The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-12-07

LETTERS ON AMERICA.
TO TIRE EDITOR.

SIR-
The rAweared attention which you uniformly hes
tow upon every subject connected With ,lse real ant,
best interests Of the country, induces TO trouble
YOU with srpe obiersatiops on the recent ispstch.
es from Sir John y. Warren, detailing the early
movements Of MS expedition against the territory Of
the United Stetss; and feel less disieuty in thus
ohtruting myself upoa you, as think the public in
general not well informed upon this important
sraueh of our military operations and that from
loes knowledge, aud long consideration OF the sub.
Jest, AM.
Il will not We denied, that the deepest interest has
stSehe1 20 the expedition in question rs we'll from
ts owa importance, from the reports industrious.
Nv circulated by the public offices: and that a con-
siderable portion OF regret ami surprise must have
been 0cEasonet by The result far * goes TO
account To- what has happened. IL may be well TO
look first . Sir John b. Warren's object or rather
90 thae Of Ministers tor It is difficult to believe
that anv officer the SPOT and with every means OF
Information, would have made suoh an sttcmpt up.
on such place, with yNeh inadequate means With.
oct positive orders, and previous discharge from
all responsibility in the event OF failure, which
saa as certain as the attempt wss inudicious
Our object was 20 destroy the CCnstea ion friz-
gate, and gun-boats as wail as the American dock
Tsrds---but we seem to haze taken the huil by the
horns; fer it is perhaps Unprecedented in the an
nAls Of warfare, that an attack shoaid be made ON
as an leland, which,comms sded the passage to or
Folk. defended by 500 pIaked met, co 2i poun.
ders l6 large gun boats and frigate" That il
does command the passage IS evident from the nam
the dstancs from the rsAn, being two miles on the
eastern sI-, snl one en- the western, The state of
Ihe enemy's traopa, their numb--, and ;.lt Of tho
csnnon, we learn FROM the private accounts re-
70 ceived fros Nova Scotia, mo- from sir J. War
ten.
This line Of defence was attacked With SEQ fnen.
and the boats OF the Aaet wAo were to advance an
front Of the immenae battery Il is no matter nj
surpii5e that they should be checked and no one
can learn but with pleasure that the design was q.
bantonel, before more gaana fellows were destroy.
ed.
If we had lille leisure TO attend to the history
Of the American var, should have learned what
had b.en done before this very ground
Lord Dlnmore, in IT7j. took possession Of, and
fortified the great bridge Of iriok, the only way
by which the town conld be approached Win
1eSs than 600 regular troops, be beld against tn
enemy and the Americans would rot have obtain.
ed possession OF the town, Il col leslie had not been
weak enough to believe, nnd act upUn the norlna-
tiuR uf deserter sent in purpose to deee We him.
OF course he was defeated, and the town syacua.
ted.
Had it been n orr newer (afler the nsrs,li,r d..
Tnonbtrations which made in the spring. 10 90
any thing against NsrIoIk The only means by which
we could succeed, were those taken by SIR Georg,.
Collier and Gen MATHEW who ere sent by Sir II
Clinton, from New York, Tin fT7o) for ths verv
same purpose. They landed their troops at dis
lance froo Portsmouth,; took posssssion of that
tTFn. then defeRcelyss the remains Of Norfolk
(fGr Vt had heen burnt IN 1875 by Lord Dunmnre
III into their hands the feet then advaneed--C; rs-
ney Island either in cur possession NOT fortified
ther out-ppsts pushed rs far &c Suffolk. % miles
z was
destroyed similar IN -ssures took place at GOsport
aud the armament returned TO New York within
ten days of the day of their departure. In this case
there no previous demonstration, pompaus
preparation.-But in ths Of Sir J. w. the proceed.
ings have been different, that the American 90.
Vernment pGblieiy announced its belief, that IN A.
tack somewhere ia the Chesapeake was intended by
Sir John, and cautioned the people to prepare for it,
This il appears, they have accordingly done
SIR Johns secund Dspsteh tells u.s. that 9 conz;-
derabIs corps having been left at Hampton, " which
commanded the communication between Norf o. \,
the Upper Country, ne considered It advisable in
order 20 cut oil their resources TO attack the town
and the corps. This, certainly is new information
How Hampton commands the communication be.
tween Norfolk and the Upper Country is ss iuecn.
ceiyabIe 10 me, rs that Tilbury Fort should cut OF
tSe com oGuoication between sussex Of Hsnts, and
Doyeg--;Jr there is good past road On the rich.
bank of James River and at considerable distance
from the riysr) from Petersburg to Norfolk dis.
sance of not more than 100 miles,
But Hampton also attempted by lord Dan.
more in 1775. IN This ne was defeated Tathouzb
the shipping sotnp c. to the town and &c cannnu.
AIDED u furossiy" ~ body of riacnea and militia
from Williamsburg. With 1000 men, the attack a.
though suecessul, Ss many will SeDtend, was iinpriI.
dent, and considering how narrow the neck of land
is, aud how easily suy number Of men nag be bro't
down against it from the Upper Country; no nosqi
bic permanent national advantage could be derived
from IL
But there seems no small share oN confusion IN
these dispatches. It seems we succeeded in turn.
~ fTrarr
their camp 10 their position in r-or of II own"-,
This seems confusion worse confounjed.'' But the
sreatrs b,oader Ct all 70 be- that the ettae,
would be- made upon Hampton, under the idea Of
. its commanding the com municatiOn between Nor
folk and the Upper country" suppose we are NEXT
learn that 1t 10 IN GU 5ssas9ion, rs he has cut
oil their resources"
shall trouble you with second letter on thii sub
lest and ~ The mean time, remain sir, with great
~ poet, yours DE
yo thc Ef'gr ofhe Ti17es.
G-7--.Iav.sr i1 Wy lat rnoiu some obsarvat;,os
on tho contents on ,he dispatches arrived fran Cir
John -. Warren, 9nd rnisayored to sheS ~. g,i.
tGty or Our attack Hampton, cell rs q can 10
al ouy previous fai'me st Nor!pL or rather Crs.
ney-lslaud. 1 nOV take the lbsrty to discuss tbs
mo- es ~ which che projectors ri these miycbgyou.
cgled.tiors we're iu,irstcd. With whom ihe honor
etthsm is 10 rest, IS yet 90 be IN cir
having failed s fully Determined.
lad on army ot 5000 men been landed hcher
w the Chs5.; eskt, co. ~ tire rcniusu-s formed
d. WImn2tou, on The Delaware end tl, niouif Of
tha Susqusaauha river; tat formed by Bsi more
s1d Wellington or a ndrii, We night have done
something, provided m previous Gemons.rqtions had
, cen made in TIE sprrg.
60 ths cose, e q .'irt had cen made in TIE low.
or pa'' Of the bay, Is o. not improbable tia, sir
His f1vcc bnt { s7onnt 'hiuk ie9s would have
fnue1 spuc,liH- hrii9ut aDi dcci1vs n,igit be 81.
ieen eV-etsd. St or.rrl"nairv, orr admiral thor
hiross.fo5ts - explore fhe risers Win I've slole
4es end 4.ov Bic fss go all ale ereessofthe Chcsa.
poke.
F,- I'm aue-ort Of q is sori, re tinIs pre waited
81 tie ba5 70 ttat -oss3n cf tre yepr, wei, ss tle
t.ta..- -affI- ID -...t.f.