Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-04-20

Cory Of a letter from Can't Holmes, 10 Lit.
Co.. Butter, commanding ar Detroit, and
transmiffed TO tie DEPARTMENT Of War
BY Gen. Harrison.
SIR, s'''' ''-'' :" ~ OF
have; the honor to submit in writing
that the expedition sent under my command
against the enemy's posts by your special or
ders OF the 2ist ultimo, had the good for
tune on tho 9Th instant to meet and subdue
a force double its own, fresh from the bar
racks, and led by distinguished officer.
had been compelled to leave the artille-
ny by the invincible difficulties of the route
from Point au Plait to the Round O. No
wheel carriage OF any kind had ever at.
tempted it before, and none will ever pass
j. until the pss,sh and fallen timber are Gu
away, and the swamp causewayed or dram
ed. After joining Capt. Gin, Ibegan the
march for Fort Talbot, but was soon CON.
WINGED of its being impossible to reach the
post, in time to secure any force which might
be there or adjacent. This conviction, uni
ted with the information that the enemy had
force at Delaware upon the Thames, that
should be expected at Fort Talbot, and
conse quently, that previous descent upon
Delaware might deceive the foe, and lead
him to expose me some point in defending
others he might think menaced, and coupled
with the possibility that hearing o. Captain
GilPs march to the Round o by M'Gregor's
militia, whom he had pursued, a detach.
ment had descended the Thames to inter-
cept him, determined me to exercise the
discretion allowed by the order and to strike
at once upon the river.
On the Sd inst. when only fifteen miles
from Delaware, we received intelligence
that the enemy had left Delaware with the
intention of descending the river, and that
we should probably meet him in one hour
that his force consisted CT light company
from the Royal Scots, mastering for duty
one hundred and twenty men; light COM
parry from the Both regiment Of foot (efici-
ency not Enown) Caidwell's Indians and
M'Gregor's militia, amounting in all to a
bout 500 men. My command originally had
not exceeded one hundred and eighty rank
--aNd HE. Hunger, cold and fatigue had
brought on disease, and tho none died, all
were exceedingly depressed, aud sixteen had
been ordered home as unable to continue the
.parch. iresolved therefore to avoid the con.
flict on equal grounds, and Immediately re-
treated five miles for the sake of q good pc.
sition, on the western bank OF the Twenty
Mile Greek. leaving Capt. Gill with twenty
RANGES. TO cover the rear, and to watch the
enemy 4 motions. We ;.2u encampeu pat .
few minutes, when Capt. Gal joined, after
exchanging shots with the enemy's advance,
in vainly attempting to reconnoitre his force.
The Twenty Mile Greek runs from north
to south, through deep and wide ravine,
and of course is f1anked east and west by
lofty heights. My camp was formed upon
the western heights The enemy's upon the
opposite. During the night of the Sd all was
quiet. At sunrise on the 9TH, the enemy APP
peared thiniy upon the opposite heights, fir
ed upon US without effect and vanished -
After waiting some lime for their reappear-
ance, 1t. Knox of the Rangers was sent to
recoDnoitre. On his return he reported
that the enemy had retreated with the ut,
most precipitation, leaving his baggage scaG-
tered upon the road, and that his trail and
fires made him out not more than seventy
men. Mortified at the suppostion Of having
refrigerated from this diminutive force, in
stantly commenced the pursuit, with the de-
sign of attacking Delaware before the o.
penipg OF another day. We had not howe
yer proceeded beyond FIVE miles when Capt
Lee, commanding the advance, discovered
the enemy in considerable force, arranging
himself for battle. The symptoms Of fear
and fight were now easily traced to the
purpose of seducing me fron the heights,
and so Iar the plan succeeded. But the EN-
envy failed to Improve the advantage. If he
nan tnTOWn HIS chief tOTCC across the rG~
vine above the road and occupied our camp
when relinquished, thus obstrUcting my c. m.
nUnication to the rear, / should have been
driven upon Delaware against superior
force. since found to be stationed there, or
forced 20 take the wilderness for Fort Tai
bot without forage or provisions. Heaven
averted this calamity. We soon regared
the position at Twenty Mile Greek, and tho
the rangers were greatly disheartened by
the retreat, and to a man insisted upon not
fighting the enemy, we decided to exhibit
OH that spot the scene of death or victory
was induced to adopt the order of the hot-
loSo square, to prevent the necessity ofevo
luton which knew all the troops were in
competent to perform in action. The de-
tachments of the oath and 18th infantry oc-
cupied the brow of the heights. The de-
tachmeDs from the garrison OF Detroit form
ed the north front of the square, the ran,
gers the west, aud the militia the SOUTH
Our horses and baggage stosd in the centre;
the enemy threw his militia and Indians a.
cross the ravine above the road and com.
menced the action with savage yells and bu
giles sounding from the north, west * south.
His regulars at the same time charged down
the road from the opposite heights, crossed
the bridge and charged up the heights we
occupied within twenty steps of the Ameri-
can line and against the most destructive FIRE
But his front section was soon shot to pieces.
Those who followed were muchthnned and
wounded. His officers were soon cut down
and his ANTAGONISTS continued to- eyince a do.