The War of 1812 (fought from June 1812 to February 1815) seems to get lost amongst the subjects covered in American history classes. Having occurred between the American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, it almost makes sense; however, the war had long lasting effects on our nation. From the plains of Canada, naval battles on the Great Lakes, the attack on New Orleans and the burning of the White House, the War of 1812 was widespread. In the summer of 1814, the war was brought to the New England coast when the sleepy town of Stonington was attacked.
History
By the summer of 1814, the War of 1812 had been raging for over two years. Despite the fact that many New Englanders expressed extreme disagreement with the war, many chose to stand up and fight. The coastal communities of New England had suffered from the war (and the prolonged Napoleonic Wars between France and England) that greatly affected their trade and commerce. Additionally, thousands of American sailors had been impressed (essentially kidnapped) and forced to serve in the British Navy. For the community of Stonington, Connecticut, the war was about to come directly to their town.
On August 9, 1814, a British naval squadron arrived off the coast of Connecticut near Stonington Point. Under the command of Captain Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, the contingent was comprised of a few ships: the HMS Pactolus (38 guns), the HMS Dispatch (22 guns) and the bombship HMS Terror. On August 10, additional British firepower joined the flotilla in the form of Hardy’s flagship HMS Ramillies (74 guns) and the brig HMS Nimrod.
Captain Hardy demanded the surrender of the town, but the citizens bravely refused: “We shall defend this place to the last extremity; should it be destroyed, we shall perish in its ruins.” The bombardment of the town began on the night of August 9.
A question that remains is why was Stonington chosen for such a seemingly pointless (at least militarily) attack? Captain Hardy allegedly believed the town made and/or stored torpedoes (what we would think of as mines today); however, there seems to be no evidence of that. Perhaps it was to crush the morale of the local populace or even served as a vindictive strike.
The borough of Stonington had a small militia of a few dozen men and only three cannons (two 18 pounders and one 6 pounder). Amongst the local militia was a man with a unique and serendipitous past named Jeremiah Holmes.
Jeremiah Holmes was an interesting character. In 1804, he was impressed by the British Navy and forced to serve onboard one of their ships; however, through this involuntary service he gained experience in naval artillery and combat. It was this invaluable experience that he brought to the fight in August 1814 (imagine his disdain for the English Navy).
On August 10, the bombardment continued along with an attempted landing. The small group of militia defended the coast and successfully opposed the landing, to the astonishment of the nearly 1,500 British soldiers and sailors under Hardy’s command. To follow-up, Holmes led a team in firing one of the town’s cannons upon the ship HMS Dispatch with deadly accuracy.
The British bombardment continued intermittently for a few days, which caused some damage to the town without killing anyone. On August 12, the British squadron weighed anchor and sailed over the horizon. The results of the Battle of Stonington were 21 British dead and 50 wounded- an American victory.
Stonington, CT
On a crisp New England autumn day we headed out to visit the quaint and quiet borough of Stonington, Connecticut. If you are looking for an awesome local spot to grab a meal during your visit to Stonington, we highly recommend Dog Watch Cafe. They offer great food, friendly service, and unparalleled waterfront seating and views of Stonington Harbor.
Our first stop was to the commemorative Cannon Square, tucked between Main and Water Streets in the center of town. This small grassy park holds some incredible American military history: two of the actual cannons used by Jeremiah Holmes and the Stonington militia to defend the town. Parking is limited, but look out for street parking near the square (be mindful of the many one-ways!).
These two original 18-pound cannons were cast in the 1780s at the West Point Foundry and were in Stonington when the British bombardment began. In 2010, a nearly two-year long restoration project (costing nearly $70,000) ensured that these two artifacts will remain for decades to come.
In between the two cannons is an 1830 obelisk monument that honors the men of Stonington who defended the town. Each side has an inscription, with the backside reading: “These two guns of 18 pounds caliber were heroically used to repel the attack on Stonington of the English naval vessels Ramilies, 74 guns, Pactolus, 44, Dispatch, 20, Nimrod, 20 and the bomb ship Terror. August 10, 1814.”
A short drive down Water Street is the beautiful Stonington Point. It was off of this bit of land that juts out into the Atlantic that the British squadron sailed and fired upon the town of Stonington. A stone monument along the coast here marks the location of the thwarted British landing. It is hard to believe that this peaceful coastal park was once filled with cannon smoke and the cries of desperate men.
Before we left the area we stopped by a stocky stone lighthouse that sits near Stonington Point. Built in 1840, the Stonington Lighthouse helped safely guide sailors into harbor until 1889 when its use was made obsolete due to the more practical breakwater lights. In 1927, the Stonington Historical Society opened it as the nation’s first lighthouse museum.
Every year the citizens of Stonington proudly celebrate the unlikely victory of their townspeople against the British. Even only a month after the battle (before the war even ended), the American people celebrated the victory. In September 1814, the Niles Weekly Register (of Baltimore) published the poem “The Battle of Stonington.”
“The Ramillies gave up the fray
And with her comrades sneaked away
Such was the valor of the day
Of the British tars at Stonington.”
Book recommendation: The Battle of Stonington by James Tertius de Kay