The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1815-11-15

zL"''t "A Vt<y yng ,|it was made TO the pro-
~ X'p,rs3hai'y ~ In that Of the schooner,
,er WAS absent from town, major
VI l) sarbQfn sent the money to Judge
~ Dthc place was raptured, large stores
<f3% beef and peas We're found in depot.
c Bly, tothc aruccs Of captulation, these
~ ehyefed to'qss Major-general Dear
E'' rsctcda large proportion of them to
"e'> - Jvcred 10 the needy in the city, and par
msHB4afly 10 the widows and families of the
Po&. ish and Canadian soldiers who had been
|cVpX Iin the action. In addition to this, con-
ypo>s bic quantities were deposited with the
sho'd yfnau of the place TO be distributed in a
been uXiar manner.
mo qsfppring our stay at York, the citizens of
lious ftplace seemed TO be more alarmed by some
Of the country, than in relation 10
areI American forces. They frequently ex-
q n essed their apprehen nsions in strong terms,
ssos<p they had reason sosto do. / recollect
dy VUry well man who lived in the vicinity of
p SHOWN, who came TO me one day, and OBJ
luS ved, he intended to burn the gaol. | re-
q liked 10 him, if he did should hang him,
X XMd detached constantly acentinel TO guard it.
y III have seen many British officers who have
imHUways complimentcd our forces for their lib.
our a'&lity Of conduct this occasion manl lested
acW>EY o,k. Some have informed me, that the
1inhabitants had applauded it in such forcible
y terms, that they had even been accused Of
FcW disloyalty by the British army
, ~ AS il respects The manner in which York
twas stated to be evac ua,ed, in the work have
M nluded 70, il is perfectly incorrect.
~ The object of striking York, at the opening
q OF the campaign, was solely 20 destroy the
frigate building there and the military and
naval depot. The first object was effected
An order 10 ensure our control on lake Ontario
during the summer of 1918 The second,
with view 10 destroy the military depot,
from whence the right and central division of
The army, under generals Proctor and Vincent,
drew their Supplies and the naval depot to
paralize the efforts of the British in building
ships on lake Erie II was settled before the
army left Sackett's Harbor, that these objects
accom- plished, the division would sail for Mia.
CARA and operate against Fort George. After
the reduction Of that post, the army was TO
concentrate, by means of the feet, on Lake
N Ontario, and reduce Kingston.
will add, that when we abandoned York,
no British forces were, to my knowledge,
nearer than Fort George on one side, and
Kingston on the other.
l am, respectfully, your obedent servant,
Z. w. RIPLEY,
Afajor- general, U. S. army.
-Myor-gencrd Henry Dearborn.
COLONEL .CONNER'S STATEMENT.
ALBANY, Sept. ID, 1915.
DEAR sIR--The conduct Of the American
troops at York, and that of the commander in
(, chief, was marked by such humanity and at
"a tentoo 10 the wants and interests OF the citi-
szens that | should have supposed no " Amc,
ricen gentleman" in an imposing historical
" form, would have hazarded assertions so dir
ectly TO the contrary.
The explosion Of the mine, which killed
the gallant Pike, and killed and wounded
more than one hundred men in our columns,
did not add to the defence of the place, and
perhaps the army would have been Justified
in subjec,ing York to all the severites OF
town carried by assault. But far different
was its treatment the persons and property
OF the inhsoitants were protected large store
houses ot valuable goods were thrown open
next day by nc citzens, and payment made
in specie by our men, for any article they had
occasion for, ,--Some petty depredauons were
prac,iced. principally by the light troops, who
putroled the skirts of the town f; but, on de-
lection, they were punished, and the citizens
were invited to carry complaints OF any abu-
scs directly 20 headquarters. The letter OF
Judge Scott 70 major Pmkney, the acting ad-
lotant.generai, vail shew in what manner
these attentions were appreciated.
No public or private buildings, except such
as added TO the detence OF the place, were
destroyed, TO my knowledge.
1t would appear, from The report OF Col.
Monroe, that Information mad reached him,
that the parliament house, one-story brick
building with wings, was burnt down. Ii
this was fact, il must have been done after
the rear guard had been Withdrawn from the
town, by somo solitary individual, (perhaps
by a citizen, for some OF them who left York
with the army, were exceedingly exasperatcd
against the magistracy) unbsknown TO the
commanding officers of the army or navy as