Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-13

depsburg, General Ross saw nj 10 dissolve ''e
little CORPS altogether. Whether tins arose
from feeling that there was not, IN the army,
another man capable Of guiding Il Alright, know
M, All that ! do know is, that IN Browne ne
re,osed the most unbounded conhdence--tnat
Rrowne fully deserved that conhdence--ahd thai
q he changed his plan from The apprehension
that there was no fit successor TO him, his Judge
n,sn, was no, very erroneous. When say that
this advance was dissolved, mean not 10 al.
6rrn. chat the army began its march with front
entirely uncovered. Three companies were,
as formerly, pushed forward; but instead OF
forming separate division, placed permanent
" under the command Of distinct leader, they
fell, for the moment, under the guidance OF the
officer who CHANGED 10 be senior in rank among
those attached to them. TWAS 10 that unfortu-
nate arrangement, without doubt, thatthe coah-
try owed the early death Of our gallant leader.
After the first days march towards Washing
ton, General Roas gave himself little or no con-
Germ about the advanced guard; he saw that the
individual TO whom he had intrusted II, under
stood his business perfectly; and to him the
business was entirely left. 1t was not SO now.
Ignorant of the talents Of those OH whose saga
CITY the welfare Of the whole column so much
descended, the General could no, keep behind;
were going on as he wished them 10 go on; and
he fell in The very frs, skrmish.
In rear Of three companies, leaving, however,
sufficient interval between, came the light bril-
| pade, now under the command OF Major jones'
| Next to that corps moved brigade oil seamen,
armed with muskets, and amounting TO nearly
! a thousand men; then followed the artillery, OF
which eight pieces-siX guns and two how'll
| zers-were in the field; and as sufficient num-
| Der Of horses TO drag them had been procured.
| they bid fair to prove Of marked utility in The
enterprise. Immediately upon the artillery
| came the second brigade; and Immediately up
| on the second brigade came the third. vi the
| exact number Of combalants thus brought TO-
gether, ! can hardly venture to offer an opinion
| we had lost al Bladensburg about hive hundred
men in all; but Of these many were already SO
| far convalescent as ,otake the Held again; and
our reinforcemen,s from The fleet were conslde-
! ra5le. Balancing the one against the other,
therefore, should be disposed 10 say, that
| somewhere about five thousand, or five thousand
| five hundred men, moved from the waters edge
this. morning
II fell to the lot Of my friend and myself, on
this present OCCASION, TO form par, OF The flank
patrol Having cleared the open fields, &C soon
found ourselves in Il country resembling I'D ma
ny respects, that which we had traversed IN our
late operations; that is 10 say, thick woods hem
med US in on every side, and 'ile spots OF cniu-
valed soil were few and Of small compass
There was, however, one striking difference 10
be observed. Little lakes, or rather large ponds
ahounded here; they were equally plentiful on
both sides Of the. way; and being IN general
deep enough 10 Hinder US from !ordiDg, they,
for The most part, occasoned us no little trou.
$780, Eslsaasssssserssse s.sessdsa d. A.
TRY presented thousand deiensible posts even
to people SO little accustomed as we were to
examine ! country With the eye OF soldiers, and
i, surprised US not little 10 lind, that no al
tempt was made TO defend It.
We hahcontnued our Journey about an hour,
when arriving suddenly q, space oil open
ground, three troopers, dressed In darS-green
uniforms were discovered. They occupied a
summit of gentle emincnce, and appeared to
be aaxiously watching the movement oil the
column along the high road. Instantly The word
was passed TO be attentive, and instantly we be-
gan to steal round the height, keeping Just with
in cover of the wood, Tor the purpose Of sur
prsiug them. But scarlet is an inconvenlent
color, in places where concealmenl happens TO
be desirable; the Americans soon discovered
MS; and clapping spurs TO their horses, galop-
ped off, Concluding, OF Course, that they must
be well acquainted with the different roads
which in,crsected the forest, we very naturally
gave them up as lost and continued our Journey,
with the conviction in our minds tina, more
work would be cut out tor us, eie many hours
should pass by.
Soon after this, the bugles of the army sound
ed a hail., and we, as well as the main body, pre-
pared TO obey it, bu, just as we had fixed upon
a convenient spo, for the purpose, soldier
came running up with intelligence tina, the three
horsemen were still in the lhicket, about mus
ke,-shot from our righs. Taking with me
dozen men, instantly plunged into the wood;
| and here, sure enough, they sa, upon the edge
of one Of the lakes, their horses being fastened
by the brides TO tree hard by My parry pre-
served profound silence, ard we closed gra-
dually round .hem; btu the crashing OF the
boushs there was fling, and when reach
ed the spot they were gone They had leaped
into canoe the first alarm. and were now
padding, as fas, Ihey could, o ;he opposite
shore. There was time 10 be lost, called
out 20 them surrender, and by way O! enforcing
| lhefsummons commended the whole OF my