- 1814.

BOOK XIII: the left and centre. After repeated attacks, the troops on the left were partially forced back, and CHAP. VIII. the enemy gained a momentary possession of the road. This gave him, however, no material advantage, as the troops which had been forced back formed in rear of the 89th regiment, fronting the road, and securing the flank. During this short interval, Major-general Riall having received a severe wound, was intercepted as he was passing to the rear, by a party of the enemy's cavalry, and made prisoner. In the centre, the repeated and determined attacks of the enemy were met by the 89th regiment, the detachments of the royals and king's, and the light-company 41st regiment, with the most perfect steadiness and intrepid gallantry, and the enemy was constantly repulsed with very heavy loss. "In so determined a manner," says General Drummond, "were these attacks directed against our guns, that our artillerymen were bayoneted by the enemy in the act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were advanced within a few yards of our's. The darkness of the night, during this extraordinary conflict, occasioned several uncommon incidents: our troops having for a moment been pushed back, some of our guns remained for a few minutes in the enemy's hands; they were, however, not only quickly recovered, but the two pieces, a six-pounder, and a five-and-half-inch howitzer, which the enemy brought up, were captured by us, together with several tumbrils; and in limbering up our guns at one period, one of the enemy's six-pounders was put, by mistake, upon a limber of our's, and one of our six-pounders limbered on one of his; by which means the pieces were exchanged; and thus, though we captured two of his guns, yet, as he obtained one of our's, we have gained only one gun."

About nine o'clock (the action having commenced at six) there was a short intermission of firing, during which the enemy was employed in bringing up the whole of his remaining force, and he shortly afterwards renewed his attack with fresh troops, but was every where repulsed with equal gallantry and success. About this period the remainder of Major-general Riall's division, which had been ordered to retire on the advance of the enemy, consisting of the 103d regiment, under Colonel Scot; the head-quarter division of the Royal Scots; the head-quarter division of the 8th or king's; flank-companies 104th; some detachments of militia, under Lieutenant-colonel Hamilton, inspecting field-officer, joined the troops engaged; and General Drummond placed them in a second line, with the exception of the Royal Scots and flank-companies 104th, with which he prolonged his front line on the right, where he was apprehensive of the enemy's out-flanking him. The enemy's

efforts to carry the hill were continued until about midnight, when he had suffered so severely from the superior steadiness and discipline of the British troops, that he gave up the contest, and retreated with great precipitation to his camp beyond the Chippawa. On the following day he abandoned his camp, threw the greatest part of his baggage, camp-equipage, and provisions into the Rapids; and having set fire to Streets Mills, and destroyed the bridge at Chippawa, continued his retreat in great disorder towards Fort Erie. The light-troops, cavalry, and Indians, were immediately detached in pursuit.

General Drummond estimated the loss of the Americans at no less than 1,500, including several hundred prisoners; their whole force, rated at 5,000, having been engaged. The British force, during the first three hours of the action, did not exceed 1,600 men, and the additional troops, under Colonel Scott, did not augment it beyond 2,800 of all descriptions. Of these, the loss amounted in killed, wounded, and missing, to 878. In this manner was defeated another attempt of the Americans to penetrate into Canada, respecting which it cannot escape observation, that although British valour and discipline were finally triumphant, the improvement of the American troops in these qualities was eminently conspicuous. That this defeat, and the arrival of succours from Europe, were timely events, may inferred from the trial of a number of inhabitants of Upper Canada for high-treason, in the month of May, of whom fifteen were convicted; out of which number, eight were executed at Burlington, in the district of Niagara, on the 12th of July.

be

An expedition was sent in the beginning of July, from Halifax, to Passamaquoddy-bay, near the mouth of the bay of Fundy. On the 5th, a party, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Pilkington, arriving at the place of rendezvous on the 7th, found there Captain Sir Thomas Hardy in the Ramilies, with transports, having on-board the 102d regiment. on-board the 102d regiment. They immediately proceeded, and, on the 11th, anchored off the town of Eastport, on Moore-island, in Passamaquoddy-bay, when a summons was sent to the American officer commanding at Fort Sullivan, requiring his surrender of the island. On his refusal, preparations were made for an attack, the effect of which was an immediate capitulation, whereby the garrison became prisoners of war, and the island, with all the ordnance, stores, &c. came into the possession of the victors. The island was stated to contain about 1,500 inhabitants, and to be highly cultivated. Two other islands were likewise occupied by the expedition, so that the whole bay was subjected to the British flag, and the inhabitants were required to take an oath of allegiance to King George, or quit the spot with their property.

We had to record, at the conclusion of the campaign in 1813, the threats of a system of reciprocal retaliation, which would have fixed a character of sanguinary ferocity on the war disgraceful to any people above the rank of savages. The determined conduct of the British government, with the untenable ground upon which retaliation was first declared by that of the United States, doubtless produced that accommodation which was made public in a general order at Montreal, on the 18th of July. Its substance was, that, on the invitation of the American government, Colonel Baynes and Lieutenant-colonel Brenton having been deputed to meet Colonel Lear, at Champlain, for the purpose of re-considering the convention for the exchange of pri

soners entered into in April last, between Colonel BOOK XIII., Baynes and Brigadier-general Winder, all objections to that convention were removed, and it was CHAP. VIII. ratified, with a supplementary clause, by which 1814. the twenty-three British soldiers, and the fortysix American officers and non-commissioned officers, detained as hostages, were included in the convention, to be released and exchanged in the same manner as other prisoners of war mentioned in the articles of convention, notwithstanding the exception therein contained.

At this period, the British force in Canada was augmented by the arrival of the troops which had embarked at Bourdeaux, on the conclusion of the war with France.

THE operation of the British armaments on the eoast of the southern American states had hitherto been on a small scale, and calculated rather to alarm and irritate; but as soon as the troops arrived from Bourdeaux, the resolution was taken of striking some important blow in these quarters. A large naval force was employed, under the chief command of Vice-admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, having on-board a powerful land-force, commanded by Major-general Robert Ross. In the beginning of August, Admiral Cochrane was waiting in the Chesapeak for the arrival of Rearadmiral Malcolm, with an expedition from Bermuda. Being joined by him on the 17th, the admiral was informed by Rear-admiral Cockburn, whom he found in the Potowmac, that the American commodore Barney, with the Baltimore flotilla, had taken shelter at the head of the Patuxent. This circumstance afforded a pretext for ascending that river to attack him, while the ultimate destination of the combined land and naval force was the American capital, Washington. To this city the best approaches are by port Tobacco, on the Potowmac, and Benedict, on the Patuxent, from both of which are good roads to Washington, and the distances are nearly equal. It being determined to enter the Patuxent, the admiral sent a force to bombard Fort Washington,

situated ten or twelve miles below the city; and a man-of-war, with some small vessels, were sent up the Chesapeak above Baltimore, by way of diversion. The army being landed, on August 19th and 20th, at Benedict, General Ross marched to Nottingham on the 21st, and to Upper Marlborough on the 22d; Admiral Cockburn, in the meantime, with the barges, armed launches, and other boats of the fleet, having the marines on-board, proceeding up the Patuxent, on the flank of the army. When they approached the station of Commodore Barney with his flotilla, that officer did not wait an attack, but set fire to his vessels, all of which, to the number of seventeen, were blown to pieces, except one, which was captured. The expedition was now within sixteen miles of Washington; and the force of the Americans being ascertained to be only such as would authorize an attempt to carry the capital, General Ross determined on making it. He put his troops in motion on the evening of the 23d, and on the 24th reached Bladensburg, on the eastern bank of the Potowmac, about five miles. from Washington.

The enemy was now discovered on the opposite side of the river, strongly posted on two commanding heights, formed in two lines, his advance occupying a fortified house, which, with

CHAP. IX. 1814.

BOOK XIII. artillery, covered the bridge over which the British troops were to pass. They were in number 8 or 9,000 men, with 3 or 400 cavalry, commanded by General Winder, and composed of troops drawn from Baltimore and Pennsylvania. The disposition for an attack being made, the British light brigade soon carried the fortified house, the enemy retiring to a higher ground. The assailants rushed on, and with an irresistible charge drove the first line upon the second, which also got into disorder, and fled with rapidity, leaving the British in full possession of the field. Of the American artillery, ten pieces fell into the victor's hands, its commander, Commodore Barney, being wounded and taken prisoner. The British loss in this action did not exceed 250 in killed and wounded.

General Ross, after a short halt, marched to Washington, which he reached at eight o'clock in the evening, and he immediately began the destruction of the public buildings. Those committed to the flames were the capitol, including the senate-house, and house of representation, the arsenal, the dock-yard, treasury, war-office, president's palace, rope-walk, and the great bridge across the Potowmac: in the dock-yard were consumed a frigate nearly ready to be launched, and a sloop-of-war. The object of the expedition being effected, it was determined to withdraw the troops, before any greater force of the enemy could be assembled, and a retreat was accordingly commenced on the night of the 25th. The army reached Benedict on the 29th, and reembarked on the following day; and nothing could be more complete than the success of this daring enterprise, the credit of suggesting which was given by the general to Admiral Cockburn. In order to give our readers some idea of the city of Washington before its capture by the British army, we shall here give a brief description of it. It stands in the territory of Columbia, and is situated at the junction of the rivers Potowmac and the Eastern Branch, extending about four miles each; a spot scarcely to be exceeded, in point of salubrity and beauty, by any in the world. The plan of the city combines every thing grand and beautiful: for although the land in general appears level, yet by gentle and gradual swellings, a variety of elegant prospects is produced, and a sufficient descent formed for carrying off the rain. The city is divided into squares, or grand divisions, by streets running due north and south, and east and west. But from the capitol, the president's house, and some of the important areas of the city run in diagonal streets, from one principal point to another, which not only produce a variety of fine prospects, but obviate the insipid sameness which renders great cities in general unpleasing. The grand leading streets are all 160 feet wide, including a pave

ment of ten feet, and a gravel walk of thirty feet, planted with trees on each side, which leave eighty feet of paved street for carriages. The rest of the streets are in general 110 feet wide; a few only being ninety feet. The squares or di visions of the city amount to 1150. The rectangular squares generally contain from three to five acres, and are divided into portions of from forty to eighty feet in front, their depth being from about 110 to 300 feet, according to the size of the square. There is not a single house in the city but what is built either of brick or stone; so that its appearance is the most beautiful that can be conceived. The area for the capitol, or senate. house, is on the most elevated eminence of the city, about a mile from the Eastern Branch, and not much more from the Potowmac, commanding a full view of the city, as well as the surrounding country. In a direction due-west from the capitol, aud due-south from the president's house, run two great pleasure parks, or malls, which intersect and terminate on the banks of the Potowmac, and are ornamented at the sides by a variety of elegant mansions. Fifteen of the best of the open areas, where the principal streets cross each other, are named after the different states composing the union, and when finished, were to have statues or columns to the memory of their favorite or most eminent men. One of them has been already selected for a statue of James Madison. The equestrian statue of Washington was erected not long since in another. eastern branch of the Potowmac is one of the safest and most commodious harbours in America, being sufficiently deep for the largest ships about four miles above its junction with the Potowmac; while the channel lies close along the edge of the city, and is abundantly capacious. The city being situated on the great post road, exactly equi-distant from the northern and southern extremities of the union, and nearly so from the Atlantic to the Ohio, was deemed the most eligible situation for the Congress; and the rapidity with which it has been built, is owing to the excellent and inexhaustible quarries of free-stone a few miles below it, on the banks of the Potowmac. Extensive coal-mines have been ascertained to exist in its neighbourhood.

The

British character, not only in America, but on the continent of Europe. It was acknowledged, that strict discipline was observed while the troops were in possession of Washington, and private property was anxiously protected. But the destruction not only of every establishment connected with war, but of edifices consecrated to the purposes of civil government, and afford ing specimens of the advance of the fine arts among a rising people, was thought an indulgence of animosity more suitable to the times of barbarism, than to an age and nation in which hostility is softened by sentiments of generosity and civi lized policy.

If there be such a thing as humanized war, its principle must consist in inflicting no other evils upon an enemy than are necessary to promote the success of warlike operations. This indeed may be construed so as to admit of a wide scope of mischief, and it will sometimes scarcely be possible to draw the line between allowable and illicit injury. But there are cases in which no ambiguity exists, and those of the destruction of useful or ornamental works, the purpose of which is altogether pacific, seem to be of this kind. History presents many instances of the hostile conflagration of palaces, which have seldom failed to be reprobated as acts of unmanly vengeance. Retaliation, indeed, has usually been the pretext of hostilities exceeding the prescribed measure; and, in the present case, the excesses committed by the Americans in their invasion of Canada were made the apology for the devastations at Washington. But by referring to a former part of this work, in Book XI. Chapter XI. it will be found, that due retribution had already beep inflicted for those enormities, with the promise that the punishment should not be carried farther without fresh provocation.

The intelligence of the destruction of Washing ton was received in England with great exultation; but in France it created a very different sensation; and the proceedings of the British at Washington were represented as barbarous in the extreme. "We daily receive new details," said one of the French papers, " as to the horrible eatastrophe which has annihilated one of the finest cities in the world. People ask, how a nation, eminently civilized, has conducted itself at Washington with a barbarity equal to that of the bands of Attila and Genseric. They ask whether this act of atrocious vengeance be not a crime against the whole human race. Robespierre, indeed, seconded by his execrable accomplices, caused the towns of La Vendee to be burned-ordered the massacres of Toulon and Bedoindemolished the city of Lyons-but still it was Robespierre, and his name is devoted to eternal execration. The revolutionary Vandals who de

1814.

in destroying or mutilating the monuments of BOOK XIII. the arts, but they were men sprung from the very dregs of society, miserable sans-culottes, agitated CHAP. IX. by all the furies of the revolution. But when from the midst of one of the most enlightened nations a chief has issued, who, without fanaticism, without any extraordinary motives for vengeance, without any of those violent passions which disturb the understanding, has imitated the fury of the most savage hordes; has carried fire and flame into the heart of a city whose wealth and beauty were one of the most valuable monuments of the progress of the arts, and of human industry; has made war, not upon his enemies, but on the columns of temples, of public edifices, and palaces ; has laid waste for the mere pleasure of devastation-we behold in this a proceeding which must excite deep feelings of grief and indignation. For twenty years Europe groaned under the horrors engendered by the frightful genius of revolutions. England justly thundered against these excesses; and now when sentiments of humanity spring up again in all hearts, she renews in America these scenes of carnage and desolation! However, if she thought by such sanguinary execution to strike terror into the heart of her enemies, she is deceived in her cruel calculations. Injustice and barbarity revolt still more than they frighten. They communicate an unknown energy to the soul; they rouse even the most pacific, and produce those bold and desperate resolves which secure the safety and independence of nations."

It has been mentioned, that a part of the operations against Washington consisted in dispatching a force against Fort Washington, situated upon the Potowmac below that city. Captain Gordon, of the Sea-horse, the commander of this expedi tion, proceeded with several other vessels up the Potowmac on the 17th of August, but for want of pilots was not able, after severe labour, to reach the fort till the 27th.

The bomb-ships were placed on the evening of the 27th, and immediately began the bombardment of the fort, it being Captain Gordon's intention to attack it with the frigates at day-light the following morning. On the bursting of the first shell, the garrison were observed to retreat; but supposing some concealed design, the fire was continued. At eight o'clock, however, this doubt was removed by the explosion of the powder-magazine, which destroyed the inner buildings, and at day-light on the 28th the British took possession. Besides the principal fort, which contained two fifty-two-pounders, two thirty-two-pounders, and eight twenty-four-pounders, there was a battery on the beach of five eighteen-pounders, a martello tower, with two twelve-pounders, and loop-holes for musketry, and a battery in the rear of two twelve and six six-pound field-pieces. The

CHAP. IX.

1814.

BOOK XIII. enemy, and their complete destruction, with their carriages also, was effected by the seamen and marines sent on that service, in less than two hours. The populous and commercial city of Alexandria thus lost its only defence; and, having buoyed the channel, Captain Gordon deemed it better to postpone giving any answer to a proposal made to him for its capitulation until the following morning, when he was enabled to place the shipping in such a position as would ensure assent to the terms he had decided to enforce. In the mean time, the common-council of Alexandria having assembled, unanimously concurred in a resolution, stating, that the forts for the defence of the district having been blown up by their own men, and abandoned without resistance, and the town being left with out troops or means of resistance to the hostile force now in sight, they have with reluctance been compelled to authorize an arrangement with the enemy, by which it has been stipulated, that during their continuance before the town they are not to be molested. The conditions proposed by Captain Gordon, and acceded to by the corporation of Alexandria, imported that the town, with the exception of public works, should not be destroyed, nor the inhabitants in any manner molested, on compliance with the following articles:that all naval and ordnance stores, public and private, be given up; that possession is immediately to be taken of all the shipping, the furniture of which must be sent on-board by their owners; that the sunk vessels are to be delivered in the same state they were on the 19th; that merchandize of every description must be instantly delivered up, including all such as has been removed from the town since the 19th, and that refreshments are to be supplied to the British squadron at the market-price.

This capitulation was signed on the 29th, and the whole of the captured vessels which were seaworthy, being twenty-one in number, were fitted and loaded by the 31st. Captain Gordon being now informed that great preparations were making by the Americans to oppose his return, determined to quit Alexandria, without waiting to destroy the remaining stores which he had not the means of bringing away. Contrary winds impeded the progress of the squadron down the river, and the grounding of one of the ships (the Devastation) afforded the enemy an opportunity of attempting its destruction, and raising batteries to command the channel. In order to destroy the vessel that had grounded, the enemy sent three fire-vessels, attended by five row-boats; but their object was defeated by the promptitude and gallantry of Captain Alexander, who, having collect ed some boats, chased those of the enemy up to the town of Alexandria. Captain Gordon had, however, a number of difficulties to encounter in proceeding down the river, the enemy having col

The

lected a large military force, and a number of fire-vessels. For the details we cannot do better than give them in Captain Gordon's own words, in his dispatch to Admiral Cochrane, from which we shall make the following extract: Meteor and the Fairy, assisted by the Anna Maria dispatch-boat, a prize gun-boat, and a boat belonging to the Euryalus, with a howitzer, had greatly impeded the progress of the enemy in their works; notwithstanding which they were enabled to increase their battery to eleven guns, with a furnace for heating shot. On the 3d, the wind coming to the N. W. the Etna and the Erebus succeeded in getting down to their assistance, and the whole of us, with the prizes, were assembled there on the 4th, except the Devastation, which, in spite of our utmost exertions in warping her, still remained five miles higher up the river. This was the moment when the enemy made his greatest efforts to effect our destruction. The Erebus being judiciously placed by Captain Bartholomew in an admirable position for harassing the workmen employed in the trenches, was attacked by three field-pieces, which did her considerable damage before they were beaten off. And another attempt being made to destroy the Devastation with fire-vessels, I sent the boats under Captain Baker to her assistance: nothing could exceed the alacrity with which Captain Baker went on this service, to which I attribute the immediate retreat of the boats and fire-vessels. His loss, however, was considerable, owing to their having sought refuge under some guns in a narrow creek thickly wooded, from which it was impossible for him to dislodge them. On the 5th, at noon, the wind coming fair, and all my arrangements being made, the Seahorse and Euryalus anchored within short musket-shot of the batteries, while the whole of the prizes passed betwixt us and the shoal; the bombs, the Fairy, and Erebus, firing as they passed, and afterwards anchoring in a favorable position for facilitating, by means of their force, the further removal of the frigates. At three p. m. having completely silenced the enemy's fire, the Seahorse and Euryalus cut their cables, and the whole of us proceeded to the next position taken up by the troops, where they had two batteries, mounting from fourteen to eighteen guns, on a range of cliffs of about a mile extent, under which we were of necessity obliged to pass very close. I did not intend to make the attack that evening, but the Erebus grounding within range, we were necessarily called into action. On this occasion the fire of the Fairy had the most decisive effect, as well as that of the Erebus, while the bombs threw their shells with excellent precision, and the guns of the batteries were thereby completely silenced by about eight o'clock. At day-light on the 6th I made signal to weigh, and so satisfied were the whole of the parties op