Seven Things You Didn't Know About New York City's Central Park-- Part 3: The War of 1812 Blockhouse

4.  Another relic of the War of 1812, which never reached New York City or Manhattan, the Blockhouse is the second-oldest structure in the park, after Cleopatra's Needle (1450 BC).  The Blockhouse was built in 1814 to protect against a British attack (something that never came in the war or afterwards in case you count the Beatles).

At its strongest, it n consisted of a two-story bunker and could hold up to 2,000 militiamen.

When this northern part of area was added to the park's design in 1863, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux decided  to leave the Blockhouse as a charming piece of history.

--Brock-Perry

Seven Things You Didn't Know About New York's Central Park-- Part 2: Fort Clinton and the Cannon

3.  The cannon at the War of 1812's Fort Clinton actually came from an American Revolution British ship.

Fort Clinton has views of Harlem Meer and the city's east side and served as a strategic overlook in the War of 1812.  It was named after the city's mayor at the time, DeWitt Clinton.  The fortification and its original remains were retained during the construction of Central Park.

A historic cannon and mortar can be found at the top that actually predate the War of 1812.  They came from the HMS Hussar, a British ship from the American Revolution that sank in the East River in 1778, and were later donated anonymously to the park in 1865.

This Revolutionary War cannon was placed in various sites around the park until placed at Fort Clinton in 1905.  When the staff of the Conservancy  cleaned the cannon in 2013, they found it was still loaded with cannonball and powder, all of which have since been removed.

I have already written about this.  Click on the Fort Clinton label below.

No Big Bangs Here.  --Brock-Perry

Seven Things You Didn't Know About New York's Central Park-- Part 1: Lampposts and Waterfalls

From the April 20, 2020, 6sqft. by Devin Gannon.

"Although it's one of the most-visited parks in the world,   Central Park is chock-full of  hidden spots and historic treasures that even native-New Yorkers don't know about.  Designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux,the 840-acre park has served as an oasis for city dwellers for over 150 years.

Here are some lesser-known spots in the park.

1.  The park's 1,600 lampposts, designed by Beaux Arts architect Henry Bacon in 1907 has a set of numbers at the bottom to help you find your way.  (Bacon is best-known for designing the Lincoln Memorial.)

2.  There are at least five waterfalls in the park.  The water in them is the same as you would drink from your tap.

--Brock-Perry

Michigan Honors Two Early -American War Heroes

From the August 19, 2020, Army site.  by Bruce Huffman, Michigan National Guard.

Pinckney, Michigan.

The graves of father and son Claudius Britton II and III, who both fought in early-American wars and died in Michigan, were marked  and dedicated at Pinckney Cemetery on August 8.

Claudius Britton II enlisted in the  the militia in 1777 at the age of 16 and served  as a scout in Vermont's Green Mountain Continental Rangers in the American Revolution.  He was captured by the British in 1778 and imprisoned in a Quebec dungeon until 1783,

His son, Claudius Britton III, briefly fought for the Vermont  militia during the War of 1812

In 1824, the Brittons moved to the mid-Michigan area and established a family farm in what is now Ann Arbor.

--Brock-Perry

New United States Daughters 1812 Forming in Montana-- Part 2

Membership to the organization is open to all women who can prove lineal  descent to an ancestor, who, between 1794 and 1815, provided civil, military, naval service to our country, gave material aide to the U.S. Army or Navy, or who  participated in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

If you live in Montana, Idaho, North and South Dakota, and descended from such an ancestor, and'or would like to be a charter member of the Montana State Society, send an e-mail to MontanaUSD1812@ gmail.com.

The purpose of the Society is to promote patriotism and preserve and increase the knowledge of the history of the American people.  The group preserves documents and relics, marks historic places, records family histories and traditions, celebrates patriotic anniversaries, and  teaches and emphasizes historic deeds of the civil military, and naval life of those  who molded our government between  the close of the American Revolution and the close of the War of 1812, from 1784 to 1815, inclusive.

They also locate and mark the graves of the people from those years.

Again, so happy to have a new history group on board.

Congratulations.  --Brock-Perry

New United States Daughters of 1812 Forming in Montana-- Part 1

From the August 17, 2020,   KPVI 6 NBC News (Pocatello, Idaho)  "Daughters of 1812 organizing in Montana."

The National Society United States Daughters of 1812, a lineage group, is organizing a Montana  State Society.  Women from Butte, Hamilton, Corvallis, Bozeman, Lewistown, , Jefferson City, Havre,  Helena, Great Falls and Red Lodge are joining women  from Couer d' Alene, Nampa, idaho and South Dakota to form the organization.

The initial organizational  meeting will be held Saturday, September 26, at the Jefferson Community Center in Jefferson City.  Attendance can either be in person or by Zoom.

I am always happy to see am organization devoted to history forming, but I can see a definite problem with a group that spread out.  Meetings are always going to be difficult as it involves a whole lot of travel for many of the members.

This is a big problem with a group I belong to, the Sons of Confederate Veterans which has a camp in Chicago, the Camp Douglas Camp, #516.  The members are just spread too far apart for attendance at meetings.

But, anyway, I'm happy to see this group forming and hope they find a way to overcome the distance problem.

--Brock-Perry

Black Nova Scotia Man Fights For Land Title Dating Back to Early 1800s

From the August 9, 2020, Pique Magazine  "Black Nova Scotia man 'overjoyed'  as struggle for land title moves forward" by Canadian Press.

Christopher Downey  finished building his home in 2012 in North Preston, Nova Scotia, on land that had been in his family for generations.  Only, he found out he didn't own the land.  This set off a years-long effort to get title to it.

Downey is among scores of Blacks who have struggled for years to have their title claims recognized.  But now, after he won his case in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, this is going to make it easier for other Blacks to win their titles.

The problem dates back to the 1800s when the Nova Scotia government distributed land to white and black Loyalists -- people who had stayed loyal to the British government during and after the American Revolution.  They moved to Canada.

Yet, the white settlers received claim to their land, their black counterparts did not.  They were allowed to occupy the land they were given, but did not receive title to it.

Downey said that his ancestors fought alongside the British in the War of 1812.

It is good to see a wrong being set right.

--Brock-Perry

USS Constitution Reopens for Public Visitation

From the August 10, 2020, WCVB 5 ABC News.

It reopened Friday, August 7 and will be open  from 10 am to 6 pm  on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

About 1,000 visitors came to the "Old Ironsides" on its opening weekend.  All guests are required to wear a mask and groups are limited to 25 people to promote social distancing.

Visits last around 30 minutes and the ship's crew clean and sanitize surfaces and handrails between groups.

The ship closed on March 14 due to COVID-19.  After that, the crew gave virtual tours and around 3 million took them up on it.

The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned  warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.  It also actively defended the sea lanes between 1797 and 1855.

So Glad the Ship is Still With Us.  --Brock-Perry

Reopening This Blog Today

In the last post I said I wouldn't start this blog up again until all the Confederate statues were down and gone, but, well, that didn't happen.

I will be making the occasional post about the War of 1812.  I am still really busy writing about the new war on any and all things Confederate.

--Brock-Perry