IMPARTIAL A^ CORRECT :iSTORj) OT THE WAR BETWEEN ^ .(_ THE UNITED STJ^TES^OF AMERICA^ r o y// — /'^ GREAT BRI^IN; Declared by a Law of Congress, June 18, 1812, and concluded h/j a ratification and exchange of a Trea- ty of Peace ^ at the City of Washington^ Feb* 17, 1815. COMPRISING A TARTICULAU DETAIL OF THE NAVAL AND MILITARY OPERATIONS AND A Faithful Record of the Events produced dur- ing: the Contest. INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING IMPOflTANT DOCUMENTS. 1. The President's Messaj^e to Congress of 1st June, 1812. 2. The Report of the Committee of Foreign Relations of 3d June, 1812. Z. The Act declaring War between the United States and Great Britain. 4. The Treaty of Peace. 5. Niles' List of Prizes, captured during the War. 6. The Treaty of Peace of 1785. CAREFULLY COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. NeW'York:. printed by John Loxio, 1815. BELFAST : BEFRINTED BY JOSEPH SMYTH. 1816. / /7 District of Neti'-Yorlcy ss, BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the sixteenth day of May, in the thirty^ninth year of the Independence of the J g. United States of America, John Low, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a Boek, the right whereor he claims as Proprietor, in the words follow- ing, to wit : " An Impartial and Correct History of the War between the United States of America, and Great Britain, declared by a law of Congress, June 18, 1812, and concluded by a ratification and exchange of a Treaty of Peace, at the city of Washington, February 17, 1815. Comprising a particular detail of the Naval and Military operations, and a faithfuL record of the events produced during the contest; including, 1. The Presi- dent's Message to Congress of 1st June, 1812. 2. The report of the Committee of Foreign Relations of 5d June, 1812. 3. The Act declaring War between the United States and Great Britain. 4. The Treaty of Peace. 5. Niles' List of Prizes, captured during the War. 6. The Treaty of Peace of 1783. Carefully compiled from Official Documents." In conformity to the Act'of the Congress of the United States, entitled " An act for the encouragement of Learning, by se- curing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time cherein men- tioned." And also to an Act, entitled " An act, supplementary to an act, entitled an act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the au- thors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints." THERON RUDD, Clerk of the Southern District of New-York. PREFACE. /J No era, in the moral world, has excited the * public curiosity, or affected the general interest of mankind, more than the discovery of a west- ern continent in the year 1492. Attracted as the public mind was by that event, yet its resulting importance was not then fully anticipated by the most extravagant hopes or the most acute prog- nostics. To convert the natural riches of the new world to the advantage of the old, was the only object which the kings of Europe wished to accomplish, or intended to essay. Neither king nor subject expected that the western w^orld would become the seat of empires, independent: of European rulers; much less did they expect that the future monarchs of the east would meet in the new w^orld, rivals capable of opposing and defeating attempts at continuing in political sub- jection, the descendants of emigrants, led to the new continent by cupidity, driven to it by persecution, or banished as an expiation of their crimes. It was not until lonoj after the first settlement of America by Europeans, that it was sagacious. iy observed, that " the new world seemed destined to give laws to the old." The observation drew forth but ihe derision or contempt of the hearers and readers. A prophecy so improbable and which could not, it was supposed, " be accomplish- iv PREFACE. ed, if at all, in a hundred centuries, was deemed too puerile to be credited, and too distant to be dreaded. The revolutionary war gave the first substan- tial proof that materials for all the purposes of self-government existed in America. In propor- tion as the genius and resources of the inhabitants were developed, in the same degree did they find advocates in the different parts of the world, who either saw with pleasure the successful prospect which opened itself to the people of the United States, (late British colonies,) secretly encour- aged and reheved them, or openly supported and assisted them. The happy termination of this contest led to the behef, that the theories of po- litical prophets were not only probable, but their consummation less distant than had been hither- to supposed. • The United States having, by the treaty of peace of 1783, become a nation by the consent of all other nations, had as if to begin the world, without any other capital than the virtue of the citizens, and without security against foreign aggression, except what could be drawn from their own courage and patriotism. As yet their population was little more than three millions of inhabitants; the want of a well consohdated confederation rendered the govern- ment v/eak ; and the many incidents and difficul- ties attending the attempt to reconcile various in- terests with a general principle, increased this difficulty. The speculations as to the future des- PREFACE. y tinies of the people were various. England had concluded peace ^jro forma^ but she continued hos- tile in fact. Great Britain was but a small is- land, yet her sovereign was a king over extensive regions, and many islands in various parts of the globe: the example of several of her colonies re- jecting her authority and uniting in support o^ each otherj was dangerous to the parent countiy ; it was found impossible to subdue them by force* it was determined to do so by intrigue, corrup- tion and robbery. The colonies remedied one great inconvenience by forming a general constitivtion in 1789, which stands an unrivalled instance of patriotism, wis- dom, and justice; a rapid growth of population and extension of commerce, a cultivation of liter- ature, arts and sciences were fast advancing to a point that would outrival England in every respect. As this state of things advanced in America, England proceeded to measures of increased vi- olence and injustice. Seeking for pretexts, in principles novel, unknown to other nations, and even contr.ivening her own established practice, she left to America the alternative of submission to her will or resistance by war ; the latter was resorted to. The history of the revolutionary war is alrea- - dy before the public. It is a valuable record of what men determined to be free can do. This war brought into a phalanx that mass of mihtary patriotism, which, under the immortal Warren, commeaced its cai'eer of glory at Bunker-hill ', A 2 vi PREFACE. and terminated it, under the immortal Washing- ton, at York Town. The task now undertaken must be interesting to every citizen of the United States. A record of the second struggle against the same enemy, who during seven years of revolutionary contest, carried fire and sword, the bayonet, the halter, and the tomahawk, throughout the United States, will surely be an( acceptable treat. The military talents which sprang as if into a miraculous existence during the late war; the patriotic courage which displayed itself on every occasion ; their successful triumphs in almost every battle, are proud proofs, that where genius is free to act, and that influenced by an amor patrice, no danf^ers are too difficult to overcome, no diffi- culties too great to be ,ubdued. The apparent milita v and naval power of Eng- land was, to that of .imerica, at the commence- ment of the late war, as that of the lion to the lamb; but the incensed eagle stretched forward his beak, and with it tore th^ laurel from the Briton's brow; and, flying over th waters, he wrested with his talons the trident from the " mis- tress of the deep." In giving details of these events, these imper- ishable monuments of American glory,^ a strict reo-ard has been had to truth, uninfluenced by any unworthy consideration ; and it is hoped that this small volume will be found to contain as co- pious a view of history as could reasonably be ex- pected, within so circumscribed a compass. HISTORY OF THE WAR, &c. America seems to have been destined, by Pro- vidence, as tiie soil which should give birth, strength, and maturity, to rational liberty : in this respect, its discovery must be considered of prime benefit to' mankind. Columbus, a lover of justice, w^ouid have fixed the residence of lib- erty in South America, but this extraordinary adventurer became the object of persecuting en- vy, he was sacrificed at tlie sh^^ile of ambition and tyranny ; and the southeri-1 peninsula, the only part of the western continent which Co- lumbus had visited, was given 'up to cupidity, plunder, and the most horrific ill-treatment and massacre of its hospitable inhabitants. • The fictitious riches, the gold, which it produced, invited an early and continued migration from the old to the new continent, insomuch, that the latter has already lost, in a great degree, its o- riginal uncultivated aspect; and, w^ere the genius of its new inhabitants not restrained by the policy of its rulers, would, ere now, have advanced far towards all perfection, to winch man can aspire. For more tlian three hundred years has South America bowed to the will of despots, and man has presented but the disgusting contrast of ty- rants and slaves. A patriotic flame has lately diffused a gleam of light through the darkened at- mosphere which overspread the political region 8 HISTORY OF THE WAR. of the south; man begins there to assume the character for which God and nature had destin- ed him ; and philanthropy may hope, that the present generation will not pass away, until liber- ty will smile over every part of America, and all its inhabitants be happy. The inordinate ambition of hereditary gov- ernments, and their just jealousies of each oth- er, have given an unbounded spring to the de- sire of extended dominion and foreign conquests. This spirit, however injurious, has-, in some re- spects, contributed tov.ards the increased know- ledge of geography? the diffusion of general in- formation, and the facilitating of a social inter- course between the inhabitants of distant re- gions. England, famed for the adventurous spirit of its inhabitants, and the unequalled ambition of its sovereigns, could not remain an indifferent spectator of a European rival taking possession of a new world. Expeditions were soon formed for the more perfect discovery of the new con- tinent. John Cabot, having obtained a com- mission from HenrvVII. of Endand, to discover imknown lands, and annex them to the crown, discovered the eastern coast of North America. Sir Francis Drake subsequently sailed along it ; and England, by right of prior discovery, claimed its sovereignty. Gold mines are generally confined to tropical climates ; the soil ot North America, contiguous to the sea, appeared to be light, sandy, or unfit for profitable cultivation ; the climate was variable and unhealthy ; the aborigines v»^ere more savage and inhospitc^ble than those of the south. No adequate inducement presented itself to new settlers ; and, had the inhabitants of Eng- land no necessity for quitting their native country, they never would discover a wish to transfer their residence to the then inhospitable cli- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 9 mate x)f North America. , A stimulus was not long wanting. The granting of immense tracts of uncultiva- ted wilds to individuals or companies, was not likely to induce any rapid settlement. Individ- uals might, for the purpose of enhancing the value of their personal fortunes, influence emi- grants to settle on their new estates ; and these settlers, having changed their residence, might be compelled to abide by a choice from which it would be difficult or impossible to recede. But their reports and their flite would reach their friends ; emigration would cease, or be too slow for any efficient purpose : decrease of population, by insalubrity of climate and the in- roads of Indians, would be little, if at all, over- balanced by births, and the accession of trans- ported felons. Man, in all stages, is a lover of liberty, rea- son dictates that he has rights ; but this reason ob- scured by artificial ignorance, and enervated by habitual bondage, becomes incapable of action, and insensible to the true extent of his misery. The slave feels pain, without knowing whence it originates, or how it should be remedied. This observation is strictly applicable only to corpo- real slavery. The slavery exercised over the conscience, is that in support of which no so- phistry can prevail; and to which no term, no length of endurance, can reconcile the sufferer. No prescription can justify the practice of en- slavement in any case; and no slave, however ab- ject) will admit it in cases affecting his conscience. God has instilled into the heart of man certain re- ligious duties, and whenever the fulfilment of these is forbidden by human edicts, the injured person fears not to revolt or seek an asylum a- gainst persecution. With God on his side, he 10 HISTORY OF THE WAR. fears no other power, and can be happy in a wil- derness or in a cave. It is not now necessary to enter into a detailed view of the persecutions against Christians in Europe. Who that has not heard of them ? It is sufficient to observe tliat no difficulties, real or imaginary, could deter the persecuted -Chris- tians from seeking an asylum where, free from interruption, they might adore their God as conscience dictated. America offered that asy- lum; and to this circumstance it is due, that the wilderness is so fiist ffivinix way to cultiva- tion, tile internal resources ot the country have been explored and rendered operative, the seem- ingly insurmountable obstacles of the new coun- try have disappeared, and a state of comfort equal to that of any part of Europe has been pro- duced. This comfort was wickedly marred by the British government, while it ruled the North American colonies. A desire to proceed to the chief object of this work, and its limits preclu- ding any particular recital of these evils, leaves only room to remark, that they were such as to create much unhappiness in the colonies, to pro- duce complaints, remonstrances, and petitions to the mother country; and, finally, were car- ried to such excess as to be no longer suffer- able. On the ever to be remembered 4th July, 1776, the people of these colonies, by their re})resen- tatives in congress assembled, having published a moderate, but firm, a grievous, but true state- ment of the multiplied injuries inflicted on them by the British king and government, declared that the united colonies " are, and of right ought to be, froe and independent states." These unit- ed colonies consisted of the states of New-Hamp- shire, Massachussets, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, HISTORY OF THE WAR. 1 1 New- York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North- Carolina, South-Ca- rolina, and Georgia ; leaving England in posses- sion of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, New-Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The contest which succeeded was looked on by the world with astonishment ; its novelty and its importance excited general interest. A few people, without an army, without arms, without discipline, or munitions of war, without money, without allies, opposing their unorganized force against a nation rich and powerful, with numerous ships, armies, and navies, having discipline, mo- ney, credit, and all the means of warfare, and being in possession of the colonies, the inhabi- tants of which declared themselves absolved from all allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, was a crisis of uncommon moment. The contest was long and severe; a blood-thirsty vengeance on one side led tlie British to the most' shameful excesses; a determination to live free or die, guided the people of America, under the direc- tion of the great Washington, and the other sages and patriots in the field and the cabinet, to a completion of all they wanted, all they wished. Tyranny looked do\wn, hberty rejoiced, on the completion of the happy triumph. The wound inflicted on the pride and interest of England, by this disruption of her empire, was truly great, but still greater than was then contemplated. Under the dominion of England, the increase of population would be slow, the increase of commerce and manufactures still slower : the country would be a warehouse for British manufactures, the inhabitants a nursery for British armies and navies. It was necessa- ry that a people should be free; that genius should be unchecked, industry unrestrained, in order to j)rove, how far free men were superior 12 HISTORY OF THE WAR. r to whatever theory could conceive of them. The experiment has been successfully tried in the United States. The country of a monarch would not in a century recover from injury such as had been suf- fered by the United States. But the people of America felt all their toils and losses compensated by the acquisition of freedom ; they stood erect, and, as if by magic, appeared in all the might of a nation. In less than thirty j^ears their country shook off the appearance of a howling wilderness, their population increased three fold, their manu- factures increased so as to supply nearly all their w^ants, and every sea witnessed their immensely increased external trade ; in short they became the rivals of England, A long course of wars, and the revolutionary war of America, more than any other, increased the national debt of Great Britain to a great and burthensome amount. To meet this exigency, as well as to gratify the national wish, and to pro- vide for the further and growing charges in sup- port of foreign colonies, an increased trade was necessary. U'he industry of Englishmen showed itself in the successful and unparalleled extension of her manufactures, and the policy of her rulers aimed at an undivided foreign commerce, in sup- port of the home system. The naval successes of Britain, during the French war, had nearly accomplished her vast de- sign. The ships of Holland, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, had nearly disappeared from the ocean ; those of Russia^ and the other naval pow- ers of the north of Europe, had been gained over to the British interest, or destroyed by the superiority of her fleets. The United States, al- though in a state of infancy, was yet the only nation that had virtue or courage sufficient to move in a just course, uninfluenced by intrigue. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 13 unci unintlmidnted by menace. Tcvtards this nation, Britain for years manifested the most un- generous, injurious, and cowardly conduct, a- mounting, in its effects, to war, while the United States, pursuing an honourable and pacinc course, w^ere debarred from making reprisals. This one sided war, had it been permitted to continue, v^ould have sunk tlie States in the esteem of fo- reign nations, dried up the sources of their grow- ing greatness, reduced them to a state oi con- temptible imbecility, and, not improbably, to a merited state of dependence; they might again become colonies — British colonies ! Hitherto the Americans looked but little to home manufactures; the cap/ital of the merchant was employed on the ocean, and the people of the interior found sufficient employment in till- ing the soil. There was a great and profitable demand ibr every kind of produce, and the citi- zens were in the habit of receiving manufactures of all kinds from foreign nations, and pajrticularly from England. Had England been satisfied to contend for commercial superiority by fair means, she would long, very long, continue to supply the United , States with idmost every kind of manufacture; but she calculated that the pacific policy of the States would continue, and that the pulitical dis- putes among her ov/n citii:ens would render her a weak enemy even in war; and it is even pro- bable, that the resubjugation of tiie colonies were in a certain expected event contemplated. That event was to be the overthrow of France. Had the United States nnresiatiiigly submitted until the restoration of the Bourbons, they would then havt had war with a vengeance. '^ The history of the present king of Great Britiia," says the declaration of independence, *' is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations." B 14- HISTORY OF THE WAK. Tliis would at this day, be a just representation of the conduct of Great Britain, from the ter- mination of the revolutionary, to the commence- ment of the present war. Instead of dwelling more minutely on it, it is sufilcient to say, that it was so continued, so multiplied and multifa- rious, that the United States had no alternative but submission to wrongs, by which they would be degraded as a nation, or an appeal to arms. The latter was resorted to. On IMonday, the 1st of June, a confidential message was received in both cljambers of ccfi- gress, from the president of tlie United States, which was read v/itli closed doors, and refer- red, in each house, to committees to report thereon. Th(i message (as appeared after the injunction of secrecy v/as removed) was in the. foUoSving words. MANIFESTO. «= To the Senate a?id House of Be^f-resentaiires of the United States. 1 communicate to Congress certain documents, being a continuation of those heretofore laid before tbsm, on the sub- Ject «f our affairs "with Great Britain, HISTORY OF THE WAR. 15 Without going back beyond the rf>newal in 1803 of the war in which Great Britain is engaged, and omitting unrepairefd wrongs of inferior magnitude, the conduct of her government presents a series of acts hostile to the United States, as an independent and neutral nation. British cruisers have been in the continued practice of vio- lating the American flag on the great highv/ay of nations, and of seizing and carrying ofF persons sailing under it ; not in the exercise of a beilisfprent rig^ht founded on the law of nations against an euemy, bat of a municip:-! prerog.it!ve over British subjects. British jurisdiction is thus extended to neutral vessels in a station wiiere no laws can operate, buj: the law of natiotvs, and the laws of the country to which the vessels belong ; and a self-redress is assumed, which, if British subjects v/ere wrong- fully detained and alone concerned, is that substitution of force, for a resort to the responsible sovereign, which falls within tlie definition of war. Couid the seizure of British subjects v\ •uch cases be regarded as withiii the exercise of a belligerent right, the acknowledged laws of v/ar, which forbid an article of captured property to be adjudged v/ithout a regular investi- gation before a competent tribunal, would imperiously demand the fairc3t trial, where the sacred rights of persons vt'ere at issue.' In place of" such a trial, these rights afs stibjected to the will of every petty commander. The practice, hence, is so far from afTectir-g B\-itish subjects alone, that, under the pretext of searching for the^^e, thousands «)f Anierican citizens, under the safeguard of public law, and of their national flag, have been toirxi from their country and «very thing dear to them ; have been dragged on board ships of war of a foreign nation, and exposed under the severitiei of their discipline, to be exiled to the most distant and deadly climes, to risk their lives in the battles of their oppressors, and to be melancholy instruments of taking away those of their own brethren. Against this crying enormity, which Great Britain would be stt prompt as to avenge if committed against herself, the United States have in vain exhausted remonstrances and expostulations. And that no proof might be wanting of their conciliatory dis- positions, and no pretext left for a continuance of the practice, the British gov; rnment was formerly assured of the readiness of the United Stares to enter into arransfements, such as could not be rejected, if the recovery of British subjects were the real and the sole object. The communication passed without effect. British cruisers have been in the practice also of violating the rights, and the peace of our coasts. They hover over and har- ass our departing commerce. To the most insulting preten- sions they have added the most lawless proceedings in our very harbours; and have wantonly spilt American blood withia ]6- HISTORY OF THE \TAI^. the sanctuary of our territorial jujis^diction. The principles and rules enforced by that nation, when a neutral nation, against armed vessels or belligerents hovering near her cuasts, and disturbing her commerce, are vveil known. When called on, nevertheless, by the United States, to punish the greater of- fences commiited by her own vessels, her government lias bestow- ed on their cotnmanderadditional marks if h^nor andconlidenee. Under pretended blockades, without the presence of an ade- qi.iate force, and sometimes witiiout the practicability of apply- ing one, our conimcrce has been plundered in every sea; the great staples of onr country have been'cut oft from their lcgiti-» mate markets; and a dt'struclive blow aimed at our agricultu* ral and maritime interests. In aggravation of these predatory measures, they have been considered as in force from the dates of their notification; a retrospective effect being thus added, as has been done in other important cases, to the unlawfulness of the course pursued. And to render the outrage the more sig- nal, these mock blockades have been reiterated and enforced in the face of official comniunicaticns from the British govern- ment, di^claring, as the true definition of a legal blockade, *' that particular ports must be actually invested, and previous warning given to vessels bound to them not to enter." Not content whh those occasional expedients for laving waste our neutral trade, tlie cabinet of Great Britain resorted at length to the sweeping system of blockades under the name of Orders in Council, v.hich has been moulded and managed as might best suit its j)oIitical views, its commercial jealousies, or the avidity of British cruisers. To our remonstrances against the complicated and transcen- dent iiijudtice of this innovation, the first reply vi'as, that the orders were reluctantly adopted by Great Britain as a necessary retaliation on the decrees of her enemy proclaiming a general blockade of the British isles, at a time ivheii the naval force of that enemy dared not to is»ue from his ov^-n ports. She was re- minded, without effect, that her own prior blockades, unsup- ported by an adequate naval force, actually apphtd and conti- nued, were a bc^r to this plea; that executed edicts against millions of our property could not be retaiiatioli on edicts, con- fessedly impoi'sible to be executed ; that retaliation, to be just, should fall on the partv setting the guilty example, not oji an innocent party, which was not even chargeable with an kctjuiescence in it. When deprived of this flimsy veil for a proh.ibition of our trade with her enemy, by the repeal of his prohibition of our trade with Great Britain, her cabinet, instead of a correspond- ing repeal, or practical discontinuance of its orders, formally avowed a determination to persist in them against the United States, until the markets of her enemy should be laid open te British products; thus asserting an obligation on a neutral HISTORY OF THE WAR. t7 power to require one belligerent to encourage, by its internal regulations, the trade of another belligerent ; contradicting her own practice towards all nations, in peace as well as in war ; and betraying the iasiacerity of those professions which inculcated a behef that, having resorted to her orders with regret, siie was anxious to find an occasion of putting an end to them. Abandoning stili more all respect for the neutral rights of the United States, and for its own consistencv, the British govern- Viient now demands as prerequisites to a repeal of its Oiders, as they reiace to the United States, that a formality should be ob- served in the repeal of the French decrees, no wise necessary to their termination, nor exemplified by British usage ; and that the French repeal, besides including that portion of tiie decrees which operates within a territorial jurisdiction, as well as that which operates on the high seas, against the commerce of the United States, should not be a single repeal in relation to tlw United States, but should be extended to whatever oiher neu- tral nations, unconnected with them, may be. affected by those decrees. And, as an additional insult, they are called on for a formal disavowal of conditions and pretensions advanced by -the French government, for wliicli the United States are so far from liaving made themselves responsible, that in ofliciaJ ex- plan.ations, which have been published to the world, and in % correspondence of the American minister at London, with the British minister for foreign affai.rs, such a responsibility v»'as explicitly and emphatically disclaimed. It has become indeed suiticiently certain, tliat the commerce of the United States is to be sacriticeil, not as interfering v;ith the belligerent rights of Great Britain, — not as supplying the wants of her enemies,, which she herself supplies — but as in- terfering wit-h the monopoly v/hich sii*; covets for her own commerce and navigation. She carries on a v/ar against the lav/ful commerce of a friend, that s le may the better carry on a commerce with an enemy — a commerce polluted by the for- geries and perjuries which are for the most part the only pass- ports by which it can succeed. Avwious to make, every experiment, short of the last resort of injured nations, tlie U-iiited States have withheld from_Great Britain, under successive rnodificacions, the benefits of a fre« intercourse with their market, the loss of v.fhich could not but outweigh the profits accruing from her restrictions of our commerce with other nations. And to entitle these experi- ment* to the more favourable consideration, t'ley were so framed as to enable her to place her adversary under the.^exclusire operation of them. To these appeals her government h been equally inflexible ; as if willing co make sacrifices ot very S)ort, rather than yield to the claims of justice, or renounce the errors of a fabe pride. Nay, so far were the attempts car- B 2 IS HISTORY OF TflE WAR. ried to overcome the attachment of the British cabinet to it unjust edicts, that it received every encouragement within the comperencv of the executive branch of our government, to ex- pect that a repeal of them would be followed by a vi^ar be* tween the United States and France, unless the French edicts should also be repealed. Even this communication, although silencing for ever the plea of a disposition in the United States to acquiesce in those edicts, originally the sole plea of them, received no attention. If no other proof existed of a predetermination of the Bri- tish government against a repeal of its orders, it might be found in the correspondence of the minister plenipotentiary of the United States at L«ndon, and the British secretary for fo- reign aftairSjin 1810, on the question whether the blockade of May, lSt5C, was considered as in force or as not in f(>rce. It had been ascertained that the French government, which urg- ' ed this blockade as the ground of its Berlin decree, was wil- ling, in the event of its removal, to repeal that decree: which being followed by alternate repeals of the other oflensire edicts, miasht abolish the whole svstem on both sides. This inviting opportunity for accomplishing an object so important to the United States, and professed so often to be the desire of both the belligerents, was made known to the British government. As that government admits that an actual application of an adeouate force is necessary to the existence of a legal blockade, and it was notoi ious thit if such a force had ever been applied, its long discontinuance had annulled the blockade in question, there could be no suflicient objection on the part of Great Britain to a formal revocation of it ; and no imaginable ob- jection to a declaration of the fact that t!ie blockade did not exist. The declaration would have be.^n consistent with her avowed principles of blockade, and would have enabled the United States to demand from France the pledged repeal of her decrees ; either wiih success, in which case the way would have been opened for a general repeal of the belligerent edicts, or without success, in which case the United States would have been jtustifiable in tuning their measures exclusively against France. The British government would, hov/ever, neither re- scind the blockade, nor declare its non-existence; nor permit hs non-existence to be inferred and afTirmed by the Ameiican plenipotentiary. On the contrary, by representing the blocK- ade to be comprehended in tlie orders in council, the United States were compelled so to regard it in their subsequent pro- ceedings. There was a period, when a favourable change in the policy of the British cabinet was justly considered as established. The minister plenif>otentiary of his Britanoic majesty here, pro- posed an adjustment of the differences more immediately endan- gerirg the hanfiony of the two countries. The propositioa HISTORY OF THE WAR. i§ was accepted with a promptitude and cordiality correspond- ing with the invariable professions of tiiis government. A foundation appeared to be laid for a sincere and lasting recon- ciliation. The prospect, however, quickly vanished;. The whole proceeding was disavowed by the British government, without any explanations which could at that time repress the belief, that the disavowal proceeded from a spirit of hostility to the commercial rights and prosperity of the United States. And it has since come into proof, that at the very moment when the p\iblic minister was holding the language of friend- ship, and inspiriiig confidence in the sincerity of the negocia- tion with which he was charged, a secret agent of his go- vernment was employed in intriguefe, having for their object a subversion of our government, and a dismemberment of our happy union. hi reviev/ing the conduct of Great Britain towards the Uni- ted States, our attention is necessarily drawn to the warfare just renewed by the savages on one t f our extensive frontiers; a warfare which is known to spare neither age nor sex, and to be distinguished by features peculiarly shocking to humani- ty. It is dilTicutt to account for tlie activity and combinations which have for some time been developing themselves among tribes in the constant intercourse with British traders and gai risons, without connecting their hostility with that influence, and without recollecring the authenticated examples of such interposiiions hitherto furnished by the officers and .agents of that ^"overnment. Such is the spectacle of injuries and indignities which have been heapt-d on our country; and such the crisis which its un- exampled forbearance and conciliatory efForts have not been ahle to avert. It might at least have been expected, that aa enlightened nation, if less urged by moral obligations or invi- ted by ffiendiy dispositions on the part of the United States, would have found, in its true interest alone, a sufficient mo- tive to respect their rights and their tranquillity on the high seas; and that an eniarged policy would have favored that free and general circulation of commerce, in which the British nation is at all times interested, and which, in times of v/ar, is the best alleviation of its calamities to herself as well as the otlier belligerents; and moie erpeciaJly that the Britisii cabinet wwuid not, for the sake of a precarious and sur- reptitious intercourse with hostile markets, have persevered in a course of measures which necessarily put al hazard- the invaluable market of a great and growing country, di'^posed to cultivate the muuual advantage of an active commerce. . Oiher councils have prevailed. Our moderation and concilia- tion have had no other effect than to encourage perseverance, and to enlarge pretenbiuns. — We behold our seafaring citizens still the daily victims of lawless vioieuce committed on the 20 HISTORY OF THE WAR. great common and highway of nations,,even within sight of the country which owes them protection. We behold our vessels freiglited with the products of our soil and industry, or returning with the honest proceeds of them, wrested frora their lawful destinations, confiscated by prize-courts no long- er the organs of public law, but the instruments of arbitrary edicts; and their unfortunate crews dispersed and lost, or for- ced or inveigled, in Biitibh ports, into British fleets; whilst arguments are employed in support of these aggressions which have no foundation but in a principle equally supporting a claim to regulate our external commerce in all cases what- soever. We behold, in fine, on thesideof Great Britain, a state of •WAT against the United^ States ; on the !>ide of the United States, a state of peace towards Gre it Britain, Whether the United States shall continue passive under these progressive usurpations, and these accumulating wrongs: or opposing force to force in defence of their natural rights, shall commit a just cause into the hands of the Almighty di-poser of events, avoiding all connexions which might entangle it in the contests or views of other powei s, and preserving a con- stant readiness to concur in an honorable re estabiishmcat of peace and friendsliip, is a solemn question which the consti- tution wisely confides to the legislative department of the go- vernment. In recommeudiag it to their early deiiberations, I am happy in tlie assurance that the decision will be worthy il.e eniigiitened and patriotic councils of a virtuous, a free, and a powerful nation. Having presented this view of the relations of the United States \vith Great Britain, and of tlje solemn alternative growing out of triem, I proceed to remark, that the communi- cations last made to congress on the subject cf our relation with France, will have shown, that since the revocation of her decrees as tbey violated the neutral rights of the United States, her government has authcjrised illegsl captures, by its privateers and public ships, and that other outrages have b?en practised on our vessels and our citizens. It will have been seen also, liiat no indemnity had been provided, or satisfactorily pledged for the extensive spoliations committed under the violent and retrospective orders of the French government against the pro- perty of our citizens seized within the jurisdiction of France; I abstain at this time, from recommending to the consideration of congress definitive measures with respect to that nation, in the expectation, that the result of unclosed discussions between our nup.ister plenipotentiary at Paris and the French gcvern- nient, will speedily enable congress to decide, with greater advantage, on the course due to the rights, the interests, and llie honor of our country. JAMES MADISON. IVashin^lerif June 1, 1812. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 21 Mr. Ciilhoun, from the committee of f(xrei.<>-n re- lations of the house of represenlatives, to 'whom was referred the President's message, made a report, on the Sd Jane, of which the following is a copy. The, Committee of Foreign Relations^ to ivhom ivas referred the Message of. the FreAdent of the United Stutcs^ of the 1st of June^ 1 S 1 2, REPORT— That after the experience v/hich the United States have had of the great injustice of the Britibh gcvernmcnt towards them, exemphlied by so many acts of violence and oppression, it will be more diilicuk to justify to the impartial world their patient forbearance, than the measures to which it has become necessary to resort, to avenge the wrongs and vindicate the rights and honor of the naion. Your committee are happy to observe, on a dispassionate review of the conduct of the United States, that they see in it no cause for censure. If a long forbearance under injuries ought ever to be con- sidered a virtue in any nation, it is one which peculiarly be- comes the United States. No people ever had stronger mo- tives to cherish peace; none have ever cherished it with great- er sincerity and zeah But the period has now arrived, when the United States must support their character and station among the nations of the earth, or submit to the most shameful degradation. For- bearance has ceased to be a virtue War on the one side, and peace on the other, is a situation o ruinous as it is disgraceful. The mad ambition, the lust of power, and commercial avarice of Great Britain, arrogating to herself the complete dominion of the oceau/jiand exercising over it an unbounded and law- less tyranny, have left to neutral nations an alternative only, between the base surrender of their rights, and -a manlv viu- dicalion of ttteni. Happily for the United States, their destiny, under the aid of Heaven, 'is in their own hands. The crisis is formidable only for their love of peace. As soon as it becomes a duty to relinquish that situation, danger disappears. They have suffered no wrongs, thejrhave received no insults, how- ever great, for which they cannot obtain redress. More than seven years have elapsed since the commencement of this system of hostile aggression by the British government, on the rights and interests of the United States. The manner of its commencement was not less hostile, than the spirit witk which it has been prosecuted. The United States have invaria- bly done every thing in their power to preserve the relations of friendship with Great Britain. Of this disposition, they f ave a distinguished proof at the moment when they were made 22 HISTORY OF THE WAR. the victims of an opposite policy. The.v/roncrs of the last war had not bceu forgotten at the commencement of the present one. They warned us of dangers, against which it was soug^ht to provide. As early as the year 1804, the minister of the United States at Loudon, was instructed to invite the British govern- ment to enter into a negociation on all the poiats on which a collioien might arise between the tv/o countries in the course of the war, and to propose to it an arrangement of their claims on fair and reasonable conditions. The invitation was accepted. A negociation has commenced and was depending, and nothing had occurred to excite a doubt that it would not terminate to the satisfaction of both parties. It was at this time and^ under these circumstances that an attack was made, by surprise, on an important branch of the American commerce, v/hich affect- ed every part of the-United States, and involved many of their citizens in ruin. The commerce on which this attack was so unexpectedly made, was between the United States and the colonics of France, Spain, a;id other enemies cf Great Britain. A com- merce just in itjelf ; sanctioned by the example of Great Britain, in regard to the trade with her ovvn colonies; sanctioned by a •olemn act between the two governments in the last war, and sanctioned by the practice of the British government in tlie present war, more thiid not nraintain, it would be a refinement in injustice, not less in- sulting to the understanding than repugnant to the laAv of na- tions. To claim merit from the mitigation of an evil, which the party had not the power, or found it inconvenient to in- flict, would be a new mode of eucroarhing on neutral rigJus. Your committee think it just to remark, that this act of the British government does not appear to have been adopted in the senae in which it has been since construed. On consi- deration of all the circumstances jittending the measure, and particularly the character < f the distinguished stater-inan who snnoimceu it, we are persuadi-d that it w^s conceivca in a spi- rit of conciliation, and intended to lead to an accommodation of all differences between the United States and Great Britain. His death disaj)pointed t lat hope and the act has since become subservic;it to other purposes. It has been made bv his sue- ccssor a pret,ext for that vast system of usurpation which has so long ojjpressed and harassed our ct^mmerce. ^ The next act of the Biitibh govtrnmeiit- which claims our HISTORY OF T[1I<, WA?.. Qr> attentian, is the order of council of January 7, 1807, by which neutral powers arc prohibited trading from one port to another of France or her allies, or any other country with which Grea: Britain might not freely trade. By this order the pretrtision of England, heretofore claimed by every other power, to pro- hibit neutrals disposing of prirts of their cargoes at dilTerent ports of the same enemy, is revived, and with vast accumula- tion of injury. Every enemy, however great the number, or distant from each other, is considered one ; and the like trade "with powers at peace with England, who from "motives of policy had excluded or restrained her commerce, was also pro- hibited. In this act the British government evidently disclaim- ed all regard for neutral rights. Aware that the measures au- thor^z^d by it could find no pretext in any belligerent right, none was urged. To prohibit t!ie sale of our produce, consist- ing of innocent articles, at any port of a belligerent not block- aded, to consider every belligerent ?.s one, and to subject neu- trals to the same restraints with all, as if there was but one, wore bold encroachments. But to restrain, or in any manner interfere wifh our commerce vvith neutral nations with whom she had no justifiable cause of war, for the-sole reason that they restrained or excluded from their ports her commerce, was ut- terly incompatible with the pacific relation subsisting between the two countries. We proceed to bring into view the British order in council, of November II, 1807, which superseded every other order, and co'isummatcd that system of hostility on the commerce of the United States, which has been since so steadily pursued, Uy this order all France and .her allies, and every other coun- try at war with Great Britain, or with -wdiich sh.e was not at war, from which the British f^ag was excluded, and all the co- lonies of her enemies, were subjected to the same restrictions asj if they were actually blockaded in the most strict find rigorous manner, and all trade in articles tin; produce and manufacture ' of the said countries ami colonies, and the vessels engaged in it were subjected to capture and irondemnation as lawful prizes. To this order certaiji exceptions were made, wluch we forbear to notice, because they were not adopted from a regard to neu- tral rights, but were dictated by policy to promote the com- wierce of England, and so far as they related to neutral powers, were said to emanate from the clemency of the British govern* ment. it would be superfluous in your committee to stajte that by this order the British government declared direct and positive war agrunst the United States. The dominion oC the ocean was completely usurped by it, all commerce forbidden, and every. fi.ig driven from it, or subjected to capture and condem- nation, which did not subserve tiie policy of the British govern- ment, by paying it a trib-ucc, and sailing under its sanction. From this ptiiod the United .States have incurred the heaviest C 2(5 inSTOriY OF TlIlL WAR. fosses arid most mortifyinjr humiliations. They Ij^ve borne tne calairiitics cf war without retorting^ thetn on its authors. So far vour committee has prc?eatetl to the view of the house tlie aggressions whicii have been comniitted under the authority cf the British go^'ei;nnieni on the com- merce of the United States. — We will now proceed' to other wrongs, wh.ich have been still more severely . felt. Among these is the irrpressmer.t of our seamen; a practice which has been unceasingly maintained by Great Britain in the wars to which she has been a party since our revtilution. Year com- jTiittce car^not convey in adequate terms the deep sense which they entertain of the injustice and oppresf^ion of this proceeding. Under the pretext of impressing British seatnen, our fellow-ci- tizens are seized in Britis!) ports, on the higii seas, and in every other quarter to which the Eri'ish povi'er extends — are taken on board British men of war, and compelled to serve there as Bri- tish £ul>j-;cts. In this mode our citizens are wantonly snatched from t'leir country and their famiiic*, deprived of their liberty, and doomed to an ignominious and slavish bondage, compel- led to light t!ie battles of a foreign couutry, and often to perish in them. Our flaghss given them no protection ; it has been un- ceasingly violated, and our vessels €xpo^ed to danger by t^e loss of the men taken from them. Your committee need not remark, that wliile the practice is continued, it is impossible for the Uni'ed States to consider ihemselvc-e an indej^ciident nation. Every new case is a new proof of their degradation, its continuance is the more unjustifiable, bccauoethe U. Stateshaverepeatedly proposed to the British government an arrangement which would secure to it the controu! of its own people. An exemption of t!je citi- zens of the United States from this degrading oppression, and their Hag from violation, is all they have sought. This 'awless v;aite of our trade, and cqaally unlawful impress- ment of our seamen, .have been much aggravated by the in- sults and indignities attending iliem. Under the pretext of blockading the harbours of France and her allies^, British squa- drons have been staiicned en our own coast, to .watch and an- noy our own trade. To ^ive effect to the blockade of Euro- pean ports, the ports and harbours of the United States have been blockaded. In executing these orders of the British go- vernn;ent, or in obeying the spir.it which Vv'as known to aui- inate it, the commanders of these squadrons have encroached on our jurisd'ictlon,' eeizcd our vessels, and carried into eiTect impressments v.'ithin our limits, and do e oths,r acts of great in- justice, violcr.ce, and orpression. The United States have seen with CTiingicd indignation and surprise, that these acts, in- stead ot procuring to the perpetrators the punishment due to unauthorized crimes, have not failed to recommend them to the favour of their government. Whaher the British govcinment has contributed by active meaavties to excite again'it us the bosuliiy of the savage tribes HISTORY OJ THE WAR. 2/ en cuf frontitrs, your committee are not disposed to occupy jnuch time ia investigating. Certain indications of genera' no- torietV'may supply the place of authentic documents ; thougli these have not been waniin;]^ to ej>:ablish the fact in some in- stances. It is kno'vvn that symptoms of Sritish hosfiiity towards the Uaiited States have riev^r failed to produce correspondia^^ s^-mptonw aitiong those tribes. It is' also t/eli known that on all such occasions abundant supplies of the ord!)iary mun'tion* of war have been offered by- the agents of British comni'er- ci.i! compaiiies, and even from Erittsh garrisons, wherewith tbey were enabled to commence that system of savage warfarfe on 0!ir froiuieis, which has been at all times so indiscriminate in its effect on ail no c\s, sexts a;Mi candiiions, and so revohincr to hu- manify. ^'our committee would be much gratilied if they conid ciosa here the detiiil of British wroo^s ; but it is their duty to recite' ano:r-.cr act of bii!; greaterrnalignity than any of those Vrhich have been already brought to your view. The attempt to dismem- ber our union, and overthrow our excellent constitution, by a secret mission, the oiiject of which was to fonaent discon- tents and excite iricurreclionj, agaiast the constituted authori- ties and laws of the nation, as lately disclosed by the agent empl^yc^ in it, aiFords full proof that there is no bounds to the hostility of the British goverruhent towards the United State?,— ^no act, iiowevor ar.jusciiiable, w^hich it wpuld not com- init toaccompliish their ruia. This attempt excites the greater horror, from the consideration that it was made while the Uni- ted States and Great Britain were at peac?, and an amicabli; r.egociation was depending between them -for the accommod^- taon of their differences through public ministcri regularly authorized for the purpiose. The United States have beheld, with unexampled forbearance, this continued series of hostile encroachn^.ents on their rights and interests, in the hope that, yield iiig to the force of friend- ly remonstrances, often repeated, the British government might adopt a more just po'.icy towards them ; but that hope no long- er exists. — They hrive al»o weighed impartiaily the reasons which have been urged by the British government in vindi- cation of these tncroachmentd, and found in them neither jus- tification nor apology. The British government has alleged in vindication of the orders in council, that they wei'e resorted to as a re^aliatio i on France, for similar agirressions committed on onr neutral trade with the British dmnintons. But how has this plen been supported ? The datfs of British and French aggresfipfis are well knowii to the world. Their origin aiid progress have been marked v/ith too v^^ide and. destructive a waste of the property of our fellow-citiyiens, to have been forgotten, — TL-.! decree of Betlin, of Nov. 21, 1800", was tlse first aggression ; France in the preseiu war. Eighteen aioathd had beea ebpaifl 28 HISTORY OF THE WAR. after the attack made by Great Britain on our neutral trade, with the colonies of France and her allies, and six moi-iha from the date of the proclamation of May, 1806. — Even on the 7th Jan. 1807, the date of the first British order iu coun- cil, so short a term had elapsed after the Berlin decree, tiiat it was hardly possible that the intelligence of it should have reach- ed the United-'States. A retaliation which is to produce its fcifect, by operating on a neutral power, ought not to be resorted to, till the neutral had justified it by a culpable acquiescence iu the unlawful act of the other belligerent. It cuglu to be delay- ed until after tuffitient time had been allowed to the neutral to renicnstrate against the measure complained of, to receive au answer ai»d to act on it, which has not been done on the pre-, sent instance; and when the order of Nov. 11th was issued, it is well known that the minister of France had declared to the minister plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris,- that it was not intended that the decree of Berlin should apply to the United States. It is equally well Tcnown, tliat no American, vessel had then been condemned under it, or jeizuie been made, with vi-hich the British government was acquainted. The facts prove incontestibly, that the measures of France, however un- justifiable in themselves, were nothing more than a pretest for those of England. And of the insufficiency of rhat pretext, ample proof has already been afforded by the British govern- ment itself, and in the most impressive form. Althuugh it was declared that the orders in council were retaliatory on France for*lier decrees, it was also declared, and in the orders themselves, that owing to the superiority of the British navy, by which the fleets of France and her allies were confined vv'iihin their own ports, tlie French decrees were considered only as empty threats. It is no justification of the wrongs of one power, that the like were committed by another, nor ought the fact, if true, to have been urged by either, as it could allbrd no proof of its love of justice, of its magnanimity, or even of its courage. It is more worthy the government of a great nation, to relieve than to assail the injured. Nor can the repetition of wrongs by another pov^^er repair the violated rights or wounded honor of the injured party. An utter inability alone to resist, would justify a quiet surrender of our rights, and degrading .^ubmic- sion to the will of others. To that condition the United States are not reduced, nor do they fear it. That tliey ever consent- ed to discuss with either power the misconduct of the other, is a proof of their love of peace, of their moderatitn, and of the hope which they still indulged, that friendly appeals to just and generous sentiments would »iot be mads to them in vain. ' But the motive was mistaken, if their forbearance was imputed, either ko the want of a just sensibility to their wrongs, or of a cieterminaticn, if suiuble redrtss was xiot obtained, to resent HISTORY OF TME WAR. 2D' them. The *ime has now arrived when this System of reason ing rrust c^ase — It would be insu'Uii^a^ to repeat it — It would b degradi-ng to hear it. The United Slates must act as ?w inde* pendent nation, and assert their r?^A/i: and avenge their -rtTo;??!-.!' according to their own estinrfaie of thera, with the party who commits them, holding' it responsible for its own misdeeds, ua- mitigited bytho&eof another. For the difT^rente made between Great Britain and France, by the application of the non- importation act aj^ainst Entited Slates has been completely unfolded. It has been publicly declared by those in po'^-er that the orders in council'should not be repealed until the French government had revoked all itsiaternd rest rajnts.oia the British commerce, and that ihe trade of the United States with France a;«.d her allies, should be prohibited until Great Britain was also allowed to trade v/ith them By this declaration it appears, that to satis?'/ the pretensions of the British government, the United States m.ust join Great Britain in the war with France, and proiecute the war,- until France should be subdued, for wiuuni- h^- s'^b- jugation. h wer« in yain to. presume on such a cone- , The iiosti'.ity of the British ig^oveinment' to these states hd". r.een stili further disclybed. It has been nx^te canifest that the United States are considered by it as the commercial rival of . Great Britain, and th^j: their-^rosperity and .growth are iacompatiblo with her welfare. V/hea all the?e circumstances are taken into consideration, it is impostible for your couunittee to dcubt tlu? motives which have gopcrned ths British Mini'^try in ali itn measures towards the Uaiicd States siace the year l$05. licj^iui C 2 30 HISTORY OF THE WAP. ly is it impossible to doubt, longer, the course which the United States ought to pursue towards Great Britain. From this view of the multiplied wrongs of the British go- vernment since the commencement of the present war, it must be evident to the impartial world, that the contest which is now forced on the United States, is radically a contest for their fco- vereignty and independence. Your committee will not enlarge on any of the injuries, however great, which have had a trau- Sitory effect. They wish to call the attenrion of the House to those of a permanent nature only, which intrench so deeply in our most important rights, and wound so extensively ai:id vi- tally our best interests, as could not fail to deprive the United States of the principal advantages of their r-evolution, if sub- niiaed to. The conti-ol of our commerce by Great Britain, in regulating at pleasure and expelling it almost from the ocean ; the oppresoive manner in which these regulations have been Carried into tfTect, by seizing and confiscating such of our ves- sels uitii their cargoes, as were said to have violated her edicts, oiren without previous warning of their danger; the impress- ment of our citizens from on board our own vessels, on the high seas, and elsewhere, and holding them in bondage until it suited the convenience of their oppressors to deliver them up are encroachments of that high and dangerous tendency which could not fail to produce that pernicious effect, nor v/ould those be the only consequences that would result from it — The Bri- tisii government might, for a while, be satisfied with the ascen- dency thus gained over us, but its pretensions would soon in- crease. Ti'.e proof, which so complete and disgraceful a sub- mi&sicn to its auihority would afford of our degeneracy, couid not fail to inspire confidence that there was no limit to which its Ufurpations and our degradation might not be carried. Your committee, beiicvirg that the free-born sons of Ameri- ca are worthy to enjoy the liberty which their fathers purchas- ed at tlie price of so n uch blcod and treasure, and seeing, in the measures adopted by Great Britain, a cours-e commenced and persisited in, which might lead to a loss of national cha- racter and independence, feel no hcoitation in advising resistance by force, In which the Americans of the present day will prove to the enemy and to the world, that we have not only inherited that liberty which our fathers gave us, but also the will and POWER to mainiain it. Relying on the patriotism of the na- tion, and confidently trusting, that the Lord of Hosts will go with us to battle in a righteous cause, and crown our efforts with success — your committee rccon:nieud an immediate appeal to ARMS. The report was, after two Ineffectual motions to have the doors opened, ordered to lie on the tabic. HISTORY OF THE W.-^R. 31 Mr. Calhoun, from the same committee, on leave given, presented a bill, declaring vv^ar be- tween Great Britain and her dependencies, and the United States and their territories. This bill was warmly opposed and debated for two days; when the question being taken, shall the said bill pass? It was resolved in the affirmatiye. The Yeas and Neas were as follows : YEAS. New Hampshii^e. Dinsmoor, Hall, and Flar- per — 3. MassacJuisetts. Seaver, Carr, Green, Ricli- ardson. Turner, and Widgery— 6. Bhode-Island. None. Ve7-mo7it. Fisk, Shaw, and Strong — 3. Connecticut. None. New- York. Pond, Avery, and Sage — 3. New-Jerse?/. Condit, and Morgan — 2. Pemylvani-a. - Seybert, Anderson, Brown, Ro- berts, Findley, Smilie, Lyle, Whitehiil, Bard, Davis, Lefever, Hyneman, Piper, Lacock, Craw- ford, and Smyth— 16. Delaivare. ■ None. Marijland. Kent, Little, M-Eim, Ringgold, Brown, and Archer— 6. Virginia. Nelson, Gholson, Goodwyn, New- ton, Taliaferro, Dawson, Basset, Smith, Hawes, Roane, M'Koy, Pleasants, Cloptcn, and Bur- well— 14. North-Carolina. Alston, Blackledge, Macon, King, Cochran, and Pickens — 6. Soiiili'Carolina. Williams, Cheves, Lowndes, Butler, Calhoun, Earle, Winn, and Moore — 8. Georgia. Troup, Bibb, and Piull — ^^3. Kentuckey. Johnson, Desha, New, M'Kee, and Orm.sby — 5. Ihmessee. Rhea, Grundy, and Sevier — 3. Ohio. Morrow — 1 . 32 HISTORY OF TflE WAR. NAYS. Ne'CD'HampsJiire. Bartlett, and Sullivan — ?. Massachusetts. Quincy, Reed, Tiiggart, Ely, Brigham, White, Tallman, and Wlieaton—8. ' Rhode-Inland. Potter, and Jackson — 2. Vermont. Chittenden — 1, Connecticui. Sturges, Davenport, Mosel}^, Champ ton, Tallmadge, Pitkin, and Law — 7. New-York. Bleecker, Emot, Cooke, Fitch, Gold, Sammons, Stow, Trac}^, Van Cortlandt, Mitchill, and Metcalf— 1 1. Ne-iJO-Jerseit. Boyd, Hufty, Maxwell, and Newbold — 4. Pensylvania. Milner, and Ptodman. — 2 Dela'ware. Ridgely — 1. Mari/land, Key, Goldsborongh, and Stew- art — 3. Virginia. Randolph, Lewis, Baker, Breck- enridge, and Wilson — 5. North- Carolina. Pearson, M'Bryde, and Stan- ford— 3. South-Carolina. None. GeCfJ'gia. ' None. Kentucky. None. Tennessee. None. Ohio. None. Nays -49 Majority for war 30 On tlic 5th of June, a confidv^ntial message v/as received by the Senate, from the House of Representatives, by Mi\ Macon and Mr. Findley, two of their meriibers— Mr. Macon, chairman : " Mr. President— The Plouse of Representa- tives have passed a bill, entiiled, ' An act decLar- ing war between Great-Britain and her dep^nden»- cies, and tlic United StatQs and their territories f HISTORY OF THE WAR. 33 III which the J ask the concurrence of the Senate; and request that the bill be considered confiden- tially/' And they withdrew. The bill, "from the House of Representatives, was before the Senate, from day to day, until the 1 7th June. It underwent a very enlarged discus- sion, met with much and violent opposition, but finally passed that body on the latter day ; there appearing for its passage 19; against it, 13. The act was passed into a law on the 18th, in the following words ; AN ACT, Declaring War behveen the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and ike dependencies thereof and the United States of' Jhierica and their territories. JBEf it enacted hy the Senate and. House of B£- presentatives of the United States of America in Con- gress assembled, That WAll be, and the same is hereby declared to exist between the United Kino'dom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies tliereof, and the United States of America and their territories ; and that the Pre- sident of the United States be, and lie is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and gene- ral reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the same United Kinp;dom of Great Britaui and Ireland, and the subjects thereot. June 18, 1812. APPROVED, . JAMES I^IADISON. On the following day (19th June) war was de- clared, by proclamation, the injunction of secrecy 34 HISTORY OF THE WAR. being previously removed in both houses of Con- gress. A peace of nearly 30 years, during which the Americans attended but little to improvements in the arts of v. ar, rendered them a})parently a very unequtil match for a nation whose armies ^and na- tives were more numerous than they had been at any former period. The best friends of America feared much ibr the fate of tlie little American navy. It was also sUi^:jposed that our undisciplined armies must experience several defeats from the well trained regulars of England ; but those, v» ho knew any thing of the revolutionary war, felt no doubt as t<) v/hat would be the event of the present. The wonderful exploits and happy issue that rc^ mains to be reccided, will show, that even the warmest enthusi-i^ts did not })robably anticipate re- nown and gloiv such as was in store for Ameri- cans. The public prints, on both skies, were warm in their denunciations of their respective opponents, and threats cf what would a:id could be perform- ed. Tlie following are given as spet^imens. From the Londc-n Coiir'^er. "America knows net that the vigor cf die Bri- tish empire increases with the necessity of exert- ing it that our elasticity rises with the pres- sure upon us — that diiiicuities cnly make us more firm and undaunted — that dangers only give us the additional means of overcoming tliem. It is in such a state- of affairs, in such a great crisis, that a nation like Great Britain becomes o-reater. V/e are now the only bulwark of liberty in the world — placed, a littr ^ spot, a speck almost on the ocean, between tlie ofd atid the new world, we are contending with both ; with one arm we are beat- 1.1;^ *lu armies of the master of the continent cf HISx-ortY OF THE WARr 35 Europe, and with the other 'we shall smite his iw?fect on the continerd of America^ From the New- York Motm? 7T(y Post. '^ Vv^itli a stone and a allng only, America com- menced the war of independence. Witlioi^t arms, without clothing, without money, and without credit, v/e took the field ; relvinjj uiion stout hearts, and the assistance of God for the suc- cess of a righteous, cause. The event has prov- ed, that with such reliances, a nation has noth- ing to fear. Our country has again thrown it- self upon the protection of the Lord of Hosts ; we need but prove faith i\d to Kim and to our- selves. Victory wjli again crown our efforts, and peace and plenty reward us for our toils. Who, that is truly an American, vrill despair of the success of his country ? Who vvill dare to be- Jieve that we can be otherwise than CONQUER- ORS? We had imagined this impossible, except with the agents of the enemy; yet, in a crisis so important, not only to us, but to posteizity, we have found that th.e spirit of treason has dar- ed to stalk abroad, even at noonday, amongst us. Is the enemy so strong in the camp — so confident of support, as to iiazarcl a fearless de- fiance? We are, it is true, proud to exist in a land of freedom — -but when men thi-eaten us with mvino; the assistance of their pens to the cause of our adversaries, who will hesitate to >3ay that such freedom becomes traitorous?" The state of the regular army was, at this time, such as scarcely to deserve, the name. — The mi- litia, with the exception of a few uniform com- panies in the cities, consisted of a yeomanry and , others accustomed to 'parade for a few hours each year, some with bad arms, others without any. The preparations %br v/ar on the land was confined to an expedition under the command of 56 IIISTOHY OF THE WAR. general Hull, of which notice will be taken in the [.l0per place. The navy consisted of the fol- lowinix vessek. List of' American Vessels, and their force. Rated. Mounting. Constitution, 4i 58 Capt. Hull. United States, 44 58 Decatur, President, 44 58 Com. Rodgers. Chesapeake, 36 44 Ordinary. New- York, 36 44 do. Constellation, 36 44 do. Corio-ress, 36 44 Caj'>t. Smith. Boston, 32 Ordinary. Essex, 32 Ca}n. Porter. Adams, 32 Ordinary. CORVETTE. John Adams, 26 Capt. Ludlow, &XOOPS OF WAR. Wasp, 16 18 C.ipt. Jones. liorriet, 16 18 Lav/rence, « BRIGS. Siren, 16 Lieut. Caroll. Argus, 16 Crane. Oneida, 16 Com. Woolsey. SCHOONERS-, Vixen, 12' Lieut. Gadsen. Nautihis, 12 Sinclair. Enterprise, 12 Biakelv. 4/ Vipeic, 12 Bainbridge ] 70 Gun B( :>at ^? BOMBS, Capt. Shaw. Vengeance, "i Spitfire, ^tna, Vesuvius, 1 Ordinary"-. Commodore Rcdgers, being at New- York, on receiving the presit.ent's proclamation, announc- HIS rORV OF THE WAR. 37. inould ti^e much to the ho- nor of the citizens, if this treasonable intercoitrse with the enemy were confined to aliens ; subse- quent information obtained at the navy depart- ment of the United States, has sufficiently proved that seveiai profligate citizens have also held com- iinmicatio^i with and supplied the wants of the enemy. A cartel ship arrived in July, at Boston, from Halitax, and delivered on board the United States frigate Chesapeake, three seamen, formerly taken out of that frigate by the British frigate Leopard. It will be recollected that the Leopard attacked the Chesapeake in time of peace, while the latter was m'jsuspicious of an attack, and unprepared lor defence. The Chesfipeake was fire^d into, boarded, and these men taken by force from her. Remonstrance on the part of the United States was made to the British government, and redreirs demanded for this wanto^i breach of the laws of nations. The British government disavowed any agency in the act ; but yet pron)oted the comman- der of the Leonard; not to the vard-arm of a ship. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 41 but to the command of a Tl-. Tho restoration of these men had been for some time promised by the British government ; it was pleasing to see it so soon effected after the declaration of war. Whether the war had any infl nonce in this trans- action, must be matter of conjecture, in which tlie reader will exercise his own opinion. ■ This is not t1ie only instance in which war pro- duced a change to those Americans who were iin- }>re9sed and confined onboard British men of ^var. Several of them, having declined serving against their country, were sent to prison as prisoners of w^ar^ and became entitled to be liberated by ex- chano;e. This mode of treatins* them, after tlieir character as American citizens was ac!aiowlcdged, was certainly unjust ; they should have been fully released; not having been taken in time of war, or in arms, they were entitled to rank as non-com-» batants. On the 12th .July, Mr. Foster, the late British minister, and Mr. Barclay, late consul, departetl from the United States, at New York, on board the British flag of truce, Colibri. These gen- tlemen were much esteemed for their private a- miabie qualities. The first British victory over tlie A^merican fleet, ha;>pened on the 20th July. On this day, the U- nited States' schooner Nautilus, lieutenant C"an.o, fell in with a fleet of the enemv, and was ca]jiurcd after a cfiasc of ei^ht hoars. No honor w^as lost by the Ainericanr!. on this occasian ; the vast dis- parity of force rendered resistance as imprudent as il would be unavailing. The brave command- er's svv'ord was returned b}'' tho British cilicer, Com. Brookes, as an acknovvlcdgment of the skill and bravery v/ith v/hich he endeavoured to save his ship. Lieut. Crane and his crew were after- wards honorably acquitted? by a court of Incpiry^ of all censure in the loss of the Nautilus. D 2 42 HISTORY OF THE WAR. On the 27th of this same month, the frigate Con- stitution, captain Hull, cliased a British frigate in- to a British fleet, and was chased in turn'bj the enemy, consisting of a sliip of the line, four fri- gates, a brig and a schooner. The chase continu- ed 60 hours. The Constitution arrived safe hi Boston. The great address by whicli captain Hull saved his ship, drew forth the admiration of the enemy, and the applause of his countrymen. It was the wish of the Americans, as they aJso endeavoured in a former v/ar, to induce the In- dians to be neutral. Humanity and civilization plead in favour of a principle which would not add savage barbarity to the other evils of war ; but unfortunatel3^, the policy of a "magnanimous'* enemy was different. The Americans soon learn- ed that the enemy had leaf^ued himself with the ruthless savage of the w-ilderness ; the known war- fare of the tomaliawk and scalping-knife was to act in concert with the modern invention of rock- ets ; in short, all means within the power of the enemy, were to be combined against the people of the United States. The first act in which the allied Indians and British signalized themselves, was in the taking of the fort of Michilim.ackhiac, ^n the 17th of July, 1812, not being apprized of the declaration of war. The garrison consisted of 63 men, and 47 on board tv/o vessels in the harbour. 1 he allies consisted of about 700. The probability of an approaching war had de- termined the United States' government to station a competent force in tlie Michia'an territory, for the protection of the inhabitants airainst the in- cursion ot the enemy, as well as tor the purpose of acting offensively, if . such should be deemed prudent. -General Hull had been at the seat of govex'nment in the spring previous to the deciara- tioii of wai'a where be made in'ranirernents for con- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 45 ducting a force to Detroit. He accordingly pro- ceeded, and beino- joined by the 4th United States' regiment, 1200 Ohio mihtia, and other troops, in all about 2500 men, he reached the rapids of the Miami of the lake, about the last of June. The general put on board a vessel the baggage and hos'3ital stores of the armv, with an officer and SO liien, with directions to sail for Detroit. The Bri- tish, having been apprized of the declaration of war, captured the vessel at Fort Maiden, mouth of Detroit river; and thus the army suftered a serious loss. On the eveninjT of the 12th Julv, jxeneral Hull crossed the river Detroit, which divides the Unit- ed States' territory of Michigan from the British province of Upper Canada, and fixed liis head- quarters at the town of Sandwich, about two miles within the British province. From this place he published a proclamation, of which the foiiowing is a copy : BY WILLIAM FIULL, Brigadier General and Commander af the North Western army of the United States : A PROCLAMATION. Inhabitants of Canada, After thirty years of peace and prosperity, the United States have been driven to arms. Tlio injuries and aggressions, the insults and indignities of Great Britain, have once more left them no alternative but manlj resistance or unconditional submission. Tlie army under my command has invaded your country; tlie standard of the Union now v/aves over the territory of Canada. To the peaceable unoiicnding inhabitants, it brings nei- ther danger nor difriculty. I come to find ene- mies, not to make them. I come to }^'otect, not to injure you. Separated by an immense ocean and an ex- m HISTOPtY OF THE WAR. tensive wilderness from Great Britain, you have no participation in her councils, no interest in her conduct. You have felt her tyranny; you have seen her injustice; but I do not ask you to avenge the one, or to redress the other. The United States are sufficiently powerful to afford every security, consistent with their rights anfl your expectations. I tender you the invaluable blessiug of civil, political, and religious liberty, . and their necessary result, individual and general ])rosperity; that liberty which gave decision to our councils, and energy to our conduct in a- struggle for independence, which conducted us.> safely and triumphantly through the stormy pe- - riod of the revolution — the liberty which has rais- ed us to an elevated rank among the nations of the vv^orld ; and which afforded us a greater mea- snre of peace and security, of wealth and im- provement, tlian ever fell to the lot of any peo- ple. In the name of my country, and the author- ity of government, 1 promise you protection to your persons, pro})erty and rights ; remain at your homes; pursue your peaceful and customary avocations; raise not your hands against your bre- thren. Mauy of your fathers foucht for the free- dom and independence we now enjoy. Being children therefore of the same family with us, . and heirs to the same heritaiie. tlie arrival of an army of friends must be hailed by you with a cordial welcome. You v.ili be emancipated 4Voni tyranny and oi^pression, and restored to the dig- niiied station of freedom. Had I any doubt of- eventual- success, I might ask your assistance; but 1 do not. I come "preparetl for every contin- gency ; I have a force whicli wiU break down all opposition, and that force is but the van- guard of a much greater. If, contrary to 3'oiu' own interest, and the just expectations of my country, you should take part in the approacliing KISTORY OV THE WAR 45 contest, you v/ill be considered and treated as eiieniies, and the horrors and calamities of war will stalk before von. If the barbarous and sa- vage policy of Great Britain be pursued, and the savages are let loose to murder our citizens, and butcher our women and children, this w^ar will be a war of extermination, 'llie first stroke of the tomahav>av — the first attempt with the scalp- ing-knife, vviil be the signal of one indiscriminate scene of dep.clation. No wdiite man found fight- ing by the licie of an Indian will be taken prison- er — instant death will be his lot. If the dictates of reason, duty, justice, and hum.anity, cannot prevent the employment of a force wiiich respects no rights, and know^s no wrong, it will be pre- vented b}^ a severe and relentless s^^stem of retalia- tion. I doubt not your courage an.d firmness; I v/ill not doubt your attachment to liberty. If you tender j^our services voluiitai'lly, they will be accepted readily. The United States offer vou peace, liberty and security. — Your choice lies be- tween these and war, slavery and destr notion. Choose then; but choose wisely; and may He w^ho knows the justice of our cause, and who holds in his hand the fate of nations, guide yoH to a result the most compatible with your rights and interests, your peace and happiness. By the General, A. P. HULL. Captain of the 13th United States' regiment of lujantrij, and Aid- de-Camp, Headr-Qjiarters, Sandwich, Jidi/ 12, 1812. WILLIAM HULL. This proclamation was well calculated to in- spire confidence and secure the friendship of the C/anadians. The American troops were in high spirits, anxious to be led against the enemy's P|OSt at Fort Maiden. The British force, con- sisting of legulars, nulitia, and Indians^ w^as in- 4-6 HISTORY OF THE WAR. forior to the Americans, as appeared by the offi- cial comniiinication of the British general Brock to his government. The moment seemed favour- able to strike an important, perhaps a decisive blow. The Indians, except a few of whom had joined the Briti^li, remained neutral, watching with their usual sagacity, until they could dis- cover on what side victory was likely to perch; nearly all the Canadian militia had deserted; the time of attacking Fort Maiden was determJned on at a council of field officers, and preparation* commenced for advancino- to the attack, when, by an unexpected order, the plan of attack was abandoned, and Canada evacuated, shamefully leaving to their fate the Canadians v^ho had joined the American standard. This gave time to the enemy to be reinforc- ed, and it soon was rumoured in the American camp that the commanding officer intended to^ surrender his army in the event of an attack by the enemy. This seemed so unaccomitable at a time when superiority of force was on the Ameri- can side, that the officers had resolved, in the event of the -rumour being well founded, to di- vest the general of his command. The execu- tion of this plan was prevented by the absence of twQ commanding officers of regiments who were- ordered on detachments. The British being re- inforced by about 400 men, and the Indians be- coming more decided, general Brock advanced and took a position opposite to Detroit, where, without interruption, he established a small bat- tery. On the 15th August, the town of Detroit was summoned to surrender, which being refused, a firing began froip the British batteries, which was returned by the Americans, and continued, with little effiict, until night. At day-light on the 16th, the firing recommenced on both sides, the ene- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 47 m\ commenced the landjnir of trooDs below De- troit, which beiiig soon effected, they marched in close columns of platoons, twelve in front, towards the fort of Detroit. Against this body of troops not a shot was fir-- ed, although it advanced in a situation within the range of the American cannon. When the Brit- ish reached within 100 yards of tiie American line, orders were given by Gen. Hull for the troops to retreat to tjie fort ; and soon after, the .fort was surrendered, and the American army be- came prisoners of war. By a proclamation immediately issued by the British commander, gen. Brock, it appears that general Hull had also surrendered the territory of Michigan. This v/as a severe and unexpected blow against dhe Americans. It gave rise to a court-martial on the conduct of L^eneral Hull, which will be noticed m its proper place; it, in a great degree, .ilestroyed the confidence the Canadians had in the government and arms of the United States; it determined the Indians to take part witii the enemy; and led not only to a prolongation of the war, but to many, or perhaps all of tlicse savage acts of murder, in which the Indians were subsequently engaged, against the citizens of the Xmited S unites. General Hull, in his official account, states, that at the time the enemy advanced against De- troit, he could not brin &iear Hubert, of the Legion «i' Honour, whom 1 captured on the i9th inst. in long. 62, off the Faro Islands, after a sharp contest of 45 minutes. " Le Guerriere is of the largest Class of frigates, mounting fifty guns, with a complement of Sij men, but ihey were very soon sac^iy reduced by ©ur destructive fire, and the ship has also sufterejd very severely, v/hi!e the damages of the Blanche were coiiiined to the topmasts, rigging and sailg, ** THOMAS LAVIE," HISTORY OF TPIE WAR. Si The follow ins: is a return of the killed and Wounded : On board the Constitution, one lieutenant of marines and six seamen — Total kirled 7. Two ofHcers, four seamen and one marine — Total wounded 7. Total killed and wounded 14. On board the GuerrJere, killed 15, wounded 63j missing 27- — Total 105. Her navy was the cliicf boast of England, and on it was her chief reliance; yet she was destined to meet lier gi'eatest nvoutids and disasters on the v/atery element. On the 17th July, the British appeared before Sackett's Harbour, with the Royal George of 24 guns, the Prince Regent of 22, Elmira of 20, Seneca of 18, and another armed vesseL A mes- S^ge was sent ashore demanding the surrender of the American vessel of war the Oneida; and also the late Bi-itish schooner Nelson, seized for a breach of the revenue laws. A compliance with this demand being peremptorily refused, the ene- my advanced within gun-shot. A firing begun fi'om a 32 pounder ashore, and w^as returned by the squadron which stood off and on. A bri^k cannonading was continued for more than two hoars, when a shot from the 32 pounder having raked the flag ship of the enemy, as she was wear- ing to give another broadside, the squadron fired ft thw guns and bore away for Kingston, the citi- zens greeting them with the good old tune of " Yankee Doodle," from all the music at the post. The British shipping appeared to be much injur- ed. — Not a man lost on the American side. The steadiness of tlie American troops, and th« alacrity with which the neighbouring detachmeals and volunteers, to the amount of nearly 3000, as- iembled for the protection of this important post, was, at this early stage of the war, a pleasing pre- sage of what might be hereafter expectedj when 52 HISTORY OF THE WAR. men would become raore inured to danger. Col. Bellinger commanded the American troops. Capt. Woolsey, who commanded the Oneida, having sailed from the harbour and reconnoitred the ene- my, returned and moored his vessel with a spring on her cable, near the battery ; and giving the com- mand of her to his lieutenant, he went ashore and took command of the 32 pounder, which, under Lis direction, did very considerable damage to th# enemy. The frigate Essex, Captain Porter, sailed on a cruise from New- York, on the 3d of July, and ar- rived in the Delaware on the 7th September. On the 13th August, the Essex fell in with the British sloop of war Alert. The Alert bore down and commenced an action, which lasted eight minutes ; ihe was much cut to pieces, and had seven feet water in her hold when she struck, and three men livounded. The Essex received no injury. Captain Porter having thrown the guns of the Alert overboard, dispatched her as a cartel to St. John's in Newfoundland, with about 500 prison- ers which he had taken in the Alert, and from other captured vessels. Governor Prevost, of Lower Canada, issued a proclamation, on the 19th September, by which all citizens of the United States are ordered to quit Canada by the 1 5th of October ; till which time they may depart with their moveable proper- ty, by permission of three of the council. After that time, every citizen of the United States lound in Canada, will be treated as a prisoner of war, unless he has taken the oath of allegiance, A considerable force having been assembled in the neighbourhood of the Niagara river, under the command of major general Stephen Van Rens- salaer, with the view, as was generally understood, of ejecting a descent upon tae British province of MISTORY OF THE WAR. 53 Upper Canada, a strong and impatient desire was discovered among the troops to try their strength against tlie enemy. This gradually rose to such a heigltt, that resistance to it seemed scarcely, if at nil, possible ; patriotism was passing the limits of subordination. '* This, (says the ge- neral, in his official commanication to general Dearborn,) was expressed to me througji various channels, in the shape of an alternative ; that they must have orders to act, or, at all hazards, they" would go hornet • Impelled by this consideration, the general made ' dispositions for the intended attack on tlie British^ post at the heights of Queenstown. Some inlbr- ■ ination gained from a person wlio was engaged to pass over to Canada, and who returned safe, seem- ed to v/arrant an attack, which, besides the imme- diate object, might have a controuling eiiect upon the movements at Detroit, where it vvas understood the British general Brock had gone, with all the force he could spare from the Niagara frontier. An intention to transport troops across the' river, on the morning of the 11th October, was frustrated through the means of a boatman, selec- ti^d fn- his skill and steadiness; but who, o-oin.cr ahead hi the extreme darkness, passed • tlie in- tended place far up the river, and there fastened his boat to the shore, and abandoned the detach- ment. In this iront boat nearly every oar belong- ing to all the boats were deposited. The expedition wai5,given up, and the detachment returned to camp. ^ Thiii circiua-.tance, so far from damping the slt- d6uTof the troops, seemed to give 'additional force to tlie desire of eri countering the enemy. A se- cond attempt was determined on. At dawn of day, on the 13 th of October, the troops commenced embarking under cover of a batter3\ The movement was soon discovered, and a brisk firing of musketry conmiciiced on the Ca- E 2 Si HISTORY OF THE WAli; nada side, wliich was soon followed by a cannon- ade on the boats, the American cannon returning t'le fire. Col. Van Rensselaer, with 100 men, ef- fected a landing, and coolly advanced in the face of a tremendous fire, during which the colonel re- ceived four wounds, which prevented that nseful exertion he was so willing to make. Col. Christie, 'vi'ith his detachment, landed some time after. Col. Tan Renssalaer, although scarcely able to standi ^ordered his men to storm the fort, v/hich service v/as gallantly performed. Reinforcements having arrived to both parties, the conflict became se- Tere and general ; the enemy soon retreated, and the rout was followed up with great spirit by the Americans. Victory appeared complete. Tl:e enemy, at this moment, received a reinforceri^nt of several hundred Indians from Chippawa, and commenced a furious attack, but were promptly met and routed by the rifle and bayonet. 'I he general observing a hesitation in the embarkation of tlie troops, he passed over to accelerate their movements. Could the details of this day be here closed, all would be honour, all would be glory to the American character. But it must be recor- ded — alas ! it cannot be concealed, that no per- suasion of the general could influence the remoin- ing troops to pass into the boats. A large rein- forcement from fort George, soon afterwards was seen coming up the river; this reinforcement o- biiqued to the right from the road, and formed a junction with the Indians in the rear of the heights. The boats were dispersed ; the boatmen had fled panic-struck. The American troops, thus si- tuated, maintained a most obstinate conflict for half an hour; when, exhausted of strength and ammunition, they were obliged to surrender. General Brock was slain, and his aid-de-camp mortally wounded. The whole number of Amer- icans engaged was about li>UO, of wliich £/00 were HISTORY OF THE WAR. H regulars and 700 militia. The militia were libera ated as prisoners on parole, not to serve during the war. Major general Van Rensselaer resigned the command of the army on the Ningara frontier, to brigadier general Smyth, on the 14lh October. On the 10th November, general Smyth pub- lished a proclamation from his camp near Buff aloe. As this document became the subject of much comment, it is given here in fulL It was in the following words : TO THE MEN OF NEVV-YOKK. For many years you have seen your country op- pressed with numerous wrongs. Your government, although above all others devoted to peace, have been forced to draw the sword, and rely for redress of injuries on the valour of the American people. That valour has been conspicuous. But the nation has been unfortunate in the selection of some of those who directed it. One army has been disgracefully surrendered and lost. Another has-been sacrificed by a precipitate attempt to pass it over at the strong* est point of the enemy *s hnes, v/ith most incompe- tent means. The cause of these miscarriages is ap- parent. The commanders were popular men, " des- titute alike of theory and experience" in the art of war. In a few days the troops under my command will plant the American standard in Canada. They are men accustomed to obedience, silence, and steadiness. They will conquor, or they will die. Will yOa stand with your arms folded, and look on this interesting struggle ? Are you not related to the men who fought at Bennington and Saratoga ? Has the race degenerated ? Or have you, under the 56 HISTORY OF THE WA^- baneful influence of contending- factions, forgot j'oar country? Must 1 turn fyom you, and ask men of the six nations to support the government of the U- pited States? Shall I imitate the officers ot* the Britisfh king, and suffer, our ungathered laurds to be tarnished by ruthless deed*? Shame, where i? thy bkisli? — No ; where I command, the vanquished and the peaceful man, the child, the maid, and the matron, shall be secured from wrong. If we conquer, we will " conq'ier bat to save." Men of NciO' York I The present is the hour of'reliown. Have yau not a wish for fume? Would you not choose in fu- ture times to be named as one of those who, imitat- ing the heroes whom Montgomery led, have, in spite of tlie seasons, visited tlie tomb of the chief, and con- quered ■ tiie country where he lies ? Yes ; you de- su-e your share of fame. Then seize the pres'ent moment, if you do not, you will regret ft, and say, *' the valiant have bled in vain ; the friends of my r country feii, — and I was not there." Advance then to our aid. 1 will wait for you a few days. I cannot give you the day of my depar- ture. But come en. Come in companies, half corn* panies, pairs, or singly. I will orgjuiize you' for a short tour. Hide to this place, if the distance is far, and send back your horses. But remember tiiat every man who accompanies us, places himself under my coiMuiand, and shall submit to the salutary restraints of discipline. ALEX. SMYTH, Brig. Gen, ■> Camp, near Bitffajoe, Nov. 10, 1812. This proclamation had the eifect of bringing to the frontier a very considerable number of vo- luiiteers, men vvho lived the hardy life of farmers were accustoiiied to the woods, knew well the use of the riiie, and feared Indians as little as they did Englishmen. ' On tiie 1 7tli November, general Smyth issued a public address to his soldiers, preparatory to an '3 HISTORY OF THE WAR. 57 immediately intended entrance into the enemy's territory. The sentiments contained in this ad- dress are noble, humane and soldierly. From such a general and such an army, the public ex^ pected a very successi'ul campaign. Their hopes were not to be realized. Twice the troops embarked and as often disembarked. Public opinion, hitherto on the side of general Smyth, now began to veer. His courage, as well as his patriotism, was questioned; censure was followed by insult and menace. The project of invasion was finally abandoned. The volun- teers were dismissed, and the army ordered into win- ter quarters. Thus ended the operations, for this season, of the army of the centre. General Smyth justified himself on the grounds that he had directions not to pass over with less than 3000 men ; that he could not prevail on more fhan 1500 men to embark; and that an attack on the enemy, under such circumstances, was con- trary to the opinion of a council of his officers. " My orders," says the general in reply to a com- mittee from the patriotic citizens of the western counties of New-York, " were to p{»ss into Canada with 3000 men at once. On the first day of em- barkation not more than 1400 men were embarked, of whom 400, that is, half of the regular infantry, were exhausted with fatigue and want of rest* On the second embarkation, only 1500 men were embarked, and these were to have put off imme- diately, and to have descended the river to a point where reinforcements were not to be expected. On both days, many of the regular troops were men in bad health, who could not have stood one day*s march ; who, although they were on the sick re- port, were turned out by their ardent officers." This reply was dated 3d December. On the 8th of the same month, general Peter B. Porter gave aotice in the Buffuloe Gazette, that he would soua 5« HISTORY OF THE WAR. piibUsb a " true account of some of the most pro- • )ni>ier.t transactions of these days." In his notice general Porter asciabes the faihire of the expedf-- tion to the cowardice of general Smyth. General Smyth must remain convicted, in the eyes of the world, of falsehood and cowardice, if he continued passive under such charges — Modern chivalry fx)inted out the course which must be pur- sued. Genornl Srn\th sent a challenge to general Porter, which the latter accepted. The [larties passed over to Grand Island, on the 3Sth December; a shot was exchanged, in an intrepid manner, but without effect, when, on 11x3 suggestion of general Smyth's second, a mutual ■ explanation and reconciliation took place ; and the parties separated*. General Porter, on the following day, deliver-- ed the promised statement of transactions, to th«' editor of the Buffaloe Gazette, in which paper it accordingly appeared. The statement is plain and satisfiictory : and di- vested of that asperity, which was probably in- tended to accompany it. In this statement, it is represented, that, on the f7th November, there were collected in the neigh- bourhood of Niagara, 4500 effective men, that the vessels collected for the purpose, were suffi- cient for the transportation of 3.550 men ; that the number of men actually embarked were estimated to consist of between 2000 and 2600 ; that about 2000 more men were paraded on shore, seemingly ready to cross; that several boats, of sufficient capar-- city to carry about 1000 men, were still lying un- occupied; and that the enemy, estimated at about 500 men, were drawn up in a line, at about half a mile from the river. As a proof of what could be effected, had the^^ men been permitted to pass over, general Porter^* states the bravery and success with which a detach- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 5§ snent which crossed over by direction of general Smyth, accomplished its mission; having com- pletely rojjted the enemy, spiked his ciunKH"., and taken several prisoners/ " Out of 12 naval ofHcers, who embarked in this enterprize, nine of them, (says general Porter) v/ith more than half their men, v/ere jdlled or wounded." General Smyth, in a letter to the editors of the National Intelligencer, dated 28 tb Jan uarj-, 181S, refutes the statement of general Porter. '' I affirm (says genera] Smyth) that on the 27th NoYember, there were collected in the neighbourhood of Black Eock, not more than 3500 efiectiveiiien, non-com- missioned officers, and privates, of every corps under my command ; not more than 1500 of those were liable to be ordered to cross the Niagara, ac- cording to opinions generally received. On the 21st, there were 1050 good troops embarked, and iilso as many irregular volunteers as occupied five boats, estimated at 150. On-the morning of the first December, the number of men armed with muskets, who were at the navy-yard, e^nbarkcd •or not embarked, did not exceed 2000 men" In this refutation, general Smyth insinuates that .general Porter, acting as contractor to the arm v, was not prepared to supply the necessary ratiohs, having on the 30th November only S5 barrels of flt^uron hand, "not tv^o pounds of tlour to each man." — "The hostility of general Porter to myself (says general Smy til) grew out of the contract." While the expeditions thus progressed from ill- . design to its unavoidable consequence, unsuccess- ful termination, the miiior expeditions did hi;nour to the officers who commanded and the few men who were engaged in them. Among these the fol- lowing must not be omitted . The brigs Adams and Caledonia, which were surrendered to the enemy by general Hull, at Dc- ^troit, having arrived and luiVnored- under the Bri- 60 HISTORY OF THE WAR, tish fort Erie, captain Elliot determined on m\ at- tempt to regain them. Having made the necessa- ry dispositions, he advanced at one o'Clock in the morning of the 9th October, having under hts command 100 men in two boats; at '3 o'Clock he was along side the vessels; in 10 minutes they were under way, and the prisoners secured. An unfa- vorable wind obliged them to run down the river, by the forts, under a heavy fire of round, grape, and cannister shot, from a number of pieces of heavy ordnance and flying artillery; and he was compelled to anchor about 400 yards from one of their batteries; the Caledonia being got into a safe position, a fire was returned from the guns of the Adams as long as ammunition lasted. It being found impossible longer to withstand the fire of the enemy, which would probably sink the vessel in a short time, he was compelled to cut the cable and drift down the river out of the reach of the batter- ies, but remained still exposed to the flying artil- lery; having thus dropt astern for about 10 mi- nutes, and being deserted by the pilot, he w as brought up on the shore of Squaw Island. From this place he sent the prisoners onshore with much difficulty; and, having himself passed from the brig to the shore, he soon discovered that about 40 soldiers had crossed in a boat from the British side, and boarded the brig ; but they were soon compelled to abandon her with the loss of nearly all their men. During the v.hole of the raorning,j both sides of the river kept up alternately a con- tinual fire on the brig, and so much injured her that it was impossible to have floated her — «he was of course destroyed. Major Young having command of the Troy militia at French mill, on the St. Regis river, pro- ceeded to the village of St. Kegis, where the ene- my had landed with a view to establish himself in force, and yigoi^ously attacked hinv at ^ o'clc'ck HISTORY OF THE WAR. 61 oJi the morning of 22d October; one stand of co- lours, forty jjrisoners, with their arms, equip- ments, &c. were the fruits of this spirited and well conducted expedition. This was the first standard taken from the enemy, in the present war. The party returned safe to their camp without Ijaving a man hurt. The enem.y lost 4 killed, and one mortally wounded. The movements of the enemy, duving ilve&e times, were not to them equally honorable or im- portant. An attack of the enemy on tlie village of Og- densburg was defeated. The enemy had 1000 men, the Americans only 400. This happened on the 2d October. On the 3d October, the British brig R,oyal George went into the Gc^.iessee river, and cut out the schooner Lady Murray and a revenue cutter. There was no force tiien there, that could resist the enemy. The national pride had been already highly^ gratified by success on the ocean ; the public eye \vas anxiously directed to that element, in expec- tation of furtiier glory. The public hope vras not to be disappointed. ^At day -light, on the ISth October, about the lat. of 37 dog, north, and ion, '65 deg. west, cap- tain Jacob Jones, commanding theljoited 8tat.es' J^ioop of war Wasp, of 18 gnus, got sight of ^i jBritish convoy of six large armed merchant ships under protection of the Briti. li sloop of war Fro- lic, commanded by captain Whinveates. A sW^ tiM was made by tlie frolic for the Heet to disperse. At 30 minutes past eleven A. M. an engagement commenced between the two sloops, at a short dis- tance, and continued until the vessels v/ere so close that the rammers of the V/ci^p were, while load- ing the last broadside, shoved against the side of the enemy. The Froile v.^as boarded oaiicr fordr -F &2 HISTORY OF THE WAR. castle, and inimediatelv surrendered. I'he man- iier ill which tins engageiTjent was maintained was hiolilv honorable to the x\niericans. Ilie Frolic jTioiinted 22 guns; sixteen of them 32 pound car- ronadcs, and tour twelve }X)unders on the main deck, and two twelve pounders, carronades. on tiie top-oallant forecastle, making her superior in force to the Wasp, by four 12 pounders. On board the Wasp, there were five killed, and five wound- ed. The exact loss of the enemy could not be ascertained, as many of the dead lay buried under the masts and s})ars that had fallen u]ion the deck, which two hours exertion had not sufllciently re- moved. Lieutenant Biddle, who had charge of the Frolic, states, from what he saw, and i'toiri information from the oflicers, the nuniber of kil- led mui^t have been thirty; that of the wounded, about forty or fifty. Hie Wasp gullered so much in iliis action, that both masts fell on tlie deck a few minutes after sepa- rating from the Frolic ; every brace and most of the rioainfj had been shot away duriufr the action. In this state, she nearly remained, when, in two hours after the action, the British ship Poic- tiers, of 74 guns, hove in sight; and, scon after took possession of the tvvo sloops, and ordered them for Bermuda. The captain of the Frolic, in his official letter to admiral Warren, states that every officer was wounded, and the greater part of the men either killed or wounded; there not being twenty persons remaining unhurt. The following resolution of the Common Coun- cil of Nevv-York, will show the high light in which they held captain Jones and his crew: licsolociL That an elegant Sword be presented to captain Jones, late of the United States' sloop of war Wasp, and also the freedom of this city, as a testimony of the high opinion this Corpora- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 63 tlon entertain of liis ffnllant conduct in capturing the British sloop of war Frolic; and that the thanks of the Common Council be presented to his brave officers and crew. The United States' frigate United States, cap- tain Stephen Decatur, being on a cruise, ,fell' in, on the 25th October, 18V2, with his Britannic Majesty's frigate Macedonian, captain J. S. Car- den, in lat. 29 I^. Ion. 29 30 W. and, after an ac- tion of an hour and a half (17 nnnutes of v/hich was in close action) tlie British^ frigate was cap- tured. The Macedonian was of the largest class of British frigates, two years old, but lour months out of dock, and mounting 49 guns, (the odd one shifting.) This engagement gave another indis- putable proof of the superiority of American dis- cipline and gunner)^ The loss on both sides were as follows : On board the United States, 2 seamen, 2 ma- rines, 1 boy — Total killed, 5. Wounded, 1 lieutenant, 1 carpenter, 4 seamen, 1 marine — Total wounded, 7 ; of whom lieuten- nant Funk and John Archibald died of their wounds. On board the Macedonian, there were 36 kil- led, and 68 wounded ; 36 of whom severely. By the muster roll of the Macedonia?!, it ap- peared that there were seven impressed Americans on board, during the action, two of whom were killed. The United States and Macedonian arrived oft* Montaug Point on the 4th December; but were prevented from reaching New- York before the tirst day of the new year, 1813. On the arrival of captain Hull, at New-York, he was presented by the corporation of the city, with the freedom of the city, in a gold box. As soon as captain Hull entered the council chamber, conducted by aldermen Fish and Mesier, and 04. HISTORY OF TH£ WAR. general Morton, he was addressed by his honour l)e Witt Clinton, mayor of the city, in an ap- propriate speech. Captain Hull, with all tliat modesty so frequently allied to virtuous bravery, made a short but very becoming replj'. The cap- tain then took the freeman's oath, and retired, amidst an immense crowd, who filled the air with reiterated huzzas. On the following day, a splen- did naval dinner was given by the corporation to captain Hull, com. Decatur, and captain Jones, in testimony of the high sense entertained of the merits of these gentlemen. Nothing vras omitted to render this dinner truly descriptive of the oc- casion, and the feelings of the citizens. On the 9th. Jan. another dinner v.as given by the corporation to the crew of the United States. ITie seamen and marines, hiaving formed in pro- cession, proceeded from the place of landing to the city hotel, amidst the piaudits of thousands of citizens. On the arrival of the sailors, and they being seated, they were addressed by Mr. Vandci- bilt, with his usual energy and perspicuity. The boatswain made a short reply, expressive of the ffratitude of his shiDmates, and their wish for a further opportunity to prove their devotedncss to their country. At 6 o'clock the procession was re-form.ed, when they proceeded to the theatre, at the express wish and invitation of the manag- ers, who reserved the pit exclusively for their ac- commodation. The harmony of the day was not interrupted by a single irregularity. The enemy had some consolation, (if consola- tion it can be called,) by the capture, in Novem- ber, of tlic United States' brig of war Vixen, of 14 guns, by his majesty's frigate Southampton, of 32 guns. On this occasion, the intrepid exertions of our tars, aided by their ofiiceis, were chiefly instrumen * tal in saving the movable property on board the HISTORY OF THE WAR. iii> frigate. So sensible was Sir James Yeo of the generous conduct of the American sailors, that he c^re^v them up on the island, and publicly thanked them in the warmest terms. Although a patriotic support of the war was the distinguishing feature of the public sentiment, yet there was a strange apathy too prevalent, whicU tended not a little to render its early stage im- propitious to the country. Something was ne- cessary to awaken the unrouscd loyalty of the people. Victory might have that effect ; per- il aps defeat was a more powerful agent. The defeat and surrender of general Hull so much disappointed the expectations excited by the ge- r.eral's proclamation, tliat it is impossible to de- pict the first effect. The mortificatiGn of disap- pointment, added to the serious loss of a fine army, threw a temporary gloom over the citizens. This soon gave way to resentment, and a deter- mination to wipe oif the '' foul stairi". The spi- rit of the nation rose, and that of 1 776 seemed to return. This sentiment, v/lilch pervaded a great proportion of the natioi], was most powerful in the western country. Ail ielt the necessity of immediate action ; Kentucky and Ohio may b.e said to have broken loose ; an army was ready, as if by magic, prepared to avenge the late dis- giace. A leader was wanting; all eyes looked, with a common impulse, towards tlie hero of Tip- pacanoe ; the united voice of the people called on the governor to dispense witli all formalities ; and Willi A3I Henry Harrison was appointed ma- jor-general, with directions to take command of the north-western army. This appointment was confirmed by the President of the United StatG*i, The exposed situation of the north -vrestern frontier, after the surrender of Flull, required the utmost exertions for its protection. It was not F 2 m ' HISTORY OF THE WAR. possible entirely to avert the impending danger. The Indians had already commenced their sa- vage warfare by an attack on Fort Dearborn, and the massacre of its garrison. Fort Dearborn, (Chicago) was but a weak garrison, consisting of about 50 men ; there were also in it a few wo- men and children. A large body of Indians having menaced the fort, it was agreed in a coun- cil which was held with the faithless tribe, that the garrison should be spared, on condition of SHrrendering the place without resistance. They marched out on the 15th September; and when about a mile from the fort, were fired on, and mur- dered, with the exception of about 10 or 12, who escaped. Fort Belvicv/, (Madison) on the INIississippi, was attacked on the 4th Septeniber, by the In- dians, with all the desperation that a want of real courage could inspire. The attack was renewed daily until the 8th, when the Indians, after suffer- ing very severely, wididrew, leaving the brave garri- son safe. One soldier, who was out of the fort when the attack commenced, was massacred. No lives were lost in the foit, and only one man wounded. About 11 o'clock in the evening of the 4 Argo, laden with oil and whalebone, both of which arrived some time before. They saw no enemy's cruisers but tlie Nj-mphe and Galatea, which they chased, but lost sight of in the night. The squadron have been as far east as long. 22, and to the south as flir as lat. 1 7 N. From the 1 st to the SOth November, they never saw a sail. On the 22d October, lying to in a gale, the President sprung her mainmast badly ; and on the 2 i st De- cember, lying to in the Gulf Stream, shipped a heavy sea, which svrept the starboard gangvr- y, started the boats, killed 2 men, and v/ounded 7. The President brought in 50 prisoners. The specie was landed from the Pj'esident at the navy-yard in Charlestown, and being placed in six waggons, each carrying the national colours, was thus carried to the State Bank in Boston, %vhere it was safely deposited, aniidwt the huzzas of tliou.«aiids of spectators. G «r 4. HISTORY OF THE WAR. The ccmmodore parted companj^ with the Unit- ed States and Argus, the 12th October. The U. S. brig Viper, capt. Henley, of 12 guns, was captured on the 17th January, 1813, in lati 29 N. 83. SO W. by his Britannic majesty's iri^ gate Narcissus, of 32 guns, after a chase of 5 hoLirs ; — no fighting. Comrnodcre Bairibridcfe left the U. S. sJdop of war Hornet, capt. Jarnes Lawrence, oif the harbor of St. Salvador, where she remained from the 6th until the 24th January, blockading the Bonne Citoyenne and another armed vessel. Being at length driven from her station by the Montague, of 74 guns, wliich was sent to relieve the Bonne Citoyenne, captain Lawrence proceeded off De- marara river, v/hcrc, en the 24-th February, 1813, he fell in with and engaged his Britannic majesty's brig of war Peacock; the action lasted but 15 minutes, in which short space of time tlie Peacock was literall}^ cut to pieces ; an ensign, union dovrn, was hung from the fore rigging, as a signal at orxe of distress and surrender. Lieut, b^lui- brick, who was sent en board her, returned with a report that she was fast sinking, having t})en six feet of water in her hold. The beats of the Hor- net were immeoiately despatched, and every pos- sible exertion made to keep her afloat until the pri- soners could be removed, by pumping and baling, without e:ffect ; as she sunk in five and a half la- thomis water, carrying down nine of her crew, and three of the crew of the Hornet, viz. John Hart, Joseph Williams, and Hannibal Boyd. Several of the Flornet's crew narrov/ly escaped a similar fate,, being saved by jumping into a boat that was Ijing on the bocms, as she werit down. 1 he Peacock was one of the finest vessels of her claGS in the British navy; she mounted 16 twenty- four pound carronades, two long nines, one twelve pound carronade on her top gallant foreca^itle, as HISTORY OF THE \^^\R 7^ a shifting gun, and one four or six potsider, and two swivels, mounted aft ; her crew consisted, fct the time of the action, of one hundred and thirty men. The loss on board tlie Peacock could not be ascertained by capt. Lawrence, but must have been considerable. Ca}3t. Peake, her commander, and four men, were found dead on board, and 33 wounded, most of them severely, three of whom died of their wounds, after being removed. The total of killed, w^ounded and drov^ned, was cer- tainly 42, and probably more. The -Espeigie, a Britisii brig, mountinf]^ 10 thirty-tvv'o pound carronades and two long nines, lay about 6 miles in shore, and within sight of the action : she declined coming in aid of her consort, or to approach the victorious ship, although capt. Lawrence cleared his ship, in expectation of a second engagement. Captain Lawrence, stated, that there were two impressed American seamen on board the late Bri- tish sloop of war Peacock, one a native of the State of New- York, and the other a native of Norfolk. One of them was pressed two years and a half, and the other about 18 months previous, nei- tiier of them entered, and both were compelled to fight during' the engagement with the iiornet. Before the engagement commenced, the above mentioned American seamen left tlieir station, went to the captain of the Peacock, and asked his permission to go below,, with the craw of the brig Hunter, of Portland, as they could not fight against tlieir country. This request was peremp- torily refused by captain Peake, and the two Ame- i:icans were forced to their station, and compelled to fight. . Captain Lawrence furllier stated, that another impressed American was reported to liave beeu en 76 HISTORY CF THE WAR. board the Peacock, and that he was killed du- riiig the action. The reader should not be carried away with the belief, that the commander of the Espeigle w^as a coward. That may possibly have been the xase, but it is far from being probable. -Those who wish to allow to American naval heroes their well earned honors, will be readier to ascribe the modesty of the Englishmen to the effect of Ameri- can prowess, than to British cowardice. Pru- dence is a virtue which often requires courage to exercise. Had the commander of the Espeigle encountered the victorious American, he would be' defeated. He probably believed so ; and, believing it, he acted with prudence. The folio v»'ing comment on the capture of th« Peacock is extrfxted from the London Globe. *' The late captain of the Swallowpacket, captured b)'' the Aniericans, landed on Monday at Fahnouth, fioni on board the Chiiders sloop of war. He con- firms the loss of the Peacock, w.hich struck to the Hornet, after a severe and sanguinary conflict, and went down while the enemy were taking out her crew. Sixteen En.f/li^h and four' Americans went down in her. The force of^ the tu o vessels was near- ly equal. The circn-.Tistances, therefore, which Imve enabled America thus to add another laurel to her ' brow, it is most important to know, ai\d Ve trust they will be fully innuired into. In the cases of cap- tare by large American frigates, the mercenary wri- ters for the admiralty have assured their readers that they have, by some charm, been able to practise a deceptio insics upon our navy ; that aitliough apparent- ly frigates, they are in fact great ships of the line ; but as no disparity of size is supposed to have exist- ed'iji this disaster,' Mr. Croker's scribes will probably give out, that the crew of the Hornet were not of %2 rrdinary race of sailors, but that every one was a ^i»jrcales in strength, and an Archimedes in sci- ence." -HISTORY OF THE WAR. 77 The following appeared in a Halifax paper. *'In our extracts from American papers our read- ers will find an account of tlie capture of the Pea- cock. The good fortune of the Americans has not forsaken them ; on the contrary, it is more conspicu- ous in this than in their previous actions. Every one conr}ersant with gunnery must knotv, that had a vessel bee7i Moo.HEDyor the sole purpose of making an expe- riment, it is not at all likeli/ she tvoiild have been sunic in so short a time. Previous to the action vritli the Peacock, cap- tain Lawrence captured, on the 4th February, the Engli&h brig Resolution, of 10 guns, from Rio Janeiro, bound to Maranham, wiiich he burned 'after taking from her about ^.23,000 sterling in specie. On mustering the morning after the ac- tion, there vi'ere found on board the Koinet 277 souls, including the crew of the American brig Hunter, of Portland, taken a few days before by the Peacock. This additional proof of the supe- riority of American tactics has ilot been exceeded by any former instance. It may indeed be said to have decided the' relative merits of Americai^ and British seamen, the superiority claimed by the British is no longer vnaintaiiiable — the Americans rank decidedly as first in naval tactics. Captain Lawrence, while off 8t. J^alvador, sent a challenge to captain Greene, of the Bonne Cito- yenne, which tlie latter prudently decli^ied ac*^ cepting. ^ " The following resolution s-^^assed the common council of the city of New- York, on the 29 ih March, 18LS. " Resolved^ That the freedom of the city be pre- sented to Captain Lawrence, together with a piece of piate with appropriate devices and inscriptionrj, and that his lionor the Recorder be requested, to for- ward the saaie, with a copy of this resolution. IlesQcved, That in testimony of the; big mony or tlie; nigh seiiee G 2 78 HISTOHY OF THE WAR. vrhich this Common Council entertain of the conduct of the United States' sloop of v/ar Hornet, by the capture of his Britannic Majesty's sloop of war Pea- cock, in -the unexampled short period of fifteen mi- nates, that the Common Council will give a public dinner to the crev/ of the United States sloop of war Hornet." These many and splendid naval victories deserv- ed not only the applause but the gratitude of the riation. Congress v.as not insensible to this. A law passed that body in March, 1813, appro- priating the sum of 25,000 dollars, to be distri- buted among the officers and crew of the Consti- tution, for the destruction of the Guerriere; and a like sum of 25,000 dollars, for the destruction of the Java; and the sum of 25,000 dollars, to be distributed amonfir the officers and crew of the Wasp, for the capture of the Frolic. The United States' frigate Chesapeake, captain Evans arrived at Boston the 10th April, 1813, from a cruise of 115 days, having sailed from the same port the ITth December, 1812. From Boston the Chesapeake ran down bv the Madeiras, Calvaries, and Cape de Verds; tlience down to the equator, between long. 16 and 25, wlicre she cruised 6 weeks ; thence down the coast of South America, passing within 15 leagues of Surrinam, (was in the same place the hornet sunk the Peacock the duy after she left) down by barba- does, Antigua," and most of the windward West- India islands; thence on the United States, be- tween Bermuda and the Capes of Virginia, by the Capes of Delaware within 12 leagues, by New- York v/ithin 20 leagues, tlience through the east chajmel to Boston, The Chesapeake captured, during her cruise, 3 British, and 1 American vessel sailuig under a British licence; and re -captured an American schooner. The Chesapeake was chased by two HISTORY OF THE WAR. 79 ships of war (a 74 and a frigate) ofF the Vv^esteni Islands. Off the Capes of Virginia, gave chase to a sloop of war, and continued chasing for two days, when the sloop escaped in the night. Seven men died of a malignant fever; and tkree v/ere lost by the carrying away of the main-top-mast, during a heavy flaw, the day before her arrival in port. On the 26th April, the enemy in great force invested fort Meigs ; and, on the 1 st May, com- menced a cannonade. On the 9th May, the sicire was raised. The ix^rrison made successfid sorties against the right and left wing of the ene- my. General Clay also attacked the enemy, with great snccess, and spiked several pieces of cannon ; but the Kentuckians, with too much ardor and comidence, remained on the ground, aldiough frequently called on to return to the fort, nntil attacked by a very superior force of Indians and British, when they were defeated v/ith a loss of abont 500 m.en. On tlie 25di April, commodore Chaoncey sailed from Sackett's Harbor, having on board his fleet about 1 700 troops, destined to commence operations against Canada. They arrived oppo- site Little York, the capital of Upper Canada, on the morning of the 27th April, and immediate- ly commenced the landing of the troops, under a heavy fire fit'om the enemy. — After a very severe and sharp contest of half an hour, the enemy v/as repulsed by a number far inferior to theirs. As soon as the remainder of the troops had land- ed, the enemy retired to his works. One battery being carried, the troops were advancing towards the main works, when a treiiiendous explosion took place from a magazine previously prepared, and wh cli threw out an iuiuiense quantity of stcne^i, by which the Americans lost in killed and wounded about 200 men, among the killed, the go HISTORY OF THE WAR. gallant brigadier-general Pike. The British regu- lar troops having retreated, the commanding officer of the militia agreed to terms of capitulation, and the capital of Upper - Canada was surrendered to the American troops. The American loss in kill- ed and wounded was 269. Enemy's loss in kill- ed, -wounded, and prisoners, 930. As an evidence of tlie barbarity of the enemy, the following despatch from commodore Chauii- cey to the secretary pf the navy is given. Sir, I have the honor to present to ypii by the hanils of lieutenant Dudley, the British standainl taken at York on the 27th of April last, accompanied by the mace, over which was hung a ll,uman scalp These articles were taken from the parliament house by one of m)'^ officers, and presented to me. The scalp I caused to be presented to general Dearborn, who, 1 beheve, still has it in his possession. I also send by the same gentleman one of the British flags taken at Fort George on the 27th of May. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your most o* bedient humble servant, ISAAC CHAUNCE^, On the 22d Mav, commod(n'e Chauncev sail- ed from Sackett's . Harbor, having 350 men of colonel M'Comb's rcmment on board, and arrived near Niagara on tlie 25th ; the otliei' parts of liis squadron had arrived before, and landed their troops. The commodore had an immediate in-^ tcrview with general Dearborn, and a plan of o- perations against the enemy was agreed on. On the 26th, the commodore reconnoitered the po- sition lor landing the troops ; and at night sound - ed the shore. The morning of the 27ih was fixed on for an attack on the enemy at Fort George. The heavy artillery, and as many troops as could be stowed, were taken on board the fleet, the re- mainder Mete ordered to embark on board boats, HISTORY OF THE WAR. 81 «nd follow the fleet. — At 3 o'clock in the morn- ing, a signal was made for the fleet to weigh, and the troops were embarked on board the boats be- fore 4 ; and soon after, generals Dearborn and Lewis went on board the fleet. In the course of the morning, the different vessels advanced, and took positions as directed. All the vessels anchored within musket shot of the Canada shore ; and in ten minutes after they opened upon the batteries, they were completely silenced aiid a- bandpned. The light troops, under colonel Scott and major Forsytli', landed at 9 o'clock ; general Lewis' divisions v/ith light artillery, under colonel Porter, suopoited them. General Boyd's brigade \An<\^iX innuediately after; and generals Winder %v?A Chandler followed in quick succession. The enemy, wlio had been concealed in a ravine, now advanced in great force to the edge of the bank, and disputed the landing with great warmth ; but the coolness and intrepidity of the Americans- compelled them to give way in every direction. The enemy soon deserted the fort, which was occupied before noon by the Ameri- canos. The enemy lost 108 killed, 163 wounded, and 113 taken prisoners. The Americans lost 39 killed, and 111 wounded. In the enemy's Joss, 507 militia, who were paroled, are not in- cluded. Prior to the taking of Fort George, three Americans in th^ camp, who refused to bear arms, were, by order of colonel Clark, taken out, and without ceremony &liot I This infernal scoundrel met with liis deserts soon after — he was killed at tiie time of the surprise of generals Winder and Chandler, A fire was kept up at intervals during the succeeding night, from the batteries at Fort Erie. On the morning of the 28th, all the magazines from Chippev/a "to Point Albino were blown up. 82 HISTORY OF THE WAP.- the enemy- retreated; and Fort Erie was enter- ed in the afternoon by the American troops. In these different transactions, commodore Chauncey bore a spirited and useful part. The loss on board his B.eet consisted of . 5 killed and 11 womided. Captain Perry, afterv/ard known as the hero of Erie, volunteered his services on this occasion, and materially - aided in securinj^ success. *• He was,", according to comraodot'e Chauncey's re- port, " present at eveiy point where lie could be useful, under showers of musketry, but fortu- nately escaped unhurt." The enemy, probably with a v/ish to perform some exploit that might balance his losses in tlie neighborhood of Niagara, prepared, vrith a strong force, to attack the American post at Sackett's Harbor. On the 28th Mixy the enemy's fleet ap- peared, accompanied by a large number of boats. Lieutenant Chauncey, of the navy, came in fi'om the lake, firing alarm guns. General Jacob Brown, who commanded the fort, made every possible disposition- to repel the menaced attack. On the morning of the 29th^ 33 large boats, Med -with troops, came off from the enemy, and proceeded to Garden -island, under cover of some gun-boats. The militia, stationed near where the enemy pro- posed to land, fired with considerable effect, and then fled from their post. The enemy effected a landing with about 1200 men at Horse-island. A detachment of militire, under command of captain M'Nitt, threw themselves, with considerable ef- fect, on the rear of the enemy's left flank, while the regulars, under colonel Backus engaged and routed him. General Prevost, who commanded the British expedition, retreated with great pre- cipitation, under protection of the guns of hi« vessels; and thus saved himself and men from be- ing made prisoners. According to a previous ar» HISTORY OF THE WAR. B$ raiigement, it was agreed that, in a certain event, the stores, &c. at the navy-point should be de- stroyed. This event did not happen ; but some person, ' unauthorised, brought information to lieutenant Chauncey that the battle was lost — the stores, accordingly, were destroyed. Gen. Jacob Brown, of the state of New- York, who commanded the land forces at Sackett's har- bour, gave a substantial proof of those military talents, v/hich in all his subficquent operations were so co>ispicuou?sly useful to his country, and so uni- formly honourable to himself, that even envy ne- ver dared lisp an insinuation discreditable or dis- honourable to the general. Sir James Lucas Y^eo commanded the British fleet. The enemy's loss was very considerable, includ- ing several officers of distinction. The Americans lost about 150 in killed and wounded ; colonel Mills was killed, and colonel Backus mortally woun- ded. About 400 regular troops sustained the heat of the action. At the close of the action, a British barge, with a naval lieutenant, under a flag of truce, came to the^bankof the rivGr, and demanded of an officer who was standing there, in the name of the gene- ral and commodore, the surrender of Sac-kett's harbour. The officer replied "Nc," and the flag returned. The pride and presumed superiority of Britain on her own domain, the ocean, was materially t'jT- iiished. The laurels plucked from France, Spain, Portugal, and Holland, were withering, and. seem- ed to be transferred to adorn the brows of the hitherto despised commxanders of the Lilliputian fleet of America. It was resolved by the -enemy to retrieve lost honour. An expedient was resort- ed to, which w^as successftd as far as the capturing of a ship ; yet.an astonished and admirhjg world remained unaltered iii the opinion, that the supe- 84 - niSTORY OF THE WAR. riorlty of American tars was not lessened by the event, nor the fading lustre of British invincibility in any manner retrieved. For some time before the 1st of June, the Bri- tish frigates Tencdos, Bellepoule, and Shannon, were off the harbour of Boston, where the Chesa- peake lay. The Tenedos and Bellepoule, having put a part of their crews on board the Shannon, proceeded to sea. The Shannon (the best fri- gate in tlie British navy) appeared alone off the harbour; on which the Chesapeake got nndei' weigh, at meridian, on 1st June: — atl5mmutes before 6, an action commenced, within pistol shot, and in a few minutes the vessels closed; the arm- chest of the Chesapeake was blown up by a hand- grenade thrown from the enemy's ship : and im- mediately after, the Chesai)eake was carried by^ boarding, and the private signals of the navy of the United States fell into the hands of the enemy. The enemy boasted not of this victory ; it cost him too dear, and was an indisputable proof of American bravery. Never was there such carnage between two ships in so short a time. The loss on board the Shannon cannot be exactly as- certained ; the loss on board the Chesapeake was 48 killed, and 96 wounded. Total killed aiid wounded, 144. Every officer upon whom the comm.and of the ship v/ould devolve, was either killed or wounded, previously to tlie capture of the vessel. The brave capt. Lawrence was mortally wounded. On the authority of captain John Upton, com- mander of the privateer Cossack, of Salem, the following circum.stances were published in an eastern paper. «' After the enemy had complete possession of the ship, and the men were ordered from tlie tops, Mr. Berry,aTnicUhipmpn, who commanded trie niizen top, lurrendercd hiaisulf as a prl.t;'jiier, when two sailor* HISTORY OF THE WAR. 85 nishcd up, and seizing him by the co1]?j/, atto.iipted to throve hiiii overboard; bat he got within the shrouds, when they seized hi^Ti by the lieels, and pitched him on the deck. Being stunned by the fill), he lay for some time senseless ; and when he came to, he was ^ cut over the head with a cutlass, which nearly ter-* minat-ed his existence. Mr. Livingstofi, ant>ther mid- shipman, after receiving a musket ball through his body, was run through the body three times, notwith- standing his repeated cries for quarter, and after the enemy had possession of the ship ! He lived long enough to 6Kprcss his indignation at the brutality of his enemies, and expired in a few hours. Three men were killed in the hold after the capture of the ship ; and they even fired into tjie cockpit, among the woun- ded and dyiwi^ ! Eleven of the Ch&sapeake's oiHcers were conlined in a small place, nine feet by 6, with a guard at the door, till they arrived at Hahkix, and only 1 or 2 permitted to come out at a time. Men were shot at in coming down out ot the tops to surren- der themselves and other instances of barbarity took place, disgraceful to a civilized people." The boastings of British editors, and tlio re- joicings of British partizans, were rather mad than en' f isiastic, on the recovery of her trident by the misLress of the deep ; but this rejoicino- did not long continue ; the facts connected with the en- STug-eraent could not be ion,g: concealed. The cow- ardiy superiority of the enemy, the unexampled bravery of the Americans, and tht) great loss of blood in defence of their iiao;, especially when Cv5n- trasted v/ith former engagements, in which the enemy was deieati^d^ left no solid ground for exul- tation, nothing of which to boast. The unpre- judiced reasoner will yet be found lioldino- the laiire], and doubting whether to award it to the victors or the vanquished. The hoiioiirs confer- red on captain Broke hy his conntrym.en, v/ere justly due to great valour, of v/hich ho is certairriy possessed ; aUfiough in this instance it was tar- H «G HISrORY OF THE WAR nishecl by a dastardly plan to render success cer- tain. The body of captain Lawrence was interred at Halifax on the 8th June; on which occasion the British officers joined in procession, to show their respect for a naval commander whose heroism, skill and demeanor drew respect from all, even from the enemy. Captain Crowinshickl, of Salem, (Ms.) having obtained a flag of trace, proceeded to Halifax in the brig Henry, at his own private expense ; and beinof permitted to take on board his vessel the body of captain Lawrence, and also that of lieu- tenant Ludlow, brought the corpses to Salem, where a funeral procession took place on the 17th August, v*ith every mark of regret, esteem and gratitude, which the citizens could bestow. Judge Story delivered a suitable oration. The effect produced on the audience, when the orator pro- nounced the last dying words of Lawrence, " don't GIVE UP THE SHIP," may be conceived — to describe it would be impossible. Mr. Edward N. Cox, brother-in-law to ^ ptain Lawrence, proceeded to Salem, and having receiv- ed the bodies of the two heroes, conveyed them to the city of New- York, where they were finally in- terred. The arrangements for a public funeral were made under the direction of a committee of the common council of the city. On Thursday the 16th September, pursuant to arrangements, the bodies of our valiant country- men, Lawrence and Ludlow, were finally consign- ed to the peaceful tomb. The unusual number which swelled the mournful procession, and the undissembled sorrow which marked every counte- nance, from the highest to the lowest order, evinced in an unparalleled degree the public sympathy, and that the honours paid to the " mighty dead" were not more conspicuous than deserved. On HISTORY OF TliE WAR. S7 no similar occasion liave we witnessed a testimoiii- iil of respect so universal and sincere. It wt^s in- deed a day of njourning. The hearts of hoary patriots and youthful heroes beat in solemn unison, and the bright eye of beauty glistened with a tri- butary tear. Not only the reflections arising from such a scene, but every transaction connected with the proceedings of the day, were calculated to in- spire with reverence the coldest and most disinter- ested spectator. The concourse of spectators w^ho witnessed this interesting and impressive exhibition was innume- rable, and is supposed to amount to forty or fifty thousand. The streets were lined, the windows crowded, and the roofs covered with citizens, view- ing the grand and solemn spectacle. The caval- cade of boats in the harbor, from its novelty in particular, attracted much attention, and the wharves and the rigging of the vessels in the docks were crowded with spectators. The corporation made a provision of 1,000 dollars for each of the two hifant children: of cap- tain Lawrence. An application to the British naval officer, cap- tain Oliver, for permission to convey the bodij^g Qf Lawrence and Ludlow, by water to New- York, was shamefully refused. The following extracts, translated from a French paper, is worthy of a place here. " The British, who had triumphed in so many na- val combats previously to the prevailing American war, have long relinquished the practice of rejoicing for victories obtained over a single frigate. If an achievement of that sort took place against any of the European powers, the detail of the action was merely inserted in the London Gazette, the papers of the metropolis echoed the narrative, paid a pas- sing compliment to the otRcer, and the affair went off being recorded pro memoria, in the Naval Chronicle, as a thiiiff of course. Votes of honor from the cor- S8 HISTORY OF TflE WAI^. portion of London, a sword of a hundred guineas valne, ami parliamentary encomiums, were reserved ibr the hero who should destroy a fleet. The battle of the Nile, that of Trafalgar, and the like, were alone brilliant enough to excite the applause of a people grovrn callous to common feats of renown, and \vho, accustomed to vanquish every thing on the ocean, be- lieved themselves omnipotent on that element. In the Amcriccns, the Brilisli have found an enemy that has obstructed the agreeable train of their maritime ideas. The citizens of the Umted States are the best seamen in the world. Their officers are men of nau- tical science, of great experience, and generally in the prime of life. The fir^t naval combat of the war, marked, not a simple equality of skill and courage in the men of the two countries, but a decided su- periority in lavor of the Americans. If the English prid-e was mortified at the sudden reverse in the case of the Guerriere, the whole British government was thrown into consternation at the capture of the Mace- donian, tiic Java, the Frolic, and the Peacock. Such rapid and successive defeats made the cabinet of St. James bri.^lle again ; it seemed as if all the English captains were doomed to pa.ss, one after the other, under the Yankee yoke, or to the regions of the " A triumph gained by something very like an ar- tifice, has given occasion to the most extravagant de- monstrations of joy in London. A member of Par- liament, whose name is Croaker, v/hich in the Eng- lish tongue, signifies a noisy, but contemptible rep- tile,- has pronounced on the occasion a most prepos- terous eulogium, and the corporation of London have treated the afiair as if the fleets of all the world had been anchored in the Thames, as tropliies of their valor! Who is there that does not perceive irvthis va- poring of the Islanders, a real fear for their ultimate naval superiority? The Americans will soon recover from this event. They J^re a people vvho do not yield to misfortune. We had some experience of them 50 years ago ; and they have already evinced that they have not degenerated." HISTORY OF THE WAR. 89 The l)arbaroiis usage which the crew of the Chesapeake received from the enemy, when con- trasted with the treatment which the brave Law- rence and his crew observed when they were vic- tors, is the best possiWe comment on the charac- ter of botli nations. It is a fact worthy of note, and in the highest degree honourable to our brave tars, that on the day succeeding the destruction of the Peacock, the crew of the Hornet made a subscriptin, and supplied the prisoners (who had lost almost every thing) with two shirts and a jacket and trowsers each. The following is the official report of an extra- ordinary event which occurred on the 6th June: COPY OF A LETTER From Major-Qeneral Dearborn to the Secretary of Jlar. Head-Quarters, Fort-Geonre, Ju7ie G, IS13. •Sir, I have received an express from the head of the lake this evening, with intelligence that our troops, commanded by brig. gen. Chandler, were attacked at two o'clock this morning by the whole of the British and Indian forces; and by some strange fatality, though our loss was small, (not exceeding thirty) and the enemy completely routed and driven from the field, both brig, generals Chandler and Winder were taken prisoners. They had advanced to ascertain the situation of a company of artillery, when the at- tack commenced. Gen. Vincent is said to be among the killed of the enemy ; Col. Clarke was mortally M'ounded, and fell into our hands, with 60 prisoners of the 49th British regiment. The whole loss of the enemy is 250. They sent in a flag with a request to bury their dead. General Lewis, accompanied by brig. gen. Boyd, goes on to take the command of the advanced tioops, H2 90 . mSTORY OF THE WAR. It appears, tliat on this occasion the advanced guard of the American army commenced a sliarp skirmisli with the advance of the enemy, on the afternoon of the 5th Jnne ; the latter was com- pelled to retreat into a thick wood. In the even- ing the Americans took a position behind Stoney- creek ; the light infantry and part of the rifle corps formed the right wing ; the artillery, the centre ; the 5th, 16th and 23d infantry, and some riflemen, the left, and the cavalry in the rear; the picket guards were strong, and so placed as to surround the encampment with centinels. The whole force did not exceed 1000 men; but their disposition was the best that could be made. Tln'ce hundred men were encamped on the border of the lake, for the protection of the boats. About two o'clock in the morning, the enemy forced the picket, and attacked the encampment in the dark, with his whole force of regulars and In- dians. The Ameiicans withstood and resisted the enemy w'ith sucli resolution and success, that when the day dawned, none of the enemy w^re to be seen, but the killed and wounded, who covered the field of battle. The attack began on the riglit, and -Was gallant- i}' repelled by the fire of the light troops and 25th legiment, commanded by major Smitli. In a few minutes it became general along the whole line, and was nobly returned by the artillery of the centre, commanded by captains Townsend. and L. Leonard, and by the troops of the left wing, viz. the 5th, under lieut. col. Milton, the 23d. com- manded by major Armstrong, and the 16th. The fire continued with little intermission for one hour, during which time the enemy attempted, by fre- quent charges, to break our line, but without ef- fect, being obliged to give way by ih& well direct- ed fire of our brave troops. The 13th and 14lh regimeiits, which had been HISTORY OF THE WAR. §1 detached the preceding evening, were active in making prisoners, and advanced with much ardor to the field, Mn hopes of sharing with the gallant 5th and 25th, 23d and light troops, the glory of another combat. But the unfortunate capture of brig. gens. Chandler and Winder, who were tak- en in the action, unknown to any part of the ar- my, and hurried to the enemy's lines, prevented the future operations from being carried into et- , feet with the promptitude which would assuredly have taken place, had either of those officers been present to command. As soon as it v/as discovered that generals Win- der and Chandler were prisoners, colonel James Burn, on whom the command devolved, summon- ed a council of war, a majority of whom decided that the army ought to retire to its former position at Forty-mile creek. The army on this occasion has proved its firm- ness and bravery, by keeping its position in a night attack, in which the yells of the Indians, mingled with the roaring of cannon and musketry, were calculated to intimidate. The enemy charged re- poatcdlj', and so dark was the night, that our army could not distinguish friend from foe ; in one of these they succeeded in carrying off a 6 pounder, a howitzer and a caisson, to the great mortification of our brave artillery. It is presumed ii was en that occasion also that we lost our gent rals, who were distinctlv heard encouraGinff our men to fiidit. The squadron of dragoons remained ierrfied and steady at their posts, but could not act on account of the darkness of the night, and the thickness of the adjacent woods. Heport of hilled^ twunded, and missings in the flction of the 6th June, at Stoney Creek. Killed — 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 15 privates. / 92 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Wounded— 1 captain, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals, and 34 privates. Missing — 2 brigadier-generals, 1 major, 3 captains, i subaltern, 9 sergeants, 4 corporals, 80 privates. Total — killed, wounded, and missing, 154. Correct returns from the reports of the different corps in the action of the 6th inst. at Stoney creek. J. Johnson, Asst. Adj. Gen. The enemy acknowledged to have on this occa- sion, the 8th or king's regiment, 280 men ; 49th regiment, 430; total regular, 710, besides "a powerful body of Indians, under the chief Nor- ton." As the enemy makes no mention of hi» militia, and as he is known to under-rate his ac- tual force in every engagement, it may be sup- posed that his force in the engagement at Stoney- creek, was very considerable. ' The American army took up a position at Forty mile-creek, ten miles in rear of the ground on which it had been attacked. Here it was joined at 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 7th June, by a reinforcement under the command of gen, Lewis. At 6 o'clock in the evening, the hostile fleet hove in sight; the Americans lay on their arms during the night. At dawn of day the squadron appeared about a mile from tlie shore; about 6 o'clock, towed in a large schooner, (it being a dead calm,) with a view to destroy a number ot boats, attached to the A- merican army, which lay on the beach. By means of a temporary furnace, constructed in half an hour, under direction of Captain Totten, of the engineers, and by the successful fire from 4 pieces of artillery, worked by the men of capt. Archer and Towson's companies, the enemy's schooner was comoeiied to retire, without efFectino; the de- struction of the boats. A party of Indians, hav- ing occupied a commanding eminence, commenc- ed an attack on the Americans, but were soon dis- HISTORY OF THE WAK. S3 ioeiged and forced to retreat l>efore a party of vol- oDt'eers, under connnand of Kent. Eldridge, adju- tant in col. Chryfctie's regiment.' Sir James Yec, commander of the enemy's fleet, having failed in his attack on the boat*^, sent a flag to the American commander, demanding a surrender of the nrmy ; to this a verbal negative vtas given. On the 14th, a part of the ^amp equipage and bagg.jge were put in boats, and the weatlicr being ftivourcibie, the boats put oft', without waiting for a detachment of *iOO men, which were ordered to go on beard for the purpose of protecting them, in case of being attacked. It was tor a short time calm, but a breeze springing u}7, when they had progressed about three njiles, they v;ere bore down upon by an arm- ed schooner ; the most enterprising kept on and escaped ; others ran to the sliore and deserted their boats; twelve of the boats, principally containing bairiraire of the olilcers and men, were taken. At -Bin .in' 10 o'clock, gen. Lewis put the army in motion, in order to retiirn to Niagara ; the Canadian ujihtia and savages hung on their flanks and rear, during the retreat. Lieutenant Colonel Bcsrstler was detached on the evening of 23d June, with 570 men, to a place called Beaver-darns, about 9 miles from Queens-town, to disperse a body of the enemy collected there. She enemy's force was under- stood to consist of above 80 regulars, 150 or 200 mihtia, and 50 or 60 Indians. Colonel Boerstler's detachment reached v/ithin about two miles of Beaver-dams, at 8 o'clock in the morning, when it was attacked from an ambuscade, consisting of 500 regulars, and 100 Indians, but soon repulsed the enemy, and then retired to a r' ar field, and sent an express for reinforcements. A reinforce- ment of 300 men, under command of Colonel Chrystie, was quickly marched to the aid of Col- onel Boerstlerj but, on arriving at Queenstowuj 94 HISTORY OF THE WAR. was informed, tliat Lieutenant Colonel Bcerstler, with bis command, had surrendered to the enemy. The reinforcement returned to camp. The Ame^ rican troops fought v/idi ineat bravery for two hours, while surrounded by superior numbers. General Dearborn, in his official statement, dated at Fort George, June 25lb, expresses his sur- prise, " why it should have been deemed proper to remain several hours in a position surrounded by woods, A\ithout either risking a decisive action, or effecting a retreat, remains to be accounted for, as well as the project of waiting for a reinforcement from a distance of fifteen or rixteen miles." This difficulty was soon cleared up by IMajor Chapin^ who commanded the mihtia at the battle of Bea- ver-dams, but who arrived at Buffaloe in the liight of the 13th July, having, together with his com- pany, escaped from the enemy, Jifter being prisoners of war. Captain Chapin stated, that the enemy was considerably superior in number, notwithstanding which, Lieutenant Colonel Boerstler would have been able to maintain his position, or cut a pas- sage through the enemy, so as to effect a retreat ; but at this juncture, a British officer rode up, and demanded the surrender of the American party. The demand was made, he said, to prevent the effusion of blood. He asserted also, upon his honour, and declared in the most solemn manner, that the British regular force was double that of the American, and that the Indians were 700 in num- ber. Lieutenant Colonel Boerstler, under a be- lief of these facts, and thinking it impracticable to get off the wounded, whom he was unwilling to abandon to the mercy of the savages, and deeming it extremely uncertain whether a retreat could be effected, thought proper to agree to terms of ca- pitulation, which were at length signed by him- self on the one part, and by Lieutenant Coicnci Bishop on the other. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 95 Captain Chapin makes tlie following statement : " The articles of capitulation were no sooner signed, than they were violated. The Indians im- mediately commenced their depredations, and plundered the officers of their side-arms. The soldiers too were stripped of every article of cloth- ing to which the savages took a fancy, such as hats, coats, shoes, &c." By the articles of capitulation, it was stipulated that the wounded should be taken good care of, the officers be permitted to retain their side-arms, private property be respected, and the militia im- mediately parolled. How characteristic of a sa- vage and faithless enemy was this shameful viola- tion of honour and good faith. Major Chapin and his corps were detained un- der a guard at tliehead of Lake Ontario, and no attention paid to the article of capitulation, which provided for their being parolled. On the 12th inst. they were ordered down the lake to Kingston ; for which place they were embarked in two boats, accompanied by a guard of 15 men, under the command of a lieutenant. Thirteen of the men, with the lieutenant, were stationed in the forward boat with Major Chapin and the other officers, while the remaining two, (a sergeant and one man,) took the direction of the other boat, which con- tained the soldiers. An agreement had been en- tered into, previous to their departure, of seizing the first opportunity that offered to regain their li- berty, which they determined to effect, or die in the attempt. When they were within about 12 miles of York, the boat which was filled v, ith the pri- soners, was rowed by them along side of the other, under pretence of taking something to drink. The signal being given, they sprang upon tlie guard, who httle expected such a manoeuvre, and in a short time disarmed them, and gained possession of the boats. They immediately altered their 96 HISTORY OF THE WAR. course from Kingston to Fort Niagara, and aftt-r rowing hard for most of the night, and escaping with difficulty from one of the enemy's schooners, whicli gave tliein chase, arrived in safety with their prisoners, at the American garrison. The following extnict of a private letter from Fort George, made its appearance in a public new^spaper, in the first week in August : ^' A large boat arrived twq days sinxe from Little York, containing one lieutenant, and 8 of his Britan- nic majesty's mihtia, captured by 8 of out men, ('3 regulars, and 5 militia, ) taken at Beaver -Dams. The lieutenant and his party were conducting them to Kingston — our men rose on the English, and brought them in here. Another boat, with 14^ of Boerstler's men, has just come in from York, bringing with them their sentinel, and one other person.'* It would be an unpardonable injustice to the brave Chapin not to give his own report of this Jheroic escape. Tiie folio v,ing is a copy of his let- ter to General Dearborn, daied Fort George, June 13th, 1813. "Sir — L have just arrived from my confinement ia Canada, with" my men, without our parole. Our re- turn iiappened in the follov»an^ mannner ; I received orders at Burlington heights on Monday morning, to go to Kingston — We set off accordingly under the care of a gu^n*d of ,16 men. I had with me 28 men. We all went on very quietly till 4 o'clock in the af- ternoon, at which time 1 gave a signal to attack the guard, which were stationed in the toftowing order ; A sergeant and one man in the boat with my men, a lioiitenant and 13 men in the boat with me and two officers. At the sigaal, iny men ran aloag side of the boat I was in. Lieut. Showers ordered them to fail aztern. I ordered them on board — at which thne the ofiicer attempted to draw hi^ swjrd, I seized hira by the neck and threw him on his back — two of his men drew their bayonets upon me — I immediately seised HISTORY OF THE WAR. 97 both bayonets at the same instant, and threw them on the top of the officer, and kept all down together ; at the same moment, my men seized the guard, and wrested from them their arms — we then, having pos- session of the arms, changed our course, and arrived here this morning half after two o'clock, all safe. We have brought two boats with us. I have the honour to be very respectfull}'-, your obedient servant, CYRENUS CHAPIN." On the 11th July, 1813, 250 British regulars crossed the Niagarii, below Black Rock, moved up towards that place, and marched far above the navy -yard, before any alarm was given. The de- tached militia, being surprised, retreated up the beach, and left the enemy in quiet possession of the village, who proceeded to burn the sailors* bar- racks and block -nouses at the great battery ; they then proceeded to the batteries, dismounted and spiked three 12 pornders, and took away three field pieces, and one 12 pounder; they took from the store-houses a quantity of whiskey, salt, flour, pork, &c. which, v/ith four citizens, they took across the river. At the first moment of the ah'irm, General Porter left Black Rock for Buf- faloe ; at which place he assembled a body of vol- unteers, and a few regulars, which, with 100 militia, and 25 Indians, formed a junction about a mile from the enemy. After being formed with the militia and Indians on the Hanks, and the volunteers and regulars in the centre, they attack- ed, and the enemy, after a contest of 20 minutes, retreated in the utmost confusion, to the beach, embarked in several of our boats, and pulled for the opposite shore ; all the boats got off without injury, except the last, which suflered severely from our fire, and from appearance, nearly all the men in her were killed and wounded. The Bri- tish lost 8 killed on the field, besides these killed I # H HISTORY OF THE WAR. and wounded in the boats. The Americans took ] 5 prisoners, who were sent to Batavia. On the American side, sergeant Hartman, Jonathan Thomson, and Joseph Wright, were killed, and 5 wounded, two of which were Indians. On the 7th July, the enemy attacked a guard about a mile and a half from Fort George, when Lieut. Eldridge, with 39 men, who volunteered under him, went to relieve them; but, in his zeal to execute the order, he unexpectedly found him- self surrounded in the wood by Indians, who open- ed a deadly fire upon his little corps, which cut down 18 — a few fled, and the remainder were taken by the Indians, and stripped, scalped, and mangled in a horrid manner. Only 9 of the corps escaped. During the night of the 4th July, a party of the enemy, consisting, according to the British account, of 44< men, but known to exceed that number, passed over in boats from Chippawa to Fort Schlosser, which was guarded by only 12 men, whom the enemy made prisoners, together with three of the citizens; and also succeeded in Ciirrying off some flour, salt pork, whiske}'', &c.; one brass six pounder, a few stands of arms, some ball-cartridges, &c. with wliich they hastily retir- ed. The enemy being reinforced, returned on the succeeding evening to complete the plundering, which his hurry and fears compelled him to leave unfinished during his first visit, but observing a guard, he retreated without attempting to land. A body of the enemy, consisting of about 200 men, beside Indians, attacked the pickets at Fort George, on the 1 7th July, but v/ere bravely repul- sed, after a contest of one hour. Although this affair was not otherwise of much cont^quence, it was in a degree so, inasmuch as it gave a full op- portunity of testing the conduct of the American officers engaged; as it was fought in detachm- ents Colonel Scott had command of the troops HISTORY OF THE WAR. 93 on tills occasion. General Boyd, in his official report, highly extolled the activity and bravery of those engaged, particularly Majors Cummins, and Armstrong; Captains Vandeiirsen, Madison, Birdsall, and Towson. A declaration of war, of which the following is a copy, was issued by the Six Nations of New- York Indians, immedbtely after the invasion of tlie state bv the British. DECLARATION OF WAR, BY THE SIX NATIONS OF INDIANS. We, the Chiefs and Councillors of the Six Nation! of Indians, residing in the state of New- York, do hereby procUiiin to all the W^ir Chiefs and Warriors of the Six Nations, that WAR is declared on our part, against the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. Therefore, we do hereby command and advise all the War Chiefs to call forth immediately the W^arri- ors under them, and put them in motion, to protect their rights and liberties, which our brethren, the Americans, are now defending. (Signed) Bij the Grand Councillors, Major- General Dearborn had been for some ^ time in a state of ill health. On the 15th July lie was superceded in the command of the army on the Niagara frontier; and was succeeded by Gen. Boyd, tlie second in command. On this occasion, the general received a very affectionate address from General Boyd, and the other officers serving at Fort GeorgQ. As, hov/ever, the cause of the general's dismissal was the object of various conjecture, the following extract from the general order, issued on tlie occasion, will give to the reader all the satistactioii in our power to communicate. " The major general coinmanding, having received orders from the secretary ot war, to ratire from the • lOa HISTORY OF THE WAR. command of this army until his health shall be re- established, and until further orders — the command devolves on Brig. Gen. Bojd. Were the major-gene- ral permitted to consult his own feelings, no consi- deration could induce him to leave the army at this important crisis ; but the first duty of a soldier is to obey Ilis superiors." About the 15th or 16th of July, two private armed boats, each carrying a 6 or 8 pounder, and 50 men, sailed from Sackett's Harbour, to cruise in the St. Lawrence! On Monday, the 19th, they fell in with a gun-boat, carrying a 6 pound carronade, conveying 15 of the enemy's batteaux, captured them without the loss of a man, and bi'ought them into Cranberry creek, about 49 miles above Ogdensburg. The batteaux had on board 230 barrels pork, 300 bags pilot-bread, ammunition, &c. bound from Montreal to Kinss-' ton. On Tuesday morning, 3 of the enemy's gun-boats, with 250 soldiers from Prescot, arrived off the creek, and landed their men. The priva- teersmen liad hardly time to construct a breast- work of their bags of pilot-bread, before they were attacked by 200 of the enemy ; and strange to tell, after an obstinate engagement, in which from 40 to 60 of the enemy were killed, his force retreated precipitately to their boats, except 1 5, who took to the woods and were pursued. The American loss was trifling, though it is not speci- fied. Sixty-seven British prisoners, captured in the batteaux and gun-boat, arrived at Water- town on Tuesday evening. The employment of Indians by the enemy ren- dered it absolutely necessary to attach the friendly Indians to the army of the United States. On this occasion there was an opportunity of proving tliat the savage can abstain from those barbarous acts, which the enemy must have encouraged, or ear to the bank of the river. At from two to three hundred yards from the river, a swamp extends paral- lel to it, throughout the whole distance. The inter- mediate ground is dry, and although the trees are tolerably thick, it is in many places clear of under- brush. 'Across this strip of land, its left appayed up- on the river, supported by artillery placed in the wood, their right in the swamp, covered by the whole of their Indian force, the British troops were drawn up. The troops at my disposal consisted of about 120 regulars of the 27th regiment, 5 brigades of Kentuc- ky volunteer militia infantry, under his excellency Governor Shelby, averaging less than five hundred men, and colonel Johnson's regiment of mounted in- fantry, making in the whole an aggregate something above 3000. No disposition of an army opposed to an Indian force, can be safe, unless it is secured on the flanks, and in the rear. I had therefore no difS- culty in arranging the infantry conformably to my general order of battle. General Trotter's brigade of 500 men, formed the front line, his right upon the road, and his left upon the swamp ; general King's brigade, as a second line, 150 yards in the rear of Trotter's, and Chiles' brigade, as a corps of reserve, in the rear of it. These three brigades formed the command of major general Henry ; the whole of general Desha's division, consisting of two brigades, were formed en potence upon the left of Trotter. While I was engaged in forming the infantry, I had directed colonel Johnson's regiment, which was still in front, to be formed in two lines opposite to the enemy, and upon the advance of the infantry, to take ground to the left, and forming upon that flank, to endeavour to turn the right of the Indi-ans. A ns HISTORY OF THE WAR. moment's reflection, however, convinced me that from the thickness of the woods, and swampiness of the ground, they would be unable to do any thing oa horseback, and there was no time to dismount them and place their horses in security. I therefore de- termined to refuse my left to the Indians, and to break the British lines at once hy a charge of the mounted infantry ; the measure v/as not sanctioned by any thing I had either seen or heard of; but I was fully convinced that it would succeed. The A- merican backwoodsmen ride better in the woods than any other people. A musket or rifle is no impedi- ment to them, being accustomed to carry them on horseback from their earliest youth. I was persuad- ded, too, that the enemy would be quite unprepared for the shock, and that they could not resist it. Con- formably to this idea, I directed the regiment to be drawn up in close column, with its right at the dis- tance of fifty yards from the road, (that it might be in some measure protected by the trees from the ar- tillery,) its left upon the swamp, and to charge at full speed as soon as the enemy delivered their fire. The few regular troops of the 27th regiment, under, their colonel, (Paul,) occupied, in columns of sec- tions of four, the small space between the road and the river, for the purpose of seizing the enemy's ar- tillery ; and some ten or twelve friendly Indians were directed to move under the bank. The crotchet formed by the front line and general Desha's division was an important point. At that place the vener- able governor of Kentucky was posted, who, at the age of sixty-six, preserves all the vigour of youth, the ardent z^al which distinguished him in the revo- lutionary war, and the undaunted bravery which he manifested at King's mountain. With my aids-de- camp, the acting assistant adjutant general. Captain Butler, my gallant friend Com. Perry, who did me the honour to serve as my volunteer aid-de-camp, and brigadier general Cass, who, having no command, tendered me his assistance, I placed myself at the head of the front line of infantry, to direct the m.ove- ments of the cavalry, and give thara the necessary HISTORY OF THE WAR. Ho support. The army had moved on in this order but a short distance, when the mounted men received the fire of the British hne, and were ordered to charge ; the horses in the front of the column re- coiled from the fire ; another was given by the ene- my, and our column, at length getting in motion, broke through the enemy with irResistible force. In one minute, the contest in front was over. The Bri- tish officers, seeing no hopes of reducing their disor- dered ranks to order, and our mounted men wheel- ing upon them,, and pouring in a destructive fire, im- mediately surrendered. It is certain that 3 only of our troops were wounded in this charge. Upon the left, however the contest was more severe with the Indians. Colonel Johnson, who commanded on that flank of his regiment, received a most galling fire from them, which was returned with great ef- fect. The Indians, still farther to the right, advanced and fell in with our front line of infantry, near its junction with Desha's division, and for a moment made an impression on it. His excellency Governor Shelby, however, brought up a regiment to its sup- port ; and the enemy, receiving a severe fire in front, and a part of Johnson's regiment having gained their rear, retreated with precipitation." The active Indian Chief Tecumseb, after evincing great resolution, and continuing to fight although being badly wounded, fell, while direct- ing a deadly aim at Colonel Johnson. The invin- cible courage of the colonel, and his great pre- sence of mind, saved his own valuable life, and put an end to tliat of an irreconcileable foe. While the sanguinary Tecum'sch was aiming at the colonel, the latter, although wounded in seve- ral parts, and much exhausted, discharged his pistol with gr^at coolness, and brought the fero- cious savage to the earth, vvhere he was found dead. The American loss amounted to 7 killed and 22 wounded; the British loss was 12 killed, 22 ',vjQundedj ar*d 60 T regulars taken prisoner*. 120 HISTORY OF THE WAR. The Indians, from the best information, suffered severely, S3 of them were found dead on the field. Six brass pieces of artillery, and two iron 24? pounders, and a large quantity of small arms, fell into the hands of the victors. Every Ameri- can vv'ill be pleased to learn, that among the field pieces, were three, which were taken from the British during the revolutionary war, bearhig the motto, '^surrendered hy Burgoyne at Saratoga^'' and lately surrendered to the enemy by General Hull. Major-Gencral Proctor, who commanded the ememy's forces, escaped with difficulty, accomx- panicd by about 50 persons, consisting chiefly of officers of the army. After this total defeat of the enemy, the militia were discharged, and General Harrison, with his disposable regular force, accompanied by Com^ Perry, arrived at Presquc-isle, on the 22d Octo- ber, from Detroit; from whence he sailed for Black Rock, with a view to co-operate with the army there or at Sackett's Harbour. By this ex- cursion, he, in the short space of less than a month, recovered the territory of Michigan, pu- nished, and forced into peace, the numerous hordes of savages, captured a British regular ar- my, brought security to the inhabitants of the north western frontier of the United States, and ]piarched trium})hantiy through a great portion of the Upper Pro vi nee of Can ada. General Cass was left in the provincial government of Michigan territor3% The instances of successful bravery, which had hitlierto been frequent, were, in a manner, eclips- ed by the follov*Jug: Major George Oroghan, in the 22d year of his age, was left, by General Harrison, in conmiand of 160 men, and with l' six-pounder, at Fort Stephensor>, (LovrcV Sandusky.) lathe course of tv.o weeks, there had been no HISTORY OF THE \YaK 121 fewev than ten rencounters ; in one of which, the enemy carried a block-house at Fort Madison, on the dOlh July, from which they attacked the fort, but without success. Four men were butchered in the block-house. It would appear, that it was General Harrison's intention, not to expose the small force at Fort Stephenson, to be cut off by an enemy very supe-^ rior in numbers ; and the major was, for a short time, sui:)ercedcd in the command, inconsequence of disobeying an order to burn and evacuate the fort; but, on his arrival at head-quarters of the iTcnerai, lie gave such satisfactory evidence of his ability to maintain the post, tliat he was imme- diately sent back, v/itii directions to resume the command. ' On tlie eveninnj of the 1st Aucrust, the British and Indians, who iiad come up the Sandusky river, from the bay, commenced from their boats a heavy cannonaduig upon the fort, aiid threw in a great number of shells from their bomb batteries. Tiie enemy continued his operations without suc- cess until the evening of the 2d, when, after throwin'i: a great number of balls from a six-'pound- er, at the north-west angle of the fort, for the purpose of making a breach, a cjlumn, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Short, advanced to the point on whieli the artillery had been play- ed, with intention of stormin*.;, but the judicious management of Miijor Cro^.^li.tn, foiled the enemy in his attempt. The ditch, which surrounded the works, was about eight feet wide, and of equal depth — this the eneiii}' had to enter before they could approach tlie pickets : (chrougli the top cf .each, a bayonet was driven in a horizontal direc- tion,) while in tins situation, the six-pouudcr, .which was masked in a block-house, and a ravine adjacent, poured upon the storming column a tre- .iuendous shower of musket-balls, wliich did* tcr- L ■■ 122 HISTORY OF THE WAR. liblc execution, and so confounded the assailants, that Lieutenant Colonel Short, who had previous- ly ordered his men to "scale the pickets, nd show the dannied Yankee rascals no quarters," exhibited a white handkercliicf as a signal of dis- tress, evincing his disposition to have quarters given him, alter he had proclaimed that the gar- rison should be massacred. It was, however, too ]ote — tlie next discharge proved fatal — he fell — an.d Lieutenant Gordon of the !?9lh regiment, died by his side. This was nearly two hours before sun -set. The firing from tlie block-house was princi})ally directed at the enemy who had taken refuge in the direction of the ravine — tiie slaughter there was immense, and General Proctor, who commanded in person, ordered the allied enemy to retreat to their boats. The greater part of the night was occupied in carrying off the dead and wounded — from the number of trails discoyered in the grass, it is evident that no less tlian 50 of the dead were dragged away. About SO killed, includi'ig the two officers mentioned above, were left in the ditch and ravine — and 30 prisoners, 18 severely wounded, which General Proctor, in his Iiurry, left behind, were afterwards brought into tl:e fort. It is a fact, worthy of observation,^ that not one Indian was found auiong the dead, alihough it is know^i that from 3 to 400 were present, under the celebrated Captain Elliot. — The number of British regulars was 4.90, from the 4'9th regiment. Major Croghan had but 1 riian killed, and 7 slightly v/oundcd. The British loss, by tlieir own confession, a- Kiom^ted to 91, exclusive of Indians. Tliere was, however,, suillcient evidence to justify the belief, that it v/as considerably more. . . Vvhen Colonel Elliot demanded the surrender ©f the fort, he stated, that unless his demand was promptly acceded to, a general massacre would HISTORY OF THE WAR.- 125 ensue. And when Colonel Short, who command- ed the British regulars, destined to storm the fort, had formed his troops in a line parallel with the ditch, he ordered tliem, in tiie h.earing of our men, to leap the ditch, cut down the pickets, and give the Americans no quarter. This barbarous order, which none but a savage could gi^'e, was not, however, permitted to go unpunislied ; for the words Vvcre hardly out of the month of the British command- er, when the retributive justice of Providence ar- rested him ; and tlie wretch was obliged to sue for thit mercy v/hich he had determined not to extend to others. It may be observed here, in honour of tlie cliaracter of the American soldiers, that al- though their little band were well aware of the fiite which the enemy had prepared for them., yet, they were no sooner subdued, than the Americans forgot the crim.es of the eneuiy iu their sufferings ;- and the wounded in the ditch, whose groans and constant calls for water, were heard by the men in the fort, were supplied with that necessary article, on the night succeedino; the discomfiture of the enemy, by the generosity of the Americans, who* with considerable hazard, ventured to risk their lives in order to alleviate the sufferings of the very men who had plotted their entire destruction. The brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel has been conferred bv the President of the United States on Major Croghan. The ladies of Chillicothe have presented him with a sword, and a flatteriufy address. On the Sd of June, a detachment of the enemy, with a number of gun -boats, fiom Lsle-Aux-Noix, succeeded in capturing the United States' armed vessels, Grovi'ler and Eagle, on Lake Champlain, after a well contested defence by the brave crews of these vessels, against a very superior force. The consequence was, that the enemy gained a very decided superioj'ity on the lake. The enemy reckoned on success in his failure 124 HISTOFiY OF THE WAH. operations in this quarter, not onl}" from !iis own superior force, but alt^o from tlie unprepared state of the Americans. Com. Macdonou^h had not a sufficient number of seamen to man Ins sloops, and would be highly reprehensible bad he been de- feated in an attempt to recover tlie ascendency on the lake. There were no troops stationed at Plattsburgh. While things were thus situated, the British flotilla, consisting of two sloops of war, (the Eagle and Growler, lately captured,) three gun-boats, and forty-four batteaux, load- ed witli troops, sailors, and marines, about four- teen hundred in all, under the command of col- onel Murray, crossed the line at Champlain, on tlie SOth .July, and entered Piattsbm'gh on the following da}'. On the first information of the approach of tlie enemy, general Mooers gave orders for call- ing o'jt the militia; and when the enemy arrived, a-bout three hundred from Plattsburgh and tlie neighbouring towns had collected, who" retired back a few miiles, where they were joined by the residue of the regiment, from the county of Essex. Although the officers who had the command^ of the expedition, assured the civil authority of the village, that private property should be re- spected, and that citizens not in arms should re- main unmolested — yet these prom.ises were no soon- er made than violated ; the enemy, not satisfied with destroying the public buildings, such as the block-house, arsenal, -armory, hospital, and mili- tary cantonments, wantonly burned two store- liouses, belonging to Peter Sailly, esq. and one be- longing to major N. Z. Piatt— took, and carried of!' several thousand dollars worth of hardware, be- longing to Frothinham 8c Co. of Boston, whicli had been stored with Mr. Sailly, The destruc- tion of private projjcrty was not limited to such HISTORY OF THE WAK. 125 as they could eat, drink, and carry av/ay, but furniture, which coukl not be of any use to the phinderers, was wantonly destroyed — tables, bu- reaus, clocks, desks, cupboards, and crockery, were cut and broken to pieces, and thrown about the houses — books and writings were torn to pieces, and scattered about the streets. The various excesses of the enemy, during their short visit to Plattsburg, are described by several respectable authorties, to be enormous^ ' cruel, and wanton, in a high degree. — '* Well was it," says one of the witnesses of the scene, ^ " for our wives, i^isters, and daughters, that they remembered the excesses at Hampton, and trusted not their persons to the mercy of the in- vaders." On Sunday, the faithless ruffians, the unprin- cipled invaders, re-embarked, and stood out of the bay. They took a Durham boat, loaded with flour, and eight sloops, one of v/hich they burned. On their return to Point-au-Iioche, the ere.*- of one of the boats landed, and part went to the house of a Mr. Wilhams; they found his wife out of the house ; two of tiiem v/ent in, to keep the husband in check, while the third attempted to gratify his brutal desires upon her. Her Ims- banci, hearing her screams, came to her assist- ance, and in the struggle the woman discharged the villain's gun, disengaged the bayonet there- from, which she stuck twice into his ov.m back, and wounded him pretty severely : the other two fled, and Mr. Williams and his wife bound, the rascal, and sent him in ; the inhabitants on Point*- au- Roche took the skiff in which they came, and the other soldiers. The United States' troops at Burlington, un- der the command of major general Hampton, consisted of about 4000 men. They were und^r X. 2 V26 HISTORY OF THE WAR. arm?; waiting tbe approach of the enemy, and would, undoubtecfly, have defended theii post against any attack they could have made on it. On the 3d August the enemy appeared be- fore Burlino'ton, and fired into the town for some tmie, but no considerable damaste3red towards the Azores, oft' which he continued until the 6tli June, v,^ithout meeting an HISTORY OF THE VVAI?. 143 enemy's vessel. From hence lie crowded sail to the N. E. in search of an enemy's convoy, which he learned was seen sailing from the West-Indies to England. Although disappointed in falhng in with the convoy, he nevertheless made 4 captures, the 9th and 13th of June. This brought him so far to the north and east, that he resolved on g-o- ing into the North Sea. He put into North Ber- gen on the 27th June, to procure provisions and water, not having seen any enemy's vessels since the 13th. At Bergen he could procure only water, and departed from thence the 2d July, stretchinff over towards the Orknev-Islands : and from thence towards the North Cape, in search of a British convoy that was to sail from Arch- angel, of which he obtained information from two vessels, which he captured on the 13th and 18th July. In this object he was disappointed, by the appearance of two of the enemy's ships of war, (a line of battle ship, and a frigate,) off the Nortli Cape, on the 19th July. The President was chased by these two ships for eighty hours, but effected her escape. Tiie Commodore next pro- ceeded to a station where he might intercept the trade passing into and out of the Irish channel. In this position he made three captures, between the 25th July and 1st August; when, fearing the great superior force of tlie enemy in that quar- ter, he changed his ground ; raid, after taking a circuit round Ireland, and getting into the lati- tude of Cape Clear, he steered for the Banks of Newfoundland, near which he made tvvo captures. From the banks, he steered for the United States ; and, being short of provisions, was ccmpelled to make the first port, into wiiich he could safely enter. He brought in with him H. B. M. schoon- er High Elyer, a tender to admiral Warren, cap- tured on the 23d July. He took 271 prisoners; U4 HISTORY OF TMS WAR. 216 of whom were sent home in cartels, and 55 brouoht liomein the President. The movements on the Niasiara frontier bejjan at tins tmie to wear a serious aspect. The following address was circulated in the western district of the state of New-York. " TO THE PATRIOTS OF THE WES TERN DISTRICT. The period being at hand which is to decide the fate of the province of Upper Canada, and the com* mand of the Niagara frontier having devolved on me, I think proper to invite the old and young patriots of the western district to join my brigade in defence of their country and rights — any number not exceed- ing 1000, will be accepted and organized immediate- ly on their arrival at Levviston, and officered by the choice of their men. As the movements of an ar- my require secrecy, objects in view cannot be par- ticularly developed ; but those who feel disposed to distinguish themselves, and render services to their countr}', may be assured that something efficient and decisive will btJ done. The term of service will be two montlis, if not sooner discharged ; and every thing shall be done to render their situations as com- fortable as possible. I wish none to volunteer who may have any constitutional objections to cross the Niagara river ; 1400 of my brigade have already vo- lunteered to cross the river, and go wherever they may be required ; and 600 of them are now doing duty at Fort George. I flatter myself that no other consideration need be urged, than love of conntry, to excite the patriotism of the yeomanry of the wes- tern district. Given at head- quarters, Lewiston, October 2d, 1813. GEORGE M'CLURE, Brig. Gen. Commanding Niagara Frontier. ' A considerable number of patriotic volunteers flocked on this occasion to the standa] d of gen- M'Clure. HISTORY OF THE VrAR. Its The following is an extract of the general's let- ter to governor Tomkins, of the state of New- York, dated Fort George, 6th October, 1813. " We have commenced offensive operations against the enemv. About 500 mihtia volunteers, and about 150 Indians, commanded by colonel Chapin, attacked the piquet guard of the enemy about a mile and a half from Fort George, and drove them in upon tlie main body, when the enemy opened a fire from seve- ral fiekl pieces. Our men retired in good order into the fort, with the loss of one man killed, and t\vo or three wounded. The enemy's loss was 7 killed, ma- ny wounded, and 4 prisoners. " In a short time, the enemy appeared in consider- able force within 500 yards of the fort, at the edge of the woods ; Chapin again Scdiied out with abOut 300 men, and some Indians, commenced a brisk fire en the whole of the enemy's line, and drove them half a mile — but, perceiving, by the movements of the enemy, that they would outflimk us, I ordered 200 to reinforce him, and in two detachments to attack the enemy's flanks. We succeeded in drivino- the enemy into the woods, when, night coming on, put at) end to the conflict. Our loss was trifling ; I have not ascertained that of the enemy. Colonel Chanin is a brave nian. Every ofScer and soldier did his dut^ .y. Col. Chapin, in a private letter, to a friend ii\ Bufialoe, thus details the brush he had with the enemy. •' VvTille at dinner I received information of the Bri- tish army being in the town of Newark. I immediate- ly rallied a party of 100 men, and commenced a fire upon them, who returned it with much warmth we kept the ground till we were reinforced by Q^i Indians, and iOO militia. With this force, v/e compelled tlie t i-rny to retreat, and pursued them oae and a half HI HISTORY OF THE WAR. ed a most tremendous fire of musketry upon us. Af- ter an hour and a half hard fi^^hting we drove them from the ravine, back to the batteries— it being novr nearly dark, we returned in good order. " From some deserters, and a prisoner we took, v;e learn that we had contended with tlie whole Bri- tish array, consisting of 1100 men, with the great Gen. Vincent at their head : and that we killed 32. Our loss was 4 killed and wounded." Major Chapin has recently been brevetted lieu- tenant-colonel, in the United States' army. General M'Clure, with the New- York militia, volunteers and Indians, succeeded in driving the British army from the vicinity of Fort Georp-e, and pursued them as far as Twelve-mile-creek. Colonel Scott, who commanded at Fort George, having informed General M'Ckire, that he was under orders to leave that place witli the ref^ulars, the general was compelled to abandon his design, nnd return to Fort George. It was general M'Ciure's wish, by the aid of the regular troops, to clear Upper Canada above Kingston, of the British armies, to establish a temporary government, secure the friend- thip, and, if necessary, the co-operation of the inhabitants, and compel the Indians to separate themselves from the enemy, or accompany them irj their retreat, lliat this could be eficcted, can jscarceiy be doubted, but it was necessarily aban- doned m favour of a design which originated with the general government, and which, had it suc- ceeded, would have been more importai^t. The regular troops wei:e principally drawn from the Niagara frontier, to co-operate with Gen. Wil- kinson in his intended attack on Montreal. Gen. Ilarrison's army was also ordered to Sackett's Harbour. Gen. M'Clure endeavoured to infhi- ence Gen. Harrison to aid him in attacking the enemy: but the instructions from the general gov- HISTORY OF THE WAR. UY eminent were positive; and Commodore Chaim- cey had arrived with his fleet to remove the troops to Sackett's Flarbour. The force remaining with Gen. M'Chire, w^as barely sufficient to defend Fort George, and entirely inadequate to offensive operations ; and this force, which the general stat- ed to be " ungovernable," would soon be reduced by the expiration of their term of service. The militia returned to their homes, v»ath the exception of a few that were induced to remain beyond the term of their enlistment, ^^he gene- ral finding his force reduced to a number inade- quate to defend his post, and the enem}' advanced within a few utiles of him, he called a council of ofHcers, and put to them the question, " Is the ft;rt tenable with the present number of men?'* They were unanimous in the opinion, that it was not tenable. The arms, ammunition, and public stores, vrere immediately sent across the river, aixl as a measure deemed necessary to the safety of the troops, the town of Nev>'ark was burned. "Tiii.-^ act, (said Gen. M'Clure,) however distressing to the inhabitants, and my feelings, w-aB by order of the secretary of war, and I believe, at the same time, proper/' The inhabitants had twelve hours notice to remove their effects, and such as chose to cross the river, were provided with all the neces- ^ saries of life. Capt. Leonard was left in command at Fort Niagara, with 150 regulars ; Colonel Grieves, with 20 men, and two pieces of artillery, was at Lew- iston ; Major Mallory, with 40 Canadian militia, were stationed at Schiosser; and tlie general went to Buffdoe, to provide for the safety of that place, and Black Rock. From Buffaloe, General M'Ckre issued an address to the inhabitants of the counties of Nia- gara, Genessee, and Chatague, apprising them of the menaced inyasion of that frontter. and calling 148 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ',on tliem to repair to Lewiston, Sclilosser, and iiuffiiioe, for the purpose of defei]cliii»' their coun- try and home against a barbarous enemy. This was too lateto]:>roduce tlie desired effect. On the morning of the 19th December, about 4 o'clock, the enemy, consisting of regulars, mi- litia, and Indians, to the number, by the most probable account, of 1500 men, crossed the Nia- gara river at five-mile meadow, and advanced against Fort Niagara, which they completely sur- prised, entering it wliiie the men were nearly all asleep, and killing, without mercy or discrimina- tion, those who came in their v/ay. It will be recollected, that an attack on this place was ex- pected, and that Captain Leonard, who command- ed^ had directions accordingly; yet General M'Clure observes, in his oflicial despatch, " I am induced to think that the disaster is not attributa- ble to any want of troops, but to gross neglect in the commanding oflicer of the fort. Captain Leo- nard, in not preparing, being ready, and looking out for the expected attack." It aj^pears by ano- ther letter from General M'Clure, '• that Captain Leonard was not in the fort at the time of the attack, having left it at a laic hour the preceding evening." On tile same morning on which Niagara was taken, a detachment of militia stationed at Lewis - ton, under command of Major Bennet, was. at- tacked by a strong party of the enemy, but the jnajor and his few men cut their way with great bravery through several hundreds of savages and others, by Vvhc-m tliey were surrounded. The villages of Youngstown, Lewiston, Manchester, the Indian Tuscarora village, and all the interven- in^j- houses, were burned, and nmnv of the inha- bitants iiihum.anly butchered, witxiout respect to age or sex, by savages, headed by British officers painted, Myjor Mallory, who was stationed at HISTORY OF THE WAR. UQ Schlosser, v/ith about 4^0 Canadian militia, boldlf advanced to Lewiston heights, and compelled the enemy to fail back to the foot of the mountain : for two days the major continued to resist the ad- vance of the enemy, disputing every inch of ground to the Tautawanty creek. Major general HaV, on learning the dangerous and exposed state of the frontier, hastened to Ba- tavia ; and, on the morning of the 23d December, at the request of General Si'CIure, took the chief command of the men then assembling to repel the enemy. There was a great deficiency of ammuni- tion and arms. With what could be procured, the general commenced his marcli towards Lewis- ton on the 25th, having under his command 150 infantry, under Lieut. Col. Lawrence, supported by one company of cavalry, under Captain Mar- vin, and in the expectation to join a corps of mi- litia, said to be 200 strong, under. Lieut. Col. Ache- son, which was stationecl 15 miles cast iToin Lewis- ton, with instructions, if possible, to join the main force at BulKiioe. On the morning of the 26tb, General Hall ai-rived at iJiifialoe, where he found a considerable body of irregular troops of various descriptions. General M'Clure was left in command at Eatavia. On the 27th, the troops at Buffaloe and Bktlv Rock, were reviewed, and found to consist, in the aggregate, including Indians, of 1711 men, v/hich were increased, on the morning of the 29th, by about SOO men, giv- ing an entire force of 2011 men; but this force was soon reduced, by desertion, to 1200; and even these so deficient in ammjunition, that a part of the cartridges were made and distributed after the men were paraded for. battle, on the morning of the ?>Oth. > In the evening of the 29th3 at 12 o'clock, the horse patrole had been fired on, a short distance below Conjoktie's creek, and one mile below N 2 150 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Black Rock. The troops were iinmediately paraded, and stood by their arms. An attempt was made to dislodge the enemy from the sailors' battery near Conjoktie's, of which he had obtained pos- session. The attempt failed^ through the dark- ness of the night, and confusion into which the militia were thrown by the enemy's fire. A second body ofmiHtia, sent on the b'ame service, was equally unsuccessful; the men, after a short skirmi1^1i, fled in disorder. A third detachment was ordered on the sam.e service, but was recalled to oppose a body of men wliich was discovered, as the day dawned, crossing the river. As soon as the force of the enemy was ascertained to be large, and commanded by lieutenant colonel Drumniond, and their position reconnoitred, the best possible disposition was made to oppose them, with a force inferior in number, as it v/as in experience and ammunitions of war. General Hall thus briefly details the eflcct : " The attack was commenced bv a fire from our six pounder under lieutenant Seel}^, below general Porter's house, and one twenty-four and two twelve pounders at the battery, under command of lieuten- ant Farnum, of the 21st U. S infantry, acting as a volunteer. At the same time tiie enen)}^ opened a heavy f.re from thtir batteries on the opposite side of die river, of shells,spherical and hot shot, and ball. The regiment under command cf colonel Blakeslie, about400 strong, were regularly in line, together with detached bodies frcm ether coips, amounting, according to the best estimate I can make, in all about 600 nven. — These few but brave men, commenced the attack with mus- ketry upon the enem}^ in tiieir boats, and poured upon them a most destructive fire. Every inch of ground was disputed with the steadj^ coolness of veter- aiis, a:nd at the expense of many valuable lives. Their bravery, at the same time that it casts a lustre HISTORY OF THE WAR. 151 over their names, reflects equal disgrace on those who fled at the first appearance of danger — and whom neither intreaties nor threats could turn back to the support of their comrades. " Perceiving that the Indians, on whom I had re- lied for attacking the enemy^s flank, were offering us no assistance, and that our right wa? endangered by the enemy's left, 1 gave directions for the reserve, un- der command of colonel M'Mahon, to attack the enemy in flank on our right. But terror had dissi- pated this corps, and but few of them could be ral- lied by their officers and brought to the attack. Of this corps there are some who merit well of their country — but more who covered themselves with dis- grace. The defection of the Indians and of my re- serve, and the loss of the service of the cavalry and mounted men, by reason of the nature of the ground on which they must act, left the forces engaged ex- posed to the enemy's fire in front and flank. After standing tjicir ground for about one half hour, op- posed to v.eterans and highly disgiplined troops, over- whelmed by numbers, and nearly surrounded, a re- treat became necessary to their safety, which was accordingly made. I then made every effort to rally the troops, with a view to renew the attack on the enemy's columi^is, . on their approach to the village of Batt'aloe. But every effort proved ineffectual ;■ and experience proves, that with militia a retreat be- comes a flight, and a battle once ended, the army is dissipated. Deserted by my principal force, I fell back that nigiit to the Eleven-mile creek, and was forced to leave the flourishing villages of Black Rock and Bufiaioe, a prey to the enemy, which they have pillaged and laid in ashes.' General Hall retired to Elevcn-mile-creek, where he collected about SCO men; and, with these, endeavored to cover the fleeing inhabitants, and Riake a sliovr, to prevent the advance of the enemy. ii^i^iit pieces of artillery fell into the hands of 152 HISTORY OF THE WAR. the enemy. About thirty men were killed, and somewhat more than that nmiiber wounded, in the defence of Black Rock. But the worst re- m ins to be told, or rather some faint idea to be given of the indescribable barbarity of the ene- my. Black Rock and BufFaloe were destroyed, to- gether with every building for two miles east of BuiFaloe on the Batavia road, and almost every building between Buffaloe and Niagara along the river. '• The enemy," says general Hall, " had with him at Black Rock and^Buffaloe, a number of Indians, (the general opinion in that country is about 200,) who pursued their accustomed mode of horrid warfare, by tomahawking, scalp- in.^, and otherwise mutilating the persons who fell into their hands. Among the victims of their savage barbarity v»'as a Mrs Lovejoy, of BulTaloe, who was tomahawked, and afterwards burned in her own house. The conduct of these savages has struck the minds of the people on the Nia- gara frontier with such horror, as to make it ab- solutely necessary jhat a more efficient force than the ordinary militia of the country should be em- ployed for its protection, t4j prevent its becoming entirely depopulated." All the settlements of a populous country, for- ty miles square, were completely broken up, and 12,000 persons sent as if into beggary. The to- mahav/k and bayonet deprived parents of their children, and children of their parents; the sa- vages white and red, who acted not merely as conquerors, but as murderers and I'obbers, by a fell swoop pounced upon their prey with all the fe- rocity of the tiger, and the all- desolating ruin of the locust. On the 4ih January the robbers retired into their own woods, not daring to wait the cliastisement that was prepared for tliem^ Considerable contributions of money were col- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 15S lected for the relief of tne surviving sulFcrers, vvlio graduall}' returned to view the smoking ruins of 'their late habitations. The enemy having declared their conduct on the Niagara irontier, to have been committed in retaliation for excesses said to have been com- mitted by the American armies in Canada, the censure, or rather indignation of the suffering inhabitants were turned against general M'Clm'e, v/ho had the command. The general, previous to retiring from command, published an address to the public, in justification of his own conduct, in which he seems to have been prettj^ success- ful. M'Clure was certainly a good and zealous soldier; ever ready to obey his superiors, he ex- acted obedience from those who were placed un- der his command : he knew that strict discipline was essential to form the practical soldier; and he probably suffered in the esteem of some be- cause he pursued a system from which he could not depart without a crime, that might stamp him with indelible disgrace. The importance of Fort Niagara, as a military position, is sufficiently evident, and the possibiU- ty of preserving it lias been unfortunately prov- en by an enemy, who probably would not medi- tate its reduction, v/ere lie not in some manner apprized that the garrison, sufficiently strong, was not sufiicicntiy watchful. Had this post been preserved, as it might have been, the ruthless massacre of its garrison, after resistance had ceased, would not have happened; nor would a savage enemy have dared to attem})t his horrid incursion, without the previous possession of the key to the settlements along the Niagara fron- tier. These observations are not merel)^ speculative. The enemy had undoubtedly an early eye on the post at Niagara : it may perhaps be cause of sur- 154 IlISTOKY OF THE WAR. prize to some, that it was not seized wliile in a state of ill defence, and that its occupation by the enemy v/as deferred to a time when it was amp- ly supplied v/ith men, arms, and ammunition. This can be best explained by a re-assertion, that the enemy very prudently waited until he could find the garrison not w^atchful, sleeping. To the undaunted ])rowess of one of the m.ost intrepid, zealous, and active oificers of the army, it is to be attributed, that the enemy had not an earlier possession of Niagara fort. Captain M'Keon, of the artillery, in his bold and successful de- fence of this post, has signalized himself in a manner that had few parallels during the war, and may probably be ranked w^ith, because it bore strong similitude to, the brave exploit of the hero of lower Sandusky. This act of captain M'Keon will be best explained by the following letter to the secretary of war, which is now published for the first time. New- York, 6th Ju72e,lSlS. Sir, "When the army was j^et in its infancy, and but very few troops to garrison th* old fort of Niagara, I had the honour to command at that station a company of the Sd regiment of the U. S. artillery ; at this time the enemy prepared to bombard us, and raised several strong batteries for the purpose. We sustained his fire for seven hours, and had our works so much shat- tered, that our commandant, captain Leonard, thought them no longer ti^nable ; he had the guns spiked, and evacuated the fort According to orders, 1 retreated with the garrison ; hut at a very short distance from the place, 1 solicited and obtained captain Leonard's permission to return to it ; at the moment, it was the depot of an immense quantity of public stores, worth perhaps a million of dollars, and still more va- luable in a military point of view. These I wished at every risk to preserve. Though I possessed en- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 135 tire command of all my men, I took back with me but 25 ; because, from the circumstance of the guns being spiked, I could not employ more ; and this number was enough for the execution of my plan, if it sJiould succeed, and enough to lose if it should fail. I placed sentinels on the ramparts, and at the barriers, and caused them to give the usual call eve- ry six minutes through the night, so as to impressk the enemy with a belief that the fortress vvas gar- risoned, and the garrison vigilant. At the same time four men belonging to the laboratory had port fires lighted and fuzees prepared to blow up the ma- gazine and all, if tlie enemy could not be intimidated from advancing upon us. Fortunately, he was inti- midated ; the fort was saved ; and the next morning at 8 o'clock the garrison returned with a reinforce- ment. On the 16th of Octobe;r, a second order was issued by general Alexander Smyth, for the evacu- ation of this fort, and the public {property was accor- dingly removed from it to Levviston ; but immediate- ly I represented to col. Winder, that the fort was not only tenable, but that I would maintain it. He was pleased to sanction this opinion ; and thus I was in some measure the cause of preserving it a second time. On the 21st of November following, the ene- my bombarded our fort with the greatest fury for 13 hours ; daring whicli time it was my good fortune to have been most assailed by his attack, and most op- posite to his position. The conflagration of Fort George and Nev/ark, v/ill, I trust, bear testimony to the successes of my eiforts on that day. (Signed) JAS. M'KEON, ^ late capt. artillery. The brave defence of Fort Niagara led to the following garrison order. GARRISON ORDER. Fort Nicigctra^ October 15, 1812. It is with the greatest satisfaction the commanding officer gives to captain M'Keon his full approbation for his spirited and judicious conduct during the se- vere cannonading from Fort George, and the batter- 156 HISTORY OF TilE WAR. ies on the opposite side of the river, against this post, for more than seven hours, on the 13th October inst. To Dr. West he begs to express his sincere thanks for the aid and assistance redeived from him. To the non-coramissioned officers and privates of the gar- rison he has only to say tliat they have his full appro- bation for their cool and determined courage, and their zeai and activity during the day. N. LEONARD, capt. commanding Fort Niagara. While things were thus progressing on land, the British were preparing a naval force for the annoyance of the citizens on the sea-board. Admiral Warren arrived at Halifax on the 27th September, 1812; and having attempted in vain to deceive tiie American government with falSe professions of a pacific intention, he proceeded, in Januarj', off New York. Early in February, 1813, the Chesapeake bay and Delaware river were blockaded. The British fleet continued in the bay and rivers connected therewith. Their transactions, for the most part, form a history of petty landings, where- ver no considerable force could be opposed to them, burning or taking every vessel that came within tlieir power, plundering the inhabitants ad- jacent to the waters, burning houses, and insulting in the most libidinous manner, those females who did not or could not fly from them. The follow- ing deserve particular record : A letter, of which the following is a copy, was sent to Lev/iston, in the state of Delaware, on the 16th March, 1813. Sir, As soon as vou receive tlirs, I mast request vou will send twc^ity live bullocks, with a propcrtiosable HISTORY OF THE WAR. 157 quantity of vegetables and hay, to the Poictiers, for the use of his britdonic majesty's squndron now at this anchorage, which shall ba immediately paid for at the Philadelphia prices. If you refuse to compl}^ with this request, I shall be under the necessity of destroying your town. I have Old honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, J. P. BERESFORD, Commodore, commanding the British squadron in the mouth of the Delaware, The Jirst magidrate of Leii^istoinn, The magistrate transmitted the letter to Go- vernor Haslet, who sent a reply to the admiral oa the ^3d- concluding; in the Folio wino-. words : " I have only to observe to you, that a compliance would be an immediate violation of the laws of my country, and an eternal stigma on the nation of which I am a citizen. A compliance, therefore, cannot be acceded to." On the evening of the 6th April, the Belvidera and two small vessels came close into Lewis, and commenced an attack by firing several 32lb. shot into the town, which have been picked up ; alter which a Hoo; was sent, to v/hich the follov/ina: re*- ply was returned : Sir, In reply to the renewal of your demand, with the addition for a suppl}'^ of water, I have to inform you that neither can be complied with. This, too, you TOust be sensible of; tlierefore I must insist the at- tack on the inhafeitaats of this town is both wanton and cruel. I have the honour to be your most obe- dient servant, S. B. DAVIS, Col. Commandant. Another message was sent, in which the Britisli captain, B3'ron, among other matter, wrote, " I grieve for the distress of the women — " to which a verbal reply was given, that " col. Davis is a' 6 1.53 HISIORY OF THE WAR gallant man, and has ab'eady taken care of the la- dies." The attack contmued till near 10 o'clock, — Tiie fning v.as kept up during the greater part of the followinii: dav. One of the most danoerous of their gun boats was silenced by the fire from a small battery. The enemy withdrew. on the 8tii, after firinir on Lewis for 2'2 hours, witii little ei- feet, and without accomplishing his object. In their progress up the bay, the British landed at Frenchtown on the Elk river, and bui'ncd the store houses, det^troying or carrying away all the public and private property wliich they con- tained. From Frenclitown the enemy proceeded to Fla- vre de Grace, a flouiishing little village on the Susquehannah, v/here they landed in considerable force on the 3d of May, and proceeded to plunder and bum with a savagcness tliat required but the ijse of the scalping-knifc, to outrival their red al- lies. Twenty four of the best l)ouses in the town were burned, and the others plundered. A small party of militia were, stationed at Havre de Grace, wlio'^on the approach of the enemy, made a slight resistance, and ihen retreated. An Irislnnan, named O'Neil, with a courage amounting to rash- ness, and an enthusiasm i\ot confined by cold loy- alty, opposed his single arm to the British host, was taken prisoner and carried on board the Bri- tish fleet, but afterwards released on parole. His countrymen residing in Philadelphia, pre- sented the brave O'Neil with a sword. From Havre de Grace the enemy proceeded furtlier up the river, and burned the warehouse belonging to Mr. Stump, and a furnace belong- ing to Mr. Kugiics, at Princippi. ;. pu the morning of the 4th, the enemy evacu- ated llavre de Grace, and proceeded down the bay. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 159 The next exploit of the enemy was the burninpr of the unprotected viUages of Frederick and Georgetown ; the former in Cecil county, the lat- ter in Kent couiity, opposite each oiher on the Sassafras river, in the state of Maryland. The movements of the enemy on the 20th Jnne, having indicated a design to attack Norfolk, which place was then ill prepared for defence, Ca})tain Tarbell, fmding Craney island rather weakly manned, directed lieutenants Neale, Shu- brick, and Sanders, with ] 00 seamen, to a small battery at the N. Vv'. point of the island. At 5 o'clock on the nijj^^-ning of tlie Si'd, the enemy was discovered landing round the point of Nan- semond river, a force, reported by deserters an<.' other's to exceed 3000 men. At 8, A. M. the bari^es attempted to land, in front of the island, an additional force of 1500, when lieutenants Neah^, Shubrick, and Saunders, with the sailors andtr their conmiand, and the marines of the Constel- lation frigate, ISO in nuiriber, opened a tire, wliich w£is so well directed, that the enemy was obliged to retreat to his ships. Three of his lar- fest barges were sunk ; one of them, called the Centipede, Admiral Warren's boat, 50 feet in length, carried 75 men, the greater part of whom, were lost. Several of the boats fell back in the rear of the island, and commenced tlirowin^j; roc- kets from Mr. Wise's houses; but they were quickly compelled to move oiF, by the shot directed to that (juarter from gun-boat No. 67. In the evening, the enemy's boats came round the point of Nansemond, and at sun-set were seen returning to their ships, full of men. At dusk they strewed the sliore along with fires, in order to run away by the light. The Bntish troops tliat v/e^e previously landed, made their appearance on the main land, with a view to. att?*ck the west aiid north posiuons of the .1.60 HISTORY OF THE WAR. island, but with no better success than attended the nien m the boats. Two 24? pounders and .'four 6 pounders were advantageously posted, under the direction of major Faulkener of the artillery, ^vY^iich were so well served by capt. Euierson, lieu- tenants Hawl.and Godwin, that they produced a serious effect on the enemy, who was soon com- pelled to retreat. Opposed to the large British force, there were but a !Lew hundred militia and artillerists; there w^ere mounted on the island not more than eight pieces of cannon that could be brouoht to bear on the enemy. " I'he officers of the Constellation" ac- cording to the official report of commodore Cas- sin, "fired their J 8 pounder more like riflemen than artillerists." This defence did great honour to the few Americans who w^re enoaored. Nor- iblk was an important post, and the enemy deter- mined on its occupation ; the force sent against it was large ; admiral Cockburn conmanded in per- son, and was in one of the barges, encouraging the men to advance. Some French deserters re- ported, that a large bounty was to be given to the men in the event of success, and that it w^as pro- nn'sed to them that Norfolk would be given up to be plundered ! The loss of the enemy could not be less than 200, exclusive of several deserters; 22 prisoners v.ere taken ; also a brass 4 pounder, with a num- ber of small arm.-', pistols, cutlosoes, &c. Not a man was lost on the side of the Ameri- cans; the enemy used only Congreve rockets. On the 25th June, between 30 and 40 barges werj discovered, filled v.ith men, approaching the mouth of Hampton creek, from the direc- tion of Newport's noose. Tlie American troops were quickly farmed on Little England plantation, south west, and divided from Hampton by a narrow creek, over w^hicli a slight foot bridge had HISTORY OF THE WAR. 161 been erected. In a short time the enemy com- menced landing troops in rear of the Americans. A little after five o'clock, A. ^i. several barges approached Black-beard's point, the headmost of which commenced a firing of round shot, whicli was returned from a small battery of four long 12 pounders. The entire of the force landed by the enemy consisted of at least 2500 men, support- ed by several heavy field-pieces, and some heavy guns, and rockets ; the American troops were composed of 34-9 infantry and rifle, 62 artillerists,, and 25 cavalry. This little force made the most judicious and best defence that was practicable, manoeuvring and disputing every inch of ground. The contest was at one time very sharp, and main- tained with a resolution that left hope of repelling the invaders; but the enemy, being very numer- cms, attempted to outflank and cut oiF the Ameri* cans, v^hen part of the latter began to disperse in various directions. It now became indispensa- bly necessary for all the Americans to retire, which they did, under a continued, bat ill directed fire from the enemv, who uursued t{i.em for two miles. The Americans occasiouallv stohpod at a fence or ditch, and at every tire brought down one of the pursuing foe„ Captain Pryor, vvith his lieutenants Lively and Jones, and his brave, active matro^^ses, after slaugh- tering many of the enemy v/ith his field -piece?, remained on the ground till surrounded ; and when the enemy was within 60 or 70 yards of the fort, they spiked their guns, broke through the enemy's rear, and by swimming a creek, made good their retreat v/ithout losing a man, tciking v/ith them their carbines, and hiding them in the v/oods. The American loss was 7 killed, 16 wounded, (of whom 2 died of their wounds,) 1 priwner, and 1 1 missing. The enemy took possession of tlxa O 2 m HISTORY OF THE WAR village of Hampton, after suffering a loss, by the most probable calculation, of at least 200 men. Major Crutchfield, who commanded the Ame- ricans, states the enemy's conduct, in the follow- ing extract from his official report : *' To give you, sir, an idea of the savage-like dis- poi-ltion of the enemy, on their getting possession of the neighbourhood, would be a vain attempt. AI- tliough sir Sidney Beckwith assured me, that no un- easiness need be felt in relation to the unfortunate Americans ; the fact is, that yesterday there were se- veral dead bodies lying unburied, and the wounded not even assisted into town, although observed to be crawlin.'- tlirough the fields towards a cold and inhos- o p pitable protection. ." The unfortunate females of Hampton, who could not leave the town, were abused in the most shame- ful manner ; not only by the soldiers, but by the ve- nal sav?ge blacks, who were encouraged in their ex- cesses. I'h.ey pillaged, and encouraged every act of rapine and murder, killing a poor man of the name of Kerby, who had been lying on his bed, at the point of death, for more than six weeks, shooting his wife in the hip at the same time, and killing his faithful dog, lying under his feet. The mur- dered Kerby was lying h.st night weltering in his bed." A committee of congress, in a report to the house, thus notice this transaction. " The shrieks of tlie innocent victims of infernal lust at Hampton, were heard by the American pri- soners, but were too weak to reach the ears, or dis^ turb the repose of the British officers, whose duty, as men, required them to protect every female whom the fortune of v»ar had thrown into their power. The committee will not dwell on this hateful sub- ject. Human language affords no terras strong HISTORY OF THE WAR. 16^. enough to express the emotions which the exami- nation of this evidence has awakened ; they rejoice that these acts have appeared so incredible to the American people. And, for the honor of human na- ture, they deeply regret that the evidences so clearly establish their truth. In the correspondence be- tween the commander of the American and British forces, will be found what is equivalent to an admis- sion of the facts, by the British commander." The enemy soon evacuated Hampton, and re- treated to his shipping, to avoid the punishment, which, had he remained, would have soon been inflicted. The following extract of a let- ter from captain Cooper to the lieutenant gov- ernor of Virginia, is proof of shocking bar- barity which would disgrace the savage of the wildesness. *' I was yesterday in Hampton with my troop- that place haviiig been evacuated in the morning by the British. My blood ran cold at what I saw and heard. The few distressed inhabitants running up in every direction to congratulate us; tears vvere shedding in every corner — the infamous scoundrels, monsters, destroyed every thii)g but the houses, and, (my pen is almost unwilling to describe it) the wo- men vvere ravished by the abandoned ruffians. — Great God ! my dear friend can you figure to yourself, our Hampton females seized and treated with violence by those monsters, and not a solitary American arm present to avenge their wrongs ! But enough — I can no more of this. ■ The enemy have received. a reinforcement of 200O, in all 6000 men ; and Nor- folk or Richmond is their immediate aim. Protect yourselves from such scenes as we have witness* ed. They retired in great confusion, leaving 3000 weight of beef, some muskets, ammunition, can- teens, &c., and some of their men, which we took. It is supposed that they apprehended an immediate attacj^ from 6000 of our men, which caused them to 164 HISTORY OF TilE WAR. retreat so precipitately. My friend, rest assured of one thing-— that they eannot conquer Americans — they cannot stand them. If we had had 1200 men, we should have killed or taken the greater part of them." In further proof of these enormities, the fol- lowing extract is given, from the letter of a gen- tleman of great respectability. *' At present you must content yourself with the following, and believe it as religiously as an}' fact be- yond denial. Mrs. Turnbull was pursued up to her waist in the water, and dragged on shore b^' ten or twelve of these ruffians, who satiated tlieir brutal desires upon her, after pulling off her clothes, stock- ings, shoes, &c. This fact was seen by your nephew, Keith, and many others. Another case — a married woman, her name unknown to me, with her infant child in her arms, (the child forcibly dragged from her,) shared the same fate Two young women, well known to many, whose names will not be reveal- ed at this time, suffered in like manner. — Dr. Colton, Parson Halson, and Mrs. Hopkins, have informed me of these particulars — another, in the presence of Mr. Hope, had her gown cut off v»ith a sword, and vio- lence offered in his presence, which he endeavoured to prevent, but had to quit the room, leaving the un- fortunate virtim in their possession, who, no doubt, was abused in the same way. *' Old Mr. Hope himself, v/as stripped naked, prick- ed with a bayonet in the arm, and slapt in the face — and were I to mention a hundred cases in addition to the above, I do not know that I should exagge- rate." Admiral Ccckburn is the redoubtable hero who commanded the enemy la the manly attack on . Hampton, On the 26th June,' three of the enemy's bar- ges attempted to enter Pagan creek, but were HISTORY OF THE WAR. 165 resistcil by a detachment of militia ; and after ex- changing 14 shots, without effect on either side, the enemy retired. The enemy had such a total command of tlie waters of the Ciiesaneake, and the rivers faiUno; into it, v/herever the same were v/ithout the range of shot from the shore; and his move- ments v/ere so various, that a general alarm was excited in the neighbourhood of these waters ; the troops were necessarily kept embodied, and moving in a manner, which occasioned distress- in o- and harassini*; difllciiities. ^The fate of tiie females at Hampton excited an indignation, and roused a patriotism and a love of family kindred, which stifled all complaints ^mong the harassed soldiery of Virginia and Maryland. — " Hampton" was a watchword, at v/hich every husbanci, fa- ther, brother, and man, took his gun and fled with willingness, to meet the ruffians, who threat- ened, with worse than murder, the fair daugh- ters of America. It would scarcely be interesting to detail eve- ry petty landing, skirmish, and adventure, that occurred, while the enemy remained in the Chesapeake — the m.ost conspicuous of them will, however, be noticed. A party of the enemy landed a little below James -Town, on the 2d July, but were repuls- ed by the militia. Two of the enemy were kill- ed, two taken, and several wounded. The mi- litia suffered no loss. On the lith July, the U. S. schooner Asp, was attacked in Yocimo river, by the crews of 2 brigs, who put off in their boats, for that pur- pose. The boats, 3 in number, were beaten ofF by the well directed fire from the Asp ; about an hour after, the boats returned, with two other boats, well manned. There were but 21 men on 165 HISTORY OF THE WAR. board the Asp, and they could not eiTectunlly re- sist the great force sent against them ; they, however, defended themselves obstinately and bravely: nor did they refreat until after the Asp wari bearded by more than fifty of the en- emy. The tuenvy set the vessel on fire. After their retreat, the survivors of the brave Ameri- can crew went on beard and txtingnished tlie flames. The American loss in killed and wonnd- ed, amounted to 10 men. Mr. 8i.(>-ournev, the intre]-;id commander of the ^ Asp, was among the killed. Some essays, pubh'sliv'^d by the late Robert Fullon, on the practicability of destroying ships by torpedoes, induced several persons to turn their thoughts to this subject. A Mr. Mix, of the navy, accompanied by ca])tain liovv'man, of Salem, and midshipman M'Gowan, essayed to destroy the ship of war Plantagenet, of 74 guns, lying in Lynnhaven bay. For this purpose, they proceeded in a boat, in the night of the 24th July, 1813, and having reached within 100 yards of the ship, dropped the torpedo. It was swept along by the tide, but exploded a few seconds before it would have come in contact with the ves- sel. It produced great consternation and confu- sion on board the vessel, and induced several of the crew to take to their boats. The ship was greatly agitated, and some damage done by the \dolent motion of the v/ater. The noise, occa- sioned by the explosion, was loud and tremen- dous; and the appearance of the water, thrown up in a column of thirty or forty feet high, aw- fully sublime. It has not been ascertained that any lives were lost. The fleet, under command of Admiral Cock- burn, returned to the Chesapeake on the 16th July, after an invasion of North Carohna, where the country was pillaged and laid v/aste by tl\e HISTORY OF THE AVAR. , IGJ enemy, for several miles. On the ISch, n part of this fleet, consisting of two 74''s, 3 frigates, and 3 schooners, appeared off Ocracock bar, in North Carolina, and immediately despatched, in boats, between 700 and 800 men, v/ho attacked the privateer Anaconda^ and schooner Atlas, ly- ino" inside the bar. There were but 18 men on board the Anaconda, who resisted the boats as lono- as they could, until finding- that the vessel must be taken, they discharged the guns into the hull ; but the enemy boarded her in time to plug the holes. The Atlas, and some small crai't, were captured. The enemy took possession of Ocra- cock, and of the town of Portsmouth, without opposition. Mrs. Gaston, of Nev.'bern, wife of the mem- l)er of congress, beino- told that the British had landed, and v/ould shortly be in possession of Nev/bern, fell into convulsive fits, and expired in a few hours. Mrs. Curtis died in a similar man- ner, and a Mrs. Shepherd was at the point of death, but has recovered. Apprehensions of being treated like the unfortunate females of Hampton, it is supposed, produced this extraor- dinary degree of terror. A large body of mili- tia and volunteers were assembled In the vicin- ity of Portsmouth, and on the point of attack- ing the enemy, when he ihouglit prudent to re- tire. Lieutenant Aniens, commandinor the Delaware iiotilla, having discovered, on the 27th' July, that the enemy had chased and taken a small vessel, near the Overfalls, got under wa}'', and stood for the enemy. At the distance of about three quar- ters of a mile, he brought the enemy's slocp of war to action, having anchored for that* purpose 8 run-boats, and 2 block-shins, in a line ahead. A heavy British frigate had, by this time, an- chored about half a mile further out. — /ifter a 163 , HISrORYOF THEWAR. cannonade oF one hour and 45 minutes, in which the enemy received several shot, without any ma- terial damage done to the flotilla, he manned hi* boats, 10 in number, (2 launches, the rest large, barges and cutters,) with between 30 and 40 men in each, and despatched them after gun-boat No. 121, sailinor-master ;shead, which had falien a mile and a half out of the line, and succeeded in capturing her, after a gallant resistance. The enemy would have been totall}^ defeated, had he not been favoured by a calm, which enabled him to carry off the gun -boat No. 121, the colours 'of which were not struck until after being boarded. The sound of cannon on this occasion, vras heard at the city of Washington, a distance of 120 miles. Sailing-master Shead concludes his official re- port in the following words: *' [ found it necesstiry, for the preservation of those few valuable lives left, to surrender to seven times our number ; the enemy boarding, loaded our decks with men ; we were all driven below, and it was with the utmost difficulty that the officers could stay tlie revenge of the seamen, who seemed to thirst for blood and pkuider, the last of which they had, by robbing us of every thing; we had none killed, but 7 wound- ed,'5 slightly. The enemy's loss by us, was 7 killed, and 12 wounded, 4 of which have since died. They have conquered me, but they have paid dearly for it ; and I trust, sir, when you come to view the disadvan- tages that I laboured under, having been but 7 days on board my boat, and scarcely time to station my men, and the misfortune of entirely disabling my gun, and the superiority of numbers to oppose me, you will be convinced, that the liag I had the honour to v/ear, has not lost any of that mitional character which has ever been attached to it.' It is paiRfid to the historian, that while he re- cords the many instances of virtuous patriotism, and glorious prowess, which signalized the citizens HISTORY OF THE WAR. 161 ?ind inhabitants of the United States, it becomes also his duty to record their crimes and treasons. Much consolation is, liowever, derived from the reflection, that patriotism was the prevailing sen- timent of a great majority of the people. The- following general order was published, and dated from the navy department, at the city of Wash- ington, and sent, as a circular, to the command- ing officers of stations, or vessels of the navy of the United States. " The palpable and criminal intercourse held with the enemy's forces, blockading and invadmg the wa- ters and shores of the United States, is, in a military view, an otFenoe of so deep a die, as to call for the vigilant interposition of all the naval ofiicers of the United States. " This intercourse is not only carried on by foreign- ers, under the specious garb of friendly flags, M'ho convey provisions, water, and succours of all kinds, (ostensibly destined for friendly ports, in the face, too, of a declared and rigorous blockade.) direct to the fleets and stations of the enemy, with contsant in- telligence of our naval and military force and prepara- tion, a)id the means of continuing and conducting the invasion to the greatest possible annoyance of tlie ■country ; but the saaie traffic, intercourse, and intel- ligence, is carried on with great subtiity and treache- ry, by profiigale citizens, v/ho, in vessels ostensibly navigating our waters, iVom port to port, under cover of night, or other circumstances fovouring their tur- pitude, tind means to convey succours or intelligence to the enemy, and elude the penalty of tiie law. This lawless trade and intercourse is also carried on to a great extent, in craft, whose capacity exempts them irotn the regulations of the revenue laws, and from the vigilance which vessels of greater capacity attract. *' 1 am therefore commanded by the President of the United States, to enjoin and direct all naval com- manding otiicers ; to exercise the strictest vigilance, and to stop or detain all vessels or craft, vv'hatsoever, proceeding or -apparently intending to pro'ceedii ' tu- P 170 HISTORY OF THE WAR. wards the enemy's vessels within the xvaters, or liover- incr about the harbours of the United States ; or to- wards any station occupied by the enemy, within the jurisdiction of the United States, from which vessels or craft the enemy might derive succours or intelli- gence. W. JONES." The enemy, the better to carry his projects in the Chesapeake into execution, took possession of Kent-island, and fortified the narrows ; which station, he, however, soon afterwards deserted. On the lOtli August, he made an attack on St. Micbael, vi-itli II barges, which went up the river on tlie opposite side, and came down on the side of St. Michael, with so little noise, that they were not perceived passing up or down the river; and as it was very cloucTy, and the men in the fort, ■jyithout suspicion of attack, the enemy landed before they were discovered* 1 he nien fired tv. o guns and left the fort, of wh,ich the enemy imme- diately took possession, and gave three cheers, supposing they v/ould have St. Michael without ranch tlifficulty ; but they were very much mista- ken, for the St. Michael's people, and Captain Yickers, of the Easton packet, with the artillery from Easton, attacked them so briskly, and point- ed their guns with so much judgment, that our in- vaders Vere soon obliiicd to make off^ — the infantry were not engao-ed. Not a man of the Americans was hurt, although the o-rane-shot flew like hail in the town, and their balls wxMit throu.oh a nnmber of the houses. The two shots that were fired from the fort must have done some execution, as a quantity of blood was seen upon the shore, and two sv/ords and a pistol were left beliind, and their barges were seen to be struck by the artillery from the tow li. On the morning of the 14th August, at four o'clock, the enemy attacked QueenEt^wu, in HISTORY OF TflE WAR. iTl Queen Ann county, both bv land and v/ater; — about 600 troops, were landed^ and marched up to the town, and 20 armed barges made the at- tack by water — the attack was so unexpected, that but httle resistance was made — a piquet guard of tlie American militia were fired on bv the enemy, 1 of them was killed, and 2 or 5 wounded — the militia retreated to Center ville, and left the enemy in possession of the town. Were the enemy to confine himself to the cap- turing of vessels and their cargoes, and the de- struction of public property, iie v/ould be justi- fiable; but it is due to truth, not to conceal, that, departing from all established rules of v/arfare, he not only carried oft private property, wliene- ver he could seize it, but also destro^^ed whatever he could reach, and could not remove. On the 2d November, he landed on George's island, and burned all the buildings on it, lie decoyed a great number of negroes, with a promise to make them free — and afterwards shi})ped these wretches to the West-Indies, where tliey were sold as slaves, for tlie benefit of British oilicers. The following device was practised with success. A party of militia (17 in number,) stationed themselves behind the Sanddiiiis, while two white men with their faces and hands blackened, went down upon the beach, and waved their handker- chiefs to the ships, when a boat, with six men, immediately came ashore, followed, at some dis- tance, by two others, full of men. Just as the men from the first boat were preparing to laml, one of those disguised, in walking a few stejis, showed his bare ancles, vvhich he omitted to black- en, when the enemv exclaimed — " White men in disguise, by ; let us push off! — which they did, and, at the same moment, the militia ran out and fired upon them, until they were out of gun- shot; they killed two out of the six. 172 HISTORY OF THE WAR. It would be impossible, in the compass allotted to this work, to do justice to the enemy. His barbarous and plundering conduct in the Chesa- peake, and adjoining rivers, can only be equalled by the conduct of the same enemv in a former war. " The species of warfare" says the editor of a Norfolk paper, " waged by Captain Lloyd, of the Plantagcnet, on the inhabitants of Prin- cess Anne country, is of that pitiful and disho- nourable, kind, which cannot fail to attach a last- ing stigma to his character, and cause his name to descend to oblivion, coupled with that of the infamous Dunmore, and clogged with the bitter execrations of all who shall hear the tale of his rapacity." The Norfolk Herald thus ably and humanely uotices the seizing and carrying oif negroes : '^To take cattle, or ether stock, would be consis- tent with the usage of civilized v/arfare ; but to take negroeSj vvho are human beings ; to tear them for ever from their kindred and connections, is v/hat we should never expect from a Christian nation, es- pecially one that has done so much to abolish the fclave- trade There are Negroes in Virginia, and we believe in all the southern states, who have their iiiterests and affections as strongly engrafted in their hearts as the whites, and who feel the sacred ties of filial, parental, and conjugal affection equally strong, and who are warmly attached to their owners, and the scenes of their nativity. To those, no induce- ment which the enemy could offer would be suffici- ent to tempt them away. To drag them away, then, by force, would be the greatest cruelty. Yes, it is reserved for Eno-land, who boasts of her reli^^ion, and love of humanity, to practise this piece of cruelty, so repugnant to the dictates of Christianity and civi- lization " The o^reat vigilance and activity of the citi- zens tended not only to disappoint, but frequently to punish the invaders. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 173 On die lull September, about 15 men volun- teered froau a militia company, stationed near the inlet, at Noribliv, to go and attack a party of the British, who ^ere said to be on shore at the cape. Wiien they came to the caj^e, and were mount- ing one of the sand-hills, they found themselves in fall view, and within mnsket-shot of a large body^ of' marines, vv'ho were exerci^ng. A cluster of officers were standini^ some distance off, between their main body and x)m* militia— the latter had not a moment to spare; they took deliberate aim at the officers, and fired ; four of them fell. The militia then made the best of their way back to camp, while the enemy's shot wliistled over their heads in all directions, but without effect. The proceedings of the enemy along the coast, east of the Peiavvare, were not geneially impor- tant. - The frigate United States, com. Decatur, fri- gate Macedonian, capt. Jones, and sloop of war Hornet, capt. Biddle, ©n:.the 54th May, got un- der way from New- York, with an intention of proceeding so sea through the sound. \^'hen off Hunt's point, the mainmast of the United States was struck v«^ith liglitiiing, which tore away the commodore's b'oad pendant, and brought it dov/n on deck, passed into one of the port- holes, down the after hatchway, through the ward room into the doctor's room, put out his candle, tore up his bed, and then passed between the skin and ceiling of the ship, and tore np about 20 nails of her copper at water's e^ge. No further trace of it could be discovered. The ^.laccvdonian Y/as about 100 yards astern of the United States, and on observing: the liffhtninri' strike her, immc- diatel}^ hove her topsp,ils aback, tearing that the fire miLdit fmd i*'^ way to the magazine. On the 1st of June, the vesseVi attempted to put to sea, but Vf^ere chased into New London l\ ? P 2 174 HISTORY OF THE WAR. British force, consisting of a 74-, a razee, anH a frigate. The blockade of New London was im- mediately formed, and the inhabitants very high- ly alarmed lest the town should be attacked. On the 21st of .Tune, the British privateer Buekskin, (formerly belonging to Salem) chased a coaster into Owl Head narrows, (a small harbour in Massachussetts,) where five others were lying, the whole of which were captured, and removed down into what is called the Thoroughfare, pre- paratory to being manned out, and the}^ began unlading one of the sloops, into which they intend- ed to put the prisoncs. During this time, from 200 to 300 militia collected, and proceeded down to Fox island, it being thick foggy weather ; when at half past 3, on the morning of the 22d, the fog clearing away, the privateer appeared at an- chor about 20 rods from the shore, where they commerced firing upon her with small arms, and one field-piece, which killed the privateersmen al- most as fast as they came on deck. 1 he 1st lieu- tenant cut the cable, and in attempting to hoist the jib, (lying flat on his back) had his under .jaw shot away ; the captain was killed ; and but 9 men, it is said, remained unhurt, the rest being either killed or wounded. It being ebb tide, she drifted out, and when out of reach of the mus- ketry, got under way, leaving all her prizes, which again fell into* the hands of the rightful owners. The crev.'s put in to man them, in at- tempting to escape to the privateer in boats, were either killed or wounded. Tlie action lasted an hour. On the 23d June, two barges, containing each about 1 5 men, from the blockading squadron ofi* New London, attempted to land near the light- house, but on observing a company of artillery near the shore, pulled off as fast as possible. When the enemv imagined themselves- out oi' HISTORY OF THE WAR. 175 danger, they stood in the barges and cheered, at tnis moment a shot was fired from tlie artillery, which struck one of the boats, and killed or wounded eight or ten of the men in it. A Mr. Scudder formed a design of destroying the British ship Ramihes, of 74 guns, off New London. For this purpose, ten kegs of powder were put into a strong cask, with a quantity of sulphur mixed into it. At the head of the cask were fixed two gun-locks, with cords fastened to the trio-ffers, and to the under side of the barrels \\\ the^ hatchway, so that it was impossible to hoist the barrels without springing the locks on each side of the powder ; and on the top was placed a quantity of turpentine and spirits X)f turpentine, which in all probability was sufficient to have destroyed any vessel that ever floated on the water, if she could have been got along side, which was the object in view. These kegs were put on board the smack Eagle, which sailed from New York pn the 15th June, for New London, but which the crew abandoned, on being pursued by the boats of the enemy. It was expected that the vessel would be brought along eide the Ra- rnilies, and by exploding, would destroy that ship. The wind dying away, and the tide being against them, she could not be brought along side. When the Eagle exploded, there were four boats along side, and a great many men on board her. After the explosion, there was not a vestige of the boats to be seen ; the body of fire rose to a vast height, and then burst like a rocket. Every man near or about her were pro- bably lost, as the boats sent from the Ramilies were seen to return without picking up any thinly. On the 10th June, three barges belonging to the blockading squadron, after capturing some sloops off the mouth of Connecticut river, attemp- \7S HISTORY OF THE WAR. ted to land at Say brock, but were beaten off by the militia. The enemy had three men killed on this occasion. The militia t*sca}^d unhurt. On the 24th July, a 1st and 3d lieutenant, a sail- fng master, and 5 men, belonging to the Ramilics, were surprised and taken on Gardner's island, by a party of tlie crew of the United States, despatched for tiie purpose by connnodore Decatur. The prisoners were paroled, and being at liberty, were joined by others of their crew, when they found themselves sufficiently strong to seize and carry off the American boat. There was an attempt al- . .so made to intercept the American })arty, but they escaped in a \vhale boat to Sag liarbour, from whence they returned in safety to New Lon- don. Shortly after this transaction, Mr. Joshua Pen - nj, of Easthiiinpton, Lon^j inland, v.as taken out of his bed during the night, by a party from tlie enemy's ship, and being brought on board the Ramilies, w*as put in irons. Miijor Case, com- manding the troo])s of the- United States at Sag harbour, demanded his release as a non-combat- ant; but the British oiiicer, (cnptain Hardy) de- clined, on the ground that he was a combatant ; that he conducted a party of seamen fro'm New London to Gardner's island, there to surprize and take several British oiiicers; that his narne had been entered en the books of one of the frigates. and that ^^ he had been employed in a boat con- trived for the purpose, under the command of Timmas Welling, prepared with a torpedo, to destroy this (captain Hardy's) ship." - This last aime was undoubtedly that which led to the cap- ture and severe treatment of Mr. Penny. He was treated with great seventy while on board tlie liamjlies, from which vessel he v/as sent to Hali- fax, wher^ he v/as treated like other prisoners. lie was sent to Salem in iv cartel ship, in May, HISTORY OF THE WAR 177 1814', and probably owsd not oiilj his liberation, but iiis Jife, to the circumstance tbat the presi- dent of the United Suites ordered two British subjects to be held as hostages for ihe safety of Mr. Penny. The New-London blockading squadron came, on the Stii September, by the Sound, to a place about 20 miles from the city of New- York, cap- tured 20 coasters, took a quantity of sheep from the Biain, and had probably other robberies or in- juries in view. Conimodoie Lewis, on receiving information of the enemy's movement, proceeded up the Sound, vvith 25 gun -boats. By nine o'- clock on the 9tli5 he was at Sands' Point, within 10 miles of the enemy. A British frigate and a sloop of war got under weigh, and stood to- Vi'ard them. At one o'clock, P. M. the com- modore brought his fiotilla to anchor in Hemp- stead bay, ready to receive the enemy. The Brit- ish exchang^ed 10 or L5 shots at too great a dis- tance to produce any effect, and tnen stood to the eastward, and were soon out of sight. The flotilla returned to its former station. On the 5th July, the British tender Eagle, which had been employed by commodore Beres- ford, for the purpose of burning coasters, &c. was taken by a coup de main. The smack Yan- kee was borrow^ed for this purpose. Sailing mas- ter Percival went on board, and concealed SO men in the hold, he tied a calf, a sheep, and a goose on deck, and, thus prepared, he stood out of Musquito cove; three men appeared on deck. The Eagle, on perceiving the smack, immediately gave chase, and after coming up with her, and finding she had live stock on deck, ordered her to go down to the commodore, then about five miles distant. The hehnsman of the smack an- swered " aye, aye, sir," and apparently put up the helm for that purpose, which brought him 173 IIISTOUY OF THE WAI^. along side the Eagle, not more than three jiirda distant. The watchword, Lawrence, was then given, when the armed men rushed on deck from their liiding places, and poured into her a volley of musketry, which sii iick her crew M'ilh dismay, and drove them down so precipitately into the hold of the vessel, that they had nut time to strike their colours. Seeing- the enemy's deck clear, sailing-master Percival, who commanded the expedition, ordered his men to cease firino; — upon which one of the eneray came out of the liold and struck the colours of the eagle. She liad on board a 32 pound brass howitzer, load- ed with Ccumister shot: but so sudden was the surprise, they had not time to discharge it. The. crev/ of the Eagle consistecl of H. Morris, mas- ter's mate of the Poictiers, W. Price, inidsliip- man, and 1 1 seamen and marines. Mr. Morris was kiilcvl, Mr. Price mortally wounded, and one marine killed and one v/ounded. The Eajrle 5 with the prisoners, arrived off the battery in the afternoon, and landed the prisoners at Whitehall, amidst the shouts and plaudits of thouf^ands of spectators, assembled on the batterj'^, celebratii^.g the anniversary of our independence. A detachment from the gun-boat flotilla near Sandy- Plook, most gallantly beat olf about 100 of the crew of the Plantagenet, which drove a- shore and boarded the schooner Sparrow, of BaU timore, on the 3d November, near Long Branch. The cargo, together with sails, rigging, &c. was saved ; the vessel bilged. The following co])y of a letter from lieutenant Nicholson, commanding the gun-boats at Newport, announced the capture of the armed British sloop Dart, on the ^th October. <•' Sir — I have the pleasure to inform you of the capture of the Briusii armed sloop Dart, by the re* HISTORY OF THE WAU. 179 venue cutter of this place, last evening. She appear- ed otf the hn.rbor before sun set; tlie captain of the cutter offered his services to go out; 1 put on board three sailing-musters and about twenty men ; she im- mediately made sail and laid aboard the Dart, and carried her bj boarding. Ilcr first oflicer was killed ; two of our own men were wounded slightly. The pri- soners I send for 3'our disposal. Very respectfully, your most obedient humble servant, "JOHN NICHOLSON. " Cjom, John Rodgers, U. S frigate President." The British admiral Warren issued a procla- mation on the 16th November, declaring Long- L^Iand Sound in a state of rigorous blockade. Tins was an extension or explanation of a for- mer proclamation of the 24tli September, by v/hich the ports and harbors of New- York, Char- leston, Port-Royal, Savannah, and the river Mis- sisippi, were declared in a state of strict and rigor- ous blockade. A proclamation was issued by tlie governor of Vermont on the 10th November, 1815, the ob- ject of which was to call home from the service of the United States a portion of the militia, which liad been then serving in the state of New- 'York. Brigadier -general JJavis re[)aired to the army, and demanded a compliance v*ith the or- ders of his excellency ; but obedience was refused, and tiie general was arrested. A reply to the proclamation w^as drawn up at Fkattsburgh the 15th November, and directed to his excellency, signed by all the officers of the Vermont militia then there. The reph' contain- ed, among other matter, the fbllcwing deciSvd and unequivocal expressions : << We consider your proclamatlcn as a gross insult to the officers and soldiers in service, inasmuch as it impjics that they are so ignorant of their rights as to 180 HISTORY OF THE WAR. believe you have authority to command them in their present situation, or so abandoned as to follow your insidious advice. We cannot rea:ard your oroclama- tion in any other light, than as an unwarrantable stretch of execi-itive authority, issued from the worst of mo- tives, to effect the basest purposes. It is, in our o- pinion, a renewed instance of that spirit of disorgani- zation and anarchy which is carried on by a faction, to overwhelm our country with ruin and disgrace. We cannot perceive what other object your excellency could have in view than to embarrass the operations of the army, to excite mutiny and sedition among the soldiers, and to induce them to desert, that they might forfeit the wages to which they are entitled for their patriotic services." A most positive proof of that actual treason, ■which lurked under the sliade of an ill-timed op- position to the measures of the general govern- ment, was, soon afterward discovered, near New- London, as will be best explained by the follow- ing comnuniication from commodore Decatur to the secretary of the navy, dated at New-London, December 20th, 1813. a Some few nights since, the weather promised an opportunity ibr this squadron to get to sea, and it was said on shore that v/e intended to make the attempt. In the course of the evening two blue lights were burnt on both the points at the harbor's mouth, as signals to the enemy, and there is not a doubt but that they have by signals and otherwise, instantaneous information of our movements. Great but unsuc- cessful exertions have been made to detect those who commui)icate with the enemy by signal. The editor of the iSievv-Londou Gazette, to alarm them, and in hope to prevent the repetition of these signals, sta- ted in that newspaper, that they had been observed, and ventured to deriounce those who had made them in animated and indi^p.ant terms.. The consequence i&f that he has incurred the express censure of some HISTORY OF THE WAR. 181 •f his neighbours. Notwithstanding these signals have been repeated, and have been seen by twenty persons at least in this squadron, there are men in New-London who have the hardihood to affect to disbelieve it, and the effrontery to avov/ their dis- belief." The U. S. frigate Congress, capaiii Smith, ar- rived at Portsmoath in December, after a cruise of nearly eiart of the president's message, which related to Indian affairs, turned tiieir particular attention to the fol* lowing inquiries : " 1st. Whether ^ninuind of CJcncral Coffee, con- sisted of 900, erivalry and mounted riflenien. l^c- insr arrived \villiii> one and a lialf miles of the Talhishatches town, the detachment was divided inU) two coliimnK, the light composed of the cavahy, under' Colonel Alicorn; the left composed of mounted riflemen, under Colonel Cannon, (leneral CJofiJi'e marched with the riflemen; Colo- )iel Ailcorn encircled one half of the town, while C/olonel Cannon completed the circle, by closing on the side opjiosite to Colonel Alicorn. W^hen within half a mile of the town, the drums of the enemy beat, and the savage yells jnmounced that the enemy was ]irc]iared for battle. In about an hour after sun -rise, Ca])tain Uammfmd, and Lieu- tenant Patterson's com})anics went within the cir- cle, and succeeded in drawing forth the enemy, and commenced the battle, when they withdrew before a violent charge from the Indians, imtii they reachetl Colonel Aflcorn's colunm, when a general fire was o]iencd on the savages, who rcv treat( d, firing until they got around and into their buildings. Here they fought as long as one ex- isted. No quarter was sought, and none, from all appearance, would be accepted. I'he assault by the troo})s was warm and courageous, rushing up to the doors of the houses, as little intimidated as if tliere was no enemy to oppose them. In a conflict of this nature, it was im})ossiblc to provide against the destruction of a fcAv of the squaws and children. The number of the enemy killed must have exceeded 200; 186 of whom were found; 84 women and children were taken prisoners. The loss of the militia consisted of 5 privates kil- led : 4 captains, 2 lieutenants, 2 cornets, 3 ser- geants, 5 corporals, 1 artificer, and 24 privates, wounded. niS'rORY OF Tflfi WAR. 1S7 On tb*! evening ut 2000 men^ a^-ainfet the enemy, and encamf)- ed that night withm fcix mih'H of the fort. At 4 o'clock, on the morning of the 8th, he continual hi« march toward>i the enenjy, who wa« encamped within a c^narter of a mile of the fort, t^> relieve which, (/enera! .Jackv>n had W) exf;editi(/Uhly moved, At fcun-rii4<;, the general was within half a mile of the fort, when he lucjVi^d iorvtunh In or- der ofK **' . 'i he plan of attack wa« feimilar U> that wh -.ij ^jfCfvad at) hucce»«ful on the 3d in^-tant. ilw; enemy wa^ t<>» he encloMrd in a cmh-. The iuivjiiced guard *erit forward to bring on the engagement, aucccuUsd in drawing forward the savages toward the main Ix/dy of tfie anny. (Jn the arrival of the Indiana, witnin a hhon dii>- tancc of the main Ixxly of the arrny, a few cotf> panics of the militia comuutrxced a retreat; bat finding timit [Aace cjuickly Hupplie^j by a body of ca^'alry, who d'lKmt^unied ior the r;uq>^>*ye, the militia rallied, when a {fuiuiiid fire from t}ie front lirie, and from that j/art of the wingH which wan c^>ntigu(>ijK, wa* pourwJ on the ^avagefe, who ijrjfi- bieto withstand or rehifct, retreated; but were met at every turn, and n-pulfced in every direction. Ila^l it not bef.T] for the retreat of th<; militia, in th-- r^r r!y part of the action, thi« viclor;/ t^ould p/'. iV Jiave l>t:«n n» c^^mpic'te as that ol the 2d. i'he vicV>ry, however, wai^ very decisive; 21^0 of tfi* enemy were left dead on the field ; n«an v mr^e were probably killed, who were not iounii; and many, or nic^t of tliose who eM;aj>c-d, niu^t have beea vumwktiL Jackaon wa» c., hixvinr^ marched 183 HISTORY OF THE WAR. from thence without bajjo:ac:c, or othe*' necessaries that could be dispensed with, or might retard his march. He lost, in the engagement, 17 killed, and 86 wounded. The enemy exceeded 1000 warriors. A stand of colours, bearing the Spa- nish cross, was taken from them. On the 12th November, General ^Yhite was de- tached from Fort Armstrong, on the Coosa, with about 1100 mounted men, (including upwards of SOO Cherokee Indians,) for the purpose of attack- ing the Hillabee towns, on the west side of Talle- poosa river. On the 17th, about 1 o'clock at night, the detachment marched v^ithin eight miles of the uDoer town, received information ti om one of their spies, a haif breed and son of a Mr. Gray- son, who had considerable property, and resided in that place, that his family and property would be sacrificed by the Indians on the next day,;>if General White did not relieve him. General White, with alacritjf, dism.ounted three hundred of his troops, with part of the Indians, and mar- ched to surprise the town before day-light. Hav- inf>' laroe creeks to wade, and the van havino; to tarrj' some time for ti^e rear, which had fallen be- hind some distance, the tov/n was not reached until sun -rise on the IStli, when the town was completely surrounded,- and the savage enemy re- ceived the first fire without the least notice of the approach. They fired several guns, but we . charged home upon them with loaded muskets, and charoe of bayonets: and in 10 or 15 minutes tiicy held up a flag, and the firing ceaseti. An Indian town at OaktViskee, consisting of 30 houscF, a town called G.enait»a, consistinix of 93 houses, were burned by the troops in tlieir march. The great nuniber, if not the whole of tlie hostile Creeks, assembled at the Hillabee town, ccnsist- ^ ingof about 316, v/ere either killed or captured. Sixty warriors, were killed ou the spGt.^-Geiierai HISTORY OF THE Wx\R. 189 White's detacbment had not a man killed or wounded. Gen. Floydj with 950 of the Georgia militia, and between 300 and 400 friendly Jndians, pro- ceeded to a town called Aiittossee, on the south- ern bank of Talapoosee, about 18 miles from the Hickory Ground, in order to attack a large force of hostile Indians, reported to be assembled at that place. At half an hour after six o'clock, in the morning of the 29th November, the expedi- tion reached the front of the town, and the men were formed for action. At this time, when the army was about to execute a pre-concerted manoeu- vre, for the purpose of surrounding the enemy, a second town was discovered about 500 yards be- low that which was first discovered. This com- pelled Gen. Floyd to adopt a new manoeuvre, by dividing and disposing his force, so that both towns might be attacked at once. This disposi- tion being made, and the troops having advanced, the battle commenced, and soon became general. The Indians fought with their usual obstinacy and desperation, but were soon compelled, by the su- perior force of artillery, and a charge of bayonets, to retreat and take refuge in out-houses and copses in the rear of the town. At nine o'clock, the cnemj was completely driven from the plain, and the houses wrapped in flames. The militia beir^g 60 miles from any depot of provisions, and but little remaining, it was judged imprudent to con- tinue in the heart of a country, surrounded by hosts of savages. This place was, therefore, abandoned, and the troops commenced their march to Cliatahouchie. Auttossee was a favourite spot with the Indians, and it is conjectured, that the force assembled from several towns for its defence, must have been very considerable. It is difficult to give a precise account of the loss of the enemy; but from the T liJO HISTORY OF THE WAR. number which were lyino- scattered over the field, together with those destroyed in the towns, and the mimv slain on the bank of the river, wliich re- spectabie officers affirm they saw lying in heaps at the water's edge, where tliey had been precipi- tated by their surviving friends, their loss in kill- ed, independent cf their wounded, nnist have been at least 200, (among whom v/ere the Auto- see and Tallasee kings;) and from the circum- stance of their making no efforts to molest the troops, probably greater. The number of buil- dings burnt, some of a superior order, for the dv/eliings of savages, and filled with valuable ar- ticles, is supposed to be 400. The number of the Americans killed and wounded, as furnished by the hospital surgeon, was — total killed, 1 1 ; total wounded, 54? ; among whom was general Floyd, badly. A detachment, under command of fjen. Clai- borne, marched from Tort Claiborne, east bank of the Alabama, on the 3 Sth of December, against the Indians residing on ciie Alabama, above the mouth of the Cahaba. After a march of niore than 100 miles, principally through woods, with- out a track to guide them, they came in sight of a nev/ town lately built by the Indians, on a ground called "holy." This town was established as a place of securit}'' for the inhabitants of sever- al villages, and three of the pro})hets resided in it. The place was then occupied by a large body of the enemy, under the command of Wetherford, a bold and sanguinary chief, who was one of those who commanded the Indians at the massa- cre of the garrison and inhabitants at Fort Minis. About noon, on the 23d December, the right co- lumn of the army, composed of 12 months' vo- lunteers, commanded by col. Joseph Carson, came in view of the town, and was immediately and vigorously attacked by the enemy, who, being ap- inSTORY OF THE WAR. }0{ prized of tlie approach of the troops, hnd chos^eii their field of action. Before the other troops or friendly Indians coukl come generally into action, the enemy were repulsed, and iiying in all direc- tions. Thirty of the enemy were killed, and ma- ny wounded. The loss to the army was one killed, and six w^ounded. A pursuit was attempt- ed, but found to be impracticable, owing to the nature of the ground. The town, consisting; of 200 houses, was burned, together with a large quantity of provisions, and immense property of variolas kinds, which the enemy could not carry away. The next day was employed in destroy- ing a town consisting of sixty houses, eight miles higher up the river. Notwithstanding these repeated defeats, the sa- vages seemed yet bent on war. Before day, on the morning of the 27th January, a very large body of Indians attacked the troops at Camp- De- fiance, 48 miles west of Chatahouchie. The on- set was desperate, and the surprise as complete as possible. In 20 miinutes after firing on the sen- tinels, the action became general, the enemy .pressing close uj)on the frojit, right and left flanks of the army ; but the savages were repelled at every point. The enemy rushed nearly to the cannon's mouth, and gained the rear of the pic- quet guards, commanded by capt. Broadnax : but the latter bravely cut their v/ay through the savages, and joined the army. As soon as day dawned, and objects could be distinguished, a charge was ordered, and the enemy fled before the bayonet, llie signal was given for the charge of the cavalry, who pursued and sabred 15 of the enemy, Vvdio left 37 dead on the field. From the effusion of blood, and tlie number of head-dress- es and war-clubs found in various directions, their loss must have been considerable. The loss of the army, on this occasion, was 17 killed, and 152 1Q2 HISTORY OF THE WAR. wour.decl. Of the friendly Indians, 5 were killed, and J 5 wounded. Gen. Jackson having received information at his head-quarters, Fort Strother, from captain M'Alpin, who commanded at Fort Armstrong, in the absence of col. Snodgrass, that 14 or 15 towns of the enemy, situated on the waters of the Tallapoosa, were about uniting their forces, and attacking the fort, Vv'hich was then in a fee- ble state of defence, the general resolved on an excursion into the enemy's country, further than had been hiiherto attempted. He accordingly commenced his march on the 15th of January, with 930 men, exclusive of Indians. On the 18th, the army encamped at Talladega fort, where it was joined by about 200 friendly Creek Indians, and 65 Cherokees. Here the general received a letter from Colonel Snodgrass, who had returned to Fort Armstrong, informing him that an at- tack was soon to be made on that fort, by 900 of the enemy. It v/as further understood that the eiiemy was collecting in a bend of the Tailapoosfcc, near the rziouth, of a creek called Emuckfau, on -in island below New Yorcan. On the 20th at night, the army encamped at a small Killabce village, about 12 miles from Emuckmu. On tlie 21st, the army marched in a direct line for the bend of the Tallapoosee. In the afiernooii, the army halted, and the general deternnned to encamp for the niglit, that he might have time to reconnoitre, and make dispositions for attack, if he v.ere in the neighbourhood of a large force, which, from appearances, he judged to be the case, liavini^ chosen an eligible scite, the army encamiped in a hollow square. Spies and piquets were sent out, the sentinels doubled, and the necessary arrangements v/ere made to resist an attack, if it should be attempted during the niijht; or to make one, if the enemy c%)u Id be HISTORY OF THE WAR i^5 found ^trdHy-light the following morning. While the army was in thi » state of readiness, the ene- my, about six o'clock in the morning, commenced a vio'orous attack on the left flank, which was as vio'orously met. The action raged for half an hour on the left flank, and on the left of the rear of the army. The brave general Coffee, with colonel Sittler, the adjutant general, and colo- nel Carroll, the inspector general, the moment the firing commenced, mounted their horses and re- paired to the line, encouraging and animating the men to the performance of their duty. So soon as it became light enough to pursue, the left winxr, having sustained the hent of the ac- tion, and being somewhat weakened, was rein- forced by captain Ferrill's company of infant- ry, and was ordered and led on to the charge by general Coffee, who v/as well su})ported by colonel Higgins, and the inspector general, and by ail the officers and privates who composetl that line. The enemy was completely routed at every point, and the friendly Indians join- ing in the pursuit, they wcj-e chased about t\70 miles, with considerable slaughter. General Coffee, who was detached with 400 men to reconnoitre the enemy's encampment, re- turned with a view to bring up the artillery, vv'hich he deemed necessary to the attack. In half an hour after his return, a considerable force of the enemy opened a fire on a party of meii who were then in search of Indians. Gc- deral Coffee, with only 54 men, a part of 200 who vrere to have acted with him, commenced an attack on the left flank of the enemy ; 200 fj-iendly Indians "Were ordered at tlie same time to attack tlie enemy's right. At this moment it was discovered ih at the attack cf the enemy was but a feint, having intended, by drawing off the genertd's attention from his left, to attack it R 194' HISTORY OF THE WAR with success : in this the cnefny was disappointcil. The whole hne met the apfroac)! of the enemy with astonishing intrepidity, and having charged, forced the savages to retreat with precipitation. They were pin sued to a considerable distance, and severely galled by a very destructive fire. During this transaction, general Coffee was contending against a very superior force. As soon as possible a reinforeement Was sent to his aid, which soon decided the contest in that quarter: the enemy was cliarged, routed and pursued for three miles. Nothing now remained but to de- stroy an empty can)p, which did not seem of sufficient importance to delay a return to fort Stro- tlier, which wa.s commenced on the followiiig morning. On the 24'th, as the men w^ere crossing tlce Enotachopoc creek, an alarm gun announced the advance of the enem.y. General Jackson expected an attack, and had dispositions made to turn it to the disadvantage of the enemy. The right and left co]ums of the army v.ere dirteted to turn on their pivots, recross the creek above and below, and fall on the eneany's flanks and rear. The manoeu- vre, if executed, would jorcjbably prove as destiuc- tive to the enemy as any thing hitherto attem])ted ; but, at the moment when a few guns were fired, the right and left columns of the rear guard gave way ; the greater part of the centre column Ibilow- ed'the disastergus example, leaving not more tjiaa 25 men, who maintained their ground as long as possible. There was then left to repulse the ene- my, but the few who remained in the rear guard, the artillery conu^any, and Captain Russell's com- ])any of spies. 'Amidst a most galling fire from the "enemy, diis little banc', not one-tenth of the number opposed to it, advanced to the attack. The artillery and a few otiiers gained the top of a hill, drawing un with them n six -pounder, whea HISTORY OF THE WAR. 195 they-pcHived on ilie e^*»-my severeal discharges r^> grape, thcil charged, repulsed, and pursued him for two miles, IcaYing 26 of their warriors dead on the field. The loss in these several engagements, was 20 killed and 75 wounded. The loss of the enemy could not be exactly ascertained ; ] 89 of their warriors were found dead ; this undoubtedly formed but a part of the killed ; the wounded must have been proportionably numerous. All the effects intended by this excursion, seem to have been produced. If an ^attack v/as intend- ed against Fort Armstrong, that was prevented; a diversion w^as made in favour of General Floyd, who was on the east side of the Tallapoosee; tlie number of the enemy was lessened, and their con- fidence in their leaders broken in on ; the enemy's country was explored, and a road cut through an important part of it; and, on the whole, tended to, and hastened the termination of Indian hosti- lities, as much, if not more, than any previous expedition. Hiiherto the enemy w^as engaged either in open field, or in situations where he had little advantage from M^orks of art, and not much from nature. One situation remained to be assailed, where a skilful display of art rendered a position naturally strong, so seemingly impregnable, that it required a great effart of courage to approach it, a consu- mate skill to direct the attack, and a })er severing, undaunted resolution, to prosecute it to success. In the bend of the Tallapoosee, two rniles be- yond v/here General Jackson engaged the Indians on the 22d January, the savages iiad fixed on a scite for erecting a fortification. Nature furnished few places more eligible for defence, and it was improved by art, with a skill not discovered before in an Indian fortification. The bend resemble?, in its curvitr' ?, a horse-shoe. Across the neck of l#nd, wiUcli leads into it from the north, a breast- 196 HISTORY OF THE WAR- •^.oik was erected, of the greatest compactness atul strength, from 5 to 8 feet high, and prepared with double rows of port-liolcs, \evy artful Ij' arranged : an army could not approach it, without being ex- posed to a double and cross fire from the enemy, who lay in perfect security behind it. General Jackson resolved on the attack ol" this iniportant and doubly strong position. The Indian force amounted to about, or upwards of 1000 warriors. The army approached this formidable position on the 27th March, near enough to prepare for the attack. General Coffee, with the mounted men, and nearly the whole of the Indian force, crossed the river about two miles below the encampment, with a view to prevent the escape of the Indians; the infantry advanced slowly along the point of land which led to the front of the breastwork ; a six and a three pound cannon were planted on an eminence, at a distance of 150 or 200 yards from it. A fire from rifles was directed against the enemy, whenever he showed himself beyond his defences. When this fire was kept up about two hours, a party cressed over in canoes, and iircd a few of the buildings, and then advanc- ing boldly up to the breastwork, connnenced A fire on the enemy behind it. This proving insuf- ficient to dislodge him, general Jackson resolved to take it by storm. The troops received the or- der with acclamation, and advanced with an ar- dent and zealous enthusiasm. " Having maintain- ed," says general Jackson, in his letter to gov, Blount,* " for a few minutes a very obstinate con- test, muzzle to muzzle, through the port-holes, m which many of the enemy's, balls were welded to the bayonets of our muskets, our troops succeeded in gaiiiing possession of the opposite side of the works. The event could no' longer be doubtful. The enemy, although many of them fought to the_ last with that kind 'of bravery .-wliith dci»j>eratioii FlISTORY OF THE WAR. 197 inspires, were at lengtli routed and cut to pieces. The whole margin of the river whicli sur- rounded the peninsula, was strewed with the slain." The fighting continued with some severity about five hours. Five hundred and fitty seven of the enemy were left dead on the peninsula, and a great numiber were killed in attempting to cross the river; it was s^upposed that not more than 20 escaped; 250 women and children were taken prisoners. General Jackson's loss amounted to 43 white men killed, and 17S wounded; 23 friendly Indians killed, and 47 wounded. This battle broke down the spirit?, as it mate- rially reduced the remaining strength of the sava- ges* Wetherford surrendered himself to general .rackson. Six or seven towns followed the exam- ple of this chief. M'Queen, with 500 of hia fol- lowers, retired to the Escambia river, n.ar Pensa- cola. Peace was quickly restored. The militia were disbanded, and returned to their homes. VVetherford, whose unconditional surrender has been just menti(med, had been the most active and feanguinai-y of all the Indian chicls. He signalized InmHelF in several actions: ever present where danger pressed, he vv^as the constant advocate of murder and extermination. In a private interview with general Jackson, he delivered the following speech : **I fought at Fort ?vlimms — I fought the Georgian army — I did you a!i the Injury I could — had I been supported as I was provnised, I would have done you more. But my warriors are all killed — I can fight you no longer. I look back with sorrow, that I have brought destruction on my nation. I am novvin your power— do with me as you please. I am a soldier.'* The barbaroi^s complexion which the enemy gave to the war, was not confined to the empioy- naent of Indians. We have already detailed bar- barities in which Indians did not participate. Ma- K 2 /^ J9« HISTORY OF THE WAR. ny otliers must remain untold ; our limits will not admit a full detail of this part of the subject. The treatment to prisoners of war was not merely un- usual ; it w as, in th€ last degree, cruel, unprece- dented, barbarous. The authenticated proofs, congressional records, affidavits, &c. are shocking- ly numerous. The exercise, by Britain, of ^ presumed right to command, at all times, the services of native subjects, gave rise to one of the causes of war, to wit, the impressment of seamen out of neutral ves- sels on the high seas. This principle, it was in- tended, should govern the enemy in conducting the war. The crew of the United States' brig Nautilus, which had been captured in the early part of the war, arrived at Boston in a cartel, the 11th Sep- tember, 1812, except six men, who were put in irons; and were, as lieutenant Crane understood, to be triied for their lives as British subjects, found in arms against their king. Commodore Rodgers, on learning the circumstances, stopped a cartel which hpd got under way for Halifax, and took out twelve Englishmen as hostages for the six Ameri- cans. On the 11th October, six of the crew of the private armed ship Sarah-Ann, v.hich was captur- ed and seut into Nassau, were taken out of jail, &nd sent to Jamaica, to be there tried as British ^subjects, found in arms against their king. It ap- pears, that, on this occasion, tlie British officer fell into a mistake, similar to those which had been so commonly committed before the declaration of war ; four of the persons thus detained were na- tives of the United States ; the others were Irish- men by birth, but had been naturalized citizens of the United States. On the arrival of captain Moon (late conmiander of the Sarah-Ann,) at Charles- ton. 12 Englishmen, including a midshipman. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 199 were put in close confinement, as hostages for the six men taken from captain Moon's crew. By a letter from George S. Wise, purser of the United States' sloop of war Wasp, to the secre- tary of war, it appear^ that after the capture of that vessel, by the British ship Poictiers, 12 of the crew of the W^asp were detained by captain Beresford as British subjects. That the enemy intended to deny to others the exercise of rights in the manner as claimed by iiimself is evident from the circumstance of the British admiral Warren having refused the lib- eration of Thomas Dunn, a native of the United States, because the said Dunn had been married in England, and had been eight years in his ma- jesty's service. The application for his liberation was made by Mr. Mitchell, U. S. agent for the exchange of prisoners at Halifax, at the particu- lar request of the father of said Dunn, then re- siding at Boston. Twenty-three of the prisoners, taken by the enemy at Queenstown, were sent to Enghmd to be tried as British subjects, for appearing in .arms against their king. The United States' gov- ernment ordered 23 British soldiers into close confinement, as hostages for the safety of those so taken at Queenstown. In retaliation, the British government ordered 46 United States' officers and non-commissioned officers into close and rigorous confinement. The system of retaliation, after this circum- stance, bore a very- serious aspect, and threatened to be as extensive as prisoners on either side were numerous. The secretary of state transmitted to congress on the 16th April, 1814, a very important report on the subject matter which led to tlie practice of retaliation, in which it is stated, that the Bri- 200 HISTORY OF THU WAR. tish government, among other pretexts for not discliarging citizens of the United States impress- ed into their service, alietjed that they were na- tives of Prussia, Sweden, &c. thus evincing that the recovery of their own native subjects was not the sole motive of impress . nent. — The secretary further reported, " That all the nations of Europe naturalize fo- reigners, " Tliat they all employ in their service the subjects of each other, and frequently against their native countries, even wlien not regularly natural- ized. ** That although examples may be found of the punishment of their native subjects taken in arms against them, the examples are few, and have either been marked by peculiar circumstances taking them out of the controverted principle, or have proceeded from the passions or policy of tlie occasion. Even in prosecutions and convic- tions having the latter origin, the final act of punishment has, with little exception, been pre- vented by a sense of equity and dread of retalia- tion. It is confidently believed that no instance can be found in which the alleged purposes of the enemy against the twenty-three prisoners in question, under all the circumbtances which belong to their case, even thou^jh any of them mov not have been regularly naturalized, are countenanced by the proceedings of any European nation." A publication, of which the following is a copy, appeared from the navy depaitment of the United States the 28th July, 1814, and was un- derstood to be a relinquishment of the system of retaliation, on tlie part of England and of the United States; the 23 American soldiers sent to England, and all other Americans held by the enemy as hostages, having been restored to the state of Oi"«iinary prisoners. HISTORY OF THE WAR. . 201 *< AH ofFiccrs, seamen and marines of the United States' navy, captured by tlie troops or vessels, within the command of sir George Prevost, pripr to the I5th day of April last, liave been duly exchanged, and de- ckired competent to serve against the enemy. They will therefore inmiediateiy report themselves to the commanding naval officer of the station on which the}' iire or may arrive." The time when the armies must be in winter i|aarters, and the ofiiceio less engaged than tliey would be at another season, was chosen for the trial of general Hull. A general court-martial assembled for that purpose at Albany, the 5th Januar}^, 1814, and proceeded in the trial, from time to time, until the 8th March. Three charges were presented against him, to wit, treason against the United States; cowardice; and neglect of duty and unofticer-like conduct; to all which he pleaded not gui't3^ The general, having protested against the com- petency of the court to try the first charge, the court declined makinn; an vformal decision on it; but yet gave an opinion that nothing appeared to them Tv)]ich could justify the charge. The court acquitted him of that part of the tliird specification which charges him with hav- ing ^' forbidden the American artillery to hre on the enemy, on their marcli towards the said Fort Detroit," and found him guilty of the first, se- cond part of the third, and the fourth specifica- tions. On the third charge the court found the ac- cused guilty of neglect of duty, in omitting sea- sonably to inspect, train, exercise, and order the troops under his command, or cause them to be done. They also found him guilty of part of the fourth and fifth specifications, and the whole of the sixth and seventh j and acquitted him of the 202' HISTORY OF THE WAR. second and third, and part of the fourth and fiftii specifications. The court sentenced " the said brioadier-cren- eral WiUiam Hull to be shot to death, two thirds of the court concurx-iiig in the sentence; but, in consideration of his revolutionary services, and his advanced sge, reconnnended him to the mer- cy of the president of the United States." Tlie president of the United States approv- ed the sentence, remitted the execution,^ and order- ed the name of -general Hull to be erased from the, list of the army. The general, in an address to the people of t]\Q United States, appealed to their decision a- gainst the verdict and sentence oi* the court, de- claring himself innocent, notwithstauding the ver- dict, and charging the government with persecu- tion and injustice to himself. A circumstance of great interest, and which might have a great effect *)n the war between Great Britain and the United States, occurred in March, 1814. On the 3 1st of that month, the allied armies of Austria, Prussia, and Russia^ headed by their respective sovereigns, triumph- antly entered the French capital, overthrew the Bonapartean dynasty, sent its chief into exile, and replaced Louis XVII I. on the throne of his an- cestors. Hitherto the p^^ver of England was divided between making war on France and the United States of America; it was to be now entirely turned against the latter, at least so the British editors threatened. Indeed America would cer- tainly be punished, overthrown, re -subjugated, and enslaved, if the editors' lead could be form- ed into balls instead of types, and these pressed into cannon, instead of being pressed on paper. ' The new situation of affairs in Europe created much alarm., but no despondency in America. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 20% The citizens saw the approach of a terrible con- flict, but they resolved to meet it. The legions, which gained the character of " invincible," in Spain, Portugal, and France, were to be vomit- ed on the shores of America; the thousand ships of Britain were to blockade the coast ; British tars without number were to cover the lakes ; and these myriads, by sea and by land, were to be directed by those commanders who swept the European navies from the ocean, and outrivaled the best generals of the first warrior in the world. Yet, notwithstanding these exterminating threats and gloomy prospects, America was destined to pre- serve her independence and honor; and to gather more laurels in 1814, than she did in any former year of this war. A small quantity of stores, intended for the use of the army and fleet at Sackett's Harbor, were deposited at Fort Oswego ; and a consider- able quantity at the Falls, 10 miles in the rear of tL-j fort. Tlv3 enemy prepared an expedition to seize both. Lieutenant colonel Mitchell, of the artillery, arrived at Oswego on the 30th April, ISl^, for the protection of that place, which he found in a very bad state of defence. Of cannon there were but five guns, 3 of which had lost their trunnions. What could be done in the way of repair, was effected; new platfbi'ms were laid, the gun-carriages put in order, and decayed pick- ets Ve-placed. At day-hght, on the morning of the 5th May, a British naval force of 4 ships, 3 brigs, and "a number of gun and other boats, were discovered at about 7 miles from the fort» The force at the fort consisted of 290 efiectives. These were too few for the purpose of defence. It became necessary to disguise this weakness, and to keep the entire in one place; for this pur- pose, the tents were pitched on one side of the river, and tlie men were all ordered to the other. 204 HISTORY OF THE WAR. At one o'clock, 15 large barges, crowded witli men, moved towards the side opposite that on which the tents were pitched, and where there appeared the least show of resistance. These were preceded by gun -boats, to cover the land- ing. As soon as the boats got within the range of shot, a very successful fire was opened from the shore-battery, which compelled them to re- tire twice, when they stood off, and returned to their ships. Some boats, which had been desert- ed, were taken up by the militia, one of the boats was 60 feet long, and could accommodate 150 men. At day-break, on the 6tb, the fleet again ap* proached the fort. The Yvolfe, and other ves- sels, kept np a fire for three hours against the fort and batteries?. Colonel Mitchell, finding that the enemy had landed about 2000 men, with- drew his small force into the rear of the fort, and with two companies, (Ilomayne and Melvin's) met their advancing columns, while the other com- panies engaged the flanks of the enemy. — With the aid of lieutenant Pierce, of the navy, and some seamen, the little American band maintained its ground for half an hour. Colonel Mitchell then marched his force, but not precipitate) v, to the falls, destroying the bridges in his rear. The enemy, although commanded by general Drum- mond, and commodore Yeo, did not think proper to pursue the colonel. They burned the old bar- racks, and evacuated the fort about three o'clock in the morning of the 7th. The American loss amounted to 6 killed, 38 wounded, and 25 missing — total 69. Deseiters from the enemy stated his loss to be 70 killed, 165 wounded, tlrowned and missing — total 235. Eight i)ieces of cannon, and some stores, worth about one hundred doiiars, fell into the enemy's hands. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2(:^ On no occasion did the Americans deserve bet- ter of their country; at no time before did the enemy buy victory with less advantage to him- self, or at a dearer price. Tiie companies under command of colonel Mitchel], consisted of Boyle's, Romayne'r, M'Intire's, and Pierce's, li^avy ar- tillery, aiid a few seamen ; in all, -less than 300 men. Twice they repulsed, and for nearly two days maintained a contest against seven times their number, and finally succeeded in ])reserving the stores at the falls, the 'loss of which would ma- terially impede the operations of the army and navy. The enemy carried off 60 of the unarmed inhabitants of the village, who were stated in the British report as so many prisoners. On the 30th May, captain Woolsey of the navy, being on his return from Oswego, with 18 boats, carrying a number of cannon, and a quantity of rigging for the new vessels at Sackett's Ilarborj put into Sandy Creek, about 16 miles from the Harbor. Fearinsf an attack from the enemv, major Apling was placed, with 120 riflemen, and a i'cw of the Oneida Indians, in the woods, en each side of the creek; a few raw militia were sent forward to make a show of resistance. The plan succeeded ; the militia, on the first fire from the enemy, retreated in apparent confusion, and were pursued until the entire passed the riilemen and bidians. who were in ambiisli. The enemy was attacked in the rear, while^a battery of 4 field pieces opened on him in front. The cont-est was not of long duration. After ten minutes fighting, the enemv surrendered* The enemv lost 2 ncst-^ captains, 4? lieutenants of the royal navy, prison- ers ; 2 heatenanti> of marines wounded and pri- soners; 1 midshipinan, and 13 sailors and ma- rines killed; 28 sailors and marines v/ounded, and 133 sailors and mnrines prisoners — tctal 183: 8 206 HISTORY OF THE WAH. 2 gunboats and 5 barges were taken. Only one of the American army was wounded. On the 15th May, the enemy landed several hundred men at Pultneyville, (which is on tiie margin of Lake Ontario,) and took possession of 100 barrels damaged flour, which were in a store close by the lake. General Swift, on hearing of the advance of the enemy, reached Pultneyville with about 130 volunteers and militia; but, deeming this fjrce too small to oppose a numer- ous enemy, within the range of the guns of his fleet, he did not dispute the possession of the dama^^ed flour : but findino; the enemy proceed- ing to other depredations, he commenced a fire on him from an adjacent wood, which v/ounded seversl, aiid compelled him to re-embark, when a cannonade commenced from the fleet on the town, without doing material injury. A large quantity cf flour was deposited about a mile from the town, v/hich the cnenjy chose to forego the plunder of, rather than trust himself in the woods with general Swift and his riflemen. in this month, colonel Campbell, (19th infant- a's) "^'''^*»-^' ^ detachment of 5 or 600 men, and fiome seamen acting as artillerists, crossed from Erie to Long point. About 50 Briti h dia- |Toons, stationed tliere as an out-j^ost, and guard to public stores, made their escape. The mills . employed in m.amilacturii^g flour for the enemy, and some houses occupied as stores, were burn- ed; when the parry returned, without losing a man. The following transaction with the enemy's fleet on lake Clianiplain, will be best explained by giving the following extract of a letter from major-general Izard, Cv?mmanding the first, cr divibicii of the right, dated at his licad-quar- Icrs, May 17th: *' On receiving notice of tlie enemy's proceeding HISTORY OF THE WAR. 207 up the lake on the 13th inst a detachment of light artillery, unck^r tlie coinmaud of Capt. Thornton, of that corps, was dispatched in waggons from Burling- ton to Vorgennes, where they manned the battery at the mouth of Otter creek. At day-break, on tha H'tii, the enemy attacked with his whole force, and after a severe cannonade of two hours and a half, during wJiich they suffered very considerably, they withdrew to repair damages. Yesterday they de- parted tliis place, having some of their vessels in tow, • and are gone to their ow^n ports, Two of their gal- leys are said to be missing. No damage was done on our side, except dismounting one gun in the battery, by which two men vvere slightly wound- ed.'* TJie Chesapeake bay \vns likely, a,nd proved, to continue n theatre of the enemy's deprecia- tions. A number of boats, carryinii; heavy me- tal, were constructed in March, 18i4<, on the eastern shore of Maryland, for the protection of the bay, and the command of til em given to that intrepid officer, commodore Barney. This flotilla proved a great armoyance to the enemvj ivas an object of his constant attention, and was finally destroyed, as will be hereafter particularly detailed. The enemy had a skirmish on tlie 29th Mavj with the Accomack militia, v/hich reilectcil the highest honour on the latter. Between 6 and 7 o'clock in the morning, the enemy entered the Pamgoteaquc creek. ' They uere at first most gallantly met by 2d. lieutenant Underhill, of the artillery, and 6 or 7 men, who stood the lire ot their 18 pounders, grape, musketry and Con- greve rockets, then within 60 yards, when lieiit. Underjiid, finding all farther resistance total- ly useless, and not having a suitlcient force to remove the artillerj^, caused it to be spiked, and retreated. The piece fell into the hands of 203 HISTORY OF THE WAR. 9f the enemy, v/ho also destroyed some triflmj^^ buildings, wliich had been occupied as barracks. Finding no resistance from the point which lieutenant Undcrhill had occupied, they com- menced tlieir landing, and in a few minutes had from 450 to 500 men, 200 of whom were negroes, all w^ell armed, formed, and advancing from the shore, the negroes in front. From the place of their landing, they marched about three quar- ters of a mile into the country, where they were met by a party of militia, not more than 25 in number. This little band stood for two hours the whole force of the enemy. At this time the militia began to collect, which the enemy perceiving, retreated to his ships, and thus escaped being either killed or taken prisoners. During their stay on shore, the enemy committed several petty robberies and shameful excesses, car- rying av/ay bacon, poultry, &c. Commodore Biirney got under way on the 1st June, witli his flotilla, in the Patuxent, with thein- enlion to engage or chase away the enemy. On ap- proaching them, he discovered two schooners one a full ri«,';ged, show^ing nine ports on a side. When off St. Jerome's, "he discovered a large ship under way, and that she had despatched a number of boats to the aid of the schooners. The wind having veered so as to prove un- fovourable to the flotilla, the commodore made signal for the Patuxent, and was follow^ed by a 74-, three schooners, and seven barges. After doubling round C-edar point, in the mouth of the river, he found that gun -boat No. 137 was so far astern, that she must be taken, or saved by an engagement. The conmiodore brought the Scorpion, and gun-boat No. 138, to anchor, tent men on board the boat 137, to row and tow her in, and signaled his oilier vessels to return and join him. The Scorpion, and boat HISTORY OF THE WAR. 209 ' i 38, opened a fire on a large schooner, ar.d a number of barges, which ]ia(l got aliead of the boat 137. The commodore's barges, at this tinie, had returned, and rowing down on the enemv, o-ave them a number of sliots, and then returned into oort with all the flotilla. This bold exploit did great honour to Barney and liis crews. The enemy Landed at Cedar point, in the eveniiig of the 4th Jime, and carried off several negroes, and considerable stock, from the planta- tion of Mr. Sew^al. The enemy's squadron being reinforced by a razee and a sloop of war, the commodore moved his flotilla up to the mouth of St. Leonard's creek. At 5, P. M. the 8th June, he perceiv- ed a sliip, a brig, 2 schooners, and 15 barges, coming up the Patuxent, whereupon the commo- - dore moved his flotilla about two miles up the creek, and there nioored them in line abreast a- cross the channel, and prepared for action. At 8, A, iVl. the enemy's barges came up the creek, the, ships, ike, were anchored at the mouth of the creek : a rocket barije was advanced on the flotilla. At thi:s time, the commodore got his barges [13 in number) under way, leaving the Scorpion and gun-boats at anchor, aiul rowed down upon the enemy, v^hen they precipitately sailed and rowed off, with all their means. The commodore pursued them tmtil near their shin- ping, when his barges were brought back to their moorings. In the afternoon, the enemy came up the creek again^ tlirew some rockets, and were again pursued and driven out of the creek by the flotilla. The situation of commodore Barney and his flo- tilla m St. Leonard's creek, was really unpleasant and critical. He was, however, relieved by a bold S 2 210 HISTORY OF THE WAR. and successful attack on the enemy, on the morning of the 26th June. The followin^i]^ is a copy of commodore Bar- ney's report to the secretary of the navy : Sir, This morning, at 4, A. M. a combined attack of the artillery, marine corps and flotilla, was made up- on the enemy's two frii^ates at the mouth of the creek. After two Ijours' engagement, they got under way and made sail down the river. They are now warping round point Patience, and I am moving up the Patuxent with my flotilla. My loss is acting midshipman Asquith, killed, and ten others, killed and wounded. With respect, &c. JO§HUA BARNEY. In June, the enemy landed about 400 men, and burned the tobacco warehouses at Lower Marlbo- roiifdi, and Mao"ruder's ferrv, and also Cole's wareiiouse. It is impossible, in our present limits, to detail every petty and wanton act of an un- principled and mean enemy ; where he could re- move the plnndered property, he removed it ; what he -could not remove, he destroyed. In Cal- Tert, near Lower Marlborough, they forced a- way with them some negroes, also took some cattle and poultry. A person v.ho repaired to the scene of de- predation after the enemy liad retired, wrote to his friend in Baltimore, — " It would have dis- tressed you to see the tobacco at Magrudcr's, burning, as I did, this evening. Eleven hundred iio«'bheads, nearly all consumed, and about four hundred at Lower Marlborough, where they took a schooner, (captain David's) and loaded licr." The enemy peiformed one exploit, v/hich, if }QOt tarnishecl by the barbarous use he made of HISTORY OF THE WAR. 21 1 conquestj would have left bim one instance of victory, not petty. The enemy appeared in great force in the Chesapeake, about the niiddie of August, 1814. More than 50 of liis vessels entered the Patux- ent, and landed about 5000 troops and marines, chiefly about Benedict, 4<0 miles south east of the city of Washington. Tlie force at the disposal of general Winder, wlio had been appointed to the command of this district, was unibrtunately inadequate to defend the city, and it fell into the power of the enemy. The entire force of every description which could be collected to oppose tlie enemy, did not exceed 5000 men; these, however, would have been sufficient for the pur- pose, had they all acted with equal firmness. Of these, several hundreds arrived after the bat- tle commenced, and many after the retreat had been ordered. The force actually engaged was less than 2000. On the 20Th, colonel Munroe, who proceeded the previous day with coloiiel Thornton's troop of horse, to reconnoitre the enemy, reported that he had landed in force. Captains Caldwell and Tilghman, with their commands of cavalry, were sent in the afternoon of this day to annoy the ene- my in his advance, ar.d remove such puj^plies of pro- visions as lay in his route. On the 22d, the Biitish flankers ap|)roached the wood-yard, 12 miles from the city, vvh^^re general Winder, with his main bo- dy, was pobted. The line of battle was ibrnied by the American troo})s, but the enemy filed off to the left. At 9 o'clock, Commodore Barney caused his llotilla to be destroyed, and he proceeded with his men to take post in front of the e* nemy. On the evening'of the 23d, general Winder's head quarters were at Battalion Fitjlds, within 8 miles of the city, and a short distance from Bia- 212 HISTORY OF THE WAR. densburg. At 1 o'clock, on the 24tli, the army was posted on tlie right of Bladensbm-g, about half a mile distmitfrom the village. The artillery, from Haltimore, supported by major Pinkney's rifle battalion, and a part of captain Doughty 's, from the navy-yard, were in advance, to com- inand the pass of the bridge at Bladensburg. Soon after 1 o'clock, the enemy a})peared, advan- cing: tov>'ard the brid-re over the eastern branch. When they reached the bridge, which they did in solid column, the artillery opened a warm fire on them, ajid the reflemen, and a regiment of mih- tia, were soon engaged. Before 2 o'clock, the enemy advanced so close on the Baltimore volun- teers, as to force them to retreat, bringing with them their artillery and arms, excep.t one piece, which was lost by the unruiiness of the horses. The retreat was not tlie elfect of cowardice, for no men could behave v/ith more honour to them- selves. While they fought, they made a galling impression on the enemy, and when forced to yield before numbers vastly superior, they v*^ould, no doubt, have yet sought a place from which to triumph in a contest so handsomely began, but they were not properly supported. The rie. would disi^race tlie characters while livino-, and, after death, consign to eternal intamy, the names of these two commanders. Never will bar- barism and the fate of Washingt^m be coupled in history, without being accomp>anied by the names of lloss and Cockburn. The destruction of })ri- vate property would be in character with the con- duct which disgraced the British arms in the Che- sapeake and elsev.'here. The triumphant entry of the marauders into the capital of an infant re- public, gave them an o})portunity of proving the respect in which they held the ai ts, sciences, and literature. " They," to use the woi!ds of President 214. HISrOUY OF THE WAR. Madison's proclamation, " wautoijly destroyed the public edifices, having no relation in their struc- ture to operations of war, nor used at any time for military annoyance; some of these edifices being also costly monuments of taste and of the arts, and others, depositories ofthe public archieve-, not only })recions to the nation, as the memorials of its origin, and its early transactions, but inte- resting to all nations, as contributions to the gene- ral stock of historical instruction and political sci- ence." With the public buildings, tlie natioiivd library was destroyed. Cockburn attended in per- son, to the destruction of the printing materials, in the office of the National Intelligencer. A fcw private buildings were burned., 'i he navy-yard, with all its shipping and stores, including a nev/ frigate and a sloop of war, were destroyed, pre- vious to its occupation by the enemy. The Bri- tish army retired in the night of the 25th, in pru- dent harry, and with studied silence, leaving se- veral of their wbmided behind, and some of their dead unburicd. The American loss was stated by General Winder, to be between 30 and 40 killecf, fi*om 50 to 60 wounded, and about 120 taken pri- soners. *' From the best intelliircnce," says the genera!, "there remains but little doubt, that the enemy lost, at least, 400 killed and wounded, and of these a very unusual portion killed." Fort Warburton having been deserted b}^ the United States' troops, commanded by Captain Dyxon, and consequently destroyed by the enemy, the latter advanced towards Alexandria, tiie civil authority of which, submitted to the most dis- graceful terms of capitulation, by which the city was given up to plunder. The enemy carried off 14 vessels, laden v/ith Hour, tobacco, cotton, gro- ceries, and a variety of goods, taken from the private stores. A series of the most darhisf exertions were made HISTORY OF THE WAI^. 215 by Commodore Rotlgers, Porter and Perry, with their seamen, and some oi' the Virginia mihtia, to prevent the eseape of the enemy with liis booty, but he got off, with some U:>ss, taking the plunder with him. Terms, similar to t'lose accepted by Alexandiia, were offered to Georgetown, which tiie latter indignantly rejected, and escaped being plimdered. ' - I'he enemy attempted to justify liis predatory warfare in the Chesapeake, and el^ewhere, by })ro- fessing, that he acted in retaliation of excesses, said, by him, to have been committed by the ar- mies of the United States, in Canada. — N(^thing, however, could be farther from truth. I'he con- duct of the republican armies could, by no fair construction, justify the barbarities of the enemy, and it was vy-ell known, that the robberies and des- truction of private projierty and buildings, parti- cularly in the viqinity of the Chesapeake, and its tributary streams, had, in many instances, preced- ed those said to have been committed by the Americans. The enemy, probably emboldened by his suc- cess at Washington, projected a descent on, and of course, the plundering and burning the city of Baltimore. The movemerits of the enemy having led to a suspicion of his design, General Samuel Smyth, the revolution-ary hero and defender of Mud -fort, made some early dispositions to repel an invasion, if such should be attempted. General Striker v/as detaclied, on the evening of the iith September, with a portion of his bri- gade on the North-point-road. Major Randal, of the Baltimore county militia, having under his command, a light corps of riflemen, and muske- try, taken from General Stansbury's brigade, and the Pensylvania volunteers, was detached to the mouth of Bear creek, with orders to co-operate with General Striker, and to check any lar,ding 215 HISTORY OF THE WAR. which the enemy might attempt in that quarter. On Monday, the 12th, the enemy landed be- tween 8000 and 9000 men, at North-point, 14 miles from Baltimore, the land force under com- mand of General Ross, the seamen under Admi- ral Cockburn. General Striker had, that morn- ing, taken a good position at the junction of the roadts, leading from Baltimore to the North-point, havino- his riijht flanked by the Bear-creek, and his left by a marsh. Here he waited the approach of the enemy, having sent on an advance corps, under the command of Major Heath, of the 5th regiment. " This advance," says General Smyth, in his re})ort, " met the enemy, and after some skirmishing, it returned to the line, the main bo- dy of the enemy being at a short distance in the rear of their advance. Between 2 and 3 o'clock, the enemy's v/hole force came up and commenced the battle, by some discharges of rockets, which were succeeded by the cannon from both sides,. and soon after the action became general along the line. General Striker gallantly maintained his ground against a great superiority of numbers, during the space of an hour and tvventy minutes, when the regiment on his left (the 51st) giving way, be was under the necessity of retiring to tiie ground in his rear, where he had stationed one regiment as a reserve. He here formed his bri- gade: but the enemy not thinking it advisable to pursue, he, in compliance with arrangements, iell back and took post on the left of my entrench- ments, and half a mile in advance of them." The following extracts, fro a General Smyth's report, will best explain tl^ further moveurents of the respective armies. ** About the time General Striker had taken the ground just mentioned, he vv sjoincd by Brig. Gen, Winder, who had been stationed on the west side of •the city, but was w^^: ordered to march with Gen* HISTORY OF THE WAR. 217 T)ou'jflas' bri-yade of Virginia militia, and the United States' dragoons, under Captain Bird, and- take post on the left of General Striker. During these movements, the brigades of General Stans- bury and Foreman, the seamen and marines un- der Commodore Rodgcvs, the Pennsylvania vol- unteei's under Colonels Cobean and Findley, the Baltimore artillery under Colonel Harris, and the maritime artillery under Captain Stiles, manned the trenches and the batteries — ^all prepared to re- ceive the enemy. We remained in this situation during the night. "On Tuesda}^ the enemy appeared in front of my entrenchments, at the distance of two miles, on the Philadelphia road, from whence he had a full view of our position. He manoeuvred during the morning towards our left, as if v/ith the inten- tion of makino' a circuitous march, and cominjj down on the Harford or York roads. Generals Winder and Striker were ordered ' to adapt their movement to those of the enemv, so as to baffle this supposed inteiition. Tirey executed this order with great skill and iudo^ment, bv takin^r an ad- vantageous position, stretching from my left across the coLintry, when the eneni}^ was likely to ap- proach the quarter he seemed to threaten. Tins movement induced the enemy to concentrate Jiis forces (between one and two o'clock,) in my front, pushing his advance to within a mile of us, driving in our videttes, and show^in^r an intention of at- tackino- us tliat evenin^^. I iuunediateiv drew Gens. Wincier and Striker nearer t<;%,the lett of my en- trenchments, and to the right of the enemy-, with the intention of their fallin/ on his rhAit or rear, Sihould he attack me: or, it he declined it, of at- tacking him in the morning, lo this movement, and to the ^trenirth of niv ctcience, v/hich the eiie- my had tiie faireiic opportunity of t)bserviug> .i*am induced ;,o attribute his retreat, which was coui- 21S histoi:y of the^war, nieiiced at half pai^t one o'clock on Wednesday morninc;. In this he was sofavoured by the extreme darkness, and a continued rail?, that v,e did nt^t discover it nntil day-light. *" I liave now the pleasure of calling your attention to the brave commander of Fort M'Hemy, Major Armstiad, and to the operations confined to that quartc]'. The enem}' made liis approach by water at tl)e same time that his army wa& advancinjr on the land, and commenced -a discharge of bonibs and rockets at the fort, as soon as he got within range of it. The situation of Major Armstead was pecu- liarly trying — the enemy, having taken his posi- tion at such a distance, as to render offensive opera- tions on the part of the fort entirely fruitless, whilst tiieir bombs and lockets were every ruoment fall- incr in and about it — the officers and men, at the same time, entirely exposed. 1 he vessels, liovv- evcY, Lad the temerity to approach somewhat near- er — tijey were as soon compelled to v,'ii}i{haw. During the nii:,ht, whilst the enen:v on land was retreating, and whilst the bombindment was most severe, two or three rocket vessels and barges snc- eeeded in geiiing up the Ferry Branch, but they were ycon compeiJcd to retire, by the foft& iji that Quarter, commanded by l>icutcnant Newcomb, of the navy, and Lieutenant Webster, of tlie flotilJa. The?e forts also destroyed one of the barges, tvith all on board. 1 he barges and battery at the Lazaretto, under the command of Lieut, Ruttcr, of thef;olilla, kept up a brisk, and it is believed, a successFui fire, during the hottest period of the bon'bardment." It vvas impossible for veteran, cr the most expe- rienced troo};s, to act with more firm discipline, or cool courage, tlmn the ciiizens of Baltimore, and the troops engriged, did on this occasion, with the*excepUon. already mentioned. A pursuit of the enemy was attempted, without, however doing HISTORY OF THE WAR. 219 liim much injury. The troops were so exbaii&te-J, wit4i throe days and nii^hts fatigue, thi>i tbey could do little more than pick wo a i'ew stras-olers. A line of defences thrown up by the Americans from Back River to Humphries' Creek, on the Pataps- co, v/ere used by the enemy to protect his embark- ation. As a measure necessary to the takincr of Baiti- more, Admiral Cockl)urn sei}t5 what he relied oa as a co!i3petoiit force to take Fort M^Henry, situa- ted on a point of land about two miles from ihe citv. Tile enemy's- vessels were ranged on the 12th, at a respectable distance, in frcnt of the works. At an early hour, onthelSth, six bombs jind some rocket vessels, commenced the attack, but at such a distance as to have little effect. A vast many very heavy bombs and rockets were throv/n from the shipping, and answered pro for- ma from the iort^ the Lazaretto, batter}-, and bar- ges. This noisy play lasted until near 3 P.M. when the enemy dropped nearer the l}attery. Tlio firing now became more frequent, and soon brcasne tremendous, but the enemy finding tha' the men in the fori; conld hit , as well as fii e, soon slipped their cables and drew off to their former distance, from which they continned the bombardment. Favoure-ti by a dark ni,o;ht, one or two of the enemy's bomb vessels, and several boundcd, and missing. — 1 he en- tire American loss did not exceed 20 killed, 90 wounded, and 47 missing. The enemy was at Chaptico in October. The following particulars of the excesses committed at that place, appeared in the Alexandria Herald, signed Robert Wright. "I passed tliroiigli Chaptico shortly after the ene- my leit it, and I am sorry to say, tluit thei^* conduct would have disgraced Cannihiils ; the houses were torn to pieces, the well, which alForded water for the in- habitants, was, filled up, and, what is still worse, the church and the eslies of th.e dead, shared equally bad or worse fate. Will you believe me, when 1 teliyou, that the sunken gravts were converted into barbacue holesj ! ! The remaining glass of the chujch windows broken the communion table used as a dinner table, and then In-oken to pieces ! Bad as the above may ap- pear, it dwindles into insijinitieance, when compared with w'hat follows : the vault was entered, and the re- mains of t!ie dead disturbed. Yes, my friend, the winding sheet was torn from the body of a lady of the nr&t respectability, and the whole contents of th« vault, eiuireiy deranged ! ! ! HISTORY or THE WAR, $ti Soon after loaving Gh.iptico, the enemy visited St. IiiLyoes, in St. M-ary'ii comity, Marylaiid. Tliis was th3 hubitadqn of a missionary, raid the scite of a lii>-Jiaii Catholic church. Nothing could ixe expected but the furnitore of the prie:-t, and phittj ot- the cluircli. Both were takea ; feather- beds, sheets, blankets, curtains, spoons, kniver, forks, &c. were taken away or destroyed; the sa- cred ve>nnents were thrown about, thev^>sse]s, coii- secraied to the service of God, profaned, the al- ter stript n^iked, the tabernacle carried oflj and tlie blessed sacrament borne away in the haJids of tiiose sacriiei>'ious wretciies. , Some few articles were restored at the instance of the British officer, who would probably wish to see th(^ entire restored, but he could not command them; "they are," said lie, '^ a set of rulEans." Some other arUcies, be- it>niiinfy to the church, were restored in a few days aft'hich tiie lollowing is a copy : " TO THE MAGISTRATES OF STONINGTON. *' Gentleiiien — One hour is aHowed yon, from the receipt of tliis cominunication, for the removal of the unoffcitdini: inhabitants. TliOIiAS M. HARDY." Stonington v^as in no state of defence adequate to resist the enemy. The few men in the place hastened to collect ammunition, some ran to the batter'y, which coiisisted of tv/o 18 pounders and a four pounder, v/iih a slight breast-v/crk ; ex- presses were sent to Nev*-Londoii and other pla- ces. At eight o^clcck, the attack was com-mtnc- ed, by a discharge of shells, from the bomb- ship, [and Congreve rockets ircm several barges. 'Vh'r, fire was continued until midnight, without injur- ing a single building or inhabitant. ' During the night the volunteers and militia had assembled in considerable numbers, and were disposed of in the manner best calculated to re- 223 HISTORY OF THE WAR. sist finy attempt of the enemy to land. At dawn of day, the enemy began to throw rockets from vessels wliich had taken stations on the east side of the town, out of range of the battery. An 18 and a 4 pounder were drawn to a point of land from which the enemy could be reached, and, in a few minutes, the barges were compelled to move off. During this time, the brig worked up, and came to anchor within less than half a mile of the batterv. The anmiunition on shore beinjj expended, the few men who were at the battery were compelled to retire, having first spiked the guns. For an hour and a half the enemy continued to fire on the town, without the least opposition being attempted or practicable. A fresh supply of ammunition being by this time obtained, the vent of the 18 pounder was drilled, v/hen a fire was opened on the enemy's brig, until at three o'clock she slipped her cable, and hauled off, being evidently much injured in her hull and spars. Soon after tliis time a considerable body of militia arrived, and general Isham had taken the command, A flag was sent from the inhabitants (without the concurrence of general ^Isham) to the British officer, informing him that the " unoffending in- habitants" had been removed, and wishing to know if he meant to complete tlie destruction of the town. The deputation received from captain Hardy a written reply, that " the bombardment should cease, in case the inhabitants would en- gage that no torpedoes should be fitted out at Sto- nington, and that tiie family of Mr. Stewart, late British consul at New-London, would be sent en board." Tiiese terms could not be complied with. — The proposal respecting torpedoes vras coniiidei- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 229 ed defrradino' nothiniy of the kind Iiaviii^ ever been attempted at Stoniiigtoii ; tae secoiKi, re- specting Mrs. Stewart and children, was referred to the proper authority. The enemy continued to negociate, for the purpose of getting Mrs. Stewart on board, un- til 3 o'clock on the 11th, when the bombard- ment ao'ain commenced, and was continued until night. On Friday morning the attack was com- menced, and continued witii great warmth, from nearly all the eneiny's ships and launches, un- til near noon, when it ceased,' and about four 'o'elock P.M. the eneniv? findinir that a o-reat force v/as assembled for the protection of the town, finally withdrew ; and on Saturday morning weighed anchor, and proceeded up Fisher's Sound. During 'vixq several attacks, not a man was killed, and but five or six wounded. Two or three houses v/ere destroyed, eight or ten much damag- ed, and about forty partially injured. More than 300 shells and carcasses were thrown into the vil- lage. riie additional disposable military and naval force which the peace in Europe left at the command of the enemy, the use which he threat- ened to make, and CvA actually commence, or prepare to make of it, ]>r<>diicf?({ a union of ac- tion and sentiment among the people of Ameri* ca, some discontented or rather traitorous per- sons excepted, and these so comparatively few that tliey excited but a sentiment of contempt, and owed their personal safety to tlieir utter ina- irility to iS.^ material injury. The citizens of New- York, the first commercial city in the union, cave an exauii)Ie of political forbearance toward each other, and of -attatinnent to their country, which had a salutary influence on every other \m\,x% oi the nation. V no HISTORY OF THE WAR. At a general meeting held in the park in that city, the 3 0th August, 1814, the following, to- gether with several ether patriotic resolutions, were unaninieiisiy adopted : " Resolved, that the citizens here assembled will, to the last extremity, defeiid their city. " Ilesolved, that we will unite ourselves in arms with our brethren "of the countrjv, and, on the first approach of the enemy, make ij a common cause. " Resolved, that it be recoiuraended to the citizens general! v, to meet as soon as may be practicable with convenience, in their respective wards, for the purpose of electing discreet and sufficient commit- tees to promote the execution of the foliowing ob- jects . '< 1. To complete the voluntary enrolment of per- sons exem.pted by law from miiitiuy service. " 2. To encourage the enrolment of sea-faring ci- tizens, for service in the harbour, or as artillerists. " S. The enrolment of cilizeiis for voluntary la- bour on the public works *' Resolved, that we will endeavour to promote concord and harmony, and will discountenance all attempts to weaken the patriotic elibrts of gooa citi- zens." From tliis moment^ party feuds were, in a great measure, suspended; newspaptT editors ex- cluded all acriiiK)Dioii5v political discussions ; the commiLtee apj)ointed to carry ^ into effect the re- solutions of the general ineetiug, was selected from the most respectable of the citizens, without the least rej^j^ect to the political party, to which the persons selected belonged. The plan of the enemy was to dismember the union. A ccmmand of the North River would teud mxwh to tliis 'end, Tlie possession of the city of New -York was a desirable object, in what- ever poirit it mi^ht be viewed. The measures of defcuce and precaution taken at New-York, HISTORY OF TME WAR 2.n probably prevented tlie intended attack on that city ; the subsequent-attempt to gain possession of the posts near lake Champlain, leaves little room to doubt the enemy's intention. Had that invasion succeeded, we should have soon' heard of an invasion on the sea-boarcl, either at Kew-York, or some |)iace to the "eastward of it, and an attempt tq form a junction of the tv/o in- vading armies. For several months, the, citizens of New-York supplied more tlian 1000 men daily, who laboured voluntarily and without pay, at the fortiiicatic.^is ; and several thousands from the adjacent counties, and from the state of New -Jersey, contributed their aid, until a line of fortifications were raised on the hei'^hts of Brooklvn and Keerleui, sufii- cieat to oppose any probable force that could ba employed by the enemy. It would be impos- sible to do justice to the zeal that animated the citizens, and it cannot be expected to copy, or even notice, the many eilitorial observations which appeared in the public prints ; zeal over- flowed, so that it became necessary to limit the offered services to a certain number daily, and it often happened, that servic:es could not be re- ceived until several davs after beiuir tendered. The follow! no-, from the Richmond Compiler, is given, because its shortness does not actually render its insertion incompatible with our li- mits. *■ To a patriotic mind it is truly- exhilarating to read the New York papers, and see the generous, ar- dent zeal that actuates the inhabitaats of that ^great einporiu r! of Aaierican conunerce. At the first signal of breakiiiggroand for the defence of the city, the whole population seem to have caught the spark of patriotic ener^^y, to have burs!: the sbiK:- kie^ of apathy, and set to the continent an exauiple €32 HISTORY OF THE WAT?. of social and public spirit, which we trust may be emulated through every part of our land. By wards and s»eclioiiS of the city, by tribes and centuries, by constituted bodies and private companies, by trades, by professions, and by domestic parties, offers of per- £onal service, and contributions in money, have been made and accepted; and that great mart of com- mercial wealth and enterprize, on which the enemy have so long kept a longing eye, is already inaccessi- blcf invulnerable ; the pride, and glory, and palladi- um of the continent. Who would not be a citizen of Nev/-York 'f On the 1st September, the British entered the Penobscot river, with about 40 sail of vessels, and several thousand men, and took possession of Castine, the small garrison of which fled, after blowing up the fort. They next sent 600 men to Belfast, which submitted. The foUov, ing day they proceeded up the river to Hamden, where the Adams frigate lay. Captain Morris Diade every possible disposition to resist the ene- my, but finding his limited force inadequate to that end, he spikeel his guns, burned his stores, blew up the ship, and, with his crew, escaped. The British governor immediately announced that the country bctv>-ecn the Penobscot river and Passamaquoddy bay, v.ould be considered as a part of the British territory. Measures were also taken to fortity Castin(>, and establish permanent commercial regvdatious. It was estimated that 120 vessels were taken in the Penobscot. While the enemy was coupling petty conquest with cowardice and cruelty, aloijg the sea board, the American army of the interior was plucking from the brows of imported invincibles the lau- rels won on the theatre of late European con- flicts. The brave general Jacob Brown, who had in the last year signalized himself by the defence of inSTv^RY OF TOE WAR. 233 Sackott*s Harbour, was appointed to the com- mand of ths army on the Niagara frontier. On thQ 2d July, General Brown mule disoosi- tions for an inteniled attack on the Britis'i Fort Erie, and issued orders to the troops for crossing* the river. The army passed the Niagara river on the morniiivy of the 3d. The enemy was per- fectly un apprized of the intended attack; gener- al 8cott, who led the van, was on shore before the enemy's picket discovered the approach. The fort bein;^ approached on the right and left, and the Indians in the wt>ods, in the rear, general Brown summoned the garrison to surrender, which, after a short time allowed for consideration, was agreed to. At, six o'clock the garrison march- ed and stacked their arras. 170 regulars, i;ich.id- in^ seven ofHcers, were sent across the river. • On the' mornin^ji; of the i-tn. Jiilv, wneral Scott, with his brig^iide, and a corps of artillery, advanc- ed towards Chippav/a. After some skirmish- iiig wnth the eneo\V, he selected a judicious po- sition for the night, iiis right testing on the river, and a ravine in front. At 1 1 ^t nigfit, g^iieral Brown ioined him witii th. . -^rve under general Ripley, "and a coi-j s of anil lery, 'under major Hindman. A field and battering train were also brouglit up. G'enei'al Porter arrived . in the nior- iiing, with a part of the New-York and Pensyt- vanla volunteers, and some of the%apriors of tiie six nations. Early^ in the morning of the 5th, the enemy attacked the picqCiets ; by noon he showed him- self on the left of the^army, and attacked oae of the picquets, as it was retiirning^ to camp.-— Captain Treat, who commaiidid the picquet, re- tired, leaving a woundeScott was ordered to advance with his brigade, and Towson's artillery. Tlie gene- ral advanced in the most prompt and officer -like manner, anil in a lew minutes was in close action with a superior force (rf the enemy. By this time General Porter s connnand had given way, and fled in disorder, uotwiitislanding the great exer- tions of the general to rally tiicm. Tiiis retreat left the left flank of general Scott's brigadSe great- ly exposed. Captani Harris was directed," with his dragoons, to stop the fugitives behind the ravine, fronting the American camp. General Ripley, Vvith tlie 21 st regiment, wliich formed part of tlie reserve, passed to the leit of the camp, under cover of the wood, to relieve Ge- neral Scv.tt, by failing on tlie enemy's right flank; but, before the 21ist could come into its position, the line commanded by general Scott closed with the enemy. Major Jessup, commaiiding the left flank baltaUon, linding iiimself pressed, in front and liank, and his men fiilhng taat around him, ordered liis battalion to support arms, and advance. The order was promptly obeyed, a- midst the most deadly and destructive fire. Having gained a better position, he poured on the enemy a *fire so gallmg, as caused him to retire, 'ihe enemy's entire line now fell back, and continued to retreat, until at the sloping 251 HISTORY OF TflE WAIT. grouncV, desceiidiiin- towards ChLppawa, when they- broke, and tied to their worlds. Gencrcil Bro\v43 finding the pursuit of the troops checked by the batteries of the enemy, or- dered up his ordnance, in order to force the place by a direct attack, but was induced, by the report of mgjor Wood and captain Austin, who reconnoitred the enemy's works, the lateness of the hour, and the advice of his officers^ to or- der the forces to retire to camp. The Arnori- can troops, on no occasion, beh.aved with more galUntiy than on the presen:, 'i'he Britislb re- iriilars suffered defeat from a number of men, principally volunteers and militia, inferior in e- very thing but courage to th« vanquished ene- my ; and the- gaihait Brown, a w^oodsman, " ti soldier of yesterday," put at deliance the mili- tary tactics of the experiended nnjor -general Riail. The fallowing is a copy of a letter written by general Brown on the field of battle, directed to the secretary of war. f <( ^ir^ — EmcuSo' mv sileDCO. ^I have been much enpa^ed. F^rt Erie did not, as I assured you it should not, detain me a single day. Atvel^en o'clock, on the night of the 4 th, i arrivl-d at this place, with the reserve, general Scott having taken the position about noon, \vith the v.m. My arrangeni-nts for turning and taking in the rear the enemy's position east of Ciiippa-ra, v.as made, when major-general lliall, suspecting our intention, and adhering to the rule, 'that it is better, to give than to receive an at« tack, camOvfrom beljir^d his vyoriis aboiit iive o'clock in the afternoon of the 5th, in prefer of battle We did not biuilk him. before six o'clock his line was brokijn, and his forces defeated, leaving; on the Meld four hundred killed and Wounded. He was closely pressed, and would have been utterly ruined, but for the proximity of his works, whither he iied for shel- HISTORY OF TME WAR. 237 ter. The wounded of the enemy, and those of our own army, must be attead^d to. Tht:y will be re- moved to Buffalo. This, with my limited means for transportation, will take a ''day or two, after which I shall advance, not doubting'' but that the gallant and accomplished troops I lead, will break down all opposition between me and Lake Ontario, when, if m.et by the fleet, all is well — if not, under the fo- vour of Heaven, we shall behave in a way to avoid disgrace," The battle of Bridgwiiter, fouoht on the 25th Jaly, was bloody, and well contested on both Bides. The enemy was composed of 5000 nieii, of the best troops, commanded by general Riall, and others, the best British officers. It is due to them to record that they fought well, but they fought airainst freemen, and were defeated. Op- posed to the bravest slaves in the world, oi e- ' qual force, this British army would have conquer- ed. The Americans were fewer in number than the enemy ; they were men, most of whom had yet to learn military tactics, but who bad a coun- try, now staked in a contest which the present battle might materially affect, or, in its conse- quence, decide. On the 25th general Brown's army was encamp- ed above Cliippawa, near the battle-ground of the 5th. The brigade under general Scott mov- ed past Chippawa, and halted at Bridgv/ater, in view of Niagara falls. At half past four, p.m. the battle w^as commmenced by the enemy. 1 he enemy, being numerically superior to the Ame- ricans, he was able to extend his line so as to attempt to flank. In order to counteract the apparent view of general Riall, he was fought in detachments — he v/as charged in column, general Scott beiug at the head of his troops in almost every charge. General Scott maintained his ground for more than an hour;, before the re- 258 HISTORY OF THE WAR. serve, under g^eneral Ripley, and the volunteers? under general Porter, were brouijht fuilv into action. Tlie ground i, obstinately contested until nine o'clock in tne eveninas wiieu general }3i'own decided to storrh a battery, which the eiie- ii\y had on a comynanding eminence. Colonel Miller commanded" on this enterjjrize, which was so resolutely entered on, tl^.at tlie enemy, unable to withstand the cliarp-e, rctii^'ed to the bottom of the hill, and abandoned his cannon. The. ene- my now gave way, and was pursued some dis- tance. The American armv then betook itself to the securin'j; of prisoners, and brino'ino- oif the wounded. While the armv Vv\as thus em?3lovcd. s^eneral Drumniond arri-ved with a reinforcement to the enemy, when he, unexpectedly to the Ameri- cans, renewed the bt\ttle, with a view to recov- er his cannon. The army, having quickly formed, re&isted the attack with courage; and, after a close engagement, the enemy was re- pulsed, as he was in tvvo other similar attempts. The American army having effected the remo- val of nearly all the v/ounded, retired from the ground a lictle before midnight, and returned to camp, ' The warmth and zeal with which this action was tuaintained, was the most obstinate and de- termined. For two hours, the discharge of mus- ketry was so constant, a^s to produce almost au uninterrupted blaze of fire; nor was it in any period of the action much less warm. Wel- lington's " invincibles" had just arrived from Europe, and Drnmmond resolved that they should not only maintain their character, but maintain it in a manner that would make th.e most des- ponding impression on the brave, but rav/ re- cruits of the republic. I'he Americans not only witlistood the oaset, but repelled and puni^ihed HISTORY OF THE WAR. 239 it. A fine moon-ligbt niglit favoured equally the operations of both armies; they foui.>ht too near to render cannon generally servicea&le, be- ing often within half j:5istol shot of each other, and sometimes mingled together. — The charge of colonel Miller exceeded any thing experienced by the Britisli soldieis, even in Europe. Thrice his men were reijulsed with great slaughter. For a time he was deserted by a regiment of infant- ry ; they were rallied ; a fourth charge was niad^e, and succeeded. The Americans could not be driven, nor withstood ; determined not to be overthrown, even by superior numbers, they seemed resolved to crush whatever foe opposed them. Had tliey been conquered, they would yet deserve honour: as victors they covered them- selves with glory.— They lost a howitzer; the rid- er being shot off, the horses carried it full gal- lop into the ranks of the enemy; they also lost a piece of cannon, vv'hich was too much advanc- ed, and from which the men, except two, were shot. For want of horses they were cnmpeiied to leave to the enemy most of the cannon which were taken from him with sucli bravery, and at such expense. On the mornii}g after the battle, the Ameri- cans, under generals R'^pley and Porter, recon- noitred the enemy, who did not show any dis- position to renew tlie contest, and then burned the enemy's barracks and bridge at Chippawa, alter which they returned to Fort Erie. The enemy was beheved to have lost betv/een 1200 and ISOO mer?, • including, major-general Iliail, v*'ho vv^as wounded, and wiih 18 other o:6i- cers, and 150 non-commissioned officers and ori- vates, taken prisonsrs. The Americans Ics't 1 major, I adjutant, 5 captains, 4 subalterns, 10 sergeants, 10 .corporals, 140 privates — total kili- edj 171.-1 major -general, 1 brlgadier-geueral. 2W niSTORY OF THE WAR. 2 ?Jds-de-cam}^, 1 brigfide-major, 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 4 majors, 1 adjutant, 3 quar- ter-masters, 1 pay-master, 7 captains, 32 sub- alterns, 517 non-commissioned officers and pri- vates. ..total wounded, 572; missing, 117 — to- tal, 850. The British force engaged amounted, by their own confession, to 4500 men, mostly or wholly regulars, beside a ho>,t of Indians; the American force did hot exceed 2800 men, consisting in a great proportion of the militia of Pennsylvania and New- York. General Brown, in his official report, particularly notices the brave and prudent conduct of generals Ripley, Porter and Scotl ; colonels Milter, Dobbin, of Nevv-York, Wilcox, and Gardener; majors M'Farland, Hindman, Jessup, Wood, of the Pennsylvania militia, Jones, M'^Iiee, and Wood, of the engineers; captains Towson, Ketchum, Biddle, and Ritchie; lieuten- ant E. B. Randolph ; aids-de-cam.p W^orth, Smitli, Austin, and Spencer. Some of these brave n]en fell in action, and nearly all of them were cover- ed with wounds. General Brown received two wounds, but contin- ued to command until the action ended. The general was obliged, by the severity of his wounds, to retire from the command, which devolved on General Ripley, General Scott being also dis- abled, by a wound, from continuing in com- mand. Tlie army continued on the Canada side, seem- ingly resolved to maintain itself against an enemy which was receiving frequent reinforcements, ard had, after a little time,, become formidable in numbers and equipments. The enemy, after recovering the effi^cts of the battle of Bridgwater, moved up tovvard the American army^ at Fort Erie; and frequent skii- mishes ensued, in which the enemy was gener^ai- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 24! ' ly worsted. On the 3d August, about 500 regulars, under colonel Tucker, crossed below Black Rock, but were met by 200 riflemen, and a party of voiuiiteers, under major Morgan, and after a long contest, were defeated, and com- pelled to rc-cross the river. Brigadier -general Gaines arrived . at Erie the 4edi- tion left fort Gatriot, (head of straits St. Clair) on the 12th. Owing to a want of pilots acquaint- ed witli the unfrequented part of the bay, the intended course of the vessels was somewhat al- tereCi ; they anchored at St. Joseph's on the 20th. After setting; fire to the fort of St. Joseph, which seemed not to have been receutlv occupied, a detachment of infantry and artillery, under ma- jor Holmes, was ordered to Sault, St. Mary's, for the purpose of breaking up the enemy's estabiisii- ment at that place. A few hours before the ar- rival of major Holmes at the Sault, St. Mary's, the north-west agent was apprized of his ap- proaci), and succeeded in escaping with a large quantity of goods. A large quantity were, how- ever, found secreted in the woods, on the Ameri- , can side. — These were claimed bv the ao'cnt of John Johnson, an Indian- trader ; but major Holmes declined giving them to Mr. Johnson, *' because" as major tlolmes observed in his let- ter to lieut. col. Croghan, " it was good prize by the maritime law of nations, as recognized in the Ena traitor, having been a citizen and a maoistrate of the Michigan territorv, before the war, and at W 2 216 HISTORY OF THE WAR. its com men cement, and now dischargin^T the func* tions of magistrate under the British govern- ment. Because Ids agents armed the Indians from his store-house at our approach ; and last- 3}'; because those goods, or a considerable part, were designed to be taken to Michilimackinac." The expedition reached ^licliilimackinac on the 26th, where the enemy was found so strong- ly posted on a height overlooking the old fort, that his reduction by storm, with ' the snj ail force under col. Croghan, seemed ver}^ doubtful. It was the colonels wish, at all hazards, to disem- bark in some favourable position, from which he might be able to annoy the enemy by gradual and slow approaches, under cover of his artillery, and where, by fortifying himself, he miglit force the enemy to attack him in his strong posi- tion; or draw his Indians and Canadians (his most efficient and only disposable force) from the island. Ecing informed by old residents of the island, wlicre a favourable position might be obtained, lie effected a landino- on the 4th August, and ad- vanccd to the field where an encampment v,as intended, v/hen he received intelligence that the enemy was ahead, of which he was soon con- vinced by a discharpearance, '* the pride of Plymouth." The Reindeer was literally cut to }>icce.>, and^so com})lete a wreck, in both hull and ii<>ain£r, that it was found necessary to de- strov ht r. Her ccnnnandei, ("William Manners, osq.) and 22 petty oflicers and seamen, were kilied; wounded dangerously, 10; severely, 17; slightly, 15 — total killed and wounded, 75. Oi) board the Wasp tliere were five killed, and ^1 wounded. Six round shot struck the hull of the Was]) ; a 24-pound shot passed through the fore m.ast, ar^d a considerable number of grape ctrack, bui did net penetrate her sides. The Wasp arrived at L' Orient the 8th July. Ihe Wasp sailed from L'Orient on the 27lh August. At half past 9 o'clock, P.M. the Ut IIISTORY^ OF THE WAR. 257 September, engaged a vessel, supposed to be a large brig of war, and forced her to strike her flag, at I2 minutes past 10. In a few minutes, cap- tain Blakely discovered another brig, and pre- pared for action ; at S 6 minutes past 10, 2 brigs in sii^ht, when the Wasp was compelled to re- iinqmsh her prize. The Wasp lost 2 men killed, and had 1 man wounded. l1ie enemy, after his surrender, was heard asking assistance, and said he v/as sinkino-. The enemy's vessel proved afterwards to be tlie Avon. By the British de- tails, it was acknowledged that the two vessels w^iich came in aid of the Avon, were the Castili- an and Tartarus, each of them of force equal to the Wasp, llie Avon went to the bottom, af- ter the surviving part of her crew Vv-as removed on board the other British vessels. The Avon was in the Delaware in 1810; she then carried 18 32 pound carronades, besides bow and stern guns. The Essex, captain Porter, the smallest frigate in the American navy, was destined to prove im- mensely iniiu'ious to the e^iemv. ' Her crpisc in the Pacilic ocean has supplied ample materials for an interesting volume. Captain Porter not only protected the American shipping ag^iinst the numerous letters of m.arque, vvhich the enemy had sent iiito those seas, but rendered these very letters of marque tributary to his plan of de- stroyiilg the enemy's trade, particularly in the iisheries. Capt. Porter sailed from the Delaware, the -27 ih October, 1812. On his passage to Rio de Janeiro, he captured the British packet Korton,; ap.d took out of her 1], 000 pounds sterling, in" Bpecie. He arrived ^ at Valparaiso on tiie 14th March, 1812, wherehebbtaiiied a full supply of provisions. He then ran down along the coast of Cijili and Peru, fell in with £ Peruvian coifeair, X 2 25 S HISTORY OF THE WAR, which had on board 24 Americans, the crews of two whale ships she had captured on the coast. Ke threw the guns and ammunition of the cor- sair into the sea, hberated the Americans, and afterwards recaptured one of the vessels as she was entering the port of Lima. From Lima, captain Porter proceeded for the Gallipagos islands. While among this groupe of islands, he captured the following British ships, (letters of marque,) employed chiefly in the Sper- maceti whale fishery. Tons. Men.Guns. Pierced for Montezuma 270 21 2 Policy 175 26 10 18 Georgiana 2S0 25 6 18 Greenwich 388 25 10 20 Atlantic 355 '24 8 20 Rose 220 21 8 20 Hector 270 25 1 1 20 Catherine 270 29 8 18 Seringapatam 357 SI 14- 26 Charhon 274 21 10 18 New-Zealander 259 23 8 IS 4SirA. Hammciid 301 31 1 2 18 3456 302 107 Tlie Atlantic received the new name of the Essex-Junior, v/as equipped with 20 guns, and her command c;iven to lieutenant Downs. Lieutenant Downs conveyed some of the priz- es to Valparaiso ; and Capt. Porter, on the re- turn of lieutenant Dovrns, proceeded with the other prizes to the island of Nooaheevah, wliere he overhauled his ship, took on board a supply: of- provisions, and sailed for the coast of Chili, on the 12th December, 1813. Previous to sailins: from Nooaheevah, he se- cured his prizes inJor the guns of a battery, which he erected for their protection, and left HISTORY OF THE WAR. 259 the battery in charge of lieut. Gamble and 21 marines, with orders to repair to Valparaiso, af* ter a certain period. A friendly intercourse was established with the natives, and the island ta- ken possession of, in the«name of the United States. He arrived on the coast of Chili, the 12th January, 1814. The captain detailed his success in the follow- ing words : '' I had rompleteiy broke up the British naviga- tion in the Pacific ; "the vessels which had not been captured, were laid up, and dared not venture out. The valuable whale fishery there is entirely destroy- ed ; and the actual injury we have done them, may be estimated at .two and a half millions of dollars, independent of expenses of vessels in search of mc. They have furnished me amply with sails, cordage, cables, anchors, provisions, medicines, and stores of every description : and the slops on board them have furnished clothing for the seamen. We had, in fiiGt, lived on the eneiny since I had been in that sea, eveiy, prize having proved a well found store- ship for meT I had not been under the necessity of drawing bills on the department for any object ; and had been enabled to make considerable advances to my officers and crew on account of pay." After arriving at Valparaiso, he found liimselfi blockaded by two British ships; the Phoebe,:! commodore Hillyar, carrying 30 long 18 pound- ers, 16 32 pound carronades, 1 howitzer, and 6 3 pounders in the tops, and a complement of 320 . men: and the Cherub, mounting 28 guns, and^> having a complement of 180 men ; mailing, to-fi gether, 81 guns, and 500 men. The force ofq the Essex was 46 guns — 40 32 pound carronades^ I ^^^ and 6 long 123; her crew amounted to 255 men. The Essex-Junior mounted 20guns--:IQ:. I ^ pound ♦ 260 FlI-SrORYOF THE WAR-: carronades, and 10 short 6s, with only 60 men on board. Captain Porter having sought in vain to bring on an action, with any one of the enehiy, had re- solved on putting to sea, in the hope of outsaiiinsf. them. .On the '28th of March, 18 i 4, during a fresh h\o\v of vrind, the Essex ]^arted her lar- board cable, and dragged the starboard anchor chrectly to sea. Finding Iiimself in this situation, he hoisted sail, and got under way. On round- ing a point of land, a heav3^ squall struck the slii}), and carried away her main topmast, precipi- tating the raen, who were aloft, into the sea. Being chased by the two enemy's ships, and unable to gain his former anchorage, he ran close into a small bay, about three quarters of a mile to leeward of the battery, on the east side of the harbour, and let go his anchor witliin pistol shot of tlie shore. It was in this situation that his crippled ship and reduced crew were attacked in a neutral port, contrary to the laws of nations, by tv;o ships of the enemy. The Essex was carried — but a prize iias never been bought at a dearer rate, llie ac- tion tasted nearly two hours and a half. 'i he Cherub, from her crippled state, Vvtis compelled to haul cfti but continued to fire at a distance, from her long guns. The Phoebe also chose, af- ter suffering ccnsiderrJ)]y, t;© fire from a distance' with her lom^ gmis, wlirle the Essex could not i^each him' with her carronades. There nevet* was a ship -more cut up than the Essex, nor that ^ufiered more in men. Seventy men, including officers, v>^ere all that remained after the actioii^- cspable of doing duly, and m^ny of these se^* verelv Wounded. '^The' 'en ciifi'/ continued firinjj f;>r several mi- nates, ar niy a free entrance into lake Ponchartrain, (/ac- cept what resistance they migh.t E^eet from a HISTORY OP THE WAR, S6§ small fort -co^MnaaniHig the passcige of the Re- . -Xlis eneiuv. liaviaor er^ed die command of ijie lakes^ was eaablecl to -eiiect a {>assage to tiie ^lissis^ppi, at a point about uiiie miles from Xe«'- Oi leans. Geaeral Jackson advanc^ a^iiinst liira. determined to attack him iii his first posiiion. TTLie attack wa«; made in the ui^ht of the 23d Dececiber, at half past seveu o'clock. It ^as Ci)mmeiiced by a fire from tlie schooner Caroline, whizh dropped down the river, in ordei* to opeu on the rear of the camp. This vxas the sig- nal for Gen. Cotiee to fall on the right, while Gen. Jackson attacked the lett ne^ir the liiver. — It resulted honorablj to the American arms^ but produced notliing decisive. The enemv's force amount eil to ^bout 3000 men; diat of Gen, Jackson did not exceed 1500. Tiie couiiict last- ed an liour, and was supported with great firm- ness. Gen. Jackson remained on the field until four o'clock in the morning, when he tc>ok a new position t^o miles neai'er the city; having loss ill this afiair 24 kjllej, 115 wounded, and T-t missing — total 213. The enemv succeeded- on the 27tii. iivblowinor lip the Caroline, (slie being becalmed,) by means of iiot shot from a laud battery, erectetl in the nighr. On the 2Sth he :idvanct^ with his whole force, against general Jackson, in the hope of drivmg liim irom his position, and widi dfiii^^iew opened a fire with bombs and ropkets, at the uistimce of about lialf a mile. The enemv w as repukeii with a loss of ^ibout 120 ^en. The A- mcricans lost T kiileGlaijd had S wounded. ~ 0.1 Sunday morning, the 1st January, 1815, tbe eriemy hmX advanced with" j yaids of the^ American brtast vrqrk% under cover of liight and a licavy fog, a!id had ert^t^ lite preceiiing niulit' three diiilreiit batteries, Ki0ui:tii,^ Ixj oU Y gj(5 HISTORY OF THE WAR ;15 g'lms, from 6's to 32's. About eight o'clockj when tliG fog cleared off, they commenced a most tremendous fire upon the Americans, but it was amply returned by them,, and a heavy cannon- ading was kept up, without the least interval on either side, except that occasioned by the explo- sion of a maixazine in the rear of one of the American batteries, and another magazine in the night, owing to the enemy's Congreve rockets. By four o'clock in the afternoon, the Americans had dismounted ail the enemy's guns, except two. 1 hey retreated, during the night, to their strong hold, about a mile and a quarter from the Amc'rican camp. Twice did the enemy attempt to storm and carr^;^ th^ American batteries, but were as often deceived. On new-year's day, the loss of the Americans was 11 killed, and 23 badly wounded. That of the enemy, from the accounts of two prisoners taken on that day, and three deserters afterwards, must have been much grealer. According as the woodsmen arrived to the .aid of general Jackson's arjny, they were disposed of to the best advantage, for the purpose of de- fence; but tlicse forces not being of a very eni- cient nature, especially as the men could not be all provided with the necessary arms, the general could not attempt any thing against an enemy, who was thus left -to pursue, uiidisturbed, his la- borious operations. During the davs of tlie 6th and 7th, the en- cmy had i:)ccri actively employed in making pre- parations for an attack on Jackson's lines. — With infinite labour they had succeeded on the night of the 7th, in getting their boats across from the lake to the river, by widening and deepening the canal, on which they had effected their disembarkation. C^eneral Jackson was on the left side of the ri- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 26t; Ter, patiently waiting the attack. General Mor- gan, with the New Orleans contingent ; the Lcvii- sjana militia, and a detachment of Kentucky troops, occupied an entrenched camp on the op- posite side of the river, protected by strong bat- teries on the bank, superintended by commodore Patterson. On Sunday, the 8th, at 6 1-2 o'clock, A.M. the enemy began a very heavy cannonade upon the American lines, from his batteries of IS and 12-pounders, supported by the musketry of 2500 men, who marched in close columns, and ad- vanced nearer than musket shot distance to the entrenchments, armed with rockets, obuses and facines, to storm the batteries ; they directed then* principal attack against the head of the line, flanked by the river, and upon the left rest- ing upon the cipress sw^amp, as well as against the tirailleurs and riflemen, placed above the said swamp ; the roaring of the guns, and firing o^ the musketrj^j lasted tv/o hours and a quar--' ter; tire enemy's mortars, although directed a- gainst the centre, did no harm to the troops; the bursting of their bombs in the works was of no effect. Two British officers, and one French engineer, of the name of Rennie, who had gained the summit of the American para- pet, v/as killed or wounded, and made prison- ers ; (the engineer and one colonel was kill- ed;) after this terrible affair, the field, in front of the works, was strewed with British wounded and killed. General Jackson thus briefly details the particU" lai's of attack. *' In my encampment every thing was ready for ' action; when early on the morning of the 8th, the enem^'; after throwing a shower of bombs and Con- g^reve rockets, advaaced their columns at my right- 568 }IISTOP,Y OF THE WAR.' and left, to storm my entrenchments. I cannot speak Euifjcientiy in praise of the firmness and de- liberation with which my v/hole line received their approach. Pvlore could not have been expected from veterans inured to vrar. For an hour tlie fire of small arms was as incessant and severe as can be imagined. — The artillery, too, directed by officers who displayed equal ?kill and courage, did great ex- ecution. Yet the columns of the enemy continued to advance, with a firmness which reflects upon them the greatest credit. Twice the column which ap- proached me on my left was re}}ulsed by the troops of general Carrol, those of general Coflee, and a di- vision of the Kentucky m.ilitia, and twice they form- ed again, and renewed the assault. At length, how- ever, cut to pieces, they fled in confusion from the field, leaving it covered with their dead and wound- ed." SimultanGOusly v.ith the attack on general Jackson's lines, an attack was made on the works of general Morgan. Plad the enemv beeii met with resolution in this attack, it must have produced his entire destruction ; but, unfortu- nately, the Kentucky reinforcements ingloriously fled, drav/ing after them, by their example, the remainder of the forces, and leaving the batteries to the enejny ; not, however, until after the guns wxre spikefl. While general Jackson was preparing to dislodge the enemy from the cap- tured battery, the Bi'itish troops were withdrawn, and the post re-occupicd by the Americans. The return of the killed, wounded, and pri- soners, taken at the battle of Mac PriTdic's plantation, on the left bank of the Mi^iissip- pi, on the morning of the 8th January, 18i.>, and five miles below the citv of New-Orleans, consisted of — killed, 700; wounded, 1400; pri- soners 500 — total 2600. Among the slain wej-e general sir Edward HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^' Packenham, the chief, and general Gibbs, tii© third in command; general Keane, the second in. command, was severely wounded. General Lam- bert succeeded to the command. His total loss, in the different engagements, , Was not probably less than 3500; and was, by many, supposed to exceed 4000. The loss to the Americans, on the 8th, on both sides of the ri- ver, was 1 3 killed, 39 \vounded, and 1 9 missing ; total killed, wounded, and missing, this day, 71 ; of this number there were but 6 killed, and. 7 wounded, in the action of the line. The enemy intended to pass Fort Philip, iri order to co-operate with the land forces in tiie attack on New-Orleans. On the 9th Januaryj at half past 3 P.IVL the enemy's bomb- vessels opened their fire against the fort, from 4- sea- mortars, ^ of them IS inches, and 2 of 10, at so great a distance, that the shot from the fort could not reach him, Tlie encmv's fire continued with little intermission, and with little interruptiou from the fort, during the 10th, 11th, 12th, ISth, 14th, 15th, 16th, and i7th. On the even- ing of the 1 7th, a heavy mortar was got in rea- diness, and opened on the enemy \nib. great ef- fect. At day light on the 1 8th, - the enemy retired, after having thrown upwards of 1000 heavy shells, besides small shells from the howitzers, round shot and gra]>e, which he discharged from bc^ts, under cover of the night. Scarcely ten feet of the garrison remained untouched; yet the loss of men was small, consisting of 2 killed, and 7 wounded. This saving of men was ov>'ing to the great })ains taken by the officers to keep their men nnder cover. All the enemy's movements, after the action of the 8tn of Januiiry, were calculated to secure iiis retreat, should such prove necessary, as appear- ances then indicated that it would, Thcii' iu- Y 2 270 IMSTORY OF THE WAR. tentlon was, however, masked by a menacing at- titude, as if preparing' for a renewal of the attack on Jackson's hne. They had erected batteries to cover their retreat, in advantageous positions, from their original encampment to the Bayou, throu2:h which they entered lake Bourmie. The cannon placed on these batteries could have rak- ed a pursuing army in every direction. The sit- uation of tlie ground through which they retired was protected by canals, redoubts, entrench- ments, and swamps, on the right; and the river on the left. In this state of things, Jackson had an oppor- tunity of showing his prudence, as he befoi'e proved his courage, and by uniting both qualities perfected the general. Since the action of the 8th, the artillery on both sides of the river was constantly employed in annoying the enemy. An attempt to storm his batteries would have produced great slaughter among the Americans, been doubtful of success, and might possibly have induced the enemy to delay his departure. It was therefore resolved by general Jackson to secure the advantage obtained, with the least pos- sible loss or hazard. xAll hope which tiie enemy had of reducing fort Philip vanished; and on the niglit of the 18th, they precipitately decamped, and retm-ned to their shipping, leaving behind them 80 of their wounded, 14 pieces of heavy artillery, and an iimnense number of ball, having destroyed much of" their powder. Mr. Shields, purser in the nav}', w-rote letters on the 16th and 17ih of January, to ?>Ir. Niles of Baltimore, containing much iniormation, Irom ^'hich the following is extracted. *' The day after the gun-boats were taken, I wa« ^ent down under a fiag of truce to ascertain the late HISTORY OF THE WAR. 27»1 of our officers and men, with power to negociate an excliange, especially for the wounded. But the en- emy would make no terms — they treated the flag with contempt, and myself, and the surgeon who. was with me, as prisoners, until tlie iSth instant. He lias now lowered his, tone, and bep:s the exchange. that we offered. Defeat has humbled the arrogance of the enemy, who had promised his soldiers forty- eight hours pillage and rapine of the city of New- Orleans!" .On the authority of judge Poindexter, it is stated, that •*' the watch-word and countersio;n: of the enemy, on the morning of the ^th, was ^ BE AVTY ANB BOOTY!' Comment is unncces^ sai'y on these significant allusions held out to a licentious soldiery. Had victory ' declared on tlieir side, th.e scenes of Havre de. Grace, of Hampton, of Alexandria, and of St. Sebastians^ would, without doubt, ha-ve been 2'e-acted at New Orleans, with ail tlie unfeeling and brutal inhu- manity of the savage foe with vvlioni we are con- tend inG*." Thus ended, in disgrace and discomfiture to tlie enemy, an expedition which occupied seve- ral months in its preparation, and was composed of at least 10,000 troops, drawn from almost every part of the world, wliere tlie British had garrisons or soldiers. Nothing was left undone to secure the occupation of an immense province, and the command of a river extending thousands of miles througii the most fertile countries in the w orld ; and on which several of the United States -depended as an outlet and market for tiieir produce. That a permanent occupation of New-Orleans and the state of Louisiana was intended, can scarcely be doubted. The fact that revenue and other civil officers, to reside at New-Orleans, "^yp HISTORY Of THE WAE. were on board the fleet, is a sufficient evidence of tins fact, as well as it is of the certainty with which victory was counted on; nor is this ren- dered doubtful bv the circumstance that the bat- tie was fought after the treaty of peace was ra--- tified by the British government. The expedi- tion against New-Orleans was planned long be- fore the signing of peace, and" at a time when the wavering and quibbling }:oiicy of England induc- ed the American commissioners at Ghent to write to their government, " that no hopes of peace, as likely to result from it, (the negociation) cculd be entertained." From an official account, it appeared that the number of men under command of generaL Jackson, and actually engage?.! against ihe en- emy on the 8th January, amounted to 4,698. — The enemy's .force, by his own account, exceed- ed 10,000."' By an article in a Jamaica paper, of the 3d December, it was stated that the expedition then prepared to go against the United States, under command of sir Alexander Cochrane, and major-general Keane, (the same that afterwards entered the Mississippi,) consisted of 1 ship of 80 guns, 5 of 74, 3 of 50, 1 of 44, 6 of 38, 2 of 36, 3 of 32, 3 of 16, 2 of 14, and 3 of 6 guns — total 28; carrying 1084 guns, besides a great number of cutters, transports. Sec. On the 21st Jan. general Jackson directed an address to be publicly read at the head of ejich of the corps composing the lines near New- Orleans. It must have been a difficult and delicate task to do justice to individuals, where all acted so well, proving, in the general's words, " that a rampart of hio-h minded men is a better defence than the most regular fortification." This address contained the following emphatical paragraph. HISTORY OF THE WAR. SVr - " Rerasoning always from false principles, they (the enemy) expected little opp(»sition trom men whose officers even were not in nnitbrm, who were ignorant of the rules of dress, and who had never been caiied into discipline — fatal mistake I a fire incessantly kept up, directed with calmness, and with unerring aim, strewed the field with the brave officers and men of the column, which slowly advanced, according to the most approved rules of European tactics, and was cut down by the untutored courage of the American miilitia. Un- able to sustain this oaliino-and unceasing fire, some himdreds nearest the intrenchments called tor quarters, which was granted — the rest, retreating, were rallied at some distance, but only to make them a surer mark for the grape and cannister shot of our artillery, which, without exaggera- tion, mowed down whole ranks at every dis- charge; and at length they precipitately retreated from the field.'' The following officers and volunteers are par- ticularly noticed by the general ; generals Coffee, Carroll, Adair, de Flanjac, Villere, Morgan, Humbert, (acting as a volunteer) Mexican ; field marshal Don Juan de Anavar, (volunteer;) colonels Ross, Dyer, Gibson, Elliott, M'Rea, Perry, de la Ronde, Flaynes, Piatt, Anderson, (killed) and adj. gen. coL Butler; lieut. col. Lauderdale, (killed ;) majors Hinds, Blanche, Carmac, St. Geme, Nicks, Chotard, Davis, Hamp- ton, Tatum, Lacalliere de la Tour, and la Caste and Dagnin, commanding two corps of coloured men 5 captains Baker, Humphreys, Savary, Beal, Ogden, Lewis, Livingston, Lefebre, Planchard, Smith, Griffin, Mahon, (killed) Pace, (killed) and the brothers La.fitte and Dominique, and Bel- luche, (Baratarians;) lieutenants M'Clellan, (kik led,) Dupy, Spotts, Kerr, Alexis, Crawford, (kil- led,) and Leach; commodore Patterson, captain- 2^4 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Henlej^, lieutenants N orris and Growly, and mivl-. sliipiiian Eni^nius Watkins, of the navy ; aids-de- camp Tlio>. D. Butler, John Reed, '^Livingston, Duncan, Grvnies, Duplea^sisand de Castera : doc- tors KeerandPlood; judge Le\ns, (vohmteer;) and Messrs. Chaveau, Hiriart, Latrobe, Gilbert, Bosquet, and Decoin. Several desperate characters, citizens of the United States, as well as foreigners, natives of different countries, had associated themselves in- to a band of pirates, under the chief Lafitte, and had taken up their residence in the island of Bar- ataria, near the mouth of the Mississippi. The . government of tl»e United States caused this un- lawful establishment to be broken up. Tlie ex- pedition against the Baratarians, took possession of all the piratical vessels, their prizes, and a considerable quantity of arms and property, with- out opposition, on the 16th September, 1814. The vessels thus taken consisted of six schooners, and one felucca, cruizers and prizes of "Cn^i pirult^ one brig, a prize, and two tunned schooners, both- m line of battle v.-ith the armed vessels of the pi- rates. The establishment on shorc, which was also taken possession of, consisted of about 4?0 houses. The pirates had mounted on their vessels 20 pieces of cannon, of different calibres, and their number consisted of between 800 and 1000 men, of all nations and colours. The expedition a- gainst the pirates was commanded by com. Pat- terson, of tlie navy, having on board a de- tachment of land troops, under command of colo- nel Ross. The Baratarian pirates took part in the defence of New- Orleans against the British, and were both active and serncea^le. It was also satisfac- torily ascertained tliat they had, previous to their dispersion, refused an alliance with the British, , jcejecthig the most seducing terms, of invitatious. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 275 InJuced by tliese considerations, and at the re- commendation of the general assembly of the etate of Louisiana, the president of the United States granted to such of them as aided in defence of New-Orleans, a full pardon for ail offences a- gainst the laws of the United States, committed previous to the 8th January, 1S15. The enemy, after being 'defeated near New-Or- leans, turned his attention to the state of Geor- gia ; and, from appearances, intended a visit to Savannah. The unprepai'ed state of Georgia, and the di-eadful character cf the enemy, caused a o-reat alarm among the iidiabitants of the state. "bn the 11th January, 1S15, the enemy, to the number of 1500 or 2000 men, effected a landing on Cumbei Lmd island. On the 1 3th,^ Point-Petre was caiTied by storm: and on the following daj', St. Mary's capitulated, in consequence of a flag sent from the inhabitants of the town. The enemy evacuated Point-Petre and Sc. Clary's, the 21st January, after burning the barracks and blowing up the tort. Had the enemy attempted Savann-^h, -he would have met a reception similar to that expe- rienced at New-Orleans. No people ever turned out more generally, or with gi-eater alacrity, than the men oi^ Georgia. The militia, in every part of tlie state, were in motion, when the news of peace, ?.nd retreat of the cneni}', reached them. V> hile the enemy was marching against Point-Petre, capt. Massias, of the 1st V. S. rifie corps, at the head of 60 m.en, attempted to oppose 1000, committed considerable havoc among the enemy, and retreated, with the loss of 3 killed, 4- wound- ed, and 9 missing. The fortress of Mobile, witliin the limits of the purchase of Louisiana, had been retained by the Spaniards, notwithstanding its purchase by the United States. The war oetwcen Great Bri- tain and tlie United States rendered it necessary 276 HISTORY OF THE WAR. to occupy this place, lest it should liill into the possession of the enemy. On the 15th April, 1813, general Wilkinson appeared beiore it, at the head of a respectable force ; when, the garri- son beinfic summoned to surrender, the Spanish troops were immediately embarked for Pensacola, and Mobile taken possession of by the United States' troops. Pensacola, although a Spanish post, was not properly entitled to the character of neutral. The conduct of the Spanish governor left no doubt as to his attachment to the British, and his hostile disposition toward the United States. Pensacola was an asylum for hostile Indians; at Pensacola they were armed, provisioned, and paid. Pensacola was a depot of British arms, a home for traitors to the United States, and a place of rendezvous for every ally of the enemy, whether white, black, or red. As soon as the war in Europe was hkely to end, and Britain at hberty to direct her wh^)le force against the United States, the understanding with *i e governor of Florida became less masked, and the British ofRcers boldly dated their public acts from " Head-Quarters, Pensacola !" It was, under these circumstances, determined to a,ttack the British at their " head-quarters," and to storm the town, although defended by strong batteries, and supported by seven armed British vessels in the bay. On the 7th November, 181 4-, the assault was made, under the command and direction of general Jackson. - "^Tiic following animated repoit of the assault was made by gene- ral Jackson, in a letter to oovei-nor Earlv : *' I entered sv ord in hand, with about 2000 bra-v.e -f< Hewers, in the face of Spanish battcies, and ^a British fleet oi' 7 sail, anchored abreast ami op- % HISTORY OF THE WAR- SXt poslte the town% The English, hy intrigue and b;ise falsehood, induced the Spaniards to abandon the works comnraiiding tiie harbour, entered them, and blew them U}>, otherwise they would have fallen a saerilice to their own plans. When this took place, the fleet being at libs^t}' to g > out, ,did so ; and I evacuated the town, leaving the Spaniards favourably impressed with our conduct, and disgusted with their British friends." Fort Bowyer was closely besieged by land and water, on the 8th February. 1815, by a verv iar?a, without any intention to agree to reasonable terms of peace. The British government appointed, .as their cx>mmissioners, lord Gainbier, Henry Goulburn, esq. and William Adams, esq. These personages arrived at Ghent the 6th Auo'ust. At the first meetino- with the. American com- missioners terms were oifered on the part of Eng- land, so deo'radino; and offensive to tlie United- States, tiiat it was impossible to accept theai ; and as some of them were offered in the form of a sine qua fon^ there remained not a hope of a speedy negociation of hostilitia^, , . The new;s, v/hen arrived in the tJiiited States, roused at once the pride and theeuergy o£ the: nation ;* and produced a union of sentiment thaJE presaged future glory and success. >■ f It was now evident, that the iiegociations at Ghent hung on those then pending before a congress of the ministers of several potentates - assembled at Vienna, for settling a general peace- in Europe. It is easy to conceive tha-t the task to be; per- formed by the congress at Vienna was diilicult-.- Wrapped up in state secrecy, and inSiienced by. state intrigues, tlie course of negociation , at Vi- enna was in a great degj-ee withheld iiom the pub-- lie eye. The con tinned arrnam<^nti3 of Eurdpeart Z 2^ 582 HISTORY OF THE WAW, powers, and tlie military parade with which th^ duke of Wellington appeared in Belgium, even before the emperor of Elba ceased to be a pen- sioner of Louis XVIII. led to the suspicion that the rights of European sovereigns must be set- tled by a new eiriision of the blood of their sub- jects. Whatever motive may have influenced the British government, it is certain, that a very sud- . den change of tone was produced on their part. The consequence was, that a treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States was signed at (ilient, the 2l4h December, 1814, lord Gambler, Henry Goulburn, and William Adams, as commissioners on the part of Enghmd ; and by John Quincy Adams, J. A. Bayard, Henry Cla}^, Jonathan Russel, and Albert Gallatin, as commissioners on the part of the United States; ratified at London the 28th of the same month, and ratified at the city of Washington on the 17th February, 1815. On tlic 18th February, 1815, the president of the United States caused a proclamation to be published, of which the follovving is a copy ; to- gether with the treaty of peace. ^ JAMES MADISON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, To all and singular t« -whom these presents shall eome^ g) eethtg^ WHEREAS, a treaty of peace and amity between the Up.it- cd States of America, and his Britannic majesty, was signed at Ghent, on twenty-fourth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, by the plenipotentiaries respec- tively appointed for that purpose; and the said treaty having- been, by and with the advice and consent of the senate of the Vttited States, duly accepted, ratified, and coulirmed, on the HISTORY OF THE WAR. 283 aeventeenth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen ; and ratified copies thereof having been exchanged agreeably to the tenor of the said treaty, which is in the words following, to wit : Treaty ef peace and amity betiveen his Britannic majesty and the United States of America. His Britannic majesty and the United States of America, de- sirous of terminating the war which has unhappily subsisted between the two countries, and of restoring, upon principles of perfect reciprecity, peace, friendship, and good understand- ing between them, have, for that purpose, appointed their respective plenipotentiaries, that is to say: his Britannic ma- jesty, on his part, has appointed the right honour- able James lord Gatnbier, late admiral of the white, now admiral of the red squadron of his' majesty's fleet, Henry Goulburn, esquire, a member of the imperial parliament, and under secretary of state, and William Adams, esquire, doctor of civil laws : — and the president of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the senate thereof, has appointed John Ouincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan Russel, and Albert Gallatin, citizens of the United States, who, after a reciprocal commuuication of their respective full powers, have agreed upon the follow- ing articles, ARTICLE THE FIRST. There shall be a firm and universal peace between his Bri- tannic majesty and the United States, and between their res- pective countries, territories, cities, ^ovirns, and people, of e- very degree, Avithout exception of places or persons. All hos- tilities, both by sea aiid land, shall cease as soon as this treaty shall have been ratified by both parties, as hereinafter men- tioned. All territory, places, and possessions whatsoever, taken from either party by the other, during the war, or which maybe taken after the signing of this treaty, excepting only the islands hereinafter mentioned, shall be restored without delay, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery or other public property originally cap- tured in the said forts or places, and which shall remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, or any slaves or other private property. And all archives, records, deeds, and papers, either of a public nature, or be- longing to private persons, which, in the course of the" war, may have fallen info the hands of the oflicers of either party, shall be, as far as may be practicable, forthwith restored and delivered to the proper authorities and persons to whom they respectively belong. Such of the islands in the bay of I'as- sama^^ucddy a» are claimed by both partiesj shall remain in 284 HISTORY OF THE WAR. the possession of the party in whose occupation they may be; at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty,* until the decision respecting the title to the said islands shall have been made in conformity with the fourth article of this treaty. No disposition made by this treaty, as to such pos- sessions of the islands and territories claimed by both parties, sliall, in any manner whatever, be construed to affect the right of either. ARTICLE TKIl SECOND. Immediately after the ratifications of this treaty by both parties, as hereinafter mentioned, orders shall be sent to the armies, squadrons, officers, subjects and citizens, of the two powers to cease from all hostilities: and to prevent all cause of complaint which might arise on account of the prizes which may be taken at sea after the sr^id ratifications of this treaty, it is reciprocally agreed, that all vessels and efTects- which may be taken after the space of twelve days from the said ratifications, upon all parts of the coast of North A- nierica, from the latitude of twenty-three degrees north, to the latitude of fifty degrees north, and as far eastward in the Atlantic ocean, as the- thirty-sixth degree of west longitude from the meridian of Greenwich, shall be restored to each side: that the time shall be thirty days in all other parts of the Atlantic ocean, north of the equinoctial line or equator, and the same time for the British and Irish channels, for the ^If of Mexico, and all parts of the West Indies: forty days- fS^ the North seas, for the Baltic, and for all parts of the Mediterranean: sixty days for the Atlantic ocean, south of the equator, as far as the latitude of the cape of Good Hope: ninety days for every part of the world south of the equator : and one hundred and twenty days for all other parts of the- world, without exception. ARTICLE THE THIRD.— All prisoners of war taken on cither side, as well by land as by sea, shall be restored as soon as practicable aft?r the ra- tification of this treaty, as hereinafter mentioned, on their pay- ing the debts which they may have contracted during their captivity. The two contracting parties respectively engage to di.-charge in specie, the advances which may have been made by the other, for the sustenance and maintenance of such pri- soners. ARTICLE THE FOURTH. Whereas it v/as stipulated bv the second article in the treaty of peace of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, be- tween his Britannic majestv and the United States of America, that the boundary of the United States should comprehend all islands within t.venty leagues of any pa*t of the shores of the Uuittd States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east fri>m the poiuts where the aforesaid bouadaries?, betv»'een No* HISTORY OF THE WAR. . 235 ya Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the bay of Fundy, and the Atlantic ocean, excepting such islands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of Nova Scotia; and Vt^hereas r!ie several islands in the bay of Passamaquoddy, which is part of the bay of Fwndy, and the island of Grand Menan in the said bay of Fundy, are claimed by the United States as being compre- hended within their aforesaid boundaries, which said islands are claimed as belonging to his Britannic majesty, a& having been at the time of, and previous to, the aforesaid treaty of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three within the limits of the province of Nova Scotia. In order, therefore, finally to decide upon these claims, it is agreed that they shall be referred to two commissioners, to be appointed in the follow- ing manner, viz. one commissioaer shall be appointed by his Bntannic majesty,, and one by the president of tjje United Stat«s, by and with the advice and consent of the senate there- of, and the said two commissioners so appointed shall be swora impartially to examine and decide upon the said claims accord- ing to such evidence as shall be laid before them on the part of his Britannic majesty and of the United States respec- tively. The said commissioners shall meet at St. Andrews, in the province of New Brunswick, and shall have power to ad- journ to such other place or places as they shall think fit. The said commissioners shall, by a declaration or report under their hands and seals, decide to which of the two contracting parties the several islands aforesaid do respectively belong, i.i conformity with the true intent of the said treaty of peace of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. And if the said commissioners shall agree in their decision, both parties shall consider such decision as final and conclusive. It is fur- ther agreed, that in the event of the two commissioners dif- fering upon all or any of the matters so referred to them, or iu the event of both or either of the said commissioners re- fusing, or declining, or wilfully omitting, to act as such, they shall make, jointly or separately, a report or reports, as well to the government of his Britannic majesty as to that of the United States, stating in detail the points on which they differ, and the grounds upon which their respective opinions have been formed, or the grounds upon which they, or either of them, have so refused, declined, or omitted to act. And his Britannic majesty, and the government of the United States hereby a- gree to refer the report or reports of the said commissioners to some friendly sovereign or state, to be then named for that purpose, and who shall be requested to decide on the differ- ences which may be stated in the said report or reports, or upon the report of one commissioner, together with the grounds upon which tlie other commissioner shall have re- fused, declined, or omitted to act, as the case may be. And if the commissioner so refusing, declining, or omitting to 28a HISTOHY OF THE WAR. act, shall also wilfully omit to state the grounds upon whicE' he has so done, in such manner that the said statement may be referred to such friendly sovereign or state, together with the 'report of such other commissioner, then such sov«reigrt or state shaii decide ex parte upon the said report alone. And his Britannic majesty and the goverument of the United State?, engage to consider the decision of some friendly so- vereign or state, to be such and concrusiv; on all the matters %o referred. ARTtCLE THE FIFTH. Whereas neither that point of the high lands lying due north from the source of the river St. Croix, and designated, in the former treaty of peace between the two powers, as the north-- west angle of Nova Scotia, nor the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, lias yet been ascertained ; and whereas that part of the boundary line between the dominion of the two powers, which extends from the source of the river St, Croix, directly north to the above-mentioned north-west angle of Nova Scotia, thence along the said highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall info the Atlantic ocean, to the north- wesrerumost head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of the river to the forty-fifth degree of north lat!» t'lde J thence by a line due west on said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois, or Cataraguy, has not been surveyed : It is agreed that for these several purposes two commissioners shall be appointed, sworn, and authorized, to act exactly in the man» ■ ner directed with respect to those mentioned in the next pre*- ceding article, unless otherwise specified in the present article. The said commissioners shall meet at St. Andrews, in the pro- vince of New-Brunswick, and shall have power to adjourn to such other place or places as they shall think lit. The said commissioners shall have power to ascertain and determine the points abovementioned, in coftformity with the provisions cf the said treaty of peace of one thousand seven hundred and eighty three ; and shall cause the boundary aforesaid, from the source of the river St. Croix, to the river Iroquois or Cataraguy, to be surveyed and marked according tc the ?aid provisions. The said commissioners shall make a map of the said boundary, and annex to it a declaration under their hands and seals, certifying it to be the true map of the said boundary, and particularizing the latitude and longitude of the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, of the northwesternmost head of Connecticut river, and of such other points of the same boundary as they may deem proper. And both parties agree to consider such map and declaration as finally and con- clusively fixing the said boundary. And in the event of thfc said two commissioners difTering, or both or either of them re- fusing, declining, or wilfully omittipg to act, such repons>,de*- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 287 ^iaratfons, or statements, shall be made by them, or either of them, and such reference to a friendly sovereign or state shall be made, in all respects, as in the latter part of the fourth ar- ticle is contained, and in as full a manner as if the same was • herein repeated. ARTICLE t6e sixth. Whereas, by the former treaty of peace, that portion of the •boundary of the United States, from the point where the forty-fifth degree of north latitude s^tik;es the river Iroquois, or Cataraguy, to the lake Superior, was declared to be *' along the middle of said river into lake Ontario ; through the mid- dle of said lake until it strtKes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie ; theuc along the middle of said communication into lake Erie ; through the middle of that lake until it arrives at the water jcoramunication into the lake Huron ; thence through the middle of said lake to the water communication between that lake and lake Superior ;" — and whereas doubts have arisen, what was the middle of said river, ■lakes and water communications, and whether certain islands lying in the same were within the dominions of his Britannic majesty or of the United States : In order, therefore, finally to decide these doubts, they shall be referred to two commis- fsioners, to be appointed, sworn, and authorized to act, exactly in the manner directed with respect to those mentioned in the next preceding article, unless otherwise specified in this present article. — The said commissioners shall meet, in the first instance, at Albany, in the state of New- York, and shall have power ,to adjourn to suchfither place or places as they shall think fit. ^The said commissioners sh'kll, by a report or declaration, ■ under their hands and seals, designate the boundary through the said river, lakes, and water communications, and deride to which of the two contracting parties the several islands lying within the said river, lakes, and v/ater communications, do re- spectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the *aid treaty of one thousand seven hundred avid eighty three. And both parties agree to consider such designation and deci*- sion as final and conclusive. And in the event of the caid two commissroners differing, or both or either of them refusing, de- clining, or wilfully omitting to act, such reports, declarations •or statements shall be made by them, or cither of them, and such reference to a friendly sovereign or state, shall be made, m all respects, as in the latter part of the fourth article is ■ contained, and in as full a manner as if the same was hert;n repeated. A«TIOI.E THE SEYE1JTH. It is further agreed, that the said two last mentioned con-- ■jnissioners, after they shall have executed the duties assigned to them in the preceding article, shall be, and they are hereby authorized, upon their oaths, impartially to fix and determin*-. 238 HISTORY OF THE WAR. according to the true intent of the said treaty of peace, of one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, that part of the boundary between the dominions of the two powers, which ex- tends from the water communication between lake Huron and lake Superior, to the most north-western point of the lake of the Woods; to decide to which of the two parties the several ■islands I/ing in the lakes, water communications, and rivers, ■forming the said boundary, do respectively belong, in conform- ity with the true intent ol the said treaty of peace, of one thousand seven hundred and eighty three ; and to cause such parts of the said boundary as require it, to be surveyed and marked. The said commissioners shall, by a report or decla« ration under their bauds and seals, designate the boundary afore- said, state their decision on the points thus referred to them, and particularize the latitude ajid longitude of the most north- western point of the lake of the Woods, ahd of such other parts of the said boundary as they may deem proper. And both parties agree to consider such designation and decision as final and conclusive. And in the event of the said two com- missioners difFering, or hoth or either of them refusing, de- clining, or wilfully omitting to act, such reports, declarations, or statements, shall be made by them, or either of them, and 'Such reference to a friendly sovereign or state, shall be made ia all respects, as in the latter part of the fourth article is con- tained, and in as full a manner as if the same was herein re- peated. ARTICLE THE EIGHTH. The several boards of two commissioners, mentioned in the four preceding articles, shall respectively have power to appoint a secretary, and to employ such surveyor, or «ther persons, as they shall judge necessary. Duplicates of all their respective reports, declarations, statements and decisions, and of their accounts, and of the journal of their proceedings, fihall be delivered by them to the agents of his Britannic ma- jesty, and to the agents of the United States, whs may be re- spectively appointed, and authorized to manage the business on behalf of their respective governments. The said commis- sionrrs shall be respectively paid in such manner as shall be agreed betv/een the two contracting parties ; such agreement being to be settled at the time of the exchange of the ratifica- vtions of this treaty. — And all other expences attending the jaid commissioners shall be -defrayed erjually by the two par. ties. And in case of death, sickness, resignation, or necessary ab- sence, the place of every such commissioner respectively shall be supplied in the !=ame manner as such commi'^sioner was first ap- -pointed ; and the new commissioner shall take the same oarh or affirmation, and do the same duties. It is further agreed between the two contracting parties, that in case ar.y of the islands mentioned in any of the preceding articles, which were HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2^1 in the po?se«3lon of c.e of the parties prior to the commence- ment of the present war between rhe two countries, should, isy the deeisio.i of any of tlic boards of commissioners afore- said, or of the sovereign or state so referred to, as in the four nezt preceding articles contained, fall within the dominions of the-oiher party, aU grants of land made previous to thp comms'bceraent of the war by the party having had such -possession, shall be as valid as if such is'.aad or islands had, by such decision or decisions, been adjudged to be within the do- minions of the party having had such possession. ARTICLE THE NINTH. The Umted States of Ami-rica cng3ge to put an end, imme- diatelv after the ratification of the present treaty, to hostilities with all the tribes or nations of Indians, with whom they may b? at war at the time of such ratification; and forthwith to' restore to such tribes or nations respectively, ail the pos- sessions, rights, and privileges, which they may have enjoyed, or been entitled to, in one thousand eight hundred and eleven, previous to such hostilities ; provided always, that such tribes ©r nations shall agree to delist from all hostilities against the United States of America, their citizens and subjects, up- on the ratincatioa of the present treaty being notified to such tribes or nations, and shall so desist accordingly. And his Briianaic majesty engages on his part, to put an end, imme- dir-tely after the ratification of the present treaty, to ho;stiliti$:s with ail the tribes or nations of [ndisns with whom he may be at war at the ti;ne of such ratification; and forthwith to re- store to such tribes or nations respectively, ail the possessions, rights, and privileges, which they may have enjoyed, or been entitled to, in one thousand eight hundred and eleven, ^pre- vious to such hostilities; provided always, that such tribes :,-r ' nations shall agree JO desist from all hostUities against hJS Britannic majesty and his subjects, upon the raiificatioa of the preseat treaty being uoti^ed to^uchthbes or nations, and shall so desist accordingly. a'rtic'-e the tenth, whereas the traulc in slaves is irreconcilable with thi principles of humanity and justice, and whereas both his m.*- jestv and the United St?.tes are desirous of contiuuing their efFJrts CO promote its entjre abolition ; it is hereby agreed, that both -the conirac:ia^ parties shaH use their besc endeavours to accomplish so desirable an object. ARTICLE TBe ELEVENTH. This treaty, when the same >shail teve been rattuei* on both sbles^ without, alteration by either of the contracting parties, and the ratiiic.-itions mutiraliy exchanged, shall be binding on both parties; and the ratiti^axions shall be exci.aaged at A a ^9© HISTORY OF THE WAR. Wnshington, in the space of four months from this day, or sooner it practicable. In faith whereof, we, the respective plenipotentiaries, have signed this treaty, and have thereunto affixed our seals. 'Done in triplicate, at Ghent, the twenty-fourth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen. (l s.) GAMBIER, (L. b) HENRY GOm,BURN, (l s.) WILLIAM ADAMS, (t. s ) JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, (L. s.) J. A. BAYARD, (L s) H. CLAY, (L. s.) JONA. RUSSELL, (L. s.) ALBERT GALLATIN. Now, therefore, to the end that the said tre?ty of peace and aniiiy may be observed with good faith on the part of the 'United Ststes, I, J.mes Madison, president as aforesaid, have caused the premises-to be made public ; and I do hereby en- join all persons bearing office, civil or military, within the United biates, and all others, citizens or inliaLitants thereof, or beino- witrJn the same, faijhfuUv to f)bserve and fulfil the said treaty, and every clduse tnd article thereof. hi testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the c(l s.) United States to be affixed to these presents, and signed the same with my hand. Done at the city of Washington, this eighteenth day of Februaiy, in the year of cur Lord one tiiousand ei('ht liundred and fifteen, and cf the sovereiontv and independence of the United States, the tlii^rty ninth. JAMES MADISON. Bv the President, ' J AMES MONROE, Acting Secretary of State. Tiie terms of the treaty beiusi: considered lio- nournble to tlio coiinti y, raid satistactory to the citizen^-, tlieir ratification was followetl by tlie most genenii and encbusiastic joy, accompanied by iilnmiiiations, &c. &c. in every part of the union. Reference being had in this treaty to tliat of 1783, it is thought proper, for the better untkr- standing cf the whole, to print, in this pkice, tlie fgikwiug copy of the said treaty. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2n DEFINITIVE TREATY OF PEACE, BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY. ■ 111 the name of the Most Kuly aud Undivided Trinity.- IT having pleased the Div?ne Providence to diiepoRe the hearts of the most serene and most potent prince Georo^e the third, by the grace of God icing of Great Britani, France' and Ireland, defender of the fiith, Dui«e of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Arch-treasurer and Prince elector of the n-ost holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of Ameri"' ca, to forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to estab- lish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two. countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and secure to both per- petual peace and harmony : and having, for this desirable end, already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provisional articles signed at Paris, on the thirtieth of No- vember, one thousand seven hundred, and eighty two, by the commissioners empowered on each pirt, which articles wer-e agreed to be inserted in, and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but which treaty w.^s not to be concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon be- tween Great Britain and France, and his Britannic majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly : and the treaty between Great Britain and, France having since been concluded, his Britannic majesty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provisional ar- ticles abovementioued, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say, his Britannic majesty on his part, David Hartley, esquire, member of the Parliament: of Great Britain; and the said United States on their part, John Adams, esquire, late a commissioner of the United States of America at the court of Versailles, late delegate in Conpress from the state of Massachusetts, and Chief Justice of the°sa!d state, and A'I'nibter plenipotentiary of the said Uui'-ed States to. their high mightinesses the States General of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, esq. late delegate in Congre:55 from the state of Pennsylvania, President of the Convention of the said state, and Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the court of Versailles;. John Jay, esquira*. 292 HISTOEY OF TFIE WAK. late President of Corgresp, and Chief Justice of the state of New York, and Minister Pienipctentiary from the said United States at the court of Madrid, to be the Plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the present definitive treaty; v.ho after having reciprocally ccmmunicrited their respective lull powers, have agreed upon at:d confirmed the following articles: ARTICLE I. His Britannic majesty acknowledges the said' United States, x\z. New-Kanipihire, Massachusseu Bay, P.hrde I'Jnnd and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jerscy, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be free, soverpign, and inde- pendent states; that he trejits with them as «uch; and for him. self, his htirs and successors, relinquishes ail claims .to the l^oveniment, propriety and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof. ARTICLE 31. And that all disputes which might arise in future, on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are, and shall be ti:eir boundaries, viz. from the north-west &ngle of Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a .14ne, drawn due north from the source of St. Croix river to the Highlands; along the said Highlands which divide those rivers, that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into thg Atlantic ocean, to tl;e north-wester- most head of Connect!, at river, thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude ; from thence, by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the jiver Iroquois or Cataraqiiy; thence along tiae middle of said river into lake Ontario, through the' middle of said lake un- til it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication in- to lake Eric, through the. middle of said lake until it arrives Sit th.e water communication between that lake and lake Hu- ron ; thence along the middle of said water communication into the lake Huron; thence ihrcngh the middle of said lake lt> the' water communication i>et\vten that lake and lake/ Su- perior; thence through lake Superior northward of the i^les Royal and Philipeaux, to the I.ongLske; thence through the middle of said ^ong Lake, and tli^ water communication be- tween it and the Lake of the Wood*, to the said Lake of the Woods; thence through the said lake to the most nortli-western point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the jiver Missis.-ippi; thence by a line to be drawn aloug the mid- dle of the said river Mississippi, until' it sh^l intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude. South by a line to be drau-n due east frcin the determination of the line last nicntiontd, in the latitude cf ihiny*x;iic d«. HISTORY OF THE WAR; 2;t wrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apal:i- .ohicola or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its- ju.action with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of Sti Mary's river; and thence down along the middle of St, Masv'a river to the Atlantic ocean. East by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river Sr, Crois, fru;n its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source directly nor:h to tha aforesaid Highlands which divide the rivers thati'ali into the Atlantic ocean, from those which fall into the river St. Law- rence : comprehending all islands within twenty lea!::u33 of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying betweea' lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid- boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part, and East- Florida on the other, shall respectivL'ly touch the b^y of Fundy and the Atlantic ocean ; excepting such islands as now- are, or heretofore have been within the limits of the said pro- vince of Nova Scotia, ARTICLE III. It is agreed that the people of the United States shall con- tinue to enjoy unmolested the right to jake lish of every kind" on the Grand Bank, and on all the other banks of Nc-wfouacl- iand; also in the gulf of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the sea where the inhabitants of both countries useds- at any time heretofore to inh ; and also that the iaiiabirants- of the United States shall have liberty to take fish of everv kind' on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as Britibh !i;!vif- nen use, but not to dry or cure the same on that ii-lana ; .aijd' also on the coasts, bays, and creeks, of all other of iiis Bri. tannic majesty's dominions in America ; and that the American fishermen shall have liberty to dry and cure fi^h in any of thtr unsettled bays, harbors and creeks of Nova Scotia^ Magdalen- islands, and Labrador, so long as the same shall remain 'un- seitled; but so soon as the same, or eitJicr of them, slrdl be free liberty to go to- aay paxC* 294. HISTORY OF THE WAR, of the thirteen United States, snd therein to remain twelve months, unmolested in their endeavors to obtain the restitution of such of their estates, rights and properties, as may have been confiscated; and that congress shall also earnestly re- commend to the several states, a re-consideration and revision of all acts or laws re.'i^ardr.ig the premises, so as to render the said laws or acts perfectly consistent, not only Vvith justice and equity, but with that spirit of conciliation, which, on the re- turn of the blessings of peace, should universally prevail. And that congress shall also earnestly recommend to the se- Teral states, that the estates, rights and prcperiies of such last mentioned persons, shall be restored to them, they refunding to any persons who may be now in possession, the bona fide price (where any has been given) which such persons jnay have paid on purchasing any of the said lands, rights or pro- perties, since the confiscaiion. "And it is agreed, that all per- sons who have any interest in confiscated L-inds, either bv debt, marriage settlements, or otherwise, shall meet with no lawful impediment iu the prosecution of their just rights. ARTICLE VI. That there shall be no future confiscations made, nor any prosecutions commenced against any person or persons for, or by reawn of the part which he or they m.ay have taken in the present war ; and that no person shall, on that account, suffer any future loss or damage, either in his person, liberty, or property; and that those who may be in confinement on such charges, at the time of the ratification of tiie treaty in America, shall be immediately set at liberty, and the prosecu- tions so commenced be discontinued. , ARTICLE v:i. There shall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Bri- tannic m.^iestv and the said States, and between the subjects of the one and the citizens of the other, wherefore all hostilities, both by sea and land, shall from henceforth cease ; ail pri.^ouers on both sides shall be set- at liberty, and his Britannic majesty shall, with all convenient speed, and without causing destruc- tion, or carrying away any negroes, or ether property of the Americans iniiabilai.is. withdraw ail his armies*, garrisons and i^eets from the said United States, and from every post, place and harbor wlihin the same, leaving in all fortificatious the AiJ'ierican artillery that may be thereip ; and j^haii also order and cause sil archives, records, deeds a.id papers, belonging to any of the said states, or their citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the liands of his oflicers, to be forthwith restored and delivered to tlic proptr states aud persons to whom they belong. ARTICLE Vlll. The navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, ihail for ever remain free and open to the HISTORY OF THE WAR. 295 suh}ects of Great 'Britain, aud the citizens of the United States. ARTICLE IX. In case It should so happen, that any place or territory be- lonirine-4o Great Britain or to the United States, should have been conquered by the arms of either from the other, before the arrival of the said provisional articles in America, it is agreed, that the same shall be restored without ditSculty, and without requiring auy compensation, ARTICLE X. ^ The solemn ra-ificaticn of the present treatv, expedited in good^and due form, shall be exchanged bet^veen the con- tracting parties, in the s-pace of six months, or sooner, if pos- sible, to be computed from the day of the $iguature of the present treaty. l:i witness whereof, we, the undersigned, their n-.iuisters plenipotentiary, have, in their name, and in virtue of our full powers, signed with our hands the present defiaitive treaty, and xaused the seals of our arms to be aflixed thtreto. Done at Paris, this third day of September, in the year of our Lord ©ue thousand seven liundred and eighty-three. D. HARTLEY, (l. s.) JOHN ADAMS, (l. s.'i B. FRANKLIN, (l. s.) JOHN JAY, (I. s.) Having given in page 36 the list of the A- jnerican navy as it stood at the commeucenient of the war, it may be con- ", lered interesting to know ho'vv the Lilliputian navy v/ithstood an enemy wiiich v/iis to have " lucwn it out of the watef.^' 'ihe following is the naval list of ship- ping, in Jane, 1815. Those vessels wiiose.names are marked (^') are siici> as remain of tl>e naval force before the v^^ar. Those marked '($) are building. Those marked in Italic, are such as were captured from the British, during the war. The rest have been built or purchased during , the war. Those that are blank have no arma- ment at present. Rate. Names of Vessels. CtrnmavJers, Sfaikns Is'c. 74 Ship Independeace Com. Baiubridge Boston 74 Washington Chauncey Portsmouth, N.H, 2S^ HISTORY OF THE WAI?. J^ate. Names of Vessels, Commanders, StatioftSf Iffe, 74 Franklin§ Smith Philadelphia 74 New Orlean8§ Sacket's Hirbor 74 Chippe\va§ Do. do. 44 Guerriere Com. S. Decatur At sea 44 Ja-va OH. Perry Ealtiniore. 44 United States* J. Shaw Boston 44 Constitutioa* C. Stewart At Boston 44 P]att3burg§ Sacket's Harbor 44 Superior Do. do. 56 Constellatiou* C. Gordon^ At sea 5G Congress* C. Morris At Boston S6 Macsdonian J. Jones At sea 32 Moh?.wk Sacket's Harbor 52 Covjiance White Hal!, N. YJ 28 Cijane -^ N. York £4 Saratoga White Hall, N. Y.' 24 John Adams* S. Angus New- York 24 General Pike W. W. Crane , Sacket's Harbor 20 Madison E. frenchard Do. do. 20 AUrt S. M. Cooper Washington, D. C. l^ Hc>rnet* J. Biddie Cruizing 2a Wasp J. Biakeley Do. 18 Peacock li Warrington Do. IS Ontario J. D. El;iot At sea 18 Erie C. G. Ridgely New York IS Louisiana* C C. B. Thojnpson New Orleans . 18 Bi ig Jefferson Sacket's Harbor . 18 Jones M. T. Woolsey Do. do. 18 - Ep^rvicr J. Downs At sea 18 Niagara Erie, Penn. 18 Lawrence Do. do. 18. 'petro'it •juso. do. 18 Eagle WhueHall, N. Yi 13 Sylpli Socket's Harbor 16 Cliippewa ' IC i2^i;esn CharkiU Erie, Penn. 16 Saranac - 16 lAnnet White Hall, N. Y. \G Boxer 1(5 Troup Savannah 14 Oneida T. Brown Sacket's Harbor 14 Entcrprize* L Kearney Boston 12 Fl an) beau J. B. Nicholson At sea 12 Spark T. Gamble Do. 12 Fire Fy G. W. Rodgers Do. ^9 Prometheus J. J. Nicholson Arrived at Nor folk Etna ^bomb) L. Aleiis New Ocieaus HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^n lR.ale, I^ames of Vessels, Ccmmanderst Stations-^ l^'r. 2 CaUdoniii 5 Ghent Hunter Schr, Nonsuch I'iconileroga Spitfire I'orch Lady Prevosi Tom Bowline Alligator Roanoke Hornet Lynx Firebrand Surprize Despatch Asp Helen Porcupine Gov. Tomkins Conquest Ranger Lady of the Lake Amelia Ontario Fair Americaa. Pert Asp Raven, Jl Sloop Ckuh 14 17 II 10 10 9. 7 5 5 7 7 S 3 4 5 2 2 1 1 1 E. Haddaway A. J. Dallas W. Chauncey B. D. Conkley F. Forrest T. Dukehart "W. Atkinson 11 7 6 5 S Finch Preble Montgomery Buffalo Camel Tickler President Ketch Spitfire Vesuvius* Vengea»ce 2 Galley Alien 2 Burrows Borer 2 Nettle 2 Viper 2 Centipede i Ludlow Erie, Penn« Do. do. Do. do. Chaiieston, S. C, White KalljN.y. At sffa Do, Erie. Penn, At sea New York Wilmington, N.C. Washington, D^G. Do. do. New Orleans Do. Norfolk Baltimore New Castle, DeL Erie, Penn. Sacket^ Harbor Do. do. Baltimore Sacket's Harbor Erie, Penn. Sacket's Harbor Do. do. Do. do. Do. do. Do. do. White Hail, N.Y, Do. do. Do. do. Do. do. Off Reedy Island Do. do. New Orleans Wiiite Hail, N. Y. Norfoik New York Do. White Hall, N.Y' Do. do. Do. d.Q, "Qo. do. Do. do. Do. do. Do» do. ' 203 HISTORY OF TME WAR. Rat^. Nj?nes of P'asels Cnmn3a7iJi:ys. Siaiiofis, l^c. 1 1 1 Wilmer Alwyn Bail.rd Do. Do« Do, do. do. do. Barges from No. 1 tcri5, inclusive, on Lake Ontario, mouming each guns, and now at Sackei's Harl)or. The old giia-boats have l>sen chiefly sold. It woukl be a curious question in political arith- metics to determine, what iiLirnber of American ships and their rates, would be sufficient to de- blroy tlie British navy? taking the na,val events of the late war as a scale bv which to calculate; and how long it would take to provide the neces- sary number of vessels, takinof the increase of the. navy, durin^c the war, as a ratio, LIST OF AMERICAN PRIZES. WitJi the name of the Privateers, !