Hampshire Gazette August 26, 1812 -Massacre Averted at Balto Gaol- LH Lee

Description

Hampshire Gazette   August 26, 1812  -Massacre Averted at Baltimore Gaol- Mortal Wounding of Lighthorse Harry Lee
Anti-war news and stories fill more than 3 pages of the 4 page paper.
The front page leading story is of an attack in Baltimore
of an anti-war Federalist newspaper.
The publisher was Alexander Contee Hanson
General Lighthorse Harry Lee, of Revolutionary War fame,
is reported as wounded in the attack;
the wound will be fatal.
The story is nearly three columns long
and is referenced in following articles.
Below is a brief account of the event by the National Park Service.
The front page also includes report of a Connecticut
resolution opposing the Declaration of War,
passed almost unanimously.
The stories continue into the 2nd column of the last page.
The remainder is filled with ads.
Though the rag content is high
and it is not at all brittle,
the paper is in poor condition.
It is 4 pages long; each page is 20” by 12”.
It is stamped Library- Hartford Historical Society.
It was published in Northampton, Massachusetts.
From the National Park Service
Baltimore residents riot against antiwar dissenters
Many
Baltimore Republicans
justified violent retribution against the anti-war movement, arguing that Federalist protests made them treacherous “Tories.”
“We’ll root out the damn’d tories. We’ll drink their blood. We’ll eat their hearts.”
-a witness to the Baltimore riots recalling the shouts from the crowd
Populated by large numbers of
French, Irish and German immigrants
, Baltimore was not a particularly hospitable place for
Federalists
, especially those who dared to speak out against the War of 1812. So when the hated anti-war Federalist newspaper Federal Republican published an editorial condemning President Madison’s June 1812 declaration of war, matters turned ugly. Republican crowds converged on
publisher Alexander Contee Hanson
’s office, destroying his printing press, and forcing him to flee. Intimidated city officials appeared reluctant to intervene. The ensuing violence underlined just how differently various American factions viewed the events surrounding the war.
When Hanson’s paper reappeared on the streets in July 1812, mobs reassembled, this time outside his rented office. Well-known local Federalists, including Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s father,
Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee
, vowed to defend Hanson, further aggravating the growing mob. When the besieged Federalists accepted an offer to relocate to the city jail for protection, the mob advanced on the jail.
The mob brushed aside the jail’s defenders, killing
Revolutionary War General James M. Lingan
with a knife to the chest, and severely injuring eleven others. Among the wounded were Lee, who never recovered, and Hanson, who died in 1819 at the age of 33.
Though the Maryland legislature condemned city officials for their negligence, many
Republicans
justified the violence. They argued that Federalist protests against the war made them treacherous “Tories” who threatened American security. An observer who witnessed the riots later remarked:  “All I ever read of the French Revolution does not equal what I saw and heard last night.  Such expressions as these were current—‘We’ll root out the damn’d tories.’ ‘We’ll drink their blood.’  ‘We’ll eat their hearts.’”
During an earlier highly politicized conflict, the Quasi War with France,
Federalists under President John Adams
had tried to suppress wartime dissent through the passage of sedition laws. That legislation raised howls of protest among
Jeffersonian Republicans
. In one of the many ironic twists of the highly partisan War of 1812, many Republicans, including Attorney General William Pinkney, urged that similar sedition laws be reenacted, this time to quell Federalist wartime opposition. Wartime events had led to a dramatic political reversal.
Please study the photos as they are part of the description.
Please email me with any questions you may have.
I do have other items for sale,
and would be glad to combine shipping costs.
Please let me know if you are purchasing multiple items,
and I will send a combined shipping invoice
when you notify me that you have won them
(within a seven day period).
Payment is due within two days of the sale.
I generally ship within a day of receiving payment.
There is no charge for handling and packing material.
Delivery confirmation cost is included in amount due.
Certainly, I hope you will be pleased with your purchase.
Contact me immediately if you have any concern,
and I will be eager to resolve the matter.
Items are returnable if not as described.
Please leave positive feedback if you are satisfied.
When I know you are content with your purchase,
I will be sure to leave positive feedback, too.