Alexander Macomb (; April 3, 1782 – June 25, 1841) was an American military officer who was the

Commanding General of the United States Army Commanding General of the United States Army was the title given to the service chief and highest-ranking officer of the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), prior to the establishment of the Chief of Staff of the Unit ...

from 1828 until his death in 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. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévos ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

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 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 United States, American military commanders and th ...

and a

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...

Early life

Born at British-held

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

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

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, 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 Newark Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Livingston, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in sixth through twelfth grades. It was the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Ba ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

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 Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, 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. There is also a soprano cor ...

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 as a second lieutenant, 2nd 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 se ...

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

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

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, 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 (armed forces), 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 colon ...

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 Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

, 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 army officer and politician who was associated with multiple scandals and controversies during his life, including the Burr conspiracy. He served in the Continental Army du ...

's failed St. Lawrence expedition and commanded his brigade at the Battle of Point Iroquois.

Command at the Battle of Plattsburgh

He won acclaim during the

as brigadier general 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 (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. 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''). 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 Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

. 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 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, 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 The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...

, he was paid only at the rank of a colonel. President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

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 Edmund Pendleton Gaines (March 20, 1777 – June 6, 1849) was an American Army officer who served for nearly fifty years, and attained the rank of major general by brevet. He was one of the Army's senior commanders during its formative years ...

— 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 operation ...

was in the

Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...

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 The Chief of Engineers is a principal United States Army staff officer at The Pentagon. The Chief advises the Army on engineering matters, and serves as the Army's topographer and proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs. ...

. 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, c. 1826, on the siege of Detroit by

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

chief Pontiac. It features Macomb's maternal grandfather, Robert Navarre, who helped defend the settlement. The play was published and later performed in Wasington D.C. during Macomb's residency. ''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) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...

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 George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

, Henry W. Halleck,

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

, and

Maxwell D. Taylor Maxwell Davenport Taylor (26 August 1901 – 19 April 1987) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer and diplomat during the Cold War. He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Air ...

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 United States, American military commanders and th ...

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, 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 , 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 15,697 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat, seat of government of Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County and part of the Metro Detroit, Det ...

, 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 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. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He was originally buried at the Presbyterian Burying Ground, 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 in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...

. 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 s ...

, who counted among their members former presidents

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

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 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: * Fort Macomb * Macomb Township and

Macomb County, Michigan Macomb County ( ) is a county on the eastern shore of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, bordering Detroit to the north and containing many of its northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Mt. Clemens, ...

* 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, about southwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the c ...

* 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), New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's bo ...

named in his honor. There are three variant spellings. * Village of McComb, Ohio * The Alexander Macomb Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

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 * 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 Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship Imprint (trade name), imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper (publisher), James Harper and his brother John, the compan ...

, 1841) 154 pages. *See Samuel Cooperbr>''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 19th-century American generals