Captain Gwinn's Portrait-- Part 2

Thomas Sully painted the portrait of Captain John Gwinn and his wife Caroline.  By his count, during his lifetime he produced 2,631 paintings.  Besides portraits, he also did landscapes and historical pieces.

  His painting "Portrait of  Anna and Harriet Coleman, sold for $145,000 in 2013.

The paintings of Gwinn and his wife were sold from the private collection of a Southern diplomat.

Good news in that the USS Constitution Museum bought both paintings for $19,000.  They said it was acquired from the James Severs collection.

John Gwinn died of chronic gastritis.

--Brock-Perry

There Are Paintings of Captain Gwinn and His Wife and Were at Auction in 2020

A few posts ago, I wrote that there were no known paintings of Captain John Gwinn of the USS Constitution.  While looking up more information on him, I came across a source that said paintings of him and his wife Caroline had been up for auction on November 21, 2020.

They had an estimated price of between $20,000 and $30,000 and auctioneers were Wooten & Wooten.  The one of Capt. Gwinn was made in 1839 and his wife's a few years later.

Thomas Sully painted them.  He was a famous artist living in Philadelphia who painted such subjects as Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams and Marquis  de Lafayette.  Born in England in 1783 and emigrated with his family to Charleston, S.C.,  in 1792.  

Another of his subjects was Britain's Queen Victoria.    His Adams portrait hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.  Two of his Jefferson portraits are at the University of Virginia and at West Point.    

--Brock-Perry

Lt. John Montgomery Dale (Midshipman Richard Dale's Brother)

A younger brother of Midshipman Richard Dale and son of Commodore Richard Dale of the American Revolution.

From Find A grave.

Birth 1797

Death:   15 December 1852 (aged 54-55)

Burial:  Christ Church Burial grounds, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Commander in U.S. Navy who first served in the War of 1812.

Midshipman, 2 February 1829.  Passed Midshipman, 3 July 1835.  Lieutenant, 25 February 1845.  

 Died  24 July 1848.  

His portrait  was painted by noted  Philadelphia artist Thomas Sully and now hangs in uin the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of  American Art in  Dover, Delaware.

--Brock-Perry

Disappearance of the Patriot and Theodosia Burr Alston-- Part 4: Preparations and a Privateer

As her health continued to deteriorate, and with rumors of pirates operating along the North Carolina coast, Theodosia was still determined to visit her father.  Her husband, John Alston, wrote a letter to the British blockading fleet to allow passage for his wife.  Aaron Burr sent his trusted friend and doctor, Timothy Green to make the voyage with his daughter.

On December 30, Theodosia, her maid and Green climbed aboard the schooner Patriot which lay moored in Charleston Harbor.  It sailed out of the harbor bound for New York City under the command of Captain William Overstocks.

The Patriot had just returned from several months in the Caribbean where it had done privateering on the behalf of the U.S. government.  It was filled with booty from that.  To disguise his ship, the guns had been stowed below and the name had been painted over.

Some stories had Theodosia taking along a recently completed painting of herself that she intended to give her father as a Christmas gift.

--Cooter

Model Boat Builder Constructs Replica of the HMS Nimrod

From the June 7, 2013, Falmouth (Ma.) Enterprise" by Christoher Kazarian.

Alan G. Alan G. Lunn loves anything to do with the sea and ocean.  Just look around his home.  he collects, he builds, and the latest is a scale reproduction of the British brig-sloop HMS Nimrod that played a part in Falmouth's history.

He has spent some two hours a day and the last eight months fine-tuning his effort.  He alludes to four  specific traits for someone who makes these reproductions:  "You need to have the eyes of an eagle, the patience of a saint, the hand skills of a surgeon and the ability to curse like a sailor."  (Well, I got one of the three.)

The 84-year-old was able to get the Nimrod's  original plans from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, as well as materials from Woods Hole Historical Museum that proved useful in the project.

During his research, he discovered a factual error in the painting of the Nimrod in the Falmouth Public Library which shows a two-deck ship, the Nimrod only had a single deck.

The process of building a boat like this was, at time, painstaking.  For the rigging he took bristles from a broom, glued them together and painted them black.  He laughed that there were times he needed hands of a surgeon, nut those were all too often overshadowed by cursing like a sailor.

A picture of Mr. Lunn and his model of the HMS Nimrod accompanies the article.

Job Well Done, Mr. Lunn   --Brock-Perry

The HMS Nimrod Attacks Falmouth on January 28, 1814-- Part 1

From the January 28, 2020, Cape Cod Today  "January 28, 1814:  British warship shells the town of Falmouth."

On this day in 1814, the British HMS Nimrod warship, a brig-sloop, shelled the town of Falmouth for several hours.  The reason for the bombardment, the American refusal to give up two  cannons.

There is a painting of the HMS Nimrod at the Falmouth Historical Society.

The 18-gun Nimrod had arrived in American waters the year before and quickly had become to Americans.  With the aid of two other vessels, it had captured the 20-gun American privateer Yorktown in July 1813.

That autumn, she was assigned to patrol the coast of New England with a squadron of other ships.  The squad established itself at Tarpaulin Cove on Naushon Island, a site well-known to mariners because of an inn  located there.  The innkeeper, a man maybe named Mr. Slocum, overheard the British discussing  their plans to attack Falmouth so he alerted the town.

--Brock-Perry

Provincetown's Timothy Parker Johnson's Service in War of 1812 Recognized-- Part 2

Verifying Parker's War of 1812 and raising money for the new grave marker was the work of author Amy Whorf McGuiggan and Conwell Enterprises, which operates Conwell  Lumber in Provincetown, and others.    After months of research, Johnson's service as a soldier was confirmed  by the National Society United States Daughters of 1812.

During the 19th century, the Johnson family contributed greatly to the growth of Provincetown from a remote fishing village to a prominent  whaling, cod fishing and  mackeral port.

Johnson owned a wharf between Johnson and Arch streets.  His business interests were salt works, ships ballasts and ownership of Ocean Hall, later known as Central House and now Crown & Anchor.

Between 1841  and 1848, he was managing owner of the 162-ton brig gem, one of Provincetown's first whaling ships.  He influenced the  the building of a Universalist meeting house and was selectman for two years.

Johnson died in Provincetown in 1864.  His wife lived until 1892.

The War of 1812 was fought largely outside of New England, Charlotte  Line, president of the Massachusetts State Society of the United Daughters of 1812.  "However, we did send people," she said.

A portrait of Johnson hangs in the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum.

--Brock-Perry

Col. James Gibson-- Part 6: The Painting

A painting done by E.C. Watmough in 1840 titles "Repulsion of the British at Fort Erie, August 15, 1814," shows two officers prominently.  They are reputed to be  Eleazor Wood and James Gibson.  Both Col. Wood and Col. Gibson distinguished themselves here and both died here of wounds received on September 17, 1814.

However, a recent description of the painting says Lt. John Watmough was the one thought to be Gibson.  He was later brevetted  for his "gallant and meritorious" conduct at Fort Erie.

I can't help but notice that the painter and Lt. John Watmough have the same last name.  Brothers?

--Brock-Perry

Thomas Chambers-- Part 4: Paintings

Other paintings of Thomas:  Chambers"

**  "Capture of H.B.M. Frigate Macedonian By The USS United States on October 25, 1812", circa 1845.

 A critic remarked of this painting:  "The rolling waves and swirls of smoke convey the noise and excitement of battle."

**  "Pirate Ships and Cutter Firing Cannons, Seascape, Night Scene"  circa 1850.

Cutters were used by several navies in the 17th and 18th centuries and were usually the smallest commissioned ships in the fleet.  They were used for coastal patrol, customs duties, escort, dispatch carriers and for small "cutting out" raids.

--Brock-Perry

Thomas Chambers-- Part 3: Marine Paintings

One of his paintings was "New York Harbor With Pilot Boat 'George Washington"  circa mid-nineteenth century.

Chambers was somewhat obscure in his lifetime, but became famous in the 20th century with the discovery of a rare signed painting of the battle between the USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere, ca. 1845.

His War of 1812 naval paintings are described as "singularly flamboyant" and he had an "expressive style and bold decoration sensibility."

--Brock-Perry

Thomas Chambers, Naval Painter-- Part 2: Moved Around a Lot

From 1834 to 1840, Thomas Chambers was listed as a landscape or marine painter in the New York City directory.  From 1843 to 1851, he lived in Boston, then moved to Albany, New York, and lived there until 1857.

 Subsequently, he was again listed in the New York City directory from 1858 to 1859 and then back to Boston 1860 to 1861 and back to New York again from 1862 to 1866.  His whereabouts after that are not known.

Certainly a lot of moving from place to place.

Thomas Chambers, Maritime Artist-- Part 1: Born in London

From the January 10, 2017, Art Collector  "10 Classic Marine Paintings, War of 1812, With Footnotes.

Thomas Chambers  (1808-1866 or after)

Born in London, immigrated to U.S. in 1832.  Painter of landscapes and marine scenes.  he not only painted what he saw but also used his imagination and popular engraved images.

A number of his War of 1812 depictions of War of 1812 naval battles are based on engravings.

--Brock-Perry

Sea Battle Paintings Sale at Auction

From Christie's September Sampling.

Sold in September.

If you had some extra bucks hanging around you could have some wonderful War of 1812 sea battle paintings.

The first one is believed to have been the battle between the frigates USS United States and the HMS Macedonian.  This was painted by Thomas Chambers.  It sold for 175% above the estimate.

There was also a pair of paintings of the War of 1812 sea battle between the USS United States and the Macedonian and the USS Constitution vs. the HMS Guerriere attributed to Michele Felice Corne.  They sold for 150% above estimate, for $25,000.

--Brock-Perry

N.C.'s War of 1812 Personalities-- Part 3: Dolley Madison and Benjamin Forsyth

DOLLEY PAYNE MADISON  Born in the Quaker village of New Garden in Guilford County, N.C., but only lived there for a year before moving to Virginia.  Wife of President James Madison and most known for saving objects out of the Executive Mansion when the British captured Washington, D.C.

She saved the famous painting of George Washington.  The British burned the Executive Mansion and when it was rebuilt, its walls were painted white and it became known as the White House.

BENJAMIN FORSYTH   From Stokes County, N.C..  Lt.-Col. in U.S. Army who distinguished himself along the Northern Border during the War of 1812.  Killed at Odelltown in Canada in 1814.  Like Brigadier General Francis Nash in the Revolutionary War, he came to be regarded as a hero.

The State of North Carolina presented his 8-year-old son a beautiful sword and awarded him $250 a year for seven years.  A N.C. county was named for him in 1849.

--Brock-Perry

Tennessee's George Washington Campbell-- Part 3: His Wife Helps Remove Washington's Portrait from the White House

George Washington Campbell's wife, Harriet, made her own contribution to history during the British invasion of Washington, D.C..  Upon hearing news of the impending arrival of the British Army, Mrs.Campbell urged her friend, Dolley Madison, to leave the White House.

With the help of Harriet Campbell and Charles Carroll, Mrs. Madison removed the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington from its frame and fled before the British burned the house and the city of Washington.

Wonder if It Had Something to Do With Her Husband's Name?  --Brock-Perry

Mississippi Armed Forces Museum Reopening and Featuring Painting of War of 1812 Mississippi Dragoon

From the April 6, 2016, Hattiesburg  (Ms) American "Mississippi Armed Forces Museum to open in the next few months" by Haskel Burns.

In early 2015, the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby, closed for renovations and expanded about 8,000 square feet as well as having more exhibits.

Friday, the museum added a newly commissioned series of art by Mark Poole.  The first painting depicts a Mississippi dragoon soldier of the War of 1812 who served under General Andrew Jackson.  This unit was at the capture of Pensacola and the Battle of New Orleans.  They were led by Major Thomas Hinds of Jefferson County.

The next piece will be of Jefferson Davis at the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican War.  This one will be out later this year.

I Imagine the Next One Will Draw the Ire of Some Folks.  --Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Museum in Plattsburgh, NY

From the Jan. 10, 2014, Denton Publications "New director at War of 1812 Museum" by Shawn Ryan.

Plattsburgh, NY. The War of 1812 Museum, operated by the Battle of Plattsburgh Association has a change of directors. Dave Deno is taking over for manager Tammy Brown.

The museum now features the "Battle of Lake Champlain" painting by nationally renowned artist Julian Davidson. The current exhibit "Smuggling, Soldiering, Shipyards and Skirmishes: Prelude to the Battle of Plattsburgh" opened in March 2012 and presents the events leading up to the battle in chronological order.

The museum is open Wed-Sat. 10 AM to 3 PM at 31 Washington Road, Plattsburgh, New York.

--Brock-Perry

A Naval Pictoral of the War

From the Nov. 5, 2012, Niagara This Week "A Visual History of Naval Engagement"

A pictoral history of War of 1812 naval engagements consisting of more than 40 prints will be on display at the Grimsby Museum.  Most are by renowned marine artist Peter Rindlisbacher.

They cover actions in the Great Lakes Basin: Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and were on display until November 25th. 

The museum is located at 6 Murray Street in Grimsby, Canada.

Oops, missed It.  Maybe the artist has a website?

Always Very Interested in the Naval Actions of Any War.  --Brock-Perry