The Federalist. The General Society of the War of 1812 in Iowa Newsletter

Transcription

1 Volume 1, Issue 1 The Federalist The General Society of the War of 1812 in Iowa Newsletter To the membership of the state of Iowa, the other state societies and to all with an interest in the history of the War of 1812 I bid you greetings. In this newsletter it will be my duty to keep you informed of all the activities of the membership of our state and the other state societies in relation to the War of As we enter the second year of the bicentennial the events and commemorations around the country are gathering more interest and getting bigger. Not only here in the United States but in other countries as well especially Canada. Many of the biggest battles and longest campaigns of the War of 1812 were in Canada. The Canadians are experiencing a huge surge in patriotism and pride for many of the War of 1812 events much like we here in the United States had during our Bicentennial in the 1970s. The War of 1812 was the war that shaped their country and if you have the opportunity to travel to Canada and discuss this war with them they will gladly point out that we are mistaken in our belief that we won the War of The debate on which side won the war can be argued both ways but one thing that can t be denied is the outstanding lengths the Canadians have gone to preserve many War of 1812 sites. If you have the opportunity to make your way to upstate New York just across the border from the city of Buffalo is a wealth of 1812 history. Ft. Erie and many battlefields are in this area and they are remarkably well preserved.

2 Remember Your War Cry All members in good standing of the General Society of the War of 1812 should be receiving an issue of the War Cry as part of their membership. The War Cry is published quarterly and is also available in its entirety on the national G.S. of the War of 1812 website. If you are not receiving your copy please contact Mike Rowley or myself and we will try to assist you in getting it. The History Series At The Salisbury House Compatriot Tom Gaard passed along the news that the Salisbury House in Des Moines is hosting a series of lectures on history. On Thursday April 4 th Pulitzer Prize winning author Alan Taylor will be speaking about his recent book; The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels and Indian Allies. For complete information on time, availability and cost follow the link below.

3 Remember Our Website! Please remember that we also have our own website that Compatriot Dan Rittel has been working on and keeping up for our organization for well over a year now. The work Dan has done on the website is outstanding. It has been very useful in getting our name out there and helping with our on -going war of 1812 veteran search. Follow this link to find our website: The Search For War of 1812 Veterans Continues Compatriot Ron Rittel has been compiling a list of all War of 1812 veterans laid to rest here in the State of Iowa. The count is well over 400 and continues to rise as more people send us information. If you have any 1812 veterans that need to be added to the list or want to confirm some you know of are on the list contact Compatriot Rittel. To view the list compiled by Compatriot Rittel go to our website.

4 History of The War General James Wilkinson: Valor For Sale When the War of 1812 started in June the United States Army had a 55 year old Revolutionary War veteran as its commander in chief. General James Wilkinson certainly had an impressive list of accomplishments to his credit but he had as many or more questionable actions on that same resume. Large among them was his very

5 recent involvement in the conspiracy of former Vice-President Aaron Burr. Burr who had travelled west after his lethal duel with Alexander Hamilton in 1804 was put on trial for his alleged attempt to seize control of a large parcel of land in the Louisiana Purchase which included New Orleans. General Wilkinson who was the Commander in Chief of the United States Army and Governor of Louisiana had only recently met with Burr in New Orleans. The conversations they had were never fully revealed but suspicions ran high of General Wilkinson s direct involvement. The chief witness for the prosecution was none other than General James Wilkinson himself who could produce nothing on the witness stand but confusion and unanswered questions. In the end Burr was acquitted and Wilkinson s involvement was seriously questioned but never followed up on as the prosecuting attorney was later rumored to be in political debt to Wilkinson. General Wilkinson returned to New Orleans and continued in his capacity there with many complaining of his secret business ventures and heavy handed governorship. It was also during this time that Wilkinson continued his long association with Spanish authorities. In fact General James Wilkinson had sworn loyalty to the King of Spain as early as 1788 and encouraged the Spanish to make the region of Kentucky where he lived at the time a part of their colony. The Spanish saw the benefit of having an agent high up in the new American government and paid a handsome pension to their new subject referred to in correspondence as Agent 13. James Wilkinson took money as Agent 13 for many years and fed information to the Spanish all that time as well. Chief among his information was how to keep the Americans from getting control of their lands in Florida. During this time after the Revolutionary War and up until the War of 1812 James Wilkinson was accused of many things by many people. It was also during this time that he continued to serve in the US military and used political clout to move up and often criticizing others while lauding his own accomplishments. By 1811 President James Madison had heard enough and put General Wilkinson up on charges but they could not be substantiated and he was acquitted. When the War of 1812 erupted James Wilkinson was the Commander in Chief of the Army but he did very little to organize or prepare the army for war. In 1813 General Wilkinson was sent north to the St. Lawrence River Valley to lead the American Army north into Canada. The campaign was marked by sickness and poor planning and after encountering stubborn British and Canadian resistance General Wilkinson fell back for the winter. His last action was in March 1814 when he moved his army of 4,000 men north to capture the lightly garrisoned blockhouse at

6 Lacolle River. Despite the odds the small garrison fought the Americans spiritedly until help arrived and they repulsed Wilkinson s Army.* An inquiry had already started in regards to the failed St. Lawrence Campaign the previous fall and this debacle sealed General Wilkinson s fate. General James Wilkinson was relieved of command and he spent the last years of his life refuting the long list of allegations that followed him. He passed away in December 1825 while in Mexico working on another one of his ventures. Submitted by: Louis A. Zenti Jr. *Note: The Battle of Lacolle Mills fought on March 30, 1814 resulted in 154 American casualties including a young Captain Adam Larabee of the 2 nd US Regiment of Light Artillery. Captain Larabee though severely wounded recovered and married with his son William Larabee coming to Iowa and becoming Governor. Governor Larabee donated many of his father s belongings to the Iowa Historical Society including the coat his father was wounded in on that day in March 1814.