Auction Closing: June 8, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Lot Number: 127
Estimate Range: $500 - $600
“MacDonnough's Victory” Historic Staffordshire Sugar Bowl with Lid, Known as the “Battle of Lake Champlain”

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c. 1820 (War of 1812 Era Naval and Marine), Historical Blue Staffordshire, (Commodore) “MacDonnough's Victory” on Lake Champlain, a.k.a. “Battle of Plattsburgh,” Sugar Bowl with Lid, Choice Extremely Fine.

The “Battle of Plattsburgh” is also known as the “Battle of Lake Champlain,” Choice Historic Patriotic Blue decorated Staffordshire Sugar Bowl with its original Helmut style top lid, produced for the American market commemorating MacDonough's Victory on Lake Champlain, 4.5” x 7.5” x 7.5” high with its lid with minor chips to inner rim of lid and lid rest not visible when on display. Printed on each side, "Commodore MacDonough / Victory." The transfer image shows two men watching two Warships fighting, with five smaller Sloops in the background. Its bottom is stamped “5”. In June 1814, Great Britain again threatened to invade the United States from Canada, this time from Lake Champlain. Commodore Thomas MacDonough commanded the fleet on that lake and defeated the British naval enemy near Plattsburgh, New York that ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812.
The “Battle of Plattsburgh,” also known as the “Battle of Lake Champlain” ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prvost, and a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, New York.

Plattsburgh was defended by New York and Vermont militia and detachments of regular troops of the United States Army, all under the command of Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, and Navy ships commanded by Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough.

Downie's squadron attacked shortly after dawn on 11 September 1814, but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. Prvost then abandoned the attack by land against Macomb's defences and retreated to Canada, stating that even if Plattsburgh was captured, any British troops there could not be supplied without control of the lake.

When the battle took place, American and British delegates were meeting at Ghent in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, attempting to negotiate a treaty acceptable to both sides to end the war.

The American victory at Plattsburgh, and the successful defense at the Battle of Baltimore, which began the next day and halted British advances in the Mid-Atlantic states, denied the British negotiators leverage to demand any territorial claims against the United States on the basis of “Uti possidetis,” i.e. retaining territory they held at the end of hostilities.

The Treaty of Ghent, in which captured or occupied territories were restored on the basis of status quo ante bellum, i.e. the situation as it existed before the war, was signed three months after the battle.