McDonough County Courthouse - Macomb, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 40° 27.528 W 090° 40.272
15T E 697457 N 4481286
Lincoln spoke here on Oct. 26, 1858: "Let us have faith that right makes right; and that faith lets us to the end. Dare to do our duty as we understand it."
Waymark Code: WM6ZFQ
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2009
Views: 3
County Named for Thomas McDonough, a Commodore of the United States Navy, who commanded the fleet on Lake Champlain in a successful engagement with the British fleet, near Plattsburg in 1814.
In 1973, citizens in McDonough County, enraged at being bypassed during distribution of Federal and State funds for public projects, organized the Republic of Forgotonia. The "capitol" of Forgotonia was the unincorporated community of Fandon in south-central McDonough County. The "Governor" of Forgotonia was Neil Gamm, a student at WIU.
Thomas McDonough (Macdonough) and Alexander Macomb were both heroes of the War of 1812. A statue honoring McDonough and Macomb is located in Chandler Park, Macomb IL.
Thomas McDonough was born in 1783 in Delaware. At age 17, he joined the US Navy. Alexander Macomb was born in Detroit in 1782, but spent most of his childhood in New York. At age 17, he joined a militia in New York City. Macomb continued his military career and was one of the first two students to complete formal training at West Point.
During the War of 1812, McDonough was a Commodore of the US Navy, while Macomb was appointed Adjutant General of the US Army. McDonough commanded the fleet of 14 vessels on Lake Champlain in their defeat of the British near Plattsburg, NY on 11 Sept 1814. Macomb and his force of less than 8000 faced nearly 11000 British troops at Plattsburg, NY. Macomb's troops were also victorious over the British at Plattsburg on 11 Sept 1814.
Prior to the land and naval battles of Lake Champlain (Plattsburg Bay), it appeared that the British were winning the war. McDonough's and Macomb's victories forced the retreat of the British from northeastern New York state into Canada. The British failure in the campaign along Lake Champlain led to the end of the War of 1812.
McDonough died 10 Nov 1825 while in command of the Mediterranean Squadron. McDonough County, Illinois was created less than two months later (25 Jan 1826). Macomb was named commanding general of the US Army in 1828 and remained in this position until his death in Washington, DC in 1841.