II , - ... i i ; T , ? : 1 w : J'. ' ,: ' -- .ISJ
. Trrrrr. r : ' 1 -, - - - . - 1 1 1 i .
Vv. - ' FRIDAY OCTOBER 14. 1814. . '.rm.:--.
HE
Piatts'itu, Sept 15 b, 1814. ,
er qI have ihc nuaor to compiu-
tor t-'C iu,u u'1
I
t-cun's v r c;;
n. ,.f..i thlDOStscotruited '
n CT cr..-TC , . j "
X'- r r Gecf raliof thti C3-
Wt CV.ui "lift avW fI 0 r.-
r-r'-g - f" vtrvT 2S f' V- " L:Q '
K c'vs i n.,;ir.d issued joHtrs sni
r ,Tr;i4:.r(lir5:tuii-v.-uac
t r.w ;'-.rir jKcijw c, aud in-
1 1 T' tm i:- t(irnishh:si artny niih J
J" " " . . 1 i , 1 . L 1
r
y Muts. Ik .mmur-ficiy oe-gat..
. :.:.$ ihr w.tcg nd u ami m
1 1 t.u- : 1
is htvy bicg-ffi andctorfs. From !
cri i w- ; c:su.nltd he fatctded j
tu:k tV;s pUr. I had fcut just rc-c-sedfrcrr
ihc Vln ?hcrc I hsd
CTmir.'!.fi a fine bri.dc, xft.ich
f:stui'.cup to lijrn; cIjc divisicn
uccr Msi.Gcn. Izird in!crrc ro
ihcicitaard. liou &cpior oi?i:cr
ie UftBcia c:ir.3i3cd ; snrl, exept
tit C:ur ccnipamcs of thb 6th rrgt.
IbdLoiia oigacizcd batudiou i
rxr.gihoic remaining The garri
kjx ti ccmrxiscd cf conv!!rcenU
ul recruits of the crw rvginicr.ts
tl ia ihc greatest contujioo, a9 well
ai tic crdcance aad s-or :s, add ihc
crh ia do s:-te if deferire.
To create aa en nhtioo and zeal
8T.org the cGcer x.) men in conv
pVJrgthe Wks, I 0 v'(- l thcn it
u.detcchtccnts, ' a;d iji.ced them
Crsr the serciel fort , jitctsring ia
Ofdtr!, thit each detachir ut the
.rnsLti ol its o n 00 net, and bousd
defend it to the c Jtre.ty
IKc cnttry advMirti cauiitiulv
toi by hcrt marchcx, and our scU
:sirc;k'fi d tv a; : ri&ht ; so tht
- tie tiy the rr.at!. hhipappcaraQce
cre the place, uc wre prepared
rtccivchitn. '
Ottu Iz. rd D?rntd the principal
Tri Ftrt Mcrcau, ir,d tr lemidrl thf
opscf the actions nil :h-lr brave
uyrccc, I called ibt ndoilbt on
fright Pert Brown, aril that on the
k hrt Scut. IJesidci these three
tifK we have twb'iilock housed
'tLicp, on tximlnlnfr the rrtiirn
csiiscns that r,ur f.-Tce did
:t!, aid well ir.f; rmt(i .j,,.
.... w- J VII V I V 1 u 1
iyfd:tUes,icd were exectdinv
f ine lourtn ti
1 . ij
tJ.e month
uuoers r. '., t mi"
acd advanced -even mdes on
iifl r-. . 1 . it
-
-utne reads wuh Men trees, aid
KrlV 1 Pltd nub under Capt.
K f . ,05rt' and lf iortif bim.
t P'4rl' 1 l nerd
L ?! ,n Evince cfthi. nn,iii..n
taplT lh ttovemeot of
US,K1rWnlriiatcWgaice;
by,, erta'cd, that before dav.
ce n
fada kJr 0 wluD on the two
fi-t of ihc enemy into tlie termor v
71.1Tnted Statrs, the circuinfcta.ii
r u"khitjrti of. the1 vil age fled
jir i.miJies and Jttztx., e x. t pt
w . cuiuq ro:.ci t uatcn tne j
, U.ltl 11 UJ" I I
uiviaiDg at
I SarUpiOD't, a little below- Ctmyj vil
Jage. - The column on the Beckmw-
tot7njrod proceeded most rapidly;
the militia skirmishing with his ad
vanced partic, and, except a "few
brai'p men, fell back most precipitately
in the greatest disorder, notwithusnd
ingtbe llrhish troop? did not drign
to fire on ihem, except by their Sink
ers and advanced patroles. The
night previous I ordered Maj, Wooi
to advince with a detachment of 1250
men to support the militia, and set
:hcm an example of firmness. Also
Cipt. Leonard, of the light artillery,
was directed to proceed with two
pieces to be on the ground before dav,
yet he did not make his appearance
until 8 clocle. hec the enemy "hrtd
approached wiihiu two miles of th
viUte. Wi.h hV. conduct, therfoe, j
4 am not wtU plerist-d. IMaj. Woo),
'Vith h's party, disputed the road with
great ota'inacy, but the militia coul
not be prcvuilrd on to stand, notwith-
Uta. ding the rxertiens of their Groe
j al aud st jfl" ftflicers ; although the
siclds were divided by strong stbno
r ills, and they were told ih?t the
enemy could not possibly cut them
off. The state urogoens of New.
Vark wearied coats, and they bring
on the heights tb watch the enemy,
gave conatnt alarm to the. militia,
who mistook them for the enemy, and
feared hii getting in heir re.ir.
Pmdirg the cncmy'n c!tmo9 had p- i
Initiated within a mile of Platuburg,
'(dispatched my aid de-camp Lieut.
ICoot, to bring oiTthe deuchmejt at
Oead Creek, and to inform Lieut,
j Col. Appling that I wished him to fall
J on the tnemy 3 right fl-nk. The Co
lonel fortunately arrived just in time
to sare his 1 art at and to fail in with
th head o a column (fcbctichhig from
the woods. H re h j.ouvsd in a des
tructive hre from hia riflemen m rest,
and coctiuued to annry the column
ur ti! he formed a junction with Msj.
WcjoI. The field piecesiid cons?
der.d)e " Xccution Jmong thf f.r,m'
columns. So- uncounted, however,
wn t!;c en my, that he never 'de
'plojed in his v.hole rn'r-h,' always
!pres'.i'g in column. Finding that
jevc.y road was full of troops crowd
. iog cn iu on all &id;s, ( ordered tnc
( field pieces to retire across the bridge
and form a battery for its protection.
and to cover the retreat or the infan
try, which wis accordingly done, and
the parties cf Appling and Wcol, as
svell as that of Sprout, retiree! alter
nately, keeping up a brisk fire until
ithey got under ever of the works
The enemy's light troops occupied
the houses near the bridge, and kept
up a constant hung from the win
dows and balconies, and annoyed us
much. I ordered them to be driven
ovi with hotshot, which soon put the
h::u"jes in flames, and obliged these
sharp shooters to retire. The whole
day, until it was too late tp sec, the
enemy's light tioops endeavored to
drive our guard8 from the bridge, but
they EutTcrcd dearly for their perse
v ranee. An attempt tyas also made
to cross the upper bridge, where the
i militia handsomely drove them )ack;
The column which msrehed by the
hie road was much impeiled by,the
obstruttions, and the removal of the
ridgeat D:ad Creek,and, as it passed
the creek' and beach., the galiies kept
up a lively and galling nc
Our troop breing now on'the south
Uide of the Saranac, 1 dirtcted the
planks t he takenofT. the bridges and
piled 'p in the form of breastworks
to cover our parties intended for dis
puting the parage, which afterwards
eoabltd us to hold the bridges against
very superior numbers.
From the 7tr? to the l ltb the ene
my was employed In getting on his
battering train, and erecting his bat
teries and'approachesand; constantly
skirmishinc: at the bridges and ford.
By ::thw, time the militia of New York
and the volunteers of Vermont -were
pouring in from all quarters-, I advi
;sexi Gen Mccera to kcrphia forceta-
long the Saranaci.to prevent .the eoe
a strong body in fiis rear to bairass
htm day and n:ght,and keep him in mV command, during this trying oc
continual altrm. I casion, cannct be represented in too
The militia behaved with great) high terms. I feel it my duty to in
spirit after the first day , and the volun- j commend to the particular notice cf
teers of Vermont were- exceedingly
I serviceable. Our regular troops, not-
withctandmg the skirmishing and re
peated endeavours of the enemy to f
cross the river, k? pt at their work day j
and night, strengthening the defence,
and evinred a determinatin to hold
out to the latextremitv.
It was reported that the enemy on
ly waited the arrival of his flotilla to
make a general attjck. About eight
in the evening of the eleventh, as was
expected, the flotiUa appeared in; ight
round Cumberland He;?d;iud ntnine
bore down 3nd engaged our flotilla at
j anchor in the bay off the -town. , At,
the same instant, the bvter.iea, wre
opened on us, and continued throw.
ing bomb-shells, srmrpnellsaUand j
congreve rorkctsuntil sun-set, when j
the bombardment eeased,every b-itte I
ry of the enemy being silenced by ihe j
superiority of oar fire. The naval !
engagement lasted' but two hours in !
full view of both armies. Three ef
fors were made bv the enemv to p2sa :
trie river at the commencement of the j
c unnonade and bombardment, with a .
view rf as a lilting the work", and had 1
prepared lor trtat purpose an immense
i number of staling ladders. One at-
j tempt to cross was or'.dc at the yil-
!r5e bridge, and another was made at
the upper bridge, nd a third at a
ford about 3 miles from the works.
At the two first he was repulsed by
regulars at the ford by the brv- vo
lunteers nd militia, where he suffered
severely in killed, wounded and pri
soners, a considerable body having
crosied the stream, but were eithT
killed, taken or duven b:ck. The
woods at this piace were vcrv favour
abl to the operations of the militia.
A whole company of the 76th regt.
was here destroyed, the three lieute
nants and 27 men prisoners, the cap
u;n and the rest kiMed.
I cannot forego the pleasure of here
! stating the gallant couduct of Captain J
I M'Glassin,of the 15th tegt. who'
i vas orciereu f to rora tne nver, ami
' attack aparty constructing a batteryon
! the right of the enemy s line, within
j 500 yards of Foit Drown, which he
i handsomely exec uted at midnight,
wi'.h 50 men ; droye.oiT the working
party, consisting of I50jand defeated
a covering party, of tne same num
ber kiiiing one.olTiccranci 6 men in
the charge, and wounded many.
Atdusk the enemy withdrew h's
artillery from batteries, and raised
siege and at 9, under cover of the
nirht, sent off in great hurry all the
baggage he could find transport for
and all his artillery. At 2 the next
morning the whole army precipitately
retreated, leaving the sick and woun
ded to our generosity and the go
vernor left a note with a surgeen, re
questing the humane attention of the
commanding general. ? r
Vast quantities of provisions were
left behind and destroyed; also an im
mense quantity of bomb shelis, cannon
halls, cprapc-shot,' ammunit n, ,flim,
&cl" intirncHing tools of all sorts,aIfo
tents and -marquees. A geat dfea'
has been found concealed in the ponds,
and creelcs aoctl biiried in the ground
and a vast riiantity caried olt by the
inhabitants. ! Such was the precipi
tance of his .retreiat, that he arrived j
adisVaUce'of eicht mile?.
before we ditcoveed he had gone;--
The light troops, volunteers andnij
litia pursuen immeaiaicry on learning f
Df his flizht ;. and some of the mburi A
ted!men made prisoners five dragoons
of thej 19th reg. and several otnsraj
of the rear guard. A continual FalNH
Fain and a violent storm prevented j
further tnirsuits Upwards o three j
hundred deserters.have come m and
many are nqutiy arriving. f
We have buried the British officers
of tiie army and navy, With the honor
of war. and shown every attention and
kindnet a to those nho have fallen into
our hands; iJ T, ,
The conduct of the offlcers, non-
cemmissontd fictrsi and saldiora of
'j government, Lieut. Col, Arpfing of
29th ; Majdr XoCten f the corps of
encineers : Cant. Brook3 of the artil-,
lery ; Cnpt. M'GIasin of the 15th j
Lirut&. de Russy and Trescott, of the
f corps cf engineers ; Lieuts. Sraytp,
Montford, arid Cromwell, of the arm-
lery ; also my aid-decamp,Lt. R xjt,
wno nave an ri?unguisnea inemseivcs
by their uncommon zeal and activity,
and have been greatly instrumental in
prrtdurog the happy and gloridns re
sult of the fiegf;
I hvve hf; honor to be, with seriti
ments of profoucd "expect, sir, your
most obedient humble servant.
ALEX. MACOMB.
The loss of the enemy in killed,
woucded, prisoners, and , deserters,
since hi first appearance, canaot fall
short of 2500 including many offi
cers, am rg whom is Col. Wellington
of the buffs. ' .'
Report of the kil!rily wounded and missing at
IJtuttifrrgtj'iom the 6tU to the Hth Ssptem.
bcr, 1SU. w-
Kiilcd 1 subaltern, 1 sergeant, 1 musi-c-r,
4 privates; total 37.
Woun.Jed S.subalternj, 1 scrrnt major,
L4serpeant3, 2 corporils, 4 musicians, 49
privates; total 62. Total killed and wound
ed,99. v mr
Missing t sergt. 19 privates ; total 20.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
6th regiment 1st Lieut. Gpofe W.Runk
wounded on the 7th and. died t e 8th Sept.
13th regimem 3d Lieut. Robert M. Har
rison, wjunded in the shoulder.
34th regiment -3d Lieut., Henry Taylor,
wounded in the knee. ; '
DEFHNCE-6fr BALTIMORE.
mmmwm
Copy of a letter from Csm. Podgersto
the Secretary of the iVavy dted
New-Castle. Sept. 13, It,.
SIR From the time of my arri
val at Baltimore until my departure,
the va? iotw duties I bed to perform,
snd the different situations. in- which I
wa p'artd, must plead my apotogy !
for nt furnishing a report of the ter- j
yir.es of the rav;d force employed
thrre under my command at an ear
lier period ; and mire particularly as
mv situarioo, a large portion of the
timet was such as tod?ny me theusei
of pen,'ink or pfiper. , j
The advance and retreat of the e
n?aw you have been made acquainted
with from other sources, and tt now f
.-.niy remains lor me to mke known
to 'you the dispositions mude of, and
the services rendered by the force un
rler mv command, and which I feel a
oleasure in doing, as the conduct of
all was nuchas to merit ray entire apJi
tjrobatioii. 4( U
1 In the gensral Jistnoution ot the 1
forces employed in the defence of
Baltimore, with the concurrenceiot j
the commandinggeneral, I stationed
Lt. Gamble, 1st of the Gurriere, with
about 100 seamen in command of a
JT-gu3-b2ttery,on the line between the
rods Jeadiog from Philadelphia and
3parfow?a,Pcint.
S tUing-TVIaster Q La Rouch of
the Ens, and Midsmpman Fieldr bf
the Guernsre, with ao seamen, m
command of a 2-gun-battery, fronting
the road leading from Sparrow7
Point. . V - j -
Sailing-master . iRamage, of the
Guerrivire, with 50 seamen in cojm
mand 5gun battery, to thought
of the Sparrbw's Point road. "i
And midshipman Salter, with f 12
seamen, in command of?' I-gun batte.
ry little to. the right of Mr.Ramage.
y Kuhn; witn the, detachment nf
triariries balonging to- the Gurriere,
wist pdstd ' in the erenchoient b
tWceli the baiteriea occupied by Lv
iGamtile and railing master Rmage.
1 , Newcomb,7 third of tfae .Grier-
rierewith 80aeamen, occupied Fort
Covimrton, on the Ferry Branch, a
little below Spring Gardens.
Sailing-master Webster of thejQV
iilla. with 0 scrametf fcorps,
occupied a 6 gun batterf, ottihe Fer
ry Branch, known by the naine pf
Babeock
Li tut. Frazier, of the fi tiflaf witfv;
45 seamen of thearjae 'corps occul
pied a 3-gun battery near the Laaa
retto. , v i ;. I'. -r'-;:
And Lieut. Rutter, thejIerofS.
cef of the flotilla, in com nVi of all L
the barges,. which wercmogi at'tJieT
entrance of the passage bWetn me
Lazaretto and Fort IVl'HrrVy, in the
left wing cf the wiBtteiYw
was stationed aaOineas'ter-' itdinafll '
H and 54 men of the flotilla. A t- - " It
To the officers, eameni& rriarine$
of the Guerriere considering tbevpri-;:
vations they experienced ancf the
cheerfulness and zeal with Which .
they encountered every obstacle. eva:.
ry acknowfed gement' i s duel, and1 it :
would be as impossible for me to iay
too much in their praise ac jt would
6e un worthy of the station , I io1dfi6t'!'.:
to mention that their diKiplicejand '
good conduct is Owing in a; rire-emi v
neat degree, to the indefaiiable at' -
tention and exertions of thatjhighiy
estimable ppirer Lieutenanf femble.
The enemy's repu sion from tho
Ferry Branch on the nght Ibf thb
13th. inst. after he had passed Fort?
IS r Henry with his barges and some
light vessels, was owing to the warril
reception he met from Forts iCoving
ton and Bibcock, commanded1 b Lt
Newcomb. and sailing ouster WetM
ster, who with all tinder their tpm
msnd performed the duty assigned
them to admiration, j ;j j .
To Lr. Frazier commanding; . tho
3 gun battery at the Lazaretto, great
praise is, due far th constant and ant
mated fifewith which he at ti mesas
sailed the entmy during "the wbble
jbombrirdmenr, although place cl in a
very exposed situation to rockets and
.shells. r;.; . t 3"!;v.' ' '"
j Similar praise ia due to tle bfficera
and men, in the several bargfes of the
flotilla whicb were immediately un
drr his command, " who, without re '
g?rd to the enemy's rotketa and shells
maintained their; position with'nrm
neis in he passage between FortT
lyi'Henry and the iii-srettoi ! j
. Sailing master Rodman, statiqnfcl
in the ware battefyfotFdrt- M'Hecty '
ti th 60 sejrtnen iFthe fiotiljdid hii
duty in a maoner worthy of theser. :t
vice tOiWhich he belongs, j liX, v
To master's mate SVccktonl my aid
l am greatly indebted for the a? aj and ,
promptitude with, which he convey
ed my orders from post tn post, and
wherever I had occasion toj commu .
nicate, although in some instances hfr '
had to pass thro' shoWers of shells and - P
rockets . ' ;, 1 - .-, ,4 ( t
To Mr Allen brother of the jatetitV
gallant Capt. Allen qtthe nayy) 'w)ii'
acicu as my aia ana rcmtncanear?
my person, I atrrniuch indebted fofv
ine essential assistance he rendered
tn tne capacity or a secretraQdl
i convevmemv orders where verllnnnil
ttie same necessary.
. w - i E
It now becomes a- duty, to notice) f
the senices of that gal ant and meri
torious officer, Capt, S pence of th 0
navy, by whose exertions assisted b"
Lt. R utter with ; the bargea; tbe en
trance into the bason was sobsuct
ed io the enemy's presence and that
too in a very short time, as to bid.desi, .
lnrtc,tci'his shirjg, had he attempted :
to force tnat passage. in jiae, ovtmgi
to the emerge ncy: o J the Set vice 4al -though
no"defiirfc0m ro and ni(i be
assigned -'Citijj
were neverthelesa ctbevfirst brder
and where danger wai to be expected .
there he wasto be found animating
with his presence and encouragincr br 'I
nia conauct, an w a tneir auty; , yti :
ray leD&Baltimbreom; e1w
bemg absent,the crjmmand of tbena-
val rbrcesdevolyei oflW&sicellent '
officer.- i
i(hat justly dtsbe4ir i
don4 erry, I , iWtrviyfxm
lSdgttlia;exnce
tcacd having am
more but a short time before the Loci- V
bardment commenced, etcludecl his
taking an active commaiicl i as the
moment however, when the enemy
threatened to attack ourinepil ond "
he was with us -nc: ready uj reit
vrrtr atstnce in his DOWef Id; A- ' '
r
a?
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