The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-12-24
HEAD QUARTERS,

GENTLEMEN
Your letter fthe second Of December is before
me; and Ianswer it in the following manner
On the Goth October, ordered that twen-
ty-six scows should be prepared for the trans
portation of artillery aud cavalry, and put the
carpenters of the army upon that du.y.
On the 26,h November, ten scows were
completed, and by bringing some boats from
Lake. Ontario, above the falls OF Niagara, the
number was increased TO seventy.
/ had on the 18th November, issued an adj
dress to the men of New-York, and perhaps
500 had arrived at Buffalo. presumed that
the regular troops, and the volunteers under
Co.'s. Swift and Mcclure, would furnish $500
men for duty aad Gen. Tannehill's brigade
(from Pennsylvania) reporting total of 1850
as many as 4l3 had volunteered 10 cross into
Canada. My orders were to cross with
5000 men at once" l deemed myself ready
TO fulfil them.
Pre- paratory thereto, on the night OF the
9th of November, sent over two parties,
one under Lieut.. Col. Boerstier, the other
under Capt. King, with whom Lieut.. .hngas,
of the navy, at the head of body of seamen,
united The first was TO capture guard and
destroy a bridge about five miles below fort
Erie the second party were to take and rem
der useless the cannon of the enemies bate
ries and some pieces of light artillery The
first party failed to destroy the bridge, the
second, after rendering unservisablc the light
artillery, separated by some misaprehcnsion.
Lieut.. Angus, the seamen and part OF :hc
troops, relured with all the boats while
Capt. King, Capt. Morgan, Capt ShrOui, 1t.
Houston, and about sixty men remained. 1 he
party, thus reduced, attacked, took, and rem
dered unsurviceable two of the enemy's bat
teries, captured 81 prisoners, found boats,
in which Capt. King sent the prisoners and
about half Of his party with the other officers;
he remaining himself with 80 men, whom
he would not abandon.
Orders had been given, that all the troops
in the neighborhood should march, at the re-
veilee, to the place of cmbarkation. A part
of the detachment sent in the night having
returned and excited apprehensions for the
residue, abou, $50 men, under the command
of Col. Hinder, suddenly put of in boats for
the opposite shore part OF this torcc had
landed, when force deemed superior, with
! piece Of artillery, was discovered a re-
treat was ordered and Col Uind<'-'s dctach-
ment suffered loss of killed and 9 woun-
ded, besides some Officers.
determined to pospone crossing over un-
ill more complete preparation would enable
me to embark the whole force at once, the
council prescribed by my orders. The next
day was spent in such preparation, and the
troops were ordered to be again at the place
of embarkation at o'clock on the morning
of the 3oih November. On their arrival,
they were sent into the adjacent woods, there
to build fires, and remain until 3 o'clock in
the morning OF the lst December when it
was intended to put off two hours before day
light, so as to avoid the hrc of tho enemy's
cannen in passing the position which it was
believed they occupied below, to land above
Chippeway, assault that place, and if success
ful march through Queenstown for Fort
George. For this expedition the contractor
was called on to furnish rations for $500 men
for four days, when il was found he could
furnish the pork, but not the -four, the depu-
, ty quarter master called for sixty barrels, and
got but thirty-fve,
The cmbarkation commenced, but was de-
layed by circumstances so as not TO be COM
} pleted until after day light, when it was found
the regular infentry, 63s men, the artillery,
1T men. SwiE's volunteers estimated at
23o, six companies Of federal volunteers un-
der Captains Collins, Philips, Allison, Moor,
Ao6er, aud Marshall, amounting to 276 men,
commanded by Lieut.. Col. NJ Cure, 90 men
of Col. Do66in's militia, and few men in
boat with Gen. y. B. Porter, had embai ked
s--the whole, on board amounting, exclusive
of officers, to l465 men, or whereabouts IL
was now two hours later than had been con-
templated.
The general embarkation commenced as
the troops arrived, but this being first en-
barka;ion, the whole Of the scows were occu-
pied by abou, one third of the artillery, while
about 800 regular infantry, about 200 twelve
months volunteers, under Col. STvsf, and "a
bout 200 Of the militia who had volunteered
their services for few days, occupied all the
5 boats that were ready. The troops then en-
barked moved up the stream to Black Rock
without loss (; they were ordered to disem-
. bark and dine.