During the War of 1812, Kentucky supplied numerous troops and supplies to the war effort. Because Kentucky did not have to commit manpower to defending fortifications, most Kentucky troops campaigned actively against the enemy. This led to Kentucky seeing more battle casualties than all other states combined.[1]
With the impending onset of hostilities, the governor of the Indiana Territory, future United States PresidentWilliam Henry Harrison sought military assistance from neighboring Kentucky. After being appointed brigadier general of the Kentucky militia on August 22, Harrison went to attain the force in order to defend the Indiana territorial government at Vincennes, Indiana.[2] Harrison had resigned his military commission in December 1811, but with the help of Kentucky governor Charles Scott, he was able to recruit Kentucky citizens to help defend Indiana; citizens in Ohio and Indiana had heard of the lack of camp provisions and chose not to be burdened by such hardships.[2][3] As a result, most of Kentucky's militia during the war fought in what was the old Northwest Territory.[4]
Kentucky militiaEdit
Some 25,010 Kentuckians served in war, which was about five out of every six men then of military age. Fighting against both the British and their Native Americans allies, Kentucky sent a total of 36 regiments, four battalions, and twelve independent companies to the field, an almost unbelievable accomplishment considering the state's small population at the time.[5]
Counties named for fallen River Raisin officers[6]
John Allen, a former gubernatorial candidate and Kentucky state legislator, on June 5, 1812, was made colonel of the 1st Kentucky Rifle Regiment, first militia troops raised by the state for the war. Allen was killed while rallying his men at the Battle of the River Raisin in Michigan. He was buried in Frankfort Cemetery, and Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio would all name counties in his honor.[7] Eight other Kentucky officers died in either the battle or the massacre that followed it, and had counties named for them. The River Raisin casualties included about 400 Kentuckians killed in the fighting, plus eighty wounded prisoners who were tomahawked by the Indians as soon as the British troops departed. The murder of the prisoners led to the Kentuckian's rallying cry for the rest of the war - Remember the River Raisin![6]
Many Kentuckians also took part in Andrew Jackson's defeat of the British regulars at the Battle of New Orleans, which took place (unknown to the participants) after the peace treaty had already been signed.
Kentucky militia service in U.S. Army campaignsEdit
Indiana
Illinois
Ohio
Michigan
Ontario, Canada
Louisiana
Isaac Shelby, Kentucky's 1st and 5th Governor and Revolutionary War hero, helped lead the Kentucky militia in the War of 1812 in the liberation of Fort Detroit from the British when he was in his 60s, leading to its renaming as Fort Shelby. Shelby also joined General Harrison in pursuing the retreating British troops led by Major GeneralSir Isaac Brock and the Indian leader Tecumseh into Canada, defeating them and killing Tecumseh at the Battle of Moraviantown, called by the Americans the Battle of the Thames.
Kentucky helped supply the war. A major supply depot for the war was at Newport, Kentucky. Dubbed Newport Barracks, the staging area would later serve as a supply depot for conflicts with Mexico later in the century.[9]Saltpeter was heavily mined in Carter County and at the Great Saltpeter Cave in Rockcastle County.[10] But the most notable mining was at Mammoth Cave, whose saltpeter, considered exceptional quality, was numbered at 570,000 pounds produced during the war.[11]
The war also affected the state's economy. Due to the inability to trade during the war with Britain, "rudimentary manufacturing" was spurred during the timeframe.[12] To help pay for the war, a distilled spirits excise tax was levied during the war, and would not end until 1817. The next such tax would not be levied until the Civil War in 1862.[13]
Future Kentucky governorsEdit
The War of 1812 had a lasting effect on Kentucky. One consequence was that the Shawnee never again challenged white control of the state.[14] Also, a number of Kentucky's future leaders served in the war. Counting Isaac Shelby's second term, which began just after the outbreak of hostilities, six consecutive governors of Kentucky were veterans of the war. Later governors Charles A. Wickliffe and John J. Crittenden also served as aides-de-camp in the war. Twenty-two of Kentucky's one hundred twenty counties are named for participants in the War of 1812, including nine that were named after soldiers killed at the Battle of River Raisin.
^Quisenberry, A.C. (1912). "Kentucky Troops in the War of 1812". The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. Kentucky Historical Society. 10 (30). Retrieved January 17, 2009.
^ ab. Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN0-8131-1772-0.
Mahon, John K. (1991). The War of 1812. Da Capo Press. ISBN0-306-80429-8.
Further readingEdit
"Causation of the War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 48 (2). April 1950.
Hall, Ellery L. (October 1930). "Canadian Annexation Sentiment in Kentucky Prior to the War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 28 (85).
Hammack, James Wallace (1976). Kentucky and the Second American Revolution: The War of 1812. The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN0-8131-0216-2.
Harris, James Russell (Summer 1984). "Kentuckians in the War of 1812: A Note on Numbers, Losses, and Sources". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 82 (3).
"Imprisonment of British Officers in the Frankfort Penitentiary, War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 48 (3). July 1951.
Kinkead, Elizabeth Shelby (1915). "Chapter IX: The War of 1812". A History of Kentucky. American Book Company. pp. 116–126. ISBN1-4374-5612-X. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault (1915). Kentucky in the War of 1812. The Kentucky State Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault (January 1914). "Kentucky "Regulars" in the War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 12 (34).
Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault (September 1912). "Kentucky Troops in the War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 10 (30).
Shaler, Nathaniel Southgate (1885). "Chapter XII: The War of 1812". Kentucky: A Pioneer Commonwealth. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 158–171. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
Wilson, Samuel (September 1911). "Kentucky's Part in the War of 1812". Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. 9 (27).
August 30, 2023
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During the War of 1812 Kentucky supplied numerous troops and supplies to the war effort Because Kentucky did not have to commit manpower to defending fortifications most Kentucky troops campaigned actively against the enemy This led to Kentucky seeing more battle casualties than all other states combined 1 Contents 1 Conflict 2 Kentucky militia 3 Kentucky militia service in U S Army campaigns 4 Homefront 5 Future Kentucky governors 6 See also 7 References 8 Further readingConflict Edit Kentucky governor Charles ScottWith the impending onset of hostilities the governor of the Indiana Territory future United States President William Henry Harrison sought military assistance from neighboring Kentucky After being appointed brigadier general of the Kentucky militia on August 22 Harrison went to attain the force in order to defend the Indiana territorial government at Vincennes Indiana 2 Harrison had resigned his military commission in December 1811 but with the help of Kentucky governor Charles Scott he was able to recruit Kentucky citizens to help defend Indiana citizens in Ohio and Indiana had heard of the lack of camp provisions and chose not to be burdened by such hardships 2 3 As a result most of Kentucky s militia during the war fought in what was the old Northwest Territory 4 Kentucky militia EditSome 25 010 Kentuckians served in war which was about five out of every six men then of military age Fighting against both the British and their Native Americans allies Kentucky sent a total of 36 regiments four battalions and twelve independent companies to the field an almost unbelievable accomplishment considering the state s small population at the time 5 Counties named for fallen River Raisin officers 6 Allen County John AllenBallard County Bland BallardEdmonson County John EdmonsonGraves County Benjamin Franklin GravesHart County Nathaniel G S HartHickman County Paschal HickmanMcCracken County Virgil McCrackenMeade County James MeadeSimpson County John SimpsonJohn Allen a former gubernatorial candidate and Kentucky state legislator on June 5 1812 was made colonel of the 1st Kentucky Rifle Regiment first militia troops raised by the state for the war Allen was killed while rallying his men at the Battle of the River Raisin in Michigan He was buried in Frankfort Cemetery and Kentucky Indiana and Ohio would all name counties in his honor 7 Eight other Kentucky officers died in either the battle or the massacre that followed it and had counties named for them The River Raisin casualties included about 400 Kentuckians killed in the fighting plus eighty wounded prisoners who were tomahawked by the Indians as soon as the British troops departed The murder of the prisoners led to the Kentuckian s rallying cry for the rest of the war Remember the River Raisin 6 Many Kentuckians also took part in Andrew Jackson s defeat of the British regulars at the Battle of New Orleans which took place unknown to the participants after the peace treaty had already been signed Kentucky militia service in U S Army campaigns EditIndiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Ontario Canada LouisianaIsaac Shelby Kentucky s 1st and 5th Governor and Revolutionary War hero helped lead the Kentucky militia in the War of 1812 in the liberation of Fort Detroit from the British when he was in his 60s leading to its renaming as Fort Shelby Shelby also joined General Harrison in pursuing the retreating British troops led by Major General Sir Isaac Brock and the Indian leader Tecumseh into Canada defeating them and killing Tecumseh at the Battle of Moraviantown called by the Americans the Battle of the Thames Almost all the American soldiers at the Battle of Wild Cat Creek fought in northern Indiana were residents of the Hopkinsville Kentucky area in southwestern Kentucky 8 Homefront Edit Mammoth CaveKentucky helped supply the war A major supply depot for the war was at Newport Kentucky Dubbed Newport Barracks the staging area would later serve as a supply depot for conflicts with Mexico later in the century 9 Saltpeter was heavily mined in Carter County and at the Great Saltpeter Cave in Rockcastle County 10 But the most notable mining was at Mammoth Cave whose saltpeter considered exceptional quality was numbered at 570 000 pounds produced during the war 11 The war also affected the state s economy Due to the inability to trade during the war with Britain rudimentary manufacturing was spurred during the timeframe 12 To help pay for the war a distilled spirits excise tax was levied during the war and would not end until 1817 The next such tax would not be levied until the Civil War in 1862 13 Future Kentucky governors EditThe War of 1812 had a lasting effect on Kentucky One consequence was that the Shawnee never again challenged white control of the state 14 Also a number of Kentucky s future leaders served in the war Counting Isaac Shelby s second term which began just after the outbreak of hostilities six consecutive governors of Kentucky were veterans of the war Later governors Charles A Wickliffe and John J Crittenden also served as aides de camp in the war Twenty two of Kentucky s one hundred twenty counties are named for participants in the War of 1812 including nine that were named after soldiers killed at the Battle of River Raisin See also EditIndiana in the War of 1812References Edit Kleber p 930 a b Indiana Territory Timeline Indiana State Government Retrieved 2009 01 15 Mahon pp 63 64 Kleber p 506 Quisenberry A C 1912 Kentucky Troops in the War of 1812 The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Kentucky Historical Society 10 30 Retrieved January 17 2009 a b Battle of River Raisin January 22 1813 Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Archived from the original on April 8 2009 Retrieved 2009 01 17 Kleber p 15 Ferguson Rich March 3 2008 Indianapolis Tonight WIBC Retrieved 2009 01 15 dead link Kleber p 155 Kleber pp 167 387 Kleber p 605 Kleber p 280 Kleber p 266 Kleber p 815 Kleber John E ed 1992 The Kentucky Encyclopedia University Press of Kentucky ISBN 0 8131 1772 0 Mahon John K 1991 The War of 1812 Da Capo Press ISBN 0 306 80429 8 Further reading Edit Causation of the War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 48 2 April 1950 Hall Ellery L October 1930 Canadian Annexation Sentiment in Kentucky Prior to the War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 28 85 Hammack James Wallace 1976 Kentucky and the Second American Revolution The War of 1812 The University Press of Kentucky ISBN 0 8131 0216 2 Harris James Russell Summer 1984 Kentuckians in the War of 1812 A Note on Numbers Losses and Sources Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 82 3 Imprisonment of British Officers in the Frankfort Penitentiary War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 48 3 July 1951 Kinkead Elizabeth Shelby 1915 Chapter IX The War of 1812 A History of Kentucky American Book Company pp 116 126 ISBN 1 4374 5612 X Retrieved 2009 01 17 Quisenberry Anderson Chenault 1915 Kentucky in the War of 1812 The Kentucky State Historical Society Retrieved 2009 01 17 Quisenberry Anderson Chenault January 1914 Kentucky Regulars in the War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 12 34 Quisenberry Anderson Chenault September 1912 Kentucky Troops in the War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 10 30 Shaler Nathaniel Southgate 1885 Chapter XII The War of 1812 Kentucky A Pioneer Commonwealth Houghton Mifflin pp 158 171 Retrieved 2009 01 17 Wilson Samuel September 1911 Kentucky s Part in the War of 1812 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 9 27 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kentucky in the War of 1812 amp oldid 1058202893, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
