Fort Holmes on Mackinac Island-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Fort Holmes is a fortified earthen redoubt located on the highest point of Mackinac Island.  Originally built by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812, it was improved by the Army throughout the rest of the war.  It was built to find additional defense to nearby Fort Mackinac which was at a lower elevation.

The British named the redoubt Fort George (not to confused with Fort George in Ontario) and reinforced it with cannon, a blockhouse and a magazine for gunpowder and other munitions.  However, it never functioned as an independent fortification, but always dependent on nearby Fort Mackinac.

When U.S. forces reoccupied Mackinac Island in 1815 under the terms of the Treaty of Ghent, they took possession of Fort George.  After surveying and measuring it, they renamed it Fort Holmes in honor of Major Andrew Holmes, who was killed in the 1814 Battle of Mackinac Island.

However, they soon abandoned Fort Holmes.  The earthworks and buildings of the former redoubt slowly eroded and disappeared over the course of more than a century.

--Brock-Perry

This Month in the War of 1812: Battle of Ogdensburg, Treaty of Ghent and USS Constitution

From the American Battlefield Trust.

FEBRUARY 1, 1793

**  France declares war of Great Britain.  And we were sure fortunate they were still fighting during the early part of the war.

**  FEBRUARY 22, 1813

**  Battle of Ogdensburg, New York

FEBRUARY 16, 1815

**  The United States Senate ratifies the Treaty of Ghent.

FEBRUARY 18, 1815

**  The Treaty of Ghent is declared.  The War of 1812 is over.

FEBRUARY  20, 1815

**  The USS Constitution engages the HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, not knowong that the war is over.

--Brock-Perry

This Month in the War of 1812: Napoleon, Embargo Act, Treaty of Ghent, William Henry Harrison and USS Constitution

DECEMBER 4, 1804

**  Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France following a coup d'etat.  (Thankfully because he kept the British tied up fighting him  at first in the war.)

DECEMBER 22, 1807

**  The Embargo Act passed.

DECEMBER 24, 1814

**  The Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the war.

DECEMBER 28. 1812

**  William Henry Harrison formally resigns as Governor of Indiana Territory and takes the rank of brigadier general.

DECEMBER 29, 1812

**  The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java.

--Brock-Perry

Did a Tornado Save D.C.?-- Part 4: How the President's Home Became White

There was a debate as to whether the tornado saved Washington, D.C. from the British or if it actually helped them to ruin the city.  Whichever it was, President Madison went back to the city on August 27 and peace between the two countries was achieved by the end of the year.

Congress thought about abandoning the city and constructing a capital elsewhere, but they eventually rebuilt the city.  The granite stone of the  President's residence was burned black with soot and it was decided to repair the structure and paint it white.  This is how the White House got nits name.  So, whenever you hear the White House being mentioned, that goes back to the War of 1812.

Peace negotiations started in the City of Ghent, Belgium in August 1814, as both sides wanted peace since the trade embargo largely impacted the British economy (not to mention the even bigger expenses of fighting Napoleon).

Hundreds of American privateers had put to sea and were wreaking havoc on the British merchant fleet all over the world.  Public support  in the U.S. was also waning, especially in New England where the federalists assembled in Hartford, Connecticut to discuss their grievances (and some even went so far as to desire secession).

Peace terms called the Treaty of Ghent were agreed upon and signed in December 1814, but the conflict did not officially end until Congress ratified it on February 17, 1815.

--Brock-Perry

February War of 1812 Events: France Declares War on Britain, Battle of Ogdensburg, Treaty of Ghent and USS Constitution

From the American Battlefield Trust.

FEBRUARY 1, 1793

**  France declares war on Great Britain.

FEBRUARY  22, 1813

**  Battle of Ogdensburg.

FEBRUARY 16, 1815

**  The United States Senate  ratifies the Treaty of Ghent.

FEBRUARY 18, 1915

**  The Treaty of Ghent is declared, officially ending the War of 1812.

FEBRUARY 20, 1815

**  The USS Constitution engages the HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, not knowing that the War of 1812 was already over.

--Brock-Perry

The Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815

From the January 8, 2022, We Are the Mighty  "Today in Military History:  Battle of New Orleans

On January 8, 1815,  U.S. General Andrew Jackson won one of the most decisive battles in the War of 1812.  But, the Treaty of Ghent, technically ending the war had been signed two weeks earlier, but not ratified but the U.S. and no one knew it at the time.

In September of 1814, the Americans had won a major victory on Lake Champlain in New York and the British were ready to negotiate peace terms.  Representatives from both sides met in Belgium and signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.

LEADING UP TO THE BATTLE

On December 23, 1814, A British force reached the LeCoste's Plantation, abut nine miles south of New Orleans.  Andrew Jackson led an American force in a surprise attack on the British which delayed them long enough for the Americans to build a heavily fortified defensive earthwork along the Rodriguez Canal, about four miles south of the city

The British general Sir Edward Packenham had every reason to believe he was going to be successful.  He was leading a force of some 8,000 British regulars, fresh from fighting the Napoleonic Wars and would be up against some 4,700 Americans.  Of these, only a small number were regular troops.  The rest were militia, civilians,  Choctow Indians, freed slaves and even pirates.

Instead of a victory, the British were mowed down and lost some 2,000 of their force as opposed to some 100 for Jackson.

--Brock-Perry

War Ends 207 Years Ago, Christmas Eve December 24, 1814

From the December 24, 2021, We Are the Mighty "Today in military history:  War of 1812 ends."

On December 24, 1814, the War of 1812 came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of  Peace and Amity in Ghent, Belgium, between the United Kingdom and the United States.

The conflict began in 1812.  The United States declared war of the United Kingdom because of three main issues.

First, the British had declared an economic blockade of France during the Napoleonic Wars.  Second, Britain also began forcing American sailors to serve on British ships in the Royal Navy  (impressment).  Thirdly, the British supported Native American tribes that were hostile against American expansion into their lands.

For their part, Americans hoped Britain would be too occupied with fighting Napoleon and that the Canadians would be happy to kick the British out of their country.

--Brock-Perry

Events During the War of 1812 Occurring in December: Hartford Convention, Fort Niagara, Embargo Act, Treaty of Ghent, USS Constitution

From the December 2021 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

**  DECEMBER 14, 1814

Delegates of the Hartford Convention meet in Hartford, Connecticut.

**  DECEMBER 19, 1813

Capture of Fort Niagara.

**  DECEMBER 22, 1807

The Embargo Act passes.

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

**  DECEMBER 24, 1814

Treaty of Ghent signed.

**  DECEMBER 28, 1812

William Henry Harrison formally resigned as governor of the Indiana Territory and takes the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army.

**  DECEMBER 29, 1812

The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Java.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 in Illinois Territory-- Part 4: Enter Zachary, Exit Zachary, British Offensive

Other desultory expeditions marked the campaigns of 1813 and 1814.

The Indians, meanwhile, gaining courage, began near continuous marauding raids on American settlements.

Later, in 1814,  an expedition led by Major (later U.S. president)  Zachary Taylor ascended the Mississippi River as far as  Rock Island, where he found a large force of Indians supported by British regulars with artillery.  Finding himself unable to cope with so formidable a foe, Major Taylor retreated down the river.

On the site of the present-day town of Warsaw, Illinois, he threw up fortifications which eh named Fort Edwards.  However, he was subsequently compelled to retreat.

The same year, the British with their Indian allies, descended from Mackinac and capture Prairie du Chien and burned Forts Madison and Johnston, after which they retired to Cap Au Gris.

The Treaty of Ghent, signed December 24, 1814, closed the war although no formal treaties were made  with the tribes until the following year.

--Brock-Perry

August 8, War of 1812: Peace Talks Begin, Napoleon Exiled and the USS Tecumseh

1814:  During the War of 1812, peace talks between the United States and Britain began in Ghent, Belgium.  It was finally signed on December 24, 1814.

1815:  Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena Island to spend the remainder of his days in exile.  The United States was exceedingly fortunate to have him posing a greater threat to Britain than we were back in the War of 1812.

Tecumseh   I have been writing about the monitor USS Tecumseh in my Running the Blockade:  Civil War Navy blog.  It was sunk by a Confederate mine at the Battle of Mobile Bay and was named after famed Indian leader Tecumseh who played a big role in the War of 1812.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 in Peoria-- Part 6: End of War, Illinois Statehood and Peoria's First American Settlers

The War of 1812 was finally settled by the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.  However, this treaty did not stop the British from encouraging and supporting the Indians in their raids into the Illinois Territory.  The settlement at Lake Pimiteoui remained unoccupied, save for troops occasionally garrisoning the fort as did trappers and Indians when the troops weren't there.

Indians apparently set fire to the fort and burned most of the structure in 1818.

The first group of American settlers to come to the Fort Clark location after Illinois became a state in 1818 arrived in April 1819.  These settlers were Abner Eads, Josiah Fulton,  and his brother Seth Fulton from Virginia; Joseph Hersey of New York; and S. Daugherty, J. Davis, and T. Russell of Kentucky.

Eads and Hersey arrived with pack horses and the rest arrived on keel boats, apparently poled upriver.

Upon their arrival, they reportedly found the walls of two deserted cabins standing close to the river.  It is possible that the soldiers garrisoned here  when Fort Clark was built six years earlier had erected these cabins.  They were made suitable for use and became the first two residences of Peoria.

The settlers also found enough of the remains of Fort Clark to determine that it had indeed been a fort.

--Brock-Perry

Caroline Abbott and War of 1812-- Part 3: The War Is Over

There are six books in the Caroline Abbott series.  The last two have a whole lot to do with the War of 1812, which, of course is of interest to us.

The "Caroline's Battle" book which I covered in the last two posts was the fifth in the series.  The sixth also has a lot to do with the war, "Changes for Caroline."

Here is a summary of events covered in this book:

** How the Americans and British  sought to end the war, culminating in the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.

**  The Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815,  between American and British forces unaware that the war was over, resulted in a crashing American victory.

**  Celebration of the war's end as news spread across the United States.

**  The War of 1812 resulted in status quo ante bellum, with heavy military and civilian losses and neither the British or American sides gaining or losing territory.

--Brock-Perry

Midshipman Richard Dale: The Last American Death in the War of 1812

From Bermuda Historic stories:  A last casualty of the War of 1812 by Dr. Edward Cecil Harris.

On Christmas Eve 1814, the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812, but that news took several months to reach the North America.   At sea on Jan. 15, 1815, off New York City the British vessel HMS Endymion captured the USS President.

One of the Americans, however, Midshipman Richard Dale Jr., was severely wounded and had his leg amputated.  He died at Bermuda a month later and was buried at St. Peter's Church in St. George's.

In 1932, a young Bermudian, Scarritt Adams, serving in the U.S. Navy,  came upon Richard Dale's inscribed gravestone and decided that his passing should be commemorated by the United States and Bermuda.

Thus began the "Midshipman Dale Ceremony."

--Brock-Perry

Detroit's Fort Wayne-- Part 9: The Treaty of Spring Wells

From Wikipedia.

Even though Fort Wayne was not there yet, it did have a role at the beginning and end of the War of 1812.

Early in the war. this is where General Isaac Brock crossed his army over from Canada to attack Fort Detroit.  And, after the Treaty of Ghent, the future site of the fort was where the Treaty of Spring Wells (which is the name of the area the fort is located) was signed there. 

Well, next question is, what was the Treaty of Spring Wells?

It was an agreement between the United States and the Wyandot, Delaware, Seneca, Shawnee, Miami, Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi Indians, ending the conflict between the two groups.  It was signed on September 8, 1815, at the present site of Fort Wayne in Detroit. Michigan.

The signing of the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war between Britain and the United States, but not the Indians and the United States.  These tribes had fought on the British side against the Americans.

--Brock-Perry

What Tecumseh Fought For-- Part 4: The Impact of the Death of Tecumseh and Aftermath

Somewhere in the smoke and fury, Tecumseh went down.  Col. Richard Mentor Johnson, severely wounded himself, recounted pulling out his pistols and shooting an Indian -- maybe Tecumseh?  In later years, Johnson built his political career on the claim that he had slain the mighty Tecumseh himself.

Tecumseh's death put in motion a series of events and consequences.    Furious about the British failure, many of Tecumseh's allies quickly signed an armistice with Harrison, who then sought  o enlist them to fight the British.

Even as many American settlers  spoke explicitly   about the "extermination" of  Indian people, their leaders  negotiated a series of treaties with confederacy tribes.  The British confirmed their faithlessness in the 1814 Treaty of Ghent, which  ended the war, but sold out their Indian allies.

Without Tecumseh, his brother, Tenskwatawa, the Prophet, floundered, and he eventually helped the Americans to persuade the Shawnees to leave their lands and relocate in Kansas.  There, in 1828, he set up a sad little Prophetstown of four remote cabins, where he faded away to a lonely death less than a decade later.

--Brock-Perry

New York City's Blockhouse No. 1 in Central Park-- Part 3: Completed Two Days Before Treaty of Ghent Signed

 The fort consists of a two-story bunker surrounding a small area, inside which, a wooden platform would have originally stood. The wooden platform was sunken with a revolving turret for a cannon (not quite sure what this means).

The sides of it held small gunports.  The structure was likely connected to the ground by a small staircase.

Construction on the tower was completed December 22, 1814, , two days before the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the war.

The second phase of its history involved it being used as an ammunition and storage building.  During this time, the top two feet of stone-work was completed.  The fort/blockhouse is noticeably different in color, composition and stonework.

Later at the turn of the 20th century, the current entrance and staircase were added, as was the tall flagpole at the center of the fort.

In 1905, it was described as standing 19 feet tall at the western wall and  having a base of 34 feet square.

Blockhouse No. 1 stands in North Woods at the northwest corner of Central Park, at a location that is still rugged, high and difficult to reach.  It is located south of North Crive and north of Huddlestone Arch.  It overlooks Harlem Meer (lake) and the Lasker Rink to the east.

Interesting Site to Visit.  --Brock-Perry

How the British Invasion of Maine in 1814 Led to Statehood-- Part 3: Bet You're Wondering When I Was Going to Talk About This

Even as the war was flaring up in 1814, its end was being negotiated in Ghent, where American and British officials were meeting in secret.  It ended with the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814.

The following spring 1815, the British left Castine and Down East Maine shore.

The war had pitted the young United States against its former master, but it left divisions between what today is Maine and Massachusetts of which it was a territory.

The reluctance of Maine to come to the aid of its far eastern territory  during the war led to calls for secession from the Bay State, which weren't strongly resisted in Boston.  In 1820, five years after the British left, Maine became the 23rd state as part of the Missouri Compromise.

So, Now You Know How the War of 1812 Caused Maine to become a State.  --Brock-Perry

From Fort Mims to Horseshoe Bend to New Orleans

The massacre of Americans at Fort Mims demanded a response.  Col. Andrew Jackson  was sent to fight the Red Stick Creek Indians and defeated them at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend  on March 27, 1814.  Sam Houston, who was to become famous in the Texas was one of Jackson's lieutenants at this battle and continued fighting despite being shot in the thigh.

As a result of this battle, the Creeks ceded half of what was to become Alabama to the U.S. government.

Jackson was promoted to general and sent 150 miles west to defend New Orleans.

The War of 1812 technically ended two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans when the Treaty of Ghent was signed (though it wasn't official until the U.S. ratified it and that took place after the battle was fought.  (February 16, 1815 by the Senate)

--Brock-Perry

HMS Canso-- Part 2: As A Ship in the Royal Navy

So, the Lottery didn't have much success as a privateer. but, considering the odds she faced when captured, it was no surprise that she was taken.

After capture, she convoyed several prizes to Bermuda and was taken into British service and renamed the HMS Canso  under the command of Lt. Wentworth P. Croke, who commanded her the whole time she was in the Royal Navy.  On September 11, it captured the Massachusetts and in November, it and several other vessels were  grounded in hurricane off Halifax, but soon got off.

On 11 May 1814, the Canso recaptured the brig Traveller, which had previously been captured by the American privateer Surprise.

In the second half of the year, the Canso operated with several other ships in the Chesapeake Bay, capturing six American ships.  The squadron then sailed to St. Mary's, Georgia, under Admiral George Cockburn, where they attacked Fort Peter in January 1815.  This was after the Treaty of Ghent, but before it was ratified.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Malden-- Part 8: American Occupation

After General Henry Proctor abandoned and burned Fort Malden in the fall of 1813, American forces occupied the towns of Sandwich (Windsor) and Amherstburg, including the land the fort had stood on.

During that time, the area was used to conduct raids on nearby Chatham-Kent and London, Upper Canada (Ontario) for supplies.  The Americans began reconstructing Fort Malden near the site of the original fort.

After the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent in February 1815, the border between the United States and British North America was restored to prewar status and the Americans returned the land and left.  The U.S. Army officially  withdrew from Fort Malden on July 1, 1815.

--Brock-Perry