War of 1812 Monument: Macomb and MacDonough

This monument honors two commanders who turned the tide of the War of eighteen twelve on the same September weekend in eighteen fourteen. On land at Plattsburgh, New York, General Alexander Macomb held a fortified position with about fifteen hundred regulars and some militia against a British force of more than eight thousand, forcing the enemy to withdraw on September eleventh. On Lake Champlain the same day, Commodore Thomas MacDonough destroyed a superior British naval squadron in a two-hour battle, ending Britain's control of the northern water route into the United States.

The twin victories effectively ended British ambitions to reclaim American territory. Macomb later rose to Commanding General of the United States Army, serving until eighteen forty-one. Both men are now remembered here in the Illinois heartland, far from the waters where they fought.