The Weekly Register - March 1813 and Index

Description

Sponsors

This item is a part of the 1812 History digitization project. This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy.

Creator

Niles, Hezekiah, Editor

Media Type

Publication

Text

Item Type

Periodicals

Description

Issues for the March 1813 Weekly Register newspaper (Baltimore, Maryland) are divided and includes the following War of 1812 related stories:

March 6th, pages 1-16: Editor's proclamation on reporting on the war (p.1); Declaration of British Parliament - 9 January 1813 (pp.1-6); President's message to Senate and House of Representatives - February 24 (p.8); Events of the War including reports from Ogdensburgh,Battle of Frenchtown with Brigadier General James Winchester, Colonel Henry Proctor, and Round Head; (pp.9-13); naval events (pp.13-15); President Madison's speech - March 4 (pp.15-16).

March 13th, pages 17-40
2nd Page:
• List of acts passed at the 2nd session of the 12th congress
• Statement of the exports of the United States for the year ending 30 Sept. 1812

5th Page:
• Address to newly elected Vice-President Gerry by Republican senate and house representatives, Vice-President Gerry’s reply

----------
Supplement to 13 March 1813 edition
1st Page:
• Memoir and memorial of Daniel Boone

6th Page:
• Excerpt from the journal of an American officer captured at Queenston on 13 October 1812 accounting his time as a prisoner and his journey back to the United States
• Account of the battle between the US ship Constitution and the British ship Guerriere
• Opinion piece by unnamed former naval officer offering explanation for British loss of the Guerriere to the US ship Constitution
----------

10th Page:
• Report on British licences with examples of licences in use

11th Page:
• Statement of finances used for the fortification of the port and harbour of New York

12th Page:
• Article that discusses the loss of British naval superiority and glory to the United States
• Order from the Department of State to British subjects, warning them to leave US waters, remaining outside of 40 miles from tide water

13th Page:
• Report from North-West Army that Gen. Harrison was completing a strong fortification at the Miami Rapids, claims his next point of fortification is at river Raisin
• Report of the battle of Ogdensburg
• Report of success of recruiting campaigns in Troy, New York and Hartford, Conn.
• Report of troops movements to Niagara frontier including new artillery company under Capt. Stockton
• Report that US Gen. Dearborn had made his headquarters at Sackett’s Harbour
• Report of troop movements from St. John’s to the Aulotcheewans
• Report of paying of damages by government of Canada to French mills for compensation for depredations by party under Capt. Tilden
• Account of battle at Frenchtown on river Raisin, including numbers for killed, wounded, missing, and taken prisoner
• List of ships attacked or captured in the blockade of the Chesapeake

14th Page:
• List of naval promotions
• Report that an account by National Intelligencer of the capture of the US ship Vixen is erroneous
• Report from England of large naval preparations for American coast
• Report that British off coast of United States were well-informed, blamed on American traitors
• Report that British were sending out six large frigates for America, accompanied by 74-gun ships
• Report British sloop of war Brazen had run aground off Balize and a 64-gun ship attended her
• Report of building a sloop of war and a frigate in Baltimore
• Report of naval court martial of lieut. Burbank of the Anaconda privateer, for firing on the US ship Com. Hull
• Report that Charleston, SC blockaded closely by Lord James Townsend, whose conduct is said to be gentlemanly
• Report that a squadron of French vessels were at sea, having destroyed many Spanish and Portugese vessels and American vessels, assumed to be inclined to British interests
• Departure of Captain Oliver H. Perry with 150 seamen and other officers toward Sackett’s Harbour to join Commodore Chauncey
• Opinion piece by John H. Stevens on impressments and free trade
• List of American naval prizes

March 20th, pages 41-56
1st Page:
• Report from the Massachusetts Legislature to the House of Representatives discussing the possibility of building a ship of the line of 74 guns

2nd Page:
• Law passed regulating seamen serving on public and private armed US vessels

3rd Page:
• Memorial for Charles Redheffer presented to the Legislature of Pennsylvania

4th Page:
• British Order in Council giving authority for licensing
5th Page:
• British order claiming an American general order announcing an exchange of prisoners to have been false

6th Page:
• Proclamation announcing regulation of American subjects residing in the province of Lower Canada
• British regulation prohibiting the exportation of certain articles to the United States, but allowing others
• Mock eulogy of the orders in council, which had “expired” on 16 June, 1812
• Report of calculation of American victory on the seas, estimated to take 7 months, 1 week, and 5 days exactly

7th Page:
• Abstract from the return of militia of the United States listing infantry, artillery, cavalry, riflemen, and returns for military provisions
• Description of the north and north-western frontier of the United States, location of towns, and distances between locations

8th Page:
• Report of lack of information of Gen. Harrison’s army, mention he may have proceeded to Malden
• Report of possibility that American traitors “well inclined to the British interest” will regret helping the British, should Baltimore be attacked, since all shipping is to be “consigned to the flames”
• Report of forming of masters and mates of vessels at Norfolk to manage the guns in protection of the city
• Report of large gathering of American troops at Sackett’s Harbour, mention of possibility of an attack at Kingston
• Report of attacks in native country destroying several towns by Tennessee volunteers
• Report of destruction of the Seminoles by American troops
• Claim that Governor Prevost led the attack on Ogdensburg
• Report that claims a similar lack of ability to feed troops in Canada, as was reported in the United States
• Report that 900 Delaware natives have “come within the lines” of American forces, to preserve their neutrality, having refused to “lift the tomahawk” against the British

9th Page:
• Report of action between British and native troops and American troops under Gen. Harrison

10th Page:
• Account of a woman at battle at Ogdensburg describing the pillaging of her home and the capture of her husband, who was later paroled
• Extract of a letter that accounts the attack on Ogdensburg
• Official British account of the attack on Ogdensburg by Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General J. Rowen
• Report troops under Captain Ogden, US artillery, Lieut. Col. Scott, and Col. Winder had marched through Trenton, NJ on their way to the frontier
• Report of movement of 180 light dragoons under Major Laval through Harrisburg to join the Northern Army
• Report recruitment going well, lists numbers for recruits in number of towns
• Report that blockade of the Chesapeake “continues with unremitted rigor”

11th Page:
• Notice that the lights of the lighthouses of cape Henry, as well as other light-houses in the Chesapeake were to be extinguished
• Report detailing numbers of ships in Halifax and Bermuda stations, some of the vessels were used in the blockades of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays
• Report American privateer Snapper captured by British frigates
• Report of condemning of 15 or 20 vessels at Bermuda
• Report famous British privateer Liverpool Packet off cape Cod harassing east coast vessels
• 410 American prisoners in British capture at Jamaica, reported to be miserably used and on “half-allowance”
• Report of blockade of the Delaware by three 74-gun ships and some smaller vessels
• 150 dollars raised between crew of the Congress frigate for a man who had lost his leg in the naval skirmish between the Constitution and the Guerriere
• Account of the US ship Powhattan, who was captured and retaken twice while attempting to sail home to America, having captured a ship in the process
• Account of the chase between the British ship Belvidera and the US ship President

12th Page:
• List of prizes taken from the British ship Comet by French privateer Lady Johnson in the Delaware
• Report of capture of the British ship Macedonian
• Second report of the capture of the Macedonian

13th Page:
• List of American naval prizes

14th Page:
• Report calculating war costs, debits, and credits of the war, based on 15, 20, 100, and 1000 years war duration

March 27th, pages 57-72
1st Page:
• Dedication of this edition to American seamen and seamen serving on private armed vessels

4th Page:
• Statement of public testimonials of respect to captains, officers, and crew of US ships Constitution, Wasp, and United States

5th Page:
• Abstract of actions fought between ships of the United States and Great Britain, since the beginning of the war

6th Page:
• List of British naval engagements with American vessels

7th Page:
• Article on British and American vessels, including size and tonnage measurements

9th Page:
• General orders announcing division of US frontiers into nine military districts and four rules for organization of the militia

10th Page:
• Report of General Dearborn’s return to Greenbush from Sackett’s Harbour
• Report of General Harrison’s arrival at Chilicothe to hasten reinforcements for the northwest army
• Report command of New York given to Col. Izard, his former position as superintendent of the 1st district of Pennsylvania given to Gen. Bloomfield
• Report of governor of New York’s recommendation of raising 5000 volunteers; 2000 for the northern part of the state and 3000 for the southern half
• Report Abraham C. Lansing of Albany appointed new Quartermaster General of the US army, Morgan Lewis appointed Major-General
• Major-General Wilkinson reportedly directed to report himself to Gen. Dearborn of the northern army
• Command at New Orleans directed to Brig. Gen. Flournov of Georgia, in Gen. Wilkinson’s absence
• Letter from General Harrison to Governor Shelby criticizing British for their handling of wounded after the battle of Frenchtown, and for their attacking of a party under a flag of truce
• Excerpt from a letter from Major M. D. Hardin to Governor Shelby criticizing British for their treatment of wounded and the violation of the colours of the United States after the battle at Frenchtown
• Report of enlistments at Burlington and Windsor, Vermont
• Accused British spy hung near Sackett’s Harbour
• Report of Malden Commandant Colonel St. George’s death from his wounds two days after battle
• Report from released Kentucky prisoners that some residents of Detroit had been sent to Fort George, in response to suspicion that a revolt, with the view of seizing the fort for the Americans, were to take place
• Report of an exchange of salutes at Fort George for success at Ogdensburg, and at Fort Erie/Buffalo for victory of Constitution over British ship Java

11th Page:
• Report of reluctance of militia in Oxford township to march, fines paid instead
• Report from Lexington, KY that the governor had ordered the 42nd regiment of militia to march, to draft 69 men into army, but 83 volunteered instead, similar events in Frankfort, KY
• 3500 dollars reported to have been subscribed to equip the volunteers
• Report that newly formed regiments had been sent as a reinforcement of Gen. Harrison’s army
• Report from Cincinnati of intelligence of a secret mission of about 150 men and 30 natives, plus 500 men in reserve to destroy the Queen Charlotte, docked near Fort Malden, and that the mission had failed, due to poor ice conditions on the lake
• Report of large force under Dixon of Michilimackinac gathering up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, ready to come down on the first navigation, accompanied by British with cannons and naval co-operation
• Report that a small party of natives had killed two families at the mouth of the Cash river
• Report of massacre at Cash river by natives, supposedly of Creek tribe
• Report of readiness of Belle Fountaine for British/native attack
• Excerpt of a letter that claims volunteers sent against the Lotchway and Seminole natives has returned, and had completely defeated them in three engagements
• Report of the massacre at Frenchtown

12th Page:
• Report of the naval blockade of the Delaware, including reports from towns on the Delaware

13th Page:
• Letter from Commodore J.P. Berresford of the British ship Poictiers demanding goods to be paid at Pennsylvania prices under the threat of destroying the town
• Report of apology from Commodore Berresford, claims he did not know it would have been high treason for any Americans to comply with his orders
• Conflicting reports that claim British allowed a ship from Lisbon to pass, short of provisions and having a sick captain, and that the ship escaped the blockage and arrived safely in port, having captured eight men on board
• Report of capture and retaking of the US sloop New-Jersey from the Ulysses tender, by Capt. Burton
• Report from Cedar-Creek that two sloops, Eliza and Mary Robins from Philadelphia for Lewistown, were burnt, Col. Payner’s schooner save by militia of Lewis and Milton
• Report of schooner from Charleston for Philadelphia had ran aground at the mouth of Town-creek, the people had removed two guns and what ammunition the vessel had and mounted a defence against four British barges, ship burned, claimed to be because the ammunition ran out
• Orders received in Wilmington, Delaware by Capt. Warner for the place of rendezvous in case of an alarm, and that the alarm would be sounded by the ringing of the town bell, drumming, and two shots of a cannon
• Notice to mariners trading to and from the Delaware that the lights of the lighthouse on Cape Henlopen had been extinguished by order of the US secretary of the treasury
• Reports from the blockade of the Chesapeake

14th Page:
• Report US schooner Commodore Hull looking for the Liverpool Packet
• Report that several hundred bales of blankets, 40 pieces of cannon, 5000 stand of arms, etc. saved from the wreck of the British ship Diligence, lost near Eastport

16th Page:
• List of American naval prizes
• Capture and sinking of British sloop of war Peacock by the US sloop Hornet

PLEASE CLICK ON THE WEEKLY PERIODICALS ON THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN (PDF FILES)TO DOWNLOAD FILES.

Look for other issues of the Weekly Register within this website.

The Weekly Register, also known as Niles Weekly Register, was a weekly periodical edited by Hezekiah Niles (1777-1839) and published in Baltimore Maryland. Volumes of interest were published between 1811 (Vol. 1, No. 1, September 7, 1811) to 1814 (Vol. 5, No. 26, February 26, 1814). These volumes focus primarily on 19th century politics and government in the United States of America.

Niles edited and published the Weekly Register until 1836, making it one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States. The popularity also made Niles into one of the most influential journalists of his day. Devoted primarily to politics, Niles' Weekly Register is considered an important source for the history of the period. The Register also recorded current economics, technology, science, medicine, geography, archaeology, the weather, and stories of human interest.

Notes