The Sun.
London, England, 1814-10-22 00:00:00

CANADIAN PAPERS.

MONTREAL, SEPT. o.—Advices from Platts-
burg of yesterday morning are come, to hand. Tire
most of our troops had arrived at the place ; but
owing to the badness of the roads, caused by the
hard rains, the heavy artillery bad not got up. It
is stated, our loSs" on the march from Champlain
to PLt,sburg, t'as 120 killed, and about 40 wound-
ed. Lieut. Col.. Willington, of the Buffs or 3d,
was among the former, one Captain and two -sub-
alterns among the latter. We understand six of
the Voltigeurs were killed. It was supposed the
Fort would not bold out any length of time ; it
fired hot-shot upon the town, where the iiritish
troops are ; many of the houses were burnt -in
consequence. ,

We lkave dates from Kingston to the inst.
inclusive. Some days before the Military Cou-
rier for York was taken by surprise, on the Bay
of Quince Road, by a boat'S crew of the enemy.
Soon after Commodore Chauncey made sail for
&ckett's Harbour with his whole fleet.
Accounts are received.irom Fort Erie of the
30th ult. For several days before there had been
a good deal of skirmishing, without any consi-
derable less on either side. The tnovements of
the enemy indicated be was about crossing over ;
for several days he 'fired only fib. shot trota his-
batteries.--It is rumoured, that about the 21st,
the Americans made a desperate sortie, and were
opposed by the 82d regiment. Our brave ftllowS,
it is said, killed 40 on the spot. In the fort sick-
ness prevailed, by which it appars many died
every day.—The average of deserters .was about
ten per day to the British camp. They represent
our fire to have been galling in the Fort ; Gene-
ral Gaines had been badly wounded by a splinter,
and carried to Thai-aloe. The whole force of the
Americans in the Fort was.not above 1500 men.

It is said a body of the enemy, supposed to
be those detached from haul's army three weeks
ago, are fortifyiug theimeives at Hamilton and
Madrid.

SEPT-. 15.—His Excellency the Commander in
Chief and suite arrived in town
,this morning
from the expedition to Plattsburgh.

We understand that our new ship was safely
launched on Saturday last at Kingston.—We sin-
cerely hope that she is destined to repair on Lake
Ontario the naval misfortune we have sustained
on those of Erie and Champlain.

During the last week, several parties of Ame-
rican prisoners have arrived here from Upper
Canada, and yesterday
.16 of those taken on the
late Plattsburgh expedition were brought to town 5'
theA-emainder, between two and three hundred,
we understand, are expected here this clay and to-

Clol'l'o .

In the midst of the pressure of war, our neiJl-
-
bours arc preparing to meet every emesgeney. JO
Massachossetts, Governor !Strong has called a

meeting at Boston, and the Governor of Connec-
ticut has been equally vigilant in his duties GO7.
vernor Tomkins has called titc Legisature Of New
York to meet early in October. The Governor
of Vermont is patting the militia of that State-in
motion ; the purposes may be easily imagined.
SEPTEMBER 17.—We have inserted the General
enter relating to the proceedings of the ariny and
flotilla at Plattsburgh. Candor must compel
every .one tri confess, that the result of the late
operations haS fallen short of " even moderate
expectations."
The battle lasted an hour and a half. The force
of each sTuidron, we are informed, stands thus—
British, 1 ship, mounting in all 32 guns ; 1 brig,
21) guns ; two sloops of 70 tons, each 10 guns.;
and ten gun-boats. American, one ship, rated
28 guns, carrying 36 ; one brig 24 ; one strong
:thooner 18 ; three sloops, each 10 guns ; and
24 gun-boats. The crews, tonnage, and weight
of metal are estimated at one-fourth superior on
the sidt of the Americans; and we have•no rea-
son to doubt our information. , . .
We have always considered offensive warfare
tl e best mode of securing peace ; and recent hu-
miliation has not changed our tone: 'We may be
called to defend points which have hitherto not
been thought of'; and consenitently the late ye-
ti eat may not have been ill advised ; but the fort
at Plattsburgh should have been stormed. That
part of the labour would have cost less in blood
and embarrassment than was, sustained in the re-.
'treat : a retreat that will tend to rouse the ener-
'!.*s of the enemy. We might have taken 2000
ihisone.rs; a fine train of artillery, and immense
stores. We are not military .men, but we call'on
°` evory experienced Officer" to support or con-
tra&crus. If ws are wrong we shall take a Fide

eonlessing our ignorance.
The ,scientiEc brace Generals, Officers, and Sol-
diers of the of Wellington's Army, and the

others vlio lAvt.: bcfore fought in OW' cause in the
Cutiadas, did everything which 'dcpCricil on thew
,

to support the noble aorta of their broth .'rs on
the water. That distinguished Officer, General
Robinson, who has been twice wounded this year
on the other 'Continent, with part of his gallant
brigade, had braved ail danger in an assault.—
Some of the *Outs of the-fort were torn away,
and, a few minutes more would have given up the
fortification with an immense train of artillery in-
to our hands, and every American must have fallen,
or been made prisoner. It was thought neces-
sary to check the ardour of the troops., and we
must now instantly redouble our energies to ob •
taro the command of 'the Lake, or with humility
await our futuredestiny.
Since writing the. above observations, we have
received the following particulars, which may be
depended upon, as being the latest from the
snot
The two squadrons met in Plattsburgh Bay
on the morning of the 14th inst. ; Capt. Downie,
in the new ship the Confiance, led the attack in
the most gallant style, but was unfortunately killed
a few mintites after the action commenced. his
ship was afterwards fought-for more than an hour
with the most determined bravery by Lieutenant
Robinson, when, having suffered a very severe
loss, b9th in Officers and men, the side opposed
the enemy being very much disabled, and failing
in.an attempt to wear, in order to bring her other
broadside to hear on her opponent, whilst the
enemy's strip had succeeded in swinging round,
so as to bring her fresh broadside ,to bear on the
Cohfiance, the Commanding Officer post reluct-
antly ordered her colours to be struck, and the
enemy got possession of a mere wreck ;
from the damage she had sustained, was with
great difficulty kept from sinking.
" The brig Linnet, commanded by Captain
Pring, and the tfvo sloops, supported the frigate.
in the Most courageous and determined manner,
and did not yield until the fall of the latter ren-
dered all furs her resistance unavailing; The gun-
boats, which did not qppear to bear any great
share in the action, seeing the fate of the other
vessels, were enabled :to make good their retreat
with the provision vessel which attended the squct-
drou.
" Shortly after the action commenced, our bat-
teries were opened upon the enemy's forts and
works, and our troops were preparing to
.assault`.
thew, when, in consequence of the disastrous
result of the naval contest, it was deemed
pedient to recall the storming party, then ad-
vancing.

`Pie object of the expedition having been
completely frustrated by the loss of the fleet, the
possession of the enemy's farts and works was
not'considered of sufficient importance to com-
pensate for the valuable lives of the many brave
men which must have been sacrificed to - obta'n
them, particularly as the position could not have
been maintained,
,even if we had gained posse-
sion of it.—Our fleet was not fired upon during
any part of the action from the enemy's hattecries.
The only one from where it %% as supposed the
squadron would have been annoy ed, was a battery
constructed by the enemy upon the beach, from
which they were driven without a shot having been
fired from it, immediately after the fire of our
batteries had opened.
" Our whole loss in the action is estimated at
about 170 killed and wounded ; that of the ene-
my is nearly as great. the enemy's ship was
munch damaged: boat in her hull and rigging, and
her side first opposed to the confianee -nearly dis-
abled. Our army retired from Plattsburgh on the
I.2th to'chMnplain, where part of ,it is now post-
ed and.tbe remainder immediately upon our own
frontier." . .
IhRTFORD, SEPT. 6.—Letters and passengers in
time stag, state, that the enemy landed this morn-
Ong at Guildford, from 1500 to 2000 men, and had
set fire to, a. number of buildings. The intelli-
gence had readied N.• Haven, when-the military
were immediately ordered out, and at two o'clock
they . were on their march to, defend the place.
The people were moving their effects from New
Haven. The force of the enemy off Guildford is
differently stated—some say, one 74, three fri-
tes, and two schooners—others, three frigates
and three tenders : the force landed is however
said to be about 1000.

THE LATE OPERATIONS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND
AT PLATTSBURGH.
[BRITISH ACCOUNT.]

Head-fluarters, Odell 7'own, Scpt. 13, 1614.

"GENERAL ORDERS.
" The Commander of the Forces bas"to thank
the left division: for the steady discipline, un-
wearied exertions and gallantry which have con-
spicuously marked the short service in the terri-
tory of the enemy, so unfortunately arrested' in
its coarse by the .disastrous fite of the flotilla
that had advanced to co-operate in the ulterior ob-
jects of the campaign.
" The intrepid valour with which Captain
Downie led his flotilla into action, encouraged
the most sanguine hope of complete success,
which was early blasted by the fall of that gallant
Officer, combined' with accidents to'which naval
warfare is peculiarly expOsed, cdnsequenee of
the rudder of .his Majesty's ship confiance being
.disabled, and the brig Linret grounding early in
the action ; thus leaving 'those ill-fated vessels,
almost without resource, exposed to the whole
force of the enemy. Alt that undaunted devotion
to • the service could effect, was evinced on this
unfortunate occasion. The Officer in cOiriniand
'of the !livision.of gun-boats' acted with judgment
in securing those vessels to the service, when his
further eilOrts in action had pro Vial unavailing.j4"
" The high spirit and conduct d:.iplayed by his
Majesty's troops in surinouuting e cy obstacle to
the Occultation Of lilattshurAh, and in.,;fterwitrds
forcing the p4iss;!ge *of the Saranac,. leaves no
doubt 'in the mind of the Coinnunl,daut of the
forces, that the Finis: complete and brilliant stic-
_ses, would hare croy.-ned their ulterior opc.ra-
tions, had not the -existing cirrum'itances
impos d upop bitn s•iity of rest
ing their er,uta; it,. • . dl CthopetiAtiOil,

the farther plostention bf tht service would toe
been highly inexpediew.
"'Tie Commander of the Forces avails himself
of this opportunity_ to acknowledge the high
sense he entertains of the cordial support he lift;
expe,itnced from Major-General De Rottenbcrg,
and the Major-Generals: commanding brigades.
" The orderly march'made by the left divition
'on. re-occupying the position it had advanced
from on the 4th inst. notwithstanding the incle-
Inency of the weather, and the very wretched
state of the roads, evinces, in the strongest man-
ner, the judicious arrangements of the Quarter-
Master-General and Commissary-General, as well
as the• unwearied attention of the Commanding
Officers of corps to do their duty.
" The Commander of the Forces has to express
his entire approbation of the arrangements and
zealous exertions of Major Sinclair and the Offi-
cers of the Royal Artillery nor is he disposed to
overlook the alacrity and. intelligence of the ju-
nior Officers of the Royal Engineers, Who are.
thereby entitled to his acknowledgments. His
Excellency feels it a just tribute due to the Ca-
nadian Voltigeurs and Chagseurs, particularly to
notice the report of Major-General Brisbane, that
the conduct of those corps, in their peculiar du-
ties of light troops, has on every occasion been
conspicuously judicious and gallant..
(Segued) " E. BAYNES, Adj. Gen. N:A•
a' The portion of this paragraph, placed within briiekets, is
that which was omitted in the second edition of the Wder.

MONTREAL, SEPT. 6.—Our fleet sailed yester-
day down,Lake.Champlai3-, %vial a view ot co-
operating with Sir G. Prevost's army, which was
on its initrch to take possession of the country
prpposed to be permanently Mchided in the new

QUEBEC, SEPT. 9.-1 ain sorry to inform you,
that the Americans have either taken or de,•troyed
our flotilla on Lake Champlain with great lo:s on
our side, the. whole crew of one of our largest
ships havirg been killed or wounded, but five :
she ;lad got aground under the enemy's batteries,
and would hot strike. Only" two guif-boats ate
said to have escaped. Sir. George, who was sup-
posed to be marching for Sackett's Harbour, has
retreated -from Plattsburgh. to the lines,. and I
suppose Will be obliged to return to Montreal: •