General Taylor's Etat De Service

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Lewis G. De Russy (Officer And Graduate Of West Point)

There's a short biography of Lewis G. De Russy here that included the following:

" He was the oldest West Point graduate to serve as an officer in the Confederate Army, and he had three Confederate forts named after him. (He also had a brother and a nephew who were generals in the Union Army, and between the three of them there were five Fort DeRussys.)"

This blog post has a photo of De Russy here.

Major General Bennett Riley

A better version of Riley's portrait here.

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Nathaniel Champe And His Snare Drum

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Archive Grid listed the Nathaniel Champe papers, 1792-1870, as part of the Detroit Public Library's collection.

Biographical sketch of Champe, a soldier of the northwestern frontier during war of 1812, including information concerning revolutionary career of his father, John Champe... .

[Nathaniel Champe was]...born in Romney, Virginia in 1792; came to Detroit in June 1812, and served in the war of 1812. Was present at the surrender of Detroit by Hull served under McArthur and Harrison, and was honorably discharged in Chillicohe, Ohio, in the summer of 1815. On August 6, 1814, he married Almenia Thomas, who died in 1867. They lived in Detroit until 1853, when they removed to Onondaga, Michigan, where he died, February 13, 1870. They had 6 children.

Nathaniel Champe's mother's memorial at FindAGrave. Was Phebe Susan Barnard Champe related to Light Horse Harry Lee (a sister) as was stated in the article about instruments in American History? A perfunctory search did not reveal a familial relationship.

Veterans' Grandson Was Affiliated With John Brown

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Abolitionist John Brown's aide was Aaron Dwight Stevens.  He had ancestors in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  He served in the Mexican War.

From John Brown, Volumes 1-2

The notification that Aaron Dwight Stevens' court martial sentence was commuted was written by then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

Source: Fold3

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.

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