Star.
London, England, 1814-08-11 00:00:00

THE EVENING STAR.

• LON DON.
•
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1814.
pIUCE OF s LOCKS THIS DAY Xl' TWELVE O'CLOCK.
Reduced 417I—Cen.q. ac.count 671
,4 psr Ct. b 4 —5 per Ct. Navy 961-1-oain. I pre.
'lank Stock 254—Long Ann& 16i i 5-16ihs
.1441a-Stock 196-11ond:, t7s. r.S. 53. pre.

• have received Paris Papers of Sunday. They
J. ate filled with debates on the Liberty of the Press,
. which took place in the Chamber iif.Deputies on
Saturday. Of course all the proceedings went on
-.regularly, but a few Speakers only had• time to utter
theirs?ntiments. The debate was therefore adjourn-
• scl until Monday. M. Ftzunv proposed ntnodified
Censurishipt to render it less objectionablethan when
confided to one man. M. GALLOIS was for rejecting
the KIN6'S project entirely, and establishing the Li-
berty of the Press Qn a liberal
.basis. M. TuAtyi:T
• vehemently sttpoSted-tlie Censorship; ;the vocifera-
s
tion of this Gentlemen, and oilier eccenfricities, con-
vulsed the audience with laughter. Messrs. Duct.
RAM and Dystot.ann supported the Liberty of the
PPiss. M. GOULARI-1. was for the Censorship.
• All the Speakers for the Liberty of:the Press were
kudly.applantled liy the audience., the Paris Jour-
. naliln the interesrof the Ministry says that this is in-
deiarous: they ought to recollect, :however, that
Ptehehlibertytis still in its infancy, and that the Press
• ntilj; can fester it into nianhoed.
• ;. An article from Madrid of the 27th nit. informs os
tbst all is quiet there: the adoption of the Paris

. flash ions in dress occasions 'some petty disturbances,
which arise no doubt from a very correct feeling.
—----- .
• To-day we received Boston to the 9th, and Ha.,
Wax Papers to the 19.11. The former contain little
inteUigence which. can enable us to form any estimate
of the probable duration of the war, unless we regard
a long dispatch from an American Colonel Witt's-
wortrx, which we have given, as affording some fur-
/ Cher presumptive evidence that the -Americans are as
arrant cowards in the field as they are fools and
knaves in the Cabinet.
This pt.o7 WADSWORTH'S misfortunes art truly
pitiable. He is candid, however, in his admissions :
.. We committed a great many blunders;" and ~ the
infantry. and artillery retreated, without consolting
their commanding Alters, and before a single per.
• siroVvira's killed or -wourided:" All 'that he cab say
• fat-4Sem istfrar they- were not iblotntely put ws
- flight as u,nal, but retired in marching order.—
WansvroaTu was left with asolitary gun, which he
fired most manfully, until, looking around him. he
ftwied nq supporters, and even the limbers and horses
174 taken French leave !—He was thetefore obliged
• wspike his gun and take to his heels.
• .Afrar all, thh. was a mere skirmish betw.een a
liandiul. Of-British seamen and marines, who had
landed. at ps
.obscure fishing town, and a repilar
American army. it is pompously, however, called
at Washington; the ~ Defeat of the British frigates
which .blockaded OM rnodote.Barney."—We have
fist to learn how these Baba!: contrived to defeat
British frigates upon land The subjoined are
4acts from the American Paper.;
. .

" BOSTOI4, SLILY 7.
u SMAT.T. Spzc OF PitAes.—Sbine of the New
YOrk Papers say, that a letter'froni Washington had
Bien received, which stated, that the last dispatches
erjnn Our Envoys in England informed Government
'that Mr. Crawford• had met Lord Casa..feagh at
the house. of ore of the French Ministers (Rube-
Marb-oii) ; that in the course of the interview Lord
Castlereagh tatisfaztorily explained, the cause of the
apparent delay ep'the part of his Government to ap.
point Commissioners to meet outs •at Gottenhurgh,
and lamented that the place fixed had not Mien in
LOndon. a,- the Hague, as it would much facilitate
the proposed negotiations.'
46 Tht Natiosal li#ritigenter is wholly silent on the
stibject of the 'dispatches ;_and a letter from Wash-
(kqernment, I am atsured, have re-
ceived affrci* informatiop, thitin the treaties nego-
c;ated blows ,EngiFiLit Rus:siat...Astsgil.t.and Pros.
sia, thereare private articles, by vii*imilicontract-
ing pasta!" have agreed that none of than will inter-
fete in the dispute betWeentis Britannic Majesty and
the United States of America ; and that the new
French Ainfloriews have engaged to subscribe to the
same conditions: This may be considered a War

ropeck.
4. Gokarinnie fonTwan.—We learn from Washing-
ton, that letters from our Commissioners in Europe,
brouglft by Ow late arrival at Boston, via Halifax,
were written prior to the appointment •of Commis.:
sior-crs on the part of 9reat Britain. They of course
do not contain very late Intelligence; but notwith,
stapling the procrastination which they had witnessed
in the British Cabinet, in relatipn to American affairs,
iiti unaerstood that they did npt despair of effacking
;be object of their mission." s
cAprona Of Tait Essgx Yntoars.--Yesterd4y
fived the sloop Essex, inn. Capii!in-p01..e.„ 'Adam
frot,n Valparaiso, with greater part of the crew of the
!Jokey! States frigate Essex, • Captain Port‘r, which
%Tat] was green up as acattel by the comma:lda of]

the British frigate -Pbcebe. Captain Porter has re-
quested a suspension df public opinion on the loss of
the Esikx, >Entil the official account appears, pr a
court.dsartial may have given * decision."
44 WASHINGTON, JULY 1.
44 Ecowniry or Govensmotr.—ln pursuance of or-
ders from the War Department, issued in consequence
of the retreat of the enemy from the waters of the Pa-
tuxent, the volunteers from this district, set out on
their return on Wednesday evening. The cavalry
arrived ' yesterday, and marched to the War Office,
where they were dismissed. The artillery and rifle
companies will arrive in the course of tn.morrow.
"Commodore Barney arrived in this city on Thurs-
day evening. His flotilla, we learn, is moved as far
up the Patuxent as Lower Marlborough."

WASHINGTON, 3.ULT So.

REPULSE OF THE BRITISH FIIIGATP.S WHICH BLOCIKADED

COMMODORE Ililer: EY 'S FLOI I LLA e-

COTT OT A LETTER FROM COLONEL WADSWOR Ts TO TUE SE-
MILITARY OF WAR, DATED CARII', NtAiS SAINT LEONARD'S,
JUNIE

44 Sin—We decided on attacking the enemy this
morning, at day-break. After two and a half or
three hou4cannonadingb he thought proper to re-
treat.down, the.river ; and Commodore Barney has
taken advantage of his absence to pass his flotilla-,qp
I -
the Patuxent. .I was constrained to precipitate the
attack before I was fully prepared, from the circum-
stance of all the enemy's small vessels having left
thei river.
. ,

I. The ground I was obliged to oecopy for a bat-
tery consisted of a high bluff pointf. haying the Pa-
tuxent on the right and St..Lesmard's-Creeb:- on 'the
kft, with which the communication :was over a fiat
piece of ground, subject to be enfihded froM the Pa-
tuxent, and n. 14 hill
.on which the guns were to be
placed liable to it reverse fire from the same quarter;
therefore, in case of an, attack, the enemy Might have
made our situation. very uncomfortable, by station-
ing a small mid so as to command the low ground
speuk.of.

.. We committed a great many blunders during
the action, or our success would probably have been
mbre complete. I forbear to enter into minute pat-
ticdlars, lest T should casvan indirect censure on some
officers, perhaps undeservedly, for I must acknowledge
I was so much engaged at the battery, as to have
but an indistinct knowledge of what passed elsewhere.
But the fact is, the infantry and light artillery de-
cided upon retreatitig without my orders, before they
had last a single man killed or wounded ; and at the
time too, wben the enemy were manoeuvring to the
,rear of our position with their barges. The conse-
quence
of this movement was very disadvantageous;
the twat at the puns perceiving the infamy retreat.,
.its -411Igirie-tektrirkgrenitrtte-rea ill aitlm,l
beri began sensibly to ‘liiniitish;and I watoretty soot)
hit with only men eirmigh*to-work one gesierfticl; I
was necessitated to turn to the rear for: sate. of.
.bargeskeeping the arges in check. Finally t few men
that remained were so exhausted with fatigue. we

fowls' it imprecticableos fire any more, and the lim-
4,ers an berms which had been ordertd down the
hill, having disappeared and gone, I knew not where,
I found myself under the painful necessity of spiking
the gunv, to prevent their being made use of by the

energy, shoula he ge; possession of them.

14 I must, in justice to the Lufiutry, aknowlitdir
they did not take to flight, brit quitted the grousild an
-perfect order.: after a while, I was able ' kaltibem
and bring them back. In the mcau tin*l .e coemyti
were getting under weigh and raising down the ever ;
from the precipitancy tak•his retreat I iura Die Must
have suffered considerably,. From somertanteirari
circumstances, I•bad it not in my power to observe
the effect of each shot We fired, otherwise; titinLhis
desuuction would have been complete. .
" Commodore Barney furnished me with 410 ex-
cellent men from his flltilla, to work the glum By.
some Misinanagement in loading with a hot shot,. one
poor fellow had his arms blown off, which is-the only
material accident we sustained. - One of the enemy's
rockets passed through an ammunition box, which

had just been .injudiciously placed, and exploded it,
which did somitlainage. An ammunition cart near
it was covered wish thi fire. but fortunately did not

explode. Some other trifling accidents mere bus.
tined.

" We coransen' ced in the night an epanlement to
cover our gunst but the work progressed SO ik )14 frnpi
the shimnessscsi time, I did not think it hest Stoat**
it. We retreated our guns so as barely to allow the
muzzles to peep over the bill. This .brought us cn.
descending ground, in it ploughed corn-field. Th 4
recoil of tlie gun downed every time it was fired,
give us excessive labour to bring it tip to its pos6ion.
In other respects it answered admirably. The enemy
found it impossible to hit either the guns or men._
Eoery shot aimed by them either fill short and struck
the bank, or flew clear over. Towards the close of

the firing, the enemy adopted the method of using
small charges pf powder, which just threw his shot
over the hill, probably firing from his carrouades--
but the effect was nut more decisive.
" To prevent the enemy taking alarm in the night
'from cur movements, we were necessitated to halt
our ammunition waggons and carts above a quarter
of a mile from the battery, and pass all the stores,
even the Pricks of which our furnace was'eonstructed,
.thtst distance by hand, This fatigued the men ex.
eessively, I felt, certain, if the enemy should open.
. •
von us even a random fur, it would be impossible

to ::et any , thing done fob a• Asonfuslon it would
cr, ate.
,
" I ou-;;ht to mention, mat tne situation in which
the infantry and light• artillery were placed, was a
trying one for new raised troops Most of the shot
which missed the battery( fell among them. I had
anticipated that disadvantage, but it was unavoidable.
It was indispensible to have them covered by some
rising ground from the waters of the Patuxent, and
the position chosen was the only one compatible with
that view, and the design I had in posting them to'
protect the rear of our battery.
" The battalion of the. 38th regiment joined us
but last tvening, after a hard day's march, and were
immediately marched to the ground. Some of their
men were completely exhausted, and the whole ex-
cessively fatigued and half famished.
" Commodore Barney's flotilla was at hand, ready
to open upon the enemy the moment a favour-
able opporturtity should offer. He commenced firing
soon after us, and drew off that of the enemy for a
while. I have not seen him since the action, but tin.
derstand he lost several men killed and wounded.

I hope, on the whole, Liking into consideration
our not being fully preparetl, the excessive fatigue the
men had undergone, and that we have obtained the
object in view, which was the release of Commodore
Barney's flotilla, the affair will not refit-et dishonour
on our troops. I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) . DECIVE WAMWORTII.
" General Johri tirirstrong, Secretary of War."
" FROM I-lAVANNAI-I, JUNE

" The blockade has'completely cut off the trade to
the United States ; we have had only one or two ar-
rivals,for some weeks—molasses consequence has
falten much. American produce, of all descriptions,
in demand, and daily enhancing. India goods sit:ted
to the African trade in great demand. Should the
affairs of Europe coutinue favourably, the present
high prices of our produce will. be maintained."

" HALIFAX, JULY Is

le Lieu t. Oates, Aid.de.Camp to his'txcellency Sir
John C. Sherbroulce, K. B. arrived in town late an.
Friday evening last, from Eastport, with dispatches,
announcing the surrender of that Island on the 12th
instant, to the Brieis!) forces, from Bermuda and this
plAce, which joined at Shelburne, and from thence
proceeded Against it. The terms of the Capitulation,
we understand, were very liberal, ..11 private property
was respected.

Wednesday arrived the United. States brig Rat-
tlesnake, prize to the Leander; captured on Monday
last, on her return home from a cruizr of two m-nths„
in which she took Ana stink, the brig kihn, from Li-
verpool,- bound to 41 nrto ; aod schooner Crown
ol'EVole; .igiitiondbinci for .Ilicant.
•OrividAy, his ship Leander, Carain
Sir oeo.ll,.,Collier, fro ; And•the American
schooner Thorn, frolft Nofth Carolina, bound to Care
Aim, prise to the Buiwirk:—Fridly, cartel shlp nt•
tad,* iron; Salem, 68 hours, with eighty British sub-
jects; late prisoners in the United States: same day,
schooners:ll(mm, Koch ; and Queen, Freeman, from
Surinam, 26 days.

44 Saturday, his Majesty's packet Lady Louisa,
Captain Gibbon, from Falmouth, )5 days ; near the
Western _lslands was attacked by an American priva.,
leer, which she beat off.—Ye►terday, the ship Trial,
Deblois, frum Portsmouth, 41 days. Sailed, under
convoy of his Majesty's ships Srabarse and Peruvian,
and in company with t!te Dolphin store-ship, two
transports, with stores, and ships Henry and Wolfe's
Cove, and parted from thins ten days since, on the
Banks of Newfoundland. Off Owl's Head she fell
in with his. Majesty's brig Recruit, ivhich saw her safe
into this harbour."

To complete Lord HILL'S expedition, measures of
great activity are now pursuing.
Three companies of artillery, commanded by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel DICASON and Majors tones And MON no,
are ordered to hold themselves in immediate readi-
ness to embar k for America, and are to rendezvous at
the Cove of Cos kby theist September. A detachment
of 100 of the 9th regiment of the line has marched
from Canterbury, aad another of 75 of the 85111 from
.Hythe. to embark at Portsmouth, to join their re.
specuve regiments. on foieign service.
It is 4tated that.at Sn• entertainment given on Sa-
turday, at Whitchurch, in honour of Lords Hut and
Comma:us. the Chairman; sarong other toasts,
gave .. Success to brd his American expe-
dition." lit yetusaisi Alrao!:-.2 Thertfoble Lord said,,
ik.at he had three days Ago raltn leave Of his Prince,
and on the Ist of Septemoer be should quit England
for Cork, where he should embark en the first favour-
able opportunity for AMerica, to take the command
lof the British army and he had no doubt, with the
means already there, together with those on the way,
and what were promised, he should bring the contest
to a speedy and successful termination.
Tuesday morning :100 picked men of the 2d bat.
tabor of the 3d Regiment of Foot, and eleven com-
missioned Oflicers, marched from Brighton for Ports-
mouth, to embark and join the first battalion in Ame.
rica. The remainder of this regiment being chiefly
invalids and boys, are to march for Hastings, and the
duty at Brighton will be taken by the 36th regiment.
The first battalions of the I lth, 28th, 40th, 79th,
and two 'other regiments, to be completed to 1000
men, lately arrived in Ireland from France, are or.
dered to proceed to Cork, previous to their immediate
embarkation for the other shore of the Atlantic, from
that city.

A Subscription to a considerable amount has been
made by the Officers of the Hospital Staff•of the
Amy lately strvins in the Peninsula, for the pur-
pose of presuming a piece of Plate to Sir JAMB.
M‘Gaeocut, Chief of the Medical Department on that
service, as a token of their attachment and esteem.