War of 1812 October Events: Thames, Tecumseh, Jackson, Brock, Queenston Heights, Chateauguay

1813

OCTOBER 5

**  Battle of the Thames.  Tecumseh killed.

1813

OCTOBER 7

**  Andrew Jackson established camp ay Fayetteville, Tennessee (Camp Blount) to recruit Americans to fight the Creek Indians in Alabama.

1811

OCTOBER 9

**  Major General Isaac Brock appointed Administrator of Upper Canada.  He is the Brock in my signoff, Brock-Perry.

1812

OCTOBER 13

**  British and Canadians win the Battle of Queenston Heights, Canada.  Isaac Brock killed.

1813

OCTOBER 26

**  Engagement at Chateauguay.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount Volunteer Days Begins-- Part 3: Led To the State's Nickname and Jackson Becoming President

"We  think we have a little bit of the claim to the reason why Tennessee got its name (Volunteer)," Dr. Farris Beasley said.  "We  were the biggest muster site for the War of 1812.  That's where we come from."

The association said that this was led to General Jackson becoming the seventh president of the United States and the turnout  of Tennessee volunteers earned the state its nickname, the "Volunteer State."

The public is invited to the free and open event  from 9 am until 4 pm Saturday, October 2.  

Volunteer Days will include speakers, music, demonstrations, history and more.

Some of the demonstrations which will be taking place include firing a cannon, rifles and pistols; blacksmithing; spinning and weaving; flint knapping; woodworking and leather working.  Native American, equestrian, local archaeologist, period crafts, period music, women's fashion and historic impression demonstrations will also be held.

Camp Blount is located at 1124 Huntsville Highway in Fayetteville and is Tennessee's eighth historic site.

It's Going On Right Now, So, If In the Area.  --Brock-Perry

Camp Blount Volunteer Days Gets Underway-- Part 2: How Tennessee Got the Nickname Volunteer State

"Fayetteville was involved in two of the muster sites that supplied troops to two of the major battles in the War of 1812," said Dr. Farris Beasley, a member of the association, who said that Tennessee at that time was considered a frontier state.  "There was no Alabama, no Mississippi, or no Louisiana."

In September 1813, a call for troops went out from President James Madison to Tennessee  Governor Willie Blount.

"The governor called on General Andrew Jackson, in charge of the Tennessee militia, to raise militia and volunteers,"  Beasley said, adding that they met at Camp Blount.  "The governor gave the order to meet on the south bank of the Elk River at the big oak trees."  Those oaks would have been  in front of where the Walmart in Fayetteville sits today.

They called for 2,500 volunteers,"  Beasley said.  "4,500 showed up.  And for the first time, a Nashville newspaper used the term Tennessee, the volunteer state."

Beasley said that Andrew Jackson kept a diary and often the words "my Tennessee volunteers" are found within those pages.

So That's How We Got "Tennessee Volunteers."  --Brock-Perry

Camp Blount Volunteer Days Gets Underway in Tennessee This Weekend-- Part 1: Played a Major Role in the War of 1812

From the September 28, 2021, Elk Valley Times (Tennessee) "Camp Blount Volunteer  Days gets underway Friday and Saturday" by Lora Scripps.

Members of the Camp Blount Historic Site  Association are getting ready for the first Camp Blount Volunteer Day set for this Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2.  It will be held on the site of the historic Camp Blount in Tennessee.

The camp was located on the banks of the Elk River, just a little over a half mile south of downtown Fayetteville and is the site where Gen. Andrew Jackson mustered troops for the Creek  Indian War in October of 1813 during the War of 1812.

The muster of volunteers back then was the beginning of a campaign that culminated  in the Creeks defeat at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Nine months later, Tennesseans again mustered at Camp Blount under Jackson and marched to New Orleans where they took part in the Battle of New Orleans, the final defeat of the British in the war.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount, Tennessee-- Part 3: Mustering Point for Other Wars

Camp Blount served as the mustering grounds for other wars than the War of 1812.

Tennessee troops mustered here for the Seminole Wars of 1818 and 1836.  Later they did the same for the Civil War.

It is likely that both Confederate and Union troops mustered here during the Civil War, though, obviously, not at the same time.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount, Tennessee-- Part 2: Mustering to Fight the Creeks

From the July 16, 2013, Elk Valley (Tn.) Times.

During the War of 1812, the Tennessee state government issued a call for volunteers.  Some 3,500 Tennesseeans responded, earning them the state nickname "Volunteers."    The reason for this muster  was that the Creek Indians had attacked Fort Mims and massacred 250 men, women and children.

The soldiers were ordered here by Tennessee Governor Willie Blount.  They trained under the leadership of Andrew Jackson, then major general of Tennessee militia.  Most of the men who reported were from middle Tennessee.

They left Camp Blount oin October 1813.  Less than a year later, the troops again mustered at Camp Blount and this time marched to New Orleans.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount, Tennessee-- Part 1

From Tennessee Historical Marker.

This is in conjunction with blog entries on Sam Houston posted Nov. 22 and 23, 2015, in this blog.

In September 1813, the Army of West Tennessee assembled at Camp Blount on the Elk River.  It took the Oath of Allegiance on October 7.  Major General Andrew Jackson arrived at Fayetteville to take command of the army which included Sam Houston and David Crockett.

The Army then marched to Alabama and defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

The marker on the site of Camp Blount is at US-231/US-431 in Fayetteville, Tennessee, behind the River Oak Shopping Center.

--Brock-Perry

Sam Houston's War of 1812 Service-- Part 1: Camp Blount, Tennessee

From Wikipedia.

In the last post I mentioned that Sam Houston, much better known for his role in the history of Texas, was in Col. John Williams' 39th U.S. Infantry.  I did some more research on his role in the War of 1812.

(March 2, 1793-July 26, 1863)

In 1813 he reported for training at Camp Blount near present-day Fayetteville, Tennessee, and enlisted.  By December, he had transferred to the 39th U.S. Infantry and had risen from private to third lieutenant.

At the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he was wounded by a Creek arrow in the groin.  The wound was bandaged and he returned to the battle.  General Andrew Jackson called for volunteers to dislodge the Indians from their breastworks and Houston was eager to go.  He suffered bullet wounds in the arm and shoulder, but his men drove the Creeks away.

Afterwards, he returned to Marysville, Tennessee, as a disabled veteran but took advantage of the Army's offer of free surgery and convalesced  in a New Orleans hospital.

Andrew Jackson was impressed with Sam Houston's bravery and the two became close friends and Jackson acted as his mentor.

--Brock-Perry