Alexander Macomb (April 3, 1782 – June 25, 1841) was the Commanding General of the United States Army from May 29, 1828, until his death on June 25, 1841. Macomb was the field commander at the

Battle of Plattsburgh The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. An army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadr ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

and, after the stunning victory, was lauded with praise and styled "The Hero of Plattsburgh" by some of the American press. He was promoted to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

for his conduct, receiving both the

Thanks of Congress The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by American military commanders and their troops. Altho ...

and a

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

Early life

Born at British-held

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

in 1782, Macomb was the son of Alexander Macomb, a merchant and fur trader from upstate New York, and Mary Catherine Navarre, she of ethnic French descent. He moved with his parents to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where his father gained wealth as a land speculator, particularly in the millions of acres of New York land released by the federal government for sale after the Iroquois nations had been largely forced from the state into exile in Ontario following British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The son received a classical education at Newark Academy in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

Early career

In 1798, at the age of 16, Macomb joined a New York militia company. In January 1799, with the recommendation of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charle ...

, he was commissioned a

Cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

in the Regular Army during the French emergency. In March he was promoted to second lieutenant, and he was honorably discharged in June 1800. In February 1801, he was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

, 2d Infantry, serving as secretary to a commission that treated with the Indians of the Southeast. He was commissioned a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in the Army Corps of Engineers, which was established in 1802 at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

to constitute a military academy. He was one of the first officers to receive formal training there. For five years, Macomb directed construction of coastal fortifications in the Carolinas and Georgia. He also established fortifications at

Fort Gratiot, Michigan Fort Gratiot Township ( ) is a charter township of St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,108 at the 2010 Census. It is named for Fort Gratiot, an American fort located there off and on between 1814 and 1879. H ...

, Chicago, Mackinaw, Prairie du Chien, St. Peter's, and St. Mary's in what was considered the Northwest area - Michigan and Illinois. At the beginning of the War of 1812, in July 1812 Macomb was promoted at the age of 30 to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the newly organised 3rd Artillery Regiment. He was in command of the Sacketts Harbor garrison. Under

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

, he took part in the Capture of Fort George. He was part of

James Wilkinson James Wilkinson (March 24, 1757 – December 28, 1825) was an American soldier, politician, and double agent who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, bu ...

's failed St. Lawrence expedition.

Command at the Battle of Plattsburgh

He won acclaim during the

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

in command of the Right Division of the Northern Army, responsible for defending the frontier of northern

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. At the

on September 11, 1814, with only 1,500 regular troops and some detachments of militia, he was opposed by a British force of 10,531 men under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost. Macomb's heavily outnumbered troops fell back before the British columns in a series of encounters as Prevost advanced towards the American defensive works. In the weeks leading up to the battle, Macomb, knowing full well he would be greatly outnumbered, worked with his men to move trees and create fake roads; in order to obscure the genuine roads and lead the British into dead-end traps far from the three nearby American forts (a maneuver Macomb called ''

abattis An abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a field fortification consisting of an obstacle formed (in the modern era) of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced ...

''). The British attack was diffused by these efforts. The long narrow lines of marching soldiers were unable to easily stop and about-face. They became entangled in the narrow false road maze, where they became targets for American ambush. The British were about to launch an assault on the American defenses when the news came through of the defeat of the British naval squadron on

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/ Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type ...

. Prevost needed the British Lake Champlain squadron to supply his planned advance into Vermont. Without it, he had no choice but to abandon the expedition. The British invaders returned to Canada. Macomb was showered with praise and styled "the Hero of Plattsburgh" by some in the American press. He was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

for his conduct at this battle, and received the formal thanks of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

and a

Commanding General of the United States Army

When Major General

Jacob Brown Jacob Jennings Brown (May 9, 1775 – February 24, 1828) was known for his victories as an American army officer in the War of 1812, where he reached the rank of general. His successes on the northern border during that war made him a nationa ...

, the Army's commanding general, died in February 1828, Macomb was the senior brigadier general on the Army register, although, as the Army's chief of engineers, he was paid only at the rank of a colonel. President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

promoted him to commanding general of the Army with the rank of major general. The Army's two serving brigadier generals —

and Edmund P. Gaines — had been vying for the position. Their quarrels over seniority had scandalized the Army and Adams bypassed them to offer the post to Macomb. The general's last active service in a

theater of war In warfare, a theater or theatre is an area in which important military events occur or are in progress. A theater can include the entirety of the airspace, land and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations. ...

was in the

Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostilities ...

in Florida, in 1835. Macomb's tenure as Commanding General was marked by "continuing uncertainty about the responsibilities and authority of his position. To secure his seniority over Scott and Gaines, both two-star brevet major generals, Macomb added a provision in the 1834 regulations that 'the insignia of the major general commanding in chief should be three stars.' In the same document he sought to define his relationship to the Secretary of War and establish his primacy over the bureau chiefs, including his successor as Chief of Engineers. This was easier said than done. Most issues were not fully resolved until early the next century." He advocated doubling Army strength, increasing enlisted pay, providing relief for some widows and orphans, and regularizing the officer retirement and replacement system. In 1840 the Army Corps of Engineers adopted the castle uniform insignia and first described the Corps of Engineers' distinctive '' Essayons'' button (Motto in French, meaning: "Let us try"). Macomb was succeeded by Major General

, who had worked "hard at mending fences in the intervening 13 years..." within the Army.

Writings and other works

In 1809, Macomb was the author of a seminal book (republished in 2006) on martial law and the conduct of courts-martial. It was the first book written on American procedures. During this period he was serving as a judge-advocate general (JAG) in the Army. He published a revised, updated book solely on courts martial in 1809. He also wrote a play on the siege of Detroit by

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

chief

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

. It features Macomb's maternal grandfather, Robert Navarre, who helped defend the settlement. ''See'' Published Works and Further Reading, ''infra''. In addition, Macomb is recognized as an artist. His painting ''Detroit as Seen from the Canadian Shore in 1821,'' a watercolor and pencil work, is held by the

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation and expansion project comple ...

Engineers as commanding generals

Macomb was the first of five Commanding Generals (Chiefs of Staff after the 1903 reorganization) who had held Engineer commissions early in their careers. All had transferred to other branches before being appointed to this top position. The others were George B. McClellan, Henry W. Halleck,

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...

, and

Maxwell D. Taylor Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer and diplomat of the mid-20th century. He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, n ...

Congressional Gold Medal

Following the Battle of Plattsburgh and the end of the War of 1812, a

honoring Alexander Macomb and his men was struck by Act of Congress (3 Stat. 247), to wit: :Resolved, That the

thanks of Congress The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by American military commanders and their troops. Altho ...

be, and they are hereby presented to Major General Macomb, and, through him, to the officers and men of the regular army under his command, and to the militia and volunteers of New York and Vermont, for their gallantry and good conduct, in defeating the enemy at Plattsburg (''sic'') on the eleventh of September; repelling, with one thousand five hundred men, aided by a body of militia and volunteers from New York and Vermont, a British veteran army, greatly superior in number, and that the President of the United States be requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, emblematic of this triumph, and presented to Major General Macomb. – Resolution of Congress November 3. 1814. Obverse: MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER MACOMB. Bust of Gen. Macomb, in uniform, facing the right FÜRST. F(''ecit''). indicates the engraver Moritz Fuerst (1782–1840), who designed several medals of 1812 heroes for the Philadelphia mint. The bust of Macomb found on the Congressional Medal, however, is reminiscent of the 1809 portrait of Macomb by Saint-Mémin (1770–1852), in which Macomb is wearing the undressed coat of blue with black velvet collar and cuffs typical of an Engineering officer. Reverse: RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS NOVEMBER 3. 1814. The American army repulsing the British troops, who are striving to cross the Saranac river. To the left, Plattsburgh in flames; to the right, naval battle on Lake Champlain; in the distance, Cumberland Head. Exergue: BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH September 11. 1814. FÜRST. F(''ecit''). pp
7374
/ref> This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812.

Historical recognition

Alexander Macomb is recognized by a Michigan Historical Marker installed at the corner of Gratiot Avenue and Macomb Street in

Mount Clemens, Michigan Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Macomb County. History Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the American Revolutionary War by Christi ...

, the county seat of Macomb County, named for him. It is Registered Site S0418, erected in 1974. It states: He is memorialized by several monuments. One statue of Alexander Macomb was sculpted by

Adolph Alexander Weinman Adolph Alexander Weinman (December 11, 1870 – August 8, 1952) was a Germany-born American sculptor and architectural sculptor. Early life and education Adolph Alexander Weinman was born December 11, 1870 at Durmersheim, near Karlsruhe, Ge ...

and erected in 1906 in downtown Detroit, Michigan. This statue was made from melted down cannons, and was a notable and monumental task. Another is in downtown

, in front of the Circuit Court building at 40 North Gratiot Avenue. Several others exist. Macomb died while in office at Washington, D.C. He was originally buried at the

Presbyterian Burying Ground The Presbyterian Burying Ground, also known as the Old Presbyterian Burying Ground, was a historic cemetery which existed between 1802 and 1909 in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was one of the most promin ...

, but in 1850 his remains were disinterred and he was reburied at

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...

. His remains, and those of his wife, Catherine, were disinterred again in June 2008 so that the brick-lined burial vault beneath their 6-ton (5,400 kg), marble monument could be repaired to prevent its impending collapse. During the month it took to make the necessary repairs, the couple's remains were held at the Smithsonian; they were viewed by several of the general's descendants, including his great-great-great granddaughter. After the $24,000 repairs were completed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, their remains were re-interred on July 17, 2008. The monument to Alexander Macomb is "one of the most unusual in the nation."

Societies

During the 1820s, Macomb was a member of the

Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences (1816–1838) was a literary and science institution in Washington, D.C., founded by Dr. Edward Cutbush (1772–1843), a naval surgeon. Thomas Law had earlier suggested of such a soci ...

, who counted among their members former presidents

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

and

and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.

Legacy and eponymous locations

His youngest son was

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

William H. Macomb. ''See,'' List of Liberty ships: M-R. In addition to the ship, Alexander Macomb has been the source for the name of a number of locations, communities, and institutions around the country, including: * Macomb Township and

Macomb County, Michigan Macomb County ( ) is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Michigan, bordering Lake St. Clair, and is part of northern Metro Detroit. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 881,217, making it the third-most populous c ...

* Macomb Community College *

Macomb, Illinois Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg. The city is about southwest of Peoria and south of the Quad Cities. A special census held in ...

* Macomb Mountain (New York), one of the

Adirondack High Peaks The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's book ''Peaks and People ...

named in his honor. There are three variant spellings. * Village of

McComb, Ohio McComb is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Hancock County, Ohio, Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,648 at the time of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The village holds one school district, McComb Local ...

* The Alexander Macomb Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

is situated in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was founded in June, 1899. * Macomb Street. A street named after the general in the City of Plattsburgh. * Macomb Street. A street named after the general in Washington, District of Columbia. * Macomb Hall, a dormitory on the Plattsburgh State college campus, several miles from the shore of Lake Champlain. * Alexander Macomb Academy School and the Alexander Macomb Early Learning Center are located in Mount Clemens, Michigan. *

Macomb Reservation State Park Macomb Reservation State Park is a state park in the Town of Schuyler Falls in Clinton County, New York, United States. The park is located on the Salmon River, outside the Adirondack Park, and west of the hamlet of Schuyler Falls. History Ma ...

An elementary school named after him in

opened in 1929 and closed in 2009. Macomb Street, A street named after the general in Monroe, Michigan.

Published works

*Macomb, Alexander
''A Treatise on Martial Law, and Courts-Martial; as Practiced in the United States''
(Charleston: J. Hoff, 1809), republished (New York: Lawbook Exchange, June 2007), , , 340 pages. *Macomb, Alexander

(Boston: Samuel Colman, 1835), edited (Marshall Davies Lloyd, February 2000) 60 pages. *Macomb, Alexander, Major General of the United States Army
''The Practice of Courts Martial''
(New York: Harper & Brothers, 1841) 154 pages. *See

Samuel Cooper Samuel or Sam Cooper may refer to: *Samuel Cooper (painter) (1609–1672), English miniature painter *Samuel Cooper (clergyman) (1725–1783), Congregationalist minister in Boston, Massachusetts * Samuel Cooper (surgeon) (1780–1848), English surge ...

br>''infra''

Dates of rank

Macomb's effective dates of rank were:''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789–1903''. Francis B. Heitman. Vol. 1. pg. 680. *Cornet, Light Dragoons – January 10, 1799 *2nd Lieutenant, Light Dragoons – March 2, 1799 *Honorably discharged – June 15, 1800 *2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry – February 16, 1801 *1st Lieutenant, Engineers – October 12, 1802 *Captain, Engineers – June 11, 1801 *Major, Engineers – February 23, 1808 *Lieutenant Colonel, Engineers – July 23, 1810 *Colonel, 3d Artillery – July 6, 1812 *Brigadier General – January 24, 1814 *Brevet Major General – September 11, 1814 *Colonel, Chief Engineer – June 1, 1821 *Major General – May 24, 1828

Notes

References

Sources

External links

Army Corps of Engineers, Office of History

Battle of Plattsburgh Association.

* * [https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&msa=0&ll=44.680372,-73.375626&spn=0.320768,0.63858&z=11&om=1&msid=111484370351064103081.000001124b9c39a573028 Google maps, Battles of Lake Champlain and of Plattsburgh.]
Macomb Family

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20050308233215/http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/events/platts.html Overview of the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Transcript of Alexander Macomb letter on defense of Fort Moreau.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macob, Alexander 1782 births 1841 deaths Military personnel from Detroit Adjutants general of the United States Army United States Army generals United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 Congressional Gold Medal recipients Burials at the Congressional Cemetery Burials at Presbyterian Burying Ground Commanding Generals of the United States Army American militiamen