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

Hamilton Markers: The Scourge and Hamilton

From HMdb.

"HAMILTON-SCOURGE PROJECT
WAR OF 1812 NAVAL MEMORIAL GARDEN

"We honour here fifty-three sailors who lost their lives  when their ships, HAMILTON and SCOURGE, capsized during a storm in the early morning hours of Sunday, 8th August 1813.  These two armed merchant schooners lie in  90 metres of water, 30 kilometres northeast of this site, intact, and perfectly  preserved with their guns and equipment still in place.

"A replica of the foremast of the SCOURGE is flanked by  fifty-three markers similar to those in Allied military cemeteries throughout the world."

These two ships were American.

--Brock-Perry

National Designation Sought for HMS General Hunter-- Part 3

The excavation revealed much of the lower part of the hull, charred timbers, a small swivel cannon, iron nails and spikes, cannon balls, lead shot, a bayonet, ceramics, spoons and military buttons.

These artifacts are now on display at a 3/4 replica built at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Center.  It's flag, captured in battle, is today displayed at the recently commissioned naval base at Windsor.

About 35% of the hull remains and has been covered up again for preservation.  The wood is white oak and in excellent condition.  A plaque marks its location.

Last month, Ken Cassavoy applied to Park Canada's Historic Sites and Monuments Board to get national historic site designation like that of the USS Scourge and Hamilton.

"It will raise its profile to a large degree."

--Brock-Perry

Canada Commemorates U.S. Sailors in the Scourge and Hamilton

From the August 1, Hamilton paper "Hamilton, Scourge Commemoration Sunday at Confederation Park" by Gord Bowes.

The City of Hamilton, Ontario will commemorate the sinking of two U.S. Navy schooners in Lake Ontario at the Hamilton & Scourge Naval Memorial Garden in Confederation Park.

Fifty-three Americans died early on the morning of August 8, 1813, when a sudden storm sank their ships.  It was the largest loss of life in a single event for the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.

The ships are still there, 300 feet down and their site has been designated a Canadian National Historic Site and is a designated underwater archaeological site requiring special protection under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The City of Hamilton owns the vessels and is responsible for their stewardship and long-term management.

Thanks, Canada.  --Brock-Perry

Hamilton and Scourge Sinkings Marked

From the September 20, 2013, Spec.com.

There will be a free day-long event at Dundurn Park in Hamilton, Canada,  to mark the 200th anniversary of the sinking of these two American schooners.

A ceremony took place in early September on a Coast Guard ship over where the two ships sank in the storm in 1813.

--Brock-Perry

USS Hamilton and Scourge Shipwrecks "An Archaeologist's Dream"

From the Dec. 6, 2012, CBC "Hanmilton's War of 1812 shipwrecks 'an archaeologist's dream."

The USS Hamilton and USS Scourge are aging well beneath Lake Ontario. The American schooners are 90-meters deep and 10.5 kilometers off Port Dalhousie and owned by the City of Hamilton since 1980. 

The entire site of the wrecks has been mapped and archaeologists want to recover artifacts. The wrecks are currently being colonized by a relative of the invasive zebra mussel and a mapping survey is underway.

Both ships were originally involved in the merchant trade before becoming U.S. warships. A sudden fierce squall after midnight on August 8, 1813, sank both ships quickly. They were first discovered in the 1970s and both sit upright and intact.

 Not the USS Constitution. --Brock-Perry

Rogue Diving On the Scourge and Hamilton

From the Oct. 18, 2013, Toronto Spec.ca.

"Rogue divers visit shipwreck sites" by Mark McNeil.

Six divers made ten dives to the USS Scourge and USS Hamilton between 2000 and 2002. They were all experts in deep-water diving and refer to themselves as the MAREX group.

The two American ships are located 92 meters deep about 11 kilometers from Port Dalhousie. Both ships sank in a violent storm in August 1813 and were discovered in 1973 by Dr. Dan Nelson, an associate archaeologist at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

Since then, ownership of the ships has shifted from the U.S. Navy to the ROM and now to the City of Hamilton, Canada.

Diving on the ships is strictly illegal, as they are also considered war graves, but the group figured it would be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Eight dives were made on the Hamilton and two on the Scourge. Neither ship had any radio security until 2004-2005.

They Are Protected by the Ontario Heritage Act. --Brock-Perry

The USS Hamilton

Wikipedia

The other ship that sank in the August 8, 1813, by Hamilton, Canada.  A schooner built in Oswego, New York as the  merchant ship Diana.  Purchased by the US Navy Oct. 21, 1812 for use in Lake Ontario based out of Sacket's Harbor.  Named after US Secretary of Navy Paul Hamilton.

Weighed 76 tons and mounted eight 12-pdr. carronade, one 24-pdr. and one 32-pdr.

Both ships contain human remains and are considered war graves.

Brock-Perry

The USS Scourge

From Wikipedia.

Wednesday, I wrote about sailors from the USS Scourge and USS Hamilton which sank in a storm in Lake Ontarion, being honored.

I never heard of either ship, so Wiki here I come.

The USS Scourge was converted into a warship from a captured merchant schooner. It had been boarded and taken by the USS Oneida June 5, 1812 and confiscated under the Embargo Act of 1809.  This was two weeks before war was declared.

It was taken to Sackets Harbor and refitted with four 6-pdr guns and joined Captain Isaac Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario.

On Aug. 18, 1813, it was sunk in a sudden squall that hit at 2 AM near Fourteen Mile Creek near present-day Hamilton, Canada.  More than 80 died between it and the Hamilton.  Only 16 survived, eight from the Scourge.

In 1976, the wreck was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Of interest, the original owners of the ship when it was captured by the Oneida demanded compensation for its seizure and on July 11, 1817, the Court of the Northern District of New York decided that it was seized illegally, but the money to pay for it was embezzled by the clerk of the court and the owners got nothing.

Ninety-five years later, the owners' descendants again pursued compensation and received $50,000 plus 93 years interest.

Never Give Up the Ship.  --Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Sailors Honored

From the September 26, 2012, Sachem & Glanbrook Gazette.

On September 20th, the HMCS Star, HMCS Ville de Quebec and USS Hurricane were in the background as 53 sailors who died when the ships Hamilton and Scourge sank in Lake Ontario, the largest loss of US Naval personnel during the war.

On August 8, 1813, a sudden squall sank the ships within minutes.

The wrecks were discovered using side sonar in 1973, 290 feet deep.  Dives were made on the ships in 1980, 1982 and 1990.

The Canadian city of Hamilton took ownership in 1980 after the US Navy passed ownership to the Royal Museum in Toronto.

A Fitting Memorial.  --Brock-Perry