Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-07-02
WASHINGTON CITY, June %

WASHINGTON CITY, June 29.
Cahv Of a letter from Cei. Wadsworth
10 the Secretary Of War, dated
Camp near ST. Leonard's, June &C.
SIR,
We decided on attacking the enemy
this morning at daybreak after 2 II or
3 hours cannonading he thought proper
20 ret eat down the river, and Com Bar.
| ney has taken advantage OF his absence
TO pass his fotilla up The Pstuxent ]
was constrained to prccipitate the attack
before, i was fully prepared, from the
circumstances of all the enemy's small
vessels having left the river. The ground
/ was obliged to occupy for ba,,e'y
consisted Of high bluff point, having
:he Patuxent on the right and st. Leo
nard's Creek on the left, with which the
communication was over Hst piece Of
ground, subject to be eniladed from the
Patuxcpt, and the hill on which the gus
we're to be placed liable to reverse ERE
from the SINE quarter therefore. in
case of an attack the enemy might have
rendered our situation very uDcomfor!-
able, by sta:ioning a small vessel so as
to command the low ground / speak CT,
We committed great many blum
ders during the action, or oar success
would probably have been more COM
plete I forbcar to enter into minute
particulars, lest / should cast an indl
rect censure on some officers, perhaps
undeserved, for must acknowledge l
VS. 80 much engaged at the battery as
to have but an indistinct knowledge Of
what passed elsewhere But the fact is,
the infantry and light artillery decided
upon refreshing without my orders, be.
fore they had lest single man killed or
wounded !; and at the time too, when
the enemy were msneusring to the
rear of cur position With their barges.
The consequence of this movement was
very disad, ambiguous +; the men at the
guns perceiving the infantry re,resting,
and the enemy getting into the rear,
their numbers began sensibly to diml-
nish and / vas pretty soon lett with
only men enough to work I gun, which
I vas secessia.ed to turn TO the rear for
J the sake oil keeping the barges in check.
Finally the few men that remained we're
so exhausted with fatigue, We found it
iimprsc,icable to fire any moro, and the
llmbers and horses which had been or
| dered down the bill, having disappear
| ed and gone, knew nSt uhere found
myself under the painful necessity Of
,piking the guns to prevent their being
made W of BY the enemy, should he
get possession of them.
l mus, in justice to the infantry &C.
knowledge they did not take to flight,
but Quilted the ground in perfect order !;
after a while was able to halt them &
bring them back In the mean time The
snss.y were getting under way and re,
firing down the river-from the preei.
pi,ancy of his retreat, ! infer he must
have suffered considerably. From some
untoward circumstances, ] had it not in
my power to observe the effect OF each
.ho, We fred, otherwise I think his des
,ruction would have been complete.
Commodore Barney furnished me
with 20 excellent men from his fo,ills
to work the guns. BY some nismanage-
uent in leading with. hot shot. one
poor fellow had his arms blow n OF,
hich is the only material accident We
sustained. One Of the enemy's rockets
passed through an ammunition box,
which had been injudieiousiy placed, &
ex ploded it, which cid some damage.
An ammunition cart near it was covered
With the Ere, but fortunately did not
explode. Some other irifling Academic
we're sustained.
We commenced in the night an e.
paulment TO cover our guns; but the
work progressed so little from The short.
ness Of time, did not think it best TO
occupy it. We reireated our guns so
as barely to allow the mUzx!es 10 peep
over the hill. This Drought US Cd de-
seendipg ground, into . plcuehed corn
Geld. The reeoil Of the gun downward
every time il was fred gave us exces
sive labor to bring IT up in it, position
In other respects it answered admire
bly,. The enemy fosnd it impossible
TO bic ether As guns OF men.