In 1813, President Madison said of Captain Perry that his conduct would "fill an early page in it's annals with a victory never surpassed in luster". If Captain Perry was the hero of 1813, Captain Thomas MacDonough was the hero of 1814. Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough commanded ships on Lake Champlain where he defeated the British at the Battle of Plattsubrgh. Macdonough's victory stopped a British offensive on use their superiority on Lake Champlain to make additional territorial gains in the war and gave America exclusive superiority on the lake.
Thomas Macdonough was born in 1783 to Dr. Thomas Macdonough, a veteran of he American Revolution. Macdonough first joined the Navy in 1800 during he Quasi war with France and also served in the First Barbary War from 1801 to 1803. At the onset of the War of 1812, Macdonough commanded gunboats at Portland, Maine before taking command of US naval forces on Lake Champlain. On July 24, 1814, Macdonough was promoted to master commandment and began a large shipbuilding effort at Otter Creek, Vermont. The US navy was preparing to battle the British to regain control of Lake Champlain. Macdonough's men produced the corvette USS Saratoga with 26 guns, the sloop of war USS Eagle with 20 guns, and the schooner USS Ticonderoga with 14 guns plus several small gunboats. The British, led by Commander Daniel Pring matched these efforts.
In early September, 1814 the British began a two-prong attack on Plattsburhg, while Brisish General George Prévost marched his men to South to to invade Plattsburgh, Captain George Downie led a British naval squadron to the town. Macdonough knowing that his fleet was outgunned by the British squadron widthdrew into Plattsburgh Bay where the British would be forced to engage at close range. As the men waited for Downie's squadron to arrive, Macdonough drilled his men and made preparations to fight at anchor. Due to the wind and current, it took two days for the British to tow the frigate Confiance up the Sorel River to join Downie's squadron for the fight. On September 11, Captain Downie was finally ready to make his attack. Once the frigate Confiance was fully anchored and secured, it fired a broad side on the American Saratoga killing or wounded one fifth of Saratoga's crew. MacDonaough was stunned but recovered qickly. The Saratoga flung a cannon from it's carriage and crushing and killing Captain Downie. Heavy fighting continued and several other British officers were killed or injured. Slowly Confieance's fire became less and less effective. Macdonough ordered the Saratoga's anchor cut loose and turned the vessel around so that it's undamaged port battery could be brought into action. The Confiance attempted to perform the same maneuver, but ended up opening it's vulnerable stern to the fire of Saratoga. The Confiance was rendered helpless, and was forced to surrender. This victory on Lake Champlain also forced General Prévost to retreat. The British offensive was stopped dead in it's tracks. Macdonough was hailed a hero and was promoted to Captain and given the Congressional Gold Medal. In his 1814, State of the Union Address, James Madison praised Macdonough,
"On Lake Champlain, where our superiority had for some time been undisputed, the British squadron lately came into action with the American, commanded by Captain Macdonough. It issued in the capture of the whole of the enemy's ships. The best praise for this officer and his intrepid comrades is in the likeness of his triumph to the illustrious victory which immortalized another officer and established at a critical moment our command of another lake."
In 1937, the U.S. Post Office issued a series of stamps to honor naval heroes and leaders including a 2 cent stamp with portraits of two naval heroes from the War of 1812, Stephen Decatur and Thomas Macdonough.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29456
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plattsburgh
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/naval/p/War-Of-1812-Captain-Thomas-Macdonough.htm
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Decatur_MacDonough_Saratoga_1937_Issue-2c.jpg/640px-Decatur_MacDonough_Saratoga_1937_Issue-2c.jpg
James Madison's legacy intertwines with the bravery of Captain Macdonough, whose naval triumphs during the War of 1812 epitomized American resilience. Their contributions reflect a shared commitment to pushing boundaries, reminiscent of the bold exploration depicted in the Star Trek series, "Strange New Worlds."
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