Big 250th Birthday Bash for Patrick Gass in Wellsburg, WV

From the  June 12, 2021, WTRF "Wellsburg throws 250th birthday for historical figure Patrick Gass" by Aliah Keller.

It was the 250th birthday of Patrick Gass as well as the dedication of his military stone.

Gass, who once lived in Wellsburg, West Virginia, for over fifty years,  was a sergeant in the Lewis & Clark Expedition and published the first account of it in the early 1800s.  He is also a veteran of the War of 1812 and fought at the Battle of Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie.

The celebration on Saturday started off with a march and then a musket salute by the Tri-State Marine Corps.  re-enactors were there as were Gass' great-great grandchildren and their children.

--Brock-Gass

Patrick Gass-- Part 5: After the War of 1812

After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Patrick Gass worked at many jobs, first in Ohio and then in what is now West Virginia.

Still a bachelor at age 60, he accepted a construction job from a man named Hamilton, at Wellsburg,  and soon eloped with the man's 20-year-old daughter Maria.  The couple settled in a rented cabin and Gass began farming.

They had seven children, six of whom survived into adulthood.  When their last child was a baby, Maria died during a measles epidemic at age  thirty-six.

Patrick was then seventy-five, but raised the children alone.  Until nearly the end of his life, he walked four miles  into Wellsburg to pick up his mail.  He died  at age ninety-nine, the last member of the expedition to die.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass-- Part 4: No Problems and the War of 1812

Despite his duties as a non-commissioned officer, Gass sometimes joined  the expedition's hunting trips.  He experienced no outstanding  adventures on the journey,  and no major injuries or illnesses.  However, he did slip in a canoe and fell back across the  gunwale which invalided him off the Jefferson River and into Lewis' advance party that located the Shoshones in August 1805.

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AFTERWARDS

Gass stayed in the Army after the expedition and served in the War of 1812.  

At one point during the war, he worked  under Daniel Boone in the construction of a small, temporary fort on the Mississippi River known as Fort Independence, or "Cap-au-Gris."

At the Battle of Lundy's Landing, he suffered the loss of an eye and was discharged from the Army.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass & Corps of Discovery-- Part 3: Building Camp Wood, Fort Mandan and Fort Clapsop

There is no doubt that Patrick Gass was carpenter-in-charge for building Camp Wood, Fort Mandan and Fort Clapsop.  Only in his journal is found the dimensions and layout of Fort Mandan.  

At the Great Falls of the Missouri, Lewis assigned Gass  and blacksmith Shields to craft and  fit the interior braces of the iron boat, once they located suitable lumber.  In October  1805, on the Clearwater River in Idaho, Gass and three others repaired a canoe that had split open and doused the stock of trade goods.  While the "merchandize"  dried out on the 10th, they went to work and "at 1 oClock She was finished Stronger than ever" according to Clark.

When faced with the decision at the mouth of the Marias River, about which fork was the true Missouri, the captains first sent Gass and two men up the Missouri while Ordway and two others went up the Marias.  Gass marched only 6.5 miles, Ordway 10, and neither found the large expected waterfall.  Those two forays changed bo one's minds and the captains made their own separate and lengthier treks.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass & the Corps of Discovery-- Part 2: About Gass's Journal That Angered Lewis

He did not learn to read or write until he was a grown man, but he did keep an expedition journal -- as was required of all sergeants.  Unless he later reconstructed  the portion predating his becoming sergeant on August 4, 1804, he must have started it even earlier when the expedition set out on May 14.

In 1807, his journal was the first to be printed.  However, it was  rewritten into formal prose.  Gass' published journal maddened Meriwether Lewis, who had not yet  had his account published.  The captain raised a public fuss with exchange of angry letters between Lewis and the book's publisher, David McKeehan of Pittsburgh.  Lewis argued that Gass' journal was unauthorized.

Six other publishers soon picked up Gass's book.  As usual for the time, the publishers, rather than the author, were the ones who made the profit.

Gass's journal, for all its shortcomings was the only authentic account of the expedition  in print until Nicholas Biddle's paraphrase of the captains' journals came out in 1814.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass and the Corps of Discovery-- Part 1: Elected to Expedition Sergeant

From the Discovering Lewis & Clark site.

Along with this in formation on Patrick Gass, they have a day-by-day chronology on the Expedition, often written in William Clark's interesting spelling.

It says Gass was the Expedition's carpenter and the last surviving member.

He also became the sergeant of it by election.  A nominating  vote for replacement of Sergeant Charles Floyd was held at present-day Elk Point, South Dakota and nineteen of the group's 25 enlisted men voted for Gass as the replacement.  He must have been held in high esteem.

Pennsylvania-born Irishman Patrick Gasswas a career soldier signing up in 1799 at age 28 and wanted to join the Expedition when they arrived at his post at Fort Kaskaskia in Illinois, but his commander, Captain Russell Bissell wanted to keep him for his services as a carpenter, so Gass went to Meriwether Lewis who persuaded Bissell to let him join.

Gass had previously served in the Army Rangers and now was the expedition's third oldest member after John Shields (b. 1769) and Captain Clark (b. 1770)

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass-- Part 3: His Journal and Later Life

In addition to Lewis & Clark, he kept a journal of the groups adventures in the new country and 1807, his was the first to be published.  He named it "Corps of Discovery."  The book was first printed and distributed in Pittsburgh at $1.00 a copy.  It was later reprinted in England and translated into French and German.

A reprint is presently being sold by the University of Nebraska Press.  The University of Nebraska at  Lincoln  online version of the Lewis & Clark journals gives 220 entries to the Gass journal.

At the age of 60,  he married Maria  Hamilton, aged 20.  She bore him seven children (six of whom survived into adulthood over the remaining 15 years of her life.  They settled in Wellsburg, West Virginia, where he died at 99 years of age, the oldest surviving member of the expedition.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass, Lewis & Clark and War of 1812-- Part 2: Carpenter in Expedition and Tried to Enlist in Civil War

This is when Patrick Gass joined the Lewis & Clark Expedition to explore and map the new Louisiana Purchase territory.

His skill as a carpenter was very important to the undertaking. He led the construction of the Corps' three winter  quarters, hewed dugout canoes and built wagons to portage the canoes 18 miles around the Falls  of the Missouri.

On the return trip, Gass was given  command of the majority of the party for a short period while Clark and Lewis led smaller detachments on  separate expeditions.

After the expedition returned, he remained in the Army and served during the War of 1812 where he lost an eye at the Battle of Lundy's Lane.

With the coming of the Civil War in 1861, Gass had to be physically removed from a recruiting station at age 91 when he wanted to sign up to fight the rebels.

Quite the Man, But That's Not All.  --Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass, Member Lewis & Clark Expedition and War of 1812 Veteran-- Part 1

I'd never heard of him before.  Looks like another trip to good ol' Wikipedia.

PATRCK GASS

(June 12, 1771 to April 2, 1870)

Served as a sergeant in the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806).  He was important to the expedition because  of his service as a carpenter and he published the first  journal of the expedition in 1807, seven years before the first publication based on Lewis and Clark's journals.

He was born in Pennsylvania and began his military career in  1792 in a Virginia militia or ranger company stationed in Wheeling (now West Virginia) fighting Indians.  In 1794, he helped build the house of James Buchanan, Sr., near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and became acquainted with  the young future president of the United States, James Buchanan.

He joined the U.S. Army  in 1803 and served in Kaskaskia, Illinois, near St. Louis.

And, then he entered the history books.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812, American Revolution Events in June

From the 2021 American Battlefield Trust June calendar page.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

June 17, 1775--  The Battle of Bunker Hill (or do you say Breed's Hill?)

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WAR OF 1812

June 18, 1812--  U.S. declares war on Great Britain.  Then it was off to the races.  

The war is also known as "Mr. Madison's War" and "The Second American Revolution."

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass, Member of Lewis & Clark Expedition and War of 1812 Veteran

From the May 27, 2021, Weirton (West Virginia)  Daily Times  "Ohio Valley preserving  its history."

The Brooke County, West Virginia, commissioners  have announced that a military marker  will recognize a soldier who served in the early part of the 19th century.

Patrick Gass was a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and fought in the War of 1812 before settling in Wellsburg.  Gass, who lost an eye in the war; his wife, Maria, whom he married when he was sixty; and their family made their home in the Pierce Run area.  They are buried in  Brooke Cemetery.

His adventures and service  will be recognized at noon on June 12 when a marker  near the gazebo overlooking the Wellsburg Wharf is dedicated.  It will be a special day , featuring war re-enactors and descendants of Gass.  And, it will fall on the 250th anniversary of his birth.

There have been a few detours along the way to this latest recognition of Gass, whose bust and another marker are already located near the gazebo.  The latest  marker, which had been slated  to have been placed at his grave, had been damaged during shipping, but officials at the U.S.  Department of Veteran Affairs were able to provide a replica, which has been installed at the gazebo.

--Brock-Perry

Wayne County, N.C. in the War of 812

From the North Carolina  in the War of 1812 Blog "Wayne County Roster of Soldiers in War of 1812" contributed  by John Allen.

Muster Rolls of Soldiers in the War of 1812 and 1814.

Second Regiment, Sixth Company detached from  Wayne County.

David Watson, captain

David Wadsen, captain in return

M. Whitfield, 1st lieutenant

Wm. Killegrew, 2nd lieutenant

Hatch Whitfield, ensign

John Ammonds, cadet

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 3: A Great Day-Trip

You can visit Old Fort Madison in Riverview Park in the town of Fort Madison, Iowa.  There you'll see  what life was like on a frontier trading fort during the early days of our nation.    See what life was like for a soldier stationed there.

Experience a musket being fired by am interpreter in period garb.  Read through  historical documents from letters to receipts.

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ADDRESS:  716 Riverview Drive, Fort Madison, Iowa

ON LINE:  oldfortmadison.org

FUN FACT:  Fort Madison pre-dates the state of Iowa itself.  It is the site of the first settlement in what would later become Iowa.

KIDS:  The hands-on factor at Old Fort Madison makes it  perfect for kids.  They can feel a beaver pelt, try on uniforms and run and climb around the fort to let off some steam

Sounds Like Another Place in Iowa I'll Have to Visit.  --Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 2: Like a Wal-Mart and Downfall

Old Fort Madison became one of the most popular trading posts with the Native Americans where they could essentially buy anything they needed.

"It was pretty much like a Wal-Mart," said Eugene Watkins.  "The natives could get everything there from pre-made clothes to firearms and they  could get it at cost without  having alcohol pushed on them.

In return, the Indians got top dollar for raw materials like furs, lead and even feathers.

"One shipment to St. Louis contained 578 pounds of feathers traded by the Natives."

The demise of Fort Madison came during the War of 1812 when it was attacked several times mostly by  Ho-Chunk and Menomonee warriors.  

It is unknown how many  civilians, Missouri Territory militia, U.S. Rangers and Native Americans are buried at Fort Madison.  However, there are 21  soldiers and one Ranger buried there, making it the oldest military cemetery in Iowa.

Eventually, the fort was burned by soldiers after the trading became compromised.

--Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 1: A Major Indian Trading Post

From the May 24, 2021, Des Moines (Iowa) Register "Trip on a tankful:  Old Fort Madison 'an odd piece of American history" by Paula Reece.

A lesser-known piece of American history is the establishment of the United States  Government Factory System.  In response to the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis, government trading posts were set up as part of the payment to the Sac and Fox Nations for lands they gave to the United States.

To keep peace and good will, the government sold everything to the Indians at cost and offered high prices on Native goods.

What set the government  factories apart from private trading posts was the fact that no alcohol was sold.  One of the most successful government  trading posts was along the Mississippi River in what is today the town of Fort Madison, Iowa.

Eugene Watkins, site manager at Old Fort Madison, a replica of the original fort, says it is one of the most unique spots to visit in Iowa.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on Capt. Leverett H. Barnes

From the May 20, 2021, Lake County (Illinois) Journal "Memorial Day event planned in Antioch."

The public is invited to attend.

Through the generosity of Dave and David Moore of Strang Funeral Home in Antioch and Zoia Monument Company in Woodstock, the restored monument of Antioch's oldest-known war veteran, Capt. Leverett H. Barnes (1787-1872), a War of 1812 veteran, will be dedicated.

The broken, overgrown  and forgotten stone now appears as it did on the day it was placed, 149 years ago.

I have not been able to find any further information on him.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on Capt. Leverett Barnes

From Find-A-Grave.

CAPT. LEVERETT H. BARNES

BIRTH:   23 October 1787,   Stockbridge, Berkshire County,  Massachusetts

DEATH:   26 May 1872,   Antioch, Lake County, Illinois

BURIAL:  Hillside Cemetery,  Antioch, Lake County, Illinois

Section 2, Row 14

INSCRIPTION:  Died May 26, 1872, aged 84 years, 7 months, 3 days.

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Leverett was a captain in the War of 1812.  Stone is now lying flat and becoming more illegible each year.

It sure is.  I am glad they are going to do something about it.

--Brock-Perry

Antioch, Illinois, to Honor War of 1812 Veteran

From the May 29, 2021, Daily Herald (Chicago Suburbs) Antioch to dedicate monument for War of 1812 soldier."

A monument for Antioch's oldest-known soldier, Captain Leverett  Barnes, who served in the War of 1812, will be dedicated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 31, at Hillside Cemetery, Route 173 and Hillside Avenue.

The dedication is part of a Memorial Day service sponsored by Antioch  American Legion Post  748, Sequoit  VFW Post 4551 and the Lakes Region  Historical Society.

A reception will follow at the VFW Hall, 75 North Avenue.  In case of bad weather, the entire  event will be held in the hall.

I had no idea we had a War of 1812 veteran buried near us.

--Brock-Perry

Before There Was a Vietnam War Protest, We Had a War of 1812 Protest

From the History Site.

The first war to be declared by the United States, the War of 1812,  sparked one of the strongest anti-war movements in American history.  As a matter of fact, this anti-war protest almost went as far as certain states seceding from the United States.  Even stranger, these were the states MOST against the southern states seceding in the middle part of that century.

The Federalist Party held sway in the New England states and they especially opposed the war on economic and political  grounds.

New England Federalists  viewed the War of 1812 as a partisan crusade launched by  Democratic-Republican  President James Madison that would disrupt the region's  shipping and fishing industries.

Advocating states rights, the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut denied  use of their state militias in the service of :Mr. Madison's War."  As a matter of fact, Massachusetts even  attempted to negotiate a separate peace.

In December 1814, 26 New England Federalist leaders convened in the Connecticut capital of Hartford and threatened secession.  The Hartford Convention's proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution arrived in Washington, D.C.  just after news of the war's conclusion.

All this led to the eventual collapse of the Federalist Party amid charges of treason.

--Brock-Secessionist

Fort Worth's Namesake-- Part 4: His Death and All Those Namesakes

Ten forts were planned  between Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande River and the Trinity River, though only seven were built, including Forts Graham, Duncan and Lincoln.

In the spring of 1849, as William Worth's career continued to ascend,  San Antonio was struck by a deadly cholera epidemic.  Worth contracted the disease and died at the age of 55.  General William Harney then ordered the last fort , near the Trinity River, be named in honor of the fallen hero, Fort Worth.

Worth  was later buried in a tomb in what is now Worth Square in New York City, where a street is also named for him.

Several other cities and counties across the nation are also named for him.  Lake Worth, a small suburb next to Fort Worth, Texas, is also named for the general.  It now has a population of 5,000.

William Worth's most famous  namesake, Fort Worth, is now the fifth largest city in Texas with more than 900,000 residents.

--Brock-Perry