On this 13th anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, another event took place in American history which was indeed a turning-point. The Battle of Plattsburgh (Plattsburg) and Battle of Lake Champlain in New York.
Governor General Sir George Prevost's Lake Champlain Campaign, begun in late August 1814, culminated in a joint land and naval assault on Plattsburg, New York.
Complying with Prevost's orders, Captain George Downie sailed his squadron of ships into Lake Champlain to engage Captain Thomas Macdonough's fleet anchored in Plattsburg Bay. Adverse winds prevented Downie's ships from maneuvering into position and put them in close range of the damaging U.S. broadsides.
Downie was killed and after fierce fighting, the British fleet surrendered.
Meanwhile, Prevost, commanding 10,351 of the Duke of Wellington's veterans, made a brief attack on Brigadier General Alexander Macomb's force of roughly 3,000 men, but quickly withdrew his troops to Lwer Canada.
The humiliating and costly defeat for the British resulted in Prevost being recalled to England to explain his actions.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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