News of the US: Week Two of June 1813
June 8: From New York — “Seventeen ships have arrived at Quebec from Cork with from 4 to 6000 troops–a part of the troops passed Prescott yesterday, the residue are said to be coming up in detachments–two or three hundred sailors have gone up, and more are on the way.”–Portsmouth New Hampshire Gazette, June 22, 1813
June 8: From Hartford — “While our State is invaded by the British, our General Assembly have been employed in trying a sergeant in the U. S. service, for marching a recruiting party, with music, through the streets near the State House, for which they sentenced him to four days confinement in prison; and debating on passing a law to prevent soldiers marching on the side walks.”–Raleigh Register, June 25, 1813
June 8: From Sacket’s Harbor from Brigadier General Brown of the New York militia, describing the troops’ victory over the attacking British, and concluding, “at the moment I am closing this communication, commodore Chauncey has arrived with his squadron. This renders my longer stay here unnecessary. I shall therefore immediately return to my home.”–Weekly Aurora, June 22, 1813
June 8: From Washington — “Elegius Fromentin, a Senator from Louisiana, took his seat on Tuesday last.”–National Intelligencer, June 15, 1813
June 9: Letter from one of the Washington guards, from near Staunton — “Anderson, at Chester, the congressman, had the liberality to charge us 50 cents each for a bed, though two of us slept together, that is one dollar for the bed–while many of the other tavern keepers (who are not congressmen) charged but half price.”–Gettysburg Adams Centinel, June 9, 1813
June 9: From New York — “Whether a priest can be obliged to testify a confession of guilt made to him by one of his people?” was discussed before the Circuit Court of Sessions, at New-York, on Wednesday morning, June 9. Mr. Gardenier supported the affirmative, and Mr. Riker and Mr. Sampson were retained on the part of the Church. The mayor decided, that the priest could not be obliged to give evidence of the confessions made to him.”–Baltimore Patriot, June 28 1813
June 9: From Fort Meigs — “on the 9th, col. R. M. Johnston with the whole of his detachment, together with a number of Delawares and Shawanoes as spies, marched to Chicago, with intent to surprise a large number of Indians said to be collected there.”–Portsmouth New Hampshire Gazette July 20, 1813
June 10: Extract from a report from the House committee on ways and means — “a provision for additional revenue can no longer be delayed, without a violation of all those principles held sacred in every country where the value and importance of national credit have been justly estimated.”–Maryland Gazette, June 17, 1813
June 10: From Lake Champlain — “on Thursday last a desperate battle took place at the north part of Lake Champlain, between two U. S. armed sloops and two British galllies–aided by a land battery. The sloops were decoyed into a narrow passage, and becalmed, when a masked battery opened upon them, and a sanguinary contest ensued, our men fighting till almost all were killed and wounded–one of our sloops was sunk and the other taken, the British boarding and hauling down the colors.”–Centinel of Freedom, June 15, 1813
Governor Daniel Tompkins
June 10: From Baltimore — “Yesterday afternoon Governor Tompkins [of New York] and aid, accompanied by Generals Stricker and Miller, visited Fort M’Henry, Major Beale had a national salute fired on the occasion; and the Governor was gratified with the sight of some excellent shots at a target, made by Capt. Woodyear’s company.”
June 11: From Sacket’s Harbor — “The Frigate General Pike was launched on the 11th inst. The squadron under Commodore Chauncey, was then in that port, waiting the equipment of the new frigate.”–New York Gazette, June 22, 1813
June 11: From New London — “Business is entirely suspended–the enemy’s ships are at the mouth of our harbor; our fleet 6 miles above. The militia are out, and Fort Griswold and Fort Trumbull both occupied; a force is stationed at every point, and our streets filled with troops. The Governor’s head quarters are near here, and a general spirit of patriotism prevails.”–Baltimore Patriot, June 16, 1813
June 11: From Albany — “180 men were captured with General Winder, General Chandler, and Major Vanderventer;–that several British vessels with troops to reinforce the British army had passed up to the head of the lake; that on their passage they captured 18 of our boats with soldiers and baggage, &c.””–New York Spectator, June 11, 1813
June 12: From Pinckneyville (Mississippi Territory) — “Since my last, I have had the pleasure of seeing Col. Samuel Kemper, who commands the Republican Army at St. Antonio, to which place he will return in a few days to resume his command. . . . This territory is completely drained of young men; all have volunteered in the Mexican expedition, at Natchez the merchants are left without clerks, and companies are daily raising in the territory and various parts of the Western country, and marching to St. Antonio to join the Patriots. The gold and silver mines are, in my opinion, the greatest inducement with many.” Richmond Enquirer, July 13, 1813
June 12: From Wm. H. Allen of the U.S. brig Argus, in France — “I have the honor to inform you, that the United States brig Argus, has arrived here in a passage of twenty-three days, all well. On our passage fell in with (in pursuing our course) the British schooner Salamanca . . . captured and burnt her.”–New York Spectator, September 15, 1813
June 12: From Washington — “The peaceable proceedings of Congress on Saturday last, were very much disturbed by a war-like report, that the enemy was ascending the Potomac.”–New York Gazette, June 16, 1813
June 13: From Fort George, letter from Maj. Chapin to Gen. Dearborn– “I have just arrived from my confinement in Canada with my men, without our parole. . . . I received orders at Burlington heights on Monday morning to go to Kingston; we set off accordingly under the care of a guard of 16 men; I had with me 28 men. . . . We have brought two boats with us.”–Boston Weekly Messenger, August 6, 1813
June 13: From Portsmouth — “Yesterday afternoon, at 7 o’clock arrived at this place the privateer Thomas, Thomas M. Shaw commander, with her prize, the famous Liverpool Packet, which she captured 3 days since, off Cape Sable . . . . on the Packet’s approaching the wharf, she fired a salute of 17 guns, which was answered by reiterated cheers from a number of wharves; all was animation–all parties expressed their satisfaction that this famous little insignificant thing (to appearance) was at last captured.”–Maryland Gazette, June 24, 1813
June 13: From Natchitochez –“Mr. Shaler went to Nacogdoches to join General Toledo . . . . A few days after his arrival there, a dispatch was received from Bernardo . . . requesting reinforcements of Indians; ordering at the same time Toledo to retire, on the ground of his being a partizan of Miranda’s, a Spanish agent under the garb of a republican, and of having borne arms two years ago against the Republican cause.”–New York Spectator, July 17, 1813
June 14: From the House of Representatives — “Mr. Troup, from the committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to provide for the widows and orphans of militia slain, and of militia disabled in the service of the U.S.–“–Raleigh Register, June 25, 1813
June 14: From Niagara, from Maj. Gen. Lewis — “You will perceive by the enclosed copy of orders marked 1, that General Dearborn, from indisposition, has resigned his command, not only of the Niagara army, but of the District. I have doubts whether he will ever again be fit for service. He had been repeatedly in a state of convalescence; but relapses on the least agitation of mind”–National Intelligencer, June 24, 1813
June 14: From Cleveland, Camp Harrison — “two deserters came to this place from Malden. . . . One of them had been taken last fall by the Indians; after some weeks was carried to Malden, and was sold to that great scoundrel col. Elliott, for one gallon of whiskey, and remained with him between five and six months as a slave . . . . He and a black man, (servant to Elliott,) came away from Malden about the middle of May, and was in the woods for fifteen days.”–National Advocate, July 5, 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.