Scores of people gathered at St Peter’s Church in St George at the weekend to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Midshipman Richard Sutherland Dale.

Governor George Fergusson and US Consul General Robert Settje joined St George Mayor, Garth Rothwell, and about 100 residents for the service on Saturday afternoon.

“We had a good crowd turn out for the anniversary,” said Mr Rothwell.

“A number of wreaths were laid at Midshipman Dale’s grave during the service and the US Consul’s speech at the dinner was very poignant.”

Midshipman Dale became the final casualty of the War of 1812 when he died in St George on February 22, 1815, at the age of 20.

He had been on-board the USS President, which was seized by British ships in January of 1815, and was brought to Bermuda as a prisoner.

The people of St George cared for the injured sailor until he died, five days after the US ratified the Treaty of Ghent, formally ending the war.

The Royal Gazette