Fragment of a Memorandum on Reports of the Battle of Bladensburg, [post–6 September 1814]

Fragment of a Memorandum on Reports of the Battle of Bladensburg

[post–6 September 1814]

8. National Advocate (N.Y.) by Mr Wheaton1 of 2 date, containing an anonymous account of Battle of Bladensbg. &. (by Genl. Armstrng)

9. do. of shortly subsequent date by do. containing a varied account thereof3

Ms (NN: Monroe Papers). In JM’s hand. Undated; filed at 24 Aug. 1814; conjectural date supplied here based on evidence in n. 3.

1. Henry Wheaton (1785–1848) graduated from the College of Rhode Island and established a law practice in Providence. From 1812 to 1815 he was editor of the pro-administration National Advocate in New York City. He served as U.S. Supreme Court reporter, 1816–27, during which time JM provided copies of correspondence for Wheaton’s book Some Account of the Life, Writings, and Speeches of William Pinkney (New York, 1826). Wheaton subsequently held several diplomatic posts, the last being that of minister to Prussia, 1836–46. Elements of International Law (Philadelphia, 1836) was the best known of his numerous works on the subject (PJM-RS, description begins David B. Mattern et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Retirement Series (2 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 2009–). description ends 2:238 n. 1).

2. Blank left by JM.

3. The National Advocate published reports of the Battle of Bladensburg on 29 and 31 Aug. and 6 Sept. 1814.

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: Fragment of a Memorandum on Reports of the Battle of Bladensburg, [post–6 September 1814]
Author: Madison, James
Date: September 1814

Reference

Cite as: “Fragment of a Memorandum on Reports of the Battle of Bladensburg, [post–6 September 1814],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-08-02-0176. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Presidential Series, vol. 8, July 1814–18 February 1815 and supplement December 1779–18 April 1814, ed. Angela Kreider, J. C. A. Stagg, Mary Parke Johnson, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Katherine E. Harbury. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, p. 189.]