The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-25 00:00:00

510

TTTE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Hcad-quarters, Upper *Canada. near Niagara
Fells. 27 tit July, 1 a'4.
Sr --I embarked on board his Majesty's schooner Nettey, at York,
on Smulay evening, the 'nit inst. nod reached Nineat a at dirybreak
the hallow ieg morione. trout Lieutenant-Colonel 'l' ticker.
that Major-Gen. Riad was understood to be moving towards the
Falls of Niagara to support the advance of iti* which he
bail pti-lied on to that place on the pri•ceding evenieg, I ordered
Lieutenant Colonel Morrisoe, with the 89th reeimeut, and a detach-
•ment of the Royals and drawn from Fort George, and Mts.
sissaga, to proceed to thc same point, ill order that, with the united
force, _ ;.et against the enemy ( posted at Street's Creek, with
t
aileanee at (leippae.a) en my ;arrival, if it should be found exits,-
dicta. I order. d Licata melt Coloeel Tucker, to proceed up the
rielit bank of the river %%I tli diree hundred of the 414, and about two
hundred of the Itoyal and a body tit Labatt Warriors stip.
ported (on the rivet) by a party of artilCil seamen, Dialer Captain
Dobbs, Hord Navy. The ;eject of this movement was to disperse
or rapture a tinily °Nile enemy which %vas cocamped at Lewiston
Some miavoi:lable delay having oeceared in the march of cur troops
na the rig:st haek, the enemy had moved MI previous to Lient-Col.
Tucker's arrival. 1 have to express myself satisfied with the exer-
tams of that officer.
Haying refreshed the troops at Queenstown, and having %might
across the 410, Royals, and Indians, I sent back the 41st and 100th
regiments to form the garrisons of the Forts George, Miesissaga and
N; gam. under Lieutenant Colonel Tucker, and moved, with the
Bth, and detechmen s of the Royals and King's, mid light company
of the 414,- in al about eight hundred men, to join Major-General
Rieli'4 division at the Fails.
W lien arrived within a few miles of that pnsition, I met a report
tom Mejar-Gcn Riall, that the enemy was advancing in great force.
I nom, diaoey pushed on, rind joined the head of Lient.-Col. Mor
rlson's collam, just as it reached the road leading towards the Bea •
yet! Don, over the teamit of the hill at Lundy's Lane, instead of
the wßole of Major-Gen Riail's division, which I expected to have
feeet oceepyme this posi loot, I found it ahnost in the occupation of
the < n' my. who e column', were within 600 yards of the top of the
eni tae sitiroun lin woods filled with his light troops. The
eel nee ..f Major-Gen Itiall's • ion, consisting of the Glengarry
Tient Wattle!, ate I C. rporated M Ltia, having commeeced their
rte teat Nam Foot George, I cenine: mantled these corps, and formed
the h9tls iegiment a.ai the :t (seal Seets detachments and 41st light
companies he the re•!r of 'he lel:, their I. ft resting on the great road;
my two 24 p.m! der brass field guns a little advanced in front of the
centre ou the •nnni of the bib ; die Glenearry Light Infantry of
Elie Held tlm b f lueorparated avid the detachment
of the King's It g ment on the left of the great road. I had scarcely
eompleied this f rmation when the whole front was warmly and
elm% iy engs_ed. The enenre's principal efforts Vr ere directed
our let and center Ater repeated attacks, the troops on the left
were partially forced back, and the enemy gained a momenta!), pos-
seslion of the road. 'rids Ease him,. however, no material advan-
tage, as the troops which had been forced back formed in the rear
of the 89th regiment. fronting the road, lied se cnrieg the flaak. It
Ara, daring this shortietert al that Major-Gen Riall, having receayed
2 severe woned. was ietercepted as lie was passiug to the rear, by a
patty ()flue Viler' 's cavalry, and m ids primmer. In the centre the
reps fed and die -milled at 'arks of the enemy were met by the 09111
regiment, !he ile;aelneents of the Royals and King's, and the
compauy 41.•1 'centavo, with the most perfect steaditiesa and in-
trepid gallaetry, and the enemy was constantly repulsed with %Pei y
heavy loss. also determined a manner were these attacks directed
tag tart oar run*, that our artillerymen were bayonetted by the eee
my in the act of l•ading, mid the mezz•ee of the enemy's guns were
advanced within a few yard.: of ours Tile darlent•ss of the Bight
daring this excr fordiaary co. flies urea-it:tiled several uacommon in•
Indent,: : oar tro tp, hiving f r a inotuent hear pushed back, som •
°lour guava remained true a few minutes in the enemy's hands; they
were, however, not only quickly recovered, but the two pi •ve, a
6-pounder and a 51 inch howi'zer, wLich the enemy had brave! t
np, were captured by us, tneether with several timieik, and in lie -
hering up our gutty at one per od, one the enemy's 6-powele_s
was putt, by mistake, upon a limber of ours, and one of oer
pounders Main re-I on one of is ; by which means the pieces wt re
exchanged. and thus, though see captured two of his guns, yet, a,
Le obtained ode of ours, we have rained only one gin.
About nine o'clock (the action having commeeced at six) there
was a short intermission of firing, during which it appears the enemy
was employed in bringing up Ike whole of his temaining force, and
he. shortly afterwards renewed his attack with fresh troops. hut was
every whete reordited w:ta taped gallantry and success. About this
period the remainder 41 Rialr.s division, which had been

SEPT. t 5.

(altered to retife on the advance of the enemy, consisting of the
rejment under Col. Scott ; the head-quarter division of the
Royal Scots ; the head quarter division of the Bth or King's; flank
companies W4th. Some detachmeets of militia ander Lieut.-Col.
Hamilton, In-pectiog Field Officer,. joined the troops engaged, and
I placed them in a second line, With the exception of • the Royal
Scots, and flank companies 104th, with which 1 prolonged my trout
line on the right. where I was apprehensive of the enem.'s outflanking
me. The ceemy'a efforts to carry the hill wei eeontinued until about
midnight, when he lad sulfured so severely from the superior steadi-
ness and discipline of his Majesty's troops, that he gave up the con-
test and retreated with great precipitation to his camp beyond the
Chippewa. On the following day he abandoned his camp, threw
the greatest part of his bageaee, camp equipage and provisions, into
the Rapids; and having set tire to Street's Mills and destroyed the
bridge at Chippewa, continued his retreat in great disorder towards
Fort Eric. My light troops, cavalry, and Indians are detached in
pursuit, and to harass his retreat, which I doubt not he will continue
until lie reaches his own shore.
The loss sustaived by the enemy in this severe action, cannot be
estimated at less than fifteen hundred men, ilicluding several hnn-
dreds of prisoners left in our hands; his two commanding Generals,
Brown and Scott, are said to be wounded, his whole force, which
has never been rated at, less than five thousand, having been engaged.
Enclosed I have the honour to transmit a return of our loss, which
has been very considerable. The number of troops under my com-
mand did not, for the first three hours, exceed sixteen hundred men ;
the addition of the troops under Col. Scott, did not increase it to
more than two thousand eight hundred of every dose% lotion.
A very difficult, but at the same time a most gratifying duty re-
mains, that ofendeavouring to do justice to the merits of the officers
and soldiers by whose valour and discipline this important success
has been obtained. I was very early in the action deprived of the
services of Major-Gen. Riahl, who, 1 regret to learn has snilered.the
amputation of his arms in the enemy's possession; his bravery,
zeal and activity have always been cnnspicuous.
To Lieut.-Col. Harvey, Depaty Adjutant-General, I am so deeply
indebted for his valuable assistance previous to, as well as his able
acid energetic exertions during this severe contest, that I feel myself
called upon to point your Excellency's attention to tee distinguished
merits of this highly deserving officer, whose services have been
particularly conspicuous in every affair that has taken place since
his arrival in this province. The zeal and intelligence displayed by
Major Glegg, Assistant Adjutant-General, deserves my warmest
approbation. I much regret the loss of a very iutellirnt and pro.
wising young officer, Lieut. Meorsum, athith regiment, Deputy As.
'istant Adjutant-General, who was killed towards the close of the
action. Tice active exertions of Capt. Elliot, Deputy Assistant
Quarter Master General, of, whose gallantry and conduct I had oc.
easion, on two former instances to mutat k, were conspicuous. Ma.
jor Manic and Lieut. Le Breton, of the eaaarter-MastersGenerars
Department, were extremely useful to me; the latter was severely
wounded.
Amongst the officers from whose active exertions I derived the
ereatest asAstaece, I cannot omit to mention my Aides de Getup,
Captains ,Tervoise and Lorin:;, and Captain Holland. Aid de Camp
to Major ; Captain Loring was unfortunately taken primmer
by some of the enemy's dragoons, whilst in the execution of an
order.
In reviewing the action from its commencement, the first object
which presents itself as deserving of notice, is tile steaciiiiess and
good coeutenanee of the squadron of the 19th !Hit dragoons under
Nlajor Lisle, mei the very en di table and excellent defence made
bs the hieorporated militia battalion, under Lieut. Colonel
eon, who was daegerously wounded, and a detachmeet of Bth
reelieent, under relooel Campliell. Major Kirby sec
ceeded Li en t. Cobalt-I Robinson in the command or the incorpo-
rated militia battaiion, and centime d vet y gaflaally to direct its
efforts; this battalion has horn nt.ly oreanized a few 'eoliths, and
much to the credit of Ci:ptain itobin7,on, of the Kiag's reeiment
(Proviio iii Lientenent Coolie') has attaived a highly mpectable
degree of
In the r. iterated and determined attacks which the enemy made
On our centre, for the purpose of gaiiiiag, at mice, t e crest of our
position and our elms, the steadiness and intrepidity displayed by
the troops allotted for the defiewe of that post, were never sui-
passed : they eousisted of the IA battalion of ti;e 89t1t regiment,
conunivalad by Limit. Colonel Morrisine and after the Lientenaot
Colonel had liven obliged to retire from the field, by a severe
wound, by Major Clifford ; a detaelimeet of the Royal Scots, under
Lieutenant Fraser; detachment of the Bth (or King's), under Cap-
tain Campbell ; light company 4th regiment, under Captain Clew,
with some detachments of militia, under Lieutenant Colonel Parry,