Newspaper Page Text
v * _ • f ~ it* . y-.. *,
• 2. By acc'jrir&ar. employee* from ’% j
- foreign country.
We trust our federal ’Junto will
,|iot deny the authority of a body
whose wisdom, virtue and intelli
gence have received from them such
unqualified tenegyric*
from the Washington City Gazette .
GEN HULL'S TRIAL.
At a general court martial [or
dered by the President of the Uni
ted States] convened at Albany, in
the state of Met? York, on the 5d
day of January 1814. and contin
ued by adjournments to the J2sth
day of March following, Brig.. Gen
», W LUAM HULL, of the army,
of the United States, was tried on
the following charges and specifi-
cations, viz 2 • «
CHARGE ju
Treason against she United States
between the 9th of April, and 17th
of
3si Specification charges General Hull
with traitorously hiring an unarmed vessel
under the pretext cf transporting certain
tick sold ers, the principal par* of th«r
hospital stores to Detroit 1 and putting on*
board the same vessel a trunk contaning offi
cial correspondence between him and the Sec
retary at War, relative to the declaration of
war. jSc the intended expedition of the north
ern army; and also certain official muster
tolls of io'al returns—that the said vessel
might be, arshe was, captured by the.enemy y
and thus traitorously furnishing the enemy
with information.
2d Specification charges him-with traitor
ously conspiring and combining with -certain
enemies of the United States, to quit and a
bandon his military post near Sandwich, to
prevent the attack and reduction of Malden ;
and with having traitorously abandoned his
militaty post,
3rd Specification charges him with hav
ing traitorously combined and conspired with
ceiiaih enemies,of the shame
fully and traitorously to abandon and sur
render Dettoit; ||nd » ? ith having thehvar.d
there traitorously surrendered the said fort to
the enemies of the. United States. «
CBaRGK 2*
Cowardice at and in the neighbor
hood of Detroit, between the Ist day .
of July, attd the 17th day of August,
1812
Ist specification charges Gen. Hull with
misbehaving before thf enemy at Sandwich,
fcv shamefully manifesting an undue fear and
apprehension of danger by a course of con-
Nfcct and convensai i«;n evincing personal »-
larm, agiiadon of mind, and privation of
Judgement, and abandoning his design of at
racking Malden—by quitting his position at,
Sandwich; b> retreating abruptly out of the
British province to Detroit without any
cause for so doing*
2nd'Specification charges him with having
during »he coutinuance of the cannonade on
the parr of the enemy at Detroit, shamefully
‘mbbehaved himself, by manifesting great
nd apprehension of personal danger, by
various timid and cowardly actions, and ex
pressions, rn the presence of the officers of the
army. “
3rd Specification charges him \vith shame
fully an f coward y avoiding all personal “dan
ger, firvt from making an attempt to prevent
the enemy’s crossing the river Detroit. And
2«dl>, from encountering the effemy in bat -
tie on ’he march of the enemy towards the
saul fort of Detroit-»wtth hastily sending
flags of truce with overtures for a capitulation
—with withdrawing his person from the A
mei kan roops to a place of comparative se
ainty—with *n irresolute fluctuation of orders
*—wkH forbidding the American artillery to
fire on,the enemy—with calling the troops
from the field—with a precipitate declaration
that he had surrendered the fprt and army,
before te*ms of capitulation were signed “or
even suggested ,•;?* - *•; ,v
4th Spec- * m charge', him with having
shamefully and disgracefully capitulated with
out one honorable s.pulation, whh having
’ shamefully abandoned, surrendered and gi -
ven “p the fort of Detroit with all the troops,
.public stores, &c. to the enemy, without any
adequate cause whatever, by which theuerrito--
tial sovereignty, rights and property of the U-
States were shamefully ceded, a brave
..and patriotic army wantonly by tb»
pbrsortai fears of ‘the commander.
CHARGE 3.
Neglect of duty, and unofScer4ike
‘ conduct while commanding a sepa*
? rate aVmy between the 9th of April,
’ and the i 7th of August, in the year
fUti.
fj* Ist Specification charges him with neglect
* ©f dut> & unofficer .like conduce in omitting Sc
. neglecting to inspect, train, exercise, &c 4 the
, nrmv under his command ; and witlj neglect,
ing to prepare an order of battle, &Tto make it
known to the army, on thdir march from Day.
ton in Ohio to Detroit, by which thediscipline
of the troops was in danger of being relaxed
-•-their confidence in the skill of their com
„ mander diminished, and the army exposed to
the Vuiard of disorder and defsathv the event
of an attack. ‘ :?• ’ -'V.’
2:id Specification charg® him. whhneglect
of duty said uno&cer-tike ct'hduct, by hiring
W unarmed vessel, and putting on board,>:ck
soldiers, hospital stores, pub ic pipers &c.
and sending her from Miami to Detroit, hav-
Ing reason to believe she would be captured’
by the enemy is was done, j ;
3rd Specification him with ne
gecting andomittmg, durmg the time of his
possession and command of fort Detroit ; to
repair and strengthen the. works, of the fort
and every thing necessary, to put it in a prop
er state of resistance, by which it became an
easy prey to the enemy * ■ - •"]
4’h Specification chargee him with not sea- ‘
aonably, preparing, fitting and transporting
the guns and gun carriages necessary to the
- v operations of the armyith an useles & in--
3uri us waste of time at Sandwich, without
an afempr to reduce Maiden—with wasting,
time in conciliating the British inhabitants
and Indians—with postponing and abandon
ing the investment and an attack upon Mal
den—and with finally evacuating Upper Ca
nada, without providing for the safety of the
inhabitants who had accepted bis invitation
1© join the American standard, without hav
ing accomplished the design of invasion.
y s\h Speei. cation charges him with sulfer
•rg iheonerr; to cut oft a communication be
twerfi i> xmt and the a» my of the United
i ares. and the military post and the.river
with thrice sending an inadequate
If’ 9k ‘ft v y i v m,
force, knowing it to be * r pen the t
said communication, and with ■■ wegfecMng to
foruish and forward the saidforce in ade
quate supply of provisions, by which the at
tempt to open *he said-comm unicat ton failed.
6th Specification charges re
glecting aryi omitting to mainain, or attempt
mg to maintain, the possession of a
over the Aux Canard ; and neglecting ind
omitting to proceed to ‘toe immediate invest-.
menr and a» r ack of fort Malden ; bv which
the advantage of acquiring said bridge was \
improvidenily lost, and the prospect of a suc
cessful investment of Malden speedily vanish*
’ ed. ■ ‘*,
’ ,7th Specification charges him with ne
glecting and omit ring to prevent, and to omit
1 to prevent, the enemy torn erecting.batteries *
on the banks of the river Detroit, opposite
the said fort: and neglecting and omitting
?! to fortify tbfc landing place at Spring VVells;
.by which the enemy were enabled to erect
said batteries for the attacking and annoy
ing the fort and town of Detroit, and the
American posts and batteries, and to invade
the territory of Michigan ifrithoot opposition
i( or loss. m,,, ‘ r • .
Wednesday, Jan . 5j 1814.
The Court met at the -capital*
pursuant to adjournment.
All the members •
General Hull having appeared,
the charges and specifications were
read to him by the judge advocate,
and being asked, ifhejjpgas ready to
plead to them, answered that he
was, and that he pleaded not guilty
to all the charges and specifications.
Triday morntpg, March , 26 IBl4*||g
All the evidence being read,
(whether oti the part of the prose
cution or the defence, ) applicable
to the first charge? and the specifica
tions attached to that charge, and
after due deliberation had there on,
the court express the following opin
ioUj
The accused having, in his final
defence, protested against the jurist
diction of the court, to try the
charge of treason, and the opinion
of the court being, that the objec
tion would have been tenable, if the
same had bfeen pleaded by the a6cu
sed on his arrangement } and be
lieving also, that the court cannot
acquire jurisdiction of the offence by
the waver or consent of the accus
ed, they decline making any forihal
decision on that charge# The evi
dence on thesubject having, howev
er. bee» pubfioly given, the court
deem it proper, in justice to the ac
cused, to say, that they do not be
lieve from any thing that hasappear
ed before them, that brigadier gen
eral WilUaro Hull has committed
treason against the United Stat?3,
On the second charge, and the
specification attached to that charge,
(after hearing; all the evidence, and
defence, and after due deliberation
thereon, } the court find brig. gea’l,
William Hull guilty of the Jirst , Se
cond and fourth specifications under
that charge ; andaffe guilty of the
third-specification under that charge
except that part which charges *shd
said brigadier general William Hull
with forbvding the American artille T
ry to fire on the enemy, on their
march towards the said fort Detroit.*’
The court find* the sakt brigadier
genera 1 William Hull®why of the
second charge.
On .the third charge tho coart
after having beard- the evidence,
( and- after due find
the said brigadier general William
Hull guilty of neglect of duty, and
unofficerlike conduct, as charged in
the first- specification under this
change, Jn omiting, with sufficient
t cere and frequency, to inspect, train
exercise, and order, and to cause to
be trained, inspected, exercised,
-and ordered: the troops under his
command, from the sixth day of
July, until the seventeenth day of
August, 1812 ; and acquit him of
the residue of the charge contained
in that specification.
The court acquit the- said briga
dier general William Bull of the
second and thirdspecificatioa of the
same charge.
The court find- the said brig, geti.’
William Hull guilty of the whole
o£the fourth specification of that
charge, except that part which*char
ges him with not seasonable repair
ing, fitting, and transporting or
causing to be fitted, repaired* and
transported, the guns gun car
riages which were necessary to the
operations of the war in the said ‘
British province of Upper Canada.
The court find the said brigadier
gen,. Willi am* Hull guilty of so much
of the sth specification to that charge
as relates to neglect of duty and
unofficer-likfe conduct, m suffering
his communication with, the : river
Raisin and the state to be
cut off, and sending major Van
Horne to attempt to open* the same
with an inadequate force ; he the
said brigadier general William Hull
having reason to know or believe
the same was insufficient and the
court acquit him of the residue- of
that specification.. /
The court find the said brigadier
general William Hull guilty off the
sixth and seventh specifications of
that charge. /
The court find the said „brigadier
general William Hull guilty of the
>t bird £h u . ‘"f* \ -■
The court then adjourned to meet I
to mortfew at 10 o’clock.
. • ‘* \ ‘ • fc., :* *
■ ‘ -TS, %y * ,*v yl
- Morning, ‘March 26, 181-4. •
Pr f.skxt— All the members.
Ihe cowrt, in consequence of
their determination* respecting the
second and third r charges, exhibited
against 1 the said brigadier genera!
Wißiam Hull, and after due consid-t
crnUon, do sentence him to be shot
to death, twothirds of the court con
curing in the sentence.
The court, in consideration of
brigadier general Hull’s revolution- ’
ary services, and his advanced age,
earnestly recommend him to the
mercy of the Presidentofthe United *
States.
The courfcthen adjourned, to meet.
on Monday next at 10 o'clock.
1 ’ ?- r . , —y- - ‘ ‘ \ /V-. •V ’
‘Monday Morning , March 28, 1814.
The court met pursuant to ad
journment. the Mem?
hers.
The proceedings having been read
qvbr, and approved and Signed by
the president, : the court then ad
journed sine die.
it. DEARBORN, Maj. Gen. ‘
President of the Court ....
M. V. BUREN, Spec.Jud.Adv.
PHILIPS PARKER,
Army fudge Adi* Assis. • ,
April 25, 1814. <
The sentence of the court is ap
proved, and the execution of it
raitted. ‘'£ ; s
JAMES MADISON.
By directions of the court martial
the President gave the following di
rections to Gen. Hull: ,
Albany , March 28, 11814.
SJRL-You please return to
your usual place of residence in
Massachusetts,-and there continue
until you shall receive orders from
the President of the United States.
Your obedient servant,
H. DEARBORN,
Major General. yjj
President 0/ the Martial. %
Brigadier Gfcnetal William Hull.
Adjutant Us Inspector GeneraVs Office.
April 25 , 1814.
GENERAL ORDERS.
The roll of the army is not to be
longer dishonored by having upon it
the name of Brigadier General Wil
liam Hull* ‘
The General Court Martial of
wlschc Major General Dearborn is
president, is hereby dissolved.
By order,
J. B. WALBACH,
■ -—3 -:a
British Official Account of our Victo.
.< V , ; ry on Lake Erie •
FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE,
FFS. 8.
* Capt. Barclay to Commodore Teo.
His Majesty’s late ship Detroit, ( 1
Fut-in ’Bay, Lake Erie,
- September Is.
SIR-Al’he fast fetter I had the
honor of writing to you dated the
6th inst. I informed you that unless
certain intimation was received of
mbfe seamen being on their Vay tp.
Amheretsburg, I Would be obliged
to sail witb the squadron, deplorably
manned as it was,- to fight the ene
my, (who blockaded the port J to en
able us to get* supplies of provisions
and* stores df every description ; so
perfectly destitute df* provisions was
the port that there was not a day*s
flour in storerand the crews df the
squadron uiider ihy dommaiid* were
On half ‘allowanoe of many things,
When that was done there wak
no more. Such wera the motives
which induced Major General Prpc
’ ter (whom by yodr instructions I
was directed to consult, and whose
wishes I was enjoined'to execute as
far as related to the good of the
to concur in the necessity
of a battle being, pisked, under the
disadvantages which I labored, and
it now remains for me, the most
melanchdfy task to relate to you
the unfortunate issue of that battle,
as-well as the many untoward cir
cumstances that led to that event;
~ No intelligence of seamen having
arrived I sailed on the* 9th inst. ful
ly expecting to meet the enemy next
morning, as they had been seen a
mong the islands ; nor was I mista
ken; sobn after day-light they wbre
seen in motion m'Put-in-Bay ; the
wind then at south-west, and light,
giving qs the-weather-gage. I Gore
up with them, in hopes of bringing
them to action among the islands,
but that intention was ’soon f rostra,
ted, by t*hc wind suddenly shifting to
the south-east, which brought the
enemy directly to windward. The
line was formed accordingly to a gi
ven plan, so that each Ship might be
•supportedagainst the superior force
.of the: two brigs opposed to them—
\ About ten the enemy had cleared
; the islands, and immediately Udrv
up, under easy sail, in a line abreast,
ench brig being also supported by
the small vessels. At a quarter be
fore 12, I Commenced the action, by
firing a few long guns; about a
quarter past the American C.imnjo«
dorc, also supported by two sclioon- *
ers, one carrying 4 pound- ;
ers, the other a long 32 and 24 poiin- ,
der, came to close action with the j
Detroit ; the'other brig of the ene- J
my. destined to engage i
ihe Queen thaildtte, supported in 1
like manner bv'twp schoohers, kept j
so far to windward as to render the j
Queen Charlotte's 20 pounder car- I
ponades usifess, while she was with j
the Lady Prevost, exposed to the j
heavy and destructive fire of the .
CAfedpnian, and four other schoon- )
«ers, armed with long and heavy ,
‘gurts, like those I hdve already de- ;
Stribed. Too sooitflalas! was I de
prived of the services of the noble (
and intrepid Captain jFinms, who !
soon after the Ctdhmenceiheht of the !
action fell, and with him tell my j
greatest support; soon after Lieut. <
Stokes, of the Queen Charlotte, was
struck senseless by a splinter, which ]
deprived the countffibf his services
at this very critical period. As I
perceived the Detroit had enough to
edntend with, without the prospect
of a fresh brig, Provincial Lieut, Ir
vine, who then had charge of the
Queen Charlotte, behaved with great
courage, but bis .experience was
jnuth too limitedto supply the place
of such An officer as capt. Tinnis>—*
Hence she proved of far less assist
ance than I expected* -
The action continued with threat
fury until half past two, when 1 per
ceived tny opponent drop astern,
and a boat passingTront him to the
Niagara, (which vessel was at this
time perfectly fresh ,) the American
Commodore seeing, that as yet the
day'was Against bim> ( r hiS Vessel
having strtlck soOn after, he left her,
and aUb the very defenceless state
of the lletroit, which ship was nbw
a perfect wteck, principally from the
raking firfe of tne gunboatS, and also
% that the Queen Charlotte WAs in such
a situation, that I could receive&yery j
* little assistance frotruher, anA the
Lady. Prevost being at this time toe
far to le ward, from her judder be
ing injured, made a noble, and alas l
too successful an effort it;
for lie bare up, and supported by
his small vessels, passed within pis
tol shot, and took awaking position
on our boW, nor cbUd 1 prevent it,
as the unfortunate .situation of the
Queen Charlotte prevented us from
wearing ; in attempting it wc fell
on board her ; my gallant first Lieu
tenant Garland was now mortally
pounded, & myself so severely, that
1 was obliged tp quit the deck,-
Manned the squadron was, with
not more than fifty •►British seamen,
the rest a mixed crew of Canadians
and soldiers, and who were totally
.unacquainted with such service, ren
dered the loss of officers more sen
sfbfy felt, and never in any action
was the Toss mefre severe ; every
officer commanding vessels, 8c their
seconds, wAs either killed/ or Woun
ded so* severely, to be unable to
keep the deck. Lieut. Bn’chart, in
the Lady Prevost, bfehaved most no
bly, and'did every thing that a brave
and experienced officer could do in
a vessel armed with 12 pound car
ronades, against vessels carry ing long
guns. I regret to state that he was
severely wounded. Lieut. Bignal,
of the Dover, commanding the
Hunter, displayed the greatest in
trepidity; but his guns being small
ftwo, fouy and six he
could be of muth less service Jthan
he wished, fevery officer in the De
troit, behaved in the most exempla
ry, manner* Lieut; Ingtis shewed
such calm intrepidity, that I was ful
ly convinced that dn leaving the deck/
I left the ship in excellent hands ;
and for any account of the battle af
ter that, I refer you to bis fetter
which he wrote me, for your infor
mation. . Mr. Hoffmeister, purser
v of the Detroit, nobly volunteered
his services on the-the deck, and be
haved in a manner that refiedu'the
highest horior on him. I regret to
add,thAt he is’very severely wound
ed in the knee. Provincial Lieut.
Irvine, and the military officers,’
Lieuts. Garden; Os the Royal New
foundland Rangers, and O’Keef of
the 41st Regt. behaved in a manner
which excited my warmest adtnira-’
tion ; the few British seamen f had
behaved with their usual intrepidity,
and as lohrg as I . was on deck the
groups behaved with a calmness and
coutage, wbrtliy of a more fortunate
issue to their exertions.
. The weather-gage gave the ene* 1
.my a prodigious advantage, as it en
* enabled them not only to choose their
position butV their distance also;
which they did-in such a manffer as
to prevent the carranydes of the
Queen Charlotte and LAdy Prevost
from having much effect; while
their long guns did great execution,
particularly.against the Queen Char**
, lotte. Capt. Perry has behaved iim
, most humane and attentive manner,
[not only to myself and officers, but
*to all the wounded. I trust..ttiKt,
although unsuccessful, you will ‘ap
prove of the motives that induced me
to il undergo many disadvantages,
and that it may be hereafter protect
thjt, snder tVv
honor of His Mi jsv yS f** hts not
been tarnished I enclose ihu list .
of Rilled aivl wounded. ~
j I have the honor to he. Pee.
| * R. H. BARCLAY,
| Commander and late senior Officer*
Lieut . Tnglis to Cjpt. Bi^cLiv.
.His Majesty** late ship
I have the honor to trans
mit to you an account of the termi*
nation of. the late unfortunate battle
; with the enemy’s squadron,
h On coming on the quarter deck
| after your being wounded, the cne
; ray’s second brig at thit time on our
‘ weather *- heath, shortly after took a
[ position on our weather bow to rake
* us; to prevcntjwhith, in attempting
! to wear to gft otrr starboard broad*
! side to bear upon her, a number of
!the guns on the larboard broadside!
being at this time disabled, fell on
board the Queen Charlotte, at tnls
time running up to leeward of us.‘—
In this situation the two ships re*
mained for some time. As soon as
we got clear of her I ordered the
/Queen Charlotte to shoot shead of
tts if possible > a nd attempted to back,
our foretop-sail to get asteriV, but
the shift laying completely uh‘m*\n
ageahle, every brace cut away, the
miren-top mfcst aAI gaff doAvti, aft
4he other masts badly wounded, no,t
a stay left forward, hull shattered
very much, a number 8f the guns
disabled, and the enemy’s squadron
raking both ships ahead and astern,
none of our own in a situation t<%
support us, I was under the painful
necessity of answering tpe enemy,
to. say we had 6truck, the, Queeit
Charlotte having previously dom>
so. •
I have the honor to be. &c.
, (Signed ) GEORGE INGLIS.
To Capti,Barclay*
Abstract of Killed and Wounded,
3 officers, 3$ men, killed*—9 offi**
cers, as men wounded. TotHl, 41
killed—94 wounded.
LETTER TO COMMODORE
PERRY.
A copy of the following letter
was communicated to the eejitors of
the Newport Mercery; by the rev.
Mr. Towle* the, worthy pastor of
the society of United Brethren iii
Newport. It reflects additional lus
tre on the character of the hero,
jwho?e protection and humanity it 9a
feelingly acknowledges. \Vhen th«
names of many military coxcombs*
who are.hovfc 4 , 4 fretting their hour
upon the stage/’ shall have been
forgotten, the fame of Perry will be
consecrated by the brilliancy of> hia
exploits,'and the benignity of his
virtues—R. I. American.
Bethlehem , January 9,1314.
Honored and dear Sir—The Diree*
tors of the Society of the United
Brethren, commonly called Mora
, vians, residing in, this place, have
been informed, by the rev. Mr-
Schanalb fate one of our missiona*
. ries among the Indians in Upper
Canada, who arrived here witbjtii»
family after a long and troublesome
journey, on the 30th af w December
last, of the fyiendly offices and gen**
erems protection which you have had
the goodness to afford to our mis
’ sioharies when the settlement of our
Christian Indians on Thames river,
was taken pbesesioh’of by the army
of the United States, under th«
>command of general Harrison.
Impressed with the most lively
sense of gratitude for the numerous
proofs of your benevolent disposition
towards our missionaries; When in i
distress and danger, the directors
beg leave to present to you their
sincerest and most cordial acknowl-’
edgments. May the Lord, whose
servants you have taken pleasiih; to 4 ’
.protect, be your shield and your ex
ceeding great reward; have you in
ffiis holy keeping, and bless you \ti
life, in death, and throughout eter- r<
;nity. -
\ Please to aldcept dear sir, this tender
of the best wishes tis the directors,
- whose humble organ I am happy
be oirthe occasion ; and believe m<r.
personally to be, with sentiments of
the most perfect esteem, honored!
and dear sir, very respectfully youir
most obedient and huroßle servant-
JOHN G. CUN GW-
Commodore Oliver Jf. FERRT, :
AtJDI ALTEREM PARTEM.
The following is an extract’of a.
letter from general Wilkinspn to
his friend in Albany, dated . . ,
’ Champlain April 9, 1844. i
I>6:ar Stß—You tell me f am
“‘ charged with the countermarch of
“major general Brown to'Sacketris
Harbor after he had advanced niorfc »
‘thaq two hundred miles through th£-
‘‘mod and mire ori an expedition a
jgainsrtfSagfcra—afid yoU desire to
\ know whether such tie she fact ? ? ’ It«
.is just as trufc, at that
i Major general Hampton last dai \l«
paign single mimltfe, or that l
had turned coward and become $4
drunkard after thirty years se» vieo>.
I or, that I had not favoted the attucU