Armistead T. Mason

Source

First Lieutenant On The Constitution

The Charles Morris Papers are held at the University of Michigan's Clements Library:

"By the outbreak of the War of 1812, Morris was first lieutenant under Captain Isaac Hull on the Constitution. Morris famously aided in evading a British squadron by suggesting kedging and towing the Constitution; later he was badly wounded during the ship's battle with the HMS Guerriere, and received a promotion to captain for his efforts. After his recovery, he commanded the Adams in raiding expeditions against British merchant ships."

Gun From The Constitution On Display In Lexington, Missouri

For anyone with a penchant for early United States history, particularly that aspect which pertains to the Navy, the *autobiography of Commodore Charles Morris (1784-1856), a Connecticut native, cannot fail to be of engrossing interest. Only three of the prominent American naval commanders of the War of 1812 wrote memoirs: Morris, David Porter, and Thomas MacDonough. *Source

The "Prescription book of the U.S. Frigate Constitution ," within the Amos A. Evans collection, includes a description of Evans' treatment of Charles Morris' severe stomach wound. (Also at the Clements Library)

Ryan's Court Martial

From the Archives online at Indiana University:
1812 Aug. 10 Hall, Amos, fl. 1813
Autographed letter signed. 3 p. 25 cm.
Head Quarters, Niagara Frontier. To William Wadsworth. Deals with the court martial trial of John Ryan a British spy.

Specification #1 At Ryan's Court Martial:

Surgeon Sylvester Day

From the Manuscripts Division, William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, a finding aid for the Sylvester Day Collection, 1813-1920, Creator: Day, Sylvester, 1778-1851:

Biography
Sylvester Day was born in 1778, the son of Elkanah Day and Lavinia Merrill. He worked as garrison surgeon's mate in the United States Army in 1807, and was at Fort Michilimackinac from 1810 to July 17, 1812, when British forces took the fort during the War of 1812. After his parole by British forces, he travelled to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked as a surgeon until General William Hull surrendered the city to the British in August 1812. He remained in Detroit in order to help care for sick and wounded soldiers who were unable to leave with the rest of the American troops. On October 16, 1812, he left Detroit with American prisoners of war on the British Brig Adams, headed for Fort Erie. However, the United States Navy captured the Adams while en route to its destination, and forced Day to disembark before burning the ship and all of his personal effects. Following this incident, Day began a legal suit against the U.S. government in an attempt to gain reparations for the property he lost in the burning, especially his extensive medical library. The U.S. Army appointed Day a surgeon of the 4th Regiment of Infantry on March 13, 1813. He transferred to the 5th Infantry on May 17, 1815, and was on duty in Detroit, Michigan, until 1818. He worked as post surgeon at Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania, from 1818 to 1820, and later became post surgeon for the Allegheny Arsenal. Day worked at other locations before his death at Allegheny Arsenal, Pennsylvania, in 1851.

Fort At Mackinac Island

226 Dr. Sylvester Day went to Michilimackinac as surgeon's mate at the garrison as early as 1810. He and his family resided on Astor Street at the time of the surrender of the fort. He had one son named Hannibal, who later became Gen. Hannibal Day. U. S. A. After leaving Michilimackinac they resided at Detroit. Dr. Day was a Mason and master of Zion Lodge, No. 62, in 1817. The same year he subscribed $350 toward the University Fund. {Michigan Pioneer Collections; Annals of Fort Mackinaw by Kelton, p. 46.)  [Source]

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

Lincoln Militia Document At The Indiana University Archives

1812 June 26, 1815 Feb. 21

Document signed. 1 p. 33 cm.
Statement of the different periods the lst regiment, Lincoln militia…on duty.
Purchased. Forest H. Sweet, dealer, Battle Creek, Michigan. 1943.
Canada--Militia

A Price On His Head

Because of this occurrence Captain Rhea, who was authorized to receive and distribute the mail, is sometimes referred to as Fort Wayne's first postmaster and the big elm has been called the first post office. Rhea was fully cognizant of the impending trouble with the...[Native Americans], but he failed utterly to grasp the opportunity to make a name which should be written alongside those of the nation's heroes of the time in the west.

Source

The Indian agent, Colonel Johnston, however, was alert*. On the 6th of February, 1811, he wrote Governor Harrison as follows omitting the name of his informant has been at this place. The information derived from him is the same I have been in possession of for several years, to wit, the intrigues of the British agents and partisans in creating an influence hostile to our people and government within our territory.  [Source]


*Apparently Colonel John Johnston needed to be alert because the British had "put a price on his head." [Source]

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.

Assistant Surgeon Henry Greene

Source

Dr. Henry Greene, a native of Rhode Island, immediately after his graduation in 1814, was made
assistant surgeon of the Twenty-fifth Regulars, and saw hard service in Canada, remaining in the army till peace was declared. He came to Albany in 1828, was prominent herein the cholera epidemic, and was one of the first faculty of the Medical College. [Source]

Micah Bradley's Oration

The widow of a Micah Bradley of Portsmouth filed for a War of 1812 pension based upon his service as a captain's clerk on a privateer.

Per in Villonova's Library:

An oration, pronounced July 5th, 1813, at the request of the Republicans of the town of Portsmouth, in commemoration of the anniversary of American independence. Main Author: Bradley, Micah, 1781-1815.  [See copy]  

Surgeon To The 2nd Regiment Riflemen

Source

In the war of 1812, which was partly at our door, a few of the local physicians were engaged. Most prominently was Dr. Piatt Williams, a graduate of Williams College, and prepared by a long course of professional study. The war broke out soon after he began to practice, and he immediately received from Gov. Tompkins the appointment of surgeon to the Second Regiment of Riflemen. He served through the war on the Niagara frontiers. Two years later, having returned to Albany, he was appointed post surgeon of the cantonment at Greenbush, and retained the position till its abandonment in 1822. [Source]

Back To The Same (Pre-War) Footing

Portrait Of William Clark (St. Louis Arch Museum)

From Oklahoma State:

Treaty With The Sioux Of St. Peter's River

Ratified Dec. 26, 1815

"THE parties being desirous of re-establishing peace and friendship between the United States and the said tribe...on the same footing upon which they stood before the late war between the United States and Great Britain...".

A few of the signatories and witnesses:

William Clark, [L. S.]

Ninian Edwards, [L. S.]

Auguste Chouteau, [L. S.]

Wasoukapaha, the Falling Hail, his x mark, [L. S.]

Manpinsaba, the Black Cloud, his x mark, [L. S.]

John T. Chunn, brevet major of the U. S.Army

Kearny's War Of 1812 Service

Source

Stephen Watts Kearny...was born in 1794, at Newark, N. J., and lived there some years. He was a student at King's College (now Columbia) in New York City. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Thirteenth United States Infantry, and served under Captain John E. Wool. Captured after the Battle of Queenstown, he was soon exchanged. He offered to serve at the head of a marine force in Chauncy's fleet on Lake Erie, but his offer was not accepted. He was made captain, April 1, 1813. After the war he was transferred to the Second Infantry, with headquarters first at Sackett's Harbor, and later at Plattsburg.

British Spy Near Niagara

Source  

Lilly Library, Indiana University

Letter dated 1812 Aug. 10 

Hall, Amos, fl. 1813  Army Officer
Autographed letter signed. 3 p. 25 cm.

Head Quarters, Niagara Frontier. To William Wadsworth (1761 - 1833). Deals with the court martial trial of John Ryan [citizen of the United States] a British spy.

Directed that a court martial be held at the house of a Warren Sadler, Innkeeper at Schlosser...county of Niagara...

Frederick Richmond (last named above), Adjutant,

General Brown's Pre-War Years

Caption: Brown Keeping School

From the Life of General Jacob Brown...:

From the University of Buffalo Reporter:

There isn't much in Brown’s pre-military life that would inform his destiny. He was a farmer from Northern New York whose most glowing accomplishment before the war was his success smuggling goods across the St. Lawrence River.

Niagara Plat Map

Source

Map from McGill Library in Canada

Queenston and Brock's Monument In Lower Right Corner

Cochrane's Plans

Description of a letter held in the Indiana University Archives:

Source

His Majesty's Ship Ann

Bermuda, 25th March 1814

Cochrane's Signature On Page 16 Of Letter Referenced Above

I Will Try

Source - Norwich University

The Norwich University and their motto explained:

It was thought for generations..."that the words, 'I will try' were first uttered in 1847 by Colonel Truman B. Ransom in the heat of battle during the Mexican War."

The answer...to the...question, "who did coin the University motto, and when?" can be found in the first volume of Ellis' History of Norwich University (1912). [which stated that] the origins of the words "I will try" can be traced to the War of 1812.

They were uttered by Colonel James Miller of New Hampshire.

Source

Killed By His Horse

From the Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan:


  Undated . David Riddle ALS to John Lewis Thomson (2 pages)
Regarding the military service of Thomas and Samuel Riddle, both veterans of the war. Samuel served on the Northern frontier and Thomas served under General Hull. Riddle's younger brother, Abram, "was about to march for the frontier when he was killed by his horse falling on him he was a sergeant of a volunteer troop of Dragoons, in the state of Ohio...".


Also see John L. Fink Orderly Books, 1812-1815 post from the same source.

Commodore Charles Morris

Housed at the William L. Clements Library are Commodore Morris's papers:

"...papers contain letters and documents relating to the naval career of Commodore Charles Morris, during the War of 1812... ".

The Autobiography Of Commodore Charles Morris, USN (some excerpts):

"As Isaac Hull's First Lieutenant on the Constitution, it was Morris who recommended warping or kedging to escape the overwhelming British squadron that pursued her. Subsequent to the action with the Guerriere, and in which he was grievously wounded, Morris was promoted to Captain's rank; much to the ire of those his senior on the list waiting for the same honor; bypassing that of Master Commandant."

Charles Morris married Harriet Bowen in February 1815.  He died on January 27, 1856.