The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-11-03
BATTLE OF QUEENsTON.

DO d LII VI Nv yin.
a. Capt. Ogilvie, of the 18th Regt. who was
| at the battle of Queenston, and who led the
detachments that succeeded in taking the
reGioubt upon the heights there, arrived this
morning IN the Steam Boat from Albany, &
gives the following particulars: A detach
meat from the 18th Regt. consisting of a
bout 500 men, under the command of Lieut.
Col. Chrytie, and about 500 militia com
p,andedby Col. Van Rensselaer,, received
orders from the general to cross Niagara
river on the morning of the 18th inst. which
was in part effected before day, under a
very heavy and destructive fire of grape &
musAct shot from the British, who, it APP
pears, were appraised of the attack.
| In crossing the river three boats with
troops, one of which contained Lieut.. Col.
Chrystle, were carried by the rapid current
of the river far below the point of landing /:
And as soon as Col. Chry stie's boat touched
the shore. the only guide to the ground left
the Colonel. In consequence OF this disas-
ter not more than 200 men at first effected
a landing. Those few, however, marched
on under a heavy FIRE, and formed a line on
the front of the battery, where they were
| sheltered by bank, upon the summit of
| which there was battery, which had
proved very destructive to officers and men.
From the FIRE of this battery, and that of a
house on their right flank, Col. Van Rensse-
laer was wounded, and likewise Captain
Armstrong, Captain Lawrence, Captain
Wool, and 1t. Lent; Killed Lieutenant
Vatican and Ensign Morris, all of the 18th
Col. Van Rensselaer,, after he was wounded,
urged the troops to storm the heights.
Sixty determined men led by Capt. Ogil-
vie, seconded By Capt. Wool, (though
wounled) and Lit Kearney. Lit. Carr, 1t
Hugginan and Lieutenant Summons, Ensign
Reave, Of the 18th. 1t. Randolph and
LIT. Gansevoort, circuitously mounted the
heights, gave three cheers, and immediate
iy charged, & after the third charge gained
complete possession, which they kept about
six hours. Among those sixty were ten of
the militia. During the time they had pos
session of the heights, they received some
reinforcement. Lieut.. Col. Chrystie eff
fectet, lis landing, and body of militia a
mounting in the whole to about 500. Col.
Scott superseded Capt. Ogilyie in the com
nard, soon after which the British received
a reinforcement from Forts George and
Chippawa amounting to about 100 men
including Indians. The Indians were soon
repuised and driven to the wood.
The attack of the Indians and their war
whoop had such an effect upon the militia,
that when the troops had formed line in
three divisions, and were Counted of, only
$40 men, ITO cf which were militia, re-
manned. Previous to this however "a CO.
lumn OF British regulars advanced command
ed by Gen. Brock, The British general
horse was Killed by private of the name OF
Wiiblow, who was enlisted in Orange
county, shortly after which the General
himself fell within pistol shot Of the Anne
rican troops. The superiority in numbers
of the British and their Indian allies in
duced the American officers 10 hold con
sultation az which they were disposed to dis
pute the ground theV held, but note was re-
ceiytd nom Gcr. Van Rensselaer, Informing
them that he could afford them 10 assist
ance, and that he would cover their retreat
at the battery at Fort Grey, a1d furnish
boats to recross the river: and finding by
Col StrSnaJan that the militia would no
longer act, a retreat WAS resolved upon
They retrcated IN good order without the
loss of man TO tho margin Ct the ri,er !;
but to their extreme modification not boat
was there to receive them, TOR did any ar
rive. After remaining IN this extremely
painful situation about quarter Of AN hour,
Ibis lrtie band surrendered to about times
lIeir number
Daring this long and severe conflict. n
jOut 100 Or 300 militia remained idle spec
tators on CHS side The river.
The enemy consisted Of part &c the 10 Ia
egiment, who with Gen. Brock had sigma
ized Themselves in Egypt, and from their
!aior were called tho inYi2cibles. Before
Ibis they had never been known 10 give
AZ an inch &c ground and Acknowledged af
,cr the surrender, they had never fought
with such brave men. They treated their
priso crs with Tenderness aud respect, and
allowed taem as much merit as brave meU
could desire The number IS American
yoops killed amounted to not more than
Sky and bout eu hundred were wounded.
Fine number Of prisoners including The