The Decisive Shot of the War of 1812?
Quick answer: Why was the Battle of Plattsburgh important?
At the Battle of Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain, September 11, 1814, Thomas Macdonough's American squadron defeated the British squadron under Captain George Downie, who was killed when an American shot struck his cannon. The defeat led British General George Prevost to call off his invasion of New York, which helped the United States avoid losing territory in the peace settlement.
Walking across the U.S. Naval Academy grounds, John passed a cannon that caught his eye: a British 24-pounder captured from HMS Confiance, Captain George Downie's flagship at the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814. Confiance surrendered to Thomas Macdonough's American squadron after a battle of about two and a half hours on Lake Champlain. Look for the dent in the muzzle. An American round shot struck it, knocking the gun back onto Downie and killing him. More than any other single battle, Plattsburgh helped ensure the War of 1812 ended in a draw instead of an American defeat. Lake Champlain runs about 125 miles from Quebec into New York and Vermont. At Ticonderoga a short stream connects it to Lake George, which reaches south 32 miles to within a few miles of the Hudson River, and the Hudson runs to New York City. Britain planned to use that water road to cut the United States in two. Downie, a seasoned Royal Navy officer, rushed to complete Confiance, a frigate rated at 37 guns that actually carried more, with 24-pounders that could reach a mile and a half. Shortly before 8 a.m., he signaled the British army that he intended to engage, and at about 9 a.m. his squadron rounded Cumberland Head. Under heavy fire, Confiance anchored about 500 yards from Macdonough's flagship, USS Saratoga. Downie was standing behind one of his 24-pounders, sighting it, when a shot from Saratoga hit the muzzle and threw the 2,000-pound gun off its carriage on top of him, killing him instantly. "His skin was not broken," an eyewitness recalled. Confiance took a seven-foot hole below the waterline. A British marine who had fought at Trafalgar said that battle was "a mere fleabite in comparison with this," Midshipman Robert Lea wrote afterward. Captain Daniel Pring's Linnet struck her colors about 20 minutes after Confiance. Despite pleas from his officers, General George Prevost canceled his land assault and withdrew to Canada.
Why it matters for leaders: A single shot at the right moment can change the course of a campaign, and sometimes the evidence is still there to touch.
Q: Who commanded the American squadron at Plattsburgh?
A: Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough, aboard USS Saratoga; he was promoted to captain after the victory.
Q: Where is the Confiance cannon?
A: On display at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation