Слике страница
PDF
ePub

ral Warren, with a cartel for the exchange of prisoners, and a protest against the proceedings of the British troops, in which he stated, that "the world would suppose those acts to have been approved, if not excited, which should be passed over with impunity;" that he "thought it no less due to his own personal honour, than to that of his country, to repress and punish every excess;" that “it would depend on him (Warren) whether the evils inseparable from a state of war, should, in future operations, be tempered by the mildness of civilized life, or, under the admiral's authority, be aggravated by all the fiendlike passions which could be instilled into them." To this protest, Admiral Warren replied, that he would refer it to Sir Sidney Beckwith, to whose discretion he submitted the necessity of an answer. Sir Sidney not only freely avowed, but justified, the commission of the excesses complained of; and induced the American commander to believe the report of deserters, that a promise had been made to the fleet, of individual bounty, of the plunder of the town, and of permission to commit the same acts, if they succeeded in the capture of Norfolk. Sir Sidney stated, that "the excesses at Hampton, of which General Taylor complained, were occasioned by a proceeding at Crany Island. That at the recent attack on that place, the troops, in a barge which had been sunk by the fire of the American guns, had been fired on by a party of Americans, who waded out and shot these poor fellows, while clinging to the wreck of the boat; and that with a feeling natural to such a proceeding, the men of that corps landed at Hampton." The British general expressed also a wish that such scenes should not occur again, and that the subject might be entirely at rest. The American general, however, alive to the reputation of the arms of his country, refused to let it rest, and immediately instituted a court of inquiry, composed of old and unprejudiced officers. The result of a long and careful investigation, which was forwarded to Sir Sidney Beckwith, was, that none of the enemy had been fired on, after the wreck of the barge, except a soldier, who had attempted to escape to that division of the British

troops which had landed, that he was not killed, and that so far from shooting either of those unfortunate men, the American troops had waded out to their assistance. To this report Sir Sidney never deemed it necessary to reply, and the outrages at Hampton are still unatoned. Many of the unhappy victims died, of wounds and bruises, inflicted on them in their struggles to escape, which baffled the medical skill of the surrounding country.*

114. Battle of Niagara.

On the 25th of July, 1814, Gen. Scott arrived at the Niagara cataract, and learned that the British were in force directly in his front, separated only by a narrow piece of wood. Having despatched this intelligence to General Brown, he advanced upon the enemy, and the action commenced at six o'clock in the afternoon. Although General Ripley, with the second brigade, Major Hendman, with a corps of artillery, and General Porter, with the volunteers, pressed forward with ardour; it was an hour before they could be brought up to his support; -during this time his brigade alone sustained the conflict. General Scott had pressed through the wood, and engaged the British on the Queenston road, with the 9th, 11th, and 12th regiments, the 25th having been thrown on the right. The fresh troops under General Ripley, having arrived, now advanced to relieve General Scott, whose exhausted brigade formed a reserve in the rear. The British artillery had taken post on a commanding eminence, at the head of Lundy's Lane, supported by a line of infantry, out of reach of the American batteries. This was the key of the whole position; from hence they poured a most deadly fire on the American ranks. It became necessary either to leave the ground, or to carry this post and seize the height. The latter desperate task was assigned to Colonel Miller. On receiving the order from General Brown, he calmly surveyed the *Thompson's Late War.

position, and answered, "I will try, sir!" which expres sion was afterwards the motto of his regiment. The first regiment, under the command of Colonel Nicholas, were ordered to menace the British infantry, and support Colonel Miller in the attack. This corps, after a discharge or two, gave way, and left him without support. Without regarding this occurrence, Colonel Miller advanced coolly and steadily to his object, amid a tremendous fire, and at the point of the bayonet, carried the artillery and the height. The guns were immediately turned upon the enemy; General Ripley now brought up the 23d regiment to the support of Colonel Miller; and the first regiment was rallied and brought into line, and the British were driven from the hill. At this time, Major Jessup, with the 25th regiment, was engaged in a most obstinate conflict, with all the British that remained on the field. He had succeeded in turning the British left flank. Captain Ketchum, with a detachment of this regiment, succeeded in gaining the rear of the British lines at the point where Generals Drummond and Riall, with their suites, had taken their stations, and made them all prisoners The British officers, mistaking this detachment for a company of their own men, were ordering them to press on to the combat, when Capt. Ketchum stepped forward, and coolly observed, that he had the honour to command at that time, and immediately conducted the officers and their suites, into the rear of the American lines; General Drummond, in the confusion of the scene, made his escape. The British rallied under the hill, and made a desperate attempt to regain their artillery, and drive the Americans from their position, but without success; a second and third attempt was made with the like result. Gen. Scott was engaged in repelling these attacks, and though with his shoulder fractured, and a severe wound in the side, continued at the head of his column, endeavouring to turn the enemy's right flank. The volunteers under Gen. Porter, during the last charge of the British, precipitated themselves upon the lines, broke them, and took a large number of prisoners. General Brown, during the whole action,

was at the most exposed points, directing and animating his troops. He received a severe wound on the thigh, and in the side, and would have given the command to Gen. Scott, but on inquiring, found that he was severely wounded. He continued at the head of his troops until the last effort of the British was repulsed, when loss of blood obliged him to retire; he then consigned the com mand to Gen. Ripley. At twelve o'clock, both parties retired from the field to their respective encampments, fatigued and satiated with slaughter. The battle continued, with little intermission, from six in the afternoon until twelve at night. After Col. Miller had taken the battery, and driven the British from the heights, and Gen. Riall and suite had been taken, there was a short cessation, and the enemy appeared to be about yielding the ground, when re-enforcements arrived to their aid, and the battle was renewed with redoubled fury for another space of two hours; much of this time the combatants were within a few yards of each other, and several times officers were found commanding the enemy's platoons. Capt. Spencer, aid to Gen. Brown, was despatched with orders to one of the regiments; when about to deliver them, he suddenly found himself in contact with a British corps; with great coolness and a firm air, he inquired, what regiment is this? On being answered, the Royal Scots, he immediately replied, "Royal Scots, remain as you are!" The commandant of the corps, supposing the orders came from his commanding general, immediately halted his regiment, and Capt. Spencer rode off. Col. Miller's achievement, in storming the battery, was of the most brilliant and hazardous nature; it was decisive of the events of the battle, and entitled him and his corps to the highest applause; most of the officers engaged in that enterprise were killed or wounded. The battle was fought to the west of, and within half a mile of the Niagara cataract. The thunder of the cannon, the roaring of the falls, the incessant discharge of musketry, the groans of the dying and wounded, during the six hours in which the parties were engaged in close combat, heightened by the circumstance of its being night,

afforded such a scene, as is rarely to be met with in the history of human slaughter. The evening was calm, and the moon shone with lustre, when not enveloped in clouds of smoke from the firing of the contending armies. Considering the numbers engaged, few contests have ever been more sanguinary.*

This was one of the most severe and bloody battles which was fought during the war. The British force engaged, amounted to 5,000 men: many of their troops were selected from the flower of Lord Wellington's army. The American force consisted of 4,000 men. The loss of Americans in killed, wounded, and missing, was 860 men; that of the British was 878 men.

115. Burning of Washington City.

In August, 1814, a body of about 6,000 British troops, commanded by Gen. Ross, landed at Benedict, on the Patuxent, 47 miles from Washington; on the 21st of August, he marched to Nottingham. He met with little opposition on his march, until within about six miles of Washington, at Bladensburgh. Here Gen. Winder, with the American forces, composed mostly of militia, hastily collected, opposed them. The Americans, however, fled at the beginning of the contest. Com. Barney, with about 400 men, made a brave resistance; but the enemy, superior in numbers, compelled him to surrender.

Leaving Bladensburgh, Gen. Ross went to Washing ton, where he arrived in the evening of the 23d of August, about 8 o'clock, with 700 men, having left the main body about a mile and a half from the capital. There being neither civil nor military authorities to whom any

Perkins' late War.

According to the account of the British officer, who was in this expedition, the sole cbject of the disembarkation was the destruction of the American flotilla. When that flotilla retreated to Nottingham, Admiral Cockburn urged the necessity of a pursuit, and finally prevailed on Gen. Ross to proceed on to attack Washington. When he arrived near the city, Gen. Ross sent in a flag of truce, with terms. Scarcely had the party with the flag entered the city, when they were

« ПретходнаНастави »