The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-22
M Il NOR OF
GE N E r Al SCOT
FROM
Records Cottmporaneous with the Events.
lcoNTIrUED FROM TuEsDAV's rArER
SCOTS INJUSTICE TO GENERAL DEARBORN, GENERAL
LEWIS. AND COMMODORK CUAVNCEY


taking of Fort George We have two engravings-
one, 1.-The Battle Of Fort George" which exhibits
furious onset of swords and musketry--the other,
the feat of Scott tearing down the Flag" Now
here is the full account Of the whole affair rs given
byGeneral Armstrong, who is partial to Scott and
inmicsl to Dearborn, who commanded the expedi-
tion:
IT wa, not till the 9Th of May that they arrived of
Fort George until the 9th that they were sui-
GENTLY prepared for the attack of that post At four
O'Clock. A. M Of this day the batteries the American
side of the Niagara being ready for action the
cesry for transportation provided and considerable
Inducements OF troops drawn from Sacketts Hsrbor
Snow amounting to nearly six thousand combatants) J
began their movements in boats along the lake shore
Two Mile Run the point designated for general land
ing When abreast of this they rested their till
the armed hsd severay taken their covering DO
stions and the signal had been given for descent after
which resumng the cement they pressed vigorously
forward to tho shore At nine O'Clock the Light infantry
being speedily supported by Boyds brigade, and well
directed fire from the shipping, enabled to
their front and compel its scattered parts to y in the
direction Of Newark and Fort George.
On approaching these, Vincent the British commsn
nearly not altogether nntenabls Wisely dsermnea To-
hazard retreat in the face Of his enemy and thus by
DESERVING bis multiply the chances of saving the
rson Fortunately for him, contingency Of this kind
was neither provided for in the original plan Of attack
nor by subsequent order given the field, and would
perhaps have entirely escaped notice had not Scott from
bis advanced position made the discovery and deemed
1T his duty institute and continue pursuit of five
miles, not merely without orders but in evasion OF suoh
~ we're given, until at last mandate reached him, of
character decided and peremptoy by leaving moth
ing to discretion could not fail to recall him to Fort
George"
The only show Of fight made by the British was
made a. the landing, which is thus described by
Commodore Chauncey, who did all the execution.
He is quoted by Armstrong thus:-" All the vessels
anchored within musket shot of the shore, aud in
ferries, they were completely senced and abandon
ed" Again" The enemy, who had been conceal
ed in Iavine, now advanced in great force to the
edge OF the bank to charge ourtroops [whenl the
Schooners opened SO we'll directed and tremendous
fire of grape and canister, that they 1.-THE enemyl
soon retreated from the bank."l
Genera! Dearborn, who commanded, in his official
account to the Secretary, shows who took Fort
George He says
Commodore Cbauncey had made the most judicious
fr senciDg the enemy batteries the
point Of landing The army under the greatest obga
lion that able naval his operation in
all its important movements, and especially in its opera
lions this day Our batteries succeeded in rendering Fort
George untcnabe and when the enemy had been driven
from his positions and found it necessary to enter it,
after firing few guns ana setting fire to the magazines
which soon exploded he moved off rapidly by different
routes Our Light troops pursued them several miles.
Here is General Morgan Lewis account of tho
affair. He commanded oil the corps whose landing
was covered by ChaUncey's guns:-
on FIELD, P. NJ, 9th May, 1913.
Dear Sr:-Fcrt George and its dependencies are ours
a.nes ana rres On a M hs n
say thing of individual galiantry-there
who did not perform his duty in a manner which did
commands. supported by Boyds and Winders brgades
sustained the brunt of the action Our loss is ring-
number wounded The enemy has left in the hospital 1874
and sent several board the fleet We have also
about 100 prisoners Of the regular forces
am dear Dir most respectfully your ossdent ssrysn
Major Genera! Dearborn, Com in Chief Of the North
ern Army"
Ia 4. H. ~.
landing and If the ceremony of tearing down the
flag was lett tor General Scott to do with $ his
own hands. it is not found in any Of tho official re-
ports, in which Scott would have been careful to
have had it inserted, if the fact would justify it.
Everybody who knows anything of him knows that
he would insist upon such an exploit of pageantry,
especially as there was little else left to boast Of
The fighting and execution were done by Chaunoey,
by whose broadsdes the British were cut up. Yet
like Gen. Dearborn and General Lewis, he is omitted
in SCOTS memoir except Only to say, that the de
barkation alone of the troops was covered by the
little feet Of Commodore Chauncey." From this
no one would suppose that the enemy were driven
TO retreat By his guns leaving nothing but the chase
to Scott.
PRESIDENT MADISON sUPPLANTED BY GENERAL
SCOTT.
The war Of 1912 was declared to protect our ma
tive and Daturalized citizens from British impress
ment. Tbs British government asserted the right
of impressmens solely upon the pretext that
British subject could not expatriate HIMSELF or, by
swearing allegiance to the United States, exonerate
himself from the authority Of his native country.
Every Englishman, Scotchman, or Irshman, found
on board our Ships was, under this pretext, made
liable to be impressed. Our government resolved
to encounter all the caamities of war in resistance
to this principle, which in practice was made
under which to drag native-born Americans as well
as naturalized citizens, from ships. AZ soon as
The war commenced, the British government pushed
their principle to its necessary consequence, and
proclaimed every man who had been British sub
iect traitor if he bore arms in defence Of the
United States, his adopted country. Following up
this doctrine, the first prisoners taken by England
were winnowed for these traitors and our natural
lied citizens found among them were put in irons
and sent home, as it is called, to be tried for high
treason. The first case occurred in August, 1872
On the 18th of October, 1872, the Wasp, which had
captured the British ship Frolic, was taken by the
British "a, Poictiers Register, vol =, p.
223
Noticing the progress the British were making, in
sezing our adopted citizens as traitors, officer of
the U ). sloop Wasp says, in letter, that 8 the
. boatswan Of that ship and some Of the crew have
been detained at Bermuda, on suspicion Of being
British subjects with view to try them for treason
This is the third case in which some of our sailors
have been detained on this plea. The two former
were promptly met by putting into close confne-
ment twice the number so held by the enemy, as
hostages for the safety of eur people and we trust
the like procedure will prevail in this instance,
well as that punishment may be inflicted, pa,i passu,
in all caea ana at every hazard General Washing
ton reluctantly compelled to adopt this line of
conduct during the revolution -
General Scott takes to himself, in his auto
biography the credit Of having first established this
retaatory system in favor of our adopted citizens,
by bringing his personal influence to bear on Con-
gress in 1913. But let US hear what Mr.. Madison
says on this subject in his message of 1872
Extract from the Presidents Message
The British commander in that Province nevertheless,
with the sanction appears Of his government thought
proper select from American prisoners of and send
to Great Britain for trial criminals number of in
dviduas who had emigraed from the British dominons
long prior to the state of war between the two nations
who had incorporated themselves with political
cety in the modes recognized by the law and practice of
Great Britain and who made prison of under
the banners of their adopted country fighting for its
rights and its safety The protection due to these citi-
zens qurng eectua interpositon in their behalf
like number Of British prisoners of war were put into
confinement with notification that they would expert
ence whatever violence might be committed the
American prisoners Of sent to Great Britain It
hoped that this necessary consequence Of the step unad
vsedy taken the part Of Great Britain, would have
led her government to reflect the inconsistencies Of its
conduit and that A eympathy with the British il not