War of 1812 Vet Fought at Battle of Gettysburg-- Part 2: John Burns

Many 69-year-olds would be content to spend their golden years taking it easy, but not John Burns.

John Burns fought in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War and even tried to work as a supply driver for the Union Army in the Civil War, but was sent back to his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  That's when the war came calling on him.

Burns was considered "eccentric" by the rest of his town.  When soldiers of Confederate General Jubal Early captured Gettysburg, Burns was the constable and jailed for interfering with Confederate military operations. When the Confederates were pushed out of town, Burns began arresting stragglers for treason.

In the morning of July 1, 1863, as the battle began unfolding, he picked up his flintlock musket and offered his services to the beleagured Union soldiers.  He borrowed a more modern musket from a wounded Union soldier then walked over to the commander of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry and asked to join the regiment.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Vet Fought at the Battle of Gettysburg-- Part 1

From the Military.com site "This War of 1812 veteran saw the Battle of Gettysburg from his front porch -- then joined it" by Blake Stilwell, We Are the Mighty.

There have been veterans who have served  from WW II, the Korean War and then Vietnam.  But that was just the space of 24 years separating the beginning of World War II and Vietnam.  But what about a veteran who fought in the War of 1812, Mexican War and then the Civil War?  

That is a span of 50 years.

There was one man who did just  that.

His name was John Burns.

--Brock-Perry

Thirteen Gun Salute for Guernsey Military Hero Isaac Brock

From the October 13, 2022, BBC News.

A thirteen gun salute was fired from Castle Cornet in Guernsey for General Isaac Brock who died in 1812 while leading a Britishh, Cabadian and  First Nation army to victory over an invading American army.

The Guernsey-born British Army general became known as "The Saviour of Upper Canada."

The commemorations mark the 210th anniversary of his death.

Oliver Brock, a first cousin six times removed of General Brock, said his family had been looking forward to the event.  He said:  "The commemorations today are a part of what we can do to show our respect the man that a lot of people of Canada feel started their nationhood."

The Brock in my signoff refers to Gen. Isaac Brock.

--Brock-Perry

Mount Diablo Beacon Relit for Veterans Day-- Part 2

Continued from my Tattooed on Your Soul:  WW II blog.

The original lighting of the beacon dates back to 1928 and Charles Lindbergh.  Lindbergh lit the beacon to assist planes in the early days of commercial flight.  At  the time, the beacon was lit nightly, until December 8, 1941,  the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Following that fateful day, it wasn't relit until 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz,  Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces  during World War II, attended the ceremony on Mount Diablo's summit in commemoration of the survivors of Pearl Harbor.

He suggested that the Beacon be lit every December 7th to honor those who served and  sacrificed.

--Brock-Perry

What Is Going to Happen to D.C.'s Capitol Rocks?-- Part 2: And, the Corinthian Columns

Along with the Capitol's old Corinthian columns, the stones spent a short stint at the Capitol Power Plant where they remained until as late as 1972.

In the 1980s, the Corinthian columns were removed to the  the National Arboretum where they are still a popular, and officually sancioned tourist attraction.

The stones, on the othernhand were just dumped at Rock Creek Park.

Since then, they have become a beloved landmark for those who know.  Located beside the park offices, they are stacked haphazardly.  Last summer, fencing was put up around them.

Let's hope they can continue to stay where they are as long as they don't pose a danger to anyone.

--Brock-Perry

What Is Going to Happen to Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Stones?

From the August 16, 2022, Smithsonian Magazine "Is this the end of D.C.'s most-beloved hidden landmark?" by Ellen Wexler.

In the hills of D.C.'s Rock Creek Park, hundreds of stones are piled two stories high and have sat there for quite awhile with very few folks knowing about them.  And, they are not just regular stones.  They were once part of one of the most famous structures in the United States.

What makes these stones remarkable is that they were once a part of the United States Capitol, located about eight miles south of the park.

But soon, these stones' time at the park are going to come to an end.  Officials from the National Park Service have ordered them removed for safety, realignment and preservation purposes.

The stones date back to the early 1800s when thye Capitol underwent extensive restoration after Britrish troops set fire to the building during the War of 1812, causing devastating damage.  More than a century later, in the 1950s,  renovations led to the stones' replacement.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Madison, Iowa, Battlefield-- Part 2

In 2017, the Iowa Historical  Preservation Board approved the NLCHS' application for the War of 1812 Battlefield Park, which was then sent to the National Register of Historical Places through the National Park Service.

The designation that followed opened the door for more grant opportunities.

A monument marking the battlefield where 23 soldiers are buried was installed in 2019.  The granite monument includes a history of the military post on one side and the soldiers' names on another side.

A flag pole was also installed nearby and benches, sponsored with donations from families and individuals, were installed last year.

Next on the lkist of improvements will be walkways and landscaping.  They figure that will cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

Donations can be sent to the North Lee County Historical Society.

--Brock-Perry

New Sign in Fort Madison, Iowa, Announces War of 1812 Battlefield

From the November 2, 2022, Fort Madison (Iowa) Democrat by Robin Delaney.

The War of 1812 Battlefield Park between Fourt and Fifth Street on Avenue G in Fort Madison now has a new sign announcing its place in history for both residents and tourists.

A donation from the Fort Madison Lions Club along with contributions from individuals paid for the $2,000 sign.

The park and all is due in large part to the efforts of  Carol Foss.

Development of the battlefield park began several years ago with the purchase of the property for $50,000 by the North Lee County Historical Society  after a fundraising campaign.

The original Fort Madison battlefield site is located on the eastern half of the Sheaffer Pen property.  RSBR Investments LLC purchased the Sheaffer Pen property in 2014 to construct the east-end Dollar General, but the property was split in half, so that then historic battlefield land could be turned into into an educational tourism site.

--Brock-Perry

John Downes Had Another Son Who Died in the Civil War

Last month, I wrote a lot about War of 1812 naval officer John Downes.  He had two sons who were in the Civil War.  One was a naval officer, John A. Downes and the other was in the Union Army.

Henry Hill Downes was a private who enlisted on  August 11, 1862, in the 124th Illinois Infaqntry Regiment.

He died in Vicksburg, Mississippi,  26 September 1864,  of malaria.

--Brock-Perry

This Month in the War of 1812

From the American Battlefielld Trust 2022 calendar.

NOVEMBER 11, 1807

**  Great Britain passes the 1807 Orders of Council restricting international trade with France.

NOVEMBER 11, 1811

**  The Battle of Tippecanoe.

NOVEMBER 11, 1813

**  Battle of Crysler's Farm

NOVEMBER 21, 1806

**  Napoleon issues his Berlin Decrees.

NOVEMBER 27, 1812

**  Skirmish at Fort Erie

NOVEMBER 29, 1813

**  Battle of Autossee

--Brock-Perry

Siege of Fort Harrison-- Part 2: 'The Fort of the Two Presidents'

The Native American Confederacy continued their siege for eight days and were not able to capture the fort, despite their glaring numerical advantage.  In the end, their casualties were heavy, especially when compared with just three U.S.  fatalities.

The victory for the Americans promoted increased settlement in the area and the municipality that  that grew up in the immediate vicinity of Fort Harrison would latter be named Terre Haute.

Indeed, our city's foundation is a painful, though crucial  reminder that this land we call home has not always belonged to us.  It was annexed through military conquest toward the pursuit of statehood.  The first step to healing injustice is awareness.

If you would like to know more, a display at the Vigo County Histotry Center shows a detailed  model recreation of Fort Harrison as it would have looked in 1812 and was built by Boy Scout Troop 31 in 1966.

Visitors can view everything  from the barracks and store houses to even an original log used in the fort's construction.  

Fort Harrison is aptly called the "Fort of the Two Presidents."

--Brock-Perry

Siege of Fort Harrison

From the October 29, 2022, Tribune-Star "Historical treasure:  Historic model reveals history of Fort Harrison" by Matthew Higgins.

Tecumseh, the leader of the Shawnee Confederacy, allied his nation with neighboring Indian nations  to resist white settlement as he watched his people's ancestral lands being stripped from their hands one treaty at a time.  William Henry Harrison,  Indiana's first territorial governor, was tasked with making the area safe for white settlement as thousands of settlers moved in sought a new life for the territory.

Tragically, these two opposing aspirations could not exist in harmony and thus, conflict was born.

In order to protect white settlements and facilitate trade along the Wabash River, Fort Harrison was constructed.  The primary conflict that took place there was the Siege of Fort Harrison in September 1812.  Warriors of Tecumseh's Confederacy attacked the fort on the night of September 4.

Harrison was not present at the attack and the fort was commanded by another future U.S. president, Zachary Taylor.  His soldiers fought well and were able to fend off the Indians who surrounded the fort and slaughtered livestock in an attempt to starve the fort's defenders into surrender.

--Brock-Perry

One of John Downes' Sons Was a Naval Officer in the Civil War: John A. Downes

From Find-A-Grave.

JOHN A. DOWNES 

BIRTH:  25 August 1822, Massachusetts

DEATH:  21 September 1865 (aged 43), New Orleans, Louisiana.

BURIAL:  Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts

United States Navy officer, Civil War.  Entered naval service September 4, 1837.  Lieutenant in 1851 and commander in 1862.

Commnder of ironclad USS Nahant in attacks on Fort McAllister in March 3, 1863 and Fort Sumter on April 7,  1863, as well as assisting in the capture of the ironclad CSS Atlanta on June 10, 1863.

On July 1, 1965, he took command of the Gulf Squadron at New Orleans and was killed while in service.

--Brock-Perry

John Downes, USN-- Part 5: Around the World in the USS Potomac and End of His Career

Along the around the globe voyage, the USS Potomac became the first U.S. Navy ship to host sitting royalty, when the king and queesn of Hawaii came aboard.

When Downes arrived in Valparasio Chile, Jeremiah N. Reynolds came aboard.  He was an American explorer and author and served as Downes' personal secretary for the trip and wrote a book about his experience, "The Voyage of the United  States Frigate Potomac."

Downes'  sea service ended with this cruise.

On returning home, Downes was severely criticized for his actions in Sumatra, but President Jackson defended his actions, saying that what he did there would deter future aggression by the Malays.  However, that didn't come to pass because in August 1838, another American merchant ship, the  Eclipse, was attacked.  The United States responded with what is called the Second Sumatran  Expedition.

From 1837 to 1842, and again from1850-1852, he commanded  the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Harbor.  He died there on August 11, 1854.

--Brock-Perry

John Downes, USN-- Part 4: A Questionable Period and Making Sumatra Pay

Downes took command of the USS Macedonian in 1818 and set out on a three year show of American power to South America and beyond.  On this trip he decided to make some money giving protection, passage and banking to pirates, privateers and others.  He became quite rich from this.  I am surprised he was able to keep his rank in the Navy for doing this.

Regardles of this other stuff, John Downes became commodore of the Mediterranean Squadron and from 1828-1829, commanded the USS Java.

From 1832-1834, he commanded the Pacific Squadron.  In 1832, he went to the coast of Sumatra in the USS Potomac to avenge the attack on the American merchantman Friendship, of Salem, Massachusetts.  He attacked four Malay forts, killing all their defenders and then bombarded a village until it caught fire.

He then took the Potomac on an around the world voyage, becoming the second American vessel to circumnavigate the globe.  (The first was the USS Vincinnes, commanded by William B. Finch.)

--Brock-Perry

John Downes, USN-- Part 3: Cruising with the Essex and the Second Barbary War

Among the prizes taken by the USS Essex was the whaler Atlantic.  Captain Porter fitted it out as a cruiser and classified it as a sloop-of-war with twenty guns and named her Essex Junior.  The ship was placed  under the command of Lieutenant Downes.  The Essex and Essex Junior were both captured at the same time on 28 March 1814.

Downes was promoted to master commandant in 1813 and two years later commanded  the brig Epervier in the squadron under the command of  Stephen Decatur against Algiers.  On June 17, 1815, he assisted in the capture of the Algerian frigate Mashouda.  Two days later, the Eperviere and three smaller vessels captured the Algerian brig Estedio off Cape Palos.  

After the conclusion of peace with Algiers, Decatur transferred Downes to his ship, the USS Guerriere.

Downes also served on the Ontario and Independence before becoming a captain in 1817.

--Brock-Perry

John Downes, USN-- Part 2: Service in the First Barbary War and War of 1812

From Wikipedia.

Commodore John Downes (December 23, 1784-August  11, 1854) was a career naval officer, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.

John Downes was born in Canton, Massachusetts,  on December 23, 1784.  He served as  acting midshipman from September 9, 1800, and was appointed midshipman from June 1, 1802.  He rendered distinguished service during the  First Barbary War in  1804 on the frigate Congress and distinguished himself again on the frigate New York in a boat attack upon Tripolita feluccas (a type of ship).

In March 1807, he was made a lieutenant and served as executive officer for Captain David Porter on the USS Essex during her cruise in the Pacific during the War of 1812..  In an action off James Island (in the South Pacific) Downes was in command of the sloop Georgiana during the capture of three British whalers.

He also participated in the action off Charles Island (Galapagos Islands) before sailing to Nuku Hiva to assist in building America's first base in the Pacific Ocean.

--Brock-Perry

John Downes, USN-- Part 1

From Find-A-Grave

War of 1812 naval officer.

BIRTH:  December 1784, Canton, Massachusetts

DEATH:  11 August 1854, Charlestown, Massachusetts

BURIAL:  Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts

*******************************

From U.S. Navy Officers 1798-1900.

Midshipman:  1 June 1802

Lieutenant:  6 March 1807

Master Commandant:  24 June 1813

Captain:  5 March 1817

Died 11 August 1854

--Brock-Perry

Ceremony Is Tribute to War of 1812 Veteran William Burch

From the September 7, 2022, Observer (Fredonia, N.Y.).

The local Celea Sampson Cole chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812 will hold their first grave marking ceremony since receiving  their charter September 11, 2020.  The ceremony will be at Plot  E/30 Forest Hill Cemetery in Fredonia on Sunday.  The ceremony will honor William "Billy" Burch.

Burch is the 3X great grandfather of 1812 Daughter Sandra Johnson of Lakewood.  He was born November 19, 1787 in New York state.  He entered U.S. service in Cooperstown into the 23rd Infantry of the Regular Army on August 12, 1812, and served until February 1815.

He was stationed at Fort Niagara, Fort George and Sackets Harbor.

After the war, he settled in Pomfret and married Jemima Adams in November 1817.  He died  February 16, 1818 at the age of 33 in Randolph.

His Find-A-Grave site says he died  16 February 1881 at age 93.

(Fredonia was also the home of Civil War heroes Alonzo and William Barker Cushing.)

--Brock-Perry

River Raisin Massacre-- Part 12: 'Remember the Raisin' and Aftermath

This deliberateness of behavior from the Indians did not diminish, and perhaps intensified, the horror many survivors later described.  Indeed, the most vivid recollections related to to the systematic nature of the killings and treatment of the remains.

The battle ended in what was described as a "national calamity" by Major General, and later president of the United States, William Henry Harrison.  

It also left an impact on the broader American consciousness.  The Americans who pushed north to liberate Detroit went to destroying the British-Canadian-Indian coalition in the west at the Battle of the Thames, near present-day Chatham, Ontario, on October 5, 1813.

Fueled by the battle cry, "Remember the Raisin!" their massive victory sealed the War of 1812 in the western theater for the United States, claimed the life of the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh, and resulted in the end the American Indian Confederation.

In an even broader sense, the aftermath of these battles resulted in the implementation of the U.S. policy of Indian removal from the Northwest Territory at the conclusion of the War of 1812, leading to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, a policy that continues to resonate today.

--Brock-Perry