The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-08

| Luckily she had loaded her guns WIN
round shot, expecting that the principal
attack would have been made by water.
grape shot. mus. have inevitably killed
! or driven the artillery from their guns.
General Arnold sent orders to Lieutenant
Colonel Simcoe 10 march the Queens
Rangers 10 the shore and TO fire musketrV
at the ship. He was preparing to exc
cute this order, when. what be shall ever
esteem as a most fortunate shot, cut q
spring cable and threw the ship round
In this situation the crew exposed to the
raking of Lieutenant Rogers cannon,
and whoever appeared on deck, TO
the fire Of the Yagers. and dis
pairing of assistance from The
re mainder of the ill-stationed fleet, were
frightened, and took to their boats TO es-
cape etc. etc.
The unexpected quarter spoken OF
here was doubtless from the Summit Of
the bluff to which Captain Fage had car
ried the two guns which Played so
cruelty upon the decks of the Virginia
vessels We learn also from Simcoe's re-
port. tha. under great difficulties the
Nirginians did manage TO bring one snip
into action, and only one OF this Ill
stationed feet. Ill-siaiioned, because Il
was never expected they would be called
upon to defend themselves against q
force operating entirely on the land, and
at infinite advantage. Even under all the
disadvantages, it was the opinion OF Sim
coe that if they had loaded their guns
with grape shot Rogers two guns
would soon have been silenced. We very
much doubt whether the patriots had any
such shot, else they would have tried
their effect upon their lurking 1agers,
who so cruelty annoyed them at only
thirty yards from the stern of their ships.
On the whole it is evident that Simc0e,
in his unvarnished account, was disposed
to do Justice 20 his enemies; al the same
| time that ht intimates a doubt as 10 the
wisdom Of Arnolds' order to bring his men
under the fire of The ships gun. What he
deemed as "a most fortunate Shot had
accidentally cut her cable, and so altered
her position as 10 make this movement
unnecessary. The truth is, il may be
said in this connection that the traitor
was never!sa fayOrite with those who prot
! tied by his treason, fOr ii has been well
established fact, that When Sir Henry
Clinton sent him 10 Virginia, he, at the
same time, sent too officers 10 watch him.
Phillips and Dundas both had in their
possession blank commissions 10 be made
available as to the proper succession TO
! his rank, in case they should have reason
% suspect Arnolds' loyalty 10 the British
cause They did not feel sure he was
noi,capable OF double treason should ii
be TO his own Interests.
The two or three hundred militia re-
ferred to by Arnold in this affair were
in reality a few badly armed countrYinen
past the age for active service, who had
! been hurriedly gotten together IN this
emergency. Such number OF able
b died men could not have been spared
from the ranks OF the Continental Army
AT this critical period of the war They
were as much needed by the commander
in chief in the North as they were by
General Green, who about this time was
having serious trouble with CORVALLIS in
| the South.
The scene Of the disater just described
was not far below the city OF Richmond
Indeed the heights upon which FACES
guns were ported are within sight OF the
steeples of the city We doubt not the
charred remains of those Inflated vessels
together with their ornaments lie buried
in the bottom of the James at this very
time The place known as OsbOrne's was
for e long time the terminus OF turn
pike road on the north side of the river,
at which point was ferry. From this
point was the nearest direct route TO
Petersburg from Richmond. Warwick
was quite little town on the south side
of the river, where the State had erected
shops and rope-walks for the public ser
vice. Near this was Ampthille, the an
cient seat of the Csrys, and whose mill
was destroyed by Arnold.
To BE- conc!udcd