Andrew Hunter Holmes-- Part 3

After the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813) when Americans recovered Fort Detroit, Holmes' regiment was ordered to assist Major General William Henry Harrison's invasion of Canada.  Holmes was present at the Battle of the Thames (October 5, 1813) and was later assigned to the U.S. garrison at Amherstburg (Fort Malden).

From Amherstburg, Holmes commanded a raid against British outposts at Delaware (present-day Middlesex Centre, Ontario) and Port Talbot, Ontario.  On March 2, 1814, as Holmes neared Delaware, he received news that the British were aware of his presence and had dispatched a large force to intercept him.

Holmes withdrew to Twenty Mile Creek. 

On March 4, 1814, he fought at the Battle of Longwoods.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Longwoods

From Wikipedia.

Took place during the War of 1812 (I see it is now referred to as the Anglo-American War of 1812) but I will continue to just refer to it as the War of 1812).

On 4 March 1814, a party of mounted Americans defeated an attempt by British regulars, volunteers from the Canadian militia and Native Americans to intercept them near Wardsville, in present-day Southwest Middlesex, Ontario.  (Near London, Ontario)

In October 1813 following the American naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, an American Army under Major General William Henry Harrison recaptured Detroit and the abandoned British post of Fort Malden at Amherstburg in Canada.

They then defeated a retreating British and Native force at the Battle of Moraviantown, in which Indian leader Tecumseh was killed.  However, further American operations were called off as the enlistments of Harrison's militia was about to expire.

--Brock-Perry

Standing Tall on Lake Erie-- Part 3: The Battle of Lake Erie

Since August 1812, with the fall of Detroit, the British Royal Navy had controlled Lake Erie.  But, with Perry's new fleet, the British were in store for a reckoning.  

In July 1813, the British abandoned  the Great Lakes due to the new American threat, poor weather conditions and a shortage of supplies, as Perry's fleet had severed the critical British supply route from Fort Malden to Port Dover.  So, now the Royal Navy set out to break through Perry's line.

While the British squadron was composed of six ships, mounting 63 cannons, the Americans could counter with a fleet of nine vessels and 54 guns.

The British had the numbers when it came to long range cannons, while the Americans had the advantage in shorter range guns, carronades.

Perry definitely had to rely and pray on the wind to help him get up closer to the British ships to exploit his short range advantage.

--Brock-Perry

About That Fort Detroit, Shelby and Wayne in Detroit-- Part 3: So, Which Fort Was the War of 1812 Fort?

Actually, the War of 1812 fort was not Fort Wayne, which still stands and was constructed after the war.  The fort that William Hull surrendered in 1812 was Fort Detroit which was renamed Fort Shelby in 1813.

Fort Shelby was occupied by the British for awhile and when they pulled out, American troops reoccupied it.

In 1815, the site of the future Fort Wayne was where American government officials and Indian leaders  met to sign the Treaty of Spring Wells.  This marked the end of hostilities between tribes that had Britain during the war and the United States.  Among those present at the signing were Michigan Territorial Governor Lewis Cass and William Henry Harrison.

In the late 1830s, there were a series of rebellions in Canada with led to a series of American militia attacks across the river in what is known as the Patriot War.  At the time, the U.S. government realized that the whole northern border of the country lacked fortifications to stop a British attack.  In particular, British Fort Malden, located near Detroit in Amherstburg was a potential threat.

In 1841, Congress appropriated funds to build a string of fortifications from the east coast to Minnesota, including one at Detroit.

--Brock-Perry

Dr. John Todd-- Part 1: Brother of Robert Smith Todd

From Find-A-Grave.

Brother of John Smith Todd, uncle of Mary Todd Lincoln.

Graduate of Transylvania University and University of Pennsylvania. 

Took part in the War of 1812.    Acted as Surgeon General of Kentucky troops.

Was at the Battle of River Raisin where he was taken prisoner and later confined to  the "Pens of Malden."  Paroled in winter of 1813.

Returned to Kentucky where he continued his medical practice.

1817 moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, and 1827 to Springfield, Illinois.  Buried Oak Wood Cemetery in Springfield.

--Brock-Perry

Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 2: Heavily Defended

In 1796, Fort Amherstburg (Fort Malden) was selected for the site of a new  dockyard for the construction of vessels for the Provinvcial Marine after the former site in Detroit was ceded to the Americans.  It was the only British naval base west of Kingston and located on the Detroit River with easy access to Lake Erie and Lake Huron.

The dockyard comprised  a large storehouse, two blockhouses,  a timber yard, saw pit and a wharf.  The blockhouses flanked the Navy Yard with Fort Amherstburg (Fort Malden) and the town of Amherstburg on either side, with the dockyard overlooking the channel which ran between it and Bois Blanc Island.  The dockyard was further protected by defenses erected on the island which watched over the entrances to both ends of the channel.

Many of the town's residents worked at the dockyard.

Many of the British ships that participated in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie were built here.

--Brock-Perry

Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 1: Served Both the Provincial Marine and Royal Navy

From Wikipedia.

I have recently been writing about Amherstburg and Fort Amherstburg (more commonly called Fort Malden) and I then came across the Navy Dockyard that was located there.

It was a Provincial Marine (built warships for the province) and the Royal Navy Yard from 1789 to 1813, in Amherstburg, Ontario, situated on the Detroit River.  The yard comprised of blockhouses, storehouses,  magazine, wood yard and wharf.

The yard was established in 1796 to support the Upper Canada Provincial Marine after Great Britain ceded a pre-existing navy yard on the Detroit River to the United States.  Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard constructed four warships  for the Lake Erie Detachment of the Provincial Marine before and during the War of 1812.

In 1813, the dockyard was abandoned and destroyed when the British retreated and never reopened.  In 1928, the site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 11: The Fort's Roles After the Upper Canada Rebellion

After the Upper Canada Rebellion and Patriot War, the fort was abandoned, but the people of Amherstburg complained they had no defense, so British troops were again stationed and, since there was no defending to be done, they improved the fort.

From 1851-1859, Fort Malden was  occupied by army pensioners in what became known as the Pensioner Scheme which was a way for Britain to replace active military units with retired personnel.  This worked well and most pensioners stayed and with their pensions and hard work, helped Amherstburg's development.

Before the Civil; War, Amherstburg and Fort Malden  played major roles in the Underground Railroad, enabling runaway slaves to get to Canada for their freedom.

From  1859 to 1875, the province of Ontario had ownership of the fort and it was turned into the Malden Lunatic Asylum.

From 1876 to 1935, Fort Malden was surveyed and sold at public auction after being divided into eleven lots.  Then, from 1935 to the present, Fort Malden has been  a National Historic Site of Canada.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 10: The End of the Upper Canada Rebellion

One attempt by the Hunters' Lodge Americans to defeat the British  took place on January 9, 1838, when they crossed the Detroit River on the schooner Anne (which I have written a whole lot about, click the Anne/Ann (schooner) label).  They attacked Amherstburg, which Fort Malden defended.

All three British regiments and a town militia and Native American warriors defended the town successfully and captured twenty Americans prisoner, including their commander Edward Alexander  Theller.

There were also two other battles fought in the vicinity.  One was at Fighting Island and the other at Pelee Island.

Once the fighting in the Upper Canada Rebellion was quelled, the fort was no longer needed for active military regiments.  The Royal Artillery left between June and July  1839 and the  32nd Regiment also withdrew.  The militia was disbanded a few months later.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 9: Used During the Upper Canada Rebellion and Patriot War (1837-1838)

After the American withdrawal from Fort Malden, the British allowed it to deteriorate over the years until 1837-1838 when the Upper Canada Rebellion took place.  This also involved what I was recently writing about, the Patriot War of 1838.

The Upper Canada Rebellion involved a group of Canadians wanting to break away from British rule and the Patriot War were Americans willing to help them.  Between the two groups, this strained relations between Great Britain and the United States.

Much of Fort Malden's involvement with this was protecting Upper Canada from American citizens (the Patriots) operating out of Hunters' Lodges who frequently embarked on border raids along the border by the Detroit River.

As a result of this threat, Fort Malden experienced a rebirth of sorts with several buildings added and the earthworks repaired.  Much of this was conducted under Major H.D. Townshend in 1838 and involved the  24th and 32nd regiments who occupied the fort during this period.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 8: American Occupation

After General Henry Proctor abandoned and burned Fort Malden in the fall of 1813, American forces occupied the towns of Sandwich (Windsor) and Amherstburg, including the land the fort had stood on.

During that time, the area was used to conduct raids on nearby Chatham-Kent and London, Upper Canada (Ontario) for supplies.  The Americans began reconstructing Fort Malden near the site of the original fort.

After the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent in February 1815, the border between the United States and British North America was restored to prewar status and the Americans returned the land and left.  The U.S. Army officially  withdrew from Fort Malden on July 1, 1815.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 7: Fort is Abandoned By the British

Again, the official name of the fort is Fort Amherstburg, but most everyone refers to it as Fort Malden.

Throughout the War of 1812, the Detroit Frontier (where Fort Malden is located)  was considered as an afterthought to British strategy.  It was "a distant and expendable outer branch"  of Canada.  One that Britain would sacrifice in order to protect Montreal and Quebec in Lower Canada, and Niagara, York and Kingston in Upper Canada.

The losses of York and Niagara in the spring of 1813 placed the Upper Canada's western border in jeopardy.  Resources were directed at the Niagara region and with no chances of receiving significant reinforcements,  General Proctor was forced to abandon Fort Malden in September 1813.

With the British defeat at the Battle of Lake Erie the fort was burned and the fort's inhabitants were forced to flee with American forces hot on their heels.  After the American victory at the Battle of the Thames, general Proctor was able to continue his retreat to Niagara.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 6: The Surrender of Fort Detroit

On July 16th, General Hull's American Army met  its first British resistance at the River Canard where two British soldiers were killed, marking the first fatalities of the War of 1812.

Major General Isaac Brock assumed command at Fort Malden on August 13, 1812, and it was Brock who led British troops across the Detroit River a few days later.  With the help of Chief Tecumseh's native warriors, Brock marched on Fort Detroit.

It was reported that General Hull was fearful of "hordes" of Indians swooping down on the civilian population of Detroit and it was this fear that Brock and Tecumseh decided to capitalize on and let Hull know that there were some 5,000 Indians with Brock and that he didn't know if he could control them in a battle if it took place.

This was, even after the fearsome proclamation he had made, why General Hull surrendered Fort Detroit without a fight.

This success at Fort Detroit was a big reason support of the First Nations during the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 2: A History of the Fort and Amherstburg

From Wikipedia Amherstburg.

Amherstburg town is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River about 16 miles south of the city of Detroit.  It is part of the Windsor metropolitan area.

French colonists had originally settled in the area.  In 1796, after losing the American colonies and Fort Detroit (present-day Detroit), Britain established Fort Malden (Fort Amherstburg) as a military fort overlooking Lake Erie at the Detroit River's mouth.

This caused the region's population to grow as did the Crown granting land in Upper Canada to  Loyalists from the U.S. (now known as United Empire Loyalists) in compensation for losses in the former colonies or for payment for service in the American Revolution.

Amherstburg and the fort also played a role in the Underground Railroad to get runaway slaves to their freedom in the years leading up to the Civil War.  It was a major crossing point into Canada.  The town is even mentioned in the famous book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as being where George and Eliza escaped slavery.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 3: War of 1812

Aside from its military history, the fort  was the setting for the British Pensioner Scheme and later became the Ontario Provincial Asylum in 1859.    After that closed, it became privatized.and divided into lots for public sale and that lasted until the 1900s.

Fort Malden's War of 1812 involvement began on July 2, 1812,  when British forces at the fort captured the American schooner Cuyahoga.  The declaration of war was made by the U.S. on June 18, but the American General William Hull at Detroit still did not know about it.

He had chartered the Cuyahoga to transport goods and military records, officer wives and the ill from Toledo, Ohio, to Detroit.  But it had to pass Amherstburg and Fort Malden on the Detroit River and it was captured by the British brig  HMS General Hunter.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 1: Formal Name Is Fort Amherstburg

From Wikipedia.

This fort played a large role in the War of 1812 and was also involved in the Patriot War of 1837-1838.

Fort Malden, formally known as Fort Amherstburg, is located in Amherstburg, Ontario.  It was built in 1795 to defend against potential American invasion.

During the War of 1812, Sir Isaac Brock and Tecumseh met here to plan the siege of Detroit.  It was then a British stronghold during the rest of the war.  It also had an important role in the Upper Canada Rebellion and the Patriot War of 1837-1838.

It is now one of the National Historic Sites of Canada.

Because of the 1795 Jay Treaty, the British had to relinquish their Fort Detroit, located at present day Detroit.  They were assigned to Fort Malden, south of Detroit.  In 1797, Robert Prescott, commander of British troops in Canada, ordered it named Fort Amherstburg, for General Lord Amherst, who served during the Seven Years' War.

That name has never changed, but most people call it Fort Malden  as it is in the township of Malden.

--Brock-Perry

The Patriot War of 1838, the Schooner Anne-- Part 1

From the Maritime History of the Great Lakes  "Ann of Detroit (Schooner), captured Patriot War, 1 Jan. 1838."

Detroit. Jan 11. 1838, Messrs Editors:

   The schooner Ann, commanded by Dr. E.A. Theller, of this city, in the patriot service, against the Royalists of Upper Canada, was yesterday captured near Malden, while cruising near that port, for the observation as to the situation of the Royalists.  She had on board 17  men in all.

   The officers were Theller, Davis of London (Upper Canada),  and Dodge of Monroe, Davis is supposed to be mortally wounded.  Dodge had his left eye shot out.  These were the only persons injured.

   A heavy wind drove the vessel nearer the shore than was desired.  She was fired upon and captured.  She had two cannon on board, and about 300 muskets belonging to the Patriots at Bois Blanc Island near Malden, where the patriots are encamped, numbering about 700.

Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
January 22, 1838

--Brock-Perry

The Patriot War of 1838-- Part 3: Severely Disorganized and Against Both British and U.S. Governments

However, the failure of Duncombe's Revolt in Canada caused the island to be abandoned  on January 14, 1838.

CAROLINE AFFAIR

On December 29, 1837, there was the Caroline Affair, which raised an international outcry when Royal Navy men crossed the international border between the U.S. and Canada and seized the steamship Caroline   The ship had been carrying supplies to the men occupying Navy Island.  The ship was set afire and sent adrift and plunged over Niagara Falls.

THE SCHOONER ANNE

The Anne, under Patriot control, attacked Fort Malden but was captured.  Further attempts to take Fort Malden were stymied by American troops.

FIGHTING ISLAND AND HICKORY ISLAND, (Feb. 1838)

The steamboat Erie headed for Fighting Island, seven miles south of Detroit with more than 400 troops from Cleveland and their arms were captured by American authorities.  British troops crossed the ice and dispersed them and then announced they would cross into U.S. territory to pursue them, American troops put flags on the frozen river and announced they would shoot any British soldier attempting to cross.  They didn't cross.

The attack on Hickory Island fizzled when the Patriot leaders had a disagreement.

--Brock-Perry

Stephen Champlin-- Part 16: Cleanup Operations

"The 'Scorpion' later was involved in transporting General (later, U.S. President) Harrison's Army from Portage River to the Middle Sister, from which they were taken by the fleet (including the Scorpion) to Malden and accompanying them up the Thames River.

After this, theses are John Lisle's words.

"During the winter of 1813-1814, Stephen was put in charge of the captured ships 'Queen Charlotte' and 'Detroit' at Put-In-Bay, Ohio

"His next cruise was on Lake St. Clair and the river Thames.  He took the Scorpion 40 miles up the river to within 3 miles of where Colonel Johnson had defeated and slain Chief Tecumseh, and secured a vessel loaded with baggage of the British army and took it and the severely wounded Johnson back to Detroit.

--Brock-Perry

Stephen Champlin and the Battle of Lake Erie-- Part 12: "Engage As You Come Up"

From John Lisle Commodore Stephen Champlin.

"On the 10th of September, while lying at anchor in Put-In-Bay, the enemy was discovered, at break of day, in the direction of Malden.  The signal was made at once to get under weigh.  At this time, the Niagara was in a situation to clear the islands before the Lawrence.  There was a light breeze from the southwest, and it was with great difficulty that the Lawrence was enabled to clear the islands to windward.

"When the enemy perceived this, he hove to, in a line, with his ships' heads to the westward.    The signal was now made by Commodore Perry:  'Engage as you come up, everyone against his opponent in the line before designated.'  The order for our squadron to close  was passed by trumpet through Captain Elliot.

"The situation of the Niagara should have been abreast of the Queen Charlotte, and of course, as close as she could get, as,  previous to the action, I had always understood, from Commodore Perry, that it was his intention to bring the enemy to close action in case of conflict."

--Brock-Perry