Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-07-02

--%-S
tie only the day before the 3elvidera' came into
the bay for the purpose of replenishing its pro-
visions. r.
With great respect, &c.
Hon. VIM. Jones,
Secretary of the Navy.
1t IS with much pleasure we announc th.e
Commodore Barney has extricated himself from
ms ate hazardous or at least useless position n
st. Leonard's creek, and has arrived at Benne-
dict ON the Patuxent. Messrs Blake and An,
drews, two young gentlemen Of this.city. who
had volunteered their services, left the aot;lIa
last evening. They do not add any material
facts to the information contained in Canine.
dore Barney's letter. The enemys force CON.
sisted OF one rasee anil frigate. Thar loss
cannot be calculated with any certainty, though
It must have been very considerable before thew
would be compelled to retreat. One of their
trgates was set on FIRE by the red hot shot from
Coi. Wadsworth's IL Founders, and which waa
nor extinguished TOR some time. From the mar
rswness OF the the water, only the large barpes
OF our Hotilla could engage them.
Nat. Int.
The troops from this district having relieved
the upper shores of the Patuxent from the de-,
Predauons OF the enemy. and effected the OBJ.
Ject oftheir expedition thither, they viii. wo
understand, be ordered home on Friday next.
ID.
jus 80.
Cohy Of a letter from Col Wadswor,h ia
Inc Sec.efary IF svar, dated
camp near Sc. Leonard's, June 26:
We decided on attacking the enemy tbs.
morning at day break; after txo asd a
aalf or three hours cannonading he THOUGHT
proper to retreat down the river, and Com
barney has taken advantage of his absence
to pass his hotilla up the Patuxent. was
constrained to precipitate the attack before
was fully prepared. from the circumstan-
saace OF all the enemy's small vessels ha-
wing left the river. The ground wa, nh.
lged to occupy for battery consisted of a
high bluff point, having the Pa,uxcnt ON the
right and ST. Leonard's Creek on the lett.
with which the communication VAS over
nat piece OF ground, subject to be enfiladed
from the Patuxent, and the hill ON which
the guns were to be placed liable te a re
verse hre from the same quarter; therer
tore, In case of an attack the enemy miqht
nave rendered our situation very uncomforA
table, by stationing small vessel 60 as to
command the low ground speak of.
We committed great many blunders du.
ring the action, or cur success would pro-
badly have been more complete. forbear
TO enter into minute particulars, lest / shouId
Cast an INDIRECT censure on some officers.
perhaps undeseryed, for must &C knowledge
was 80 much engaged at the battery as
70 nave bnt an indstnct knowledge of what
passed elsewhere. But the fact is. the in.
iantry and light artillery decided upon re.
ireathg without my orders. before they had
lost ebngle man killed or wounded and az
tue time too, when the enemy were manoeu,
yring to the rear of our position with their
oarges. The consequence Of this movement.
was very INSTANTANEOUS the men at the
guns perceivins the infantry retreatinp. 3.
the enemy getting into the rear. their snm-
bers began sensibly to diminish, and ( was
pretty soon Left with only men enough To
work one gun, which was necessitated to-
turn to the rear for the sake of keeping the
oarges m check, Finally the few men that
remained were SO exhausted with fat;gne !,
we found it impracticsble to Ere any more.
ano the hmbers and horses which had been
ordered down the hill. having disappeared
and gone know not where found mveele
under tine painful necessity of spikiny the
guns to prevent their being made use Of bv
the enemy, should he get possession of
them. "a
1 must in justice to the infantry acknow-
ledge they did not take to fight, but Quilted
the ground In perfect order; after while
1 was able to halt them and bring them
Dack. In the mean time the enemy were
getting under way and retiring down the ri.
ver-from the precipitancy of his retreat. +
inter he must have suffered consinerablv.-
From some untoward circumstances I had
1t not IN my power to observe the effect of
each shot we fred, otherwise / think h;a
destruction would have been Complete.
Commodore Barney furnished me with
twenty excellent men from his Aotilla tn
work the guns. BY some mism anapement
in loading with hot shot, one poor fellow
had his arms blown of, which Is the oniv
material accident we sustained One of the
enemy's rockets passed through an ammu,
milton box. which had heen injudiciousJy
placed, and exploded II, which did some do.
mage. An ammunition cart ne r IL was co,
vered with the tire, bus for fortunateIv dill
not explode. Some other triiling accideats
were sustained.
we commenced la the night an epauIment .
10 cover our guns bat the work srooressad
80 little, from the shortness of time. I did
not think 1t best to occupy it. We re,rsst
ca our guns so as barely to allow the mn
zies 20 peep over the hill. This brougI
on descending ground. in ploushed
neia' ne recoi OF the gun downwarz
ry time it was tired gave us -
TO oring 1t up to its positisr
poets it answered a
found it impossi, y
men. Eyers