The Story of the Cockade City
Petersburg, VA has long been called "The Cockade City." Do you know why?
When we think of the War of 1812, most people tend to remember Andrew Jackson fighting the British at the Battle of New Orleans. (Which I find funny because that battle was fought after the war was officially over.) However, there were over two years of battles prior to that one, and quite a number of war heroes besides Jackson and his men.
The Cockade City got its name from the brave men of the Petersburg Volunteers who fought in the Seige of Fort Meigs.
The Siege of Fort Meigs happened because the British took Detroit. Major General William Henry Harrison (yeah, the guy who became our 9th president) wanted to take it back for the United States but he had problems.
Problem 1 - He was defeated on his first try at the Battle of Frenchtown.
Problem 2 - He wanted to sneak up on the British across the ice of Lake Erie but the weather didn't cooperate - the ice broke up.
Problem 3 - While busy with his failed ice attack, he left men behind to build a fort. But the men's enlistment was up so after burning as firewood the timber slated for the fort's walls, they went home. Talk about a very bad day for Harrison!
But Harrison was ever dauntless and the fort was finally completed. The British besieged the fort at the end of April and set up batteries from which they pounded the little 8-acre American site. So Harrison sent out two forces - one to spike (i.e. make useless) the British cannons and one to distract the British while the guns were being spiked. And that's where the Petersburg Volunteers come in.
According to an eye witness, they "fought like devils" on the sortie, giving the gun-spikers time to complete their task. Harrison even singled them out for mention in his after-action report, mentioning their " intrepid and cool conduct" under fire.
Legend says that President Madison reviewed the regiment on its way home, and commended Petersburg for having such valiant troops - and called her the "Cockade City of the Union." The phrase actually isn't documented until a few decades later, so we don't know if he created the title or not. But it certainly fits.
A cockade is an emblem of pride. In the War of 1812 it was the focal point of a soldier's hat. You might say that calling the Petersburg Volunteers' hometown "The Cockade City" was another way of saying they were the star of the show!
This is an original 1812 cockade in my collection. Sharp looking, isn't it?
If you want to read the whole history of the Petersburg Volunteers, check out this link. And if you'd like a reproduction 1812 cockade for yourself, check them out in my shop here.
It’s June, I’m Catching Up on Orders And…
I need your help! I’ve been slowly working on some new product ideas, in addition to the cockades themselves. Let me know in the poll below if you are interested in my carrying any (more) of these cool items for you in my shop! (Psssst, some of them are already in my shop!)
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Thanks for reading... see you next week!
Regards,
~Heather Sheen
