Martial Law Proclaimed

From the History of the American Troops*..:

Source

*Having reduced Fort Erie, the General immediately proclaimed martial law.

What Was At Stake

Captives of Cupid: A Story of Old Detroit,  by Annetta Halliday Antona, centered upon the lives and loves of those who lived in Detroit.  Some of the characters were real, including Tecumseh, Pierre Navarre, and others.

"The war of 1812 had broken out and the young Republic of the United States, from its eastern to its western boundary, labored in the throes of a bloody struggle which, if terminated unsuccessfully, signified the loss of all that the Revolution, at the cost of innumerable lives, had striven to obtain."

The Constitution And Java

Source

The website, Constitution Vs. Java, contended that "The clash between USS Constitution and HMS Java was the third American frigate victory of the War of 1812 and in many ways the most significant."

Read how the battle unfolded here.

Other Constitution posts:  The Constitution Of U.S. Frigate Constitution, A Cannon From "Old Ironsides," U.S.S. Constitution Museum, Old Ironsides Launched October 21st  and First Frigate Action.

Soldier Sewall Prince

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Sewell Prince was found on the Pay Roll of Capt. A. W. Atherton's Company, Lieut. Col. Nichols' Regiment. From Sept. 16 to Nov. 24, 1813. Service at Portland.

The Entrance At Fort McHenry

Source

Fort McHenry is part of the National Park Service.

See Friends of Fort McHenry on Facebook here.

Funeral Car Of Commodore Perry

Source

"It was made to resemble as nearly as possible the boat, or gig, in which the gallant Perry left his sinking ship, during the battle of Erie--painted black and elevated on carriage wheels. On its stern appeared the name of the flag ship "Lawrence," with thirteen stars above it, and standing on a globe at the prow a golden spread eagle. The car was surmounted by a canopy supported by four ornamented pillars, the whole covered with black velvet richly fringed. Twenty-four golden stars around the top of the canopy represented the several States The canopy was ornamented with rich sable plumes."   Newport Mercury Dec 26th 1826

Celebrating An 1812 Christmas

Source - YouTube

In 2012 Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, a town where my Canadian ancestors lived in the early 1800's, celebrated "Christmas in Grimsby, 1812," according to this Visitor's Guide.

A Christmas Eve Signing

Source

The Our Documents website included the Treaty of Ghent:

"In 1814, both sides were working to come to a resolution and agreed to discuss peace terms. A meeting in Belgium of American delegates and British commissioners ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814." 

Portrait Of Zachary Taylor

Source

Before he was President, Zachary Taylor was the commander of Fort Harrison.

John Newberry Of Westerlo

John Newberry (Newbury) of Westerlo, Albany, NY, husband of Margaret Smith, daughter of Deliverance and Rhoda (Richmond) Smith.  They also had a son named John Newberry.

Hilltowns during the War of 1812 - From Tenney and Howell:

Veterans of the War of 1812

...John Newbury, Westerlo Cyrus Stone, Westerlo... 

Margaret Smith Newberry was a descendant of the Richmond family that I research.

Aquila Randall Monument

From the State of Maryland's Star-Spangled 200 organization's website:

"On Baltimore County’s historic Patapsco Neck near the intersection of Old North Point and Old Battle Grove roads stands the second oldest known military monument in Maryland, the third in the United States. It is also the least known and visited War of 1812 monument."

The Allen Browne blog also has a post about the monument and the events surrounding it.

An historical marker database also included the marker, and indicated that it was the "Aquila Randall Obelisk, Also Known as the Ross Monument."

Source

Diary Of Thomas McCrae

From The Documentary History of the Campaign Upon the Niagara Frontier ...:

Diary of  Thos. McCrae, Sr. [Source]

Sunday, 19th Dec. 1813
Some of the American light horse passed here this evening, the army encamped at the *Widow Dolsen's. I have not heard the number. *Biographies of Dolsens 

Monday, 20th Dec 1813
A detachment of the American army arrived here to day under the command of Major Langham. They camped all round the house The Major authorized me to swear the inhabitants here by administering an oath of neutrality.

Tuesday, 21st Dec 1813
The American army started this afternoon on their way to Detroit.

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]

General Alexander Macomb, Samuel Champlain's Surety

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AT THE SECOND SESSION ...

...Major General Macomb became one of the sureties of Samuel Champlain, lieutenant of artillery, in a bond to the United States as a paymaster of the army;...a suit has been instituted against the memorialist and is now pending against him in the name of the United Stales for the recovery of the sum of $10,000. 

A character reference:

Source

Ira Baker's Pension Application

Private Ira Baker was a soldier in Duty Shumway's company (per affidavit below):

Source (Fold3)

State of New York

Cortland County

5 November 1850

7th Regiment NY, detached militia

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Green

Volunteered May 1812 for 6 months; participated in the war for 5 months

Affidavit Verified by Walton Swetland, J.P.

Source (Fold3)

Honorably Discharged
29 November 1812
Receive Pay Until 8 December 1812

 [discharge signed by Gen Pettit at Champlain hdqtrs]

Ira Baker married Jerusha P. Backus on May 11, 1817, in Freetown, New York.  Joseph Watrous and Samuel Welch witnessed Ira's statement regarding his marriage.

The Conflict And John Askin's Family

From The American Revolution:

Askin was in his seventies when the War of 1812 broke out, and retired from the militia. Four of his sons, two sons-in-law, and ten grandchildren, however, served the British army. But with so many cross-border connections, the war pit family members against each other: to the great distress of John and Marie-Archange, one of their sons-in-law fought in the American army.

Source Of Birdseye View Of Detroit/Windsor

"When on August 16, 1812, General Brock crossed his army from Sandwich to Spring Wells ... Askin and his wife, from their vantage point on the opposite shore, viewed the entire spectacle, gully anticipating that their sons would presently be locked in deadly combat with their son-in-law, and that in the event of a British triumph, their daughter and grandchildren within the fort would be exposed to ... Brock's red allies."  Their fears, thankfully, were put to rest when General Hull surrendered.

Pioneer Life Of Capt. Welsh's Family

A memoir by *Miss Mary J. Welsh; RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER LIFE IN MISSISSIPPI. (excerpted below):

*Miss Mary J. Welsh was born at St. Stephens, Ala., Nov. 9, 1823.  Her father, Capt. George Welsh...took part in the War of 1812, being mustered out of service at Fort Claiborne, Ala.**, and settling at St. Stephens in the same State.  In 1833 Miss Welsh's family removed to what afterwards became Kemper county, Miss (then called the "Choctaw Nation"). 

We came by boat on the Tombigbee to Gainesville***, Ala., then a small river town with many promising indications of the rapid growth which it afterwards had. ***The 3rd largest town in Alabama in 1840

The trip to our destination, exactly where the ruins of old Wahalak now are, in wagons, on horseback and on foot (eighteen miles by actual measurement, but then twenty or more), was made in a day; but it was no picnic. The road through the woods followed the newly made blazes, forded Bodka creek and crossed a section of Wild Horse prairie, leading in a northwesterly direction. It was "grubby, stumpy, muddy and sloshy."

Bridge Over Bodka Creek At Google Maps

The trip I made on horseback, behind my mother, with no rest except a few minutes for lunch. This was my introduction to pioneer life... .

**Fort Claiborne:

Source (Page 143 - See Description Below)

Figure 5-38. Thomas Freeman’s ca. 1817 plat of Township 7 North, Range 5 East, showing Fort Claiborne, the Town of Claiborne... .

Major George Lowry

The service of Major George Lowry, a Cherokee, from this source:

The title of Major was not merely an honorary one, but one gained by faithful military service under Gen. Jackson, during the war of 1812.  At that time he lived north of the Tennessee, on Battle Creek, or Niccojack Cove.

Jim's Photo Of The Tennessee River

When he and his brother, Col. John Lowry, together with all the Cherokees living in that neighborhood, were compelled by the intolerance of the white settlers, to remove from that locality, they settled near the northern end of Will's Valley, about fifty miles south west of Chattanooga.

Source

There is a portrait of George Lowry here.

Commodore Barney's Flotilla Plan

Source (Fiction)

An article about Joshua Barney's Chesapeake Bay Flotilla  can be seen at a George Mason University site.

"The Chesapeake Bay’s trade and commerce and its proximity to the United States capital attracted the interest of British war planners. Their strategy was to blockade the mouth of the bay and to raid the coastal ports and towns."

"On 4 July 1813, Joshua Barney proposed a plan to the Navy Department to build, purchase, outfit, man, and command a flying squadron of twenty barges to defend the Chesapeake Bay from further British incursions."

Bladensburg Archaeology....

...on a site found here (affiliated with the University of Maryland).

Source Of Bladensburg, Maryland, Battle Map

From the Bladensburg Archaeology blog:

"At the moment there are no excavations being conducted in Bladensburg. The analysis and results from the 2008-2010 excavations are nearly complete."

From one of my earlier posts, Excavation At Bladensburg.

More at the National Park Service:

"...Bladensburg, Maryland...a seemingly ordinary suburban community located approximately two miles to the northeast of the Washington, DC border, has a rich and varied history that stretches back 250 years."

Photos.

PBS has a Digging into the War of 1812 at Bladensburg, MD, here.

Words Of William Weatherford To General Andrew Jackson

Jim's Photo of William Weatherford's Grave North Of Mobile, Alabama

*Survival Strategies from the Digital History website, Digital History ID 653, included a speech by William Weatherford as he surrendered to Andrew Jackson:

Jim's Photo From A Sign At Horseshoe Bend Battlefield, Alabama

*"Annotation: The Creek defeat at the battle of Horseshoe Bend not only stripped the Creeks of half their land, it also dramatically weakened their capacity to resist white encroachments into what would become the Old South's richest cotton growing regions."

Source

Neil Cameron, Deserter

The American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and ..., Part 5, Volume 2 included the court-martial of Colonel William King, an account of the aftermath of Neil Cameron's desertion.

From Colonel King's letters:

...Let us begin with the exception, viz. that I ordered $30 to be paid to Sergeant Childers, who had apprehended and killed Neil Cameron. The regulations of the War Department authorize the payment of that sum, to such person as shall apprehend and deliver up a deserter. Now, that Cameron was a deserter, and that Childers apprehended him, is not denied by any one...

Finally, from "An examination of Mr. Calhoun's economy and an apology for those members of Congress who have been denounced as radicals":

Cornelius Jackson, a private in the 4th regiment, United States infantry, testified, " that he was one of the party who was sent in pursuit of Neil Cameron, private, of the 4th infantry; that the party came upon him about 15 miles from Pensacola, while he was asleep; does not know who gave the order. Our order was wrote by Major [James E.] Dinkins, which was, if we came up with him in the...of Spain, we were to put him to instant death, but if he was out of the limits of Spain, we were to take him back as prisoner, we waked him up and asked him if he had not deserted, and he said he had; we asked him if he did not consider himself a prisoner, and he said he did Sergeant Childress told him that he had orders to put him to instant death; he begged 

to be taken back as a prisoner (saying he was on his return to Pensacola) and tried by a court martial, and receive such punishment as a court might put on him Sergeant Childress said it was not worth while, for if he was, he would be put to death as soon as he got back. Cameron said, if he was, it would give him a few days to repent of his drunkenness and bad doings.— Witness saw Sergeant Childress' determination was to shoot him, and witness told Sergeant Childress to let Cameron read the order himself, and he still begged to be taken back as a prisoner; — then Sergeant Childress ordered witness to shoot him, and witness could not do it; — he did not see any occasion for it, for Cameron had given himself up as a prisoner. Childress took 

the gun out of witness' hand and stepped round him, while he was sitting down, and snapped it at Cameron's breast twice. Sergeant Childress handed back the gun and told witness to discharge it; he told witness to load her again, and witness done so. Cameron then made this reply to him; 'Sergeant Childress you have snapped your gun at me a second time, now take me home as a prisoner if you please.' He told him it was more than he could do, for his order would not allow of it; Sergeant Childress stepped round to Cameron as he was sitting down, and says I wish I had a heart as big a mill stone, and blowed him through; — then we returned to Pensacola as quick as we could; we reported to the commanding officer what we had done, and he said we had done exactly right." 

Question by the prosecutor — " Did you bury him or leave him where you had shot him; and did Col. King pass you on the road as you were returning, and had he any conversation with the Sergeant or yourself on the subject of shooting Cameron?" 

Answer —We left him where we shot him, unburied; Col. King did not pass us on our return." 

Question by the prosecutor — " Did you not receive in March last at this post, fifteen dollars from Sergeant Childress, as part of the reward for apprehending Neil Cameron?" Answer — " I did." 

General Philip Reed

Source

Reed at the Battle of Caulk's Field.

Essential To Our Freedom

From an Address delivered before the New England association of the soldiers of the war of 1812, published in 1870:

"The war of 1812 was essential to our national freedom, and has justly been denominated the Second War of Independence."

Ohio Militia

Source

Notes On The Ohio Militia during the War of 1812 by James T. Brenner, included:

"The military policy of the United States during the post-Revolutionary period relied upon a small national army and a robust state militia force.."

More about the militia from the University of Dayton website:

Following the war, the United States reduced its standing army to only a handful of men, entrusting the state militias with the nation's defense.

The Anti-Federalists opposed federal control of the militia for three reasons. [See Fear Of A Standing Army]

The Constitution's drafters hoped that the militia would remain the nation's primary means of defense against foreign aggression. Considering the development of military tactics and technology of the time, the state militias were able to adequately fill this role.

Specific action for the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812:

William Christy

Source

"A survivor of the War of 1812 and one of the most active and remarkable men of the day when the late civil war broke out was Colonel William Christy.  He was acting quarter master at Fort Meigs, and had charge of all the stores and flags there at that time."

"When the first gun was fired upon Fort Meigs, Harrison called him to his side and said, "Sir, go and nail a banner on every battery, where they shall wave so long as an enemy is in view." Christy obeyed and there the flags remained daring the entire siege."

"At an early age he [William Christy] went with his father to reside near the Ohio not far distant from Cincinnati.  He was left an orphan at the age of fourteen years. He studied law and entered upon the duties of that profession in 1811. When war was declared, he joined the army under Harrison. That officer knew his father and kindly gave the son of his old friend a place in his military family as aide de camp...".


More from the Texas State Historical Association:

"CHRISTY, WILLIAM H. (1791–1865). William H. Christy, soldier, lawyer, merchant, and friend of the Texas Revolution, was born on December 6, 1791, in Georgetown, Kentucky, the son of George and Mary (Cave) Christy."

He was also found in New Orleans records.

Flag Still Flying

While in Piqua he [Joseph Paxton] was chosen as a volunteer spy in Captain Leslie Combs's company of spies.

...during the night they could distinctly hear the cannonading at Fort Meigs... . ...each man examined his gun and prepared for action as they now expected to have to fight their way into the fort...very soon came in sight of Fort Meigs and saw the American flag still flying...

Source: Congressional edition (Google eBook) (1841)

Commodore Perry's Funeral Car

Source

In due time the ship "Lexington" was despatched to bring the remains of Oliver Hazard Perry to Newport, and on December 4th, 1826, the re-interment took place in the Common Burial Ground. 

Association Of Soldiers

Source

"Our illustrious ancestors who laid broad and deep the foundation of our free institutions, and whom our country delighted to honor, have gone to their rest, rejoicing we hope, in the rich patrimony they have left us. And where are the patriots who finished the work which their fathers begun — who not only approved the foundation and admired the structure, but were the instruments by whom the keystone which binds the whole was brought on with rejoicing. They, alas, have mostly gone to their long homes."

A Company In Illinois Territory

Captain Willis Hargrave's Company:

Source

Disposition Of British Soldiers Of The 41st

The website, British 41st Regiment Of Foot Deserters And/Or Settlers In North America, asserted the following:

" Many of the men were captured in the War of 1812 and the Americans actively offered bounties to these men to desert."

See the list of deserters included on the site.

See the history of the 41st here and more here.

A soldier from the 41st mentioned in British Graves Near Fort Stephenson.