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

A Pre-Dawn Sneak Attack

Source

"On April 7, 1814, a body of 200 sailors and marines ascended the Connecticut landed at Pettipaug (or Pautopaug Point) about six miles above Saybrook, and destroyed the shipping found there, as they did also at Brockway's Ferry, in spite of a body of militia. On this marauding expedition about $200,000 worth of shipping was destroyed." [Source]

A Connecticut newspaper published an article entitled, "Sneak attack was Essex's undoing."

"...the bare facts of the British raid on Essex [village, then known as Pettipaug] in 1814 are cinematic enough. A pre-dawn sneak attack. Ships ablaze. Scrambled militias. A daring escape."

Mr. And Mrs. Bacon

Source

Historic Vincennes

A synopsis of Mrs. Lydia Bacon's story was found at the Central Michigan Library's Clarke Library's website (see excerpt below with added link):

Lydia Bacon (1786-1853) accompanied her husband, Josiah, a quartermaster, to his military assignment. She waited at Vincennes...for him to return from the Tippecanoe campaign along the Wabash, then left on horseback to go with her husband's regiment to Detroit. 

From The Detroit News:  

"Mrs. Bacon carried in a bag on the pommel of her saddle a Bible, a copy of Homer's "Iliad," and a "huge Spunge cake." She wrote letters to her 15-year-old sister Abby, her mother and friends in Boston, which later she collected as a memoir of her experiences during the War of 1812."

Whistler's Orders

Source (Artillery At An Unknown Location)

The Canada batteries were in the same place with those which had been erected on the 5th of July, just before Hull had arrived, which had been broken up by Captain Dalliba, under Major [John] Whistler's orders, before Hull's arrival from the 24-pounder battery at the lower end of the town.  Whistler was then in command. [Source]

The New York Times chronicled the service of generations of Whistlers.

Soldiers Buried At Thames Battlefield

From The battle of the Thames: in which Kentuckians defeated the British, French ...:

Mound of Battlefield of the Thames where the dead soldiers were buried.

An article, from a Chatham, Ontario, newspaper, added this:

"....those who fell in battle were either left on the field for locals to deal with, or hastily buried by their comrades.  Such was the fate of Privates [William] Hardwick and Foster Bartlett.  ...the fact is, they are here, somewhere. Even more startling than that fact though, is the realization that they're not alone. ...not just...the Americans, who were the victors of the battle. The remains of British soldiers and their Indian allies no doubt also lie beneath Chatham-Kent soil, unmarked. Nobody knows exactly how many people died in battle that day, but it looks like between 38 and 78 casualties were recorded altogether."

The Kentucky Guard blog mentioned William Hardwick and Foster Bartlett and the search for their burial sites.  Even DNA is requested via Facebook in Henry County, Kentucky, for Bartlett relatives!

Battle Of Wild Cat Creek

What Wikipedia has to say about the Battle of Wild Cat Creek.

A recent newspaper account:

"The Indians ran into a ravine. The Americans followed, unaware that it was a trap. Over a hundred Indians opened fire on the militia. The militia spurred their horses to retreat, thus the nick-name of Spur’s Defeat. Eighteen men were lost within 2 minutes."

Embarked In Smuggling

The war of 1812 was not wholly popular with the inhabitants of the coast towns of Maine. The embargo Act of April 4, and the declaration of war against Great Britain by Congress June 18, 1812, brought matters to a head. The maritime interest could only see ruin and disaster ahead.

Many of our people went into privateering, others embarked in smuggling, or the importation of contraband goods. I am inclined to think that many United State soldiers would fight a British soldier, who would be very tender towards British goods. The State was full of British goods from St. Croix to Kittery. All kinds of schemes were invented to get them into Maine. It has been stated that both governments winked at the violation of the laws relating to goods contraband of war. [Source]


From the Press-Herald:

"A letter in Canada's national archives shows that Porter [who was engaged in "questionable" trade] openly tried to negotiate an illegal trade agreement with military officials in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He offered $50,000 as security if they would allow one of his privateers to bring flour, beef and pork to Canada and fake the "capture" of British goods to be brought to the United States."

'"I don't believe they ever answered him," Smith said.'

Privateers in a book review at this blog.

Victory On September 11th

Source (Battle Of Plattsburgh Illustration, Page 60)

From Historic Lakes, The Battle of Plattsburgh, in four parts, culminating in victory on September 11, 1814.

See The Battle of Lake Champlain on Facebook, too.

On September 11, 2012, there was an article in the Press Republican [Plattsburgh, New York] entitled, "In My Opinion: Battle of Plattsburgh was pivotal."

The Naval History blog has a post entitled Unsung Heroes of the Battle of Lake Champlain.

Champlain 1812's history of the battle included an overview and a timeline.

Remember The Raisin

Here's an article from the Smithsonian Magazine.

The Story Of A Sailor And His Commodore Ancestor

Source of Arthur Sinclair's Portrait

A news article entitled Sailor finds War of 1812 ancestor's grave was published in the Army Times and described a sailor's search for Commodore Arthur Sinclair's grave.

"Sinclair, who served in the Great Lakes campaign against the British in the War of 1812, joined the Navy when he was about 12 years old."

Another version of the story can be found in the U.S. Naval Institute blog.

A biography of Arthur Sinclair, the grandson of Commodore Arthur Sinclair, mentioned that the Commodore commanded the United States sloop-of-war General Pike on Lake Ontario.

The Commodore was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia.

Some Canadian Pensioners

From the NIAGARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY NO. 27:

PRISONERS FOR WAR LOSSES, Found in Niagara Spectator, May 23d, 1817

Supplementary list of widows and children admitted as pensioners between 18th Sept. last list, and 31st Dec. 1816... .  Also of persons disabled by wounds received in actual service or from accidents while on duty. Children of John Overholt, William Cole; widows of George Couck, Robert Wilkerson, Jonathan Hagar, Colin McCollum, John Stahl, Samuel Pew, Uriah Petit.

Disabled

James Secord, Adam Stull, George Adams, John Bryant, Lewis Clement, Frederick Thompson, Alexander Rose, Daniel Stewart, Angus McDougall, Joseph Long, Daniel McCollum, Peter Lampman, Donald Cameron, George Chase.

These were wounded at Queenston, Fort George, Chippawa, Lundy's Lane, Fort Erie, St. Davids respectively, the sums owing them ranging from $40. to $84. the Provincial Currency Dollar being five shillings.

Did Canada Win The War Of 1812?

According to this article in the National Post, an U.S. historian admits that Canada won the War of 1812:

"Johns Hopkins University professor Eliot Cohen, a senior adviser to former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, writes in his just-published book Conquered Into Liberty that, “ultimately, Canada and Canadians won the War of 1812.”"

Hat tip: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog

A Cannonball In A Pear Tree

Source

Within the palisade of a small fort in Detroit, on what is now the corner of Woodbridge and Griswold streets, there stood in the war of 1812, a magnificent pear tree some two feet in diameter and the pride and delight of the citizens. During one of the cannonadings from the opposite shore, it was perceived that this tree served as a mark to guide the aim of the enemy's shots, and that it continued greatly to annoy and weaken the defence. The citizens, all unwilling tho' they were, resolved to remove this means of annoyance. A soldier of the name of Miller, and now residing, we believe, somewhere in this city, was directed to cut it down.  He proceeded cheerfully to his task, plied the axe with vigor, but yet made no rapid progress upon the tough old tree, when a shot from the British battery struck it precisely where he was cutting, and dashed off two thirds of the trunk. Miller paused for a moment, looked up and exclaiming,  "Fire away, John Bull, you cut a great deal faster than I can," then quietly proceeded to complete his work,--Detroit Advertiser. [Source]

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.

Acker's Service Noted

From the Livonia Gazette at Fulton History:

Source

After the colonies gained their independence, there was still the ever-present possibility of renewed hostilities with England as well as the danger of Indian attacks.  As a precaution, every able-bodied male between the ages of 18 and 45 was required to belong to the militia.  Local training sites for the militiamen included Dennison's Corners, Doolittle's Tavern on the site of the Annis farm, Crockett's Corners in Conesus, and in Lakeville and on the oval in front of the Presbyterian Church in Livonia Center.  William Wadsworth of Geneseo helped direct training programs and later commanded during the War of 1812.

Many of the men in the militia units eventually served in the War of 1812.  Again, the names, as recorded by Miss Meagher, ring familiar:  Silas Acker, Augustus Annis, Peter Pitts Barnard, Asa Dennison, John Fitch Reed, Philip Short, Tyranus Ripley, Harvey Stedman and Elisha Webster, just to name a few.

Captain Gray And The River Raisin

Photo By Jim Taken During A Visit To The River Raisin Battlefield

From the Examiner, an article about Kentuckians who fought for Michigan at the Battle of the River Raisin.  An excerpt from the article:

Joye Evetts’ fourth Great-Grandfather was Captain Patrick Gray. He was born in 1764 in Augusta County, Va. and died February 27, 1813, in military service. He commanded one of the two full companies of soldiers raised in Jessamine County, Kentucky, to fight in the War of 1812. Gray’s company was part of Lewis’ Kentucky Volunteers who fought at the Battle of the River Raisin.

See a post about Oliver Anderson who was in Patrick Gray's Co.

Archaeology In Caulk's Field

From Yahoo News, Battlefield from War of 1812 Uncovered Intact Beneath Maryland Cornfield:

History is still very much with us today as evidenced by a new and fascinating find - a battlefield from the War of 1812 when American were still very much engaged with fighting the British. And this battlefield is virtually unscathed.

Yahoo News was linked to the L.A. Times that provided this:

""This is easily the best-preserved 1812 battlefield in the Mid-Atlantic, thanks to the excellent stewardship of the owners, the Tulip Forest Farming Corp., who understood its importance and protected it," said Bill Pencek, the commission's executive director.""

Here's one of my blog posts about Caulk's Field and here's another.  More about one of the participants, Peter Parker, here.

British General Sheaffe

Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe, Bart.

Source

General Sheaffe was at Queenston Heights.

An article was published about General Sheaffe's relatives' 2012 visit to the theater of war.

The Path Of General Hull's Army

A map showing the route of General Hull's army in green and (scout) Robert Lucas's route in red:

Source

From the Detroit News:

"Robert Lucas, a scout and future governor of Ohio, was days ahead of the army. He reached the Black Swamp in June, writing in his journal:
'Proceeded on to the foot of the rapids through a tremendous Swamp of 40 miles distance … the Swamp being without intermission from knee deep to belly deep to our horses for 8 or 10 miles together.'"

The Toledo Blade published The Man Who Saved Toledo about the man for whom Lucas County, Ohio, is named, Robert Lucas.

A Conflict Still Most Forgotten?

An interesting Slate Magazine article entitled Happy 200th Birthday, War of 1812 (A primer on America’s most bumbling, most confusing, and most forgotten conflict), included the following excerpts:

"The war plays out as a disappointing second act to the Revolution, with the nation suddenly at the whim of Europeans and Indians and riven by internal dissent, and the heroes and heirs of 1776 acting without the pluck and ingenuity that we expect of them. How are we to commemorate that?"

[In a comparison to the Civil War] "It's hard to imagine a flurry of 1812 books flying off the shelves, or the New York Times commissioning a blog series* about the conflict. "

*Perhaps the New York Times won't have a blog about the War of 1812, but I do!