Kevin Franklin Picks William Worth to Have Lunch With

From the December 23, 2020, Spotlight (NY) News  "Five questions: Kevin Franklin" by Jim Franco.

Kevin Franklin is Historian of the Town of Colonie, worked for the City of Menand's police department for 30 years and  has been municipal historian of Menand since 1968.  My kind of guy.

QUESTION:  If you could have lunch with one historical figure, who would it be and why?

ANSWER:  I've often thought about that.  Who wouldn't want to have lunch with George Washington or Benjamin Franklin (no relation).  However, it would be a toss-up between Gen. William Worth who built  the large home called "Hedgelawn" across from Schuyler Flatts Park or Benjamin Prescott.

Worth distinguished himself during the War of 1812.  He was also an early superintendent of Watervliet Arsenal, fought in the Seminole Indian Wars and the U.S. War with Mexico, quite the flamboyant character.

Lake Worth, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas, are named after him.

Benjamin Prescott was an army engineer during the American Revolution and had quite a career afterwards.

I'll have to do some research on William Worth.

--Brock-Perry

The Family of Alexandrine Macomb Stanton and Henry Stanton

From Find-A-Grave.

She was another daughter of U.S. General-in-chief Alexander Macomb.  (1808-1889).  She married HENRY STANTON  (1779-1856).  He was an officer during the War of 1812, Seminole War and Mexican War.

Their children:

FRANCIS STANTON  (1838-1859)  May have been in military.  Was assistant engineer  who died of illness at Fort Yuma, California.

GEN. WILLIAM STANTON  (1843-1927)  With the 43rd Ohio during the Civil War.  Also Blackfoot War and Spanish-American War.

ROBERT LEE STANTON (1846-1932)  This name sure jumped off the page for me.  He was baptized  at St. John's Episcopal Church, the "Church of the Generals."  Captain Robert E. Lee was his Godfather.  I found no indication, however, that he was ever in the military.

--Brock-Perry

George Henry Preble

The last four posts have been about this man and the flag he captured from a Chinese pirate.

Here is some more information about him.

February 25, 1816 - March 1, 1885.

American Naval officer.  Wrote a history of the United States flag and took the first picture of the Fort McHenry banner.

He was born in Portland, Maine, into a seafaring family.  His father was Enoch Preble and uncle was Commodore Edward Preble of the Tripolitan Wars fame.

Preble entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman on December 10, 1835, and served on the frigate USS United States (built in 1797) until 1838.

In 1841, he was in the Seminole War in Florida and was on the sloop USS St. Louis during its circumnavigation of the world 1843-1844.

He was involved in China, the Mexican War and the Civil War.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount, Tennessee-- Part 3: Mustering Point for Other Wars

Camp Blount served as the mustering grounds for other wars than the War of 1812.

Tennessee troops mustered here for the Seminole Wars of 1818 and 1836.  Later they did the same for the Civil War.

It is likely that both Confederate and Union troops mustered here during the Civil War, though, obviously, not at the same time.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Hawkins-- Part 3: A War of 1812 Connection

The fort was built from 1806 through 1826.  For the Creek Indians, it became a center for deerskin trade with Europeans/Americans and was also on sacred ground.

It was named for Benjamin Hawkins who was still serving as General Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

During the War of 1812,  Andrew Jackson visited it and used it as a staging area for the Battle of New Orleans as well as during the Creek and Seminole wars.

After the war, it was used as militia headquarters and muster ground for the Georgia militia.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Hawkins-- Part 2: A War of 1812 Connection

The fort was built from 1806 through 1826.  For the Creek Indians, it became a center for deerskin trade with Europeans/Americans and was also on sacred ground.

It was named for Benjamin Hawkins who was still serving as General Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

During the War of 1812,  Andrew Jackson visited it and used it as a staging area for the Battle of New Orleans as well as during the Creek and Seminole wars.

After the war, it was used as militia headquarters and muster ground for the Georgia militia.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812's Ichabod Crane-- Part 5: Buried on Staten Island

From Find-A-Grave.

Ichabod Bennett Crane

Born July 18, 1787 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Death Oct. 5, 1857, Staten Island, new York.

Buried at Asbury Methodist cemetery, New Springville, Staten island.

Served 48 years in the military.  Served and commanded troops during the War of 1812, Black hawk War and the Seminole Wars of the 1830s.  His last assignment was commander of Governors Island, New York.

His wife Charlotte Crane (1798-1878) is also buried there as is a son, William M. Crane, who died in 1880.

--Brock-Perry

Texas War of 1812 Veterans-- Part 3: General Nathaniel Smith

SMITH, GENERAL NATHANIEL  (1791-1841)  Buried at Palestine.

War of 1812 veteran.  As young lieutenant in 39th U.S. Infantry fought at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend along with Sam Houston and later in the Seminole War with Andrew Jackson.

I came across correspondence from a Gen. Nathaniel Smith who was Superintendent of Cherokee Indian Removal from 1837-1838.  Could be one in the same.  he certainly would have had connections.

--Brock-Perry

St. Augustine National Cemetery-- Part 2

It was designated a national cemetery in 1881.  When Spain owned Florida, it was part of a Franciscan monastery and occupied by the military during British occupation.  When the United States took over, part of the old fort barracks was set aside as the post cemetery with the first internment coming in 1828.  Many of the early burials were of men killed fighting the Seminole Indians in Florida.

On December 23, 1835, Major Francis L. Dade and his company were ordered from Tampa to reinforce General Wiley Thompson's troops at Fort King in Ocala, Florida.  They got lost and were ambushed by the Seminoles with only one survivor.

The bodies of Dade and his men were buried a few months later by U.S. troops.  In 1842, after fighting with the Seminoles ended, the bodies were reinterred in St, Augustine.

--Brock-Perry

Edmund P. Gaines-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I mentioned that Gen. Edmund P. Gaines ordered Duncan Clinch to attack Negro Fort which resulted in the July 27, 1816, battle.

Edmund P. Gaines (March 20, 1777 to June 6, 1849) was an American Army officer who fought in the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War.

Born in Virginia, he enlisted in the Army in 1799 and was a first lieutenant by 1807.  He surveyed the Mississippi Territory and helped lay out the Natchez Trace.  While commander of Fort Stoddert, he arrested Aaron Burr in Wakefield, Alabama.  After that he took leave from the Army and practiced law.

--Brock-Perry