Cuyahoga County, Ohio - Chapter 10: The Period from 1807 to 1812, 1870

Formation of Cuyahoga County - Its Boundaries - Still attached to Geauga - Murder of Mohawk and Nicksaw - Excitement in this. County - Demand of Stigwanish for Justice - "'Snow cannot lie' - Descrip'ion of Stigwanish - Scheme to open Rivers and make Portage Road - A Lottery authorized for that Purpose - Fine Promises - No Performance - Draft of Land west of Cuyahoga - Judge Huntington elected Governor - Another Disaster - Wrecked under a Bluff--A Son's Bravery - A Difficult Rescue - Numerous Deaths by Drowning - Cleveland made the Seat of Justice of Cuyahoga - A Primitive Bill for Services - A United States Senator from Cuyahoga County - An Early Mail Route - Carrying the Mail under Difficulties - Organization of the County - First Officers - Huron County attached to Cuyahoga - The First Court - Census of 1810 - First Physician - First Practicing Attorney - Fears of Indian Hostilities - Extension of the Western Bounds of Cuyahoga - Increased Excitement regarding War - A Murder by Indians - Trial of Omic - His Bravado after Conviction - Mrs. Long's Fright - The Execution - Major Jones's Perplexity - Omic's Terror - A Bargain to be hung for Whisky--More Trouble - More Whisky - Hung at last - Removal of the Body - -Declaration of War.

WE begin this chapter with an actual Cuyahoga county, in place of "the territory of Cuyahoga county," which has hitherto been the scene of our story. On the 10th day of February, 1807, the legislature passed an act creating three new counties - Ashtabula, Portage and Cuyahoga. The latter included all that part of Geauga county west of the east line of range ten - that is, the east line of Solon, Orange, Mayfield and Willoughby, then called Chagrin. Both east and west of the river the southern boundary of the county wis the same as now, but the western boundary ran wlong the western side of range fourteen (Strongsville, Middleburg and Rockport). In short the boundaries of the county were the same on its first formation as now, except thatit included Willoughby, now in Lake county, and eacluded Dover and Olmstead. It was left attached to Geauga county for judicial purposes until it should be organized by the due appointment of officers, which was not until three years later.

About the time of the formation of the county the people became greatly excited over events which almost portended an Indian war. In the latter part of January an Indian called John Mohawk killed a white man named Daniel Diver near Hudson - now Summit county. 'lwo of Diver's friends named Darrow and Williams determined to avenge the murder. Finding a Seneca Indiau named Nicksaw in the woods, and either believing him to be the murderer, or not caring whether he was or not, they came upon him without a word of warning and shot him dead in his tracks. Major Carter and Mr, Campbell, the trader, went with the chief Stigwanish and buried the slain Indian; all agreeing that the snow showed no appearance of combat or resistance.

It was soon ascertained beyond doubt that it was not Nicksaw but John Mohawk who had killed Diver. Then the whites were anxious that Mohawk should be demanded from the Indians and punished for his crime. At the same time it was syggested by some of the leading men that Darrow and Williams should be arrested and punished for ¢heiy crime. But their neighbors bitterly opposed this, and threatened death to any officer who should attempt to arrest them. The excitement spread into this county, where some of the whites were opposed to the arrest of Darrow and Williams, while others looked askance at the Indians still encamped across the river from Cleveland, and were anxious above all else for « course which would keep the peace with those few but dangerous enemies.

On the tenth of February Judge Huntington wrote to General Wadsworth that he had seen Stigwanish, (or Seneca as he was commonly called) the same chief before mentioned as the brother of '' Big Son," and who was usually regarded as the head of all the Senecas in this section. Senecasaid he wanted justice for both sides. He was not content to see all the power of the whites used to inflict punishment of John Mohawk, while they were asleep regarding the murder of an innocent Indian. He offered to deliver up Mohawk when the slayersof Nicksaw were secured. Referring to the fact, to which Carter and Campbell certified,

He declared he did not want war, but did want justice. The result of the whole excitement was that neither party obtained justice; Mohawk was not given up by the Indians and the murderers of Nicksaw were not punished by the whites.

The chief Stigwanish, or Seneca, was much respected by the whites. General Paine lauded him in extravagant terms as having the honesty of Aristides, the dignity of a Roman senator and the benevolence of William Venn. Unlike the average 'noble red man," he never asked for a gift, and when one was voluntarily made to him he would always return it by another of equal value. The general also stated that he abjured all spirituous liquors, but was obliged to auld that this abstinence was caused by bis having, ina drunken fury, split open the head of his infant child with a tomahawk, while aiming a deadly blow at his squaw, on Whose back the child was strapped. It is difficult, after learning this, to look with very intense admiration upon the general's hero, Stigwanish was killed in Holmes county in 1816, by a white man who said that the ehief had fired upon him; so we are left in doubt whether the benevolent and senatorial Senec had not relapsed into his former habits.

About this time a scheme was set on foot to clear the Cuyahoga and 'Tuscarawas rivers of logs and other obstructions, so as to make them passable for large boats, and at the same time to construct a good wagon road over the portage between the two streams ; thus forming a continuous communication for heavy freight between Lake Erie and the Ohio river, As was customary in those days, the legislature was called on to authorize wu lottery in order to raise the needed cash. It was rare indeed that any important public work was attempted in the forepart of the present century without w lottery being organized to provide the whole or a partof the funds.

In this case the managers were authorized to issue twelve thousand tickets, at five dollars each; making a total of sixty-four thousand dollars. 'Chis was done, and in return they olfered one prize of five thousand dollars; two of two thousand five hundred each; five of one thousand each; ten of five hundred each; fifty of a hundred each; a hundred of fifty each, and three thousand four hundred of ten dollars each. This made the total amount of the prizes sixty-four thousand dollars; just the value of all the tickets. A deduction of twelve and a half per cent., however, was to be made from the various prizes, which, supposing that all the tickets were sold, would furnish eight thousand dollars with which to pay the expenses of the lottery, cloar out the rivers and build the portage road. This does not appear like a very liberal allowance, considering the amount likely to be swallowed up by the expenses of the lottery and the probability that many tickets would be left unsold; so that, aside from the moral qualities of the scheme, it does not impress one very favorably regarding the business shrewdness of our primeval financiers.

Twelve commissioners were appointed by the legisature to conduct the enterprise, of whom six were from this county. These were Hon. Samuel Iuntington, judge of the supreme court (who, however, removed to Painesville the same year), Major Amos Spafford, Ion. John Walworth, Major Lorenzo Carter, James Kingbury, Esqy., and Timothy Doan, Hsy. Hon. John Walworth, of Cleveland, was appointed general agent. Agents for the sale of tickets were also appointed in Zanesville, Steubenville, Albany, New York, Lartford and Boston, who were authorized to pay prizes in those places - when they should be drawn.

But, despite the list of civil and military notables concerned in the scheme, that time never came. It was found impossible to sell more than a fourth of the tickets. The drawing was postponed from time to time in the hope of an increase of funds, and even as late as 1811 was still expected to take place. Iinally; however, it was entirely given up and the money already paid in was returned, without interest, to the purchasers of tickets. Thus ended the first scheme of internal improvement connected with Cuyahoga county.

On the second day of April in this year took place the "draft" of the Land Company's land west of the Cuyahoga; that is, the townships were distributed by lot among groups of owners, who thereupon received deeds from the trustees. 'The subdivision of the townships into lots by the owners was still to be made before the work of settlement could well commence.

Although, as before stated, Judge Huntington removed to Painesville (now Lake county) this year, yet he was so thoroughly identified with the early history of Cuyahoga county as to make it eminently proper to notice the fact that in the autumn of 1807 he was elected governor of Ohio, in place of Hon. Edward Tiffin, appointed United States senator. - Mr. Tiffin was the first executive of the State, having been elected for a second term, and so it happened that the second governor of Ohio was a gentleman whose home for six years hud been among the forests, the welves and the log-cabins of Cuyahoga county.

It must be added that Judge H. probably left Cleveland because he despaired of its future. Ague, augue, ague, was the ery of all who came to the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and ten years after its settlement Cleveland had not probably over thirty inhabitants. This condition of the only port where there was a good harbor discouraged immigrants at the very threshold of the county, and naturally retarded settlement in the back townships, though we cannot learn that these were any worse in regard to sickness than the rest of northern Ohio.

Karly in the spring of 1808 occurred another of the sad events so frequent in the early annals of the county. Stephen Gilbert, one of the two first constables of the county Joseph: Plumb, Adolphus Spafford, (son of Major Amos) and - - Gillmore, started on a bateau from Cleveland on a fishing expedition to the Maumee river. A colored woman called Mary was aso on board the boat as a passenger, intending to stop at Black river, where Major Nathan Perry was keeping a trading-house, and where some goods belonging to him were to be put on shore.

A Mr. White, of Newburg, and two sons of Joseph Plumb, who had expected to go on the boat but were too late, took the Indian trail to Black river, expecting to get on board there. In the western part of the present town of Dover, hearing cries of distress, they looked down to the foot of the bluff, and saw sixty feet beneath them the boat in which their friends had set sail, bottom side up, while near it was the elder Mr. Plumb, the sole survivor of the crew. He told them that the boat had capsized a mile from shore. The woman was drowned at once. All the others except Plumb were good swimmers and had struck out for shore, but the water was so cold that one after another their strength failed them and they sank to rise no more. Plumb, being unable to swim, got astride the boat and was thus driven ashore. Te was seriously hurt, however, and was scarcely able to move, on account of his immersion in the extremely cold water of the lake.

could not get down to him. It was quickly decided, however, that Mr. White and one of the young men should hasten on to Black river, some twelve miles distant, to obtain aid and ropes, while the other son remained to comfort his father. The latter was so overcome with cold, and so discouraged by the cireumstances in which he found himself, that the young man determined to reach him atall hazards. Climbing partly down the bluff he found an ironwood sapling which grew out partly over the beach. Young Plumb crawled upon this to the outermost bushes, and the tough ironwood bent far down beneath his weight. Suspending himself by his hands to the lowest-reaching branches, the brave young man finally let go, dropping over twenty feet to the sandy beach below, and fortunately escaping unhurt. He made his father as com fortable as possible, and together they awaited the coming of aid.

Darkness came on and still no relief appeared, At length, when the night was well advanced, shouts were heard and lights were seen on the bluff above. White and young Plumb had returned, accompanied by Major Perry and Quintus F. Atkins, who probably comprised the whole male population at Black river at that time. They brought ropes and lanterns, but their task was still one of considerable difficulty. The elder Mr. Plumb weighed some two hundred and twenty pounds, and it was no easy task to raise him by sheer strength up that sixty-feet bluff. However, one end of the rope was made fast to a tree, the other was let down to the men below, and fastened by young Plumb under his father's arms. The four men above then began to '' haul in," and by exerting their united strength finally landed the old gentleman at the top of the bluff; he and they being alike almost exhausted by the operation... The young man was then drawn up with comparative ease.

Such were the dangers from the turbulent lake and the rock bound coast that out of the eighteen deaths of residents of Cleveland, occurring during the twelve first years of the settlement, no less than eleven were by drowning. It will be seen that, notwithstanding the evil reputation of the locality as to health, there was not a very large proportion of deaths by disease. In fact the ague seldom killed; it only made people wish they were dead.

In the spring of 1809 a commission was appointed by the State to select a location for the seat of justice of Cuyahoga county. The only place besides Cleveland which Jhad serious claims to this honor was Newburg, which had as large a population as the former village, or larger, and was a much more healthy and thriving locality. Wowever, the position at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, with its possibilities of future greatness, carried the day in spite of the ague, and Cleveland was duly selected. 'The time employed by the commissioners and the salary paid them are both shown by the following extract from the bill presented by one of the honorable commissioners, from Columbiana county, which also gives a hint of the orthography often practiced among the officials of the day:

In an accompanying letter to Abraham Tappen the commi:sioner requested that he present the bill to the "" Nixt Cort," by which he would much oblige ' your humble Sarvent."'

In the spring of 1809 another citizen of Cuyahoga county was elevated to distinguished honors. Ton. Stanley Griswold, who had been scerctary of the Territory of Michigan under Governor Hall, had resigned that position and located himself at '* Doan's Corners," four miles east of Cleveland village. Ife was a man of marked ability and when, in the forepart of 1809, Mr. Tiffin resigned his seat as United States senator, Governor Huntington appointed Mr. Griswold to fill his place.

In a letter written about this time the new senator expressed the opinion that this would be a good loeation for a physician; there being none in the county,. and none of any eminence within fifty miles. Still, he said, a doctor would have to keep school a part of the time in order to make a living, until there was a larger population. Senator Griswold only served during the remainder of one session, but it is somewhat

The contract for carrying the mail through a wide region was at this time held by Joseph Burke, of Euclid, whose two sons were the mail carriers ; one of them having been the late Gaius Burke of Newburg. The route was from Cleveland tu Hudson, Ravenna, Deerfield, Warren, Mesopotamia, Windsor, Jefferson, Austinbarg, [arpersfield, Painesville, and thence back to Cleveland. This was the only route any part of which was in Cuyahoga county, except the main line to the west along the lake shore, and Cleveland still possessed the only post-office in the county.

Mr. Gaius Burke, in & letter on file among the archives of the Historical Society, says that the road was underbrushed most of the way, but there were no bridges, and streams and swamps were numerous. In the summer the two youngsters by turns carried the mail on horseback, but when wet weather came in the spring and fall they had to trudge on foot; the roads being too bad to be traveled on horseback, much less with a wagon. On reaching streams the carrier sometimes crossed in a canoe or on a raft, kept there for the accommodation of travelers. Sometimes he got astride a convenient piece of flood-wood and paddled obliquely to the opposite shore. And sometimes, in default of any of these resources, he waded the stream, or, if it was too deep for that, plunged boldly in and swam across, keeping his little bag of letters above his head as best he might. The population was still extremely sparse; there being spaces five, ten or even fifteen miles.in width without a single house.

At length, in May, 1810, Cuyahoga county was duly organized by the appointment of the proper officers, and began its independent existence. 'The first officers were Hon. Benjamin Ruggles, presiding judge of the court of common pleas; Nathan Perry, Sr., A. Gilbert and Timothy Doan, associate judges; John Walworth, clerk; and Smith S. Baldwin, sheriff. At this time Huron county, which was still unorganized, was attached to Cuyahoga county for judicial and legislative purposes, as was also a tract between the two counties, which appears to have been left outside of any county boundaries. The first court was held at the newly erected store of Elias and Harvey Murray, in Cleveland. One indictment was presented for petit larceny, several for selling whisky to Indians, and others for selling foreign goods without license.

four hundred and ninety-five, a considerable portion of whom, however, resided in ''Chagrin" or Willoughby, which has since been transferred to Lake county. The remainder of the settlers were in what is now Cleveland, East Cleveland, Euelid, Mayfield, Newburg, Independence and Brooklyn, with a very few in Middleburg.

It was not until 1810 that a physician became a permanent resident of Cuyahoga county; this was Dr. David Long, a native of Washington county, New York, who then settled at Cleveland, where he practiced his profession throughout a long and useful life.

Alfred Kelley, Esq., who was admitted to the bar and made prosecuting attorney of the district on the 7th of November, 1810, at the age of twenty-one, was the first practicing lawyer m the county, Mr. Huntington's time having been entirely occupied by other duties.

During this year the people became much excited by the rumors of Indian war from the West, where Tecumseh and his brother, '"'the Prophet," were endeavoring to unite all the widely scattered tribes from the Gulf of Mexico to the great lakes in a league against the ever-encroaching Americans. War, too, was anticipated between the United States and Great Britain, and a decided feeling of uneasiness spread over the whole frontier. Although there were scattered settlements from Cuyahoga county westward along the lake shore to the Maumee, yet back from the lake nearly the whole country was still an unbroken forest or an uninhabited prairie from the Cuyahoga river to the Pacific ocean, and there was nothing improbable in Tecumseh and his savage followers making a raid among the scattered inhabitants of Cuyahoga county.

In 1811 the fears of the people were again aroused by an earthquake, which gave a perceptible shock, and which was thought by many to portend some dire disaster. But ere long came the news of the battle of Tippecanoe, in which the warriors of the great league were totally defeated by the American troops under General Harrison. Then, for atime, the people rested free from the fears of Indian invasion.

By an act passed on the 25th day of January of this year, (1811,) the western boundary of the county, which as defined by the act creating it was the same as the western boundary of the present townships of Strongsville, Middleburg and Rockport, was carried from ten to fifteen miles farther west. Beginning at the southwest corner of the present township of Eaton, Lorain county, (township five, range sixteen,) the new line ran thence north to the northwest corner of that township; thence west to the middle of Black river, and thence down the center of that stream to the lake. The tract thus united to of Dover and Olmstead, which have ever since remained in it, and the townships of Avon, Ridgeville, Columbia and Eaton, and parts of Sheffield and Elyria, now in Lorain county.

Despite of Indian troubles, emigration was still flowing south and west, and in this year township five, range twelve, now known as Brecksville, was subdivided into lots ready for settlement.

During the forepart of 1812 the excitement on the frontier became intense; for it was known that the question of declaring war was being continuously debated in Congress, and no one knew at what moment its fury might be unchained. This locality was one of peculiar danger; for not only were the Indians threatening massacre a short distance to the westward but the whole broadside of the county lay open to

The prevailing uneasiness was increased by the murder of two white men by three Indians in Huron county, although the crime was committed solely to obtain the furs of the vietims, and had no connection with any general hostile movement. The people of the vicinity, discovering the bones of the victims beneath the ashes of their cabin, which the Indians had fired, turned out in pursuit and captured all three of the murderers, with the property of the murdered men in their possession. One of them, a mere boy, was allowed to escape. Another, named Semo, after he was arrested placed the muzzle of his gun under his chin, pulled the trigger with his toe and instantly killed himself. The third was a young Indian who had lived in the vicinity of Cleveland, and was commonly called Omic, and sometimes as John Omie, to distinguish him from his father who was known as Old Omic. He was only about twenty-one years old, very hardy and athletic, and already well known for his vicious disposition; haying several times committed offenses, some of which are related in the history of Cleveland city, in this work.

Huron county being attached to Cuyahoga for judicial purposes, Omic was brought hither for trial, and the subsequent proceedings in his case are perhaps more clearly remembered by the few survivors of that period, and are more fully detailed in history, than any other events occurring here during the first quarter of thiscentury. There being neither court-house nor jail, the criminal was confined in Major Clarke's ball-room, in charge of the worthy major himself, who was duly deputized for the purpose. He had more influence it was doubtless thought there would be less danger of an outbreak on their part if the culprit were under his charge than otherwise. Strong irons were placed on Omic's ankles and fastened by a chain to a joist. Mrs. Miles, before mentioned, tells of going to see him there, and talking with Lim. acquainted with him before he committed his crime, as indeed had almost every one in the vicinity. On could die. 'They need not tie his hands. He would jump off the gallows when his time came without hesitation. Down to the last there was more or less fear of rescue by the Indians, many of whom were always around Cleveland. Old Omic, shortly before the execution, camgjnto the house of Dr. Long on Water street, Cleveland, no one being there except

Mrs. Long and her infant child (now Mrs. Severance) who was sleeping in the cradle. The Indian picked up & gun which was standing in the room. Mrs. Long instantly imagined that he was about to kill her or the child, in revenge for the expected execution of hisson. Snatehing the babe from the cradle, she ran at full speed up Water street, screaming with all her might, while Omic, having laid down the gun, followed more slowly, trying to explain himself in broken English to the panic-stricken woman. Mr. Samnel! Williamson, who lived on Water street, took the child from Mrs. Long and went with her to Major Carter's, who was the great authority on all Indian questions. Omic came up and explained to the major, in Indian, that he only picked up the gun to show Mrs. Long how Semo, the accomplice of John Omic, had killed himself after he was arrested. This was translated by Carter to Mrs. Long and the white men who had gathered around, and then, as Mrs. Long said, they ''all had a hearty laugh," though it is doubtful whether the young mother fully enjoyed the humor of the mistake.

At length the day of execution arrived. People came from far and near to witness the scene. Fearing a rescue, many brought. their arms with them, besides which, a battalion of militia was ordered out under Major Samuel Jones. - The major was a fine-looking man, in full uniform, with large gold epaulets and well-plumed cocked hat, but the management of a few companies of militia severely tasked his military skill. He drew them up in front of Carter's hotel, and Omic was brought forth the occasion: After religious services, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Darrow, of Trumbull county, Major Jones undertook to surround the wagon and the officials which accompanied it with his battalion, but . was unable to accomplish his object. After waiting a reasonable time, while the major galloped back and forth, shouting forth all sorts of orders but the right ones, Sheriff Baldwin moved forward with the procession. Some one then suggested to the major that he march his men by the right flank to the gallows, and double his line around it, which he accordingly did.

Omic kept up his bravado almost to the last, and | rode to the gallows, as Mrs. Miles says, keeping time to the music by drumming on his coffin. When they arrived at the place of execution, which was near the northwest corner of the public squarey Sheriff Baldwin, Major Carter and Omic mounted the gallows. The culprit's arms were loosely fastened together at the elbows, and a rope with a loop in it was put around his neck. Irom the top-piece above swung another rope, with an iron hook at the end, to which the first rope was fastened. Mujor Carter descended from the gallows and the'sheriff drew the black cap down over Omic's face. Then, at length, all the culprit's bravado deserted him. He was, said Hon. Elisha Whittlesey in a statement published by his nephew, Col. Whit- tlesey, the most frightened man, '' rational or irrational," that he ever saw. He bent down his head, seized the rope with his loosely-pinioned right hand, stepped to the nearest post and threw his other arm around it. The sheriff approached, when Omic seized him and seemed likely to throw him from the gallows to the ground.

Major Carter again went upon the gallows, and asked Omic in his native tongue to remember what he had said about showing the palefaces how an Indian could die, but without effect. At length, however, the culprit said that if he could have a big drink of whisky he would make no more trouble. Carter urged compliance and the sheriff assented. A large tumbler nearly full of "old Monongahela" was soon produced. Omic took the glass and swallowed the liquor in an instant. He then declared he was ready for death. Carter came down, and the sheriff again drew the black cap over the face of the criminal.

His former terrors immediately returned. Again he reached up his hand and seized the rope, at the same time throwing his other arm around the post and defying the efforts of the sheriff to detach him.

and broken English, declaring that he would return in two days and wreak vengeance on the palefaces. Once more the indefatigable Carter went up to act as interpreter and diplomatist. The sheriff does not seem to have had much nerve or he would have called assistance, wrapped the scoundrel with cords so tightly that he could not move, and if necessary thrown him from the gallows. Another disgraceful altercation ensued, and at length Omic gave Major Carter have one more glorious drink he would submit quietly to his doom. Even to this the sheriff was weak enough to assent. 'This time, however, the tumbler was not given to the culprit but held to his mouth, und while he was drinking Sheriff Baldwin tightened the rope on his arms, and drew up the one above so that Omic could not go to the post.

The platform was again cleared, but notwithstanding all the precautions Omic managed to slip the fingers of his right hand between the rope and his neck. The sheriff, however, did not wait for any farther parley but cut the rope which upheld the platform. The man fell the length of his rope, swung to and fro several times, and at length hung quiet.

Meanwhile a storm was seen coming up rapidly from the northwest. It being doubted whether the criminal's neck was broken, the rope was drawn up and let suddenly down, when it broke and the body fell heavily to the ground. The dark clouds swept rapidly over the sky, and warning drops of rain began to fall. The body was hastily placed in the coffin, and as hastily deposited in the grave which had been dug near the gallows. Even while this was being done the rain began to pour down in terrents and the crowd swiftly separated to seek for shelter; the militiamen not waiting to perform any more evolutions, and the giltedged officers hurrying at the top of their speed to save their ornaments from untimely ruin. The flintlock muskets of the men were so wet that fifty Indians with tomahawks could probably have captured the place. The red men, however, never manifested, so far as known, any disposition for revenge.

Nearly all the physicians of the Reserve were present, determined to obtain the body, if possible, for dissection. After dark several of them went to the square, the sheriff conveniently closing his eyes, and took the body from the unfilled grave. Omic was quite fat and heavy, but Dr. Allen, of Trumbull county, volunteered to carry him alone. The body was accordingly placed on the doctor's back, but before he got out of the square he stumbled against a stump and fell to the ground, with his ghastly burden on top of him. His companions smothered their laughter for fear of discovery, (i¢ might not have been very pleasant to be discovered by any lingering Indians,) and assisted to carry the corpse to the place of dissection. It was reported among the citizens, at the time, that some of the physicians said they could easily have restored life after the body was on the dissection table, but this is extremely doubtful, considering the hours that had elapsed since the hanging. The body was duly dissected, and the skeleton long remained in the possession of Dr. Long.

Two days later a swift riding expressman galloped into Cleveland, bearing the President's proclamation that on the 18th of June, 1812, war had been declared by the Congress of the United States against the king of Great Britain.