The War of 1812 Magazine

Issue 11: June 2009

Miscellaneous

War of 1812 War College

By John R. Grodzinski

Dr Timothy Abel (left) and Dr Gary Gibson (centre) speaking with one of the War College organizers. (Courtesy Sally Hartman)

On 2 May 2008, the inaugural War of 1812 War College was held at Fort La Présentation, Ogdensburg, NY. Organized by Douglas Cubbison, a historian at the U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth and with the generous assistance of the Friends of Fort La Présentation and the State of New York, the conference welcomed some scholars and individuals interested in the War of 1812 from Canada and the United States.

Five speakers including Dr Timothy Abel, Dr Gary Gibson, Donald E. Graves, John R. Grodzinski, and Mr James Reagen, spoke on a variety of topics including archaeology at Sackets Harbor, the US Army in the northern theatre, the war on the Upper St Lawrence, the US Navy on Lake Ontario and the War of 1812 in Ogdensburg. The war college concluded with a tour of the Fort La Présentation site. The agenda is available at http://www.fortlapresentation.net/warcollege.htm 

This event was quite well attended, with 110 guests participating. Our visitors at this first event were from New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia in the United States; and from Quebec and Ontario in Canada. The visitors included equal numbers of history buffs, re-enactors, living historians, and professional historians, museum staff and interpreters.

Because of the success of this event, the Fort La Presentation Association will be sponsoring a second Annual War of 1812 Historic Seminar at Ogdensburg, New York on Friday, 30 April 2010 and Saturday, 1 May, 2010. We had a few exhibitor tables that were well received this year. Next year we will have a dedicated exhibitor area, and we are soliciting vendors and exhibitors with 1812 focused collections.

You may contact Douglas R. Cubbison, event planner and CMH member for details and information. Please also visit the Fort La Présentation website for information.

An exhibit of War of 1812 weaponry, one of the many fine displays at the War of 1812 War College (Courtesy Sally Hartman)		A scene from the walking tour of the Fort La Présentation historic site following the formal papers. (Courtesy Sally Hartman

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