Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-04-05

six days befoIe the place, about fifteen bun
dred, perhaps few more In number, militia
and volunteers, had arrived from the neiphbor.
| ing counties Of New York and Vermont. and
with such an inefficient, undisciplincd and III
armed mass, counting about three housond, he
made such a vigorous defence Of the position,
which possessed no natural advantages except
narrow river in front, fordable in many places,
the artificial work being also very imperfect,
as TO discourage the Governor General, who
abandoned his camp in the night of that day,
aiier the loss OF the naval battle, and made
hasty retreat 10 Canada, IA retreat so disgrace
fol 10 the British army that a court Of inquiry
was ordered in England, TO investigate circum-
stances, but the i'll health add speedy death Of
Sir George put a stop 10 the proceedings, and
the fault Of that retreat--odiun in lhe opinion
of many British officers with whom the writer
has conversed-was never removed from Sir
George Provost
Plausburgh was one Of the first places oc-
cupied by our troops in that war From lis
being on aud near the waters Of Lake Champ
lain and Hudson river, from the density Of por-
ulation east and south, and its proximity to the
enemy, il was early considered TO be the point
of concentration Of troops and supplies for the
invasion and conquest Of Csnada--Fori Crown
Point, forty miles further south on the lake,
should have been the place; the senior Gener-
al of our army, a veteran from the resolution
and Of consequent experience, was sent there
10 command in person. The first campaign ex-
cept shor, time in 1919, il had been occupied
by troops, and large amount Of ordna nee and
military property bad been placed there : our
arsenal at Albany had been sinpi of its muni-
tions to supply the Niagara forces in The spring
Of 1914, so that nearly all the ordnance west
ofthe New England coast, north Of New York,
and east Of Sackeu's Harbor, was then al
Platisburg, and the destruction Of that pos, was,
Of itself, an object Of sufficient importance 10
demand the exertions and perseverance, Of the
British Commander-in-Chief; and at that par
ticular time it would have produced a political
effect in cur country Of most serious conse-
qences. The American officers were surprised
that Sir George did not push his attack by land
and capture the place, even after the naval de-
feat he could have held it in defance Of all
our efforts to recover il, ill the next spring
success in this was the first and only chance
for the recovery Of his feet we could not
spare a soldier from the necessary defence Of
The sea-cossi and frontier west Of ofOgdensburgh;
II would have emboldened The hostles, mot few
nor weak among us,) to the war, and checked
recruiting then almost at siand-still, for our
regular service. Much more were they as
founded by the unexpected, unnecessary and
disgraceful retreat from The place which he
might, so easily, have had in his hand-edsiiy,
FOR he could have taken il by assault, with
loss to himself of one haJf, or one fourth, the
force which he would have killed, captured or
put 10 fight.
The reasons which operated so yoaeIiully
on the British commander TO abandon the at
iack-condemned, as far as they cnuld prudent
ly express their disgust, by British officers
were never understood or suspected by me in
full till 1854, when | was informed in WASH
ington, Of certain occurrences, by the gentle
man who professed TO have been largely in
strumenial in the execution Of the rase de
guerre which General Macomb probably caused
TO be concocted and prescribed TO Sir George
as an efiicacious medicine, with other potent
pills, for the preservation ofihe place and force
confined to his care This gentleman is now
Rcp. Eiedser HiHidns, [repuied Dauphn, or
Louis XVII, Of France,] with whom | was ac-
quainied personally in the war of 1919, at
Platlsburgh, and who, ] then knew, or UNDER
stood, 10 belong to detachment of ST. Regis
Indians, in the service of the United States as
Rangers, who were employed in watching the
movements Of the enemy, on or near the lines,
and believe Mr.. Williams, being educated in
English, was the commander; but Ioever mus
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