Thomas Macdonough - War of 1812

War of 1812

At the beginning of the War of 1812 American naval forces were very small, allowing the British to make many advances into the Great Lakes and northern New York waterways. The roles played by commanders like Oliver Hazard Perry at Lake Erie and Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario and Thomas Macdonough at Lake Champlain all proved vital to the naval effort on the lakes that was largely responsible for preserving American territory during that war.

Assigned to the USS Constellation, as First Lieutenant, Macdonough returned to active service just prior to the outbreak of the war in June 1812. The ship at this time was being outfitted and supplied in Washington, DC, for its next mission, but was still months away from being ready. Moreover, it did not escape from the British blockade at the Chesapeake Bay until 1814.

Requesting transfer to a more active front, Macdonough was assigned command to a squadron of gunboats defending Portland, Maine. His stay there was brief when he received new orders from Secretary of the Navy Hamilton. Macdonough was reassigned to Burlington, Vermont to command U.S. naval forces in Lake Champlain in October 1812.

Taking leave from his assignment at Lake Champlain Macdonough married Lucy Anne Shaler on December 12, 1812 at the Christ Church in Middletown by Bishop Abraham Jarvis.

On June 2, 1813, Macdonough sent Lieutenant Sidney Smith with the USS Growler, along with Sailing Master Loomis with USS Eagle, to guard against British advances at the Canadian border at the Richelieu River. The impatient Smith sailed into British waters, an action which was contrary to his orders, and at once found himself overpowered by the British squadron. After enduring four hours of battle, Smith was finally forced into surrendering.