News of the US: Week two of april 1812
April 8: “An Act For the admission of the State of Louisiana into the Union, and to extend the laws of the United States to the said state” signed into law by James Madison.–National Intelligencer, April 11, 1812
April 9: From Hartford — “A few days since, arrived in this town Col. GEORGE GIBBS, from Boston. The object of this gentleman’s visit . . . is to superintend the arrangement of the splendid addition which he has lately been making to the mineralogical collection of Yale College.”–Connecticut Mirror, April 13, 1832
April 9: “William Hull, Esq. now Governor of the territory of Michigan, is appointed a Brigadier-General in the army of the United States.”–National Intelligencer, April 9, 1812
April 10: Letter from Detroit — “Our neighbors, the British, are making a preparation for war. They are erecting at Amherstburgh (Malden) some additional fortifications of considerable strength, and are also building a sloop of war. These preparations, together with the liberal presents made to the savages and the great attention paid to them, induce me to believe, that they are determined to defend that post to the last.”–Weekly Aurora, May 26, 1812
April 10: “The Rubicon is passed.–We consider War now as inevitable. Congress, as a preparatory step to a declaration of war, has, we expect, laid a temporary EMBARGO.”–RaleighRegister, April 10, 1812
April 10: Letter from Washington — “The capture of Amelia Island is altogether unauthorised by government; but, then, as it is taken, I think we might as well keep it.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, May 1, 1812
April 11: From Ohio — “The President of the United States has called on the governor of this state, for twelve hundred men to march immediately for Detroit. . . . A draft will be immediately made on the militia, unless a sufficient number should volunteer their services.” SciotoSupporter, April 11, 1812.
April 11: From Salem — “The Subscriber impressed with a sense of gratitude for the general attention he has received from those Ladies and Gentlemen to whom he has made personal application for assistance to promote the MIAMI UNIVERSITY in the STATE OF OHIO . . . begs leave to inform the Citizens at large that he intends delivering a discourse tomorrow evening, and that a Collection will be made, at the Tabernacle for the above purpose.–Service to begin at early candle light. John W. Browne, Missionary from the Miami University, State of Ohio.”–Salem Gazette, April 11, 1812
April 12: “From Savannah — “We learn by a gentleman from the southward, that Augustine was likely to surrender on Saturday or Sunday last. All the young soldiers of the garrison had deserted, leaving only about 60 or 70 elderly men, who it was expected, could not maintain it long if disposed to resist, having only about 6 weeks provisions.” New York Spectator, May 6, 1812
April 12: From Marietta –“Governor Meigs has received and given orders to raise 1200 volunteers in Ohio; supposed to be destined for Detroit . . . .”–Boston Weekly Messenger, May 1, 1812
April 13: In the House of Representatives — “The House went into a committee of the whole on a bill, which had passed the Senate, for incorporating Henry Austin and others, Trustees of the Louisiana Lead Company, Mr. Basset in the chair. . . . Mr. Troup moved to strike out the first section, which was carried. This destroys the bill.”–New York Spectator, April 18, 1812
April 13: In the Senate — “The bill from the house providing for the government of the territory of Louisiana was read and ordered for a second reading.”—United States Gazette, April 20, 1812
April 13: From Boston — “In this town the utmost exertions have been used in fitting vessels for sea. From Saturday to Thursday, eighty-five sail were loaded, cleared and sailed principally for foreign ports.”–New York Spectator, April 18, 1812
April 14: From New York, April 15 –“Yesterday afternoon between 3 and four o’clock, the U. S. frigates President, commodore Rogers, and Essex, sailed from this port on a cruise. When the frigates got opposite Castle Williams, they fired from 6 to 8 24 pound shot at the Castle for the purpose of trying its strength, which we are happy to state was found to be ball proof, and more than answers the most sanguine expectations.”–Maryland Gazette, April 23, 1812
April 14: Editorial — “We published in our last the new act of Slavery, by which the people are once more cut off from their accustomed business, and means of obtaining a livelyhood. Can any one tell of any new circumstance that made an Embargo necessary at this time? The burning of our ships bound to Spain and Portugal was not enough; the supplies must be wholly cut off, and an Embargo alone could do it.” Salem Gazette, April 14, 1812
About the Author
Mary Bowden is a researcher working at the Texas Collections Deposit Library at the University of Texas. A little-known but invaluable treasure of U.S. history and the history of American journalism is archived in the collection of bound United States’ Newspapers at the University of Texas at Austin. The collection began more than a century ago and has been stored in recent years in the Texas Collections Deposit Library on the campus of the University of Texas. The sizeable archive is currently in the early stages of being digitized before being moved to a more climate-controlled environment at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus of the University, on the north side of Austin.