Bibliography

Grodzinski, John R. "Battle of Ogdensburg." http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/32.

Hitsman, J. Mackay. "David Parish and the War of 1812." Military Affairs 26, no. 4 (Winter 1962-1963): 171-77. doi:10.2307/1985612.

"The Parish-Rosseel Collection." https://www.stlawu.edu/library/sites/default/files/finding-aids/MSS5fa.pdf.

Rosseel, Joseph. Joseph Rosseel to David Parrish, February 22, 1813. Box 19, Letter 735. Parish-Rosseel Collection 1761-1880. Owen D. Young Library, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY.

Joseph and Louisa Rosseel’s Furniture, Box 42, Folder 1559, The parish-Rosseel Collection 1807-1816, Special Collections and University Archives, St. Lawrence University Library.

Historical Context of the Letter

Ogdensburg at the time.

When the War of 1812 broke out there were many Americans who did not agree with their government’s decision. Citizens of northern New York especially bordering the St. Lawrence River did not view the people across the river as enemies, rather family members, friends, and business partners. At the beginning of the war an illegal trading system had been established between Ogdensburg and Prescott, in Upper Canada. The Americans upon realizing that Ogdensburg was a critical supply point reinforced the militia in the town with the 1^st US Rifle Regiment. On February 22^nd 1813 British troops crossed the river. When it looked as if the British were going to surround the town the militiamen dispersed back into the civilian population. The British captured Ogdensburg and throughout the war were able to trade with American merchants for much needed supplies. The result of this battle shows that the Americans in Ogdensburg were likely Loyalists or more content on their survival than to lose their lives for the American Government in what they saw as a ridiculous war.

Information this Letter Could Provide

A reenactment of the Battle of Ogdensburg

A letter such as the one we are looking at is useful in finding out a firsthand account of one of the battles during the War of 1812.  Since we know that many border towns between the United States and Canada saw no point in the war, Rosseel could comment on his view of the battle being unnecessary. If Rosseel had any interaction between either the British or American forces that took part in the battle it would be useful to hear what they had to say about the battle. Other things that a letter like this could bring up is how the British attacked Ogdensburg and how this attack directly affected both Rosseel as well as the Parish estate. Finally, Rosseel could also provide an early reaction among the citizens of the town about their thoughts on the battle and how it affected their part of Ogdensburg.

What the Letter Told Us

Actual letter used, dated February 26th 1813.

In examining Joseph Rosseel’s letter to David Parish regarding the Battle of Ogdensburg and Rosseel’s experience there, we were able to get an understanding of the British battle tactics and their ability to take the city from American control. Rosseel was present at the time of the invasion, and many of the British actually landed behind his house on the St. Lawrence River. We learned about the numbers of British troops involved, around 700 total, and the escape routes used by the US military to escape the sneak attack. Rosseel explains what happened in the aftermath of the battle, how many homes were raided and property stolen by British troops, especially the native Americans and Jacobins from Canada. He explained to Parish that his house had been destroyed by the concussion effect of so much cannon fire, and his fence had been used as cover and was equally destroyed. Rosseel explains that the British are still firmly in control of Canada and they take and hold US prisoners there. Being Parish’s land agent, he explains to Parish that $5,400 will be transferred to him in credit after it was passed by a Mr. Hoard. All of this information was obtained firsthand because Rosseel was present during the attack and had stayed in Ogdensburg in an attempt to save his property.

Analyzing Parish's Inventory

A portion of the inventory.

Upon looking at the inventory of Joseph Rosseel’s furniture and books one gets a peek inside the lifestyle and possessions of a wealthy man in the early 19^th century. From the value of a 55$ headboard or 24$ dining table to the modest price of a wedding ring of about 5$ one can ascertain what Rosseel believed was the market price for any assortment of household objects. Also one can understand the lengths to what a wealthy man had to go to, to estimate their net worth. Rosseel did this through meticulous calculations from every single piece of cloth in his house to his copper kettle. Rosseel estimates that he is worth well over $100,000 which is a considerable fortune even today. One can also look at Rosseel’s personal book collection to understand what kind of man and literature he was interested in. One such book Thomas Reid’s Inquiry on the idea of geometry and realism suggests that Rosseel was a man of some intellect. Other such works such as Joseph Addison’s Spectator daily paper suggests that Rosseel was interested in moral discussions and philosophy which this paper focused on centering on middle class Londoners. Rosseel’s inventory is a key insight into the culture of the time.

Joseph Rosseel

Parish's house in Ogdensburg, NY.

Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1782, Joseph Rosseel arrived in America in 1807 and went to work for David Parish as his land agent. While Parish bought the land, Rosseel was sent out to explore the area and then relay information back to Parish on the possibilities the land provided. While Parish spent most of his time in Philadelphia, Rosseel was a key member in developing northern New York as it was he who purchased and developed land in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties as well as having full Power of Attorney. With Parish leaving America in 1816, Rosseel remained the land agent under Parish's brother George along with having full Power of Attorney. When the first George Parish died, Rosseel was again given the same responsibilities that he had for the Parish estate until his retirement in 1859.

David Parish

Engraved portrait of David Parish

David Parish was born in 1778 in Hamburg, Germany, where his English grandfather had struck it rich after moving his mercantile business there from Scotland. Constantly seeking adventure, Parish traveled to Philadelphia in 1806 to act as the American agent for a bullion transfer between Spain and France. With the transfer complete, Parish purchased 200,000 acres of land in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties.  A prominent land speculator and financier Parish was a key contributor to the American war effort during the War of 1812, giving $7.5 million dollars. Parish moved back to Europe after joining a new banking firm in Vienna. This bank failed in 1825 and, having lost so much money, Parish drowned himself in the Danube River in April 1826.