Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-08-23

~ 10y FNRN N1@N - AASk . ~
neral. y0sag in command, has rarely obtained
the confidence OF hs troops in tie degree
which Gen Ross had obtained u, or held ont
more catering assurances thst he would con.
tinue to possess and deserve Il TO the last. As
. colonel oi a regiment, sgene-al OF brigade IN
Lord W~eihagton's army, his name aad long
stood high-a0d The brrlIiaDt success which Al.
tended his operations against Washington, 81
tisied his own soldiers, AZ least that his fame
was no. unmerited IL has been said, thai in
conducting the lnrosd last alluded To-, he ex.
hioi,ed more Of hesitation and ditidsRce in
himself than belongs TO . REAL. great mind.
"perhsps he might hesitate a tttle, perhaps ne
did lose an hour or two IN considering whether.
with a mere handful OF men, it would be sdvi
sable 10 march upon The capital OF a grea, ma
ton, more especially a. he could not but feel
that lit lie or no perms lent advantage to the
cause would accrue even from success. But
this praise, AZ least, has never been denied
him: that when once his mud came to be
made up, no man ever pursued his object more
steadily, or with greater sigor. In the present
course Corporations. this was conspicaously the
case. lie was IN the act OF pushing on cautious
ly indeed, but with all the CELEBRITY, of the
school in Which he Was trained, when through
the absence ofa few able supporters. he was
led to throw his valuable life away. Peace TO
MS dsHSS. n Df1tCG anu DltiCf man the brI-
fish army never produeed-nor has it lost an
officer Of brighter premise or higher character.
Ills aid de camp, Capt. NJ Dougsl, having seen
the General lsid by the road side, left him to
the care Of Admiral Cockburn. and gAlioped
back Tor assistance. For myself my duly cslled
me elsewhere. The firing still went on in front
it was Kept up by my own men. and | could
| not desert them, so I TOO Quilted the mournful
| group, and once more plunged into action.
When | overlook the skirmishers, they were
in full pursuit OF the Americans, now ffving
with all precipitation before them. The wood
was accordingly emptied in trice-but on rea.
ching its skirts. We found what We had, to say
the truth, expected TO find that the rihenen
now dislodged were nothing more than the
outpost, or rather advanced corps of o reg ular
army. AT the opposite extremity offs few open
fields, about SIX or seven thousand men were
drawn up ID line. Their left resting upon a
lake, and their right extending TO the mouth
ola creek, their centre was protected by high
pslings, and a row o flofty trees. whist all be-
fore them was exposed and bare; to the ds
lance 0 fnearly half a mile. OF artillery they
appeared to have some six or eight pieces in
the fed. These were arranged, two upon the
man road which fell 10 towards the right of the
position, three somewhat farther to the left,
aud the remainder singly and at different inter
vals between tue Corps OF infantry. About half
musket shot in front Of them, vas q farm house
| surrounded by numerous barns, stables and a
stack yard. Whether or not they had filed il
| with troops; we had no means of ss%certaiuing
but it occurred 10 Charlton that IL night be
worth while to seize il, IN case they should
have neglected a measure TO them Of so much
Importance. With this view we lost no time in
rushing on. We sprung over the psling, and
having received two charges of grape from the
| guns upon the road, reached the house in ques.
| ton, 9Th the loss of only three men The an.
cay had not occupied tive took possession
without delay, and rejoicing sincerely in the
error of which they had been guilty, determin.
ed that no efforts should on our parts be want
ing TO hinder them from fetakiny it.
Established IN this snug post, abundant leis-
ure was granted tor observing as well tho dis.
positions made by the enemy to receive the at.
tack, as the advance of our own troops to make
it-ands most animated spectacle both the one
and the other presented. On the side of the
Americans, mounted officers could be seen rid.
| ing backwards and forwards, apparently en-.
couraging their men to do their duty. Some
companies moving from its rear wheeled up
into the line; others quitting the line, fell back
towards the reserse.-Bu the corpse which al.
tracted the chief share OF our attention consist.
| ed of the IDENTICAL riHemen whom we had so
lately driven before us out of the wood.-They
continued for some lime to drop in, by sections
of eight, SIX and ten. aud taking pos; in rear of
the line. resumed, as they best could, some
thing like order
Nor were other manifestations of a resolution
10 keep their ground wanting. Several trum.
Drills and ananition wagons arriving, were spec
Oily emitted OF their contents; and casks OF
cartridges ranged 81 intervals behind the men,
bore testimony % the zeal with which the
store keepers department had been attended
to. Such was the condition OF affairs on the
right. Away towards the left again, q good
deal OF marching went on; but whether il arose
from mIsmanagemeRt in the original disposition
OF force icannot tell. Lastly the heads OF two
columns appearing IN the skirts Of the more
remote thickei, pointed out how the reserve
was stationed, aud almost told of what numbers
it consisted.
How different was the prospect to which a
| glance towards our rear introduced us. We
had taken possession of the farm house per
haPs ten minutes or a quarter of an hour before
tue leading divisions OF our own troops began
to lmmerge from the forest. As soon, howev-
er ashley showed themselves, q aank move
ment to the right was made, and the 85th req
men', IN beautiful regularity. spread itself at
extended order, over the whole OF the enemy's
frolt. The seamen came next marched straight
forward along the road. until they had arrived
within cannon shot ofthe American Inns. where
they Matted, The 9TH regiment arriving alter
them wheeled of, as the 85Ih had done. to the
risht; out instead OF extending itself, hled a
long IN columns OF half companies, BY the rear
OF the light troops till it was lost to farther OBJ
servaticn IN a grove. A similar movement
4 WQE made nv Fha AAsk - A.l~- 4k M