War Of 1812 Chronicles: July 2018

Monday, July 30, 2018

Vivion Quisenberry On Muster Roll

Muster Roll, 20 September 1812
Virginia. Militia. Division, 2nd. Brigade, 1st.

Source - Library of Virginia

From Genealogical Memoranda of the Quisenberry Family... (War of 1812 service in excerpt below):

Friday, July 27, 2018

Lieutenant Riggs And His Rangers

Source

From the book "The battle of Campbell's Island":

[Lieutenant Jonathan] Riggs shows the soldier and true hero, in closing his report he says, "I beg also to recommend my brave companions to your remembrance for I candidly confess that until that day I never knew the extent of the bravery of man." Black Hawk in his books says of Riggs: "I had a good opinion of this War Chief — he managed so much better than the others. It would give me pleasure to shake him by the hand."

The Battle of the Rock Island Rapids -- later called the Battle of Campbell's Island -- took place on July 19, 1814 (alternate date, July 21st)

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Straits Of Mackinac

Source

Also see Military History of the Upper Great Lakes website

Sunday, July 22, 2018

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

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Brush Expedition

Source

"Thus armed and equipped, this patriotic company took up its lines of march on the morning of July 21, 1812, under the command of Captain Henry Brush, a distinguished lawyer from Chillicothe...".

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Battle Of Campbell's Island

"The battle of Campbell's Island"

July 19, 1814 (alternate date -- July 21st)

The ground where the boat landed was covered with high grass, hazel and willow bushes for a considerable distance up and down the shore. Campbell immediately placed two sentinels about sixty yards from the boats, and the men commenced getting their breakfast.

They had not been on the Island more than twenty-five or thirty minutes when the Indians commenced their attack, both sentinels were killed the first fire, and one other man on shore. Campbell ordered the cable cut and the boat to be gotten off, in doing of which two men were killed and three wounded. Finding the gale blowed directly on land, and that it was impossible to get her off, he ordered his men to defend the boat to the last extremity.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Grounded On The Rocks

Between Rock Island And Campbell's Island On The Mississippi River

The boats had just passed the head of Rock Island, when the boat commanded by Major Campbell was grounded on the rocks, and he was compelled to discharge and put off part of her loading into theother boats before he could release his boat.

After proceeding about six miles the wind increased to a hurricane. Campbell's boat being still heavily loaded he says: "I was afraid of her dashing to pieces on the rocks, and ordered her to be put to shore, which in doing from the severe gale of wind which was blowing, and the roughness of the water dashed her so hard on shore it was impossible to get her off while the storm lasted." The boat was driven on the north shore of an island lying about six miles east of Moline and which since that day has been known as Campbell's Island. It lies near the eastern shore and belongs to the state of Illinois. [Source]