Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-07-13
GENERAL ORDER,
.Aajutant-Gene Office, I
Left Dipisf,n.

GENERAL- ORDER,
.zojusaat- Generals Office,
L5t Divisfsn.
BUFFALoE, June 49,
A Court Of Enquiry, will be instituted
under the direction given by the President
Of the U. S." to be composed Of a Presis
dent. two Members and a Recorder, Tor the
purpose of enquiring into the conduct of
colonel Campbell during Dis late expedite.
on to Long Point, aud particularly As to the,
burning of the town of Dover in Upper Ca.
NADIA.
The Court will report ITS opinion On the
case"
B,isadier General Scott, will 81, as Presi
dent.
Mjor Jesnp. of the 25th Infantry, and
Major Wood. of the Engineers, as members
The Ccure will convene tomorrow NOR
ming at ten o'clock, at such place as the
President may select.
Attest. C.K, GARDNER.
.Hdj't. General
THE OPINION
The authority that insiitutci the Court Of Enqu,-
ry, having also required opinion on the sub-
iiitcc, the Court, in the further discharge Of its
dat IS, unar .iaons'y pronounce as follows :
That, considering the important supplies of bread
stafs, which from the evidence it appears the ene-
my's forces derived from the iour manufacturing
III NV 81 - W stOVer, COL DDoit was warrant
ed IN destroying those mills iSeordiug TO the laws
and us ges OF war. and, for like reason, the court
iaak him justified in burning the dstilleries under
the said laws and usases. Tile saw mills aud card
Tag msci''as, from their contguity to the other
Mills were, AS the court couceves necessarily in-
VOWED In ono Ard the sane burning.
Ia respect To the burning OF the dwelling and o.
Their hon scs in the village OF Dover the court are
tuiiy OF an opinion that col. Csmpbcll has erred
that he derive Justification from the fact that
.tue OF thcec md
10 the american interests in the present war, or
from the other facts, that some Of them we're at
the eonhasration of Buf1oe. In their partizan SER
vices 1t does not appear to the court that the in
habtsnts of Dover have done .aore than their pro-
per A'leganoe required OF them and the estruc-
ton ot Dpfaioe by Lieut.. Gen. of the enemy's re.
glar forces, was emphatcally the wrong of the Bril-
us'i government itself, rendered such BY its subse-
quept aaot)n oi the measure, and ought not to be
ascr1bcd 10 few Canadians who were present at
the time.
Acts liberalization on the part of nation, proud
OF ts rights and conscious OF the power Of enforcing
then' should, in the opinion of the court be rsue-
taty resorted TO, and only By instructions from the
highest IN authorIty.-rhat no s:rch iastrueiiorz
were gwen III the case under consideration, is
merely Inferred from the absence of evidence to
snat eject, but is candidy admitted by col Camp
oe'i ~ his official report (Which il in evidencc)
wherein he expis ssy states" This expedition IS
undertaken by me without orders, AID upoa my
own responsibility"
me court, IN delivering ths above opinion nnfa-
vorabio to col. Campbell, fully aware Of the
strong incentives TO just Indignation which must
nave been present TO his mind at the time of his
VISIT To Dovcr--the massaeres Of the Rsisin and the
Miami we're not yet forgotten, and the more re-
cent devastation Of the entire Niagara frontier,
cefnpanied by many acts of savage barbarity, was
fresh IN remembrsrce.-That these recolfec,ions
should have aroused his feelings and have swsyed
MS judgment, does not excite wsader but regret |;
and there is still left tor admiration Ills kind aud
a ,a treatment Of the women aud children at
Dover abandoned by their natural protectors.
The Court adjourned sine die.
w. SCOTT, Brig. Gen.
Presidents OF the Court.
ID. WATSON, Capt. sjtb Infantry. b,
Recorder.