Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-07-14
ALEXANDRIA.
WEDNESDAY, July II.
UTo sHEw
sHs VERY AGE & BODY OF The TINE
IFS ToRM AND PRESSURE"

A handbil! from Sciota, received at
Washington, contains accounts from
Franklinton, iOhio) stating that the re
port of an attack having been made on
Fort Meigs and Sandusky was prema.
ture-General Harrisonj has arrived at
Fort Meigs and found ths place in res
pectable state of defence, and very LILLE
apprehensions were entertained OF the
enemy-It likewise states that the whole
frontier is in a better state of defence
than it ever has been,--The militia had
been ordered to return to their dwell
lings by Gov. Meigs.
We have seen letter from an officer
in the army of the United States, dated
at Fort George on the 2sth June, which
states, that our troops, about three thou
sand strong, are intrencbed and garrison
ed Immediately upon the bank OF the Nj
agara river, at the village of Niagara, FOL
merly Newark. The enemy are in the
same neighborhood, and nightly in the
practice of harrassing them with small
de,acAments of regulars, militia and In.
dians, who attack sheir piquet guards
and loraging parties. Their main body
Is at 40 mile creek, at the head OF the
lake. No general engagement had taken
place since the bai:ie at Stoney Creek,
in which we sustained the loss OF two
b-igader generals. The writer states
that the detachment under Col 2oerst.
Ter, which was defeated and taken at
Beaver Dam consisted of 500 men-23
cavalry, and two pieces OF light artillery
He represents the engagement as having
lasted only few minutes, and terpinat-
ing in the entire loss of the whole de-
tachment, as We have before understood.
Our army is represented as having been
rapidly decreasing, from various causes,
ever since they took Fort George. In
one month our force has been reduced
from 5000 to 5000, so that all that Is at
present contemplated is 10 endeavor TO
hold the place, not having sufficient
strength to make any advance upon the
enemy. The writer asccibes the delays
and disasters which so uniformly accom-
pAuy our unfortunate army in Canada, to
the total absence of ability in the officers
to command The British feet, he says,
coutinue to appear almost every day OFT
that place, consisting IF large trl5ate,
one ship, two briggs, and three top-sA'l
schooners, all heavv, staunCh vessels
1t was SAID at Fort George, that an expe-
dition was on foot from Sackett's Har-
Dor, under the command OF Gen. Lewis,
against Kingston. The force at Sack
ctl's Harbor was represented as amount
ing to 10000 men, but the number was
believed to be exaggerated. The writer
of The letter is clearly Of opinion that the
conquest OF Canada will now be no easy
achievement The repeated abortlve
efforts which have been made: have
greatly contributed TO increase and con-
firm he loyalty of the inhabitants, and
especially or,he militia ofthe upper pro-
vince, Inbecility is the prominent cha
racteristic Of our army, occasioned by the
disgracelol ignorance and incapacity of
the officers Nothing is more true than
that bad officers make cozvardly and dis
orderly rooEs-U S. GhzETTE.
Bushnell theSrco1d We understand
a gentleman a. Norwich has invented a
diving boat, which by means of paddles
he can propel under water at the rate of
three miles an hour, and ascend and de-
scend at pleasure. He has made num-
Der Of experiments, and been three times
under the bottom of the Families, off
New-London. In the first attempt, sf-
ter remaining under some time, he came
20 the top of the water like the Porpoise
for air, anil as luck would have it, came
up but few feet from the stern of the
Families, aid was observed by the CEN
unels on deck, who sung out" boat a.
hoy"-immediately on hearing which,
tho boat descended without making a
reply. Seeing this an alarm gun was
fred on board the snip, and all hands
called to quar,ers-the cable cut and the
ship got under way with all possible dis
| patch, expecting every moment to be
blown up by a torpedo. In the third at.
tempt he csme up directly under the
Families, and fastened himself and his
boat to her keel, where he remained ball
an hour, and succeeded in perforaiing a
hole through her copper, and while en-
gagged in screwing torpedo to her bot
| Tom, the screw broke and defeated his
object for that time. So great is the q.
larm and fear on board Of the Families
OF some such stratagem being played Of
upon them, that Cen, Hardy has with.
u = e - r I - A.