Loring Richmond

Loring Richmond's War of 1812 service was mentioned in the Richmond Family book:

1188. LORING RICHMOND (6) (Edward 5, Perez 4, Silvester 3, Edward 2, John 1) was born in Westport, Mass., December 19, 1781, and died in 1858. He married, first, March 11, 1804, Lydia Thomas, who was born June 6, 1782, and died April 8, 1829. He married, secondly, June 23, 1830, Mrs. Sally Hall, widow of Elisha Hall, who was born January 16, 1790, and died November 5, 1854. They resided in Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y. He served in the War of 1812.

He's buried in the Oswego Bitters Cemetery in Camillus, New York.  His will was found online here.

Note:  Silvester Richmond's descendants are Mayflower descendants.

Artist's Rendering Of Fort Knox I

The Fort Knox in Vincennes, Indiana:

Major Merrill's Pistols

Source

He [Major Thomas Merritt] was appointed Major Commandant of ' 'Niagara Light Dragoons" on June 12th, 1812. He was present at the Battle of Queenston Heights and in Major-General Sheaffe's report is alluded to as follows: "Major Merritt, commanding the Niagara Dragoons, accompanied me and gave much assistance with part of' his corps."

Capture Of Fort George Engraving

Source: Cassier's Magazine

Battle of Fort George.

Capt. Anderson's Journal And His Orders For The Rock River Expedition

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online's entry for Thomas Gummersall Anderson "Indian agent; b. at Sorel, Province of Quebec, 12 Nov. 1779, sixth son of Captain Samuel Anderson, loyalist, and Deliverance Butts; d. at Port Hope, Ont., 10 Feb. 1875."

Source

[Excerpt from above letter]
Fort McKay, Aug. 26, 1814

 To Lieut. [Duncan] Graham--

Sir--The expedition for the Rock River under your command, being now in readiness,... . On your arrival there you will assemble the Indians and explain to them that the intention of the expedition is to support them in defending their lands and women and children according to promises made to them by their father Robert Dickson and Lieut Col. McKay.... .

That they must not amuse themselves during the action in taking scalps. They must destroy the enemy as much as possible except prisoners.

Thos G Anderson, Capt Comd'g

Note:  Lieutenant Graham's forces met the American forces under Zachary Taylor at Credit Island.  The War of 1812 Archaeology blog described it as "The Forgotten Battle."

Confidential Communications

"Confidential communication sent by [British] Capt [John] B[askerville] Glegg from York 27th February 1812 to Mr. Dickson residing among the Indians near the Mississippi and received by him early in June"

"War may result from the present situation: I wish to know:--

1 The number of your friends that might be depended on;
2 Their disposition towards us;
3 Would they assemble and march under your orders;
4 State the succor you require and the most eligible mode of its conveyance;
5 Can equipments be procured in your country;
6 An immediate direct communication with you is very much required;
7 Can you point out how it can be accomplished;
8 Send without loss of time a few faithful and very confidential agents selected from your friends;
9 Will individuals approach the Detroit frontier next spring? If so state time and place we may meet.  Avoid mentioning names in your written communications. I have received your two letters. Recollect to whom you promised to procure shrubs and small trees."

Reply dated 18th June 1812 and received at Fort George [War was declared that date]

Source: Robert Dickson, the Indian Trader

Consideration Of A Triangular War

For my first foray into the substance of  The War of 1812 book, a valuable nugget of information was discovered.

As pre-war tensions were rising, President Madison faced a dilemma of great magnitude.  Since Great Britain AND France were "hostile to neutral shipping," how would the United States justify war against the British and ignore France's transgressions?  Would it be a "triangular war?"  Madison consulted with Thomas Jefferson (on May 25th); Jefferson's response (of May 30, 1812) was included in the book.

The correspondence between the Madison and Jefferson bespoke of a complicated relationship between the U.S. and France. 

Thomas Holdup Stevens

  Source Page 543

Thomas Holdup was "an inmate and pupil of the Orphan Asylum in Charleston."  "He became a protege of General [Daniel] Stevens, of that City...". [Source, Page 528]

From an Arlington Cemetery website:

Volunteering for lake service, he went to the Niagara frontier, and in a night assault on the enemy works opposite Black Rock, November 27-28, 1812, was one of the leaders of a detachment which captured two enemy guns and dislodged an enemy force by firing their barracks. A canister shot through his right hand in this action inflicted permanent injury.

Young as he was, he had distinguished himself in the War of 1812, even before Perry's brilliant victory on Lake Erie, and he commanded one of the vessels in that ever-memorable battle.  National Intelligencer, Monday, January 25, 1841

Thomas Holdup Stevens eventually reached the rank of Commodore.  He died in 1841 (FindAGrave says 1845).

Source

Presentation Sword, LT Thomas Holdup Stevens, War of 1812
By Naval History & Heritage Command from Washington, DC, USA

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.

Guide To U.S. History In London Archives

One of the many examples of items found in this guide:

Source

This resource, Guide To The Materials In The London Archives For The History of the Unites States Since 1783 (published in 1914), was found while searching for Lieutenant Charles Hare and the Bream.

The Old Tecumseh Hotel Near The Battle Of The Thames

The Old Tecumseh Hotel On The Thames Battlefield

Near Mound Where The Dead Were Buried

From The battle of the Thames: in which Kentuckians defeated the British, French ... By Bennett Henderson Young

Dolley Madison

The First Lady during the War of 1812

General Daniel Cruger

From the History of the settlement of Steuben County, N.Y:

"...he established the Owego Democrat... ."  "He edited and published this paper until the year 1804 when he parted with his interest in the concern.  His father, having previously settled at Bath, young Cruger now made that village his home."  "....he...entered the office of General S.S. Haight as a student at law... ."  "...in the year 1806...about this time he was married to Miss Hannah Clement, a niece of the late Henry A Townsend, of Bath, a lady of great refinement intellectual culture and graceful accomplishments... ."
He continued to practice with increasing success, until the year 1812, when the war with England created a martial spirit throughout the country, which caused many young men to leave their occupations and enter the service of their country. Among these was Mr Cruger. He accepted a position on the staff of General McClure. [Source] 

From West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State:
"After her husband's death, Lydia Shepherd managed the estate until she died, at the age of 110, having outlived her second husband, General Daniel Cruger."

At my blog, In Deeds, there is a post featuring Hannah Cruger Stout Howell  who was Gen. Cruger's daughter.

There's an interesting clause in the will of General Cruger's father.

18 May 1814 At Fort Mackinac

Jim's Photo Of Fort Mackinac (1780 - 1895)

On the (Wikipedia) timeline:

1814

May 18 [British]

Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDouall relieves Fort Mackinac

A Young Thomas Richmond In The War Of 1812

One of my ancestors was named Thomas Richmond.  The man who served in the War of 1812 and is profiled below was NOT my ancestor.

From the Richmond Family book:
The Hon. Thomas Richmond was born in Barnard, Vt., Dec. 8, 1796, and died in Woodstock, Vt., June 15, 1893.  He married, in Salina, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1822, Olive, daughter of Charles Yale. They resided in Chicago, Ill.  He was one of Chicago's pioneers, moving there with his family in 1847.  

He was in the War of 1812, as valet to a captain, being too young to enlist as a soldier.  A letter was sent to Ulysses S. Grant in 1869, stating such:

Source

Perhaps he was a soldier in the War of 1812....


He was enumerated with his family about the time the letter to President Grant was sent:

United States Census, 1870

Household  Gender Age Birthplace

Thos Richmond M 72y Vermont

Olive Y Richmond F 70y New York

Holland M Richmond M 40y New York

Susan M Richmond F 43y New York

Fredrica Richdat F 22y Norway

Ericca Ursen F 43y Norway

May 16th Letter

Source

From Governors Messages and Letters, Volume 2

Captain James Rhea In Fold3

Letters Received By The Office Of The Adjutant General, 1805-1821

Page One of a letter written on behalf of (former) Captain James Rhea by B. Van Cleve from Dayton, Ohio, on May 20, 1815 to the Honorable Secretary of War in Washington, City.:

Source

Some of the information in the letter included:

--General David Forman was a friend of James Rhea's when young
--Brother of Jonathan Rhea, Esq., dec'd, late Chancellor of NJ
--He fought under St. Clair and "I think" under Wayne
--He is now about 50 years old [bapt 28 Sept 1760]
--He was charged with intoxication and the letter writer believed the charge to be true - "like too many of our old military character..."
--He is a man of honor, of integrity, as honest I believe as any man living

"...his savings from a life spent in the services of his country has supported him and his family til now
Without employment, without money, with but few acquaintances, he is about to encounter poverty with all its mortifying attendants -- A party of his officers had combined against him at Fort Wayne perhaps blame might attach both to him and them.  He resigned, perhaps he would have been broke -- ...".

Mr. Van Cleve asked the Secretary of War if some employment could be found for James Rhea at "some of the outposts...a quartermaster, keeper of an arsenal, or conductor of military stores or anything that would earn bread for his family."

Skirmish At Otter Creek

During the War of 1812 a small earth work called Fort Cassin was built at the mouth of Otter Creek, to prevent the British ships on Lake Champlain from ascending the river and destroying the American fleet being built at Vergennes. The fort was named for Lieut. Stephen Cassin, one of Macdonough's officers. The British fleet appeared off the mouth of the river, April* 14, 1814, and attacked the fort, the engagement lasting about half an hour. Many shells lodged in the parapet, one gun was dismounted, and two men were slightly wounded. Several of the British ships were damaged and the fleet soon withdrew. [Source]
*May?


A post on this blog described Fort Cassin and Otter Creek (with pictures).

Attack on Fort Cassin has its own Facebook page.

Photos of Reenactors here.

Captain Brush In Charge Of Supplies...

...for General Hull at Fort Detroit....

Source: The Robert Lucas Journal

During the first week in August a messenger arrived from Captain Henry Brush, then at the Raisin river, with two hundred volunteers from Chillicothe [see map], one hundred head of cattle, and other supplies forwarded by Governor Meigs of Ohio, desiring an escort to Detroit, as they were threatened by a large body of Indians and feared to enter the heavy timber, anticipating an ambush.  [Source]

Captain Brush's mission was to be supported by Major Van Horne.  As the Major was en route to a rendezvous with Capt Brush, Native Americans, who were enemies of the U.S. forces, attacked Major Van Horne's troops and the mission failed.

This blog has more.

William Dunlop, A Surgeon In The British Military

From Recollections of the war of 1812  By William Dunlop, Arthur Hugh Urquhart Colquhoun, "this reprint of an entertaining little narrative of personal experiences in the War of 1812-14 may be appropriately prefaced by a short account of the author."

"...William Dunlop was born at Greenock, Scotland, in 1792, and became, when a stripling of scarce 21 years of age, a surgeon in the famous 88th, or, Connaught Rangers. Being ordered to Canada, where the war with the United States was in progress, he made his way to the fighting line in the Niagara Peninsula, and there, serving first as surgeon and afterwards as a combatant, he gave indubitable proofs of courage and capacity." 

Arrived at Quebec, we reported ourselves, as in duty bound, to the General Commanding, and by his orders we left a subaltern to command the recruits (most of whom, by the way, were mere boys,) and to strengthen the Garrison of Quebec, and the venerable old colonel and myself made all haste to join our regiment up the country. As my worthy old commander was a character, some account of him may not be uninteresting.  Donald McB was born in the celebrated winter of 1745-46, while his father, an Invernesshire gentleman, was out with Prince Charles Edward, who, on the unfortunate issue of that campaign for the Jacobite interest, was fain to flee to France... .

Military Resource Online At The Library And Archives Canada

"The British government stationed British Army regiments in Canada for its defence from the close of the Seven Years' War (1763) until 1871." [Library/Archives Page]

The Library and Archives Canada's suggestions for research in military records included the RG 8, C Series.  An example from that resource that is now digitized and online:

Source

Camerford, Pte . Jno.

Medal granted to his for action at Detroit.  1812.

c. 1202   p.22

Commandant At Fort Harrison

Major John T. Chunn was a Commandant at Fort Harrison.  His biography can be found here, at Fort Harrison on the banks of the Wabash, 1812-1912, online courtesy of Indiana University:

MAJOR JOHN T. CHUNN [was] issued an order May 10, 1816, transferring Major Chunn from Fort Knox, and placing him in command at Fort Harrison. This order instructed Major Chunn to remove government property from Fort Knox to Fort Harrison. This apparently was the end of Fort Knox as a government post.

From Sign At Fort Knox II, Near Vincennes, Indiana

Major Chunn had helped to build the Fort at the time of the Harrison campaign to Tippecanoe. He was then a Lieutenant in one of the companies of that army. He was appointed Captain of the Nineteenth Regiment of the U. S. Infantry, April 14, 1812. He was transferred to the Third Regiment on May 17, 1815. He resigned from the army June 12, 1821, after a long and honorable service. He returned to Terre Haute to spend the rest of his life, and leave a long list of descendants to honor his name.

General Jacob Brown Portrait

Source

Born May 9, 1775, in Pennsylvania; was the founder of Brownsville, New York; died February 24, 1828, in Washington.

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

Spirit Of Vincennes

Jim's Photo Of Historic Vincennes, Indiana

From the Spirit Of Vincennes website:

"The region around and now occupied by the city of Vincennes played a pivotal role in the development of the western frontier of the United States."

The site also contains several articles, including "Vincennes gets a fort" and "Harrison answers critics."

British Graves Near Fort Stephenson

From the Ohio archæological and historical quarterly:

In the plan of the environs of the Fort, it will be noted that the spot where the British officers, Lieut. Colonel Shortt and Lieut. Gordon were buried, is marked.  The new High School building now covers this spot, and in 1891, while excavating for its foundations portions of the graves were uncovered and metallic buttons with the number of the regiment, 41, stamped on them were found, which have been placed in Birchard Library by Mr. H. S. Dorr, their owner.  Mr. Dorr, soon after finding these buttons showed them to President Hayes who stated that in reading an autobiography of a Scotch Bishop Gordon, he found the following: "The great sorrow of my life was the loss of a son in an unimportant battle in an obscure place in North America--called Fort Sandusky."

The blog, Ohio's Yesterdays, has a post about "Lt. Col. William Charles Shortt and His Descendants by Mike Hedges."  An excerpt:

"...Lt Col William Charles Shortt, served in the 41st Regiment of Foot in the British Army and died a heroic death at the Battle of Fort Stephenson, Lower Sandusky, Ohio (Fremont, Ohio), on 2nd August 1813."

The 1812 Version Of An Express Post

Source

The Blog of 1812 made mention of the express post here.

Virginian Veterans' Final Resting Place

Burials Of War Of 1812 Veterans In Virginia had several soldiers listed, including John H. Peyton (I've added the links):


Peyton, John Howson: is buried in the Trinity churchyard on W. Beverley St. in Staunton in Augusta County. He was the second son of John Rowzee Peyton and Anne Hooe. He was born at Stony Creek in Stafford County 29 April 1778 and died at his residence near Staunton on 3 April 1847. He was married to Susanna Smith Madison, a daughter of *William Strother Madison and Elizabeth Preston. She was born at Madisonville Montgomery County on 15 October 1780 and died in Staunton on 15 July 1830. He served as an Aide to Brigadier General Robert Porterfield a Brigade Commander. Information about his service may be found at the National Archives in roll box 163, record 12509.

Source

Army National Guard Units In The War Of 1812

Per Wikipedia:

"Twenty-four current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812."

One example given:

"The 772nd Military Police Company traces its origins to the Cohannet Train Band, Plymouth Colony Militia, organized on March 3, 1638. In 1639 the unit became the Taunton Train Band. The first major military action of the Taunton Train Band was in King Philip’s War (1675–1676)...".

Moses Hardwick's Life After The War

From The Historical Society Of Wisconsin, a Sketch Of Moses Hardwick:

A detachment of troops commanded by Col. John Miller, 3d U.S. Infantry...arrived at Green Bay on the 16th day of July, 1816, and among them was the subject of this brief sketch. Moses Hardwick was born at Richmond, Ky, Oct 2, 1791. He early enlisted in the service of his country, participating in the war of 1812, having been stationed awhile at Sackett's Harbor NY, and received a pension during the latter portion of his life.

After his discharge from the army in 1817 still in the prime and vigor of early manhood he determined to remain at Green Bay as a permanent settler... .

Moses Hardwick...commenced carrying the mail in 1817, and for seven winters tramped the weary way between Green Bay and Detroit.

When Moses Hardwick made his claim for land it was in Brown County, MICHIGAN Territory.

Moses Hardwick (and some neighbors) on the 1830 Census taken in Brown County, Michigan Territory:

Moses Hardwick 20001 11001

John P. Arndt 0.1.1.1.12.3.1 0.1.0.2.0.0.1

Luther Leonard 0000101 

Frederick Blue 00000001 00001

William Farnsworth 2000241 100021

Joseph Ducharm 001120001 0000010001

Henry S. Baird 010101 20021

Jean B. St. Vincent 020001 10001

 Obituary Of Moses Hardwick, transcribed from the Green Bay Advocate, Thursday, Aug. 21, 1879.

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