This Month in the War of 1812: Battle of Ogdensburg, Treaty of Ghent and USS Constitution

From the American Battlefield Trust.

FEBRUARY 1, 1793

**  France declares war of Great Britain.  And we were sure fortunate they were still fighting during the early part of the war.

**  FEBRUARY 22, 1813

**  Battle of Ogdensburg, New York

FEBRUARY 16, 1815

**  The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent.

FEBRUARY 18, 1815

**  The Treaty of Ghent is declared.  The War of 1812 is over.

FEBRUARY  20, 1815

**  The USS Constitution engages the HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, not knowong that the war is over.

--Brock-Perry

February War of 1812 Events: France Declares War on Britain, Battle of Ogdensburg, Treaty of Ghent and USS Constitution

From the American Battlefield Trust.

FEBRUARY 1, 1793

**  France declares war on Great Britain.

FEBRUARY  22, 1813

**  Battle of Ogdensburg.

FEBRUARY 16, 1815

**  The United States Senate  ratifies the Treaty of Ghent.

FEBRUARY 18, 1915

**  The Treaty of Ghent is declared, officially ending the War of 1812.

FEBRUARY 20, 1815

**  The USS Constitution engages the HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, not knowing that the War of 1812 was already over.

--Brock-Perry

The Glengarry Light Infantry-- Part 2: The Battles of Ogdensburg

Edward Baynes was appointed the regiment's colonel, Major Francis Battersby became the units lieutenant colonel and Captain George MacDonnell became the major.

The Glengarry Light Infantry gathered and trained first at Trois-Rivieres in the first half of 1812 and then for the latter part its companies were  deployed to various sites in Upper Canada.

On 3 October, two of its companies were at  Prescott on the St. Lawrence River and were involved in the failed attack on Ogdensburg on the American side of the river.

(Civil War/Fort Fisher hero Newton Martin Curtis is buried in Ogdensburg, New York.)

However, the American town remained a target.  George MacDonnell, who had been promoted to lieutenant colonel and commanded the garrison at Prescott, mounted a successful attack in Ogdensburg, this time across a frozen St. Lawrence River.

A company of Glengarry Light Infantry and some militia made a frontal attack while the main body of MacDonell's force turned the  American right flank.  The Reverend Alexander Macdonell was conspicuous  in urging the militia and Glengarry soldiers in their advance.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Ogdensburg Re-Enactment

Feb. 23. 2018, North Country (NY) Now  "Battle of Ogdensburg re-enactment this weekend.

There will be re-enactors on downtown streets of Ogdensburg, New York, February 24 and 25 re-enacting the February 23, 1812 battle that was fought there.

On that date, British forces crossed the frozen St. Lawrence River and captured supplies from the fort.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Ogdensburg Commemorated

From the Feb. 19, 2015, Watertown Daily Times "Battle of Ogdensburg Happens Feb. 21-22"

The 30t annual re-enactment of the battler will take place in the streets of Ogdensburg this weekend, marking the 202nd anniversary of the February 22, 1813, battle.

The street battle will take place Saturday afternoon followed by a talk on General Thomas Benedict at the town's library.  Benedict was from DeKalb and commanded the northern frontier of New York from Sackets Harbor to Salmon River.  He was one of St. Lawrence County's highest ranking officers during the war.

--Brock-Perry

The First Battle of Ogdensburg 200 Years Ago Today

Or, perhaps yesterday, I found conflicting reports.

From Wikipedia.

After the war broke out, there was much illicit trade between Ogdensburg and Prescott, Upper Canada (now Ontario) across the St. Lawrence River.

This trade was checked in early October when the local militia was reinforced with a detachment of the 1st U.S. Rifle Regiment under Major Benjamin Forsyth.

On October 3, 1812, British militia attacked, but were quickly repulsed and dispersed.  During the next few months, Forsyth made several raids across the river, sniped at british troops and occasionally captured boatloads of supplies on their way to Kingston, Upper Canada.

Not All That Much.  --Brock-Perry

Walking and 1812 History in Ogdensburg, NY

From the May 6th North Country Now "Volkswalks combine walking, War of 1812 history in Odgensburg"

Five and ten kilometer walks around town begin at 100 Riverside Drive.

During the War of 1812, Americans under Major Benjamin Forsyth made several raids on British supplies across the frozen St. Lawrence River in the winter of 1813.  On Feb. 22, 1813, the British attacked Ogdensburg to remove the American threat.

The Americans initially held them off, but the larger British forces threatened to surround them and they had to retreat.  The British then burned American boats and schooners frozen in the ice and carried off artillery and other military supplies.

The walks cover parts of the battlefield.

On a side note, I'm a big Civil War buff, particularly about Fort Fisher.  One of the men responsible for the fort's fall, who also earned a Medal of Honor there, Newton Curtis, is buried in Odgensburg.  We might go to Ogdensburg on our way back from the NIU-Army football game in September.  Take the walk and then visit the cemetery.

So Get Your Exercise and History At the Same Time.  --Brock-Perry