Page. Septem. Commodore Rodgers-Cruise in the North Sea,... General Harrison's Proclamation and General Order,.......... October.Commodore Chauncey-chase of, and skirmish with, Sir James, General M'Clure's Address to the Patriots, &c................................... Colonel Smith to Colonel Nicol,........................... Secretary of War authorizes the destruction of Newark,.. General Harrison-Victory on the Thames,. Lieutenant Nicholson-Capture of the Dart,. General M'Arthur respecting the Indians,.. General M'Clure-skirmish with the Enemy,.. Commodore Chauncey captures 5 vessels and chases Sir James,. Colonel W. Scott to General Wilkinson,................................................... Colonel Clark-Capture of the Enemy at Massiquoi,.................. General M'Clure's Address to the Canadians,..... General Harrison's Proclamation........................................ General Harrison to General Vincent, in reply to Proctor,... 252 260 247-8 General Wilkinson's Proclamation-orders Hampton to join,.... 257-8 General M'Clure's Orders to Captain Leonard and Address,.. Jan'y. Captain Shaler-Privateer Governor Tompkins,. General Claiborne-Battle of the "Holy Ground,". General Floyd-Victory over the Creeks,..... General Jackson to Colonel William Cocke,................... General Jackson to Colonel William Cocke,........ March. Surgeon Evans of the Constitution-British veracity,.. March. Colonel Butler and Captain Holmes-Victory on the Thames,.. Commodore Decatur-Conduct of Captain Capel, .................................... 317 General Pinckney-Victory over the Creeks,................ General Cocke's Conduct, from Reid's Life of Jackson,............. General Wilkinson-Battle of La Cole,.......... April. Colonel William Cocke to General Jackson,...................... Commodore Chauncey-British attempt to burn the new Ship,.. Captain Morris captures several Vessels,................ July. Commodore Chauncey-ship Superior launched,....... June. Com. Chauncey & Capt. Woolsey-gallant Affair at Sandy Creek Commodore Barney-Affair at St. Leonard's Creek,. Commodore Chauncey-Capture of a Gun-Boat, General P. Stuart-Affairs on the Potomac, Commodore Barney's Battle with two Frigates,........... Commodore Rodgers-Affairs in the Delaware,.............. Colonel Wadsworth-Affair at St. Leonards,......................... General Brown's General Order and descent on Canada,........ Commodore Porter-Cruise and Capture of the Essex,..... Captain Gamble-Sequel of the Essex's Cruise,................. General Brown-Battle of Chippewa and General Order,....368 & 374 Sailing Master Shead-loss of the Alligator,..................... 373 Captain Hull-Capture of a British Tender,.................... General Brown-skirmishing at Fort George,................ complains of the Fleet not co-operating,. Names of Officers killed and wounded in ditto,...................................................... General Gaines assumes the command at Fort Erie,............. General Gaines-Death of Major Morgan,...... Defeat of the British at Fort Erie,.............................389 & 394 Commodore Macdonough-battle on Lake Champlain,...... 410,413 424,426 Fage Octob. Captain Reid-Privateer General Armstrong... Governor Wright-Brutality of the enemy at Chaptico............................. Novem. General Jackson-Pensacola taken....... General Jackson-Battle below New Orleans, 1815. .......... Rev. W. Dubourg to General Jackson and his reply,........ March. C. K. Blanchard-Traitors in New Orleans,....... Captain Massias-affair at point Petre,.. General Jackson's Address and General Orders, Lt. Thomas Ap. Catesby Jones-Gun Boats and Flotilla,................ 487 Captain Biddle-Capture of the Penguin,...................................................... May. Captain Stewart-Capture of the Cyane and Levant,....... Treaty of Peace with Great Britain... PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. June 1, 1812. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States. I COMMUNICATE to Congress certain documents, being a continuation of those heretofore laid before them, on the subject of our affairs with Great Britain. Without going back beyond the renewal, in 1803, of the war in which Great Britain is engaged, and omitting unrepaired wrongs of inferior magnitude, the conduct of her government presents a series of acts hostile to the United States as an independent and neutral nation. British cruisers have been in the continued practice of violating the American flag on the great highway of nations, and of seizing and carrying off persons sailing under it; not in the exercise of a belligerant right founded on the law of nations against an enemy, but of a municipal prerogative over British subjects. British jurisdiction is thus extended to neutral vessels in a situation where no laws can operate but the law of nations and the laws of the country to which the vessels belong; and a self-redress is assumed, which, if British subjects were wrongfully detained and alone concerned, is that substitution of force, for a resort to the responsible sovereign, which falls within the definition of war. Could the seizure of British subjects in such cases be regarded as within the exercise of a belligerant right, the acknowledged laws of war, which forbid an article of captured property to be adjudged without a regular investigation before a competent tribunal, would imperiously demand the fairest trial, where the sacred rights of persons were at issue. In place of such a trial, these rights are subject to the will of every petty commander. The practice, hence, is so far from affecting British subjects alone, that under the pretext of searching for these, thousands of American citizens, under the safeguard of public law, and of their national flag, have been torn from their country and from every thing dear to them; have been dragged on board ships of war of a foreign nation, and exposed, under the severities of their discipline, to be exiled to the most distant and deadly climes, to risk their lives in the battles of their oppressors, and to be the melancholy instruments of taking away those of their own brethren. Against this crying enormity which Great Britain would be so prompt to avenge if committed against herself, the United States have in vain exhausted remonstrances and expostulations. And that no proof might be wanting of their conciliatory dispositions, and no pretext left for a continuance of the practice, the British government was formally assured of the readiness of the United States to enter into arrangements, such as could not be rejected, if the recovery of British subjects was the real and the sole object. The communication passed without effect. British cruisers have been in the practice also of violating the rights, and the peace of our coasts. They hover over and harass our departing commerce. To the most insulting pretensions they have added the most lawless proceedings in our very harbors; and have wantonly spilt American blood within the sanctuary of our territorial jurisdiction. The principles and rules enforced by that nation, when a neutral nation, against armed vessels or belligerants hovering near her coasts, and disturbing her commerce, are well known. When called on, nevertheless, by the United States, to punish the greater offences committed by her own vessels, her government has bestowed on their commander additional marks of honour and confidence. Under pretended blockades, without the presence of an adequate force, and sometimes without the practicability of applying one, our commerce has been plundered in every sea; the great staples of our country have been cut off from their legitimate markets; and a destructive blow aimed at our agricultural and maritime interests. In aggravation of these predatory measures, they have been considered as in force from the dates of their notification; a retrospective effect being thus added, as has been done in other important cases, to the unlawfulness of the course pursued. And to render the outrage the more signal, these mock blockades have been reiterated and enforced in the face of official communications from the British government, declaring as the true definition of a legal blockade, "That particular ports must be actually invested, and previous warning given to vessels bound to them not to enter." Not content with these occasional expedients for laying waste our neutral trade, the cabinet of Great Britain resorted, at length, to the sweeping system of blockades, under the name of orders in council, which has been moulded and managed, as might best suit |