Horse Island, New York facts for kids
Horse Island is a special egg-shaped island, about 24 acres big. It's located in Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario in upstate New York. This island is famous for being the site of the Battle of Sackets Harbor during the War of 1812. It also has a cool old lighthouse!
The Battle of Sackets Harbor
The Battle of Sackets Harbor happened on Horse Island in May 1813. This was part of the War of 1812, a big fight between Britain and the new United States. Both sides wanted to control the Great Lakes. Controlling these lakes was super important for winning the war.
Gen. Sir George Prevost, who was the Governor-General of Canada for Britain, planned to attack American troops on Horse Island. At that time, the island was mostly wild. It offered a great spot to see the nearby land where the Americans were.
The Americans, led by Jacob Brown, knew an attack was coming. They had a camp on the island to train new soldiers. When the British attacked, the battle lasted about three hours on Horse Island and nearby areas.
At first, the Americans stopped the British from landing. But when the British did get ashore, the Americans moved back to the mainland. The British couldn't follow them because the mainland had tall cliffs. The British left the shores around nine in the morning when the Americans started winning.
John Mills and his group of Albany volunteers are remembered for bravely defending Horse Island. They were part of Camp Volunteer on the island.
Horse Island Lighthouse
Even though Sackets Harbor has grown a lot over the last 200 years, Horse Island is still mostly untouched. In 1831, the United States Congress set aside $4,000 to build a lighthouse on Horse Island. This was needed because the area had many rocks and a high cliff.
In 1857 and again in 1870, money was used to fix up or rebuild the lighthouse. It's usually hard for the public to visit the island, except for the battlefield. So, seeing the lighthouse can be tricky. Most people view it from the mainland battlefield site, which offers a good look at the lighthouse.
Archeological Discoveries
Horse Island is also a popular spot for archeologists. These are scientists who study old things to learn about the past. Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc. is one group that has been looking for new discoveries on Horse Island.
Archeologists research the old items found on the island. Most of these items are from the battle that happened in 1813. Using tools like metal detectors, archeologists have learned how the battle unfolded. They can figure out where soldiers stood and how they defended their positions.
