Writing Wings

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/17

V is for Voltigeurs

April 25, 2015 by Roland Clarke

The Canadian Voltigeurs were a light infantry unit, raised in Lower Canada (the present-day Province of Quebec), that fought in the War of 1812. Most colonial forces raised to fight the Americans were English, Irish and Scottish in origin. But French Canada also served, and distinctly.

On 15 April 1812 Sir George Prevost, the Governor General of Canada, authorised the enlistment of a Provincial Corps of Light Infantry under Lieutenant Colonel Charles de Salaberry. The unit, known as the Voltigeurs de Quebec was officially part of the militia, and its enlisted personnel were subject to the Militia laws and ordinances, but for all practical purposes, it was administered on the same basis as the fencible units, also raised in Canada as regular soldiers but liable for service in North America only.

De Salaberry selected members of the leading families of Lower Canada as officers, many related to de Salaberry, though all were treated to his fierce discipline and high standards. Commissions were not confirmed until they had recruited their quota of volunteers. The Voltigeurs were full-time professional soldiers, and had a distinctly “Canadian” pedigree.

Almost all the soldiers and most of the officers were French-speaking, which led to the unit being widely known as the Voltigeurs, a French word meaning “vaulter” or “leaper”, and given to elite light infantry units in the French Army. However, all formal orders on the parade ground or in battle were given in English.

The new unit mustered at Chambly. Quebec. It had eight companies of light infantry, and some Mohawk warriors were attached. Two further companies were recruited from militia of the Eastern Townships of the Montreal district, and officially listed as the ninth and tenth companies, but they formed a separate corps, the Frontier Light Infantry, throughout the war.

Canadian voltigeurs prepare to defend Lacolle Mills during the War of 1812 (painting by G.A. Embleton, courtesy Parks Canada)

Some of the Voltigeurs were in action at the Battle of Lacolle Mills (1812), and early in 1813, three companies were detached under the unit’s second-in-command, Major Frederick Heriot, and moved up the Saint Lawrence River to form part of the garrison of Kingston, the main British base on Lake Ontario. On 29 May, two of these companies took part in the Battle of Sackett’s Harbor. Later in the year, the detachment moved to Fort Wellington at Prescott, and subsequently played an important part in the Battle of Crysler’s Farm.

The main body of the unit formed part of a light corps stationed to the south of Montreal, which was commanded by de Salaberry in person. Learning that an American division under Major General Wade Hampton was advancing from New York State, de Salaberry’s force entrenched themselves by the River Chateauguay. On 26 October, Hampton attacked. At the resulting Battle of the Chateauguay, Hampton was repulsed by this all-Canadian force. While primarily a series of skirmishes, the Battle of Chateauguay was a very “Canadian” victory.

Voltigeurs in action at the Battle of the Chateauguay

Early in 1814, the entire unit concentrated at Montreal, and was built back up to strength. De Salaberry had been appointed Inspecting Field Officer of Militia, and Major Heriot became the Voltigeurs’ acting Commanding Officer. The Voltigeurs were brigaded with the Frontier Light Infantry, and another militia light infantry unit, the Canadian Chasseurs. The combined light infantry force formed part of a brigade under Major General Thomas Brisbane during the Battle of Plattsburgh, where the British army retreated after its supporting naval squadron was destroyed. On the end of the war, the unit was disbanded, on 24 May, 1815.

The current Les Voltigeurs de Québec today perpetuate the history and traditions of the Canadian Voltigeurs within the Canadian Army.

Further Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Voltigeurs

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy

U is for United States Navy

April 24, 2015 by Roland Clarke

The United States Navy saw substantial action in the War of 1812, where it was victorious in eleven single-ship duels with the Royal Navy. The navy drove all significant British forces off Lake Erie and Lake Champlain and prevented them from becoming British controlled zones of conflict. The result was a major defeat for the British invasion of New York State, and the defeat of the military threat from the Indian allies of the British. Despite this, the U.S. Navy was unable to prevent the British from blockading American ports and landing troops on American soil.

Various U.S. Navy vessels played notable roles in the War, but this focuses on three of them:

USS Constellation by John W. Schmidt

USS Constellation was a 38-gun frigate, one of the “Six Original Frigates” authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. She was distinguished as the first U.S. Navy vessel to put to sea and the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage and defeat an enemy vessel. Constructed in 1797, she was decommissioned in 1853. On June 22, 1813, her crew played a crucial role in the Battle of Craney Island. The American victory at Craney Island saved Norfolk and Portsmouth from being captured and pillaged by the enemy.

BOSTON (July 4, 2014) USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute near U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston during the ship’s Independence Day underway demonstration in Boston Harbor. Constitution got underway with more than 300 guests to celebrate America’s independence. (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Matthew R. Fairchild/Released)

USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate, named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America. The boat is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.^{[Note 1]} Launched in 1797, Constitution , like USS Constellation, was one of the “Six Original Frigates”. Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the young Navy’s capital ships, and so Constitution and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. Constitution is most famous for her actions during the War of 1812, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships: HMS Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. The battle with Guerriere earned her the nickname of “Old Ironsides” and public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping.

USS Essex capturing Alert. 13 August 1812 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first USS Essex participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812. When war was declared, the 32 gun frigate, commanded by Captain David Porter, made a successful cruise to the southward. By September, when she returned to New York, Essex had taken ten prizes, including the sloop HMS Alert. The youngest member of the Essex crew was 10-year-old midshipman David Glasgow Farragut, who would become the first admiral of the US Navy.

Essex sailed into South Atlantic waters and along the coast of Brazil until January 1813, decimating the British whaling fleet in the Pacific, and capturing thirteen British whalers. In January 1814, Essex sailed into neutral waters at Valparaíso, Chile, only to be trapped there by the British frigate, HMS Phoebe, and the sloop-of-war HMS Cherub. On 28 March 1814, in the Battle of Valparaiso, Essex, armed almost entirely with powerful, but short range carronades, resisted the superior British fighting power and longer gun range for over 2 hours. Eventually, the hopeless situation forced Porter to surrender. The captured frigate then served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June 1837.

Patrick O’Brian adapted the story of Essex‍ ’s attack on British whalers for his novel The Far Side of the World.

Further Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constellation_(1797)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Essex_(1799)

http://www.army.mil/article/98107

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/43

S is for Secord

April 22, 2015 by Roland Clarke

Laura Secord (née Ingersoll; 13 September 1775 – 17 October 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. Born in Massachusetts and the daughter of a Revolutionary War patriot, Laura Secord might be an unlikely Canadian icon. But on the evening of June 21, 1813, the 37-year-old wife of a Canadian Loyalist soldier and mother of five learned of secret American plans to ambush a nearby British outpost. But her husband James Secord was bedridden after being seriously wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights. However, Laura hiked across 20 miles (32 km) out of American-occupied territory, through swamps and forests to warn the British, being helped by a group of First Nations men she encountered along the way. She reached Lieutenant James FitzGibbon in the territory that the British still controlled. The information helped the British and their Mohawk warrior allies repel the invading Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

Meeting between Laura Secord and Lieutenant FitzGibbon, June 1813 (painting by Lorne Kidd Smith, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-011053)

The official reports of the victory made no mention of Laura Secord. Laura never revealed how she came to know of the American plan, and while she did take a message to FitzGibbon, it is uncertain if she arrived ahead of Aboriginal scouts who also brought the news. FitzGibbon’s report on the battle noted: “At [John] De Cou’s this morning, about seven o’clock, I received information that . . . the Enemy . . . was advancing towards me . . . .” However, FitzGibbon did provide written testimony in support of the Secords’ later petition to the government for a pension, in 1820 and 1827.

Her action was forgotten until 1860, when the future king Edward VII awarded the impoverished widow £100 for her service. Since her death she has been frequently honoured in Canada, taking on mythological overtones. Her tale has been the subject of books, plays, and poetry, often with many embellishments. Since her death, Canada has bestowed honours on her, including schools named after her, monuments, commemorative chocolates, a museum, a memorial stamp and coin, and a statue at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa.

Further Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Secord

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?BioId=37228

R is for Rottenburg

April 21, 2015 by Roland Clarke

Baron Francis de Rottenburg (1757–1832) was a Swiss-born officer and colonial administrator who served in the French army 1782-1791, and then joined the British army in 1795. He was promoted to Major General and assumed command of the Montreal district when the War of 1812 broke out. This was an important post because of its location on the St Lawrence River and its close proximity to the American border.

In June 1813, he succeeded Major General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe as military and civil commander in Upper Canada. He was accused of neglecting civil duties and of being unduly cautious in his military decisions. Rottenburg’s main concern was to preserve the army, and he was prepared to withdraw his forces to Kingston, a potential target for an American attack, if Sir James Yeo lost naval control of Lake Ontario. Nevertheless, Rottenburg ordered probing attacks against the American occupiers of Fort George and the town of Niagara as well as raids across the Niagara River. However, his refusal to send reinforcements to Major General Henry Procter, commanding on the Detroit frontier, contributed to the British defeats at the Battle of Lake Erie and the Battle of Moraviantown.

Colonel Francis de Rottenburg’s 1799 work “Regulations for the Exercise of Riflemen and Light Infantry, and Instructions for their Conduct in the Field” was widely consulted by officers during the War of 1812.

By early November he knew an American army was proceeding down the St Lawrence River against Montréal and he ordered Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Morrison to pursue the invaders. Morrison defeated part of the army at Crysler’s Farm on 11 November 1813.

The partial martial law that Rottenburg imposed in the Eastern and Johnstown districts, to force farmers to sell food and forage to the army, was an unpopular move which his successor repealed but was nevertheless forced to re-impose upon all of Upper Canada.

In December 1813, Rottenburg was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Gordon Drummond, and returned to his previous posts in Lower Canada. Later in 1814, when substantial British reinforcements arrived in Canada. Sir George Prevost prepared to invade the United States by way of Lake Champlain. He placed Rottenburg in command of a division of three brigades. However, Prevost personally led the campaign, which was defeated at the Battle of Plattsburgh. However, Rottenburg played no conspicuous part in the battle, with the result that he was not touched by the chorus of criticism that descended on Prevost, in part from the three brigade commanders, all of whom had seen action in the Peninsular War. In fact, Rottenburg served as president of Procter’s court martial.

Rottenburg remained in Lower Canada until July 1815 when he returned to England, where he died in 1832.

Baron Francis de Rottenburg

Further Information:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/93

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_de_Rottenburg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plattsburgh#Land_battle

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/