The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-08-18
FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST.

cash for the time specihed
FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST.
The following article was written for the
18th of August; but as that day fell on Sum
dav. il could not Of course be then published.
We thought at one time, Of laying It aside,
but il has been suggested to us that the Ma
CARA campaign is just now exciting a great
deal of interest-that the exploits of Scott and
Brown ase c&nrassed every Gay III the public
press-and that the defence of Fort Erie de-
serves to be mentioned along with Chippewa
and Lundy's Lane. We are rather inclined to
that opinion ourselves, and so we publish this
article, although The day is past. 1t further
suggested that Gen. Gaines own official state-
ment forms the groundwork of the following
narrative.
After the battle of Lundy's Lane, on the
25ih of July, Gen. Ripley Withdrew the forces
to Fort Erie, and was soon besieged there by
General Drummond, who had followed with
overwhelming numbers. In short time, Gen.
Gaines arriving, took command ofihe Ameri-
can troops. Fort Erie, small but strong
fort, the remains of which still exist, was situ-
ated on the margin Of Lake Erie, just where it
enters the Niagara river. Ii had been taken
by the Americans at the beginning ofthe CAM
paign, and was used on the present occasion
as a part of the American position. Ii was in
an unfinished condilion, having been blown up
by General Brown, and only partially repaired
for the present exigency. The plain on which
it is situated lies about fifteen feet above the
level of the water. The works of which il
in front were strengthened by temporary
abattis, parapet breastworks, entertainments,
two batteries and six field pieces. Fort Erie
itself, with three guns, "a, 18 and 2pounders,
formed the northeast, and the Douglas Bate
ry, with an Is and FOUNDER the southeast an-
gle. The left was defended by small battery
of six field pieces, under the command of Cap
tain Towson. Fort Erie was defended by Cap
tain Williams, with part of Major Trimble's
command. The batteries, in front, by Cap
tains Bdde and Tanning. There were in the
fort, the remains of SCOTS brigade, which
were posted on the right under the command
of Lieut.. Col. Aspinwall. Ripley's brigade
defended the left. Porter's New York and
Pennsylvania volunteers, with the riienen.
were in the centre.
During the 18th and 14th, the enemy kept
up an incessant cannonade. About o'clock
in the evening of the latter day, a shell fell in
small magazine in Fort Erie, and blew it up.
The damage was small, but the enemy imag-
med II to be much more important than it " as,
and determined to take advantage of the con-
fusion he suspected it had produced, to make
the assault. The weather favored this project.
The night was dark, rainy, and calculated to
prevent the persons inside from hearing his
advance. At half past two o'clock, to the
number of 1900 men, his columns were heard
distinctly advancing. Everything was pre-
pared for his reception, for Gaines suspected
that, from The circumstances mentioned above
he would make the attack on that night. The
attack first commenced on the left, where the
enemy was received with tremendous fire by
Major Wood and Captain Towson. His ad-
vance, however, was not checked until he had
come within ten feet of the American infantry
A line of loose brushwood only intervening
between him and the lines where they Joined
the water, he attempted to pass around it, by
wading in water breast deep. Fearing that
this point would be carried Gaines ordered up
to It's support regiment of rihemen, but was
assured by Col. Wood that he could defend
his portion. Three times the enemy attacked
this position of the line, and three times was
rapnlso1 .l>a Il.
and left advancing, were received by perfect
storm ofbullets. They nevertheless advanced
under the command of Coils Scott and Drum
mond, crying out "gve the id Yankee
Tascals no quarter" The left was repulsed,
but the centre, under Drummond, pushed gal
laniy forward to the assault. Ii approached
with scaling ladders, and swarmeI up the par
apet. ltwas repuIsed Nth immense carnage,
but again il pressed forward. Again it mount
ed the parapet. and this time succeeded in car.
rying one OF the bastiops. Lit. McDonough
who was left behind wounded, asked for quar-.
ter. "Give the d-d Yankee no onsrter.p
was the answer of Drummond, and he was
despatched. The words were scarcely out of
his mouth when he himself fell dead. On the
left the enemy was repulsed but on the right
and centre the battle still ragged with violence
Forces were brought forward to recapture the
lost bastion. A tremendous contest was kept
up but in the midst oft, some cartridges, in
stone building adjoining the fort, took fire and
blew up with tremendous explosion. The
position was Immediately recovered. Thrown
into confusion bv this explosion. the enemy
was exposed to a flank fire, and fed with the
utmost precipitation, leaving behind him 600
men killed, wounded or prisoners.
THE POTATO ROT,
The English papers generally concur in
stating that the rot has appeared with even
more virulence than on the former occasion,
when II caused so much distr.ss III 49,.