Reading the American Past: Printed Page 202
DOCUMENT 10–5
James Hamilton's Path to Enlistment during the War of 1812
Americans interpreted liberty in a number of ways, not all of them informed by integrity or morality. James Hamilton enlisted and served in the infantry during the War of 1812, deserting numerous times before being honorably discharged in 1817. About a year later Hamilton reenlisted and at one point became engaged in a dispute with his commander, shooting and killing him. Just before his execution for murder, Hamilton dictated a confession that catalogued his misdeeds. In the excerpt below, Hamilton described the path he followed from his infancy to the army, disclosing experiences common among young men in the early republic who, unlike Hamilton, did not become murderers.
Confession, 1818
My birth, like my death, was the combined effect of infamy and sin. I was the illegitimate offspring of a mother whom I never knew, and of a father of whom I am equally ignorant. ... The place of my nativity was in the city of New-York, and my birth occurred on the 2d of May, 1791. I was informed that I was nursed by hand, and that my mother died while I was an infant. At four or five years of age I recollect living with one James Hunter, and some time with Susan Griffin and a while with one Polly Blytham. ...
At the age of ten years I was put, by my supposed father, to one William Cummings, who adopted me as his nephew. ... He sent me to the house of John Morrison . . . at Little Britain, where I attended the school of one Mr. Ellison, between two and three years, and made some proficiency in learning. With Mr. Morrison I went to New-York and staid a few days with my adopted uncle; from there I was sent to live with Barnabas Manney, in Blooming Grove, and attended the school of one Patrick Fellemyth, where I was whipped almost daily for fighting with, and abusing my school-fellows. At this school I learnt nothing, paying no attention whatever to my book — Conceiving my master was too severe, I engaged ten other boys with myself to seize him one morning upon his coming into school, give him a beating, then throw him on the fire and keep him there until he was severely scorched. This project was luckily prevented by some young children of a Mr. Herod giving information to their father, who, together with other neighbors came to the school-house, and instead of our abusing the master, he, in the presence of the parents, severely flogged us; the marks of which I carried for some time. After this, instead of going into school I would play the truant. Mr. Manney, perceiving my untowardness, took me from school and set me at work. ... While with Mr. Manney, I was compelled to attend church, but minded little what the minister said. ... I was at length sent . . . [to] Mr. James Hultz, to Decker Town . . . in the county of Orange — with him I continued about three months, with intent to learn the trade of a tanner and shoe-maker, which trades, Mr. Hultz then pursued, but he being absent one day, left me in the care of an apprentice by the name of Reuben Sergeant, with whom I fought and very severely cut him with my shoe knife; on the return of Mr. Hultz, I was taken to the tanhouse, questioned and lied, and was pretty severely chastised with small rods, for which reason, I next evening made my escape to Little Britain, and went to the house of Mr. Morrison. After staying there two days, his sons gave me some money, and I went to a brother of Mr. Manney's, a blacksmith, residing in Pleasant Valley, in the county of Duchess. I intended, with him, to learn the trade of a blacksmith, of which I had always been fond, but he having an apprentice would not take me — this apprentice, (a Mr. Baxter) got me into the shop of one William Hunter, with whom I continued seven or eight months, and made quite a proficiency in the trade; and he being, as I thought, too often absent, I left him and went to work four or five months with a quaker and farmer, named Green, who gave me a good suit of clothes and recommended me to a blacksmith in New-Windsor, by the name of Chauncey Wooden — with him I labored about four months, for which he paid me $32, and I then went to the city of New-York, and here met with an acquaintance by the name of Lemuel Minton, who got me employed with him on board a small schooner, belonging to one William Wendell, (a methodist;) with him I continued about six weeks, when Menton and myself, from wrestling commenced fighting, and the captain coming on deck while I had Menton down, struck me, upon which I seized a billet of wood and instantly drove both Menton and my employer off the schooner — I then jumped on the wharf, and a short time after returned with the same cudgel, and drove them off again, went into the cabin, took my clothes and approaching Mr. Wendell, demanded of him instant payment, and threatened, upon his refusal, to pound him to a jelly, whereupon he took out fifteen dollars and handed me — I then left him and went to work for about two months with a Mr. Clark, of Peekskill, a farmer — from thence to Augustus Taylor's, where I stayed about four months, then went with one David Haven to New-York, where I boarded with a widow Odle; here I went to work for a blacksmith named John Johnson for one dollar a day, and for about three weeks paid my board regularly, at the end of which I falsely told Mrs. Odle I could not get my pay from Johnson, and after staying two weeks longer she turned me away. I then went to board with a Mr. Yeomans, and three days after I was arrested at the suit of the widow Odle, and Mr. Johnson became security for the debt; shortly after which I sold my trunk and clothes for thirty dollars to one of his journeymen, paid Mr. Johnson and left him — I then commenced visiting scenes of vice and prostitution. ... During this time I became acquainted with Hugh M'Clellan, a sailor, and in his company I spent about three months longer, living by gaming, (at which M'Clellan was quite an adept) — by him I was introduced to a decent house kept by the widow Pullis, who had one son and two daughters; with the eldest, named Catherine, then about eighteen, I soon formed an acquaintance; and after a courtship of about three months, married her; but alas, vice had at that time taken such deep root in my bosom, that I could not (although I dearly loved my wife) refrain from visiting prostitutes. I found at length, I was diseased by this course of dissipation, and daring not to visit my wife, I did (unknown to her) ship in a schooner . . . bound to Norfolk, Va. At Norfolk I tarried about two weeks; thence I went to Alexandria; thence to Baltimore and Boston, and thence back to New-York, where I found myself the father of a son (of which I had been informed at Norfolk,) notwithstanding which, I made it a practice, at each port, to visit houses of debauchery. With my wife I continued three or four weeks, and then went again to Alexandria and to Norfolk, and again returned to New-York, where, by my wife's request, I left the schooner and continued about two months doing no business, constantly gambling, drinking and visiting houses of ill fame. I then went with capt. Williams to Alexandria — I there left him and hired myself for some time as an ostler [stableman] to James Brooks, who kept the city hotel — here I wrote several letters to my wife and received three from her . . . which informed me that she had a second child, and a daughter; upon this I became, without cause, very jealous, believing the child not mine, and wrote her for answer, “I did not care.” . . . M'Clellan and myself went with one capt. Weeks to Norfolk, where we, together with a young Englishman, shipped on board a brig . . . for Cadiz. ... On our return to Norfolk, M'Clellan and myself went in a small schooner to Boston, and . . . went to the house of one Richard Connelly, in Tin Pot. ... Here I became acquainted with a prostitute named Sally Smith; and she, together with one Charlotte Hatch, handsomely supported me, they often contending and fighting on my account. — During my stay in Boston, I received several letters from my wife, and I wrote several in return, professing love and attachment to her, having at this time been satisfied the daughter was my own; but being so long habituated to vice, I continued my old course. M'Clellan here shipped on board the navy, received his three months bounty, and soon after concluded to run away; upon which I started with him to travel through the country. We came to the house of one John Green a little over the mountain; he having formerly been a sea captain, but since, a steady, worthy religious farmer, who kindly took us in. ... [W]e went to work in a few days with him, and he was so well pleased with me that he offered me twelve dollars per month by the year, and soon after our arrival, proposed going to a store and buying me a long suit of clothes for sunday; but M'Clellan wishing to go to Albany, I accompanied him . . . [and] we went to work for Pliny Miller, chopping wood at seventy-five cents per cord — M'Clelland and myself labored for about three weeks, when I borrowed for [M'Clellan], three dollars [from] Miller, and [M'Clellan] went off, but where I have never heard. ... I continued with Miller about three months and worked very hard, but he being a tavern keeper, I fell in his debt for rum about thirty dollars. One day when he was attending the court at Troy, (he being also a constable) I left him and came to Albany. ... [B]ut on going to [a militia] rendezvous . . . and hearing one of the soldiers say “whoever enlists cannot be taken for debt and that clears them for ever,” and fearing that Miller would follow me and put me in prison, I instantly consented to enlist and went . . . and took the oath of enlistment. I stayed at the rendezvous one month and was much pleased with the life of a soldier, being kindly treated by my officers, and myself always appearing neat and clean and doing my duty faithfully. One day, however, sergeant Roberts struck a soldier with his rattan [switch] for speaking on parade; upon which I told the sergeant if he were to strike me in that way I would give him a flogging; for this rash declaration I was sent to the guard-house and put in irons. ... [L]ieut. Bliss called upon me and . . . observed that I was bound by my oath to obey my superior officers and that the sergeant was one. I replied that I never swore to be whipped by my officers, and if they should do it I would desert.
From James Hamilton, The Life and Dying Confession of James Hamilton, Executed for the Murder of Major Benjamin Birdsall, November 6, 1818, at Albany (New York, 1819), 3–6.
Questions for Reading and Discussion