Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-08-27


Gmy, when Gen. Rail chose, about four in the af-
ernoon, to anticipate attack on him in his lines
ly passing theibrdge of the Chippewa and advan-
cling to offer battle i'll the middle of the plain.--
9othing could be fairer tlan the ground; and
though he outnumbered us by some 200 men, he
really supposed us to have that advantage over
lin, lbutth he was more than compensated by
The superiority OF his troops, who were mainlyyet-
Grns that had fought under Wellington. General
/ brown had been at the wood near the centre Of
the plain, directing some of the movements of the
/ misunderstanding he saw Rail thus pass the
I lrldge, display his columns, and come forward in
order Of battle. He Immediately FASTENED back
towards Scotts position, beyond the bridge Of the
upper stream; He met him about to cross intot the
plain merelyto give hismen a little drill, for he
7 had yet received no order to engage. 70, As they
I met, Gen. Brown simply said TO him, ssThe enc.
my is advancing-you viii have fight" and pas
I'D OIL to the rear to orderup Ripleys brigade. z
The few words just recited, were all the orders
md all the instructions that he thougtit necessa-
,y (such was Ills confidence III Scott) to give him.
The latter advanced to pass the bridge, now with
in point blank range Ofthe enemy sbatery of nine
Guns. His troops crossed it steadily, though not
without loss, under that severe fire, and, deploy
ing as they advanced, marched coolly up to the
encounter The artillery of Capt. Towson was
hen thrown OF the right flank along the
. Chippewa road, to Just the point where the oppo-
sing columns would meet the charge, SO that it
you'd not only playupon the enemy all the while,
I hut when the decisive shock came, rake him dread-
fully from the flank. The enemys artillery, on
The contrary, though stronger, was far less judi
CiOISy posted, in such manner that the advance
of their infantry on their left flank soon threw
Them betweenther batteries and our columns, and
thus was their cannon become useless, against
our line. So much for the artillery positions
Those of the infantry were OIL our side equally well
: disposed. The enemy came on i'll an unbroken
line which outhanked u.s.; and reached into the
wood on our left. TO remedy this, Leayenworth's s
battalion was obliqued to the right McNeiPs to
the left, with interval between them; while Je
sup's was obliqued still more to the left, SO as to
meet the enemy's right wing in the wood, and
there hold it in check. At the point where this
was done the wood projected more into The plain
than in Jesps rear that the elelny's line out
of the wood was shorter tlian ouIs; and as their
line in the plain continued to advance while that
in the wood could not, the formcr was presently,
at the critical moment when it came into contact
with our centre under Mcneil, outlanked by itin
Turn! These advantages had been at once seen
and siezed by superiority:o of generaishp and that
rapdityy and precision of maluuvre to which his
men had now been brought, so as to be able (as
they Should) TO execute an important mOvemental
most as soon as their general had conceived it,
But this was not all; n still mort decisive eyour
ton was at hand The movements Just described
had brought the adverse lines to exactly that
poit at which that terrible StratIgem called the
ssmovelnent en- potencc' (a,sort of double sideong
attack can be employed. [ In it, when you are
within charging distance of the enemy, your flanks
l1e suddenly pushed forward and your line thrown
into the shape of the ratcrS OF rather tlat-rooted
house. while the eneny's line occupies, in regard
to it, the position which the seepcrs have to the
faftcrs The effect of this is TO converge the lire
of your line upon his centre and cutit in two; TO
finish which operation, you then charge upon HIM,
(the two angles of your line moving upon the
same point on which their double fire was Just now
pourcd and the bayonet ends what tht: ball begins
This NOV ement, when well executed, inevitably
breaks your adversary's line. and is fatal: none
can stand it'll Scott now put it in practice. The
opposing lines had advanced upon each other, III
ing, hdltng, re-loaliiig and advancing again BY
turns until now they were within eighty yards OF
each other Then Scott gave the word for the ev-
Dluton en- potcnce. To add to its effect, he had a
moment before ridden over TO Towson'S artillery,
(Which he perceived was, IRON the smoke ana the
snemy's advance, firing too much to the rightly
and told that able gunner, where next to pour his
balls; and his next raking discharge was accord
ingly very destructive. a moment after, the IN
!antry made its manduvre. NO sooner was us
double fire potred in, than Scott called out to Nc
Neips battalion, '"rhe enemy say we are only
good at long shot, and can't stand the cold iron!
ii llupon the Eleventh to give the lie to that
Islander! Chargen' A like order was given, at
the same moment to Leavcnworth'S battalion; and
both bodies rushed upon the eneiny's centre with
The bayonet. 1t was instantly o"crthrown; and
with it the whole main body of the British army
broke, and fled i'll total confusion About the
same time, Jesup, under heavy fire, advanced up
on the enemy i'll the wood, forced them, to rehre,
and thus completed their defeat at all points
Smch was the mastery activity Of Scott (others
may BOAST of "masterly i,iactivity'') that before
Riplev whom Gen. Brown had gone to order up,
could arrive, the battle had been won, and Scott
was hotly pursuing the routed adversary back
across Chippawa bridge into their entertainments.
Twas at the moment when his terrific charge ut
terly broke them to pieces, and covered the PLAIN
with their fallen and their flying, that he raised
up his hands on high and cried out, s'ren years OF
my life for hundred good dragoons" With but
that little body of horse, to cut them oil from the
bridge, he might have destroyed them, or, captured
their Whole force. Such was the battle ofChippe-
wa, In proportion to the numbers engaged, a
bloodier one has seldom been seen; Tor one-touIth
Of the combntants were killed or wounded AL
most equal in its terms, and fought as ifby regu-
lar challenge, it was yet decided with such rap
idity as affords extreme proof of the conquerers
military skill; and would fairly, did itcveh stand
alone, hand down his name as remarkable one,
in the annals of wariare.;u YniIGy ia goa SeD
SECOND BATTLE OF THE CATARACT, OR
b 3.ai ,5s OF LUNDY'si LANE. snstszt.t -.
p On the 7th of July, Browns army (Scotts bri-
s,de leading) forced the passage OF the Chlppawa,
1 Rial retreating upon Forts George and Messasau-
ga below; after reinforcing which, lie took refuge
with his remaining force on Burlington Heights,
there to await succors. -pBeiore attaching nm
there, Gen. Brown held it advisable 70 take' ING
fortified places below him on the peninsula; iof,
l;ke Scott terwardS he did not admire marching
when he was to have ga fire the rear" But
these British works were SUCH as field -artllle-
nv could nat hurt; battery-tTain was necessary;
and this must be brought up from Sackstts Harbor
i,v onr heet. 1t was accordingly waited for but
/! meantime. Chauncy had fallen sick, and we tenn
fnnraly lost the command OF the Lake; SO that the
T. heavy heavy guns could not come. Upon this Brownde
termned to leave the forresses behind him, and at
tack Riall upon Burlington Heights But first he en-,
deavored to draw linn down from them by ieisneo
Z retrent nm Niagara and across the Chippewa, be
vnnd which he encamped. The stratagem succee-
ded, but not until we suddenly met the enemy
was its success known. Ontle after afternoon Of
the 25th Sunday positive but false advice wa'
of the Niagara that Rail had thrown across a
i,ewistown, corps of one thousand men. Brown
at once decided to compell their return, by threat
ening their rear and the forts below. For this pur