Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-14

a SECOND BATTLE OF THE CATARACT, OR OF LUH
Il DY'S LANE.
Il On the Ith July Browns army (Scotts brigade
leading) forced the passage Of the Chippewa, RIAL
retreating upon Forts George and Messasauga be-
low after reinforcing which he took refuge with
his remaining force on Burlington Heights, there to
await succors. Before attacking him there Gen
Brown held it advisable to take the fortified places
below him on the peninsula for, like Scott after
wards, he did not admire marching when he was to
have ~ fire in his rear" But these British works
were now such as feld-artillery could not hurt a
Ibatterng-train was necessary; and this must be
brought up from Sacketts Harbor by our feet 1t
was accordingly waited for; but meantime Chaun-
cey had fallen sick, and we temporarily lost the
command of the Lake so i t the heavy guns could
not come. Upon this Brown determined to leave
the fortresses behind him and attack Rail upon
Burlington Heights. But first he endeavored to
draw him down from them by feigned retreat up
the Niagara and across the Chippewa, beyond which
he encamped. The stratagem succeeded, but not
until we suddenly met the enemy was its success
known. On the afternoon of the 25th Sunday
positive but false advice was received from com
mandant on the American side of the Niagara, that
Rail had thrown across at Lewiston corps of one
thousand men. Brown at once decided to compel
their return by threatening their and the forts
below. For this purpose, SCOTS brigade, now
twenty minutes notice. Within two miles it sud
denly came upon accommodating party Of the enc
my A considerable body was speedily ascertained
to be beyond the wood, Cat Forsythe's house, Just
above the Falls,) which we were then approaching.
1t seemed certain that they could at most be only
the other half of Rails force, and that his move
ment was merely meant to protect the rear Of the
body he had sent across the Niagara Pausing,
therefore, only long enough report the fact by
Il ~ Gan .b.oJ -
He had no sooner passed the wood than. he found
himself in the presence-nay, under the severe fire
OF force full five hundred stronger than his own,
and more advantageousy posted. For they had
chosen their position, and stood on it ready drawn
up in order of BATTLE occupying with their artillery
(nine pieces) an elevation which commanded the
whole ground.
The British line lay stretched along Lundy's
Lane, little beyond (north of it; its right
which were its artillery, reaching to wood; its
left resting the road parallel with the river, by
which Scott was approaching, and from which d.
verged at right angles the lane. From their rear
were marching to join them, up this river road,
reinforcements, while ours were to come along it
from above. We need hardly say that this was
RAIL- and that instead of having according to the
positive information Brown was acting on) sent off
one thousand of his the river, he had not
sent one; but, on the contrary, was in the act of
uniting with large force which had arrived by the
Lake at Fort George from Kingston and Prescott,
the night before, by concerted movement, under
Lieutenant-GeneralS Sir Gordon Drummond Strange
to tell, information had been sent to Brown of
movement of the enemy, occurring only few
hours before, which had not happened at all; while
they had left him in complete ignorance of this most
important event in the same quarter, happening the
night before Such was the situation in which, at
a glance, Scott saw himself to be placed if he
fought, it must be at much disadvantage; and it
was too late to draw off, except by retreat which
could hardly help being presently turned into
flight. Now, flight was thing he had never seen,
and was not born TO see. So he decided instantly
to engage, as if Gen. Browns whole force was pre-
SENT and to fight it out, at whatever odds, until the
latter could come to his assistance; to which end
he sent him, by second aide-de-camp, an account
of the whole state of things.
1t was now nearly sunset. Scott had seen that
on the enemys left flank lay space of some two
hundred yards, covered with brushwood, under con-
cealment of which that flank might be turned. He
instantly took advantage of it, and sent upon the
service Jesup's battalion. They performed the
duty finely for they not only turned but broke
their way back through the enemy's left wing and
after thus cutting it off, returned to their own place
in our line bringing with them Major General Rail
and some other British officers as prisoners While
we thus demolished their left wing they attempted
to return us the compliment upon ours, which their
right considerably outfanked But Scott, always
as quick to foil his adversary's maneuvres as to
strike by his own, met this movement with McNeps
smaller but invincible battalion. deadly contest
followed but the enemy was at last driven back,
though not without severe loss on both sides.
Meantime the main battle of the two centres had
joined, and was fought most desperately. Brady's
battalion, Leavenworth's battalion, and Towson's
artillery there sustained with mistaken intrepdity
the whole weight of the enemy's superior numbers;
and now TO add to the horrors of the fight the last
light of day, which, gistening through the spray of
the great cataract behind columns when they
engaged had spread above their heads to the enc
my's view bright rainbow, as if the promise of
victory was gone and darkness, thickened by the
smoke of battle, or only lighted up for instant
by the artillery's glow or the musketry's CLEAN,
came to add to all that tug of the combat blind fury,
the verest rage Of that be breathed into the
breasts of men when they set their teeth like vice
and their sinews like steel, and swear that nothing
shall make them yield II was thus our men fought
through the ferceness Of that bloody nightencoun-
ter. Scott, letting loose all that personal daring
which a general must usually control, was every
where anmating or directing or leading, and watch
ing every shock or shift Of the fight His horse
was killed under him he mounted another: that,
by and by, fell dead he quickly in the saddle
Of third: he was himself wounded in the body but
still fought on, as if he had been bulletproof The
conflict went thus until about o'clock, when Gen.