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 2
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The Fuel Association, as it was called, held stated meetings frequently. They were usually at John M. Coleman's, No. 41 Nassau Street. At a meeting held on December 31, 1813, it was reported that the general committee from each ward were : 1st, Joshua Jones ; 2d, Garret Van Waggenen ; 3d, Ebenezer J. White ; 4th, Richard Cunningham ; 5th, Benjamin Strong ; 6th, Clarkson Crolius ; 7th, Wil- liam B. Crosby ; 8th, Aquilla Giles ; 9th, George Gossman ; 10th, Samuel Stillwell ; at large, Leonard Bleecker and J. H. Coggshall.
The ward committees were : 1st, John V. B. Varick, Jerome Johnson, Samuel Tooker, Jacob Sherred ; 2d, Thomas Carpenter, Richard R. Law- rence, Eliphalet Williams, John Adams, Isaac Carow, Joseph Riley ; 3d, Andrew S. Norwood, John P. Mumford, Rufus L. Nevins, Pelatiah Perit, Benjamin Taylor, Nathan Smith ; 4th, Abraham Barker, Sylvanous F. Jenkins, John Brown, Edward Prolyn, John Westervelt, Thomas Cotterell; 5th, John Morss, Thomas Franklin, James Lovett, Wm. Buchan, Grove Wright, George Ennis, Roger
6
ELECTION OF CONGRESSMAN.
Strong ; 6th, Anthony Steinback, John Baker, James Scott, James Nelson ; 7th, John Wellington, Isaac Doughty, Whitehead Hicks, Wm. Brun ; Sth, Thomas Masters, Thomas C. Butler, Ebenezer Clark, Edmund Kirby ; 9th, Samuel A. Lawrence, Gerard De Peyster, Gerard Beekman ; 10th, Stephen Allen, John C. Totten, Amos Clark, Solomon Wheeler. The chairman was Leonard Bleecker ; the secretary was J. H. Coggeshall.
The amount of moneys collected by the Fuel As- sociation was $4,566.57 and ten loads of wood from Frederick De Peyster. The final report, made in March, shows that 1,315 loads of wood were distrib- uted to about three thousand places. The cost of the wood was $3.25 per load.
The winter of 1813-14 was very mild. Steamboats on the Hudson between Albany and New York did not cease to run until the 23d of December. Sloop navigation below West Point kept up much later.
Christmas Day, which fell on Saturday that year, was not kept as a day for religious observances. Saturday had previously been the off-night of the theatres, but both of them had performances on that evening for the first time during the season. The Naval Panorama and Scudder's Museum were open during the day and evening .*
On the 28th of December, 1813, a special election was held under the law of April 6, 1813, for a re- presentative in Congress in place of Egbert Benson, who had resigned. The candidates were William Irving, Democrat, and Peter A. Jay, Federalist. Mr. Irving was elected by a majority of 376 votes.
* There was no Thanksgiving Day kept in 1813, as it had not yet become the custom in the State of New York.
.
DEMOCRATIC GAIN.
The majorities by wards were :
Federal.
Democrat.
3d Ward,
84
4th
66
60
5th
214
6th
66
14
7th
66
-
59
8th
212
9th
40
10th
66
89
Total Democratic majority, . . 574
Federalist
.198
Democratic majority,
376
That Congressional District comprised the city of New York, excepting the 1st and 2d Wards. It was under the apportionment law of June 10th, 1812 .*
The Evening Post said of the election: " Although it will be seen from this statement that the Demo- cratic candidate has prevailed, yet there has been a change in favor of peace and commerce since the charter election of November, of about four hundred votes. ** * We have been defrauded out of this election by gerrymandering the dis- trict."
Whether this statement was true or not, the com- parison can be easily made, as an account of the charter election lias already been given.
That election was some indication how the people in New York City felt about continuing the
-
* For description of New York City Congressional Districts at hat time, see Vol. I., p. 223.
-
8
NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS.
war. The total number of votes cast on that occa- sion was not made public. The result of the elec- tion was quite a surprise to the Federalists. Mr. Irving was a brother of Washington Irving, the em- inent author.
A notable literary event of the season was the publication of a "New Year's Carrier's Address " to the patrons and friends of a weekly publication called The War, which was edited and owned by Samuel Woodworth, who afterwards became the fa- mous author of "The Old Oaken Bucket." It briefly rehearsed in rhyme the principal events of the war during the year. It is a " broadside," one foot and a half long by one foot wide ; the matter is in three columns of ordinary size type. It is ap- propriately divided by choruses, which are made for tunes mentioned as they are reached. The first chorus is to the tune of "Ye Tars of Columbia ; " the next is " Vive La ; " then "Battle of the Nile ; then " Anacreon in Heaven ; " then, " Arethusa." " Yankee Doodle " is the chorus to Perry's victory, as follows :
" Still upon the lake or main We carry all before us. Freemen join the merry strain, The Yankee Doodle chorus."
The name of the writer does not appear, but it was known to be Mr. Woodworth .*
No newspapers were published on the first day of the year.
A few days after the first of January, the Daily
* This is the earliest Carrier's Address in New York that I have ever seen, and hence have been particular in describing it.
9
BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS.
Gazette and General Advertiser, a New York morn- ing daily paper, a Federalist, though professing to be neutral, had a "Carrier's Address " of its own published in its columns, and claimed to give a true review of the old year.
The address begins as follows :
" Our newsboat now no longer trips
To meet the richly laden ships, And bring us news from foreign lands Of Bonaparte's warlike bands
Being 'teazed and scratched ' by that commander,
Old Long Tom's ' virtuous Alexander.'
For Navigation now is dead, Dull, sleepy Commerce gone to bed,
And we are making Indian fights That 'sailors may enjoy their rights ' Under our marine head ; therefore,
Instead of large ships, many a score, A few small schooners now are found, With smacks and chebac boats 'down Sound.'
But though we columns can't display Of cheering ship news every day, Yet days sail swiftly-time steers true ; He never reefs, nor yet lies to ; And by his log-book now 'tis seen We've entered latitude Fourteen."
* % *
Whatever the prospects of the distant future were, immediate relief to the poor and needy was indis- pensable at the then condition of many citizens.
The poor and needy at home in the city of New York were remembered and cared for by many private acts of benevolence. Concerts and public
¥
10
WASHINGTON BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
entertainments were given, and the proceeds de- voted to charitable objects.
The Washington Benevolent Society held a meet- ing at Washington Hall on the evening of January 5th, and unanimously adopted the following pream- ble and resolutions :
"As the sufferings of the poorer classes of our citizens for the want of many of the necessaries of life, particularly of fuel at this inclement season, are, in consequence of the war, multiplied beyond those of any former period, and as the funds appro- priated to charitable purposes by this society will be, unless increased by the beneficence of the rich, inadequate to the extension of such ample relief to the poorer members and their families as their ne- cessities require and the constitution of the society contemplates ; therefore,
"Resolved, That a general committee, consisting of one person from each ward, be appointed to solicit and receive donations, and to appropriate them for the relief of indigent members of this society.
" Resolved, That John Slidell, James Turk, Josiah Sturges, Leonard Fisher, Charles Stuart, Daniel E. Tylee, James Smith, Thomas C. Butler, William A. Hardenbrook and Cornelius Schuyler compose the said general committee, and that they be author- ized to increase their number by adding two mem- bers from each of the wards."-Extract from the minutes, Isaac M. Ely, Secretary.
The ward committees subsequently added, to whom applications were to be made for relief by residents in the several wards, were ; 1st, John Slidell, Gould Hoyt; 2d, James Turk, William
11
TAMMANY SOCIETY.
Wallace, Elijah Humphries ; 3d, Josiah Sturges, Isaac Stoutenburgh, Nathaniel Griffith ; 4th, Leon- ard Fisher, Thos. R. Mercein, Nehemiah Allen : 5th, Charles Stewart, John B. Murray, Thos. Darling ; 6th, Daniel E. Tylee, Lewis Angevine, John Mc- Clure ; 7th, John Rook, Beal N. Lewis, Nevington Grenard ; Sth, Thos. C. Butler, Edmund Kirby, James Wallace ; 9th, William A. Hardenbrook, Thos. C. Taylor, William Wilmerding ; 10th, Solo- mon Wheeler, Cornelius Schuyler, Stephen Kings- land.
Although Tammany Society was claimed to be a benevolent institution, it does not apper that any action was taken by that body to help its members, but prominent members of that society were active in deeds of charity without regard to political opinions.
The Common Council gave their official aid. On the 24th of January they voted an appropriation from the city treasury of $2,000, $100 of such sum to be placed in hands of each alderman and assistant alderman in each of the ten wards, to be distributed by such alderman and assistant alderman to aid the poor and needy in his ward. This was very accept- able to many who had felt the rigors of war in many ways.
Neither were the sufferings and needs of more dis- tant neighbors forgotten. On the 22d of December a very destructive fire occurred in Portsmouth, N. H., which was then an important naval station. A meeting of citizens was called at Tontine Coffee House on January 19th, and a committee appointed to receive contributions. The committee consisted of Matthew Clarkson, Oliver Wolcott, William
12
CHURCHI CONTRIBUTIONS
Bayard, Robert Lenox, David B. Ogden, and Charles March.
The committee received $4,064.20 which they forwarded on February 13th to the sufferers in Portsmouth. The following were the sources of the donation.
From the Episcopal Churches, $1,40$ 40
St. Peter's Roman Catholic, 645 50
Presbyterian Church in Chamber Street (Rev. Mr. McLeod), . 100 00
Presbyterian Church in Murray Street (Rev. Dr. Mason), 450 00
Presbyterian Church in Cedar Street (Rev. Dr. Romeyn), 388 50
Brick Presbyterian Church (Rev. Mr. Spring), 173 00
Presbyterian Church in Wall Street, 147 00
Presbyterian Church in Rutgers Street, 106 00
Methodist Churches,
224 60
Baptist Church in Fayette Street (Rev. Mr. Williams), .
85 00
Baptist Church in Mulberry Street (Rev. Mr. McClay), 50 00
Moravian Church (Rev. Mr. Mortimer) 36 00
Society of Friends, 206 00
Mr. T. Everett, Brooklyn,
40 00
Total, . $4,064 20
An appeal for aid came from the sufferers on the Niagara frontier, about the middle of January .*
* In the latter part of the month of December, 1813, in the midst of a very severe winter, the whole Niagara frontier on the American side, from Fort Niagara to Buffalo, a distance of
13
NIAGARA FRONTIER SUFFERS.
On the 24th of January, 1814, at a meeting of the Common Council, a letter from the Committee of Safety and Relief at Canandaigua, addressed to the Mayor of New York, asking for aid for the sufferers on the Niagara frontier was read, and the following resolutions were offered by Josiah Ogden Hoffman, the recorder, upon which he delivered an eloquent and touching address. He was regarded as one of the most elequent men of that day.
" Whereas, it appears from a communication ad- dressed to the Mayor of this city, that the most calamitous events have occurred on the Western frontier of this State, whereby an extensive country has been depopulated, and thousands of our fellow- citizens have been driven from their habitations, destitute of the necessaries of life and exposed to the rigors of the season and to all the privations and evils of poverty : and it being incumbent on us at all times to humble ourselves before the Almighty to supplicate His mercy, and more especially at the present time to pray that the calamities which afflict our country may be removed, and that those which menace us may be averted. It is therefore
"Resolved, That Wednesday the second day of
forty miles, and far into the interior, was swept by the British and Indians. Six villages-Fort Niagara, Lewiston, Schlosser, Tuscarora, Black Rock and Buffalo-and many isolated country houses and four vessels were consumed, the butchery of in- nocent persons, and the survivors were made to fly in terror through the deep snow to some forest shelter or remote cabin of a settler far beyond the invaders' track. In a letter written from Le Roy. a village ten miles east of Buffalo, in Genesee County, on the 6th of January, 1814, the writer says: "I met be- tween Cayuga and this place upward of one hundred families in wagons, sleds and sleighs, many of them with nothing but what they had on their backs, hor could they find places to stay at."
14
APPROPRIATION AND DONATIONS.
February next be set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, and the people of the city are requested to abstain from all business and labor on that day, and to assemble in their respective places of worship and devote themselves with hum- ble and contrite hearts to the offices of religion, and to those devotional exercises which are suitable to an occasion so solemn, and at a crisis so important to the well-being of our country.
" Resolved, That the sum of three thousand dollars be and is hereby appropriated out of the city treas - ury towards the relief of our brethren of the West. That it is respectfully recommended to the different religious congregations of this city to cause collec- tions to be made for the same purpose in their re- spective churches on the day above set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, and to de- posit the same with the Mayor of this city, who is hereby requested to transmit such contributions, together with this donation, to the Committee of Safety and Relief at Canandaigua, to be expended under their direction for the benefit of the sufferers on our Western frontier."
These resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Collections were taken up from time to time in the churches here for the same purpose, and private subscriptions were liberally made. On the 14th of February, 1814, it was reported to the Common Council that the Churches had raised $1,285.94, and that private subscriptions amounted to $3,023, and that the $3,000 appropriated by the city had all been paid over to the Committee of Safety and Re- lief at Canandaigua, for the sufferers of the West- ern border. In May private contributions for the
15
INDIGNANT CLERGYMEN.
same purpose, to the amount of $2,200, were for- warded for the Niagara sufferers.
A notable occurrence took place in regard to the action of the Common Council in regard to the Niagara sufferers. On January 28th a meeting of the Protestant clergy of the different denominations, excepting the bishops and clergy of the Episcopal Church, was held at the Brick Church for the pur- pose of considering the recommendation of the Common Council in their resolution of January 24th to observe the 2d day of February as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer on account es- pecially of the distressing events which had recently occurred on the western frontier of this State. The Rev. Dr. Alexander McLeod was called to the chair. The deliberations of the meeting resulted in the following resolutions :
" Resolved, That the clergy present see, with great satisfaction, the testimony borne by the Hon- orable the Corporation of the City of New York, in their act of the 24th inst., to the government of God and to His righteousness in afflicting our nation for its sins ; and they do now, as always heretofore, receive with the most unfeigned respect, the recom- mendation of their civil rulers to acknowledge extra- ordinary visitations of Divine Providence by such extraordinary expressions of public devotion as the occasion requires.
"Resolved, That it would have given the clergy present the sincerest pleasure to have seconded with their best efforts the recommendation of the Honor- able the Common Council to observe Wednesday, the 2d of February next, as a day of fasting, humiliation
16
CITY COUNCIL REPROVED.
and prayer, had it comported with their conviction of duty ; and that they deeply regret the suddenness and surprise with which that recommendation came upon them, having never heard of it before it was announced in the public prints ; and that they especially regret the necessity which they feel of differing in their judgment from that honorable body as to the immediate duty of the citizens of New York ; not being able to perceive that a distant local calamity, however severe, creates any peculiar obligation to observe a day of local fasting and humiliation in a spot at the opposite extremity of the State-more particularly as such observance tends to confound the distinction between general or par- tial afflictions, as laying a foundation for general or partial fasts-and as this city, in common with the whole nation, was recently engaged in solemn humiliation before God, on account of the existing war whereof the distressing events of the frontier are a part.
" Resolved, That the Rev. Dr. McLeod, the Rev. Dr. Mason and the Rev. Dr. Mathews be a commit- tee on the part of this assembly to wait on his Honor, the Mayor, and in the most respectful manner to acquaint him with their declining to comply with the recommendation of the Honorable, the Corporation in their resolution of the 24th inst., and present him with a copy of the foregoing reso- lutions, with a request that he will be pleased to lay them before the Honorable Common Council at as early an hour as possible.
"Resolved, That the committee aforesaid cause the proceedings of this meeting to be published, if
17
KIND PUBLIC FEELING.
after their interview with his Honor the Mayor they shall deem it advisable.
" ALEX. MCLEOD, Chairman. "J. M. MASON, Secretary."
No further notice was taken of the recommenda- tion of the Common Council above referred to.
We must observe with admiration that amid the holiday season, while all felt the stringency and gloom of the circumstances, the more fortunate were not unmindful of the sick and poor and less fortunate among their fellow-countrymen.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Views of Political Parties --- Effect of Napoleon's Campaign of 1813- Hopes of Peace-Public Feeling-Dinner to Commodore Chaun- cey at Washington Hall-Dinner to Commodore Rodgers at Tammany Hall-Running the Blockade.
HE true situation of the contending na- tions in Europe which resulted from the campaign of 1813, was so little known by the people that it had as yet (Janu- ary, 1814) no perceptible effect either to discourage or encourage the friends and well-wishers of Napoleon in America. They were still hopeful, and believed in his ultimate success.
The Democrats affected to believe, and earnestly proclaimed, that the success or defeat of Napoleon by the allies would have no perceptible effect upon the settlement of the questions with England, upon which the alleged causes of the American war was based.
The Federalists asserted that the overthrow of Napoleon meant for us a speedy peace with Eng- land, and that, with peace in Europe, the questions which it was claimed were the causes of the Ameri- can war would not arise with England, as they would thereby be removed.
The Federal Republican (Baltimore , of January 3, 1814, contained the following :
19)
BAD NEWS FROM EUROPE.
"Nothing decisive will be done by our govern- ment towards an accommodation with Great Britain until Mr. Madison is satisfied that the power of France is at an end. Whenever he is so satisfied, we have no doubt a treaty of amity and commerce will be negotiated with Great Britain. France forced us into this war, and while she is able to ap- ply the force to keep us in it, there is no hope of our getting out of it."
It was not until the authentic intelligence ar- rived of the evacuation of Dresden and the defeat of Napoleon by the allies at the battle of Leipsic, in October, 1813, that it was seen that it resulted in the practical deliverance of Germany from the do- minion of France, and placed the German States among the allies against Napoleon. At the same. time an almost total overthrow of the French domination in Italy took place.
The victories of Wellington in the Peninsula dur- ing the campaign of 1813 were such that Spain was free from the armies of France. Napoleon had has- tened to Paris to prepare to resist the dreaded inva- sion of the allies, and found his people weakened, discouraged, and no longer willing to continue a military life devoid of victory and glory.
Relating to the result of the campaign of 1813 in the European wars, and its effect on Napoleon, Alli- son says : "The vast and splendid fabric of the French Empire had disappeared like a dream ; its external influence, its foreign alliances, had van- ished : the liberated nations of Europe, amid shouts of triumph and songs of congratulation, were crowd- ing in arms to overwhelm its remains."
The thoughtful and intelligent saw that the effect
20
PROSPECTS OF PEACE.
of these important changes in Europe would un- doubtedly cause very marked efforts of the British in the conduct of the war in America, as Great Britain had now become more secure at home, and could divert her large land and naval forces to the American campaign.
The arrival of a British vessel at Annapolis, with a flag of truce, caused great rejoicing, particularly as it was supposed to propose peace or an armistice preliminary thereto. This intelligence did not ar- rive in New York until January 4th.
On January 10th it was reported that the British government had offered to negotiate at Gottenburgh or London direct with American commissioners.
The Columbian said :
"Peace is the order of the day at present. Spec- ulation is flat and almost dead. This morning sugar sold for from $18 to $20 per hundred ; coffee, $20 to $23; lump sugar, $30; h skin tea, $1.50; hyson, $1.37 ; bohea, 96 cents. How long the fit will hold is not possible to know."
Governor Tompkins' message (speech) to the New York Legislature on the 25th of January gave little hope for a suspension of hostilities. It referred to the proposition of the Prince Regent for transferring the place of negotiations to London or Gottenburgh, and said, "It is hoped that the contemplated ne- gotiation may result in the conclusion of an honor- able and lasting peace. But we must consider that pacific conferences are greatly procrastinated by the proposed change of the place of treating. If the late proposition has proceeded from a willing- ness to restore amity, upon principles which may be mutual and consistent with the established maxims
21
HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES.
of public law, the impending conferences will, very probably, eventuate propitiously. But we ought not to permit the hope of that result to lull us into a fatal security, for it may be that we must ultimate- ly depend upon an unanimous, vigorous and success- ful prosecution of the unavoidable contest in which we are involved, for the establishment and security of our just rights."
The state of public feeling made the festivities of. the holiday season less numerous than formerly.
The Common Council did not attempt to give any more public dinners to any of the prominent military and naval officers, as was done the previous season. After that time the dinners and entertainments partook strongly of political party action, in which the Federalists were led by the Washington Benevo- lent Society and their entertainments at Washing- ton Hall. The Democrats were led by Tammany Society, and their entertainments were mostly at Tammany Hall.
Maj .- Gen. Dearborn had taken up his headquar- ters corner of State and Bridge Streets, in a large and commodious house, where he entertained liber- ally and elegantly up to a few days before the com- mencement of the new year. He took his departure for Albany to preside at the court-martial trial of Gen. Hull, which convened on Monday, the 3d of January. The absence of many military officers from New York also had a similar effect. The notable entertainments were confined principally to. naval heroes. In a former chapter is given an ac- count of the dinner to Maj .- Gen. Harrison, which took place at Tammany Hall, on December 1st, and the dinner to Commodore Bainbridge, at Washing-
DINNER TO COMMODORE CHAUNCEY.
ton Hall, on December 8th, and the dinner to Com- modore Perry, at Tammany Hall, on January 11th.
A naval dinner was given to Commodore Chaun- cey at Washington Hall, on the 5th of February. It was without any previous announcement in the newspapers.
The Mercantile Advertiser said the dinner was given on Sunday, 6th ; the Daily Gazette said it was on Saturday ; the Evening Post, the Columbian and the Commercial Advertiser said it was on Friday. The National Advocate did not mention it at all.
Commodore Chauncey was then commander of the United States naval forces on the Lakes Cham- plain, Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, etc. His headquarters were at Sackett's Harbor, on Lake On- tario, where he contemplated active operations in the Spring, and he was on his way there, on his return from Washington, when this dinner was given him in New York.
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