brigade, under major Randal, and several companies of the Pennsylvania volunteers; amounting to 3185 effective men."* This is exclusive of " 1000 men stationed at the forts and batteries;" and "along the breast-works, about four times that number;"* or, upwards of 8000 men, in the whole. The prisoners estimated their own force drawn up, under general Stricker, at 6000 men; † and Mr. Thomson, by his extracts from the British official accounts, has evidently seen, although he has not contradicted, these statements. We may, therefore, safely estimate the American force, now close in front of a British force of 3270 infantry, with two light. field-pieces and a howitzer, at 4500 infantry and cavalry, with six pieces of artillery; backed as they were, in case of a retreat, by at least 8000 troops, and those hourly augmenting; and by heavy batteries in all directions.

The details of the short battle that ensued are fully given in colonel Brooke's and rear. admiral Cockburn's letters. A few extracts from Mr. Thomson's, will tend to corroborate the British account. The 51st," says he," which was ordered to open upon the enemy in his attempt to turn the rest of the line, delivered a loose fire, immediately broke, fled precipitately from its ground, and in such confusion, that *Sketches of the War, p. 340.

+ App. Nos. 71. 73, 74. and 75.

every effort to rally it proved ineffectual. The 2d battalion of the 39th, was thrown into disorder, by the flight of the 51st, and some of its companies also gave way. The remainder and the 1st battalion stood firm. Thus abandoned by the retreat of the 51st, general Stricker made new arrangements for the reception of the enemy, and opened a general fire upon him, from the right, left, and centre. The artillery sent forth a destructive torrent of canister against the British left column, then attempting to gain the cover of a small log-house, in front of the 5th regiment. Captain Sadtler, with his yagers from that regiment, who were posted in the house when the British 4th regiment was advancing, had, however, taken the precaution to set fire to it, and the intention of the enemy was, therefore, defeated. The 6th regiment then opened its fire, and the whole line entered into an animated contest, which continued, with a severe loss to the enemy, until 15 minutes before 4 o'clock. At that hour, general Stricker, having inflicted as much injury upon the invaders as could possibly be expected, from a line now about 1400 strong, against a force amounting, notwithstanding its losses, to at least 7000men, ordered his brigade to retire upon the réserve regiment; an order which was well executed by the whole line, which in a few minutes rallied upon lieutenant-colonel M'Do

nald. From the point occupied by this regiment, general Stricker, in order to refresh his troops, and prepare them for a second movement of the enemy, retired to a position half a mile in advance of the left of major-general Smith's entrenchments. Here he was joined by general Winder, who, with general Douglass's Virginia brigade, and the United States' dragoons, under captain Bird, took post upon his left."

This editor is famous for spinning out a battle; nor, is he ever staggered by improbabilities, how gross soever they may be. After stating that his gallant countrymen ran away by whole regiments, he has the impudence to contrast the remaining number, or the "line, now but 1400 strong," with "at least 7000" British. By his own account, the American troops retired four miles and a half, or, "to a position half a mile in advance,”—and, consequently, within full range,-" of the left of majorgeneral Smith's intrenchments," before they could be brought to a stand, or had any stomach to "refresh" themselves, against " a second movement of the enemy. " Not a word is there of any charge by the bayonet, which settled the business so quickly; nor of the loss of any pieces of artillery or prisoners.

The British occupied the ground of which the Americans had been dispossessed; but were too * Sketches of the War, p. 342.

much fatigued to follow up their victory on that evening. The British loss amounted to one general-staff, one subaltern, two serjeants, and 35 rank and file, kifled; seven captains, four subalterns, 11 serjeants, and 229 rank and file, wounded; of the army. The navy lost one petty-officer, three seamen, and three marines, killed; one officer, six petty-officers, 22 seamen, and 15 marines, wounded. † Thus, the total British loss on shore, was 46 killed, and 273 wounded. The great disproportion of wounded arose from the employment, by the enemy, of buck-shot; and the magnitude of the loss, altogether, to the enemy's sheltered position. The loss of the Americans upon the field, Mr. Thomson estimates at 150; which is particularized, by Mr. O'Connor, as "20 killed, 90 wounded, and 47 missing."§ The last item is evidently erroneous; as colonel Brooke carried away with him "about 200 prisoners, being persons of the best families in the city;" and which number might have been considerably augmented, did not the immense inferiority of numbers render the effectiveness of the men for action a paramount consideration.

Early on the morning of the 13th, colonel Brooke, leaving a small guard at a meetinghouse, from which the enemy had been driven,

to protect the wounded, moved forward with the army; and, at 10 o'clock, occupied a favorable position, to the eastward of, and distant about two miles from, Baltimore. From this point, the strong defences in and around the city were plainly to be seen; and arrangements were made for storming, during the ensuing night, with the co-operation of the fleet, the American entrenched camp; at which lay general Stricker and his army, now reinforced by Douglas's brigade of Virginia militia, under general Winder, and the United States' dragoons, under captain Bird.*

"

In their way up the Patapsco, several of the frigates and other vessels grounded; and one or two of the former did not get off till the next day. At about nine o'clock on the morning of the 13th, the Meteor, Etna, Terror, Volcano, and Devastation, bombs, and the Erebus, rocketship, came to anchor in a position, from which they could act upon the enemy's fort and batteries; the frigates having already taken their stations, outside of all. At day-light on the morning of the 13th, the bombardment commenced upon, and was returned by, FortMcHenry, the Star-Fort, and the water-batteries on both sides of the entrance. At about three o'clock in the afternoon, the four bomb-vessels and rocket-ship, weighed, and stood further in; the latter, to give effect to her rockets, much App. No. 77.