Star. — London, England, 1814-10-21 00:00:00

GIBRALTAR. EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED SEPTEMBER 25. 4 d We are still in the same unfortunate situation as when I last wrote you, but with an increased number of deaths and cases. An exact statement of all this week IS '29.5 new cast's, and 41 deaths; but the change of wind, and having had some rain last night, we are i n h o p es o f it moderating something, and so m.lny having taken ill this week, we are inclined to think it will be the sue er over with us. Amongst the deaths are malty ohom you know: Mr. Melville, Captain Grant, 26th rty,irnent, Lieutenant Drummond, R.A. Mr. Wearing, one of the young men belonging to the Court-house, and a poor old Moor was found dead in his house at the South a —none of which cases exceeded five days illness. Mr. Joseph Wand has had a pretty severe attack, but is getting quite well. Mr. Duguie's family has been fortunate (it we may call it so) ; his wite, brother, two children, one of his clerks, servant boy, and one or two of his female servants, have all had it, and recovered. It has now made its appear ance in all the regiments, even to Europa, where the 11th is stationed. It is calculated that there are about 8.500 of the garrison who have not yet had it. So much for this unfortunate account ; and I am sorry to be obliged to draw such a picture. I never saw the place half so miserable in its appearance—there .are but few families left, most of them at St. Roque. I sometimes walk out -to the Cordon to take a look at our friends; but we are kept at that distance, it is' almost impossible to hear each other. a This morning arrived a convoy from England of 44 ,wail; we understand three regiments are on board . for this place, but the Admiral has ordered the whole of the transports to anchor over at Algesiras, where it is reported they are to encamp until the sick itess has subsided." SITRACT OF ANOTHER LETTER, DATED SEPT* 28. es The fever still continues to increase, and the deaths, within this last fortnight, have exceeded one hut-aired. About 250 of the milttaiy are now ill. Amongst the deaths are Captain Gitaux, of the 96th Regiment ; Lieutenant Dausissoao, of the Royal Artillery ; and Lieutenant Tar.autatEr, of the Fo reign Co! ps. , 6 The disease is exactly the same as that of 180Iand 1813—it seems to be propagated solely by contagion, but the faculty are doubtful whether the disease has again been imported this year from Cadiz, or whether it is the dot i-naut contagion of the last year revived. Nearly one-Intirth of those who are taken ill die. Trade is entirely at a stand, and great misery and dis tress prevail every whe:e. Some of our medical men ate absent on leave, whose want is felt. The absence of Colonel WitteHT is also much regretted, whose advice and illauence were of such essential service during both the former fevers, and whose hu mane exertions on these occasions will lang be grate fully remembered here The fever is now officially announced to exist at Cadiz, ware we have had rea son to believe it has been hirking tcr scne' months, though every pahis were taken to coaceal it." AMIRICA. BOSTON, SEPTEMBER S. . His Excellency Governor Strong has summoned an extraordinary meeting of the Legislature of Massa- Otsets, for the sth of October next, " that such mea sures may be adopted as in their judgment the present dangerous state of public affairs may render expe dient." United States 6 per rent. Stock sold yesterday at public action, at the athange Collee-house, in this town. at 69 per cent. in presence of some of th: pi in cipal monied men in town. The last public sale pre vious was Made at SO. THE LOAN. EXTLACT OF A LLTI El: ettom PAILADELPHIA. 66 I *mild not a !vise yon to mike any offer for 'the new lc 4 •1, satisfied that our sti:ck will soon be lower. The par.igraph in•the Natimal leid?.gencer is a mere trick, to people to tonne forward for the six million. Oor Rulers know that they cannot borrow money in Europe. The Dutch have no mo ney to lend, and our six per cent. stock was sold in Holland at 20 per cent. discount. M. Willialc, of Amsterdam, who is now here, says, the scarcity of :pony is so great• tiott his Gov:_rnment has been reduced to the necessity of negociating a loan in Engl • " Our Goriorment cannot pretend to borrow mo sey from our e4emy. I have seen several letters from • England, stating that Ametican stock will not sell ' thue during the war, And all agree that the price after peace will probably . be from 90 to 95. Admit. tang it will sell at present for 90, the loss on our ex., change would reduce the price to - about 75 for 100 dollars. Besides, if our Government could aegociate alo in in Europe, the amount must be drawn for in sterling money, which would probably solace the e.schaoge,to la per cent. discount." 7 ACCCIMFA*L I'IONOF CONGRESS. .Pmt Roper stuthovity being engaged in ilia most 1 itietive po.parasisitit: fry the accommodation of Ceti.' otess a<r tlio aperottehhig Session, earnestly solicit the tp4 Oilluoialrabitanss of this City and vicinity, who 10,Sylinvotite command of wooden building motto "al l ikylaiticoktrly • half-inch; inch, and inch and a 19afrflitalti'.... •, • , Afbete inteestst and itatsiotisan ' united so strongly, t!rat 40416.41 et)-operation . wit h the agents of Go. np*tacepibis occasion, it cannot be necessary to - s q . Moro thina.to state that constant attendance will C4givite-airthh Office of the Superinteridant of the ty, in the building preparing for Congress, to re. adiveptoffers of the requisite supplies, and to pay a • Pa price for the same. A number of 'carpenters have been released from military slaty to work on the building: Those not on duty are invited to call to-day, and join their bre thren, in case a sufficient number should not prevt oukly have collected together. *Yr-Yogic, SEPTEMBER Is. edaverhuna wit Sir H. Sherbrooke and Ad ' miral,o4lfillite the following answers were given to questions asked " :Plat all property:east of Penobscot River, be ;to nockendents, will be confiscated, when vitCSk II; S. and Admiral G.) shall have mo. wren general Or, which plan will be strictly, at.U*lT4of •ftEeptiak sail* extranidiniri caSes ff so Ores Mr: Hoc'k's, whose personal pro f my . bile Leenikiief apd sold, and his lea estate is to have the same fate, in consequence cu absconding just as we took possession of t:ze country. 46 The inhabitants will be permitted to retain their arms for self-defence, and for the preservation of the peace, on entering into a compact with me (Sir J. C. S.) not to use them against his Majesty's forces. 16 Such vessels as are upon the stocks will not be molested. AU vessels afloat will be considered as prizes, and may be ransomed. I have dispatched a -Commission with a competent force to take possession and to make prize of all vessels east of Penobscot." It was asked Sir J. C. S. whether he thought that his country would retain all east of Penobscot ? to which he replied—" That will be determined by the Ministers who will be negociating in Europe." Sir J. C. S. was then asked—" Shall you exact the oath of allegiance from the inhabitants east of Pe. nebseut ? He replied—" The time was when oaths were considered sacred ; but I am sorry to say that their frequency has in part done that away, and I will not introduce them here."—(Sir J. C. S. by the terms of the Proclamation, seems to have altered his mind in this particular.) In a party attached to his suite, consisting of Colo nels and Majors of the army, they spoke most confi dently of being in the possession of all the sea ports of Massachusetts and Maine in six weeks ; adding, that they were pleased to hear of the improvement of the fortifications, as they would be for British use. They express the utmost contempt for the American military. MOVEMENTS IN THE POTOMAC. Georgetown, September 7. The British squadron have escaped from the Poto mac. The preparations made at we eleventh hour to arrest their moving off with the plunder of Alex andria have proved inadequate, On Sunday evening Commodore Rodgers, who commanded some boats in the rear of the enemy, moved down the river with four barges to watch his motions, and to attempt annoyance. Arriving within cannon-shot of the ships of war, seven barges were dispatched to meet him. Between nine and ten o'clock, a sharp conflict coned between the parties, which ended in the repulse of the enemy .with very little injury to our men, only two or three being slightly wounded. On Monday, the British vessels took advantage of a brisk wind from the north-east to descend the river. The battery at the White House wits deliberately at tacked by the Commodore's shit, and after a canno nade of 15 minutes, was completely silenced, rn , tt of our guns being dismounted. During the action I" of our tn. , n were killed, and ab f:P.'J wounded, mostly militia, 1.:1.o had no share ill working the guns of the battery. Considetable injut v is said to ?rive ben done to the enemy, as his pumps were going when he passed down the river. We have no distinct account of the oppcsition made in their passing the battery on the Maryland shore, where Commodore Perry was stationed, assist ed by Major Piaer's artillery this piace we un derstand, however, that our h.ss was. traling. The wh, le of the squadron under Captain Gordon, and the c.lpturcd Aiexabtiriatt vessels, have proceed ed into the bar, and we rhly now expect the waters trf the Patuxent and Poto , na to be entirely free. We sllall make nu column: on the ci:cumstances at tend:ng thi escape of the enemy. Those who abandoned a strong fort, and suffered an enemy to capture Alexandria without opposition, will furnish us with particulars at their leisure. ANO The measures which the iniellizawer informed the public a few days ago were put in a train ofexe cution, the eff.tct .1 - µhick would soon be seen," have proved a ounplcte abortion. After Arms tong dis graced himself, and was in part dismissed from ser vice, we were told that Col. Monroe would retrieve our character—that he was all that an American could wish, and in :lion nobody was Ike Colonel Mourne. He was accordingly appointed " Comman- der in Chief of the troops in the vicinity ot the di-' strict"—he was invested with the supreme directi of the war department so far as Armstrong did wit still bold on ; he called to his aid our naval heroes, Perry, Porter, and Rodgers, who were supported by a picked band of gallant seamen, and clouds ot mi and not a man dare doubt for three days past, that Colonel Monroe had put in a train of execu tion measures" that would ensure the capture of Commodore G.:r.lon's squadron, or at.any rate pre. vent his passage down the Potomac, unless he was strongly reinforce!.. Every thing favoured Colonel Monroe's entuplize. The British were becalmed four days, and all hearts had been united in one com mon desire and effort to punish the British Common idor for the cruel terms he had imposed upon Alex• suidria,. in 6 , taking advantage of the blowing up of Fort Washington. But the untcrprize his failed, totally failed, for the want of guns, gun•carriages, and ammunition." The people of America will not believe it, Europe will not believe it, that a battery planted 16 miles from the seat of Government; after two years' wary 'could not be supplied with one dozen cannon l There !were men enough, ten, twenty times over, but there was a deficiency in the munitions of sat-. Rumour is conveying to the extreme parts of the United States, the most exaggerated and distorted accounts of the disastrous incidents which preceded and followed the capture of the American capital.— When all the circumstances shall be known which have marked the fate of Washington, the sentiments of execration against our infatuated rulers, which al ready find utterance in all quarters, will grow into a fixed determination to provide more competent guar dians of the honour and safety ot the nation. The means of redress possessed by the people are not immediate, but their ability to.save the country in this time of extreme peril is certain. Every man who feels as he . ought the pressure of that disgrace which has been brought upon us, will arouse from apathy and prepare to breast the storm which lowers upon his country. All is not lost, although every sing seems to have been abandoned by those who werb stationed as sentinels on our national ramparts, ooyalu4l4Etrr FA.x.sEtioups. Georptuvra, ,oeptatuber s, Tie' raitof intruder and destruction, copied it= 4 A t v3e• arlitps paint of *Ow, into several leder:4 pipits; ' ii . Aiaas 11'4d abominable faibricataan, knpv• y 40 t i i b/eskii iiihanitant. 'Most of die, ,plunder, ilea e;ltif treOliipteet theilitte, f.'esidailioni the tech:eds . ; tenth WA *Ms villainy Ito place is free in times of peril and relnaeon of the law. 'Fie Bri tish army, it is not more than justice to say, preserved a moderation and discipline with respect to private person and property. unexampled in the annals of war. Several soldiers were punished, som • capitally, fur their attempts. Little Jemmy, or poor Maims, is so much afraid of Armstrong's wrath, that he answers his invective ap peal to the public, by writing in Gales' paper of yes terday, 44 that he greatly regrets the occasion of his re si7nation, and can only wish that a successor may be found equally well qualified for the dice." It this be not kissing the rod, it at least proves that he has some what recovered from the terror Armstrong describes him to have avowed on account of his own person, Irom the suspicion of the people, that they had con sorted together in the ruin and betrayal of the capital. Yet this is the President, who procured respectable citizens of Virginia to lie down like dogs upon straw, as his guards, before brother and pensioner Cutts' door, w hilst, according to Dr. Thornton, lie spurned any thing but resistance 4 6 to the very last" " mean, 'ti; pitiful:* Gales's loss, by the injury done to his printing establishment, is about 500 dollars, not more. He cannot therefore feel what the mob of Baltimore dieted upon us, and which he and his brother pen siouers instigated and approved. Patrick the clerk to the House of Re. presentatives, Mag ruder, -has saved none of the papers belonging to that body. A'most faithful, diligent officer ! but, it is now said he has lost vouchers for 50,000 dollars, advanced for Government account, This coniagra lion at Washington will furnish the cover for a thou sand frauds and swindling practices. FROM THE ALEXANDRIA DAILY GAZETTE The war is becoming generally and avowedly odious in many parts of Virginia. The intolerable burdens which it has already imposed upon the far mers, are themes of compla;et and exuration, even with some of Mx- nadison's warmest friends. Of these burdcas, none have been moue oi•pressive, than the frequent military requisitions, which have been made, and are still making, in the several counties.— The inconveniences attending the interruption of the farmer's labours, at particular times and seasons of the year, are so great, that he must make any sacri lice, rather than leave his home. He must obtain a sulistitut? ; and this substitute must have his own pi ice. It he is unable to raise the money from the sale of his produce, (which, from the want of a mar lo.r, is generally the case) he must borrow it from sonic of his more wealthy neighbours. If he can neither furnish it himself, nor borrow it from others, he has no alternative. He must leave his plongh, to follow the drum. He must abandon his family and his fields for the society of strangers and a sickly, clime—Le must remain for months exposed to the fatigues and sufferings of a soldier, aggravated to him by the reflection, that his fields have become a wilderness, and hit wife and children pensioner's upon the charity of their neighbours. Many, we are assured, are the instances, where families, who lived happily and comfortably, have been suddenly re duced to this miserable state of poverty and depen- 1 dence, by the conscription of those by whose labour they were maintained. As the war progresses, this evil will increase. The price of a substitute is ily advancing. In Shenandoah County, up wards ut 500 dollars have been paid for a substitute, to perform one tour of duty ! What farmer is able to support this enormous tax, in addition to the many others which this ruinous war imposes upon him ? What far mer can De so mad as to support the men, who have blasted the fruits of his labours, and reduced him to the last extremity'ot poverty and despair ? PLATTSbURGH, SEPTEMBER t. The enemy's forces ha;e aivanced into our criun try—they last night encamped in Champlain. Their force is represented at .5000 men-15 or 20 pieces of artillery : of this force, 400 are said to be Indians, and 100 or 200 dragoons. It is believed they design to attack this place. Major Appling with his corps are at Ch tzy. We hear nothing of the British fleet ; it is believed to lie ready. Our fleet remains at Chaay. LET !'ER OF THE SECRETARY AT WAR, TO TYE EDITORS el THE BALTIMORE PATRIOT. It may be du:- to myself, and is certainly doe to others,. that the reasons under which I retired from the direction of me War Department, at a juncture so critical as the present, should he hilly and promptly known to the public. These reasons will be found in the following brief exposition of facts: Ott the evening of the 29th ult. the President called at my lodgings, and stated, that a case of much de. licacy had occurred ; that a high degree of excite. ment had been raised among to militia of the dis. trict ; that he was himself an object of their suspicions and menaces ; that an officer of that corps hadgiven him notice, that they would no longer obey any order coming through me as Secretary of War; and that, in the urgency of the case, it might be prudent so far to yield to the impulse, as to permit some other person to exercise my functions in relation to the de. fence of the district. To this statement and proposition, I answered sub stantially as follows—shat I was aware of the excite ment to which he alluded ; that I knew its source, and had marked its progress; that the present Was not a moment to examine its more occult causes, ob. jects, and agents k that it ostensibly rested on charges known to himself to be false; that it was not for me to determine how far the supposed urgency of the case made it proper for him to yield to an impulse so vile and profligate—se injurious to truth, and so destructive of i rder ; that I could never soiron,ler, a part of my legitimate authority, for the prescrvAion of the rest; that I must exercise it wholly or ii.,r ate all • that I came into the o ffi ce with object; cede siVely public ; and that, to accomm,d.ite my prin ciples or my conduct to the humours of a village mob, stimulated by faction, and led by folly, was not the way to promote these ; and that if his deci sion was in cmiicemity to the suggestions he had made, I. entreated him to accept my resignation.— This he declined cluing. It was an extent, he was pieased to sad, to which he meant not to go ; that lie knew the excitement was limited, as well with re► gird to time as to place; that he was, and always add been, fully sensime of the geneesd zeal, diligence, and talents, which I had pin into the discharge of my duty; and that it would give him pleasure were I t:o take time to consider Isis proposition. .1 renewed the assurance of my great personal re 4lect, and my readiness to contorm to his wishes on ill proper occasions. I remarked, that whatever zeal, diligence, and talent I possessed, had been emt ployed heel)' but firmly, aad. iteeneaiag 4.-017—bast• -- views to the public good ; and that as long as they were left to be so exerted, they were at the service of my country ; but that the moment they were made to bow to military usurpation or political faction, there should be an end of their public exercise. We now parted, with an understanding that I, should leave Washington the following morning. It has since been stated to me as a fact (to which. I give the most reluctant belief), that en the morn ing of the 29th, and before my arrival in this city', a Committee of the inhabitants of Georgetown, of whom Alexander C. Hanson, Editor of the Federal ' Retsublion was one (false), had wa s ted on the Pre: sident, by deputation, and had obtained from him a promise, that I should no longer direct the military defence of the district. Oa this fact, all comma- tarp' is unnecessary. It but remains to exhibit and to answer the several charges raised a t me, and which form the ground-work of tra i : ls excitement, to which the Pre sident has deemed it prudent to sacrifice his aurbo. nit) , in declining to support mine. They are as follow, via.: ist. That (from to the district of Columbia, and a de• siva to remove the seat of Government), I gave orders for the retreat of the army, ia the of the Mk alt. soder urcuta• stances, Dot making mutat necessary or proper. This charge has not for its support the shadow of truth. The Commanding General will do me the justice to say, that I gave him no such order; an& that he was, and is under the impression, that the re. treat was made earlier than I believed it to be proper. I'o the President I appeal, whetl.er I did not point out the disorder and retreat of a part of the first line, soon after the action began, and stigmatise it as base and infamous. ad. 'roar, in despite of the remonstrances of General Winder, and by the interposition of my authority, I bad prevented Lint from dektiding the Capital. This charge contains in it a total perversion of the truth. When the head of the retiring column reach ed the Capitol, it was halted for a moment. General Winder here took occasion to state to Mr. Monroe and myself, that he was not in condition to maintain ' another conflict, and that his force was broken dowa by fatigue and dispersion. Under this representation. we united in opinion, that be should proceed to oc. copy the heights of Georgetown. lel. that I had witlidrawn die owning Party frenttlwreartil Fort Washington (Warburton), and bed ordered Captain Dysm to blew up the fort without firing a gin. This charge is utterly devoid of truth. The cover• ing party was withdrawn by an order from Ge. Milder, and Captain Dyson's official report shews. that the orders under which he acted were derived from the same source, though, no doubt, mistaken" or misrepresented. 4th. That by my orders, the navy yard had been burned. This, like its predecessors, is a positive falsehood. Perceiving that no•order was taken for apprising CommodoreTingey of the retreat of the army, I sent Major Bell to communicate the fact, and to say, that the navy yard could no longer be covered. rho Commodore was of course lett to hallow the sugges. tions of his own mind, or to obey the orders, if orderi aad beep given, of the Navy Department. Sib. And lastly, that means had not been when to collect a force sufficient for the occasion. As the subject of this charge may very tootrtat.' come one of c Angressiosal inquiry. I shall at resent' make but a few remarks: Ist. That no means withitt Oftlteirtr Department has been omitted dfr'itithheld ; Om a separate military district, embrating the seat of Gc. vernment, had been created; that an officer of hielf rank and character had beta plated in charge rd it ; that to him was given MI authority to -call for Int,. plies and for a militia 1014:11 -Of 14.000 UM that to this force was added the 96th repeat of the line, battalion of the Mb, detachments of the 12th, of the artillery, and of the dragoons, the marine corps, and the crews of t' c flotilla, under the special command of -Commodore Barney ; making a total of 16,900 men. , General Winder's official report of the engagement of the 24tb ultimo chews how much of this force had been assembled, and the causes why a greater portion of it had not been got together. These will be found to have been altogether extraneous from the Govera. meat; and 2d. That from what is now known of the enemy's force, of the loss he sustained in the enterprise, of the masks of panic under which he retreated, 4c. it is obvious, that if all the troops assembled at BtaJens• burgh had been faithful to themselses and to their country, the enemy would have been beaten, and the capital saved. (Signed) 13a!timore, Sept. 3, 1814. JOHN ARMiTRONG. The last cruize of the American flotilla on Lake Ontario, is detailed in the following extract from commodore Chauncey's dispatch, dated August 10, elf Kingston: M In the afternoon of the seat July, I was taken on board; bat it Was a calm, and I did not sail before the neat morning. 'fa satisfy at once whatever espectadons the public but been led to mater.ain of the sufficiency of this squadron to take andmaiatais the ascendancy on this Jake and at the same time to egpose the *day of promises, the fulfilment of which had been rested on ear ce at the head of theta*, I got under way at four o' In the morning of the Ist instant, and steered for the month of the Niagara. " Owing to light winds. I did not anise of tient before t he Mi. There we intercepted one of the enemy's brigs, intro tg over from York to Niagara; with treopt, and ran her on ,nor', about sis miles to the westwud of Fort &kluge. I 'ordered the Syiph is, to anchor as user to the enemy as -he could with sate• ty, and to destroy her. Captain Elliot ran in, in a very gallant manner, to within front three hundred tally, hundred Yu' a et tier, and was about anchoring, when she en my set fire to aer, ma she soon after Mew up. Ildeveseil is a 'choosier Os ta:t -ar, and called the Bentsturd: sines they at vied Is sr re a 10 1 5 they changed her name, and I have not been able to ascertain It. aim surto:nod ft:tartest guns, twelves sl4-poutid esarrdnadirt. and two long to-pounders. ‘• r:nding toe enemy had two ether brigs and a schooner it. the Niagara River I detennleakeeleive a Mete to`wateh theme and scleasd the Jefferson, SyWa. ' sod Oneida for that patroller and placed the whores under the Orders of Captain RI get!. - ing sailed Into York without discovering any tessera thellicn i To I left Niagara with the remainder ash. squadron on use evein4 of the 7th, and arrived here rife etb. We .quad of she ene my's ships in the offing, s td chased het mist Mugabe. My anaiety to return *tidos end el vibe trilb4 Wa g k ite eh" by the knowledge I had of shematinees of .zekett's _ and the apprehedhioo that the enemy might remise taw rear foramens at Kingston, and, anbarkingeomv It she u`"P' ao boar* his fleet, male a dash at the 14aroou r, and burn , 01.. all my stoats, during our absence. Mien' Oat t I.4lPourr ditty were but about ~ern hundred mum troy* at to It is our, a few militia had bee.i cai.cd i.t, oar lit le c •uki be' petted of them ohen lan att.= *Asada. My Apptcart...r ems, Was groundless the enemy having contented pitmen ova annoying in some trifling degree the coasters between Gewet e and the harbour in his boats.'