ford pardoned former president nixon 40 years ago. on september 8, 19 70 four. one month after the only presidential resignation in american history. 8:00 p.m. and midnight eastern, on the presidency, author and history professor john robert greene considers the reason why ford parking nix-- pardoned nixon. following the remarks, we will air archival footage of president ford's address to the nation. >> each week, american history tv's american artifacts visits historic places. 200 years ago on september 11, 1814, british and american naval forces clashed for two and a half hours in cumberland they their expert -- near plattsburgh . the battle was the culmination of six days of conflict. up x, we traveled to -- up next,

we travel to plattsburgh where david fitz-enz, author of "the final invasion: plattsburgh, the war of 1812's most decisive battle," takes us on a tour of key locations to tell the story. >> joseph baron. ship saratoga. 1814.ber 11, battle of plattsburgh in cumberland bay. this is a battle that is lost to american history. it is the first 100th anniversary, it was known by everyone. this was a huge celebration. people knew how important the battle of plattsburgh was. but in the meantime, things have changed. that poem became the national anthem. baltimore is in the center of a populated area. and people have been taught what took place there and what took place there was very important. but it was a diversion. the real battle was up here. you see, if the british can take

plattsburgh, there is no troops between here and washington, d.c. there is no american -- the cavalry is not coming. and with plattsburgh gone, they can sweep down the lake, they can go on to lake george, and they can go on to the hudson and split the united states in half. in the meantime, the treaty of gent talks are on. and this is a bargaining chip. if you can take plattsburgh, and you can redraw the northern border of the united states, wherever the british troop lines are at the time, well, these negotiations are going on, that's going to be the new northern border. what they had in mind, they didn't plan to take the united states again. this is not a revolution. what they planned was they wanted a new northern border for the united states. not the 45th parallel, but the 43rd. they wanted the northern border of massachusetts to be the border of the northern united states. if you take that line, and you run it across the country, take

that parallel, you end up in buffalo. that means that the united states would have lost maine, vermont, new hampshire, and all of northern new york. that way the british would have had control of the southern shore of" and that's what they -- the southern shore of the great lakes and that's what they were after. but plattsburgh put a stop to that. the british army is notn in the united states. the british army is back in canada, and so when the treaty is signed on christmas eve, 1814, the status quo is what we see today. we are five miles north of plattsburgh, new york. looking at the american-canadian border. it is here that the battle began. let me give you background first. when the war with napoleon ended in the spring of 1814, the

.ritish had a problem wellington wanted to keep this intact because he thought he would meet again. he would need it again. but nobody saw his vision. when the army returned to england, it would probably be disbanded because when the ogre goes away, then there is no need for a democratic society to fund an expensive army. they would simply go away. in order to keep them, he went to the secretary of war. and he said, i have got this other problem. i've got this american war of 1812. i would like to put it to an end. we need to trade with those people. they are vital to us. i've put a stop to it all. let's put a stop to our dennis terri sewell we can get out of this war when it is over. so he said, give me your troops. wellington gave him 30,000 total of his army that was sitting in

france tricking and the sellers akll-- drinking in cellars th ll the wine. theecial order was sent to governor general of canada who have been fighting the war of 1812 in canada and united states for two years. he had been defending all that time. now he had a chance to go on the offensive because this new order said, we're going to do two things to end this war. in england's favor. we are going to use a part of the wellington's forces to raid the eastern seaboard of the united states and down into the gulf of mexico to keep the americans, government and the people and the military's attention focused to the south. in the north, we're going to make yoyou the main attack. be the order said he would given 15,000 troops. you can add to the 4000 he already had. fighting for two

years. they were not just british shoulders -- soldiers. it was made up of canadian citizens who agreed to fight alongside the british regulars but only in canada. that is why they were called sensible. in addition, the french-canadians played a major role in this conflict by adding their numbers to the british forces in canada. added to this force. an army he could take on offensive instead of the defense. and his plan simply was that he goine's plan use bur 1777, he was going to go down lake champlain to new york. line, because there were no roads to speak of in these days. burgoine password

he was defeated and on into new york harbor, split the united states with the industrial north and the agrarian south. that is his intention. in order to do that, he is got to get past the american force at plattsburgh. and plattsburgh has got 6000 american soldiers here, most of them are regulars. so, he says that the diversion. and he sent them of these troops west for a little while and gets the attention of the american government. and the secretary of war, armstrong says, they are not going to go down lake champlain. they are going to continue to fight in the northern new york area along lake erie and the niagara. thearmstrong shifts american army. he pulls of the 6000 troops that are here, he pulls 4500 out of plattsburgh. lastlls them out in the week of august and sends them to the mohawk valley and up the mohawk valley all the way to sag

harbor. then to the niagara. all of that leads that plattsburgh is 1500 regulars. these regulars are the people that could not make the march. these are the sick, the lame, the lazy. these are the prisoners here at this is a band. so that is what is left behind. that's what's going to be defending on this road. out that theinds american army has left, he starts his attack. he moves those soldiers, fewer than 15,000, to the canadian f lake on the edge o champlain. he crosses the border on the first of september. march south ton toin to plattsburgh. the column is 10 miles long. the artillery does not cross the border until the fourth of september. it took four days before they could move south at all. donw wn this road they come.

here, the few new york state militia are standing by at this bridge. coming, they them start to fire their muskets in their direction. thethe bridge -- british sweep them aside. they rush the bridge. n/a american militia retire quickly took over hill. ish arets advancing on culver hill. this memorial commemorates that event. several thousand british soldiers, it was the third romiment to cross f canterbury, came down the road and confronted john wall. john, a major in the army, had brought 200 of his troops here and attended to stop the british advanced while gaining

information as to what in the world we were facing at this point. battle broke up here. -- broke out here. a number of casualties here, but the british were not halted at all. they just charged the americans here at the top of the rise at culver hill. the americans had to withdraw and withdraw and withdraw, and for the rest of the day of the sixth of september, they would withdraw steadily back into the city. came downtish column this road, the farmers along the road were surprised to see at the end of the column, the women and children of the reddish tishntry regiment -- the bri infantry regiment. before regiment left a go to combat, the night before, there was a lottery held, and all the wives put their names in a hat. 10 were selected to

travel with the regiment. and they brought their children. and they embarked and boarded the ships and traveled across the ocean. they came to canada and walked down this road. you know what her job was. they were the support troops. they were the ones at night set up the tents, got the firewood, building fire, cook the food, took care of the children, cleaned the uniforms with brushes. and, of course, they were the medical corps. doctors but they needed hundreds to take care of the casualties. women, it was the the families of the soldiers of the regiment that tended the wounded. 10 years ago, this was just a field that a few local citizens were really interested in trying to preserve the history here. had a little ceremony, and the lady who lived in that white

farmhouse was very interested. we talked to her about it and she put it into her will when she died this parcel of land would be given to the battle of plattsburgh. and the state and this town built this so that we could all see exactly what happened here on that day at culver hill. kent-delorde house, a period home. where the british stayed. after they run the americas troops off, they will continue down the edge of the lake. here they have to split their force into because the road will not sustain traffic. this brigade will travel along the edge of the bay and into plattsburgh. we're on the edge of cumberland bay.

on the far side, were there, you see those trees, is a road. that road is what enabled the british to bring these troops into town. one was a three brigade, 4000 troops came along that line over there.a nd and the american navy was waiting for them. as they saw the column marching along, they began to bombard them. the british column was broken up and stopped. then the royal artillery set up their guns. and they just decimated the fleet that was sitting out here. the fleet was forced to withdraw and go deeper out into the lake. this will reduce the american navy's ability to support the army because now they are going to be too far away from the shoreline. once the american navy was moved off, then the british could freely enter the town of plattsburgh. so they came down this road, around the corner, and will end

up putting a battery of artillery right behind us. and the officers will take over kent-delord house as their bill at. -- at their billet. the british army relentlessly drove the americans back down the road and into the city. some of the british troo came alongps -- british troops came along this line. they were swiss mercenaries working for the british government. along with the canadians and right along the edge of the saranac river to the stonebridge. americans fought their way all the way to the bridge. bridge, they picked up the planks so that the british and the french could not follow them and brought their canon and sent them off on the far side. the americans will sit

with their infantry from the sixth until the 11th waiting for the british main attack. the battle of plattsburgh museum on the old army posts. there has been an army post here ever since the war of 1812. at the museum, there is a depiction of what the land looks like it it is a very complex battle because the battle is both army and navy. and it occurred simultaneously with out an amphibious assault looked like. there has been an army post here ever since the war of 1812 and in this museum the most important item is this painting by davidson. and it shows the culmination of the battle when the royal navy had finally closed with the americans and they fought it out, only 300 yards apart for an hour and a half.

the american soldiers were the remnants of a larger force. they could not fight in the field, so they fought in tre nches. they used the river. it worked for five days. thehe trenches flowed along saranac river we come to the second bridge at catherine street. that is where the british line stopped. and the americans defended the urge for five days. in the middle is for brown. brown was heavily cannoned and able to keep the british away by firing into the city. in the bay, on the right flank of the american army, is where the american navy ships will be moored waiting for the british to come in to attack the army's flank. their mission is to keep them away. here you see them all sitting

ducks moored waiting for the royal navy to attack. this is the rotunda of the city hall of the town of plattsburgh. to get back to the history, wellington said that if he were in command, and he was offered command, that he turned it down he only chanceat t for victory in north america was to control the waterways. so everything is key to the navy there. even though the american troops are here waiting and the british troops are waiting on the edge of the saranac river. fordable.ot this is a bit of a long story but this is how we get here. the royal navy was everything to the british. they used it throughout the

caribbean and the united states and canada. that's what control their commerce. that- here on the lake, commerce had been disrupted. nothing was going up and down the lake to benefit canada or anywhere else. and the people who lived on the lake had created a new industry because of the embargo that have been put in place. this was a smugglers haven. to controlitish knew the waterways, they had to take lake champlain but they have no ships. but the lake does end in canada. up there, they built a boat yard. that boat yard then created the largest ship that has ever been on lake champlain. she was a forget. -- a frigate. she was called "the confiance." they had captured two american vessels two years earlier and converted them to british use. they had built one other, a smaller one.

but now they needed the confianc e. because it would be stronger than the entire american fleet on the lake. now, there was an american fleet here. it was commanded by lieutenant, then master commander, then, nor commodore. in vermont, they put together the american. the american navy would try to control the lake and keep the steven sotloff north -- the steven sotloff north -- the british north. finally, the navy is coming. they wanted to stop even earlier but they could not because of the south wins coming up the lake that kept them from sailing south. this is the days of sail. there is no other power. you have to wait until the winds are right. mcdonough does not have the

problem. he's waiting. finally, the night of the 10th, they're able to come down the lake, come south towards plattsburgh from canada, the entire fleet. four ships, and a dozen gunboats, 70 men and one canon. those gunboats are supposed to get close to the american fleet and put holes in the sides of the american fleet. you have got them buzzing around. when the british come into the guns can fireitish a mile and a half. royal navy is kept away, if they can sail outside the 500 yards, they can reduce the american fleet to splinters and a matter of one pass.

this is what mcdonough's faced with. he's 30 years old and he is the commodore, the commander of the american flag. into thence comes bay, the wind shifts. it's a westerly wind. in the bay, the winds are fitful. the confiance needs a strong wind. as she comes into the bay, this is the anchor. data shot of the front by american can. it'sound this in 1996 -- it's americanthe front of thby canon. you can see the gold piece on the side that says québec. off, andanchor is shot

the commander of the royal navy fleet and the captain of the ship tries to stay away from the american lines, he can't. ehe's drawn into the american fire. no matter what he does to turn his ship away, the wind will not allow it. he is drawn directly into the american fire. 300lly, he has to anchor at yards, well within the american line of fire. now for the next two and a half hours, a horrendous battle of canon will take place. 90 canons firing, constantly, never stopping. four major ships of the americas. four steven sotloff r-- four yal navy.oay

they attacked the american fleet at anchor which would've been right between those two small trees. there are women on board. officers wives, one of which catches a cannonball in her chest and is thrown overboard. mcdonough is siting his own canon, shooting at the british. one of thee line at other guns, his lieutenant is struck with a british cannonball. his head strikes mcdonough in the face and knocks him cold to the deck. these are the kinds of things that happen. when you're fighting a naval battle. this keeps up for hours.

one atrocity after another, blood everywhere, tremendous casualties. the men keep fighting. then finally, the only american ship really fit to fight is saratoga. that is the flagship of mcdonough. the only ship that is the to fight anymore is confiance, the british ship. even though commodore downey was killed 10 minutes into the battle when mcdonough fired a cannon and had struck the muzzle of the gun that downey was kneeling behind. as the muzzle was hit by the cannonball so hard that it drove this 2000 pound barrel out of the trying is and downey caught it in his arms and kill him and crushed into the death. the british lost the commander 10 minutes into the battle. so now, we have got madonna -- mcdonnough in a bad state.

his ship is about to sink. and at that point, he pulls the trick of the day. he's put out anchors on the right and left. they were taken out on rowboats and dropped. they wound backwards around the ship and were connected. at the right moment, mcdonough cuts one cable and pulls in the other, winding the -- the only crew members that are left at this point as the spring shipis pulled in, the rotates in place on its own axis. of of course, it exposes the far side of the ship where there are 12 loaded cannons ready. pistol goesith a

down the line and fires into the touch hole and fired each gun into confiance. receives 105esea holes in the ship. she strikes her colors. she has lost. the royal navy has been being. -- beaten. thereorge -- sitting up looking over the lake sees the colors come down. he knows the battle is lost. er hasws he no long control of the water. he knows he does and not have the american ships to take the t down the lake. there is no point going on with the battle. there's no point to it at all. he is going to save his troops

to fight another day. as a result, sir george withdraws from plattsburgh. pulling his troops out, his three per gates, his artillery, his families, and they start heading north to canada. the battle is over. the americans have won. winston churchill said, that it was the most important battle of the war, the most decisive battle of the war of 1812. here. two days later, british wil lfight -- will fight the americans at baltimore. when the naval battle is over and the british withdrew, all that was left were the dead and the wounded and the american forces. y ships, theavuy wounded were taken off and brought into town. in aead were then put

cortage and brought to the shore in plattsburgh. in a funeral parade led by general macomb and commodore mcdonough they slowly came here to riverside cemetery just outside of downtown. they marchedums, slowly and the liberally here to the ground -- slowly and del iberately. the lead cortage carry the body of royal navy captain commodore george downey. and he's buried here. at riverside cemetery. cortage were not just royal navy sailors. dead,ere british army

american sailors who had died, as well as british sailors who had died. 200 of them were taken to crab island because it was close to where the ships were being kept. another 200 or more were brought here to riverside cemetery and buried. lieutenant peter gamble, he was the officer whose head was severed, threw across the deck and struck mcdonough. stansberry,ohn september 11, 1814, battle of plattsburgh. he was an officer on board the eagle and was killed in action. there is captain -- he's british .

76 regiment. british army. career in studying history, i had never heard of the battle of plattsburgh. so i was intrigued. the more i read, it more it drew me in. and what it played in international history. if plattsburgh had been lost, god knows what would've happened to this country. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] years ago this summer, during the war of 1812, british shoulders invaded washington, d.c. on august 24 1814 and set fire to the white house and the u.s. capitol building. president james madison and first lady dolly madison fled the city. next, highlights from a symposium looking back and what was known as