HISTORY OF THE WAR OF 1812. With great respect and esteem, your obe 123 rank and file passed this place this dient servant, morning, for Greenbush. Colonel Drummond EDMUND P. GAINES, killed; lieutenant Fontaine, missing, supposed taken prisoner. Some of our officers were wounded, but we have not learned their names. On Sunday evening lieutenant general Drummond made his dispositions for storm- main body lying within grape and canister From the circumstance of the enemy's ing Fort Erie. About half-past 2 o'clock distance from the fort, their loss must be yesterday morning the attack commenced very severe, greater than what is mentioned from three coloums, one directed against the in the above estimation. The enemy's wagFort, one against Towson's battery, and the gons were uncommonly active yesterday third moved up the river in order to force a morning in removing the wounded. passage between the Fort and river. The column that approached the Fort succeeded 104th, and De Watteville's regiments, and a The prisoners are of the 8th, 100th, 103d, in gaining the rampart, after having been few sailors. several times repulsed; when about 300 of them had gained the works and made a say anything of the individual skill and galIt is impossible for us in this sketch, to stand, an explosion from some unknown lantry of the officers, or the steady bravery cause completely cleared the ramparts of the of the men engaged in this glorious defence; enemy, the most of whom were utterly de- we presume all did their duty. Brigadier stroyed. The column that moved to attack general Gaines commanded the fort. Our army at fort Erie continues almost daily to skirmish with the enemy, which is principally confined to the attack of pickets on both sides. There has been more or less the south (or Towson's) battery made desperate charges, but were met with such firmness by our artillery and infantry, as to be compelled to fall back-they advanced a second and third time with great resolution, but being met with such distinguished gallantry, past, without any material advantage to they gave way and retired. The column that either. On Wednesday a party of riflemen cannonading every day during the week marched up the river, were repulsed before under captain Birdsall, attacked and drove in the enemy's picket; they lost from fifteen they assaulted the batteries. Shortly after the explosion, the enemy to twenty killed. We lost only one man.— finding their efforts to gain the Fort or carry On Friday major Morgan with a detachment the batteries, unaviling, withdrew his forces from his rifle corps attacked the enemy in from the whole line, and retreated to the the skirts of the woods back of the fort; and woods. The action continued one hour and after a brisk musketry of some time returned an half, during which (except the short in- to the fort, with the loss of ten or twelve kilterval that the enemy occupied the ramparts) led, among whom, we regret to say, was that the artillery from that fort and batteries excellent officer major Lodowick Morgan, of kept up a most destructive fire, as well on the 1st rifle regiment, who so gallantly rethe main body of the enemy as on the at- pulsed the enemy at Conjockety Creek, on tacking columns. These colums were com- the morning of the 3d instant. He was inposed of the best of the British army, terred at Buffalo, on Saturday, with all the volunteers from every corps, the forlorn hope. honour due to his rank and distinguished The enemy's loss is estimated at rising 800. bravery. Our fleet on Lake Ontario, to the number the examples of ardor and firmness set them of nine sail arrived off fort Niagara about by their commanders. In the action at the Falls of Niagara, eight or ten days since. The Sylph, said to be the swiftest sailer on the lake, gave chase Captain Ketchum is again distinguished, in to a British brig, which being unable to being detached by Colonel Jessup to the rear escape, was abandoned and blown up. From of the enemy's line, supported by the Lieut. every appearance she was loaded with muni- Colonel with the 5th regiment, formed at tions of war, intended for the British forts. right angles, with the enemy's left flank, Commodore Chauncey commands the fleet, and keeping watch over the British regiment whose health is fast improving. Three of of dragoons, drawn up on a parallel line on the enemy's small vessels lie in Niagara his right. Thus did Ketchum under cover river, blockaded by our fleet. of the night, between two lines of the enemy, We have the unpleasant task to inform seize a party of British officers and men, the public of the loss of two United States among whom were Major General Riall, and schooners lying near Fort Erie, by capture. an aid of Lieutenant General Drummond, It appears that the enemy fitted out an ex- (the Lieutenant General having narrowly pedition of nine boats, on the lake above escaped,) and bring them safely to his Fort Erie, and made a simultaneous attack Colonel. Soon after Captain Ketchum had upon our three schooners; the Porcupine obtained from general Riall his name, and succeeded in beating them off; the Somers expressed to him his happiness at meeting and Ohio were captured, and taken down with him-the General is said to have inthe river, below the point, near Frenchman's quired, "where is the General?" creek. The Porcupine sailed on Sunday for Erie. We learn that Captain Dobbs, of the British royal navy, commanded the party which captured the Somers and Ohio. General Riall when at Buffalo, sent his sword with a polite note, to lieutenant Colonel Jessup the lieutenant Colonel was there on account of his wounds. The defeat at Fort Erie, disastrous as it The Repulse at Conjocta was, was felt even more severely from the cir Creek. We have been correctly informed of particulars of the heroism of captain Ketchum of the 25th regiment, whose name has cumstance of a similar repulse, although not received the just applause of the public-attended with such loss of life, at Conjocta though, it is regretted by his fellow-officers, Creek, near Black Rock. We admit readily that he has not been honoured with a brevet that the intention of the British General to from the government. The gallant conduct effect a diversion here and carry the batteries of this young officer on the 5th of July, has at Black Rock was defeated, but we cannot been set forth by general Scott. The parti- permit Major Morgan's statement as to culars which reflect on him honours equally numbers to pass unnoticed. The Major high, are, that in the month of June previ- declares that the British numbered from ous he had marched his company from the twenty to fifteen hundred men, the actual rendezvous at Hartford-a full company of number having been four hundred and sixty. recruits, assembled by him under special It was quite unnecessary for Major Morgan authority from the commanding officer of to have increased the force opposed to him, the regiment, to form a flank company, par- in sum or ratio, as every one will readily ticularly dressed and equipped, and drilled admit the fact of his having, with little by him for light service-and all young men. better than half the number defeated an The intrepid conduct of these men, so lately attack which involved great results. Major from the interior in opposing three times Morgan's report*will be found below in our their force, when operating by themselves notes:on that day, completely proves that the good conduct of our soldiers, however inexperienced, will depend, as in the instance of the gallant leader of this detachment upon *REPORT OF MAJOR MORGAN. SIR, Outrage at Port Talbot, on Lake Erie. American journals were loud in their Talbot on that lake; and robbed 50 heads condemnation of the of families of all their horses, and of every severities and atrocities article of household furniture, and wearing practised by the British in the Chesapeake, apparel, belonging to them. The number but are most careful never to allow that of individuals who were thus thrown naked Americans could be guilty of similar "atro- and destitute upon the world, amounted to cities." We find. however, on the authority 49 men, 37 women,-three of the latter, and of Mr. James, that an occurrence took place two of the former, nearly 70 years of age, on Lake Erie which we believe will parallel-and 148 children. A great many of the anything, however bad, that ever occurred more respectable inhabitants were not only along the shores of the Chesapeake. We robbed, but carried off as prisoners: among give the affair in Mr. James's words: them, a member of the house of assembly, Mr. Barnwell, though ill of fever and We The Americans will not allow us to give ague. An authenticated account of this an uninterruppted detail of open and honora- most attrocious proceeding, delivered in by ble warfare. Among several petty outrages colonel Talbot, the owner of the settlement, upon private property, one that occurred on stands upon the records of the "Loyal and Lake Erie is too heinous to pass unnoticed. Patriotic Society of Upper Canada;" yet On the 16th of August, a party of about not a whisper on the subject has escaped 100 Americans and Indians landed at Port-any one American Historian. on the evening of the 2d instant, observed the to have been torn to bind their wounds. British army moving up the river on the op- took six prisoners, who stated the British force posite shore, and suspected they might make opposed to us, to consist of from 12 to 1500 a feint on Fort Erie, with an intention of a men, commanded by lieutenant colonel Tucker, real attack on the Buffalo side. I immediately of the 41st regiment. They also state that their moved and took a position on the upper side of object was to re-capture general Riall, with Conjocta Creek, and that night threw up a other British prisoners, and destroy the public battery of some logs, which I found on the stores deposited at Buffalo. The action conground, and had the bridge torn away. tinued about two hours and half. I am happy About 2 o'clock the next morning, my to state they were completely failed in their picquets from below gave me information of the attempts. Our loss is trifling compared with landing of nine boats full of troops, half-a-mile theirs-we had two killed and eight wounded. below. I immediately got my men (210 in I am sorry to inform you that captain Hamilnumber) to their quarters, and patiently waited ton, lieutenants Wadsworth and M'Intosh are their approach. At a quarter past four they amongst the latter. Their gallantry in exadvanced upon us, and commenced the attack; posing themselves to encourage their men, I sending a party before to repair the bridge under think entitles them to the notice of their the cover of their fire. When they had got at country. My whole command behaved in a good rifle distance, I opened a heavy fire on them, nauner that merited my warmest approbation; which laid a number of them on the ground, and in justice to them, I cannot avoid menand compelled them to retire. They then ioning the names of the officers which are formed in the skirt of the wood, and kept up as follwos :-Captain Hamilton, lieutenants the fight at long shot, continually reinforcing Wadsworth, Ryan, Calhoun, M'Intosh, Arnold, from the Canada shore, until they had 23 boat Shortride, M'Farland, Tipton, Armstrong, loads, and then attempted to outflank us, by send-Smith, Cobbs, Davidson and Austin, with ensign ing a large body up the creek to ford it, when Page. I detached lieuts. Ryan, Smith and Armstrong, with about 60 men, to oppose their left wing, where they were again repulsed with considerable loss after which they appeared disposed to give up their object, and retreated by throwing six boat loads of troops on Squaw Island, which enfiladed the creek, and prevented me from harassing their rear. Their superior numbers enabled them to take their killed and RECAPITULATION OF OUR Killed and Wounded. wounded off the field which we plainly saw, and observed they suffered severely. If, sir, you believe we have done our duty, we shall feel highly gratified. I am, sir, respectfully, our obedient servant. Captain, Subalterns, Rank and file. 1 2 5 We found Wounded, some of their dead thrown into the river, and Killed, covered with logs and stones, and some on the We also collected a number of muskets and accoutrements, with clothing that appeared field. THOUGHTS FOR SEPTEMBER. "The Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there died of the people seventy thousand men," WERE aught needed, besides the evidence supplied by the shortening days and the change in the colour of the livery of the woods, to remind us that, unlike the antediluvian patriarchs, ere long the present generation must pass away, that evidence has been most unmistakeably furnished by the late visitation with which it has pleased the Almighty to chasten our country. When we remember, however, the chastisement of Israel, and, it is to be feared, the infinite excess of sin which now prevails, there is indeed cause for the most heartfelt thanksgiv-| ings that, although we have sown the wind, we have not reaped the whirlwind. It is lamentable to note how mankind appears as wedded to the transitory things of life, as were those citizens of the Plain, which the bitter waters of the Dead Sea sweep, and how, despite the signs of the times, even as in the days before the flood, the generations of men heed not the warnings and chastisements sent forth in mercy by the Almighty. We are told, in the touching and truthful language of Scripture, that we all do fade as a leaf and this truth is forced on us by the characteristics of the season, especially towards the close of the month. There are, however, cheering thoughts which present themselves to the Christian amongst these characteristics, and even as the sowing of the winter wheat which usually occurs in this month, is suggestive of a resurrection after the death sleep of nature, so is the resurrection unto life eternal brought to each Christian's mind as he contemplates the first change in the woods. Another reflection is presented to us by the fall of the leaf, which is, that, even as the trees are now gradually being prepared for the increasing autumnal gales, which would prostrate them to the earth were the woods to encounter their force in the full foliage of summer, so should mankind be prepared for the last change by the laying aside of those earthly aspirations by which he is fettered to earth. large flocks in their endless gyrations, and to note how, guided by unerring instinct, they gradually disappear, winging their way to more temperate climes, and affording, by the date of their departure, the most unfailing warning of the progress of the season. Sir Walter Scott has beautifully depicted the character of this season, as its most striking features appear to the eye of the poet, when drawing near its close : "No! do not scorn although its hoarser note And few as leaves that tremble, sear and dry, Where happier bards of yore have richer harvest All nature seems alive to the change that has already set in, and nowhere is it more visible Notwithstanding the lessening day, the weathan in the preparations made by the swallows ther is still, for the most part, most beautiful. for their departure. During the fine evenings The autumnal rains have not yet set in: and of the latter end of the month, it is most inte- through the richly-tinted woods, by the ripening resting to watch the incessant whirlings of the nuts and still lingering blackberries, are many VOL. V.-Q. gleeful parties tempted to stray in the excur- on board the Fleet, to do duty as marines, were sions which almost seem to form a part of present at the Naval Action before Copenhagen, the season. Howitt evidently wrote from on the 2nd of April. He served on board the his heart when he said: "Who that has Monarch during the action, and that ship havlived or sojourned any part of his youth in the ing been greatly shattered by the great country, has not some delicious remembrances Trekroner Battery, had to be sent home, and connected with nutting? For me those dim the survivors of the Grenadier Company, to and vast woods, those rustling boughs amongst which he belonged, were sent on board the which we plunged with rapturous impetuosity; Elephant, then Lord Nelson's Flag Ship, in those clusters which tempted us to climb, or to which he served until the return of the Fleet to crash down the tree that bore them, like many England in August. cther ambitious mortals destroying to possess, At the close of the war, the 49th Regiment these were not enjoyed one day, they have filled was sent to Canada, and after landing at Quebec us on a hundred different occasions with felici-Colone! Brock recommended him for the Adjutous reflections." tancy, but as the resignation of the Adjutant These outpourings of Howitt's spirit are as could not then be accepted at the Horse Guards, refreshing to the spirit of the city man, whose there being no vacancy in the regiment for him early youth was passed in the country, as the as a Lieutenant, he was permitted to do the refreshing autunmal gale is pleasant and invi- duty of a Subaltern, and young Fitz Gibbon gorating to the cheek parched with the summer was appointed to act as Adjutant, and acted as heats; and in imagination, while treading the hard such until 1806. On the 18th of December pavement, his foot then presses the elastic turf following he succeeded to the Adjutancy, and of his boyish days, and he rejoices in the mo- on the 9th of June, 1809, he was promoted to mentary forgetfulness of the every-day turmoil a Lieutenancy. On the Declaration of War by of city life, and the transient emerging to life the United States in 1812, he resigned the and liberty. Adjutantcy that he might be eligible to be Our Saxon ancestors, says Verstegun, called employed on detached service, and was immethis month Gerst-monath, for that barley which diately placed in command of a company whose that month commonly yielded was called gerst, captain was absent. On the 12th of June in the name of the barley being given unto it by the following year, 1813, he applied for and reason of the drink therewith made, called obtained leave to select 50 men from the 49th beere, and from beerlegh it came to be berligh, Regiment, to be employed in advance of the and thence to barley. So, in like manner, Army on the Niagara Frontier. On the 24th of beerehym, to wit, the overarching, or covering the same month his success in capturing a deof beer, came to be called beerham, and after-tachment of 500 men of the American Regular wards barme. COLONEL JAMES FITZ GIBBON. Army,* 50 of whom were cavalry, and two field pieces, obtained for him a Company, and on the 14th of October following he was gazetted Captain in a Provincial Corps, the Glengarry After serving two years in the Knight of Light Infantry Fencibles. On the 24th of June, Glin's Yeomanry Corps, which he entered at 1816, that Regiment was disbanded, and he was placed on half pay; and took up his the age of fifteen, yonng Fitz Gibbon joined a Fencible Regiment on the 25th of October, 1798. residence at York, in Upper Canada, now On the 9th of June following, he joined the Toronto, and thus made Upper Canada the land 49th Regiment, then commanded by the late of his adoption. Sir Isaac Brock, and accompanied the Army *This dashing action took place in the woods, about under Sir Ralph Abercromby to the Helder, where Thorold is now situated, and was called the battle where they landed on the 27th of August. On of the "beech woods." the 2nd of October he was taken prisoner at Egmont op Zee, and carried into France. On RASHNESS borrows the name of courage, but the 24th of January following, he was landed it is of another race, and nothing allied to in England, having, with the other prisoners that virtue; the one descends in a direct line taken in Holland, been exchanged. In March, from prudence, the other from folly and 1801, the 49th Regiment, having been embarked presumption. |