As you can tell by watching the daily reenactments at Fort Mackinac, there’s a lot of military history on Mackinac Island. Either British or American soldiers were stationed there for more than 100 years, in fact.
While that history for the most part was peaceful, Mackinac Island was the site of one bloody clash during the War of 1812.
Recap basic details of the Battle of Mackinac Island here, courtesy of Mackinac State Historic Parks. For some lesser-known trivia about the conflict, read on…
The Legacy of Andrew Hunter Holmes at the Battle of Mackinac Island
Of the 13 people who were killed in the battle, the name of Maj. Andrew Hunter Holmes is the best known. In fact, his name lives on in a few different ways:
• Fort Holmes, which sits atop the highest point on Mackinac Island, memorializes his sacrifice
• Holmes County, Ohio between Cleveland and Columbus takes its name from the fallen soldier (and, by extension, the USS Holmes County ship built during World War II does, too)
• The town of Holmesville in southern Mississippi, where one of Holmes’ brothers was governor (and which also has a Holmes County), pays tribute to Holmes
Another factoid: Holmes had a brother known for taking part in (and winning) an 1809 duel that killed a friend and led to an anti-dueling law in Virginia
Learn more about Fort Holmes on Mackinac Island
At The Battle of Mackinac Island, the British Won…Again
Why were Maj. Holmes and the U.S. army attacking Mackinac Island in the first place, more than 30 years after the end of the Revolutionary War?
Well, the 1814 battle was actually the second armed conflict on Mackinac Island between American and British forces during the War of 1812. Two years earlier, before the Americans at Fort Mackinac even knew that war had been declared, British forces teaming with Native Americans sneaked onto Mackinac Island at British Landing and won surrender without firing a single shot.
So, even though Mackinac Island was part of the United States at the time of the 1814 battle, the British were in control. And by fending off Holmes and the rest of the Americans, the redcoats remained in power for the rest of the war.
6 things to see and do at Mackinac Island’s British Landing
The Battle of Mackinac Island Witness Tree
The battle was fought on farm land that in 1898 was turned into Wawashkamo Golf Club, now the oldest continuously-operated golf course in Michigan. Not only does the 9-hole course exhibit a 19th-century golf design aesthetic, but it features a cannon to commemorate the battle.
The course was home to a large red oak tree that fell several years ago in an area where the battle was fought. The tree was analyzed and determined to have been alive at the time of the Battle of Mackinac Island!
When the golf club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2023, members were given pen sets made with wood from that “witness tree.”
6 historical tidbits about Mackinac Island’s Wawashkamo Golf Club
Photo: Mackinac State Historic Parks Collection
Archaeological artifacts from the Battle of Mackinac Island
Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of artifacts from the Battle of Mackinac Island including bullets and casings, knives, uniform buttons and an 1807 penny. The items have helped historians gain a better understanding of exactly how and where the battle played out on either side of modern-day British Landing Road.
Next time you take a divot at Wawashkamo Golf Club, who knows what you might find?
Check out these intriguing archaeological finds on Mackinac Island
Naval blockade after the Battle of Mackinac Island
After retreating in defeat during the Battle of Mackinac Island, American forces kept ships in the area to block British resupply efforts in hopes of starving them into surrender. However, the redcoats responded by capturing two American boats, the “Tigress” and the “Scorpion,” which reopened supply lines and reinforced British control of Mackinac Island.
Although the British ultimately relinquished Mackinac Island by treaty at the end of the war, the successive military triumphs reportedly were a source of great pride for the British commandant at Fort Mackinac, Lt. Col. Robert McDouall.
Join Mackinac State Historic Parks on a War of 1812 Bike Ride through the battlefield
RELATED MACKINAC ISLAND BLOGS:
- A look at Mackinac Island history through the centuries
- Things to do on Mackinac Island for history buffs
- Things to do at Mackinac Island’s historic Fort Mackinac
- The cemeteries of Mackinac Island