Americans from Black river to Humphries's creek, on the Patapsco, were used by the enemy to protect their embarkation." These are the stories that carry off so many editions among the people of the United States.

Having done with the American accounts of the celebrated Baltimore "demonstration," we have yet to offer upon it a few remarks of our own. No Briton but must regret, that any plan of " ulterior operations" should have obtruded itself, to check the progress of the attack. With respect to naval co-operation, it is well known, that the gallant commanders of the Severn, Euryalus, Havannah, and Hebrus, frigates, volunteered to lighten their ships, and lay them close alongside Fort-M'Henry. The possession of this fort would have enabled us to silence the batteries on the opposite side of the bay; and, indeed, have placed the city completely at our mercy. The very advance of the British frigates to their stations would, probably, have led to the destruction of the Java frigate, and the Erie and Ontario sloops; and then we might have retired, "holding in view the ulterior operations of the troops," with something more to boast of than, not merely an empty, but, considering what we lost by it, a highly disastrous "demonstration.' The troops on shore might, and, no doubt, would, have succeeded in carrying the enemy's Hist. of the War, p. 235,

intrenched camp; but they could not expect to succeed further, without a simultaneous attack by the fleet. Even the nine boats, and their 128 men, caused a considerable diversion of the enemy's forces: we may well conceive, then, what might have been effected, had no "ulterior" plan been allowed to interfere.

t

We cannot dismiss the business at Baltimore, without bestowing a few words upon an officer, whose untimely fate has been so universally deplored. His public services are thus briefly enumerated, by the mover, in the house of commons, for a monument to his memory. “General Ross, when major Ross, served in the expedition to Holland, in 1799. He was then in the 28th regiment, and signalized himself in repulsing the attacks made on the lines of sir Ralph Abercromby. Here, displaying the greatest gallantry, he received a severe wound, which deprived his country of his services for a time. In the autumn of 1800, having recovered from the effects of his wound, he accompanied his regiment to the Mediterranean, and, shortly afterwards, served in the expedition to Calabria: here, in the memorable battle of Maida, which so greatly raised the fame of the British arms, and particularly by the use made of the bayonet, major Ross made himself conspicuous; and, by wheeling on the enemy's line, contributed, perhaps, more than any other circumstance, to

4

the route of the enemy on that day. Nothing more occurred to bring him into notice, till he served in the army led by general sir John Moore, in 1807; and, under that gallant and lamented commander at the battle of Corunna, he again shone with no common lustre. In 1812, sailing from Ireland, he joined the army in the peninsula, and, under the command of lord Wellington, so distinguished himself in the battle of Vittoria, that his lordship gave him the command of a separate brigade. Now that a more extended field of service lay before him, in the first great battle of the Pyrennees, where the firmness of the English was most conspicuously displayed, where the French fought with the most determined obstinacy, his valor contributed so much to the glory of that day, that lord Wellington, in his despatch, stated his brigade to have distinguished themselves beyond all former precedent; they made four separate charges with the bayonet, and general Ross had three horses killed under him.' At the passage of the Nieve, and the battle of Orthes, he displayed the same undaunted bravery." Another member, who had been intimate with him, said: -"He possessed the happy skill of conciliating by his disposition, and instructing by his example: he possessed, indeed, all those private and distinguished qualifications, by which alone a commander.could acquire the full confidence

of his men. His military knowledge was great, and complete: for it had been the result of practice and constant experience; while his foresight and example in the field were such as to excite the enthusiasm and reverence of those whom he led to victory." General Ross, it appears, was but 40 when he fell. Comparing the advantages we derived from the " victory" at Baltimore, with the loss of such a general, we cannot but regret, that the attack was undertaken at all; if not meant to be persevered in, till either the ostensible object was gained, or the British troops had been fairly beaten out of it.

'On the 19th of September, sir Alexander. Cochrane, with the Tonnant and Surprise, sailed for Halifax, to hasten the construction of the flat-bottomed boats, intended to be employed in the great expedition on foot; and on the same day, the Albion, rear-admiral Cockburn, sailed for Bermuda, leaving the Royal Oak, rear-admiral Malcolm, with some frigates and smaller vessels, and the ships containing the troops, at anchor in the river Patuxent. On the 27th the rear-admiral removed to the Potomac; where, on the 3d of October, the troops were placed into boats, and sent up Coan river. In their way up, two soldiers were wounded, and captain Kenah, of the Etna bomb, killed, by musketry from the shore. Against so powerful a force, when once landed, the few militia could not be

expected to stand: they fired a volley and fled; and the troops advanced, past Northumberland court-house, five miles into the interior. After taking and scuttling two or three worthless schooners; and, according to the American editors, plundering the inhabitants, the troops re embarked, and stood down the river to their ships. The latter, soon afterwards, descended the Potomac; and, on the 14th, rear-admiral Malcolm, taking with him, the Royal Oak, Asia, and Ramillies 74s, one or two frigates, and all the troop-ships and bombs, quitted the Chesapeake, for the rendezvous at Negril bay, Jamaica.

The officer now left in command at. the Chesapeake, was captain Barrie, of the Dragon 74, recently from Penobscot. He had with him the Hebrus and Havannah frigates, two armées en flute, and the Dauntless and Dotterel sloops. The land-troops, if worthy the name, at his disposal, consisted of about 200 colonial marines, or refugee-slaves, in barracks, upon the small island of Tangier, lying off the mouth of the Potomac; and which had, since early in the summer, been taken possession of by sir George Cockburn, as a depôt for receiving and organizing the refugees. The unhealthiness of Tangier, and the badness of its harbor, induced captain Barrie to seize Tilghman's island, a much more eligible spot, and distant, only 60