Maine Was a Part of Massachusetts During the War of 1812

In case you're wondering why the militia defending Portland, Maine, was called out by the governor of Massachusetts in 1813, that was because Maine was still a part of that state.

However, being physically separated from Massachusetts, Maine was not keen on that idea of being part of Massachusetts.  Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked  during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts' pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders.

In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by the voters of the rapidly growing Maine the following year.

Formal secession and admission as the 23rd state came on March  15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which maintained the  balance between slave and free states.

In Case You Were Wondering.    --Brock-Perry

Some More on Abel Willard Atherton-- Part 2

We Relate.org has Abel Willard Atherton:

BIRTH:  Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

MARRIAGE:  3 July 1809 to Margaret Weeks

DEATH:  15 August 1821  Prospect, Waldo, Maine

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Atherton-2018.one-name.net said he had a brother"

CHARLES ATHERTON:  BORN: 16 March 1787, Lancaster, Middlesex, Massachusetts  DIED: 3 October 1852, Hancock, Maine.  Age 65.

Abel Willard Atherton had a father:

ISRAEL  ATHERTON  BORN:   20 November 1741, Harvard, Worcester, Massahusetts,  DIED:  Date unknown.

His mother was R. Prentice.

Little Old Genealogy Me.   --Brock-Perry

Fort Burrows in Portland, Maine

From North American Forts site.

FORT BURROWS  (1813-1815)  Portland, Maine.

A state militia fort located at  58 Fore Street, near Mountfort Street at Jordan's Point.  

No remains left.

Named after the commander of the USS Enterprise William Burrows who died in the battle with the HMS Boxer off Portland, Maine.

This is all the information I can find on this fort.

--Brock-Perry

Privateer Hyder Ally-- Part 4: The First Capture Is then Lost

Near the Cape of Good Hope, the Hyder Ally was chased all day by a British  East India Company sloop of war, but escaped under cover of darkness.  After rounding the cape, she captured an East Indian merchant ship with a valuable cargo.

Thorndike sent it off with a prize crew to Portland.  This prize never made it home as it was captured off Cape Elizabeth by the British privateer Tom.

That this prize was captured there is no big surprise because the coast of Maine was virtually under siege by the British for most of 1813 and 1814.  Maine had begun fortifying its coast as a result.

In Portland, the militia had built a defensive earthwork they named Fort Burrows, after the captain of the USS Enterprise in the famed battle.  Other batteries were around as well.  Also, out toward the harbors entrance, there were Fort Preble at Spring Point and Fort Scammel on House Island.  Both of these were built in 1809.

--Brock-Perry

Maine's Privateers-- Part 1: Money to be Made

I am writing about the Maine privateer Hyder Ali or Hyder Ally, I've seen several spellings for the ship.  I will put this ship's name as Privateer Hyder Ali in my labels.

From The Maine Story:  "The Hyder Ally:   Maine's Unluckiest Privateer." by Pat Higgins.

At the onset of the War of 1812, the American Navy had about 17 ships.  Their foe, the British Navy, had about 1,000 ships.

A privateer navy would be needed to fill the breech.

Maine and New England jumped into activity.  Here was a business proposition that would recoup losses suffered because of the Embargo Act of 1807 and the Non-intercourse Act of 1809.  Both of these hit New England interests particularly hard.

Ships were built for speed and armed for battle.  Shares were sold.  Money was there to be made and the New Englanders were just the people to take advantage of it.

A privateer infestation soon occurred for any and all British shipping along the North American coasts.  This extended into the Caribbean Sea and across the Atlantic to the Irish Sea.  It was also in the Mediterranean and even as far as the Indian Ocean (where the Hyder Ally went).

--Brock-Perry

HMS Boxer-- Part 5: Later Career

Initially the Boxer was used to defend  Portland harbor.  After the war, she became a merchant ship for several years.  The HMS Boxer evidently did not become the USS Boxer as a commissioned U.S. ship.  There was another USS Boxer, a 14-gun brig constructed by C, and D. Churchill of Middleton, Connecticut and commissioned in 185 under Lt. John Porter.)

Her first voyage as one was in April 1815, under Captain William McLellan, Jr.  (1776-1844).  She sailed to Havana, New York, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Marseilles and back to New York before returning to Portland in early  1816.

Subsequent  shorter cruises under McLellan, Hall or William Merrill took her along the coast or to the West Indies.

Around 1818, William Merrill sold her to a Portuguese  firm that used her as a mail packet between Portuguese  Cape Verde and Lisbon.

Merrill reported in 1825, that  he passed the Boxer leaving Praia at dusk as he entered the harbor as he entered the harbor on his vessel, the John, .

It is thought that the Boxer was eventually lost off the coast of  Brazil.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Boxer (1812)-- Part 2: A Man of Chivalry, That Samuel Blyth

Commander George Rose Sartorius commissioned her in August 1812.    R. Coote may have commanded her before Commander Samuel Blyth took command in  September.  On 17 April 1813, she sailed for Halifax and service in the squadron of Sir John Borlase  Warren.

In Halifax, Blyth added two extra carronades to her armament.

While coming down from New Brunswick and off the coast of Lubec, Maine, Blyth sighted and captured a small sailing craft crewed by a group of women out for a sail.  He brought the women aboard and politely suggested that in the future they should sail closer to shore and then released them.

One of the women was married to a local militia commander who, impressed with Blyth's courtesy, placed  advertisements in local newspapers praising his chivalry.

Over the next two months (6 July to 31 August), the Boxer captured seven American ships.

--Brock-Perry

Book About the Battle Between the USS Enterprise and HMS Boxer-- Part 1

I came across a book by David Hanna titled "Knights of the Sea:  The True Story of the Boxer and  the Enterprise and the War of 1812."

It is available at Amazon for $11.50 with $2.99 shipping.

Here's what it says about the book:

On a September day in 1813, the Age of Fighting Sail was coming to an end, two maritime warriors faced each other in the waters off Pemaquid Point, Maine....

"Samuel Blyth was the youthful commander of His Majesty's brig Boxer, and William Burrows, younger still, commanded the USS Enterprise.  Both men valued honor over life and death, and on this day their commitment would be put to the ultimate test."

I may have to break down and buy a copy of this book, especially since I have been writing so much about it of late.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on the HMS Boxer-USS Enterprise Battle

From the Naval History and Heritage Command.  "USS Enterprise vs. HMS Boxer."

This is a battle most people do not know, including myself before recently.  It was quite a battle, involving essentially two equal ships and very good and brave commanders.

On September 5, 1813,  the USS Enterprise spotted the HMS Boxer off Pemaquid Point, Maine.  After six hours of maneuvering, the ship battle commenced.  British commander Samuel Blyth prepared for a fight to the finish.  He ordered a Union Jack nailed  to the foremast and two on the main mast.

On the Enterprise, Lt. William Burrows moved one of his two long 9-pounder cannons from the bow to the stern port.

When the fighting began, the two ships were eight miles southeast of Seguin.

--Brock-Perry

Commemorating 200th Anniversary of Boxer-Enterprise Battle Back in 2013-- Part 2

SEPTEMBER 5

Sunset tours of Portland Observatory, Thursday Sept. 5 from 5 to 8 pm  From here, Captain Lemuel saw the Enterprise towing the Boxer into port after the battle. Moody

SEPTEMBER 5

Boxer & Enterprise Lecture with Herb Adams  Thursday Sept. 5 7 to 9 pm.

SEPTEMBER 6

First Friday, Thundered Over the Tide Exhibit opening  Friday, Sept. 6, 5 to 8 pm.  Maine Historical Society hosts exhibit with objects and documents related to the naval battle  and the joint funeral procession which followed.  The exhibit, taking its name from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "My  Lost Youth."

SEPTEMBER 7

Eastern Cemetery Tours  Saturday, Sept. 7, 10:30 am.  The burial ground, dating back to 1668, is steeped in Portland's history and is the final resting places of both Capt. Burrows and Capt. Blyth.  Learn about the history of the cemetery, types of stones, mortuary art and the lives of those  interred here.

--Brock-Perry

Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Enterprise-Boxer Battle-- Part 1

Continued from the Maine Historical Society.

To commemorate the bicentennial of this historic battle,  the Maine Historical Society on conjunction with Portland Landmarks, Spirit Alive and the City of Portland will host a series of events starting Tuesday , September 3, 2013, through Saturday, September 7.  

In addition to the exhibit, "Thundered Over Tide:  200th Anniversary of the Battle of  the Boxer & the Enterprise," will be exhibited at MHS from August 31st through October 25, 2013.

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PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 3

The Navy in the War of 1812:  A Dual  Book Talk: on  September 3 from noon to 1 pm.  Authors  George Daughan "1812:  The Navy's War" and George Emery "In Their Own Words:  The Navy Fights the War of 1812" will discuss their books in context with the Battle Between the Boxer and Enterprise.

SEPTEMBER 4

The War of 1812 Historian's Round Table Wednesday, September 4 from 6 to 8 pm.

SEPTEMBER 5

Graveside Memorial Service Honoring Capt. Burrows, Capt. Blyth and Lt.  Kervin Waters on Thursday, September 5 at Eastern Cemetery, Portland.

And, More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Battle of the Enterprise and Boxer: Their Captains Both Killed, Buried Next to Each Other in Portland

From the Maine Historical Society "200th anniversary  of the Battle  of the Boxer & the Enterprise"

On September 5, 1813,  the HMS Boxer and USS Enterprise engaged in a naval battle off the coast of Monhegan, Maine, during the War of 1812.  This battle between two fairly evenly matched ships embodied a level of honor and respect not seen in modern warfare.

Both Captain William Burrows of the USS Enterprise and Capt. Samuel Blyth of the HMS Boxer were struck down early in the fighting and neither survived this legendary battle.  After a grueling exchange, the Boxer was forced to surrender and the Enterprise towed  her prize into Portland, Maine, as witnessed by Captain Lemuel Moody from the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill.

The City of Portland paid its respects not only for the fallen Capt. Burrows, but also to the much respected Capt. Blyth, with a joint procession through the city, ending with a side-by-side burial at Portland's Eastern Cemetery.

--Brock-Perry

You-Know What Putting a Zap on Maine's 200th Birthday Party

March 15, 2020, Fox News  "Maine marks 200th birthday, but coronavirus zaps party"  AP.

The pandemic forced Maine's bicentennial committee to postpone Sunday's celebration in Augusta that was supposed to kick off with activities that will continue all year, including plans for a big parade in  May and the arrival of the tall ships in July.

How many of these will be postponed or dropped is not known.

--Brock-Perry

How the British Invasion of Maine in 1814 Led to Statehood-- Part 3: Bet You're Wondering When I Was Going to Talk About This

Even as the war was flaring up in 1814, its end was being negotiated in Ghent, where American and British officials were meeting in secret.  It ended with the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814.

The following spring 1815, the British left Castine and Down East Maine shore.

The war had pitted the young United States against its former master, but it left divisions between what today is Maine and Massachusetts of which it was a territory.

The reluctance of Maine to come to the aid of its far eastern territory  during the war led to calls for secession from the Bay State, which weren't strongly resisted in Boston.  In 1820, five years after the British left, Maine became the 23rd state as part of the Missouri Compromise.

So, Now You Know How the War of 1812 Caused Maine to become a State.  --Brock-Perry

How the British Invasion of Maine During the War of 1812 Led to Statehood-- Part 1

From the March 9, 2020, TV 13 CBS News by Bill Trotter.

The War of 1812 came to Maine in 1814 in a big way.  That's when the powerful British Navy descended upon the towns of Eastport, Machias and Castine.  What is today Maine, was at the time a part of Massachusetts.

The British controlled much of the Maine coast between Penobscot and Cobscook bays for most of a year, raiding towns along the Penobscot River and attacking Hampden and Bangor before returning to Castine.

The war had been going on for two years already, but divided support in the United States as well as the British being more involved with Napoleon had kept the fighting away from Maine.  That is, other than a sea battle between the USS Enterprise and the HMS Boxer which the American ship won.

Initial support for the war was weakest in New England, where the Federalist Party favored strong ties with England and merchants conducted significant trade with the British colony of Canada.  The New Englanders went so far as to almost have secession, something they opposed when the Southern states did so some fifty years later.

--Brock-Perry

Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn-- Part 1: Son of Sec. of War Henry Dearborn

While I was researching John A. Winslow in my Civil War Navy blog, I found he was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.  (He sank the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama.  While looking at that cemetery's notable burials, I came across this man.

From Wikipedia.

March 3, 1783 to July 29, 1851.

Soldier, lawyer,  author and statesman.  First president of Massachusetts Horticultural Society, member of the Society of Cincinnati and author of many books.

I came across that he was a brigadier general.

He was the son of Secretary of War and Major General Henry Dearborn, studied law, admitted to the bar and practiced law in Salem, Mass. and Portland, Maine.

--Brock-Perry

Battery Hobart-- Part 4: A 6-Inch Armstrong Gun

Battery Hobart, names after the War of 1812 casualty Henry A Hobart, was part of the harbor defense for Portland, Maine.

It was originally built as an Endicott Period concrete coastal gun battery  mounting a single  6-inch M1898 Armstrong gun (40 caliber) mounted on a M1898 Pedestal carriage.

This was a two story battery with the gun mounted on the upper story and the magazine below.  Shells were moved from the lower story magazine to the gun loading platform by hand.  No shell or powder hoist was provided.

Electrical power was furnished by  the central power plant.

The gun and carriage were removed to Fort Kamehameha in Honolulu, Hawaii,  on 23 August 1913.

Fort Wiki  Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts has pictures and diagrams of it.

Fort Fisher had a 150-pdr. Armstrong gun during the Civil War (now at West Point).

--Brock-Perry

Battery Hobart-- Part 1: Fort Williams, Maine

In the last post I mentioned that I couldn't find anything else on Henry A. Hobart, but came across this on a battery named for him in Maine.

From the Maine Attraction.

Visited the battery and took a picture of it.  Located in Fort Williams, Maine.

Battery Hobart was built in 1898 and named after Lt. Henry A. Hobart,  one of Maine's first graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, who was killed in action during the War of 1812.  The battery mounted one six-inch Armstrong gun whose function was  to help protect the mine field laid in the main channel in time of war from hostile minesweepers.

Battery Hobart was manned during the Spanish-American War.

I was unable to find a photo of what the gun looked like at Battery Hobart, but the Fort De Soto Park Six-inch Armstrongs has a picture.

--Brock-Perry

Efforts to Save Portland, Maine's Fort Gorges Get a Boost

From the February 29, 2016, Portland (Maine) Press Herald by Eric Russel.

Fort Gorges is on an island in Casco Bay, only accessible by boat.  Portland preservationists and the Army Corps of Engineers are working with the Friends of Fort Gorges group.

Construction on the fort began after the War of 1812 and it was not completed until the Civil War and was already classified as obsolete at that time.  It was modeled after Charleston's Fort Sumter and never garrisoned.  The federal government gave the fort to Portland 100 years after it was built.

It has six granite walls and is named for Sir Ferdinando Gorges who in the early 1600s is credited with discovering what is today Maine.

During World War II, it was used for military storage.

After all these years it is badly in need of maintenance and repairs.

--Brock-Perry

Half of Historic House Island Back on the Market

From the August 31, 2015, Portland (Maine) Press-Herald byWhit Richardson.

The fort on the island exchanged gunfire with British privateers during the War of 1812.

A portion of the prominent island in Casco Bay is back on the market after being bought ten months ago after a Florida real estate developer purchased it.  Asking price for the 13 acres is $6.9 million and includes three renovated cottages and a new boat dock.  It had been purchased in October for $2.2 million.  Good profit if you can make it.

Fort Scammell was built in 1808 on the island's southern tip and was the only fort on Maine's coast to see action during the War of 1812.

During the 1800s it was owned by two Portland fishing families to cut, salt and dry fish, mostly cod.

In 1905, the government bought the island for use as an immigrant station.

--Brock-Perry