Donald E. Graves, ed.. Soldiers of 1814: American Enlisted Men's Memoirs of the Niagara Campaign. Youngstown, New York: Old Fort Niagara Association, Inc., 1995. 80 pp. $6.50, paper, ISBN 978-0-941967-16-7.
Reviewed by Wesley B. Turner
Published on H-War (June, 1997)
There appears to be an insatiable market for sea while ordinary American boys had beaten the books about warfare and particularly popular are red coats in both Upper Canada (at Lundy's Lane) accounts by participants. This interest extends and at home (at New Orleans). even to writings on the War of 1812, a brief and In the Canadas, the efect was somewhat minor drama as these historical events are mea‐ mixed. An immediate consequence was govern‐ sured. A quick chronology makes clear its brevity. ment action to halt American immigration into War was declared against Great Britain by the Upper Canada (now Ontario) which had the efect United States on 18 June 1812 and the treaty of of slowing the growth of its population and econo‐ peace was signed at Ghent, Belgium on 24 Decem‐ my and of providing the fuel for a divisive politi‐ ber 1814. Fighting along the Niagara frontier, the cal controversy. Yet, in this province, a kind of im‐ focus of these memoirs, began in October 1812 perial patriotism would emerge based upon a and ended in November 1814, but it continued at myth that Upper Canadian militiamen had almost New Orleans into January of 1815 and the fnal single-handedly beaten back the invaders, there‐ naval action relating to this war took place just by saving the province for the empire. over ten weeks later. There are many general histories of the war. It was a confict that seemed to change noth‐ The most scholarly, thorough and balanced mod‐ ing because the Treaty of Ghent restored the sta‐ ern study is a Canadian one, G.F. G. Stanley's The tus quo antebellum. Yet, as obscure and small- War of 1812: Land Operations. Unfortunately, it is scale as it was, this war had both immediate and not matched by a comparable work on the naval long-term efects on the developments of both aspects although the two volumes that have ap‐ Canada and the U.S. In the latter, it contributed peared so far of The Naval War of 1812. A Docu‐ signifcantly to a sense of confdence and to the mentary History_, edited by William S. Dudley growth of nationalism from the belief that Ameri‐ and published by the Naval Historical Center of can sailors had thrashed the mighty Royal Navy at the United States Navy, provides a good deal of in‐ H-Net Reviews formation buttressed by documents from both an‐ Regiment (also known as Fenton's Regiment). His tagonists. There are also numerous studies of younger brother had been called out for this mili‐ campaigns, battles, grand strategy and the politi‐ tia unit, but owing to his "delicate constitution ... a cal machinations that helped to bring, direct and council of the family and friends" (p. 61) decided end the war. These works present explanations that Alexander should go in his stead. and interpretations, sometimes with a revisionist Two of these memoirs describe the frst days stamp, and try to ft this little war into a larger in the army. Hanks comments on the contrast be‐ canvas. tween the comforts of home and the hardships of Soldiers of 1814 ofers a diferent a form of army life. From well-cooked meals and a feather literature from those mentioned above. This book bed, he learned to eat meat raw or scarcely provides three frst hand accounts of individual cooked and to sleep on hay or on boards. Coming soldiers' experiences: Jarvis Hanks of the 11th U.S. from a religious family, he was surprised at the Infantry, Amasiah Ford of the 23rd Infantry and lack of attention paid to religious matters, particu‐ Alexander McMullen of Fenton's Regiment of larly on the Sabbath. He was appalled by the bru‐ Pennsylvania Volunteers. Their units are all part tality of punishments for desertion and by the fact of the army's Left Division commanded by Major that explanations as to why soldiers deserted re‐ General Jacob Brown. These are not the voices of ceived no indication of sympathy. These experi‐ ofcers, commanders or political leaders, but of ences and his initial ones campaigning on the St. enlisted men and, as the editor quite accurately Lawrence River during which he slept out of states, they "go a long way to putting a human doors in sleet and rain and saw his frst casualties, face on the private soldiers of the United States are conveyed with an air of youthful acceptance Army during the War of 1812" (p. 7). of such hardships. He rises from them to march or Jarvis Hanks was only 13 years old when a re‐ fght without a hint of dissatisfaction or distress. cruiting party marched through Pawlet, Vermont, McMullen spent most of March as part of the the little village where his family resided. He was militia force advancing north from southern attracted by the ofer made of a $20 bounty and Pennsylvania to the town of Erie on the shores of 160 acres of land at the end of a specifed period the lake of the same name. Their fnal ten-day of service and his imagination was "fred" by march was made "through deep snow and thoughts of adventure and "the pomp and splen‐ swampy roads," but the men "arrived in "tolerable dor of a military life" (p. 20). He had some training health and fne spirits" (p. 62). Shortly after, how‐ as a drummer and his father permitted him to ever, "dissatisfaction began to appear in several join for that position. Amasiah Ford, a native of companies, owing to the quality of the provisions" Saratoga County, New York, was 17 years of age (p. 63). The outcome was desertions followed by when he enlisted. He did not explain his motives the humiliation of the ofenders before their com‐ but he may have seen his action as duty to his rades. country, for the editor describes Ford as never Ford's account almost immediately launches doubting "for a moment the rightness of his cause, him into combat, namely, the successful attack on the intelligence of his generals, or the bravery of Fort George in May 1813. He served at Stoney his ofcers and comrades" (p. 7). Both men joined Creek in June retreated with the army to Fort early in 1813 while the third enlisted in February George where he remained until the autumn 1814. Alexander McMullen, of Franklin County, when his regiment marched eastward, frst to Pennsylvania, was about 23 years old when he Sackets Harbor and then to Plattsburgh for the mustered with the 5th Pennsylvania Volunteer winter. In 1814 all three men became part of Gen‐
2 H-Net Reviews eral Brown's Left Division which invaded Upper and wounding including the story of a soldier Canada on 3 July to launch the most ambitious ef‐ while "reclining on his knapsack" (p. 42) being cut fort yet made to conquer the province. This "Nia‐ in two by a piece of shell falling from above. Ford gara Campaign" is aptly characterized as "the writes a straightforward account which becomes hardest-fought military operation of the War of impassioned when during the sortie of 17 Septem‐ 1812" (p. 5) for it featured the bloody battles of ber, a messmate was shot dead at his side. On see‐ Chippawa and Lundy's Lane followed by the sev‐ ing this, his feelings changed from "a sense of en-week siege of Fort Erie. fear" to a "bloodthirsty" urge for vengeance (p. These conficts are described in varying de‐ 57). McMullen did not participate, for he fell ill tail. On Chippawa, McMullen's is the fullest report with fever at the end of July and was sent to a hos‐ while Hanks's is very brief; Ford's regiment did pital in Bufalo. After a short time there, he took not take part. On Lundy's Lane, Hanks tells a dra‐ up quarters in "the jail in Bufalo", but after a matic story of "grape shot" rattling above him and brief stay, was placed in "the house of a re‐ on both sides without touching "the hair of my spectable widow" (p. 78) where his health began head" (p. 35). It was "the most narrow escape that to improve and his memoir ends. I experienced while in the service." He describes These memoirs, particularly Hanks's, reveal the bravery of several ofcers and men, in partic‐ the minutiae of the lives and ordeals of rank and ular, those holding the regiment's stand of colors, fle. They tell of mutiny, drilling in the camp at but he does not see that punishing battle as a vic‐ Bufalo, of trading the daily whiskey ration with tory for either side. Ford verges on being matter- another soldier for services, and of falling asleep of-fact with only a hint of the desperate nature of while marching. Hanks even explains precisely the fghting at night around the British guns. Mc‐ what a bomb shell was and an abbatis, including Mullen is controlled and precise as he describes its pronunciation. Porter's brigade forming line, obeying their com‐ The accounts of Hanks and McMullen have mander's shouted orders, facing enemy musket been published before, but it is useful to repub‐ fre, using up and then replenishing their car‐ lish them along with Ford's in a single volume tridges, answering a British shout to surrender with a scholarly introduction and footnotes. The that they never would and other details of the bat‐ editor can tell us something about the post-war tle. His account provides some evidence to ex‐ lives of Hanks and Ford, but not about Mc‐ plain why the Americans did not remove the cap‐ Mullen's. The editor also provides wider informa‐ tured British guns. According to McMullen, the tion about the personnel of the United States men hauled down one of the cannon, but when army, their recruitment, pay, training, entertain‐ ordered to remove others, refused because they ment and the perils they faced, the worst being ill‐ were "tired out and half dead for want of water, ness. "More American soldiers died from sickness the most of our faces scorched with powder," (p. during the war than from enemy bullets," he 74). The ofcers made no efort to force the men writes (p. 14). But it was combat that these men to obey. feared. McMullen, referring to a later stage in the Hanks and Ford present longer and more de‐ Battle of Lundy's Lane, wrote, "I felt my situation tailed accounts of the siege of Fort Erie, the British to be an awful one, and I did sincerely wish that attack and the American sortie. Hanks claims that the British army,...might not come down to com‐ they knew beforehand of General Gordon Drum‐ mence the engagement again" (p. 74). But, as Han‐ mond's plan to assault the fort on the night of 15 ks observed at the opening of this clash, "There August. Again, the reader will fnd details of death
3 H-Net Reviews was no stopping, nor escape, into battle we must go" (p. 35). There is at least one other frst hand account of the Niagara campaign by an enlisted militia‐ man, the Jacob Witherow Jr. Journal in the Penn‐ sylvania State Archives, and why it was not in‐ cluded in this volume is unclear. Aside from that question, I have only two small complaints to raise. The book contains two maps, both from Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812 published in New York in 1868. They add a nineteenth-century quality to the text, but readers who lack considerable familiarity with the territo‐ ry involved would gain more understanding if maps had been provided of the areas where these three soldiers, particularly, McMullen, marched and served. An index might seem unnecessary for a slim volume like Soldiers of 1812, but it could be useful for someone seeking a specifc name or other detail. The book contains eleven illustrations depict‐ ing the people who are written about. These drawings, by a well-known Canadian artist, show evidence of careful research and, consequently, make their own signifcant contribution to a read‐ er's understanding of the times. Scholars of the War of 1812 should not neglect this book, for they will fnd material here to enrich their knowledge and anecdotes that could enliven their writings. Students and teachers of military history and gen‐ eral readers of both American and Canadian his‐ tory could gain enjoyment as well as information from these memoirs. Copyright (c) 1997 by H-Net, all rights re‐ served. This work may be copied for non-proft educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ tact [email protected]
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Citation: Wesley B. Turner. Review of Graves, Donald E., ed. Soldiers of 1814: American Enlisted Men's Memoirs of the Niagara Campaign. H-War, H-Net Reviews. June, 1997.
URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=1032
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