SIR, NO. XLIV. Letter from general Lambert to general Jackson. Head-Quarters, Isle Dauphine, February 27th, 1815. I HAVE this moment received your letter, dated the 20th inst. I have taken every step to bring the exchange to a speedy conclusion. On the subject of the concluding paragraph, I have only to remark, that honourable and feeling conduct which has characterized every transaction in which I have had the honour to be concerned in with you. You may rely upon it, I shall take no retrospective view of the conduct of any of the men returned, and shall find reasons in discountenancing an inquiry, should it be brought before me, or come to my knowledge through any other channel. With regard to the negroes that have left their masters and are with this force, any proprietor or person deputed, that chooses to present himself to me will be received, and every facility afforded him to communicate with those people; and I shall be very happy if they can be persuaded all to return, but to compel them is what I cannot do. With respect (which I inclose) to an address from majorgeneral Villeré to the commandant of this force, I am at a loss to understand the purport. The commissary-general's orders are to purchase cattle wherever he can meet with them. Amongst receipts in that neighbourhood for beasts procured, is that for those belonging to the major-general. I should have been glad to have known the major-general's sentiments previous, as I certainly should not have troubled myself about his concerns, or endeavoured to render as little painful as I was able, not living in his house, the unavoidable circumstances attending the immediate theatre of war towards his son whom he had left unprotected. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JOHN LAMBERT. SIR, Letter from general Jackson to general Lambert. Head-Quarters, 7th Military District, New Orleans, March 4th, 1815. I AM gratified to find by the letter with which you have honoured me, that my confidence in your humanity and delicacy of conduct with respect to the prisoners was not misplaced. My request was merely dictated by the plainest principles of justice. It is your ready, frank, and obliging compliance, that merits the flattering epithet you have been pleased to bestow on my conduct. I am extremely sorry that the very high winds, which have prevailed ever since I sent for the British prisoners to Natchez, have prevented their arrival at this place. Vessels are ready to receive and carry them to the Balize the instant they shall arrive. Having been just informed that Mr. Shields, who commanded a lanch on Lake Borgne, has been made prisoner, I hope he may be sent in on parole for exchange. The prisoners taken from your advanced post at Mobile Point are directed to be sent down to fort Bowyer, to be delivered to you, and included in the general exchange. I am sorry that I cannot advise you, sir, of the ratification of the treaty signed at Ghent. At the date of my last advices it had not arrived at the seat of government. I HAVE just received intelligence from Washington which leaves little doubt in my mind that the treaty signed at Ghent between the United States and Great Britain has been ratified by the president and senate of the United States, but by some unaccountable accident a despatch on another subject has been substituted for the one intended to give me an official notice of this event. The one I have received however, is accompanied by an order from the postmaster-general directing his deputies to forward the express carrying intelligence of the recent peace. Of this order I enclose a copy. And from other sources, to which I give credit, I learn that the same express brought official notice of the treaty to the governor of Tennessee. I have deemed it a duty, without loss of time, to communicate the exact state of those circumstances, that you might determine whether they would not justify you in agreeing, by a cessation of all hostilities, to anticipate the happy return of peace between our two nations, which the first direct intelligence must bring to us in an official form. The prisoners. from Natchez, after having been long detained by adverse winds, are now within a short distance of the city, and will certainly proceed to-morrow morning to the Balize, to be delivered to your officer according to my promise. I pray you, with the assurance of high respect, to receive that of the satisfaction I feel in reflecting that our correspondence, begun as commanders of hostile armies, should terminate as officers of nations in amity. I AM instructed by his excellency major-general Andrew Jackson, commanding the United States 7th military district, to inform you of his having received notification of a treaty of peace between the United States of America and the government of Great Britain having been signed and exchanged at the city of Washington on the 17th February, 1815. By the first article of that treaty, "all territory, places and possessions whatsoever, taken by either party from the other during the war, or which may be taken after the signing of this treaty, excepting only the islands herein after mentioned shall be restored without delay, and without carrying any distinction, or carrying away any of the artillery, or other public property, originally captured in the said forts or places, and which shall remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, or any slaves or other private property." I am also commanded by his excellency, major-general Andrew Jackson, to receive such forts, garrisons, artillery, munitions of war, or other property, as may be embraced by said first article. You will please therefore to make such arrangements as may be most convenient for carrying into effect the said first article of said treaty. Such slaves as may be within your control, belonging to any inhabitant or citizen of the United States, I am also instructed to receive, to the end that their owners may again obtain possession of them. SIR, I have the honour to be, &c. Letter from general Lambert to major Woodruff. Dauphine Island, March 17th, 1815. In answer to yours of this day's date, communicating to me that his excellency major-general Jackson had received notification of a treaty of peace between the United States of America and the government of Great Britain having been signed and exchanged at the city of Washington on the 17th February, 1815, and requiring you to carry into execution, on the part of the American government, the fulfilment of the first article of the treaty, I have to request that you will inform his excellency that immediately I receive the same from the person charged by the British government to transmit it to all its naval and military commanders serving in America, I shall give him immediate notice of it and be prepared to fulfil the treaty in every respect. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JOHN LAMBERT. SIR, Letter from general Lambert to general Jackson. Isle Dauphine, March 19th, 1815. SINCE I had the pleasure of writing to you yesterday, I am informed that every thing will be embarked (weather permitting) by the 25th. I have, in consequence, written to major-general M'Intosh, to inform him that the commandant of fort Bowyer has orders to deliver it up agreeable to the first article of the treaty of peace on that day. The time of and preparations for a long voyage may detain the troops here a few days longer, but no exertion will be wanting to embark the whole as soon as possible. As I may not have another opportunity of addressing you, permit me to avail myself of the present to wish you health and happiness, and to express my regret that circumstances will not allow me to assure you personally of the same. SIR, I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JOHN LAMBERT. Letter from general Lambert to major Woodruff. Isle Dauphine, March 20th, 1815. I ANSWER to that part of your letter which touches upon the negroes who have come into the British force previous to the ratification of the peace, that is, on the 18th February last, I do not feel myself authorized to deliver them up under the treaty, without their consent. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JOHN LAMBERT. NO. XLV. Letter from general Jackson to James Monroe, secretary of war. Head-Quarters, 7th military district, New Orleans, 24th February, 1815. SIR, THE flag-vessel which I sent to the enemy's fleet returned a few days ago, with assurances from admiral Cochrane, that the American prisoners taken in the gun-boats and sent to Jamaica, shall be returned as soon as practicable. The Nymphe has been despatched for them. Through the same channel I received the sad intelligence of the surrender of fort Bowyer: this is an event which I little expected to happen, but after the most gallant resistance; that it should have taken place, without even a fire from the enemy's batteries is as astonishing as it is mortifying. In consequence of this unfortunate affair, an addition of three hundred and sixty-six has been made to the list of American prisoners; to redeem these and the seamen, I have, in conformity n |