Category: History - American

A History, of the War of 1812-15 Between the United States and Great Britain

Causes of the War 1. Franklin's Prediction, 1.--British Feeling toward the United States, 2.--The Unsurrendered Posts, 3.--Indian Troubles, 4.--Impressment of Seamen, 7.--The Decrees and Orders in Council, 13.--Declaration of War, 18.

Chapters

1. CHAPTER I.

Causes of the War 1. Franklin's Prediction, 1.--British Feeling toward the United States, 2.--The Unsurrendered Posts, 3.--Indian Troubles, 4.--Impressment of Seamen, 7.--The De...

2. CHAPTER II.

The Detroit Campaign, 21.--First Bloodshed, 21.--Attitude of Political Parties, 22.--Plans for Invading Canada, 26.--Capture of Michilimackinac, 30.--Engagements at the River Ra...

3. CHAPTER III.

4. CHAPTER IV.

The Battle of Queenstown, 46.--Fight at Gananoqui, 46.--Expedition against Ogdensburg, 47.--Elliott captures two War-vessels, 48.--Gathering of Forces on the Niagara, 49.--Battl...

5. CHAPTER V.

War on the Ocean, 61.--The _President_ and the _Little Belt_, 62.--The _President_ and the _Belvidera_, 64.--Hull's Race, 66.--The _Constitution_ and the _Guerriere_, 68.--Effec...

6. CHAPTER VI.

7. CHAPTER VII.

War on the Lakes, 98.--The Armaments, 98.--Preliminary Operations, 99.--Expedition against York, 100.--Death of General Pike, 103.--Capture of Fort George, 107.--Attack on Sacke...

8. CHAPTER VIII.

Battle of the Thames, 140--Harrison's Advance, 140.--Proctor's Retreat 141.--Nature of the Ground, 141.--Disposition of the Indians, 143.--The Battle, 144.--Death of Tecumseh, 1...

9. CHAPTER IX.

Wilkinson's Expedition, 149.--Armstrong's Plans, 149.--Position of the Troops, 150.--Descent of the St. Lawrence, 152--Battle of Chrysler's Field, 154.--Hampton's Defeat, 159.--...

10. CHAPTER X.

War in the South, 168.--Engagement at Lewistown, 168.--Fight in Delaware Bay, 169.--Burning of Havre de Grace, Georgetown, and Fredericktown, 171.--Battle at Craney Island, 172....

11. CHAPTER XI.

Naval Battles of 1813, 195.--The _Hornet_ and the _Peacock_, 195.--The _Chesapeake_ and the _Shannon_, 197.--The _Argus_ and the _Pelican_, 201.--The _Enterprise_ and the _Boxer...

12. CHAPTER XII.

Privateers, 207.--Their Number and Importance, 207.--Jefferson's Opinion of them, 208.--A London Journal's Prediction, 211.--Some of their Captures, and some of their Battles, 2...

13. CHAPTER XIII.

Peace Negotiations, 223.--Campaign against the Creeks, 223.--Condition of Affairs at the Opening of the Third Year, 223.--Congressional Appropriations, 224--Russian Offers of Me...

14. CHAPTER XIV.

Brown's Campaign on the Niagara, 231.--The March to Buffalo, 231.--Capture of Fort Erie, 232.--Battle of Chippewa, 234.--Brown's Plans, 238.--Battle of Lundy's Lane, 240.--Siege...

15. CHAPTER XV.

The Second Invasion of New York, 251.--Fight at La Colie Mill, 251.--Ship-building, 253.--Yeo's Attack on Oswego, 254.--Affairs at Charlotte and Poultneyville, 255.--Fight at Sa...

16. CHAPTER XVI.

Operations Along the Coast, 268.--Capture of Eastport and Castine, 268.--Occupation of Territory in Maine, 269.--Destruction of the Frigate _Adams_, 270.--Bombardment of Stoning...

17. CHAPTER XVII.

The Washington Campaign, 274.--Ross's Expedition against Washington, 276.--Battle of Bladensburg, 278.--Destruction of the Capital, 282.--Capitulation of Alexandria, 283.--Comme...

18. CHAPTER XVIII.

Naval Battles of 1814, 290,--Porter's Cruise in the Essex, 290.--His Campaign against the Typees, 296.--Destruction of the British Whaling Interest in the Pacific, 310.--Battle...

19. CHAPTER XIX.

The Hartford Convention, 326.--Attitude of the Federalists, Real and Imputed, 326.--The Convention at Hartford, 328.--Its Popular Reputation, 330.--What General Scott did not sa...

20. CHAPTER XX.

The Campaign on the Gulf Coast, 332.--British Occupation of Pensacola, 332.--Negotiations with Lafitte, 333.--Expedition against Mobile, 333.--Capture of Pensacola, 334.--Defenc...

21. CHAPTER XXI.

22. CHAPTER I.--CAUSES OF THE WAR.

|The offender, says an Italian proverb, never forgives; and it is a singular fact that the deepest resentments and the most implacable hatreds are not those arising from a sense...

23. CHAPTER II. THE DETROIT CAMPAIGN.

|It was perhaps characteristic of the conduct of the war, that the first blood spilled should be American blood, shed by Americans. This occurred in a riot, occasioned by high p...

24. CHAPTER III. FIGHTS WITH THE INDIANS.

|The great Indian leader, Tecumseh, cherished a design similar to that of Pontiac in the previous century. He wanted to unite all the northwestern tribes in an effort to drive t...

25. CHAPTER IV. THE 'BATTLE OF QUEENSTOWN.

|Hull's surrender by no means put an end to the design of invading Canada, but neither did it have any effect in changing the vicious plan of striking the enemy on the wrong flank.

26. CHAPTER V. WAR ON THE OCEAN.

_The President and the Little Belt--The President and the Belvidera--Hull's Race--The Constitution and the Guerriere--Effect of the Victory--The Wasp and the Frolic--The United...

27. CHAPTER VI. MINOR BATTLES IN THE WEST.

|At the opening of the year 1813, General William Henry Harrison, who had won a high reputation by his victory over the Indians at Tippecanoe in 1811, being now in command of th...

28. CHAPTER VII. WAR ON THE LAKES.

|The importance of the great navigable lakes lying between the United States and Canada had not been overlooked by either party to this war. As soon as it broke out, both began...

29. CHAPTER VIII. BATTLE OF THE THAMES.

|The opportunity which General Harrison had been waiting for had now arrived. He had been joined by Governor Shelby, of Kentucky, who brought three thousand five hundred mounted...

30. CHAPTER IX. WILKINSON'S EXPEDITION.

|The final military operations of this year on the northern border were the most disappointing, and on the whole the most disgraceful, of any that had been undertaken. General J...

31. CHAPTER X. WAR IN THE SOUTH.

_Engagement at Lewistown--Fight in Delaware Bay--Burning of Havre de Grace, Georgetown, and Fredericktown--Battle at Craney Island--Destruction of Hampton--Troubles with the Sou...

32. CHAPTER XI. NAVAL BATTLES OF 1813

|The brilliant victories achieved on the ocean in 1812 reversed the opinion the Government had entertained as to the value of the navy, and early in 1813 Congress authorized the...

33. CHAPTER XII. PRIVATEERS.

|In the naval operations of this, as of the preceding year, privateers played an important part. A large number had been commissioned; during the entire war, the whole number se...

34. CHAPTER XIII. PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.--CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CREEKS.

|At the beginning of the third year of the war the prospects of the Americans were more discouraging than at any previous period. The European wars had come to an end for the ti...

35. CHAPTER XIV. BROWN'S CAMPAIGN ON THE NIAGARA.

|Colonel Winfield Scott, who after the failure of Wilkinson's expedition had spent a large part of the winter at Albany, arranging with Governor Tompkins the plans for the openi...

36. CHAPTER XV. THE SECOND INVASION OF NEW YORK.

|In February General Wilkinson had removed his army from French Mills to Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, and a month later he added one more to the futile invasions of Canada. At...

37. CHAPTER XVI. OPERATIONS ALONG THE COAST.

|The close of the war in Europe had not only enabled the English to strengthen their land forces in America, but had also liberated many of their warships, and the result was fe...

38. CHAPTER XVII. THE WASHINGTON CAMPAIGN.

_Ross's Expedition against Washington--Battle of Bladensburg--Destraction of the Capital--Capitulation of Alexandria--Comments of the London Times--Expedition against Baltimore-...

39. CHAPTER XVIII. NAVAL BATTLES OF 1814.

_Porter's Cruise in the Essex--His Campaign Against the Typees--Destruction of the British Whaling Interest in the Pacific--Battle with the Phoebe and the Cherub--The Peacock an...

40. CHAPTER XIX. THE HARTFORD CONVENTION.

|When a destructive war had been carried on for two years, when recruiting was slow, and the Government heavily in debt, and yet no way appeared but to fight it out, it might ha...

41. CHAPTER XX. THE CAMPAIGN ON THE GULF COAST.

|Though Pensacola was a Spanish town, in Spanish territory, the British forces used it as a station for fitting out expeditions against Mobile and New Orleans. Here they gathere...

42. CHAPTER XXI. PEACE.

|Had there been an Atlantic cable, or even a transatlantic steamer, with land telegraphs, in those days, the slaughter before New Orleans might have been prevented; for a treaty...