Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-03
The Fifth or July.-The Battle OF Chip
pewa.

The Fifth OF July.-The Battle OF Chip
pewa.
The fourth Of July occurs on the Sabbath day,
and will no doubt be remembered in the religious
exercises in every house Of prayer throughout
the country; but we do not learn that on the
succeeding day there are to be any ceremonies in
commemoration of the Declaration of our Polit-
cal Independence. May we not, therefore, ON
Monday, observe in an appropriate manner
another great national event-one that occurred
on he nth Of July? It was an event Of great
Importance TO our country and stands upon her
record as fortunate and honorable achievement
We quote from the recently published Life Of
ScoTT:
''The residue Of the American force was imme-
diately transported across to the English side.
The British army, two thousand one hundred
strong, under Gen. Rial, was encamped on the
Chippewa below, and preparations were imme
diately made to attack it without delay. Early
on the 4th of July, Scott set his columns in mo-
ton, and rapidly advanced upon the British posi-
tion. He came upon the advanced posts Of the
enemy, under the Marquis of Tweeddale, who
attacked, but was unable to retard the progress
Of our troops. Scott assailed and drove back
Tweeddale's detachment upon the main body Of
the enemy. The whole Of the 4th Of July was
thus passed by Scott in march of sixteen miles,
and in driving in the British outposts At night,
Scott took up his quarters at Streets Creek,
about two miles from the enemy's encampment
Between the two armies lay the long level plain
OF Chippewa, the battlefield of the succeeding
day. Face to face the two armies encamped for
the night.
"The morning of the 5th broke clear and glo-
rous. The sun mounted high in the heavens,
pouring his fierce beams upon the plain below.
On one side of it ran the river, and on the other
stood dense forest. The force of the Ameri-
cans under Scott was l 300 strong. The enemy,
commanded by General Rial, numbered 2,1O0
men. OF Rails force, at least 1900 were the
veteran troops of the peninsula war, the flower
of the British army. The remaining 500 were
dragons and well-trained militia. Scotts men
had never seen service. The British were we'll
tried and conquering soldiery, possessing the ad-
vantage of decided superiority of numbers, and
the prestige of invincibility. But the daring and
Jealous young American general courted the un-
equal strife. Filled with martial ardor and an
uncalculating intrepidity, that only sought the
opportunity to wipe out the memory of previous
disaster and imbecihty, and to exalt the glory of
his country, he mailed himself for the conflict.
:" His hopes bent high, in the confidence of
spirit that felt determined to wrest reluctant
victory from its favorite standard. In this hardy
temper of soul he led forth his troops upon the
plain The British commander, in full reliance
upon the inyincibility of his men, anticipated his
antagonists determination, and came forth to
meet him. The day had passed in skirmishes.
| At five o'clock in the afternoon the combatants
drew up in battle array, The Americans coolly
and steadily advanced in line, stretching across
the plain from the river to the wood. The
British force, in similar order, supported by a
battery of nine cannon, confronted our ranks. The
attack was simultaneous and vehement on both
sides, along the whole line. The hostile armies
under destructive FIRE, continued to approach
until they were within eighty yards of one
, another, each manifesting the utmost GOODNESS
and the most determined courage. Shoulder to
shoulder the American troops advanced, bravely
meeting and falling before the iron tempest hurled
in their faces by the steady masses Of the prac-
tised foe f..
"The young and gallant leader was everywhere
along the line, encouraging and anmating his
troops, and displaying an activity an enthusiasm,
and fearless disregard of danger, that inspired
and electrified his little army While the battle
ragged in yet uncertain fury, the British line was
observed to become in a measure broken, in con-
sequence of its right wing having been retarded
in its advance by the wood, where it had come
into conflict with Jesup's battalion. Scott seized
upon the favorable moment, with the eve Of
veteran general, and, by skilful military manau.
yre, directed the whole force of his attack upon
the now weakened centre of the enemy. The
by murderous FIRE Of our artillery, caused the
enemy's line TO waver. At this critical moment
he gave the order 10 charge bayonet"
THE onset was terrible. The British columns
were borne down and crushed by the irresistible
vigor of this desperate assault. They broke and
fed in confusion, amid terrible slaughter. Scott
followed up his advantage with mastery activi-
ty, and pursued his routed adversary over the
plain into his entrencbments The numbers who
fell in this hard-fouRht engagement show il to
be one of extraordinary severity The loss of the
British in killed and wounded was 503 or almost
one-fourth of their entire force. That Of the
Americans was 327.
"Scotts reputation rose high with this con-
fct He had now fought regular pitched bat
tie on an open field, with inferior numbers, against
the best troops Of the enemy, and won it by hard
fighting and superior strategy"
Items.
Soft hands and soft brains generally 60 to-
gether.