The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-02-19
IIESSIGE

MESSAGE
From the President Of the United States,
transmi.ting letter from the Secretary
u JPQr, accomplished svith St.ae!ru docu
nients in obedience to a resolution cfthe
91St Of December last, requesting such ia
formGtion as, may tend 20 er,tiaia TIE c0U-
ses Of the failure etitac arms IF tie United
STATES, on the Northern Front r.
Continues !
letters from the Secretary at War, to Major-Gen-
eral Laws, comm .,ding at Ssckett's Harbor.
Extracts 81 tetter Jron, tie Secretary ef Wov to
-Nujor General L.ezuss, dG;sI
W0r Department,
JUDY y, 1913.
" An order expedited to Genera. Dear
born yesterday, permitting him retire from the
command OF the army and district Another wa.
sent 20 lloyd torbiddiBs him engage in any affair
with the eacIny that could be avoided, sad subec.
ting him to the orders OF major general Hampton
OF yourself, This last (sor Hampton is now the
Oldest officer in the district) intended to meet
the eont urgency suggested in my last letter, viz.
that If we regaiped the command Of the lskc, and
feo retired undcr the guns ct Kingston that this
moment OF superiority must not he lost, and that
bringing down Boyds divison,s blow right be struck
at that place To favor ,h.s enterprise, orders will
be sent to general Hampton to push his heai-ouar.
tiers to the position held by our army the last cam
pafsn on lake Champian and = requistion for
zen thousand militia from the states of Newly ork *
Vermont III reinforcement Of this part of the plan
will be superadded
The moment Chausesy goes out, Que stores a.
long the south shore of the Lake should be brought
down to the harbor and in that CASE your email
pests consisting irregular troops drawn into your
main body"
Hr' Department, ;.
Sur, 9 3 i''''
1t is not merely possible, but probable, that the
British feet In lake Ontario may upon the fitting out
the General Pike, refuse n battle aud take shelter
under the guns OF Kingston until their new brig
shall restore TO them the superiority A question
OF muah Importance arises this supposed state
OF things What viii be the best possible employ
nent OF our force during the period we may be a.
BILE to command the lake Shal! we reinforce tn.
troops at fort George from Sackets Harbor and
cut OIL Y ncent, shall we bring from fort Geores
tie mass G the division tn ere, and uniting them to
your present conmaud, attack the enemy at King
ftont LII the latter part OF the alternative be ado-
ted, two things must De done. A heavy body o.
militia should be assembled at 0g3ensburg To draw
TO that point tie enemy's attentio-, and general
Hampton shonld move rapidly and IN force against
Niontres. Our assembled force az Sackett's Har
Dor would amount to seven thousand men, indepen-
dentiy OF the naval meas The enemy md force
% Kingston is about four thous.nd. Coul success
fu' attack be made here tn fate OF the ca paen is
qeeided--perhaps thai ofths war. The object is
great; but proportion as it is SIS the means OF eff
tectins It ought to be well couc.,lered From the
aSstcses nave been able 10 procure of k 1ssten &
IFS vicinity, hsve doubt bul that the attack ou,d
be made on the works VIII cover the battery on
Navy Point Thess gafaed, town, battery and hsr
Dor are ali at your discretion. Beware of dividing
your attack. Conhse it to a single point, but let
that point be Commanding one
B.heve me, general,
Very respectfully and faithfully yours,
JOHN ARMSTRONG.
MajorGenera Lewis
Sacketts H5rbor.
Correspondence between the Secretary of War and
Major General Harrison.
Extract Of a letter tom tie Secretary Of liar to
-iz1or General JYiIsamt n HRT9s1n, dated
War Department,
March 5, 1918.
''I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
o. your dispatches OF the 18th and Goth ultmo.
The suspension Of your movement in advance,
appears 10 have been necessary bui though this
may be the case your demonstrations agaiost Mall
den should not cease. These you will make in
such way as shall he best csIeuated to keen the
nemys aarm Tor the ssfey of that post, and of the
Ships oil war wnterng there. You will be more
able TO appreciate the value OF this policy when
state, that We shall very soon DC in motion on the
Niagara K 81. Laurence
=" You did well in stopping the march of the two
augmentation Ohio. To have added to your force
no long as your object is restricted the mante-
nance ct you present position, wouid have been a
very useless expenditure of both public spirit and
pablo rnopey.
AS your campaign is now az ga er.d, and yet
MARRY approaching 10 thst which ~ coming, il NAV
be proper TO communicate to you the Presidents
Views In relation to your subsequent movements
IT would appear that Maiden can only be SAG
es'stuy approached by the ro tie you are now upon,
at two seas1ns ofthe, yesr--mid.winter and mid.
summer The former is gone, and to wait for the
latter, would be hardly less dsasterous than defeat
Itself What remains for = 3is to keep our pre-,
sent ground ill the lake openl and then to e
Our object by water and under CONVOY # the We sse
OF war building of Pretque Isle These wi be sao I
and ready 10 operate by the middl. If May By
the same time boats for the transportation oftroops+
tram OF artiert, bsgsa.e, sc. may b. construct
ed Cleveland is believed to be the place best fit.
ed for this purpose Il will a'so be made thu de
po' FOR the troops to I've employ or The expediti-
on, which will be the Gath regiment ,,cw AZ Nfaa,so
land three o. the w nty new regiments prov de
by an act Of the session of congress which clio. d
yesterday. Two OF these Will be r,ised in the state
o. Ohio, and the third in tat OF X eutuehy
Whatever these troops May fan short of the
numbcr and strength confer plated by the laws un
Der which they sh, be raised, must necessarily he
made up from militia ard volunteers whence viii
srse the necessity o. strictly attending to the pro
frcsS u enli?tment7 30 tn t in tie event of their
failure, W ieh may be reality forcsesn, time NAV
b.ieit for resoFtinE tothe other ez2edeat"
Ear Dsbart1nent,
.12arch 7, 1918.