Andy and Clarksville-- Part 3: "Old Hickory"

In February 1813, Andrew Jackson learned that the War Department had ordered him to disband his army and send them home.  He refused to do that and said he'd would instead lead them back home himself.

He them marched them back to Tennessee and was really hard on his force, so tough that the men said he was "Tough as Hickory," from whence he got the name "Old Hickory."

Once back in Nashville, he got involved in a duel as a second between Jesse Benton, Thomas Hart Benton's brother and William Carroll (Later Tennessee governor).   The duel fortunately did not result in any deaths.

Later there was a free-for-all fight between Thomas Hart Benton and Jackson.

Boys Will be Boys.  --Brock-Perry

Clarksville and Andy-- Part 2: Andrew Arrives in Town

On January 13, 1813, Andrew Jackson arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee, on the first of 13 boats carrying infantry on their first leg of a voyage down the Mississippi to stop the British in the Gulf of Mexico area.  Cavalrymen, including 31 from Montgomery County were moving overland to join him.

Jackson's quartermaster, Thomas Hart Benton, was in Clarksville and reputedly brandished a bayonet on local merchants to get them to sell 160 barrels of flour.  They did, but Benton ended up paying $8 a barrel instead of the current going rate of $5.50.

Jackson then continued on his journey, finally arriving at Natchez, Mississippi, where he received rumors that the British were amassing 14,000 troops in the West Indies for the purpose of capturing New Orleans.

Jackson prepared to go there to defend the city.

Clarksville, Tn., and Andy in the War of 1812-- Part 1: British meddling In Indian Affairs

From the November 2, 2014, Clarksville (Tn) Leaf-Chronicle "Remember When: Andy and Tennessee in the War of 1812" by Rubye Patch.

The last two posts were about Tennessee militia leaving Clarksville to go to fight with Andrew Jackson at New Orleans at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.  A marker was placed by where they left Clarksville for their river trip.

As it turns out, in this article, the general and militia had left from the same place the year before in what ended up as a move down the Mississippi that was ordered back by the U.S. government.

A big reason for the War of 1812 was British meddling with American Indians and getting them to resist and fight white settlers moving into their territory.  This was a huge reason Tennessee supported the war.

--Brock-Perry

Marker Dedication in Tennessee-- Part 2: Sponsored By the Andrew Jackson Foundation

Later, there will be a talk by Dr. Tom Kanon, archivist of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, and author of "Tennessee At War, 1812-1815."

The free presentation is sponsored by the Andrew Jackson Foundation and is just one of the events taking place throughout Tennessee in commemoration of the 250th birthday of the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Jackson was born March 15, 1767 and died June 8, 1845.

--Brock-Perry

Marker Dedication in Tennessee-- Part 1: With Jackson to New Orleans

From the October 4, 2017, Clarksville (Tn) Online  "War of 1812 talk, marker dedication set for October 15th."

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Arts and Heritage Council along with the Customs House Museum will unveil a historical highway marker commemorating Clarksville's role in the War of 1812.

It will be placed at Riverside Drive near the site where Tennessee militia boarded flatboats for the long journey to fight with Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans.

The marker will be unveiled between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Customs House Museum.

--Brock-Perry

N.C.'s War of 1812 Personalities-- Part 4: Otway Burns and Johnston Blakely

OTWAY BURNS--  From Onslow County.  Ship captain and shipbuilder.  Licensed privateer operating along the Atlantic Coast and captured many British ships and supplies.

JOHNSTON BLAKELY--  Lived in Wilmington and Pittsboro.  Attended UNC and went into a Naval career, commanded several warships.  Made quite a name for himself when he sailed around England during the war, destroying much British shipping.

On his last voyage, after capturing a valuable ship, he put a prize crew on board to take it to the United States and sailed east, but soon smoke was seen on the horizon and the fate of Captain Blakely and his crew are still unknown.

Later the N.C. General Assembly gave his young daughter a handsome tea service and provided money for her education.

--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

North Carolina's War of 1812 Personalities-- Part 2

Andrew Duppstadt will makes his presentation on the lives of five persons with North Carolina connections who played roles in the War of 1812.

The five are

Benjamin Forsyth
Dolley Payne Madison
Otway Burns
Johnston Blakely
Nathaniel Macon

I have written about many of these people in this blog.

--Brock-Perry

North Carolina's War of 1812 Personalities-- Part 1

From the October Newsletter of the Federal Point Historical Society.

On Monday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m., the Society will have a meeting and presentation at the Federal Point History Center at 1121A North Lake Park Boulevard, adjacent to the Carolina Beach, North Carolina, Town Hall.  (Carolina Beach is south of Wilmington.

Presenter will be Andrew Duppstadt, Program Development and Training Officer, Historic Weapons Program coordinator, N.C. Division of Historic Sites, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

He also used to have a blog on the Civil War Navy, which I miss a lot.  I still have one on the Civil War Navy.

His presentation is "North Carolina's War of 1812 Personalities."

--Brock-Perry

No Ontario Town Should Bear the Name of a Racist and Killer-- Part 2

A commemorative plaque to Jefferson Davis was removed from a Hudson's Bay Company building in downtown Montreal this past August.  Of course, Hudson Bay Company were not exactly righteous with Indians either.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that since 2015 to April 2017, at least 60 symbols of the Confederacy have been removed.

This group keeps close tally on Confederate monuments, especially those that remain and wants all taken down.  Kind of a racist thing if you ask me.

Amherst not only alienated the Native Peoples, but also the French Dominicans, Cubans and people of Martinique.

In 1760, during the French and Indian War, he captured Montreal, ending French rule in North America,

The Purge Comes to Canada.  --Brock-Perry

No Ontario Town Should Bear the Name of a Racist and Killer-- Part 1: Confederate Hatred Hits Canadian History

From the October 2, 2017 Huff Post by James Winter.

So, the Confederate hatred has reached Canada.

Jeffrey Amherst, of England, wanted to use small pox-infected blankets to eradicate Native American people.

His name is on Amherstburg, Ontario.  Amherstburg with its Fort Malden was a major British base during the War of 1812.

"Towns in the southern United States recently have torn down statues of bigots who promoted slavery."  We kind of know where Mr. Winter stands on the issue.

It would appear that Mr. Winter is a purgemeister.

This History Purge Thing Just Keeps Spreading.  --Brock-Perry

Col. Samuel Boyer Davis-- Part 2: Built Delamore Place

When Davis helped rescue the family of a French baron from the island of Santo Domingo during a 1792 slave insurrection, he met and fell in love with the baron's daughter Rose and they married.  Later they moved to New Orleans where he became a wealthy landowner.

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, he was commissioned a lieutenant-colonel in the 32nd U.S. Infantry and assigned to the task of defending the entrance to Delaware Bay, which included where he was born, Lewes.

He built an imposing home there he called Delamore Place outside of Wilmington, Delaware.

After the war, he lived in Philadelphia and was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature.

He is buried at the Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.

--Brock-Perry

Col. Samuel Boyer Davis, Defender of Lewes-- Part 1: A French Connection

From Find-A-Grave.

In my October 3, 2017, blog entry, I mentioned War of 1812 Lewes, Delaware defender Col. Samuel Boyer Davis having lived at Fisher's Paradise house in Lewes.

Some more information on him.

He was born in Lewes, Delaware, December 26, 1765 and died September 5, 1854 in  New Castle County, Delaware.

Davis developed a love of the sea at an early age and made many voyages across the Atlantic to France where he eventually joined the French Navy.

An Interesting Life.  --Brock-Perry

Work Continues On Quad-Cities Monument-- Part 2: Black Hawk Vs. Americans

A cleanup will be held October 11 and they are asking for help from the public.

They are also seeking monetary contributions to repair the low perimeter wall around the monument.

The Battle of Campbell's Island pitted Chief Black Hawk and his Sauk Indians, around 500 of them, against a group of American soldiers in small boats.  Sixteen Americans were killed and it is not known how many Indians.

Lt. John Campbell was in charge of the Americans.

The monument was erected in 1906 by the State of Illinois and  the DAR chapter and is a white granite obelisk with four plaques around the base.  One is a bronze relief sculpture of the battle.

--Brock-Perry

Work Continues on Monument in the Quad Cities-- Part 1

From the September 29, 2017, Quad-Cities Times  "Work continues on War of 1812 monument" by Alma Gaul.

The work on the bas-relief bronze sculpture depicting the Battle of Campbell's Island, created by sculptor Albert Louis Vander Berghen is nearing completion.

Volunteers from the Moline Chapter Mary Little Deere Daughters of the American Revolution have been making headway on the monument, located on Campbell Island in the Mississippi River.  They have also gotten the State of Illinois to blacktop and stripe the parking lot.

The Davey Tree Service has removed a dead tree and there is a new sidewalk around it.

--Brock-Perry

St. Michael and All Angels Church, England

French prisoners started construction of the church and it was finished by Americans as the Napoleonic Wars were over.  The first service was held in the church 2 January 1814.  Essentially, a lot of the reason the church was built was to provide the prisoners with something to do.

The last American prisoners left Dartmoor 10 February 1816 and the church was closed and locked.

During the time it was open, nearly 1,500 French and 218 Americans died at Dartmoor Prison.

In 1831, the local villagers reopened the church and services were held until 1994 when it was closed and offered for sale, but there were no buyers.  The Church of England's Historic Buildings Trust took it over and the steeple was restored and the structure waterproofed.  Work has also been done on the exterior.

At least it won't be lost.

--Brock-Perry

Dartmoor Prison and St, Michael Church-- Part 2: American Prisoners from Dartmoor Helped Build the Church

American prisoners started arriving at Dartmoor in 1813 and found the prison to be overcrowded, cold and damp.  Disease set in.  One American prisoner described it as, "an incredibly bleak place.  It is either rainy, snowy or foggy the entire year round."

As they were leaving, the couple were told to visit the church "up the road" because "your people helped to build it."  That would be St. Michael and All Angels Church.  So, the Americans who finished the church were from the infamous Dartmoor Prison.

--Brock-Perry

Dartmoor Prison and St. Michael Church-- Part 3: Stained Glass East Window

French and American prisoners from Dartmoor worked side by side to build the Church of St. Michael and All Angels from locally quarried granite and sits atop a high elevation.

There is a stained glass East Window tribute to the Americans who died at Dartmoor Prison in the church's tower.  Some 271 Americans are buried nearby, some in the church they helped build and others at the prison.

The church is not used anymore.  Its graveyard is overgrown.

--Brock-Perry

Dartmoor Prison and St. Michael Church-- Part 1: French, Then American Prisoners

From the Changes of Longitude: Just Go Already Blog.

Two Americans, Larissa and Michael, were visiting Dartmoor Prison on southern England.

Dartmoor is the only English prison museum.  They were told Americans were held there.  They figured perhaps during World War II and were greatly shocked when they heard they were imprisoned there in the War of 1812.  (I had never heard of it until I came across it in an earlier blog entry.)

Dartmoor was built in 1806, in part to get prisoners off the horrific prison ships.  The first prisoners were French from the Napoleonic Wars.  Later, they were Americans from the War of 1812.  The Americans were still considered to be traitors because  of the American Revolution and as such, French prisoners received  far better treatment.

So, this is the connection of the church and prison.

--Brock-Perry

St. Michael and All Angels Church in England-- Part 3: Stained Glass Window from USD1812

One of the church's windows is a beautiful stained glass one by Mayer of Munich which was installed in 1910 in memory of the American prisoners of war who helped build the church.  This window was partially funded by the donation of 250 pounds from the National Society Daughters of the War of 1812 as part of their ongoing work to commemorate those who died in the War of 1812.

The graves of some of those prisoners who died while in captivity are in the graveyard of the church.

The church was declared redundant in 1995 and vested by the Trust in 2001.  It is still consecrated and used for service occasionally.

--Brock-Perry

St. Michael and All Angels Church in England-- Part 2: Built By French and American Prisoners

Permission to construct a church at the site was given in 1812 by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty.  (You'd think the Anglican Church would be the one to ok the construction of the church.)  It was designed by architect Daniel Alexander and was initially built by French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars and finished by Americans captured in the War of 1812.

It is the only church in England to be built by prisoners.

The Americans were held until 1816 and then the church closed.

I had to wonder at this point, was the church itself a prison or was there a nearby prison?

--Brock-Perry

St. Michael and All Angels Church, England-- Part 1: Built By American Prisoners at Dartmoor Prison

In the last post, I mentioned the USD1812  (United States Daughters of the War of 1812) as supporting the preservation of St. Michael and All Angels Church in England.  Why would they be supporting an English church, I wondered?

Some more research was needed.

From Wikipedia

The Anglican Church of St. Michael (sometimes known as St. Michael and All Angels) in Princetown, Devon, England, was built between 1810 and 1814 and is on the National Heritage Trust for England and is built of granite.

And, here is the really interesting fact:  It was built by French and American prisoners.

--Brock-Perry

Another War of 1812 Marker-- Part 2: Supports Old Fort Niagara

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the cemetery on Angling Road in Corfu, New York, on October 7.

The chapter of the USD1812 marks grave site, assists veteran functions and donates to and supports various museums including Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown.  They also support the preservation of St. Michael and All Angels Church in England which were built by War of 1812 prisoners.

Membership in the USD1812 is open to all with an ancestor who gave civil, military or naval service to the United States between 1784 and 1815.

--Brock-Perry

Another War of 1812 Marker Dedicated-- Part 1: Hiram Sampson

From the September 27, 2017, Lockport (NY) Union-Sun & Journal "Daughters of 1812 ceremony open to the public."

The National Society United States Daughters of 1812, Niagara Frontier Chapter will dedicate a grave marker for Hiram Sampson on October 7 at Hillside Cemetery in Corfu.  The public is invited.

Chapter associate member Christine Holley is a direct descendant and will talk about him.

--Brock-Perry

Fisher's Paradise in Lewes, Delaware: Revolutionary War, War of 1812 For Sale, $2.3 Million

From the September 27, 2017, Delaware Online  "Fisher's Paradise: Lewes home to Revolutionary spy."

It is on the canal in Lewes.  Major Henry Fisher, the local "eyes and ears" of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution lived here at 624 Pilottown Road from his boyhood to death in 1792 at age 57.

During the Revolution, Fisher "monitored and bedeviled British ships by removing navigation buoys and erecting underground wooden "spike strips" and darkening the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.

The home was then sold to Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis, who lived there while he headed the defense of Lewes during the War of 1812.

And the 2,800 square foot home on an acre of land is on sale for $2.3 million.

Got $2.3 Million Lying Around?  --Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Grave Marked in Arkansas

From the September 26, 2017, Hot Springs (Ark.) Village Voice "Veteran of the War of 1812 grave marked."

The Baseline-Meridian Chapter United States Daughters of 1812 (USD1812) marked and dedicated another War of 1812 veteran's grave in Arkansas.  He was Jesse McClain and his grave is in Norris Cemetery in Yocana, Polk County.

The USD1812 was assisted by the DeSoto Trace, Sons of the American Revolution.

The USD1812 has identified approximately 750 War of 1812 veterans buried in Arkansas so far and less than 200 have been marked as veterans of the War of 1812.

More grave markings are planned for the remainder of this year.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of the Thames-- Part 8: Consequences for Henry Proctor

**  Henry Proctor was relegated to minor commands for the rest of the war.

**  His career was essentially over.

**  In May 1814, he was charged with negligence and improper conduct,

**  His court martial was delayed because of operational reasons.

**  It was finally held in December and the judge chastised him for his conduct of the retreat and he was suspended from rank and pay for six months.

**  He never held a senior command again.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of the Thames-- Part 7: Consequences

**  Proved to the First Nations that Britain had a lack of resolution toward them.

**  The coalition of First Nations Indians collapsed without Tecumseh and Stiahta.

**  Peace agreements were signed between Harrison representing the U.S. government and various tribes in a move to divide and nullify Britain's chief ally in the war, the First Nations.

**  Most of the prisoners the Americans took were interned in an encampment at Sanduskey, Ohio, and suffered greatly.

--Brock-Perry