On the 29th of December the Constitution, commanded by Commodore Bainbridge, had an engagement with the British frigate Java which lasted three hours, in which the latter was captured by the Americans. In the course of the action the Java was reduced to a wreck. She was entirely dismasted, a large number of her guns were disabled, her hull was much shattered, and her bowsprit was shot away, while the Constitution Idid not lose a spar. The Java was bound to the East Indies and had on board upward of one hundred officers and men destined for service in the East. Her officers and crew numbered over four hundred, and of these twenty-two were killed and one hundred and two wounded. The Constitution lost nine killed and twenty-five wounded.

Congress passed an act admitting the Territory of Orleans into the Union as a State under the name of Louisiana, and changed the name of the territory lying north of it from that of the District of Louisiana to the Missouri Territory.

At the presidential election this year the Democratic candidates were successful, and the war policy of the government was sustained, which was the most important issue between the two parties. James Madison, the nominee of the Democrats for President, received one hundred and twenty-eight electoral votes, and Elbridge Gerry one hundred and thirty-one votes for Vice-President. The Democratic party, however, in the State of New York nominated De Witt Clinton against Mr. Madison, and Jared Ingersoll against Mr. Gerry. Those nominations were also supported by the Federalists throughout the country, Clinton receiving eighty-nine and Ingersoll eighty-six electoral votes.

Columbus in Ohio was laid out and made the capital of the State. The seat of government for Pennsylvania was removed from Lancaster to Harrisburg. Rochester in New York was surveyed into lots, and a post-office and store were established there.

The scarcity of Virginia bituminous coal, which, up to this time, was that principally in use, incited further experiments in introducing anthracite. Nine wagons loaded with that coal were hauled to Philadelphia from a distance of one hundred and six miles, two of which were sold at the cost of transportation and the remainder given away, and difficulty was experienced in finding persons who would accept it. The owner of the coal narrowly escaped prosecution for swindling by those who had made unsuccessful trials to burn the " stone," as it was called.

The first manufacture of pins in this country was commenced at New York by some English workmen, who brought with them to this country the necessary implements. The business was encouraged by the high price of pins, which had advanced to one dollar per paper; but it was abandoned at the close of the war, and the article then continued to be imported as before. The first cotton-mill at Fall River, Mass., was erected and put into operation.

1813

The first steam-ferry between New York and Jersey City was established in August, and about the same time one went into operation between Philadelphia and Camden.

The first rolling-mill established in Pittsburg was erected this year.

James Madison was inaugurated President of the United States, and Elbridge Gerry took the oath of office as VicePresident.

The scene of military operations this year continued principally on the Canadian frontier.

On the 22d of January, Brigadier-General Winchester of the United States army, and nearly five hundred officers and men, were made prisoners at Frenchtown, in Canada, by a division of the British army from Detroit.

General Dearborn embarked on the 25th of April, with a force of seventeen hundred men, at Sackett's Harbor, for the purpose of capturing the British stores at York-now Toronto. The landing was successfully effected, in spite of the enemy's resistance, and an assault conducted under General Pike, when, during the advancing movement, the magazine blew up, killing and wounding several hundred men, and among the latter the commanding officer, who did not long survive. The American troops, however, soon rallied and carried the place, and captured seven hundred and fifty prisoners, together with a large amount of baggage and public property; the British general and the remainder of his forces escaping with much difficulty. The American squadron returned to Sackett's Harbor, and soon after set sail for the Niagara frontier. The British, taking advantage of this movement, proceeded to Sackett's Harbor, and landed a force of one thousand men under Sir George Prevost. The small body of American regulars left to defend the place made an effectual resistance to the enemy's approach; and General Brown meanwhile rallied the militia, which at first had given way, and marched them towards the landing. Sir George, apprehending this movement as designed to cut off his retreat, withdrew in great haste to his boats and sailed away.

On the same day that the British were repulsed at Sackett's Harbor, the American expedition made an attack on Fort St. George, on the Niagara frontier, and captured it, taking above seven hundred and fifty prisoners.

On the 2d of May the British attempted to capture, by assault, Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky, but were repulsed with a loss of about one hundred and fifty men.

A movement was commenced in September by a large body of soldiers under General Harrison against the British and their Indian allies at Detroit and Malden. On the 27th the troops embarked on the fleet, and were transported to Malden; but on their approach the British destroyed the fort and public stores, and retreated along the river Thames, where they were pursued by the Americans. On the 5th of October, a severe battle was fought between the two armies, in which the Ameri

cans were victorious. In this battle the famous chief Tecumseh was killed, and the Indians fled. The British loss was about six hundred and seventy in killed, wounded, and prisonOn the 29th of September the Americans took possession of Detroit, which, on the approach of Harrison's army, had been abandoned by the British, and General Harrison issued a proclamation re-establishing the government of Michigan.

ers.

A body of Americans were defeated in a battle at Williamsburg, Upper Canada, with a loss of about three hundred and fifty men.

Fort Niagara was surprised by the British on the 19th of December, and of the three hundred men composing the garrison, no more than twenty escaped.

On the 30th of the same month the British proceeded to Buffalo and burned the entire village.

On the 10th of September, Commodore Perry, with a fleet of three brigs, a ship, and five schooners, carrying fifty-four guns, made an attack on a British squadron of six vessels, carrying sixty-three guns, on Lake Erie, and captured the entire fleet.

On the 13th of June three British frigates entered Hampton Roads. Two days afterwards they were reinforced by thirteen vessels. On the 22d an action took place in Chesapeake Bay, between a detachment of the British fleet and an American naval force, manned by four hundred and eighty Virginia militia and one hundred and fifty sailors, in which the British lost in killed, wounded, and drowned about twelve hundred men. On the 1st of June Captain James Lawrence, commanding the United States frigate Chesapeake, sailed out of Boston harbor, and engaged the British frigate Shannon. The Chesapeake was captured in an action of eleven minutes, and Captain Lawrence mortally wounded.

The United States sloop of war Argus was captured by the British sloop of war Pelican, in St. George's Channel, on the 14th of August; and on the 5th of September the British brig Rover was captured by the United States brig Enterprise, off Portland. The British sloop of war Peacock was taken by the American sloop of war Hornet, but was retaken by the British ship Poictiers.

The British under Admiral Cockburn took possession of Havre de Grace, in Maryland, on the 3d of May, and plundered and burned the town.

A conflagration occurred at Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, on the 22d of November, and destroyed upwards of three hundred buildings.

The first stereotyping in America was done by Mr. Bruce at New York; also by Mr. Watts, who printed a catechism, which, it is believed, was the first book issued from stereotype-plates in this country.

The Albany Argus issued its first number on the 13th of January at Albany, N. Y. The first successful daily paper published in Boston was called the Daily Advertiser, and issued its first number on the 3d of March.

The first steam ferry-boat between New York and Brooklyn commenced running on the 10th of May.

1814 The war continued on the northern frontier. On the 3d of July, the American forces, consisting of about three thousand men, under the command of Generals Scott and Ripley, crossed the Niagara River, and took possession of Fort Niagara without opposition. On the 4th, General Brown with two thousand men advanced to the village of Chippewa, to attack the British force there intrenched under General Riall. On the 5th the British general drew out his troops and offered battle, but was compelled to retire with a loss of five hundred men. On the 25th the advance of the two armies again encountered at Lundy's Lane, not far from the Falls. The battle was obstinately fought by the advance on each side till the main body came up. The battle lasted from four in the afternoon until midnight. The loss of the British was upwards of eight hundred in killed and wounded, besides two hundred men and twenty officers as prisoners. The British general was wounded and taken prisoner. On the 15th of August a large British force made an assault on Fort Erie, and were repulsed with great loss.

On the 11th of September an American fleet on Lake Champlain, under Captain Macdonough, in an action with a British squadron of superior force, lasting about two hours and a half, sunk or captured the entire fleet of the enemy. The British commander was killed, and nearly nine hundred of his men taken prisoners.

It was the declared intention of the British to lay waste the whole American coast, from Maine to Georgia. Their first attack, as a part of this plan, was made early in April on a part of Saybrook, called Pettipauge, near the mouth of the Connecticut River, where they destroyed twenty-five vessels.

About the middle of August a British squadron of between fifty and sixty sail arrived in the Chesapeake, with troops destined for the attack on Washington, the capital of the United States. A body of five thousand of them having landed, an action was fought at Bladensburg, six miles from Washington, in which the Americans were repulsed, and the British advanced towards the capital. Upon their approach the President and heads of departments fled from the town. The British took possession of Washington, burned the Capitol, the President's house, the public offices, the arsenal, the navy-yard, and the bridge over the Potomac. On the 29th the city of Alexandria capitulated to the British. On the 11th of September the British admiral appeared at the mouth of the Patapsco, fourteen miles from Baltimore, with a fleet of fifty sail. The next day six thousand land forces were disembarked at North Point, and commenced their march towards the city. On the 12th a battle was fought, in which the Americans were compelled to retreat. The British, however, were repulsed in an attack on Fort McHenry, and abandoned the attempt to get possession of the city. They retired to their shipping on the 14th, and soon after left the Chesapeake.

On the 11th of July, a British fleet took the town of Eastport, in Maine; on August 9th, they bombarded Stonington, in Connecticut; on the 1st of September they took possession of Castine, in Maine.

cess.

The naval operations at sea were continued with various sucOn the 28th of March, the United States frigate Essex, after a desperate action, was captured in the Bay of Valparaiso, in South America, by a British frigate and a sloop of war. On the 29th of April, the United States sloop of war Peacock captured the British brig Epervier off Canaveral, Florida, after an action of forty-five minutes.

The Indians continued their hostilities at the South which they had commenced in the preceding year. In January, General Andrew Jackson made an excursion into their country, and defeated them in several engagements.

On the 24th of December, a treaty of peace was signed at Ghent between the plenipotentiaries of Great Britain and the United States.

Delegates appointed by the legislatures of the several States in New England met at Hartford in convention on the 15th of December. The proceedings took place with closed doors, but the journal was afterwards made public. The convention embodied their views in a report, which was immediately made public and extensively circulated. It was a statement of grievances, many of which were real, but which necessarily arose out of a state of war, and a recommendation of several amendments to the Constitution. As the news of peace arrived soon after the convention adjourned, the causes of disquiet were removed; but as the delegates were all of the Federal party, the convention, before and after their meeting, was denounced in the severest terms by the administration, as being treasonable to the general government, and the name of the "Hartford Convention" became with the Democratic party a term of reproach.

Congress passed an act on the 23d of December, establishing new rates of postage after the 1st of the following February. The rates on letters were to be as follows, viz., for any distance not exceeding forty miles, twelve cents; between forty and ninety miles, fifteen cents; between ninety and one hundred and fifty miles, eighteen and three quarters cents; between one hundred and fifty and three hundred miles, twenty-five cents; between three hundred and five hundred miles, thirty cents; and over five hundred miles, thirty-seven and one half cents. Double letters to be double price.

Suspension of specie payments was declared by the banks in New Orleans, in April; in Philadelphia and the District of Columbia, in August; and in September by nearly all in the Middle and Southern States.

The "

Star-Spangled Banner" was first sung at the Holliday Street Theatre, in Baltimore, in October.

The first newspaper in Illinois was published about this time, at Kankaskia, and called The Illinois Intelligencer.