"War of 1812 Info" Topic

Of possible interest?

link

Amicalement
Armand

Surprised that the article didn't mention that it was the only time that the Commander in Chief (ie the US President Madison)commanded troops in the field. Before the Battle of Bladensburg, President Madison came upon the battlefield and ordered troops to move to new positions, which added to the disaster.

Good point my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

Good point re President Madison but it was Secretary of State (Colonel) Armstrong who ordered two battalions of Stansbury's Brigade to retire (without advising Winder or Stansbury), which left the right battalions and guns around the bridge with their left flank exposed. Ultimately it was a factor in the rout of Stansbury's brigade.

However, Madison nearly blundered into the British advance elements while crossing the Bladensburg bridge. Mr Richardson, recently fired by Madison, persuaded the president to turn around or risk being captured by the British.

As to the article it is a brief synopsis of the pre war and war that would have been useful if it was footnoted.

Thanks!

Amicalement
Armand

Didn't President Washington lead troops in the field during the Whiskey Rebellion?

From Wikipedia:

Washington left Philadelphia (which at that time was the capital of the United States) on September 30 to review the progress of the military expedition.[94] According to historian Joseph Ellis, this was "the first and only time a sitting American president led troops in the field".[101]

Along the way he traveled to Reading, Pennsylvania on his way to meet up with the rest of the militia he ordered mobilized at Carlisle.[94] On the second of October, Washington left Reading, Pennsylvania heading west to Womelsdorf in order to "view the (Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company) canal…".[94] Revolutionary war and Siege of Yorktown veteran, Colonel Jonathan Forman (1755–1809) led the Third Infantry Regiment of New Jersey troops against the Whiskey Rebellion and wrote about his encounter with Washington:[102]

October 3d Marched early in the morning for Harrisburgh [sic], where we arrived about 12 O'clock. About 1 O'Clock recd. information of the Presidents approach on which, I had the regiment paraded, timely for his reception, & considerably to my satisfaction. Being afterwards invited to his quarters he made enquiry into the circumstances of the man [an incident between an "Itinerant Person" and "an Old Soldier" mentioned earlier in the journal (p. 3)] & seemed satisfied with the information.[99]

Washington met with the western representatives in Bedford, Pennsylvania on October 9 before going to Fort Cumberland in Maryland to review the southern wing of the army.[103] He was convinced that the federalized militia would meet little resistance, and he placed the army under the command of the Virginia Governor Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee, a hero of the Revolutionary War. Washington returned to Philadelphia; Hamilton remained with the army as civilian adviser.[104]"

While Washington did march with the army/forces, he wasn't per se commanding on the field of battle.