Contents Introduction. xxi James Madison: War Message to Congress “A solemn question”: Washington, D.C., June 1812. 1 U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Relations: Report on the Causes and Reasons for War “An immediate appeal to Arms”: Washington, D.C., June 1812 . 10 Thomas Jeff erson to James Madison “A solecism worthy of Don Quixot”: Virginia, May 1812 . 23 Andrew Jackson to Willie Blount “The spirit of the whole people is on fi re”: Tennessee, June 1812 . 25 Tecumseh: Message from the Confederate Nations to Their British Allies and Huron Brothers “All this Island will rise as one man”: Northwestern Frontier, June 1812 . 27 James Monroe to John Taylor “Trade & fi ght, & fi ght & trade”: Washington, D.C., June 1812 . 30 James Madison: Proclamation of War “The last resort of injured Nations”: Washington, D.C., June 1812 . 36 Hezekiah Niles: “War against England” “Long live America”: Baltimore, June 1812 . 38 Thomas Jeff erson to James Madison Canada, Commerce, and War: Virginia, June 1812 . 44 Thirty-four Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: from “An Address of the Minority to Their Constituents” “What are the United States to gain by this war?”: Washington, D.C., June 1812 . 46 Maryland House of Delegates, Committee of Grievances and Courts of Justice: Report on the Baltimore Riots Silencing the Anti-War Press: Baltimore, Summer 1812 . 54 ix FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd iixx 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM x contents Israel Pickens: Circular Letter to His Constituents in North Carolina “Your country calls”: Washington, D.C., July 1812. 69 William Ellery Channing: A Sermon, Preached in Boston, July 23, 1812, the Day of the Publick Fast “It is a war fraught with ruin”: Boston, July 1812 . 72 William Hull: Proclamation “I come to fi nd enemies not to make them”: Upper Canada, July 1812 . 85 Isaac Brock: Proclamation “Repel the invader”: Upper Canada, July 1812 . 88 Thomas Verchères de Boucherville: Journal With Tecumseh and the British: Northwestern Frontier, July–August 1812 . 92 Nathan Heald to Thomas H. Cushing The Fort Dearborn Massacre: Northwestern Frontier, August 1812 . 102 Caleb Strong to William Eustis Massachusetts Defi ant: Boston, August 1812 . 105 James Madison to Thomas Jeff erson “The wheels of war”: Washington, D.C., August 1812 . 110 Robert Lucas: Journal Hull’s Capitulation: Michigan Territory, August 1812 . 113 Cornelius Flummerfelt: “The Bold Canadian” A Ballad of Detroit: Upper Canada, August 1812 . 118 Moses Smith: from Naval Scenes in the Last War “Old Ironsides” Captures HMS Guerrière: North Atlantic, August 1812 . 121 New-York City Committee of Correspondence: from Address . in Support of the Nomination of The Hon. De Witt Clinton De Witt Clinton for President: New York City, August 1812 . 130 James Madison: Address to the Delegations of Several Indian Nations Advice to America’s Indian Friends: Washington, D.C., August 1812 . 139 FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd x 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM contents xi Stephen Van Rensselaer to Daniel D. Tompkins Alarm and Distrust in New York: Niagara Frontier, August 1812 . 143 Daniel Curtis to Jacob Kingsbury Siege of Fort Wayne: Northwestern Frontier, September 1812 . 145 A. W. Cochran: from a letter to Rebecca Cochran Circumstances and William Hull: Lower Canada, September 1812 . 152 John Strachan to John Richardson Fifteen Reasons for War on America: Upper Canada, September 1812 . 154 George McFeely: Diary Yankee Ingenuity: Pennsylvania, October 1812 . 158 Jared Willson to Alvan Stewart Battle of Queenston Heights: Upper Canada, October 1812 . 160 John Strachan to William Wilberforce The British–Indian Alliance: Upper Canada, November 1812 . 164 Alexander Smyth: Proclamation “The hour of renown”: Niagara Frontier, November 1812 . 169 William Atherton: from Narrative of the Suff ering & Defeat of the North-Western Army A Chronicle of Wretchedness: Northwestern Frontier, September 1812–January 1813 . 171 William B. Northcutt: Diary Battle of the Mississinewa River: Northwestern Frontier, December 1812 . 181 Elias Darnell: Journal “Remember the Raisin!”: Northwestern Frontier, January 1813 . 193 James Madison: Second Inaugural Address War and the American Character: Washington, D.C., March 1813 . 207 Henry, Earl Bathurst to Sir Thomas Sidney Beckwith The Rules of Engagement: London, March 1813 . 211 FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd xxii 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM xii contents Patrick Finan: from “Recollections of Canada” Battle of York: Upper Canada, April 1813 . 214 John Richardson: from “A Canadian Campaign” Siege of Fort Meigs: Ohio, May 1813 . 220 Thomas Jeff erson to Madame de Staël Tyrants of Land and Sea: Virginia, May 1813 . 228 George McFeely: Diary “The fl ag from Fort George”: Upper Canada, May 1813. 235 John Le Couteur: Journal Battle of Sackets Harbor: Upstate New York, May 1813 . 240 Joseph Penley Jr.: from The Sanguinary and Cruel War of 1812–14 Life Aboard a British Prison Ship: Lower Canada, June–August 1813 . 245 Philip B. V. Broke to John Borlase Warren HMS Shannon Defeats USS Chesapeake: Massachusetts Bay, June 1813 . 256 John C. Calhoun to James Macbride “Party sperit”: Washington, D.C., June 1813 . 260 Laura Ingersoll Secord: Incident at Beaver Dams A Canadian Paul Revere: Upper Canada, June 1813 . 262 John Le Couteur: Journal Battle of Beaver Dams: Upper Canada, June 1813 . 264 James Monroe to Thomas Jeff erson The President in Peril: Washington, D.C., June 1813 . 267 “P.” (Richard E. Parker) to the Richmond Enquirer British Atrocities at Hampton: Virginia, June 1813 . 270 Blackbird: Message from the Ottawa Nation to William Claus The Death of Joseph C. Eldridge: Upper Canada, July 1813 . 276 William B. Northcutt: Diary Skirmish on the Sandusky: Ohio, July 1813 . 278 George Croghan to William Henry Harrison Battle of Fort Stephenson: Ohio, August 1813 . 281 FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd xxiiii 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM contents xiii Black Hawk: from Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak or Black Hawk The White Man’s Way of War: Northwestern Frontier, Summer 1813 . 284 James Fenimore Cooper: from Ned Myers; or, A Life Before the Mast Storm and Shipwreck: Lake Ontario, August 1813 . 285 James Inderwick: Journal The Wounded of USS Argus: Southwest Coast of Britain, August 1813 . 294 Thomas Hart Benton: Broadside A Brawl with Andrew Jackson: Nashville, September 1813 . 300 Philip Freneau: “The Battle of Lake Erie” “We have met the enemy and they are ours”: Lake Erie, September 1813 . 303 Washington Irving: “Biographical Memoir of Commodore Perry” “The nerve of a hero”: Lake Erie, September 1813 . 306 Tecumseh: Speech to Henry Procter “We are determined to defend our lands”: Upper Canada, September 1813 . 323 John Richardson: from War of 1812 Battle of the Thames: Upper Canada, September– October 1813 . 325 William Henry Harrison: Proclamation An Armistice with the Indians: Northwestern Frontier, October 1813 . 332 Red Jacket: Message to Erastus Granger Indian Grievances: Niagara Frontier, October 1813 . 333 John Le Couteur to Philip Bouton Terror, Delight, and Thoughts of Home: Upper Canada, October 1813 . 335 Robert Purdy to James Wilkinson Battle of Châteauguay: Lower Canada, October 1813 . 339 Charles Ball: from Slavery in the United States: A Narrative Runaway Slaves in the Chesapeake: Maryland, Summer– Fall 1813 . 345 FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd xxiiiiii 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM xiv contents James Scott: from Recollections of a Naval Life American Characteristics: Maryland, Winter 1813–14 . 353 Francis Jeff rey: A Conversation with James Madison A British Editor Interviews the President: Washington, D.C., November 1813 . 358 Henry Clay to Thomas Bodley “If Canada is conquered”: Washington, D.C., December 1813 . 363 Cyrenius Chapin to the Buff alo Gazette The Case Against George McClure: Niagara Frontier, December 1813 . 366 Eber D. Howe: from “Recollections of a Pioneer Printer” Revenge by Fire: Niagara Frontier, December 1813 . 370 Amos Hall to Daniel D. Tompkins The Burning of Black Rock and Buff alo: Niagara Frontier, December 1813 . 374 George Prevost: Proclamation “A full measure of retaliation”: Upper Canada, January 1814 . 381 Henry Kent: A Winter’s March Across the Northern Ice: Saint John, New Brunswick– Kingston, Upper Canada, Winter 1814 . 387 Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington, to Henry, Earl Bathurst Prosecuting War on America: Garris, France, February 1814 . 393 The Crew of USS Essex to the Crew of HMS Phoebe Fighting Words: Valparaiso Harbor, Chile, March 1814 . 396 A Midshipman of HMS Phoebe to the Crew of USS Essex “Your vile infamy”: Valparaiso Harbor, Chile, March 1814 . 398 David G. Farragut: from The Life of David Glasgow Farragut The Capture of USS Essex: Off Valparaiso, Chile, March 1814 . 400 Andrew Jackson to John Wood Words Before an Execution: Mississippi Territory, March 1814 . 406 FFM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.inddM_Warof1812_LOA_791392.indd xxiviv 11/17/13/17/13 111:111:11 AAMM contents xv Andrew Jackson to Rachel Jackson Battle of Horseshoe Bend: Mississippi Territory, March 1814 . 409 Robert Young to Phineas Riall British Unrest at Fort Niagara: Niagara Frontier, March 1814 . 412 George McFeely: Diary Second Battle of Lacolle Mill: Lower Canada, March 1814 . 413 Benjamin F. Browne: from “Papers of an old Dartmoor Prisoner” The Rough Allies of Dartmoor: Devon, England, Spring–Summer 1814. 417 Alexander Cochrane: Proclamation A British Appeal to American Slaves: Bermuda, April 1814 . 424 Thomas Jeff erson: from a letter to John Adams “The Attila of the age dethroned”: Virginia, April 1814 . 426 Henry, Earl Bathurst to George Prevost British Aims in North America: London, June 1814. 429 Albert Gallatin to James Monroe “Pride and vindictive passions”: London, June 1814 . 432 Stephen Popham to James Yeo Battle of Sandy Creek: Upstate New York, May 1814 . 435 N. W. Hibbard to Alvin Hunt Carrying the Cable: Upstate New York, May–June 1814 . 438 Jarvis Hanks: Memoir A Tale of Five Deserters: Niagara Frontier, June 1814 . 442 William E.