War of 1812
by Tom Keener
After witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics for the revered song that would later be adopted as the national anthem. Despite the significance of this war also known as “The Second War of Independence,” the average American knows little else about this pivotal chapter in American history.
Sporting period costume, Peter H. Rowley, President of the Society of the War of 1812 in Texas and direct descendant of an 1812 war veteran, provides a brief survey of this dramatic war at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 17, at the Allen Public Library. Following his program, the Readable History Book Club will discuss 1812: The War That Forged a Nation by Walter R. Borneman.
The Society of the War of 1812 is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the War of 1812. Rowley explains that a mission of the Craig Austin Rowley Chapter of Collin County is to place service markers on the graves of soldiers of the War of 1812, locate family members who might still live in the area, and perform the dedication ceremonies.
Alex Kirk, co-president of the Readable History Book Club, notes that important songs and phrases emanate from the War of 1812. These include “Don’t give up the ship,” “We met the enemy and he is ours,” the Jimmie Driftwood song Battle of New Orleans, and above all, the Star Spangled Banner. Diane Kirk, the club’s other co-president, adds, “While Napoleon's army was on the march in Europe, the young nation of The United States of America entered into war with England. The loosely united states of that era formed a young nation that would be tested as to whether it would endure a second war with a great military power. At the conclusion of the war of 1812, diplomats were surprisingly successful at the bargaining table: the Treaty of Ghent was signed on Christmas Eve of 1814. Weeks later, before news of the treaty crossed the Atlantic, Andrew Jackson and his troops would face down the British regulars in the Battle of New Orleans. The War of 1812 set the stage for Westward expansion. The nation that emerged from it on the West side of the Atlantic would go on for centuries.
Although the War of 1812’s legacy can be traced to Collin County, Rowley states that only four of the 15 graves of veterans of this war buried here have been identified. In 2010, Rowley installed a plaque at Allen pioneer Henry Wetsel’s place of rest. Born in 1791, Wetsel enlisted in Captain William Calhoun’s 138 Regiment in the Beaver County, Pennsylvania, militia. His tour of duty covered January through March of 1814. By 1860, Wetsel emigrated to Texas. He eventually erected a cabin on a stage route (Greenville Ave.) that traversed Allen, connecting Austin and McKinney in an area that was formerly called Wetsel (Greenville Ave. and Stacy).
Sponsored by the Readable History book club and Bach to Books, this event is free.
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