News of the US: Week Three of August 1812
August 15: From Chillicothe — “on the night of the 15th inst. Capt. Brush of this place, whose force is 140 men, under his immediate command, and about 300 militia received a summons from capt. Elliot of the British, to surrender his fortress on Rezin river; that Brush required till 10 o’clock to give an answer, in which tie under cover of night, his whole force dispersed themselves, making the best of their way to Urbana, five of whom had reached that place, and whom capt. Sheppard, the express, conversed with.”–Plattsburgh Republican, September 11, 1812
August 15: From Chillicothe – “Our troops have taken two British vessels, a few days since at Detroit, passing from Michilimackinac to Malden with American prisoners taken at the former place: this was a fortunate thing for our poor fellows on board.”—Raleigh Register, September 4, 1812
August 15: Massacre at Fort Dearborn [Chicago] — “the commandant at Fort Chicago captain Heald, was ordered by Gen. Hull to evacuate the Fort and proceed with his command to Detroit–that having proceeded about a mile and a half the troops were attacked by a body of Indians, to whom they were compelled to capitulate. . . . The officers who were killed on the 15th of Aug. had their heads cut off and their hearts taken out and broiled in the presence of the prisoners.”–Plattsburgh Republican, May 21, 1814
August 16: Letter from a merchant who was at Detroit on August 16 “on which day the fort and the whole of the army surrendered to the British” — “I should give you a much better detail of the proceedings at Detroit, but that you will receive it from a higher authority–I will however, in a few words, give you my opinion of Hull, and that is, he is either a traitor or a great coward, as we had three men to the enemy’s one. This disaster leaves all this frontier exposed to the savages, and I pray God Almighty to have mercy on the poor inhabitants.”–Weekly Aurora, September 22, 1812
August 16: From Natchitoches — “It is reported that the Revolutionary Chief, Ryan, has got possession of the city of Mexico, where he had convoked a Congress and had been elected Chief Magistrate of course. Gen. Adair is spoken of as commander of the volunteers from the States! But says he will not act unless authorised by government. Col. Magee, late of the U. S. Army, crossed the Sabine, and took Nacogdoches. It is a singular Spanish Revolution, in which the will of the majority is so uncertain as to require American aid to decide it! Our accounts are to Aug 16.”– Charleston City Gazette, October 10, 1812
August 16: From Kentucky — “Fifteen hundred volunteers and 200 regulars rendezvoused at Georgetown, (Kentucky) on the 16th of August, for the purpose of marching to the scene of war. They were reviewed by Governor Scott, brigadier-general Payne, and brigadier gen. Winchester in the presence of 20,000 spectators . . . . Amid this vast concourse of soldiers and citizens the Hon. Mr. Clay, the favorite son of Kentucky, rose and delivered an appropriate and eloquent address.”–Plattsburgh Republican, September 18, 1812
August 17: From Washington — “Several gentlemen from Washington concur in stating that on Friday last a letter was received from a son of the Postmaster-General, who resides at an Indian Factory on Lake Erie, stating that he had received information that GEN’L HULL AND THE WHOLE OF HIS ARMY HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH, on or about the 17th instant, without firing a gun!”==Raleigh Register, September 4, 1812
August 17: From the Niagara Bee — “Gen. Brock was to embark on the 17th in the evening, & gen. Hull and the colors of the 4th U. S. regiment accompany him.”–Maryland Gazette, September 10, 1812
August 17: From Halifax — “The man who fell overboard from the privateer Alfred, (when her topmasts went) was swallowed by a shark, just before a boat reached him.” –Richmond Enquirer,Sept 8, 1812
August 18: “Thirty-seven prizes have been sent into Salem, Gloucester, and Marblehead, since war commenced.”–National Intelligencer, August 18, 1812
August 18 — From New York — “The Hulk purchased by His Excellency the Governor, for the purpose of affording the Artillery an opportunity of practising in firing, was yesterday anchored in the Bay, about 1000 yards from the shore, and equidistant from Castle Williams and the Battery. . . . The firing continued about 2 hours, when the vessel was perceived to be on fire, occasioned, it is presumed, by the red hot shot fired by Col. Curtenius’ regiment . . . .”–New York Herald, August 19, 1812
August 18: From Kentucky — “Three regiments of Kentucky militia and volunteers, amounting to about 1500 men, and also four hundred regulars, were ordered to rendezvous at Newport, near the Ohio, on the 18th inst. and thence immediately march to the headquarters of Gen. Hull in Canada.”–Boston Patriot, August 29, 1812
August 19: “At New Orleans on the night of the 19th ult. about 10 o’clock, a gale commenced occasionally accompanied with rain and hail, which continued with most dreadful violence for upwards of four hours, such as we have never witnessed neither do we believe the imagination can picture to itself a scene more truly awful and distressing, than that which its consequences present.”–Raleigh Register, September 25, 1812
August 19: From Albany — “His Excellency Gov. Tompkins, under an order of the 19th inst. has required the following uniform companies of militia to rendezvous on the 27th inst. and to proceed immediately for the port of New-York, and continue on duty for ninety days.–This order states, that ‘the withdrawal of the greatest part of the regular troops of the United States from the harbour of New York, has produced an emergency in which it is proper for the commander in chief to call into service, any portion of the militia of the state, according to the provisions of the militia law of that state.”–New York Spectator, August 29, 1812
August 20: This third Thursday in August, proclaimed by the President of the United States “to be observed as a day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.”==Raleigh Register, July 31, 1812
August 20: From Boston–“The Boston Patriot informs us, that the Rev. Mr. Gardner, Rector of Trinity Church, in that town, delivered on the late Fast-Day an inflammatory and seditious harangue, in which he openly advocated A DISSOLUTION OF THE UNION.”–RaleighRegister, September 11, 1812
August 20: Excerpt from the sermon preached by the Rev. Mr. Channing — “On political subjects, there is less regard to truth, more of false coloring and exaggeration, than on any other. The influence of the press is very much diminished by its gross and frequent misrepresentations.”– Boston Weekly Messenger, September 11, 1812
August 21: From Charleston — “On Friday night last, some villain or villains spiked the guns belonging to the beautiful new privateer schooner ‘Saucy Jack,’ as they lay on the wharf.”–Raleigh Register, August 28, 1812
August 21: From Detroit — Publication by Col. Henry Proctor of “British regulations of the Civil Government of the Territory of Michigan.”–Connecticut Mirror, October 5, 1812
August 21: From the Philadelphia Aurora – “General Dearborn has an elegant embroidered coat making here, which is expected to cost 4 or 500 dollars.” Editorial comment on the above quotation – “We rejoice to learn that the commander in chief, in changing his habits, does not mean to turn coat.”—United States’ Gazette, August 24, 1812