General Notes

[coosa1.ged]
WAR OF 1812 VETERANS UPDATE Submitted By: Homer Musselman 6/2002 with
"Thanks" to the extensive research of Mike Lyman.
Congress voted to declare war against England on June 17, 1812 and
President James Madison signed the bill on June 18, 1812. The war ended
on December 24, 1814.  The War of 1812 was fought primarily at sea and
along the Canadian border.
The 45th Regiment activated in July 1813 to meet the threat of the
British along the Potomac River. Most of the seven companies of the 45th
Regiment that were activated were stationed in the Potomac Church area in
Stafford during July and August 1813.
A “flying camp” consisting of militia from Shenandoah counties formed
in Fredericksburg in July 1813 as well. They consisted of cavalry,
mounted infantry and some light artillery. They were intended to be used
in Stafford and King George Counties to meet the British threat along the
Potomac. However, many militia from this camp were sent to Norfolk to
defend that area shortly after they were formed.
In 1814, Captain Edringston’s Company of Stafford was first called
up. It was stationed in the Norfolk area from January to April 1814.
Several units of Stafford County militia mustered with Prince William ,
Spotsylvania and Caroline County militias in July 1814. Many units from
the western counties of Virginia were traveling through the Stafford and
Fredericksburg area in July 1814 as the British were landing at many
places along the Potomac River in the Northern Neck area.
About 18 July 1814, the British landed about 1500 men in
Westmoreland County. They had taken and occupied the town of Montross on
July 22, 1814. To meet the enemy, Colonel Peyton took two-thirds of the
Stafford’s 45th Regiment to join other militia units to fight the British
there. When they arrived, the British moved back to their vessels without
a major encounter. Colonel Peyton then moved the entire Regiment,
consisting of about 825 men assigned during this period, to Mattox Bridge
in Westmoreland County except for 30 men he left at Hope on Aquia Creek.
This action was to prevent another landing by the British.
With the threat being temporarily over, the 45th Stafford Regiment
returned to Stafford from Westmoreland County. They were all discharged
on either August 17th or 18th.
In mid August 1814, the British moved many vessels up the Potomac
past Stafford County. Some were fired on as they passed. At this time the
British captured Fort Washington opposite from Mount Vernon. In a few
days they anchored off the unprotected city of Alexandria. The city
officials there, appeased them from landing and raising havoc on the
city, by allowing them to load their ships with bounty.
Because of the above, on 18 August 1814, some units of the 14th
Brigade marched back from the Nomini Bay area in Westmoreland County, the
125 miles through Stafford, to the outskirts of Alexandria as the British
were threatening the city. As Major Crutchfield’s Battalion of this
Brigade passed through Stafford, Captain Elijah Harding’s Company of the
45th Regiment reactivated and joined the unit as it passed. It stayed on
duty with the Battalion until December 17th.
In late August militia units of this Battalion moved to Stafford to
protect the Aquia area from British incursion. It is suspected that this
was Captain Harding’s Company. Later, after the British ships departed
the Alexandria area, they were again fired on from various points on the
Potomac River in the county.
Two Spotsylvania companies occupied the Belle Plains area of Stafford
at this time. They were there from August 22nd to December 17, 1814.
The British moved up the Rappahannock in early December 1814 and
captured and occupied the town of Tappahannock for three days. One
militia unit from Prince William County moved through Stafford to
Fredericksburg to protect it after the capture of Tappahannock by the