"Light-Horse Harry" Lee-- Part 4: The Baltimore Riots of 1812

Lee retired from public service in 1801 and lived at Stratford Plantation, but did a poor job managing it.  Financial misfortunes followed him until in 1809 he was bankrupt and served one year in debtors prison.  After his release he moved his family to Alexandria, Virginia.

During the Baltimore Riots of 1812 he received grave injuries while resisting an attack on his old friend, Alexander Contee Hanson, editor of the Baltimore newspaper, the Federal Republican, a strongly anti-Madison and War of 1812 paper.

On July 27, 1812, a Baltimore Democrat-Republican mob attacked and Lee and Hanson and two dozen other Federalists had taken refuge in the newspaper offices.  They surrendered to Baltimore city officials the next day and were jailed for their safety.

Laborer George Woolslager led a mob that forced its way into the jail.  They removed Hanson, Lee and the other Federalists and beat and tortured them over the next three hours.  All were severely injured and one of them, James Lingan, and American Revolution hero, died.

--Brock-Perry

Major General Henry Lee III-- Part 1: "Light-Horse Harry"

From Wikipedia.

One of the men almost killed while defending Alexander Contee Hanson, was a hero of the American Revolution and owner of a famous nick-name.  He would be Henry Lee III.

(January 29, 1756-March 25, 1818)

Was ninth governor of Virginia and a U.S. representative from Virginia.  His service during the American Revolution earned him the nickname by which he is probably best known, "Light-Horse Harry."  Lee was also the father of the Civil War's Robert E. Lee.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 5: Belmont Estate

From Wikipedia.

Belmont Estate is now Belmont Manor Historic Park and is located in Elkridge, Maryland.  From the late 17th century until 1962 the property was privately owned.

It has been associated with important people during this time, but I will concentrate on Alexander Contee Hanson since I have been writing about him.

The plantation house, built around 1738 is an example of Colonial Georgian architecture.  Property now contains around 68 acres.  The land eventually was passed on to Priscilla, the wife of Alexander Contee Hanson.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 4: His Grave

From Find-A-Grave.

ALEXANDER CONTEE HANSON

Birth:   27 February 1786
Annapolis, Maryland

Death   23 April  1819 (Age 39)
Elkridge, Maryland

Burial:  Hanson Family Burial Ground  This cemetery is located at his estate, "Belmont">
Elkridge, Maryland

There is more information about what I have already covered in the last several posts, but strangely, no mention of the Baltimore Riots of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 3: After the Baltimore Riots

I had never heard of the Baltimore riots of 1812 before until I found out about Mayor  Edward Johnson of Baltimore's role in it.

After the Riots:  A Political Career

In 1812, Hanson was elected  as a Federalist representing the 3rd District of Maryland to the 13th and 14th Congresses, serving from  March 4, 1813, until he resigned in 1816.  he also became a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815.

In 1816, he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Maryland House of Delegates, but was elected as a Federalist to the U.S. Senate to fill the tenure of Robert Goodloe Harper who had resigned.  He served that post from  December 20, 1816,  until his own death on his estate "Belmont"  near Elkridge, Maryland.  (This  place still stands.)

In 1805, he was married to Priscilla Dorsey.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 2: The Baltimore Riot

Undeterred by this, Hanson reissued the paper on July 28 from another building where he was joined by a group of armed friends to protect him.  When the mob came again, they besieged the building and Hanson and his group opened fire, killing two of the mob.

On the morning of July 29, Hanson and his group surrendered to Baltimore's local militia and were escorted to jail.

That evening, the mob came back and stormed the jail and Hanson was beaten and left for dead.    James Lingan, a military officer who came to Hanson's defense, died as a result of the violence.  Also, Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, hero of the American Revolution and father of future Confederate General Robert R. Lee, was there and was injured.

Alexander Hanson recovered, though, and moved his paper to Georgetown, District of Columbia, where he published it unmolested.  He later moved to Rockville, Maryland.

And You Think Things Are Bad Now?  At Least They Weren't Pulling Down Statues.  --Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson and the Baltimore Lynch Mob-- Part 1

In the last post I mentioned how Baltimore Mayor Edward Johnson risked his life to save this man and Robert E. Lee's father, Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee from a lynch mob in Baltimore in 1812.  I'd never heard of this before so some more research was in order.

From Wikipedia.

February 27, 1786 to April 23, 1819

Lawyer, publisher and statesman.  Born in Annapolis, Maryland.

He studied law and was admitted to the Maryland bar and had a practice in Annapolis.  From 1811 to 1815, he was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

Hanson established and edited the Federalist Republican an extreme Federalist newspaper in Baltimore.  On June 22, 1812, four days after the declaration of war on Britain, a mob that was irritated by  his articles denouncing the Madison administration destroyed his office.

Anti-Federalists?  --Brock-Perry