The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-06-13
The Late Gemerat A rmstrong.


The friends OF this illustrious man cannot permit
his high characterize be DETAINED by misrepresenta-
tons of his conduct. After the rebuke administered
to Col Stone and others, by Jacob Barker Esq. of
New Orleans, it was not to be expec ed that General
Armstrong; conduct as Secretary of War, would
havebe again assaed in reference to the attack
aud capture OF Washington, by British troops, in
1914. The senior editor of the Steubenville Ga.
z-tte has thrown in his contribution to the chapter
OF msr ct reese nta,ions He has violated one of the
first rules in story telling, which is, that every tale
originating il imagination ought to have the sem
bIance OF probability. He has violated also rule
of morals, that man PROCESSING friendship for ano
ther should not render his friend ridiculous, nor
make HIM an ass. This senior editor, who writes
his christian name James, states TINT d month be-
lore the capture of Washington, Col VIM Duane
said to him that he had information that ihe British
were concentrating Tor an attack al the South, ano
had landed a small force somewhere, and that the
officers bad made enquiries for msp of the District
of Columbia from which he inferred they meant 70
attack Washington, and that he should Immediately
start for that place to communicate with the Seer.
tary of War. That he went to WashDgton-hsd
an interview with Gen. Armstrong and gave h,s
opinion that Washington would be soon attacked
lie also gave Ills ADVICE, anu urged III on
the General to throw a corps Of rihemen into III.
forest that skired the Pc omac between Washing.
city and It's mouth, aud 10 concentrate all the in
fantry and artillery and every Other arm OF defenc.
within reach al suitable point, 10 sustain the rife
men IN reprug the enemy" That the General
heard Col Duane through, and in a sneerpg man
ner said he never knew II TO be part OF Colonel
DuaDe's character 10 take counsel OF his apprehen
slons. That therefore, the Colonel left the office
the Secretary calculating ''impossihe impossible ~
The editor then prophecies that had Col. Duane
been Secretary OF War; (and h. says no man in the
nation was so competent To fill that station) had
ten thousand landed, not man OF the enemy
would have returned to their shipping If Colonel
Duane had any preensons to military knowledge
it is incredible he should have given the advice i'm
puied TO him. What to collect and concentrate the
whole disposabe force of all arms in the forest
sklrtng the Potomac, from Washington to the
mouth OF the river, to protect Washington, a dis
lance of about one hundred miles In The event
which actually took place, the mt of the BRUSH
invading army by the Patuxent, and their advance
to Upper Marlboro, and from thence, by BIadens
burgh to Washington, had Col. Duane's advice been
followed, the greater part OF the American troops
scattered along the Potomac, would not have aided
in the battle fought at Bladensburg.
Probably Gen. Armstrong believed that the inn
pediments TO an attack on Washington by the Pc.
tomac, were nsurmountable and not to be apprc
hended, and therefore turned deaf ear to the adj
vice Ii the editor means to assert that the General
was so lncredulous Of any attack on Washington by
the British, that ne spurned the counsels OF Colonel
Bile evideace-the report OF the Committee of the
House OF Represe natives in 1916, who stated that
calls and requl.tions were made in due season for a
number OF sufficiently ample for the defence OF
Washington, on the Executive OF Virginia, Mary.
land and PENNSYLVANIA.
Was not Mr.. Madison, from knowledge OF all
the forts, competent TO decide whether Gen. Arm
strong had iu filled bis duty in using all the means
in his power to the defence of Washington? and has
not Mr.. Barker proved that Mr. Madison was most
reluctant that General Armstrong should retire
facts, this improbable story Of the senior
editor OF the Seubenve Gazette is going the rounds
OF the papers. | admire, rather than censure the
warmth OF friendship, which induced the editor 10
proves of Col. DIANE; but he forgets that there
were lew veterans at the command OF Gen Arm
strong. Our armies were gaining laures on the Nj
asara and at Plausburgh; he was compelled to rely
on the militia for the defence ot Washington; ard
had Col Duane then been Secretary OF War, unless
he could have transformed militia men into heroes,
ne would have found il very difficult with mere mi.
Ita, to have defeated ten Thousand British troops
fresh from the fields OF btte and conquest, and led
on by scientific British Generals Having, trust
demonstrated the iutillty and exusvaDce OF this
Steubenvllle ST ry, await some other demonsra-
ton OF prejudice and malice. 8.
The u. S. SCHOONER GRAMpUs There il no
doubt but that this vessel fouudered al sea about
the mud lie OF March, in severe gale, of Charles
ton, SO. The following we take from the Charles
ton Courier of the Sh inst IS la several ot the
recent illusions TO his vessel, the date Of her last
communlca ion with tins place is rroneously s'aisd
>he of our bar on ihe lin of March asst WHEN
Passed Midshit man ). X Yon oi this place h~r
acting master, came up To the Guy, visited his idm
~, and returned bo5 I'd on The nisht OF he Torn
leaving his family under the impression that they
@ouls next hear from nun AZ Nort,ls, Va Sine
hen no tdIngs have been received from h'u 10y hi
f.mllv; and, until the recent alarming fudiOrs "
Was tneir conjecture ony that when he reiurnto
to the Cramps, he have found orders chaneins
haF
GERS who were on board the Grampus when she
sailed from Norfolk, on the 23d OF Februiyi-
1t Commsndant A. n Downes, Charlestown, Nass
It, George VI. McCreery, Norfolk Va II william
swami. Portsmouth Va 1t Huan Gansevoort, Albany,
v Y; Assist surg. Edwin H. Conway harlot'esvlle,
Va; Purser Jas. s. Thatcher Mass Acting Master 5.