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. II > Part 17
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This uncommon expedition was owing to the alacrity of the troops, aided by the general zeal of the inhabitants, who volunteered in furnishing rations and conveyance to the rendezvous for the citizens called into the public service.
At Fishkill, Dutchess County, a company re- ceived orders on Monday (29th), turned out on Tuesday, and were in New York on Wednesday.
At that time, General Van Orden's brigade of in- fantry consisted of only two regiments, the Eighty- third and 160th, which comprised all the infantry in Rockland County. Every able-bodied man in the county belonged to these two regiments, except those that belonged to the light horse, or the artillery com- pany at Nyack ; the artillery company consisted of one brass six-pounder and about forty men, under Major Dibble.
The light horse was of about eighty men, and was. ordered to muster; after review it was dismissed in September, 1814, and never recalled. The popu- lation of the county then was less than eight thou- sand persons.
Major-Gen. Morgan Lewis, then in his sixtieth year, exhibited all the zeal and patriotism which was characteristic of his youth, and through his whole course of military, and civil public services, always alert, always industrious and tireless in his official duties. A large force of militia had arrived, and more were coming in daily. It was apparent that strict military government must be enforced, and
258
MILITARY REGULATIONS.
rules prescribed for their well-being and effective service.
It is probable that no commander in the service could formulate and prescribe a better code for such a government under the circumstances than Major- General Lewis. His experience, education and mental qualifications were exceptionally pre-eminent for such an emergency. He promulgated the follow- ing :
RULES AND REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN THE CAMP DAILY.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, THIRD MILITARY DISTRICT.
NEW YORK, August 29th, 1814. GENERAL ORDERS
"To be observed by the Militia of the State of New York, in the service of the United States, in the Third Military District.
When the citizen first exchanges the comparative ease and affluence of domestic for the rigor and pri- vations of military life, his future health, welfare and usefulness greatly depend on an early acquain- tance with the first rudiments of his new profession. He must set out, therefore, with a determination to understand and to practice certain rules indispen- sable to his security against disease in camp, dis- comfiture in the field, and consequent deprivation of life too often the fatal issue of each. Those rules must be inculcated by the example, and enforced by the authority of his officers of every grade. The
259
IN CAMP IN THE CITY.
first attention is to his habitation. While under canvas each tent should be surrounded with a small ditch to carry off the water, that the floor within may be kept dry, taking care that the earth from the ditch be not thrown against the tent.
No eating must be permitted in the tents, except, in bad weather ; and every fine day the tents should be struck, on a signal given by drum for the pur- pose, at ten in the morning, and removed from the floor, that the bedding, etc., may be aired, the mois- ture and noxious effluvia expelled. After one hour they may be repitched on a similar signal.
All the messes must eat by signal, at the same hour, and the soldiers of the same tent must belong to the same mess. The propriety of this arrange- ment will readily occur to those who reflect, that it is essential to military operations that each individ- ual of our army should be prepared for duty at the same instant of time.
Cleanliness in every situation of life is essential to health. In an army it is peculiarly so. The strict- est attention, therefore, must be paid to it, not only in the tent of the soldier, but throughout the camp. The company officers will therefore attend to the cleanliness of their men in their persons, clothing, cooking and mess utensils of every description, and in conjunction with the officers of the police, to that of the camp, by having all bones and impurities of every description collected and burnt, or buried. The police officers will also be on the alert, to punish every man who shall ease himself anywhere except in the sinks, and will take care that the ordure in
260
MILITARY REGULATIONS.
every sink be each morning covered by the camp colour-men
A subaltern, four non-commissioned officers and eight privates, as camp-colour-men, with a drummer, will be each day detailed for the duty from each regiment, neither of whom are on any account to be absent during the time they are so on duty. The attendance of the officers and drummers will be at the tent of the adjutant of the regiment ; these will form the regimental police of the day.
It is the duty of officers of every grade to stop every non-commissioned officer and soldier they meet without the chain of sentinels, to examine his pass, and commit him to the nearest guard if his pass is irregular, or if he has none ; from thence he must be sent with his crime to his regiment.
Reveille will beat every morning at day-break, which shall be the signal for officers and soldiers to rise, and prepare for parade. Half an hour after the Troop will beat, which is the signal for officers and soldiers to assembly on their company parades for roll-call and inspection. The roll shall then be called, and the soldiers' arms and accoutrements be in- spected by the platoon officers, and every deficiency noted in the company book, and a return thereof made every Monday morning to the Adjutant-Gen- eral of the district. After roll-call and inspection, the drill shall commence, by sections of half pla- toons, except the troops detailed for the duties of the day, and be continued for two hours,
At half-past eleven o'clock A.M. the Troop shall again beat, and the troops be paraded by companies
261
MILITARY REGULATIONS.
without arms, the roll called, and the men taught for an hour to march by platoons.
At 4 P.M. they will again assemble by companies, with their arms, on beating the Troop, and after call- ing the roll, be drilled by sections for two hours, as in the earlier part of the day.
The Retreat will beat at sunset (after which no non-commissioned officer nor soldier is to be out of camp, unless on duty)-the roll will then be called, the men warned for the duties of the succeeding day, and orders of the day read to them.
The Tattoo will beat at nine in the evening, when every soldier will retire to his quarters for the night.
The drums of the police will always beat the Drum- mer's Call sixteen minutes before the time of the re- spective beats, when all the drums of each regiment will assemble at the colours of the regiment, from whence they will beat along the front of their re- spective regiments to the right, from thence to the left, and back to the center. The beat will always commence with the regiment on the right.
There will be detailed for duty daily from each regiment, in the respective brigades, a quarter, or camp guard, to consist of one subaltern, two ser- geants, four corporals, and forty men, which will fur- nish a cordon of sentinels around the camp. There will be also, in like manner, detailed for daily duty, a picket guard from the brigade, to consist of one cap- tain, two subalterns, four sergeants, eight corporals and eighty privates, from which an outer line of sen- tinels will be placed at the distance of two or three hundred yards from the inner line, or cordon.
262
MILITARY REGULATIONS.
A field officer will be appointed each day as officer of the day, whose duty it will be to visit the guards by night and by day, and to report their conduct and all other occurrences the following morning to the commanding general of the brigade, who will trans- mit the same to the headquarters of the district.
All guards will be relieved at seven in the morn- ing.
An officer from each brigade will attend at the office of the Adjutant-General of the district, each day at noon, for orders.
Muster rolls and inspection returns of each brigade must be immediately made, agreeably to a form which will be furnished by the acting Inspector-Gen- eral of the district.
The commanding general earnestly recommends to the militia officers now in service, the establish- ment in each brigade of a military school, for the instruction of officers in the common drill : and if they have not officers of their own corps sufficiently qualified for teachers, to employ them from other corps.
By order of Maj .- Gen. M. Lewis .* THOMAS CHRYSTIE, Assistant Adjutant-General.
* For sketch of the services of General Lewis in the Revolu- tionary War see Schuyler's "History of New York State Society of The Cincinnati." For some account of his services in the War of 1812 see Lossing's "Field-Book of the War of 1812."
A sketch of the public life of General Lewis is in " Street's New York Council of Revision."
So many of his descendants are among us that the following will be interesting to the public.
263
ARMING THE MILITIA.
Gen. Joseph G. Swift was appointed Inspec- tor-General of the whole force and was virtually in command of the defences of the city, he having to supervise everything, not only the construction of the defences around New York and their arma- ment, but the providing of commissary and med- ical supplies.
The following supplies were furnished to the fol- lowing commands by the State of New York, through General Stevens, from August 30th to October 6th, 1814 :
MUSKETS.
ACCOUTREMENTS.
General Hermance. . 1,189
1,074
Haight. . . . 1,737
1,759
Van Orden 865
872
Johnson . . 765 765
Maj .- Gen. Morgan Lewis [second son of Francis and Elizabeth (Annesly) Lewis], b N. Y. City, October 16, 1754; d N. Y. City, April 7, 1844 ; m at Clermont, Columbia County, N. Y., May 11, 1779, Gertrude Livingston [daughter of Judge Robert R. and Margaret (Beekman) Livingston]; b at Cler- mont, April 16, 1757 ; d N. Y. City, March 9, 1833, and had an only child.
Margaret Lewis, b at Clermont, Columbia County, N. Y., February 5, 1780 ; d at Staatsburgh, Dutchess County, N. Y., September 28, 1860 ; m at Staatsburg, May 29, 1798, Maturin Livingston [son of Robert James and Susanna (Smith) 'Livingston]; b. N. Y. City, April 10, 1769; d N. Y. City, November 7, 1847, and had twelve children.
1. Morgan Lewis Livingston, b at Staatsburg, N. Y., April 3, 1799; d N. Y. City, November 3, 1869 ; m, N. Y. City, March 30, 1829, Catherine Manning [daughter of James and Elizabeth (Storm) Man-
264
CALL UPON NEW JERSEY.
MUSKETS.
ACCOUTREMENTS. 339 54-30 rifles.
General Swartwout 339
Boyd. 54
Steddiford. 807
Mapes 1,223
66 Morton 220
Sea Fencibles. 473 473
Lieut .- Col. Warner. 23 pistols.
Major-General Lewis, by letter dated August 30th, addressed to Governor Pennington of New Jersey, required the whole of the New Jersey State quota of five thousand militia to assemble in the vicinity of New York. The commander of the Fourth Military District, Major-General Bloomfield, made claim that General Ebenezer Elmer's brigade of about two thousand of the New Jersey militia should be furnished for the defence of Philadelphia
ning ;] b N. Y. City, January 18, 1809 ; d N. Y. City, April 27, 1886, and had issue,
2. Julia Livingston, b at Staatsburg, N. Y., September 15, 1801; d at Grasmere, near Rhinebeck, N. Y., June 23, 1882; m, N. Y. City, December 12, 1833- Maj. Joseph Delafield [son of John and Ann (Hal, lett) Delafield ; b N. Y. City, August 22, 1790; d N. Y. City, February 12, 1875, and had three sons and one daughter. One of the sons, Joseph, died in infancy.
3. Alfred Livingston, b at Staatsburgh, N. Y., June 30, 1803; d without issue at Staatsburgh, January 3, 1855.
4. Gertrude Laura Livingston, b at Staatsburgh, N. Y., October 9, 1805; d at Hopeland, near Rhinebeck, N. Y., February 7, 1883; m, N. Y., October 24, 1826, Major Rawlins Lowndes [son of Thomas and Sarah Bond (Ion) Lowndes, of South Carolina]; b South
-
GEN. ELMER'S BRIGADE.
265
and the Delaware River. The Governor of New Jersey referred the decision of the question as to General Elmer's brigade to the Secretary of War. This brigade was subsequently ordered to the com- mand of the Fourth District for the protection of Philadelphia.
Under the order of August 12th the following number of men were required to be furnished in addition to the volunteers in the several counties of New Jersey, officers included, to fill the quota of five thousand.
DRAFTS. VOLS.
Burlington .
435
Gloucester
410
Cumberland
291
-
Salem .
195
71
Cape May
72
Carolina, September 1, 1801 ; d at Hopeland, N. Y., August 10, 1877, and had issue.
5. Mortimer Livingston, b N. Y. City, December 1, 1807; d Staten Island, N. Y., August 24, 1857; m, N. Y. City, May 11, 1829, Silvia De Grasse Depau [daughter of Francis and Silvie Maxime (De Grasse) Depau]; and had an only child.
6. Susan Mary Elizabeth Livingston, b at Staatsburgh, N. Y., November 29, 1809 ; d N. Y. City, February 10, 1875; m at Staatsburgh, N. Y., October 30, 1833, William Price Lowndes [son of Thomas and Sarah Bond (Ion) Lowndes, of South Carolina] b South Carolina, September 21, 1806 ; d Morris- town, N. J., February 2, 1887, and had four chil- dren.
7. Robert James Livingston, b at Staatsburgh, N. Y., December 11, 1811; d N. Y. City, February 22, 1891; m, N. Y. City, October 22, 1833, Louisa Ma-
266
VOLUNTEER COMPANIES
VOLS.
Bergen
DRAFTS. 202
14
Essex.
312
279
Morris .
185
105
Middlesex
210
85
Monmouth.
399
-
Somerset
124
153
Hunterdon.
417
87
Sussex
598
32
Governor Pennington issued the following order : HEAD-QUARTERS,
TRENTON, N. J., Aug. 31, 1814.
In consequence of a requisition made by Major- General Lewis, commanding general of Third Military District, the Commander-in-chief orders the following volunteer companies to [march immediately under the orders of their respective
tilda Storm [daughter of Garrett and Susan (Gouverneur) Storm]; b N. Y. City, March 10, 1810; d Long Branch, N. J., May 29, 1883, and had two children.
8. Lewis Livingston, b Staatsburgh, N. Y., March 15, 1814; d at Grasmere, near Rhinebeck, N. Y., April 14, 1886; m, N. Y. City, January 18, 1843, Julia Augusta Boggs [daughter of James and Sarah Lloyd (Broome) Boggs]; b N. Y. City, November 16, 1817; d at Grasmere, November 24, 1884, [and had two sons.
9. Maturin Livingston, b Staatsburgh, N. Y., March 4, 1816 ; d N. Y. City, November 29, 1888 ; m, Novem- ber 12, 1852, at Taunton, Mass., Ruth Baylies [daughter of Edmund and Elizabeth (Payson) Bay- lies], and had two daughters.
10. Henry Beekman Livingston, b Staatsburgh, N. Y., January 20, 1818; d November 27, 1861, at Tivoli,.
267
, ORDERED TO NEW YORK.
commanders to Powles' Hook, opposite the city of New York:
Captain Kilburn, Artillery, from Orange. Captain Harrison, Rifle, from Orange. Captain Lindsley, Rifle, from Essex. Captain Mitchell, Rangers, from Paterson. Captain Crane, Rifle, from Caldwell. Captain Ball, Light Infantry, from Bloomfield.
Captain Halliday, Rangers, from Morristown. Captain Carter, Rifle,from Battlehill.
Captain Brittin, Fusiliers, from Chatham.1 Captain Fair, Light Infantry, from Hackensack. Captain Garrison, Infantry, from Salem. Captain Brees, Light Infantry, Baskingbridge. Captain McKessack, Rifle, from Somerset. Captain Fell, Light Infantry, from New Hampton. Captain Donlevy, Rangers, from Belvidere. Captain Nelson, Artillery, from New Brunswick.
N. Y .; m, October 9, 1844, Mary Leila Livingston [daughter of John Swift and Anna (Thompson) Livingston]; d N. Y. City, April 14, 1883, and had issue ..
11. Margaret Angelica Livingston, b Staatsburgh, N. Y., March 16, 1820; m N. Y. City, December 10, 1845, Alexander Hamilton, Jr. [only son of James A. and Mary (Morris) Hamilton]; d at Nevis, near Irvington, N. Y., December 30, 1889, and had issue, who died in infancy.
12. Blanche Geraldine Livingston, b at Staatsburgh, N.Y., -, 1822; m, September 6, 1842, Lydig M. Hoyt [son of Goold and Sabina (Sheaff) Hoyt; b New York City, --- , 1821; d at Staatsburgh, N. Y., -, 1868, and had issue.
268
IN CAMP AT JERSEY CITY.
Captain Vandycke, Horse Artillery, New Bruns- wick.
Captain Scott, Light Infantry, New Brunswick. Captain MacKay, Rifle, New Brunswick.
And will hold themselves in readiness to march to the same place as soon as they receive orders for that purpose from Brigadier-General Colfax .*
Brigadier-General Colfax will immediately repair to Powles' Hook and take command of the whole and give the necessary orders for drawing out the remainder of the brigade assigned him by orders of the 12th inst. as soon as the detailed militia under said order shall be inspected in the respective coun- ties who are ordered into immediate service. As soon as inspected they will be formed into regi- ments at Powles' Hook, agreeable to the orders of the 12th inst. * * *
Camp equipage to be removed from Newark.
By order of Commander-in-chief.
JAMES J. WILSON, Adjutant-General.
When these arrived at Powles' Hook (Jersey City) they were placed under command of Col. John W. Frelinghuysen, and consisted of twenty- three companies at that station.
* General Colfax was a veteran of the Revolution, having been. Commander of General Washington's body guard.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Financial Situation in the Nation and in the City-Failure of the Attempt to Obtain Loans for the Nation-Suspension of Specie Payments-Resolutions and Regulations by City Banks-The City Issues Fractional Currency.
HE loan obtained by the city of one mil- lion dollars was a heavy one for the times and circumstances, and this, too, without discount or delay. It was in hope of future reimbursement to the city by the State and nation, but this did not enter into the consideration or security on the part of the subscribers. On their part it was self-preservation, and patriotism and pride.
A large part of the twenty-five million loan of March 24th (already mentioned in Chapter XXVI.), had not yet been obtained by the National Govern- ment. The issue of United States Treasury notes and their use as currency made money plenty and prices high, as previously shown (Ante, p. 73). Those that had subscribed for the national loan had found it very difficult to meet their terms of pay- ment, and it was certain that Mr. Gallatin, the Secretary of the Treasury, had granted some of them indulgence on the time of payment of in- stallments.
270
FINANCIAL SITUATION.
On the 17th of May, 1814, Jacob Barker wrote to General Armstrong, then Secretary of War:
"The success of the allies and the general block- ade operate very much against the loan : so diffi- cult is it to raise money that Mr. Parish told me it was impossible to raise a single $100,000 in Phila- adelphia on a deposit of United States stock. A Mr. Williams, a director in one of the banks at Bal- timore, and Mr. Lawrence, a director in the Man- hattan Bank, went to Boston to borrow money for these banks, and, although they offered to deposit United States stock at fifty per cent and the secur- ity of their banks, that they could not get a single $100,000."
It was publicly stated that Mr. Barker had failed to make his payments promptly to the government. This was denied by Mr. Barker, however.
The National Government was greatly in need of money. Its sources of revenue had not yielded as much as had been expected, while its expen- diture had been much more than had been antic- ipated.
It was stated that the government loan for six million would be taken in Europe. This was not believed, however.
The additional issue of five million in Treasury notes was also completed as allowed under the act of March 24th, making in all ten million of Treasury notes outstanding under this act.
The banks of New York City greatly curtailed discounts for merchants. It was claimed that it was because of British Government bills to the
271
CALL FOR LOANS.
amount of one hundred thousand pounds sterling had been taken and paid for in specie.
In July it was stated in the public journals that the cities in the United States were flooded with British Government bills offered at ten and one- half per cent discount. A New York newspaper said that the amount offered in that city was one hundred thousand pounds sterling ($500,000), and asked how they were to be paid for but by drawing the specie out of the banks.
Specie was becoming in very great demand and at a premium. On the evening of 24th August a meeting of some merchants was held pursuant to published notice for the purpose of urging the banks in the city to take some action to prevent specie being sent out of the country. A committee of seven was appointed to confer with the bank officers upon the subject. A meeting of the officers of the city banks was held next day to meet the committee of merchants and traders, and it was declared by the bank officers that there was no reason for the sus- pension of specie payments. It was, in fact, a feeling of pride on the part of the city banks not to be the first to suspend specie payment, for up to that time all banks in the United States still continued specie pay- ment in the redemption of their own issues of bills.
Only two of the New York City banks would handle Treasury notes in any manner.
On July 26, 1814, the government advertised for offers for a loan of six million dollars, part of the twenty-five million loan of March 24th, to be closed on August 22, 1814.
272
SPECIE PAYMENT SUSPENDED.
No offers for this loan was made up to the latter date, on account of the proximity of the enemy and of the military situation.
The British forces entered Washington on the 24th of August. The banks of Philadelphia and all others south of that city suspended specie payment at once. The banks of Philadelphia did not formally suspend until August 31st.
When the news arrived that the banks of Phila- delphia and all those south of that city had sus- pended, a meeting of the bank officers of this city immediately took place and appointed a committee to act in the matter.
A meeting of the joint committee from all the banks in the city of New York took place. William Few was appointed chairman and Charles Wilkes secretary. Letters from the cashiers of several banks in Philadelphia, and from other unquestionable authority were read, stating that all the banks in Philadelphia, had come to a resolution to suspend payments in specie, whereupon the following reso- lution and preamble were agreed to :
" Considering that the banks in Philadelphia have determined to suspend their payments of specie; and,
" Considering that it cannot be doubted that such suspension of payment in Philadelphia will be fol- lowed by an increased demand on the banks here, and probably a diminished confidence ; and, further, that there is a considerable balance now due, and accumulating from the banks in Philadelphia to the banks in this city, therefore ;
" Resolved,' That the banks'in [the city of New
273
BANK REGULATIONS.
York, with the utmost regret, find it necessary to suspend their payments in specie.
" WILLIAM FEW, Chairman. CHARLES WILKES, Secretary."
A meeting of merchants and traders at the Tontine Coffee House, on the 1st September, 1814, was held.
Gen. Ebenezer Stevens was called to the chair, and William Henderson was appointed secretary.
The chairman read a communication which he- had received from the chairman of the joint_com- mittee of the banks, as follows :
"NEW YORK, Sept. 1st, 1814.
"SIR-I am desired by the committees of the sev- eral banks in this city to communicate to you for the information of the meeting at which you preside, that they have come to the following resolutions :
" That the banks in this city will continue to take the notes of each other in all payments.
" That, having always considered the payment of specie as forming a salutary and a principal check to an undue emission of notes ; and that check being, by the unfortunate situation of affairs. for the present removed, they have agreed, unanimously.
"To adopt such measures as will effectually. in their opinion, prevent an improper increase of the circulation of bank paper.
"I have the honor to be, sir, "Your obedient servant, "W. FEW, Chairman."*
* WILLIAM FEW, one of the most eminent and prominent citi- zens of New York, was a veteran militia officer, having served.
274
BANK REGULATIONS.
The following resolutions were then unanimously adopted :
"Resolved, That while this meeting regret the cir- cumstances that have obliged the banks to suspend their payments in specie, they fully concur in the necessity of that measure.
" That the confidence of this meeting in the stabil- ity of the banks remains undiminished, and that relying on the prudence of the directors to restrain their loans within safe limits, they will by every proper means, uphold the credit and assist the cir- culation of their notes.
" That they will continue to receive the notes of
as a Colonel of Militia in Georgia in the Revolutionary War, and distinguished himself there in several actions with the British and Indians. He settled in Georgia in 1776, and in 1780 was a delegate to Congress, and remained such until the peace .of 1783. In 1786 he was again a member of Congress, and was also a member of the Convention that framed the Federal Con- stitution in 1787, which he signed. On its adoption he was chosen a United States Senator from Georgia until March, 1793. He held many positions of importance in Georgia. In July, 1799, he removed to New York City, and was a member of the State Assembly in January, 1802. New York City was at that time represented by some of its most respected and eminent .citizens, among whom were Philip T. Arcularius, John Broome, Thomas Farmar, Brockholst Livingston, Samuel Osgood, Henry Rutgers, Thomas Storm and others, who subsequently became prominent in life. He continued a member until 1806. He was State Prison Inspector in 1802, and again in 1811. He was always prominent and influential in financial circles in New York City, and was a director in the Manhattan Company for many years. He was a lawyer by profession, but never prac- ticed in New York. He was Alderman in 1814 and 1815. He was a director in the first Savings Bank ever established in this city, in 1816. Died at Fishkill, N. Y., in 1828.
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