Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-06-08

amerce itself and IT'S citizens vithout the re-
hottest benefit to any one.
From, the Boston Daily Adu. May so.
ATTACK ON BALTIMORE.
The author of the Narrative of the Cam
paigns of the British army at Washing
ton and New Orleans, after an account of
the retreat from Washington, proceeds to
| give an account of the attack upon Balti
| more. The fleet remained in the Patux-
| ent until September 6. 1t then got under
| weigh and sailed short distance down
the Bay and came to anchor. A signal
| was made for all the ships to send IN re-
turn of the number of seamen, who, In
| addition to the marines, they could land
| with small arms. The ships crews were
all mustered, and it was found that a thou
sand men could be spared; which notwith-
standing the loss at Bladensburg, would
enable the commander to bring into the
field 1000 fighting men. On the next day
they entered the Potomac, and on the two
following days they proceeded up that RI
YER. On the 9th, after steering for few
hours in the direction of Alexandria they
put about suddenly, ran down the bay
under fresh breeze, and steered for the
Patapsco.
On the llth, they came in sight of the
projecting head land where it was design
ed to disembark the troops, distant four
teen or fifteen miles from Baltimore
Three days provisions we're cooked as
before, and given to the men, and twen-
ty rounds of ammunition we're added to
the -a,,S @sS.y ssys s.a e. .s tho amsor-
age, and every man slept in his clothes to
6e prepared to start at a moments warn
ing. Speaking of the excitement of pre-
paration, the author says, ''no man OF
the smallest reflection, can look forward
to the chance of death, without expert
encing sensations very different from
those which he experiences under any O.
Their circumstances When the battle
has fairly begun, may say with truth,
that the feeling of those engaged are de-
lightful; because they are, in fact, SO ma
ny gamblers playing for the highest stake
that could re offered But the stir and
noise of equipping. and then the calm
ness and stiffness of expectation-tbese
are the things which force man to think.
On the other hand, the war-like appear
ance Of every thing about you, the care
less faces and rude jokes of the soldiers,
and something within yourself which
| can compare to nothing more than the
mirth which criminals are said sometimes
to experience and to express previous to
their execution: all these combine to give
you degree of false hilarity, | had al
most said painful, from its very excess -
1t is an agitation of the nerves, such as
we may suppose madmen feel, which you
are inclined to wish removed, though you
are unwilling to admit that it is disagree
able"
At three o'clock in the morning the
troops began to land, without opposition,
and leisurely formed in an open field At
z, they were all disembarked, and in or
der for marching The artillery consist
ed of six field pieces and two howitzers,
all drawn by horses, The column ad-
vanced for about an hour when they
came to the ground that had been occupi
ed by American troops, and was deserted.
From the aspect of the ground they con
cluded that they should soon meet with
opposition, and the troops were halted,
that the rear might come up, and the men
be fresh for action.
"Having rested for the space OF an hour
we again moved forward, but had not
proceeded above a mile when q sharp fire
of musketry was heard in front, & short
" afterwards mounted officer came gal
Looping to the rear, who desired us to
quicken our pace, for the advanced guard
was engaged At this intelligence the
ranks were closed, and the troops ad
vanced at quick rate and in profound 81
lence The firing still continued though
from its running and irregular sound, it.
promised little else than a skirmish but
whether it was kept up by detached par
ties alone, or by the outposts of regu-
lar army, we could not tell; because from
the quantity of wood with which the
country abounds, and the total absence of
all hills or eminences, it was impossible
to discern what was going on at the dis
lance of half mile from where we stood.
1--WE we're now drawing near the scene