Battle of Sodus Point-- Part 1: It Was a Small Affair

I wrote about this battle in my last two posts, but had never heard of it.  Here is some more information:

From the HMdb site  "The War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden -- Sodus Point--.

Inscription:

The Battle of Troupesville (later renamed Sodus Point) was fought at the brow of this hill on the rainy evening of June  19th, 1813.  A group of approximately  60 Americans (farmers who had no military training and poorly trained militia) fired into a group of  about 200 British  marines as they ascended the hill.

Two Americans (Asher Warner and Charles Terry and three British marines would die from wounds received.  After the initial volley, the Americans retreated into the underbrush and the British retreated back to the five ships that lay in anchor offshore.

Three Americans were captured  as the two sides intermingled in the darkness, but they were released then next day.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Asia-- Part 2: Took Part in the War of 1812 at Baltimore and New Orleans

The Asia was off the Chesapeake Bay in the United States in July 1814.  The Royal Marine Artillery Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Marines were ferried from Bermuda to the Chesapeake aboard the Asia, via the HMS Tonnant. 

During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, guarding Baltimore, the Asia was anchored off the city along with the Seahorse, Surprise and Severn.

Later, the Asia was one of Admiral Cockburn's fleet at New Orleans  at the start of 1815 in support of the attack on Andrew Jackson's position.  Some 107 Royal marines disembarked from the ship to assist in the attack.

In 1819, the Asia was renamed the HMS Alfred.  From 1822 to 1829, the Asia was reduced  to a 50-gun fourth rate frigate and was eventually broken up in 1865.

--Brock-Perry

Action Around Apalachicola Bay-- Part 8: Warning Jackson

WARNING JACKSON ABOUT NEW ORLEANS

Unknown to the British, an American merchant in Havana, Vincent Gray, had learned the invaders planned to  capture cotton bales stored at New Orleans and sell the stolen goods in Liverpool.  Under international law at the time, officers could profit from prize money received for items seized  in war.  It is estimated that 4 million pounds worth cotton, sugar, hemp, tobacco and ships could be seized  at New Orleans, far more than was available in Mobile.

Gray overheard conversations with Nicholls, commander of the Royal Marines, and learned the first British attacks would be on Pensacola and Mobile.  Alarmed at the rumors he was hearing, Gray wrote three letters of warning, that he sent to Secretary of War James Monroe, Gov. William Claibborne of Louisiana and the Forbes partner in Mobile, James Innerarity.

Although his loyalties were torn, James Innerarity  knew the British might loot his stores as war prizes, and decided that the American defenders needed to be warned of these planned attacks.  James requested an interview with Andrew Jackson, and showed him Gray's letter.  By this stroke of fortune, Jackson learned of the British attack on New Orleans four months before the invasion began which gave him time to prepare.

--Brock-Perry

Action Around Apalachicola Bay, Florida-- Part 6: The War Comes to the Gulf Coast

In July 1814, a second British fleet anchored at Havana, Cuba,  and the Royal Marine commander, Lt. Col. Edward Nicholls, attempted to persuade the Spanish governor general, Ruiz Apodaca, , to allow British troops to defend Florida against the Americans.  Spain was neutral in the conflict, and although Apodaca  did not protest British troops on the Apalachicola River, he demanded the British stay out of Pensacola.

Nicholls departed for Apalachicola in August , only to find Woodbine had left Prospect Bluff for Pensacola in an effort to get fresh provisions for his Indian and black recruits.  Nicholls followed immediately to Pensacola., and was given permission to occupy Fort St. Michael (former Fort George and Fort San Miguel depending on who had control of it).

However, he alienated Spanish citizens by taking military control of the town and recruiting slaves into the marines.

News of the British advances along the Apalachicola River reached Andrew Jackson, and he moved his headquarters to Mobile on August 21, 1814.  That city was defended by the newly-built Fort Bowyer located on a sand spit east of the entrance to Mobile Bay (present side of Fort Morgan).

--Old Secesh

Essex's Annual Burning of the Ships Day-- Part 2

The British Raid and the resulting Burning of the Ships is not in most history books.  (I had never heard of it before I began this blog.)

During the War of 1812, private merchant vessels became a part of the Connecticut Privateer Fleet.  This enabled them to capture and auction off British ships and their cargoes and became a highly profitable undertaking for the captains and owners.

Of course, this did not please the British who set out to punish the American privateers..  In April 1814, the British learned that many of the Connecticut Privateer Fleet were operating out of Essex Harbor and a company of Royal Marines on longboats set out from the fleet for a sneak attack on the Americans.

The Essex townspeople put up opposition but were outnumbered and outgunned.  The British burned all the ships they found in the harbor as well as ones being built in the vicinity.  They did take two ships with them, but these grounded and were also burned.  On their way back down the Connecticut River, Americans set up some cannons and there was a brief engagement, costing the British two deaths, but rthey got by and returned to their ships.

There will be a parade which will end at the Connecticut River Museum, where the British landed.  Speeches and re-enacting will follow.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 2: Built By Edward Nicholls

The original fort was built by the British, though in Spanish territory, as an attempt to recruit local Indians to fight against the Americans.  A force of 100 Royal Marines led by Lt. Col. Edward Nicholls arrived on the Apalachicola River in August 1814 to aid and train local Indians.  They built the fort, but there is little evidence of much success with the Indians and the war ended shortly thereafter.

So, the Nicholls connection for Nicholls' Outpost.  He evidently built both.

In late November 1814, Major Uriah Blue, commanding a force of 1.000 Mississippi militia, Chickasaw and Choctow warriors, left Fort Montgomery (east of Mobile and west of Pensacola) to seek out and destroy the Red Stick Creek Indians.  Among them was Creek War veteran Davy Crockett.

However, the Americans were unfamiliar with the area and running out of supplies and never found their objective or the British fort and were forced to return to Fort Montgomery on 9 January 1815.

It is kind of strange that this expedition would be going on while New Orleans was in danger of being captured.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of St. Marys River-- Part 2

Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn sent a company of Royal Marines up the St. Marys River, reportedly to destroy Archibald Clark's sawmill near present-day Folkston, Georgia.  Also, they were possibly after the U.S. "works," maybe the American post at Camp Pinckney near Coleran.

Regardless, it was a huge operation, with the British force numbering some 52.  They proceeded upriver by water on Feb. 23, 1815, in seven barges and one gig under Commander Charles George Rodney Phillot of the HMS Primrose and Cmdr. David Euren Bartholomew of the HMS Erebus.

--Brock-Perry

Essex Goes for NRHP for Raid-- Part 1

From the Jan. 10, 2014, Hartford (Ct.) Courant "Essex Researchers To Submit Sites For Historic Register" by Erik Hesselberg.

Several sites along the Connecticut River played a key role in the famed 1814 British Raid on Essex, Connecticut, when 27 American ships were burned, will be submitted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This is the result of six years of study by researchers in the Battlefield Essex Project, coordinated by the Connecticut River Museum in Essex.

The researchers were identifying sites along the river linked to the raid by 136 Royal Marines who stormed ashore and burned the town's fleet (and some of the ships were still in their stocks while under construction).

--Brock-Perry

Things Looking Bad in the Chesapeake Bar Area July 4, 1813-- Part 2

Then, Joshua Barney went on to list how many Marines each British ship carried,  He was obviously very concerned of an amphibious assault.  The second number refers to the total from all ships of each class available.

"Each ship of the line 110 Marines  Total 1210
Each frigate 50--  1650
Each Sloop of War 30--  1140
Marines Coming from England--2000
Two Batallion of Royal Artilery, ditto--  1000
Two Batallion of Seamen (men they can trust)--  1200

8200."

This would give the British 8200 men for land operations.

"The Avowed object of the Enemy, is, the detruction of the City and Navy Yard at Washington, the City and Navy Yard at Norfolk and the City of Baltimore, we see by the above stationed that upwards of 8100 men can be landed from the Enemies ships."

What's An American Commander to Do?  --Brock-Perry