The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-13

TO reinforce him. IL is unnecessary tn state,
that we were among the first who wished to
advance. At 9 o'clock the next morning
our tents were struck, and in half an hsur
we were OH the road. l will candidly
confess. that on that day l regretted being
a soldier. On that day We marched SO
miles. under an incessant rain and [ am
afraid you will doubt my veracity when
tell you. that in miles of the best of the
road it took us over the knees, and often to
the middle. The Black Swamp, G. miles
from Portage River and miles in extent)
would have been considered impossible ~
all, but men determined TO surm cunt every
difficulty to accomplish the object of their
march. In this swamp you lose sight of
terra frma atogether--the water was n
bout inches deep on the ice, which was
very rotten, often breaking through to the
depth OF or 5 feet.
The same night we encanpcd onivery
wet ground, bdt the driest that could be
found, the rain still Continuing, II was
with dificulty we could raise fres we had
no tents, our clothes were wet. no axes.
nothing tc cook in, and yery,.litte to eat.
A brigade of pack horses being near us, we
procured from them some -four, killed a
hog. (therc being plenty of them along the
road,) our bread we baked IN the ashes, &
the pork we broiled on the ccals--a sweeter
meal i never partuok of /; when we went
to sleep it was On two logs laid close to
each other, to Keep our bodies from the
damp ground. Good God what. plant
being is man, in adversely. The lofticst
spirit that ever inhabited the human breast.
would have been tanned amid the. difEcul-
ties that surrounded us. The next norm
ing we arrived at Portage River. (,he head
quarters of the North Western Army. y
During our stay at this latter place.. we
we're iii constant eXpe ctation Of an attack.
several nights we went to sleep with our
musSets IN our arms, and all our accoutre-
ments fixed for action. On the arrival of
General Leftwich ard General Crooks
h & de from Saudusk; we marched for
the Rapids 1.-The X sntu kY and Ohio troops
ad then only six days to serve--In
speech made to them by the General. he
pledged hinself to take them to Maiden
in 20 sys, which would have been the
case, if the cannon and nli.ary stores
could have been got on. When we arrived
at the Rapids. the advanced guard disco
vered on the opposite side Of the river enc
| o: three persons, who two days previ-
Gus, were sent to Maiden wi II a flag, Kill
led and scslped by the Indians--the other
two, we have since heard. are prisoners at
Malden--So little does our enemy repects
the laws of nations. The encampment is
opposite the Michigan Territory, IN fine
| situation, protected by nature in three
quarters, by steep and high bank--t he
| hole is riQuctted in--ths stores are depo-
si'ed in block houses, built round the pi
que 3ins. To the number of eight-all smear
~ in 3 complete state Of defence. Along
this river is the handsom-st country lever
saw--there have been several fine pIanra-
| tons in the vicinity of the, camp. bit all is
a scsne Ok desolation. After Hull's sur
render, the VIII le country was laid waste
BY the Indisns--every half mile there has
BEEN a house-the only indication of ha
Citation that now remains, is their ruins
that cover the ground where they once
stood A few days after. our arrival, a
detachment was sent outs OF which our
company made part, to attack a consider
able party OF Indians, rs miles down tn e
river-Wc started as night set in, and
marched all the way on the iCe-about 2
o'clock, we came near the place where we
leXpected to surprise the enemy--we were
put IN order of battle. ard instructed 10
proceed in silence
"Ssill was the pipe and drum
Save heavy tread, and armor's clsng
! The sullen march was dumb ?"
/ In few minutes their forces were in
Isight--they were in bend of the river,
nea rly mile oF.-when within gunshot,
.
our company, to man, were even at that
moment cheerful and gay fear was far
distant from our ranks, and do sincerely
believe that had the enemy not flown pre-
vious 70 our arrival, we would all have rea-
Used the expectations of our friends. Some
OF their spies, as we have since heard FIR ON
prisoners from Maiden, saw us on gu,
atch----ln consequence OF which, they
| made prtcipitate retreat-we followed
theIu within miles of the river Raisin. and
returned TO camp without any rest, except
Tor two hours we were 81 hours absent
during which time we marched more than
so miles. The particulars of the late un.
fortunate action at the River Raisin, you
are already acquainted with--like wise
with the failure OF the expedition to DIES
troy the Queen Charlotte Our compan,
marched as far as the mouth of Lake Erie
to reinforce the first party, but met then
> on their return. We have built small hon
: ses i'll front OF the tents, which make M
very comfortable.
"The camp duty is very severe, there
being no tents or houses for the guart
when off their post---so that it is euuaIl,
as pleasant for them 10 be at their post. a.
Z of, they beingforbid TO leave the rendez.
vous OF the guard. Every ether day ;
man mounts guard, and the day that in
tervenes he is at work within the camp
Major Alexander, who commands the bat
TALON, is as fine fellow as ever knew
The most perfect harmony exists between
the PItsburg company and ours, they beinj
tie only two companies of IL months vo