Battle Of Fort St. Philip

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...an attempt was made by a small squadron of British ships stationed off the mouths of the Mississippi for the purpose of blockade to ascend the river. On the 9th of January, when opposite to Fort St Philip, they opened upon it a heavy fire of shot and shells, which, with few and short pause,s was continued for nine days and nights; when failing to make any impression favorable to themselves, on either the fort or the garrison, they withdrew to their former position. [Source]


From the National Park Service:

"Jackson had called attention to the importance of supplying New Orleans with some means of defense during September of the previous year, but after having prevented the British from finding a lodgement at Pensacola and Mobile he had now to face the fact that nothing had been done by the government at Washington to fortify the place.

As a main part of the defense, two effective batteries mounted with 24-pounders were located on the side of the river opposite Fort St. Philip, one at old Fort Bourbon and the other a half mile below. These were to operate in conjunction with the fire from Fort St. Philip."

Across The Mississippi River From Fort St. Philip (Fort Jackson built AFTER the War of 1812)

From the First Division Museum at Cantigny, a description of the battle as well as an oil painting depicting it; and from Wikipedia, the siege of Fort St. Philip.

Captain Thornton Posey

From the Upper Mississippi Brigade website, The 7th U. States Infantry in the Midwest A Sketch of the Detachments of Captains Thornton Posey and Zachary Taylor, by David M. Grabitske:

"Thornton Posey was an immigrant from Virginia who was one of the first company commanders to be appointed on May 3. Recruitment proceeded very well during that first summer for Posey's nascent command. In early 1809 Posey received orders to move his men from the recruiting rendezvous to New Orleans and James Wilkinson's disease-ridden camp. On June 3, his men were formally transferred to George Rogers Clark Floyd's company. In the fall of that year the Sixth Infantry was broken up and also added to the Seventh."  [Links added to original article]

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Major Thornton Posey was a member of the Posey Family of Va. He enlisted in the regular army from Ky., in May 1808 and served till the end of the war of 1812. He arrived at Vincennes, July 5, 1810. [Alexander Posey was Thornton Posey's brother.]

Jim's Photo From Fort Knox II Near Vincennes, Indiana

Captain Thornton Posey killed Lieutenant Jesse Jennings during an altercation:

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The Niles' Weekly Register, Volume 1, told of the Thornton Posey/Jesse Jennings incident.

In a letter to Secretary of War Eustis, General Harrison related the following detail:

I am told also that Mr. Jennings told two different persons some time before that he would kill the Captain if he could. 

General Blake And The Battle of Hampden

Source:  Genealogy of the Cleveland Family

Gen. John Blake was present at the battle of Hampden, Sep. 3, 1814, where the very British battalions who conquered Napoleon turned the scale against us.  A Court of Inquiry approved of Brig.-Gen. Blake's conduct and he was promoted by Gov. Caleb Strong, 1816, to Maj.-Gen., 10th Div. Mass.

Adventures Of The Nancy - Part Two

See Part One

Tall Ship Replica On Lake Huron - NOT Nancy

From AN EPISODE OF THE WAR OF 1812. THE STORY OF THE SCHOONER "NANCY."

The next recorded incident in her history is narrated in a letter from her commander, Captain Alexander Mcintosh, to Captain Richard Bullock of the 41st Regiment, commanding the garrison at Mackinac, dated "5 miles from St. Joseph's," on the 16th of October, 1813. On the 4th of that month he had sailed from St. Joseph's for Amherstburg to obtain a much needed supply of provisions, and arrived at the mouth of the St. Clair river on the following afternoon when he sent two men ashore to ascertain whether it would be safe for him to enter the river. As they were prevented from returning by rough water, he decided to venture as far as the foot of the rapids. There he learned that the whole of the British squadron on Lake Erie had been taken and that the Americans were in possession of Detroit and Amherstburg. It was also reported that two of their armed schooners and two gun-boats were awaiting his appearance in the river below.


"Next day about noon," Captain Mcintosh wrote, "a white nag was seen coming towards us in a canoe. About half an hour afterwards I was hailed from the shore by a Canadian, ordering me to give up the vessel and that my property, as also that of the crew, should be respected. I went ashore to see who this man was. It was Lieutenant-Colonel Beaubien, of the militia, who wished me to surrender the vessel to him, repeating what he had already said. I told him I would give an answer in an hour's time.

I immediately went back and got all ready to defend the vessel. After the time had elapsed I went to him, gave him my answer, which was that I would defend the vessel until necessity compelled me to give her up, and that if the wind proved strong enough, I would attempt going back to the lake. He then replied, 'We shall fire on you.' 1 asked what number of men he had. 'Fifty,' was his answer. I returned to the vessel, made sail and was fishing the anchor when they commenced firing. I returned the fire as quickly as I received it, which continued for a quarter of an hour or more. They then ceased, whether from want of ammunition or that we had killed any, I know not.

During the action I was placed at the helm and exposed to the whole of their fire, but luckily escaped. Several shots struck the main boom and railing. No person was injured from their fire, but the blowing up of a couple of cartridges burnt one of the men severely on the face and hands. Whether it was from a piece of the cartridge or their lire, our main sail was blazing which was no sooner seen than extinguished. During the engagement my men behaved with the greatest coolness, and I cannot say too much for them.

As early as the 3rd of October, Captain Bullock had received information of the disastrous result of the battle on Lake Erie from Major-General Proctor, who informed him that he had already recommended that supplies for his garrison should be forwarded from York to Matchedash Bay.

The Nancy arrived on the 18th with her sails and cables so badly damaged as to render her unfit to navigate the lake during the storm of autumn, and Captain Mcintosh determined to take her to the Northwest Company's post, at Sault Ste. Marie, in the hope of procuring the necessary materials to refit her during the winter.

Here's a nice blog post about the Nancy and another from the Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park here.

Incorporating some archaeological aspects of the Nancy is a paper entitled "His Majesty's Hired Transport Schooner Nancy."

Aiming For The Conquest Of Canada?

THE OHIO VALLEY IN THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE WAR OF 1812

The best clue to the understanding of the war of 1812 is to be found in the situation existing in the Ohio valley. That section of the country, aided by elements in the south, virtually brought on the war. It did so on account of a crisis which culminated, not in 1807 as did our maritime grievances against England, but
in 1811 and 1812, in the months which really matured the decision to appeal to arms. And in appealing to arms it had a perfectly clear and intelligible aim. That aim was nothing other than the conquest of Canada.

Henry Clay, speaker of the house, in the committee of the whole outlined a plan for the invasion of Canada and for the distribution of troops there. No wonder that John Randolph complained, "Ever since the report of the Committee on Foreign Relations came into the House, we have heard but one word, — like the Whippoorwill, but one monotonous tone, — Canada, Canada, Canada." 

It was not merely the dream of a greater republic, however, that stirred the inhabitants of the Ohio valley in the years preceding 1812. They had more practical and pressing matters to think of. The Indians were an ever-present menace which at any moment might set the whole frontier in a blaze, and back of the Indians the westerners saw the English in Canada. 

Adventures Of The Nancy - Part One

Tall Ship Replica On Lake Huron (Near Port Huron) - NOT  Nancy

From AN EPISODE OF THE WAR OF 1812. THE STORY OF THE SCHOONER "NANCY."

In the summer of 1789, the firm of Forsyth, Richardson and Co., fur merchants of Montreal, undertook the construction of a schooner for the navigation of the upper lakes.

By 1793, the Nancy had become the property of George Leith Co., and is described as being of sixty-seven tons burden. Sometime before the end of the century, she passed into the possession of the Northwest Fur Company, by whom she was employed in the transportation of furs and merchandise on Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan.

On July 1st, 1812, when the declaration of war by the United States became known to Lieutenant-Colonel St. George, the commandant of the British Garrison at Amherstburg, she was still lying at Moy waiting for a favorable wind to carry her into Lake Huron, and he at once ordered her to be brought down under the guns of that post to secure her from capture. Some light brass guns with which she had been armed were mounted in row-boats to patrol the river, and the schooner was impressed into the government service as a transport. On July 30 she sailed for Fort Erie under convoy of the Provincial schooner, Lady Prevost. Five days later she left Fort Erie on her return voyage, in company with the armed brig General Hunter, having on board sixty soldiers of the 41st Regiment and a quantity of military stores. The timely arrival of this small reinforcement had considerable weight among the reasons which induced General Hull to evacuate Canada.

During the summer and autumn of that year the Nancy was constantly employed in the important service of transporting troops, stores, and provisions between Detroit and Fort Erie.

On April 23rd, 1813, she was included in the small squadron assembled to transport General Procter's division from Amherstburg to Miami Bay, to undertake the siege of Fort Meigs.

New Year's Day Artillery Fire At New Orleans

Chalmette Battlefield (New Orleans)

...the surprising losses of the British were commonly due to artillery and musketry fire.  At New Orleans the artillery was chiefly engaged. The artillery battle of January 1, according to British accounts, amply proved the superiority of American gunnery on that occasion, which was probably the fairest test during the war. From: The History of the United States...

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