Existing comment:
On Land and Sea:
War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War:
The US Marines served with distinction in the War of 1812, in all the celebrated naval actions and major land battles. At sea, Marines kept order and served as sharpshooters; ashore, they guarded naval bases.
Their most memorable sea actions included the loss of USS Chesapeake, where the Marines resisted to the bitter end, and the duel between USS Wasp and Reindeer, where the Marines' musketry turned the tide.
In the climactic campaigns of 1814, Marines served with distinction alongside soldiers and militia defending Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans. Valiant in victory and defeat, they set a shining example everywhere.
Although rarely numbering a hundred men at any one post, the US Marines served in every theater of the war, on both land and sea, and left a proud legacy for today's servicemen and women.
"The... Marines... promised all that could be expected from a cool intrepidity, and a high state of discipline."
-- Letter from Secretary of the Navy Jones to Congressman Richard M. Johnson, 3 October 1813 |