Norfolk gazette and publick ledger — Norfolk [Va.], 1810-05-25 00:00:00, page 2

*»Md fort St. Philip, Mt4 proceed with
be high (found in tiie fear of fort Adam*,
i high ground in the renr of Natch** (tbe
rooad) a«d form encampment*; dividing
illy, or in «ocb proportion*, between the
d, a* yo«r own judgment *b»B direct.—
Med copy of an order from tbe aavy de
will present you the mean* of transport*
e movement of the troops will be commit
(I to iotfr dfrdrtfon.’’
. U* « UiXtt bearing date, Camp, Trrre an Boeuf,
23d, 1909, general Wilkinson acknowledges
the preceding order had came to his band: be
..... IjW, " y«'«r dnplirate of the C2d ultimo, readied
^ Kajo Orleana by last mail on the 19th, and t ame
toy hand* on the night of the ?Oth, at ten
o'colck : the original has not yet arrived. The pe
jfWptory teilour of your order for the removal of
tbt troops, hsif relieved me front an oppressive load
of responsibility, and ! have not lost a moment in
entering on the execution.” He states the tmpns
•tlllity of eotllrouling the effVrts of ttie rlimate ;
'that it will be in vain to seek refuge from disease
' inaaal it mill Isas in train fra aaalr rafimu rr.,M ,1,.....^..
in tfiat region wjth unseasoned reeroits. lie also
states, that when possession was taken of the pre
|#tt healthful arite at Columbian Springs, neurit**
, Adams, 2+6 meii were down at one time out of .>00.
After nieirt lotting tome tilings relating to * he move
' itirflt of the detachment up tile river, he says,
^you will discover from my letter of the ISth 11I
tinio, the causes which opposed our ascent of the
’.giVM tTbe employ of the gun boats rimoves the ex*
pensa, and the labour of the sailors will save that
.the troop*, bnt the tardiness of the movement
id the heat of the aun in dog days must endanger
pur health.”
txprmbg hi* sense of the necessity ofero
linmy, and stating that the establishment had cost
something, but that the cost will hear comparison
the antecedent expenses ; he then mentions
that the publick cost to future would not exceed
six nr eight hundred dollars p>. month the year
round, for every incidental expense, wood, pastur*
age, and quarters included: and rnnclodes thus,
** noder all circumstances, I must frankly say, that
' was my discretion permitted, I should stay here
and hazard the consequences • lot as there would
be hazard, l am glad of your order to move, not
(inly drift lessons toy responsibility, l ut because the
change of place may prove salutary to our men ; in
all events you may depend on whatever my ju-ig
'Stentr experience, personal exposition and aiteuii
008 can effect."
*' m . . (A) No. 3.
The followiag letter dated camp Terre an Boeuf,
August ipth, 1809, is addressed to the secretary
.Jff war, by general Wilkinson : he sa'vs, “ I have
TWiUn received the scrip of a pen from you since the
30lh June, but am progressing rapidly in my ar
rangements for moving the troops, an object near
ney heart, and which occupies all my attentions.”
The general then States, that not r.ns of the gun
hosts had been reported in readiness ; that the pre
paration wad difficult, owing to the general sirk
new of their erewa and the impracticability of ship
ping men; that the condemned barges at fort A
dams had been ordered down and were repairing at
a small expense; that if the gun boats fail him, he
•hould hire three or four barges, aad that in twenty
days he expected to niakfc good his landing at Nat
rhea or iu that vicinity, lie then states, “ our
’ »iek have picreanaf considerably, but our maladies
•re confined almost universally to the ague and fev
«r nearly all the officer* had it, but we have not
lost one, nor do I expect we shall.” He states the
difficulties which occurred in the department of pro
visions : h« saye, the clamours of the troops had
been loud aodjnst; that he had offered one hundred
dollars for Stimuli cow without effect; that the
• Jour was affected by the climate immediately after
landing, and that on the otter failure of the con
tractor to furuiah bread or Hour for two or three days
- fMCtesiivtly, he bad purchased a hundred barrels of
■< •. Boor and !»»d the same distributed, lie attributes
* to the absence tif the contractor, and the conse
quent management of his business t»ein£ entrusted
to a young man without knowledge or experience,
mm) apparently af an obstinate, perverse dispositi
on, all the difficulties they had to encounter on the
•object of provision*. He then says, “ 1 wish in
deed that he may not oblige me to take the wimle
business out of .his hands and to appoint 11 enmmis
f«f to purchase and supply, but in the lastextre
•jfjfStHf only shall I resort to this step.” After stat
v .log “ that, the inhabitants were down with the pre
f J®Mf9iog disease of the camp, a thing which accord
t<$ben* had never before ore urr-d,”he concludes
h ** I‘•m alarmed for onr medical and hospital
OTiTOpwH, im i a*i nui understand that a particle of
X.«h*f h“ y«t eriivedfor the new |evie«, and of
^ course 1 hive no alternative but to submit to the
(etfuiiitioiH of the surgeons. We shall not, howe
flft*** yottr appropriations for this rieparim ni,
®v*.*afeW* consumption of tive or sis hundred
' naoust be considerable."
Iktmkmmt of the arturi ordered for the defence of
NtwQrUan*.
•fgtegate according to the returns which have he-n
Vs ■ printed, 2,036
(B.) Absentees accounted for.
|C<) return of tb$ troops commanded by brigadier
jtfca- gaoeral Hampton,for December*isop.
$fc)oftl» troops at tht cantonment. Washington,
W* T.for January, 1%10.
v&*5 of the troops ai il.e last mentioned can
Jt. . foment, tor February, tS10.
(r.) A rsturn of deaths, desertions, and discharges
• , Of th* “ additional military force'' »!
‘ lotted for the defence of Jfe«e-Orleans,
" from 1st May, if.09, to 23th Fehru
»TM ■»i, 1810, v»*.
Deaths
Desertions
Discharges
•I the effective strength ths “ auction
- a| military,fores,” allotted fod the de
fence of Nctr-Orleans, tsktn from the
!•**** rejeoru •hi«il have beep rssytve
Gi*y.
liSlOi sstgrep*te^ j,i81;
rf WwKnent of the Vnit^tautf
UtMb jrfacerf at the diepotitim tf the pay-matter ef
tkt United States, for ttiitpay oj tie detachment
■ ordered to Jfrw Or leant.
Sum estimated for this object for tbe
$250,000
year 1809,
Lt. Simeon Knight, district
paymaster at New Or
leans, was in the early
part of the year 1809,
tarnished with the stun
of
100,000
In June 180.9, lieut. Sime
on Knight, was ao lb oris
• • ed to draw f*»r fifty thou
sand dollars* of wbirh
sum he drew
July I8O9, there was remit
ted to lieutenant Simeon
Knight, end received by
him before the 7th of
August following, the
sum of
100,000
Authority was given in or
der to enable him to rom
nu nee the payment of the
troops for tbe year 1810,
to draw for
60 000
PROVISIONS.
These are furnished by contract. By the second
article of the rontrart for supplying provisions to
the troops it is provided, “ that it shall be in the
option of the general or offirer commanding an ar
my on a great military district, todiitrt when and
how often fresh nr salted meat shall be issued by ge
neral orders, to be promulgated a reasonable time
before the issue is to rommeuce.
By the fourth article. “ whenever in the opinion
of the commanding officer, the provisions offeied
to he issued are unsound, unfit for use, or ef an un -
merchantable quality, » survey sh ill be held there
on by two disinterested persons, one to be chosen
by the commanding officer, and the other by the
contractor, or his agent ; and in case of disagree
ment, n third person, to be chosen by mutiul con
sent, who shall have power to condemn such part
of the provisions as to them may appear unfit for
use. “ If the contractor or his agent fail or ne
glect to appoint a person to inspect the provisions
alter reasonable notice in writing, the commanding
officer may appoint such persons as he may think
proper.” •
1 he fifth article authorises the commanding gene
ral “ in case of absolute failure or deficiency in
quantity of provisions contracted to be delivered
and issued, to supply the deficiency by purchase,
at the ri-(pm of the contractor.” “ The power con
ferred by the lastartirle was in one instance exer
eispd. That those granted by the fourth and filth
articles were not exercised, can he accounted for
by this department, on the presumption only, that
in the opinion of the general, the country could not
furnish the supplies."
(L.) No. l.
Instruction* to the military agent at New-Orleans,
and amount of disbursements in that department.
The following instructions to A. D. Abrahams,
the military agent at New-Orleans, “ to procure
and deliver, on the order of the commanding officer,
such arlirles as he may deem necessary for the
pu' lirk service,” was given by the serretary of war,
(general Henry Dearborne) on tbe 12tb December,
1808. —
(L.) No. 2.
The secretary of war, (William. Enstis, esq.)
M iy 4th, 1809, wrote to A. M’Culloch, and in
formed him of his appointment as military agent ;
A. D. Abrahams having resigned. This letter con
tains many regulations for the agent’s observance
in executing the duties of his office. The above
mentioned instruction is repeated, and thefnllowing
additional one given : the expenditures should be as
economical as the good of the service will permit.
No article, it is presumed, will be required of you,
but such as the nature and good of the service actu
ally demand. Should it happen, however, at any
time, that demands are made upon you to a large
amount, the propriety of complying with which
you may doubt, and where delay may not in your
judgment prove injurious to tbe publirk interest,
you are to consult this department.” It appears
Mr. M Culloch died in a few days after his arrival
at New-Oileans; on which majorZebulon M. Pike,
of the sixth regiment, was appointed by general
Wilkinson, as successor to Mr. M’Culloch, and
continued to discharge the duties of that office un
der the instructions given to Mr. M’Culloch, until
the removal of the troops from the encampment at
Terre au Bccuf.
VL..; wo. j ol j.
Tlie scctetary of war, in a letter addressed to the
committee, bearing date the l6th April, J8I0, says
" representation being made by the accountant of
this department that many articles in the Recounts
rendered by Mr. A. D. Abrahams, the military
agent, were charged at extravagant prices, the ne
cessity of some of which did not appear, and the
prices of others being deemed exorbitant, the mili
tary agent was informed on the IOth of August last,
that he was not authorised to comply with such re
quisition in future. This is the only limitation of
the instructions before mentioned which has been
made by this department.” This last instruction
to the military agent could have not reached him
until some time in September last. The military
agent, whenever he wauled funds, drew bills on the
oepartmentof war, which were regularly paid.
(I.) So. 4, 5, & 6.
Duburtemcnts in the quarter matter and medical and
Hospital departments, by A. D. Abrahams, mihta.
ry agint.
On ..rcount of that part of the army stationed at
New Orleans, and in its vicinity, between the first
oi January and twentieth of July, 180p, (see does
nornt h.) including payments made for the charter
At a part of the vessel employed to transport the
troops to that place, $$5,188 43
Llist'ursemepts made by major Pjkq,
on same account, from 21st July to
31st oi December, 160$, 27,474 73
v / * . 5 ifi
Jute.—The above »fmi embrace no part of the
espeudi'.rres made on the fortifications at Mew-Dc
iee—-sailed again the 5th fflTrobfnllnwftiji, and ar
at New Orleans the 5th ef April, and deliver
ed the stores tbe 7j| and 8th.
(•;) Nn. I & «.
Clothing.
By the same letter from William Linnard, milita
ry agent, it appears that the brig Nor W Star sailed
from Philadelphia the 6'th of April, 1809, with
clothing for the troops-ihrrived at New-Orleahs
the 22d of August, %nd delivered the eume in three
days alter her arrival; which was within twelve
months of the time that the men of that detach
ment hud generally rereived their clothing for the
preceding year.
[Here follows the depositions Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6,7,8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.J
’1 be committee, from a knowledge which they
have acquired of ihe climate of New-Orleans Hnd
of the country surrounding it, and from the facts
Stated iu the depositions, uve of opinion, that the
mortality in the detachment oiderrd to New-Or
leuns, is to he asciibed to the following causes:
1. The detachment consisting of new levies.
2. The insalubrity of the climate : the summer
and autumn of the year ] 8O9, beingnousualiy sickly.
3. To the natuieof the ground on which the de
tachment was encamped at Terre au Boeuf, and the
detention of it at that place during the whole of the
summer; contrary, as the committee conceive, to
tlieinstrurlioiis contained in the letter of toe secre
tary of war, tearing date the 30th of April, ISOp.
4. To the want of sound and wholesome provisi
ons and of vegetables ; the want of an hospital and
hospital stores and medicines.
5. The excessive fat goes to which the troops
were subjected in clearing, ditching, and draining
the ground on'which they were encamped.
6. To the want of repose during the night, owing
to the troops not being provide,', with bars or nets to
protert thpm from the annoyance of musqartoes.
7. The want of cleanliness in the camp, the na
tore of the position rendered it almost impracticable
to preserve it.
8. The sick and well being confined to the same
tents, which neither protected them sufficiently
from the heat of the sun, nor kept them dry lrom
the dews and rains.
Nkw-York, May 19.
LATEST FROM FRANCE.
Yesterday arrived at this port the fast sailinghrig
Camilla, rapt. Shaler, from St. Sebastians, which
port he left on the 11th of April.
Mr. John Griswold came out in the Camilla,
beater nt dispatches from general Armstrong to our
government, and has fui imbed the editois of the
Mercantile Advertiser with a tile of French paptrs,
and the following summary of news.
Mr. Griswold, hearer of dispatches in the Camil
la, lelt Paris on the 26th of March. The rmp<
rour and sundry members of his court were at Coni
peigne, where the new empress Maria Louisa, ac
companied by the prince of Neufcbatrl, had just
arrived. The triumphal entry into Patis, with the
Coronation of the marriage ceremonials, was to take
place 0(1 Sunday, the 1st of April. The preparati
ons for this great event were splendid beyond des
cription, and it was supposed the illuminations and
feasts would excel in brilliant y those of any former
period.
Gen Demotier, had been appointed by the empe
rour minister to the United States. It was not
known whether he was to succeed gen. Turreau, nr
that he is appointed to some special mission. }F
had taken passage in the Francis, with the Russian
minister, and was to sail from Rochelle for Phila
delphia about the 10th of April. It was reported
and believed in Paris, that Mr. Pinkney had con
cluded a convention with the marquis Wellesley.
Gen. Armstrong had taken up the ship Sally,
capt. Scott, laying at St. Sebastians, to take himself
and family to America. He would embark from
Bordeaux about the 1st of June* TheSslly’was
to proceed to Bordeaux protected by two passports.
American property was still under seizure in all the
ports on the Continent. The amount of property
confiscated under the late orders, in the ports ol
Biscay, Naples, &c. exclusive of Tnnningen, was
computed to have cost in America more than sevrn
millions of dollars. That seized nt Naples had been
sold and the proceeds placed in the royal treasury ;
that in Spain was tiansported to Bayonne, where it
was to meet a similar late. 'Die reasons assigned
for this hasty proceeding was to prevent costs to
individual claimants, who would olherways be pro
secuting theirrlaiins separately anilat great expense.
Little nr no news from the armies in Spain that
eould be relied upon.
Gen. Mena, who commanded a party of Patriots,
had hern taken by a party of Gens D’Armes and
sent into France escorted by a heavy guard of sol
diers. On the 7th of April, grn. M. was dining a
part from bis troops and was surprized at table ;
a party nfGens d’armes entered his apartments, be
fore he was apprized of their approach—be made
a short, but vigorous resistance, in which he was
severely wounded, and it was supposed he would
not survive his wounds.
A rumour prevailed at St. Sebastians at the time
the Camilla sailed, that a battle had been fought be
tween the combined armies and the French, in
which the latter were defeated with ronsideiable
loss—of the truth of this, little was known or be
lieved.
It was also reported the day previous to sailing,
that the frigate John Adams bad arrived at Cher
bourgh, but no news had transpired from her.
The Camilla has brought home the crew of the
ship Ann, Pendergrast, of New Yuik, lately con
demned in the court of prizes at Paris, both vessel
and cargo. Seventy-six seamen belonging to A
meriean vessels, explored and confiscates in the
ports of Biscup, also came home in the Camilla. The
crews of sequestered vessels were denied a support by
the French government and were daily entering on
baartf French privateers.
By the late decree all import duties are doubled
and on prize gnadt treble.
* Other papers and private letters say the first of
Afajf.—-— Ed. Ledger.
The ship Maria-Theresn left Lisbon on the I2!h
of April, but brings nothin* new- The English
expected ta held Lisbon foirtome'itrait longer,
^''■■■'±4 \> ■ V*
. ' ^
%' ■ * '
a»x,«w ;
Fawicd ^PtiVAiESRs.—1l rrqaint'BNiR thin
ordinary patience to hear <4^fcb* depredattnnswbirii
are committed upon oar commerce, by French pri
vateers in the West Indies, and upon our owacoaatp,
and even insight of our ports. The first question
that occurs is, where have these privateers beerv fit
ted? The answer must he, iu the United States.—
The privateers alluded to are mostly small vessels, .
which are not from France, nor have they ever been
in France. These vessels cannot rarry more thiin
two or three months provisions for their equipage.
Guadeloupe, the only possession France had left,
has been nearly four months in the hands of ibe
British, Hud it is six months since it was closely,
blockaded. Now from where and from whom h;tve
these cruizers obtained provisions and other sup
plies necessary to have enabled them-to pat to. sea
again, after those which they may be allowed to liavs
had on board, when they escaped from Guadeloupe,
before its investment and capture? From the Span
ish or the British settlements they were not sup
plied. Saint Bartholomews was the only place they
could have gone to in the West Indies, end to this
Island, there Iras beetrbut one French privateer for
many months, indeed the great number of Biitit-h
vessels at that Island, and in its vicinity, make tfia
attempt to go to it too hazardous.
It is evident then that these pirates are finished
with the neressary supplies in our own ports, bat
by whom, is another matter? If British privateers
were to use our ports in the same way, and for the
same laudable purposes of plundering our commerce
and murdering our citizens, (in a mistake for Spa
niards J the vigilance of sofne people would nut re
quire the tardy aid of the government. No, no,
town meetings and committees would soob correct
the procedure.
Ii we pursue this su> j»ct, we have farther cause
for indignation. There would be no inducement to
fit out privateers if there was no market for the
plunder. To whom can these pirates seM their
plunder? Not to the English or Spaniards surely-—
To whom then, but to degenerate Americans, or
to torcign tnimissaries ?
The political relations of our rouutry with Gr*at
Britain, are not likely to take that course wbi. fa
might have been expected, if any confidence could
have been placed :n publick report, and particular
ly in those which were circulated through the pa
pers in the confidence of administration. Deceived
as we have often been, by the representations which
have been made through the journals we have men
tioned, we did not permit ourselves to be imposed
on by the accounts which were published purport
ing that a minister of “ rank and talents" would ha
immediately sent out to replace Mr. J.irkson ; and
now we are satisfied that those reports, which were
circulated with the air of authority, had no founda
tion in facts. It may be demanded, for what end
could such reports be made ? It i$ not possible that
all tLe motives which influence others can be known
to os. Having set out m this way, we.expect tho
same course will be pursued, iu despite of the evi
dence of facts.
1 he National Intelligencer of the 21st ha9 com
mented very much at large on the correspondence
between Mr. Pinkney and the Marquis Wellesley,
which was published in our last. We have not suf
ficient time for this day’s paper to review all the
remarks which appear iu that paper upon this sub-*
jert, a few only will now be noticed.
1 he editor of the IiUeJligenrer commences_ bjj
declaring that from a variety of circumstances, be
had been induced to expect that a minister of
“ rank and talents” was immediately to be seat
from Great Britain to this country—that be had
been disappointed, and then endeavours to ascribe
the disappointment to the party called federal.—
We believe a more hypocritical, artful, and malici
ous attack was never made—The sorrow which i*
affected upon this occasion is too ridiculous, when
we know very well, that of all other things an ac
commodation with Great Britain is the least desi
rable by the democratic party, llr. Jackson had
been dismissed in a manner contrary to the course
pursued by General Washington in respect to Ge
net, whose conduct as far exceeded Mr. Jacksons in
insolence, as Washington exceeded MadisoO'&ksn
wisdom and prudence. It was predicted that ilia
dismissal of Mr. Jackson without any complaint
to his government would excite some sensation with
that government.
If the President had requested the recall mf Mr.
Jackson, there is not a man in the U. Sates, who
would not have approved the measure,for whatever
Opinion might be allowed to exist as to that minis
ter s conduct, it he had become offensive to our go
vernment, no profitable lesvjt could be expected by
his remaining here—Sn doing this, our government
would have separated Mr. Jackson from bis govern
ment, as Washington did in the case of&enet. ma
king the affair personal and r.ot national—The dis
tinction is evident, and would titver ^ave been over
looked ^Specially with a precedent befota them) by
those who desired iPunucable termfndtion of an
matters in didke. Bot tb»Mpdeot example of
Washington, tt'as like many Wr »f *>|>«x . nple*
and precepts, disregarded, and the British minister