The Same USS Chesapeake

For some reason, I never put the USS Chesapeake that I wrote about on the last post as the one "victimized" by the HMS Leopard, together as being the same USS Chesapeake which was forced to surrender to the HMS Shannon during the War of 1812 and cost the life of its captain James Lawrence but who uttered the famous Navy words, "Don't Give Up the Ship."

The USS Chesapeake was launched in 1799, so I was wondering why eight years later it wouldn't be quite the seasoned warship.  But, I went to Wikipedia and found out it was coming out of an extended ordinary stay, the term used for "mothballed" back then, so had a new crew and was definitely not in top fighting shape when it was stopped and forcibly boarded.

Quite the Duh for Me.  --Brock-Perry

Trouble On the High Seas-- Part 2: The "Leopard" and the "Chesapeake"

In 1807 the American warship Chesapeake was leaving the Virginia coast when the British ship Leopard came up from behind and gave a signal.  The Chesapeake took in sail and slowed down, and a British naval officer went over in a small boat.  He had orders to arrest a British sailor who, he said, was aboard the Chesapeake.

The American captain told him that the sailor he wanted was not aboard the ship, and he would not let him make a search.  The officer went back to the Leopard, and eight minutes later the British surprised the Chesapeake by firing at her.

The Chesapeake was a new ship, not ready for battle.  There were ropes and supplies all over her deck and only a few cannons were in place to fire.  The Americans were badly hit even before they could begin to shoot back.  After twenty men were wounded, the captain lowered his flag.  A British naval party came aboard, lined the crew of the Chesapeake, and found the man they were looking for.  They took him and three other seamen off the ship, and the Chesapeake went limping back to port.

Them's Fighting Words.  --Brock-Perry

Trouble On the High Seas-- Part 1: Make Treaties But Stay Out of European Wars

From the textbook "Adventures in American History"

Of interest to see how textbooks have covered the War of 1812.  This is one of the textbooks I used while teaching.

When Washington was President, his plan was to keep out of European troubles.  His policy was to make friendly treaties with the foreign countries but do nothing that might get the  United States into European wars.  That was John Adams' foreign policy, and it was Jefferson's too.

But after James Madison became President, war finally broke out between the United States and England.  It was the War of 1812.  This part of Chapter 11 is about the troubles between England and the United States that led to war between the two nations.

--Brock-Perry

Grave Site of 1812 Veteran Dedicated: John Whitmore

From the June 11, 2016, Register-Mail.

John Whitmore's grave at Clover Chapel Cemetery near Woodhull was dedicated and several of his descendants were there.

He was a private, born in 1790 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and married in 1816.  he had ten children.

The Illinois Society of the War of 1812 and the U.S. Daughters of 1812 presented the ceremony.

--Brock-Perry

Ten Strange Tales From America's Second War For Independence-- Part 4: T.J.'s Library

2.  Along with other buildings in Washington, D.C., the British also burned the nation's Library of Congress, consuming all the accumulated books.  Thomas Jefferson sold his 6,487 books to it in 1815 to settle debts he had incurred.

1.  Black refugees:  The British promised black slaves their freedom if they joined them and served.  Some 4,000 did.

After the war, they settled in Trinidad, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the West Indies.

--Brock-Perry

Ten Strange Tales From America's Second War for Independence-- Part 3: Dolley Madison's Red Dress

4.  Dolley Madison's red dress's origins have long been a question.  As the British approached Washington, D.C., she saved the red velvet draperies from the Oval drawing Room.  Eventually, evidently, she had them, or at least some of them made into a dress.

3.  Machias Seal Island is about 20 cares and lies between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada.  It was not mentioned in the Treaty of Ghent so there is some question as to what country it belongs.  Persons born here can claim dual citizenship.

--Brock-Perry

Ten Strange Tales From America's Second War of Independence-- Part 2: The Rockets Red Glare

7.  Hiram Cronk was the last surviving American veteran.  He enlisted in the New York militia in 1814 at age 14 and served for 100 days.  Death came to Mr. Cronk in 1905 at age 105.

6.  Like before the Civil War, there was a question about secession, when the New England states considered it.  They didn't think the Southern states had the right to secede 20 years later, though.

5.  The war marked the use of Congreve Rockets which gave rise to the National Anthem's "Rockets Red Glare."

--Brock-Perry

Ten Strange Tales From America's Second War For Independence-- Part 1: Big Role for Kentucky

From the December 5, 2015, Listverse by Debra Kelly.

Of course, you can find much more information at the site.

10.  Kentuckians accounted for 60 percent of the American casualties.  With a population of 400,000, some 25,000 served.  A total of 1,876 Americans were killed in battle and of that, 1,200 were from Kentucky.

9.  Laura Secord was Canada's Paul Revere.

8.  Uncle Sam came about because of the war.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Presentation Back in 2016 on Fort Edwards

From the January 8, 2016, Rock River (Illinois) Times  "Archaeological Institute hosts War of 1812 presentation."

The Rockford Society of Archaeological Institute of America held a free multi-media presentation on Archaeology on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Burpee Museum of Natural History at 737 N. Main Street.

The topic will be "The War of 1812 and Rediscovery in Illinois:  Military Fort on the Mississippi River" and will feature Mark C. Branstner.  He will be speaking about the War of 1812 Fort Edwards near Warsaw, Illinois that has been rediscovered.

His talk will focus on the fort's rediscovery and recovered historical objects.

--Brock-Perry

A Horse Mystery at Fort Meigs in Ohio

From the January 3, 2016, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch "Archaeology:  Fort dig uncovered War of 1812 horse mystery."

Excavations in 2001 at Fort Meigs in Ohio found the bones of  a large draft horse and a smaller cavalry horse.  They were found together in a shallow grave southwest of the fort.  The area is being tested for a new museum.

The draft horse was wearing horseshoes.  The smaller one had just one and the other three were gone.

The larger horse had a broken neck and leg and might have been injured.  The smaller horse had a load of buckshot in its chest.  Was the buckshot from the British or perhaps used to kill the injured horse?

General William Henry Harrison wrote the Secretary of War that the army's horses suffered considerably during the British siege of Fort Meigs.  "Many were killed."

--Brock-Perry

Pieces of Fort Gratiot History

From the December 27, 2015, Lansing State Journal "From dorm site, pieces of Fort Gratiot history."

Baker College of Port Huron is planning a new dorm south of Blue Water Bridge on St. Clair Street, the fort's ditch.

The fort was erected in 1814 and used intermittently through the years until the 1870s.

Many artifacts have been recovered from the site, including uniform buttons of an 1854 artillery pattern, and 1834 infantry pattern and 1812 light artillery pattern.

Also an 1825 large cent and two complete clay bowls were found.

The moat was dug out for use on the fort's ramparts and was actually a dry moat.  The ramparts were topped with a wooden palisade.

Fort Gratiot was regarrisoned during the Black Hawk War in 1832 over concerns of a possible Indian attack.

--Brock-Perry

Burial Places of William Hull and Isaac Hull

From Find-A-Grave.

William Hull was put on court martial after his surrender of Fort Detroit and convicted of cowardice, neglect of duty and unofficerlike conduct.  President Madison commuted the sentence, though.

William Hull was born June 24, 1753 in Derby, Connecticut.  He died November 29, 1825 and is buried at East Parish Burying ground in Newton, Massachusetts.

Isaac Hull was born March 9, 1773 in Derby, Connecticut and died February 13, 1843, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

--Brock-Perry

What the Hull?-- Part 2: Court Martialed and Sentenced to Death

William Hull, his uncle, was also born in Derby, but in 1753.  He fought in the American Revolution.  In the War of 1812, he was a brigadier general commanding Fort Detroit and given the mission of invading Canada by President Madison.

He was defeated in this effort and even forced to surrender Fort Detroit on August 16, 1812.

For the disgrace, many felt the surrender was not necessary, William Hull was court martialed and condemned to death by a military President Madison who later commuted it.

William died in 1825 and Isaac 18 years later.

--Brock-Perry

What the Hull?-- Part 1: "Fame and Infamy

From the December15, 2015, Valley Independent Sentinel by Patricia Villers.

The War of 1812 was a mixed bag for the Hulls of the Valley.

Derby native Commodore Isaac Hull became famous as the commander of the frigate USS Constitution, but a campaign led by his uncle William Hull to take Canada from the British culminated in debacle and nearly got him hanged.

A presentation was made at the Derby Historical Society by Carolyn Ivanoff titled "Fame and Infamy for the Hulls of Derby in 1812."

Isaac Hull was born in Derby in 1773 on Commerce Street.  He received great acclaim for his battle with the British frigate HMS Guerriere.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Washington-- Part 4: Use in World War II

A concrete platform in front of the fort directed the fire of cannons built on disappearing carriages.  Many of these were later removed and shipped to France to be used as railroad artillery during World War I.

In 1939, Fort Washington was classified as obsolete without guns.  It was transferred to the Department of the Interior to be developed as a park.  But during World War II the fort was temporarily put back into military service.

In 1946, the temporary World War II-era administrative buildings were torn down and visitor facilities expanded.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Washington-- Part 3: Mines and Mortars

Due to ironclad battleship design in the 1870s and 1880s, Secretary of War William Endicott lobbied for a new system of coastal defense.  In 1890, a casemate was added alongside the fort.  Technicians in this reinforced bunker could electronically fire off underwater mines strung across the Potomac.

New offensive armament was also installed.  New 12-inch mortars were installed at Battery Meigs which could direct a plunging fire at the thinly protected decks of the new warships.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Washington-- Part 2: A Progression of Fort Architecture

It was quickly rebuilt after the war at the request of President Monroe.

Famed architect Pierre L'Enfant oversaw construction of the new brick and masonry fort in the shape of a star.  It had two layers of triangular bastions for overlapping cannon and musket fire.   Its guns were either inside the walls or on the top of the parapet.

The fort remained that way through the Civil War.

It was continually expanded upon in the 19th and 20th centuries.  Looking at the fort, one can see the continuous progression of generations of military fort defensive architecture.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Washington-- Part 1: Defender of Washington, D.C.

From the December 30, 2016, Atlas Obscura.

Built on the Potomac River downriver from Washington, D.C. to guard the southern approaches to the U.S. capital city.  At one time, it was the only defensive fort for that city.

In the War of 1812, 4,000 British soldiers (so-called Waterloo Men for their recent service against Napoleon) landed on the Patuxent River and marched in a wide arc around Fort Washington.

Three days later, British warships bombarded the fort.  Its commander, Captain Dyson and his small garrison retreated and blew up the fort's magazine thus destroying the fort.  He later received a court martial for this action.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of New Orleans' Ephraim Brank-- Part 9: "The Ballad of Ephraim Brank"

Ephraim McLean Brank

Even though the British officer evidently took Ephraim Brank to be a man of the frontier, and one used to hard living, Brank actually lived in a very comfortable house in Greenville.

He was promoted to lieutenant after the battle.  The very spot he stood upon at the Battle of New Orleans is not known as Line Jackson was completely dismantled.

"The Ballad of Ephrain Brank" was composed in his honor.

--Brock-Perry

Anniversary of Isaac Hull's Death Today

While doing research of William Hull and Isaac Hull today, I found that War of 1812 American hero Isaac Hull died on February 13, 1843, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He was the commander of the USS Constitution in her famous battle with the HMS Guerriere.

--Brock-Perry