Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-03-14

menccd in the early summer Of that year. Aud he
also called upon the people for aid and by sun
day the Ilth Of September, the enemy having been
six days before the place, about fifteen hundred,
perhaps few more in number, militia aud volun-
tccrs, had arrived from the reshboring counties of
New York and Vermont, and with such IN Inefficient |
undisciplined and i'll armed mass, counting about
three thousand, he made such vigorous defence OF
the position which possessed no natural advantages
except narrow river in front. iordable in many
places, the artificial work being also very imperfect
as to discourage the Governor General who aban
doned his camp in the night of that day, after the
loss of tho naval battle and made hasy retreat to
Canada "a retreat disgraccul to tho British army
that court of inquiry was ordered in England, to
investigate the circumstances, but tho i'll health and
speedy death of Sir George put stop to the pro-
ceedipgs and the fault of that retrcat-odn in the
opinion of many British officers with whom the
writer has couversed-was never removed from Sir
George Provost.
Pittsburgh was one of the first places occupied
by our troops in that war. From iti being on and
near the waters Of Lake Champlain aud Hudson
river, from the density Of population cast and south
and its proximity to the enemy, it was early consid-
cred to be the point of concentration of troops and
supplies for the invasion and conquest of Canada
Fort Crown Point, forty miles further south on the
lake, should have been tho place the senior Gem
eral Of our army, veteran from the revolution and
of consequent experience was sent there to COM
mand in pers son, the first campaign and except a
short time in 1913, it had been occupied by troops,
and large amount of ordnance and military prop
erty had been placed there our arsenal at Albany
had been stript Of its munitions to supply the Ma
CARA forces in the spring of 1914 that nearly all
tho ordnance west of the New England coast. north
Of New York and east of Sackett's Harbor, then
at Plattburgh and the destruction of that post was
ofitself an object of sufficient Importance to demand
the cxertons and perseverance of the British Com
mander-in- Chief and Mt that particular time it
would have produced political effect in our coun-
! try of most serious consequences. The American
officers were surprised that Sir George did not push
his attack by land and capture the Place, even after
the naval defeat he could have held it in defiance
Of all our efforts to it, till tho spring
success in this the first and only chance for the
recovery of his feet could not spare n soldier
from the necessary defence of the and from
tier west of ogdensburgh it would have embolieu-
ed the hostcs (not few nor weak among us,) to tho
war, and checked recruiting then almost at a stand
still, for our regular service. Much more they
astounded by the unexpected, unnecessary and dis
graceful retreat from the place which he might, so
easily, have ha in his hand-eas,ly, for he could
have taken it by assault, with loss to himself of
hdlf, or one Fourth. the force which he would
have killed, captured or put to hi,lt.
The reasons which operated powerfully ON the
| British commander to abandon the attack-con
demned, as far they could prudcntly express thci
disgustb British oficers-werc understood oil
suspected by me in full till 1851, when was inform
ed in Washington of certain occurrences by the gen
teman who professed to been have largely instru
mental in the execution Of the de gUeJe which
General Macomb probably caused to he connected
and prescribed to Sir George an elicacious mcdi
cine with other potent pills, for the preservation
the place and force confded to his This gen
tlcman is now Rev. Eica>cr Williams. Trcpute
Dauphin, or Louis NVIT, of Francc,l with whom
was acquainted personally in the Of 1872, n
Pittsburgh, and who then knew, or understood
to belong to a detachment Of St. Regis Indians, il
the service of the United States as RANGERS, VIII
were employed in watching the emcnts Of tn
enemy, or near the lines, and believe Mr.
Williams, being educated in English was the com
mander but | never mustered the detachment, o
saw a mustcr.roll of it, and have no knowledge Z
I its strength, In the last winter Of the | wa
s chief of General Macombs staff; believe l saw Nj
W. at headquarters, but not informed by tn
General that he was, had been, Employed as a SPY
though had impression that he was; and wa
advised Of his hd'hty the frontier by anothe
discreet person employed by Inc in Canada I sa
Mr.. Williams so frequently in that war that | re
= ;,ol III fter de in Nov
York, and again in 1854 at Washington. This ger
teman says that
''on sun lay the llth of September, n letter. pur
porting to have been written by Col. Elias Fasse
commanding at Burlington, to General Macomb, il
forming the latter That ten thousand
Vermont militia, Green Mountain Boys, were on tn
march towards Alburgh or the northern part Of tt
: Lake, intending to and cut off the retreat
If the British, and also that a very large force
its way from Albany the South, the west sid
of the Lake, and might be expected soon at Platt
burgh,' was intercepted by the enemy and forwar,
ell to Sir George Provost; that then Sir Geora
e became alarmed, and in the night abandoned Ii
h camp. leaving a large amount Of ordnance, store
n and many sick men, and fled to Canada
II Col. Elias Fassett, of the 30th Infantry. was
command at Burlington, and it might be readi
supposed was in communication with Gen. Macoml
~ that he would be the first to know the movements
d the famous Greea Mountain Boys, and to learn
1t mail, the route of which then the east side
rs the Lake, from Albany, what was being done thcr
T. and If such letter d,d actually tall into the hands
r. Sir Georgs,-a thing, of course, not susceptible
r. profit is reasonable to suppose, from all the CT
cum.tance., that Mr.. Williams either contrived t
Is MIA nd in And frnu all :
nc facts within my knowledge of the in that qua
~ ter and the hi Oh character he sustans for truth
c. re,pectability have strong belief that the .a
t., ment is true. l have frequently heard that
lie George assigned a for his precipita
retreat in addition to that of the loss of his le
(Which should not have caused ficit. or rotard
the capture of the place. 'hat overwhelming fore
y were moving to intercept his communications vi
III Canada" At first he did not believe that G,
TT lizard had actually gone away with four thousa
troops, but that he lying somewhere in amJ,4
ION that day, the llth, Gen. lizard encampcd
Johnston, near Mohawk River.J
n There is doubt that in whatever Sir Geor
was led to expect aid, if any, from the disafect
people of the country, he disappontcd-nc
such joined him; snd therefore any information Ii
that in the letter, the more likely to be heed
and to produce pauic
The substance of the above article was prepared
the Spring of 1854, on my being informed by J
Williams, conGdentially as | supposed, about
> itucrcepfcd letter. But | did not feel at liberty
irrfe his name, connected with the transaction,
~ make the story public. lie has furnished
with a written statement avowing the act and hi
accordingly embraced his name without any otl
material alteration. It is possible Mr. W. 81
W something more than have montioncd-he :,
r. much more in his written statement couGrmaory
the above, the interview short, and may hi
- omitted part Of what he said 5, e
Il, WAsHISGroN Feb. %, 1856.