Henry Ketchum Averill (1798 - 1881)

Born 21 Apr 1798 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Mar 1881 at age 82 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York, United States

This profile is part of the Clinton County, New York One Place Study.

Henry Averill served in the War of 1812
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Biography

Henry was born in 1798. He was the son of Nathan Averill and Mary Ketchum. He passed away in 1881.

From FindAGrave:

Publicly honored by Congress for Gallantry at the Siege of Plattsburgh, 1814.

Henry Ketchum Averill was a member of the Martin Jas Aiken's Independent Company of Volunteer Rifleman at the siege of Plattsburgh, N.Y., September 1814.

From his journal he wrote: Saturday the 3d of September, 1814 the day the news arrived, I was at school sitting upon the back seat near the window when John Gale and David A. Curtiss, well known old citizens, met in front of the academy and I heard one of them remark to the other that the British troops were on the inarch and had crossed the Canada line. I immediately sprang out of the window without .permission of Mr. Wall (who was to join the first volunteer corps that might be organized) and accordingly the next morning I joined Captain Aiken's company of Volunteer Riflemen and the same day marched to West Chazy to meet the enemy.

The Rev. Eleazer Williams, the reputed "Dauphin of France," who had been appointed "superintendent general of the northern Indian department and commander of the corps ol observation," says in his diary, under date of September 6, 1814: A Rifle Company under Captain Aiken and Lieut. Flagg (composed of the young gentlemen of Plattsburgh) are not only useful in watching our front line but they are brave and daring in skirmishing with the enemy. Yesterday three of this noble corps came nigh being taken or destroyed by the foe, viz: Allen, Travis and Williams. The courageous spirits of these young soldiers carried them beyond prudence. They crossed the River Saranac to spy out the enemy as well as to supply themselves with certain articles which they knew were deposited in a barn, and the house was not far from it, which was occupied by the guard of the British. Just the moment in which our brave boys were supplying themselves with such articles as they would take, volley after volley poured upon them but fortunately they escaped without injury. It is said the enemy paid dear for this charge. The youthful band had anticipated and were prepared to defend their comrades. The whole corps answered the enemy's fire with such firmness an precision as to compel their foes to retire."

In 1826, Congress passed a joint resolution giving each member of the Captain Aiken's Volunteers at the siege a rifle (Hall's patent breech-loader), with a handsome inscription on the breech.

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #68673579
• Platt Family Bible