Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation.
About Augusta herald. (Augusta [Ga.]) 1799-1822 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1814)
Miscellaneous Articles. * " GEN. HULL’S ADDRESS, To the Citizens of the United States. FkLL OW-Cl IIZEXS, LX submitting my defence to your con sideration, and in making my appeal to your judgment I have only to ask you to examine with candour, and decide with impartiality . I am sensible the late of one man is of lit'lt consequence, compared to the fate ol a nation If the sacufice of me* however innocent, could make atonement for the sins of others, redeem cur misfortunes, and restore the na tional character, it might be justified by prece dents in other countries, ard peihaps, as a patiiot, I ought to he satisfied. It is unfortu nate for the administration, and lor the other generals who have conducted our armies, that it cannot have the effect. In countries, where tli- people are hardly permitted to think- and their only prerogative is obedience, innocence is no shield ; and because there can be no In quiry, the most elevated merit is ohtn brought to the sea Hold for the most meritorious con dui t. But in a country wliefe justice is the baa s of its government, where the people are e igh'ctied by science, and understand both t k ir rights and duties, sucli outrages on jus tice cannot with impunity be committed. Under a government thus constituted, when pn' lie misfortunes occur, those to whom the administration is intrusted are in the first in stance responsible. They well know the pub lic vengeance will fall on them, unless they avert it, and too often have no other means of justification but in the condemnation cf others. The power they possess, and the patronage they can give, afford great facilities in eflect ing the object. It is ho wever our happy lot, that, when this power and patronage are un justly exercised, a remedy exists ; and that remedy is an appeal to youi justice. To that justice 1 now appeal, in the confident expecta tion, that you will be satisfied of the purity and rectirude ofiny conduct, that you will re verse tile unjust sentence which has been pro nounced against me, and restore me to that honourable standing in society, which had been acquit cd by the services of nearly half a cen tury. 1 regret that it is not in tny power, in this communication, to present tq you all the tes timony and documents, on tfnii h my defence is grounded, and which had any relation to the tiiul. The proceedings of the Court i Martial are deposited in the office of the btc- I'etaiydfthe Department of War, and by law lam entitled to a copy of them. As soon as they are obtained, they will be published in a separate number. 1 believe we are all conscious of the crimes * ofjwhich wc are guihy. When 1 might have sheltered myself in the enemy’s territory, as a prisoner of war, 1 ask you to account for KDiv, return to my own country on any other ■piinctple. than a consciousness of my inno ■ cence, and that I had faithfully done my duty ? jgf.VV iut other principle could have induced me » «luct ? When a Court Martial was ordered to jjasseunblc at Philadelphia for my trial, why |||Hfcnd it »-s not the in'cnt-oi or the Uou. t Mat tub that I should receive the punishment which had been ordered. I now ask you my fellow-citizens, to decide fer yourselves what have been the motives o the administration in this business? With res pect to two thirds of the members of the Court Martial, they have ordered a sentence, winch in their consciences they believed ought not to be executed ... . The Court Martial, in justification of their conduct, in recommending me to the mercy of the President, can appeal to no precedent, i not even the proceedings in the trial of admi ral Byng. After the Court had found him guilty of a particular charge, there was noth mg left to their discretion, she articles of war piovided, that the punishment should be death. In my case the articles of war provi ded death, or such other punishment as the Court Martial should think proper to older. Why then did riot the Court order such a punishment as they believed ought to have been inflicted ? From these facts and observations, I do think the motives of the administration must be apparent. Anti indeed, 1 presume it will not be in your power to reconcile the conduct of the President of the United States, and the conduct of the Court Martial, without believ ing there was a concert and underfunding how this business was to be conducted. With icapect to the lenity of the Court, 1 informed them I did not ask it; and I reques ted no other mercy from them, than the uie cy of a decision ; that ti.ey would decide on my case, and keep me no longer in suspense. In regard to the pardon of the Preaioetit, l had no opportunity of requesting it, because it was granted, before I had any knowledge of the sentence, ingratitude, I hope, is no part of my character. But I do submit to your consideration whether I ought to leel grateful to him, when the National Intelligencer a pa pet published at his door, and under his au spices, in giving an account of the trial and announcing the sentence, states, that the pun isotnent is mote protracted and terrible, in consequence of a remission of the sentence. If his object wa3 to aggravate and incree.se the punishment, it cannot be called an act of mercy. There are two Very important facts* rela ting to my situation, as commander of the north-western army, not noticed in my de fence,* One, the armistice agreed to hy Gen Dearborn, from which my army was express ly excluded. The other, the President’s mes sage to Congress, the first session after the capitulation. With regard to the first, rhe following are the facts. This was an arrange- | memos Sir George Prevost, lor the sole pur* j pose of employing all his force's against the army 1 commanded. Having received infor mation that the orders in ci uafcii had keen repealed, on the second clay ci August, eigh teen hundred and twelve, he despatched Col. Baynes, his adjutant general, to the head quarters of general Deaibotn, at Greenbush near Albany, with an authority to conclude an armistice—-on the ninth of August it was con cluded between him and general Deal born, and my army was excluded. Immediately after the departure of colonel Baynes on his mission, major genet al Sheafc of the British army was ordered to lake Erie, with a laige pail of the British force from Montreal, to be placed under the command of general Brock. From the nature of die trans action, it is certain, that general Block was made acquainted with these circumstances, and informed that he might wuh the most perfect safety to his posts at Kingston, Yoik, torts George and Erie, march his whole force against my army, which had invaded the province of winch lie was governour and com mander in chief. Calculating the distances, and the celerity wi«i which the British com manders convey iwtportant information, there was full time for the purpose. Os this impot ent arrangement, in which the army f com manded had so much interest, f never receiv ed any information from general Dearborn. 1 hat general Brock took his whole force to Malden, from fort George and its vicinity, ex cepting a lew men to take caie of the cannon and stores, is certain ; and that general Mieafe arrived from Montreal with the reinfoicemens, immediately alter general Brock’s depaiturc from Fort George, is likewise a fact well known. That at this time, on the ninth of August, a cessation of hostilities had been concluded, which extended from fort Erie,, on the east part of l.,kc Erie, to Quebec. In my r next number, 1 shall produce documents to lP r °ve the latts I have here stated. They are, * ?|pver, all so public and so well known, Ijf I am lully authonaed in stating them llfout the documents. That on the riar of .# !^4Spuul*tton l the sixteenth of August, well knew that a cessation of foe tow had taken place, is certain, u|yjse on that day he gave me information s? -SC and that the orders in council had been ? repealed and observed, he hoped it would be 1 u,c foundation of a peace. It » likewise well known, this measure was disapproved by the President, and principally on account of the effect it would have on tny army. Whet, general Deaibotn was ordered by the Presi dent to ntuke diversions on the enemy’s posts 'flow me, and ought to have been co-opera ing with me wi;h all his forces, iie was sit ing at his eas« at Grttmbush, and making an a'.gem;.ms, which we e one great cause of •.he destruction of my army. And yet this s vine general Deal bora was appoitved the president of the Court Martial which has con demned me for the misfortune, which his own misconduct had been a great cause in producing In sacrificing me. he has un doubtedly made seme atonement for his own taui s. in the opinion of the administration, ..nd may be permitted to remain in the posses sion ol Us nominal rank, and in the enjoy ment ol his emoluments, in the degraded aud disgraceful situation, to which he has submit, ted tor more than a year. 1 hus has genera Deal born, by adopting a measure, which brought the principal part of the enemy » force against my army, exhibited his pro»ouna skill in military operations, and his Ul * m * and qualifications as commander in chict o the American army. I shall now proceed to consider that part o the President’s message, of the fourth oi Iso vembei,eighteen hundred and twelve, which devdopes the objects of my unfortunate cam paign. It is in the following words. “ Previous to its declaration, [the declara tion of wai ] it was deemed proper, as a meas ure of precaution and forecast, that a considef able force should be placed in the Michigan territoiy, with a ganeral view to its security, and in the event of war, to such operations in the uppei most Canada, as would intercept the hostile influence of Grcat-Britain over the savages, obtain the command of the lake on which that fiart of Canada burden, and maintain co-op#rating relations with such iorcis as j might be most conveniently employed against | other parts. Our expectation oi gaining the 1 command of the hakes, by the invasion oj Canada from Detroit, having been disappointed, meas ures wern instantly taken to provide on them a naval force supeiior to that of the en emy.” 1 lie objects of the force intrusted to my command, are here particularly stated. They re stated by the fiist magistrate to the legis | inute of the nation. 1 his is a .document of j 1 ; : highest authority, and must be considered ■is conclusive evidence, that these were the objects for which the expedition was ordered and which the President expected wculd have been accomplished. If it was the expectation of the President, that with the few militia un der my command I should have obtained pos session of the lake, it is unaccountable, that it never was communicated to me. All my in structions fiom the Department of War were laid before the Court Martial, and there was not t tie least intimation of the kind. Indeed 1 never had the most distant idea, that this ex pectation was entertained, until it wasdiscio sed in this mesi-age. Both in my repeated written communication , and in fiequent con versations with the Fresident and Secretary of the Department of War, I bad urged the necessity of a navy on Lake Erie superior to the Britisn in the event of war with (Jreat-Britain. I well knew at that time, they had a strong naval foice on the lake, perfectly manned arid prepuied in every respect for offensive or de fensive war. The United States bad not a single vessel or gun boat on those waters. All they had was an old unarmed transport vessel, repairing on the stocks, and which was not launched until near a month after the declara tion of war l'heie were but two modes of taking pos session ol the lake ; one. by taking or destroy ing the enemy’s naval force ; the other by ta king possession of all their postsand har* hours, both on the mainland and islands, an extent ofcoast more than three hundred miles. I am confident no o:io will believe it was pos sible lot me, either to have taken or destroy ed the British then on the lake, with the means ,tl. possessed. The force, under my command, was totally inadequate to have ef fected it in the other way* especially after the foil of Michilimackinac, and all the northern nations of savages were in hostility against me. Although 1 still entertain the same opin ion I gave to the government, before the decla ration of war, that a navy on lake Etie was es sentially necessary ; ytt, I now believe, had an adequate force been sent to the Michigan ter ritory, and sufficient forces had been oidtred to have taken possesion of foi ls Ueoi ge and Erie at the same time, and these aimies had co-operated, the whole of that part of the province of Upper c enada, which benders on lake Eiie, might have been in our possession in the of eighteen hundred and twelve, vvi o. 'i die enemy’s harbours on the holders oCff s , by which means the naval force woui ■''/ been destroyed, or must have sut rendered at the approach of winter. Hus idea 1 suggested to the Secretary of War, in my memoir c f the sixth of March, eighteen hundred and twelve, provided the object was the reduction of the Coyadas, and it was the intention of the government, con traty to every opinion Iliad given, not to build a navy on lake Erie. I suggested it as ihe only possible mode, and at the same time pointed out all the difficulties which would at tend it. On the sixth of March, at the time when this memoir was presented, i bad no command in the army, and had unifoi mly de clined to accept a military appointment, al though I lud been strongly solicited. Being then the governourof the Michigan territory, it was my duty to induce the government to provide means for its safety. About the eleventh of April, aftcrl had been appointed to the command of the north-wes tern army, unsolicited and even undesired on my part; 1 then presented to the Piesident, thiough the medium of the Department of War, another communication, in which I rep resented in the strongest and mos* explicit terms, the necessity of our having a naval force to the enemy on the lakes ; and that without it. and unless the army I was to command was strengthened by additions to its numbers, and unless it were followed by detachmeuts to keep open the communica | tion, and insure it supplies from Ohio; and units* it was supported by co-operations on other quarters, my army could not be able to maintain itself at Detroit, much less carry on offensive operations in the enemy’s country. After these communications, and under the circumstances in which I was placed, I ask you, my fellow-citiiens, whether I had any reason to believe it to be the expectation of the government, that I should have obtained the command of the lakes l But in this I was mistaken. It really appears, that it was, be cause the President *wys, in the Message I have quoted, “ Our expectation of gaining the command of the lakes by the invasion of Canada from Detroit having been disappoint ed, mtasuics were instantly taken 10 provide on them a naval force, supeiior to that of the enemy.” 'i he other object was, “ to maintain co-op erating relations with such forces, as might be most conveniently employed against other parts.” I opened a road ol two hundred miles through a savage wilderness, invaded the en emy’s country, remained a month in the pos session of it, waiting for co-operating relations, until 1 was informed I should receive none ; and until geneial Dearborn instead of co-ope rations, agreed to a cessation of hostilities, which afforded the enemy an opportunity of concentrating.!!!* whole force against rny little army. Ly the documents of the government, it thus appears, that these wcie the objects of my expedition : and because I disappointed the expectations of the administration in not obtaining the command oi the lakes, wuh the few Ohio militia I commanded, and did not maintain co-operating relations with other forces, whan there were none to co operat® with me, I have been condemned. I do expect, my fellow-citizens, when you become acquainted with the true history of my case, you will reverse the unjust sentence which has been pronounced against me. I am now peifectly supported by a consciousness of having done my duty in the most faithful manner, and my only desire is, to convince you and posterity of the puiny of my motives, and the correctness of my conduct. Under this support lam tranquil and nappy. Had I pursued any other couiss, I should wunt the consciousness which I now feel, and in sincer ity I can adopt the language of Pope. “ One self approving hour whole years outweigh* “ Os stupid staiers and of loud huzz-is; “ Ana mure true jo; Mattel m exncd teels, “ Thau Cesar with a lenate at Ins heels.” WILLIAM HULL. Newton, (Mass ) Jane Dr. 1814. Administrator’s Sales. On the first TUESDAY in December next, will be sold at the Market-House in the City of Augusta, be'ween the usual hours , A Tract of LAND in County, on Butlers Creek,contain g-r- maid* of two thousand Acres, including * “ £ vrove ments called Rosny. being par' r eat estate of the late Col. Robert Vv utAins, and sold for the benefit of his heirs and creditors —Conditions to be made known on the daf of sale. Anderson Watkins, Surv. Ad/n’r . August 29. 10 Administrator’s Sale. On the first TUESDA Y in Oc iober next, will be sold at Franklin Court-House the usual hours. 202 1 Acres of LAND, known by Lot, No 151, in toe 27th Wilkinson, when drawn, part of the real estate of William Wil liamson, deceased, and sold for the benefit of the heirs and creditors of said deceased—pur suant to an cider of the Honorable the Inferior Court of Franklin County, sitting for ordinary purposes. M. H PAYNF, Adm’r. in right of his Wife. July 19. 5 Will be Sold, ” On the first Tuesday in October next, at the Court House , in Waynesborough, Burke county— Two Hundred two and a half acre* Land, lying in the nineteenth uisuict of Raid* win county, known by No. 54—the pioperty of Hiram Bell, minor—agreeable to an order of the Inferior Court. Matthew Beil, Guardian. July 5 10t 3 Notice. THE Subscribers call on all those indebt ed to the Estate of David Reid, de ceased, for payment, and they invite those to whom the Estate is in debt, to present theif demands for settlement E. Reid, Advfx. J. Cumming, Adm’r. July 21 w3m 4 Notice. ALL persons indebted to the estate of Thomas Knapen, deceased, are re quested to make immediate payment—and tß.s.'mm.J I u hMct Uki.
