The Great Republic by the Master Historians Two Years of War byBancroft, Hubert H.
The closing act of Jefferson's administration, passed on March 1, 1809, was a
repeal of the embargo, whose effect had been so ruinous to American commerce,
and the passage of a bill interdicting all commercial intercourse with France
and England. Jefferson, after his eight years' term, had, like Washington under
the same circumstances, declined a re-election, and James Madison was made
President, while George Clinton, Jefferson's second Vice-President, was re-
elected. The trouble with France and England continued. The British minister at
Washington agreed that the "Orders in Council" should be repealed so far as they
affected the United States, but this promise was disavowed by his government,
and non-intercourse, which had been suspended, was re-proclaimed. Bonaparte, in
March, 1810, issued a hostile decree against American commerce, but in November
he revoked this and all similar decrees, and intercourse was resumed between
France and the United States. England, however, obstinately refused to annual
her hostile acts, and went so far as to station ships of war before American
ports, seizing merchantmen, and sending them as legal prizes to British ports.
In May, 1811, an encounter took place between the frigate President and the
British war-sloop Little Belt. The captain of the latter, instead of answering
the hail of Commodore Rogers, fired a shot, which was answered by a broadside. A
short engagement ensued, the British losing eleven killed and twenty-one
wounded, while the Americans had but one man wounded.
A state of affairs now existed between the two countries which could only end in
war if England persisted in her offensive measures. America could not consent to
leave her commerce and her seamen at the mercy of British cruisers. Yet the
British ministry displayed unyielding obstinacy, and in April, 1812, a new
embargo act was passed by Congress, while on the 4th of June a bill declaring
war against Great Britain passed the House. On the 17th this bill passed the
Senate, and war was proclaimed by the President on the 19th. It was a war for
which no adequate provision had been made. The navy of the United States was in
no condition to cope with that of England. The regular army numbered but six
thousand men, and the other requisites of war were as poorly provided for. On
the other hand, the time was opportunely chosen. England was still engaged in
her vital struggle with France, which exhausted her resources to such an extent
that she could bring but a minor portion of her strength to bear on America. Yet
so miserably was the war managed on the part of the United States that the
record of the first year was but a succession of shameful disasters, and it was
not till 1814 that the Americans began to show a decided ability to win battles.
On the water their record was from the outset brilliant and successful.
Efforts were at once made to enlist twenty-five thousand men and to raise fifty
thousand volunteers, while one hundred thousand militia were called for to
defend the frontiers and the sea-coast. General Dearborn, of Massachusetts, a
Revolutionary officer, was appointed commander-in-chief. The first operations of
the war were directed against Canada. They were conducted with a mismanagement
and incompetency which could but result in disaster. After the repulse of the
Indians by Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811, further troubles with
the savages arose on the northwestern frontier, against whom marched General
Hull, with an army of two thousand men. He was directed to extend his march into
Canada and attack the British post at Malden. Yet ere he could reach there the
strong American fort at Mackinaw was surprised and taken by the English. The
garrison had not even been apprised of the declaration of war, and consequently
they were utterly unprepared for an assault. Hull's expedition was shamefully
mismanaged. After remaining inactive nearly a month in Canada, he hastily
retreated to Detroit, where, soon afterwards, he was attacked by a smaller force
of British and Indians. Though he possessed every advantage of position, he
suddenly recalled his army within the fort, and the white flag of surrender was
displayed, without an effort at defence. Attempts, not very satisfactory, have
been made to palliate this act of seeming cowardice, which left the whole North-
west at the mercy of the British. General Hull was afterwards court-martialled
and sentenced to death, but was pardoned by the President.
In other quarters the same lack of success appeared. On the Niagara frontier,
General Van Rensselaer crossed the river and captured the heights of Queenstown.
Here he was attacked by a strong force, while the American militia on the other
side of the river could not be induced to cross to his aid. In consequence,
nearly the whole of his force was killed or captured. A second advance, under
General Smyth, ended in a mere look across the river and an abandonment of the
design.
There has never, before or since, been displayed such utter incompetency in
American generalship as that which marked this disastrous campaign. The bravery
of Van Rensselaer was the only relief to the general cowardice of the American
leaders. In 1813 the campaign began with the army in three divisions, that of
the West under General Harrison, that of the Niagara frontier under General
Dearborn, and that of the Lake Champlain region under General Hampton. In the
West General Winchester was attacked at Frenchtown, on the river Raisin, by a
superior force under Proctor. After a gallant defence, Winchester was taken
prisoner by the Indians. Under a pledge of protection from Proctor he agreed to
surrender his troops. The British general's pledge was basely violated, the
wounded prisoners being left to the tender mercy of the savages.
Harrison, learning of this disaster, fell back, and began a fortified camp,
which he named Fort Meigs. This fort was besieged by two thousand British and
Indians, under Proctor. After a week's siege, and the repulse of a relieving
party, the Indians deserted their allies, and Proctor abandoned the siege. He
advanced again in the latter part of July, with a force of four thousand men,
the Indians under Tecumseh. After a few days' siege he withdrew, and with a
force of thirteen hundred attacked Fort Stephenson, on the site of Sandusky,
then held by one hundred and fifty men, under Major Croghan, a youth of twenty-
one. Surrender was demanded, under a threat of massacre if the fort was taken,
but the brave youth replied that when the fort was taken there would be no one
left to kill. An attempt was then made to carry the fort by assault, which was
repulsed, and the besiegers fled in a panic, having lost one hundred and fifty
men.
General Dearborn's army gained some advantages. General Pike led an expedition
against York, in Canada, the great depository of British military stores for the
supply of the Western posts. While storming the town the enemy's magazine blew
up, with severe loss to the besiegers. Pike was mortally wounded, and the army
thrown into confusion. Recovering, they advanced and took the town. The squadron
returned to Sackett's Harbor with a large amount of spoils. Shortly afterwards
Sir George Prevost assailed the American post at Sackett's Harbor, but failed to
take it. On the same day the Americans captured Fort George, on the Canadian
side of the Niagara. In November an expedition was sent against Montreal, which
proved unsuccessful. Somewhat later Fort George was abandoned, and Fort Niagara
was captured by the British, who burned the neighboring towns and villages, in
retribution for the burning of the Canadian town of Newark by the Americans. The
failures and unimportant successes here chronicled were relieved by two
victorious engagements, the victory of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie, and that of
General Harrison on the Thames, which call for more particular mention.
