The Hero of Cumberland Bay

Story by Mike O'Keefe
Photos courtesy of Clinton County Historical Association and Thomas LaMar

There are some figures throughout time that are able to leave a mark wherever they go. Some people control cities, others give to the poor and still others wreak havoc on any population they come across.

Commodore Thomas Macdonough was a man who undoubtedly left his mark, not only very much on Plattsburgh, but also on the many other locations he visited throughout his life.

Macdonough was born in 1783 and died 42 years later, leaving a fleet to be commanded and a young boy to fend for himself.

He was one of 10 children, and his wife passed away while he was at sea with his young son.

And although he was young at the time of his death, he still had an enormous impact on this very town we live in.

"Macdonough was a very laid back guy," says Thomas LaMar, a Macdonough historian in the Plattsburgh area. "He was a cut-up when he was young, though."

LaMar told the story of Macdonough ringing a church bell so hard, it ended up falling though the floor and causing Macdonough to forfeit his pay for being a sailor for a little while.

Roads, buildings and monuments have all been erected in memory of this Commander of a mighty navy.

His biggest and most recognizable victory came on the shores of Plattsburgh, in Cumberland Bay.

"Amercians did not lose any ships in the battle."

September 11, 1814 was one of the only times America has been invaded by a foreign country. The British fleet, commanded by Captain George Downie, sailed into Plattsburgh bay that day, only to meet an American force commanded by Macdonough.

"He planned very well," LaMar says. "The Amercians did not lose any ships in the battle."

Although the British had the American forces outgunned 87 to 92, the American forces were able to help fend off a major invasion. The Preble, Saratoga, Ticonderoga, and The Eagle were the four main ships under Macdonough’s command, and he fought off a much larger and better-equipped foe in this historic battle.

Keith Herkalo, the Plattsburgh city clerk, explained how the British guns were forced to move into the bay in order to protect ground troops.

"If the British sat in the middle of the lake they would've blown them away," says Herkalo. "The confiance had long guns, but the American fleet had carronades, which had the same powder and the same size round, but the guns on the American fleet had a much shorter range."

This was the second time that the British had lost an entire fleet to enemy action, according to LaMar.

"After the battle he was promoted to Captain," says Herkalo. "Comodore was an honorary title given to people who commanded a fleet."

Herkalo says Macdonough's tactics are still taught at military acadamies around the United States.

However, after the Battle of Plattsburgh, Macdonough was taken off command of his fleet, as he was generally unliked by his men for a number of reasons.

"He did not let his men have a rum ration," says Levoy. "No women on board his ships either."

After the Battle of Plattsburgh, he commanded New York Harbor, where he finished out his days.

He still had a few more accomplishments left in him, however.

Old Ironsides

"He was given command of ‘Old Ironsides,’" says Bailey.

By the time Macdonough was given the reins of the battle-hardened U.S.S. Constitution, he was ill and coming to the end of his life.

According to LaMar, Macdonough sailed the ship to Tripoli, where he had actually fought years before; impressed American sailors who were being held for ransom during America’s infancy caused the first major American Naval action to take place.

When Macdonough got to Tripoli, however, he was told by his doctor that he was unfit to command, and he was the first high-ranking American naval officer to be relieved of duty due to health issues.

The four ships’ names are carved into the monument which is named after their commander, which sits in front of Plattsburgh City Hall.

"It is actually a monument to the victory on September 11," the city historian, Jim Bailey, says. "But, it is called the Macdonough Monument."

"Both Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill said that the Battle of Plattsburgh was the most important battle of the War of 1812," says LaMar.

Land is still owned by Macdonough’s relatives in the area. "When you drive to Cumberland Head and see a field, it is owned by them," says Bailey. According to Bailey, Macdonough was given rights to a huge plot of land on Cumberland Head, but with today’s taxes it is difficult to pay for the lakefront property. His land is used for farmland in order to pay for it.

What does the name 'Macdonough' mean to you?