people of bygone ages. It is these minor details of past events which
lend to fiction its greatest charm, and attract the multitude, by
appearing more like truth. Although untrue in the particular
combinations, scenes and plots delineated, yet well written fiction is
drawn from nature and experience, and these facts in life, as with
chessmen, are only arranged in new but natural positions. History should
include everything in the nature, character, customs and incidents, both
general and individual, that contribute to originate what is peculiar
in a people, or what causes their advancement or decline. So broad is
its scope, that nothing is too mighty for its grasp--so searching,
scarce anything is too minute. Were written history a clear transcript
of valuable incidents, it would be more enticing than the most
fascinating fiction.

It is the purpose of this volume to deal with some of the remote and
direct causes of the second war with England, by endeavoring, as nearly
as our ability will permit, to transport the reader back to the scenes
of eighty or ninety years ago, and give views of the incidents which
clustered around the events of that time.

The war of 1812 has been properly termed by some historians the second
war for independence; for, in truth, the independence of the United
States of America was not established until after that event. Great
Britain across the ocean and the horde of Tories still in America had
not abandoned all hope of yet making the United States a dependency of
the country from which she had fought seven long years to free herself.
The war of 1812 was never fought to a finish. In some respects it was a
drawn fight. Its results were not satisfactory to the patriotic
American, and certainly were not to Great Britain. The contemptible
"Peace Faction" continually crippled the administration all through the