Alphabet File page 24
DEDICATION OF THE MARKER FOR THE BATTLE OF THE BAY OF SAINT LOUIS December 13th and 14th, 1814
BAY SAINT LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI
2:00 P.M., December 13th, 1987
NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER: __________________ - ____________________________.
SPEAKER: It was two o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th of December, 1814 and an important and decisive naval battle was about to begin.
SHIPS BELL: ding, ding ----ding, ding.
For weeks the British fleet had been gathering in the Gulf Of Mexico preparing for an attack on the city of New Orleans. Commodore Daniel T. Patterson commanding the meager American Naval force from the New Orleans Station knew that he would be unable to mount a successful operation in the open sea against the huge forces of the enemy, so to this end, preparations were made to defend the city from forts in the Rigolets and along the Mississippi River.
He dispatched Captain Thomas Ap Catesby Jones with a small fleet of five gunboats and two schooners, the "Seahorse" and the "Alligator", to defend the entrance to the Rigolets.
Commodore Patterson's orders to Captain Jones were to "sink the enemy or be sunk" and, all else failing, to delay the British arrival in the city as long as possible to allow General Andrew Jackson as much time as possible for preparations for battle at Chalmette.
The British fleet advanced to Ship Island on the 11th of December and Capt. Jones removed his boats from Biloxi to the entrance to Lake Borgne where he stationed them across the channel in a line between Malheureux Island and Point Clear where the southwest shore of the Bay of St. Louis turns west toward the Rigolets.
During the night of December 12th, Captain Lockyer moved the 42 barges carrying over 1000 British troops, through the pass between Ship and Cat Islands and then westward along the Mississippi Coast to anchor on the morning the 13th at a point off Pass Christian while waiting for the afternoon high tide before proceeding.
Capt. Jones realized that some of the British boats were aground in the shallow waters and sent the schooner, "Seahorse", under the command of Sailing Master William Johnson, into the Bay of St. Louis to remove ammunition and stores from a warehouse located on this bluff at Shieldsboro. Three British barges immediately moved to capture the "Seahorse".
In his later writings, J. F. H. Claiborne told the story that at that time, an aunt of his who was visiting from Natchez had come to the beach along with the crowd of townspeople to watch the spectacle of the approaching British. The few soldiers guarding the storehouse feared an imminent landing of the enemy and were preparing to retreat when Miss Claiborne took a cigar from John B. Toulme and ignited the fuse of one of the two cannon mounted on the bluff.
CLAUDE HOGAN: Fire cannon.
The "SEAHORSE" immediately followed in attack on the British barges and quickly drove them back to the protection of their fleet. Shortly, seven barges returned to continue the battle.
The "Seahorse" gallantly fought the superior numbers and again the British were forced to retreat, several of their men having been pounded and at least one of their boats was seriously damaged. But it was necessary at 7:30 to blow up the schooner and to burn the public store house to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy.
On the morning of the 14th, the British fleet advanced from their anchorage toward the entrance to Lake Borgne where Capt. Jones' determined little fleet of five boats, 23 guns and 182 men blocked their route toward New Orleans. For several hours the British rowed their boats into the strong current until they were about two miles away from where Jones boats lay aground in the shallow tide and they calmly brought their boats to anchor and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. At 10:30 they attacked. For over two hours Jones' defense held, although vastly outnumbered. However, by 12:40 the battle was over. 6 Americans and 17 British were dead. 35 Americans and 77 British were wounded.
The battles in the waters off Bay St. Louis lasted a total of little more than three hours but succeeded in delaying the enemy several days while making preparation for the encounters and by the delays during the skirmishes themselves. This valuable time permitted General Jackson's troops to complete their fortifications and for the arrival of additional troops and as such may have been crucial to the Victory at Chalmette.
DR. BRADFORD: It is in memory of those brave men that we throw this wreath into the waters where they sacrificed their lives for their country.
LADY: throw wreath.
DR. BRADFORD: The Hancock County Historical Society has wanted for a very long time to make this event in our history known to our residents and visitors alike. We began inquiries to the Department of Archives and History as early as 1984. Their splendid response inspite of shrinking funding and various other obstacles, has now resulted in the moment we celebrate. May I introduce Ms. Susan Ensweiler from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History who will present this marker to Mayor Victor Franckiewicz for dedication to the people of Bay St. Louis. Ms. Ensweiler.
MRS. ENSWEILER: (Whatever remarks she may wish to make)
MAYOR FRANCKIEWICZ: (Whatever remarks he may wish to make)
UNVEIL MARKER
DR. BRADFORD: (Whatever remarks he may wish to make) - and thank you for helping us celebrate this proud moment in our history.
END
(HCHS dedication Dec. 4, 1987)
Mississippi Sound, Naval Engagements, 1814. Commodore Daniel T. Patterson had been in command, from near the beginning of the war, of what there was of the United States navy on the New Orleans station. The insignificance of the naval force anywhere was the main cause of the humiliation of America. In 1812 there had been begun the building of a flat-bottomed frigate, or gunboat, in Lake Pontchartrain, to carry forty-two cannon, but the construction had been suspended, despite the protests of Patter¬son and Claiborne. Patterson had a few gunboats when the time of need arrived, a mere shadow of naval strength compared to the British armament. A letter was sent him from Pensacola, December 5, announcing the arrival there of a British fleet of sixty sail, men of war and transports of an army for the capture of New Orleans. Gen. Jackson was already in the city beginning his preparations for defense. Patterson, for his part, did what he could to thwart or at least watch the hostile movements. He sent five gunboats, a tender and dispatch boat , toward "the passes Mariana and Christiana," under the command of Thomas Cates by Jones, with orders to make a last stand at the Rigolets and sink the enemy or be sunk. Lieutenant Jones detached two gunboats, under McKeever and Ulrick, to go as far as Dauphine island, where they espied one or more of the British advance scouts, the Seahorse, Armide and Sophie.
Vice Admiral Cochrane, commanding the British expedition, reported (from the Armide, off Cat island, Dec. 15) that the two gunboats fired upon the Armide. But they could not have sustained an action, and turned about and joined the other three gunboats off Biloxi. As Cochrane intended to anchor at Isle au Vaisseau (Ship Island) and send the troops in small boats to land at the Bayone Catalan (or des Pecheurs) at the head of Lake Borgne, "it became impossible," he said, "that any movement of the troops could take place till this formidable flotilla was either captured or destroyed." Rear-admiral Malcolm came up, with the fleet, on the 11th, and anchored between Cat and Ship islands, and Jones retired to pass Mariana, and next day, off Bay St. Louis, obeying orders to avoid being cut off from the Rigolets. Cochrane, on the 12th, put "the launches, barges and pinnaces of the squadron," under the command of Captain Lockyer, of the Sophie, aided by Captains Montressor and Roberts, against Jones, who then determined to take station near the Malheureux islands. About 2 p. m., on the 13th, the British boats were at Pass Christian. The water was so low because of westerly wind, that three of the gunboats could not be got afloat, even by throwing overboard all the could be spared, until flood tide at 3:30. Three of the British boats entered bay St. Louis, to cut off the schooner Seahorse, that Jones had sent in to remove the stores deposited there. A few shot drove the barges out of range, but they were reinforced by four others, and the attack renewed.