This Month in the War of 1812

From the American Battlefielld Trust 2022 calendar.

NOVEMBER 11, 1807

**  Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders of Council restricting international trade with France.

NOVEMBER 11, 1811

**  The Battle of Tippecanoe.

NOVEMBER 11, 1813

**  Battle of Crysler's Farm

NOVEMBER 21, 1806

**  Napoleon issues his Berlin Decrees.

NOVEMBER 27, 1812

**  Skirmish at Fort Erie

NOVEMBER 29, 1813

**  Battle of Autossee

--Brock-Perry

West Point Class of 1806: Robert Lucas-- Part 2: Winter Quarters at French Mills, NY

Continued from March 3, 2016, post.

After the British victory at Crysler's Farm 11 November 1813, the defeated American army under Major general James Wilkinson went into winter quarters at French Mills, New York, by the Canadian border.

The Americans arrived at French Mills with few supplies and, because of the poor state of roads, lack of transport and draught animals and the inefficiency of the Quartermaster General's Department, it was impossible to supply his army.

Sickness increased until there were no less than 450 sick men in the hospital at Malone, New York and many more in French Mills.

--Brock-Perry

French Mills, New York

From Wikipedia.

Back on March3, 2016, I wrote about West Point Class of 1806 graduate Robert Lucas and said that he died at French Mills Feb. 4, 1814.  I was unfamiliar with French Mills, so looked it up.

After the British victory at Crysler's Farm 11 November 1813, the defeated American Army under Major General James Wilkinson went into winter quarters at French Mills, New York, close by the Canadian border.

The Army arrived at French Mills with few supplies, and because of poor roads and a lack of transport and draught animals, coup[led with the inefficiency of the Quartermaster General's Department, it was impossible to resupply the Americans.

Sickness increased until there were no less than 450 in the hospital at Malone, New York and many more at French Mills.

Late January 1814, Secretary of War John Armstrong ordered Wilkinson to detach a division of 2,000 to Sackets Harbor, NY, and the rest, 4,000, to Plattsburgh, New York, on Lake Champlain.  The sick and wounded were moved to Burlington, Vermont.

French Mills was the site of a saw mill which started making clothes in 1795.  It was sold to Abel French in 1800 and became a tavern.   U,S.forces retreated here after the Battle of Crysler's Farm.  Over 200 soldiers died during the winter of 1813-1814.

It is now Fort Covington, New York.

--Brock-Perry

Brig. Gen. Leonard W. Covington-- Part 3: Fort Patapsco Renamed For Him

From Maryland in the War of 1812.

Died November 14, 1813, at French's Mills, New York.

Remains removed to Sackets Harbor, Jefferson County, New York on August 13, 1820, and place of burial now known as Mount Civington.

In early 1814, Fort Patapsco, located to the west of Fort McHenry renamed in his honor.  It took an active role at the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.

Leonard Covington was mortally wounded at the Battle of Crysler's Farm, Upper Canada, on November 11, 1813, while "leading his men forward in a charge, his last words being 'Independence Forever!!'"

--Brock-Perry

Leonard W. Covington-- Part 2: Mortally Wounded at Battle of Crysler's Farm

He returned to the Army in 1809 as colonel of the Light Dragoons.

Leonard Covington  commanded Fort Adams on the lower Mississippi River and participated in the 1810 take over by the United States of the Republic of West Florida in today's Florida Parishes in Louisiana.

In the War of 1812, he was promoted to brigadier general in August 1813 and mortally wounded at the Battle of Crysler's Field and died three days later at French Mills, New York.

He has lots of places named after him.

--Brock-Perry

French Mills in the War of 1812-- Part 2: Cold and Unhealthy Winter

Now called Fort Covington, New York, French Mills was the site just inside New York state from Canada where Gen. Wilkinson retreated after the disastrous Battle of Crysler's Farm in November 1813.

He and 2000+ men arrived here by boats up the Salmon River from across the St. Lawrence River.

The winter camp at French Mills was extremely cold and unhealthy.  Food was scarce as the nearest supply base was 200 miles away at Plattsburgh and involved travel over some very poor roads.

Over 200 soldiers, including Robert Lucas, dies there.

By February, the troops burned their boats and began to withdraw to Sackets Harbor and Plattsburgh.

General Covington was an officer who was fatally wounded at the Battle of Crysler's Farm and died enroute to French Mills.

--Brock-Perry

French Mills, NY, in the War of 1812-- Part 1: Not That French Mills

From Wikipedia

In the last post I mentioned that Robert Lucas, a member of the USMA Class of 1806 died at French Mills, NY, in Feb. 1814.  I did some further research.

FRENCH MILLS, NY

Site of a sawmill which started making clothes in 1795 under owner Peter K. Broek.  This is not the French Mills to which the U.S. Army under General Wilkinson retired to after the Battle of Crysler's Farm.

FORT COVINGTON, NY

In 2010, the population was 1,671.  It was originally named French Mills.  In July 1813 a blockhouse was built here to shelter wounded soldiers and to provide winter headquarters.  It was named after Gen. Leonard Covington, a casualty of the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

Remembering the Decisive Battle of Crysler's Farm

From theNov. 11, 2015, Standard-Freeholder.

An informal observance was held at the battlefield by the friends of the Crysler's Farm Battlefield.  This wa the site of a crucial and key victory in November 11, 1813, which saved Canada from American conquest.
First Nations warriors helped save the day as well.

The farm belonged to John Crysler where Lt.Col Joseph Morrison with 8u00 British and Canadian regulars, militia and First Nations men engaged some 4,000 Americans and won, stopping a thrust at Montreal.


This, along with another victory over the Americans in late October at Chateauguay, saved Canada from conquest in 1813.

--Brock-Perry

Eleazor Wheelock Ripley-- Part 3: War of 1812

Eleazor Ripley was wounded at York and also participated in the battles of Sacketts Harbor and Crysler's Farm.

In April 1814, he was promoted to brigadier general and commanded the Second Brigade of Major general Jacob Brown's Left Division in the Niagara Campaign.  At the Battle of Lundy's Lane, his brigade captured and held British cannons until the Americans could withdraw.  However, Brown accused Ripley for losing those guns.  Ripley demanded and got a court martial to clear his name.

He briefly commanded Brown's division during the Siege of Fort Erie after Brown had been wounded at Lundty's Lane, but he was replaced by Brigadier general Edmund Pendleton Gaines.

Ripley was conspicuous in the repulse of the British assault on Fort Erie on August 16 and the American sortie from the fort on September 17, 1814, where he was wounded again.  he was awarded the Congressional Gold medal for his action at Fort Erie.  This was the precursor of the Medal of Honor.

Ripley later moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1815 and left the Army in 1820.

--Brock-Perry

Edward P. Gaines-- Part 2: War of 1812 Service

In 1812, he was appointed to the rank of major in the 8th U.S. Infantry and by July of that year, was lieutenant-colonel in the 24th U.S. Infantry and in 1813 was colonel and commander of the 25th U.S. Infantry.

He served with distinction at the Battle of Crysler's Farm and then became adjutant general for General William Henry harrison and was at the Battle of the Thames.

On march 9, 1814, he was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. regulars.

He commanded at Fort Erie after the captured it.

--Brock-Perry

Canada's Fort Wellington-- Part 3

Even though the fort was never involved in a battle, it served as a staging and rallying point for local militia and regular British troops.

On February 22, 1813, about 500 men crossed the frozen St. Lawrence River and attacked Ogdensburg where they destroyed American military barracks and burned four ships frozen in the river. They returned with food, ammunition cannon and prisoners. This attack was in reprisal for the American raid earlier in the month on Ganonoque and Elizabethtown.

In November 1813, American General Wilkinson's army, on its way to attack Montreal, feared Fort Wellington's cannons so much that they disembarked from their ships above Ogdensburg and marched through town at night while the boats slipped by unloaded.

Once Wilkinson's army had slipped by, the fort's garrison followed them along the King's Highway (modern Highway 21) and on November 11th met at the Battle of Crysler's Farm near present-day Morrisburg, Ontario, and the much-larger American army was defeated. The attack on Montreal was abandoned and Canada was saved.

The fort fell into disrepair after the war and finally was abandoned in 1832.

Story of a Fort. --Brock-Perry

Time Line October 19th to 31st, 1813: American Attack on Montreal Fails

OCTOBER 19TH:    Major General Wade Hampton, (father of Confederate General Wade Hampton) crosses the border near Odelltown, Lower Canada, en route to Montreal.

OCTOBER 25TH:    U.S. Master Commandant Jesse Elliott assumes command of Lake Erie fleet after Captain Oliver Hazard Perry was ordered to the East Coast.

OCTOBER 25-26: Battle of Chateauguay, Lower Canada. Together with the Battle of Crysler's Farm, ends the American two-pronged campaign against Montreal. Wade Hampton defeated by Lt. Col. Charles Michel de Salaberry.

END OF OCTOBER: Hampton retreats to Chateaugay, NY.

--Brock-Perry

De Salaberry: Canadian-Born Hero of War of 1812-- Part 2

But, the English had allowed French-Canadians to keep all things French as long as they swore allegiance to the British Crown.

Charles-Michel de Salaberry was at the Battle of Crysler's Farm, referred to as the Battle That Saved Canada, but his most famous fight was at the Battle of Chateauguay in October 1813.  His win there caused the Americans to give up their Saint Lawrence campaign.

The Americans had 4,000 men under General Wade Hampton.  De Salaberry had 250 Voltigeurs, 150 Mohawk warriors (and another 1500 in reserve), but even so, was so sure of victory, he did not tell his superiors of the impending battle.

He anticipated an American move on Montreal and had been receiving a steady stream of intelligence so figured Hampton's  (father of the Civil War Wade Hampton?) intentions and movement.  He took up position along the Chateauguay River which afforded a natural defensive position southwest of Montreal.

De Salaberry had his men construct a fort of abatis from felled branches. Hampton tried to surround the British force with 1500 men.  In the darkness, de Salaberry had buglers sent out to sound like he had more troops.  The American attack became confused and their soldiers killed piece-meal before retreating.

De Salaberry became a hero and famous.  He died in 1829.

A French-Canadian Hero.  --Brock-Perry