News of the US: Week Three of June 1813
June 15: From the Senate of Massachusetts — “Resolved, as the sense of the Senate of Massachusetts, That, in a war like the present, waged without justifiable cause, and prosecuted in a manner which indicates that conquest and ambition are its real motives, it is not becoming a moral and religious people to express any approbation of military or naval exploits, which are not immediately connected with the defence of our sea-coast and soil.”–National Advocate, June 28, 1813
June 15: From Natchitoches — “We yesterday received very important news from St. Antonio. The Junta of that place tired with the imbecility and tyranny of Bernardo’s government, have sent a deputation to this place to request Toledo to come on and take the command of the army and conduct the revolution in that quarter. Toledo will start in ten or twelve days.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, July 23, 1813
June 15: From Buffaloe –“On Thursday evening last we issued an extra Gazette, announcing the unpleasant intelligence of the capture of generals Winder and Chandler; and now add some further particulars. Our loss in killed and dangerously wounded was between 30 and 40. The enemy lost not less than 200 in killed and badly wounded. Our riflemen may well be termed sharp shooters.”–Aurora, June 26, 1813
June 16: From San Salvador via Boston — “Accounts were received at St. Salvador June 16 that the Essex frigate had been for two months on the coast of Chili, during which she had taken two heavy Lima privateers and treated them as pirates; threw their guns overboard, and sent the men home with a letter stating that if all American property was not given up with damages the capital should be laid in ashes. We are at a loss to conceive how much truth there is in all this; but it leads us to believe the Essex is in the South Sea! About the last of May the crew of a British packet was landed at Cape Frio (Brazil)—who had been taken by an American frigate (the Essex). . . . A ship laden with oil is arrived at Nantucket, 92 days from the coast of Chili. She reports about 15 American ships in the South Sea! Several of them had been detained in Conception Bay, by the Spanish authority at Lima. They are probably the property that Capt. Porter, of the Essex, has demanded the restoration of.”–Missouri Gazette, September 18, 1813
General Jean Victor Moreau
June 16: From Washington — “Mr. Astor has obtained permission of our, and the British governments, to send a ship to Russia, to take out and bring home a cargo, on condition that he takes out General Moreau, who is to have the command of the French prisoners and other French in Russia, which men he is to organize, and join Bernadotte against France.”–New York Gazette, June 22, 1813
June 16: From Natchez — “The country is all a watery waste. The scene is truly melancholy, and it is to be feared the desolation will not end here; much danger is to be apprehended from the stench of putrified carcases and vegetation, and numberless ponds of stagnant water, will infect the air. The embarrassments of many on that side the river are well known.–Now the last hope of the sufferers is swept away, and nothing but poverty and disease stare them in the face.”–Eastern Argus, Maine, August 5, 1813
June 17: In the House of Representatives — “The petition of Ralph M. Pomeroy, praying for compensation for his property [$1600] destroyed by the Baltimore volunteers, in the riot at Buffaloe, was presented and referred to the committee on claims.”–Boston Weekly Messenger,June 15, 1813
June 17: From the London Courier – “There are arguments in our colonial Journals, tending to prove that there exists a necessity for our Government’s taking possession of the province of New Orleans . . . . ‘If Great Britain will only take New Orleans, she will divide the States. By shutting that outlet to the fruits of Western industry, she will make herself known and respected by those States, in spite of the power of the rest of the Union.’”—United States’ Gazette, December 4, 1813
June 17: From St. Francisville, Louisiana — “St. Fernando is the former St. Antonio; the name underwent a change when the destroyer of Europe usurped the throne of Spain, and the nation proclaimed Ferdinand VII, their king. . . . Early in April a detachment of 10 republicans summoned 70 royalists to surrender, saying they were surrounded by Americans; the affrighted soldiers grounded their arms and were marched to La Bahia.”–National Advocate, July 24, 1813
June 18: “Our paper of this day is printed on the anniversary of the first war waged by the United States since the establishment of their independence.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, June 18, 1813
June 18: From Halifax — “Thirteen hundred barrels of flour arrived this day from the U. States, and large quantities are coming daily. . . . Some of the highest of the officers have been heard to say, if the American government had prevented their obtaining supplies from their friends in Boston and other places, the British provinces long before this time would have been in a state of starvation, and that they would have been compelled to surrender at discretion, or sue for peace.–Albany Argus, August 6, 1813
June 18: From San Antonio — “We learn from St. Antonio, that on the 18th June, the royalist col. Helisondo, summoned that town to surrender, at the head of 1500 men. The summons was rejected, and 1000 independents marched out, under the command of major Perry, from Connecticut;–when the royalists ran off and encamped, and Perry returned to town. On the 20th, Perry advanced again and attacked their camp, put them to rout, they leaving their camp, dead, wounded, provisions, &c . . . It is expected the first fruits of this victory will be the passage of the Grand River by 4000 independents, under Gen. Toledo, with 16 pieces of artillery, under Dr. Forsythe.”–Weekly Boston Messenger, August 27, 1813
June 19: From Fort Stoddart — “The postrider has been stopped and robbed of his mail, his horse killed under him, and his hat shot off. . . . The last mail is come back, and will be sent to Tennessee, the three preceding ones are taken by the Indians.”–New York Spectator, August 28, 1813
June 19: From Norfolk — “Commodore Cassin . . . mustered all the gun boats that could be manned . . . and ordered them down to Craney Island on Saturday.–In the afternoon of that day, it was pretty generally understood, that an attack would be made by the gun boats on the enemy’s uppermost frigate . . . anxiety and eager curiosity for the result was depicted in every countenance; every one was impatient to know how Mr. Jefferson’s bull dogs would acquit themselves; and whether the Philosopher’s system would prove upon trial, a monument of his wisdom or folly.”–Raleigh Register, July 2, 1813
June 19: A letter from Capt. George C. Smith, a captive in Algiers: “Capt. Smith informs . . . ‘That the Algerine cruizers were out, and would probably be off Cadiz and Lisbon, in search of American vessels . . . ‘ He adds, ‘Ransom, I believe, is out of the question–These people are all sadly disappointed in their expected plunder of the Americans, which makes them set an immense value on those in their power.”–Salem Gazette, October 1, 1813
June 20: From Fort Meigs — “Two men, one a Frenchman, and the other a private in the late col. Dudley’s regiment, Kentucky militia, have just arrived from Detroit, who state that it had been determined in a council of war to make an attack on fort Meigs; that the force would consist of 4000 Indians and 1500 British regulars under gen. Proctor. Tecumseh was encamped at the River rouge, about 10 miles from Detroit.”–Pittsburgh Mercury, July 8, 1813
June 20: From San Antonio, from one of Bernardo’s officers — “Gen. Bernardo’s family attended him into the field of battle–his Lady kept near the artillery. Bernardo behaved like a hero and did wonders.”–United States Gazette, August 18, 1813
June 20: From the Boston Palladium — “An account has been published of a victory obtained at St. Antonio, on the 20th of June, by the Spanish Revolutionists over the Royalists. The former are stated to have been assisted by TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY AMERICANS; and the whole commanded by a Maj. Perry, of Connecticut. This is published conspicuously in the Intelligencer, and without censure on the Americans . . . if Spaniards, when at peace with us, were to assist in a civil war in this country, then it would be the most infamous and unprincipled conduct ever known.”–American Daily Advertiser, August 23, 1813
June 21: From Chillicothe — “On Monday the 21st instant, General Harrison held a council in Franklington with the chiefs of the Delaware, Shawanoe, Wyandot and Seneca tribes of Indians, to the amount of about 50. The General, in his talk to these chiefs, observed to them that he had been induced to call them together in order to ascertain their real intentions.”–Maryland Gazette, July 15, 1813
June 21: From Milledgeville, Georgia – “An express arrived yesterday, with the news of the war party of Indians rising against those friendly to the U. States. . . . It has been reported here for several days past, that two prophets had risen amongst the upper towns, that were unfriendly to the whites, and had induced the Indians to believe they could perform great miracles.”–United States’ Gazette, July 10, 1813
June 21: From Knoxville — “The volunteers of East Tennessee, who marched to Florida last winter, are respectfully requested to attend at Knoxville on Monday the 5th July, and take part of a barbacue with the citizens of Knoxville and its vicinity.”–Knoxville Gazette, June 21, 1813
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About the Author
Mary Bowden is a researcher working at the Texas Collections Deposit Library at the University of Texas. A little-known but invaluable treasure of U.S. history and the history of American journalism is archived in the collection of bound United States’ Newspapers at the University of Texas at Austin. The collection began more than a century ago and has been stored in recent years in the Texas Collections Deposit Library on the campus of the University of Texas. The sizeable archive is currently in the early stages of being digitized before being moved to a more climate-controlled environment at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus of the University, on the north side of Austin.