The National Register. — London, England, 1815-03-12 00:00:00

. 16R The army remained in position until night in order to gain time to destroy the eighteen-pounder battery we lad constructed the preceding night in advance. I then gave orders for the troops re suming the ground they of copied previous to the attack. Our log has been very severe, but I trust it will not be considered, netwithstinding the failure, that this army Was iniffeted the military character to - be tarnished. lam satisfied, had I thought it right to renew the attack, that the troops would have advanced with cheer fidness. The services of both army and navy, since their landing on this coast, have been arduous beyond any thing I ever witnessed, and difficulties have been got over with an assiduity and perseverance beyond all example by all reeks, and the most hearty co operation has existed between the two services. It is not necessary for one to expatiate to yon upon the loss the army has sustained in Majur-General the Hon. Sir E. Pakenham, Commander in Chief of this force, nor could i in adequate terms. His services and merits are so well known, that I have only, in com mas' with the whole army, to express my sincere regret, and which may be supposed at this moment to come peculiarly home to me. Maior-General Gibbs, who died of his wounds the following day, and Major-General'Keane, vsere both carried off the field within twenty yards of the glaeis, at the head of their brigades, sufficiently speak at such a moment how they were conducting themselves. lam happy to say Major-General Keane is doing well. Cdetain Wylly, of the fusiliers, Military Secretary to the late Commander of the Forces, will have the tumour of tle!ivering, , to your Lordship these dispatches. Knowing how much he enjoyed his esteem, and, was in his 'confidence fition a lone experience of his talents,• I feel I cannot do less than pay this tribute to what I con ceive would be the wishes of his late General; and to recommend hint strongly to your Lordship's protection. I have, &e. (Signed) JOHN LiIBERT, Major-General, commanding. [Next follows a report from Major-General Keane ' dated Camp rna the left bank of the Mi ss i s iippi, nine mil e s f r om New (Means, December :6, 1814, stating the landing of a part of thetroops, and that about eight o'clock in the evening on the 22d, when the men, much fatigued by the length of time they had been in the boats were asleep in their bivouac, a heavy flanking fire of round and grape shot was opened upon them, by a large schooner and two gun vessels, which had dropped down the river from the town; from this they were covered.] A most vigorous attack was then made en the advanced front and right flank picquets, the former of the 95111 under Captain Henan, the latter the 85th, under Captain Seliaw ; these officers, and their respective picqusets, conducted themselves with firmness, and check ed ti:e enemy fora considerable time, but renewing their attack with a large force, and pressing at these points, Colonel Thornton judged it necessary to move up the remainder of both corps. The 85th regiment was commanded by Brevet Major Gubbins, whose conduct cannot be too much commended ; on the approach °flits regiment to the point of attack, the enemy, favoured by the darkness of the night, concealed themselves under a high fence which separated the fields, and calling to the men as friends, under pretence of being part of our own force, offered to mho them in getting over, o hich was no sooner accomplished than the 85th found, itself in the midst of very superior numbers, who, discovering them selves, called on the regiment immedietely to surrender—the answer waM an instantaneous attack; a more extraordinary conflict has perhaps neeer occurred, absolutely hand to band both ofF.cers nien. It terminated in the repulse of the enemy with the cap ture of thirty, prisoners. A similar finesse was attemptedwith the 98th regiment. which met the same treatment. Theeuemy finding his reiterated attacks were repulsed by Col. ThorotoO, at half past ten o clock Advanced a large Coltman against onreeutre; perceiving his intention, I directed C o l our ! St o vi n to order Lieutenant Colonel Dale, with one hundred and thirty men of the 93d regiment, wimp had just melted the camp, to move forward and use the' bayonet, holding the 4th regiment in band, formed g lin , , as my last resift.. Colonel Dale endeavoured to execute his eiders,. but the Nifty enemy would not meet him, seeing the, steadiness of his tinf d! body, gave it a heavy fire and quickly retired. Colonel Brooke, With fuer companies a the elst regiment, tot innately appeared gt that moment on right flank, slid sufficiently secured it from further attack. Tile enemy How determined to makes last effort, and collecting the whole of his force, formed an extensive line, and moved directly against the light brigade. At first this line drove in all the advapeed posts, lent Colonel Thornton, whose noble exertions bad guaranteed all farmer success, was at hand I he called his brave comrades and moving turward with a firm detetrnimititm of charging, "W 4 lled the Mays who, front the lesson he had rectiVed on the VIE NATIONAL - REGISTER. . N MARCH 12. same ground in the early part of the evening, thought it prudent to retire, and did not again date to advance. [Then follows a report from Colonel Thornton, dated Redoubt, on right bank of the Alis...is&ippi, Jan. 8 1815; stating his POCCen in carrying the Redoubt and the enemy's pobition on that bank of the river. An Extract from the journal of Major Forrest, A. Q. M. G. of the movements of the Army employed on the Southern Coast of North America, gives the details of the minor operations up to the Ist of January.] His Majesty's Ship Tonnant, off Mandeleues Island, Jan 28, 1813. . • My LORD—After maturely deliberating on the • ituation of this army, after the command had unfortunately devolved upon me, on the Bth instant, and duly consideriug what probability now remained of carrying on with success, on the saine plan, an attack strains' New Orleans, it appeared to me that it ought not to be persisted in. 1 immediately comm u nicated to Vice-Admiral Sir A. Cochrink that I did isot think it would be prudent to make any further attempt at present, and that I recommended re-embarking the army as anon a s possible, with a view to carry into effect the other object.; of the force employed upon this roast ; from the 9th instant it was deter mined that the army should retreat, and I hav'e the satisfaction (pe informing your Lordship that it was effected on the eight of the instant, and ground was taken up on the morning of the 19th on both aides of the Bayou?, or creek, which the troops had entered on their disembarkation, 14 miles fromtheir position before the enemy's line, covering New Orleans, on the left bank of the Mississippi. and one mile from the entrance into Lac Borgne : the army temainerj in bivouac until the 2rtli instant, when the whole were re-embarked. in stating the circnmstaaees of this retreat to your Lordship, I shall confidently trust that you:will see, that good order and disci pline ever existed in this army, and that zeal for the service and attention was ever conspicuous iu officers of all rants. Your Lord. ship is already acquainted with the position the army ocenpied, its advanced post close tip to the enemy's line, and the greater part of the army were 'expoied to the fire of hiebatteries, Which was mire ' milting day arid night since the Ist January, when the position in advanse was taken up, the retreat was effected withvitt being harassed in any degree by the enemy ; all the sick and wonnded. (with the exception of eighty, whom it was considered dangerous to remove) field artillery, ammunition, hospital, and other stores of every description, which had been Ihnded on a very large scale, were brought away, and nothing fell into the enemy's hands. excep ting six iron eighteen pounders, mounted on sea carriage, and two carronades which were in position on the left bank of the Mississippi ; to bring them off at the moment the army was retiring was impossi ble, and to have done it previously would have exposed the whole force to any fire the enemy might have sent down the river. These batteries were of course destroyed, and the gnus rendered perfectly unserviceable ; only folic men were reported absent next morning, and these, I suppose, must have been left behind, and have fallen into the hands of the enemy ; but when it is considered the troops were in perfect ignorance of the movements, until a fixed hour during the night, that the battalions mere drawn off in succession, and that the picquets did not move off till half-past three o'clock in the morning, and that the whole had to retire through the most difficult new made road, cut in marshy ground, impassable for a horse, and where, in many places, the men could only go in single files, and that the absence of men might be aceounted.tor in so many ways, it would be rather a matter of surprise the number was so few. An exchange of prisoners has been effected with the enemy npon very fair terms, and their attention to the braVe prisoners and wounded, that have fallen into their hands, has been kind and hu mane, I have every reason to believe. However unsuccessful the termination of the late service, the army and navy have been employed upon, has turned out, it would be injustice not to point out how much praise is due to their ex ertions; ever since the 13th December, when the army began to move from the ships, the fatigue of disembatiting and bringing up artillery and supplies ham such a distance has been incessant, and I must add, t h at owing to the exertions of the navy, the army bas nt. vcr wanted provisions. The labour mid fatigue of the seamen and soldiers were particu larly conspicuous on the night MP4te ith inst. when fifty boats were dragged through a canal into the in *Melt th. re were only 18 inches' of water, and I am confident that Vice-itil teiral Sir A, Cochrane, who suggested the posebility Of this ope- ;4 it . a ow e.i pm_u . a4iiisjihElf=llllllo ;046a -