The National Register. — London, England, 1814-10-16 00:00:00

Mt commencement of the attack, our troops were afterwards obliged to retire without secompli,hiog their object, mid with very con bitleiable loss. I have the honour to be, &r. Earl 114thurst, GEORRR PREVOST. Camp before Fort Erie, Aug. 1.. .SlR—Having reason to believe gel a sufficient intpression had been pounced on the works of the enemy's fort, by the fire of the battery which I had opened on it on the mot sting of the 13th, and by which the stone htMding had been much injured, and the general outline of the parapet and embravores very much altered, I deter snieed on aceaulting the place ; and accordingly made the necessary arraegements for rotackieg it, by a heavy column directed to die tiitremehmcmis on the side of Snake-hill, (which consisted of the King's regimerd, and that of De Watteville's, with the thank com poies of thee e9th and 100th regiments, tinder Lient.-Col. Fischer, of the regiment Dc Watteville,) marched ut four o'clock yesterday aftereocce, in older to gain the vicinity of the point of attack in antlicicait time. It is with the deepest regret I have to report the failure of both attacks, 'Adel; were made two hours before eay-light this morning. The attack on the fort and entrenchments leading from it to the Lake was matte at the same moment by two eolumns, one under Drionmotid, 104th regiment, consisting, of the flank ` cympanii s 41st and 104 tit regiments, awl a body of seamen and ma rines, tinder Captain Dobbs, of the royal navy, on the fort; the , ether under Col. Scott, Io3d, consisting of the 101 l regiment, snp roiled by two companies of the Royals, was destined to attack the enticoelnueots. These columns advanced to the attack as soon as the tiring upon Cui. Fischer's column was heard, and succeeded. after a depurate resistance, iu making a lodgment in the fort through the embrasures of the demi bastion, the gnus of which they had actually turned against the enemy, who still maintained the Stone Building, when most unfortunately some ammunition, which bad been placed under the platform, caught fire from the firing of the gums to the rear, and a most tremendous explosion followed, by which almost all the troops which had entered the place weredread fully mangled. Panic was instantly communicated to the troops (who could not be persuaded that the explosion was accidental); and the enemy, at the same time, pressing forward and commencieg a heavy fire of musqueti y, the fort was abaudoned, and our troops retreated / towards the battery. I immediately pushed out the Ist battalion Royals, to support and cover the retreat, a service which that valuable corps executed with great steadiness. Our loss has been levy severe in killed and weimded ; and I am sorry to add, that almost all those returned " may be con sidered as wounded yr killed by the explosion, and lett in the hands of the enemy. The failure of these most important attacks has been occasioned by circumstances which may be considered as almost justifyiug the momentary panic which they produced. and which introduced a tl. , gree of eonfosiou into the columns which. in the darkness at the to4lit, the utmost exertions of the officers were ineffectual in re moving. The officers appear invariably to have behaved with the most perfect cooitiess and bravery ;nor could any thine exceed the steadi !less and order with si liirh the advance of Lientetomt Ccilonel Fischer', bri jade %vac made, until emergiug from a thick wood, it foood itself suddenly stopped by an abbattis, and within a heavy ti re ot innscitlt:(l.); an , l guns front behind a formidable entrenchment. Willi regard to the centre alai left columns, under Colonel Scott, awl Lientenant•Colonel ninmond, the persevering gallantry of both officers and men, until the milortimate explosion, could not be so; passed. Colunel Scott, 103 d, and Lieutenant• Colonel Drum mond, 104th regiments, who commaioted the centre and left attacks, nr.te tutfortinintely killed, and your Excelleecy will perceive that almost every officer of these columns were either killed or wounded by the enemy's tier, or by the explosion. tHere follows a high panegyric on the officers, &e.l 1 have the honour to be, &e. G mum N DRUMMOiii ) Lieut.-Gen. hiis Excellency Sir George Prevost, Bt. Camp, Almost 13,1614. Stn,—l have the kotootte to report to you, fiir the information of Lientenmet General Drummond, that, in compliance with the instructions I received, the brigade under my command, consisting of the 9th, aril De %Vatter'lle's regiment, the light companies of the 29th and tootb, with a detachment of artillery, attacked this morning at two o'clock the position of the (mealy oil Snukc Hill ; and to my great concern tailed in its a/tempt. OCT. H. The Hank companies of the brigade, who were formed under Me orders of Major Evans, of the King's regiment, for the purpose of turniag the position between the Snake hill and the Lake, met with a check at the abbattis, which was found impenetrable, and was presented by it, to support Major de ViUnite, of 1)e Walter Rhos and Captain Powell of the Quarter Master General's department, who, actually with a few men. had turned the enemy's battery. The colnum of support, consisting of the remainder of De Wiit teville's and the King's regiment, forming the rest rye, in marchiog too near the Lake, found themselves entangled "between the rocks and the water, and by the retreat of the iLiek companies, were thrown into such contusion, as to render it impossible to give the, any kind of formation during the darkness of the night, at which time they were exposed to a most galling fire of the cm my 'A battery, and the numerous parties in the abhatis, and 1, ain pert ctly con. whim), that the great mind er ut mi-sing are men killed or severely wounded, at that time, when it was impossible to give them any assistance. After daybreak, the troops foruted and retited to the Camp. I enclose a Lewin of the casualtic a. I have, &c. (Signed) J. FISCH Ell, Lieutenant•Coloncl De Wattevilles Itvgiment. Return of-Killed, IVonnded, and Missing of the Right Division in the Assault of Fort Erie, the 15th of August, 1814. TOTAL. Killed-2 lietitenatit-colonels, I captain, I lieutenant, 1 serjeant, drummer, 31 rank and tile. Wounded-1 deptity-assistant.quarter-master-general, .1 ro;.jor, captains, 11 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1 master, tt seamen, 20 serjeants 5 drummers, •.'5O rank and file. ,Missing-1 dcputy-asvistant-tinarter•mavter-general, 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, t ensigns, 1 midshipman, 1 adjutant, 7 seamen, 41 ser jeatits, 5 drummers, 479 rank and file. The list of killed and r.oaded has already appeared in the National Register. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, OCTOBTR 11, 1214. [Transmitted by Sit J. L. Yen.) Niagara River, near Fort Erie, schooner Somer . ', August 13, IPI4. SlR—Having succeeded in gelting my .gig arni fire batteaux • across finin the Niagara River to Lake Erie, a distance Of eight miles, Inc land, I last night attacked the enemy's three schooners that had anchored close to Fort Erie for the purpose of flanking the ap penuche% to that fort. Two of them were cam tied sword in hand in a few minutes, and the third would certainly have fallen, had the cables nut been cut, which made us drift to kewatd of her among the rapids. The schooners taken are the Ohio and Somers, commanded by Lieutenant*, and mounting three long 12.-pounders, with a com plement of 35 men each. My gallant friend, Lieutenant Radcliffe, and one seaman, fell in the act of boarding, which, with tour wound ed, is - our loss, The enemy had one mem killed and 3 , even wounded ; among the latter i 4 Lieutenant Conklin, commanding the squadron, as well as two of his officers. 1 have the honour to be, eke. • ALEXANDER DOBBS. Commodore Sir J. L. Yen, Commander in Chief, &c. A Return of Killed and Wolin(lAA in an Attack on two of the env iny's schooners tinder ,Voit la ie, on the night of the lAi of Angast, 1814. KlLLED.—Char!es Radcliffe, acting Commander ; William Acton, seaman,. iYoutsi 1nn...-. James Hudson and John Bowen, seamen, ; Thomas Roued and Joseph Dickson. private marines, beverdy. BAN K RU PTS. • W. Millett, jun., of itilsom, Gloucestefshire, dealer, to surrender Oct. 14, Nov. !), and (.112, at twelve, at the Bush Tavern, Brist(ol, Attornics, Sir S. Whiteombe and hisig, Serjeatit's 1110, Elect street; and Mr. Frankis, lii ism!. G. Adam, of St. Min's square, Clerkenwell, jeweller, Oct. 15. "2.1, and Nov. 11, at twelve, at Guildhall. A ttornies, Aleuts. Fisher, square, Foster hole. J. Pritchard, of Bath, tobacconipt, Oct. 15, 2'2, and Nov. '22, at twelve, at Guildhall, London. A litanies, Mr. Garner, Chester; and Alr. Huxley, Trmple. S. Chanaley, of Etchells, Cheshire, cotton manufacturer, Oct. 21. 12, and Nov. /2, at eleven, at the Castle Inn, Stiikport. Attor. iiies, Badirlen Stockport ; and Messrs. Milne and Paul l TM' isle, I 0114031. VIE NATIONAL REGISTER.. .. .