The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-31
Gan Important Incident In the Last War with
Great Britain"

communication from Daniel J. Carroll, descrip-
tive of an incident which occurred during the
last war with Great Britain -
To THE EprroR OF THE HERALD:
Having, from obvious considerations, deferred any re-
marks upon the subject, while the Louisiana elections
for Congressman, just terminated, were pending now
AXE the opportunity Of noticing letter signed Jacob
to @. Depeyster Esq and communication from
tho latter gentleman, dated West Port, Connecticut
April 2eth, lsa7, accompanying that letter called
Narrative" published In paper or June l3h, oc
cupying two columns, aud In the New York Express,
with an editorial paragraph purporpg to give some OF
the unwrtten history OF an important incident the
The professsd object of the publication to do jus
Acisl observer could not fail perceive that while
dit Is awarded to that venerable lady, much more Is
claimed for Mr. Jacob Barker himself for whose benest
the correspondence aud the called narrative"
published shoRld not feel warranted in noticing the
efforts Of that distinguished hnancier and politician in
the fed OF historical lsbors were that In his ef
forts commemorate his brilliant services pa
trot, he has done injustice to others
While concurringin his deserved eulogy Of the patriot
ism of Mrs Madison and of those who truly assisted In
(not however. what he cals) the preservation OF the
original portrait of Washington, by Stuart" from the
dsgraoefu conhsgraton of the Presdeats mansion by
the British hope you will my briefly correcting
into which writer Of that stter woa
to have unwitingly fallen, In emitting entirely any
mention or auson even to the name the gentlemen
whose presence Of mind" alone, In reality saved that
portrait'-the very man whom Mr. b has evidently
more unsccountably forgotten not de-
sgnedly withheld and suppressed In saying he cannot
account for the mistake OF General jackson as to who
saved the portrait Of when the British burned
the Capitol, ON the night Of August oath, 1874 The
story which had been told him. viz that General Mason
down 1t after the Prssdents return
may be partially true yet he had not any hand In
serving the portrait and any attempt to hloh the
merit Of that act from Mrs Madison Is fraud on
(R l. 20 letter. gave (Mr. B. the first informa
ton that such story had been in circulation OF such
sagey tells us) " was not at the time at Washington
Now, with all Difference, II may attempt any suei-
tive itself may be partially true and may b. only
spocrypha but is in possible point Of view correct
respect impartial or faithful history nor the
less Jesuitica bsng part only OF the correspondence
referred toy Whatever the object Of its publication may
have bsen in relation to hs position Of ths author as
pear possibly ride into Congress the picture OF
Washington For, suppesing Mr. B to have been there
ut all under the an narrated and assisted
any part, the inference il irresistible that in
making such statement aosording to his own account
he certainly must or should have known who 1t was
in fact obviously the achievement Of other hsnds
and the first object manifssty of the gentleman who
did take 1t down. and who the SPOT attending at
the time the DIS OF the President, whose guest
he then opportunity happened to bean act doubt
less the impulse Of the momentwas q suggestion that
might naturally strike any right mndsd American could
not escape patriot and citizanone born and reared
there in sight of Mount Vsrncn the very soil Of his
snossors ana stamps at once any other solution OF Inc
problem itself fraud He being there fortunately,
toe, ia the st the tue this picture caught his
eye, intuitively, iS were almost a the alarm
given that marvsousIy csussd it's preservation 1t
may be fairly que toned If thought OF tbs picture at
tds time ever occurred to any oher person the
gentleman but for whom, In all human probability, IL
had there remained IN the frame whore 1T hung and
would fallen into tas hands Of the snemy or been
Mrs Madison tbs writer Of ths narrative appears
with story the absurdty Of which 10 too apparent to
impose upon the crsdusy of tue intelligent mind that
be ust heard litter tac xpse of than quarter
Of century, Of imposition nov discovered to have
been pIaotisd Cen jackson forsooth OF all men the
least likely to De imposed upoa-though by whom WAS
prased does not appear unhappy In that held OF sps
oulson where by compromise Of the prnoips OF truth
he is enabled easily to suppose thing saother
he makes flourish under the specous stext ofrsn
asrus 20 lady the credit OF originating what more
affected horror Of any attempt to ch her. Though
coming In at the eleventh hour he now modestly claims
for himself t. fact the lions share OF that merit 30
Such papsbs justice and rhodomon deliberate
perpstrstion OF sophstry for history cannot silently
inssmuch as romance is not history; albeit much
history politely so called may be romance.
The narrator, with q disingenuousnsss 30 character
istc of himself and which is peculiarly psrspicuous
throughout his letter informs though avowsdy not
present. or knowing tspparsntly) who took down the
picture that several assisted the most active
was the venerable Mr. Carroll, of Duddington The
rstor may have innocently mistaken Mr. Carroll of Dud
dpgton for Mr. Carroll OF Bellevue although from subse
quent events with then
Secretary of War ana Me-. D., leads TO suppose that
such mistake could not innceently have been made;
nevertheless the letter less remarkable showing
ineciency apathy Mt the head OF the de-
partmsnt (whom Nix still abors to vndicste) In the
neglect OF all preparation and the consequent panic
which prevailed a. well ss the disasters that followed
With your permisson therefore will now simply state
rel.tsa bv NV father CHARLES Carroll Of seevus to
whom the credit Of thar exploit IL merit there be- il
Justly and properh due The cifcumsta nces notorious
in the disrict at the time we're as follows lon the
morning of the oath ut the request or the President
with Mr. Monroe nv father sccomps lied him. and they
sst ont ssa General W,ndsr ana to rsconnotre the
enemy &c that on their way to wards Bladensburg
the horss Tor MIR MonroeD becoming sud
dsnlv lame he exchanged with nv father who return
IN M md hu nvifu inn nf
mad 10 dine en- familie with Mrs Madison which he
Ala and th.v ware sitting at tsb. alone after dinner
when the Prssidsnt,s ser ant entering the
battle and the defest-tbat Mrs Madison must imms-
dis.Iv make her escape over to Mai Carroll a. INV ia
in (;eorgeto wn and thence with tbs family
ont 70 his farmfhst IN The instant ordering Mrs
Madison carriage and rising from the table taking
down the ncturr he With his penknife cut out or de-
tacb,d in some vav separatips) from the frame in
which i hung the original portrsit of and
himself saved that portraen
h nossbIe A. NAV a ye been In the