"Our loss is great: sixty-five, including officers and men, were killed belonging to the first regiment of Mississippi territory volunteers, and twenty-seven volunteer militia, officers included. Many respectable citizens, with numerous families, who had abandoned their farms for security, were also killed or burnt in the houses into which they had fled. The loss of the enemy must have been from 150 to 200 killed and wounded. Their force is supposed to have been from 5 to 700. At the mills of Messrs. J. and W. Pierce, about a mile from the post, is a small guard, commanded by lieutenant Montgomery, which were stationed previous to, and at the time of, the attack; but it is believed he abandoned his position in time to save his command. He has not yet been heard of, but I hope made good his retreat to Mobile. "Lieutenant colonel Ross, whilst at Mobile, hearing of the fate, or probable fate, of our troops on Tensaw, ordered captain Blue, of the 7th United States' regiment, with 100 men, to this place, and he arrived about day-break this morning, and will here wait your orders. We are busily engaged in fitting this cantonment for defence, and will be prepared to give a good account of the enemy, should an opportunity offer. They will, however, not attack us until they unite all their forces; but when they do, you may rely on their being warmly received. It is my belief that they cannot bring a force against us which we will not be able to defeat; but we can do no more than defend ourselves in this place. "I have not heard from colonel Carson. He has a good stockade, and a garrison of about 150 volunteers, and within 200 yards is a station, in which are many families, and about 50 fighting men. Should the Indians attack the colonel, he will certainly defeat them. Dent and Scott's companies are ordered from Easley's to St. Stephens, where are also the broken companies of Morrison and Foelckill. In the Chocktaw factory at St. Stephens, there is much public property. At this place we have the papers belonging to the land-office; the citizens having left them and fled to the different forts, and the enemy will enrich themselves with plunder. I have not a force which will enable me to guard this extensive frontier, and the country must rest upon governor Holmes, in part, for aid. I know that your situation will not admit of your drawing much, if any force, from Mobile and Mobile point, and that you have no disposable troops on the Mississippi. Manac, a half breed, who can be relied on, was at Pensacola about ten days ago. He says, that while he was there, three vessels with Spanish troops arrived. Judge Toulmin and a great many families have left this part of the country, and gone to Mobile. I fear many negroes will run off to the enemy; indeed they are already in possession of about 100 of them, and a large quantity of stock and other property. "Six o'clock, P. M. An express this moment arrived from general Flournoy, with orders for the 3d United States' regiment to march immediately. "The volunteer cavalry are also under similar orders." SIR, UNITED STATES' SLOOP PRESIDENT, Near Plattsburg, September 9th, 1813. I have the honour to inform you that I arrived here yesterday from near the lines, having sailed from Burlington on the 6th, with an intention to fall in with the enemy who were then near this place; having proceeded to within a short distance of the lines, I received information that they were at anchor there. Soon after, they weighed and stood to the northward out of the lake; thus if not acknowledging our ascendancy on the lake, evincing an unwillingness (although they had the advantage of situation, owing to the narrowness of the channel in which their galleys could work, when we should want room) to determine it. I have the honour to be, &c. THOMAS MACDONOUGH. Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. SIR, U.S. BRIG NIAGARA, OFF THE WESTERN SISTERS, It has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on this lake. The British squadron, consisting of two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop, have this moment surrendered to the force under my command, after a sharp conflict. I have the honour to be, &c. Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. SIR. U. S. SCHOONER ARIEL, PUT-IN-BAY, In my last I informed you that we had captured the enemy's fleet on this lake. I have now the honour to give you the most important particulars of the action. On the morning of the 10th instant, at sun-rise, they were discovered from Put-in-Bay, when I lay at anchor with the squadron under my command. We got under weigh, the wind light at south-west, and stood for them. At 10 A. M. the wind hauled to south-east and brought us to windward; formed the line and bore up. At 15 minutes before 12, the enemy commenced firing; at five minutes before 12, the action commenced on our part. Finding their fire very destructive wing to their long guns, and its being mostly directed at the Lawrence, I made sail, and directed the other vessels to follow, for the purpose of closing with the enemy. Every brace and bowline being soon shot away, she became unmanageable, notwithstanding the great exertions of the sailing master. In this situation, she sustained the action upwards of two hours within canister distance, until every gun was rendered useless, and the greater part of her crew either killed or wounded. Finding she could no longer annoy the enemy, I left her in charge of lieutenant Yarnall, who, I was convinced, from the bravery already displayed by him, would do what would comport with the honour of the flag. At half past two, the wind springing up, captain Elliot was enabled to bring his vessel, the Niagara, gallantly into close action. I immediately went on board of her, when he anticipated my wish by volunteering to bring the schooner which had been kept astern by the lightness of the wind, into close action. It was with unspeakable pain that I saw, soon after I got on board the Niagara, the flag of the Lawrence come down, although I was perfectly sensible that she had been defended to the last, and that to have continued to make a show of resistance would have been a wanton sacrifice of the remains of her brave crew. But the enemy was not able to take possession of her, and circumstances soon permitted her flag again to be hoisted. At 45 minutes past 2, the signal was made for "close action." The Niagara being very little injured, I determined to pass through the enemy's line, bore up and passed ahead of their two ships and a brig, giving a raking fire to them from the starboard guns, and to a large schooner and sloop, from the larboard side, at half pistol shot distance. The smaller vessels at this time having got within grape and canister distance, under the direction of captain Elliot, and keeping up a well directed fire, the two ships, a brig, and a schooner surrendered, a schooner and sloop making a vain attempt to escape. Those officers and men who were immediately under my observation, evinced the greatest gallantry, and I have no doubt that all others conducted themselves as became American officers and seamen. Lieutenant Yarnall, first of the Lawrence, although several times wounded, refused to quit the deck. Midshipman Forrest (doing duty as lieutenant) and sailing master Taylor, were of great assistance to me. I have great pain in stating to you, the death of lieutenant Brook of the marines, and midshipman Laub, both of the Lawrence, and midshipman John Clarke of the Scorpion: they were valuable and promising officers. Mr. Hambleton, purser, who volunteered his services on deck, was severely wounded late in the action. Midshipmen Claxton and Swartout of the Lawrence, were severely wounded. On board the Niagara, lieutenants Smith and Edwards, and midshipman Webster (doing duty as sailing master) behaved in a very handsome manner. Captain Brevoort of the army, who acted as a volunteer in the capacity of a marine officer, on board that vessel, is an excellent and brave officer, and with his musketry, did great execution. Lieutenant Turner, commanding the Caledonia, brought that vessel into action in the most able manner, and is an officer that in all situations, may be relied on. The Ariel, lieute nant Parker, and Scorpión, sailing master Champlin, were enabled to get early into action, and were of great service. Captain Elliot speaks in the highest terms of Mr. Magrath, purser, who had been despatched in a boat on service, previous to my getting on board the Niagara; and, being a seaman, since the action has rendered essential service in taking charge of one of the prizes. Of captain Elliot, already so well known to the government, it would be almost superfluous to speak; in this action, he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgment; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance. I have the honour to enclose you a return of the killed and wounded, together with a statement of the relative force of the squadrons. The captain and first lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte, and first lieutenant of the Detroit, were killed. Captain Barclay, senior officer, and the commander of the Lady Prevost, severely wounded. Their loss in killed and wounded, I have not yet been able to ascertain; it must, however, have been very great. Very respectfully, &c. Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. O. H. PERRY. Note The Detroit is a new ship, very strongly built, and mounts long twenty-fours, eighteens, and twelves. Statement of the force of the United States' squadron. The exact number of the enemy's force, has not been ascertained, but I have good reason to believe that it exceeded ours, by nearly 100 men. List of killed and wounded on board the United States' squadron, under command of O. H. Perry, esq. in the action of the 10th of September, 1813. [Two days previous to the action, 57 men unfit for duty in the small vessels.] On board the Lawrence,-Killed 22,-Wounded 61-Total 88 S. HAMBLETON, Purser. O. H. PERRY, Captain and Senior officer. SIR, UNITED STATES' SHIP GENERAL PIKE, On the 7th, at day-light, the enemy's fleet was discovered close in with Niagara river, wind from the southward;-made the signal, weighed with the fleet (prepared for action) and stood out of the river after him; he immediately made all sail to the northward. We made sail in chase, with our heavy schooners in tow, and have continued the chase all around the lake, night and day, until yesterday morning, when he succeeded in getting into Amherst bay, which is so little known to our pilots, and said to be full of shoals, that they are not willing to take me in there. I shall, however, (unless driven from my station by a gale of wind) endeavour to watch him so close, as to prevent his getting out upon the lake. During our long chase we frequently got within from one to two miles of the enemy, but our heavy sailing schooners prevented our closing with him, until the 11th, off Genesee river; we carried a breeze with us while he lay becalmed, to within about three fourths of a mile of him, when he took the breeze, and we had a running fight of three and a half hours, but by his superior sailing, he escaped me and run into Amherst bay yesterday morning. In the course of our chase, on the 11th, I got several broadsides from this ship upon the enemy, which must have done him considerable injury, as many of the shot were seen to strike him, and people |