American Historical Ephemera & Photography Online

Unsigned stampless cover addressed to "Doctor Edward Young Kemper / Detroit." Flemingsburgh [Kentucky], 26 August 1812. 3pp, 8 1/4 x 13 1/4 in. (creasing at folds, adhesive repair, toning). Later pencil notation above address "From your cousin Hattie Rier[?]." Author writes to Kemper relaying news regarding local militia movements and rumors of General William Hull's surrender of Detroit at the onset of the War of 1812.

Letter opens indicating that the author had received a missive detailing Kemper's movements en route to Detroit: "Camps Meigs May 28th 1812 Camp at Urbanna [sic] Champaign County June 8th 1812, Fort Finlay [sic] June 27th 1812...Detroit July 6th 1812." She then continues "Lately about or near 3000 troops Volunteers, Regulars &c were ordered from this state and Ohio to reinforce Genl. Hull. They are now on their way and about 4000 more to be commanded by Govnr. Harrison now under marching orders." She then describes the various accounts of events transpiring in Detroit, noting that "G.W. Botts of our town" had returned from Chillicothe [Ohio] with news that Hull had surrendered his whole force to the British and that some of those he met "had seen the articles of Capitulation themselves...." She ends the letter Saturday morning, the 29th, relaying that "The public mind is greatly alarmed or rather agitated and in suspense between different reports from the scene of war. We are not certain what we must believe as to particulars but in time [of] war this is always the case." 

Dr. Edward Young Kemper (1783-1863) was born in Virginia, but his family - headed by pioneer Presbyterian minister James Kemper - relocated to Hamilton County, Ohio in 1790. Edward Kemper served as Surgical Mate in Colonel James Findlay's Second Regiment, Ohio Militia, which marched north from Dayton with General Hull as tensions mounted with the British. Kemper and his regiment were present at Hull's surrender of Fort Detroit. After the war, Kemper returned to Cincinnati and practiced for many years as a physician.