This Month in the War of 1812: Two Big Naval Victories and 'The Star-Spangled Banner'

From the September 2021 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

These events took place in September during America's "Forgotten War."  I say it's not so forgotten.

SEPTEMBER 10, 1813

Battle of Lake Erie, Ohio  "We have met the enemy...."

SEPTEMBER 11, 1814

Battle of Lake Champlain, New York

SEPTEMBER  12, 1814

Battle of North Point, Maryland

SEPTEMBER 13, 1814

Bombardment of Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland

--Brock-Perry

Timeline of Captain Gwinn's Life-- Part 1: 1791 to 1823

 From the John Gwinn Papers, Library of Congress.

1791, June 11  Born in Taneytown, Maryland

1809   Appointed midshipman

           Duty on John Adams (frigate)

1814   Duty on Frolic  (sloop of war), West India Squadron

           Prisoner of War, Halifax, Nova Scotia

1815   Duty on Boxer (brig), Mediterranean Squadron

1817   Duty on the Hornet (sloop of war), European Station

1819   Duty on the Independence (ship of the line) 

1823   Married  Caroline S. Lynch

--Brock-Perry

John Gwinn-- Part 5: Died While in Command of the USS Constitution

From the USS Constitution Museum.

JOHN GWINN

Captain

Commanded USS Constitution October 9, 1848 to September 4, 1849.  Died while in command of the ship.

BIRTH:  June 11, 1791

DEATH:  September 4, 1849

****************************************

BEFORE JOINING THE CONSTITUTION

Marylander John Gwinn was born June 11, 1791.  He was warranted a midshipman in 1809 at age 18 which is an unusually older age for a midshipman back then.

His first service was on a schooner in the Chesapeake Bay.

--Brock-Perry

John Gwinn-- Part 4

 

In Distinguished Men of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, John Gwinn listed as graduating from St.  John's College and being a Captain in the U.S. Navy.  St. John's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in the U.S.

David Glasgow Farragut,  John Gwinn, John Lowe, the Porter Family lists  John Gwinn's (1791-1849) papers with the bulk of material from 1825 to  1849 consisting of  personal journals, official and general correspondence.

In 1843, John Gwinn was serving on the Naval Court Martial Board.

There is correspondence between  John Gwinn and  E.A.F.  Lavalette, regarding affairs of the U.S. Navy Yard at  Pensacola  from 1845 in the Handbook of Manuscripts in the Library of Congress.

--Brock-Perry

St. Mary's County Museum Division Exhibits Detailed Model of British Ship of the Line HMS Albion

From the November 24, 2020, Southern Maryland Chronicle .

The St, Mary's County Museum Division in Leonardtown, Maryland, has partnered with a local  model ship builder to have a special exhibit of a model of the British ship HMS Albion, the flagship of a fleet of British ships that raided Leonardtown and St. Mary's County during the War of 1812 Chesapeake Campaign of 1814 which led to the burning of Washington, D.C., and the Battle of Baltimore.

The model enthusiast is retired Marine Colonel Robert Ballard who has loaned the stunning and intricate model to  display at the Old Jail Museum.

Several display panels give the history of the ship, her raids along the Chesapeake Bay and Admiral Cockburn (I've been writing about him recently because of his proclamation to Blacks to emigrate from the United States.

Mr. Ballard said this model took a year to make and he wanted people to see it.

--Brock-Perry

St. Mary's College, Md., Unveils Memorial to Enslaved People

From the November 20, 2020, The Hill "See the first memorial  to the enslaved peoples of southern Maryland in St. Mary's" by Anagha Srikanth.

In 2016,  the remains of slave quarters on campus were discovered during an archaeological dig ahead of the construction of a new stadium.  This proved that St. Mary's had an association with  slavery.  Indeed, all colleges built before 1865, especially in the South, had an association with slavery.

On November 21, the college unveiled  a new memorial at a virtual commemoration to the slaves of southern Maryland.  It takes the shape of a cabin.

The site, which appears to have been abandoned sometime around the 1820s also correlates with an interesting chapter of the area's history.  During the War of 1812, British Admiral George Cockburn sailed along the eats coast of the United States near the British-held Chesapeake Bay.

He encouraged  enslaved people to defect in return for their freedom.  About 19 slaves from the St. Mary's area reportedly defected, raising the possibility that the found slave quarters might even have been theirs.

Never Enough History Markers.  --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 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

Baltimore's Defenders Day-- Part 2: To Celebrate the Victories At the Battle of North Point and Fort McHenry

The early celebrating of Defenders Day started soon after the event and centered on the American victory at the Battle of North Point on September 12 with people going out to the battlefield for picnics.  Later the celebrations came to include the entire city of Baltimore. with parades and speeches.

Initially the celebration of Defenders Day  was divided between the Battle of North Point and the Star-Spangled Banner Fort McHenry.  It also developed along the role of militia which had been involuntary prior to the War of 1812, to voluntary militia that emerged during the war itself.

there were a lot of politics involved with the militia units and the celebration of the victory.

--Brock-Perry

Private Walter Farnandis, Defender of Fort McHenry-- Part 1

From Find-A-Grave.

One of Baltimore's heroic "Old Defenders" who participated in the gallant repulse of the British in 1814.

Born  9 May 1792  Died 9 January 1856.

Military Service during the War of 1812:  Private, Baltimore Fencibles (Nicholson's), 1st Regiment of Artillery, 3rd Brigade, Maryland militia.

His parents died when he was very young and he was raised by his step mother. His father, James Farnandis, had been a hero in the American Revolution.

During the War of 1812, Walter Farnandis served in the Baltimore Fencibles under Captain Joseph Hopper Nicholson.

--Brock-Perry

George Brown, War of 1812 Veteran

From the January 6, 2016, Cecil (Cecil County, Maryland) Whig "Calvert cemetery digs up War of 1812 history" by Carl Hamilton.

George Brown was buried at Rose Bank Cemetery in Calvert in April 1850.

The engraving on his weathered tombstone says he was born in 1790 and died April 3, 1850 at age 60.

Three weeks ago, an authorized War of 1812 grave marker was found and unearthed during a repair project.  Until that time, it was thought that Civil War veterans were the oldest buried at the cemetery.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

John H. Dent, USN-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I wrote about the destroyer USS Dent in today's Tattooed on Your Soul: World War II Blog.

(15 February 1782 to 31 July 1823.

Officer U.S. Navy in Quasi-War, First Barbary War and War of 1812.  he was acting captain of the USS Constitution during the attacks on Tripoli in 1804.  Born in Maryland, the son of Congressman and Revolutionary War officer George Dent.

Appointed Midshipman 16 March 1794.Served on the USS Constellation when it captured the French frigate Insurgente in 1799.  Then served on the USS Constitution in the Mediterranean and later commanded the schooners Nautilus and Scourge during the First Barbary War.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

The Civil War Sesquicentennial Versus the War of 1812 Bicentennial-- Part 1

From the September 24, 2015, Washington Post.

These figures represent the states of Virginia for the Civil War and Maryland for the War of 1812.  Virginia/Civil War numbers given first:

YEARS SINCE:  150  //  200

STATE COMMISSION FACEBOOK PAGE LIKES:  7,712  //  11,430

STATE DOLLARS SENT ON EVENTS:  $7.4 million  //  $5 million

ECONOMIC IMPACT:  $290.3 million  //  332 million

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

The Battle of the Ice Mound-- Part 1: HMS Dauntless

From the Exploratorius Blog "Battle of Ice Mound: Reloaded.

The HMS Dauntless, one of 30 Comorant-class sloops of war, was launched in 1808 and sailed for Newfoundland, Canada on April 4, 1814.  It mounted sixteen 32-pdr. carronades, eight 18-pdr. carronades and two 6-pdr. long guns.

Ships like the Dauntless made life along the Chesapeake Bay miserable with raids against shore towns and watermen.

Not much is known about the Dauntless until it showed up in Maryland waters during the winter of 1814-1815.

On February 6, 1815, a tender from the ship commanded by Lt. Matthew Phibbs, one midshipman, 13 crew members and 3 Royal Marines raided Tobacco Stick (present-day Madison).

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Veterans Honored in 2013

From the November 5, 2013, Delmarva Now by Liz Holland.

They will be honored on Veterans Day.  A ceremony was held at 1 p.m. at the American Legion Post 94 in Princess Anne.  Then there was a procession to three local cemeteries to place flags on the War of 1812 raves.

Some of the veterans honored had famous local names, including Dashiell, Phoebus, Jones and Long.

--Brock-Perry

What Archaeology Can Tell Us About the War of 1812-- Part 1

From the August 1, 2014, WYPR 88.1 FM by Sheilah Kast.

A new bok tells what we can learn from the physical remains of the war.  "Archaeology of the War of 1812" with co-editors Julie Schablitsky, Chief Anthropologist of the Maryland State Highway Administration, and Michael Lucas, former member of the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission and now curator of the Historic Archaeology of New York State Museum.

They use remote sensing, ground penetrating radar., Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and modern maps overlaying historic ones o help locate sites and items.

--Brock-Perry

Looking For War of 1812 Artifacts in Maryland

From the April 16, 2014, University of Delaware U daily "War Relics."

The earthen Fort Point was constructed in 1812.  Geologists at the University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment are examining the fort for historical value and insights in regards to erosion. They are using modern technology like drones, high definition cameras and lasers.

Their focus is on three sites in Maryland: Fort Stokes near Easton, Fort Point near Centreville and Fort Nonsense near Annapolis (interesting name for a fort).

Two drones shot photographs from 130 feet above the sites  Ground-based laser scanners are documenting the fort contours.

Funding for the work comes from a grant from Star-Spangled 200.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Caulk's Field Bicentennial Planned Back in 2014

From the April 15, 2014, Star-Democrat (Maryland).

the re-enactment will take place on August 31, 2014, on the very same battlefield  where American Kent County militiamen turned back a British night attack.  In addition, there will be activities at the county seat in Chestertown where there will be a parade August 30th.

This battle took place during the week before the burning of Washington, D.C..

The field was named for Isaac caulk, owner of the land at the time.  The 35-acre site is now owned by Tulip Forest Farm.

There will be a flag raising and wreath laying at the War of 1812 monument in Monument Plaza.  In addition, there will be a militia camp set up at the 18th century Customs House.  The Historical Society of Kent County will have a display of Caulk's Field artifacts.

--Brock-Perry

Commodore Joshua Barney's Personal Items Donated to Maryland Historical Society-- Part 3

Unable to catch Barney's fleet, the British began a "campaign of terror" destroying the towns of Calverton, Huntington, Prince Frederick, Benedict, Lowe Marlboro and St. Leonard.

Secretary Jones ordered Barney to take his fleet farther upriver and scuttle the ships if seriously threatened by the much larger fleet.  When that happened, Barney did just that and, with 360 sailors and 120 Marines, now fighting on land, participated in the Battle of Bladensburg which led to the capture of Washington, D.C..

Joshua Barney was serious;y wounded at the battle and died from it four years later.

Next. Commodore Barney's Belongings.  --Brock-Perry

Commodore Joshua Barney's Personal Objects Gifted to Maryland Historical Society-- Part 1

From the January 29, 2015 Press release Packet.

Personal objects belonging to famed War of 1812 Commodore Joshua Barney, including a pistol, spyglass, personal journal along with hundreds of letters and personal objects, have now been donated to the Society.  They have been on display at the "Full Glory Reflected: Maryland in the War of 1812" exhibit at the Maryland Historical Society building at 201 W. Monument Street in Baltimore.

Descendant Anne Helm Galvin said, "I knew that the items we would be donating would be handled in the best possible way...."

I agree with her and am very glad they have been donated.  I hate it when history gets sold to a private collector who then hides it away from the general public.  Though, I appreciated the able caretaking of the items from private citizens.  I always think history should be available to all and no better way than in a museum.

--Brock-Perry