Fort Bowyer On The Gulf Coast

Colonel Nicholls's object, and the British plan of the invasion, were beginning with the capture of that fortress, [Bowyer] thence, and from Mobile and Pensacola, all convenient to Bermuda, Havana, and other bases of arsenals and granaries of the expedition in that region, to possess themselves of a large part, if not the whole of the territories of the United States south and west of the thirteen old States.

Scene From The Panhandle Of Florida

The value of Fort Bowyer for that purpose had been overlooked till Jackson took command of that military district, when, at once perceiving its importance he had it partially prepared for defence. In the campaign which began and ended at Fort Bowyer, General Jackson acted without specific, if indeed any orders, sometimes almost against orders, performing exploits of warfare and civil administration which paved his way to the presidency. [Source]

Fort Bowyer -- the site of the last battle of the War of 1812.

Captain Gray And The River Raisin

Photo By Jim Taken During A Visit To The River Raisin Battlefield

From the Examiner, an article about Kentuckians who fought for Michigan at the Battle of the River Raisin.  An excerpt from the article:

Joye Evetts’ fourth Great-Grandfather was Captain Patrick Gray. He was born in 1764 in Augusta County, Va. and died February 27, 1813, in military service. He commanded one of the two full companies of soldiers raised in Jessamine County, Kentucky, to fight in the War of 1812. Gray’s company was part of Lewis’ Kentucky Volunteers who fought at the Battle of the River Raisin.

See a post about Oliver Anderson who was in Patrick Gray's Co.

Veterans Buried In Alabama

From Alabama Trails, War of 1812:

Pauline Jones Gandrud's

Alabama Soldiers

Manuscript Collection

War of 1812 Veterans Buried in Alabama

An extract:

Greer, Nathaniel Hunt; War of 1812; AL County: Chambers

Portrait Of Jesse Duncan Elliott

Source

See a bio of Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott.

An earlier post that featured Jesse D. Elliott here.

Lapeer Connection

A NARA record found at Fold3.com:

Fold3

WAR OF 1812.

Claim of Widow for Pension, under the Provisions of Sections 4736 to 4740 inclusive Revised Statutes, and the Act of March 9, 1878.

State of:  Michigan

County of:  Lapeer

18 May 1878

Emeline Bannister, age 66

Residence:  Almont, Michigan

Widow of Private Levi Bannister

N.Y. Mil.

Enlisted at Buffalo or Gainsville, New York

Emeline Bannister in the Census taken in Lapeer County, Michigan:

United States Census, 1900

name: Emeline Banister

Almont township Almont village, Lapeer, Michigan, United States

birth date: Dec 1811

birthplace: Connecticut

father's birthplace: Connecticut

mother's birthplace: Connecticut

marital status: Widowed

  Household Gender Age Birthplace

head Martin Banister M 49 Michigan

wife Jennie Banister F 49 Michigan

daughter Hattie Banister F 23 Michigan

son Harry Banister M 21 Michigan

son Hughie Banister M 12 Michigan

mother Emeline Banister F 89 Connecticut

United States Census, 1850

Almont, Lapeer, Michigan, United States

  Household Gender Age Birthplace

Levie Banister M 44 Vermont

Emaline Banister F 38 Canada

Betsey Banister F 19 New York

Freman L Banister M 17 New York

Hiram Banister M 16 New York

Manervia Banister F 12 Michigan

Lucian Banister M 5 Michigan

Effe Banister F 21 New York

Emeline Banister died in 1907:

Michigan, Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995

name: Emeline Banister

death date: 24 Feb 1907

death place: Almont Township, Lapeer, Michigan

age: 95

birth date: 1812

father: Thomas Weaver

mother: Salley Lee

Canadian National Spirit

From In The Days Of The Canada Company:

Germans, Highlanders, French, English and Irish soon fused and became Canadian.

Probably the war of 1812-15 is in good part the explanation of this; not merely because gallant resistance to successive waves of invasion had awakened a national spirit, but also because the high prices then paid for produce of every kind had stimulated industry as far into the backwoods as population had extended. Men who knew nothing of the horrors of the war, and who had no dread of its penetrating to their remote hamlets or dealings, rejoiced to get three dollars a bushel for wheat.

A Summary Of The War In 1814

Excerpts from a sign at the Cumberland Island NPS Museum:

CRISIS, CLIMAX, AND PEACE - 1814

As Britain and her allies ended their war against Napoleon, thousands of battle-hardened British regulars boarded ships for America.  In July, they captured 100 miles of coastline in Maine.  In late July they turned back the last American attempt to invade Canada.  In August, British forces marched on Washington, the American capital.

In mid-September, on Lake Champlain, at Plattsburgh Bay, New York, Lieutenant Thomas McDonough's under gunned American squadron defeated a superior British fleet.  The tide of war changed and peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium.

Not knowing the war had ended, the Battle of New Orleans saw troops under General Andrew Jackson first slow then defeat a British advance on January 8th, 1815.

Note: The Battle of the Ice Mound, Battle at Point Peter and the Battle of Bowyer occurred after the Battle of New Orleans.