Freeman, sailor, soldier Charles Smothers

Tony Burroughs-Genealogist

Author and War of 1812 historian Gerald Altoff wrote an insightful book several years ago (still available on Amazon.com) entitled “Oliver Hazard Perry and Battle of Lake Erie”. His companion book “Amongst My Best Men”, took a more in depth look at African Americans in the War of 1812. Part of this later work focused on the African American sailors who were a part of Oliver Hazard Perry’s crew during the Battle of Lake Erie.

 
According to Altoff’s book many of the northern states stipulated “that each and every free able bodied white male, citizen of the respective states, resident there in, who is or shall be the age of eighteen … shall be enrolled in the militia.” While many of these states did not strictly forbid the enrollment of African Americans, they were not encouraged either. Ironically, the territory of Michigan and southern states like Virginia enlisted free men of color. In fact Louisiana had a long and proud tradition of black fighting men.

 
These free men enlisted in militia and rifle units that served honorably and bravely in many of the engagements of the War of 1812. It was no surprise that some of these men, probably 10-15 percent would become sailors, transferred by General Harrison and Commodore Chauncey to be crew aboard Oliver Hazard Perry’s ships.

 
So a few months back I got a call from internationally acclaimed and published genealogist Tony Burroughs of Chicago. Tony has quite a resume and has researched genealogy for notable African Americans like Oprah Winfrey, Al Sharpton and Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson.

 

 

Mr. Burroughs was researching the story of freeman and war of 1812 sailor Charles Smothers. It turns out that Tony Burroughs is a seventh generation descendent of Charles Smothers who Tony believed served in the Battle of Lake Erie under Perry. This is not an easy thing to prove since men like Charles Smothers were often left out or given limited documentation in the records kept during this time period.

 
Mr. Burroughs shared with me his research on his great-great-great-great grandfather. “Charles Smothers was born in 1784 in Henry County, Virginia. He was a farmer and migrated from Virginia to Davidson County Tennessee, near Nashville, sometime prior to 1813 when he enlisted in the military. Smothers enlisted in the Regular Army in March of 1813. He was assigned to the 24th U.S. Infantry [and] was transferred from his army regiment to the Lake Erie fleet on August 28, 1813.”

 
Following these leads Tony Burroughs needed to find records that acknowledged his ancestor’s service. He found one of those on the Battle of Lake Erie website (www.battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com) that lists all the men who participated in the Battle of Lake Erie according to the purser’s records.

 

 

Mr. Burroughs’s had corroborated this fact about Smother’s by examining the official Prize List compiled by Purser Samuel Hambleton (Commodore Perry’s Purser) which was published in The American State Papers in 1814. Tony found that Hambleton’s official Prize List indicated that Smothers “may” have served aboard the “Schooner Scorpion.”

 
However Tony found that Charles Smothers had stated in his application for “Bounty Land” that he served on board the “Flagship Niagara.” This contradicted the pursers report and meant that further research was needed.

 

It was a common practice of the era for Veterans of the War of 1812 to earn “Bounty Land” as a bonus for their service. Mr. Burroughs had found documentation that Charles Smothers made a successful application for the Bounty Land and a warrant was awarded him based on his service in the War of 1812.

 

 

Mr. Burroughs’s research also revealed that Charles Smothers continued to serve with the Regular Army but was transferred to a unit called the “First Rifles” company led by Captain Edward Wadsworth, December 13, 1813. Charles was honorably discharged on June 3, 1815 in Buffalo, New York. Instead of returning to Tennessee, he decided to settle in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. There he married a white woman named Ruth and they had several children. Two sons served in the Civil War in the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. One of them is named Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Smothers.

 
Mr. Burroughs research was painstaking and still drives him on to find that last piece of written evidence that places Smothers aboard the Flagship Niagara. But the story of Charles Smothers, African American War of 1812 Sailor is now documented. If genealogy is your passion and if you think you might have an ancestor that was aboard one of the US Navy’s ships during the Battle of Lake Erie take the time to check out the celebration website (www.battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com). Perhaps you will be inspired to sign up to be that person during the reenactment September 2nd.

The Curious Case of Hezekiah Gear

This past year has brought me some very unusual stories about the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial from even stranger sources. Such is the case of one Hezekiah H. Gear, a very successful lead mine entrepreneur from Galena Illinois. Last fall when a group of visiting Road Scholars (formerly Elder Hostile) was in town bird watching, I was talking to one of the scholars. This fellow told me that they had recently been on a trip to Galena Illinois and seen “Commodore Perry’s Battle Flag” from the Battle of Lake Erie on display at the Galena-Jo Daviess Historical Society & Museum.

 
First you might wonder like I did, “Where the heck is Galena?” Well Galena is in the most northwestern part of Illinois just a few miles east of the Mississippi River and just south of the state of Wisconsin. It was barely an encampment on the river at the time of the Battle of Lake Erie. It later became a town of some prominence on the shoulders of the many lead veins that were discovered and subsequently mined in the surrounding area in the mid to late 1820’s. Today It is a beautiful serene “New Englandesque” town and certainly worth visiting (www.visitgalena.org).
Our part of the story centers round Hezekiah H. Gear, oldest of 8 children born in Connecticut in 1791. The version that has been told about young Hezekiah is that he enlisted into the Massachusetts Militia at about the age of 19 or 20 for a very short stint that may have included being in or assigned to the US Navy. We have no documentation that Gear was ever aboard the Lawrence or any of the ships used in the Battle of Lake Erie. Not in the Captain or pursers log or even in any historical retellings of that fateful day. But like many stories from this period in history it has been retold and perhaps embellished over time.

 
By many “post war” published accounts I received from the Galena-Jo Davies Historical Society, Hezekiah was aboard the Brig Lawrence with Commodore Perry during the Battle of Lake Erie. As the ship and crew became overwhelmed by enemy fire, most of the crew dead or mortally injured, Commodore Perry prepared to move his command to the Niagara. Just as he was about to depart, young Hezekiah bravely turned back to fetch the captain’s “ensign”. In this case a hand-sewn American flag with fourteen (and later seventeen) randomly placed stars and nine red and white stripes. Often this type of “Captain’s” burgee or ensign was flown on board when the commanding officer was present and had great sentimental value for its owner.

 
According to an account in the Galena Museum about the flag, written by Curator Daryl Watson, Gear was a hero. He wrote, “Amid a hail of enemy fire, he frantically climbed the rigging and snatched the flag. Dropping back to the deck, he raced to Perry’s side, where the young Captain wrapped the tattered cloth over his arm as the abandoned ship”.

 

Supposedly, soon after the battle, safe on the shores of Put-in-Bay Commodore Perry presented the tattered flag to Hezekiah for his bravery. Some accounts have this actually taking place years later and not by Perry at all. Never the less, he kept the cherished flag in his personal affects and the legend of the flag traveled with Gear.

 
Young Hezekiah Gear went west 1827 after the war filing a claim for land that might be mined for lead. Both the Native Americans and the US Government disputed the land’s ownership. Both believed it was theirs through a treaty. After much court wrangling and even a short stint in jail Gear prevailed and was awarded clear title. The land was very fruitful and Gear became “one of Galena’s most prosperous and philanthropic citizens. He became an Illinois State Senator and commander of the Illinois “Young America” Militia.

 
Today the ensign remains on display at Galena-Jo Daviess Historical Society Museum, though its provenance is now unclear. It has traveled to other museums at times as part of War of 1812 exhibit adding to its lore. The real story of the flag remains a bit murky but the story provides a “great and glorious” picture of the times. What we know for certain is that Gear spent a very short time in the Massachusetts Militia, though in 1871 he was declared eligible for a pension. Before he died in 1877 Hezekiah transferred ownership of the flag to the Customs House near Galena under the watchful eye of the “Young America” and “Wide Awake” guards. In a short address to “Young America” Hezekiah Gear kept the legend of the flag aloft evoking Perry’s bravery in his address “long may it wave over your heads and may the same Almighty Being that shielded the brave Perry and gave him victory in defense of your country and your countries cause”. He closed his speech with those immortal words “we have met the enemy and they are ours.” As Napoleon Bonaparte once said “history is written by the victors”.

 

Gifts of the Season ( of Whale boats & rowing races)

In September of 1910 the “Interstate Board of The Perry’s Victory Centennial Commissioners” was organized to create a permanent tribute to Commodore Perry and enable a “worthy celebration” of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, and of course do it in grand style. From Milwaukee to Buffalo over a dozen Port cites and ten states planned events and then participated in the Battle of Lake Erie Centennial Celebration.

 
Here in Put-in-Bay, the Commissioners embarked on an ambitious summer schedule of activities that commenced on July 4th with the laying of the Monument corner stone, and concluded with the a seven course dinner at the Cedar Point Ballroom that featured “sweet breads”, Tutti-Frutti ice cream, cigars and fine brandy.

 
In the months leading up to the Centennial celebration, not only did the Commissioners get the completion financing they needed from the Federal Government (with the help of the Taft administration) for the building of the monument, but they also located and restored the Brig Niagara that was slowly falling to pieces in its shallow muddy grave in the Presque Isle harbor. These two projects alone would have been quite an accomplishment, but for the Centennial Commissioners 1913 required an exceptional effort suitable for acknowledging a “Century of Peace” with Great Britain and Canada.

 
So over the summer of 1913, the never-ending celebration commenced. It included a “Centennial Regatta” (under the auspices of the ILYA) that featured sailing and powerboat regattas and an appearance by the yacht “Pricilla”. There were aviation events, swimming competitions and canoe races with trophies and ribbons galore!
But I have to say I was totally unaware of the fact that Put-in-Bay hosted the championship rowing races including the “Commodore Perry Cup” until an alert reader, Paul Polk from Virginia, emailed me. He wrote to ask for help on learning more about the story behind the black and white photograph he has of his grandfather holding a trophy for a rowing championship in his Naval Militia Uniform. He was told that his grand father had been on the team from North Carolina that had come to “Put-in Island” for these rowing championships.

 
Like manna from heaven, out of the blue, this story was truly a gift for the season. As we continue to build our replica pulling boat used by Perry, light dawned on my “marble head”. The Centennial was THE perfect place for this championship. If there was ever an event that celebrated Perry’s “moment” as he moved from the Lawrence to the Niagara, this was it.
I had to know more. I was able to download a copy of the “Official Souvenir Program of the Perry’s Victory Centennial” from the Library of Congress and there it was, on page 74, event 45 of August 28th 1913, “The Commodore Perry Cup”. The US Naval Militia Championship for the 6 Oar Rowing Competition with “individual trophies for each member of the crew of seven and a ‘Championship Flag’ to the winning whale boat”.
So Paul has emailed me again that he has the trophy and is getting it cleaned up. He is hoping that there might be a chance to come next summer and see the bicentennial re-dux of the “Six oared whaleboat race for the Naval Militia US Championship” also known as the “Commodore Perry Cup”. And so do I. It would be wonderful to invite rowing teams from across the region, heck from across the country to come back to Put-in-Bay. We are well on our way to having a boat to race, now all we need is a race to enter and a crew.
You can help us as we head towards the summer of 2013. This holiday season give the gift of the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial. Contribute to our Perry’s Longboat project, or buy a flare for the 2013 Harbor Illumination (www.theperrygroup.org). We need you on our team to win this race.

Illuminating Peace

It is hard to believe that we are closing in on two hundred years of peace with Canada and Great Britain. So we are excited about creating a harbor illumination this summer, something everyone can participate in to celebrate. This is an event that will capture the imagination and memories of islanders and visitors, something that connects us to our history but extends to our personal celebration as well.

 

Our Battle of Lake Erie bicentennial observance, which begins this summer, is the prelude to that important anniversary. It was on the eve of Christmas in 1814 when we signed the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812. Perhaps we take it for granted that the two hard fought wars between the United States and Great Britain left us as firmly entwined allies not enemies. That alliance has been important through out the years, not just during wartime but during peaceful times as well.

 
As a very young child I lived just out side Buffalo, New York. My Uncle and Aunt lived in a small community in Ontario Canada near the north shore of Lake Erie in a community known as Point Abino. During the summers we would often head to their lakeside house to escape the heat of the summer and enjoy the sandy shores of Crystal Beach. It seemed to me that going to Canada was effortless, no passports, border guards or customs officer.

 
It was way beyond my understanding at the time to realize that the Treaty of Ghent had solidified that open border that we still enjoy today. In fact in Put-in-Bay we welcome our northern friends every summer that come from Port Stanley, Leamington, Amherstburg and beyond to visit our island.
My Aunt and Uncle have long since passed away, but the memories of those wonderful summers in Point Abino still shine brightly in my mind. I want to remember not only my Aunt and Uncle, but also my mother and father who brought me here to Put-in-Bay for many, many wonderful summers after we moved to Columbus.

 
So this summer in Put-in-Bay we are going to celebrate our good fortune, that feeling of security we enjoy that has come with an open border and enduring peace, by staging an illumination of the inner harbor. This potentially spectacular event will take place at dusk on September 8th after the Toledo Symphony has concluded its performance.

 
From the edge of the Monument property to Stone Lab and along the shores of Gibraltar we will have flares deployed every 15 feet. At a prescribed time all the flares will be lit providing an illumination of the harbor that will be visible by land, boat and air. The flares will burn for about 20 minutes allowing for great photos, quiet moments and some heart felt remembrances to be shared.

 
But in order to have this happen we need your help. Perry’s Victory, Stone Lab and the Village of Put-in-Bay have given us permission to stage this event, but we need your thoughtful involvement as well. Buy a flare, maybe two for your lost loved ones, or for your family that enjoys life here in the Bass Islands. They cost just $10 each and you can write a special quote or memory in our online logbook for the event. Plan to invite friends and family to our island for Historic Weekend and celebrate the Bicentennial.

 
This first year of the illumination we hope to have at least 500 flares lit. Call, write, go online or email us if you’re onboard, $10 a flare for a memory and moments of thankfulness. We need volunteers, supplies and helpful cooperation from all the businesses and homeowners along the waterfront.
Now, when I think back to the events that unfolded during the War of 1812, I am especially thankful for the bold and brave actions of our Navy and Commodore Perry on that fateful day in September of 1813. Their sacrifice is embodied in our enduring peace with Great Britain and Canada today. Come celebrate!

 
The Perry Group PO Box 484 Put-in-Bay, Ohio 43456, 419-285-2491
http://www.theperrygroup.org battleoflakeerie@gmail.com

Building an Icon

Magazines, television and roadside billboards are awash with iconic images like the coke bottle, martini glass, Eiffel Tower, Einstein’s hair, Mickey Mouse “ears”, and the VW Beetle. But for many of us our passion for history takes us deeper into American imagery. The stopped tank in Tiananmen Square (1989), The plaintive woman in Kent State shooting photo (1970), and the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jimo (1945) are gripping memorable iconic images that resonate with us. Americans attach their own interpretation or meaning to these icons, for the “greatest generation” that photo from Iwo Jima stands for all that we fought so hard for in the Second World War. Before photojournalism, these iconic moments were captured by artists.

For me Commodore Perry aboard a rowing gig transferring his command from the Brig Lawrence to the Brig Niagara during the Battle of Lake Erie is one of these powerful iconic American scenes, the most famous painted by Ohio artist William Henry Powell in 1857. The scene has been painted repeatedly and it is “the image” that we attach to the Navy’s most steadfast motto, “Don’t give up the ship”. And while Perry is not the originator of that slogan, his love for his fallen friend James Lawrence, commander of the “Chesapeake”, propelled him to create the “DGUTS” flag that has made it one of our most well known historical American folklore images. Surprisingly, today the “DGUTS” flag image stands alone from the Battle of Lake Erie. For many Americans the slogan, the flag, even the painting are not necessarily attached to the heroic events that made Perry’s success in the Battle of Lake Erie become legendary in his own day.

There are dozens of versions of this iconic scene. From the black and white lithograph from Yale’s collection to the most famous Powell version that adorns the rotunda outside the halls of congress. When you see the painting of Commodore Perry being rowed from the Lawrence to the Niagara it is easy to identify immediately with the “never say die” outside the box thinking that made Perry an enshrined hero of the early American Republic.

About a year ago, The Perry Group had a notion that maybe this iconic image, this moment in time, could be recreated. What if we could build a replica of the rowing gig that Perry used to transfer his command and make it a part of the celebration for the Battle of Lake Erie bicentennial? We started to research these paintings to identify the type of boat he might of used. Since no one made sketches of the battle that September day in 1813, artistic license was employed in the various depictions.

Some of these paintings have as few as 6 men aboard, while others have as many as 10. Some show Perry carrying the “DGUTS” flag, others have the American Colors flying from the bow. One thing we can be fairly certain about, when Perry was being rowed to the Niagara the battle was still raging all about him. He probably did not have many able bodied men left after the Lawrence had been pummeled practically into splinters. I would also bet he did not want to draw overt attention to himself. Never the less the image we hold dear today is what we are after, but as historically correct as possible.

I can’t believe how lucky we are to have the opportunity to build one or our regions, perhaps the country’s most iconic historical Navy symbols. Our journey to find out more about this infamous boat, took us to Boston, Burlington (VT), Newport (RI) and Erie. We enlisted the expert eye of Bob Reynolds Grandson of Scott Matthews (Matthews Boat Company) to help us in this quest.

At first we were just looking for what appeared to be similar. The long boat, pilot gig, and jolly boat are all rowing vessels of the time period that came in various sizes and lengths. Some were designed for speed, others for carrying supplies, still others were for getting crew to and from shore. Since no one can be sure of what exact rowing gig had been aboard the Lawrence we started to research various styles that were common to the British fleet in those days.

On our fact-finding trip to the Erie Maritime Museum we interviewed Walter Rybka, current captain of the Niagara and naval historian. Walter set us on a quest to find an 18’6” six man rowing gig based on lines he shared with us from the Brig Grampus. That was the turning point in our search. After returning from Erie, Bob found a copy of the plans that had been drawn up for the construction of the Brig Niagara, which was “rebuilt” in the 1980’s. It turned out that the naval architect in charge of that reconstruction was Melbourne Smith from Annapolis area. He had done considerable research before drawing those plans. His research included a gig that would have been aboard the Niagara. We contacted him and he has been helping us to create a final plan for our new gig. This ongoing process will begin next month. Construction will be carried out by Riddle Boat Works of Vermilion, with the help of the Sandusky Maritime Museum and Bob Reynolds. We have only just begun to recreate an icon. We have secured a challenge matching grant to get started but we still need funds and materials to build this iconic craft. But I promise you will see it with your own eyes this year, in all its glory once again on the lake once again. Get involved, follow this amazing quest on our blog site “Chasing Perry’s Victory” (https://chasingperry.wordpress.com/) or on twitter @theperrygroup.

Driven By History (Leisure Living Article Spring 2012)

Get ready, because they say that gas prices may hit new record highs this summer. So as you sift through your vacation ideas I want to suggest how one tank of gas, American history, men (and women) in costumes and warm summer breezes might fit in. This year begins a multi-year observance of the War of 1812. The bell rings, literally, on June 18th as the Re-Declaration of War is read out loud at 1812 Communities across the country.

For people here in Northwestern Ohio, there are dozens of great events, costumed re-enactments and historic sites to visit this summer starting with Fort Meigs (Dayton), Battle of Frenchtown (The River Raison Michigan), Fort Malden (Amherstburg Ontario) and especially Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, Put-in-Bay the staging site for Commodore Perry’s fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie.

When I was a kid we lived in Columbus (founded by the way in 1812!). Many summers my mother and I would drive to various family events and on our way we would always detour to include a historic site. We toured battle sites of the Civil War from Antietam to Gettysburg, We visited pre-revolutionary war sites like The Cumberland Gap (Fort Patrick Henry), Boonesborough ( Daniel Boone home) and Fort Necessity (French and Indian War). On one especially memorable trip we saw Perry’s Monument, the Flagship Niagara (in Erie Pennsylvania), and Fort McHenry in Baltimore where on a momentous night in 1814 Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner!

As a child these excursions made history come alive for me. Seeing first hand the important sites mentioned in history class was an awakening, and cemented my understanding of the connections between our past and the present. For the next couple of years American history comes alive in our own back yard. With so many important sites integral with the War of 1812 this close by, no need to spend big bucks to travel.

So where to go? 200 years ago California was a sparsely settled land with a sprinkling of Spanish missionaries and Russian fur trappers. The Gulf Coast and Carribean were controlled by French and Spanish Ships of War, and in Colorado Zebulon Pike had just accidentally “discovered” Pikes Peak. But here in the Midwest, where the real expansion westward was causing endless battles for land control between the French, British and the Shawnee Nation, you can visit dozens of sites and see first hand the real effects of war and now peace. So forget about California, Florida or Colorado (all nice places to visit) it’s all right here in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, (and Ontario).

During the next three years not only will the American and Canadian governments be actively involved in the retelling of this struggle but many of the First Nation will also participate sharing their point of view as well. (As an aside-The great Chief Tecumseh, who died in the War of 1812, made his home in the Ohio region. He is the subject of a spectacular outdoor drama in Chillicothe Ohio called “Tecumseh”. ) We’re all just a short drive from Lake Erie where the September 2013 Battle of Lake Erie Celebration will take place and a bevy of activities scheduled for this summer that will extend along both sides of the border from Amherstburg to Buffalo, Dayton to Put-in-Bay. So fill up the tank and take a trip to any one of these great destinations.

I am particularly partial to having you come visit Put-in-Bay this summer. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will be host to a series of special events from May’s Seeds of Peace to the planned reopening of the Observation deck at the monument in June. Then Francis Scott Key will make an appearance here for the July 1st Symphony concert at the Monument and at the end of the summer you will really want to be here September 8th and 9th for Historic Weekend.

This year at Historic Weekend we begin celebrating 200 years of peace with Canada and Great Britain. On Saturday September 8th join costumed re-enactors, the US Coast Guard, and the Toledo Symphony for a moving musical celebration of peace. This will be followed by a twilight Harbor Illumination. A moving remembrance of family, loved ones and our military as the sun sets over the bay. Then next summer get ready for the Tall Ships to return to Lake Erie and Put-in-Bay as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. 12 days of events from August 30th –September 10th. This is where America became a country. Fill up the tank and drive. If you love history like I do (or just want to see something different) Lake Erie is the place to be this summer.