The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-09-03
Camp at Macon. Island.

S1H--1 nau TIC IlO1Or 10 receive YOUR conf
munication of the 29sh inst. The orders re-
ceived from Brig. Gen. Winder through Mai.
Hite, verbally, on the e It'll inst. were, in case
was oppressed by, or heard of, an enemy in
my rear, TIC spike our guns and make my es-
cape over the river The enemy approached
by water on the 9th s we had learnt on that
day thro' several channels that the enemy
had been reinforced at Benedict, 1000 strong,
& that they wercop their march To CO. operate
with the feet, in addition to the force which
left the city. Under ell these circumstances,
the officers under my command were consult
ed, and agreed that it was best to abandon the
fort and effect a retreat. The force under
my command was thought not equal to de-
fence OF the place.
Ihave the honor to be with great conside-
ration, your ob't. serv't
SAML. T. DYSON.
Capt. corps OF Arty.
The Hon. John Armstrong,
Sec'y. of War, Washington.
Capt Dyson is, we learn. under arrest, and
the comuand cfhis company given to Lieut.
Spencer.
The President of the q. States was not on
~ active during the engagement which took
place with the enemy but had been exertihg
himself for two or three days previous, & has
Dctn personally aCllNC ever since. Every one
joins in attrblting to him the greatest merit
The enemy's vessels now lie off Alexandria
about SIX miles below this city, and by some
are supposed to merace It. We are p:cpar-
ed TO meet, and We hope to repcI them.
Private property was in general scrupu-
lousy respected by the enemy during his stay
in the city, with the exception of two or three
houses burnt because guis were fred from
them on the enemy. The Office of the Ma
tional Intelligencer, besides these, was the
sole exceptions. Cockburn, the incendiary he
70 of Hampton, presided at the demolition of
its material parts, and amused the spectators
with much OF the peculiar slarg of the Com
mon Sewer in relation to the Editors of this
paper. The destruction of our Office will ac-
count for the present appearance OF our pa
per.
The officers of government are now all at
this place, and about resuming in tlleiY ordina-
ry course all the functions of Government, to
which monetary interruption has beer gi-
ven by the sudden incurson OF a strong force
of the enemy. This event, however it may
have produced considerable loss to a few irdi-
duals, among whom are ourselves, and
great anxiety to all classes, can produce no
serious effect, either on the government or on
the community generally. The Inconvenience !.
though serious to us and those who have
bravely fed to our succour, TO the people of
the L. States will be momentary the loss to
the propIictors of the city (those excepted
whose property was destroyed) was very tri-
vial. The only serious effect is the stigma
which tn s event will necessarily, we do not
say justly, affix on the national character-
Tha. stain can only be eff,ced by future vi
gor and unity of action. In what manner
these should be exhibited, is point we shall
leave for fussre calculation. Nat. Int.
An officer Of the Flotlia board az the time nf its
beng destroyed, states, that the British baiges 80 in
number, assisted by considerable land force approach
eel so near, as to throw their rockets aud grape
board, when capt FRAZIER gave orders for the whole
IN be blown up; they had nos more tam fifty men
on hoafyl, the remainder having marched TO the
Woodyard. No accident occurred
R0If PAT