The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-10-12


other. 1t was not therefore, at mems
persons that the fire of our soldiers was
directed. The tiashas of the encmys
muskcts alone served rs as an object
to aim ut as, without doubt, the flashes
of our muskets alone guided the enemy.
At last, however, the wind suddenly
sprung up. The ohscurity in which
both parties had been envcloped was
cleared away; and there, sure enough.
stood our opponents, not, as they had
stood an hour ago, in close and com
pact array, but confused by the mur-
derous fire to which they had been ex-
posed. Napoleon Bonaparte has af
firmed, that he never witnessed any
thing more terrific than the fire OF
British line of infantry. The ex-em-
peror was perfectly correct. In the
armies of other nations, particularly in
those of America, many marksmen,
more expert as individuals, may be
found; but we may search the world
over before we shall discover troops,
who, as body, take aim with the same
GOODNESS, reserve their fire so well, or,
as necessary consequence, pour it in
with such tremendous effect as our own
soldiers. OF this the Americans had
to-day received the most appalling
proofs; numbers lay dead among the
feet of their comrades; numbers more
had retired MANNED or wounded; and,
those who still kept the field, We're
broken and confused. One thing alone
was required to complete the route.
Our gallant fellows, uttering hearty
cheer, threw in their last volley, and
then rushed forward with the bayonet;
but shock which the flower of Europe
an armies had never been before able to
withstand the Americans ventured not
to receive. They lost in a moment all
order, and fled, as every man best
could, from the field.
There was but one road along which
horses Or carriages could move, and it
became crowded to excess in moment.
Whilst the infantry, dashing into the
forest, thought to conceal themselves
among its mazes, the cavalry, Of which
a few squadrons had been drawn up
| upon their right, scampered off by the
main road; and was Immediately fol-
lowed by guns, tumbrils, ammunition
wagons, and the whole material Of the
army. To arrest the progress of all,
or some part of that force, became now
our great object. "Hurrah for the
guns!' was word Of command first
uttered by Col. Brooke; it was repeat
ed, with loud laughter and tumultuous
outcries, from one rank to another; and
desperate and unremitting were the ef-
forts which we made to overtake and
cut off such as were hindmost. But
unhappily the absence of even the
mounted troopers told severely against
us to-day. The truth of it is, the
American ordnance, drawn by fleet
horses, readily escaped. And out of
the whole party, only two guns, and
one tumbril alone, fell into our hands.
OF prisoners, however, we were fortu-
nate enough to secure a few. The
fourth regiment, which had made a de-
tour for the purpose of turning the
enemy's left, though it arrived not in
time to take much share in the action,
succeeded in cutting off about half of
a battalion from the Ugh road: and
this body, driven back upon its pur-
suers, saved itself from annihilation by
laying down its arms.
Thus ended the affair of the 18th CT
September, after about an hour and a
half of pretty severe fighting. On our
part. the loss sustained could not ex-
ceed two hundred men in ALL on the
part of the Americans, at least double
that number had fallen. The dead, in
deed, lay in clusters far more frequent,
and far more numerous, than anywhere
| at least discovered on the field at
Bladensburg; and as the proportion
between the killed and wounded in an
army is usually five to one, it was easy
to collect that the whole amount oi
persons rendered hors 0e-combat, must
have been very considerable. Yet
there was not amongst us one man who
did not feel that the victory had been
purchased at terrible price,-it had
cost the life of our General, and in SC
doing, had crippled all our resources
The day being now considerably ad
vanced, and the troops somewhat IA
tigued by their exertions our new lead
er determined to halt for that night on
the field which we had won. With
this view, the bugles were directed tc
sound the recall; whilst the Quarter
Master General proceeded to fix upon
proper spot for the bivouac; and tc
sustain the outposts. Nor were the
medical attendants of the army un
mindful of their important charge
There chanced to be, in the line of the
late operations, two houses of some
size; these were of course occupied
and the smaller and more incommo
dious being selected as headquarters
the larger and better was devoted te
the accommodation of the wounded