the whole by a requisition upon governor Tompkins for additional militia. The enemy's fleet have left the Chesapeake, I believe for Halifax, whence the land troops are to be sent into Canada: another motive for quick movements. My last letters by Chauncey of the 18th or 19th, gave you all we yet know. Prevost has left Kingston, it is said for Quebeck; more probably for Montreal. "Yours faithfully and forever, "JOHN ARMSTRONG.” Extract of a letter from major general Harrison to the Secretary of War, dated "HEAD QUARTERS, BASS ISLAND, September 22d, 1813. "The greater part of the troops are here with me, and the whole will, I believe, be up by twelve o'clock. I shall proceed as far as the Middle Sister in the course of the night and to-morrow, and in the following night get so near the enemy's coast as to land two or three miles below Malden by eight o'clock in the morning. These prospects may, however, be retarded by adverse winds. Commodore Perry gives me every assistance in his pow er." HEAD QUARTERS, AMHERSTBURG, SIR, The Scoretary of War! I have the honour to be, &c. WILLIAM H. HARRISON, SIR, U. S. SCHOONER ARIEL, I have the honour to acquaint you that about 1200 troops were yesterday transported to a small island, distant about four leagues from Malden, notwithstanding it blew hard, with frequent squalls. This day, although the weather is not settled, the squadron will again take over as many more. We only wait for favourable weather to make a final move. I need not assure you, sir, that every possible exertion will be made by the officers and men under my command to assist the advance of the army; and it affords me great pleasure to have it in my power to say, that the utmost harmony prevails between the army and navy. I have the honour to be, &c. Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. O. H. PERRY, SIR, NASHVILLE, September 24th, 1813. You will forthwith call out, to rendezvous in the shortest practicable time, at Fayetteville, Lincoln county, 2000 of the militia and volunteers of your division, and march them to repel an approaching invasion and attack, to be made by the Creek indians on the frontier of Madison_county, M. T, and the frontier of this state; which information I have this moment received, by express, from captain M'Clellan, of the United States' army, commanding officer at fort Hampton, communicated under cover of a letter received from captain Brahan, of Huntsville. The United States' contractor will, by your order, furnish provisions, and W, B. Lewis, esquire, assistant deputy quarter master, will furnish ammunition and other necessary supplies in his department. You will require the muster master, or inspector, colonel R. Hayes, to muster the troops into service. Delay is inadmissible. You will observe my order of the 14th August last. Your obedient servant, WILLIE BLOUNT. Major general Andrew Jackson, 3d division Tennessee militia. SIR, U. S. SHIP GENERAL PIKE, NIAGARA RIVER, September 25th, 1813. After I had the honour of addressing you on the 15th, I continued to blockade the enemy until the 17th, when the wind blowing heavy from the westward, the enemy having run into Kingston, and knowing that he could not move from that place before a change of wind, I took the opportunity of running into Sackett's Harbour. I remained but a few hours at the Harbour and left it at daylight on the morning of the 18th, but did not arrive here until yesterday, owing to continual head winds, not having laid our course during the passage. On the 19th I saw the enemy's fleet near the False Ducks, but took no notice of him, as I wished him to follow me up the lake. There is a report here, and generally believed, that captain Perry has captured the whole of the enemy's fleet on lake Erie. If this should prove true in all its details, (and God grant that it may) he has immortalized himself and not disappointed the high expectations formed of his talents and bravery. I have learnt, from a source which can be depended upon, that we did the enemy much more injury, in our encounter on the 11th, than I had expected: I find that we killed captain Mulcaster, of the Royal George, and a number of his men, and did considerable injury to that ship, as well as several other vessels. It was truly unfortunate that we could not have brought the enemy to a general action on that day, as I am confident the victory would have been as complete as that upon lake Erie. I have, however, the consolation to know, that every exertion was used to bring him to close action. If we did not succeed, it was not our fault, I have the honour to be, &c. ISAAC CHAUNCEY, Hon. William Jones, Secretary of the Navy, Washington. GENERAL ORDERS Of Debarkation, of March, and of Battle. HEAD QUARTERS, ON BOARD THE U. S. SCHOONER ARIEL, September 26th, 1813. As it is the intention of the general to land the army on the enemy's coast, the following will be the order of debarkation, of march, and of battle: The right wing of the army will be composed of the Kentucky volunteers, under the command of his excellency governor Shelby, acting as major general. The left wing, of the light corps of lieutenant colonel Ball, and the brigades of generals M'Arthur and Cass. The arrangement is made with a view to the localities of the ground, upon which the troops are to act, and the composition of the enemy's force, and is calculated, in marching up the lake or straight, to place our regular troops in the open ground on the lake, where they will probably be opposed by the British regulars, and the Kentucky volunteers in the woods, which it is pre sumed will be occupied by the enemy's militia and Indians. When the signal is given for putting to the shore, the corps of lieutenant colonel Ball will precede the left wing: the regiment of volunteer riflemen the right wing: these corps will land with the utmost celerity, consistent with the preservation of good order, and as soon as landed, will seize the most favourable position for annoying the enemy and covering the disembarkation of the troops of the line. General Cass's brigade will follow colonel Ball's corps, and general Calmes the volunteer riflemen. The regiments will land and form in succession upon those which precede them. The right wing, with its left in front, displaying to the right; and the left wing with its right in front, displaying to the left. The brigades of generals King, Allen, and Caldwell, will form successively to the right of general Calmes. General M'Arthur and Childs's brigades will form the reserve. The ge neral will command in person, the right brigades of generals Cass and Calmes, assisted by major general Henry. His excellency governor Shelby will have the immediate command of three brigades on the right, assisted by major general Desha. as the troops are disembarked, the boats are to be immediately sent back to the fleet. It will be observed that the order of landing, here prescribed, is somewhat that of direct eschelons deployed into line upon the advanced corps of the right and left wing. It is the intention of the general, however, that all the troops which are provided with boats, should land in as quick succession as possible; and the general officers command towards the extremities of the line, are authorized to deviate from the arrangement to counteract any movement of the enemy, by landing any part of their commands, previously to the formation of the corps, which is herein directed to precede them. The corps of lieutenant colonel Ball, and the volunteer rifle regiment, will maintain the position they occupy on landing, until the troops of the line are formed to support them; they will then retire through the intervals of the line, or to the flanks, and form in the rear of the line. A detachment of artillery, with a six, four, and three pounder and howitzer, will land with the advanced light corps; the rest of the artillery will be held in reserve, and landed at such point as major Wood may direct. The point of landing for the reserve, under brigadier general M'Arthur, cannot now be designated; it will be made to support any point of the line which may require aid, or be formed on the flanks, as circumstances may render necessary. The arrangement for landing the troops, will be made entirely under the direction of an officer of the navy, whom commodore Perry has been so obliging as to offer for that purpose. The debarkation of the troops will be covered by the cannon of the vessels. The troops being landed, and the enemy driven off, or not opposing the landing, the army will change its front to the left, and form in order of battle in the following manner. The two brigades of regular troops, and two of the volunteers, to be formed in two lines at right angles to the shore of the lake. Generals M'Arthur's brigade and Calmes to form the front line, and Cass's and Childs's the second line; the regular troops still on the left; that flank of both lines, resting on the shore, the distance between the two lines will be 300 yards. The remaining three brigades of volunteers will be drawn up in a single line of two ranks, at right angles to the line of march, its head upon the right of the front line, forming a crotchet (en potence) with that line, and extending beyond the second line. The corps of lieutenant colonel Ball will form the advance of the left wing, at the distance of 300 yards, the regiment of rifle volunteers, the advance of the right wing, at the same distance. Some light pieces of artillery will be placed in the road leading up the lake, and at such other points as major Wood may direct. When the order is given for marching, the first and second lines will advance by files from the heads of companies: in other words, these two lines will form two columns, marching by their flanks by companies at entire distances. The three brigades on the right flank will be faced to the left and marched forward-the head of this column still forming en potence with the front line. It is probable that the two brigades of the front line will extend from the lake, some distance into the woods, on the right flank, and it is desirable it should be so: but should it be otherwise, and the crotchet or angle be at any time on the open ground, his excellency governor Shelby will immediately prolong the front line to the right, by adding to it as many companies of the leading brigade of the flank column as will bring the angle, and consequently the flank column itself, completely within the woods. It is to be presumed that the enemy will make their attack upon the army on its march, that their regular troops will form their right upon the lake, their militia occupy the ground between the regulars and the woods, and the Indians the woods. The formation herein prescribed is intended to resist an arrangement of this kind. Should the general's conjecture on that subject prove correct, as it must be evident that the right of the enemy cannot be turned, and on that wing his best troops must be placed, it will be proper to refuse him our left, and direct our principal effort to uncover the flank of his regulars by driving off his militia. In the event supposed, therefore, it will be proper to bring up a part or the whole of general Cass's brigade, to assist the charge made by general Calmes, or that the former should change positions with the brigade of volunteers in the second line. Should the general think it safe to order the whole of Cass's brigade to the right, without replacing it with another," general Cass will march to the right, formed in oblique eschelons of companies. It will be the business of general M'Arthur, in the event of his wing being refused to watch the motions of the ene |