The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-02-11

the works themselves. z d the ditch in front,
was, an many places lite ally filled with dead
and wounded. The roar of artillery from
our lines was incesssnt, while AN uninter-
| mitted rolling fire was kent up from cur mus
kets. The atmosphere was filled with
sheets of 6re, and volumes of smoke. For az
hour and a quarter the enemy obstinat.ll
continued the assault fresh men constantly
arriving to al up their lines. thinned by our
nre. 1heIr determined perseverance, and
steady Vaic', were worthy better cause -
nor did their troops falter, until almost all
the officers who led them or had f.llen They
then rctrcated, leaving FROM 1900 TO 20Us in
killed, wounded and prlsoners--In this num-
her are included thirty officers. On cur
side, the loss was confined to about 20 men,
2 only of whom were killed. Though our
extreme right was attacked with great viva
eity, yet the principal assault was made on
our lett, where Gen. Coffee's brigade of rife
men were stationed, & the carnage there was
prcdig7ous Our men, covered by their breast
works, took steady and deliberate aim, and
almost every Shot told. The enemy drew
out eight regiments 10 the attack, animated
| by the presen-e Of their commander in chief,
raSenham, and led Oh by Gems. Gibbs and
kean.
In my former letter, / named to YOU six
OF these regiments, viz {: the 4th, 44th, 21st,
S5th, esd and 95th-To these were added the
fth regiment OF Scotch Fusileers, and the
f3d, beng part OF their last reinforcement.
Their 9TH and 21st regiments are said to be
completely ruined. Soon afterJth battle.
they sent in flag OF truce, and twenty four
hours were allowed them to remove and bu.
ry their dead. In one small spot alone, on
the lett OF our lines, they found three hun
dred and sixty eight dead bodies IN the
course OF the day, forty carts and ten boats
arrived III town loa,!ed with wounded prison
ers, who were put into the barracks which
were converted into temporary hospital
about $50 unwounded prisoners were also
brought TO town and placed in prison. Their
Generals, Pakehham ard GIBBS, are said to
be Killed, q hean mortally wounded. Their
Communications are all signed by Lambert
he prisoners are all remarkably fine, well
looking men indeed these are picked troops,
the flower OF their array men who have
served with distinction III Spain. Italy and
/ France. Is not this 4 brili,lnt affair And
! II We consider the disparity Of loss, almost
| unprecedented III military annals Allow US
| to boast little.
We are now disposed 10 think, that the
! English are seriously inclined to rclnqnish
their attempt OF this I entertain no doubt
| II their vessels do not succeed IN taking or
| passing the fort at Placquernines. This fort
Is said by an express to have been attacked
Oh the Sth, about noon, aud that the attack
still continued when he LETT there, on the
morning of the 10Th.
Four of their vessels are said to have adj
vanced towards the fort ; to have put springs
upon their cables, and opened distant fire
more were comingup TO support them--but
we have about thirty pieces of cannon mDun-
| ted upon that fort, and Major Overtun, who
| commands, is saidto be brave man.
| Many OF the Engilsh officers have brought
| their families with them, and it is said they
| have collector aboard. Every thing pro
claims their intention of permanent establish
| ment and their confidence of ultimate sue
cess--a confidence still kept alive. Major
Mitchell, one Of the prisoners taken on the
| night OF the S3d, when complimented by our
COL piatt, with an ofEer oflinen, politely decli-
ned 1t, upon the ground thar his ezym luggage
sp1Kld be uf in Il figo days. And many Oh the
officers taken in the last engagement, seem,
on effect to believe, that their troops will soon
! be up; bfaLs nous Uerrons. The number of
| u9zvDNnGea prisoners we have, at different
/ tiIhes taken, amounts exactly to 269. exciu-
| sive OF officers Of this number, 100 have
been sent to Natchez, and the rest will soon
| follow. One of the officers taken prisoners,
IS Lieutenant Fonblanquc, son of the barrs-
| ter who wrote the treatise of equity. The g.
m unit of the to.al loss of the enemy, in men
| put hors dn combat, it is calculated cannot
| tai uuch short Of 5000 men.
| before again tie you, | think the at
| fair must be finally decided. The die, if
may 50 say, is now turning, upon which our
| fate is staked. If we retain the com
mand of the river, their army must
! necessarily and speedily retreat. Their pro
| visions are falling short C their troops grow
! ing d Scontentcd they are disappointed IN the
! supposed divisions and disafft elton in this
| country; their loss has been severe, Including
| in it their commander in chief near Baiti-
] more the death alone Of Cen Ross, broke up
| the enterprise the reception too thew met
with at Cur lines will not tempt them TO re-
| peat their visit, unaccompanied by their feet
| and yet, it IS evident from the tardines Of
| It's movements, and from their separately
| r1sklng SO serious an assault, as that Of the
9Th, that they did not originality calculate up
! on its cooperation. The firing at Placoue-
! mines has now continued TO be heard, at in
! tervais. since the 9th at noon unfortunately
| Fort Bourbon opposite, which in the begin
| ning OF Dec. was begun, remains still incom-
! pletc and useless. Our Fort, however, al
| English Turn is growing formidable. We
are all irnpatiently waiting news from Plac-
! quemines.
To Jackson every credit is due. for III
spring general confidence, uniting our scat
tered efforts, and calling forth our dormant
strength Alany men distinguished them
selves al our batteries, whose names until
lately were unknown; the privateering class
NF.Hr -.