Star. — London, England, 1814-09-28 00:00:00

tits of stores of every descriptinn was destroyed, of which no account could be taken ; seven or eiht very heavy expl o sions during the night denoted t hat there had been large magazines of powder. (Signed) F. G.J. WlLLlAMa,Lieut.RoyalArtillery, A.Q.M. I. ikoltcuau, Captain Commanding Artlikry. The remains of near 20.000 stand of arms were discovered, which had been destroyed by the enemy. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 9.7. Captain WhiswainiiT, of his Maje:ty's ship Tonnant, arrived this morning at this Office, wish dispatches from Vice-Admi ral the Hon. Sir ALEXANDER COCHRANI, K. B. to JOHN WILEONCaome, Esq. of which the following are copies : • Tornant, in the Patuxent, Sept. f.), 1814. - • Sza—l have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Ad rnirahy, of the proceedings of his Majesty's com bined sea and land forces since ray arrival with the fleet wilhin the Capes of Virginia; and I beg leave to oilsa- my conp,r.aulations to their Lordships upon the successful termination of an expedition, in. which the whole of the enemy's flotilla under Commodore B.lrney has been captured or destroyed ; his army ; th ,ogh greatly superior in number, and strongly r -sted writ cannon, defeated at Bladensberg—the eore of Wasiiingten taken, the capital, with all the public bolding?, military arsenals, dock-yard, and the rest of their naval establishment, together with a war quantity of naval and military stores, a frigate the largest class ready to launch, and a sloop of war afloat, either blown up or reduced to ashes. Such a series of successes in the centre of an ene my's country, surrounded by a numerous population, could not be acquired without loss, and we have to lament the Call of some valuable officers and men ; but c;,:nsidei ing the difficulties the forces had to con tend %vial, the extreme beat of the climate, and their coming into action at the end of a long march, our castialties are astonishingly few. My letter of the 11th of August will haveecquaint ed their Lordships of my waiting in the Chesapeake ft r the arrival of Rear-Admiral Malcolm, with the expedition from Bermuda. The Rear-Admiral joined rre on the 17th, and as I had gained information from Rear-Admiral Cock burn, whom I found in the Potowmack, that Com modore Barney, with the Baltimore flotilla, bad taken shelter at the head of the Patuxent, this afforded a pretext for ascending that river to attack him near its source, above Pig Point, while the ultimate destina tion c(1 the combined force was Washington, should it be found that the attempt might he made with any prospect of success. To give their Lordships a more sweet idea of the place of attack, I send a sketch of the country upon which the movtments of the army and navy are pourtrayed ; by it their Lordships observe, that the best approach to Washington is by P rtTobacco, upon the P (towmac and Benedict, upon the PAIIM from both of which are direct and good goads to that city, aod their distances nearly alike ; rie roads from Benedict divide at) , t five miles inland; th: one by Piscataway and Bladensburg, the other follow ing the cour,e or the river, although at some distance from it, owing to the creeks that run up the country ; this last passes through the towns of Nottingham and Marlborough to Bladensburg, at which town the river palled the Eastern Branch, that bounds Wash - jug= to the eastward, is fordable, and the distance is about five miles. There are two bridges over this, river a: tire city ; • but it was not to [se expected that the enemy would leave them accessible to an invad log army. Previously to my entering the Patuxent, I detach ed Captain Got.clem, of his Majesty's ship Seahorse, with that ship and the ships and bombs named in the margin, viz. (Euryalus, Devastation, &ma, Meteor, Manly, and Erebtis), up the Potowmac, to bombard Fort Washinoton (which is situated on the left bank td that.river, about- 10 or 12 mihis below the city), with a iiew of destroying that fort, and opening a free ammunicaios above, as well as to cover the retreat of the Argly, should its return by the Bladensburg Toad he found too hazardous, from the accession of strength the enemy Might obtain from Baltimore ; it was also reasonable to expect that the militia from the etiiotry to the northward and westward would flock in, so soon as it should be known that their capital Was threatened. Captain Sir Peter Parker, in the Menelaus, with some gnat,' vessels, was sent up the Chesapeake, sibeie Baltimore, to divert the atttntion of the enemy in that quartet., and I proceeded with the remainder of the nay :11 force 4nd troops up this river, and lapOd the army, ppop the 19th and 20th, at Benedict. ''So soon as the necessary provisions and stores could be asses pled and arranged, Major-General Ross, with his at my, moved towards Noßmgharn, while ()to Itotl4l,t, consisting of the armed lat Aches, pinnaces, barges, and other I.oata of the jet, under the com inand of Rear-Admiral Cocicbrint, paved up the river, king instructed to keep upon the right (link of the army, for the douSle purpose of supplying it with provisions, and, if necessary, to pass it over to the left ha' k of the river, into Calvert County, which secured a safe retreat to the ships, should it be jadgcd ne cessary. . _ . Tho army reachrd upon the 21st, and en 1:4; day arrived at 7 41arlimrough : the tin ilia continued advancing towards the station of Conic:adore Barney, about, three miles above Pig Point, who, although much superior in torte to that sent Ag iintt him, did not wait an attack, but, at the appearance of our boats, set fire to his fliallia, and the whAle of his vessels, excepting one, were blown up. For the partic. - ilars of this wen 'muted service, I stinst refer their LOrdships to Rear-Admiral Cock iston's report, Nn. I, olio, im the same evening, con !rayed to me an account of his success, and intimation fsoarAtaj44,General Itozs, of his intention to proceed to the city of Washington, considering, from the in. fgrmstion he had received that it might be assailed, dyne with alacrity and, in consequence had de. tei mi Jed to march that evening upon Bladensburg. The rem sluing boats' of the Beet were immediately employed in conveying up the river siipilies of pro vitionce for the forces, upon their retui n to Notting ham, agteealtly to an arrangement made by the Rear icMniral, who proceeded on in company with the s'• • • •• : *y. ..• The Report, No. 2, of gear -Admiral Cockburn, will inform their Lordships of the brilliant successes of the forces, after their departure from Marlborough, !Aire they returned upon the Stith, and having reach ed Itcriedits upbn•the'29ch, the expedition was em. rkpsi in gopd crier. • sambined services, sorb as we bus been en. alacrity and order with which the laboriont duties in 1 the conveying of supplies to the army were conducted.) For the conduct of the Captains and Officers of the squadron employed in the flotilla, and with the army, I must beg leave to refer their Lordships to the re ports of Rear Admiral Cockburn, and to call their favourable consideration to those whom the Rear- Admiral has had occasion to particularly notice.— While employed imtnediately under my eye. I had every reas‘m to be perfectly satistled with their zea -1 lous emulation, as well as that of every seaman and marine, to prolnote the service in which they were engage 3. Capt:t:n Wainwright, of his Majesty's ship Ton root, will bat;tl the honour to deliver this dispatch to you, and as he was actually employed both with the flotilla and with the army in the whole of their pro- ceedings, I beg leave to refer their Lordships to bias fir any futther particulars. I have not yet received any returns from the ships employed in the Potowmack, the winos having been unfavourable to their coming down ; but by the mfor. mation I gain from the country people, they have completely succeeded in the capture and destruction of Fort 'Washington, which has been blown up. I have the honour to be, /cc. (Signed) ALEXANDIM CCCHRANit • Vice Admiral and Commander in Chief. John Wilson Croker, Esq. bean! the Revelation Tender, off Wont Calvert, Menda T night, tett August, lore. Sin—l have the 'velour to inform you, that after parting from you at Benedict, on the evening of the .20th instant, I proceeded up the Patexent, with the boa:s and tenders, the matinee of the ships being em barked in them, under the command of Captain. Robyns (the senior officer of that corps in the fleet), and th-• Marine Artillery, under Captain Hanison, in their two tenders ; the Severn and Hebrus frigates and the Manly sloop being directed to follow es up the river, as far as might prove practicable. The brats and tenders I placed in three divisions; the first under the immediate command cf Captains Sullivan (the senior commander employed on the occasion) and Badcock ; the second under Captains Money and Somerville; the third under Captain Ramsay : the whole under the superintendence and immediate management of Captain Wainwright, of the 'lonnant, Lieutenant James Scott (first of the Albion) attending as toy Aid-de-camp. 1 endeavoured to keep with the boats and tenders as nearly as possible abreast of the army under Ma jor-General Ross, that I might communicate with him as occasion offered, according to the plan pie viously arranged ; and about midday yesterday I ;it corn;rag,ly anchored at the fc-ry houses opposite Lower Nialborough, where I met the General, and where the army halted for some hours, after which he marched. for Nottingham, and I proceeded on for the same place with the boats. On nor appreachieg that town a few shot were exchanged between the leading boats and some of the eriernirs cavalry; but the appearance of oil army advancieg caused them to retire with precipitltiert. Captains bourse and Palmer, of the Severn and Hebrut, jeined me this day with their boos, having found it impracticable to get their ships higher than Benedict. The Major-General remained with the army at Nottingham, Ind tile boats and tenders continued anchored (Zit din7ng the night ; and soon after day light this mcnreag, the whole moved again forward, but the wind blowing during the morntag down the river, :Ind the channel being excessively narrow, and the a:Jur:lee fluor tenders cunt:Newly elew, I judg ed it advitt: - .lJlc to posh on with thc boats, only leav ing t!:e tend_rs to follow as they could. Cr approaching Pig Point (where the enemy's flotilla was said to be), I landed die marines under CaptaiieLobyns on the left bank of the river, end directed him to naerch round and attack, on the land side, the town situated on the point, to draw from us the Ettiltion of such troops asenight be there fot its deface:, ated the defence of the : I then pro• ceeded un with the haws, and as we opened thereach above Pig Puha, 1 plainly discovered Commodore Barney's broad pendant in the headmast vessel, a large sloop, and the remainder of the extend.' ing in a long line astrra of her. Our boats flowed vanced tirearels them .:s rapidly as possible; but, on nearing them, we observed the sloop bearing the broad pendant to be on fire, and she very soon after wards blew up. 1 now saw clearly that they were all abando. ed, and on fire, with trains to their maga zines ; and out of the seventeen venal which com posed this formidable, and so much vaunted flotilla, sixteen wens in quick succession blown to atoms, and the seventeenth (in which the fire had not taken) we captured. '11:c Commodore's sloop was a large armed vessel ; the others were gun-boats, all having a long gun in the bow, and a carronade in the stern; the calibre nl the goes and number of the crete each differed in' proportion to the size of the boat, varying from `32 pounders and sixty men to 18-peuto ders and forty men. I hound here lying above the flotilla, under its protection, 13 merchant schooners, some of which not being worth bringing away, I caused to be burnt ; such as were in good condition I directed to be moved to Pig Point. Whilst employed taking these vessels a few shot. were fired at us by some of the men of the flotilla from the bushes en the shore near us ; but Lieut.- nant Scott, whom I had landed for that purpose, soon got hold of theM, and made them prisoners, Some horsemen likewise shelved themselves on the neighbouring heights, but a rocket or two dispersed them ; and Captain Robyn!, who had got possession of Pig Point without resistance, now spreading his men through the tountry, the enemy retreated to a distance, and left us in quiet possession of the town, the neighbourhood. and our prizes. A large quantity of tobacco having been found in the town at Pig . Point, I have left Captain Robyns, with the marines, and Captain Nonrse, with two di. visions of the boats, to hold the place, and ship the tobacco into the prizes, and I hav l F moved back with the third division to this point, to enable me to confer en our future operations, with the Major-General, who has !Ken good enough to send his Aidt.cle-Camp to inform me of his safe arrival, with the army under hig command, at Upper Marlborough. In congratulating you, Sir, which I do most sin cerely*, on the complete destruction of this flotilla of the enemy, which has lately occupied so much of our attention, I must beg to he permitted to assnre you, that the cheerful qua indefatigable exertions on this occasion, of CaLtain4 Non rse; *O4 T'Al. met, and of Captain Sullivan, the othttrCommfinay my self Commanders, gaged in, it gives me the greatest pleasure to united with so able and experienced an :officer as Major-General Ross, in whom are blended those qualities so essential to promote success, where co. operation between the two services becomes neces sary ; and I have much satisfaction in noticing the unanimity that prevailed between the army and the navy, as I have also in stating to their Lordships that Major-General Ross has expressed his full approbation of the conduct of the officers, examen, and marines acting with the army. I have before had occasion to speak of the unre mitting zeal and exertion of Reer-Atimiral Cock burn during the time he commanded in the Chesa peake, under my orders :—the interest and ability which he has manifested throughout this late arduous service justly entitle him to my best thinks, and to the acknowledgments of my Lords Commissieners of the Admiralty. Rear Admiral Malcolm, upon every occasion, and pargcularly in his arrangement for the speedy re-em bar lmdon of the troops, rendered me essential assis tance, and to him, as well as to Rear Admiral Cod rington, Captain of the fleet, I am indebted In: the Officers, and men, in the boats you have pleced tin der my orders, most justly entitle them to my warmest acknowledgments and my earnest recommendation to your favourable notice. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) G. COCKBURN, Rear-Admiral. MO Hon. Sir A. Cochrane, K. D. &c. HI. Majesty's sloop Manly, id' Nottingham, Patuxent, Ausust 27, 1814. SIR--T have the honour to inform you that, agree ably to the intentions I neeified you in my letter of the 22d instant, I proceeded by land on the morn ing (dux MI to Upper Marlborough, to meet and toiler with Major-General Ross as to our further operations against the enemy, and we were not long in agreeing on the propriety of making an immediate attempt on the City of Washington. In conformity, therefore, with the wishes of the General, I instantly sent orders for our marine and nay it forces at Pig Point, to b forthn ith moved of er to Mount Calvert, and for the m trines, met ine lery, and a proportion of the seamen, to be there landed, and with the utmost possible expedition to join the army, which I also most readily agreed to accompany. The Major-General then made his dispositions, and arranged that Captain Robyns, with the marines of the ships, should retain possession of Upper Marlho !rough, and that the marine artillery and seamen should follow the army to the ground it was to oc cupy for the night. The army then moved on, and bivenacked before dark, about five miles nearer Washington. In-the night, Captain Palmer, of the Hebrus, arid Captain Money, of the Trave, joined us with the seamen, and with the marine artillery, under Captain Harrison. Captain Wainwright, of the Tonnant, had accompanied me the day before, as had also Lieutenant James Scott (Acting First Lieutenant) of the Albion. At daylight in the morning of the 2 , lith, the Me. hor -General again put the army in motion, directingl is march upon Bladensberg ; on reaching whice place with the advanced brigade, the enemy was ' coveted drawn up in force on a rising ground beyond the town ; and by the fire he soon opened on us as we entered the place, gave us to understand he was well protected with artillery. General Ross, hov.-- ever, did not hesitate in immediately advancing to ,attack him, although our troops were almost exhaits. : ted with the fatigue of the march they had j let rnui.k, and but a small proportion of our little army !eta y:t got up. This dashinganeasure wee, however, I am happy to add, crowned with the success it eneited ; for, in spite of the gelling Sre of the enemy, our troops advanced' steadily on both his fleeks, and in his front ; and as soon as they arrived on even ground wills him, he fled in every direction, leaving behind him ten pieces of cannon, and a considerable numix.r of killed and wounded, amongst the latter, Cornmo. done Berney and several other officers : some other prisoners were also taken, though not many, ow,nr to the swiftness with which the enemy went off, and the fatigues our army had previously undergone. It would, Sir, be deemed presumption in me to at tempt to give you particular details respecting the nature cf this battle ; I shall, therefore, only remark generally, that the enemy, 8000 strong, on ground he had chosen as best adapted for him to defend, where he had had, time to erect his batteries, and concert all his measures, was dislodged as soon as reached, and a victory gained over him by a division of the British army, not amounting to more than 1,500 men, headed by olir gallant General, whose brilliantachieve most of this day it is beyond my power to do justice to, tied indeed no possible comment could enhance. The seamen, with the guns, were, to their great Mortification, %sit: the rear division during this short but decisive action : those, however, attached to the rocket brigade, wire in the battle, and I remarked with much pleasure the precision with which the rockets were thrown by them, under the direction of First Lieutenant Lawrence, of the Marine Artillery; Mr. Jeremiah M , Daniel, master's mate of the Ton nant, a very fine young man, who was attached to this peety, being severely wounded, I beg permission to recommend him to your favourable consideration. —The company of marines I have on so many occa.' siOllS had cause to mention to you, commanded by First Lieutenant Stephens, was also in the action, as were the colonial marines, under the temporary com mand of Captain Reed, of the 6th West India Regi. meet (these companies being attached to the light' brigade) and they respectively behaved with their ac customed zeal and bravery. None other of the naval department were fortunate enough to arrive up in time to take their share in this battle, excepting Cap. tain Palmer, of the Hebrus, with his Aide-de-o=p, Mr, Arthur Wakefield, Midshipman of that ship,and Lieutenant James Scott, First of the Albion, who acted as my Aide-de.Camp, and remained with me during the whole time. The contest being completely ended, and the enemy having retired from the field, the General gave the army about two hours rest, when he again moved forward on Washington; it was, however, dark be fore we reached that city, and on the General, myself, and some officers advancing a short way east the first houses of the town, without being accompanied by' the troops t the enemy opened upon us a heavy fire of ne tte u s s e ke w tr e y re , , fr t o h m ese t e timer almost p immediatelyitoand two woother houses ; stormed by our people s taken poisasion of, and set on fire, after which the town submittal without fur tier resistance. The enemy himself, on our enteriag the town, set ire to the navy yard (tilled with stores), a frigate of the largest class, almost ready for launching, and a sloop of war laying off it, as he also did to ti.n Iczt ' Which protected the sea approach to Washingtmi. On taking possession of the city we also set fire to the President's ,palace,the treasury, And the VC:n r office • and in the morning Capt. Wainwright went with a party to see that the destruction in the navy yard was complete, when he destroyed whatever stores and buildings bad escaped the flames cf the preceding night; a larp quantity of ammunition and ordnance stores were likewise destroyed by us ia the arsenal, as were about 200 pieces of artillery of different calibres, as well as a vast quantity of small armr. Terra repo. walks, of a very extensive nature, full of tar-rt.pe. &c. situated at a considerable distance from the yk d. were likewise sea fire to and consumed ; iu I do not believe a vestige of public property, or x store of any kind, whicla could be converted to tlie of the Government, escaNd destruction ; the bridges across the Eastern Brauch and the Potowiaack were likewise destroyed. This general devastation being coaepleted during the day e f the 2.3t1i , we marched again at nine that nigh o:1 our return, by Bladensbag, to Upper Marl borolgit. We arrived yestereay evenioA at the latter without molestation of any sort, indeed without a single musket haying, l ee.n fired, an.! this morning we moved on to this place. where I hav: found his Ma_ jesty's sloop hIAnIT, the tenders, and the boats, and llitie tro o ps are l o l p oi s ste v d ,ii m i preyabigatilyronrcii to.re , in m milor d* former.-- or thetn rer.— r next day at farthest, to Bencelict, for re-embarkation, and this flotilla will of course join you at the same time. .In closing, 81-, my statement to you, of the ardu. nue and highly important operations of this last week, J have a most pleasing duty to perform, in assuring you of the ;Ord conduct pt the officers and men who have been serving under me. I have been particu larly indebted, whilst 0.11 this Service, to Captain Wainwright, of the Tonnant, for the ass: aance hp ha; invariably afforded me ; ar.d to Captains Palmer and Money, for their exertions during the march to and l' F om Washington. To Captain Nourse, who has commanded the flotilla during my absence, my acknowledgments are also most justly due, as well as to Captains Sullivan, Badcock, Somerville, Rm . :. say, and Bruce, who have acted in it under him: Lieutenant James Scott, now First Lieutenant of the Albion, has on this occasion rendered me essen. ti d services, and as I have had reason so often of late to mention to 'you the gallant and meritorious conduct of this Officer, l trust you will permit me to seize this oppurnatity of recommending him pirticu. lady to your tavourable notice and consideration. Captain Robyns (the Senior Officer of Marines with the fleet) who has had, during these operations, the marines nt the ships united under his orders; hai executed ably and zealously the several services with which he has been entrusted, and is entitled to my hest acknowledgments accordingly, as is also Captain Harrison of the marine artillery, who, with the PS. cer; and men attached to him, accompanied the army to and from Washington. Mr. Dcbie, Surgeon of the Idelpotnene, volun a teered his professional services on this occasion, and rendered mu,th assistance to the wounded on the field of b ittle, as well as t many of the men taken ill on the line of march. One colonial marine killed, one master's mate, two sarjeants, and three colonial marines wounded, are the casualties sustained by the naval department ; a general list of the killed and wounded of the whole army will of coursa accompany the report of the Mt j(4•General.—l have the honour to be, SW. (S;gned) G. COCKBURN, Ralle-Millirldt Vice.Adnural the Hon. Sir A. Cochrane, ISA 1.. " P.S. Two long six-pounder guns, intended for it battery at Nottingham, were taken off, and put en board the Brune, and one taken at Upper Marlbo rough was destroyed. THE EVENING STAit. LO N DON. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1814. PRICE OF srocto THIS DAY AT TWELVE O'CLOCK: Consols 62 3 64 —Conio's for account 6SO 5 per Cent. Navy 9511—thuniuni, 611 f 6 Ws. Bonds 7s. pre —Exchequer Bills 41. dia. to par. Full details of the cheering intelligence communi cated yesterday in Bulletins, respecting the Cant= of \Vaunt:Gros, were published last night in the Gazette Extramfinerr3f, which this day occupies so large a portion of our columns. Never was a more brilliant dash made, nor could any enterprize have been crowned with more complete success. The enterprise itself, however, splendid as it is, and much as it enhances our military character, is outweighed by the contemplation of that distribu• tive justice which is often made manifest in the pn• nishment inflicted on national transgressions. That British soldiers, inured to war, and aims wined to Victory, and who had already torn ,so many laurels from a bolder adversary, should defeat American soldiers, is not surprising ; but that an op portunity should have so soon occurred of inflicting a punishment so richly merited, upon an insidious enemy, in his eery capital, was hardly to have been expected. The rapidity of the movement is also singular feature in the present event, as well as the great superiority of the enemy, at least four to 01,e, over the handful of heroes that performed such rr , J:- gies. The British army was landed ow the 19th Silt• at the village of Benedict, on the right bank of the Patuxent. On the 20th ultimo, it commenced its xuareh ; on the 22d, bavitig advanced to within sixteen miles of Washington, Rear-Admiral COCK. BURN, co-operating with a naval torce, General Ress, with admirable promptitude, seeing a favourable op portunity, immediately determined to make a dash upon Washington. On the 24th, the enemy's .0 ,- VP amounting to eight or nine thousand men, ...trong:y posted at Bladensburg, were totally defeated, a;:d