Daniel Dobbins
Encyclopedia
Daniel Dobbins was a sailing master in the United States Navy
and captain
in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
. He fought in the War of 1812
and was in charge of the building of the ships at Erie, Pennsylvania
that Oliver Hazard Perry
commanded in the Battle of Lake Erie
.
, Pennsylvania
, near Lewistown
. He traveled to Erie
in 1795 with Judah Colt
and a group of surveyors with the Pennsylvania Population Company. Colt's interest in expanding into lake transportation is what causes Dobbins to eventually become a merchant mariner. In 1809, Dobbins, with Rufus S. Reed, purchases the schooner
Charlotte, which he renamed the Salina.
, Dobbins, along with Rufus S. Reed and William W. Reed were captured when the British raided Fort Michilimackinac
on July 17, 1812. They were paroled after they took an oath that they would not "take up arms against the United Kingdom," which Dobbins refused to take. The British ordered that he, along with the other prisoners of war
, sail to Fort Malden
. Instead, Dobbins met up with General William Hull
at Fort Detroit
, where Dobbins was again taken prisoner when General Hull surrendered Detroit to the British on August 16, 1812. When it was realized that Dobbins had broken his promise by "taking up arms in the defense of Detroit" and was in danger of being executed, British Colonel Robert Nichols
, a friend of Dobbins before the war, granted him safe passage to Cleveland
, Ohio
.
After arriving back in Erie, Dobbins traveled to Washington, D.C.
and briefed the United States Secretary of the Navy
Paul Hamilton
on the surrenders of Fort Michilimackinac and Detroit and the strength of the British navy on Lake Erie. When asked where the best place to build ships, Dobbin "unhesitatingly" said Presque Isle
because "no finer oak grew than was to be found there, close to the water's edge, and in the land-locked harbor the vessels, when built, could ride in security." Before leaving Dobbins left Washington, D.C., he was given the dimensions of a small gunboat
and was made a sailing master in the Navy. After arriving back in Erie, Dobbins set about building a fleet as directed by Secretary Hamilton.
In 1813, upon completion of the fleet, Dobbins was given command of the USS Ohio
, a former merchant vessel. On August 17, the fleet departed Erie and headed to Sandusky, Ohio
to wait for the British fleet. On August 22, Dobbins was sent with the USS Ohio back to Erie to resupply with fresh provisions. In early September, he was again sent back to Erie for resupply. Dobbins returned to Sandusky on September 13, 1813, three days after the battle.
For the rest of the war, Dobbins and the USS Ohio transported supplies to Detroit for the use during the ground offensives of the war.
Dobbins lobbied hard for the establishment of a Revenue Service station at Erie. He was appointed commander of the USRC Benjamin Rush
in 1829 by United States President
Andrew Jackson
after its former commander, Gilbert Knapp, publicly called Jackson "a cutthroat and a murderer." In 1834, Dobbins was given command of the USRC Erie
. Dobbins, being a Jackson Democrat
, was removed from command and Knapp reinstated when William Henry Harrison
, a Whig
, was elected in 1841. Dobbins was reinstated in 1845 by President James K. Polk
and was put in command of the USRC Taney in Norfolk, Virginia
from 1845 to 1846. Dobbins, who was not pleased with his new command away from Lake Erie, took a leave of absence and was eventually assigned back to the USRC Erie in 1847. He was removed from command and Knapp reinstated again with the election of Zachary Taylor
in 1848.
Dobbins died in Erie on February 29, 1856 and was buried in the Erie Cemetery
. His papers are in the collection of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
. He fought in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and was in charge of the building of the ships at Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
that Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
commanded in the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
.
Early life
He was born on January 5, 1776 in Mifflin CountyMifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, near Lewistown
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...
. He traveled to Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
in 1795 with Judah Colt
Judah Colt
Judah Colt was an early pioneer of Erie County.-Hill country:Colt was born on July 1, 1761 in Lyme, Connecticut. He left Connecticut in 1795 and moved to Erie County. He soon decided that the lake shore was inhospitable, so he looked to join earlier pioneers in the hill country south of Erie...
and a group of surveyors with the Pennsylvania Population Company. Colt's interest in expanding into lake transportation is what causes Dobbins to eventually become a merchant mariner. In 1809, Dobbins, with Rufus S. Reed, purchases the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Charlotte, which he renamed the Salina.
War of 1812
While in port at Mackinac IslandMackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
, Dobbins, along with Rufus S. Reed and William W. Reed were captured when the British raided Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...
on July 17, 1812. They were paroled after they took an oath that they would not "take up arms against the United Kingdom," which Dobbins refused to take. The British ordered that he, along with the other prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, sail to Fort Malden
Fort Malden
Fort Malden is a fort that stands on the remains of Fort Amherstburg in Amherstburg, Ontario. The original fort was abandoned by the British/Canadians in 1813 when Southwest Ontario fell into American hands. The Americans began building a smaller replacement fort on the same site, but this was...
. Instead, Dobbins met up with General William Hull
William Hull
William Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
at Fort Detroit
Fort Shelby (Michigan)
Fort Shelby was a military fort in Detroit, Michigan that played a significant role in the War of 1812. It was built by the British in 1779 as Fort Lernoult, and was ceded to the United States by the Jay Treaty in 1796. It was renamed Fort Detroit by Secretary of War Henry Dearborn in 1805...
, where Dobbins was again taken prisoner when General Hull surrendered Detroit to the British on August 16, 1812. When it was realized that Dobbins had broken his promise by "taking up arms in the defense of Detroit" and was in danger of being executed, British Colonel Robert Nichols
Robert Nichols
Robert Malise Bowyer Nichols was an English writer, known as a war poet of World War I, and a playwright....
, a friend of Dobbins before the war, granted him safe passage to Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
After arriving back in Erie, Dobbins traveled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and briefed the United States Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Paul Hamilton
Paul Hamilton
Paul Hamilton was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Navy, from 1809 to 1813.Paul Hamilton was born in Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, on October 16, 1762. He left school at the age of sixteen due to financial problems...
on the surrenders of Fort Michilimackinac and Detroit and the strength of the British navy on Lake Erie. When asked where the best place to build ships, Dobbin "unhesitatingly" said Presque Isle
Presque Isle State Park
Presque Isle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on an arching sandy peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, west of the city of Erie, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The peninsula sweeps northeastward, surrounding Presque Isle Bay along the park's...
because "no finer oak grew than was to be found there, close to the water's edge, and in the land-locked harbor the vessels, when built, could ride in security." Before leaving Dobbins left Washington, D.C., he was given the dimensions of a small gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
and was made a sailing master in the Navy. After arriving back in Erie, Dobbins set about building a fleet as directed by Secretary Hamilton.
In 1813, upon completion of the fleet, Dobbins was given command of the USS Ohio
USS Ohio (1812)
The first USS Ohio was a merchant schooner purchased by the Navy in 1812; converted to a warship by Henry Eckford; and commissioned prior to June 13, 1813, with Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins in command....
, a former merchant vessel. On August 17, the fleet departed Erie and headed to Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
to wait for the British fleet. On August 22, Dobbins was sent with the USS Ohio back to Erie to resupply with fresh provisions. In early September, he was again sent back to Erie for resupply. Dobbins returned to Sandusky on September 13, 1813, three days after the battle.
For the rest of the war, Dobbins and the USS Ohio transported supplies to Detroit for the use during the ground offensives of the war.
Revenue Cutter Service
In 1816, Dobbins navigated the waters of Green Bay, with Colonel John Miller, to establish a fort at the head of the bay. He resigned his naval commission in 1826.Dobbins lobbied hard for the establishment of a Revenue Service station at Erie. He was appointed commander of the USRC Benjamin Rush
USRC Benjamin Rush
The USRC Benjamin Rush was a United States Revenue Cutter stationed at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1827 in Erie and was launched on 13 September 1828. The USRC Benjamin Rush has often been confused with the USRC Richard Rush, which was in service at the same time...
in 1829 by United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
after its former commander, Gilbert Knapp, publicly called Jackson "a cutthroat and a murderer." In 1834, Dobbins was given command of the USRC Erie
USRC Erie
The USRC Erie was a United States Revenue Cutter stationed at Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania. It replaced the USRC Benjamin Rush on the Great Lakes. Daniel Dobbins supervised the construction of and was in command of the USRC Erie from 1833 to 1841. Dobbins was placed back in command of the...
. Dobbins, being a Jackson Democrat
Jacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
, was removed from command and Knapp reinstated when William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
, a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, was elected in 1841. Dobbins was reinstated in 1845 by President James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
and was put in command of the USRC Taney in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
from 1845 to 1846. Dobbins, who was not pleased with his new command away from Lake Erie, took a leave of absence and was eventually assigned back to the USRC Erie in 1847. He was removed from command and Knapp reinstated again with the election of Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
in 1848.
Dobbins died in Erie on February 29, 1856 and was buried in the Erie Cemetery
Erie Cemetery
Erie Cemetery is a prominent cemetery located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is situated on of land bordered on the east by Chestnut Street, the west by Cherry Street, the north by 19th Street, and the south by 26th Street.- History :...
. His papers are in the collection of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society Building
The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society is located on Nottingham Court in the city of Buffalo, just east of Elmwood Avenue, north of the Scajaquada Expressway, in the northwest corner of Delaware Park. It occupies the building constructed in 1901 as the New York State pavilion for that...
.