Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-01-02

.-:.,;. tse scope Of hi. ordef') Of post.
nonine the entsrprize until nearly n'o W.
pun 70 give 4. little time as possible DC.
fas. :, the passage Of the army Tor .s ns
-snemys troops to collect ils'n tns ca ''a .,
ron down the river. They ianaeu ca
. . in the morning under severe NC
~. of ousoue,ry and grape shot from Two
nieces Of fiying artillery. Lieutenant a..
s a"sdl by Captain King and few OF . MS
nar,v. attacked the principal force OF inc
rnenv consisting Of about 2se at inc
Red House (,he seanen charging WI"
their bikes and swords against muskets
and bayonets) and routed tsem IN all
directions: Captain DIX who took a dis
,ingui.hed part in this affair was severe
" wouded-After hard and destruc'
tive engagement the enemy were COR
pletely dispersed, the field pieces spk.
ed. and the house in which the enemy
chartered fired the seamen returned
to our shore, bringing off their wound
ed and several prisoners Out OF II
naval officers who embarked in this ell
terprize, nine of them with more than
half their men, were killed or wounded
Ifbravery be a virtue-if the gratitude
of a country be due to those who gal
Ian,ly and desperately assert its rights.
the government will make ample and
honorable provision for the heirs OF those
brave tars who fell on this occasion, as
we'll as for those who survived. Capt.
Kinw proceeded to spike and dlsmsuns
the guns in the batteries. 1t Colonel
Bersler dispersed the enemy lower
down the river, taking a number OF prl-
| snners
By sun rise in the morning, most OF
| the troops had arrived at the place Z.
enbarkation, and the day Was fine. !
marched $40 of the volunteers who had
rallied unds, General Smiths invitation
we'll armed and provided and in hIgl
spirits ;bcut $50 more who Came H.
the evening before were at Buffalo draw
ing their aims and ammuni,ion. with or.
ders to join US as soon as possible.
stationed my men as instructed by Grn
Smyth in field al the navy yard, viz,
directions to wait for further order
| TIE parties who bad crossed III the
night aided by our batteries. which Al
day light opened powerful and well
| directed Ere, and piece OF aying attll'
lery on the Island under charge OF Capt
Gibson, had driven every thing from
the opp"sits shore: Col Wlhder al
officer of great intelligence, zeal aGo
bravery, under the mistaken apprehen-
sion that the party under 1t. Col Be
Ter, were in danger of beirg cut of,
made an unsuccessful attempt (sl'nough
his own boat landed) to land $50 s..es at
difficult point down the river, and bad
retu, ned as stated by Gen Smyth. The
| general embarka,ien now commenced
bu, it went on so tardily, that, at twelve
o'clock, the whole of the regular troops
and Col. Swift's regiment were not III
the boats. A considerable number CT
boats were lying on the shores OF the
river& creek having been thrown up by
he high water of the preceding day ST
reral were in the creek half filled with
water AID ice. l called on General
Snyth and proposed to occupy part OF
those boats with my volunteers, many OF
whom were impatient to embark. BE
| ing however at this moment Informed
by Col. Porter, that the boats which had
been used by Col Winder, were lying
about mile below, Ma jor Chapln and
myself, with about so mes went down
the shore, brought up five boats. tiie'
them with men, ard arrived at biac
Rock the point from which it was pro-
posed to put Of, as soon as any OF the
! reguIartroops IT about 2 O'clcc all the
troops which it appeared were lntcnd d
10 be crossed at first were collected IN a
group of BEATS at Black Rock under CO.
yer ofour batteries. / have seen no of
fetal account Of the number oil men III
the boats. My opinion was that the
I number exceeded 1900. Most men OF
observ2tio who were present estimated
it at 500. The men were III hLe spl,
! rits and DESTROYS Of crossing.
! Gen. Tannehilps volunteers, colonel
F. McClure's regiment, some riflemen,
cavalry &c. am. uniting to cbout 1000
we're still paraded on the shore. and, as
I am informed were ready to cross
Several boats of sufficient capacity TO
carry 1000 men were still lying at the
navy yard unoccupied have not been
able t. learn that any ord or request
was made, for the embarkation of any
the troops other than the regulars and
colonel Swif,'s regiment. The enemy
estimated at aboui 500. were drawn up