Jesse Elliott, USN-- Part 4: Service in Lake Ontario and Back to Lake Erie

Jesse Elliott was then transferred to Lake Ontario where he served under Commodore Isaac Chauncey as captain on the flagship, the USS Madison,  and took part in the Battle of York on 27 April 1813 and the Battle of Fort George on 27 May.

He was promoted to master commandant in July and reassigned to the Lake Erie Squadron, to serve as Perry's second in command.  He felt Perry had insufficient combat experience and was particularly outspoken Perry's decision to use Presque Isle for his shipyard.   

The two me were on collision course at thus time.  No doubt Elliott was still smarting over being replaced in Lake Erie by Perry to begin the problems.

BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE

Then came the famous battle.

During the Battle of Lake Erie against a British squadron under Captain Robert Barclay on 10 September 1813, Elliott commanded the USS Niagara.  Perry commanded the Niagara's sister ship, the USS Lawrence.

--Brock-Perry

Jesse Elliott, USN-- Part 2: Pre War of 1812 Service

From Wikipedia.

JESSE DUNCAN ELLIOTT  (14 July 1782 - 10 December 1845) was a United States naval officer and commander on American naval forces on Lake Erie during the War of 812.  He is well-known for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.

He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and enlisted in the Navy as a midshipman in April 1804 and saw action in the Mediterranean Sea during the Barbary Wars between 1805 and 1807, serving on the USS Essex under Commodore James Barron.

In June 1807, Elliott was on board the USS Chesapeake when Barron was forced to allow his ship to be searched by the HMS Leopard.

Elliott was promoted to lieutenant in April 1810 and was assigned to Lake Erie to oversee the construction of the American squadron there upon the outbreak of the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

Things You Didn't Know About Oliver Hazard Perry-- Part 3: 'We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Ours'

5.  Perry led the American fleet to victory at the Battle of Lake Erie which was a major turning point in the War of 1812.

On September  1813, the American fleet under Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry  came out to fight the British (from Put-in-Bay).  Within hours, the Americans had defeated the British.  This victory allowed the United States to gain control of Lake Erie, preventing the British from attacking the interior of the continent.

It also meant that the British could no longer reinforce or provide provisions for their Army at Detroit and caused them to evacuate and meet disaster at a battle during that retreat.

Before this victory American forces had suffered defeat and losses causing a great drop in morale.  This victory inspired the country.

--Brock-Perry

Things You Didn't Know About Oliver Hazard Perry-- Part 2: A Builder

3.  Perry was promoted to Master Commandant in the Navy at age 28.  After being a midshipman, he returned to Rhode Island and supervised the construction of a flotilla of small gunboats.  In March 1812, he achieved the high rank of Master Commandant, something few as young as he achieved.

4.  In 1813, he was given command of naval forces on the Great Lakes and appointed to supervise the construction of an American fleet on Lake Erie.  His headquarters were at what is today Erie, Pennsylvania.  When he arrived, there were no American ships and the British already had eight ships.

Despite the fact that he had no nearby resources other than trees, in short order he had nine vessels with the 490 ton brigs Lawrence and Niagara being the largest.

--Brock-Perry

This Month in the War of 1812: James Madison, Winfield Scott and Oliver Hazard Perry

From the American Battlefield Trust timeline.

MARCH 4, 1809

**  James Madison is sworn in as the 4th President of the United States of America.

MARCH 4, 1813

**  James Madison inaugurated for his second term as president.

MARCH 19, 1814

**  Winfield Scott promoted to brigadier general at the age of 27.

MARCH 27, 1813

**  Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of American flotilla on Lake Erie.

MARCH  27, 1814

**  Engagement at Horseshoe Bend

--Brock-Perry

Some More on John B. Montgomery, USN

From Cyclopedia of New Jersey.

**  In conjunction with seven other officers and 100 enlisted men, Montgomery volunteered for duty on Lake Erie with Perry.

**  In August 1814, he  was at the destruction of a British blockhouse and  gun brig on the British side of Lake Huron.

**  During the last siege of Fort Erie the Niagara was employed in protecting communication between the fort and the U.S. hospitals at Buffalo.  Also, transportation for troops between the two shores of the lake during the months of September and October.

It would have been interesting had he been at the Battle of Lake Champlain and in command of the USS Montgomery (which was named after American Revolution General Richard Montgomery).  Then we would have had Montgomery in command of the Montgomery.

To find out about John Montgomery's entire naval career, go to my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog from February 9-16 of this year.

--Brock-Perry

Michigan's Shore Indian Trail and Hull's Trace & the War of 1812

From the October 25, 2022, Thumbwind by Michael Hardy.

The Shore Indian Trail was one of five major routes of land travel leading to Detroit and was well-known by early settlers.  The trail begins at the rapids of the Maumee River to Toledo, then closely follows along the shore of Lake Erie through Monroe and Brownstown to Detroit.

This trail became a crucial tactical element in the War of 1812.  The U.S. was concerned with supplying Fort Detroit early in tnhe war (it was still in American hands).  Since the British Navy controlled the Lake Erie, overland supply was the only option.

Starting in June 1812, troops under the command of General William Hull constructed what became known as "Hull's Trace," a 200-mile military road running from Urbana, Ohio, to Fort Detroit.  One hundred and fifty men under the command of  Hubert Lacroix completed "Corduroy Road" on July 4, 1812, with a bridge over  the River Huron.

--Brock-Perry

How the Horrors of the River Raisin Became a Rallying Cry-- Part 4: The Fight

In "the woods the fighting became general and most obstinate," wrote one Kentuckian.  "[T]he enemy resisting every inch of ground as they were compelled to fall back."  

Over the course of two miles the slow-moving battle continued until darkness fell, with the retreating forces taking cover to fire on the pursuing Kentuckians, then dashing to another protected area before the pursuers could regroup or return accurate fire.

The victorious Kentucky Volunteers set up camp within the protection of the puncheon fence and the French habitant homes.  Upon word that the area was liberated, Winchester assembled four additional companies and proceeded to the River Raisin on January 20, 1813, bringing the number of American troops close to 1,000.

Upon arriving, the 17th Infantry set up camp 200-300 yards outside the puncheon fence line in the bitter cold and deep snow.  Meanwhile, the British and Native warriors prepared a counterattack across the frozen Lake Erie at Fort Amhurstburg in Canada.

--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

Standing Tall on Lake Erie: Perry's Monument-- Part 2: The British Fleet is Sighted

The monument's construction started in 1915, the centennial of the War of 1812's conclusion, with the intention of honoring the brave souls who battled at the site 102 years prior.

The titular "Perry" is famed  U.S. naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry, who, in February 1813, was sent to Erie, Pennsylvania, to complete the building of an American squadron that could hold its own against the powerful British Royal Navy in the Great Lakes region during the War of 1812.  By early fall, his fleet was ready to engage.

On the morning of September 10, 1813, a lookout aboard one of the American ships spotted six British vessels to the northwest of Put-in-Bay, beyond Rattlesnake Island.  Word spread quickly to Master Commandant Perry who issued orders to cobfront the British ships.

--Brock-Perry

Standing Tall on Lake Erie-- Part 1: Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

From the Summer Hallowed Ground Magazine, American Battlefield Trust.

Just five miles south of the Canadian border, on an isthmus near downtown Put-in-Bay, Ohio, on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, stands a 352-foot-tall monument towering over the town and lake.  Free-standing, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is the world's tallest Doric column -- a plain, thick column that is a common sight at federal buildings throughout D.C..

The monument stands 47 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty when measuring  the New York Harbor landmark from the ground to the tip of Liberty's torch.

It is indeed a striking sight, usually simply referred to as Perry's Monument.  It is also the only international peace memorial overseen by the National Park Service.

However, it is so much more than these pieces of trivia.

--Brock-Perry

Jacob Lewis on the New York Flotilla-- Part 3: The Manpower Problem Solved

**  The New York Flotilla could have been in complete readiness right now had so many men not been enticed to service on warships or in the Lakes (Erie and Champlain where a major shipbuilding race was going on).

**  He has lost hundreds of men to warships and the lakes.

**  "I am  perfectly aware of the importance of Gun Bs so much so, that I would, suggest a plan to take from the two frigates which are and  will remain Blockaded in the Chesapeake their Crews & send them to the Lakes they will make all Canada tremble."

He suggests taking the men needed to man the new warships on Lake Champlain and Lake Erie from the crews of the two frigates blockaded in the Chesapeake Bay and not going anywhere instead of the men he needs to man his flotilla ships.

**  "I am perfectly satisfied to Command  what has always been   despised by the Navy, and this make it useful."

--Brock-Perry

March Events in War of 1812: James Madison Sworn In, Winfield Scott, Oliver Hazard Perry and Horseshoe Bend

From the American Battlefield Trust. 

MARCH 4, 1809

**  James Madison sworn in as the fourth president of the United States.

MARCH 4, 1813

**  James Madison sworn in for second term as president of the United States.

MARCH 19, 1814

**  Winfield Scott is promoted to brigadier general at age 27.

MARCH 27, 1813

**  Oliver Hazard Perry takes command of the flotilla at Lake Erie.

MARCH 27, 1814

**  Engagement at Horseshoe Bend.

--Brock-Perry

(The Brock on the signoff refers to British General Isaac Brock.)

Hull's Trace & the War of 1812-- Part 2: Who Was McCloskey?

Evidently, the route of this road/trace was originally laid out by someone named McCloskey who won a lottery in 1808 (to mark the route?)  and there is a map of it in the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library.

The article says that he must have traveled   the existing (Indian?) trail, taking compass readings as he traveled.  Somewhere around the Huron River, he may have deviated from the trail because Hubert Lacroix wrote in 1812 that he wasn't able to find the slashes on the trees  for the original route.

Hull's Trace ran close to Lake Erie and the Detroit River, making it vulnerable to British attacks by water.  As a matter of fact, the first land-based skirmish of the war, the Battle of Brownstown, was fought on a road just  north of this section.

The later battles of Maguaga and Frenchtown were also  fought along the trace. 

Hull's Trace has been considered Michigan's first road at the beginning of the settler era.

--Brock-Perry

How About the Cleveland Commodores or Cleveland Perrys?

Now that the Cleveland Indians baseball team is changing their name because Indians are offended by it, let's put a War of 1812 spin on the new name.

I say, let's put a War of 1812 spin on the new name.  My first suggestion id the Cleveland Commodores because that was what Oliver Hazard Perry's rank was when he defeated the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie.

Another possibility would be the Cleveland Perrys, after, of course, Oliver Hazard Perry.

Other possibilities could be Commanders or Admirals.

I don't understand wanting the name Indians changed, but maybe that Chief Wahoo is way overboard.

Let's Get a War of 1812 Thing There.  --Brock-Perry

The Day Word Came That Gen. Hull Surrendered Fort Detroit-- Part 3: Why Hull Surrendered the Fort?

Then, Tecumseh would have his warriors appear out in the open where the Americans could see them, then they would disappear into the forest, then to appear again in a different spot.  These tactics unnerved some of the American officers and especially William Hull.

Hull was past his prime as a field commander and despite his junior officers urging him to fight, decided to surrender.  This especially after British General Brock (the Brock in my sign-off "Brock-Perry) had told Hull that if it came to a fight between the two forces, that he couldn't guarantee American safety from his bloodthirsty Indian allies.

Some say that Hull had his daughter in the fort as well and that he greatly feared for her safety.

Either way, Hull surrendered Fort Detroit, which opened Lake Erie up to British control.  With it in their control, they also held sway over upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

A year later, the war took a different course in September 1813, when a pivotal battle took place on the lake.  That battle's hero has something to do with the second half of my sign-off.

Covered in Next Post.  --Brock-Perry

Battle of Fort Stephenson-- Part 5: Honors and Reburial

Once the British and General Proctor were defeated at Fort Stephenson, he withdrew back to Fort Detroit, with the Americans under Gen. Harrison following closely.  Shortly after Fort Stephenson, Commodore Perry would defeat the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie near Put-In-Bay.

The Americans now had complete control of Lake Erie and British prospects of supplies and reinforcements essentially ceased.

For his exploit, despite disobeying orders, George Croghan was brevetted to lieutenant colonel by the President of the United States.  In 1835, the U.S. Congress awarded him the Gold Medal.  later, he was made Inspector general with the rank of colonel.

During the Mexican War, he served with General Taylor.  Two years later, he died in New Orleans.  In 1906, he remains were disinterred from his family plot in Kentucky and  moved to Fremont, Ohio (site of Fort Stephenson) and placed in a special crypt at the base of the Soldiers' Monument honoring Fremont's veterans and specifically the Battle of Fort Stephenson, 1813.

--Brock-Perry

Amherstburg Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 5: Abandoned After the Battle of Lake Erie

Commander Robert Barclay's fleet met Oliver Hazard Perry's American fleet 10 September 1813 at the Battle of Lake Erie and the result was the capture of the entire British fleet.  With American control over Lake Erie and supplies cut off British land forces were forced to retreat to to Burlington Heights for supplies.

The yard was burned and abandoned in September 1813.  In 1814, a new Royal Navy Yard was established at Penetanguishene on Lake Huron.

The site of the Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard  was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1928.    The site has a four-sided monument featuring four brass  plaques detailing the site's historic significance and is located in a 10-5 acre park.

--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