Treaty of Ghent Negotiator Jonathan Russell Hopes the Victory of American Forces at Baltimore and on Lake Champlain Will Bring the British “to their senses.”

He reports the British strategy in the talks: Remind the Americans of their loss of Maine and Nantucket, and “insinuate an expectation of a further possession of our territory”.

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On August 8, 1814, talks began at Ghent, Belgium, that would ultimately result in a treaty ending the War of 1812. The head of the American negotiating team was John Quincy Adams, the U.S.’s most experienced diplomat. The four men who served with him were carefully selected by President Madison to reflect...

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Treaty of Ghent Negotiator Jonathan Russell Hopes the Victory of American Forces at Baltimore and on Lake Champlain Will Bring the British “to their senses.”

He reports the British strategy in the talks: Remind the Americans of their loss of Maine and Nantucket, and “insinuate an expectation of a further possession of our territory”.

On August 8, 1814, talks began at Ghent, Belgium, that would ultimately result in a treaty ending the War of 1812. The head of the American negotiating team was John Quincy Adams, the U.S.’s most experienced diplomat. The four men who served with him were carefully selected by President Madison to reflect the varieties of political sentiment in the United States. Foremost among them was Henry Clay, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a noted War Hawk. Albert Gallatin had served as Secretary of the Treasury for both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. James Bayard was a U.S. Senator belonging to the Federalist Party who had been an opponent of the war, and was one of the 13 Senators to vote against declaring it. However, once the war began he supported the war effort. Jonathan Russell was acting U.S. ambassador to Britain when war was declared. Sent to Ghent as a negotiator, he was also serving as ambassador to Sweden and Norway.

William H. Crawford was U.S. ambassador to France during the negotiations, and was responsible for superintending the American consuls in Europe and keeping them informed of developments. More than that, he was an advisor to the President on the happenings on the Continent. As Ambassador to the Court of one of the two major adversaries in the conflicts in Europe, he was also actively involved in the Ghent negotiation process, advising the negotiators and responding to their confidential communiqués.  He would later serve as Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Madison and Monroe. He proved instrumental in achieving the final peace terms.

The British initially demanded that the country now occupied by the states of Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the larger part of Indiana, and about one third of Ohio, should be set apart for the Indians to serve as a buffer, a perpetual protection of the British possessions against American ambition. They demanded also that the United States should relinquish the right of keeping any armed vessels on the Great Lakes; and, in addition to all this, they asked for the cession of a piece of Maine, and for the right of navigating the Mississippi. They also insisted on peace on the basis of uti possidetis [each side keeps the land it has taken]. The Americans rejected all these demands, and wanted the basis of the peace to be status quo antebellum [each side returns to the boundaries before the war). The talks seemed in a stalemate.

The British invaded northern New York on August 31,1814. Led by General George Provost, they got to Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain with a huge army of 11 000. Then, on September 11, a British naval squadron under Captain George Downie sailed into battle against a smaller American naval force under Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough, who was waiting at Plattsburgh Bay on Lake Champlain. Shortly after the battle began, Downie was killed, and after several hours of fighting, the British surrendered. Prevost then called off the land battle, and the British retreated to Canada.

After sailing up the Chesapeake Bay, British troops marched into Washington on August 24. Soon much of the city, including the Capitol building, the White House, and other federal buildings, was in flames and President James Madison was forced to flee. The British then focused their attention on Baltimore, a significant commercial and naval center, just forty miles northeast of Washington. On September 12, about 4,500 British troops landed at North Point and began their 11-mile march to Baltimore. As the troops marched, the British warships toward Fort McHenry and the other defenses around the harbor. The ships opened a 25-hour bombardment of the fort, but failed to force its defenders to surrender. As the British fleet withdrew, the garrison flag was raised over Fort McHenry, a sight that led eyewitness Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

On land, in the Battle of North Point there were heavy British casualties, and their commander, Major General Robert Ross, was killed. The British troops then reached Baltimore’s impressive defensive earthworks, manned by 15,000 Americans. Hearing of the failure to take Fort McHenry, and seeing the defenses, the British decided to withdraw. With this defensive victory for the Americans, the Chesapeake Campaign essentially ended. When the news of the victories at Baltimore and New York reached Ghent and Paris in late October, it gladdened the Americans, while reinforcing the sentiment within the British leadership that the war must be ended. The Americans sensed that now negotiations might begin in earnest.

In the late summer of 1814, when the British seized eastern Maine, forced Nantucket to sign a neutrality agreement, and conducted raids at will along the U.S. coast, including into Boston itself.  England declared “New Ireland” (Eastern Maine) a province of British North America (Canada).  For the next 8 months (from the fall of 1814 to the spring of 1815), the Penobscot River was essentially an international boundary. This was the only portion of America that was formerly and extensively occupied during the war.

The Congress of Vienna was the peace conference called to decide the future of Europe after the fall of Napoleon. The main allies – Austria, Great Britain, Prussia and Russia – were joined by other nations affected by the Napoleonic Wars, such as Spain, Portugal and Sweden. The four main powers intended to dictate borders, which the French delegation, led by Foreign Minister Talleyrand, opposed. The core four were much disturbed by his arguments, knowing that the smaller powers would support Talleyrand if they gave him the chance of appealing to them. They had no intention of giving way, however, and refused to summon a meeting of all the representatives. The Congress was postponed. This aided the American cause, as unable to finalize peace in Europe, the British could not turn their full attention to the American war.

Autograph letter signed, 2 pages, Ghent, October 25, 1814, to Crawford.  “You will perceive by the note of the British ministers of the 21st instant of which we send you a copy by Mr. Shaler that unfortunately I was too correct in my apprehension that the complete projet [treaty draft], which we requested, would not be finished.  So far indeed from producing such a project they have offered a basis entirely new, which they must have known, from what had already passed, was inadmissible and which could only have been intended to remind us of the capitulations of Maine and Nantucket and perhaps to insinuate an expectation of a further possession of our territory.  Besides this new basis they have referred to all the propositions which they had already made in a manner to show that they reserve a right to revive them however seemingly abandoned, whenever it may suit their convenience.

“I congratulate you sincerely on the last news from America – the repulse of the enemy at Baltimore and the success of our arms, on and near Lake Champlain, will I trust have the most salutary effect in every respect and, added to the part which France seems disposed to act at the Congress of Vienna, may possibly restore the adverse party to their senses.” William Shaler was a secretary to the U.S. delegation at Ghent, and also messenger who traveled to meet with Crawford in Paris.

This letter was acquired from the direct descendants of Crawford and has never before been offered for sale.

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