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their furious onset, and long and bloody conflict; how this side fled and that pursued; yet, if he fail to impress upon the reader's mind a clear conception of the quantum of force which each party brought into the field, he shall employ his labors to very little purpose. Of the many printed narratives of battles, by far the greater number are deficient in this important particular. With due acknowledgement to the American reviewer for the hint, the author produces, as a prominent example, the celebrated battle of Azincour. Hume gives no figures, but states that the enemy was four times more numerous.'* • Monstrelet says six times.'+P. Daniel says three times.'+ Different French writers make their own force 100000;140000; 150000, the third

part horse;

150000 horse.' + Other historians say, that the French amounted to 150000, and the English but to 9000;'† which is nearly 17, instead of six,' 'four,' or even

* Hume, Vol. III. p. 100.

Rapin (folio edit.) Vol. I. p. 512,

'three,' to one, of all, the most probable

proportion.

In detailing the operations of the British and American armies, a clear and satisfactory account of the force engaged will, next to the immediate result of the battle, form the most important object. As the fairest means of ascertaining this, each party will be considered as unquestionable authority for the amount of his own numbers; unless an evident contradiction, or attempt to deceive, discovers itself. In that case, reliance will be placed upon the positive assertions of the opposite party.

1

A British official account of every military action has appeared in the Gazette; and copies of the whole, as well as of such American official accounts as have been published, or could be procured, are given in the Appendix. The deficiency on the American side is compensated by the ample details, and, upon some points, apparently authentic information,

contained in three very recent American publications on the events of the late war. As these works are rarely to be met with in this country, and will be frequently quoted in the progress of our enquiries, the reader is here presented with their respective title-pages:

Historical Sketches of the late War between the United States and Great Britain; blended with Anecdotes illustrative of the individual bravery of the American Sailors, Soldiers, and Citizens, embellished with Portraits of distinguished Naval and Military Officers; and accompanied by Views of several Sieges and Engagements. By John Lewis Thomson. Third Edition. Philadelphia:

published by Thomas Desilver; 1816.'

'An Impartial and Correct History of the War between the United States of America and Great Britain; com prising a particular Detail of the Naval and Military Operations, and a faithful Record of the Events produced during the Contest, from its Commencement, June 18, 1812, to the Treaty of Peace, ratified at the City of Washington, February 17, 1815. By T. O'Connor, Fourth Edition, revised and corrected. Carefully compiled from Official Documents. New York: printed and published by John Low, No. 62, Vesey Street, 1817.'

History of the United States, from their first Settlement as English Colonies, in 1607, to the Year 1808, or the Twenty-Third of their Sovereignty and Indepen

dence.

By David Ramsay, M.D.

Continued to the Treaty of Ghent, by S. S. Smith, D.D. and LL.D. and other Literary Gentlemen; in Three Volumes. (8vo.) Philadelphia: published by M. Carey, 1817.'

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The first of these books is dedicated to the Honorable James Munroe, secretary of state of the United States;' and the third edition was published a very short time before the writer's patron attained the honors of the president's chair. This work, therefore, may be regarded as a demi-official performance; and, in some cases, especially where the American official official letters have not been obtained, or prove deficient in particulars, Mr. Thomson's very minute details may be profitably employed.

The History of the War,' till the third, if not the fourth edition, was an anonymous work. At last, the people of the United States gave so loud and unequivocal proofs of the value of the writer's zealous, if not 'impartial' labors, that Mr. O'Connor must have possessed a very blameable degree of

modesty, indeed, not to have avowed himself the author. How far, in so doing, he has consulted his reputation, will appear in the sequel.

The History of the United States' bears,

upon the face of the title-page, the stamp of

respectability.

• An M.D.' a D.D. and

An

M.D.' a

LLD. and other literary gentlemen' as the authors, without • James

Munroe,'

and The navy department,' among a numerous list of subscribers, afford reasonable grounds for hoping, that, at last, a candid history has appeared from the press of the United States.

That the author may not, as often as a battle occurs, have to repeat remarks upon, what, without reference to the fair promises just noticed, may be termed, the staple commodity of American historians, a few words on the subject will not be out of place here.

Our old enemy in Europe has at all times been ready to do justice to the valor of our

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