Most history books consider the War of 1812 to be about the sacking and burning of America’s capital. But further north, on the Canadian border and along the Great Lakes, the U.S. Army tempered its ranks in hard-fought battles. And although fiercely pacifist, the Quakers contributed great military men to America’s wars. One officer who battled the British on the northern front during the War of 1812 was Jacob Jennings Brown, affectionately known as “The Fighting Quaker.”
Brown was born to a Quaker family in Pennsylvania in 1775. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1790 and then worked as a teacher for years afterward. In 1798, he moved to upstate New York and settled on a piece of land. He was heavily involved in politics, and at one point he served as a judge.
In Battle
In 1807, due to his popularity in the area, Brown was made captain of the 108th regiment of the New York Militia. Two years later, he was promoted to colonel, a duty he performed part time while farming his land.Jennings Brown impressed his leaders with his success on the battlefield. He was known to take swift advantage of opportunities in battle and was also skilled at building fortifications to fight the enemy.
In 1811, Brown was promoted to brigadier general of the militia. When the War of 1812 broke out the next year, Brown opposed it, but he still organized a campaign to defend settlements around the Great Lakes.
A year after the war officially started, Brown fought in his first skirmish at the Battle of Sacket’s Harbor. On May 29, 1813, Brown and the over 700 troops under his command were attacked by a British force coming over Lake Ontario.
Engagements
In 1814, Brown would get another chance to utilize his command skills during the Niagara Campaign. On July 3, Brown and his forces crossed the Niagara River and attacked the British-controlled Ft. Erie. Greatly outnumbered, the British quickly surrendered as they knew that reinforcements were on the way.A couple of days later, Brown’s forces showed even more strength when they killed nearly 150 British troops at the Battle of Chippawa. British commander Maj. Gen. Phineas Riall held the Americans in contempt as they were seen in gray levies, or uniforms, of untrained militia. As they advanced, however, he was heard to sputter: “Those are regulars, by God!” In that battle, the young American army showed great training and a fighting spirit.
Brown’s leadership skills would be further tested shortly after. On July 25, Brown and his men fought British troops in one of the bloodiest battles in the war. The Battle of Lundy’s Lane ended with over 1,700 casualties between the two sides. Brown was seriously wounded twice during the battle, which ended in a stalemate.
Armed Forces Upgrades
Due to his victories on the war’s northern stage, Brown was lauded as a national hero and the 24th American was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Nov. 3, 1814. Brown was the Army’s last major general left when the military dissipated at the end of the war and President James Monroe gave him the title of commanding general.In his final days, Brown pushed to develop two post-graduate military schools. He upgraded the armed forces in 1822 by creating the General Recruiting Service to ensure enough men for the future defense of America.
After he died on Feb. 24, 1828, all government activities shut down on the day of his funeral. His casket was carried a mile down Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital on the shoulders of U.S. Marines. President John Quincy Adams said at his eulogy:
“Gen. Brown was one of the eminent men of this age and nation. Though bred a Quaker, he was a man of lofty and martial spirit, and in the late war contributed perhaps more than any man to redeem and establish the military character of his country.”
