Some More on Patrick Gass-- Part 7: Service in the War of 1812

With Jackson's Army, Patrick Gass had the option of enlistment in the U.S. Army for five years, which he took.  Of course, he also got a bounty of $100 for doing so. and then marched north under the command of General Edmund P. Gaines.

Gass was at Fort Massac in Illinois in 1813; and the 1st of July 1814 found him at Pittsburgh, in a battalion under the command of Colonel Nichols, with the Northern Army, which was under the command of General Jacob Brown.

He took part in the assault on Fort Erie, and was conspicuous for his bravery in the Battle of Lundy's Lane, where he was attached to the  21st regiment under the command of the gallant Colonel James Miller.  Gass is said to have distinctly remembered hearing Miller's memorable  answer, when ordered by General Ripley to capture the British battery:  "I will try, sir."

Gass shows up gallantly  in a sortie made August 17 when he was entrusted with the duty of spiking the enemy's guns.  His selection for such duty, requiring cool  courage, was a high compliment to the sergeant and shows the estimation  in which he was held.

He was discharged  at Sackets Harbor in June 1815, and once again returned to Wellsburg.

His military career was now over.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Lundy's Lane

From Wikipedia.

This was where James Miller, who I have been writing about, gained his nickname, The Hero of Lundy's Lane.

Fought 25 July 1814 at present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario.  It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and one of the deadliest events ever to take place in Canada.  It ended as a tactical draw, but a British strategic victory because the Americans suffered so many casualties.

The United States losses were 174 dead, 572 wounded, 79 captured and 28 missing, for a total of 853 casualties.  Two of the American commanders, Jacob brown and Winfield Scott were wounded and Eleazor Ripley was killed.

The British lost 84 killed, 559 wounded, 169 captured and 55 missing for a total of 878.

Forces engaged were 3,500 for Britain and 2,500 for the United States.

--Brock-Perry

Texas War of 1812 Veterans-- Part 17: Colonel Eleazor Louis Ripley Wheelock

COLONEL ELEAZOR LOUIS RIPLEY WHEELOCK (March 31, 1793 to April 20, 1847)

Buried at the Texas State Cemetery.

Born in New Hampshire, the grandson of the founder of Dartmouth College.  Officer in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War and the War for Texas Independence.

Founder of the town of Wheelock in Robertson's Colony.

Captain in the Texas Rangers.

Quite a list of accomplishments for this man.

I have also already written about a General Eleazor Wheelock Ripley in this blog and I imagine these two men have to have had some relationship.

--Brock-Perry

James Poage, Founder of Ripley, Ohio-- Part 3: Ripley, Not Staunton

Kentucky was admitted to the United States as a slave state and Ohio as a free state.  Ripley, following James Poage's lead,became a major stop on the Underground Railroad, also because of the town's location on the Ohio River.  Once across that, runaway slaves were somewhat safe.

Poage initially called Ripley Buck's Landing and a few months later decided it could be a good place to establish a town.  He surveyed it, cleared it and plotted it, deciding it would be named in honor of the town he was born in in Virginia, Staunton.

James Poage was well-known for his dislike of slavery and like-minded people began moving there.  By 1816, the town had 100 residents, but they found there was already a town in Ohio named Staunton, so the name was changed to honor War of 1812 General Eleazor Wheelock Ripley.

--Brock-Perry

Brown County and Ripley, Ohio's War of 1812 Connections

From Wikipedia.

Brown County was created in 1818 and named for Major General Jacob Brown, a War of 1812 officer who was wounded at the Battle of Lundy's Lane.  Also at the battle were Winfield Scott and Eleazor Ripley.

An early resident of Ripley, Ohio, (located in Brown County) was Col. James Poage, an American Revolution veteran who arrived in 1804 from Virginia to claim his 1000 acres he had been granted for his war service in what was called the Virginia Military District.  (This was the reason why William Stephenson, Mills Stephenson's father, came to the area.)

Pouge laid out the town of Staunton in 1812 and it was renamed in 1816 to honor General Eleazor Ripley, a hero of the War of 1812.  being located on the Ohio River, it became a major destination for runaway slaves.

--Brock-Perry

Eleazor Wheelock Ripley-- Part 3: War of 1812

Eleazor Ripley was wounded at York and also participated in the battles of Sacketts Harbor and Crysler's Farm.

In April 1814, he was promoted to brigadier general and commanded the Second Brigade of Major general Jacob Brown's Left Division in the Niagara Campaign.  At the Battle of Lundy's Lane, his brigade captured and held British cannons until the Americans could withdraw.  However, Brown accused Ripley for losing those guns.  Ripley demanded and got a court martial to clear his name.

He briefly commanded Brown's division during the Siege of Fort Erie after Brown had been wounded at Lundty's Lane, but he was replaced by Brigadier general Edmund Pendleton Gaines.

Ripley was conspicuous in the repulse of the British assault on Fort Erie on August 16 and the American sortie from the fort on September 17, 1814, where he was wounded again.  he was awarded the Congressional Gold medal for his action at Fort Erie.  This was the precursor of the Medal of Honor.

Ripley later moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1815 and left the Army in 1820.

--Brock-Perry

Eleazor Wheelock Ripley-- Part 2: From Maine/Massachusetts

From Wikipedia.

Born 1782 and died March 2, 1839.  American soldier and politician.  Eventually rose to the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army and was a U.S. representative from Louisiana 1835-1839.

Born in New Hampshire, he was the grandson of Eleazor Wheelock, founder of Dartmouth College.  He graduated from there in 1800 and practiced law in Maine (a part of Massachusetts at the time).  he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1810-1811 and Senate in 1812.  (He probably opposed the War of 1812 as most of New England did.)

After the outbreak of war, he organized the 21st U.S. Infantry Regiment and was given the rank of lieutenant-colonel.  Promoted to colonel and commander of the regiment in March 1813, most of his soldiers were from Maine and Massachusetts.

--Brock-Perry

Eleazor Wheelock Ripley-- Part 1: Hero at Fort Erie

From History of the 21st U.S. Infantry 1812-1813.

Like the last person I wrote about, William Goldsmith Belknap, who was another officer involved in the operations at Fort Erie, Upper Canada during the War of 1812.

Colonel of the 21st U.S. Infantry, Eleazor Wheelock Ripley led troops at the September 17th sortie from Fort Erie and cited for bravery and ability.  He received a severe wound and had to go to Buffalo where he recuperated for three months. where he hovered between life and death.

Congress voted him its thanks and he received a Gold Medal.

--Brock-Perry