The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-02-16
[Vol. 1o.-----No. 93.


ought not, under existing circumstances, to
make an attempt on Kingston, before The
7t0uat force can act. The harbnrs in this
lake will not probably be open so as to ad :
INIT OF the. vessels being moved until about
the 18th Of April"
Extract ofa letter. from, Major General
| Oeor6orn to the Secretary ar War,
qythont dare; PROPOSING 10 fass by
| kinsSton. and attack York, CSC.
To take or destroy the armed vessels at.
| York, will give US the complete command ct
the lake. Com. Chauncey can take with nu
en- or twelve hundred troops, to be COM
manded by Pike take York, from thence
proceed to Niagara, and attack fort George
b. land and water. while the troops at Buffa-
lo cross over and carry forts Erie & Chip
pewa, and join those at fort George ard
ihen collect our whole force for an attack
on Kingston. After the most mature DELI
heraioD, the above was considered by CONS
modore Chauncey and myself as the most
certain of ultimate success"
Extract of a letter from, RE Secretary az
Var, TO Major General Dear6os7, d.if-
ed,
War Department,
March 20, 1913.
your dispatches of the 11th ami 18th
, .
the 22d. from Albany, have been received.
L he correspondence between you and major
Murray, in relation to an exchange Of pri-
soners, has been referred to the department
OF state. The alteration in the plan of
campaign, so as to make Kingston the last
object. instead of making it the first. would
appear to be necessary, OF at least proper
but the force assigned to the attack OF the
upper posts, is believed to be too small
the corps at Buffalo. That sent from Sack
ett's Harbor should have in itself the power
OF reducing forts George and Erie, & hold
ing IN cheek the militia who m ay be sent te
support them. The ships can give little aid
IN the business, except merely in covering
the landing. Double the number you pro-
pose sending would not be too many. Va
rious considerations recommend the employ.
ment of large and decisive force, & none,
that can think of, dissuade from it. If our
FIRST step in the campaign. & in the quarter
from which most is expected, should fail,
the disgrace OF our arms will be COMPLETE
The public will lose all confidence in us, 6
we shall even cease to have any in cur.
selves. The party who first opens cam
paign, has many advantages over his anita
gonist. all of which, however, are the result
OF his being able to carry his whole force a
gainst part of his eneuiys. Washington
carried his whole force against the Hessians
IN New Jersey, and beating them, recovered
that moral strength, that self confidence,
Which ne had lost by many preceding disas-
tiers. We are now in taat state of prostra- -
ton that he was III, after he crossed The
i1r'awars but, like him, we may soon get
on our legs again, if we are able to give some
hard blows at the opening of the campaign.
In this We cannot fail, provided the farce we
emcioy against his western posts be suffici-
emily heavy. They must stand OF fall by
their own strength. They are perfectly iso-
lated and out Of the reach of reinforcemert Is:
send therefore force that sh II overwh In
them-that shall leave i,sg to chance.
1t had not anoJier motive, I would carry
my whole strength, merely t at their first
servie houid be a successful one. The
god efte is OF this will be felt throughout
the campaign.
81 have FASTENED TO give you these
thoughts, under full conviction of their
use'ulness; and shall only add tn at there
rs no drawback upon this policy. When
the Meet and armv are gene, we have moth
Ing at Sackett's Harbour to guard, nor will
the place present an object to the enemy.
How then would it read, that we had
lost our object on the Niagara, while we had
ano her brigade at Sackett's Harbour dong
nothing"
Ertracf of letter from Mo;or Genera,
Oear6orH, 10 ole Secretary at War, da-
ted
Albany, April S, 1913.
have this day been honored with YOUR
letter OF the 29th utlmo. As troops cannot
with safety be transported from Sackett's
Harbor to York or Niagara in 6atteaur or
fiat boftomed boats, / must depend ON COM
modore Chauncey's armed vessels, with one
or two other sioops, for the transportation Of
our troops, and it was considered doubtful
whether more than twelve hundred men
copld be so conveyed, which number con-
idered amply sufficient for the two first OBJ
jects contemplated; but as many as can be
transported with safety shall bessent. The
cooperation of the troops under general
Lewis may be relied on. Boyd and Winie,.
are with him, and nothing but outrageous
gales OF wind can prevent success.
The troops from MARYLAND and Penn
syivania arrived last evening. They, win
the other detachmen,s at Greenbush, will
proceed towards lake Ontario WITHIN two or
three days. As soon as prscticable, after
sending OF the troops, l shall move west
ward"