The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-24

Z.Uf
together with the 5000 from Maryland, ma
KING an aggregate force of is 600 drafted mi
htia, 5000 OF which authorised to be called
INTO actual service, the residue in case of ac-
.uai or meAaced invasion, besides the regu-
var troops estimated at 900 making I6. 600.
independent OF marines and notiila men. This
was the measure of defence contemplated for.
the military district No. 10. and the measures
taken by the war department up to the I7tb
of July, IN execution of it.
In relation to the collection of this force Sc
Veral unfortunate circumstances interviewed
e. produce great * MANIFEST failure. LIST. on
the 18th of July, general Winder was
authorised, in consequence of his own suv-
Sestions and in conformity to the wishes
OF the president, to Call into ac:usl ser
vice as many as 5000 and not less than
so00 ci the drafts, under the reqnisition of
the 4th ot July, rs assigned fur the operations
vi MS districs, as permanent corps and raj
lying point with his other forces in a central
position US before stated, to protect Baltimore,
the CITY OF Warrington, sc. in case of inva-
son. Gen. Wihder upon the receipt Of this
authority, proceeded direct to Annapolis, &
mace this requistioh upon the governor of
Maryland TOR the actual service of 5000 men :;
and on the Esd of July, 80 days prev: us TO
the battle of Bladensbrrg, gen. Wmdcr in
forums the secretary Of way, that the arrange
ments for the force had been made, orders had
issued and Bladensburg fixed as. the place of
rendezvous X encourages expectation that
the collection of the force wuuIc be PROMPT g,
certain.
On the 27th, the governor of Maryland in
forms the secretary of war that measures hafI
been taken TO comply with the reouistion of
the 4th OF July; & his orders had issued call
Ing into actual service $500 men to rentlez-
lt Rlafpr,Sh ~.
mand of gen. Winder, in conformity othe wish
es of the president. In the mean time STAINS
bury's brigade had been called into service at
Baltimore, Oil account of the alarm about the
18th OF July, by the secretary of war, and
although this force constituted part OF the
Maryland quota of six thousand, by the
consent of the secretary of war. it was To
make no part of the three thousand to be
Called into actual service for the purposes
mentioned
To form correct estimate Of this failure.
which Gid not bring as many hundred men
into the field, IN the words OF Gen Wmtcr,
i may be proper TO state that at all times
~" marine, h1tilla men and regular troops,
inclu ling the different garrisons, amounted
to upwards OF LOCO men. The militia of the
District OF Columbia amounted to 1000 men.
L hese were always III a disposable state.
and acknowledged by Gen Winder, IN his
letter Of the Esd to be almost as efficient as
ii in actual Service and the event proved
this to he correct. The d:spesabIe force at
Baltimore, including Stans5ary's brigade,
amounted to upwards of 1900 men, as the
event proved, making an e;ic cnt force of
at least 5000 men, if the call for 5000 had
been complied with. To this add the des;r-
mated force assigned 20 the 9th mil. dist &, the
force to lie raised on the spur of the occasion
by calls upon the militia and population OF
the Country EN- Inasse, and whose disposition
Is always operated npoN more or less in pro-
portion tou prospect of success. On the
9Th OF August, q days after the secretary
OF war was Informed that this arrangement
had been made. general Winder advises him
that there would be almost a total failure in
relation to the call for 5000 men, and as
temporary remedy proposes the acceptance
OF certain state troops supposed to be about
l BOO under colonies Beall and Hood, then
III service at Annapolis, which was authori-
zed and these troops came to the battle
ground, as before stated, about one half hour
before the action on the gath of August
i ne reasons which operated to produce this
faiiure have been detailed and there can be
40 OBJECT Ill having thcm repeated, as the
committee do net consider it a duty to
discuss TIE merits of those considerations.
IDLY Oa the 18th os July, Tire secretary OF
war ny leuer, authorized the commanding
general to call on Pennsylvania for 5000
men on Virginia for 1000 men. &c. as be-
fore stated This letter was not received
by geHeirl Winder until about the 9Th of
August, as appears by his correspondence
with The governor Of Pcnnsylania, after
iap'e OF about Is days. in expl1ining The de-
Jay OF the receipt of this letter, gen. yVinder
says 1t originated from his being in constant
motion IN traversing and examining the stu
alton and various military positions of his
command, and the letter had gone the circuit
with him without having received il. II is
impossible for the committee to saw what
particular influence this circumstance had
upon the collection of the trosps: and il may
be proper here To state, that the difficulties
explained IN relation to the militia laws of
PENNSYLVANIA had no bearing upon the fail
ure OF our arms, IS no specific call was
made upon that state till the. 18TH OF August
when one regiment was demlnded, and on
the 18th the whole 5 1000 were demanded
but this requistion was not received by the
governor Of PenDsyivania until the evening
ct the 2Sd, at which time the Pennsylvania
detachment had been designated under the
requsition ut the 4th and ready for the call
winch was made upon it.
SHY. The unfortunate circumstances which
delayed the arming Of a Virginia regiment
under col. George Minor. Consisting of 600
infantry and 100 horse, who arrived in the
CITY OF Washington late on the evening of the
%3u. Vol Minor called on the secretary of