Samuel Chester Reid

Background

Samuel Chester Reid was born August 24, 1783 at Norwich, Connecticut, the son of Lieut. John Reid, a former British naval officer, of distinguished Glasgow family, who resigned his commission and joined the cause of the American Revolution after having been captured, and later married Rebecca Chester of Norwich.

Career

Samuel went to sea at the age of eleven, was captured by a French privateer and imprisoned for six months at Basse-Terre, Guadaloupe, served as acting midshipman in the U. S. S. Baltimore in the West Indies for a year, and at twenty was master of the brig Merchant of New York. Commanding the privateer General Armstrong in the War of 1812, he left New York on September 9, 1814, and put in at Fayal in the Azores on September 26 following. That same day the British warships Carnation (18), Rota (38), and Plantagenet (74), under Commodore Edward Lloyd, entered Fayal, en route to join the forces concentrating at Jamaica against New Orleans. About seven o'clock in the evening, as Reid was moving closer under the Portuguese fort, four armed boats approached from the Carnation, with the evident purpose of making a surprise capture. Reid challenged and then fired into them. In this first attack the Americans lost one killed and the first lieutenant wounded, the British about twenty killed and wounded.

Despite a warning from the Portuguese governor, the British again attacked about midnight with twelve or fourteen boats and about 400 men, but were repulsed with terrible slaughter, estimated at from 175 to 250 casualties, while the Americans lost but two killed and seven wounded. At daylight the Carnation engaged with her broadsides, but was temporarily driven off by the Armstrong's 42-pounder "Long Tom. " Anticipating attack by the whole force, Reid now scuttled and abandoned his ship, which the enemy soon afterward burned. Remaining for repairs and to bury their dead, the British insisted on examining the American crew for deserters, but left them further unmolested.

The week or ten days' delay thus caused to the expedition against New Orleans greatly aided Jackson's defense of that city. On returning to America the Armstrong's indomitable defenders were accorded high honors, Reid receiving a sword from the New York legislature and a silver service from New York merchants. Upon vigorous protests from the Portuguese government England apologized and paid £319 indemnity for injuries to shore structures, but denied responsibility for starting the battle, and was instrumental in preventing Portugal's acknowledgment of the American claim against her for $131, 000. This was repeatedly rejected, until in Taylor's administration diplomatic relations were severed and an American squadron took off Clay, the American minister.

But upon Taylor's death in July 1850 when Webster became secretary of state, the claim was submitted to arbitration and decided favorably to Portugal. Reid and his son, Samuel Chester, junior, thereupon sued the United States in the Court of Claims, but the case, which enjoyed great publicity for many years, was not settled until April 1882, when Congress voted a payment of $70, 739. The son, whose name was first known to the public in connection with the publication of an account of his experiences during the Mexican War under the title The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers (1847), had prosecuted the claim with remarkable persistence and during his last years supplemented his efforts by writing a history of his father's career, but at the time of his death in 1897, a considerable balance was still unpaid.

Reid was for many years harbor master at New York, where he did notable work in improving pilot-boat service, publishing a signal code for American vessels, and securing a lightship off Sandy Hook. He also devised a system of rapid signaling on land, and in 1826 demonstrated that a message could be sent from New York to New Orleans in two hours, but a bill for its adoption was killed by the advent of electric telegraphy. As definitely recognized by a Congressional committee, Reid must further be given credit for the present design of the American flag. When the admission of new states raised the question of alterations in 1818, Representative Peter Wendover of New York consulted Reid, who proposed thirteen stripes and a star for each state, with the stars in parallel rows for military use and arranged in one great star for other purposes. This, without specification as to arrangement of stars, was adopted by Congress on April 4, 1818, and a flag made by Mrs. Reid was hoisted on the Capitol eight days later. Reid was given the equivalent of a pension by appointment as sailing master in the navy on July 3, 1843.

Reid died at his home near Franklin Square in New York City.

Achievements

• He commanded a privateer during the War of 1812. He is also noted for having helped design the 1818 version of the flag of the United States, which first established the rule of keeping thirteen stripes and adding one star for each U. S. state.

Works

More photos

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  • Great Battle of Chicamauga: A Concise History of Events from the Evacuation of Chattanooga to the Defeat of the Enemy; Full Details of the Battle, Incidents, &c (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Great Battle of Chicamauga: A Concise Histor...)

  • Great Battle of Chicamauga: A Concise History of Events From the Evacuation of Chattanooga to the Defeat of the Enemy; Full Details of the Battle, Incidents, &C (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Great Battle of Chicamauga: A Concise Histor...)

  • The Scouting Expeditions of Mcculloch's Texas Rangers; Or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico, 1846: Including ... Also, the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista; Toge

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • The Case of the Private Armed Brig of war Gen. Armstrong: Containing Letters and Documents Referring to the History of the Claim, Brief of Facts and ... P. Phillips, and Sam C. Reid, Jr., and Brief:

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • The History of the Wonderful Battle of the Brig.-Of-War General Armstrong: With a British Squadron; At Fayal, 1814, the Famous Gun, Long Tom (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from The History of the Wonderful Battle of the B...)

  • The History of the Wonderful Battle of the Brig.-Of-War General Armstrong: With a British Squadron; At Fayal, 1814, the Famous Gun, Long Tom (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from The History of the Wonderful Battle of the B...)

  • The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; Or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico, 1846: Including Sk

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers (1848)

    (“Of stirring interest, full of adventure.” - Gazette of t...)

Connections

He married Mary, daughter of Capt. Nathan Jennings of Fairfield, Connecticut, on June 8, 1813. They had eight children, among whom were Samuel Chester, already mentioned, Mary Isabel, the wife of Luigi Palma di Cesnola, and Louise Gouvernour, the wife of John Savage, a prominent New York journalist.

Father:

John Reid

Mother:

Rebecca (Chester) Reid

Spouse:

Mary

Daughter:

Louise Gouvernour

Daughter:

Mary Isabel

Son:

Samuel Chester