The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-02-16


and will undoubtedly make every effort in
Ibis power for the purpose.
j We shall, trust, give him warm re-
cePtion but IT his force is such as is expect
i eel, and should make an attack before our
troops arrive from Greenbush and Platts-
btirg at Sackett's Harbor, the result may at
! least be doubtful.
have the honor, sir, to be, -
With the highest respect & consideration,
Your obedient humble servant.
II. DEARBORN.
Hon. John Armstrong,
Secretary Of War.
| Sackett's Rar6or, March 9, 1919.
! SIR,
have not yet had the honor of a visit
from sir G. Provost. His whole force is
concentrated at Kingston, probably amount
| ing to six or seven thousand about three
thousand of them regular troops. The ice
| is good. and we expect him every day, and
every measure TOR preventing surprise is
10 constant activity. The troops from Green
bush (up~ards of A0O) have arrived. have
heard nothing from Pike: he should have
been here yesterday. Ihave sent three ex.
presses to meet him neither has returned
have suspicious of the express employed
oy the quarter master general to convey the.
orders TO Pike the earliest measures were
taken for conveying a duplicate of his or.
ders. hope to hea from him to-day. His
arrival with 500 coed troops would be very
important at this time. The cnemy are an
priced OF his movement
begin to entertain some doubts whether
sir George will venture to attack us !: hut
snail not relax in being prepared to give
him decent reception.
should feel easier if Pike should arrive
IN season. am in want of officers of ex-
Perence. My whole force, exclusive of
seamen and marines. who will be confined
to the vessels and have no share in the ac-
tion until my force shall be worsted. a
mounts 10 nearly 5000, exclusive of $50 mi
itia at Brownville, and on the road leading
from Kingston by land. Within two or
three days / may have 800 more militia from
Rome and Utica.
Inc ice will not probably be passable
more than from six to ten days longer it is
not usually pass7bie afterth 18th of March,
his unexpected movement of the enemy
will eiiectually oppose the movements con-
templated on our part, and shall not think
it advisable to order general Chandler TO
move at present. AS soon as the fall of this
place shall be decided. we shall be aoIe to
determine ON other measures. If we hold
this place we will command the lake, and
be able TO act in concert with the troops at
Niagara, while Chambers brigade, with
such other troops as may assemble in Yer
mont, may induce return of a considerable
part OF those troops that have left Lower
Canada.
When ordered Pike to move directed
general Chandler to have the provisions AZ
Pittsburgh moved to Burlington. There
was but a small proportion of our maya.
zines at Plattsburgh; they are principally
at Burlington and White Hall.
Yours with respect and esteem.
| Hon. John Armstrong.
Extract of a. letter iron, Major General
Dearborn TO the Secretary at War,
| dated
March Ia, 1913.
From the most recent and probable in
f"rmation have obtained am induced to
| believe that sir George Provost has conclud.
ed that IL is too late TO attack this place.
He undoubtedly meditated a coup-de-main
against the shipping here. All ,.,e appre-
hensjon is now at Kingston. Sir George has
visited York and Niagara, and returned TO
Montreal. Several bodies of troops have
lately passed up from Montreal; but such
precautions have been taken to prevent
their number being ascertained, as to render
| Vt impossible to form any accurate opinion of
| their forces, or even to imagine very nearly
what they amount to. From various sour
ces 1 am perfectly satisfied, that they are
not IN sufficient force to venture an attack
on this place. knowing as they do that we
rave colleSted a fine body OF troops from
Greenbush and Pittsburgh, ard that the
militia have been called in. We are pro
oably Just strong enough on each side to de-
tend but not in sufficient force TO hazard
an offensive movement. The difference of
attacking and being attacked as it regards
the contiguous posts of Kingston and Sack
letts Harbor,, cannot be estimated at less
than, three or four thousand men, arising
from the circumstance Of: militia acting
merely on the defensive. have ordered
general Chandler with the 9th, 2Ist and
l25th regiments to march for this place :
Clarke regiment and company of artilie.
Try to be left at Burlington for the present.
where the regiment will be filed in a few
weeks. I.have ordered the recruits For the
three regiments that will march for this
place to be sent 10 Creenbush, and colonel
Larned is ordered there to receive them
! with Bachus's dismounted dragons & other
ldetachments from Piits6eld."
E1trocf Of a letter from Major General
Deayborn % the Secretary at Uar,
dated
/ Sackett's Harbor,
March 16.h, 1873.
i "It was yesterday unanimously deter
Imiued in council NJ the my ncinaI n, r..-e