“Extract of a letter to the Editors, dated at Fort Stoddert, Dec. 18, 1811

Date

1-9-1812

Newspaper

Charleston Courier

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1

Newspaper Location

Charleston, South Carolina

Serial Number

309

Abstract

Brief felt report for Fort Stoddert, Alabama embedded in a longer article “A slight shock of an Earthquake was felt at Fort Stoddert, on the Mobile, in the morning of Dec. 16 at the hours of about two and seven.”

Transcript

Extract of a letter to the Editors, dated at Fort Stoddert, Dec. 18, 1811. "The town of Mobile remains in the hands of the Spaniards, nor does there appear to be any intention to make a voluntary surrender of it to the United States. The country around, however, is considered by us, though not by them, as under American jurisdiction. "A report exists that three thousand troops have been landed at Vera Cruz from Old Spain, with the staff of six thousand men; and that three thousand of them are destined for Pensacola.--[unreadable] of information, however, attach but little credit to this report-The troops, now at Pensacola are in a sate of dissatisfaction approaching to revolt on account of their want of pay. A slight shock of an Earthquake was felt at Fort Stoddert, on the Mobile, in the morning of Dec. 16, at the hours of about two and seven. The troops that have been engaged in opening a road to Georgia have returned to that station after completing the work. It is a work which will considerably augment the value of the public lands in the district east of Pearl river, and it is of vast important to the settlements in that country, as it will be the introduction of a respectable class of emigrants; and, should Congress think proper to establish a government there, instead of continuing it as a distant appendage of the Mississippi territory. It is probable that the settlements on the waters of the Mobile, would, in a few years, vie with those on the Mississippi. The fears which some people entertained, that the plan porposed by General Hampton, of opening a road for the military, through the Creek Nation, would irritate that jealous tribe into hostility, do not appear to have been realized. They have, indeed uniformly opposed a road, till they found the U. States were determined to have it; but the character of that people is such, that they are more awed by decision than won by concession; and the profits which will accrue to them from their ferries and roll-bridges, and numerous establishments of the public road, will render this work one of the most acceptable to them which was every performed by the benignity of the American government-The road is continued on through the wilderness from Fort Stoddert to Baton Rouge.-It has been saidthat it diverges very considerably from a direct course, in order to accommodate the General's plantation near Galvestown. No idea can be more unfounded: the best ground has, probably been chosen which could have been chosen going from Pearl River, to Baton Rouge it might have [unreadable] lake Poncatrain considerably to the left for the sake of obtaining better ground, and for the sake of making the road as well to New Orleans and to Baton Rouge more to the south than a straight line would have required; but it [unreadable] considerably, not ten miles further than it would have been in a direct course, and not one further than it would have been in any practicable course, and both ways would have approached almost as [unreadable] to the General's plantation-Such labors are said to be unmilitary?--no doubt; they are so to these gentlemen soldiers whose military fire shines [unreadable] dress and parades. But if soldiers are to be men and, men of activity and serve, surely they will be formed better by the active exertions in the woods especially where the idea of danger accompanies those exertionsthan by the orderly occupations of a garrison, byscouring gun barrles, or a minute attention to personal embellishment."

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