John B. Montgomery, USN: Officer in Three Wars

I have been writing about the USS Montgomery on my Running the Blockade:  Civil War Navy blog.  It is part of my "RoadTripping Through History:  The Continuing Saga of the USS Montgomery" presentation that I made in January at McHenry County College.

There have been six ships in the U.S. Navy by the name USS Montgomery:  American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and II and current.  Right now I am writing about the World War I-II ship which was named after John B. Montgomery who was a U.S. Navy officer in the War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War.

The War of 1812 USS Montgomery was on Lake Champlain.

I am going to write about his War of 1812 service here (and also in my Running the Blockade blog for his entire 50 year service record).

From Wikipedia.

JOHN BARRIEN MONTGOMERY  (1794- March 25, 1872)

Officer in the U.S. Navy who rose through the ranks, serving in the War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War.  He performed in various  capacities including commanding several vessels.

--Brock-Perry

USS Montgomery

Earlier this month, I wrote about a current U.S. warship named the USS Montgomery (LCS-8) in my Cooter's History Thing blog.  I got to wondering if there had been other warships by that name and checked out good ol' Wiki to find out if there were.

There were.

There was a frigate in the American Revolution, a sloop or schooner in the War of 1812, a warship from the Civil War that took part in the attacks of Fort Fisher (of natural interest to me), a protected cruiser from the Spanish American War and a WW II destroyer/minelayer.

I will be writing about these ships in my appropriate blogs: Civil War Navy, History and World War II blogs.

--Brock-Perry

About That Fort Wayne in Detroit-- Part 4: Built 1843-1851

After Congress appropriated monies to build a series of forts  stretching from the east coast to the Minnesota Territory, construction started on Fort Wayne at Detroit under the supervision of Lieutenant Montgomery C. Meigs.  He bought riverfront property farm property three miles south of Detroit and work began in 1843 and was completed by 1851 at the cost of $150,000.

The new fort was named after American Revolution hero General  "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who had taken possession of Detroit from the British in 11796.

Before any cannons could be installed at the new fort, the United States and Britain worked out their differences and the fort went unused except for a single watchmen.  With the coming of the Civil War, there was fear of an attack from Canada by the British and the fort was occupied by Union forces.  It served as a mustering in area for Michigan regiments as well as an area for wounded soldiers to recover.

During the Spanish-American War, troops left for service overseas from there.

--Brock-Perry

Two North Carolina Men Whose Lives Spanned Three Centuries, from the Presidencies of George Washington to That of George W. Bush-- Part 1

From the June 2, 2020, Mountaineer (Waynesville, N.C.)  "Two local men whose lives  spanned three centuries had other traits in common" by Kathy Ross.

Two men from Hayward County, North Carolina, lived across three centuries.

Federic Messer was born in 1792, during the presidency of George Washington and died in 1907 at the age of 114.  His life spanned the early days of our country's Constitutional history, the War of 1812, the formation of Hayward County, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.  The first time he voted in a presidential election, it was for James Monroe.

Carl Winford Bryson was born 100 years later, in 1892 and died June 28, 2001, at the age of 108.  His lifespan covered two world wars, the Great Depression,  the Cold War, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and the internet.  George W. Bush was president when he died.

The two men had a lot in common.  Both born one hundred years apart, together, they spanned three centuries, but, they had other interesting traits.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Graves Marked in Iowa-- Part 1: Expanded to 19th-Century Wars

From the May 24, 2020, Des Moines (Iowa) Register "New honors at Woodland Cemetery for Iowans who fought 19th-century wars" by Mike Rowley.

Located in near downtown Des Moines, Woodland Cemetery has nearly 70 acres, cobblestone streets and marks the final resting place of over 80,000 souls.

And, now, new gravestones are popping up all over the place as 100 to 150-year-old  graves that were not marked weeks and months before now have 240-pound veteran stones.

Much of this is the result of work by three generations of men.  Retired  firefighter Robert Niffinegger, Mike Rowley (who wrote the article) and Tim Rowley.  They have received assistance from Des Moines cemetery officials Genesh Ganpat and John Woolson.  They have been researching, documenting and seeing that previously unmarked veteran graves are now marked.

What started in 2020 as a one-year goal of marking  at least five War of 1812 veterans' graves has in only a few months grown to nearly thirty graves of War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War now having been  marked or approved for marking.

We Can't Honor These Men Too Much, Especially Here On Memorial Day 2020.  --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

Descendants of Christopher R. Perry-- Part 3: A Rough Rider, Confederate General and Union Naval Officer

**  Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (1858-1908) was a wealthy American socialite and U.S. Representative from New York and second husband to suffragist and socialite Alva Vanderbilt Belmont.

**  William Tiffany (great grandson)  (1868-1898) was 2nd lt. in 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry (Roosevelt's Rough Riders), died of yellow fever shortly after returning to the United States following his service in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

**  Matthew Calbraith Perry (1836-1909), son of Captain Perry's daughter Jane Tweedy Perry Butler was an American military leader and politician from South Carolina who served as major general in the Confederate Army in the Civil War, a post-bellum three term U.S. senator and was a major general in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War.

**  Commander George Washington Rodgers (1822-1863), a grandson of Captain Raymond Perry, and brother of Rear Admiral C.R.P. Rodgers, "was distinguished for his bravery in silencing Fort Sumter and the batteries of Morris Island (Charleston, S.C.)" during the Civil War.

As I Said, Quite the Distinguished Family.  --Brock-Perry

Descendants of Christopher R. Perry-- Part 2: Aviators and Horse Racing

**   Great Grandson, Rear Admiral S. Rodgers (1858-1931) Spanish-American War and World War I.

Two other descendants came through Christopher Perry's daughter, Anna Maria Perry Rodgers

 **  Calbraith Perry Rodgers  (1879-1912), a pioneer American  aviator who was the first civilian to own a Wright Flyer and the first to make a transcontinental flight.

**   Commander John Rodgers (1881-1926), Navy officer and early aviator.

Through his son Matthew's daughter, Caroline Slidell Belmont, he was great grandfather to:

**  Perry Belmont, a statesman who also served in the Army  during the Spanish-American War and World War I.

**  August Belmont Jr (1853-1924) was an American financier and builder of New York's Belmont  racetrack and a major breeder/owner of thoroughbred racehorses.  (Part of horse racing's Triple Crown.)

Still More to Come.  This Is Quite a Family.    --Brock-Perry

Descendants of Christopher R. Perry-- Part 1: Oliver, Matthew, Alexander and Raymond

From Wikipedia.

To say the family of this man was important in U.S. Naval and Military History is an understatement.  Besides his children, of whom all five sons were in the Navy and one daughter married a Navy man, he had many others descendants who served their country.

SONS:  The best known are, of course, Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew Calbraith Perry.

OTHERS:

Brevet Brig. Gen. Alexander James Perry (1828-1913)  Career Army officer, West Point graduate and served in the Civil War.

Rear Admiral Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers (1819-1892).  Served in Mexican War and Civil War,  Was Superintendent of the USNA and Commander of the Pacific Squadron.

Rear Admiral Raymond Perry Rodgers (1849-1925), son of the above, Spanish-American War.

And, We're Just Beginning.  --Brock-Perry

Four USS New York's Destroyed By the United States-- Part 1

So, we had a USS New York burned in the War of 1812, and another USS New York burned in the Civil War, but I just came across two more USS New Yorks destroyed by Americans.

The USS New York (ACR-2/CA-2) was an armored cruiser in service 1893 to 1938 and was in the Spanish-American War and World War I and had her name changed to the USS Saratoga to free up the name New York for the battleship USS New York (BB-34).  Later, she became the USS Rochester to free up the name for the battlecruiser USS Saratoga which eventually became the aircraft carrier Saratoga (CV-3).

Decommissioned in 1938 and based in the Philippines, it was scuttled December 24, 1941, to prevent capture by the Japanese.

--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

"Old Ironsides" Floats Again-- Part 2: Rehabbed Stem to Stern

For the past two years, the USS Constitution has been in drydock undergoing repairs.  It was built in 1797 by Joshua Humphreys and is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

Roughly 300 sheets of copper were placed on the lower hull.  Then it was completely rehabbed to keep it seaworthy and water tight.  These repairs were stem to stern.

Now, if they can just do something with the USS Olympia, of Spanish- American War fame in Philadelphia.  This is another ship worthy of saving.

It has been homeported in Charlestown since 1897 and was built less than three miles from the present site at the site of today's Coast Guard station.

It was the Constitution's first drydocking this century.

"Aye, Tear her Tattered Ensign Down."  I Had To memorize This Poem in Fifth Grade.  --Brock-Perry