Newport in the War of 1812
Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Newport-War of 1812. Kentuckians crossed here August 1812 marching to relieve Gen. Hull at Detroit. Took Frenchtown (Monroe) on January 18, 1813. Four days later all but 30 were killed or captured. Other Kentuckians gathered here Aug. 31, 1813. Led by Governor Shelby these men defeated British and Indians in Battle of Thames in Canada Oct. 5, 1813. This ended fighting in the Old Northwest. Dedicated September 26, 1962. For more information, see ExploreKYHistory: Newport: War of 1812
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Newport was a mustering point in the War of 1812, where Kentucky volunteers crossed the Ohio in August 1812 to march to the relief of General Hull at Detroit. Their campaign turned tragic at Frenchtown on the River Raisin, where all but thirty were killed or captured days after taking the town. A second wave gathered here in 1813 and, led by Governor Isaac Shelby, helped defeat the British and their Native allies at the Battle of the Thames, ending the fighting in the Old Northwest.
Why it matters
Kentucky's heavy sacrifice in the War of 1812 helped secure the Old Northwest for the young United States and forged a fierce state pride in the crucible of Frenchtown and the Thames.
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Related people
- · Isaac Shelby
- · William Hull
Related events
- · Battle of Frenchtown
- · Battle of the Thames
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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At 'The Point,' where the Licking River meets the Ohio, Christopher Gist of the Ohio Company became in 1751 the first documented white man to set foot here. From this confluence Colonel John Bowman launched a 1777 expedition against the Shawnee, and in 1813 Governor Isaac Shelby gathered 4,000 Kentucky troops before his victory at the Thames.
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In August 1812, Georgetown served as the rendezvous for Kentucky volunteers ordered north to relieve General Hull at Detroit. Their advance ended in catastrophe on the River Raisin in January 1813, where after taking Frenchtown the enemy attacked and killed, massacred, wounded, or captured all but thirty—fewer than half of the 1,050 men ever reached home. The rallying cry 'Remember the Raisin!' endured, and nine Kentucky counties bear the names of officers lost in the campaign.