The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-12-31
WAsnINcroN. Dec. -.

- 4
10 Major Gea. Dear6osne, transmitted to rhe
A Secretary q! ar.
4 Camp, near BaSaioe.
I ish De. isI2.
4 SIR-1he troops under my cunuiaud having
Seen ordered to hut the mseives Tor the winter, Il
Becomes my duty To report 10 you the proceedings
had here took the command ON this tro'.-
tier.
On or about the Goth of October, l ordered that
90 should be prepared tor the transportation
OF artillery and cavalry, and put the carpenters or
the arMy upon that duty.
by the 26th OF November, ten scows were COM
jplvtcd aud by bringing bo:,ts from Lake Ontario.
the number was encreased to seventy.
had issued an address TO the men Of New-Yors,
and perhaps 500 volunteers had arrived at Builaoe
i PRESUMED that the regular troops, and the yolun
teers under coils Swift aud M'Ciure, would turais,
$500 men for duty; and at gen. Tannchrs brig
ade, reporting total OF 1850, rs many 4l5 had
volunteered to eros, into Canada. iLeeneL my
self ready to "sross with 5000 men at once, ae
cordins u your orders
Preparatory thereto, the night ct the eth
November, seat over two parties one under lieut.
col Boersiier; the other under Capt. King, WIKI
whom lieut Angus OF the navy at the head Oh bo-
sly OF seamen, united. The first mentioned party
was To capture guard, and destroy bridge about
five miles below Fort Erie the second party
to take a1d render useless the canncn OF the enc
my batteries and some pieces OF light artillery
The first party made some prisoners, but failed to
destroy the bridge the second party, after render
ing unservccablc the light artillery, separated by
some misrepresentation. Lieut.. Angus, the seamen,
and part ut the troops returned with all the boats,
while capt King, capt. Morgan, capt Sproul, lieut..
Houston, ami about sixty men, remained. Capt
King, Notwithstanding, with those under his COM
mand. advanced TO the eneinys batteries, attacked
and took two OF ti.em IN Succession, rendered un-
scrviceai''c the cannon, and took number OF prs-
In descending the Niagara some distance,
two boats were found, board of which capt. King
sent his prisoners, all his officers, and half his
His high =: honor woaid not allow him
TO e,it tue remainder. lie captured with
them. ~
Orders hal been given that all the troops in the
(. neighbouriiood should march at rcveiec to- INC
place OF cmbarhation. A part of the detachment
sent la the night having returned, and having cAo
ted apprchensions for the residue, about $50 men
under col Winder put oil i'll boats tor the opposite
shore a part OF their force had landed, when
force with piece OF artillery appeared. y retreat
was ordered aud col. Wimder's detachment suffer-
ed loss OF six killed and twenty wounded, OF whom
six were officers.
The general embarkption commenced the
troops arrived (; but this being the first time the
troops had embarked, the whole ct the scows were
occupied by about oactiir'i part of the artillery,
while about $40 regular Infantry, something upwards
of 200 twe've-mOnths' volunteers, and perhaps 200
of those militia who had volunteered tcir services
Tor few days, occapcd all the boats that
dy The troops then embarked, moved up the
stream to Black Rock, without sustaining loss from
the encmy's fire. 1t the Afternoon, X they
were ordered to disem6ark aud dine.
The enemy shewe'i force estimsted at S or
opo nen, drawn up IN Il held at some distance
from the river; and had piece of artillery,
SAID to be FOUNDER, ready to fire on our troops.
There remained unembarSed, part o: the srtille
ry u few cavalry the volunteers under col. NJ
Clare. amounting on that day to $40 men de-
Sachment from gen. Tannehi!i's brigade (numbcr
unknown and little relied on)- There were also
saaary crowds who might, perhaps, have followed
thr army-tit was successful.
hscoi.eeting your instructions to cross with 5000
men at once, and to consult some ofny principal
ohicers IN :" all important movements" called for
The held officers OF the regular and twelve months'
volunteers embarked. Col. Porter not being found
at the moment, capt Gibson called as the next
senior officer OF artillery.
ihese questions Were put-"Is at exbedient NOW
10 cross over Is The force soe have sufficient to
conquer the OPPOSITE coast 2''
The first question decided in the negative by
coioneis Parker, Schuyler, Winder, lieut. coils Boz
erstier aud Coles. and major Campbell Col. Swift
OF volunteers alone gave opinion for then cross
ing over
The second question was not decided. Col Par
ker, col SCHUYLER lieut. col. Coles, 4 major Camp
bell. were decidedly Of opinion that the force
insufficient Col Winder, col. SMitt, lieut.. col Boz
erstlcr and captain Gibson deemed the force suffi-
cient.
determined to postpone crossing over until more
complete preparation would enable he to embark
the whole force at once, according TO your instrueti-
ons The next day was spent in such preparations
and the troops ordered to be again the place
of embarkation at o'clock the morning of the
3Oth November On their arrival, they were sent
into the adjacent woods, there TO build fires and
main until o'clock in the morning of the LIST De-
before daylight, so to avoid the fire of tho
mys cannon; i'll passing the position which it was
believed they occupied below, 10 land allows Chip
pcway, assault that place, and If successful, march
through Queenstown for Fort George. The
tractor called On to furnish rations Tor 25O0 men
for four days, when il found lie could furnish
the pork but not the flour. Sixty barrels re-
qured, aud only thirty FIVE furnished.
The em6arkatlon commenced, but was delayed
By circumstances, as not to be completed until at
ter day light, when found that the regular in
iantry, 6SS men; the artillery, 177 men col.
Swifts volunteers, about $50; SIX companies of fe-
deral volunteers, amounting to 276 men; about ZOE
militia o! COL Dobbins rebrnent, and q few men in
boat with Mr.. L. i. Porter, contractors agent,
who WAS to pilot the enterprise, had embarked the
whole On board, without the commissioned officers,
being 500 men, or thereabouts and it was now two
hours later than the time fixed on for setting out
There groups OF men not yet embarked !;
they applied to- requested, and ordered by the
brigade major TO get into the boats; they did not
lie estimated their number at 1906 it probably
greater.
Ii then became question whether it was exped
TO invade Canada, in open day light, with 1900
men, at point where reinforcement could be
expected for some days 4 sa that the number OF
the regular troops was declining rapidly. knew
ss.-s v,,.v"y - ,.rs,.,..
[ called together the officers commanding corps
of the regular army. Col. Parker being sick, those
present col Porter Of the artillery, col. Schuy
Ter, col. Windsr, and lieut.. col. Coles.
1 put to them this question: 60 Shall ws pro
eeed 2"
They uH0Sinlousiy decided that ought not.
fOresaW that tie vOluJteers who had out
Cor Few days would dispense. Several of them had