The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-07-23
BATTLE OF ST. LEONARD'S

ney's FlotRia 5 and tor me truth Of zchich
heis wiling to Be he'd accountable.
Saturday, June IS. 1914.
1hisfevcning1 understood it to be the in
tention of the Commodore to drop down to
me mouth ot'fhe Creek, and there form in line
and lay all night, ready to open on the enc
my IN conjunction with land battery ut day
light in the morning. A message was after
wards received, however, from Col. Wads-
worth, to Com. Barney (by MIR. Blake, who
had been deputed to the ColoneD the purport
Of which was that the b" Commodore need not
be in hurry, as he, (Col. WI was not fost-
hUeiy certain that the fort would be ready to
cooperate with the iotilla the next morning. 81
In consequence of which message, the inten-
ton to drop down to the exfrtwe mouth of
the creek, was, believe, abandoned. At sun
set the hotlla dropt down to within about a
InIe OF the mouth of the creek, and there an
chored in line of battle.
Sunday, June 26.-(The day of the bat
tle.) AT dawn of day the flotiila weighed an
Choir with the intention, as | understood, of
forcing its way into the Patuxent, provided
the enemy were not closer than round shot
distance. In dropping down heard, the Com
modore declare openly that he expected to re-
Selve no assistance from the land bate
~, but that he was determined to do his duty
by forcing his way into the Patuxent, if not at
the imminent hazard of having his fiotla des-
heard the first shot from Col. Wadsworth's
battery. The fotlla,. so eager were the brave
ofhcers and men composing it to get down, al
most AS It were flew over the water. In about
i've minutes the British returned the fire of
the fort and in five minutes after, eight of the
barges were at the mouth of the creek and
opening on the enemy.-Those eight were the
only barges Iii the action and continued to fire
about torty-five minutes The Commodore, as
4 E,,Ii tI,a+ t,a
within short grape shot of the enemy, and
knowlnS that the destruction Of his fotilla was
the inevitable consequence of remaining where
ne was, and believing from the incessant fire
OF the frigates, as / actually heard him
declare, that he had lost one hundred men in
Killed and wounded. and believing, as / sup
pose he did, that the shot of the fort were of
no avail, (the fort being too far from the point
OF land TO Cooperate effectually) ordered the
totila to retire a small distance mot three
quarters OF a mile at farthcst) up the creek,
and there to draw up in line to wait tie de-
7,ouenient.
1 then landed with the intention of volun
teerlng IN assisting to withstand the enemy if
IL proved to be his intention TO land and on
my way towards the fort met the whole land
force retreating: enquired the cause of the
retreat from several persons. but could not
Lsarn 1t. met Lieut.. Carter, second in COM
mand OF the party of sailors of the fiotilla.
who were sent by Commodore Barney at the
request of Col, Wadsworth, to man the two
lS Founders He was badly wounded by tie
premature explosion OF one of his guns, and
being weak & fearful of fainting (having work
ed all night In erecting the battery, and then
fought oravely all the morning, without re-
ceiving any refreshment,) lie requested me to
conduct him to the fotilla. l returDed with
him on my arm, & received from him on the
way, and at intervals when he rested the sub
stance of the following information:
That when Capt. Gohagen and Himself,
with their sailors, went to Col Wadsworth
on Saturday evening, the colonel had not fix
ed on the place where the battery was to be
erected; and it was not, until they had
repeatedly requested it, that they received
satisfactory answer. AT last the Colonel in
formed Capt Gohagen, that he might, as he
was to tight it, choose the position for the fort
himself (; on which intrnation, he (Capt C.)
repaired to The extremity Of the foint, and
had there partly finished it, when ne was in
formed by Col. Wadsworth, that the situation
ne had chosen, was too much exposed to the
enemy, and that he (col W. would not suffer
ms guns TO be- there mounted. Capt G.. was
extremely mortified, but from an anxious de
SIRE to do what he considered under such
critical circumstances, his duty, he consented.
although against his inclination. to retire IN q
place pointed out by col. Wadsworth, and
Which WAS situated, as the events of the morn
ing afterwards proved, in quite a@dsadvanta-
seous, it not in qnite useless position. Cant.
q. and his sailors there erected (of them
selves, without any, or If anv, very tIinine as
sistaDce, although repeatedly requested the
tort tor the IS Founders. They did after
forwards receive some aid from a few
soldiers tn assist in dragging up the guns
IRON the places Of recoii but, on the general
alarm, those men also retreated. The sal
lors, III number 10 to each gun, not being able
to drag them mp so steep an emincnce, and
having exhausted themselves by fatigue i'm dig
glng the Entertainments and fighting, (and the
guns having under those circumstances been
ordered to be spiked they lay down. most Of
them, and went to sleep by the cannon.
arrived At the flotila with Lieut.. Carter.
ond surprised the Commodore, not little. bv
informing him OF the retreat.
The British being under way warpinc down
q being over grape distance, the flotilla weigh.
Ell anchor came out Of the Greek and up the
Patuxcnt"
10 this extract from his journal, Mr.. A.
adds to do away Misrepresentation that he
Trunks nave beer rurposely made, the follow
ing Information derived from a gentleman who
was on board the Loire f1ig.,te Immediately
a ter the action
That on going on board. he found them hard
at work, pumping, in plugginr the shot