War of 1812 Heritage Trail, Lewes, Delaware-- Part 4: Fisher House and Churches

**Henry Fisher House--  American Revolution hero.  The house was sold to Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis who was living there when he commanded the defense of Lewes in the War of 1812.

**  Presbyterian Church--  has a communion service given to it by Col. Samuel Davis.  Two Delaware governors are buried there.

**  Saint Peter's Episcopal Church--  Four Delaware governors are buried here.

--Brock-Perry

Col. Samuel Boyer Davis-- Part 2: Built Delamore Place

When Davis helped rescue the family of a French baron from the island of Santo Domingo during a 1792 slave insurrection, he met and fell in love with the baron's daughter Rose and they married.  Later they moved to New Orleans where he became a wealthy landowner.

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, he was commissioned a lieutenant-colonel in the 32nd U.S. Infantry and assigned to the task of defending the entrance to Delaware Bay, which included where he was born, Lewes.

He built an imposing home there he called Delamore Place outside of Wilmington, Delaware.

After the war, he lived in Philadelphia and was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature.

He is buried at the Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.

--Brock-Perry

Col. Samuel Boyer Davis, Defender of Lewes-- Part 1: A French Connection

From Find-A-Grave.

In my October 3, 2017, blog entry, I mentioned War of 1812 Lewes, Delaware defender Col. Samuel Boyer Davis having lived at Fisher's Paradise house in Lewes.

Some more information on him.

He was born in Lewes, Delaware, December 26, 1765 and died September 5, 1854 in  New Castle County, Delaware.

Davis developed a love of the sea at an early age and made many voyages across the Atlantic to France where he eventually joined the French Navy.

An Interesting Life.  --Brock-Perry

Fisher's Paradise in Lewes, Delaware: Revolutionary War, War of 1812 For Sale, $2.3 Million

From the September 27, 2017, Delaware Online  "Fisher's Paradise: Lewes home to Revolutionary spy."

It is on the canal in Lewes.  Major Henry Fisher, the local "eyes and ears" of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution lived here at 624 Pilottown Road from his boyhood to death in 1792 at age 57.

During the Revolution, Fisher "monitored and bedeviled British ships by removing navigation buoys and erecting underground wooden "spike strips" and darkening the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.

The home was then sold to Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis, who lived there while he headed the defense of Lewes during the War of 1812.

And the 2,800 square foot home on an acre of land is on sale for $2.3 million.

Got $2.3 Million Lying Around?  --Brock-Perry

The Bicentennial of Lewes Attack

From the Lewes Military and History page.

This past weekend marked the bicentennial of the British attack on the small town on April 6-7, 1813.

"Cannonballs and Congreve rockets shattered the calm of coast and countryside on April 6-7, 1813, during America's 'second war of Independence'."  The War of 1812 washed ashore at little Lewes on Delaware Bay where for a dramatic 22-hour there was an exchange of cannonballs."

The 74-gun HMS Poictiers and 36-gun Belvidera needed food and water and demanded those from Lewes, offering to pay Philadelphia prices for it.  The demands "were denied by the spunky Americans, and the enemy attacked the town by cannonade. 

Although there was no loss of life and little property damage, it took great courage for the defenders led by a native, Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis, to retort under such odds.

Cannons facing seaward today and the Cannonball House-Marine Museum, in the vicinity of the post office on Front Street, are reminders of the brave stand."

It Was 200-Years Ago.  --Brock-Perry

Delaware in the War of 1812-- Part 2

On March 16, 1813, the British commander, Commodore John Beresford, demanded 20 live bullocks and other provisions from Lewes and said he'd destroy the town if they didn't comply.  Over the next three weeks, messages were exchanged between Beresford and the American commander, Col. Samuel Boyer Davis.

Twenty-two hours of bombardment started April 6th.  Some of the British shots fell short into the bay and on Lewes Beach.  Others went as far as where Beebe Medical Center is now.  Others damaged homes and businesses.  One remains lodged in the wall of McCracken House on Main Street, now better known as "The Cannonball House." (Hopefully a solid shot.)

The Americans stood their ground, even firing some of the British cannonballs back.

Some of the powder used by the Americans was manufactured at Brandywine, outside of Wilmington, at the powder yards of the 11-year-old Du Pont Company.

The bombardment of Lewes also marked the first time the British used Congreve rockets which could go two or more miles and put off a red glare.  This is the one Francis Scott Key wrote about "the rockets red glare."

Bombs Burst in Air.  --Brock-Perry

Delaware's War Heroes

From the June 11, 2012, Delaware First Media News "War of 1812: Delaware's native sons, war heroes" by Larry Nagengast.

Delaware was the site of a major bombardment and powder mill during the war, but also home to many significant men.

COMMODORE THOMAS MACDONOUGH--  born near Middleton in 1783, joined Navy in 1800.  Forced British from Lake Champlain.

COL. SAMUEL BOYER DAVIS--  born in Lewes in 1766.  Commanded at Lewes during the bombardment in April 1813.

COMMODORE JACOB JONES--  born in Smyrna in 1768.  Joined Navy 1799.  Commanded USS Wasp when it captured the HMS Frolic (hardly a war-like name).

SENATOR JAMES A. BAYARD--  June 1812, voted against declaration of war, saying (rightfully so) that U.S. not ready to fight Britain.  He was also the only Federalist on the team to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent to end the war.

DR. JAMES TILTON--  native of Dover.  Head of military hospitals for Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.  June  1813, became Army's first surgeon general.

I'd Only Heard of Macdonough.  --Brock-Perry