, praying for a continuance of the pension heretofore granted to herself and the children of the said Electus Backus.

Another petition from Mrs. Backus here.

Major Backus was wounded during his defense of Sackett's Harbor and died June 7, 1813:

Electus Backus and I are both descendants of William Backus, the original immigrant.