News of the US: Week Two of April 1813
April 8: From Lewistown — “The British, agreeable to their menace, opened a heavy fire upon Lewistown on Tuesday morning; several shot reached the town, but many fell short–the firing distance, according to the pilots, about two miles from the town. On Wednesday the firing was renewed. The people on shore have but one long 18 pounder. I suppose they mean to try their hands again.”–New York Spectator, April 14, 1813
April 8: Letter from Buenos Ayres — “The American frigate Essex is in Valparaiso . . . . She is armed with 45 guns, and 420 picked men, and in other respects she is exceedingly well found. It is certain that Poynsett, the American Consul there, wrote to his government for a vessel of this description. There were illuminations and balls on account of her arrival.”–United States Gazette, September 18, 1813
April 8: From England — “We an informed by an intelligent passenger in the Brutus, that 2000 Marines had been embarked at Plymouth, for Quebec, and that the expedition comprised a number of gun-brigs, the whole to act upon the lakes, under Sir James Yeo.–The expedition it was said would sail on the 8th April.”–Salem Gazette, May 13, 1813
April 9: From Boston, address of Commodore Bainbridge to his crew of the Constitution on their having been invited to the theatre that night — “Sailors, In the action with the Java you shewed yourselves men. You are this evening invited to partake of the amusements of the Theatre, conduct yourselves well. Suffer me not to experience any mortification from any disorderly conduct on your part. Let the correctness of your conduct equal your bravery, and I shall have additional cause to speak of you in terms of approbation.”–New York Spectator, April 21, 1813
April 9: From Dover — “The people at Lewistown are in high spirits, and the enemy dares not make a landing as he menaced . . . . The boys at Lewistown are become so accustomed to the enemy’s fire, that they amuse themselves in digging the 32 pound shot out of the banks, into which they have been fired. All the damage done at Lewistown could be repaired for 500 dollars.”–Baltimore Patriot, April 13, 1813
April 9: From Boston — “With pleasure we announce the safe arrival in the port of Boston, on the 9th inst. of the U. States frigate CHESAPEAKE, cappt. Evans, from a cruize of one hundred and fifteen days.”–Baltimore Patriot, April 14, 1813
April 10: From Vermont — “Messrs. William Church and Chrostus Bartemy of Chelsea, Vermont, have invented a gun which is but one pound and a half heavier than the common Springfied guns, containng in three separate apartments ammunition sufficcient for forty charges. It may be loaded and discharged twenty-five times a minute, and may be used with usual advantage in wet as in dry weather, it also may carry a bayonet and defender for the chest.”–Wilmington American Watchman, April 10, 1813
April 10: From Cincinnati — “In the course of the present week, the Kentucky volunteers, seventeen hundred and sixty, under the command of general Green Clay, passed through this place on their way to the Rapids, where their services are much wanted.”–Niles’ Weekly Register, April24, 1813
April 10: From Boston — “It is said that the brig Porcupine, capt. Beckford, a letter of marque belonging to Mr. William Gray, has arrived at a port in France in fourteen days from Boston.”–Niles’ Weekly Register, April 10, 1813
April 11: From Wilmington, Del. — “Lewistown is free from the British cannon, after 22 hours incessant attack with 18 and 32 lb. balls; only a few houses were injured. The enemy made an attempt to land, but gave up their designs and left their station and anchored out of the light house. It was supposed to be their designs to destroy the light or procure water from a pond a quarter of a mile from the shore. The militia went down to oppose their landing on the 8thinst.–Missouri Gazette, May 29, 1813
April 11: From Savannah — “With pleasure I inform you of the capture of the Caledonia privateer of 8 guns of Nassau, (New Providence) after an action of 7 minutes, by the U States schooner Nonsuch, lieut. Mork.”–Centinel of Freedom, April 27, 1813
April 11: From Natchitoches — “Doctor Robinson has arrived in this place, together with Mr. Despallier, who states that before he (Despallier) left Labadia, the Republian army had marched ten leagues on its way to St. Antonio. Robinson says he was at dinner with Salcedo when the same news was announced to him. The Cabildo have requested Salcedo to remain in Antonio, and permit Col. Herara to command the troops, who is determined to risk a general engagement as soon as he gets the enemy in an open country.”–Gettysburg Adams Centinel, June 2, 1813
April 12: From Charleston — Arrived, Private armed schr. Saucy-Jack, capt. Sicard, from a cruise of 4 months, in which she has captured two British vessels, valued about 150,000 dollars, both of which have arrived at N. Orleans . . . .”–American Daily Advertiser, April 22, 1813
April 12: “It is a fact says the New-York Gazette, in the highest degree honorable to our brave tars, that on the day succeeding the destruction of the Peacock, the crew of the Hornet made a subscription and furnished each of the prisoners, who were almost destitute of clothing, with a jacket, pair of trowsers and a couple of shirts.”–Charleston City Gazette, April 12, 1813
General James Wilkinson
April 12: Public Notice to the inhabitants of the town of Mobile, by Gen. James Wilkinson — “The public faith is pledged for the protection of your persons and property; and those who may b disposed to retire from the place or from the county, will be permitted to depart in safety with their goods and chattels.”–Cincinnati Western Spy, June 12, 1813
April 13: Reprinted from the London Pilot — “Captain Carden’s [of the defeated H. B. M. Macedonian] description of the size and force of the American [ship United States] as he was struck with them on being taken on board her as a prisoner, accounts for the surrender of his majesty’s ship, and gives reason to apprehend the same disastrous result from every similar conflict. An entire new system must be adopted. We abstain from making those observations which must strike every one, upon these repeated compromises of our national strength and glory, in the capture of our ships by the Americans.”–Nashville Clarion, April 13, 1813
April 13: Advertisement –“Brothers, In order to prevent fraud and imposition on the Citizens and on the Cherokees in the sale of horses by our people, we respectfully request of the states surrounding our country, not to purchase horses from any of our people, unless the person offering a horse or horses for sale, shall produce to the purchaser a certificate signed by three of our Head-Men that the property so offered is in fact the property of the person offering it. . . . In behalf of the council. (Signed) PATH KILLER.”–Nashville Clarion, April 11, 1813
April 13: From the Utica Patriot — “Seven of the respectable citizens of the county of St. Lawrence were forcibly seized by Lieut. Loring Austin, of the 1st regiment United States Dragoons, and about 30 mounted myrmidons under his command, on the 9th of April inst. by virtue of a military order of col. Pike, the commandant at Sackett’s harbor . . . to be tried for treasonable practices, in trading to Canada, (as suspected).–Hagers-Town Gazette, May 4, 1813
April 14: From Milledgeville — “If we are not greatly deceived, the fate of the Creek Indians is drawing fast to a crisis. Encouraged by the partial success of the British and Savages in the North West, and instigated by them, many are anxious for war.–Baltimore Patriot, May 1, 1813
April 14: From Albany — “About 11 o’clock this day, General Dearborne’s baggage in two large waggons, and his own one-horse waggon, under an escort of a party of dragoons, started; and at 5 o’clock the General himself and suite, set off in the common stage for Sackett’s Harbor. Troops are passing through this city daily, and a vigorous campaign may be expected.”–Salem Gazette,April 20, 1813
April 14: From St. Mary’s — “Gen. Pinkney has at last arrived, and at this late hour allows but to the 28th of this month for the patriots of East Florida, that will not return to their former bondage, to remove their effects, for on that day the American troops are to be withdrawn from St. Johns–“–Boston Weekly Messenger, May 14, 1813
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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.