How an ordinary seaman became a rallying cry in the War of 1812

Saturday, March 7, 1807. HMS Halifax, a Royal Navy sloop, lies off Hampton Roads, Va. The Napoleonic Wars are in full swing, and the British are in Chesapeake Bay, blockading two French warships that had made port seeking refuge and repair after a storm. About 6 p.m., five Halifax crew into a jolly boat to weigh anchor. Out of this simple task grows one of the contributing incidents to the War of 1812.

Here is the article at Legion Magazine.