USA > New York > New York City > New York city and vicinity during the war of 1812-15, being a military, civic and financial local history of that period, Vol. I > Part 12
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172
FORCES READY
The ship masters and mariners of New York also formed themselves into a marine corps for the de- fence of the city.
On 15th March, Gov. Tompkins' report of the sit- uation stated : "It is probable that 3,500 troops in actual service are now stationed in and about the harbor of New York, consisting of 250 regular artil- lerists (exclusive of the recent recruits in the city and its vicinity), of Col. Hawkins' regiment of vol- unteers about 1,000 strong, and Col. Sitchers', of the same number, and a consolidated regiment of volun- teers about 1,000 more. These volunteers are, by the terms of their enlistment, engaged for the defence of the city and harbor of New York alone, and are not liable to be ordered elsewhere.
" The first brigade of state artillery, a very well dis- ciplined and spirited corps, which has seen three months' service, can probably, upon emergency, turn out at least 800 effective men, and the veteran corps and other associations at least 200. The number of men in actual service is about 3,500."
The Governor stated that 12,500 men at least would be necessary to protect New York city and harbor.
Gov. Tompkins did not state the number of men that were ready to be called upon in case of emer- gency to defend New York city. The entire uniform- ed militia of the State of New Jersey, which at that time was about 2,500 men, had been ordered in November, as we have already seen, by the gover- nor of New Jersey, to be ready for immediate service, subject to the call of the commander of New York on twenty-four hours' previous notice. They could
173
TO DEFEND THE CITY.
be relied upon to be placed at Sandy Hook and on Staten Island and at Powles' Hook.
Ever since the declaration of war New Jersey had been preparing for the defence of New York harbor, knowing that her own safety from the pillage of her large towns by the enemy depended upon the commander of New York. In August, 1812, a law was passed by the legislature of New Jersey author- izing the governor of New Jersey to draw upon John Fellows, the United States military storekeeper at New York, for 1,000 stand of arms and $6,000 was appropriated to equip 500 men.
In February, 1813, a law was passed increasing the pay of privates three dollars per month in addi- tion to the pay then allowed them by law .* A law was also then passed appropriating $5,000 for the use of the governor of New Jersey for him to take the proper measures of precaution for the de- fence of the coasts of the State of New Jersey.
On the morning of March 20th, the city was alarmed by signals that a fleet of ships was ap- proaching. The flotilla of gunboats were at their stations, all the batteries in the harbor were manned; the new fort at the Highlands, near Sandy Hook, which was scarcely finished, had many heavy guns mounted ; and was in charge of more than five hun- dred brave " Jersey Blues," who were encamped near it.
The fleet of vessels proved to be merchantmen, destined mostly for other ports.
In the autumn of 1812, a corps of volunteers called "Sea Fencibles," were organized for the protection
* This was in addition to the pay by the United States, the rate . of which see ante 88.
174
COMMON COUNCIL ORDERS
of the port of New York. They were composed of sailors and boatmen, and were enlisted for one year. They were marine militia in fact. They were to man gunboats, and the like service in and about the harbor. They were placed under command of Capt. Jacob Lewis (usually called Commodore, from his position) who held a commission in the navy, and had command of the gunboats in the harbor. In the Spring of 1813 this body was more than one thousand strong. It was intended that the gun- boats in the harbor should be detached from the United States navy and put under the command of some other competent person, and be under the direc- tion of the commander of the third military dis- trict.
Early in March Capt. Lewis received orders from the war department to reduce the number of gun- boats from forty to fifteen in New York harbor.
This somewhat awakened the city committee of defence as to the city looking after its defence in that manner, and on the 22d of March an inquiry was ordered by the common council to ascertain about the number of gunboats in the harbor not manned, and the expense to man them for six months.
On the 29th of March the common council sat with closed doors and the committee of defence reported that they believed that no further reliance could be placed on the immediate action of the general or state government to provide proper means of defence and recommended that $100,000 be borrowed by the city and appropriated for that purpose in full confidence that the state or general government would reimburse the same. It was agreed to by the com-
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175
ADDITIONAL GUNBOATS.
mon council. * On the 5th of April it was reported that about forty gunboats were in the harbor and about half of them useless as not being manned. It was recommended that fifteen gunboats be manned at the expense of the city for three months. It was agreed to, and the boats were manned, equipped and maintained at the expense of the city, and they were placed under command of Commodore Jacob Lewis again. The commissioned navy officers at- tached to the gunboats retained their places, and were to receive additional pay from the city or state during the time they were in actual service.
The fortifications had been strengthened since the declaration of war.
During the year of 1812 they were being as rap- idly constructed, both by the general government and the State authorities, as the emergency de- manded.
The new fort at the foot of Gansevoort Street, on the Hudson River, was completed in November, 1812, by the general government, the cornerstone of which was laid in the summer previous. It was named Fort Gansevoort in honor of Gen. Peter Gansevoort, then lately deceased. This fort was known by the peculiar name of the " White Fort." Many years afterward Gansevoort market occupied the same site, and has recently (1889) been newly constructed.
It was of Newark red sandstone, hammered, and was whitewashed. It was an enclosed stone battery
* On the Sth of February, 1813, the common council presented a memorial to the State legislature for an appropriation of $250,000 to build further defences for the protection of New York city and harbor. Little or no attention was paid to it by the legislature.
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176
NEW FORTS ERECTED.
with magazines, arsenal and extensive barracks and furnaces for heating cannon balls.
The battery and the furnace and barracks were the new structures, the others had been built some years before. It had not yet been mounted with cannon in the Spring of 1813.
Fort Gansevoort was an oblong structure, with a rounded end on a point of land virtually extending into the Hudson River. There were port holes for twenty-two cannon and it commanded up and down the river.
The line of Washington Street terminated in the Hudson River at Bank Street. The structure upon which the fort stood extended about five hundred feet into the river.
South battery, on Governor's Island, had been erected since the declaration of war. It would mount fourteen guns en barbette and would com- mand Buttermilk Channel on the west side, and the site of an old fort on Brooklyn Heights, which could soon be transformed by the erection of earthworks to be effective on the east side. The channel was then very narrow and shallow, and did not require much protection.
On the rear of the eminence between Hoboken and Powles' Hook, northwest of Harsimus, now known as Jersey City Heights, the United States government had erected an arsenal and a magazine and labora- tory for manufacturing powder and other munitions of war and the repairing of guns, etc. There was also a fortified camp with from 500 to 800 of the New Jersey state militia stationed there for discipline as well as defence.
Powles' Hook was a peninsula beset with morasses.
177
OTHER FORTS REQUIRED.
and salt meadows. The land passage to Bergen was by a roadway through a slough, and from Ber- gen the road was very good to Newark. The de- fence of Powles' Hook would be necessarily more important from Newark bay and Elizabethport than from the New York side.
Fort Richmond and its batteries on Staten Island was reported to have twenty-five 32-pounders, fifty- six 24-pounders, eight 9-pounders and one 10-inch brass mortar. There were four garrisons, three of which were completely mounted, and six 24-pound- ers were necessary to complete the other. The guns there were the property of the State of New York. Colonel Hawkins' regiment was stationed there.
There was a fort or fortified camp back of Signal Hill, on Staten Island, called Fort Smith, but was not yet mounted with cannon to protect against a land assault in the rear from Princess' Bay.
Additional fortifications at the Narrows, on the east and west sides, were now regarded as immedi- ately desirable. On Hendrick's reef on the east side, the United States engineers reported that works could be erected 500 feet from the Long Island shore, which, with those on Staten Island, would reduce the width of the Narrows to seven-eighths of a mile. The water on this reef was three feet deep at low tide, and nine feet deep at high tide. The entire reef contained thirty acres, two roods and thirty perches. The State commissioners of fortifications under the act of March 20th, 1807, on the 6th of No- vember, 1812, on the part of the State, deeded the same to the United States "to have and to hold said premises as long as the same shall be used and
178
DEFENCES AT THE NARROWS
applied to the defence and safety of the city and port of New York and no longer," then to revert to the State of New York. This deed was recorded on 26th of December, 1812.
On January 23d, 1813, the national government having deemed it advisable, on the recommendation and plan of Col. Joseph G. Swift, commenced the work on Hendrick's reef. It was then found that the Denyse farm land was necessary to build another fort to cover Hendrick's reef, and on April 6th, 1813, Gen. Armstrong recommended that the govern- ment pay $19,000, the price asked, for the Denyse farm.
Gov. Tompkins reported to the legislature on March 15th, 1813, as follows :
" The foundation of an extensive work on Hen- drick's reef, opposite the State fortifications at the Narrows is laid, and I am assured that it will pro- gress the moment the state of the weather will jus- tify the commencement of the mason work. The title of the upland required for the protecting work has not been procured.
" A work has also been begun on Sandy Hook. These, together with the fortifications on the west- erly side of the Narrows, erected by the State, and those at the Navy Yard at the Wallabout, are the only sites which are occupied, either with the bat- teries or with works in a state of forwardness."
On Telegraph Hill, now known as the Highlands, in the rear of Sandy Hook, a considerable fort had been erected. It was nearly three miles from where Sandy Hook light-house then stood on the northerly point.
Telegraph Hill was in direct communication by
179
AND AT SANDY HOOK.
signals with Signal Hill on Staten Island, in the rear of Fort Richmond, and the latter was in direct com- munication by signals with the fortifications on Gov- ernor's Island and the United States navy yard in Brooklyn.
The telegraph stood on the high grounds in the rear of Fort Richmond and was conspicuously seen from Sandy Hook and from the battery at New York. It consisted of a number of white and black balls or kegs and tall poles, and by hoisting on the poles in a preconcerted order, intelligence of a limited kind could be conveyed to New York in fifteen min- utes.
A letter from the Highlands of Navesink, near Sandy Hook, N. J., dated March 31st, 1813, says :
"This post has lately been reinforced by five full companies of artillery, and three of riflemen. The new fort is completed, having thirty-two pounders mounted and well appointed. The telegraph on the Highlands is ready to work. There are 800 and odd of the Jersey Blues encamped on the heights. Gen- eral Izard has paid us a visit and we may judge from the reinforcements and other supplies arriving every day, he is an intelligent, active and zealous officer.
" Some days ago Com. Lewis (now here) came down from the city with the flotilla of gunboats and five ships; he astonished the garrison by landing 400 of his men armed with boarding pikes and muskets. They formed a very handsome line, were counted off into platoons with officers regularly posted, went through some marching, and a little exercise in which the turn-board is meant to correspond with the charge bayonet. Major Forbes, of the
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180
A SOLDIER'S LETTER.
forty-second United States infantry, who com- mands here, turned out the regiment in compli- ment to the brave tars, reviewed the whole line on the prettiest parade ground I ever saw. Two hun- dred and eighty workmen came down to build bar- racks and block houses, which being done here, they are erecting fortifications a few miles hence (at the Hook).
"We fear nothing ; men satisfied and officers emulous in defence of one of the most important ports in the Union.
"It is said the new fort is to be named Armstrong in honor of the secretary of war .*
"The Jersey farmers have sent out a present of several boat loads of potatoes, cider and apples. So much for the patriotic feeling of people who know that sandhills afford no vegetables of themselves to the poor soldiers."
The southern cape of Raritan Bay is Sandy Hook, and was a low sandy tract covered in great part with low trees and shrubs. The accumulation of sand fast extended the cape so that it is not now as it was in 1812. The lighthouse was eighty-five feet high, which then stood on the northern extremity. The cape has since accumulated so fast that that lighthouse and also another one, since erected to the north of it, have become useless, being left too far in- land to the south to be of any avail.
There were two or three cannon at the lighthouse on Sandy Hook for the purpose of firing signals of the approach of the enemy and like service, and to keep off small marauding parties, there being no
* It was subsequently called Fort Gates.
181
SKETCH OF GEN. IZARD.
danger from large vessels because of the shoals around there.
Gen. George Izard * was assigned by the President to take command of New York city and vicinity, on the 20th March. It was then designated as the third military district, the headquarters of which was in New York city. Gen. Izard, upon his arrival here, took up his headquarters at the fort off the Battery parade (now Castle Garden).
It was proposed by General Izard that the Battery
* GEORGE IZARD was born in Charleston, S. C., in September, 1777. He was second son of Ralph Izard (who married Miss Alice De Lancey, of Morrisania, in 1767, and was a member of Continental Congress from 1781 to 1783, and U. S. Senator from South Carolina from 1789 to 1795). George accompanied his parents to Paris in 1782 and was under a private tutor there until his parents returned to the United States in 1783. Henry, the elder brother of George, graduated from Columbia College in 1789 and entered the United States navy. George entered the freshman class in Columbia College in 1789. One of his class- mates at that time was Edward W. Laight, of New York, who afterwards became colonel of eighty-fifth New York infantry militia, and a prominent citizen of New York. George Izard was qualified to enter the sophomore class of 1790, but as he was intended for a military life his education continued under private tuition. In 1792 his father obtained from President Washington a commission for him as lieutenant in a regi- ment of artillery and engineers with permission to go to Europe for the purpose of further education. He was sent to a military school near London for a time and was then transferred to a military school in Germany, where he remained two years. On Mr. Monroe's appointment as United States minister to France, by his influence young Izard entered the corps of French engi- neers, and was lieutenant of engineers in the French army in 1796 and 1797 and having completed his studies returned to the United States and joined his regiment. In 1798 was United States engineer of fortification for Charleston Harbor, S. C., and built the works there; was captain in July, 1799, and in December, 1799, aide-de-camp to Maj .- Gen. Alex. Hamilton, when the latter was United States inspector general ; resigned in 1803; married a lady from Virginia and resided near Philadelphia. In March, 1812, was made colonel of United States artillery and brigadier-general in March, 1813, major-general in January, 1814. In active service on northern frontier of New York State during campaign of 1814; disbanded June, 1815; was governor of Arkansas Territory in 1825 until his death in 1828.
182
BATTERY PARADE.
parade be fortified. As it belonged to the city, the common council granted permission to erect tem- porary breastworks around the parade near the water line. These works were commenced in April and were completed in May.
The battery parade or park was then a narrow strip of crescent-shaped greensward less than 300 feet wide between the buildings on State Street and the water's edge. There was no sea wall, loose stones and pebbles were the boundary that gradu- ally sloped into the water from a bluff two or three feet high. At the edge of this bluff was an ordi- nary wooden fence. The parade at that time con- tained ten acres, three roods and thirty-two rods, and the water front from Whitehall Street to Mar- ketfield Street (now Battery Place), was sixteen hundred and twenty-five feet .* There was then a dock at foot of Whitehall Street. At Marketfield Street the water came up to near the middle of the block between Washington and Greenwich Streets.
A public garden was kept near the middle of the southeastern part of Battery Park. There was out- door music in the summer evenings, and ice cream and other delicacies and refreshments were provid- ed and served in the proper season.
The private houses that then occupied the locality near the parade were few and of excellent quality, for that time. The government house grounds occupied the block bounded by State, Bridge and Whitehall Streets and Bowling Green (see ante, p. 67). The large Kennedy mansion at No. 1 Broad- way, also fronted on Marketfield Street and the
* Since the enlargement, the Battery Park now contains 24 acres and has a water front of 2,120 feet.
183
RESIDENCES ON STATE STREET.
parade, as well as on lower Broadway, which was then not so aristocratic a place of residence as it afterwards became.
In April, 1813, there were only twelve buildings in State Street, all fronting the Battery Parade. They were occupied as dwellings as follows :
No. 1. W. Neilson & Sons, merchants.
No. 2. John B. Coles, merchant.
No. 3. Henry Evering, not ascertained.
No. 4. Jonathan Ogden, merchant.
No. 5. John Hunter, not ascertained.
No. 6. William Bayard, merchant.
No. 7. Moses Rogers, merchant.
No. 8. Mrs. Watson, widow.
Mrs. King, boarding house.
No. 9. Carey Ludlow, merchant.
No. 10. Dr. N. Romayn.
No. 11. ยง A. J. McLaughlin,
Ann Nestell.
No. 12. Samuel Cooper, State inspector, etc.
Some of the buildings are still standing, but the numbers above No. 7 have been changed. The houses above that number were on large lots which have since been closely built upon. No. 12, then the most northerly on State Street, was between Pearl and Bridge Streets.
On the west side of Broadway the following per- sons resided :
No. 1. Nathaniel Prime.
No. 3. John Watts.
184
RESIDENCES ON BROADWAY.
No. 5. Mrs. Kinsey Mrs. Van Nest.
No. 7. John Stevens.
No. 9. Elizabeth V. Courteir.
No. 11. Eve White.
No. 13. ( Mrs. Bradish.
& M. Whulen.
No. 19. James T. Leonard.
No. 21. S. Roulett.
No. 23. G. S. Mumford.
On the east side of Broadway, opposite Bowling Green, and further up were :
No. 2. Isaac Sebring.
No. 4. J. Suydam.
No. 6. H. J. Wycoff.
No. 10. R. Gilchrist.
No. 12. Mrs. J. Bruce.
Mrs. Loring,
No. 14. Mrs. Taylor.
No. 32. J. S. Schermerhorn.
No. 36. Peter J. Munroe.
No. 56. Cornelius Ray.
No. 64. Cornelius Schermerhorn.
No. 66. Herman LeRoy.
No. 68. Peter Schermerhorn.
No. 74. A. L. Bleecker.
The State sold the government house, grounds and the buildings standing on it (see ante, 67) to the city in January, 1813, for $50,000. The government house was then used as the custom house and for
185
GOVERNMENT HOUSE PROPERTY.
court purposes, marshal's office, etc., until the close of the war (ante, 32) .*
The purchasers at the auction sale of property on May 25th, 1815, were as follows :
Lot No. 1 Bowling Green, John Hone for. $10,250
2
James T. Leonard for. 9,500
3 60 James Byers for 9,750
4 66 66 Elbert Anderson for. 11,000
5 66 Abijah Weston for. 10,000
6
Dominick Lynch for. 11,150
66 7
66 66 Noah Brown for 16,000
Lot, next on State Street, No. 30, A. Weston for. 8,150
Lot No. 29
Thos. R. Mercein for. 8,250
28
Robert Lenox for. 8,250
27
Joseph Blackwell for. 8,300
26 corner State and Bridge Streets, John Swart-
wout for. 20,000
Lot next east in Bridge Street, No. 1, A. Weston for
5,000
Lot No. 2, Ferdinand Suydam for 5,000
3, Edmund Smith for 5,200
4, John Sharpe for 5,700
5,
6,100
The old government building brought $5,050 ; the arsenal and other buildings $1,533.
In 1854 Whitehall Street was widened 20 feet on the westerly side, which was taken off this block at the upper end.
* The property on which the government house stood was sold in May, 1815; and the buildings were taken down the next year; soon after the fine row of brick buildings, still standing on the south side of Bowling Green, were erected. This gave the neigh- borhood respectability, and soon after some of the most desirable residences were those fronting Battery Park, and it continued to hold that standing as a choice place of residence for nearly half a century. Stephen Whitney occupied No. 7 Bowling Green, from 1826 until he died in 1861. He was regarded as the wealthiest man in New York city, excepting the Astor family, at the time of his death. As early as 1842 he was rated next to John Jacob Astor in wealth. The latter was then estimated to have $14,000,000 and the former $3,000,000.
186
BREASTWORKS AT THE BATTERY.
The works erected around the parade in 1813 were similar in form to those that were there dur- ing the Revolution, being a parapet or breastwork around the outer edge on the water line with bas. tions, etc., to prevent flanking by water attack.
The fortifications were strongest at the south end, opposite Governor's Island, and there a tall flagstaff was placed, around which was erected an octagonal building of wood. This building had benches placed in it and became a place for musical entertain- ments in the Summer time (see ante, p. 53).
The plans for the additional defences of New York city and harbor in 1812 and '13 were under the direc- tion and superintendence of Colonel Joseph G. Swift, who was then chief of the United States corps of engineers located there.
The State board of fortifications at this time con- sisted of Mayor De Witt Clinton, Alderman Smith, Major Fairlie, General Morton and Colonel Peter Curtenius (see ante, p. 64), but they had nothing to do with the erection of these works.
CHAPTER XI.
Re-election of Mr. Madison-Prospects of the War at Home and Abroad-Preparing for the Campaign of 1813-United States Army Regulations-Equipments, Uniform, etc .- Vol- unteers and Militia, Tactics, etc., etc.
PON Mr. Madison's entering his second presidential term in 1813 it was with a promise of a more vigorous prose- cution of the war, and a general feel- ing that he would be more heartily supported in it by the people .* Con- gress had since the beginning of the year made many provisions of law for a more vigorous prosecution of the war as well as for pro- tection against invasion.
For several months at the close of the year 1812 it was seen and felt in America that there was no
* It is worthy of remark and to call particular attention to the fact, that no popular election took place in New York State after the presidential nominations were made in the year 1812, and none took place here until after the re-election of Mr. Madi- son by the electors in 1813. At that time the presidential elec- tors were appointed in New York State by the legislature which was elected at the annual election held on the last Tuesday of April in each year. Mr. Madison was nominated for president in May and Mr. DeWitt Clinton was put in nomination in Sep- tember, 1812.
The presidential campaign of 1812 started out with a war party and a peace party, but the latter, after the declaration of war, made their issue on an honorable termination of the war and a vigorous prosecution of it, but not for conquest of British ter- ritory or acquirement of new territory. The electors of New York State voted for Mr. Clinton.
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