Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-10-23

ca 1uou tuSlT oWus ~
dered arrogant to claim for my troops
the palm Of superior bravery
IN communicating to the President
through you, Sir, my opinion OF the
coadnct Of the efficers who served ~
der nv command, l am at loss how to
mention that of Governor Shelby, be-
Ing convinced that no eulogium ofmins,
CAT, reach his merits. The Governor
Of an Independent: state, greatly my su
perior In years, in experience and IN
military character, he placed himself
under my command, and was not more
remarkable for his zeal and activity,
than for the prompti,uds aad cheertal
ness with which he obeyed my orders
The Major Generals Henry and Desha.
and the Brigadiers Allen, Caldwell,
King, Chiles and Trotter, all OF the
Kentucky volunteers, manifested great
zeal and activity. Of Governor Shell
.by's Staff, his Adju.ant General Col.
Mcdowell, and his Quarter Master Ge-
neral Col. Walker, rendered great ser
vice, as did his Aids dc Camp, General
Adair, and Majors Barry and Critten,
den. The military skill of the former
wa. of grea, service to us, and the actl-
v;ty Of the two latter gentlemen couid
not be surpassed. Illness deprived me
Of the talents of my Adjntant Genera.
Col: Gaines, who was left at Sandwich.
His duties were however ably perform
ed BY tho Acting Assistant AdJatant
General Captain Butler. My Aids de
Camp Lieut.. O'FAilon and Capt. Tod
of the line, and my volunteer Aids John
Speed Smith and John Chambers, Esq.
have rendered me the most important
service. from the opening OF the cam
paign. / have already stated that Ge-
neral Cass and Commodore Perry as
sisted me in forming the troops tor
action. Tue former is an officer OF the
highest merit, and the appearance OF
The brave Commodore cheered and AMI.
mated everv breast
Itwould be useless, Sit, after stating
the circu instances of the action, to pass
enco niums upon Col Johnson and hi,
regiment Veterans oould not have
manifested more 6rmness. The Colo
nel's numerous wounds prove that he
was in the post Of danger. Lieut. Col.
Jane > Johnson and the Majors Payne
and Tao pson were equally tive,
though more fortunate. Major Wood
of the Engineers, already distinguished
by his conduct at Fort Melgs. attended
the army with two six Founders. Hav-
ing no use for them in the action, ne
Joined in the pursuit Of the enemy and
with Major Payne # the mounted re-.
gimeat, two of my Aids de Camp, Todd
and Chambers, and three privates, con
tinued it for several miles after the rest
of the troop. had halted, and made ma.
ny prisoners,
I left the army before an official re-
turn of the prisoners, or that OF the
killed and wounded, was made out. 1t
was however ascert2ined that the Tor
mer amounts to six hundred and one
regulars, including twenty-five officers
Our loss is seven killed and twenty-two
wounded, FIVE Of which have since died
Of The British troops twelve were kill
ed aad twenty-five wounded. The In.
dams suffered nost-thirty'three o
them having been found upon the
ground, besides those killed on the re-.
treat.
On the day Of the action, six pieces
of brass artillery were taken, and t~o
iron twenty-four Founders the day be
fore. Several others was discovered IN
the river and can be eusily procured
Ofthc brass pieces, three are the tro-
phies of our revolutionary war, that
were taken at Saratoga and York, and
surrendered by General Huil-The
number of small arms taken by us and
destroyed by the enemy must amount to
upwards of Ave thousand; most of them
bad been ours and taken by the enemy
at the surrender of Detroit. at the river
Ralsin and Col. Dudleg's defeat ! be.
llcve that the enemy Retain no other mi.
litary t.; rphy Of their victories than the
StdnOAFu III tuC F.U Ivy
were not magnaDlWous enough to bring
that of the 4lsl regiment into the field,
or it would have been taken
You have been Informed, Sir, of the
cnnduc, of the troops under my comr
mand IN action; it gives me great plea
sure to inform you, that they merit also
the appreciation Of their country for
their conduct, in submitting 10 the
greatest privations With the utmost
cheerfulness.
The infantry were entirely withou'
tents. and for several days. the " hole
army snbsisted upon fresh beef without
bread or salt
Ihsve the hon"r tn be, &c
WILLIAM H. HARRISON
General John Armstrong,
Secretary OF War.