USA > New Hampshire > Colony, province, state, 1623-1888: history of New Hampshire > Part 42
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I William Plumer, Jr.
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ease and dignity not unbecoming his high station." The unpop- ularity of the embargo had made Judge Smith governor in 1809. Langdon positively declining to be a candidate this year, on ac- count of the infirmities of age, William Plumer was the candi- date nominated by the Democracy to defeat John Taylor Gilman, the Federal candidate. Personal attacks were made on the character of Mr. Plumer. He was charged with having once been a zealous Baptist preacher, and then an unbeliever ; once a Federalist, then a Democrat. He was known as an advocate of equal justice to all sects, both in court and legislature, and the charges as to his liberality of creed were thought to be no disadvantage to him. The Congregational clergy were mostly Federalists ; the Methodists, Baptists, and other minor sects were arrayed against them. So many votes were thrown away by Republicans who remembered Plumer as a Federalist, and by Federalists who thought Judge Smith had not been fairly dealt with, that the election was thrown into the legislature. William Plumer was elected governor by one hundred and four votes against eighty-two for Gilman. All branches of the Gov- ernment, including the Council and the judiciary, were now Republican. The day before the meeting of the legislature Governor Plumer rode on horseback from Epping to Concord. The governor's inaugural address is said to have been very eloquent and impressive, and was received both in and out of the State with much favor. It was delivered a few days only before the declaration of war with England, a measure that seemed both just and necessary to the governor. Hall, Upham, and Smith were the three Republican councillors, Franklin and Chase were the Federal councillors. It had been the custom for councillors, before this date, to favor their own nominations to important offices, a custom which Governor Plumer allowed to fall into disuse. His councillors, however, dictated to him the nomination of a judge of the Superior Court, against his better judgment.
In July Governor Plumer perfected the organization of the detached militia, forming what was known as the Eastern Brigade under Brigadier-general Clement Storer of Portsmouth,
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and the Western Brigade under Brigadier-general John Mont- gomery of Haverhill, the whole division commanded by Major- general Henry Butler of Nottingham. Fort McClary protect- ing the Kittery Navy Yard, was garrisoned by a detachment of New Hampshire troops under Timothy Upham of Ports- mouth, who had been commissioned major in the regular army, - a timely precaution, for British vessels were cruising off the coast and had even entered the outer harbor. So great was the alarm that the women and children and valuables of every kind were sent from Portsmouth into the interior for safety. The force of militia not only allayed these fears, but prevented illicit commerce with the enemy, who paid good prices for fresh provisions. This trade is supposed to have been carried on by the citizens of Vermont and Maine.
The seat of war, aggravated by the horrors of Indian atroci- ties, was along our northern and western frontiers. There Colonel James Miller of Temple was doing good service in the neighborhood of Detroit.
At the presidential election in the fall Madison was re-elected by Southern and Western votes, receiving none north of Penn- sylvania except six given by the legislature of Vermont at a time when the people would have given them to Clinton. In regard to national issues at this time, as John Quincy Adams said, " the two great parties had crossed over the valley and tak en possession of each other's mountain." The course pursued by the leading Federalists at this time, in associating the defeat of an American by a British force as the overthrow of their adver- saries, identified them in the popular estimation with the ene- mies of their country and led to the final disruption of their party. Many worthy citizens were seen to rejoice over British victories, and to mourn over those of their own country, as, half a century later, many conducted themselves during the Rebellion.
1 At the November session of the legislature the governor's address was mainly devoted to the subject of the war then pro- gressing. He was in harmony with the administration, unlike the chief-magistrates of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Both
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Houses returned answers to the speech, approving of the war, and of " the prompt and patriotic manner in which the call of
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the president respecting the militia was complied with." The Federalist minority voted against the answers in both branches, its chief protest being directed against the power claimed by the
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president of calling out the militia, and placing them under officers of the United States. The majority declared that the
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war was just, but referred to Napoleon as "that scourge of na- tions," and were opposed to any alliance with him. The minority did not deem the war to have been necessary, but upheld
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the governor in his policy to protect the frontiers. The effort to fill the vacancy in the office of United States senator was unavailing, as Mr. Sanborn of Epsom, who held the tie vote in the Senate, could not agree with his party associates as to the nominee. The governor returned one law and two resolves to the legislature, with his objections to them, and both were dropped. The building of the old State's Prison was undertaken this year, and several changes made in the criminal code. Before this there had been eight offences punishable with death : only two were allowed to remain on the statute book -murder and treason ; and the old punishments of the whip and pillory were changed to imprisonment in the State's Prison or in the county jail. Aside from the militia very many citizens of the State volunteered to join the regular army, or enlisted in privateers- men. Lieutenant-colonel Moody Bedel opened a recruiting office at Concord in May, and in September sent three hundred and ninety-seven recruits to join his regiment, the 11th United States infantry, at Burlington. The regiment was mainly from New Hampshire.
John McNeil of Hillsborough and John W. Weeks of Lancaster were captains in this regiment. In July of the next year the regiment was consolidated with the 21st, in which Jonathan East- man of Concord was a lieutenant.
In November, 1812, eleven companies of volunteers had their rendezvous at Concord, and were organized as the " First Regi- ment of New Hampshire Volunteers," under the command of Colonel Aquila Davis of Warner, but in the following January the regiment was disbanded, the enlisted men being distributed to regiments in the regular army. Most of the soldiers were joined to the 45th United States regiment, of which Aquila Davis was lieutenant-colonel. At the expiration of their term of enlistment, at the end of one year, many re-enlisted, and the 45th regiment was mainly recruited in New Hampshire. The pay of a private was $10, of a corporal $1I, of a sergeant $12.
In December a voluntary corps of infantry was organized, composed of such men as were not liable by law to do military
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duty, but were to be called on for service only in case of inva- sion.
In January, 1813, Captain Edmund Freeman of Lebanon and
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company were detached from the Western Brigade to relieve Captain Mahurin's command at Stewartstown. In April Captain 1 Adjutant-general's Reports, 1868.
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William Marshall's company of " Sea Fencibles " was stationed at Little Harbor for the defence of Portsmouth. As British cruisers were hovering continually upon the coast, the people of Portsmouth became alarmed, and in May called a town meeting to provide for defence. After considerable discussion their repre- sentatives were instructed to lay before the legislature the ex- posed situation of the town and harbor. . At the meeting Dan- iel Webster made one of his characteristic speeches. He said : "Talk is not what the crisis demands. The forts near the town want repairs, want men to defend them when repaired. The government of the United States and the State government have been applied to for men to repair and defend these forts ; but we know not that either will attend to our application. But ons thing we do know, the crisis demands labor, and we can labor. we can repair the forts. And then we know another thing, we can defend them. Now, I propose that every man who wants, these forts repaired, wants these forts, aye, the town of Ports. mouth, defended, appear on parade to-morrow morning with pick. axe, spade, and shovel, and that they go to the Islands and re pair the forts." The meeting adjourned with a hurrah for pick. axe, spade, and shovel. The next morning hundreds of the pa triotic men of Portsmouth gathered upon the parade, and with Mr. Webster, duly armed with a shovel, proceeded to the forts, commenced their work, and in the course of a few days had com- pleted the repair of the fortifications, forts Washington and Sullivan, on either side of the narrows.
1 At the annual election in March, 1813, ex-governor John Tay- lor Gilman was elected governor, and was inaugurated in June. The minority of 1812 had now become the majority. Governor Gilman was a patriot and soldier of the Revolution, and conser- vative in his views as to the war, although the standard bearer of the opposition to the war. No one could find fault with his message : -
" The consequences of the war cannot be foreseen, and there are divers opinions respecting the necessity of the war, as well as the causes which induced our government to make the declar-
1 Adjutant-general's Reports, 1868.
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ation. We are bound to support our system of national govern- ment and the laws emanating therefrom ; but this by no means hinders the right of free inquiry, or the full expression of senti- ments upon the measures of government.
"It is not doubted that we have had great causes of complaint
a ELECTROTYPE Co. PABOSTON.
DANIEL WEBSTER.
against both Great Britain and France, and perhaps at some former period much greater against one or both of these govern- ments than existed against the British at the time of the declar- ation of war.
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" While we demand redress for injuries received from others, we should suitably regard their just expectations from us ; and may we not, without being liable to the charge of justifying the con- duet of Great Britain, inquire whether they have no just cause of complaint against our government ? whether our professions of strict and impartial neutrality, in the important contest between Great Britain and France, had been constantly maintained ? and whether there had not been a manifest difference in our resent- ments, and in the language and manner of seeking redress for wrongs, exhibiting an unwarrantable partiality for France?" This message voiced the sentiments of the Federalists of that day.
1 The spring elections of 1813 were conducted with great zeal and vigor on both sides, but with less personal abuse of Governor Plumer than in the preceding year. His dignified and impartial conduct in office had inspired even his opponents with a respect for him. The worst charges against him were his ordering out the detached militia, supporting the war, and vindicating the national government. The result of the canvass was the election of Governor Gilman by a very small majority of two hundred and fifty votes out of more than thirty-five thousand thrown. There were few or no scattering votes. One of Governor Plumer's last official acts was stationing a guard at Little Harbor. His pro- clamations for Fast and Thanksgiving were of such a patriotic order that ministers in neighboring States, who were Republi- cans, read them in place of those from their own Federal governors.
The accession of the Federal party to power was followed by a reorganization of the courts of law. An Act of the legislature abolished the Superior and Inferior Courts; turned out all the old judges ; and established a Supreme Court and a Circuit Court of Common Pleas in place of the old courts. Jeremiah Smith was appointed chief justice, and Arthur Livermore and Caleb Ellis associate justices of the Supreme Court, able men and good judges, whose administration gave strength to their party and improved the courts. But the act of the legislature
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was thought unconstitutional by the Republicans, and next to the war most divided the two parties. Twenty-one judges were at once removed from office in a way unknown to the constitution and contrary to its express provisions, as decided by at least two of the new judges. "In the counties of Strafford, Rockingham, and Hillsborough the old judges attempted to hold courts at the same time with the new ones. In the two latter counties, the sheriffs, Butler and Pierce, who were Republicans, took part with the old court." Whereupon Governor Gilman called the legislature together and removed the refractory sheriffs, and the new judges met with no further obstructions.
At the June session of the legislature, 1813, Jeremiah Mason was elected to the United States Senate. The legislature first chose Dr. John Goddard, a merchant of Portsmouth, originally a physician, a man of ability and high character ; but having no taste for public life he declined the honor. The legislature next made choice of Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason was a firm Federalist, and one of the ablest law- yers in his own or any other age. At the time of his election he was forty-five years of age and in the zenith of his fame. He was a native of Connecticut, a graduate of Yale, and had finished his legal studies in Vermont and as a young man had settled first in Westmoreland and later in Walpole. He saw an ope- ning in Portsmouth and settled there in 1797, soon after marrying Mary, daughter of Colonel Robert Means, of Amherst, and at once took a leading rank among the lawyers of the State. After Judge Smith was elevated to the bench he was the leading law- yer in the State. He was attorney-general for three years. In 1807 Daniel Webster removed from Boscawen to Portsmouth, and for the next nine years divided with Mr. Mason the leading business of the State. As a general rule they were retained on opposite sides in every important case, until Mr. Webster's removal to Boston in 1816. Their great powers were joined with those of Jeremiah Smith's in the famous Dartmouth College causes. Governor Plumer offered Mr. Mason the appointment of chief justice of the Supreme Court, but he declined the honor. Mr. Mason removed to Boston in 1832, where he died sixteen years
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later. In 1813 Mr. Mason and Mr. Webster were considered the strongest men in the State of New Hampshire, for already the latter's greatness was beginning to be recognized. Mr. Webster had already been elected to the House. Mr. Mason was from his judgment and prudence peculiarly fitted for public office in times when party spirit ran high. "There was nothing impassioned in his temperament or fanatical in his understanding. His mind was judicial in its tone, and he had no taste for extreme propositions or extreme measures. His self-control was perfect. He was no politician and no aspirant for political distinction, but he took a keen interest in public affairs and was a patriot in the best sense of the word. He reverenced the character and the principles of Washington, and fully appreciated the in- estimable services he had rendered to the country. Some Fed- eralists let their opposition to the war carry them beyond the bounds alike of prudence and patriotism, but Mr. Mason was not one of these; nor was his friend Mr. Webster. Their course illustrated the proper functions of an opposition in time of war, under a constitutional government." 1
The almost exclusive business of Congress during the winter of 1813 and 1814, " was the providing of men and money for carrying on a war into which the country had been plunged with little of forethought and less of preparation." The party opposed to the war, though weak in numbers, was powerful in ability and influence ; but the force of the opposition was not so great a difficulty in carrying on the war as was the cold and languid sup- port of its friends. It was in truth a politicians' war, and the popular heart never was for it or in it. That intense public spirit which, during our civil contest, made all efforts easy and all sac- rifices light, was wholly wanting. Federalists and Democrats abused each other with equal virulence, but the energies of both went no farther ; the two nerves of war -iron and gold, men and money - were hard to come at. The brilliant successes of our navy had not been enough to counteract the depressing influence of the disasters and misfortunes which had attended our arms on land ; and a general feeling of despondency and anxiety hung
1 Life of Mason.
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over the country, and made the task of carrying on the govern- ment and keeping up the war one of no small difficulty.1
In August the people of Portsmouth became apprehensive of an attack, and were furnished with arms and ammunition by the governor. In the west the war was conducted with varying success through the year. The retaking of Detroit and Mich- igan, and Commodore Perry's victory on Lake Erie, balanced many reverses of American arms. At Detroit Colonel Lewis Cass, a native of Exeter, became distinguished. He was born in 1782; at an early age settled in Ohio; and in 1807 was ap- pointed marshal of the State. In 1813 he was appointed brigadier-general and later governor of Michigan Territory. He was afterwards secretary of war in General Jackson's cabi- net; minister to France in 1836; United States senator in 1845 ; a candidate for the presidency in 1848 ; re-elected to the Senate in 1851; President Buchanan's secretary of state in 1857, resigning in January, 1861. He died in 1866. He was a. brave soldier, an accomplished gentleman, a true patriot, and an able statesman, who reflected credit upon his native State.
During the year General Timothy Upham distinguished him- self as a brave officer during an attempted attack on Montreal.
British ships of war remained off the coast of the United States during the winter of 1813 and IS14, their rendezvous being at the Bermuda Islands and at Gardner's Bay, at the east end of Long Island, while the coast of eastern New England was reached by an easy run of their cruisers from Halifax, their naval depot upon the coast of North America.
The attack of the British, in April, 1814, upon the fleet of vessels collected for safety in the Connecticut river greatly alarmed the people of Portsmouth, and in answer to their de- mands, companies under command of Captains Shackford and Marshall were immediately stationed in the neighborhood. In the latter part of the month Admiral Cochrane, from his rendez- vous at the Bahamas, issued a proclamation declaring the whole coast of the United States in a state of blockade, thus including New England, before excepted. Forthwith British cruisers ap-
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peared in Massachusetts Bay and captured and burned some thirty or forty coasting vessels, producing great consternation in Portsmouth. A demand was made for a force of a thousand men for the protection of the town ; and in May Governor Langdon detached eight companies of the militia and placed them under the command of Major Edward J. Long, of Portsmouth, to de- fend the town and harbor. Among the officers were Captain Andrew Pierce, Jr., of Dover, and Captain Bradbury Bartlett, of Nottingham.
When the legislature assembled in June, 1814, the governor laid before them his doings in a special message ; and a special committee was appointed upon the subjects of the detached militia and the maritime defence. To this committee was re- ferred the correspondence of the governor with the secretary of war; and the letters of the latter were so objectionable on account of their omissions that the committee recommended the disbandment of six of the eight militia companies detached in May and stationed at the mouth of the Piscataqua. This was done because the general government did not acknowledge the service done by the militia. Their report was accepted and acted upon by the governor. In the meanwhile the greatest excitement existed at Portsmouth. They had been for weeks in the expectation of an immediate attack upon the town, by the British, whose cruisers were continually hovering about our coast. Alarms had been frequent as to the landing of the enemy, and many of the inhabitants had their valuables packed ready for transportation into the interior. After ten o'clock in the evening of June 21, messengers brought the intelligence that a British force was landing at Rye and were about to march upon Portsmouth. Alarm bells were rung and signal guns fired. The militia companies turned out with alacrity and prepared for the attack. Teams and people on foot, loaded with packages and bundles, filled the streets, making with all haste for the country. Drums beating, the clatter of horses' hoofs on the pavement, the crying of children, the shrieking of women, made the confusion Babel-like.
A martial spirit pervaded all ranks, and they glowed with ardor
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to be led to the place of danger. In a short time order prevailed to some extent and scouts were sent out to reconnoitre. It proved
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a false alarm. From Portsmouth the alarm spread into the inte- rior, and great excitement existed throughout the State, not allayed until the report was contradicted.
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In September Governor Gilman yielded to the popular demand for active preparations for defence, and detached twenty-three regiments of the militia, two days later ordering the entire body, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's warning. These orders were sent by express throughout the State, and were obeyed with the greatest alacrity. So great was the enthusiasm among the people that whole com- panies volunteered, and a draft had to be made of those who should stay at home. Sixteen companies of troops from the interior were joined to the two regiments belonging in the neigh- borhood of the coast, and were all formed into a brigade under command of Brigadier-general John Montgomery, and of the commander-in-chief, Governor Gilman.
The detached troops were judiciously posted in case of an attack. Forts Constitution and McClary, and Forts Washington and Sullivan at the Narrows, filled with regulars and militia, de- fended the main entrance to the harbor. A battery at Little Harbor was supported by two regiments, and artillery at the South Ropewalk, while a considerable force was stationed at the Plains to prevent a surprise from Greenland or Rye. All the forces could be concentrated on any part of the line of defence. Governor Gilman took the command in person, and with his staff was watchful of every point and most assiduous in his labors *o prepare a vigorous reception for the enemy. George Sullivan, Bradbury Cilley, Edward J. Long, and Daniel Gookin were his aides.
A British officer, after the war, told Colonel Walbach that he went up the Piscataqua and reconnoitred the town, disguised as a fisherman, to find out the feasibility of an attack with a view of destroying the Navy Yard and the town of Portsmouth. On his returning to the fleet and reporting that the town was swarm- ing with soldiers and well defended, the British commander aban- doned the project. The danger being past, the enemy having withdrawn to the southward, the main part of the troops were discharged early in October, leaving a small force as a gar- rison until winter.
In the neighborhood of Niagara Falls, during the summer,
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Major John McNeil of Hillsborough is credited with routing the enemy at the battle of Chippewa. At Lundy's Lane Major McNeil's horse was killed under him by a cannon ball, and he was severely wounded in the right knee, but would not leave the field. Here the gallant Colonel Miller, of Temple, when ordered to storm the British battery, replied " I'll try, Sir," and in the face of a galling fire, and in a hand-to-hand conflict, cap- tured seven pieces of elegant brass cannon and held them against several attempts of the enemy to recover them. He was im- mediately promoted to the rank of general. In the sortie from Fort Erie a few weeks later General Miller again distinguished himself, as did Colonel Moody Bedel and Lieutenant-colonel Upham. During the year the Americans lost the city of Wash. ington, drove the British forces from Lake Champlain, and re- pulsed them at New Orleans early the following year.
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