Showing posts with label Great Lakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Lakes. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Exchange Of Paymaster

  


Fort George
29 March 1813

...the exchange of Paymaster Brook of the 49th Regiment who was captured in the merchant vessel Elizabeth in Lake Ontario on the 11th of November last...

Cross-posted at Detour Through History

Saturday, August 8, 2020

War Of 1812 (Second Part Of The 1812 Timeline)





Note: Outline Per Wikipedia (with revisions):


1812Jul 17Capture of Fort Mackinac*
1812Jul 19Attack at Sackets Harbor**
1812Aug 5Battle of Brownstown
1812Aug 8British General Isaac Brock embarks at Port Dover for the relief of Amherstburg***
1812Aug 8Battle of Maguaga
1812Aug 15Fort Dearborn massacre
1812Aug 16Surrender of Detroit
1812Aug 19Capture of HMS Guerriere****
* "That it should fare hard with the garrison of Fort Mackinac was, under the circumstances, a foregone conclusion. They [the British] were...stationed at St. Joseph's Island. Capt. Roberts received intelligence of the declaration of war on July 15 and was directed to attack Fort Mackinac immediately.  Among the force of a thousand and odd must have been many who knew Mackinac well; indeed, as a former British post, fort and island must have been familiar in every detail to the officers in command, and on this knowledge, no doubt, was based the plan of attack." [Source]

** Gunboats were in process of construction at Sackets Harbor... . One of these, the Oneida, was attacked July 19, 1812, by five British vessels... . [Source]

 *** General Brock told us that it was his intention to go up at once to the western district along the shore of Lake Erie in boats to embark at what is now Port Dover. [Source]


Maguaga Battle-Ground

**** To compensate our readers in some degree for the disappointment and mortification they cannot but feel at the misfortune of our little army under gen. Hull, it is with feelings of pride and pleasure that we refer them to the gallant exploit of capt. Hull, his nephew, in the frigate Constitution in capturing and destroying the British frigate Guerriere. [Source]



Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Urbana To Detroit


From Urbana to the rapids of the Miami of the Lakes, the country belongs to the Indians, and is entirely destitute of roads.


Wood Splinter From Hull's Corduroy Or Log Road Built In 1812
To Transport General Hull's army to Detroit

From the rapids to Detroit, along Lake Erie and Detroit river, are various settlements, principally of French Canadians.

An 1812 Headquarters At Urbana, Ohio

Forts or block-houses have been erected and garrisoned in most of these ceded tracts since the declaration of war, but at the time that the country was traversed by general Hull s detachment, no civilized being was to be seen between Urbana and the rapids, a distance of at least 120 miles. [Source]


Saturday, March 21, 2020

Monday, September 23, 2019

Good Policy To Attack York



Source

"As a position of military strength, the place was not worthy of attack, but it was good policy on the part of the Americans to attempt the capture of the two vessels, the Prince Regent, 12 guns, and the Gloucester, which were known to be wintering in the harbour, and of the new 30-gunship which was almost completed, as their supremacy in the lake would thus be materially advanced." [Source]

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Site Of Perry's Victory




Title Map of the surveyed part of the territory of Michigan on a scale of 8 miles to an inch
Contributor Names:  Farmer, John, 1798-1859, V. Balch and S. Stiles (Firm)
Detroit : [publisher not identified], 1826.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Memorial To Honor Sailors Lost In War Of 1812



Oak Hill Cemetery, Prattville, Alabama (Either Section I or J)

Excerpt from the Prattville [Alabama] Progress, published April 11, 1989:

They lay on the bottom of Lake Ontario.  Two American warships sunk in a ravaging storm during the War of 1812 on the Canadian side.

But Prattville military historial Warren McEachern is convinced the ships and the 220 men that went down with them won't be forgotten -- at least not in Prattville.

McEachern has received city approval to erect a bronze plaque to the U.S.S. Scourge and Hamilton in Prattsville in an effort to pay tribute to the sailors.

Without the 28-by-14 inch plaque, McEachen said there are few American ties to the two ships.  Even the ships themselves, although American, were turned over to the Canadian government because they were lying in Canadian waters.

The warships sunk on August 8, 1813


Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Headquartered At Put-in-Bay




Perry established his headquarters at Put-in-Bay, an indentation on the northern coast of South Bass Island, which lies some twenty miles north west of the present city of Sandusky, Ohio. Here he was in excellent position to watch the movements of the British fleet, which had retired to its headquarters at Amherstburg, some thirty miles northwestward of Put-in-Bay. He was also convenient to Harrison, who was at Seneca-town, thirty-five miles to the southward. [Source]

Sunday, July 22, 2018

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


Monday, March 12, 2018

Michigan Once More Fell To The Ownership Of The United States


Fort Michilimackinac (On The Shore Of The Straits Of Mackinac)

Michigan History, Volume 5:

"The War for American Independence brought this area in name only under the control of the new American Government since it was not until 1798 that the British soldiers relinquished the military posts on the American side of the international boundary and the feebleness of the American hold upon all this region is well illustrated by the ease with which it was reconquered by the English in the War of 1812. The treaty of peace which terminated this war restored the easternmost of the Great Lakes as a part of the international boundary and Michigan once more fell to the ownership of the United States."


Dow Gardens In Midland, Michigan



Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Yost's Military Adventures


Yost's book (transcribed as written):

"Major lewis Came up with us he took the greatest paines to instruct the troops and it is a pleasing thing to see such a good officer as Major Lewis at the head of so many fine troops...


Riviere La Tranche (River Thames In  Ontario, Canada)

...on the 22 the British prisoners that was taken up the river trench pased this place under the care of the Cantucky milicia about four hundred in number two companys was ordered out of our Brigade Commanded by Richeson and Smith to gard the British prisoners to Chilecothe at this place I wrote to Samuel Zane But on the morning of the 26 we again took up the line of march and then we was inspected by Major Lewis...


Fort Meigs

...and then marcht for fort Megs with two days provisions in our nabsacks our rout was down the Sandusky River about four miles and one half and then Crost a large Creek and then took the old indian trale Which was through a low marchy ground....".

Also see a blog post, Robert Yost's Book.



Tuesday, October 4, 2016

William Sanford Eveleth


A dictionary of all officers: who have been commissioned, or have been ...:


Source

A random entry:


Wm. Sanford Eveleth (D.C.) Cadet July '13; bvt Sec Lt. Engrs 4 Mar '15; Am Prof. Engrg. M.A. fm Jan. '15 to Sept. '16; drowned 4 Oct '18 in Lake Michigan. 

More about the circumstances of Lieutenant Eveleth's death in an Inland Seas article.

"As the double-masted craft Hercules was leaving port for the evening voyage to Detroit, Eveleth [who had been inspecting military sites near Chicago] hitched a ride on the sailboat as its only passenger besides a crew of five.  "...the Hercules was the “first decked vessel to operate on a regular basis on the lake” west of the Mackinac Straits. Within a day of the time the boat departed Chicago, it also became the “first documented vessel to be destroyed on” Lake Michigan."

Lieutenant Eveleth was a cadet at West Point during the War of 1812.  His grave is noted here in a John Farmer map.


See a portion of Eveleth's map here at the University of Michigan Clements Library Chronicles, Fort Mackinac Captured By The British.




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."