British perspective on the Battle of New Orleans

The following report from the 200th of the Battle of New Orleans was made by DEEPAK SAINI of local ABC affiliate WGNO who came out and interviewed members of the British camp on Friday, Jan 9th. In the video, you'll see some sailors that you know...

You can view the full video from his report on theior website HERE:

From Chalmette (WGNO)– This week, we’re looking back 200 years to the Battle of New Orleans. As usual, there are always two sides to every story. WGNO reporter Deepak Saini takes you to the British camp near the Chalmette Battlefield.

John Alexander

Happy New Year!

Today continues the prolong'd weekly series wherein we introduce to you some of the REAL Acastas, the men who served aboard at some point between the period from her launch in 1797 to her final year in service to the Crown in 1815. Stop back every Monday to meet an all-new, REAL Acasta!

ALEXANDER.
Acasta under Capt. Dunn.

John Alexander entered the Navy, 5 May, 1800, as Ordinary, on board the Fairy 18, Capts. Fred. Warren and Rich. Dalling Dunn. If we except a brief attachment in 1804, and again in 1806, to the Aeolus 32, Capt. Lord Wm. Fitzroy, and Hurcule and Veteran, Capts. Barrington Dacres and Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, he afterwards, from Nov. 1801, until the early part of 1807, served uninterruptedly with Capt. Dunn, and nearly the whole time also with Admiral Sir John Thos. Duckworth, in the Southampton, Leviathan, Hercule, Acasta, and Royal George, on the West India and Mediterranean stations. While in the latter ship, he took part in a desperate skirmish with a body of Turks on the island of Prota, 27 Feb. 1807, and was severely wounded at the re-passage of the Dardanells. Being promoted to a Lieutenancy (by commission dated 28 Feb. 1807) in the Standard 64, Capt. Thos. Harvey, he subsequently, on 26 June, 1808, succeeded, with the yawl belonging to that ship under his orders, in capturing a French despatch-boat, Le Leger although exposed to a sharp fire of musketry from the island of Corfu.

Source: A NAVAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY: COMPRISING THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF EVERY LIVING OFFICER IN HER MAJESTY'S NAVY, FROM THE RANK OF ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET TO THAT OF LIEUTENANT, INCLUSIVE. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. BY WILLIAM E. O'BYRNE, ESQ.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, PUBLISHER TO THE ADMIRALTY. 1849.

The Events of 2014

Today we take a look back at the events the Acastas attended in the year of our Lord 2014. The Acasta site normally updates every weekday at 8AM CST, but we'll be taking a break, our next post will go live on January 12th 2015 after the big reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans! Happy New Year everyone!

Acasta's 'School of the Sailor', Locust Grove, Louisville, KY. January 2014

 The Doctor aboard USS Constitution at Boston, Mass. March, 2014

 Recruiting for the Navy at New Harmony, Indiana's
'Heritage Artisan Days' April 23-24-25, 2014

'Celebratiung Jane Austen', Ramsey House,
Knoxville, TN. June 7th 2014

200th of the Battle of St. Leonard's Creek, Jefferson-Patterson Park & Museum,
St. Leonard, MD. June 21-22 2014

Jane Austen Festival, Louisville, Kentucky, July 2014

200th of the Battle of Bladensburg,
Bladensburg, MD. August 23-24, 2014

 The Fair at New Boston, Press Gang & Battle, Springfield, Ohio, Aug 2014

200th of the Battle of Fort Bowyer
Ft. Morgan State Historic Site, Mobile Point, AL. Sept 12-13, 2014

Mississinewa:1812, Battle & Surveillance, Marion, Indiana, October 2014

AND be sure to stop over and have a look at other images taken in 2014 on the Acasta's INSTAGRAM page:

The guns at the ready. #gundeck #cannons

A photo posted by @hms_acasta on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:06am PST

Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, First Lieutenant

Nesbit Josiah Willoughby later in life.

WILLOUGHBY, Kt, C.B., K.C.H.
Acasta First Lieutenant, c. 1804-05, aged approx. 27 years.

Sir Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, born 29 Aug. 1777, is third son of the late Robt. Willoughby, Esq., of Cossall and Aspley Hall...

This officer entered the Navy, 12 May, 1790, as a Volunteer, on board the Latona 38, Capt. Albemarle Bertie, employed on the Home station, where, and off the American coast, he continued to serve until Jan. 1793, latterly as Midshipman, in the same ship, and in the Edgar 74, Capt. Anthony Jas. Pye Molloy, Alligator 28, Capt. Isaac Coffin, and Vengeance 74, Commodore Thos. Pasley...

...In Feb. 1805, having taken command of a merchant schooner of about 30 tons burthen, manned with three passed Midshipmen and 30 Volunteers, he entered the harbour of Santa Martha by means of a ruse de guerre for the purpose of endeavouring to effect the capture of a Spanish corvette of 20 guns and 130 men, reported to he there. Finding, however, that the vessel had sailed three days previously, he was obliged to put about, but was unable to get clear off without awakening the suspicions of the enemy, who, upon the British repassing their batteries, opened on them a fierce but fortunately a harmless fire. Mr. Willoughby's next and last appointments as Lieutenant, after his return home with Sir John Duckworth as First of the Acasta 40, were—11 Aug. 1805, to the Prince 98, Capt. Rich. Grindall—28 Dec. 1806, to the Formidable 98, Capt. Fras. Fayerman— and 15 Jan. 1807, to the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of his friend Sir J. T. Duckworth.

Source: A NAVAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY: COMPRISING THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF EVERY LIVING OFFICER IN HER MAJESTY'S NAVY, FROM THE RANK OF ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET TO THAT OF LIEUTENANT, INCLUSIVE. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. BY WILLIAM E. O'BYRNE, ESQ.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, PUBLISHER TO THE ADMIRALTY. 1849.

2015 Schedule

Where are the Acastas planning on being?

2015

Jan 6-11, 2015 200th Anniv. Battle of New Orleans
Chalmette Battlefield, New Orleans, Louisiana 

May 23-24, 2015, Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous,
Vincennes, IN.

July 18, 2015, Acasta Dinner at Locust Grove 

Louisville, KY. 

Sept 5-6, 2015, The Fair at New Boston (Press Gang)

at Springfield, Ohio 

Oct 9-11, 2015, Jane Austen Society of North America, Annual General Meeting

Louisville, KY.

Meet Joseph West

WEST.
Lieutenant assigned to Acasta under Capt. Kerr, 6 July 1814.

Joseph West entered the Navy 1 June, 1807, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Temeraire 98, Capt. Sir Chas. Hamilton, lying at Portsmouth, and sailed, towards the close of the same year, in the Sapphire, Capt. Geo. Davies, for the East Indies, where he became Midshipman, in May, 1808, and July, 1811, of the Piemontaise 38, Capt. Chas. Foote, and Phoenix 36, Capt. Jas. Bawen. While attached to the Piemontaise, of which frigate he was for 14 months Master's Mate, he was employed on shore in 1808 in co-operation with the army at Quilon on the coast of Malabar, and was twice wounded in cutting out gun-boats from Bantam, in the island of Java. In 1809 he was present in an attack upon a body of Malay pirates ; and at the celebrated capture, in Aug. 1810, of the island of Banda Neira, he was one of those who escaladed the walls of the castle of Belgria.

In 1811 he assisted at the capture of Palambang and Sambas. Returning to England in 1813 in the Bucephalus frigate, Capt. Barrington Reynolds, he joined, in the spring of 1814, the Newcastle 50, Capt. Lord Geo. Stuart, and Meteor bomb and Furieuse 36, Capts. Sam. Roberts and Wm. Mounsey—the two last on the coast of North America ; where, after having accompanied an expedition to Penobscot Bay, he was made Lieutenant, 6 July, 1814, into the Acasta 40, Capt. Alex. Robt. Kerr. That ship however he never joined. He was employed next, between Oct. 1814 and Sept 1815, in the Fantome 18, Capt. Thos. Sykes (under whom he was wrecked on his passage from St. John's, New Brunswick, to Halifax 24 Nov. 1814) Bulwark 74, Capt. Farmery Predam Epworth, Fueiedsb .again, Capt. Mounsey, and Bann 20, Capt. Thos. Whinyates.

Source: A NAVAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY: COMPRISING THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF EVERY LIVING OFFICER IN HER MAJESTY'S NAVY, FROM THE RANK OF ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET TO THAT OF LIEUTENANT, INCLUSIVE. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. BY WILLIAM E. O'BYRNE, ESQ.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, PUBLISHER TO THE ADMIRALTY. 1849