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 6
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The arches of the second tier would serve as bar- racks to accommodate 300 men.
Fort Columbus, situated . on Governor's Island near the middle towards the southern and eastern side of it, was built on the site of Fort Jay in 1807, and consisted of four batteries, three curtains and an attached casemated ravelin or moat, with two retired flanks, the whole capable of mounting ninety- six guns, and might without inconvenience bring
72
BEDLOE'S AND ELLIS ISLANDS.
half its force at one instant against any passing ship, while it completely commanded the East River. It was a work composed of a walled rampart eight feet thick at its base, diminishing by its slope to six feet at the line of the cordon, with counter forts of five feet in depth, at the distance of thirteen feet from each other, surmounted by a solid brick parapet of ten feet in thickness : the ditch was about forty feet wide, with a walled counterscarp, a walled covert way and sodded glacis extending to the water's edge on the east and south. It had a brick maga- zine that would store 500 barrels of powder, and brick barracks for two companies 'of men and offi- cers and a furnace for heating cannon balls red hot.
There was also on Governor's Island a stone mag- azine for 200 barrels of powder, a brick arsenal, a wooden gun-house, and wooden barracks for 300 men and officers.
On Bedloe's Island, lying nearly opposite to the west of Castle Williams, was'a mortar battery called Fort Wood, that commanded the channel and an- choring ground to the full distance that a shell could be sent. The shape of this battery had the greatest sides of the angles perpendicular to the line of approach and the shorter sides to flank them. Back of this a battery, which was on a level with the ditch of a star fort, was built of compact masonry to mount twenty-four guns, which commanded this battery as well as protected Ellis Island. There was also a stone magazine for 200 barrels of powder, and brick barracks for one company of men and officers, and a brick arsenal.
On Ellis or Oyster Island, opposite Fort Columbus, was an enclosed circular battery of masonry mount-
73
STATEN ISLAND.
ing fourteen heavy guns, and a bomb battery for four mortars, with barracks of stone and wood for one company of soldiers and officers.
On the east side of Staten Island at Signal Hill, Fort Richmond, Fort Morton, Fort Hudson, were batteries erected ready for occupation.
Fort Hudson was the southern battery, mounted thirty-five cannon, situated in a direct line of ap- proach, and at an elevation of fifty feet above low water mark.
Fort Morton was a battery having command of forty-one feet over the former, and would mount twelve pieces of cannon.
The marine battery, Fort Richmond's line of cor- don, was four hundred and thirty feet in length, one foot above ordinary level of the sand and would mount twenty-five heavy cannon.
Fort Tompkins commanded these, but was not yet completed above the foundation. All of the ord- nance on Staten Island at that time belonged to the State and were officially reported as follows:
24 32-pounders, Iron.
33 24 66
2 12 66 brass.
1 10-inch brass mortar.
Total, 60 pieces.
These fortifications were constructed under the superintendence of Col. Jonathan Williams, of the second artillery, who had held the post of Chief En- gineer in the United States army since April, 1805. Although some of them were built and paid for by the State of New York, still they were under the supervision of the national government, and the
74
NUMBER OF GUNS.
office of the Chief Engineer was in New York har- bor.
The fortification's on Staten Island and some other additional magazines and arsenals in the city were erected entirely at the instance and expense of the State .*
The total number of guns in the forts was as follows :
Fort Columbus
60 guns.
Castle Williams, . . 52 66
66 66 columbiads, 26
Bedloe's Island,
. 24
14 66
66
Ellis Island, 66 bomb mortars, 4
Castle Clinton,
28
66
North Battery,
. 16 66
Staten Island forts,
60
66
Total,
. 284 guns.
The number of men requisite to operate all these guns, estimated at thirteen to each gun, would be about 3, 700 artillerists.
This did not include the guns in the arsenals in the city, which were mostly on traveling carriages.
In the United States arsenal on Bridge street near the battery, there were one brass 24-pounder, seven 12-pounders, 4 brass howitzers for throwing shells or hot balls, and 22 iron 18-pounders; total 32 ;
* It is a fact worthy of note that Castle Williams, the South Bat- tery (Castle Garden), the Northwest Battery off Hubert street (called "The Red Fort"), Fort Gansevoort, foot of West 12th street, and Fort Diamond (now Fort Lafayette), and the back part and base- ment of the City Hall, were all built of Newark red sandstone from the same quarry.
75
SIZE OF CANNON.
all mounted on field carriages with necessary im- plements.
Official reports showed that in January, 1812, in the State arsenal on Elm street were 41 pieces be- longing to the State militia as follows :
24 24-pounders, iron, dismounted. mounted.
+ 18-pounders, 66
2 12-pounders, 66 dismounted.
+ 9-pounders, 66 mounted.
+ 12-pounders, brass, mounted.
2 9-pounders, 66 mounted.
1 6-pounders,
mounted.
The iron cannon and mortars were cast in one piece of coarse iron, and were not bored. They were rough inside and heavy. A few field pieces were of brass. The balls were also rough and uneven. It was not safe to use a ball as large as rated-thus in a 24-pounder a 22-pound ball was used .*
In June, 1812, the sum of $25,000 was appropri- ated by the State for building fortifications, etc., on Staten Island. It was paid over to the State com- missioners in July. +
* The size of bore of cannon is as follows : 63 inches.
42-pounder,
32-pounder, 24-pounder, 18-pounder,
6 inches. 53 inches. 5 inches.
12-pounder, 4} inches.
9-pounder, 4 inches.
6-pounder, 3} inches. 2} inches.
3-pounder,
This is the size for solid round iron balls. But now since the al- most exclusive use of elongated balls, shells, etc., cannon are usually rated by the diameter of the bore.
+ The official report to the State senate in February, 1813, relative to the fortifications and defences of the port and harbor of New
76
OTHER FORTS NEEDED.
There was then no fort on the Brooklyn side of the Narrows. At Denyse's Heights, as it was called in the Revolutionary War, being the bluff in New Utrecht, at the Narrows, was an earthwork that could mount from twenty to thirty pieces of very effective artillery. It is now west of Fort Hamil- ton. There was then no fort on Hendrick's reef, now Fort Lafayette, although one had been recom- mended by the secretary of war in 1794 but was delayed for various reasons, and it was decided that Castle Williams and the batteries on Staten Island were sufficient for the time.
There were no fortifications at Powles' Hook, or at the east side of the Narrows, nor at Sandy Hook, nor at Hell Gate, or in the city of New York ex- cepting those already mentioned.
Early in May, 1812, the common council received a letter from Col. Williams about southeast point. of Corlear's Hook, near the junction of Corlear and Front streets. As the United States government was
York showed a statement of expenditures since 1st July, 1807, as follows:
Erecting fortifications on the westerly side of the Narrows on Staten Island,
$115,000.00
Building arsenal same ground, 2,400.00
Purchase of land there, 7,530.00
Building arsenal, laboratory, workshops, keeper's house, etc., Elm street, New York, 26,486.12
Purchase of ten-acre lot in 9th Ward and erection of laboratory, magazine, keeper's lodge, etc., thereon at junction of Bloomingdale and Eastern Post Roads (now Twenty-fifth Street),
8,253.07
Total $159,669.49
The amount of the moneys paid out for ordnance, garrison car- riages and other munitions intended and adapted exclusively or principally for harbor defence is not included in the above state- ment.
There then (February, 1813) remained a balance of about $10,000 of the fortification fund to be expended.
77
FURTHER DEFENCES.
about to purchase it for a battery, he asked a trans- fer of the water rights of the city. A report of the committee of defence to the common council was adopted that if the United States erect a battery at Corlear's Hook, as recommended by Col. Williams, that the city grant all necessary rights to do so. This battery would command the Brooklyn navy yard, and was therefore desirable.
We have before seen that the common council at their first meeting after the declaration of war urged the attention of the State and national governments to the necessity of the erection of further defences, and appointed a committee to wait on the Governor of the State and the President of the United States. At the meeting of the common council on the 6th of July, 1812, it was reported that the President had given instructions that the contemplated works at Corlear's Hook and on the arsenal grounds on North River, afterwards called Fort Gansevoort, be pro- ceeded with.
On the 17th of July, 1812, a special meeting of the common council was held for the purpose of hear- ing report from the Governor and the secretary of war in regard to further fortifications and de- fences. The report was favorable.
A line of telegraph was commenced by the State government between the Highlands of Staten Is- land, and the Navy Yard at Brooklyn, N. Y., about June 23d, 1812. They would be called now signal stations.
The building of subsequent fortifications during the war will be described in their chronological or- der as the narrative of events progresses.
These harbor fortifications were sufficient, when
78
MODES OF ATTACK.
we take into consideration the means of navigating vessels. The wind and tide must be favorable for an attempt to enter the harbor and to run the gaunt- let subject to cannonade by vessels and land batter- ies for many miles, and then perhaps not being able to return when desired, and again the sand bars of the unfamiliar harbor, were all against the enemy.
New York city was subject to an attack by the English war vessels which, beside cannon balls, fired hot shot, case or canister and grape shot, and the much feared Congreve rockets, which were made of iron and could be thrown 2,000 yards into a city, where they would scatter fire and destruction.
The body of a rocket was called a carcass. They were generally made of iron hoops, canvas and cords, and were oblong and filled with powder and combustibles. Their weight when filled varied from 16 to 216 pounds. Some of the small rockets were of cast iron and were pointed, some were made of thick sheet iron with a fuse, the latter were fired from a mortar or cannon. The other kinds were fired from a trough and were propelled in the same manner as modern rockets.
The fire ships were used to send among a fleet and set fire to it. In return, the United States forts, batteries and war vessels, besides sending iron balls, hot shot, bar shot, canister and grape shot, had chain balls and balls connected by a rod eight or ten inches long, called double-headed shot (some- thing like modern dumbbells) ; star shot, being sur- rounded by prongs or three-square shot, so that it would lacerate and tear the sides of a ship more ef- fectively than round ; and langrel shot, being loose and connected with a joint.
79
MEANS OF DEFENCE.
These were 'regarded as much more effective in naval engagements than round shot, because when the latter was below the water-line men were placed ready to plug the holes, which could not be done so readily where the hole was irregular. This was a Yankee invention which the English never availed themselves of.
The chain, double-headed and rod shot were for cutting down the rigging, masts and sails of enemy's vessels. Elongated and steel shot were then un- known, the percussion shell was also unknown then, and shells with a fuse were in use, but not as we know them now .* Both armies had thirteen- inch mortars and howitzers to throw shells. One hundred and ten pound round shot was the heaviest used in the war of 1812.
The columbiads were considered the most effect- ive guns in the American service.+
* In an address in 1851 by Charles King, then president of Colum- bia College, he says that Mr. R. L. Stevens, of Hoboken, N. J., first invented the elongated shell to be fired from ordinary cannon. After many experiments, in 1813-14, he perfected his invention and sold the secret to the United States in 1814. One of these experiments was made at Governor's Island in the presence of officers of the army, where a target of white oak four feet thick and bolted through and through with numerous iron fastenings, was completely de- stroyed by a shell weighing 200 pounds and containing 13 pounds of powder. This solid mass of wood and iron was torn asunder, the opening was large enough, the certificate of Col. House, the com- manding officer, stated for a man and horse to enter. These shells were hermetically sealed and suffered no deterioration from time. None of them were ever in actual use in that war.
+ In Hoyt's Military Dictionary, published in 1811, a columbiad was defined as "a gun of a new construction lately cast at Foxall's foundry on the Potomac. It carries a fifty-pound ball, and differs from the English carronade. It will carry its ball 600 yards, and pierce through a breastwork thicker than the sides of a ship of-the- line, with the addition of eight feet of earth and fascines."
80
DISTANCES OF FORTS.
The distances of forts, etc., about New York city in 1812, were as follows :
From Fort Gansevoort to Stevens' Point, Ho- boken, 1,390 yards.
Fort Gansevoort to Powles' Hook . 4,107 66
Castle Garden to
Powles' Hook . 1,948
Castle Williams to Powles' Hook . 2,738 66
Castle Garden to Ellis Island . 2,048 66
Castle Garden to Castle Williams 1,217 66
Castle Garden to G'v'nor's Island . 1,060 66
Castle Garden to
Bedloe's Island, 2,946
66 Castle Garden to Stevens' Point, Hoboken . 5,043 66
66 Castle Garden to Staten Island, . 8,816
66 Castle Garden to
Narrows near
Fort Tompkins, .
7% miles.
Fort Richmond to Duryea's wharf, Bath, . 1,760 yards.
Across Butter-
milk Channel . 943
Ferry, Delancey St. to Williamsburg 897 ;"
Telegraph at Nar- rows to Sandy® Hook light house
10 miles.
81
ENGLISH WAR VESSELS.
The draught of water of British war vessels was : those below 20 guns, 13 feet ; 20 to 36 guns, 15 feet; and those from 36 to 50 guns, 16 feet ; and from 64 to 90 guns, 18 feet.
The American war vessels drew much more wa- ter than those of the English. The Constitution, of 54 guns, drew 23 feet of water. The Wasp, of 18 guns, drew 15 feet.
The sand bar at the entrance of New York har- bor, near Sandy Hook, was 22} feet under water at low tide. Any British war vessel could cross the bar at low tide if kept in the channel, which was quite narrow. At high tide the water was from twenty-eight to thirty feet deep.
There was not much danger of a land attack by the men from the war vessels as the force was not sufficient to be formidable.
The number of men that was then required on an English war vessel were as follows:
16 to 18
6 to 14 guns, 25 to 50 men. 90 to 120 140 to 200 66
20 to 28
32 to 40
50 to 60 66 . 220 to 300
320 to 420
64 to 80
700 to 750
90 to 98 66
. 500 to 650 66 100
. 850 to 875
The number of men on all vessels less than 60 guns, were increased the next year.
Knowing the circumstances existing in Europe in the Spring of 1812, the citizens of New York had little or no fear of an invasion by the enemy either by sea or land.
All hopes of peace in Europe between Napoleon
82
NO FEAR OF INVASION
and the other great nations were at an end early in April, and the most active movements for a stupen- dous campaign on the part of Napoleon were in pro- gress. He soon had under his command an army of one million and a quarter, which was the largest army that had been collected together since the fall of the Roman Empire. In May, Napoleon was on his way to the North with an army of more than half a million of men to invade the dominions of the Emperor of Russia ; at the same time he was engaged in a war with England and Spain in the Spanish peninsula. The greater part of the rest of Europe was subject to his control. The Russians had only an army of about 300,000 men to meet the invader. In the issue of the con- test with Russia, England had a deep interest, and the two countries and Sweden had a treaty offen- sive and defensive against France. It was, in effect, a war upon England through Russia.
In the war in Spain, England was the principal ; with the other powers of Europe, who were the allies and dependents of Napoleon, England was neces- sarily at war. At this time, says Allison, "the power of Napoleon appeared too great to be withstood by any human effort ; and even the strongest heads could anticipate no other issue from the war than the final prostration of Russia, the conquest of Turkey and the establishment of French supremacy from the English Channel to the Black Sea."
Under such circumstances it could not reasonably be expected that England would detach any greater force from her continental wars than what she deemed necessary to maintain her possessions in America, and hence it would be only a defensive
83
IN NEW YORK CITY.
war in America on the part of England. The English war vessels about the American coast and the West Indies were for the purpose of protecting English commerce, and aiding in the obtaining of food supplies for the army in Spain. This was done mainly by means of licenses from British consuls (authorized by orders in council), to permit vessels of all nations to carry certain specified articles to certain ports in Europe. This prevented neutral trade, as now recognized by the law of nations. The British war vessels did not molest any vessel having, a license.
CHAPTER V.
City Militia Forces-Detachments Requested by the President and Organized by Governor Tompkins-Assignment of Offi- cers-Powers, of the Governor-Orders and Regulations- United States Troops in the Harbor-New Jersey Militia for Defence of New York.
THE uniformed corps of the militia of the city and county of New York, in April, 1812, consisted of ten regiments of infantry-in two brigades (the third and the tenth), one battalion of riflemen, one squadron of cavalry, three regi- ments of artillery, one company of flying artillery, one company of veteran artillery volunteers, comprising in all about 3,000 men ; the number of persons subject to mili- tary duty in the city was about 12,000. The num- ber of persons exempt from military duty for various causes was much larger in New York city than else- where.
Although this number of uniformed militia in the city of New York looks small, it was larger in pro- portion to the population than it is now or has ever been during the past half century. Some of the officers and men in the uniform corps in the city were from other towns in the near vicinity of New York, to wit : Richmond, Kings, Queens, and Westchester counties. The 146th Regiment in the
85
NEW YORK CITY MILITIA.
third brigade (composed of six regiments), was from Richmond county.
In 1806 and subsequent to that time, several laws were passed by the State from time to time to en- courage the organization of artillery and other mili- tary companies in New York city, and also cavalry and rifle companies, with special provisions for the equipment of them by the State, the members of which were exempt from taxes, jury duty, etc., and after a few years of such service, were exempt from further military service, except in case of in- vasion.
There were in 1812 forty-five fire and hose com- panies in New York city, the members of which were not liable to military duty; in any event, their services being deemed as valuable in prevent- ing the spread of fires as in any branch of military duty in case of invasion. Each company consisted of from twenty to twenty-five men.
The law of April 10, providing for the detachment of 100,000 militia to be apportioned among the States, did not cause much anxiety as to the pros- pects of war. In 1806 Congress had directed a de- tachment of 100,000 men to be made from the militia of the several States, and President Jeffer- son issued a circular enforcing it, but they were never put into active service, but it led many of the States to make laws for the better organization of its militia.
The third brigade of infantry was under the com- mand of Brig .- Gen. Peter P. Van Zandt, and was then composed of six regiments. The tenth brigade was under command of Gen. Gerard Steddiford, and consisted of five regiments.
86
LONG ISLAND MILITIA.
The artillery was under command of Brig .- Gen. Jacob Morton.
The three generals were veterans of the Revolu- tion.
The city cavalry was under command of Major James Warner.
The riflemen were under Lieut .- Col. Francis Mc- Clure.
At that time some of the uniformed companies of infantry militia regiments in the city were drilled as artillery, and only a portion of each were armed with muskets.
The first brigade of artillery, under command of Gen. Jacob Morton, consisted of the second, third and ninth artillery regiments in New York city, Capt. Wilson's artillery company of Brooklyn, and some companies from Dutchess county, which were in June organized as the fourth regiment of artillery, under command of Lieut .- Col. Nathan Myers, and the portion in New York city was desig- nated the third regiment under command of Lieut. - Col. A. Sitcher.
In the three artillery regiments in New York city in 1812 some of them consisted of a battalion with field pieces, and a battalion with small arms, and were also drilled as infantry or light infantry.
The twenty-second brigade comprised the militia of the counties of Kings and Queens, and was four regiments, under Gen. Jacob S. Jackson.
Brooklyn had a company of horse or flying artil- lery under Capt. John Wilson; the artillery under Capt. Barbarien; the riflemen under Capt. Burdett Stryker, 50 strong; the Fusileers of Capt. Joseph Herbert, 20 strong. Capt. Herbert's company wore
,
87
WESTCHESTER MILITIA.
short green coats and Roman leather caps. Capt. Stryker's company wore green frocks trimmed with yellow fringe, and were called "Katydids " from their dress.
Suffolk county, which was regarded as an im- portant point in the defences of New York harbor, comprised the thirty-third brigade composed of four regiments under command of Brig .- Gen. Abraham Rose.
The southern portion of Westchester county com- prised the fifteenth brigade of four regiments under command of Brig .- Gen. Thomas Carpenter.
The militia had lately been supplied with means of field defence. About the 24th of March ninety pieces of field artillery, part of them brass and part iron, arrived at New York city from Washington and were distributed among the artillery in New York and vicinity.
The State authorities issued field pieces to the artillery companies in New York city as follows:
To Capt. Ferris, 2 6-pounders.
Bogart 2 6 66
66 Horn 2 6
Masterson 2 6
66 66 Hunter 2 9
Bogart's Flying Artillery, 1 6-pounder and 1 3- pounder.
The following were fully equipped :
Capt. Lyon's company, 2 6-pounders ; Capt. Miller's company, 1 6-pounder, both of Westches- ter; and Capt. Duryea, of Kings county, and Capt. Jermain, of Suffolk county, were independent com- panies.
In the act of April 10th, for the detachment of
88
DETACHED MILITIA.
100,000 men from the militia of the States, it was provided that they should be offered by the governor of the State in which they belonged to and to serve not exceeding six months. Under this law the Presi- dent, by letter of April 15th, addressed to Gov- ernor Tompkins, fixed the quota of New York State at 13,500, to serve at the same pay and rations as United States militia under law of February, 1795 .*
The army ration consisted at that time of one and one-quarter pounds of beef or three-quarter pound of pork, eighteen ounces of bread or flour, one gill of rum, whisky or brandy per day. For every 100 rations there was allowed two quarts of salt, four quarts of vinegar, four pounds of soap, and one and one-half pounds of candles. This was for each non- commissioned officer, private, and musician; officers were allowed more, or money in lieu thereof.
Officers in service were allowed as follows :
Major-General,
6 waiters.
Brigadier-General,
4
Colonel,
3
66
* The pay of the infantry, artillery and cavalry of the militia when called into the service of the United States in 1812, was at the rate per month as follows :
Sergeant-Major
$9.00
Quarter-Master Sergeant
9.00
Drum and Fife major 8.33
Sergeant 8.00
Corporal,
7.33
Drummer,
7.33
Fifer,
7.33
Trumpeter,
7.33
Saddler,
8.00
Farrier,
8.00
Artificer,
8.00
Gunner,
6.66
Bombardier,
6.66
Private,
6.66
89
STATE MILITIA
Lieutenant-Colonel, Major,
2 waiters. 66
2
Hospital Surgeon, 2
.
All other commanding officers, one servant.
By act of July 6, 1812, it was provided " that of- ficers who shall not take waiters from the line of the army shall receive the pay, clothing and subsistence allowed to a private soldier ; other waiters will be allowed for in money, for clothing at contract price, and rations at twenty cents per day's ration."
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