Star. — London, England, 1814-11-28 00:00:00

FRAM SATLIRDAT 'S GiIZ.EI7E. COLONIAL DEPARTMENT. DO viNING-srEET, NoVEMBEII 26. A Dispatch, of which the following is a copy, has been rece.ved from Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost, Bart. addressed to Earl Bathurst, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State : litutl.quarters, Plattsburg, State of New York, septemlt(r 11, 1814. My Loen—Upon the arrival of the reinforcements 'from the Gee °nue, I lost no time in assembling three bfgades on the frontier of Lower Canada, extending fremahe Rive: Richelieu to the St Lawrence ; and in f. amine them into a division, under the command of Major-General De Rottenberg, tor the purpose of cart - ) ing effect his Royal Highitess the Pi ince Regent's commands, which had been conveyed to nic by your Lou dship in your dispatch of the 3d of June last. As the troops concentrated and approached the line of separation between this province and the United States, the American army abandoned its entrenched camp on the River Chazy, at Champlain —a position 1 immediately seized, and occupied in force on the 3d instant. The following day the whole of the left division advanced to the sillage of Chazy, without meeting the least opposition from the enemy. On the sth, it halted within eight mires of this place, having sumo:Jilted the diflictiltieo created by the obstructioss in the road from the telling of trees and the removal of bridges. The next day the divi sion moved upm Pht;sburg, in two columns, on parallel roads ; the right column led by Major-Gene ral Power's brio.ie, supported by tour companies of light iufantry and a demi brigade, tinder Major- General Robinson ; the left by Major-General Bris bane's brigade. The enemy's militia, supported by his regulars,' attempted to impede the advance of the i ighe column, but they were driven before it from all their positions, and the column entered Plattsburg. This rapid move ment having reversed the strong position taken up by the enemy at Dead Creek, it was precipitately abandoned by him, and his gill-boats alone lett to defend the ford, and to prevent our restoring the bridges, which had been imperfectly destroyed, an inconvenience soon surmounted. Here I found the enemy in the occupation of an elevated ridge of land on the south branch of the Saranac, ciowned with three strong redoubts and other field works, and block-hauses armed with heavy ordnance, with their'" flotilla at anchor out of gun shot from the shore, consisting of a ship, a brig, a schooner, a sloop, and ten gun-boats. I immediately communicated this circumstance to Captain Dowine, who had been recently appointed to command the t vessels on Lake Champlain, con sisting of a ship, a brig, two sliaps, and twelve gun boats, and requasted his co-operation, and in the mean time batteries were constructed for the guns to , ught holm the rear. Oa the morning of the I I th. our flotilla was seen ovtr the isthmus which joins Curnberland-head with the main-land, steering for Plattsburg Bay. I im , niediately ordered that part of the brigade under Ma jor-General Rolinsoo, which had been hron;ht for ward, consisting of cur halo infantry companies, 3d battalion '27th and 76th rep,itnents, and Major-Ge neral Powers's brigade, consisting of the 3e, :Rh, Ist battalion '27th, at,cl 58th regiments, to force ttie ford of the Saranac, and advance, provided with scaling ladders, to - escalade the c 'my - 's works neon the heights; tkis force was placed under the cammand of Major-General Robit,son. The batteries opened their tire the instant the ships engaged. It is now with deep concern I inform your Lord ship, that notwithstanding the intrepid velour with which Captain Downie led his flotilla into :action, my most sanguine holies of complete success were, not . lung attero:.rds, blasted, by a combination, as it ap peared to us, of unfortunate events, to which naval *Aare is peculiarly exp,aed. Scarcely had his Majesty's troops forced a passage across he Saranac, and ascended the height on which stand the enemy's works, when I had the ex treme mortiti :ation to hear the shout of victory from the enemy's %yolks, in consequence of the British flag being lowered on board the Confiance and Linnet, and to see our gun-boats seeking their safety in Hight. This unlooked-for event depriving me of the co-ope ration of the fleet, without which the further prosecu tion of the sirvice was become impracticable, I did not hesitate to arrest the course of the troops advan cing to the attack, because the most complete suc cess would have been unavailing, and the possession if the enemy's works offered no advantage to com pensate for the loss we must have sustained in ac quiring possession of them. I have ordered the batteries to be dismantled, the guns withdrawn, and the baggage, with the wounded men who can be removed, to be sent to the rear, in order that the troops may return to Chazy to-mor row, and on the following day to Champlain, where 'propose to halt until 1 have ascertained era use the enemy propose making of the naval ascendancy they have acquired on Lake Champlain. I have the honour to transmit herewitlil returns cf the loss sustained by the left division in this army in its advance to Plattsburg, and in forcing a passage across the river Saranac.—l have the honour, &c. (Signed) coaanos; PHLVOST. Right Hog. Earl Bathurst, &c. &c..Ecc. Copy of a Letter from Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo, Com mander in Chief of his Islaiesty's Ships and Vessels on the Lakes of Canoes, to JuLn Croker, Eaq. dated on board his Majesty's Ship s..l.7.wrence, at Kingston, Sept. 24. Sta-1 have the honour to transmit, for the infor mation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admi ralty, a copy of a letter from Captain Pring, late Commander of his Majesty's brig Linnet. It appears to me, and I have good reason to be lieve, that Captain Demme was urged, and his ship hurried into action, before she was in a fit state to meet the enemy. I am also of opinion, that vi ng here was not the least gi the enemy such de 'necessity for our squadron c i oed advantages, by going into their bay to engage Them. fen had they been successful, it would not in the least nave assisted tile troops in storming the batteries ; wlieieas had our troops taken their b. Re • 1 tie Sarato g a, 26 guns; Surprise, 20 guns ; Thundorer, IC guns; Treble, 7 rugs; ID gun-boats, 14 guns. Laub:axe, 36 guns; lAuntt, IS guns; Broke, 10 guns;' thaui.nn, It, buns; 42 run-boats, IS guns. 1 has Return was published in the taazette of the 14th ries first, it would have obliged the enemy's squa- I dron to quit the bay and given ours a fair chance. have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JAMES LUCAS yco, Commodore and Commander in Chief. United States Ship Saratoga, Plattsburg Bay, Lake Cbarapl3ba, September 12,1814. Sin—The painful task of making you acquainted with the circumstances attending the capture of his Majesty's squadron yesterday, by that of the Ameri cans, under Commodore M'Donough, it grieves me to state, becomes my duty to perform, from the ever to-be.lamented loss of that worthy and gallant offi cer, Captain Downie, who unfortunately lell early in the action. In consequence of the earnest solicitation of his Ex. cellency Sir George Prevost for the co-operation of the naval force on this Lake to attack that of the enemy, who were placed for the support of their works at•Pla.ttsburg, which it was proposed should be stormed by the troops, at the same moment the naval action should commence in the bay ; every possible exertion was used to accelerate the armament of the new ship, that the military movements might not be postponed at such an advanced season of the year, longer than was absolutely necessary. Oa the 1.1,1 instant I was directed to proceed in corn mand of the flotilla of gun boats to protect the left flank of our army advancing towards Plattsburg, and on the following day, after taking possession and pa roling the militia of Isle la Motte, I caused a battery of three long 18-pounder guns to be constructed for the support of our position abreast of Little Chazy, where the supplies for the army were ordered to be landed. The fleet camo up on the Sth instant, but for want of stores for the equipment of the guns, could not move forward until the 11th : at day-light we weighed and at seven were in full view of the enemy's fleet, consisting of a ship, brig, schooner, and one sloop, moored in line, abreast of their encampment, with a division of five gun boats on each flank ; at forty mi nutes past seven, after the officers commanding ves sels and the flotilla had received their final instruc tions as to the plan of attack, we made sail in order of battle. Captain Downie had, determined on laying his ship athwart-hawse of the enemy's, directing Lieutenant M'Ghee, of the Chubb, to support me in the Linnet, in engaging the brig to the right, and Lieut. Hicks, of the Fincie with the flotilla of gun boats, to attack the schooner and sloop on the left of the enemy's line. At eight the enemy's gun-boats and smaller ves sels commenced a heavy and galling fire on our line ; at ten minutes after eight, the Confiance having two anchors shot away from her larboard how, and the wind baffling, was obliged to anchor, though not in the situation proposed, within two cables length of her adversary ; the Linnet and Chubb soon after wards took their allotted statior.s, something short of that distance, when the crews on both sides cheered, and commenced a spirited and close action ; a short time, however, deprived me of the valuable services of Lieutenant M•Ghee, who, from having his cal)les, bowsprit, and main boom shot away, drifted within the enemy's line, and was obliged to surrender. From the light airs and smoothness of the water, the tire on each side proved very destructive from the commencement of the engagement; and, with the' exception of the brig, that of the enemy appeared wiited against the Confiance. Aster two hours severe conflict with our opponent, she cut her cable, run down, and took shelter be tween the ship and schooner, which enabled us to di rect our fire against the division of the enemy's gun boats, and ship, which had so long annoyed us during our cl.e-e• engagement with trie brig, without any re turn on our part ; at this time the fire of the enemy's ship slackened cmsiderably, having several of her guns dismounted, when she cut her cable and winded her larboard broadside to bear on the Confi ance, who, in vain, endeavoured to effect the atm operation ; at thirty-three minutes after ten I was much distressed to observe the Confiance had struck her colours. The whole attenticn of the enemy's force then be- I Came directed towards the Linnet ; the shattered and disabled state of the masts, sails, rigging, and yards, precluded the most distant hope of being able to effect an escape by cutting the cable ; the result of doing so must in a few minutes have been her drifting along. side the enemy's •essels, close under our lee; hut to the hope that the flotilla of gun•boats, who had abandoned the object assigned them, would perceive our wants, and come to our assistance, which would afford a reasonable prospect of being towed clear, I determined to resist the then destructive cannonad , ng of the whole cf the enemy's fleet, and at the same time dispatched Lieutenant H. Drew to ascertain the state of the Conflance. . . . At 43 minutes after ten I was apprised of the irre parable loss she had sustained• by the death of her 1 brave Commander (whose merits it would be pre- 1 sumption in me to extol) as well as the great slaughter which had taken place on board, and ouserving, Irom the manoeuvres of the flotilla, that I could enjoy no further expectation of relief, the situ.ttiun of my g. taut comrades, who had so no nobly fought, and tv now fast falling by my side, demanded the surrende of his Majesty's brig entrusted to my commaild,t4o prevent a useless waste of valuable lives ; and, at the request of the surviving officers and men, I gave the painful orders fur the colours to be struck. Lieutenant Hicks, of the Finch, had the mortifica tion to strike on a reef of rucks, to the eastward of Crab Island, about the middle of the engagement, which prevented his rendering that assistance tope Isquadron that might, from an officer of such abiAty, I have been expected. The misfortune which this day betel us by captbre, will, Sir, I trust, apologize for the lengthy detail, which, in justice to the sufferers, I have deemed ne cessary to give of the particulars which led to it ; and, when it is taken into conrideration that the Confiance Was 16 days before on the stacks, with an unorga- Inized crew, compsed of several drafts of men w he had recently arrived from ditT , :rent :.hips at (,2ochec, Many of whom only joined the day befoie, asof were totally unknown either to the officers or to each other, with the want of gun-locks, as well as other neces sary appointments not to be procured in this country ; I trust you wiil feel satisfied of the decided advantag. the enemy possessed, exclusive of their great superio thy in point of force, a comparative statement* 0, which I have the.honour to dunes. It now becomes • The account of the Brit's!' tone Las not been transnzit t ed. ,Il the most pleasing part of my present duty to notice to you the determined skill and bravery of the officers and men in this unequal contest ; but it grieves sue to state, that the loss sustained in maintaining it has been so great—that of the enemy, I understand, amounts to something more than the same number. The fine style in which Captain Downie conducted the squadron into action, amidst a tremendous fire, without returning a shot, until secured, reflects the greatest credit to his memory for his judgment and coolness, as also on Lieutenants M'Ghee and Hicks for so strictly attending to his example and incense. lions ; their own accounts of the capture of their re spective vessels, as well as that of Lieutenant Robert son, who succeeded to the command of the Co fiance, will, I feel assured, do ample justice to the merits of the officers and men serving under their immediate command ; but I cannot omit noticing the individual conduct of Lieutenants Robertson, Creswick, and Hornby, and Mr. Bryden, Master, for their particular exertion in endeavouring to bring theConfiance's star board side to bear on the enemy, alter most of their guns were dismounted on the other. It is impossible for me to express to you my admi ration of the officers and crew serving under my pr sonal orders ; their coolness and steadiness, the effect of Which was proved by their irresistible fire directed toward; the brig opposed to us, claim my warmest acknowledgments, but more particularly for preserv ing the same, so long alter the whole strength of the enemy had been directed against the Linnet alone. My First Lieutenant, Mr. W. Drew, whose merits I have before had the honour to report to you, behaved on this occasion in the most exemplary manner. By the death of Mr. Paul, acting second Lieute nant, the service has been deprived of a most valuable and brave officer ; he fell early in the action ; great credit is due to Mr. Giles, purser, for volunteering' his services on deck ; to Mr. Mitchell, surgeon, for the skill he evinced in performing some amputations required at the moment, as well as his great attention to the wounded during the action, at the close of which the water was nearly a foot above the lower deck, from the number of shot which struck her be tween wind and water. I have to regret the loss of the boatswain, Mr. Jackson, who was killed a few minutes before the action terminated. The assistance I receved from Mr. Muckle, the gunner, and also from Mr. Clarke, master's mate, Messrs. Towke and Sinclair, midshipmen, the latter of whom was wound ed in the head, and Mr. Guy, my clerk, will, I hope, recommend them, as well as the whole of my gallant little crew, to your notice. I have much satisfaction in making you acquainted with the humane treatment thewounded have received from Commodore M'llonoligh ; tl•ey were immedi. ately removed to his own hospital on Crab Island, and were furnished with every requisite. His generous and polite attention also to myself, the ()dicers, and men, will ever hereafter be gratefully remembered. Inclosed 1 beg leave to transmit you the return of killed and wounded, and have, &c. DANIEL PRING, Coptain. late of his MAjesty's sloop :Linnet. A STATEMErT of the ENEMV . S FIaVADRON engaged with Jai' Majesty's late Squadron on Lake Champlain, Sept, I I. Ship saratoga, of sight long 24-pounders, twelve se-pounder carronath s, six 42-pound ditto. Brig Eagle, of eight long 18. poundei b, and twelve 32-pounder cat ronatles.—tichuotier 'neon rl,roga, of four long IS-youi.deis, ten 12-pounders, three 32- poutider c.rrionades.—Cutter Prtble, of seven loll.; 9-pounders. gun-boais of one long 24-pounder, tote 13 pounder cam,- nade each.—Vour vit-boats, of one long 12-pountler eachos—lnt possible to asc, rtain the umber of men. A RaTUK N of the KILLED and WOUNDED on board his Majesty's late Squadron in action with the Enemy's bquairon un Lake _ Chaninain, Sept. 11, 1814. SS seamen and marines, killed; 1 officer, 811 seamen and marines, wounded. Linnet-9 officers, 8 WAITIeII, killed; 1 officer, IS seamen and marines wounded. Chub-6 seamen and marines, killed; 1 officer, 15 seamen and marines, wounded. seanien and marines, wounded.— rota! i .9. Front the Confiance's crew having been landed immediari ty after the action, no it; portunity has of ried of a nitiiier. '1 he number mated is the whole as yet ascertained to have been killed and wounded. NA II 5 of the OFFICERS KILLED anti VirOUNDILD. KILLED —C..idiance—Ueorge Downie, Captain ; Alexandit Anderson, Captain of the Royal Marines; William Gum), Mid .hrpman.—Litinet —William Paul, Actinz Lieut,:naist ; Charles Jack sun, boatswain. WovNlDED.—Cot,tiance-- Lee, John !iinciair, Midshilman.—Cliub—Jaaies M`Ghee, Lieu tenant. CROWN-OFFICE, NOVEMBER eri. Members returned to serve in the present Parliament :—For the Borough of Newport-.-John Delgarno, of Newport, in the Isle of Wight, Esti itt the room or Richard Fleming Worsley Holmes, Eq. decraied.—For the Borough of Newtown—BAr rington I'ope Blachtoid, of Usbo...r,e, in the Isle of Wight, Esq. WAR-OFFICE, WWEIWBER 26. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been pleased, in the name and on the behalf ..f his hfajeity, to approve of the .sth, or Prince's Chsrluite of Wades Dragoon Guards; the 3d, or King's, au i the 4th, or Queen's Own, Dragoons, being per• witted to b-ar on their coloo.s and appointments (in addition to ally whir badges or devices which may have been heretofore pi:twitted to he borne by those regiments) the word" SALA• UANCA," in commemoration of the distinguished gallantry dis• p1a , ,e.41 by those regiments in the battle fouzlit on the plains of Salamanca, on the s t st July, 1811. "Tie Reduction of the Forces ; with the Full and Half Pay; ciidly and politically considered :" by Captain FAMMAN, slid -de-Lamp and Miiitary Secretary to the Govet nor and Cominander in Ciller . of Curacao. by T. Egerton, price Ss. 01 whom also may be had, Captain F.'s Letters on the existing DjJJrences between England and America; inscribed to Lord DAits- Lxv.—Ct ideal Review : This • Reduction s is ad dre,sed to the Secretary at 'War, in a language so dif ferentfrom the usual adulatory incense of Dedications, that we cannot resist giving the manlyeffusion a record in our pages, &c. iftc. &c. The spirit of the pamphlet deserves attention ; but who can succes►fully bawl into the ears that will not hear, or expose truths before the eyes that. will not see."--In our opinion, however, Captain FAIRMAN is a spirited and patriotic writer, and certainly ought to be heard somewhere ! BRITISH FOREIGN SCIIOOI. ScclErv.--Saturday s most respectable and numerous Meeting of the F r i e nd s of this Institution took place At the Free mason's 'Tavern, Great Queen-street, the Puke of Ii:ENT in the en stir. The Annual Report of the Committee was read ;.—it gave a most gratifying ;Ucture of the progressive improvement of the Insti tution, and was received with the warmest demcnstra tions of satisfaction. Several resolutions fur promo. sing the interests of the eilablkliment were read.— .linong other persons present %sere Mr. Vi.. 7 I:ITRREAD ) Mr. lluot . tu.tm, Mr. litart, Lady E. Wittisitio 0, M4IN•roAI. AMERICAN PAPERS. COPY OF A JETTED FROM COMMonfatt CiIAUNCLit TI, TUC SEcitETANy up TUE NAVY, DATED UNITtu STATICS :ADP slag:1:10RD OFF' THE DUce:ti, OCIOFeII IsT, 18R: • " Sot—On the 28th ult. qt cla v-light, we discovered two of the enemy's ships standing out of Kingston under a press of sail. As soon as they discovered us they hove to. The wind being from the northwald and eastward, and fair to leave Kingston, I was im pressed with a belief that Sir James Yeo had got i is large ship ready, and that he was coming out with his whole fleet. I immediately made sail, in order to gain the wind ; but as soon as we tacked for them. the enemy's ships filled, wade sail upon a wind, and soon afterwards tacked from us. Tne weather being hazy, it soon became so thick a Icz that we could not discover objects more than 1(a) yards. I, however, continued to beat to windwar,!, and late in the afternoon it cleared up for a short time, when we discovered the enemy's two ships out side of Nine-mile Point ; but as soon as he discovered that w;:.. had neared him considerably, and in a situa. tion to cut him off from Kinr,sfon if he ventured tar. ther out, he immediately snade all sail and beat into his :;nchor.►ge. As uo other part of the enemy's squadron made their appearance, and these two ships from their ma• movies evidently wished to escape us, it struck me that the enemy had learnt the movements of General lzard up the Lake, and, apprehending an attack upon General Drunimond's Army (which probably was also distressed for provisions), had induced him to put nu board these two ships troops and provisioes, and risk them for the relief of his army on the Nia gara frontier. The wind and thick foggy weather also favoured such a movement. I determined to frustrate his designs it possible. Soon after sun-down 1 anchored the fleet betwern the Galo-es and the Grenadier Island, for the purpose of keeping them together, and put Lieuttn int Skinner, with an addi. tional number of men, on board the Lady of tb' Lake, with orders to anchor between Pigeon and Snake Islands, and if be discovered any movement of the enemy, to make me a signal, with rockets or guns, of his number, &c. It continued a thick fog during the night. " The enemy made no movement, -and next morn.. ing (the Lfr9th) the weather cleared up, with the wind to the westward—weighed with the fleet and stood in for Kingston, until we opened the town—sent the Lady of Lake close in to reconnoitre, and ascer tain the state of forwardness of the new ship. Lieu tenant Skinner found her hauled oft in the stream, and completely rigged, bat sails not bent ; four odic: ships and a large schooner lying also in the stream, apparently ready to sail. From present appearances. I have no doubt but the enemy will be on the Lake. with his whole force, in the course of a week; and I think his first movement will be to attempt to retrieve at Sackett's Harbour; what he lost at Plattsburg. I hope, however, that he will meet with the same g al. hint !vast:ince upon this Lake that he experienct'd - oe Lake Champlain. I have the honuur to be, very re spectfully, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, ( Signed) " 16AAC CHAUNCEY. " The 'ion. W. Jones, Washington." FROM THE SAME TO TILE SAME, TviTED UNITED STATV SIM' SUP/1114)R, OPP rut DUCKC,PCTOBEN 2, 1614. " Sift—Having a very commanding breeze yester day, I sent the Lady at the Lake into Kingston to reconnoitre. She stood close in with the forts and shipping, keeping just without the range of their shot, and had a lair view. The ships lay in the same posi tions as on the 29th, and the large ship still without her sails bent—no visible preparation to embark troops. I shall watch them in this position as long as possible without endangering the satcty of the beet. I have the honour to be, very respectfully, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed) " ISAAC CHAUNCEY." EXTR ICT 07 A LEI TER FROM HALLIFAX. e► We are in joyous expectation that the news which has just arrived, of Sackett's H ►rbour, with Chaina.ey's squadron, and the land forces, basil been taken, will be confirmed. Sir G. Prevost com manded by land. The channel from whence the in formaiion has been derived, is respectable. The stores, &c. left behind, or destroyed on the retreat from Platt:- burg, cost from 70 to £lOO,OOO sterling." AMERICAN BUDGET. ' The Committee of Ways and Means, to whom was referred so much of the Message of the President of the United States as relates to the Finance, reports, That Taxes, Loans, and Treasury note,„ appear to be the resources on which we must rely :er carrying on the war. The product of the first cannot be com manded in time to meet the immediate demands of the Treasury ; a reliance on loans, in the present si tuation of this country, would be uncertain, and the terms on which they would be obtained not such as to induce a resort to them at the present moment— ! Treasury notes, combined with a sysem of Taxation more extended than the one heretof adopted, will, Lit is Wieve44o4liptesent, etitclk k credit, be Isund ib latia ma tier resourceai. • The want of medium, which, rest i ng on a firm and solid basis, may unite public confidence, and have a general, instead of a local circulation, is now univer sally acknowledged. The stoppage of specie pill ments by the principal banks of the Middle States, has embarrassed greatly the operations of the Trea sury, and by confining the circulation of notes totbe limits of the States within which they are issued,has deprived the Government of all the facilities, in the remittance of money, which was afforded while pub• lic coniid2nce gave to bank notes a general oircula tior. The notes of New York and Philadelphia will not be received in Boston ; the notes of Baltimore, or of the District of Columbia v will not answer for p.!)• merits in Philadelphia. lf, by any new moditicatiiirs Treasury notes could be made to answer the purpuirs of a eirculating medium, between the different States, they would gi catly facilitate the operations ni . Gor,TE. merit, and lice hum enibarrassmera the transactions of ii.dividuah. To secure their circulation, it would be necessary. Ist. 'To issue the notes in sums sufficiently :mail for thenrdinary purposes of society : ‘2cl. To a:liv the individual who holds them to fund them at pleasure, id any or the Loan offices, and to receive their mooting. in stock of the United Status, bearing an inter , •I 8 per cent. : 3,1. To make them payable to lx:..refe and translerahte hy delivery : lth.. To mak.: th, re.• ceivable in all payments fur public lauds and Lacs;