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 6
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Under these proposals the amount so offered would take $11,- 106,000 in stock. Of this latter sum, only $10,161,800 in stock could be received.
On the 7th of April the Secretary of the Treasury accepted these offers and took from Mr. Astor $2,056,000 worth of the loan, and from Messrs. Girard and Parish, $7,055,800.
The report of the Acting Secretary of the Treasury (Wm.
72
PLANS FOR OTHER LOANS.
against the Government on his said contract, will be more fully treated of in a subsequent chapter.
Some weeks after the first loan of 1813, and when it appeared that more funds would be required by the Government, a syndicate or association, headed by John Jacob Astor, of New York, David Parish and Stephen Girard, of Philadelphia, and John Mc- Donald, of Baltimore, attempted to negotiate with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of War for the introduction of British goods through Canada to the United States, coupled with a loan of their avails. This negotiation continued up to the end of July, 1814, but nothing ever came out of it. Mr. Barker was not in this scheme, however.
Jones), made to Congress on 2d of June, 1813, did not mention the terms of this loan, nor mention the condition, or in any way refer to its conditions.
Rumors had for some time been afloat that the terms of the loans were such that the Government desired to keep it secret, as it would affect Government credit and prejudice future loans, and also affect the price of Government stock. This action of the Treasury Department caused still further suspicion that all was not right in the transaction.
When the bill came up in July, 1813, to authorize a further loan of $7,500,000, and was under debate in the Senate, Rufus King, from New York, presented the following resolution, which was unanimously passed on July 26th, 1813 :
" Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby requested to cause to be laid before the Senate the terms upon which the loan made in pursuance of 'An Act authorizing a loan for a sum not exceeding sixteen millions of dol- lars,' passed the 8th day of February last, has been obtained or contracted for, together with a copy of such contract."
The letters of Mr. Astor, of New York, and of Messrs. David Parish and Stephen Girard, of Philadelphia, of April 5, 1813, which contained the terms of the offer and the acceptance
73
TREASURY NOTES AS CURRENCY.
Obtaining money by the issue of Treasury notes was more politic, for being issued at par and at a less rate of interest than the stock, it seemed more economical to the Government, and would have been so had the time of their payment been long, or the future prospects of peace and prosperity more assured. The Treasury notes before issued were none of them for less than one hundred dollars, and this hindered their being used in circulation as cur- rency. It was plainly seen that if these notes were made of smaller denomination their use as currency, in the payment of taxes, etc., would greatly facili- tate their ready issue and be more convenient to the community; but to make them a legal tender be- tween individuals for private debts was not to be thought of for a moment. None of these Treasury notes were for less than twenty dollars.
Although it was then difficult to obtain loans on Government security, it was not felt by the people. The large volume of Treasury notes which had been issued up to May, 1814, and were in circulation as currency, made money plenty among the people. These notes were not legal tender for private debts, but this made little difference in their circulation, as they were receivable for all public debts and
thereof by Mr. Gallatin, were laid before the Senate. So well satisfied was Mr. King, and every other member, of the propriety of Mr. Gallatin's conduct, that after the documents had been read not a single word of complaint was uttered in the Senate.
The bill was subsequently passed and became a law on August 2, 1813. The terms of the loans under it proved more favorable to the Government than those last referred to, so that the con- ditions of the former loans amounted to nothing and became null.
74
PLENTY OF PAPER MONEY.
dues and, of course, for subscriptions to Govern- ment stocks, custom duties, taxes, etc. The inter- est on these had not accumulated large enough for people to hold them, particularly those for small sums. Bank bills had rapidly increased in the amount issued by them since the issue of Treasury notes, particularly when it was known that these bank bills would be taken by the Government or the people in exchange for Government stocks and for Treasury notes.
Very few of the substantial banks of the United States would take Treasury notes in exchange for their own notes, or receive them on deposit or for dues to the bank, and many would not handle them in any manner. The only banks in the city of New York that would handle them up to this time were the Manhattan Co. and the Mechanics' Bank. Per- haps it was better that all banks would not take them, for this kept them in circulation and in pri- vate use and among the people.
If prices were high it was no cause of popular concern so long as there was plenty of money at hand to pay them.
At a public sale in New York of a deceased gen- tleman's private stock of wine, in April, it brought the extraordinary price of $25 per gallon ; about seventeen hundred bottles and forty-eight demi- johns were sold at that rate. A few weeks later, among the articles of the cargo of the prize ship Nereid, one lot of wine, consisting of three decant- ers and one dozen tumblers, were sold at auction in New York for $112, another lot for $90, and another for $85.
75
POPULAR FEELINGS.
Valuable and useful cargoes were frequently brought or sent into port as prizes of some of the many American privateers that were swarming on the ocean.
The great mass of the people of New York . did not now seem to be at all anxious about the condi- tion of national affairs. They had become so accus- tomed to the war, with its false promises and fears and experiences, that there was a remarkable apa- thy and blindness about the actual danger. So long as there was no present trouble or privation they gave little thought to the future. The hope of peace had been so long before them that it had become chronic in their feeling-the wish was the father of the thought-and they would refuse to believe any rumor to the contrary. Every intelligence from abroad would be distorted to be an emissary that meant peace. It was otherwise to those in author- ity in the city, State and national councils. They were all anxious for the future.
CHAPTER XXVII.
River and Harbor Navigation About New York-Coasting Trade-British Privateers in the Sound-Commodore Lewis After Them-Reinforcement of the British Squadron- Blockade of All the Ports of the United States-Strength of British and American Navies-Official Inspection of Defences of New York-Major-General Morgan Lewis in Command- Movements of the Enemy."
AVIGATION opened on the Hudson River early in March, and the steam- boats to Albany first commenced to run on the 19th of March. There were three of them to Albany and one to Poughkeepsie. One started for Albany each alternate week day, commencing on Monday, and returned from Albany each alternate day, commenc- ing on Tuesday. One to Poughkeepsie and inter- mediate places, twice a week. Another steamboat to Amboy, N. J., and occasionally another went to Elizabethport, N. J. There was one on the ferry to Hoboken and one on the Paulus Hook (Jersey City) ferry. There was one that went to Brooklyn, but did not run regularly on the ferry from Beekman's Slip (now Fulton Street) to Old Ferry Slip (now foot of Fulton Street), Brooklyn. Her first trip was on May 10th, 1814. The lease for running this steam ferry boat was executed on January 24th, 1814.
THE EMBARGO AND THE COASTING TRADE.
These were all the steamboats that were then run- ning in this part of the United States. Steamboats only carried passengers at that time. The steam ferries carried passengers, teams, etc.
On April 5th the crew of the frigate Macedonian, blockaded at New London, sailed on board sloops on the Hudson River for Albany, on their way to the Lakes. Commodore Rodgers was present when they took their departure from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He was heartily cheered by them.
In April, Commodore Rodgers and the officers and crew of the President were transferred to the Guerriere at Philadelphia. Commodore Decatur, with his officers and crew, were transferred from the United States (then blockaded at New London) to the President in New York harbor.
The trade along Long Island Sound was the least affected by the embargo. The enemy's blockading squadron there kept strict watch for captures. Running the blockade in that direction was hazard- ous.
The removal of the embargo in April naturally had a tendency to immediately revive the coasting trade. This also awakened the alertness of the enemy.
The following item appeared in one of the New York daily papers : " April 5, 1814. Arrived this morning from New London, packets Cordelia, Capt. Taber ; Juno, Capt. Howard ; Mary, Capt. Harris ; Jefferson, Capt. Forsyth ; smack Lookout, from Hempstead, and smack Fox from Groton, in about 24 hours passage. Of the enemy a 74 and a frigate lay off New London, a frigate was at Plumb
.
78
RAID BY THE ENEMY.
Island, and a brig cruising with two small sloops in company. They had sent some barges one day last week over to Long Island near Southold, where firing was heard, and the next morning four small vessels were seen at anchor near the Commodore, having probably been cut out from our coast.
"The naval campaign in the Sound seems to be opening, and the vigilance and activity of the coasters and citizens near the shores will be requi- site to preserve their property from the depredations of the foe."
The small boats of the enemy on Long Island Sound were particularly aggressive and annoying. The 8th of April was designated by the Governor of Connecticut as a day for humiliation, fasting and prayer. On the night of the 7th a number of British barges, containing about two hundred and twenty men, under Lieut. Coote, from the blockading squad- ron, entered the mouth of the Connecticut River and passed up about seven miles and landed at a part of Saybrook, called Pettypaug, at four o'clock in the morning, where they found and destroyed four ships, four brigs, four schooners and nine sloops, owned in New York, Hartford, Middletown and Pettypaug. Many of the vessels were new and valuable. Among the number were two new letter of marque built schooners, These raiders continued their excursion all the next day, which was also Good Friday, as well as the State fast 'day, and passed out of the river Friday evening to escape the militia, which were gathering in large force to attack them.
Commodore Lewis at once made his way from
79
GUNBOAT ENGAGEMENT.
New York City up the Sound with thirteen gun- boats for the protection of the coast trade against the British privateer, called the Liverpool Packet, which was cruising very mischievously all along the Connecticut shore. She fled eastward at Lewis' approach, and when he reached Saybrook he found more than fifty vessels afraid to weigh anchor, for fear of this privateer. Lewis undertook to convoy them with his flotilla to New London. The entire fleet sailed on the 25th of April, and during the afternoon Lewis had a sharp engagement with a British frigate, sloop and tender, but our merchant fleet escaped them and entered the Thames with safety. The blockading squadron was near by, and Lewis determined to attack the blockading squadron with his gunboats. He began by firing hot shot, which set the British vessels on fire, and he soon disabled the sloop which had attacked him while convoying the coasting vessels, and he maimed the frigate also, when night set in and the firing ceased. It was excessively dark and at dawn Lewis saw the enemy towing away the maimed vessel, and several other British frigates made their appearance and Lewis withdrew and returned to New York.
Captain Paget, of the Superb (seventy-four), one of the enemy's vessels cruising off Sandy Hook, sent a flag on shore on April 21st, the professed object of which was to assure Commodore Lewis that no fishermen would be molested by His British Majesty's vessels of war.
As has been before stated, the political and mili- tary affairs of Europe which resulted from the cam-
80
BRITISH OFFER TO
paign of 1813 looked to the downfall of Napoleon, which meant peace there, and would leave England free to carry on the war against America, with all her numerous and well appointed fleets and armies, in a most vigorous manner. This was determined upon by England some time before the result of the campaign of 1813 was even known in America. With this end in view the navy was to be the prin- cipal arm of the British service.
On November 22, 1813, the British Cabinet ap- pointed Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane to succeed Sir John Borlasse Warren as commander at the North American coast ; the Jamaica and Barbadoes stations to be separate commands ; Admiral Brown to continue to hold at Jamaica ; Gen. Ebrington to take the command at Barbadoes , Admiral Durham to succeed Sir Francis Laforey at the Leeward Islands.
Soon after Admiral Cochrane's arrival at Bermu- da, he issued an offer to emigrants from the United States to settle in Canada. The terms were intended as very liberal, but there is no evidence that any citi- zen of New York or of the United States ever was induced by them, even at that troublesome time, to accept them, or ever changed his residence on that account.
The following is a copy of the proclamation :
" Whereas, it has been represented to me that many persons now resident in the United States have expressed a desire to withdraw therefrom, with a view of entering into His Majesty's service, or as being received as free settlers into some of His Majesty's colonies,
81
AMERICAN EMIGRANTS.
" This is therefore to
" Give Notice, that all those who may be disposed to emigrate from the United States will, with their families, be received on board of His Majesty's ships or vessels of war, or at the military posts that may be established upon or near the coast of the United States, where they will have their choice of either entering into His Majesty's sea or land forces, or of being sent as free settlers to the British Possessions in North America or the West Indies, where they will meet with all due encouragement.
"Given under my hand at Bermuda, this 2d day of April, 1814.
" ALEXANDER COCHRANE, " Admiral, etc.
" By command of the Vice-Admiral,
"WILLIAM BALHETCHET."
This proclamation was widely published in the American newspapers and caused much merriment at the time.
If the offer to emigrants from the United States only caused derision, the Admiral had it in his power to issue a proclamation that would awaken them to his sincerity of purpose. Rumors had been afloat that Admiral Warren had issued a proclamation of of blockade of all the United States ports on the Atlantic coast, in February, excepting Boston and Newport.
On the 7th of March a Spanish vessel arrived at Newport, and had the following indorsement on her register :
" Pursuant to an order from Sir J. B. Warren,
82
BLOCKADE OF ALL PORTS.
Admiral of the Blue, and commander-in-chief, etc., etc., these are to certify that I have boarded the Spanish brig St. Pio, and warned of all the ports in the United States of America being under a state of blockade, except Newport and Boston. Given under my hand on board H. M. ship Narcisssus, off the Delaware, March 2, 1814.
"J. R. LUMLEY, Capt."
This notification was without foundation in fact. It is probable that Captain Lumley thought that the blockade of November 16th covered as much as his. notice indicated. 3 In America it was thought to be another blockade. On May 7th authentic in- telligence arrived that Admiral Cochrane had issued a proclamation of strict and rigorous blockade of all the remaining ports, harbors, etc., in the United States which the blockade by Admiral Warren, dated November 16, 1813, had not included, and those were still continued in a state of blockade.
The proclamation continued : "And, whereas, since the institution of the said blockade, the enemy, availing himself of the supplies which have been furnished by means of neutral communication to those ports and places of the United States which were left open and unrestricted, hath already fitted out numerous vessels of war, and is now engaged in constructing and setting forth several ships of the line, as well as frigates and other armed vessels, for the purpose of prosecuting the war with Great Britain, and frustrating the object of the said block- ade, etc.
"In addition to the said ports and places block-
83
BRITISHI NAVY AT SEA.
aded as aforesaid, all the remainining ports, har- bors, bays, creeks, rivers, inlets, outlets, islands, and sea coasts of the said United States of America, from the point of land commonly called Black Point* then to the northern and eastern boundaries between the United States and the British provinces of New Brunswick, in America, to be in a strict and rigor- ous blockade.
" And I do further declare that I have stationed off the said ports and places hereinbefore mentioned, a naval force adequate to maintain the said blockade in the most rigorous and effective manner."
It was issued from Bermuda, and dated April 25, 1814.
This was the final order of blockade, which with those already issued, officially blockaded the entire sea coast, bays, ports, etc., of the United States. This order of blockade had been issued without any knowledge by the Admiral of the state of affairs that had taken place in Europe in the early part of 1814. The repeal of our embargo laws undoubtedly had something to do with it, and the knowledge of the fitting out of three war vessels from the navy yards in Portsmouth, N. H., and Charlestown, Mass., may have had some effect.
On June 3d the British navy at sea was as fol- lows : Ships of the line, 38 (from forty-four to fifty guns, 9): frigates, 124 ; sloops, etc., 93 ; bombs 9; and fire ships, 7; brigs, 127 ; cutters, 28 ; schoon- ers, etc., 41. Total, 467. This force was disengaged
* Three miles south of Narragansett Pier.
84
,STRENGTH OF AMERICAN NAVY.
and could be at once brought to bear upon the United States, and added to the force already there.
In November, 1813, the enemy had seventy-one war vessels at Halifax and Newfoundland stations, and in South America twenty-eight, and at the West India station, and on the passage there sixty- eight more. Total, 167. The number on blockade duty on the American coast was not reported. Two of fifty guns each were fitted out for the American service in November and December, 1813, and four of forty guns each were fitted out the fore part of the year 1814, and were already on our coast.
The American naval force then on the Atlantic stations, as appears by an official report in March, consisted of thirty-three vessels, exclusive of gun- boats, as follows : 3 seventy-fours, building; 3 forty-fours, building ; 3 forty-fours, on different stations ; 3 thirty-sixes ; 1 thirty two, cruising ; 2 twenty-fours, corvettes ; S sloops, of eighteen guns each ; ลก sloops, of sixteen guns each; 2 brigs, of fourteen guns each ; 2 schooners, of fourteen guns each : 1 bomb brig.
Only twenty-seven of the above were in actual ser- vice. There were 120 gunboats in the several ports on the Atlantic coast and bays, and 32 barges equipped, and 59 barges building, and eleven armed vessels attached to stations and flotillas.
A large number of British vessels were still en- gaged in the blockade of French ports. The allies of Great Britain in the war against Napoleon would not allow their war vessels to take the place of those of the British navy, the effect of which would be to allow the latter to use them in blockading American
85
STRENGTHI OF BRITISH NAVY.
ports, and thus prevent trade with nations that were neutral in the American war. They also required their own war vessels (which were few in number) for the purpose of protecting their own coasts from incursions of the French.
The British naval force, which was officially re- ported two months later, consisted of 981 vessels, as follows : At sea-85 ships of the line, eleven of forty- four guns ; 115 frigates, 84 sloops, 5 yachts, 6 bombs, 12$ brigs, 17 cutters, 33 schooners, gun vessels, luggers, etc. Total at sea, 484. In port and fitting- 37 of the line, five of forty-four guns, 20 frigates, 28 sloops, etc., 2 bombs, 128 brigs, 9 cutters, 14 schooners. Total. 163. Guard ships-4 of the line, 4 of fifty guns each, 3 frigates, 5 sloops. Total, 16. Hospital ships, prison ships, etc .- 29 of the line, 2 of fifty guns each, 2 sloops. Total, 33. Ordinary and repairing for service-73 of the line, 10 from forty-four to fifty guns each, 79 frigates, 49 sloops, etc. ; 4 bombs, etc. : 15 brigs, 1 cutter : 1 schooner, etc. Total, 225. Building-23 of the line, 4 of forty-eight guns, 9 frigates, 17 sloops, etc .; 2 brigs. Total, 55. This did not include those on the American lakes, nor a large number of private armed vessels that were hired to protect the coasting trade of Great Britain and her possessions.
At the time of the declaration of the American war, the French navy were as follows : 8 frigates, of one hundred and twenty guns each ; 6 frig- ates of eighty guns each : 69 frigates of seventy- four guns each ; 72 frigates averaging forty guns each. Total vessels, 155 ; carrying 9,425 guns.
This navy had become a wreck. It could no.
86
NEUTRAL NATIONS OBJECT.
longer help us by drawing British war vessels away from America. Hopeful and far-seeing American statesmen believed that this comprehensive blockade order would be objected to by neutral nations, as they were all jealous of the great naval power of Great Britain. The extent of the vast line of the blockade and the force necessary to hold it (paper blockades had ceased to be regarded as valid), and the distant countries that it would affect would cause some action against it on the part of neutral nations. Many neutral vessels were seized during the spring and summer of 1814 that had clearances for American ports on the New England coast, and were taken to Halifax, and at the protest of the nations to which they belonged they were held until further directions were obtained regarding them. This hope was fulfilled, and special action was taken about it.
The Boston Palladium of 29th October, 1814, said : "It was reported a few days since that several of the neutral nations of Europe had complained to the British government of the extent of the blockade of the ports of the United States. And yesterday it was reported that an order had been received at Halifax permitting the neutral vessels which had been sent in there and not adjudicated, to sail for their original ports of destination in the United States, not known to them to be blockaded at the time they commenced their voyages, and to return with cargoes.
" No doubt there has been a negotiation in Eng- land on the subject of neutral vessels turned off from ports not known by them to be blockaded when they sailed, and the above is possibly the result. To
87
SKIRMISH AT SANDY HOOK.
take a return cargo under such circumstances would be among their rights.
" A considerable number of neutrals have been waiting at Halifax the issue of the despatches sent to England."
This blockade did not have any appreciable effect upon the port of New York, as most of her trading points had been covered by the previous blockades, but it caused much apprehension of the prospects for a more vigorous prosecution of the war on the part of the enemy. In the fore part of May, Gen. Dearborn and Gen. Swift, of the corps of engineers, examined all the defences of New York harbor, completing the inspection on the 17th of May. The enemy was quite active in the vicinity of New York and elsewhere on the coast.
A letter from Commodore Lewis, commanding the United States flotilla of gunboats at New York, to the Secretary of the Navy, gives an account of gunboat skirmishes.
"NEW YORK HARBOR, May 29, 1814.
"SIR :- I have the honor to inform you that on the 19th I discovered the enemy in pursuit of a brig under American colors standing for Sandy Hook. I ordered a detachment of eleven gunboats to pro- ceed to sea and pass between the chase and the enemy, by which means to bring him to action and to give opportunity to the chase to escape, all which was effected. The enemy, after receiving my fire, bore away, and the brig in question entered the har- bor -- proved to be the brig Regent, from France, with a very valuable cargo.
88
SKIRMISH IN THE SOUND.
"And on Monday the 23d, I engaged the enemy before New London, and opened a passage for forty sail of coasting vessels. The action lasted three hours, in which the flotilla suffered very little. No. 6 received a shot under water, and others through the sails. We have reason to believe that the enemy suffered very great injury, as he appeared unwilling to renew the action the following morn- ing. My object was accomplished, which was to force a passage for the convoy. There are before New London three 74s, four frigates, and several small vessels; the latter doing great injury from their disguised character and superior sailing.
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