A Glimpse at History » War of 1812

Unwavering Rebels!

Savannah Meade — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:23:02 +0000

As late in the war as February of 1865, and the Southern Army is basically starving, a young Black Writer by the name of Thomas Morris Chester pens a few lines about what he witnessed at the cornfield on the Boulware plantation. He talked about how in between the Union and Reb lines, there was a cornfield and the Union Army watched as the Rebs went into the cornfield and ate the hard, bug infested corn for lack of anything else. They, the Union pickett lines, inturn, invited the Rebs into the Union lines where they were able to witness the colored troops eat fresh beef and soft wheat bread. They were asked to return to the Union at that point, and they would also be able to eat as heartily. They were then permitted to decide for themselves if they would return to their rebellious camps unharmed or desert. All commented that they would love to return to the Union, but did not wish to desert, but would “cheerfully give in their adhesion when the Southern people yeilded.” They then turned and return to their camp, “where the magnanimity of Major Hart…and the disposition of our colored troops to recieve them on deserting, were, no doubt, duly discussed.”

Starving, cold and already inclined to return to the Union, they remained faithful Rebels. What is it about honor, faith, and loyalty that we as a society to not possess as a whole any longer? I think this opens a discussion about the “IT” factor. They had “IT” and we don’t! What do you think?

1812 Battle of the River Raisin

Savannah Meade — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:33:56 +0000

The 195th Anniversary of the Battle of the River Raisin

January 24th starting at 10:00 a.m.

Tactical Demonstration at Monroe Sports Complex

Flag and Wreath laying ceremonies held at River Raisin

Battlefield vistor center will be open and a Public speaker will begin at 3:00p.m. at the Monroe County Historical Museum.

This renactment has been a popular event and vistors are encouraged to dress in period attire.

have a historical Day

Savannah

1812 Battlefield in Monroe County

Savannah Meade — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:30:53 +0000

Next week on Tuesday October 28 and Wednesday October 29 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Monroe County Community College there will be a forum where local residents can voice how they feel the battlefield should be developed and how they see it best helping to inprove Monroe’s economy.

Let’s all be there to make sure this Battlefield happens for this area in the best way possible so that we can benefit.

See you there!!!!!!!!!!

Have a historic day!!!

Savannah

Battle of Lake Champlain 1814 result

Savannah Meade — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:09 +0000

It was clear that MacDonough’s victory had stopped the British offensive in its attacks and that Prevost had accomplished�what the U.S. Government had not been able to accomplish so far during the war and that was bring Vermont into the war. MacDonough is remembered as the “Hero of Lake Champlain” and was promoted to Commodore and Macomb was later promoted to Major General and then Commanding General of the U.S. Army in 1828.

Also, because of this win, the U.S. was able to demand exclusive rights to Lake Champlain and deny British exclusive rights to the Great lakes. Coupled with the victory at Plattsburgh and the British failure at the Seige of Baltimore, which came a few days later, further denied the British territorial gains in the Treaty of Ghent.

To quote�Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill as to what�they believed the deciding moment of the�War of 1812 was…

Theodore Roosevelt�stated the�Battle of Lake Champlain was�the”greatest naval battle of the war”; and�Winston Churchill said it was a “decisive battle of the war.”

I think it could be concluded that two greatest minds of the 20th century, both with the ability to decide what their countries (Britian and U.S.) did militarily, concure that the Battle of Lake Champlain was probably the most important and decisive battles of the War of 1812.�

Battle of Lake Champlain 1814…cont

Savannah Meade — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:08:17 +0000

The Naval Battle:

MacDonough, knowing his fleet was out manned and out gunned, withdrew into Plattsburgh Bay using the time to continue training his sailors. All ships were anchored by the bow and the stern until Downie’s fleet reached the Bay on September 11th. At approximately 9:00a.m. he opened fire on MacDonough’s fleet. From the land, British land batteries opened fire, but Macomb held off the attack. Every vessel was engaged in the attack during which Downie was killed and MacDonough was knocked unconscious. Because the British was inexperienced, both in crew and by their logistics,� they had trouble dealing with the winds in the bay, and after only two hours of fighting,�the entire fleet had sustained serious damage. Both MacDonough’s flag ship the Saratoga, and the British flagship Confiance were among those sustaining serious damage.

MacDonough ordered the bow anchors cut and used other anchors to spin the Saratoga around. This action allowed him to present his undamaged ship sides, with new sets of cannons, against the badly damaged side of the British ships. He ordered portside guns to open fire, taking personal command of one of the cannons himself. The renewed fire was so devastating that Confiance was unable to return the fire, and soon lowered its colors. As most of the
British ships sat disabled or sinking in the bay, the British officers boarded the Saratoga and offered their swords to MacDonough. He did not take them, and instead,�ordered them to return their swords�to their scabbards (the sheath that holds the blade of the sword or dagger) at their side.

A very noble act? Some would consider it to be stupid or arrogant today, but then honor was a serious part of everyday life during this war, as was the concept of gentlemanly warfare.

War of 1812, the invasion during the battle of Lake Champlain

Savannah Meade — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:17:50 +0000

On September 4, Prevost began marching south. At Chazy, New York, the advance units made contact with the British. They began to have to fall back and as they did so, they set up road blocks, burned bridges and mislabeled streets to slow down the British forces. Meanwhile, Macomb’s forces worked hard to complete a series of forts and blockhouses circling Platsburgh, which were important in their defense strategy. (Its quite obvious at this point, a battle took much longer to get ready for, the building alone of these fortresses even in their most crudest of states took hand labor to accomplish) Prevost reached Platsburgh Bay on September 6, but he did not attack. Instead he waited for Captain Downie’s fleet to arrive. Several gunboats preceded Downie’s main fleet into the Lake and they set up a battery on Isle_La_Motte, Vermont. This was the first time a British force had steeped foot onto Vermont Soil. The Vermonters were not happy with the arrival of the British and they came across the lake to defend Platsburgh in any way they could.

Again it can be stated that, 1 man defending his home is as good as ten hired soldiers!

Monroe 1812 Battlefield???????????

Savannah Meade — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:33:02 +0000

As most of you can see, when you pass the old papermill site here in Monroe Michigan, the building is down, the scrap steel is being hauled away, and things look like they are progressing in the middle of what is approximately the 15th snowiest season in recorded history in this area , as it should.

However, from the information I recently obtained, there is only enough money to hire an archeologist for a small area of the site, for a short period�of time. This worries me. Here in Monroe county, jobs are becoming scarce, our mall is miserably failing,�and Ford is closing. We have a historical goldmine in our 1812 battlefield, so to speak, full of promise for small businesses and tourism for our hotels and restaurants who will need to hire to fulfill the need of the visiting public. A great opportunity for the area and Michigan. Will Granholm pick up the ball and run for the area and Michigan? It is a Federal site now, which means it needs our federally connected, representativces, senators and goverors help to get this thing over the top and fully funded. Governor Grandholm, quit talking about�your programs that will help�Michigan in 5 years or so,�and do something now that can help now, like getting this site developed and people working on something that exists in the here and now. I for one will have a keen eye aimed at the progress and development of the site, and vow to stomp my feet loudly when I don’t think they are doing it right!!!!!!!! Do I have any support in this?????????Please comment!!!!!!!!!!!

Battle of Lake Champlain 1814

Savannah Meade — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:12:00 +0000

This battle ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812.

Background:

Napoleon I had abducted the throne of France. This allowed Great Britain to send veteran troops to North America in the midst of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Great Britain. The British Commander-in-Cheif and Governor of Lower Canada, Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost launched an offensive into the U.S. under the command of General Sir Francis de Rottenburg (what a name!) in an attempt to permanently control the Great Lakes waterway.

However, Thomas MacDonough, who commanded the naval forces on Lake Champlain, had been ordered by Secretary of the Navy William Jones to build a fleet earlier that summer. By fall of�1814 (this battle occurred�Sept. 6-11, 1814)�MacDonough had�about 10 gunboats ready for action. However, the nearlby city still did not have�faith that these 10 gunboats and 3000 untrained militia could protect them, and they fled the city, all 3000 of them!�

More to come……….have a great day!!!!!!!

Star Spangled Banner

Savannah Meade — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:50:37 +0000

Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer from Baltimore, had been asked by the American Government to secure the release of William Beanes, a well-known Maryland Physician, whom had been captured by the British as they were retreating from Washington in August 1814. He was able to free Beanes, but Key himself was held for several days prior to a planned attack on Baltimore. As he watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British ship during the night of September 13-14, he waited for some sign of victory from his country or from the enemy. At dawn he saw the American flag still waving over the fort, the excitement and emotional relief that Key felt compelled him to write the verses of “The Star Spangled Banner.” The poem he wrote was published on September 20, in the Baltimore Patriot under the title “The Defense of Fort M’Henry,” and was sung to the tune of the English song, “The Anacreon in Heaven,” by an actor, Ferdinand Durang. The American Revolutionary song, “Adams and Liberty,” had been sung to the same tune.

Thus, the Star Spangled Banner was born. It has been sung by Actors, Singers, The old, The young, the Tired and the weary ever since. As of 2008 this song….one of the most frequently sung songs in American History is 194 years old.

Washington Burns!!!!!!!!!!!

Savannah Meade — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 17:47:06 +0000

The War of 1812 was a war on land at at Sea. Here in Michigan, we are all pretty much aware of the infamous battle In September 1813, near the infamous summer hot spot called, Put-In-Bay, Ohio where Commodore Perry defeated the British on Lake Erie….But did you know that soon after, in 1814 Washington was Burned?…….

It was done in retaliation for similar treatment of Toronto the year before. It was quite a shock to the Nation because both the White House and the Capital building were set fire to by the British………. Yet to come….One of the most important maritime events that occurred during the war of 1812.�