" RALEIGH N, C.) .
paid in saoee,v No paper to be cwnua longer cn?n inrec
thereof iball bwe &kn iveju j";- " :,. p'
liaeftummtf-noi exceeding tty?t WfMnerte(Jjbric (or
onedjJIir. satoc tventy-fteowiiriopiequeoi jonr
tioo ! and iaitk proportion wtar tbere in a greater number
pf lineitban fiteen(5,-C , ; '
StlC.t,
r LETTI1K Of THE SECRET Alt Y OF WAR.
fa TBB EilTOM A .JH BALTIKOR PATRIOT.
It pay be due to myself and U eertaialy due
to ethers, that the reasons under whieh I retir
ad from LUC UUCCUUH w is , m
at a juncture so critical as the present, should
& fully and pronipjly known to tUe-ptthlic.
These reasons will, ha found io tht following
vlrief exposition of facts. s -sv- . '.
?Qn tpa evening of the 39th ultimo,, the Presi
dent called at my lodgings, fcnd stated that si
as of mush delicacy had occurred; that a
fcgh degree of excitement had keen raised a
Lng the militi of the District j tkaf he was
limself n object of their suspicions .and mena
ces j tjiat an officer of that corps had given him
otic,.that they would no longer obey any or
der coming through me as Secretary of War ;
"jndlhil r therurgewcy-of-t heuasef itmight he
prudent so far to yield to the impulse, as to
permit some other person to exercise my func-
lions in fClUUU vu iuq ucichwi u iu iiiivk
To this statement and preposition, I answer-
AA
united in opinion, that he should proceed to oc
CApy tlie heights of Georgetown. " "
Bd. That X had withdrawn the covering par
ty from'' the rear of fort Washington, and had
ordered aptain Dyson tatiow up 'UVrdrTwitk'
', . This jcharge ts utterly devoid of truth.' The
covering party was withdrawn bran order trom
general i Winder, and captain Jliy son's qfteial
report shews,' that the orders aider which he
actcV-were'. derived from" the; sauieV source,
Imugfa, no doubt, mistaken or misrepresented,
vf thirThat by my order, thi navj yard had
bef p burned. This1 like it's predecessors, is a
posi'Jvjj falsehood, f ,
Perceiving that no order was taken for ap
prising Commodore Tin gey of the retreat of the
armrI sent Major, Bell to communicate the
fact and to say thai the Nary Yard could no
longer be covered. The eomroodore wa of
eourse left to follow the suggestions of his own
mini, or to obey the orders,-if orders had been
;irenrbf th"e Nty department.
rtti. And lastlfl that meanif had hot been ta-
tip mte Tit he reserved, Whieh contained hun
drds of models of the arts, and that it tyuuld
be impossible, fo remove them; and to burti what
would be useful to , all mankind, would be as
barbaroiir ai formerly to burather Alexandrian
Library, fot which the Turks have been ever
since condemned by all , enlightened nations.
The Major desired roe to' go again wUh him to
Uol. JoneifU no was aiienatng somc,.
pnp-ftfi'd in eatr-ovine Mr. Gafes' types "and
printing apparatus. I went to the Ayenu .nd
was kindlf -received by the Colonel j they took
their men awav and promised to spare the build
ing. I then returned satisfied without seeing
any other British officer, and went out of thtf
district with my family. 'On - Friday (26th) I
returned to the city lest any inferior officer, not
knowing of this promise, should set fire to the
building; but I found the British were gone; ex
cept a few sick and wounded men and their at
tendants. Finding the Mayor not yet in the ci
ty, I as the only Justice of the Peace, appointed
a guard at the President's House and Offices,
another at the Capitol to prevent plunderers'
ken to collect a force sufficient for the occasion, who were carrying oft articles to the amount of
As the subject of this charge may very soon thousands or dollars. VV hen at the capuot,
become one of congressional enquiry, I hall at , was mtormed that a Ureadtul scene of plunder
present make but a few remarks
' was exhibited at the Navy Yard. I went and
that the enemyl; was 'advancing upon us;. Our I:
army was put into orUcr of .battle aud our'po- j " I
sition laksfn j my .force Vere on the, right '
flanked by thetw.o, hattalions oftheeihjahd!k-l
ss.th reglneBts7"whereve r5mJned:soiue .h"iurf.,"" - '
The euemv JifJ Dot, however, male his appeffi . j
ahcer; A little before Sunset gch.- Winder came -; ; j
lo.me nuareeommenuea inaitnebevy ajtiile 'f ,
rj' should br withdrawn, with the exception ot '''"
one 12 pounder to cover the retreat Ve took '
op the line of march, and in.the nisrht entere.it" ''
Wash infcf on by :tto'$aaferh 'Branch biridge. ,1-' '
marched mmen, $o. the marfne TiarrcJkfi
ktid took up quarts r for the night. About '
o'clock, gen. Winder came to my quarter's, and , '.',
we made some arrangements. ' In the morning 1 1 f
I received a note fratm gen. Winderahd wait- s
ea upon ium. Ue requeued me to; take cowr
mandand place my artillery to defend t,h : pas
sage of the bridge oil the fcasteru, Branch, t as
the enemy was approaching the city in that di- ,
rection. imotedif tely put my guns ' jn- pqsi
tlon? leaving the ntarjnes a4th(eiitof wf f
men at the barraukaji jo w'a.vt for .further orderf.
I Was in this situaliorr ,heh.a!h'9hor io
imeetyou wjth the president nd heads btfe
pantmentsj; when. it? was "determined 1f; f hoiild
u raw oh my guns ana men, ana nroceea towards
' t
Bladensburg, wkiehlJumeiatefy;f'ut, intr , ul , ,!'
execution Off our way ! was iuformed the CB-' 1 'f,
emy was within a mile if Bladensburg: wo
hurried on, tho' he da j vh very hot,,, and my
tt Tht mv mount wiikin nm1i Art)MWr ordered the trates to be shut, and stopped every ;
Department had been omitted or withheld . plunderer. W bile placing a guard UiCre, Lom-
that a separate military district, embracing the modore 1 ingey arrived. 1 delivered every
iMt Afrnvornmont. hnl hpin rptd that an thius up to him ; and in returning was told the
officer of high rank and character had been pla- English sick and wounded were in want, andjmepnuch crippled from the neyere marchhwe
(hargeofit thattoThirrtasvW visueu invm, anu wns,u-j" cjcutcc mcurctcmiijj uvyf. . pwBq-
tv to call for sutmlies and for a militia fiwmedhy Sergeant Sinclair of the British 21st i ded the men, and when arrived at the linjo.
force or fifteen' tlionsand men ; that to this regt.who had tneeommana oi inese men, mar
force was added the 36th rest, of the line. Dr. James JEwell had in the most humane man-;
battallionof the 3Sth, detachments of the 12th, . per attended them as a pnysician, ana? as lari
which separates the district . frem, Maryland
the battle began, 7 I sept afl officer back to pas'
icu uii vi y men 1 inev came up in a ror. .-w e
All 1 It 1 9 lilllfc UJI VU V uw W .wu.liu. " w I UtillttlllUH Ut III- U JUIl u-1tlllllvut. - M ' w m ' ' m '
eJ substantially as follows that I was aware ! of the artillerv, and of the dragoon,; the marine t as he could, he had supplied them with necesg-: took our position on the rising ground, nut hp
of the excitement to wtucu ne aiiuaea, mat a corps, and the crt wt.pt the itotuia, under tne
knew its source and had marked its progress special command of commodore Barney mak
that the present was not a, moment to examine ing a total of 16,300 men.
U more .occult causes, objects and agents ; that Geo. Winder's official report of the engage
it ostensibly rested oq charges known to him-' ment of the 24th ult. shews, how much of this
self to be false, that it was not for me to det-ir-; force had been as.mbted, and the causes why
mine how far the supposed 'urgency of the case a greater portion of it had not been got toge
mtule it proper for him to yield to an iupulse so j ther. These will be found to have been altoge
ther extraneous trom the Government, and en-
. n T . a . a . I . 1 i . , i a ' .1 , tvi
ries. 'Major Ai intant, wun great numanity, i':ee in .oaucry, posteq me marines pnuer
besides being useful in some precautionary mea-jcapt Miller, and flotilla men who weft to act
cures, desired 1 would have carts sent for some ia infantry under their own officers, on my
a ... .1 V I 1 11 ,! M .1
01 our wounaeu men on me commons. 4 onaer-i 5'", sujjpori iHe : pieces, ana waiiea me
stood he had engaged one, and I desired he 1 approach of the "enenfy. DuHng this peripd
would send as many as he thought necessary, the engagement .continued the enemy aavane
for which I would be answerable. ("I have i inS and our army retreating before them, ap
a
vile and profligate so injurious to truth and so
destructive of order: but that for myself, there
yM no choice that I could never surrender a
part of my legitimate authority, for the preser-.
ration of the rest that I must exercise it whol
ly, or not at all that I came into office, with ob
jfcts exclusively public j and that to accommo
date my principles or my conduct to the hu
mors of a village mob, stimulated by faction and
led by folly, Was not the way to promote these,
and that if his decision was taken in conformi
ty to the suggestion he had made, I entreated
him to accept my resignation. .This he declin
ed doing. It was an extent, he was pleased to
fay, to which he meant not to go; that he knew
(L xi teraeat was limited, well with regard
to time as to place t that he was now, and had
always been( fully sensible of the general zeal,
dihgenceand talent, which I had put into the
discharffe Cf my duty, and that it would rive
liui pleasure, were si to take time to consider
his proposition I renewed the assurance of
toy great personal respect, and my readiness to
conform to his wishes on all proper occasions.
r-I remarked, that whatever 2eal, diligence
and talent I possessed, had been employed free
ly but firmly and according to my best views of
the public good, and that as long as they were
eft to be so exerted, they were at the service of
Jny country but that the moment they were
taade tohotf to military usurpation or political
faction, there should he an end of their public
exercise. AVe now parted, with an understand
lug that I should leave Washington the follow
lug morning. ''n-;'V
It has been since stated to me as a fact (to
Which I give the most reluctant belief) that on
the morning of the 29th, and before my arrival
in the city a committee of the inhabitants of
Georgetown, of whom Alexander C. Hanson,
ditorofthe Federal Republican, was one, had
Waited on, the President, by deputation, aud
had obtained from him a promise, that I should
Bo longer .direct the military defences of the
District. Oa this fact, all commentary is un
necessary. '
It but remains to exhibit and to answer, the
several charges raised against me and which
form the groundwork of that excitement, to
which the President has deemed it prudent, to
Sacrifice his authority, in declining to support
Vine. They are as follows, Viz. .
1st. That (from ill-will to the District of
Columbia, and. a. design to remove the teat of
government,) I gave orders for the retreat of
the army, in the affair of the 34th ult. under
circumstances not making retreat necessary or
proper.. . ..
This charge has not for its support the sha
dow ef truth. The commanding general will
do me the justice to say, that I gave him no such
order, and that he was aud is under the im-
Iression, that the retreat was made earlier than..
believed it to be proper. To the President I
tppeal, whether I did not poict out the "disor
der and retreat of a part ot the first line, soon
after the action began, and stigmatise it as base
'hat 'in dpsnitft nf the rpmonstrariecs of
Gen; Winder, aJ by i t he interposition of my
tirely beyond its control : and
heard since they had been removed. I then
waited on Dr. James Ewell, to thank him in the
name of the city for his goodness towards the
2d. That from what is now known of the i distressed, who, being in our power, and esne
enemy's force, of the loss he sustained in the , cially .in misery, were no longer enemies, lie
enterprise, of the marks of panic under which j told me there was no provision for them of any
he retreated &c &c. it is obvious, that if all the kind. I appointed a Commissary, and ordered
troops assembled at Bladensburgh, had been .every thing that the Doctor thought requisite,
for which I would he responsible. The 8er
geant requested my protection for all his men.
I told him they would be protected ; and as I
had seen seyeraf stragglers, and as our people
would parole the streets in squads of six at
least in every ward, and might meet some of
.a ail " . I
uiem,u would ne well. to send a man with each
of our patroles as a guard to , challenge them,
aud thereby prevent our people from firing on
memj and it any should be lound to take them
to the Sergeant, who would put them under
guard for further orders. He promised to obey
every order. I gave orders and he fulfilled
them. Some stragglers, 1 understand. Were ta.
faithful to themselves and to their country, the
enemy would have been beaten, and the Capital
saved.
JOHN ARMSTRONG.
Baltimore, 3d SepUmberf 1814.
to the"purlic.
'i City of Washington, $Oth Aug. t814.
Hearing of several misrepresentations, I
think it my duty to state to you in as concise a
manner as the various circumstances will per
mit, my conduct in the late transactions in this
City.
After securing all the public papers commit- ken up, and perfect order kept, throughout the
ieu iq my care, and sending tuem 10 a piace 01 ;cuy.
perfect safety, (leaving ray own property unat- j After I had made all the arrangements, the
tended to) I proceeded on the ?3d inst. to the Mayor arrived. 1 informod him of all I had
neighborhood of the army, and afterwards ac- done, and stated, that 1 then delivered over to
corupanied thehon. the Secretary of State. Co- him all the unthoritv I had from th. dntv nf.f.
lonel Monroe, with some other gentlemen in re- flee assumed He, I believe, and iny fellow- bove described, who tbUmy great ntoftificatioft
cuiiuuiiei nikr me eouniry, ' wiivuce wc ouiy re- cuizeus, approved 01 my eouauci. returned 1 uv MU lw Bla v "w
parentlv in much disorder, . At length the ene .
my made his appearance on the mam road in rt
force and in front of my battery, aud on seeing '
us made a halt ;"I reserved our fire j jn a few -minutes
the enemy again advanced, w hen I orr
dered an 1$ pounder to be fired, which complete .
ly cleared the road shortly after a second end) .
a third attempt was .made by the; enemy ,t9
come forw ard, but all who piade the attempt. , v
were destroyed. The enemy thep crossed over
into, an open field and attempted W flanl f'ouf ,
right. He was there-met by three id pouni
ders, the Marines under Captain Miller, - afiA
my men-acting as infantry, and again was to
tally cut up. By this ttme pot a vestige of thft
American aicmy jren?ained, excepts. hidy offiva
or six hundred posted on the height pp my righ$
from whom I expected much support from the if
fine situation. The enemy from this pfriodj,
never appeared in force tn Jrotit, Of ps. lif
however pushed forward his" sharp-shooters,
one of whom shot my horse- upder me,,yybic
fell dead between two oT my frunj(. The eii&
my who had been kept in checK by our, fire tot
nearly an hour, now began to outrank " us onj
the right. Our guns were turned that way
he pushed up the hill about it or 300 men to?
wards the corps of, Americans stationed as
TCh4
li
ft
turned at 12 o'clock at night. The next day 1
removed with my family in the tetreating ar
my from the City, and beheld in deep regret,
that night, the tremendous conflagrations of our
publie buildings, &c.' Hearing next morning.
whi!e at breakfast in Georgetown, that the
British were preparing to burn the War office
and the public buildings containing the models
of the arts, I was desirous not only of saving an
instrument that had cost me great labor, but of
preserving if possible the building an,4t all the
models 1 therefore left my breakfast and has
tened forward, determining tF'request the first
late to my family in the country.
In the morning we returned to 'town, and
heard the British ships attacking Fort War
tiring. , i.' :'. . .Zrf--'i -
In this situatiop we haiih hut rmy o
the enemy to contend with our fjasaunition vaf
. " 1-.viu. .an tiui-,' 1 . -. 'T
burton. On the 28th. I learnt that 'the uehnli expended, and unfortunately the rivers of pit
being afraid of the landing of the British 8ea-;ftmmnni,in waggons had gopjkoff in the gene
men, who they thought were immediately bound' ral Panic. A -this time receiveu 4 tTf rp
for the city, I had desired the Mayor to wait j wound io my thigh. Captaid Miller was wound,
on the. President, and request permission toied Sailing-Master, .Warner, killed, . Actinr
send a deputation nit to epterintoacapitula-!Sai,in5-ina8t,,r Martip; killed, atid sailing mas
tion of any kid, but to represent to, the com-! ter Martin wounded, but to the honor of my ofiV
mander of the British squadron, that it was unl cers and men as fast as their companions and!
derstood when their army destroyed the public j mess-mates fell at the guns, they wereinstant-hnilftino-u
nml nrnnortv nn nthpp wf.nM mi0. Iv renlaced from those acting as infantry.?
Haaii-3 r 1' m J " "vuvi irvuix mmj uwa i mr A m
i
I
known democrat I should meet to accompany j tod, and to request therefore they would not j n'Dg the enemy npwcompletly in our rear
me, lest the malevolent should insinuate that linerm t their sui ors to land : but Icarnin?at th ana no means 01 defence 1 gave oruers 10-my
had in any manner held an improper eomniuni-samp finie that "life President had refused to! officers and men to retire. JTWee of my officers
cation with the invaders of tlie country I met ) hear of a deputation, and understanding thatlaS8'6tcd me to get oiF a short distance, hut th
with Charles Carroll, Esq. one of the most res-1 the people on all 6ides deprecated a mere shewigfeat loss of blood occasioned such a weAknesf
pectable gentlemen in the District, 1 begged him! of resistance j for it was supposed ou men had
to accompany me for the reasons given j he ve-(pot generally returned, and ,that the few who
ry politely attended me. We arrived at the ve- j had returned were all dispersed, I rode immedi
ry moment when the English Cole Jones and : ately to the President, who was attended by
his men were proceeding to burn the War Of- J the Secretary of State and the Attorney Gene
fice j Mr. Carroll had already accompanied the jraf. I represented the general feelings of the
Mayor of Georgetown in a peace deputation people on the above supposition, but was an
and was therefore known to some of the officers ; swered it would lie dishonorable to send any
he informed Col. Jones that I had waited on deputation, and that we would defend the citv
I
him to request permission to take out of the Pa
tent Office a musical instrument ; the Colonel
immediately replied, that it was not the!; in
tention 19 uestroy any private propertyf 1 -was
perfectly at liberty to take it. After the War
Office was burut, 1 entreated Mr. Carroll to ac
company me to, the Patent Office, but he pro
ceeded, only -to, my'own house and told me he
....nil:.- i Lu Jt...'. Lj us
"the:capitai;T"r?-' ; ' ' . ' ' :j'
This eharge contains in it a total perversion
sf the truth. When the head of the retiring co
lumn reached the Capitol, it was halted for a
moment. Gen. Winder hese took occasion to
state to Mr. Monroe and myself, that he was
not in condition to maintaiu another conflict
and that his force was brokefr down by fatigue
Aud dispersion.
mujiurnfedidoi'an
BKicacc ui mr iuajur in asK aim 10 accompany
me to the building, he was out of town ; I next
called on Mn Nieholson, my model maker and
.scncr ftnd 4eRi rffl hun to tt.lf.cn (1 niG liGlitly
and the British soldiers were then marching in
twd columns to burn the building. When we
arrived thers we found " the Hevd. Mr. Brown,
Mr, hyon and Mr. Hatfield near the Patent Of
fice. Major Waters, who was then on - guard
and waiting the esmmand of Colonel Jones, in'
formed me thaV'the private property might be
taken out. I told him that there was nothirig
but private property of any consequence, and
that any public property to which he objected
Uader this representation, we might be burnt in the strcetj provided the build-
to the very last : that our men had returned.
and we should have sufficient force jf calif d to
gether, and I was desired to aid in rousing them
to arms.7 1 obeyed -thecall Teturnedrode ill
all directions, and ealled to arms. I sent for
the troops from Bladensburg," and urged them
from various places. I went to the different
quarters, and gave, as far as I could, every as-
government.
Respectfully.
WILLIAM THORNTON.
ReLuiiiiig,t)ince to the titty, 1 found Ute guarda were
no t continued?
Copy ofd lettntfroih covtmodore Barney to the
secretary of the navy, dated .;
Jfarmiat Elt Ridge, August 29th, 1814
Sir This is the first moment I have had
it in my power to make a report of the proceed
ings of the forces under my command since I
had the honor of seeing you on Tuesday, the
23d inst- at -the camp at the old field3.'",, On
the afternoon of that day we were informed
that I was compelled to lie down. I requested
my offieers to leave me, which they obstiuatel
refused, but upon being ordered tbey obeyed
one only remained. In a short time I observed
a British soldier & had him called, and directed
him to seek an officer ; in a few minutes an oflv
cer came, who, on learning who I was, brought
Gen. Ross and Adm. Coekburn to me. These
officers beheaved ts me with the most marked
attention,, respect and politeness, had a surgeon
brought and my wound dressed immediately.
After a few minutes 'conversation the Genaral
informed me (after paying me a handsome, com
plimcnt) that I wasparoUfd and at liberty to
proceed to Washington or Bladensburgh, as w aft
also VMv. Jfyffington vAw had remained with
me ottering me every assistance 10 his power
givingrder for a litter to-bo brougut-ULWD
I Was carried to , Bladensburg. Capf . Wain
wriehL first Captain to Admiral Cochrane, re
mained with me and behaved to pie as if I w ay
.cjh t
r.
Ttr".
a nromer. . - ,-
During the stay of the enemy at Bladensburg '
I received the most polite attention from thp ;
officers both "'of 'the. Navy and Army. V f
' My wound is deep, but I flatter myself no
dangerous ; the ball is , not yet, extracted.- I
fondly- hope a fewwcejks wil restore me tp
health, and that an exchange will take place ,.
that 1 msy resume my command, or any other
that you and the President may.thinjc proper
to honor me with, JOSHtJA BARNEY.
- ; Hop. Ww. Jones, Secretary pf tkp JTay.'
I