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Thomas Macdonough
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To remedy the sorry state of
his fleet on Lake Champlain, Macdonough formed a successful association
with Noah Brown, a New York shipbuilder. The two men rapidly transformed
the squadron. Ticonderoga, for example, was originally a steamer;
Brown cleverly turned it into a schooner. In the spring of 1814, Brown also
launched the twenty-six gun Saratoga. Then, upon hearing that the
British were building a large frigate at Ile aux Noix, Macdonough and Brown
managed to build the twenty-gun brig Eagle in a record seventeen
days.
When the British fleet entered the lake in early September, Macdonough was well aware that the enemy outgunned him, especially at long range. Instead of meeting the British on the open lake, he chose to anchor his squadron inside Plattsburg Bay; the British would be forced to engage him at close quarters. In the heat of the battle on September 11, Macdonough used an ingenious strategy. He had anchored his flagship in a way that enabled him to winch it around without relying on the wind. Macdonough came around a full 180 degrees and fired a fresh port broadside at the enemy. The move was decisive and the British were quickly pounded into submission. After the victory, the United States showered Macdonough with honours. He was even given a nearby farm by the citizens of Plattsburg. The Battle of Plattsburg turned out to be the high point of Macdonough’s career. He became increasingly ill with tuberculosis. After the war, he mainly commanded shore positions due of his ill-health. He did serve briefly as captain of Constitution, however, but before the end of his first trip was forced to step down because of sickness. Macdonough died on November 10, 1825.
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