The Georgia journal. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1809-1847, September 22, 1813, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Texty- r ~ r \ ' ? Vol. IV. M1LLEDGEVILLE, SEPTEMBER 22, 1813. No. 48. PUItLlSItliO 3Y Sbaton <Sj* Fleming Gr Rutland, PRINTERS TO THE STATE. •^•Letten i-Hrefled to the editors mutt he poft paid. ©omr^tic. Washington City, August 30. Copy of a tetter from Brig. Gen. Boyd to the Secretary of War, dated Head Quarters, Fort George, Aug. 31. Slit—l have the honor to report, that *t day-break this morning, the enemy at tacked us at all our piquets, which retir ed towards the aantp, pursued by his ad vance guards. A skirmish ensued in the village, with little effect upon us, after which he retreated, having eonie within reach of our cannon, but never within musket shot of our entrenchments. One capt. of the 40th and a few privates have beeu brought in prisoners. We lost 2 men and a few wounded; the enemy left 15 dead on the different grounds, lie is supposed to have brought his whole force into the field ; but finding our position so strong, desisted from a general attack.— 8ir Geo. Prevost was in person at the at tack. His force is withdrawn out of our reach into his holds. I have the honor to be, sir, your re spectful ob’t servant, JOHN P. BOYD, b. o. c. Hon. John Armstrong, Sec’y at War. We cannot help calling the attention of our readers to the noble conduct of Croghan and his brave associates at Sandusky, after repulsing the enemy, as detailed below. The enemy had sought their lives, had openly menanced their ex termination ; had declared that he w ould (five no quarter. He was repulsed ; h was vanquished by a handful of men.— ftc left the ditch full of his wounded, and Retreated with a precipitation, leaving Indian allies scattered at a dis. * Mind the fort, to revenge the loss of their ci„ artt des by chance shots from the deadly riflo. Regardless of the dan ger from this fire, our brave soldiers em ployed themselves, after having been on duty for 30 successive hoars, *<• letting down water in buckets t- wounded of the en*my in tj»c Hitch, whom the dark ness of the night and the uncertainty of the retreat of the enemy prevented them 'from relieving in another way. What an interesting subject for the painter anti the poet! What a beautiful picture of ge nerosity & humanity does not this exhibit! Such a scene in other nations would of it* •elfimmortalizr the actors in it. But here, it is only regarded as a trait marking the conduct of American citizen soldiery, which, wherever its character has been fairly developed, has shone forth with peculiar lustre.—JS/’at. Int. THE ATTACK ON S ANDUSKY. , Further interesting particulars. We arc sorry to preceive,that all the accqunts hitherto received concur in re presenting the conduct of the British on this occasion, as affording ample proof of the characteristic barbarity and the san- E uinary disposition of tli&t nation, which as been called hv men professing to be A tnericans, the “ bulwark of religion,” and the “ shield of oppressed humanity.”— From sources entitled to credit, we le&ru, that when Colonel Elliot demanded the surrender of the Fort, he stated that un less his demand was promptly acceded to, a general massacre would ensue. And xvheu eol. Short, who commanded the Bri tish regulars destined to storm the Fort, liad funned his troops in a line parallel with the ditch, he ordered them, in the hearing of our men, to leap the ditch, cut down the pickets, and give the Americans no quarter. This barbarous order which none but a savage could give, w*as nut, however, permited to go unpunished ; lbr • the words were hardly out of tiie mouth of the British commander, w hen the re tributive justice of Providence arrested him; and the wretch was obliged to sue for that mercy which he had determined not to exteini to others. It may be ob served here, iu honor of the character of the American soldier, that although our little band were well aware of the fate which the enemy had prepared for them : yet,they were uo sooner subdued, than the Americans forgot their crimes in their sufferings ; and the wounded in the ditch, whose groans and constant calls for voter were heard by our men in the fort, ve.re supplied with that necessary article, , « the night succeeding the discomfiture of he etc • /. by the generosity of'lie Ameri am, who •ith considerable hazard, ventur \dto nik their lives in order to alleviate he sufferings of the very men who hud plat ed their entire destruction. my, on the llth July, 1000 strong. He will laud at Cincinnati, When concen trated, the north-western army will consist of a force of +000 regulars, and 3000 Ken tueky and Ohio volunteers. The whole will be seconded by the naval force of commodore Perry. With such ample ar rangements, and such an imposing force, no doubt can be entertained Inst that the result will he completely decisive, and the contest in the north-west will be put to an cud. Should this object lie accom plished, the north-western army will form a junction with that of the centre ; and the future operations of the American laud and naval forces will be directed to the north, towards Kingston and Montreal Ohio Mercury. the war against t|iC L**£ed States will ons from the enemy—the preventing him THE NORTH-WESTERN ARMY Will shortly move for Malden. This hportant event will probably take place arly in next mouth. Governor Shelby, xilh the Kentucky volunteers, will rou- itvuus at Newport on the 31st instant u. Constant, with the 3d regiment of iitntry, embarked at New-Orleans and gQumler way to joig t[ie uorlh'vesUru IN SPIRITED LIBERALITY. [From the Baltimore Patriot.'] We received the following letter in a common and ordinary channel, affording no information as to its author. The en closure alluded to was actually in the let ter. ’Phus made the stewards of the wri tcr’s liberality, for the purpose he menti ons, we have no oilier course to take than to give publicity to his letter. “Sm, “ Being of opinion that to encourage the troops employed against you to desert, is a justifiable and cheap mode of counter acting the public enemy, sanctioned by common usa^e, a more moral and humane way of carrying on war, than burning vil lages, abusing helpless women, killing old men, or even sliootiug lead and iron bullets into soldiers or sailors, by what is called regiments and armies, viz: men ranked up into rows. “ For these and other reasons that will suggest themselves to you, permit me to requer you and all the editors in the U. States, uot devoted to the enemy, to intro duee into every paper you publish, useful information to the men composing the land anil sea forces the British have on our coast & frontier; giving them to know that on coining nmo g us, they will be well treated, allowed to follow any busi ness they uicase. and in anv town nr place in the United States they‘think proper; that deserters will not be given up, nor considered prisoners of war; neither wilt they be asked to enter the army or navy of the United States. “ As these men, on their coming over to us, ramiot he well famished with dollies or money, & it is a point of inter est, as well as honor to the United States, that they should he comfortably provided for on their starting here, let us give the poor fellows a little help. “ For this, the enclosed one hundred dollar note is sent to you ; with a request, th :t you pay to the ten soldiers nr sail- lors, that first desert from the British now in the Chesapeake, ten dollars each — .Should you manage the buisness well, the donor inay have another Hundred forth coining, for the same purpose ; and if each citizen that can spare some such sum, would employ it in the same way, il is probable we shall soot) free our waters of their preseut troublesome visitors. “ This plan, it is presumed, will be approved, and supported by iho (Qua kers.** The public have now information of the object of our unknown eoi respondent: and we eau ouly Announce that we are ready to comply with the terms of the a- bove offer. —■■■»: ■>> & FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER INTERESTING LETTER. * We take the liberty of calling the at tention of our readers to the following let ter. Its various topics are discussed with candor and sound sense: the opinions ex pressed have been formed from actual and critical observation ; and tjie facts com municated. nr* interesting aud important. It may not be amiss to state that the wri ter is of that class of politicians denoini nated federal but rising superior to the trammels of party he has viewed our na tional concerns with the eye of an Ameri can, and has the candor to declare his louvietioiis, though in so doing, he virtu ally, if not expressly, bestows the meed of praise on tho policy of his political op ponents. TO THE EDITOR*. Gentlemen, An American citizen having hoen Ton his passage from the United States lor France] taken and carried into En gland, and detained there several months under various and somewhat peculiar cir cumstances, takes the freedom of troub ling you with a few remarks, grounded on the tkets and opinions he gained during his detention there. The great leading principle in the poli cy of the British government is to monop olize trade, and secure mid increase the preponderance of their navy. Their in creased expenditures, great ns they are, lass by unheeded, provided these two ob jects are secured. The nation is, at pre sent, absolutely governed by the naval iulcg.'Al aud the Lvudou merchants} aud he prosecuted so long ns it aJin.Il bp for the benefit of those two interests ; unless the United Stales can make a deep impression on some other interest appertaining to that kingdom The monopolizing class of merchants, who really govern Great Britain, will continue to he pleased and gratified with this war, so loug as the neutral trade is permited by the United States, because that trade is almost exclusively owned by British merchants. Two ships sailed for the United States from London, during inv stay there, one of w hich had Russ an pipers and a Russian master; the other purported to be owned by a Spaniard at Cadiz, bad Spanish papers utid a Span iard on board, whose duty it w as to enter and clear her in the United States. Yet the avowed owners of these two vessels reside in Loudon, and are neither of them Spaniard or Russian. But these two in stances are nothing: The Bri'isbgovern ment mean to monopolize the whole of our trade, through the neutral flag: and it inay safely be asserted, that so long ns they are allowed to carry on themselves *o much of the commeu-e of the United States as is their benefit, and to stop nil the remainder: so long at least will the mercantile body of Great Britain be anx ions to have war continued with the Unit ed States. It may lint be uninteresting to add that the writer was informed in Luudou by a very respectable gentleman who had jus left the Baltic, that even in that quarter, the British merchants were huyiugup American and other vessels, putting them under Swedish colours & iittiug them out for the United States with iron, &i It happened that the newspaper from America, containing the President’s mes sage of the 24th of February with the ac count of the passage through the House of Representatives of the bill against neu tral trade and that against the use of li cences in American vessels, reached Eng land when 1 was there. The effect was wonderful.—-The merchants and tho go vernment. were in a measure, struck with alarm and with utter surprize at these energetic measures. This sentiment how ever, subsided into contempt, as soon as they learnt that the Senate had rejected those two biljs; and the Board of Trade, which had been panic struck for a fort night, with the fear of losing our trade, were now puzzling and worrying them selves, from day to day, to devise ways and means to prevent any part ofit from being carried on by American citizens This famous limb of the privy council were many days resolving, re-resolveing & deliberating before they could hit upon a mode of issuing licences with they deem ed sufficient!y restrictive. It inay appear strange that this great government is thus actuated and thus employed, bill it is ne vertheless true. The British government views ours ns a government without energy ;*iud utterly unable to carry any energetic measure into effect. It believes that our govern ment dares not tax the people to carry on the war; and dares not prevent the British from carrying away our bread to supply their avmy and their colonies; or even to regulate and curry on ti e wind Commerce ofour country. Willi these opi nions and feelings, it. may readily be sup posed, that the British cabinet do not feel iu much haste to make peace with us; aud they do not mean [fo use the eleg.iut kngiiagaof the Courier] “ to give us peace until they have chastised the insolent A- inericans, for dariug to make war upon them.” Stopping the neutral trade entirely, and especially so far as it regards bread-stuffs, lumber, flaxseed and salted provisions, could not fail to have a most beneficial ef feet. \Ve should soon be inundated with British licences, to export our surplus products on our own terms. It does not belong loan individual to Say whether it is proper or not to use British licenses: but they certainly will be used by almost every merchant, when he can make profit thereby, unless they are prohibited by law : and it is unquestionably better, iu every point of view, that we should export our produce on our own terms, even uo- der licences than to gratify the British, with the liberty of exp irtiug it on theirs. The writer will Like the freedom to state further, that lie knows that Con gress, by passing the law against the use of British licensees in American vessels, and at the same time leaving the neutral trade unmolested, have placed our com meree on the precise footing which is in exact conformity with the views and policy of the British government. And he cannot refraiu from declaring il us his most so lemn conviction,that it is the worst fooling for us and the best for our eucm,., that could be devised. At the same time, it cannot be calculated how infinitely better it would be for our country, if w e could entirely prohibit the exportation of provisions & lumber.— Whatever we export of thess articles, goes directly to feed our enemy, and en ables him to combat us with renewed strength and vigor. It may safely be pronounced that the withholding our bread aud other jrovisi- from carrying on our commerce through the neutral flag—and the shiitting'out his manufactures—are the three most power ful weapons with which we can fight this S owerftil antagonist: and it cannot he otibtetl hut the embargo which was late ly proposed, had it been carried into a law, would in this instance at least have home infinitely harder upon the enemy than upon ourselves. 1 can now scarcely suppress my indignation at seeing the large quantities of beef rolling off the wharves in this place into Spanish ships. And which I know was going direct to the armies of the enemy. The past spring, the British high church statesmen made rather lofty calculations with regard to the issue of the contest with America. They considered Napole on completely mined ; and thut all the northern kingdoms of Europe would now be in their alliance and open to their com merce i and that consequently they slmml have little else to do hut treat iis us they pleased. They fe.lt sure of competing us to submit to their own terms as to sca- m«»ii: lh<* ••f'c of r o' ,v without “ relaxation.” was to%e the future law of nations; and they even thought of ma king it one of the conditions of the pence they would eventually bestow'on us, that we should be iu future restricted as to our building ships of war I That tone howe ver is somewhat lowered since the total and worderful change of affairs in the north of Europe. I 1 have no need of informing that the British government rejected the Russian modi ition almost as soon as it was of fered—nor t hat the law passed by Con gress relating to the employment of fo reign seamen, w as only u subject of laugh ter and ridicule, in that cunning cabinet ; and considered a weak attempt at conci liating, by a government already tired of and frightened at the war it hail so late ly declared against (he “ all powerful Mistress of the OceaTi.” There is no sort of doubt hut that we have not got to look for peace w ith Great Britain to their justice, but to their fears and their interests. If we cannot "besides making an impression upon Cana da with our troops] make ai m. as deep an impression upon the vVest-India Colonies and the armies in the Peninsula, by with holding bread stuffs; or upon their mono polising merchants, by taking our com inercc out of their hands ; or upon their manufacturing establishments, by refus ing to receive their goods; it is but too certain that we cqn never force that go vernment to a just and honorable neaee. The decided advantages recently ob tained by Bonaparte in the north, will o- perute greatly in ourfavor—indeed they have reduced the hopes of Britain [as it regards the continent of Europe] chiefly to what may he effected by their armies in the Peninsula; they are consequently hent on straining every nerve to ettject something great in that quarter—and we have certainly the power ofcripliug their exertions there, by withholding our bread. 'fhe brilliant success of our proud lit tle navy have astonished the world—but whilst lire loss of three frigates has been more mortifying to the British govern- nent Mian would have been tin* defeat of is nianv armies: yet, our navy is so very diminutive, that it conuot lie expected to have any great weight iu the procuring a peace. , In traveling n distance of two or three hundred miles through- the country iu En gland, and conversing with the various classes of people iu country towns, il was by uo means difficult to discover thut the manufacturers ami all the mulling clas ses are anxious for the restoration of peace with America. It is only the great farmers, tin* monopolizing merchants mid the navy, thut wish for a continuance of the war. The British government calculates on a division of our Union, whenever our go vernment shall have undertaken to col lect direct taxes. It is, perhaps, not un fortunate that they are so credulous, and have been so easily gulled as to believe our political squabbles will have that pernicious tendency ; because they must be eventually undeceived, und in a mea sure discomfited, by reason of the steps they may take, founded on such belief. I shall take the freedom to pronounce iny sincere conviction that the small a- mount of revenue obtained by udmiting argoes of British manufactures into some if our northern seaports, via Lisbon, cm but illy compensate for ft»o evil ot per- miting this trade, it gives a spring to Kn-gli-li mantifictiirers, and causes tiiem o cease complaining—il stops the mouth of thousands, who would, olhci w i»e, soon be crying aloud to iheir government to make peace with America. Tliev are now at various manufactures in England, puling lip goods in the Por tuguese stile, with Port agues marks, &e. These go to Lisbon, ami thence in neutral vessels to this country. This traffic, if permited, will be pushed to a great ex tent ; and by it, many British merchants, a few American speculators, and one or two pliable collectors will be greatly eu riched, at the expense of a much greater prolongation of the war, aw* til' UiV 2t^ 1813. hfood and treasure of the countrv. Those few who have lately adventured British goods from Liverpool direct to the Uni ted States, with the avowed intention of giving and paying the bond required hv law, and yet getting an adequate profit out of the consumer, have acted at least a linhh'r, if not a more honorable part. The expellees of the British govern* nient have greatly enereased since tho commencement of their war with the U. States, nud they will amount iu the pre sent year, to the enormous sum of tno.oob.ooo pounds sterling. They have hud to borrow for the service of this year above fifty millions, to wit: Raised hv way of exche quer hills. Loan in Julie, • • - Vote of credit, .... Additional votertf credit fo he A ^ called for within the year V 5,000,000 either fi or b millions, J K . r .. 115,775.000 27,000.000 0,200 000 Total borrowed,pounds sterl. 53,975,000 At the same time their revenues will fill short considerably in tfie present year. The revenue arising on tollmen alone was last year It,200,000, which will he chiefly out nffthe year to come. It bus been often said that the British irovernment always rise in their demands an their antagonist.in propotion to their own reverses of fortune; hut,to shew that this remark is totally void of any foundation in truth, the instance may bo citedof their conduct with relation to Den mark, the present year. Count Bertisfoft the Danish minister came to London tho nnst spring to solicit peace. He was however, treated with contempt and scut home in disgust. And yet since trie un- ex pec ted reverses of their allies on the continent, the British government has sent a minister to Denmark for tire pur pose af iudc&voring to conciliate tho court. • : It is by no means improbable that the most extraordinary Swedish treaty which has just been laid before Parliament, to gether with the disastrous events on 1 tho continent, will up-set ihe present minis try. But it is believed that nothing would he gained to tlieU. States by such an event, if the lords Liverpool ami Onstlereagli should be replaced [as they probably would be] by Caning Wei* lesley. .* •---*•*» I need not touch upon the subject of, (lie conduct of thp British government relating to American seamen on board British Ships of war. I must however take the liberty to say a few words in be half of the American prisoners in Eng land : because I know their situation, nnd because they are uot permited to speak for themselves. Thuae Americans, who have all been made prisoners of war, wiiilst engaged iu legal and honorable pursuits, feel im pressively that they are not the least de» •Serving citizens : they therefore feel the full force of every neglect. Many of parole prisoners have been already con fined more than six months: about oue ini part of them are totally destitute.of funds, and are consequently competed to live on the pitiful allow ance furnished them by the British govenrnment. On# shilling and three pence p<*r day, irv af place where beef is tod. per pound; mi not so much hs i2 cents would be ipi! the most of the rounlrv towns of the (JJ nited States. The hank paper of Kug^* l.aml is so much depreciated. I hat a Span ish dollar is worth 5s and tod. 1-2, and a guinea 2/s: whilst the prices of eata bles are from 5.') to 1000 per rent, dearer tlian in the United States. Those nfthoi parole prisoners who have abundant pro perty at home, are some of them caught iu' Eiiglaue without funds and without tho power of procuring them ill any possible w “.v»tiicir situation i* therefor* insup portable. The prisoners in (he goals*and prison- ships are better situated ft & i (he pa* role prisoners, with regard to Oioc/uantinu, of food furnished; but, altho’the yuantiti/ of their food is nearly sufficient, they suf fer serevelv with regard to the quality, and labor under difficulties which require attention. If the American agent should be an- thorisednud directed lo furnish the small pittance of from 20 to 23 cents per wepk to each American prisoners iu those filthy goals and prison ships, for the pur pose of buying soap.l vegetables, &e. it would not only contribute to the comfort of all, but would undoubtedly save the* . liies of very many valuable seamen nud useful citizens. This communication is made by nuts who has always been politically opposed ’ in sentiment and action to the present * majority of his fellow citizens • but wh»,i bus nevertheless ns ardent a desire as aiijiiT one can have, that the present eanteid^g end will) honoruml ad vantage,to hi«l) 'country. He trusts that the nvuliveiwilfei w hich he has written will operate an apology, even % though the eoummiin.) tuition should not convey any i"*rrm»tii)||‘ either useful or new. . .,«V.iV*\ A CITIZEN of 0/U I Ml O ■’

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Georgia journal. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1809-1847, September 22, 1813, Image 1