The National Register.
London, England, 1814-10-23 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

OCT. 23.

The LO NDO N G AZETTE E XTR AO RDINAR I;

MONDAY, OCTOI3EK 17, 1814.

COLONIAL DEPARTMENT, 1)oW:1/4:INO-STREET, OCT. 17.

*Captain 'Alaellongsll •arrivell early this morning with a aispatell,
atithessett to Earl Batboys!, one ok his Majesty's Ilrineipal.Seere-
tai ie. of State, by C:otonel Brook, of which the following is a
cupy
_ _ _

On board H. M. S. 'Formant, Cheempeake, Sept. 17. 1814.

My Lord,—l have the honour to inform your Lordship, that
the di visen of our troops under the command of MajorAitaieral
Boss etketed a disemtim kation on the morning of the I.2th Of Sup
teintier, Near North Polut, on the left point of the Patapsco
River, dist:int ti mu Baltimore about thirteen miles, with the view
of pushing a recounissauce, iu co•operation with the naval forces,
to that town ; and acting thereon as the enemy's strength and posi-
tions might be found to dictate.
Toe approach on this side to Baltimore lays through a small pen-
in.nila formed by the Patapsco and Rack River, and generally from
two to three miles broad, while it narrows in some places to less
than half a mile.

Three miles from North Point the enemy intrenched himself spite
across this neck of land, towards which (the disembarkation hav-
ing been completed at an early hem) the troops advanced.
The enemy was actively employed-. in the completion of this
work, deepening the ditch, and strengthening its front by a low
aboatis, both which, however, he precipitately abandoned on the
appioach of our skirmishers, leaving in our hands some few dra-
goons, being part of his rear guard.
About two miles beyond this post our advance became engaged ;
the country was here closely wooded, and the enemy's riflemen
were enabled to conceal themselves. At this moment the gallant
General Ross received a wound in his breast, which proved mor-
tal. He only survived to recommend a young and unprovided
family to the protection of his King and. country.
Thus fell at an ea, ly age one of the brightest ornaments of his pro-
fession ; one who, whether at the head of a regiment, a brigade,
or corps, had alike displayed the talents of command ; who was
not less beloved in his private, than euthusiastically admired iu his
public character ; and whose only fanit, it' it may be deemed so,
was an excess of gullantiy, enterprize and devotion to the service.
It ever it were permitted to a soldier to lament those ‘vho full
in battle, we may indeed in this inst-nee claim• that melancholy
privilege.
'rhos it is, that the honour of addressing your Lordship, and the
command of this auny, have devolved open : dirties which, un-
der any otiier circamstances, might have been embraced as the
nio.4 enviable gitis of fortone : and here I venture to soi;ck
through your Lordship, his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's
consideration to the eiretimstauces of my succeeding, during ope-
rations of so much Moment, to an officer of such high and estab-
lished merit.

0111. advance continufne to press (inward, the enemy's light
troops were pn:istil to within live miles of Baltimore, where a
Corps of about six thoticand men, tsik pieces of artillery, and
some hundred cavalry, were discovered misted under cover of a
wood, drawn op in a very dense order', and lining a strong paling,
which crossed the main road ne%rly at right angles. The creeks and
inlets of the Patapsco, and Back Rivets, which approach ene'a
other at this point, will in some measure account for the contrac-
ted n (tore of the emony's position.
I immediately °Melee, the tiecessary dispositions for a cre!leral
attack. The brigade, muter the command of Major Jones,
of the 4th, consist:An; of the t light infantry, tinder Nl:dor
Goi bitts. and the light companies of the army under Major Prin-
gle, of the I.st, coveted the whole of the front, driving in the
enemy's skirmishers with great loss on his main body. The Ath
regiment, imdcr Major Fannee, by a &tom. through some hollow
ways, gained unperceived a lodgment close upon the enemy's left.
The remainder of the riolst brigade, under the command of the
Hon. Lientenant•Colonel Ma consiqing of the 4 regiment
under Major Johnson, the mariner of the fleet under Captain Rob-
bins, and v detachment of seamen under Captain Money of the
Trave. formed line along the enemy's front, .while the -left bri-
glue tinder Colonel Paterson, CU1P4114612 of the 21st regiment,
com-nanded by Major Whitaker. the Vd battalion marines by Lieu-
teriatit•l:olone-1 Malcolm, and a detachment of marines by Major
Lew is. remained in columns on the told, with orders to tscploy to
his left, and press the eliemv'g right, the moment the ground be-
came sufficiently open to admit of that movement:

pq
3 ry
-
•

In this order, the signal being given, the whole of the Croups ad-
vanced rapidly to the charge.
.114 less than fifteen minutes, the
ellen) force being • utterly broken and dispersed, fled in evety •
direction over the country, leaving on the field two isiccea of can-
non, u ith a iconaiderable number of killed, vioundtd, and pri-
StMe Es.

'the enemy lost in this short but brilliant affair from five to six
hundred in killed and wound( d ; while at the most moderate row.
potation, he ut least one thousand hors de conubut. The sth te4i- •
went of militia, in particular, has been represented as

. . .
nihilated. ..
1 The day being now far advanced, and the troops (as is alWays
the ease on the first march alter disembarkation) much fatigued, .
we halted for the night on the ground of which the enemy hail
been dispossessed. Here I received a communication from Vice
i•Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane, iolorming me that the
1 frigates, bomb ships, and flotilla of the fleet, mould .on the en•
suing morning take their stations as previously proposed.
At day break on the 13th, the army again advanced, and at
ten o'clock I occupied a favourable position eastward of Haiti- ,
! more. distant about a mile and a half, and from whence I could
reconnoitre at my leisure the defences of that town.
Baltimore is completely surrounded by strong but detached hills,
on which the enemy had constructed a chain of pallisaded redoubts,
1 connected by a small breast-work : I haver however, reason to think
that the defence to the northward and westward of the place were .
in a very ueliaished state. Chiukapin Hill, which lay in front of
our position, completely commands the town ;
.this was the strongest
, part of the line, and here the enemy seemed most apprehensive of
1 attack. These works were defentled,saccording to the best inform-
! at ion which we could obtain, by about fifteen thousaull men, with A
large train of artillery.
Judging it perfectly feasible, with the description of forCes under
, my command, I made arrangements for a night attack, during which
the superiority of the enemy's artillery would not have been so
much felt, and Captain APDougall, the bearer of these dispatch:-s•
will have the honour to point out to your Lordship those particular •
points of the line which I had proposed to act on. .
During the evening, however, I received a communication from
1 the Commaurler in Chief of the naval forces, by which I was inform-
ed, that in consequence of the entrance to he harbour being closed
up by vessels sunk for that purpose by the enemy, a naval co-operas
; •
• troll against the town and camp was found impreetieable-
I. • Under these circumstances, and keeping ill view your Lordship's
instructions, it was agreed between the Vice-Admiral and myself,
that the captbre of the town would not have been a sufficient NO-
m valeta to the loss which might probably be sustained in storming that
' heights.
Having formed this resolution, after compelling the enemy to sink
upwards of twenty vessels in different parts of the harbour, causing
j time citizens to remove almost the whole of their property to pluses
1 of more seeurity inland, obliging the government to coneentrate all
the military force of the surrounding states,' harrassing the militia, .
!,id forcing !bent to collect from Twiny remote distiiets, causing
he enemy to burn a valuable rope-walk, with other public buildings,
in order to clear the glacis in flout of their redoubts, besides havieg
beaten and routed them in a general action, I retired ou the 14414
i. three miles from the position which I had occupied, where I halted
(alm; some hours.
This tardy movement was partly caused by an expectation that
the enemy might possibly be induced to move out of the enti (lien-
j ments and fellow us; but he profited by the lesson which he had re•
e,..ivei on the ittit, and towards the evening I retiletl the troops
about three miles and a half furtker, where I took up my grown' for
:he nOit.
Having ascertained, at a late hour on the morning of the 15th.
I that the enemy had no divosition to qeit his entrencontents, I
Ii moved down and re-embarked the army at North Point, not leaving
le man behind, and carrying with me about two hundred prisoners,
1 being persons of the best townies in the city, and which number
1 might have been very considerably increased,
was not LkC fatigue of
the troops :111 object princip,lly to be avaided. .
1 I have now to remark to your Lordship, that nothing could snr-
prss the zeal, nnenimi!v,
. c A i►ig, the WhOle of
i i" I°lce, whether naval, military, or Plattlii!, ....nr i
and ardour, dm.played by every desc!iption
these operations.
I am highly indebted to Vice-Admiral Sir A Cochrane, Com-
mander, in Chief of the naval fimrees, for time active as,i•tanee Levi
zealous eo-^Peration which hewn% reedy, upon every oi:ea-Am, to
1 atibrd me ; a di,position conspicuous in every branch of the ii.,val
t service, and which cannot tail to ensure ducce3s to every comolued
iir operation of this armament.