Battle of Plattsburgh Lesson 2

Lesson Plan 2: Where Did The Battle of Plattsburgh Take Place?
Objectives:
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Students will be able to locate Plattsburgh and Lake Champlain.
Students will be able to identify major skirmish and battle sites of the Battle of
Plattsburgh.
Students will be able to identify specific historical sites of the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Activities:
Using reference maps and the list of places and events assist the students in locating and or
identifying various sites relative to the Battle of Plattsburgh and to grade level.
Background file 1:
MACDONOUGH’S VICTORY ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
The Battle of Plattsburgh, September 11, 1814
Before the British fleet had invaded Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814, Commodore
Thomas Macdonough and his American fleet had complete control of the lake. The Saratoga,
the largest American ship carried 26 guns, the Eagle the Ticonderoga, the Preble and ten other
gunboats carried a total of 86 guns that could only do some damage from a short range. The
British finally completed their largest ship, the Confiance, a large enough ship to hold 37 guns.
Together with the Linnet, the Chub, and Finch and twelve other gunboats the British mounted a
total of 92 guns, which were more effective at long range.
On September 4th the British arm under Sir George Prevost marched from Champlain to Chazy,
where it split. The right wing went to West Chazy, following the modern Route 22 south to
Plattsburgh, while the left wing followed what is now Route 9. Both wings were harassed by
units of the American army as well as by Macdonough’s gunboats o the bay. Nevertheless, the
British occupied all of Plattsburgh north of the Saranac River on September 6th.
Macdonough brought his entire fleet into Plattsburgh Bay, where he arranged the anchors and
cables which gave him flexibility in battle, as well as forcing the British fleet on to enter the Bay
and Fight at close range.
On September 11th the British squadron was finally ready for battle, and it engaged Macdonough
in Cumberland Bay at about 9 o’clock in the morning. Simultaneously, units of the British army
forded the Saranac River and started south in pursuit of the retreating Americans instead of
attacking the forts as expected.
By 11 o’clock it was all over. In Cumberland Bay one British ship drifted out of control and was
captured; another ran around off Crab Island. At a crucial point in the battle Macdonough was
able to turn the Saratoga and continue firing from his unharmed guns. Finally, the remnants of
the British fleet surrendered. Only heroic efforts kept the vessels of both sides afloat in the hours
after the battle.
With the surrender of the fleet, Prevost recalled his units from south of the river. That night the
whole army decamped for Canada. And so the siege of Plattsburgh and the threat to the entire
Champlain Valley was dissipated. At the current peace conference in Europe, the British had
expected to use their gains at Plattsburgh and elsewhere to obtain a more favorable treaty. But
the defeat at Plattsburgh helped to deny them this leverage and the subsequent Treaty Of Ghent,
signed on December 24, 1814, was more of a genuine compromise than it might otherwise have
been.
Background file 2
THE BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH
September 11, 1814
Macdonough’s Victory on Lake Champlain
Before the British fleet had invaded Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814, Commodore
Thomas Macdonough and his American fleet had complete control of the lake. The Saratoga,
the largest American ship carried 26 guns, the Eagle the Ticonderoga, the Preble and ten other
gunboats carried a total of 86 guns that could only do some damage from a short range. The
British finally completed their largest ship, the Confiance, a large enough ship to hold 37 guns.
Together with the Linnet, the Chub, and Finch and twelve other gunboats the British mounted a
total of 92 guns, which were more effective at long range.
On September 4th the British arm under Sir George Prevost marched from Champlain to Chazy,
where it split. The right wing went to West Chazy, following the modern Route 22 south to
Plattsburgh, while the left wing followed what is now Route 9. Both wings were harassed by
units of the American army as well as by Macdonough’s gunboats o the bay. Nevertheless, the
British occupied all of Plattsburgh north of the Saranac River on September 6th.
Macdonough brought his entire fleet into Plattsburgh Bay, where an encounter at close range
would put the British guns at a disadvantage. His intricate anchoring system with spring lines
would give him flexibility to maneuver the Saratoga in battle. When his starboard guns were
emptied, the ship could be swung around so that her port guns could be brought to bear on the
enemy.
On September 11th the British squadron was finally ready for battle. It engaged Macdonough’s
forces in Plattsburgh Bay starting about 9 a.m. For two hours and 20 minutes the fighting raged.
By 11:20 a.m. it was all over and the British officers made the decision to surrender. The
rigging, masts, spars and sails of the British Confiance and Linnet were virtually all shot away
and the British galleys were in full fight. The casualties were high on both sides: 52 American
dead and 58 wounded with estimates of 54 to 57 British killed (including the commander of the
Confiance, Captain George Downie) a 116 wounded.
Part of the credit for Macdonough’s victory on Lake Champlain must be given to General
Alexander Macomb, commander of the American land forces. Even though he had less than
one-third the troops of the seasoned British fighting force, he refused to accept the counsel of
some of his officers to abandon the three American forts south of the Saranac River. By keeping
the cannons of these forts out of British hands, Macomb insured the safety of the American fleet
from land-based attack and made possible the success of Macdonough’s strategy based on
anchorage in Plattsburgh Bay.
With the surrender of the British fleet, Prevost recalled his units’ form south of the river. That
night the whole army decamped for Canada. And so the siege of Plattsburgh and the threat to the
entire Champlain Valley was dissipated. At the current peace conference in Europe, the British
had expected to use their gains at Plattsburgh and elsewhere to obtain a more favorable treaty.
But the defeat at Plattsburgh helped to deny them this leverage and the subsequent Treaty Of
Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814, was more of a genuine compromise than it might
otherwise have been.
Word Search 1:
Battle of Plattsburgh Locations
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Word Search 2:
Note: All Words Are Not Used
1. MACDONOUGH
2. MACOMB
3. SARATOGA
4. EAGLE
5. CANNONBALL
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7. AMERICAN
8. SEPTEMBER
9. TICONDEROGA
10. CHUBB
11. PREBLE
12. CONFIANCE
13. ANCHOR
14. CARRONADE
15. PLATTSBURGH
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Word search 2
Create a Map- “What if the British had won?”
Activities:
After reading the following paragraph taken from a letter from The Earl Bathurst to General
Pervost regarding the general’s mission in the northeastern United States. You will create a map
showing the British territories had they acquired all their objectives.
The object of your operations will be, first, to give immediate protection. Secondly, to obtain if
possible ultimate security to His Majesty’s possessions in America. The entire destruction of
Sackets Harbor and the Navel Establishment on Lake Erie and Lake Champlain came under the
first description. The maintenance of Fort Niagara and so much of the adjacent Territory as may
be deemed necessary, and the occupation of Detroit and the Michigan Country came under the
second period. Your successes shall enable us to terminate the war by the retention of the Fort of
Niagara, and the restoration of Detroit and the whole of the Michigan Country to the Indians.
The British frontier will be materially improved. Should there be any advance positions on that
part of our frontier which extends towards Lake Champlain. The occupation of which would
materially tend to the security of the province, you will if you deem it expedient expel the enemy
from it, and occupy it by detachments of the troops under your command.