John B. Montgomery, USN-- Part 3

From American Military Leaders A-L by John Fredricksin.

JOHN B. MONTGOMERY

(November 17, 1794-March 25, 1874)

John Barrien Montgomery is best-known for raising the U.S, flag over what became San Francisco in the Mexican War..  A religious, Bible-quoting officer, he completed fifty years of service without  a single incident or  controversy to mar his  reputation.

Montgomery was born in Allentown, New Jersey, the second of three brothers.  All three joined the U.S. Navy just before the War of 1812 and enjoyed  distinguished careers.  Montgomery became a midshipman in June 1812 and ventured to Sackets Harbor as part of Commander Isaac Chauncey's Lake Ontario Squadron.

Attached to the schooner Hamilton, he participated in the November 10, 1812,  bombardment of Kingston, Ontario, before transferring to the brigs Madison and General Pike.  In this capacity, Montgomery fought during the capture of York (now Toronto), Ontario (Upper Canada at the time), in April 1813 and Fort George, Niagara,  the following month.

--Brock-Perry

Caroline Abbott and the War of 1812-- Part 2: Burning of Washington, D.C. and Battle of Baltimore

**  The completion of the USS General  Pike following the Second Battle of Sackets Harbor.

**  President Madison receiving the news of the British invasion of Washington, D.C. after the Battle of Bladensburg.

**  First Lady Dolley Madison, who saved several important papers as well as the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington before fleeing the White House.

**  The burning of Washington, D.C., and its impact on American citizens.

**  Mary Pinkersgill who was commissioned by George Armistead to create a flag "so large the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance", resulting in the "Star-Spangles Banner" flying over Fort McHenry.

**  The Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814,  witnessed by Francis Scott Key, and the presence of the flag following the battle, signaling that Fort McHenry had not been captured.

**  "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem Francis Scott Key wrote following the Battle of Baltimore and later set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven",  a popular drinking song of the time.

**  The formal adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner"  as the national anthem of the United States  on March 3, 1931.

These Girls Will have a Good Understanding of the War of 1812 After Reading This Book.  --Brock-Perry

'Caroline's Battle' and the War of 1812-- Part 1

Five books were written about the life of American Girl's Caroline Abbott War of 1812 doll.  Two of them was specific to the War of 1812, "Caroline's Battle" and "Changes for Caroline."

"Caroline's Battle" discusses several War of 1812 battles.  Topics covered:

**  Sackets Harbor today

**  The second Battle of Sackets Harbor on May 28, 1813, with the British sending a fleet to take the town and destroy the USS General Pike.

**  Lack of soldiers to defend the town.

**  Lack of wind causing the British fleet to stall, allowing the people of Sackets Harbor to arm and prepare for battle.

**  Lack of any battle or combat experience among the American militiamen against British forces, with haphazard results.

**  Accidental destruction of  supply storehouses in Navy Point at the time of the British defeat.

Well, it would appear that someone has done some research on the topic.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Machine Guns in the War of 1812-- Part 10: Arming the Lake Ontario Ships With Chambers' Guns

On June 9th, 1814, Chauncey responded that: "The repeating Swivels and Muskets sent by Mr. Harrison shall receive a fair trial-- I have the highest opinion of their utility and effect upon the Enemy."

His new flagship, the frigate USS Superior, had been launched on May 1st and was then completing its fitting out.

Chauncey sent four each of the swivels to the Superior, frigate Mohawk and corvette General Pike.

--Brock-Perry

Henry Eckford-- Part 4: Warships and Shipbuilding Race

Henry Eckford and the Browns, Adam and Noah, were responsible for all American ships built on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.  At Sackets Harbor, some merchant ships were converted into warships with the addition of cannons.

Other warships built were the 89-ton USS Lady of the Lake in 1813 and the never-finished 3,200-ton, 106-gun ship-of-the-line USS New Orleans, the corvette USS General Pike in 1813 and the frigate USS Superior in 1814.

Eckford and others knew that the key to defeating the British Navy on the Great Lakes was to build more ships than them.  Some of the ships were partially built in New York and the pre-fabricated pieces sent to Sackets Harbor for completion.

--Brock-Perry