The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-20

Benedict about o'clock, and encaruped that
night about miles from the Eastern Branch
bridge, on the road to Upper Marlboro. On
! this day Col. Monroe communicated the IN
teihSence of the arrival OF the enemy at Bene-
| DICT IN force. Same day Col Tilghman and
Captain Caldwell, with their commands OF
RoTse, were ordered and dispatched to annoy
| tle enemy, impede his march, to remove and
, destroy forage and provisions before the enc
my.
| On Sunday morning The Dist, the troops
were mustered, and the articles Of war read
70 them. At - o'clock the marines under
capt Miller joined the army the regulars
ot the 56th and 3Sth also joined at the Wood
farc, seven miles in advance, 20 which the
man body or our troops were marched and
encamped on Sunday night. Two letters
rom Col. Monroe, on the 2lst, one stating
that he had viewed the enemy near Benedict,
enumerated 81 square rugged vessels, some
bay craft and bargcs the other dated from
Nottingham, stating the advance of the enemy
upon that place by land and water and re-
commencing the commanding general 70 dis
patch SEQ or 6 hundred men To- fall upon
the enemy. Col Monroe and Col. Beai both
joined the army at night, and gave an account
that the enemy had been viawed by them
Colonel Bcall calculated that he had seen
5000, without supposing he had seen ali. Col.
Monroe estimated the enemy at about 6OOQ
Capt Herbert joins with his troop Coz. La
val had joined with two companies Of cavalry
on the day previous /; the enemy remained at
Nottingham, except an advance detachment
about three miles from town Monday the
22d, early in the morning a light detachment
was ordered to meet the enemy, COMPOSED Of
the 5oth & 35th, Lit. Col. Scott, Col. Lavall's
cavalry, q three companies from the brigade
of Gen. Smith, under Mai Peter, viz his own
company OF artillery, Capt. Stull's rife corps,
Capt. Davids ms light nifty. This detachn EN-
marched on the rHad to Nottingham. about 9
o'clock the remainder OF the AMY marched
about one mile in advance to an elevated po-
stlon the Comdg gen. with his staff accom-
panied by Colonel Monroe, proceeded in
advance to rcconnoitre the march of the ene-
my. Com Barney had joined the army with
his tl"tl.a men, besides the marines under
capt Miller; the horse preceded the ad-
vance detachment of our forces, met the enc
my, and retired before them. This induced
the advance corps to take a position to i'm
pede the march OF the enemy /; but the adj
vance detachment was ordered 20 retrograde
& join the main body of the army that had re-
named Some hours in line of battle, expecting
the enemy to come that route ia the civ
hut who took the road 10 Upper M,.-lbo-o,
turniDSto his right after having come withis
few miles OF our f~rCes upon which the
commanding general fell back with his whole
forces to the Battalion Old-felds, about
miles from Marlboro, and the same distance
from the city OF Washington. At this time hea-
Wy explosions in the direction of Marlboro an
nounced the destruction Of the flotilla under
command OF com Barney. The enemy arrived
at Upper Marlboro about Q O'Clock, and re-
manned there until late next day, to be Joined,
1t is presumed, by the detachment Of Inc enc
my winch lad been sent against the hotla.
ne commanding general proceeded to
Marlboro, andfound the enemy encanped
several prisoners taken gave information
that the enemy would remain in that posi-
ton unni the next day i; and, after making
observations OF the enemy, till the close OF
the day, general Winder returned to the ar
my. Late in the evening of this d4y the
President, with the Secretary of War and
Navy, and the attorney general, Joined gen.
Wmder at the Battalion Old-heids, and re
m nned with him till the evening of the 23d.
In he morning the troops were drawn up
and revic'>d by the President. The most
contradictory reports prevailed as 10 the
movements and force Of the enemy, and it
WIS doubttul IN camp, whether Annapolis,
fort Washington, (with view TO cooperate
with his naval forces,) or the city of Wash
inSton, was mis- object AS to numbers
rumors vl5rated from 1000 to 1900 the
DeSt opinion was from S to 1000. Our for
ces at TINS time at the Old-helds, are va
rlously estimated, with no material offer
ence, at about 5000 men, in the following
corps : abSut 400 horse Hnder the command
OF the following ofic RS :. lieut.. col. Laval,
col. Eilghman, captains Caldwell, Thornton,
Herbert, Williams, &c. 400 regular troops,
under the command Of lieut.. col. Scott, viz
Seth 3Sth, and capt. Morsan's Company of
the 18th infantry SOC marines and foilla
men under c0mnoGore Barney and captain
Miller, with h'e pieces Of heavy artillery,
two lo pcuu'!ers and three II Founders
$500 militia and volunteers, general Smiths
hrgade OF Georgetown and city militia,
AID Maryland militia, under colonel Kra-
mer, OF which there were two compa-
MES Of artillery under captain Burch and
m9lor Peter. with six six Founders each,
making an agg' egate oi 200, with seventeen
pieces OF artillery. Tie cacroy wa with
out cavalry. and had two smali field pieces
and one hoWitzer, drawn by men ard the
Whole country well calculated for defence.
seirmishng, and to impede the march Of an
enemy.
The enemy remained At Upper Msrlho-
rough TIL after - O'Clock about which
time, General Winder AGAR ordered the de-
tachment under iieutensIt c. lionel Scott and
MAJOR Peter to advance and meet tie enc
my Il he should he found nd spcing, or 70
attack his positions. About this time, twelve
O'Clock, some prisoners were taken, and
from the inf0rmatinngiten by them and the
4