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The Corps the Corps and and and the War of 1812 the War

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The Corps the Corps and and and the War of 1812 the War THE CORPS AND THE WAR OF 1812 Compiled and Edited by Lorna Hainesworth Introductory Note: The following paper is the culmination of readily available resource materials. No effort toward primary source document research has been expended other than the examination of digitized, on-line versions of primary documents when available. Rather, the writer has served more in the capacity of an editor to compile information from various secondary sources. The intention was to gather together in one place various pieces of information regarding significant life experiences for members of the Corps of Discovery and for associated non-members that took place during the “period” of the War of 1812 whether or not that person served in the conflict. In the context of this paper, the period of the War of 1812 refers a time beginning in late 1807 when the United States first took measures to counter the effects of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe through the Embargo Act and continuing until the signing of several treaties with various Indian tribes by the end of summer in 1815. The initial narrative is intended to set the stage and to aid the reader in gaining a basic understanding of information regarding this War. Brief biographies are provided on several Corps members and persons associated with the Corps. Each biography conforms to a similar pattern, which is name of person, date and place of birth, if known, person’s Lewis and Clark connection and person’s experiences during the War of 1812. The list of names is in three groups: Corps—Military, Corps—Non-Military and Corps— Associated. Names in each group are listed alphabetically according to last name. The reader is encouraged to delve deeper into the names and events described herein as there is much more to learn about each person and greater details to be garnered about the events mentioned. Additionally, the reader may conclude that other people’s names should have been included and that some statements may not be valid. To this end, the reader is invited to do his or her own research, thereby adding to his or her own body of knowledge. Sharing such information with the editor would be most appreciated. See the contact information at the top of this page. Also, this and other papers by this same writer are available at www.academia.edu by putting Hainesworth in the search box. January 16, 2016 THE CORPS AND THE WAR OF 1812 Table of Contents The War of 1812 Corps—Military William Bratton Zebulon Montgomery Pike William Clark Prospect K. Robbins John Colter Gilbert Christian Russell Patrick Gass Sheheke-Shote Thomas Proctor Howard Amos Stoddard John Ordway James Wilkinson Nathaniel Hale Pryor George Shannon Appendix A John B. Thompson Presidents Involved Peter Weiser in the War of 1812 Joseph Whitehouse Alexander Hamilton Willard Appendix B Richard Windsor Bibliography Corps—Non-Military Appendix C Charbonneau Family Places to Visit Toussaint Sacagawea Jean Baptist Acknowledgements York Thanks to all the people who Corps—Associated helped make this paper possible, especially: John Jacob Astor Nicholas Biddle David Bennett Russell and Daniel Bissell Jay H. Buckley Joseph C. Brown Ronald Duquette John Campbell Richard L. Elgin Pierre Chouteau Ralph Eshelman George Croghan Sally Freeman Henry Dearborn William Holman Albert Gallatin James J. Holmberg William Henry Harrison James L. Mallory Thomas Jefferson Eugene Gass Painter Manual Lisa Richard Prestholdt John O’Fallon Louis N. Ritten James Rosenberger Sidney Stoffels THE WAR OF 1812 We have met the enemy and he is us. At least that’s Pogo’s version of a famous quote emanating from the War of 1812. This is just one of several legendary icons that are the legacy of this War. Some 200 years ago, on June 1, 1813 in the midst of a bloody sea battle between Chesapeake, an American frigate and a British frigate, Shannon, one of America’s most memorable wartime slogans was born. While the mortally wounded American captain, James Lawrence, lay dying in his cabin, he allegedly uttered these memorable words: “Don’t give up the ship!” Lawrence’s friend, Oliver Hazard Perry, had those words stitched to the ensign that flew over his namesake flagship, USS Lawrence, commissioned in early August 1813. On September 10 of that year, Perry won a decisive victory over British naval forces at the Battle of Lake Erie. O. H., himself, was not short on coming up with words of lasting fame. At the conclusion of the Battle of Lake Erie, after having transferred in the midst of the battle from his own vessel to the brig USS Niagara and carrying the ensign with him, Perry wrote a report to General William Henry Harrison. He briefly and succinctly stated the outcome of the encounter. “We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.” This was the first time in history that an entire British naval squadron had surrendered. Lawrence’s words became a motto for the United States Naval Academy where today Perry’s flag hangs in Preble Hall at the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. A number of other icons have come down to us from the War of 1812. The most famous of these is the Star-Spangled Banner, both in our Nation’s anthem and in the flag that flew over Fort McHenry at the time of the British bombardment. The lyrics, penned by Frances Scott Key who witnessed the “rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air,” was written shortly after the battle on the night of September 13, 1814. His lyrics became an instant hit and after many years became our National Anthem in 1931. Key’s original manuscript is preserved and is on display at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland. The Star-Spangled Banner flag bore fifteen stars and fifteen stripes and was the official flag of our nation from roughly 1795 to 1818. This was the flag given to various Indian nations by the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a means of informing them about the sovereignty of the United States. At the request of Major George Armistead, Fort McHenry’s commander, Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore flag maker, crafted a thirty foot by forty-two foot flag that is now on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. The rows of stars on this flag are slightly tilted in opposite directions, giving rise to the term “star-spangled.” Some say the United States federal government got its nickname, Uncle Sam, from the War of 1812. A meat packer named Sam Wilson from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812, stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States. Soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam's.” The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as our nation’s sobriquet. However, according to Donald R. Hickey’s article, “A Note on the Origins of ‘Uncle Sam,’ 1810-1820,” ample evidence exists to suggest the nickname predates the War of 1812 by more than two years. An American frigate, USS Constitution also acquired a nickname during the War of 1812. Launched in 1797, with a hull made of live oak, Constitution and her sister ships were built larger and were more heavily armed than standard frigates of the period. Constitution is most famous for her actions during the War of 1812 against Great Britain when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships. During her battle with HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812, Captain Isaac Hull used his heavier broadsides and his ship's sailing ability to repel the British firepower so that many of their shots rebounded harmlessly off Constitution's hull. An American sailor reportedly exclaimed, “Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!” and Constitution thus acquired the nickname "Old Ironsides.” Among our first twelve presidents, we find eight who were in some way, politically or militarily, connected to or involved in the War of 1812. (See Appendix A) In August of 1812, we have a former president who is quoted as having said that the acquisition of Canada was a “mere matter of marching.” Several of the nine presidents in office between 1809-1850 served in an administrative role or served militarily during the War. Among the military presidents, Andrew Jackson’s name is a standout and icon in his own right. His biggest claim to fame, of course, is as the Hero of the Battle of New Orleans, which he won decisively with an army made up of regular soldiers, militia, volunteers, Choctaw warriors, pirates and privateers. Previously, Jackson had earned the nickname “Old Hickory” for his toughness and strength like that of an old hickory tree. At the President’s request in late 1812, Tennessee Governor William Blount was to send fifteen hundred troops to New Orleans. Jackson took on this responsibility, mustering troops and heading down the Mississippi River in January 1813. He was ordered to stop just south of Natchez and in March 1813 was ordered to dismiss his troops. Jackson refused to dismiss the men, but instead marched them back to Nashville. Without food, supplies or transport, Jackson stalwartly cheered his men along, maintaining discipline where necessary and even giving up his three prize horses to transport the sick. Walking determinedly alongside his troops, Jackson’s men thought he resembled of the toughest thing they knew. They started to call him “hickory,” which morphed into “Old Hickory” and the nickname stuck.
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