Re: Plattsburg Volunteers
-
In reply to:
Plattsburg Volunteers
Rick Judkins 9/29/02
Rick,
The "Plattsville Volunteers" was the name of a loose confederation of soldiers from Vermont and New York who responded to a call for volunteers during the War of 1812, and fought in the Battle of Plattsburg Sept. 5 thru Sept. 11, 1814.
The short version of the story is this: the Brits were looking to use the Lake Champlain area as an invasion route into America...Maj. General Sir George Prevost commanding the British army had almost 17,000 troops assembled, supported by a British fleet on Lake Champlain.
In the meantime, the American Secretary of War ordered Maj. Gen. George Izard, commanding the American forces based at Plattsburg, NY, to move the bulk of his troops to Sacket's Harbor. The troops left at Plattsburg (commanded by Brig. Gen. Alexander Macomb) numbered only about 3,500 and Macomb put out a call to the governors of New York and Vermont for volunteers. Over 3,000 citizens responded...likely your ancestor was one of them...and the Americans hunkered down in well-built and situated forts.
The British battle plan was to move the land troops in concert with a British naval bombardment. However, the British ships were unexpectedly beaten in the lake by a small but determined American fleet, led by the Saratoga. In the meantime the American's had burned bridges in the area to slow the British advance and, although the British troops attacked, their commander didn't believe he'd be able to hold Plattsburg without naval support. Thus, with the British fleet withdrawing, the British troops followed suit and America claimed a sizeable victory...which dashed all hopes of an invasion from the north by the Brits.
The British lost over 2,000 men, while the American's lost only 150. It's likely that these volunteers returned to hearth and home after the battle, so their service was short-lived.
More Replies:
-
Re: Plattsburg Volunteers
Rick Judkins 10/04/02
-
Re: Plattsburg Volunteers
Frederick Miller 10/05/02
-
Re: Plattsburg Volunteers
Carol A. Ormond 2/28/03
-
Re: Plattsburg Volunteers
-
Re: Plattsburg Volunteers