Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-04-21
COPY OF A LETTER
From Mai. Gen. wilkinson to the Sc
cfetary of War, dated

+. u .
cretary of War, dated
PROVINCE of Lower Canada. Cdell
7'o1rm, March slst, 1914.
SIs-We have had an affair with the
enemy, in which our troops have given
him smother test of 6rmness and valor.
Pursuant TO the designs communicate
ed toSyoa in my last, and TO accomplish
your views IL in my power, lentered
Canada Yesterday morning, and was met
aby the enemy near this place asout !
O'Clock, whom we forced-at every point
Of pttack on the route to La Collie, dis
tant from hence one league, ard from St.
Jshn's six. We reached The iormer
pcs, about three o'clock, and found these
o strong corps in p .ssessipn OF spacious
lofty stone mill, Of which had received
I some Information An eightees FOUNDER
he'd been ordered forward t. effect the
destruction ofthis building. but II broke
down. and after being repaired, The only
sros 4 OF approach through deep forest
was repaired to be impracticabie 70 .
qua of such weight. An opihion pre-
yaslsd at the SEINE tiane with The chst
engineer G,ai. Tolten, founded on intel
ligence previously received, and several
OF the best Informed officers, that an iron
twc,ve would Suffice 10 make breschi
b,gt aftera lair and tedious experiment,
a, three hundred yards distance only, it
was discovered our battery could make
no Impression.
Bsig Gems Smith and Bissel covered
our guns and Brig Gen. Macomb, with
seiect corps, formed the reserve. Tie
eHeb,y had been reported, from source
considered strictly confidcntial, to two
! thousand Eve hundred strong, asd his
frst attack Of my right favored the re
Dot, from he use he made Of congreve
rockets and other indications OF delt5e-
rare preparation the corps, therefore,
we're held in high order TO receive his
Combined attack Yet believing 10 the
: efficacy of our battery, dispositions had
{ beSn made to interce pi the enemy should
be eyacu.te the pJst, and to give it the
utmost effect, we were obliged to take
ground nssr the MARCIA OF the held which
encompassed the mill. During the can
no0ade. which was returned with SlVaci-
" 5y the eDsmy's gaEies q prssume)
several .or,ies * desperate charges we're
made from the mill upon cur battery,
which were repulsed with Incredible
GOODNESS by the covering corps, at the
exp2nSe Of some blood and some lives on
both sides it is reported to ple that IN
the last charge captain of Grenadiers
and HTteen men iell together, but can
not vouca for the fact. Finding all our
attempts to make breach unsuccessful,
Iwithd.es the battery, called in my de-
tachmcnts, and having removed cur dead
and wounded and every thing else, fill
back to this place about ak O'Clock.
Where military corps appears tobe
universally animated by the same sensi-
biIities, where the only competition is
for danger ard giory, individual distinc-
tons seem improper, except in extraor-
binary cases, such as the conduct OF the
offiSers who commanded our battery
YESTERDAY. Captain M'Pherson OF the
light artillery (my military secretary
impcl.cd by the noble spirit which
marks his whole character, asked per-
mission 10 take pa { in the operations OF
the dav with his proper arm be was IN
dulyed and beisg 6rstfor command took
change OF the pieces which followed the
advance and formed our battery, in
waicb he vas secondcd by Lieutenant'
I,arrabee sud Sheldon. On opening his
fire he seemed inclined TO the opinion
he could make "a impression on the
work, aut be soon received wound un-
der the chin, which ne tied up with his
handkerchief and continued at his piece
un,il q second shot, which broke his
thigh, brought him to the earth. Lara
bee had kept his station until shot Ihro'
RE lungs, ard Shsl,nn Kept up the ARE
usfil ordered TO retire. The conduct OF
these gentlemen his, from the nature
OF their duties been SO conspicuousiy
Gallant as. to attract the admiration OF
thsir bretiten in arms, and should q
humbly conceive be distinguished by
the Executive.
Z, have sen, forward ny wounded who
can bear the movement TO Plattsbarg or
RusIiagson, and those vino cannot Will
be provided for q, Champfain.
would hold this pcsiiisn until re-
csise further oedsrs, were itnot Tor the
difficulty OF Transporting oBr provisions
and the impossihili,y to cover The troops;
bnt shall no,,relirg further than Cham
rIsip, which viii place US twenty-five
miles from St. Johns aud forty:two
from Montreal.
cannot close this letter without con-
Tossing my obligations TO my geueral s
field officers, and to my general staff OF
every grade for the able and prompt sup
port received IRON theia. SO smali
AZ affair does not merit SO tedious de-