News of the US: Week Three of September 1813
September 15: From an officer of the U.S. fleet on Lake Erie — Of the enemy’s fleet: “their flags were nailed to the masts, with an asseveration from the commanders that the vessels should go to the bottom rather than surrender to a damn’d Yankee.–Will you have the goodness to pass to our friend Mr. Clay the nail which fastened the flag of the commodore to his mast?”–Georgetown, Kentucky, Telegraph, September 29, 1813
September 15: From Commodore Perry to Gen. Harrison — “The very great assistance in the action of the 10th inst. derived from those men you were pleased to send on board the squadron, render it a duty to return you my sincere thanks, for so timely a reinforcement.–In fact, sir, I may say, without those men, the victory could not have been achieved; and equally so to assure you, that those officers and men behaved as became good soldiers and seamen.”–New York Spectator,December 18, 1813
September 15: From New London — “On Monday the British ships fired above 200 shots at a hogshead placed on the deck of a captured smack. They apparently fired very bad, as the hogshead and the sloop survived their best endeavors to destroy them.”–American Daily Advertiser, September 20, 1813
September 16: From the Creek Agency, from the Chiefs at Cowetau — “We have a negro which we will send to you–he says he was in Sam. Mims’s fort at Tensaw, which was taken by the Indians about the 28th of August. There was near 1000 Indians–they attacked the fort about ten o’clock in the morning, & took it about one o’clock–That Cyrus, a negro man, cut down the pickets.”–Raleigh Register, October 1, 1813
September 16: From Andrew Jackson at Nashville — “The late attack of the Creek Indians on the almost defenceless frontier of Mobile settlements; the taking of Fort Mimms . . . call aloud for retaliatory vengeance. To afford the most speedy relief, the regiment of Cavalry of the Tennessee volunteers, who are allready armed and equipped, will instantly march, with such volunteer rifle companies as can be ready to march with them, to incease their number to 900 or 1000 men.”–Kentucky Gazette, September 28, 1813
September 16: From Pittsburg — “On Friday last, capt. Butler’s company of Pittsburg Blues returned home, after having received an honorable discharge from their twelve months’ service in the north-western army. Their return was hailed by their fellow citizens with the usual demonstrations of respect.”–National Intelligencer, September 21, 1813
September 17: From Chillicothe — “We have not yet received the particulars of the capture of the British fleet on lake Erie . . . Some particulars, however, subsequent to the date of Com. Perry’s letters, are brought by Mr. Watson of this town, who has just returned from Sandusky. . . . Previous to Mr. Watson’s leaving Seneca, he reports, the fleet has landed the prisoners (about 800) at Sandusky, and immediately set sail again in pursuit of two of the enemy’s vessels which had not been taken.”–New York Spectator, October 2, 1813
September 17: Letter from general Harrison, dated Amherstsburg, Canada, September 17, 1813, to Governor Meigs — “Proctor was yesterday at Sandwich . . . . I shall follow him as soon as I collect a few horses to mount the general officers and some of the staff. A miserable French poney upon which the venerable and patriotic governor of Kentucky was mounted, is the only one in the army. . . . I wish your troops to remain at one of the Sandusky’s for orders.”
September 17: From Sackett’s Harbor — “Accounts are just received here, that the WOLF and one large brig are taken! Yeo lost hisleft leg, and had 132 dkilled in his ship.[the Wolf]”–Wilmington American Watchman, September 22, 1813
September 18: Letter from Pinckneyville, Mississippi — “You may rely on the enclosed hand-bill [announcing the defeat of the patriots by the royalists at San Antonio]: ’twas from a letter to me while at Red River, from whence I returned yesterday. I mourn this event, as must every friend to Liberty, because I believe it puts an end for a time to the Enterprize in Texas.–I . . . have no doubt the rout of the Republican army has been complete. But few could have escaped from the battle, and those few, I fear, will be overtaken & massacred, or will starve to death.”–Richmond Enquirer, October 12, 1813
September 18: From St. Mary’s to the Secretary of the Navy — “We had yesterday morning and night preceding one of the most severe gales I have ever witnessed. . . . every vessel in harbor drove on shore or sank at their moorings. . . . The Saucy Jack privateer, of Charleston, lying ready to sail, is now lying high and dry on a marsh that must be at least 5 feet above the level of low tide.”–New York Spectator, October 13, 1813
September 18: From Newport – “On Tuesday last, a British cartel brig, from Sierra Leone, on the coast of Africa, arrived at Newport, with 90 American prisoners. We regret to learn that a severe sickness raged on board; and that the captain of the brig and several of the prisoners died on their passage.”—United States’ Gazette, September 22, 1813
September 19: Extra of the Charleston Courier — “We have the satisfaction of announcing to the public, that the U. States Brig of War ARGUS is in the Offing, with the British Sloop of War BARBADOES, her prize, in company, taken after a desperate engagement of FIFTEEN MINUTES, carried by boarding.”–Maryland Gazette, September 20, 1813
September 19: From Erie — “I expect you will have heard before this reaches you, of the victory obtained by commodore Perry, over the British fleet, on Friday, the 10th inst. near the head of the lake.–Mr. Wm Lattimore has just returned from Sandusky; he was on board several of the vessels since the action, and informs that the victory was the most comoplete of any in naval annals.”–Green Mountain Farmer, October 12, 1813
September 20: From Commodore Perry — “Since I last did my self the honor of writing to you, the vessels under my command have been employed in moving the army from the camps at Portage river and fort Meigs to Put in bay. A considerable body of troops have already arrived at that place. Gen. Cass, commanding at the bay, mentioned to me a few moments before I left him this morning, that a man had arrived from Detroit, who reported that the Indians had burnt that place.”–New York Spectator, October 5, 1813
September 20: From Plattsburg — “we understand that the army under command of Gen. Hampton entered Odletown on the 20th, where they surprised the piquet guard; the next day they recrossed the lines and quartered at Chazy.”–Democratic Press, October 1, 1813
September 20: From Knoxville — “We are informed by express from Col. Meigs, that 4000 Creeks are certainly embodied near the Hickory ground and that 1200 are designed to attack the frontiers of this state immendiately. The Cherokees are much alarmed . . . .”–Raleigh Star, October 8, 1813
September 21: From R. L. Claiborne, Mississippi Territoriy — “The enemy are in possession of the Tensaw settlement, and the entire country east of the Tombigbee river, except M’Grew’s station, a small stockade called Carney’s, and Fort Madison, which afford protection only to those within or near the walls. The crops of corn are abunant, and the stocks of cattle are very large, but unless the Indians be driven from the country in a very short time, immense losses will be sustained, if the whole of them ae not destroyed.”–Aurora, November 9, 1813
September 21: From Plattsburg — “Day before yesterday, at 5 P. M. the fleet and army moved from Cumberland Head towards Canada–Gen. Hampton in a barge, the infantry in batteaux, and light artillery and dragoons by land.”–Baltimore Patriot, October 5, 1813
September 21: From Philadelphia, of the Academy of Fine Arts — “The Academy was never more worthy of the attention of the public than at this time. The number and excellence of the Pictures, greatly enlarged by a late importation from Italy, with the taste and harmony of their arrangement form a most brilliant display of art.–As Ladies and gentlemen may now visit the Picture Gallery together, without passing in view of the statues, we hope the number of visitors, will equal the pains that have been taken to accommodate and gratify them.”– American Daily Advertiser, September 21, 1813
________________________________________________________________
The Headliners Foundation appreciates and supports efforts to preserve our national journalistic legacy and suggests that Texans and others who love journalism and its rich history in this country consider donating to their state’s efforts to put these early newspapers online. Contact your state library, historical society or university. For a list of historic newspapers online, use this link: http://guides.library.upenn.
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.