Fort Montgomery on Lake Champlain-- Part 7: Decline

Continued from last month.

In the years following the Civil War, with the introduction of much more modern and powerful armaments such as explosive shells and rapid-firing rifled cannon, the military importance of  masonry fortifications like Fort Montgomery was rapidly drawing to a close.  

Technology now existed which could allow  an enemy force to quickly  reduce a masonry fort's massive casemates and walls to piles of rubble.

The last decade of the 19th century saw the gradual removal of  the old fort's guns, also long obsolete.  By 1900, there were just 37 guns still present and by 1900, that number was down to just 20.  It is thought that the larger guns were removed and taken down the lake by barge in 1909.

After being loaded onto  railroad cars in Plattsburgh, many of the iron cannon met their end being melted down for scrap metal in Philadelphia.

Following that, the now gunless and empty fort was watched over by a caretaker, usually a retired soldier who loved in a nearby house and  patrolled the grounds.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Montgomery-- Part 6: Strength

Initially constructed to have a garrison of 800 troops, the fort never had that many and mainly had the role as a military deterrent along the border.  Many of the Third System  forts by design were never  fully garrisoned, ultimately they were to be ready for action as needed.

Contrary to local legend, however,the fort never fired a shot in anger, but this does not mean it didn't have some of its guns mounted.

According to War Department records in 1886, when Fort Montgomery was most heavily armed, it mounted 74 guns of its 125 capacity, including 8 and 10-inch Rodmans, some of the heaviest caliber cannons in the U.S. arsenal.

Most of these cannons were mounted facing Canada.  Although never mounted, two huge 15-inch Rodmans were on site on the parade ground for years.  They were to be mounted on top of the wall.

In 1880, commander of the U.S. Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, toured the fortification and was so im pressed that he wanted the garrison at nearby Plattsburgh Barracks to be stationed there, but public outcry kept that from happening.

--Brock-Perry

An American Spy (for the British)-- Part 3: A New Exhibit

Keith Herkalo did 18 months of research on Cadwallader R. Colden and found that Colden was a British loyalist, a regular at the racetracks and lacked a lot of skills.  Herkado termed him  an overall "schmuck."

Colden's story, along with  the fate of the British fleet from the Battle of Plattsburgh, is now the latest exhibit in the War of 1812 Museum in Plattsburgh.

The guy hid in plain sight for over 200 years.  Nobody knew what he had done.

The museum's exhibit features plaques retelling Colden's story, including his influential mother who wrote to early American figures like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and a new display made from walking sticks made from British warships at the Battle of Plattsburgh.

Looks like I am going to have to do some research myself about this act of treason Colden was going to initiate.

--Brock-Perry

Shipwrights in Vergennes Were Key to Battle of Champlain-- Part 5: A Naval Arms Race on the Lake

Learning of the new larger threat of the HMS Confiance, Macdonough pleaded with the Navy to build another large ship.  Navy Secretary William Jones rejected this request saying there was not enough money.  However, President James Madison intervened.

This time, the Navy hired Adam Brown, Noah Brown's brother, who brought along with him about 200 shipwrights.  In just 19 days, they built the Eagle, a 120-foot long, 20-gun brig and launched it on August 11,  two weeks before the Confiance was launched.

The Browns and their bands of shipwrights were invaluable to the American cause, as was proven on September  11, 1814.

At the time, the British had troops invading south along the New York side of Lake Champlain and many of those troops were in the Plattsburgh area.  The British commander wanted to wait for the Royal Navy to defeat Macdonough's ships before storming Plattsburgh. (Plattsburgh with an "h" at the end of it because  that's the most common way the Battle of Plattsburgh is described.)

--Brock-Perry

The Career of Thomas Macdonough-- Part 3: A Complete American Victory

Thomas Macdonough immediately took advantage of the situation  and using brilliant seamanship and ingenuity, Macdonough maneuvered his ship to fire a broadside into the Confiance causing that ship to surrender.

With the Confiance out of action, the British fleet lost its strongest ship, the remaining enemy ships were pounded by the Americans and it became a total victory for Macdonough's fleet.

The result was a total victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh (also called Battle of Lake Champlain)  The British withdrew to Canada and the British got serious about negotiating a peace.

--Brock-Macdonough

The Career of Thomas Macdonough-- Part 2: A Big Break for the Americans

The British came with both Army soldiers under the command of George Prevost and a Naval fleet under the command of George Downie.  Downie was a very experienced sea man who had attained much success fighting against France during the Napoleonic Wars.  He was he commander of the HMS Confiance.

Defending Plattsburgh was a much smaller American force of some 2,000 men under the command of General Alexander Macomb and, of course Macdonough's which was also outgunned.  Things looked bleak for the Americans.

Macdonough's fleet met head on with British fleet on September 11, 1814.  In a moment that changed the course of the battle, a cannonball fired by Macdonough's flagship, the USS Saratoga, smashed into a British cannon on the Confiance causing it to land on Downie, killing him instantly.

--Brock-Macdonough

The Career of Thomas Macdonough-- Part 1

From Classic NY History  "Macdonough Monument:  History of Plattsburgh's Famous Monument" by Brian Kachijian.

Thomas Macdonough began his naval career in 1800.  He was born on New Year's Eve 1783 and was an orphan by the age of twelve.  His father served in the American Revolution.

He began naval service at the age of sixteen and served in the Barbary War against Algiers, Morocco, Tunis and Tripoli.  After that, he became captain of a merchant ship named the  Gullivar that transported goods between New York, England and India.

Upon the declaration of war between the U.S. and England, he returned to New York and was on his way to greatness.  He was placed in charge of naval forces on Lake Champlain at Plattsburgh, N.Y., where he oversaw the construction of American warships.

--Brock-Macdonough

Some More On the Macdonough Monument in Plattsburgh-- Part 3: Great-Great Granddaughter to Speak

Thomas Macdonugh's great-granddaughter and Isabelle Verkaart Parlin's mother, Isabelle Agnes Macdonough, who was 11 at the time, unveiled the monument at its dedication in August 1926.  Her daughter will speak at this anniversary.

The monument is 135 feet high and topped by an eagle with a 22 foot wingspan.  It serves as a constant reminder of the great victory that was there and the lives lost.

The Macdonough Monument stands in the park directly across from the Plattsburgh City Hall.  The monument overlooks the Saranac River which glows into Cumberland Bay which is connected to Lake Champlain.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on the Macdonough Monument in Plattsburgh-- Part 2

However, World War I disrupted plans for the monument.  A federal act was passed to prohibit the spending of federal funds for the construction of monuments indefinitely passed.  Additionally the cost of construction increased dramatically.

All this delayed Plattsburgh's memorial until  1921, when citizens became very urgent that the matter of erecting the memorial became very urgent."

An Act of the Legislature of 1921 abolished the former commission and established a new one in favor of having more locals serve and more frequent meetings.  The state appropriated more funds for the project, and after some revisions of the original plans forced by budget limits, the commission selected a man named John Young Jr. to construct the memorial.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on the Macdonough Monument in Plattsburgh-- Part 1

From the September 10, 2014, Press-Republican (NY)  "Ceremony to honor Macdonough Monument" by Cara Chapman.

The great-great granddaugher of Thomas Macdonough will speak at a ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of the monument that honors him in Plattsburgh, New York.

Isabelle Verkaart Parlin will be among family members at the event scheduled for 1 pm Friday.  There will be a large number of direct descendants as well as many descendants of his brother.  There is hope that the families of those people involved in the monument's construction will also be there.

It was erected in 1926 and dedicated August 18 if that year.

Plans for the monument began as early as 1913 in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1914.  This was the work of the Plattsburgh Centenary Commission which hoped that "by itself, or in cooperation with  the government of the United States, to provide for, erect, and establish a suitable memorial to  Thomas Macdonough in the city of Plattsburgh, N.Y."

In 1914, the state of New York and U.S. Congress appropriated funds to do just that.  The commission used these funds to acquire the land and selected architect John Russell Pope to design it.  Pope also had designed buildings such as the Roosevelt memorials, the Plattsburgh City Hall and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C..

--Brock-Perry

Macdonough Monument in Plattsburgh, NY-- Part 2: Unveiled By His Great Granddaughter

The Plattsburgh Sentinel had this to say about the proceedings:  "Macdonough Monument Is Unveiled Before Thousands.  Hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain is Given Fitting Memorial in Honor of Glorious Deed in Defense of Plattsburgh and the Young Nation." 

The Plattsburgh Centenary Commission printed a booklet to mark the occasion.  A Macdonough descendant expressed gratitude.

Thanks to an allotment appropriated by New York state during the centennial celebration and matched by the federal government, the dream of a monument honoring the Battle of Plattsburgh, first proposed in 1886, was realized.

The young girl unveiling the monument on August 18, 1926, was 11-year-old Isabelle Agnes Macdonough, great-granddaughter of Commodore Thomas Macdonough, hero of the September 11, 1814, naval battle.  Of interest, Isabelle returned on September 9, 2001, to cut a ceremonial ribbon  at the door with Mayor Dan Stewart to mark the 75th anniversary of the monument.

Newspaper articles leading up to the big day of the monument's unveiling, August 18, 1926, emphasized that there was no admission fee for it, but come early as the commission could not guarantee seating for everyone.

And, I'd Never Heard of This Monument Before.  Well, before I started this blog, I had never heard of Thomas MacDonough or the Battle of Plattsburgh (I only knew of the Battle  of Lake Champlain.)--Brock-Perry

Macdonough Monument in Plattsburgh, N.Y.-- Part 1

From HMdb  "THOMAS MACDONOUGH MEMORIAL MONUMENT"

Commemorates the American naval victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814 and was designed by John Pope.  It commands the park which is opposite of the Plattsburgh City Hall, which was also designed by John Pope.

Inscribed at the base are Macdonough's four primary vessels:  Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Eagle and Preble.

The monument is 14 feet square at its base.  The bronze eagle at the top has a twenty-foot wingspan.  Pope also designed the National Archives and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C..  He used Indiana  limestone for the Macdonough Monument and City Hall.  Pope's firm, established in New York City in 1900, consistently produced  dignified architecture of classical inspiration.

The formal dedication of the monument took place on August 18, 1926, "an ideal summer day."  Secretary of State Frank Kellogg spoke to the vast throng.  It was reported that an estimated 7,000 people attended the ceremony in front of City Hall.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of Plattsburgh/Lake Champlain-- Part 3: John Russell Pope

John Russell Pope (1874-1937) designed the obelisk in downtown Plattsburgh as well as the 1917 City Hall across the street from it.

But, he is better known for designing the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.  The Jefferson memorial and City Hall share some stylistic similarities with the dome and columns.

The Plattsburgh obelisk was erected in 1926 and features the name of each of the major American ships in the battle on each side:  Eagle, Saratoga, Preble and Ticonderoga.  The names are accompanied by intricate reliefs and BOP-contemporary  uniforms.  (Not sure what BOP stands for.)

HOWEVER, in keeping with the current climate of destroying and defacing public monuments in the United States, the obelisk was recently vandalized on some of the reliefs.  The one for the Saratoga had anti-police sentiments painted on it, but since have been removed.

The eagle atop the monument has a twenty-foot wingspan is associated with local, college-town lore and nearly matches the length of the monument's base.

Even in Plattsburgh.  Hey, That Wasn't Even a Confederate Monument.  --Brock-Perry

The Battle of Plattsburgh/Lake Champlain 2020 Commemoration-- Part 2

Macdonough's limited naval experience was  irrelevant  given unanticipated winds that impacted the otherwise overpowering British Navy's ability to  to maneuver on the lake, with intentions of heading south through the state of New York toward New York City.

During the action, the British naval commander was killed and the British general  ordered his forces to retreat to Canada.  Thus, British attempts to secure Lake Champlain was thwarted and this eventually led to the Treaty of Ghent and the end of the war.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of Plattsburgh/Lake Champlain Commemoration-- Part 1

From the June 3, 2020, Plattsburgh (NY) Sun  'Monumental' drone footage by Alina Walentowicz.

Alternative planning continues for the Battle of Plattsburgh (BOP)  commemorations which will be virtual this year in September.  Local history enthusiast Tom Donahue has gotten drone footage of the Macdonough monument across from city hall in downtown Plattsburgh.

It is sometimes called the Battle of lake Champlain (which is what I've always called it, but then I'm kind of a Navy guy myself, so).

Commodore Thomas Macdonough was around 30 years of age at the time of the battle and had been promoted to the rank of master commandant  the year before.  He commanded a small American fleet of 14 ships which were mostly constructed in Vergennes, Vermont.

The monument honoring him is 135-feet and made of Indiana limestone.  At the battle, he was serving under General Alexander Macomb.

Total number of Americans at the battle were 4,000.  The British numbered 14,000 and the battle took place on both land and water.

--Brock-Perry

Plattsburgh Takes Step Toward War Memorial

From the October 22, 2017, Plattsburgh (NY) Press Republican  "Town of Plattsburgh takes step toward war memorial" Bob Bennett.

The town council voted to sign an agreement with the American Legion to establish a public recreation area and war memorial on Route 9 in the hamlet of Cliff Heaven near the Plattsburgh Air Force Base.

This is a part of the town's Local Waterfront Revitalization program.

The Legion will erect three war memorials:  Battle of Valcour during the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Vietnam War.

--Brock-Perry

The Plattsburgh Barracks-- Part 6: War of 1812 Skeletons Found

All of the War of 1812 forts except Fort Brown were leveled to form a huge 40-acre parade ground known as the "U.S. Oval."  This happened in the early 1890s.

In 1892, during the removal of Fort Moreau which had been the main and largest of the War of 1812 forts during the Battle of Plattsburgh, numerous human remains, as many as twenty-five, were unearthed.  They had been hurriedly buried either during or immediately after the Battle of Plattsburgh.

When Fort Scott was leveled, perhaps thirty or more skeletons were also discovered.  Cannonballs and other War of 1812 artifacts were also found.  These were reportedly sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

All of the recovered skeletons were buried with full military honors in the nearby Old Post Cemetery in a mass grave marked by a large monument to the unknown dead of the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

The Plattsburgh Barracks-- Part 5: Much Delayed in Opening and Then, A War of 1812 Flashback

By August 1839, under the direction of Benjamin Kendrick Pierce the exteriors for the officers and enlisted men had been built, but in peacetime, there were lots of delays

Eventually it was occupied by various infantry and artillery units and by early 1890, a big expansion program was instituted.

And this led to an interesting sidebar back to the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

The Plattsburgh Barracks-- Part 4: The War of 1812 Fortifications

During the Second Seminole War, nearly a quarter of the U.S. Army strength was sent to Florida and Congress realized that the Army needed to be expanded and that was when it was raised to 12,539.  Along with the increase in strength, housing became a big issue which was why the Army built the Plattsburgh Barracks.

A permanent Army post was planned and was to have four stone barracks surrounded by a wooden palisade.

A site was selected outside of the town of Plattsburgh and just south of the three remaining earthwork fortifications from the 1814 siege:  Fort Brown, Fort Moreau and Fort Scott.

These forts had been constructed under the direction of Major Joseph Totten, an expert military engineer during the war.  There were also two smaller redoubts erected later, Fort Tompkins and Fort Gaines.  All five of these fortifications formed the endpoints of a pentagon which featured a field of interlocking cannon fire.

--Brock-Perry

The Plattsburgh Barracks-- Part 3: The Need for Permanent Barracks

Troops were stationed there from 1812-1823, but  they did not have permanent barracks or even a permanent military installation.  Men often stayed in dilapidated and inadequate log structures left over from the War of 1812.

In an October 1839 letter to the General of the Army, Major General Alexander Macomb, who had commended the troops at the Battle of Plattsburgh, and Brigadier General Abraham Eustis told of just how bad the barracks situation was at Plattsburgh.

It was decided to construct permanent barracks, with part of the reason for doing it because the strength of the Army had been raised to 12,539 men because of the Second Seminole War.

--Brock-Perry