INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE, Boston, Oct. 22, 1812

• War of 1812 deserters
• James Madison pardon

The first column is taken up with 3 Acts of Congress as well as: "A Proclamation" headed with an engraving of a heraldic eagle, concerning the granting of a full pardon for those who have deserted from the Army. Each is signed in type by the President: James Madison.
Page 2 includes: "Western Army" and: "War Events".
Four pages, nice condition.

Background: The publication of President James Madison’s amnesty proclamation in a Boston newspaper underscores the acute manpower crisis and deep political divisions that crippled the American war effort during the opening months of the War of 1812. Faced with a severely undermanned regular army and widespread desertion driven by poor supply lines, disease, and low morale, Madison was forced to bypass standard martial punishment in favor of a pragmatic, forgiving approach to reconstitute his forces. The appearance of this executive mandate in the Independent Chronicle—a rare pro-administration, Democratic-Republican print voice in a fiercely anti-war, Federalist-dominated New England—highlights the administration's urgent campaign to drum up military compliance and national unity in a region that was actively resisting "Mr. Madison's War." Ultimately, this document captures a vulnerable moment in early American history where the federal government had to appeal to the patriotism of its defectors just to sustain a deeply unpopular conflict.