Western Sun, Volume 4, Number 21, Vincennes, Knox County, 18 April 1812 — Page 1

THE

WESTERN SUN

EACH CENTURY HAS ITS PECULIAR MODE OF DOING BUSINESS, AND MEN GUIDED MORE BY CUSTOM THAN BY REASON, FOLLOW WITHOUT ENQUIRY, THE MANNERS WHICH ARE PREVALENT IN THEIR OWN TIME.— HUME.

VOL. IV.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1812.

NO. 21.

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(By Authority.) AN ACT

To alter the time of holding the district courts of the United States for the North Carolina district. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States

of America in Congress assembled, That instead

stead of the time heretofore established for the sessions of the district courts of the United States in the North Carolina district, the said courts shall hereafter commence and be holden on the following days in each year, that is to say, at Edenton, in and for the district of Albermarle, on the third Monday of April, and third Monday of October; At Newbern, in and for the district of Pamptico, on the first Monday after the third Monday of April, and third Monday of October ; at Wilmington, in and for the district of Cape Fear, on the second Monday after the third Monday of April, and third Monday of October, any thing contained in former act or acts to the Contrary notwithstanding. And all actions writ, process, pleadings, recognizances, and all other proceedings of what nature or kind forever, civil or criminal, commented or to be commenced, and made returnable to any of the said courts, in the month of February next, shall be continued respectively and shall be returned to, and have day in, the term of said courts next to be holden by virtue of this act, and the same proceedings shall be had thereon, with the same effect and power they would have had if this alteration had not been made.

to the term next in courfc any toing in any former ac or ads to the contrary notwithItanding. II. CLAY, Speaker of tue liaise of Representatives GEO. CLINTON, Vice President ef the United States, and President of the Sena! January 23, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. AN ACT To authorise the Secretary of the Treat uryy ttrde- the difection of the President cf the United States, to purchase of Wm s loW Lewis his patent right to the new and improved -method of lighting JLtght houses and for ether purposes. Bli it enacted by the Senate and H' fc ef RepreG nutives of the Ui ited Sta'- ol Amaria in coi.grefs aiTcmbied, That the iccr-tary of the trcafury b?, r he i"? Iirreby autborifed and empowered, under the directions of jhe prefident of tlie tniud States, to purchafe of Winflow Lewis, ; patent right, to the plan of lighting light lor.'- rv rr f.-v1 in? and nu;" 'fvinsr lanterns, if the fame lhill be proved to be a difcovery m-de hy h;.n ; and to contract with the faid V inflow Lewis, i'cr fittinoup and keeping in repair a;-y, or a!! hc light houfeS in the CJnited States or the territories thereof, upon the tev nnd im proved plan of the resetting and magnify ing 1 mthems : 9 to contradl with the I s id Window Lie wis, fr inch fums he may think for the intereft of the United States f -viiled the fums to he allowed fhall r.ot in a v cafe annually exceed the aoorooriation r)c.r ior ftipnlying the light hotife trftsi)

lifhment with in any (jiven ye:r which has piffrd tor a term net etcredmrj feven ' ri. the far: Lewis covenanting', with Lumcient lurejies, to fit un and kf-ep in repair all the light-houfes in the U. States oc territories thereol, on the new and im proved plan of lighting light houles bv reReccing i-d magnifying lanthorns ; and ,e Lai is t turn1 ill trju i'eeo in rec ir or a i t

rerm ot years not lets tnan levrn. ?t the fole expenfi of az faid Window Lewis, a i to deliver over st theexpiration of the c:x r.'erefiid, ai! the Itght-houfes Stted up according to the new a:v.! improved i n t!ie United o .'Crs in rood repair, hr the lid Window Lewis warranting th fame i r renvin in good re;; .:.r tor feven years . ire, from and after riie expiration at tbe

PrefideLt of the Senate and the Speaker cf the Houle ot Representatives, for the time being, be and they are hereby authorifed to grant the ufe of the books in the Library of Cong re fs to the Judges of the Supreme Cvort of the United btates, at the time, and on the fame terms, conditions and reftrilious. as members of Congrels ari alloveJ to ufe laid oooks. K CLAY, Speaker of the House cf Representatives, GEO. CLINTON, Sice President cf the United States and President iftlie Senate March s 18 12. Approved JAMES MADISON.

1 N TEH EST I M G DOCU M ENTS.

fincennesy 24th Pcb. 181?,

1

A Letter to the Secretary of War f.gncd y Gol. Boyd and dpt Prescott, ot v. - 4Ji u. b regimen , ind which was firft publiflicdin the Aurora and repu oil died in m.:. of the papers upon ti;c continent, ha.;. ppejred alio in your paper, i encloic yoj a correfpondc tr which Laii between Capt. Prcfcott and my fell on the fabjett, as well aa toe anhvers ot Icveral ot the otEcers of the 4th U b. regiment, to oucries propofed by mc iiir.iiar to thole addrefitd to Capt Prcfcott on the 9tb inft. . y thefeit will appear how far the iSjiUtia, ho v.'er in the act.cn of Tippecanoe, have merited thofe i'evcre animtdverlions upon their conduct in which the Colonel and ti.e Captain have thought proper to indulge themfelves. There were in ihe action, ex cludvely of the Dragoons, ten leiripanies of militia, oi olu;.trsrs, for each companv nartook cf octh theft characters. It

IV ill IJC lCl i I I I . u c the other officer

queries admit that of theic, S.g2r,s n( Kobbs compaoies -'.oue aoandoned their p ; 1 1 s . iieut. Pet -s indeed fays that a fmall company or dctachmeni under the command of Capt. Uw.k, sUo gave way, but this detachment wivitli was att.it.hed to Gripers compauy Confifled ol nine men only, it oe obferved too '.liat til thefe gentlemen tdmit that Thi other companies behaved with dittinguiftied bravery, ni that Robbi company, alter it had fallen b-tvk from its firft pofition ws laihrd and

i ii

vj : Jit KIVBWV uuu r. have anfwered my

d rontrac

: akt n to a polt

of greater danger, vvliere

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:.ol,a's

Sec Ai

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If the Jodge of the Didritl courts afore laid mould fail to ittei ! on the firft day of the tern of aoy of the faid cuit;, re fpe&tvety, it fhall and amy be lawful the mar dial uf the diftric, m 1 hri. hereby i athorifed to adioum the faid c ort -r court until the nx: fucceedu ; I v. an. if the faid I d e J es not itt i ' before the exptratior) of the irrnnddav of tbe tern rt th laid conn or c . r t s , re fpc lively, it

man ana mav lawtcl tor : ioiclaii to adj mrn the faid court cr

- furo not t:. eeding iixtv thou fa i

be, and the fame is hereby ?pprcot j:ted. t of any monies in :he treafury not oth erv,tlc anprapriav'id, tc ca ry this law in'o ILL ' J t ' "'"-.' H. CLAY. Speaker of the House of R present at ives, GEO. CI 1NTON. Vice Presidene er the United States and President of the Senate. W irch 5. ISi .

JAMP:S MADISON-

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in gr int n

irmi

ilTin

th

J.r- ol the Supreme Ourt of the

w a cou rts

-, 1 s..-s t,, ufc rje K.JOi5 ,,, x. bfary of Congrefs. Uefolved by th Senate and Houfe of Ken fentatives of :!ie United States of

1 n

Dcntain Congrefs arTembled, That tuc g

it not only retrieved its reputation, but ef-

tablifbcd a charbdtr for bravery equal to that of any other company in the army As Capt. Prefcott has acknowledged that th- obfert ttions contained in his and the Colonels letrcr .v'.th regard to whole companics abandoning t J c i r pods, had reference to Biggers and Roods only, the CondoQ the former aioue in this refpecl remains ro be examined. It vdl be feen by the letter of Capt Adams, ho acl-d as Adjutant to tha army, that this company was fa ur.fjvorably plared ps to be in refled to n atttvk i:: front Sank a. id r .ir by t'ne enemy. As my defign by this addreTs is not to criminate v one, but merely to delend the militia from what 1 contider an un'ttkt k ; I fhall nt !V)o Co eflQuire into the refrlon of their be.n jf fo Disced, or by whole midake it was done. It is enough lor the is -.nertion of tlie company to Rate and prove the fae"t. And let me

compiny ot reri tars or :rreId iiavs iLcJin Pitustion,

I b'am them only for not rallying behind fome of the other companies as Koobs did, not for this alfo ttiy have an exeule, Their captain commanded the main guid and was of courfe wot with them, and lroni the direction that the attack wts made upon the left flank, it is probable that th,:y were obligrd to retreat fome uiltance down the frontline bcfoic they could get within the encampment. Under filch circunidances and in fuch darkueff, it is not lurprifing that tliey were much broken and featured 1 have been told and believe, that mofl of the men joined other companies, and that as foon as the day broke the greater pirt of them embodied. The conduel of thefe to companies then, one of winch wis entirely without the iinis and formed no part of them, is the Tole pretext for the aaTertion "that the dadardly conduift of fome whole militia companies led to expofure and cenfequrnt lois of tlie life of iome of the militia ofHns, whofe men delVrting the lines were 1", en behind trees 8c waggons where mai y were adiully killed." 1 nat leme of the militin tooj.; refuge behind trees and vaguo-js J have not the e doubt, I found fome myfelf in thftt (ituation, bu', I do believe that the number was compor tivcly trifling. The datement of capt. Adams very properly accounts for the num cr being fuppofed greater than it really was. iiut in my enquiries to aft ertain whether any were killed in that (ituation, 1 have not met With a fingle individual (cpc. Prcfcott excepted) who ever heard of the fad. Th-t " fome ot" the mi.'itia oalrer?; loll their lives by their Tien defer ting tlie lines," is a moll extraordinary affertion, as the returns will fliew that thnfe companies which fre accuied of behaviiip badly had no ofh'er killed or wounded, tlie !ofs of offirers being entirely confined to the comp.tnit s which were admitted M to have difpLyed the moil diflinguifhed bravery," Why ws thismiftakc micle more than a month nfttr the action ? C pt. Prcfcott fys that he was unatciuainted with the n:.mes of ihe Captains but w f Col. Boyd ignornt of t'ne companies Which compofed his brigade ? Tiie hattle of Tippicinoe has attracled much of the public attention, the people however mult be fatigued with the numerous newfpaper difcuffions to which it has given rii. I regret the neceflity I am unoer of adding to them ; but it was imp lTible that 1 could difregard the various and urgent confiderations which called, upon me to make this flateraent. 'l'h.e vindication of the fame of thofe patriots snd heroes who fought ami fuffcred by my Gde would be a fufiicienr. motive ; hut it appears to me that the American chiacler is uee; ly concerned in the MKair,and my fellow citizens v'I not ho nnintereded in a difcndlon wl icli eifabl Hies tbe fct that our countrymen have not degenerated, that they Rill pollcfs the undannted valor of th-ir sncefiors, I cmj'd more eafily have forgiven aoy refl ifliori, however unjuO, upon t!-.e lirinrr ut I never can ror;iv i oie cruel and unmerited refiedions upon rbe memories of tiirfCf?. lant mortals who fed ffj gfortoufiy and f diGnterededly, whofc b edits srei rxpofed tobr mangled by beajrs of prey, Sc h-ir bones whstened by the, dews and Winds ot heaven. ...Unhappy men! u have beert"4 droriv i (1 your gra by the favaget, out your Commanding Ojicer .11 pore eri rli woold ft rip you of oi.- "ood i me, I. ,

cooiigrt yr-nr memories torp;(5h. Y"urre

1U(

fol ition th ' i

ionjLoo a to ' e irnnvf -t th. oTilirenn.

. . . .

r. i to them. Their ricf i