Chapter M: Van Buren

WAR DEPARTMENT, _March 27, 1840_.

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SIR: The resolution of the Senate of the 12th instant, "that the President of the United States be requested to communicate to the Senate, if in his judgment compatible with the public interest, any information which may be in the possession of the Government, or which can be conveniently obtained, of the military and naval preparations of the British authorities on the northern frontier of the United States from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, designating the permanent from the temporary and field works, and particularly by noting those which are within the claimed limits of the United States," having been referred by you to this Department, it was immediately referred to Major-General Scott and other officers who have been stationed on the frontier referred to for such information on the subjects as they possessed and could readily procure, and an examination is now in progress for such as may be contained in the files of this Department. General Scott is the only officer yet heard from, and a copy of his report is herewith submitted, together with a copy of that to which he refers, made upon the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th instant. As soon as the other officers who have been called upon are heard from and the examination of the files of the Department is completed, any further information which may be thus acquired will be immediately laid before you.

Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

J.R. POINSETT.

HEADQUARTERS, EASTERN DIVISION,

_Elizabethtown, N.J., March 23, 1840_.

Brigadier-General R. JONES,

_Adjutant-General United States Army_.

SIR: I have received from your office copies of two resolutions, passed, respectively, the 12th and 9th instant, one by the Senate and the other by the House of Representatives, and I am asked for "any information on the subject of both or either of the resolutions that may be in [my] possession."

In respect to the naval force recently maintained upon the American lakes by Great Britain, I have just had the honor to report to the Secretary of War, by whom the resolution of the House of Representatives (of the 9th instant) was directly referred to me.

I now confine myself to the Senate's resolution, respecting "military [I omit _naval_] preparations of the British authorities on the northern frontiers of the United States from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, distinguishing the permanent from the temporary and field works, and particularly noting those which are within the claimed limits of the United States."

I will here remark that however well my duties have made me acquainted with the greater part of the line in question, I have paid but slight attention to the forts and barracks erected by the British authorities near the borders of Maine _above_ Frederickton, in New Brunswick, or in Upper Canada _above_ Cornwall, being of the fixed opinion (which need not here be developed) that all such structures would be of little or no military value to either of the parties in the event of a new war between the United States and Great Britain.

I was last summer at the foot of Lake Superior, and neither saw nor heard of any British fort or barrack on the St. Marys River, the outlet of that lake.

Between Lakes Huron and Erie the British have three sets of barracks--one at Windsor, opposite to Detroit; one at Sandwich, a little lower down; and the third at Maiden, 18 miles from the first--all built of sawed logs, strengthened by blockhouses, loopholes, etc. Maiden has long been a military post, with slight defenses. These have been recently strengthened. The works at Sandwich and Windsor have also, I think, been erected within the last six or eight months.

Near the mouth of the Niagara the British have two small forts--George and Mississauga; both existed during the last war. The latter may be termed a permanent work. Slight barracks have been erected within the last two years on the same side near the Falls and at Chippewa, with breastworks at the latter place, but nothing, I believe, above the works first named on the Niagara which can be termed a fort.

Since the commencement of recent troubles in the Canadas and (consequent thereupon) within our limits Fort William Henry, at Kingston, and Fort Wellington, opposite to Ogdensburg (old works), have both been strengthened within themselves, besides the addition of dependencies. These forts may be called permanent.

On the St. Lawrence below Prescott, and confronting our territory, I know of no other military post. Twelve miles above, at Brockville, there may be temporary barracks and breastworks. I know that of late Brockville has been a military station.

In the system of defenses on the approaches to Montreal the Isle aux Noix, a few miles below our line, and in the outlet of Lake Champlain, stands at the head. This island contains within itself a system of permanent works of great strength. On them the British Government has from time to time since the peace of 1815 expended much skill and labor.

Odletown, near our line, on the western side of Lake Champlain, has been a station for a body of Canadian militia for two years, to guard the neighborhood from refugee incendiaries from our side. I think that barracks have been erected there for the accommodation of those troops, and also at a station, with the like object, near Alburgh, in Vermont.

It is believed that there are no important British forts or extensive British barracks on our borders from Vermont to Maine.

In respect to such structures on _the disputed territory_, Governor Fairfield's published letters contain fuller information than has reached me through any other channel. I have heard of no new military preparations by the British authorities on the St. Croix or Passamaquoddy Bay.

Among such preparations, perhaps I ought not to omit the fact that Great Britain, besides numerous corps of well-organized and well-instructed militia, has at this time within her North American Provinces more than 20,000 of her best regular troops. The whole of those forces might be brought to the verge of our territory in a few days. Two-thirds of that regular force has arrived out since the spring of 1838.

I remain, sir, with great respect, your most obedient servant,

WINFIELD SCOTT.

WASHINGTON, _March 28, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I communicate to the House of Representatives, in compliance with their resolution of the 9th instant, reports[67] from the Secretaries of State and War, with documents, which contain information on the subject of that resolution.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 67: Relating to the British naval armament on the American lakes, etc.]

WASHINGTON, _March 31, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I communicate to the House of Representatives a report[68] from the Secretary of State, with documents, containing the information called for by their resolution of the 23d instant.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 68: Relating to the demand of the minister of Spain for the surrender of the schooner _Amistad_, with Africans on board, detained by the American brig of war _Washington_, etc.]

WASHINGTON CITY, _April 3, 1840_.

Hon. R.M.T. HUNTER,

_Speaker of the House of Representatives_.

SIR: In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th ultimo, I communicate herewith, accompanied by a report from the Secretary of War, "copies of the arrangement entered into between the governor of Maine and Sir John Harvey, lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, through the mediation of Major-General Scott, in the month of March last (1839), together with copies of the instructions given to General Scott and of all correspondence with him relating to the subject of controversy between the State of Maine and the Province of New Brunswick."

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON, _April 10, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 23d March last, I transmit a report[69] from the Secretary of State, which, with the documents accompanying it, contains the information in possession of the Department in relation to the subject of the resolution.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 69: Relating to the seizure and condemnation by British authorities of American vessels engaged in the fisheries.]

WASHINGTON, _April, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit herewith communications from the Secretary of War and Commissioner of Indian Affairs, giving the information "in possession of the Government respecting the assemblage of Indians on the northwestern frontier, and especially as to the interference of the officers or agents of any foreign power with the Indians of the United States in the vicinity of the Great Lakes," which I was requested to communicate by the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th ultimo.

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON, _April 14, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit to the House of Representatives a report[70] from the Secretary of State, with documents, containing the information required by their resolution of the 9th March last.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 70: Relating to the tobacco trade between the United States and foreign countries.]

APRIL 15, 1840.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In further compliance with a resolution of the Senate passed December 30, 1839, I herewith submit reports[71] from the Secretary of the Navy and the Postmaster-General, together with a supplemental statement from the Secretary of the Treasury, and the correspondence annexed.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 71: Relating to the sale or exchange of Government drafts for bank notes and the payment of Government creditors in depreciated currency.]

WASHINGTON, _April 15, 1840_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit a copy of a convention for the adjustment of claims of citizens of the United States upon the Government of the Mexican Republic, for such legislative action on the part of Congress as may be necessary to carry the engagements of the United States under the convention into full effect.

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON CITY, _April 18, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a communication from the Secretary of War, accompanied by a letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, indicating the importance of an extension of the authority given by the sixteenth clause of the first section of the act entitled "An act providing for the salaries of certain officers therein named, and for other purposes," approved 9th May, 1836.

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON CITY, _April 24, 1840_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a report and accompanying documents from the Secretary of War, which furnish the information in relation to that portion of the defenses[72] of the country intrusted to the charge and direction of the Department of War, called for by the resolution of the Senate of the 2d of March, 1839.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 72: Military and naval.]

WASHINGTON, _April 27, 1840_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I lay before the Senate a report[73] of the Postmaster-General, in further compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 30th December, 1839.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 73: Relating to the sale or exchange of Government drafts, etc.]

WASHINGTON, _May 2, 1840_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit to the Senate a report[74] from the Secretary of State, which, with the papers accompanying it, contains in part the information requested by a resolution of the Senate of the 30th December last.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 74: Relating to bonds of the Territory of Florida.]

WASHINGTON, _May 9, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I communicate to the House of Representatives a report[75] from the Secretary of State, which, with the documents accompanying it, furnishes the information requested by their resolution of the 23d of March last.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 75: Transmitting correspondence with France, Sweden, Denmark, and Prussia relating to the surrender to the United States of persons charged with piracy and murder on board the United States schooner _Plattsburg_ in 1817; correspondence relating to the demand by the charge d'affaires of Great Britain for the surrender of a mutineer in the British armed ship _Lee_ in 1819; opinion of the Attorney-General with regard to the right of the President of the United States or the governor of a State to deliver up, on the demand of any foreign government, persons charged with crimes committed without the jurisdiction of the United States.]

MAY 11, 1840.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In part compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 29th of December last, I herewith submit a report[76] from the Secretary of the Treasury, with the documents therein referred to.

M. VAN BUREN.

[Footnote 76: Relating to the sale or exchange of Government drafts, etc.]

WASHINGTON, _May 12, 1840_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I communicate to the Senate a copy of a letter[77] from the secretary of the Territory of Florida, with documents accompanying it, received at the Department of State since my message of the 2d instant and containing additional information on the subject of the resolution of the Senate of the 30th of December last.

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON, _May 16, 1840_.

_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:

I transmit the report of the Secretary of War furnishing a statement of the amounts paid to persons concerned in negotiating Indian treaties since 1829, etc., which completes the information called for by the resolution of the House of Representatives dated the 28th January, 1839, upon that subject and the disbursing officers in the War Department.

M. VAN BUREN.

WASHINGTON, _May 18, 1840_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I communicate to the Senate a copy of a letter[77] from the governor of Florida to the Secretary of State, containing, with the documents accompanying it, further information on the subject of the resolution of the Senate of the 30th of December last.