In 1809 the insolence of England became intolerable British cruisers boarded our vessels and searched for seamen of English birth. The feeling became deeply intensified by the firing upon an American vessel by a British frigate. A redress was demanded and Congress again organized an army of 100,O0O men, and the town of Goffstown voted "To give the minute-men twelve dollars per month if called into actual service and one month's advance pay."
The impressing of American seamen, the capture of our ships, the insults and menaces upon our national flag aroused the people of the United States to a high pitch of excitement. Hundreds of American vessels had been captured and condemned in British Courts and 6,000 seamen had been taken from American vessels and pressed into the British navy or imprisoned. The American commerce had been nearly ruined. The United States was very lenient. The British government refusing to relinquish its offensive course, all hope of peace was abandoned. Finally war was declared against Great Britain June 18, 1812. The people were divided in two great political parties, the Federalists and the Republicans.
The Federalists opposed the war and favored the English government; the Republicans favored the war and supported the administration. The south and west favored the war and New England was generally opposed to it. It was thought that the war would ruin the prosperity of New England. Party spirit ran high and, while for a time we gained no material advantage on land, our naval attacks had been successful. Besides, privateers swarmed the ocean and preyed upon British commerce wherever found. During the year 1812 fourteen privateering vessels sailed from Portsmouth commissioned by the United States government to prey upon British commerce wherever it could be found, either on high seas or British ports which they did with unparalleled success.
The people of Goffstown largely sided with the administration and were loyal thereto. It may be interesting to note the vote in the spring of 1812-216 Republican and 71 Federalists.
The town also voted at a special meeting held on the 29th day of June, 1812, "To give each soldier who has been drafted or has volunteered for the defense of their country the additional sum of seven dollars per month above that which the government allows."
Voted "that twelve dollars be paid in advance to soldiers belonging to Goffstown when they shall have passed muster which is to be deducted from their wages."
Early in the spring of 1814 the British began to devastate the southern coast and New England townships were kept in constant state of alarm. The British blockade extended this year to the north. Commerce was so completely destroyed that even the lights in the lighthouses were extinguished. Several towns in Maine were captured; some places along the Atlantic coast in New England were at the mercy of the British. In the midst of this, detachments of militia were ordered to Portsmouth.
On the 12th of September, 1814, a company composed of 18 men from Goffstown, 16 from Weare, 10 from New Boston, 11 from Dunbarton and 4 from Bedford commanded by Capt. Phineas Stone of Weare assembled at Goffstown village, marched to Portsmouth where the company was increased by men from Tamworth, Sandwich and surrounding towns, so that the company numbered 106 men.
On the 27th of September, 9 men from Goffstown were enrolled in Capt. James Trivett's Company and went to Portsmouth. On the 11th day of October, 1814, the town voted: "To allow soldiers who have volunteered their services from this town for the defense of their country and gone into actual service fifteen dollars per month, that is with what the government allows those only who were detached at the first detachment."
The following is a list of the volunteers from Goffstown in the War of 1812:
| John Butterfield Peter E. Eadley Ebenezer Hadley Job Sargent Henry Tewksbury Stephen G. Stearns Israel Trask Elener Kidder Zenas Adams Elisius Barron Joseph Butterfield Daniel Bradstreet Stephen Butterfield Samuel Clogston Daniel Colby James Dunlap Nehmiah Hardy Parson Hardy Charles Hoit Noah Kidder Benjamin Kidder |
Allen Kidder Philip Kidder John Keyes Richard Lakeman James Little Alexander Lynch David McDole Robert Ordway Eleazer Ordway Jonathan Paige David B. Patterson Robert Purple Samuel B. Patterson True E. Richards Nathan B. Stearns Antipas V. Tallant John Tirrell Brooks Worthley Joseph Vickery Isaac Johnnett |
The burden of the war was more severely felt in New England than any other sections of the country, but at length peace was declared. The treaty had been signed at Ghent, in Belgium, by the commissioners of the two nations on the 24th of December, 1814; but owing to the slow transmission of intelligence the news did not reach the United States until after the last and most glorious battle of the war was fought at New Orleans upon the 8th of January, 1815.
A powerful fleet and force of 12,000 men under General Pakenham undertook the capture of New Orleans where he was repulsed by General Jackson with the loss of over 1,000 men while the Americans lost but 7 killed and 6 wounded. This was the most brilliant achievement of the war, and had an important moral influence upon the English people. The calamities of the war had been severely felt, the loss of lives of multitudes of our countrymen, together with enormous expense, incurred a great burden upon the United States.
The war cost 127 million dollars but it taught the nations of the world from and after the 8th of January, 1815, to respect the United States. There was no more firing upon the American flag, there was no more impressing of American seamen, and since that time American ships have sailed the high seas unmolested.
Chapter 17