Colonel Carr

The home journal., January 27, 1859, Image 2, (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?:

Col. Robert Carr of Philadelphia, was Benjamin Franklin's errand boy and a colonel in the War of 1812.  

Source

Craney Island

Craney Island in an excerpted newspaper article printed in the Alexandria Gazette, Commercial and Political, Volume 13, Number 3985, 28 June 1813:

Also see a June 29, 1813 account.  

More war news.

Cross-posted at the Detour Through History blog.

News That's Fit To Print

"On the morning after the commodore sailed the following appeared in the New York Columbian: 'It is undoubtedly a fact that dispatch boats with information have been sent off to the British vessels which were cruising off the harbor since the declaration of war. By whom they were sent off it is not necessary at present to mention."'

Source

"But this much may and ought to be said: that if it was done by an American citizen, he has committed treason by the laws of the United states, and deserves, and may receive, hanging for it. There is no suspicion, however, entertained that such an infamous act has been done by an American. As it has, therefore, been the act of the subjects of the king of England, whether they are in or out of office, the act is a violation of the hospitality which tolerates their residence in our city, and calls loudly upon the constituted authorities to put the laws immediately in force against alien enemies, and to rid the city of spies, or at least such as disgrace their character by acting in so infamous a capacity."' [Source]

View Of The War

The life and times of Martin Van Buren: the correspondence of his friends ...
 By William Lyon Mackenzie

"Col. Wm. Duane, the friend of Jefferson... .  Hear his account of the war of 1812--I quote the Aurora of August 17, 1816."

"The last war may be fairly considered, as it regards every thing--but the patience, hardihood and valor, of the line and the militia--one of the worst conducted, the most imbecile, inconsistent, and confused in its designs, that the world ever saw. The system of loans was a most villainous systematic cheat, for which every man who was concerned, ought to be recorded in a register of infamy."

When General Van Rensselaer Returned

Stephen Van Rensselaer

From old newspapers, and other sources, we gather the fragmentary items that follow, relating to the soldiers of 1812.  When General Stephen Van Rensselaer returned, October 31, 1812, to Albany, after the battle of Queenstown, a large concourse of private citizens and dignitaries turned out to escort him to the city. Major John Lovett was his Secretary, and Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, one of the bravest men that Albany ever produced, was his Aid. He was long disabled by four bullet wounds received in this battle. One of the balls he carried in his flesh until his death.  [Source]

Fate Of Prisoners

Old Fort Dearborn

"...fate of more of the prisoners...".

Chicago--Among the prisoners who have recently arrived at this place (says the Plattsburg paper of the 21st ult.) from Quebeck, are James VanHorn, Joseph Knowles, Paul Grommow, Elias Mills, Joseph Bowen, Nathan Edson, Dyson Dyer, James Cobrin and Phelim Corbin, of the First regiment of U. S. infantry, who survived the massacre at Fort Dearborn or Chicago, on the 15th of August, 1812." [Source]

An Unsolved Mystery

A Canadian posited that it was a mystery how an invasion of a neighbor could be characterized as a 2nd war of independence:

"In the Buffalo paper, in which some of these were copied, occurs the rather astonishing and not easily to be understood statement, 'we now approach the period of the second war of independence.'  How an armed invasion of a peaceful neighboring country can be called a war of independence by the invader is an unsolved mystery." [Source]

Intelligence From The London Gazette

Return Of Casualties At Black Rock from The European Magazine, and London Review, Volumes 63-64:

Fort Meigs And Its Environs

Source

Fort Meigs

Explanations: — a, grand battery, commanded by Captain Daniel Cushing; b, mortar battery; e, i, o, minor batteries; g, battery commanded at the second siege by Colonel Gaines; c, magazines. The black squares on the lines of the fort represent the position of the block houses. The dotted lines show the traverses, or walls of earth thrown up. The longest, the grand traverse, had a base of twenty feet, was twelve in height, and about nine hundred in length. The traverses running lengthwise of the fort, were raised as a protection against the batteries on the opposite side of the river, and those running crosswise were to defend them from the British batteries on this side. The British batteries on the north side of the river were named as follows: a. Queen's; b. Sailors'; d, King's; and c. Mortar. The fort stood upon high ground, on the margin of the bank, elevated about sixty feet above the Maumee. The surface is nearly level, and is covered by a green sward. The outline of the fort is now well defined, and the grand traverse yet rises six or eight feet from the surrounding ground.

NOTE: — The Toledo Blade of June 3, 1908, has the Larwill profile of the fort which differs somewhat in the fact that more traverse, earthworks, are shown next to the present public road.

Harriet Fowler Back

Mrs. Back's application was taken from the Index to War of 1812 Pension applications:

Harriet Fowler Back, widow

The soldier, Henry Back, died August 5, 1818, in New York, New York.

Mrs. Harriet Back died in Yonkers, April 20, in her 88th year, per the Eastern State Journal, published 6 May 1881 (per FultonHistory.com).

Census  Event Year: 1870

New York [Yonkers, Westchester]

Household Role Gender Age Birthplace

F A Back M 53 New York

Rebecca J Back F 51 New York

Charles E Back M 18 New York

Fred A Back M 13 New York

I N Williams M 28 New York

Louisa Williams F 21 New York

Harrietta Back F 75 New York

An Historical Marker In Erie County

Source

The always wonderful Dorene sent this link of the Sandusky Register to me.  This newspaper article, entitled "Historical marker remembers War of 1812 - It recalls time when Sandusky area was the western frontier" by Tom Jackson was published November 6, 2014.

The article noted that an historical marker, sponsored by the Erie County Historical Society,  was erected (see images in the article).

The Junction

Source

View At Junction Of The Thames And M'Gregor's Creek

From Electric Scotland:

"Tecumseh considered the point at the junction of the Thames and McGregor’s Creek the best place to make a stand against General Harrison’s Kentuckians who were pursuing them, but the stand was finally made further up the river at Moraviantown where the British were defeated and Tecumseh killed."

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.

The Orderly Book Blog

The Orderly Book [blog], Chronicling the War of 1812 and other forgotten or obscure history.


"...issues of the Kentucky Gazette...has been archived and is available to peruse at the Kentucky Digital Library."  

I followed the Kentucky Digital Library and found this random example:

Kentucky gazette (Lexington, Ky. : 1809), July 20, 1813

Source

This blog post (6 January 2014) for the Orderly Book focused on Detroit's first mayor!

Building Ships In Kingston

Source

Kingston

An item in the Kingston Gazette of December 19th, 1812, evidences these activities and records: "We are happy to announce that 120 ship carpenters have arrived at this place; more are expected." [Source]

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.

An Early Sea Battle

Source

On June 23, 1812, there was a sea battle when the HMS Belvidera encountered the U.S. Navy's USS President, USS Congress and the USS United States.

A contemporary newspaper account can be found here.

Alexander Milliner, Patriot

"Alexander Milliner lived for 105 years, serving as a drummer-boy in the American Revolution, aboard "Old Ironsides" in the War of 1812, and again sounding his drum for recruiting efforts during the Civil War."

Source

NY Historic featured the Alexander Milliner home here.

Mr. Milliner is listed among the Last Men of the Revolution. A photo of Alexander Milliner published in Life Magazine can be seen here.

Source For Both

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.