The firing of a cannon. (Grant Parpan)
On Oct. 11, 1814, local historian Richard Wines said, James Galloway, commander of the British ship the HMS Dispatch, recorded in his official log that weather conditions in Riverhead that day were “fair.” (more…)
Riverhead High School student Emily Green (right) glues figurines last month on a diorama depicting a battle from the War of 1812. She and Megan Carrick (from left), John Vega, and Brian Brenton were students in Justin Cobis’ history class. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
In April, a group of Riverhead High School sophomores, juniors and seniors visited a spot on the Long Island Sound near Hallockville Museum Farm, standing just a few hundred feet away from where some of Riverhead’s founding fathers fought off the British in a once-forgotten battle from the War of 1812. (more…)
A modern painting depicting the October 1814 military engagement off Northville. (Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Academy Collection)
It’s 1814, and the United States is at war.
British frigates and brigs clog the East Coast’s trade routes, preying on merchant vessels and shutting down commerce.
On an October morning, an American cutter called the Eagle finds itself face-to-face with a Royal Navy brig nearly twice its size off Northville.
Below is a detailed account of the encounter that followed. (more…)
