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32 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
More books, probably, have been written on the War of 1812 than on any other portion of our history. The great political leaders of that time were so vindictive in their animosities, and took such strong and decided ground on all political questions, that the success of one or the other afterwards in public life depended very much on his conduct during the war. Hence, much detached and personal history has been written in order to clear up or illustrate some particular event. A candidate for pub
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CHAPTER I. A REVIEW OF THE CAUSES LEADING TO THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.
CHAPTER I. A REVIEW OF THE CAUSES LEADING TO THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.
Duplicity and oppressive acts of the British Government contrasted with the forbearance of the United States — Character of Madison — Debates in Congress on War measures — Declaration of War. The peace which closed our revolutionary struggle was like a wound healed only at the surface, and which must be opened anew before a permanent cure can be effected. The desire for territory had become the ruling passion of the British Empire, and the loss of the most promising part of her vast possessions
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Different feelings with which the Declaration of War was received — State of the parties at the commencement — Federalists and Democrats — Their hostility — Absurd doctrines of the Federalists — Hostility of New England — Unprepared state of the country — Culpable neglect of the government — Comparative strength of the two navies — Empty state of the Treasury — Inefficiency of the Cabinet. The proud and sensitive American of to-day can scarcely comprehend how, under the heavy and protracted prov
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Plan of the Campaign — General Hull sent to Detroit — British officers first receive news of the declaration of war — Capture of Hull's baggage, etc. — Enters Canada and issues a proclamation, and sends out detachments — Colonels McArthur and Cass advance on Malden — Hull refuses to sustain them — Recrosses to Detroit — Van Horne's defeat — Colonel Miller defeats the enemy, and opens Hull's communications — Strange conduct of Hull — Advance of the British — Surrender of Detroit — Indignation of
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
Operations on the New York frontier — Battle of Queenstown — Death of Brock — Scott a prisoner — General Smythe's Proclamation and abortive attempts — Cursed by the army — Duel with General Porter — Retires in disgrace — Dearborn's movements and failures — Review of the campaign on the New York frontier — Character of the officers and soldiers. While Harrison's forces were thus scattered amid the forests and settlements of Ohio and Indiana, the army along the Niagara frontier had begun to move.
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CHAPTER V. THE NAVY.
CHAPTER V. THE NAVY.
The Cabinet resolves to shut up our ships of war in port — Remonstrance of Captains Bainbridge and Stuart — Rodgers ordered to sea — Feeling of the crews — Chase of the Belvidere — Narrow escape of the Constitution from an English fleet — Cruise of the Essex — Action between the Constitution and Guerriere — Effect of the Victory in England and the United States — United States takes the Macedonian — Lieutenant Hamilton carries the captured colors to Washington — Presented to Mrs. Madison in a ba
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Harrison plans a winter campaign — Advance of the army — Battle and massacre at the River Raisin — Baseness of Proctor — Promoted by his Government — Tecumseh, his character and eloquence — He stirs up the Creeks to war — Massacre at Fort Mimms — Investment of Fort Meigs — Advance of Clay's reinforcements and their destruction — Successful sortie — Flight of the besiegers — Major Croghan's gallant defence of Fort Stephenson. The army of General Harrison, which in October was slowly pushing its w
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Chauncey ordered to Lake Erie to build a fleet — A plan of the campaign — Woolsey — Attack on York — Death of General Pike — His character — Capture of Fort George — Gallantry of Scott — Repulse of the British at Sackett's Harbor by General Brown — Dearborn pursues Vincent — Night attack on the American encampment — Generals Winder and Chandler taken prisoners — Retreat of the army — Reinforced by General Lewis — Dearborn at Fort George — Defeat of Colonel Bœstler at Beaver Dams — Attack on Blac
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CHAPTER IX. SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH CONGRESS.
CHAPTER IX. SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH CONGRESS.
Army bill — Quincy and Williams — Debate on the bonds of merchants given for British goods imported in contravention of the non-importation act — Debate on the bills increasing the army to 55,000 men — Williams' report — Quincy's attack — Clay's rejoinder — Randolph, Calhoun, Quincy, Lowndes and Clay — State of the Treasury. The members of Congress, when they assembled in October, did not exchange those congratulations they promised each other at their adjournment, after declaring war. Every pla
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
Action between the Chesapeake and Shannon — Rejoicing in England over the victory — The Enterprise captures the Boxer — Death of Lieutenant Burrows — Daring cruise of the Argus in the English and Irish channels — Lieutenant Allen's humanity — Action with the Pelican — Death of Allen — His character. 1813. Defeats on land had thus far been compensated by victories at sea, and to that element we ever turned with pride and confidence. Our exultation, however, was for a moment checked by the loss of
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
Cost of transportation to the northern frontier — English fleet on our coast — Chesapeake blockaded — Blockade of the whole coast — Cockburn attacks Frenchtown — Burns Havre De Grace — Attacks Georgetown and Frederickstown — Arrival of British reinforcements — Attack on Craney Island — Barbarities committed in Hampton — Excitement caused by these outrages — Commodore Hardy blockades the northern coast — Torpedoes — Hostile attitude of Massachusetts — Remonstrances of its legislature — Feeling of
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Perry obtains and equips a fleet on Lake Erie — Puts to sea — Kentucky marines — Description of the battle — Gallant bearing of Perry — Slaughter on the Lawrence — Perry after the battle — Burial of the officers — Exultation of the people — Harrison advances on Malden — Flight of Proctor — Battle of the Thames, and death of Tecumseh. But while the country, torn with internal strife and wasted by external foes, looked with sad forebodings on the prospect before it, there suddenly shot forth over
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
Wilkinson takes command of the northern army — Plan of the campaign — Hampton entrusted with the 5th military district and takes position at Plattsburg — Quarrel between the two Generals — Hampton advances, against orders, into Canada; is defeated — Concentration of Wilkinson's army — Moves down the St. Lawrence — Its picturesque aspect — Harassed by the enemy — Battle of Chrystler's field — Hampton refuses to join him — The expedition abandoned and the armies retire to winter quarters — Disappo
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CHAPTER XIV. 1813—1814.
CHAPTER XIV. 1813—1814.
Winter operations — Decatur challenges Commodore Hardy to meet the United States and Macedonian with two of his frigates — Wilkinson's second invasion of Canada — Battle of la Cole Mill — Holmes' expedition into Canada — Romantic character of our border warfare — Inroad of the British marines to Saybrook and Brockaway's Ferry. During the autumn and winter of this year, while Congress was shaken with conflicting parties, and deeper gloom and embarrassments were gathering round the administration,
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CHAPTER XIV. THIRTEENTH CONGRESS. MAY 27, 1813.
CHAPTER XIV. THIRTEENTH CONGRESS. MAY 27, 1813.
Democratic gain in Congress — Spirit in which the two parties met — Russian mediation offered and accepted, and commerce opened — State of the Treasury — Debate respecting a reporter's seat — Direct tax — Webster's resolutions — Governor Chittenden — Strange conduct of parties in New Hampshire — The embargo — England proposes peace — Commissioners appointed — Army bill — Webster's speech upon it — Sketch of him — The loan bill — Defended by Mr. Eppes — Sketch of Mr. Pickering, with his speech —
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J. T. HEADLEY'S WORKS.
J. T. HEADLEY'S WORKS.
NAPOLEON AND HIS MARSHALS. By J. T. Headley , 2 vols. 12mo., cloth, gilt. Illustrated with 12 Portraits, $2.50. 25th Thousand. WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS. By J. T. Headley , 2 vols. 12mo., cloth, gilt. Illustrated with 16 Portraits, $2.50. 22d Thousand. THE SACRED MOUNTAINS. By J. T. Headley , Illustrated with 12 engravings, by Burt, with designs by Lossing, 20th Thousand. Do. do. do., 12mo., cloth, gilt, $1.25. SACRED SCENES AND CHARACTERS. By J. T. Headley , with 12 Illustrations. Designed by
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Notes
Notes
1 : Vide letter of Mr. King to the Secretary of State. 2 : Vide Letter of Madison to Mr. Rose, the British Minister, dated March 5th, 1808. 3 : Letter of Adams to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, 19th of July, 1785. 4 : Act of Congress, passed 1st of May, 1810. 5 : Vide Madison's Administration, by John Quincy Adams. 6 : Vide Madison's Administration, by John Quincy Adams. 7 : Vide Report of proceedings in the House of Representatives, Dec. 1811. 8 : This adventurer after staying some months in
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CHAPTER I. THE CREEK WAR.
CHAPTER I. THE CREEK WAR.
Jackson's first service — Is appointed commander in-chief of the Tennessee forces — Co-operation of other states — Jackson enters the Creek nation — Difficulties of his position — General Coffee's expedition — Relieves Fort Talladega — Battle of — Stormy condition of his army — Quells a mutiny — Abandoned by his troops — Quells a second mutiny — His boldness — A third mutiny suppressed — Left with but a hundred followers — Clairborne's movements — Arrival of reinforcements — Makes a diversion in
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Cruise of Commodore Porter in the Essex — Arrival at Valparaiso — Capture of British whalers and letters of marque — Essex Junior — Marquesas Islands — Description of the natives — Madison Island — War with the Happahs — Invades the Typee territory — Tedious march — Beautiful prospect — Fights the natives and burns down their towns — Sails for Valparaiso — Blockaded by two English ships — Attempts to escape — Is attacked by both vessels — His gallant defence — His surrender — Returns home on par
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Plan of the third Campaign — Attack on Sackett's Harbor — Attack on Oswego — Woolsey transports guns to Sackett's Harbor — Capture of the detachment sent against him — Expedition against Mackinaw — Death of Captain Holmes — Complete failure of the expedition. While Porter was slowly approaching our coast, on his return from the Pacific, events on our northern frontier were assuming an entirely different aspect from that which they had worn for the last two years. In the spring, just before and a
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
Brown takes command of the army at Niagara — Crosses the river into Canada — Battle of Chippewa — Brilliant charge of the Americans — Desperate battle of Niagara — Conduct of Ripley — The army ordered to Fort Erie — General Gaines takes command. July 3. On the same day the expedition to Mackinaw sailed from Detroit, the army which had been concentrated at Buffalo during the winter, crossed the Niagara, in its third campaign against Canada. Brown, who had been made Brigadier-General for his galla
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
Siege of Fort Erie — Assault and repulse of the British — Brown takes command — Resolves to destroy the enemy's works by a sortie — Opposed by his officers — The sortie — Anecdote of General Porter — Retreat of Drummond — Conduct of Izard. Aug. 3. Gaines, immediately on his arrival at Fort Erie, set about strengthening the works, so that when Drummond actually invested it, he found it in a good state of defence. In the mean time, the English commander hearing that Brown's magazine had been remov
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
British plan of invading our sea ports — Arrival of reinforcements — Barney's flotilla — Landing of the enemy under Ross — Doubt and alarm of the inhabitants — Advance of the British — Destruction of the Navy Yard — Battle of Bladensburg — Flight of the President and his Cabinet — Burning and sacking of Washington — Mrs. Madison's conduct during the day and night — Cockburn's brutality — Sudden explosion — A hurricane — Flight of the British — State of the army — Character of this outrage — Rejo
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Macomb at Plattsburg — American and English fleets on Lake Champlain — Advance of Prevost — Indifference of Governor Chittenden — Rev. Mr. Wooster — Macdonough — The two battles — Funeral of the officers — British invasion of Maine — McArthur's expedition. The gallant defence of Baltimore was still the theme of every tongue, when tidings from our northern borders swelled the enthusiasm to the highest pitch, and extinguished for a moment the remembrance of the barbarities committed at Washington.
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Navy in 1814 — Cruise of Captain Morris in the Adams — Narrow escapes — The Wasp and Reindeer — Cruise of the Wasp — Sinks the Avon — Mysterious fate of the Wasp — The Peacock captures the Epervier — Lieutenant Nicholson. During the season of almost uninterrupted success on land and on our inland waters, we had but few vessels at sea, the greater part being blockaded, but those few nobly sustained the reputation won by the navy in the two previous years. The Guerriere 44, the Independence 74
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
Third Session of the XIIIth Congress — State of the Treasury — The President's Message — Dallas appointed Secretary of the Treasury — His scheme and that of Eppes for the relief of the country — Our Commissioners at Ghent — Progress of the negotiations — English protocol — Its effect on Congress and the nation — Effect of its publication on the English Parliament. Sept. 19. During the agitation and excitement preceding the bombardment of Fort McHenry, and the battles of Champlain and Plattsburg,
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CHAPTER X. HARTFORD CONVENTION. 1814.
CHAPTER X. HARTFORD CONVENTION. 1814.
Attitude of New England — Governor Strong — Views and purposes of the Federalists — Anxiety of Madison — Prudence of Colonel Jesup — Result of the Convention — Fears of the people — Fate of the Federalists. While Government was thus struggling to avert the perils that every day grew darker around it, and the negotiations at Ghent were drawing to a conclusion, serious events were occurring in the New England States. Although the ravages of the enemy along our coast during the summer, and our vict
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THE INVASION. CHAPTER XI.
THE INVASION. CHAPTER XI.
General Jackson appointed Major-General — Hostility of Spain — Gallant defence of Fort Bowyer — Seizure of Pensacola — Jackson at New Orleans — Approach and landing of the British — Jackson proclaims martial law — Night attack on the British — Jackson entrenches himself — First attack of the British — Second attack — Final Assault — The battle and the victory — Jackson fined by Judge Hall — Arrival of the Treaty of Peace — Great Rejoicings — Delegates of the Hartford Convention — Remarks on the
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Cruise of the Constitution — Action with the Cyane and Levant — Chased by a British fleet — England's views of neutral rights and the law of nations — Her honor and integrity at a discount — Singular escape of the Constitution — Recapture of the Levant under the guns of a neutral port — Lampoons on the English squadron for its contemptible conduct — Decatur — Capture of the President — The Hornet captures the Penguin — Chased by a ship of the line — Narrow escape — Cruise of the Peacock — Review
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CHAPTER XIII. PRIVATEERS.
CHAPTER XIII. PRIVATEERS.
Character and daring of our Privateers — Skill of American seamen — Acts of Congress relative to privateering — Names of ships — Gallant action of the "Nonsuch" — Success of the Dolphin — Cruise of the Comet — Narrow escape of the "Governor Tompkins" — Desperate action of the Globe with two brigs — The Decatur takes a British sloop of war — Action of the Neufchatel with the crew of the Endymion — Desperate defence of Captain Reed against the crews of a British squadron — The Chasseur captures a
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J. T. HEADLEY'S WORKS.
J. T. HEADLEY'S WORKS.
NAPOLEON AND HIS MARSHALS . By J. T. Headley , 2 vols. 12mo. cloth gilt. Illustrated with 12 Portraits, $2.50. 25th Thousand. WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS . By J. T. Headley , 2 vols. 12mo, cloth gilt. Illustrated with 16 Portraits, $2.50. 22d Thousand. THE SACRED MOUNTAINS . By J. T. Headley , Illustrated with 12 engravings, by Burt, with designs by Lossing, 20th Thousand. Do. do. do., 12mo., cloth, gilt, $1.25. SACRED SCENES AND CHARACTERS . By J. T. Headley , with 12 Illustrations. Designed by
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Notes
Notes
1 : An incident occurred after the battle, which presented in striking contrast the two opposite natures of Jackson. An Indian warrior, severely wounded, was brought to him, whom he placed at once in the hands of the surgeon. While under the operation, the bold, athletic warrior looked up, and asked Jackson in broken English, "Cure 'im, kill 'im again?" The latter replied, "No; on the contrary, he should be well taken care of." He recovered, and Jackson pleased with his noble bearing, sent him t
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