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.
Showing posts with label Chatham England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chatham England. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2018
HMS Swiftsure (1785): From British, to French and Back to British
From Wikipedia.
74-gun third rate ship of the line, 168 feet long, 46 foot beam.
Served in both the Royal Navy then french navy after her capture in 1801.
As a British ship fought in several famous engagements during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars including the battle of the Nile with the British and the Battle of Trafalgar with the French. It was recaptured by the British at this battle.
Though badly damaged, it was repaired, taken back into service, laid up, recommissioned in 1808, renamed HMS Irresistible and became a prison ship at Chatham until 1816 when it was broken up. It is likely that American prisoners were held on her.
--Brock-Perry
Thursday, April 16, 2015
A Prisoner of the British-- Part 4: Lots and Lots of Fleas
On September 1, 1813, 100 prisoners were sent to England on the HMS Regulus, a 44-gun frigate. The ship had previously brought British troops to America who had been so kind as to leave a "myriad of fleas...When you killed one, twenty would seem to rise up in his place."
The ship arrived off Portsmouth and then were placed aboard the Malabar, a store ship. All told, there were now 250 men in a space designed for 100. Conditions rapidly went from bad to worse. They then went to Chatham on the Medway River, a naval station with a lot of prison ships.
--Bock-Perry
The ship arrived off Portsmouth and then were placed aboard the Malabar, a store ship. All told, there were now 250 men in a space designed for 100. Conditions rapidly went from bad to worse. They then went to Chatham on the Medway River, a naval station with a lot of prison ships.
--Bock-Perry
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
A Prisoner of the British-- Part 1
"A Prisoner of the British: The Journal of a Prisoner of War in the War of 1812" by Benjamin Waterhouse. Friendly Press, 2010, 260 pages.
This is an account originally published in 1816 with the rather long title of "A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, Late a Surgeon on Board an American Privateer Who Was Captured at Sea by the British." This was an account of the author's experiences.
He was first held at Melville Island, Halifax, then on a prison ship in Chatham, England.
One account I have read had Major Watson, who is buried here in McHenry County and whom I have written about in other entries, both here and in my Cooter's History Blog as he was also a Revolutionary War veteran., being held there. Click labels to find out his interesting history.
--Brock-Perry
This is an account originally published in 1816 with the rather long title of "A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, Late a Surgeon on Board an American Privateer Who Was Captured at Sea by the British." This was an account of the author's experiences.
He was first held at Melville Island, Halifax, then on a prison ship in Chatham, England.
One account I have read had Major Watson, who is buried here in McHenry County and whom I have written about in other entries, both here and in my Cooter's History Blog as he was also a Revolutionary War veteran., being held there. Click labels to find out his interesting history.
--Brock-Perry
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