The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-07-13

ccssary to change my position once more. In
dong this had not the most distant idea
that the two battaEons of Infantry (36 & 3Sl
under the Immediate command Of Col Car
berry and the general com nand of CO.! Wads-
worth, would be inhusaced b. any movement
OF mine, butt seems the two battalions, win
one Colonel, and / think two Majors marched
on, and before could set to the new position
upon rising ground commanding the shore,
q open upon the barges that might approach
found the whole leaving the field Thus sit
uatcd ] was compelled to move th;o' 4 narrow
dehle, until could find field officer
MEssRs. GALES s SEAToN,
Gentlemen,
Upon attentively reading Col W'adswor.h's
report to the Secretary of War, of the action
at the mouth of St. Lconard's Greek, on the
2oth June, 1 am constrained, as duty / owe
the department under which have the honor
TO serve; to the officers and marines under
my Immediate command and to myself as
a responsible officer, to notice several incor-
rect and imperfect statements contained in
the report. Had the Col. exhibited any open
charge OF misconduct on the part of any indi-
Vlouai othcer OF the detachment, different
method would have been resoYted to, to elicit
the truth but as an illiberal and Indirect cen
sure has been cast upon the marines under nv
command, have thought it most advisable to
meet 1t through the same channel the report
was circulated
10 show the detachment was placed under
my own immediate control, the following ei-
tract OF letter from the Hon. Secretary of
the Navy to Colonel Wharton, will be s,iifici-
ent: Lit Miller will act under the fuD,edf
ate and ea'chtSiz'e orders Of this department
winch VIII be communicated to you from time
to time ana will Confer freely with Coynmo-
b. hs-cf -,
hotliia, and annoying the enemy In addition
to this, Colonel Wadsworth was expressly in
formed by Commodore Barney of the nature
ana extent OF my command ; this thu Colonel
perfectly understood and viii not deny
After simultaneous movement had been
decided upon betweeeEI Com. Barney. Colonel
Wadsworth and myself, the colonel expressed
a wish that would occupy position upon
ms right flank, with nay three twelve pGtIid-
ers and marines, to protect his battery of two
eiShteen Founders at the same time oSscIv-
ing that the htfic confidence he had in the
Soh regiment induced him to make this re
quest. % this proposition / gave no direct
reply but observed, | would take that Dosi-
ton IN which could render the most service
Upon my arriving on the ground, requested.
out OF respect to the rank of Col Waisworth
10 say where should place my battcry.-He
IePiieu' on my right l instantly wheeled
IN! guns ON the ground pointed ont, levelled
and prepared them for action. and 1yaitei nm,
til fire should open from his battery ,an1
from the moment it commenced, a well d.
rected hire was kept up from our three o,,nc
under the command of Capt Gravson. and
lleuts Richardson and Nicholl, until IL was
reported to me that our round shot was nearly
expended.
During the fire from our guns, repeated re-
ports LS we're made to me that the enemy were
ABOUT landing III their Darges upon our right
to these reports paid little or no attention
because knew Colonel Wordsworth had three
pieces of light artillery below upon the plain
and two battslons of infantry, which | deem
ed competent 20 meet any force the enemy
could detach from their , frigate5, situated as
tley then were. But upon the expenditure of
our round shot, (tor | knew not that single
round was left when | ordered the pieces to be
hmbered) and the continued rcrort of the an
proach CT the barges and OBSERVING. that the
Eoionels three pieces Of light ARTILLERY, under
1t Harrison, had been HjUdicionsfy permit
cd 70 remain IN distant part of the field,
without orders for firing a single shot, or in
StIuctons 70 ne placed in battery TO resist any
ATTACK from the barges deemed it advisa
DE to occupy position whence, in the event
81 ne approach OF any force upon that point
might render some little service in resistino
them. And to shcw that this movement was
prcmeditated, and growing out ofcircuDstan-
ces perfectly jus'ifiabc, ] went to the Colo
nels battery, and in his temporary absence
informed Captain Cohagcn, of the ,fotilla. of
the nature and cause of M Recommendations
wing, at the same time, that if could render
nm any possible service, | would postpone il
Being satisfied my services upon the hill could
beDo longer useful without q further supDlv
OF suitable ammunition, ordered the pieces to
DC iinDered, and moved TO the open ground
upon the right, a situation open to the fire of
both fl1gates, ard the two barges. In this
new situation | was disappointed, finding that
the barges were firing round shot, not ONLY
out OF sight Of this position, but completely out
OF range OF any grape or canister ,iIat could
be thrown from my battery. Thus situated
was compelled once more to seek a position.
sanctioned by military propricty, and com
mcnsurate with the nature and extent Of my
force such an one presented itself directly in
my rear near She dclile which entered uDon
the road therefore pointed out to CAPTAIN
Graysor the ground wished to take. and NV
reasons for SO doing bat before had reach
cd half way to the spot, discovered the in
tahtiy retiring IN good order along the low
ground. 1t instantly occurred to me that Col
Wadsworth was possessed Of some important
movement of the enemy's frigatcs Tor In tho
low ground they were completely out of sieht)
Which justified linn 10, fli,.o..f,-