Fort Erie Letter

 Bell's Papers:

Fort Erie

Trousdale Appointed Captain In 1812

Source

Rendezvous At Carnahan's Blockhouse Before Loughery's Defeat

Loughery's defeat....:

Source

"It had been given out that this expedition [spearheaded by George Rogers Clark] was against the Indians of the North-west, and the designs on Detroit were kept in the background, but nevertheless Brant, the Indian Chief, was well informed as to its purpose. It was...decided to make the Falls of the Ohio his base of operation."

"Col. Archibald Laughery or Loughery was the County Lieutenant of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and upon Clark's requisition he raised...a party of one hundred and seven mounted volunteers. This company rendezvoused at Carnahan's Blockhouse, eleven miles west of Hannastown on August 2, 1781, and marched by way of Pittsburg to Fort Henry (Wheeling), where they arrived on the 8th about twelve hours after Col. Clark with all the men, boats, and stores he could gather had departed leaving orders for Col. Loughery to follow and overtake him at the mouth of Little Kanawha Several days were consumed by Col Loughery in getting started."

"This force failing to join Clark, who still continued to precede them, was decoyed into an ambush and cut off to a man--all being either killed or taken prisoners. Their terrible fate is one of the most distressing episodes in the history of Western Pennsylvania." [Source] 

Excerpt Of 1857 Map Of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Library of Congress)

Source - Carnahan's Blockhouse/McCauley Farm/Bell Township/Perryville, Westmoreland County

(A post about the aforementioned Pigeon Roost Massacre as found in the book title)

Mr. Powers Was A Spy

From the Indiana University library archives' War of 1812 Collection:

Source

1797 Oct. 16
McHenry, James, 1753-1816

"To James Wilkinson....reprimands Wilkinson for his action in connection with Powers' visit to Detroit probably as a spy."

Thomas Powers was mentioned here.

"Powers is of Irish descent, about thirty-five years age, a man of science, seemingly versatile, speaks French, Spanish, and English with equal fluency, and pronounces each as native."

Mansfield Letter At The Newberry

Source

Letter from Jared Mansfield to Joseph Larwell [Larwill] housed at the Newberry.

Date   January 29, 1812

By The Treaty Of Fort Harmar

From A chapter of the history of the War of 1812 in the Northwest. ...:

They [Native Americans] hoped to regain their old boundary, the Ohio River. In this they were consistent: they had contended for it in the War of 1791, and when our government endeavored after Harmar's and St. Clair's defeats, and before Wayne's campaign, to make peace with them, they unitedly refused, except upon the terms of this boundary; and our Government during its negotiations with them had to put in the plea, that, as by the treaty of "Fort Harmar" a part of the territory had been ceded to the United States, and already partially occupied in good faith, the old limits could not be agreed too, but that the then existing limits and boundaries should forever be held sacred and inviolate. British officers and agents had promised them in 1791, if they would make a general war on the American settlements already established in the north-western territory, that all the power and all the warriors of the king of Great Britain, their great father beyond the rising sun, should be brought to their support, and would certainly secure to them forever the boundary of the Ohio River.

Gaspee Mentioned In A Personal Almanac

Gaspee (Source)

Source

From the Almanac of Edward Thurston, Jr., dated 1772:

Source

June--His Majesty's schooner Gaspee, commanded by Lieut. Dudington, was destroyed in the Narragansett Bay....

Trial Of Captain Henry Whitby

Source - Library Of Congress

A report of the trial of Captain Henry Whitby for the death of John Pierce.

Angus McDonald, Carpenter

Prov'l Marine.  Employed on Lake Erie.

Source [Image 5235]

Return of effective strength of the Prov'l Marine

Quebec 31-7-1811

Scott's Commission

Life of General Winfield Scott:

Return Of Officers - Pre-War of 1812

Title: British Military and Naval Records...Microform: c-2932:

Source [Image 1116]

Quebec, 1811

1805 Complaint To Isaac Brock

Title: British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) - Index Only

Brock [Image 1000]

Brock, Isaac.   Lt. Col.  49th Regt.  Com'dg. Quebec
to Lt. Col. Green

Quebec, 28 -2 - 1805

Inclosing complaint of Lt. Genl. [Henry] Bowyer re treatment of Recruiting parties from N.S. at Quebec with reply thereto.

c. 366
pp. 114, 108-114

Tecumseh And Harrison At Vincennes

Source

Tecumseh to Governor Harrison at Vincennes

General Garland's Order To Longstreet

Letters Received by the Office of the Adjutant General Main Series 1822-1860, #M-567

Content Source: NARA

Special Order #38

*Headquarters, Department of New Mexico
Sante Fe
9 April 1858

...Brevet Major James Longstreet Captain, 8th Infantry, has permission for a leave of absence for 6 months.
Authority is granted to him to apply for further extension of six months.

By Order Of Brevet Brigadier General Garland

W. A. Nichols
Assistant Adjutant General

*A New Mexico Fort was named after General Garland (Fort Garland)

Pulled The Lanyard On Gun Number One....

...thus firing the first shot at the Star of the West.

Jim's Photo Taken At The Citadel

Cadet George E. Haynsworth of The Citadel.

Source

The story of the Star of the West from Tulane University:

The Star of the West was a side-wheel merchant steamer, which ordinarily made runs between New York and New Orleans. Initially, the formidable sloop of war, Brooklyn, was to carry the troops and supplies to reinforce Fort Sumter. But the Buchanan administration determined against sending a warship as too provocative, too public, and possibly too heavy to make its way into Charleston Harbor. Instead, they chartered the Star of the West for $1250 a day, and, to maintain secrecy, cleared the vessel as usual for New Orleans.

The mission proved a military fiasco. ...Furthermore, the attempt to maintain secrecy failed. Newspapers published stories that the ship was headed for Charleston, and Carolina officials received confirmation from... Buchanan's secretary of the interior, Jacob Thompson of Mississippi.

At the same time, the official notification of the mission to Anderson at Sumter was trusted to the regular mails and had not arrived when, in the early morning of January 9, 1861, Carolina's batteries opened on the Star of the West. The unarmed ship was caught in a cross-fire. Receiving no assistance from Fort Sumter, it turned back to New York after suffering minor damage.