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

Talking About Old Fort Jackson, Savannah-- Part 1: Was It Named After Andrew or Stonewall?

 From the May 18, 2022, Bluffton, Today (S.C.) "Harrell:  Sit on the Shore and watch the boats go by" by Annelore Harrell.

She lives on the north side of the Savannah River, her friend lives on the south side of it.  They wanted to get together so settled on this old fort located in the middle between them.

This fort was not named after Stonewall Jackson or even Andrew Jackson .  The fort in question was named after  James Jackson.  Who?

James Jackson came from Devonshire, England, in 1722 and studied law and became an avid Patriot for independence and involved in the American Revolution.  He had quite the temper and was an expert with the sword.  He also got involved in the political world and had more "than one brouhaha, most notably the Yazoo land deal."

James Jackson was governor of Georgia, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate as well as quite a war hero.  Admiring citizens  of Georgia gifted him a house near Reynolds Square in Savannah.

I Always Thought It Was Named for Andrew Jackson.  --Brock-Perry

Did a Tornado Save Washington, D.C. in the War of 1812?-- Part 1

From the May 7, 2022, SOFREP.com "Did a tornado save Washington, D.C. from being razed to the ground?"

On the night of August  24, 1814, British troops entered the nation's capital with the intent of destruction.  They set fire to the U.S. Capitol and what is now known as the White House.

The U.S. Capitol survived, though the Senate wing was badly damaged since it was the oldest part of the structure with wooden floors and the books and manuscripts of the Library of Congress.

Washingtonians were used to scorching summer heat and damaging storms.  The day of the invasion, the temperature was at 100 degrees, excellent conditions for the burning of the city.  Much of the city was aflame as the British continued their destruction.

But, the skies began to darken and there was sharp  lightning accompanied with loud claps of thunder.  The people of D.C. knew what was coming and that was a big storm.  They took shelter but the British didn't.  England gets plenty of rain, but usually without the storm.  And, a big one, as it turns out, was on the way.

--Brock-Perry

Alexander Cortee Hanson-- Part 3: After the Baltimore Riots

I had never heard of the Baltimore riots of 1812 before until I found out about Mayor  Edward Johnson of Baltimore's role in it.

After the Riots:  A Political Career

In 1812, Hanson was elected  as a Federalist representing the 3rd District of Maryland to the 13th and 14th Congresses, serving from  March 4, 1813, until he resigned in 1816.  he also became a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815.

In 1816, he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Maryland House of Delegates, but was elected as a Federalist to the U.S. Senate to fill the tenure of Robert Goodloe Harper who had resigned.  He served that post from  December 20, 1816,  until his own death on his estate "Belmont"  near Elkridge, Maryland.  (This  place still stands.)

In 1805, he was married to Priscilla Dorsey.

--Brock-Perry

Samuel Smith-- Part 5: His Statue

Samuel Smith's statue is at Federal Hill.  The monument was dedicated on July, 4, 1918. and was created by sculptor Hans Shuler.  From 1918 to 1953, it was located in Wyman Park at Charles and 29th Street.  In 1953 it was moved to Pratt and Light Street and finally moved top its present location in 1970.

From HMDB

Inscription:    "1752-1839   Under his command the attack by the British upon Baltimore  by land and sea Sept., 12-14, 1814 was repulsed.

 "Member of Congress forty successive years, president U.S. Senate, Secretary of the Navy, Mayor of Baltimore."

Quite a Busy Man.  --Brock-Perry

Battle of New Orleans' Ephraim Brank-- Part 2: War Hawks

Even though the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war, had been signed near the end of 1814, the war wasn't officially over until the United States Senate ratified it and it was signed by President Madison.  Because of the slowness of travel, that didn't happen until February 16, when the Senate ratified it.  President Madison signed it the next day.

The war ended, essentially, in a tie.  Both sides were where they were at the beginning.

But, it was over.

Kentucky's Henry Clay was a leader of Congress's War Hawks, meaning those pushing for a war with Britain.  They were especially strong on the western states where the British stood in the way of expansion plans with their backing of the Indian resistance.

--Brock-Perry

Tennessee's George Washington Campbell-- Part 1: Senator to Secretary of the Treasury

From the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.

(1768-1848)

Served as U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator and Secretary of the Treasury during the War of 1812, Ambassador to Russia and U.S. District Court Judge of Tennessee.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1811 on a platform advocating war with Britain, he was a leading War Hawk (those who wanted war) and served as chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs.  In 1812, he married  Harriet Stoddert, daughter of Benjamin Stoddert, Secretary of the Navy in Jefferson's cabinet.

On February 9, 1814, he resigned from  the Senate to accept the position of Secretary of the Treasury in Madison's cabinet.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: U.S. Senate Ratifies the Treaty of Ghent: The War Is Over!

FEBRUARY 16TH, 1815:  The U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Ghent.

On February 16, 1815, President James Madison sent the Treaty of Ghent to the U.S. Senate which unananimously ratified it.  With the ratification of it, the War of 1812 was officially over.  The senators were very relieved the war was finally over.

The treaty, however, accomplished none of the United States' original objectives.

The Treaty of Ghent had been signed in Ghent, Belgium December 24, 1814 and was soon afterwards apprived by the British Parliament.  It took six weeks for news of it to reach North America and Washington, D.C..

As part of the approval, the British had insisrted that the U.S. Senate either approve or disapprove it with no amendments.

The following day, Secretary of State delivered the signed document to the British minister in Washington, D.C..

End of the War.  --Brock-Perry