Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-24

limited States troops under the Coiiiiiehu "
Cant. Baep, acting as Major, and coh,Pa'
MES Of militia infantry under Lieutenant Col
Decker. The regular troops of this line JOIN
ed the mounted riflemen under Gen. "eii'
ON the left flank, and Col. Deckef's battalion
formed an angle with Spencers company Oh
the left. :,
Two troops Of Dragons, amounting 10 ~
the aggregate about sixty men, were ehcamp'
ed in the rear of the left flank, and Captain
Parke's troop, which was larger than inc O.
Their two, in the rear Of the front iine. ouf
order of encampment varied little from tha'
above described, excepting when some pecu'
liarity of the ground made it necessary. foi
a night attack the order of encampmebt vas
the order of battle, and each man slept lmme-
dia,ely opposite to his post in the line In
the formation of my troops used single
rank, or what is called Indian fle-because
in Indian warfare, where there Is no shock to
resist, one rank is nearly as good as two. and
in that kind of warfare the extension OF line Is
a matter of the first Importance. Raw troops
also maneuvre with much more facility In
single than in double ranks. 1t was my con-
slant custom to assemble all the field officers
at nv tent every evening by signal, to give
them the watch word and their instructions
for the night-those given for the night of the
9Th were, that each corps which formed a
part of the exterior line of the encatnpment,
should hold it's own ground until relieved.
TIE Dragons were directed to parade dis
mounted in case of night attack, with their
pistols in their belts, and to act as corps
de reserve. The camp was defended by two
captains guards, consisting each OF four nom
commissioned officers and 40 privates-and
two subalterns guards of twenty non commits
stoned officers and privates. The whole un-
der the command of a field officer of the day.
The troops were regularly called up ali hour
before dav, and made TO continue under arms
until it was quite light. On the morning Of
the 7th, had risen at a quarter after tour
O'Clock, ard the signal for calling out the
men would have been given in two minutes,
when the attack commenced 1t began on
our left f1ank--bot 8 single gun was hired by
the centinels or by the guard in that direction,
which made not the least resistance, but "a
bandoned their officer and fed into camp, and
the first notice which the troops of that flank
had Of the danger, was from the yells of the
savages withili a short distance OF the line
but even under those circumstances the men
were not wanting to themselves or to the &C.
casion. Such Of them as were awake, or
were easily awakened, seized their arms and
took their stations others which was more
tardy, had to contend with the enemy in the
doors of their tents. The storm first fell up
on capt Barton's company of the 4th y. s..
regiment, and capt. Geiger's company of
mounted ri1emen, which formed the left an
gle fthe rear line. The fire upon these was
excessively severe and they suffered consi-
derably before reliefcould be brought to them.
Some few Indians passed into the encamp-
ment rear the angle, and one or two pene-
trated to some distance before they were kill
ed. | believe all the other companies were
under arms and tolerably formed before they
were fired on. The morning was dark and
cloudy-our fires afforded a partial light,
which if gave us some opportunity OF TAX
ing our positions, WIS still more advantage-
Gus to the enemy, affor ing them the means
of taking a surer aim-they were therefore
extinguished as soon as possible. Under all
these discouraging circumstances, the troops
(nineteen twentieths of whom had never been
in action belore) behaved in manner that can
never be too much applauded. They took
their places without noise and with less con-
fusion than could have been expected from
veterans placed in similar situation AS
soon as could mount my horse, rode to the
angle that WAS attacked-I found that Barton's
company had suffered severely ard the left of
Geiger's entirely broken. | Immediately Or
dered Cooks company and the late captain
Nentworth's under lieut.. Peters, to be bro't
up from the centre of the rear line, where the
ground was much more defensible, and form
ed across the angle in support of Barton's and
Geiger's. My attention was there engaged by
heavy firing upon the lott of the front line,
where were stationed the small company OF
U. S. riflemen (then however armed with
muskets) and the companies of Baen, SMELL
ing, and Prescott of the 4th regiment.
found Major Daveiss forming the dragons in
the rear of those companies, and understand
ing that the heaviest part of the enemy's FIRE
proceeded from some trees about fifteen or
twenty PAGES in front of those companies, I
directed the ma or to dislodgc them with
part of the dragons. Unfortunately the ma