The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-27

envy IN his recent cnteIprlZe, tie committee
nave been FURNISHED with various documents
and Information. and TO wsch the committee
| refer but ia Justice TO the town and to th,.
pubic, a Driet retrospect may not be deemed
improper, AS connecting. Certain events wi n
| the surrender CT the town on the 29,h % An
| gust. Oct. 1912, a volunteer COMPANY WIS
raised IN alexandria, amounting To about 70,
including officers, Cloathed by voluntary AID
anu Donation troiO the citizens OF Alexandria !:
iotemieo Tor the lines, but stationed at Fort
washington ;, remained in garr.spn till De-
cember; ordered to Annapolis AMI there. dis
charged. March, 1913. Capt. Marstei,2rs
COMPANY ot Artillery stationed ut r.. Wash
ington Tor upwards OF three months 9Ist of
| March. l8i3, corporation by committee cali
| cd on tue secret iry ofNNai, for arms. &c
/ for the defence Of Alexandria. Sth OF MAY.
co'poras'on, by committee, waited upcn the
President 10 apprise hii.. of the d-tenceless
/, state or the tcwn President acknowledged
tne attention 'yas due 20 the representations
! Oh respectable men, and the proper attention.
saoHld be gwen, and at he same time appris-
| ed the committee of The iInpossibIiity, IN the
nature III things, 70 give complete protection
TO every asseilabie point OF the country. llth
CT MAY, committed OF vigilance. appointed
60 co-opef'fet with the cuInnGttee OF George
! own and the CITY OF Washington a cler,u-
! on Gen. Armstrong, and represented the ne
| cessity Cfa<s,i,Onai Notifications M Tt. Wash
| iugton: Col " ellsworth was ordered 10 at
| tcnd the committee, eSa,a;ue and report up
| on their suggestions. The examination was
made. and Col. Wadsworth reported that
the battery at Fort Washington was IN such
state, and it so cffectualy commanded the
channel OF the Potomac, that it was net to
be apprehendetl that the enemy woula at
tempt 60 pass it while Us present detenccs We
main entire. Its elevated situation should
prevent dread ola cannonadiug from ships
that IN case OF designs ag,nSt The DISTRICT OF
Columbia, an assault by Lanai was most l,roba-
Die to guard against taiS some ncons.der4-
BILE Won K on the land was recomaic adc,i an
additional bort III the same ncig i,Dnrhood was
considered unrcc eSsary. OH She Ssh and 18th
OF Aug. 1874. ;ac corp ration loaned 10 the
U. States, 5000 dollars, upon condition thai
II should be expended south Of Alexandria
After the deIear o. Cen. Winder at Bla-
.densourg, the corporation by committee wait
e., upon The Britisi, COMMANDER at this CITY
t. know win 4ttreacinent was to b.. expected
provided Alexandra should fill i"to MS hands.
Adj. Cockburn assured the dcpu.atinn tina,
private property would be respected that
probably seine fresh provisions and -four might
De wanted, but they should De paid for
lNitaaut hr'ng gun, on the 27th, TT. Wash
ihgton was blown up and abandoned by the
commanding officer, Capt Dyson, who has
3een dismissed from the service of tue u. 5.
by sentence OF a court-narIial, in coEse-
quehce Of It.
On the 38th, after the enernv's souadro1,
PASSED the Fort, the corporation by dcputa-
ton, proceeded to the snip commanded by
Capt Gordon, and requested to ,nsw ms IN
tentions with regard to Alexandra. which he
proposed 10 communicate whenhc Should come
opposite the town, hut promised that the per
suns, houses and furniture of the citizens
should DC unnolestcd If he met with no OBJ
position. Next day, the 29th, the British
tqN2l!ron WIS drawn up in ipe If battle. so
IS to command the whole t1w'n. There were
@ti1gates, the Seahorse, S8 guns and Fury
ians, 50 guns, . rocket ships OF Is guos each.
bomb SHIPS OF guns each, and "A schr. Of
guns arranged along the town. TIE com
mi'tee wall not attempt t. condense the cor
respondcnce and terms of surrender, but re-
Ter toit as part Of the rep TT One hour
was allowed the corporation to decide II was
stated t. the British officer that tn. common
council had no powcr u compel tie return of
merchandise Carried t. the Country, Yor to
compel the citizens to aid in raising thu. SIM
K vessels these two points were welded bv
tnc eaenly. Tne enemy was requested to ex-
Piain what was included in the term perchan-
h'SC'HHiCl was ID Dc taken, and IN answer If
WIS stated that 1t would embrace such as was
INTENDED for expectation, such Us tobacco. cot
tn, Hour, bale goods, &c. Thc plumber of
iir encmy was indiscrii. nate & not confined
70 any particular Class OF indviauals & inciu-
oed axe h1n-resd-nts and inhabitants. The
| plumber ot the enemy was confined princi
iJaly to Hour, cotton aud tobacco.
Estimate OF the loss {: ) shBs 3 brirs. seve
ri bay and river craft, stone vessels hur,t
10 600 barrels -Four taken, / 600 hoe.heads
| OF tVbacco, $50 bales of COTTON, COG dollar.
| worm OF wines, sugar, K liz relation To a
| letter written by Adj. Codrington TO captain
! Gordon, the committee viii icicr to the en-
! tre letter Of Gen. John Mason, who gives a
satisfactory history ct this transaction: and to
complete this part of the subject, reference
| IS had TO the statement OF Gen. nuncerfor1
| s wing the movements Cf his troops, and e<
| plans the interviews he had with the tl,.l,,-
tati from Alexandria, OH MS march to the
city OF Wash ngton.
CONCLUSION.
in the enquiry into the Causes of the suc-
cess OF the enemy in his recent enterpr,ze,
| against this metropolis, and the neighbo,.ing
! town OF Alexandria, &c. the committee con-
! suited mode OF investigation least embar
rassing to themselves and To others. They
| determined that as it was Indispensable tn
resort to some Of the parties for Information,
! not derivable from ther sourc S, it world he
equally their duty to hear IS far as practca-