USA > New York > New York City > The Memorial History of the City of New York: From Its First Settlement to the Year 1892, Volume III > Part 30
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This total annihilation of the British army west of Ontario, added to the victory on Lake Erie, by which all that Hull surrendered was recov- ered and the honor of the flag restored, was hailed with delight every- where. Not the least of its consequences was the total breaking up of the Indian confederacy of the Northwest, desertion of their British allies, and kinder feelings to the Americans because of their humane treatment by Harrison. In New-York, on October 23, the new City Hall was splendidly illuminated, as also Tammany, Washington, and Mechanics' Halls, the theater, and numerous private residences. On one of the windows of the City Hall was a transparency with "Don't give up the Ship." In front of Tammany were a portrait of Harrison receiving hostages from the Indians and a representation of the battle of Lake Erie. The expedition for which Harrison's troops were em- barked on their return by Commodore Perry was intended against the British at Burlington Heights, on the west side of Lake Ontario,
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but the purposes of the war department changing, they were moved in November to Sackett's Harbor, after which General Harrison joined his family at Cincinnati.
The military operations of 1813 were not to close without a bitter disappointment to the country and fresh alarm to the State of New- York. General Armstrong, a veteran of the Revolution and at the time secretary of war, planned in February, 1813, a campaign for the conquest of Lower Canada by the capture of Montreal. The northern army was in two wings: the left at Sackett's Harbor, under command of General James Wilkinson, a Revolutionary officer who had seen much service; the right at Plattsburg, under command of Gen- eral Wade Hampton. Wilkinson, an old personal friend and compan- ion in arms of Secretary Armstrong, was to lead the invading force, and Hampton was expected to support the movement. Unfortunately there was no good feeling between the commanders, Hampton main- taining that his was an independent command. The consequences were naturally disastrous.
Wilkinson, assembling the troops from Fort George on the Nia- gara, gathered his forces at Grenadier Island, near the outlet of the lake into the St. Lawrence. Hampton was to march to the north- ward and join forces with him at the mouth of the Chateaugay, when together they were to move on Montreal. On October 5 Wilkinson moved his force down the St. Lawrence. The line of boats was five miles long. The British batteries at Prescott were run by night, but others being met with posted along the bank, Colonel Macomb, with a picked corps, supported by Forsyth's riflemen, the cavalry, and General Brown's brigade, crossed the river to clear the bank. They were constantly engaged. Soon the Americans' rear was dis- turbed by a force from Kingston which Commodore Chauncey had failed to prevent leaving that harbor. On the 10th the expedition reached the Long Rapid, where it was disembarked. The British con- centration was now complete in the rear, and was supported by gun- boats. A battle was inevitable. General Wilkinson being too ill to leave his bed, General Boyd took command. The British advance was attacked and routed by General Robert Swartwout's brigade, which then fell on the British right, and General Leonard Covington on the British left. The day was raw; the ground, rough and heavy, was fought over back and forth. General Covington fell, mortally wounded. After an engagement of two hours the American reserves were brought up, and the British making no further demonstration, the Americans retired to their boats.
Although not a defeat, this affair, which is called the battle of Wil- liamsburg or Chrystler's Field, was not a victory. On this field Lieu- tenant William J. Worth, later a hero of the Mexican war, was
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distinguished. Without further regard to the danger to his rear, Wil- kinson resumed his movements and passed down the Grand Rapids. At Cornwall he received despatches from General Hampton with word from that officer that he would not join the expedition or take any further part in the invasion of Canada. Hampton had been ignominiously repulsed in a forward movement down the Chateau- gay. On receipt of these despatches, it was decided by Wilkinson in a council of war to ascend Salmon River and go into winter quar- ters. This ended the elaborate but ill-judged campaign.
The British general Gordon Drummond took immediate advantage of the situation which the weakening of the force in Fort George and in the Niagara River afforded him. Recalling the troops which Wilkinson's stoppage of opera- tions released, he moved on Fort George, which the American gen- eral McClure immediately aban- doned, firing the village of New- ark on his retreat. The term of the militia had expired on Decem- ber 9, and McClure's force was reduced to sixty men. Drum- mond, taking possession of the but partially destroyed village, where he found tents, artillery, and abundant ammunition un- injured, on the night of Decem- ber 18 crossed the Niagara River, surprised Fort Niagara, marching WASHINGTON'S CHAIR.1 in through the open gate, and bayoneted the garrison in their sleep. The same day the British general Phineas Riall came from Queens- town to Lewiston, which he sacked and burned; the savages commit- ting their usual atrocities. From Lewiston Riall marched through the villages of Youngstown, Tuscarora, and Manchester (now Niagara Falls), all of which he destroyed, driving the inhabitants houseless into the woods in the cold, inclement season. Checked, however, by the destruction of the bridge over Tonawanda Creek, Riall retraced his march and crossed back to Canada.
General Amos Hall, of the New-York militia, hurried to Buffalo, which was in wild alarm. A force gathered of about two thousand men, but partly armed and almost undisciplined. On December 29 General Riall, sent over by Drummond, attacked the American camp
1 This chair was used by Washington on the occasion of his inauguration, in New-York, as President of the United States. EDITOR.
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with a body of regulars and Indians. General Hall's militia fought well, but, their center being broken, became disheartened and could not be rallied even to defend the village and bring away the women and children. Lieutenant David Riddle, of the United States regu- lars, with eighty men, being refused aid by Hall, redeemed the honor of the United States army by going in unsupported and saving the arsenal stores. Buffalo and Black Rock were sacked and burned, and the inhabitants massacred without mercy. The gains of the year were all lost save the Territory of Michigan, which Harrison had retrieved at the battle of the Thames. The cost of these northern campaigns was enormous. "It was estimated that the conveyance of each cannon to Sackett's Harbor had cost a thousand dollars. The flour for Harrison's army, by the time it reached the troops, had cost a hundred dollars a barrel." This is not surprising when it is remembered that through the vast unsettled country of New- York and Ohio the supplies were all carried on packhorses, while the forage to feed them was carried on other horses.
The year 1813 was, in its history, as checkered on the ocean as on the land. It could hardly be expected that the career of triumph of 1812 would be continued without interruption. One of its disasters came home to the hearts of the people of New-York. Captain Law- rence, on his return from his dashing cruise in the Hornet, which he made by Holmes' Hole and through Long Island Sound to New- York without meeting an enemy, was transferred to the frigate Ches- apeake. This vessel had just returned from a long cruise, and was lying in Boston harbor, where the blockade was but loosely main- tained, the President and Congress having both gotten an offing without interference; and it seemed as though the officers of the British frigates Shannon, 38, and Tenedos, 38, which were on the station, did not desire a meeting. When the Chesapeake was ready to sail, however, the Shannon, Captain Broke, appeared in the off- ing. He had that day sent a challenge to Captain Lawrence to meet him at some latitude and longitude to be agreed upon,-a mes- sage which Lawrence did not receive, else he might have fought un- der other conditions. On the forenoon of June 1, 1813, the Shannon appeared in the bay. The Chesapeake was then lying in President Roads. Her crew was somewhat disaffected because of unpaid prize- money. At noon she lifted anchor and stood out. Lawrence, be- cause of the state of his crew, to whom he was a stranger, having joined his ship only a few days before, reluctantly ordered his decks cleared for action. As the first gun was fired the excitement in Boston was intense, the population of the city thronging to the housetops.1
1 The mother of the writer of these pages, then a girl of fourteen, related to him that from the roof of her father's house on Fort Hill she heard the guns and saw the smoke of the action.
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After a short and sanguinary conflict, which closed with the boarders of the Shannon passing through the Chesapeake from stern to fore- castle without serious resistance,- Lawrence having fallen mortally wounded at the critical moment when the ships fouled, and all his officers being incapacitated,-the Chesapeake surrendered. The last orders of Lawrence as he was carried below, shot a second time and through the body, were "Tell the men to fire faster and not give up the ship. Fight her till she sinks." As soon as the action was over both ships made sail for Halifax. Cap- tain Lawrence died of his wounds on June 6. His lieutenant, Ludlow, also died of his wounds, a few days later.
The withdrawal of the British cruisers from the blockade of Boston harbor, while New-York and the Chesapeake were so effectually closed that it was impossible even for the frigates to get out, excited an uneasy and jealous feeling in these ports. In December, 1813, President Madison informing Congress that a con- traband trade was carried on at Boston and that the British frigates when off the coast had been supplied from the shore, a fresh embargo was laid on the exportation Henry Rodgers of goods of any character, produce, live- stock, and specie. The balance of the naval account for the year 1813 was, however, greatly to the credit of the United States. The Ameri- cans had taken twenty-six British men-of-war of five hundred and sixty guns. The British had taken seven American men-of-war of one hundred and nineteen guns.
But few British ships of war were on the northern Atlantic coast in 1812, but in January, 1813, an English squadron, under Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, was reported off Sandy Hook. The United States flotilla of gunboats, under command of Commodore Jacob Lewis, was unable to get from the station on the East River to the lower bay because of the ice. On January 22 the enemy's ships were seen off the lighthouse at Sandy Hook, and the city was in alarm. The forts were ready, except the new construction not yet finished. The volunteer regiments accepted by the government for defense of the harbor and city were enlisted for one year for that service only. There were several independent companies: one of infantry, the "Iron Grays,"1 of seventy men, commanded by Captain Samuel Swart-
1 Among the last survivors of this much-ad- mired and fashionable corps were Fitz-Greene Hal- leck,-who celebrated it in song,- Gouverneur S.
Bibby, Stephen Cambreling, Dr. Edward Delafield, Hickson W. Field, James W. Gerard, and General Charles W. Sandford. EDITOR.
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wout; one of cavalry, the New-York Hussars, commanded by Cap- tain William Craig. In these companies were enrolled many promi- nent citizens. On March 13 a veteran corps of artillery was organized under Captain John McLean. A marine corps was formed by the shipmasters and mariners. On March 15, by Governor Tompkins's report, there were about thirty-five thousand troops in actual service. He stated that twelve thousand men were needed for a defense of the city and harbor.
On March 20 signals announced the approach of a fleet of ships. The batteries were manned, the flotilla ready for sailing, and the new fort at Sandy Hook, with some heavy guns mounted, was in charge of five hundred Jersey Blues who encamped near by. The vessels proved to be merchant- men. The Sea Fencibles, com- posed of mariners, sailors and boatmen, commanded by Cap- tain Lewis, with the nominal title of commodore, by the spring of 1813 had increased to one thousand men. General Arm- strong, who from August, 1812, had commanded in New-York, was appointed secretary of war January 13, 1813. The com- TOMB OF CAPTAIN LAWRENCE. mand then fell to Colonel Bur- beck of the United States Artillery. He was an able officer of the Revolution from the beginning to the close, and had later seen service on the western frontier. In February the recruiting service of the United States in New-York city was placed under the direction of Col- onel Jonas Simonds and Colonel Macomb, who was later transferred to frontier service in the Niagara district. Colonel Simonds commanded the Sixth United States Infantry, Colonel Macomb the Third United States Artillery. Many of their officers were of New-York. On March 20, General George Izard of South Carolina was assigned by President Madison to the command of New-York city, and made his headquarters at Castle Clinton, later Castle Garden. Breastworks were erected on the water-line about the Battery Parade. There was at this time a public garden in the Battery Park. State street and the lower end of Broadway were the site of fine private residences. In February, 1813, De Witt Clinton was reappointed mayor of the city by the council of appointment, which was then Federalist. Clin- ton's leanings were in that direction, but both parties, Federalists and Republicans, were content with his management of public affairs.
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The disastrous result of the Russian campaign freeing a large number of British ships from the continental service, the enforcement of the blockade of the United States became closer, and fears of in- vasion were entertained at all of the large seaports. The fortifica- tions about New-York were strengthened in May. At the close of the month the British blockading vessels were ordered to admit no more neutral or licensed trading vessels by the passage of Long Island Sound. On May 24, Alderman Fish, from the committee on defense, presented a draft of a memorial to the general government inviting their attention to the inadequate number of United States troops in the forts. The memorial was adopted, and Alderman Mesier and Assistant Alderman King were appointed a committee to present it to the president and Congress. It read as follows:
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States.
The Common Council of the City of New-York, in behalf of the people of the city, most respectfully represent that having made application to different constituted authorities for the protection of this city, and still finding it in a very critical and exposed situation, they consider it their solemn and indispensable duty to make this representation as the last resort to the constitutional guardians of the common defence and general welfare. When the Constitution of the United States guarantees each State against invasion it undoubtedly declares that all the means or the . powers of the National Government shall be used for the purpose of defence. In calling upon the Senate and House of Representatives to perform the guarantee en- joined by the federal compact we wish to be explicitly understood that we solicit no partial indulgence or particular favor.
The great portion of the revenue which is collected in this city; the valuable com- merce which is here carried on; the immense wealth which is here accumulated, and the extensive and severe distress which might be produced in this part of the Union, must render it an object of the first importance to the policy as well as the cupidity of the enemy to make a successful attack upon this place, and when it is consid- ered that hostile ships of war are at this moment cruising within twenty-five miles of this city and that with a favorable wind ships of the line can come up to our wharves in two hours from the ocean, it must be admitted that there is as great if not greater reason to apprehend danger here than at those places on the waters of the Delaware and Chesapeake which have been menaced by the approach of the enemy.
With full confidence in the commanding officer assigned to this place, and without the most distant intention of criminating any branch of the government, we still deem it our duty to state in the most explicit manner that we are now in a more dangerous situation than we have been in for a number of years. The number of men stationed in the different forts is wholly inadequate, and no call has been made on the Militia to supply the deficiency. In this last respect we are peculiarly situated, for while less exposed places in other parts of the United States are garrisoned at the expense of the United States, we are deprived of this mode of defence; and while we readily admit that large expenditures have been made for the erection of fortifications in this port, yet we are at the same time constrained to state that the important works at Hendrick's Reef, on the adjoining heights of Long Island, at Sandy Hook, at the Battery on this island, and at Fort Gansevoort are in a very imperfect state; and the pass to this City by the Sound is entirely undefended, and it is well understood that a VOL. III .- 18.
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ship of the line can approach us in that direction with very inconsiderable risk as to the navigation.
To enter into a more detailed account of our situation would be unnecessary and perhaps improper, but as we consider the object of this memorial of the highest im- portance to the prosperity of this City and the extensive Country with which it is con- nected by commerce and the ties of mutual interests, we have authorized a committee of this board to repair with it to the seat of government, and to make such other re- spectful representations as the emergency of the case and our very critical situation imperiously require, and they will be specially chargeable to state to your honorable body that every measure in the power of your memorialists will be promptly adopted to promote the means of defence presented by the General Government, and we are fully persuaded that our fellow citizens will also cheerfully and unanimously cooperate.
The new Congress met on this day (May 24). New-York was represented by Egbert Benson and Jotham Post, Jr., both Federal- ists. The platform on which they were elected was "Liberty, Peace and Commerce." The State was represented in the Senate by Rufus King and Obadiah German. Governor Tomp- kins was reëlect- GILLUM ed for three years in April, and on May 31, without waiting for action by Congress, he, JAY'S GOLD SNUFF-BOX.1 by general orders, directed all commanders of brigades to fix places of rendezvous in case of invasion, and report to General Stewart, whose orders were to be "implicitly obeyed by all militia officers within the southern district." In consequence there was an immediate thorough organ- ization of the several commands, and regulations were devised and published to meet all probable contingencies.
All parties celebrated the Fourth of July, but there was little har- mony on the occasion. The 4th falling on Sunday, the celebration was held on Monday, the 5th. General Morton's brigade, and Major James Horner's squadron of cavalry paraded early in the day, inde- pendently. Marching to the Parade on the Battery, they were there dismissed. The Tammany Society, or Columbian Order, was active in its demonstration, but the numbers were reported as small. They had abandoned their old badges and wore no buck-tails on their hats.
1 The gold snuff-box presented by the corporation of the city of New-York to the Hon. John Jay. is now the property of his grandson John C. Jay, Esq. EDITOR.
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The atrocities of the Indians on the frontier made it politic for them to discard the Indian costume which they usually wore on this day. The Federalist organizations, the Washington, Benevolent, and Hamilton societies, were in full force. The Veteran Corps of Artillery wore badges of mourning on their swords in respect to the memory of General Pike and Captain Lawrence, the latest victims of the war. This was the only military body which took part in either of the civic processions. It marched with Tammany at the call of Captain McLean. Both celebrations ended with a grand dinner. The Federals dined at Washington Hall, where about three thousand people were assembled. The Rev. Dr. John Mason of the Presbyterian Church opened the proceedings with prayer, and the address was by Gouver- neur Morris, Federalist in tone but thoroughly patriotic in spirit.
The first notice of the declaration of blockade came from Thomas Barclay, late British consul, now British agent for the exchange of prisoners. On July 2 he notified John G. Bogert, the Russian vice- consul, of the proclamation of Admiral Warren, in accordance with the Regent's orders of May 26, declaring the "ports of New-York, Charleston, Port Royal, Savannah and the River Mississippi to be in a state of strict and vigorous blockade; and that the blockade will be enforced by his Majesty's ships of war in Long Island Sound, off Sandy Hook, and elsewhere." At the end of July the British had on our coast eighty vessels of war. Robert Fulton had invented tor- pedoes for the destruction of vessels, and Congress had in March authorized the payment of the value of any English vessel thus de- stroyed by individuals not in the United States service. In June a schooner, the Eagle, was fitted out with explosives of another char- acter. Sailing up the Sound, she was designedly allowed to fall into the hands of the boats of the British frigate Ramillies, and being brought alongside the man-of-war, blew up, killing an officer and ten men. Sir Thomas Hardy, commander of the Ramillies, was indig- nant, and threatened dire vengeance against every American vessel that should fall into his hands. Repeated attempts to destroy the Ramillies kept the Commodore in constant motion, and in August he threatened to fire the towns on the coast of the Sound. There was a constant petty trade going on with the British ships off Gardiner's Bay blockading New London, by which they were supplied with fresh provisions: an abuse which caused the secretary of the navy to issue a stringent order on July 20.
In view of the many disasters of the campaign, President Madison, in August, designated September 9 as a day of "humiliation, fasting and prayer." In accordance with the proclamation, the common council requested the citizens to desist from labor and business on that day. The day preceding, the mayor and common council went
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in a small boat to review the flotilla of gunboats under Commodore William Lewis, stationed at Spermaceti Cove, below Sandy Hook, and to inspect the fortifications. While the review was in progress news came that the British ships were approaching New-York by way of the Sound, and a frigate and sloop of war had anchored off Rye Neck, ten miles east of New Rochelle. The flotilla instantly em- barked their field-pieces and, twenty-six in number, stood up the bay. Passing through Hell Gate in the night, they came within range of the nearest British frigate about noon. The man-of-war sailed toward the flotilla and fired a number of shots. The range was too long for the artillery of the gunboats to do any execution. The British then stood away to the eastward, and the flotilla returned to Sandy Hook.
On the morning of September 13, the bodies of Lawrence and Lud- low arrived at Harlem overland from Salem. They were taken by water and placed on board the Alert, lying off the navy-yard. The colors in the harbor were all displayed at half-mast. The common council, on the 14th, ordered a funeral procession, the details of which were announced in the newspapers in black-bordered columns. The original route was designated to be from the Battery through State, Whitehall, Pearl, and Wall streets to Trinity Church; but in view of the great number of societies who applied for place in line, the route was changed to be from the Battery through Greenwich street to Chambers street and Broadway to Trinity Church. The line was formed at ten o'clock in the morning, but, says the "Columbian" (the evening paper), "so unusual was the concourse which assembled to pay the last public tribute of respect to our gallant countrymen and follow their remains to their final repose, that the solemn duties were not yet performed nor the line of march completed when our paper went to press." Twenty to thirty thousand people are said to have gathered along the line of march, the weather being exceptionally fine. The burial services were conducted by Bishop John Henry Hobart. Among the marines in the procession were part of the crew of the Hornet when the Peacock struck to Lawrence. The proces- sion was estimated to have included six thousand persons marching four abreast. On this sad occasion the rival Federalist and Republican societies hushed their discords.
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