An Unusual Map of Western Lake Erie

Let's take a moment to enjoy this hand colored map drawn by Lieutenant John Le Breton of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Many people who live in northern Ohio, southeast Michigan or southwestern Ontario might see their neighborhoods encompassed here. Unusually,  the western end of the map is up.

Lt. Le Breton served on the British staff throughout the 1813 campaign; he was an assistant engineer with General Henry Procter at the Siege of Fort Meigs, and participated in the fight to recapture the British batteries on May 5, 1813.

According to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography: 

An aggressive officer whose ambition outreached his achievements, Le Breton nevertheless participated with distinction in nine actions during the War of 1812. In October 1813 he was sent to Detroit under truce by Major-General HenryProcter* to request the humane treatment of prisoners taken by the Americans at Moraviantown and the restoration of their private property. Secretly he was to assess the Americans’ strength at Detroit and on Lake Erie. In December Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo* described him as a “very clear headed intelligent Officer.” Le Breton returned to the quartermaster general’s department in February 1814 and remained with it until mid 1815. During that period he pressed unsuccessfully for authorization to raise and command an Upper Canadian “Corps of Rangers.” He was severely wounded and disabled at Lundy’s Lane in July 1814. Between July 1815 and April 1816 he was on leave in England and in the Canadas. Promoted captain in the 60th Foot in March 1816, he went on half pay later that month.

Modern Quartermasters departments are mainly concerned with equipping and supplying armies. In the 1812 era, a Quartermaster might as well be in charge of intelligence gathering, scouting, and engineering tasks.

The Pittsburgh Blues offer their Services, 1812

James R. Butler was the son of General Richard Butler, who was killed at the Battle of the Wabash (also known as St. Clair's Defeat) at Fort Recovery Ohio in 1791. Supposedly, the elder Butler fathered a child with the female Shawnee Chief Nonhelema (d. 1786), named Captain Butler or Tamanatha. (Since the two people were so different in age, this may or may not have been exactly true). Tamanatha fought against his father during the battle. At any rate, since the Pittsburg Blues fought with distinction against Indians during the 1812-13 campaign, one wonders if the half-brothers ever faced off against each other--or if Tamanatha fought for the American side this time. More research is needed.

Comparing the Jackson fortifications from the Battle of New Orleans

For the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, the Louisiana Living History Foundation created a new reconstruction of Andrew Jackson's field works, at approximately one sixth the length of the original. Here are the National Monument reconstructions and a model based on the description of the original for comparison:

 The reenactment reconstruction, looking towards the redoubt. The original redoubt, however, was separated from the main line, which continued behind it.

The rest of the line looking towards the American Left.

 The National Park Service site. This, too is a reconstruction of the original line.

 A battery position, showing an 18-pounder on a truck carriage and a 6-pounder on a field carriage.

The line, looking towards the American Left.

 This is a cross-section of what the original defensive line would have looked like.

 The original line. The NPS site ends after Batteries 7 and 8, so that a road and rail line cut off the swampy end of the battlefield. A large slip for seagoing freighters occupies the site of Jackson's headquarters behind the right of the American line. The river levy and the plantation house have erased any trace of the redoubt and the first few American batteries.

A Thousand Muskets Shipped, 1812

Lt. Hezekiah Johnson was listed as 1st Lieutenant in the 1st US Regiment of Infantry. He served as the quartermaster at Fort Fayette or Lafayette in Pittsburgh, which supplied all army posts and detachments west of the Alleghenies. He is probably best known in 1812 reenactor circles as the author of the "Fort Fayette Freight Book, a record of shipments sent via the Ohio River by keelboat.  He was promoted to Captain early in 1813, disbanded in June 1815 and reinstated as a quartermaster general in 1818. In 1821 he was disbanded again, and employed as a military storekeeper from 1821 until his death in 1837.

General William Hull to Secretary of War Doctor William Eustis, June 1812

Staunton, 3rd June 1812.

Sir

I arrived with the army, at this place, yesterday. The waters of the Miami are now so low, that it is impossible for the boats to ascend with the provisions and stores, to Lorimier.   They have stopped six miles above this. I have consulted this morning with the commanding officers of regiments, and they are clearly of the opinion, that we shall arrive at the foot of the rapids several days sooner by taking the route of Urbanna, than the one originally contemplated. Another consideration has influenced me on the subject: in the event of war with England, we must depend on the state of Ohio for supplies for this army. The route we have now adopted is the one made use of at present for the transportation of provisions to Detroit, and in marching thro' the army will repair the road. It is the safest, nearest, and most contiguous to the productive part of the state.

 I have heard nothing from A. Porter, Esqr. the contractor. Had I not contracted with Piatt and co., the army would have been without provisions. 

 I am happy to inform you that I have received reports already from five or six Indian villages (since my speech was communicated) more favorable than I had reason to expect. The chiefs are now on their way to visit us, and the frontiers have already become tranquil. I have not heard, but presume, that the 4th Regt. and Hugh's Company have arrived at Cincinnati-- this unfortunate delay has been attended with one advantage: the discipline of the army-- I am happy as yet in my command-- the most perfect harmony prevails, and the army is improving in discipline.

I am very respectfully your Obt. Servt.

Hull 

 

 

From Letters to the Secretary of War vol. 49. Probably transcribed by Richard Knopf in the 1950s and published by the Anthony Wayne Parkway Board.

Battle of New Orleans Reenactment

This year my family and I were able to participate in a great living history event to honor the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans (which was fought on January 8th, 1815). We drove south through Nashville (where Andrew Jackson and many of his troops came from) and got to a recreated battlefield after two days on the road. My wife and one-year old son rode with me, and generally had a great time. We met up with other folks from our reenactment group, which recreates Captain Daniel Cushing's Company of the Second United States Regiment of Artillery, who hail from the Toledo, Ohio area.

Now, for those of you who are not familiar with living history events, for a big historical reenactment like this there can be politics at play. Often there are many different groups and organizations seeking to sponsor or host parallel events. New Orleans was no different. The National Park Service maintains the actual battlefield site (or what has not been trimmed off by the Mississippi River Levy and various industrial neighbors), and does not permit "opposing line tacticals", or battles in other words, on its sites. They hosted a living history encampment and invited reenactors to participate in ceremonies and demonstrations during the week, which culminated with events on the actual anniversary of the battle on Thursday.

A different set of non-government groups, led by the Louisiana Living History Association and the Seventh United States Infantry Living History organization, acquired a disused piece of land only a couple miles from the historical battlefield, in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette. They had only recently cleared the land-- a boggy thicket-- and reconstructed a wood and dirt entrenchment similar to that which Jackson's men would have used. Since it was a private site, they were of course able to have battle reenactments on a suitable scale-- their aim was one sixth of the historical battle.

 Our artillery park for the week, consisting (from foreground to back) of an 4-pounder (attached to Plauche's Regiment of Volunteers), our 6-pounder, a 5.5 inch howitzer, and a 4-pounder (attached to the Michigan Legion). God forbid we mix up our caissons!

 Two guys from my company, and a set of grenadiers from the local group portraying Plauce's Battalion, New Orleans volunteers.

 A better view of the line, with an American colonel and a Grenadier officer conferring.

 The view from our embrasure, in the center of the line, was excellent. As the man sponging and ramming the gun, I may have had the best seat on the entire battlefield.

 Militia from either Kentucky or Tennessee. A lot of reenacting groups made an effort for a big, uniform turnout with great results.

 A less uniform group of militia-- which is alright, since the militia sent to New Orleans were often barely equipped at all by their respective state governments-- and a company of the 7th United States Infantry clad in their late war uniforms. The artillerymen are members of the Michigan Legionary Corps-- like us, they were portraying the US Corps of Artillery for the weekend.

 An interesting note: our man on the right, with white lace on his coat, is wearing the 1812 uniform of the 7th US Infantry, while the men from the earlier picture are wearing the 1814 "late war" uniform. There was also a "middle war" uniform variant issued in 1813, which makes recreating a regular Army outfit pretty complicated!

 The color guard. Our friends in the Legion have an interesting uniform, which I suspect is based on the prewar coat of the (First) US Regiment of Artillery. The Michigan Legion was formed by Territorial Governor William Hull to help augment his scarecrow regular army garrison. "Legion" in the 1770-1815 era referred to an independant, combined arms corps of variable size. Thus the Michigan Legion included some infantry, a company of horsemen, and a company of artillerists. By the War of 1812, the concept of "legions" had fallen out of practice in both Europe and North America.

 Our infantry support.

 The line got quite crowded during the action, and the infantry companies used a new method where they lined up by the flank to the parapet, and had each file of men present and fire in turn, then retire to the back of the line to reload.

 During the actual battles I was quite busy reloading the cannon and wheeling it back into its embrasure, so photography was out of the question. Here's the infantry marching off the field after repulsing the British army.

 More infantry marching off.

 A view of our limber and the Michigan Legions' 4-pounder.

Next time, I'll post pictures from the actual battlefield, and some of the recreated entrenchments for comparison.

Lt. Colonel William Piatt

William Piatt of New Jersey was the nephew of Captain William Piatt, a veteran of the Revolutionary War who died at the Battle of the Wabash in western Ohio during Little Turtle's War. He entered the Army as 2nd Lieutenant in the 11th Infantry Regiment in 1799, during the Quasi-War with France. When the war scare passed and the regiment was disbanded, Piatt was retained in the 3rd Infantry.

By 1809 he had risen to Captain in the 2nd Infantry and served on Governor William Henry Harrison's staff as Acting Quartermaster General during the Tippecanoe Campaign in 1811. He served on Harrison's staff again during the 1812-13 campaign in the Northwest.

In March 1814 he was promoted to Major of the 34th Infantry, which was based at Plattsburgh under General Alexander Macomb, but he doesn't seem to have been with his regiment during the Battle of Plattsburgh. Instead, he served on Major General Andrew Jackson's staff as Quartermaster General. The staff appointment seems to have elevated the Major to brevet Colonel a bit early.

Despite serving in a "non-combat" role, Colonel Piatt played a role in the night battle of December 23, 1814, when General Jackson sent several columns of infantry and artillery to disrupt the British camp. In the chaos that ensued (night attacks invariably resulted in chaos), the British forces nearly captured the American guns, but for the intervention of Piatt and several other staff officers. Piatt was wounded in the fight and presumably sat out the rest of the Battle of New Orleans. For his service he was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel.

Shortly after the war, the existing regiments of the army were consolidated into seven Infantry Regiments, which created a game of musical chairs for the commissioned officers. More men from the Northern theatres were retained, and Piatt was one of the men disbanded in 1815. However, he returned to Army service as a paymaster in 1830 before dying in 1834.