News of the US: Week four of July 1812
July 23: From New York — “On Thursday last the officers of the 3d (late 4th) Regiment, assembled at the Arsenal at 10 o’clock . . . With two pieces, one a nine and the other a twelve pounder, and their ammunition waggons, they marched to Clinton’s dock, Greenwich, and fired about sixty balls at a target, placed at various distances in the North River, nineteen of which hit the target.”–New York Spectator, July 29, 1812
July 23: From Salem — “This morning arrived privateer schr. Dolphin, of 2 guns, having captured a ship of 14 guns and 13 men (only 3 of them English ) from England, in ballast, for Nova Scotia.”–New York Spectator, July 29, 1812
July 23: New York Herald reprints from the Hampshire Gazette “An Ode for the Fourth of July 1812″ by William Cullen Bryant.
July 24: From Colonel M’Arthur from Sandwich, Canada — I was up last week with a detachment of 115 men from my regiment, and about 30 cavalry, to the river Detranch, or Thames . . . the land is fertile and well improved; great crops of wheat were most likely to be lost for want of reapers, the most of the men having been drafted and taken to Malden, from which place many of them have since deserted.”–Weekly Aurora, September 1, 1812
July 24: From Boston — “We assert it to be our opinion formed upon the most sober deliberation, that the war now existing between the U. States and G. Britain, was declared in compliance with a compact entered into by the government of the U. States with Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, July 24, 1812
July 24: From New Haven — Captain Brown, passenger on board the Eliza Gracie, informs us that he was prisoner on board the [HMS} Africa, 64 gun ship, when the squadron chased the Constitution, and confirms our statement this day. He says that she escaped by the excellent seamanship of her commander, for which the British officers gave him full credit, and highly extolled his manoeuvering.”–National Intelligencer, August 4, 1812
July 25: Letter from Tobias Lear, former U.S. Consul to Algiers, July 25–“a squadron of cruisers sailed from Algiers to the eastward . . . and there is reason to apprehend that they had orders to capture American vessels.”–Scioto Supporter, November14, 1812
July 26: Extract of a letter from New Orleans — “The Spaniards have demanded the surrender of the town of Baton Rouge from the governor of New Orleans. The Creek nation has declared war against the United States, and Pensacola has received from the Havanna a reinforcement of 500 troops. The times look dismal around this place, and I should not wonder if N. Orleans were the seat of bloodshed before the middle of September next.”–National Intelligencer, September 1, 1812
July 26: From Albany — “The British armed ship Queen Charlotte, lying at Fort Erie, soon after the declaration of war was received, left her moorings and proceeded up the Lake—it is now understood to be at Fort Malden, the great depot of Indian supplies.—Raleigh Register, August 7, 1812
July 27: From Baltimore — “Since the destruction of the office of the Federal Republican, that paper has not been published until Monday last. It was then issued by C. Hanson and J. H. Heath. About 8 o’clock in the evening, a Mob began to assemble . . . About 10 o’clock they were joined by many more. . . . There were about 70 armed persons within, who immediately fired upon those who were entering the building, and killed three and wounded four others. The Mob then armed themselves, brought a six pounder to bear upon the house, fired into the building with their muskets, and wounded one man in the breast. This was 12 o”clock, and the alarm bell did not ring till 2. Two troops of horse then assembled. To them the men in the house surrendered . . . .” New York Spectator, August 1, 1812
July 28: A Letter from a gentleman in Detroit: “Yesterday 2 Indians arrived here from Michimackinac, who bring the unwelcome tidings of that post having fallen into the hands of the British; they give the accounts circumstantially, and say they were there at the time.”–Raleigh Register, August 28, 1812
July 28: From Philadelphia — “On Monday evening last, a number of persons from this city . . . proceeded from this city to Morristown, about sun-set [stet.] on Tuesday morning, they attacked in a body, and beat the Printer of a Paper, published in that village, on account of some piece published in his paper. On the alarm being given, the citizens began to assemble, but the rioters took to their carriages and returned with all possible speed to the city.”–New York Spectator, August 1, 1812
Captain Isaac Hull, USN (1773-1843) Portrait by Orlando S. Lagman, after Gilbert Stuart, 1967. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C., U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
July 29: From York, Canada –“At Sandwich [Canada] Governor Hull landed on the 12th inst. without opposition, with about 800 or 1000 men. He has made three unsuccessful attempts on the river Garonde, where his parties have been repulsed. I trust before long Mr. Hull will have reason to repent his crossing the Detroit.”–Maryland Gazette, August 20, 1812
July 29: Reporting from Gen. Hull’s army — The head-quarters of the army were still at Sandwich. They have possession of the whole country from the river Thames or Trench to within 5 miles of Malden, a distance of about 70 miles. In addition to the flour and blankets, our army has taken 886 Merino sheep.”–Scioto Supporter, August 8, 1812
July 29: From Boston –” Last Sunday morning , while the bells were ringing for public worship, I had occasion to walk over the new made ground of the mill-pond, and over the new street leading to Charles-river bridge. . . . my eyes were immediately attracted towards a spectacle, shocking in the delicacy of my own feelings, and much more so, I am persuaded, to that of every female passing. Crowds of young men and boys were seen swimming, all along the shore . . … and some cane out of the water around, and even on to the bridge, naked, almost in the very midst of females, old and young!”–Boston Patriot, July 29, 1812
July 30: A letter from New Orleans — “I have seen gen. Wilkinson, who arrived here on the 13th twice since his arrival, and have conversed with him. . . . although he is now more in possession of public favor, & has more influence than ever, all the elections having gone in favor of his friends, he is not without bitter enemies.”–National Intelligencer, September 1, 1812.
July 30: From Albany — “On Monday afternoon last, 225 fine Bass were caught at a single draft, in the Hudson river, below the dam, at the village of Washington. They weighed from 5 to 30 lbs. each, and the whole amount was nearly three thousand weight. What renders this circumstance the more remarkable is, that none of the fisheries on the Hudson have ever been noted for large quantities of Bass.”–Augusta Herald, August 20, 1812
July 31: From Albany — “We have understood that a letter is received in this city, informing that a second attack had been made upon Sacket’s Harbor, by the British squadron, with an intention of burning the place and that they were again repulsed with the loss of 14 killed and 17 wounded–among the former was the commander of the British forces.”–National Intelligencer, August 8, 1812
July 31: From Boston — “The Northern States, almost exclusively, fought the battles of our revolution, and established the independence of our republic. In the first stages of the contest, the enemy was ejected from our soil, by our own unassisted strength. We then sent our armies to assist our feeble, dejected, fainting brethren of the south.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, July 31, 1812
July 31: From Nashville — Advertisement — “A Camp Meeting By the METHODIST, will commence on Friday the 31st inst. and continue ’til Tuesday the 4th of August, at Reese’s Chapel, 6 miles south of Franklin. . . . The neighbors who live near, pledge themselves to build a sufficient number of camps for the reception of all families from a distance; therefore, a general invitation is given to all who groan for the prosperity of Zion, to come in their waggons prepared to stay on the ground ’til the meeting breaks.”–Nashville Clarion, July 21, 1812