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K V i: N TS * IF Trl K W \H.OFFICIAL. DISPATCHES.Cbpv of a despatch from Mijor-General Wn-j 1 am H. Harrison, to the Secretary at War, datedHead-Quarters, Lowxn Sanm'skv, May 13th, 1813 S»n—Having ascertained that the enemy (Indians as Well as British) had entirely aban •loned the neighborhood of’ the Rapids, I left flie command ot Camp Meigs with Gen. Clay and came here last night. It is with the grea test satisfaction, I inform you, sir, that I have every reason to believe, that the loss of the Kentucky troops in killed on the north side of the river does not exceed fifty. On the 10th and 11th inst. 1 caused the ground which was the lt;c. *ne of the action and its environs to he Carefully examined, and after the most diligent search 45 bodies only of our men were discovered—amongst them was the leader of the detachment Col. Dudley. No other officer of note fell in the action. I have strong reason to helieve that a considerable number of the Kentuckians effected their retreat up the river to Fort Winchester. General Proctor did not furnish me with a return of the prisoners in his possession, although repeatedly promised, llis retreat was as precipitate as it could properly be, leaving a number of cannon ball, a new elegant sling-carriage for can. non, and other valuable articles. T he night before his departure two persons that were employed in the British Gun Boats (Ameri-rans tv birth) deserted to (is- The information they gave me was very interesting—they say that the Indians, of which there were from 36U0 to 2000, left the British the day betbre their- departure in a high state of dissatisfaction, from the gnat loss which they had sustained in the several engagements of the 5th, and the failure of the British in accomplishing tlteir promise of taking the post at the K -piiU From the account given bv these men, my opinion is confirmed of the great superiority of the enemy which were defeated by our troops in the iwj sallies made on the 5th inst. That led by Colonel Miller did not exceed 350 tti'-n, and it is very certain that they defeated 20J British Regulars, 150 militia, and 4or 500 Indians That American Regulars (although they were raw recruits) and such men as cnm-folunteers, should behave well, is not to be Wondered at—but that a company of militia should maintain its ground against four times its numbers, as did Capt. Sebree's of the Kentucky, is truly astonishing. These brave fellows were at length however entirely surrounded by the Indians, and would have been entirely cut off, but for the gallantry of Lieut. Gwynne of the 19th Regiment, who, with part nf Capt. Elliots’* company, charged the one-ntr and released the Kentuckians I inclose you a list of the killed and wounded during the whole siege. It is considerably! larger than I had supposed it would be when I last Wrote to von—but dissatisfactory to know that they did not bleed uselessly—but in the course nf successful exertions The return does not embrace those who fell on the N. W. side of the Miami. .You will also receive herewith a monthly return of tile troops at Camp Meigs for the last month; the communication with the otherCo ,nt if a letter from (ten. if. IT. TIarrissn to hit excellency Gov Shelby, dated, HEAD QUARTERS, FbaNkuston, May 18th, 1813 Dear Sir—Before this reaches you, you will have heard that ihe siege of Fort Meigs was precipitately raised, and that the enemy had returned to MaldenI have seen, by the papers, the steps taken by you to reinforce me, tur which I beg you to accept my (iianks.1 intended to have given you a full account of the siege, but as I know that Major Hawkins and Gen. Clay have both written to you, and the hour for the mail to close has nearly arrived, I can only state a few circumstances in addition to those contained in the enclosed extra gazette of this place. In this you will find Gen. Clay’s report to me of his proceedings on the morning of the 5th inst. by which you will perceive that my orders were clearly delivered to him, and I have no doubt were as well understood by Col Dudley, and no-thing could be more easy of execution : I had no less than four 18 pounders, a 12 and 6 pounder so placed, as effectually to cover their retreat for two-thirds of the way to the boats. But it appears that no disposition was made for a retreat, and some of those who got off assert that neither of the majors understood the object or the manner in which it was to be executed. N .thing can prove more clearly, the ease with which the whole party might have retired to the boats, than the circumstance of 180 hnv-ng effected it with the incumbrance of some wounded; they urere pursued by some Indians, but the latter dared not enter the plain which ski-ted the river for some distance, and did our men little or no injury. Never was there an opportunity more favorable for striking a brilliant stroke, than was present-d on this occasion, if the plan had been properly pursued—the enemy were completely urprised and distracted.When Col. Dudley made the attack on the north-west side of the river, ten boats loaded with troops were crossed a mile and a half below i but those never got to the scene of action till after it Was over. Had Col. Dudley retreated after having taken the batteries, or nad he made a disposition to retreat in case of defeat, all would have been well; he could have crossed the river, and supposing that he had Inst one or two hundred men, he would have brought a reinforcement of six hundred, which would have enabled me to have taken the whole British force on this side the river; the Indiana would then have abandoned Gen. Procior; the wind blew up the r.vc-r, and he couhl not have gotten off, and the whole of his regulars and militia would har e been captured. That these are not chimerical ideas is proved fr-m the following circumstances:—Three hundred and twenty or thirty of our men took the batteries on this side lt;f the river, put the whole of the enemy to flight, and took two officers and fo' ty privates of the British grenadiers and light infantry. If 1 could have spared a remf ireement of two hundred men only, the British regulars and militia would all have been taken before they could have crossed the river; but I had not a single company to show. \t the suggestion of Gen Clay, I had sent off, under his command, all that par' of his brigade that had reached the fort, and all the d agoons that I could mount, to assist Col. Dudley's men in re-crossing the river; and I was thus deprived of their services at a most critical moment. With them I should have been enabled to drive off the Indians thatposts being cut off, the returns were not received. A copy of Gen. Clay’s report to me of the manner of his executing my order for the i annoyed, from a swamp into which they had attack nn the enemies’ batteries, is likewise : hid themselves, the riglit flank of the detach forwarded, by which it will be seen that my j nrient in its pursuit of the British troops. As intentions were perfectly understood, and the | it was, I was forced to recal our men when great facility with which they might have i they were in full pursuit of the enemy, andbeen executed is apparent to every individual j every moment making prisoners. That the who witnessed the scene. Indeed the cannon ! Indians would have abandoned the British thatmight luve been spiked, the carriages cut to very night, if they had not succeeded against pieces, the magazine destroyed and the retreat Col. Dudley, is evident from numbers having effected to the boats without the loss of a man, left them with that circumstance in their fans none were killed in taking the batteries, so vor. complete was the surprize. , I can say with confidence that the plan ofAn extensive open p'am intervenes between the attack w as approbated bv every officer that the river and the‘hill upon which the batteries witnessed the scene. Even ihe British officers of the enemy were placed; this plain was ra- have acknowledged that they were completely ked by four of our eighteen pounders, a twelve surprised, and that they had not the least dea and a six. The enemy, even before their guas of our intentions until it burst upon thertl by were spiked, could not have brought one to bear the commencement of the firing on this side, upon it. So perfectly secured was their retreat after they had weakened themselves by making that the 150 men who came off effected it detachments to the other, that Wore of no use, without loss and brought off some of the : for they never reached the scene of action. I Wounded, one of them upon the backs of his ! believe that every candid man in both armies Comrades The Indians followed them to the . will admit, that an unlucky blunder saved that woods, but dared not enter into the plain. of the enemy from destruction.I am unable to form a correct estimate of j On the 10th Snd 11th insl. I caused ihebnt-the enemy’s force The prisoners varied much | tie-ground on the north side of the river to be in their accounts; those who made them least, well examined, and the bodies of our countryTwo fellows have been arrested at Baltimore for carrying supplies to tile enemy, and a flaming New-Jersey “ Washingtonian peace-party man has also been secured at Philadelphia for similar practices. The populace in the latter city were abuut to tuck up the offender to the yard-arm of a ship, w hen the Marshal arrived and saved him for the present. On one rascal that was in prison in Philadelphia, the genuine emu of his Britannic majesty was found, to wit, half a dozen English guineas!REPORTER.JOHN O’NEIL.Extract nf a letter from Mr. John O’Neil, who was taken at Havre dg Grace, bravely fighting alone in the cause of his adopted country, to a gentleman in this city, dated“ 11 i v he he Ghack, Mav 10.“ No doubt before this, you have heard of my defeat. On the 3d inst. we were attacked by 15 English barges at break of day. They were not discovered by the cenlry until they , were close to the town. We had a small breast work erected, with two 6 and one 9 pounder in it; and 1 was stationed at one of the guns When the alarm was given I ran to the battery, and found but one man there, and two or three cam: afterwards. After fir-ng a few shots they retreated, and left me alone in the battery. The grape shot flew very thick about me. I loaded the gun myself, without any one to serve the vent, which you know was very dangerous, and fired her, when she recoiled and ran over my thigh”1 retreated down town, and joined Mr. Barnes at the nail manufactory, with a musket, and fired on the barges while we had ammunition, and then retreated to the commons, where I kept waving my hat to the militia, who had ran away, to come to our assistance :i they, however, proved cowardly, and would not come back. At the same time, an English officer on horse back, followed by the marines, rode up, and took me with two muskets in my hand. I was carried on board the Maidstone frigate, where I remained until released, three days since ”—Balt. Patriot.COMMUNICATION.The following letter of general Miller to Admiral Warren, was sent with a flag bv major Hanson, with instructions to proceed with all possible dispatch to the admiral’s ship, that the protection of the government of the U. States might be extended in defence of a citizen, from dangers they believed to menace him. Admiral Warren’s answer follaws.Head Quarters,. Baltimore,May 8, 1813.Sir—It becomes my duty to represent to our excellency, that a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant of Harre-de-Grace for the last fifteen years, named O’Neale, has been recently taken in arms and in defence of his property and family at that place, by a detachment from his Britannic Majesty’s fleet serving under your command; and that the said O’Neale has been menaced with immediate and capi-tal punishment as a traitor to the government if his Britannic Majesty, on the ground of his being by hirih-m Irishman. Nothing in the course of public duty would be more painful to me than the obligation of resorting to the I law of retaliation on this or any other occasion ;: c but, sir, in the event of O’Neale’s execution, I r painful as may be the duty, it becomes una-! j voidable ; and I am authorized and comman- r ded to state to your excellency, that two Bri- , tish subjects shall be selected by lot or other-1 wise, and immediately executed.It is for your excellency to choose whether I a character of such barbarism be or be not giv- I en to the war waged under your immediate direction.I beg, sir, that you will do me the honor toaccept the assurance of my very great respect and consideration.stated the regulars at 550 and militia at 800 ; men to be buried. Forty-five were all thatbut the numbers of Indians were beyond com-; could be foundDarlson greater than have ever been brought' I shall set out for Cincinnati the day after 1 ®l*. * have to acknoilhto the field before; numbers arrived after 1 to-morrow, and I shall do myself the honor of' J01? , , in3tal't. respecting aHENRY MILLER,Brigadier General. His excellency Sir John Borlase Warren.His Majesty's ship San Domingo,Chesapeak, May 10,1813. acknowledge the receipt ofthe siege commenced. I have caused their i writing to you from thence. . . .camps on the south-east side of the river to be : With the greatest regard and esteem, lam, » the squadron, under the orders of Rearrtmnincil. nrw] tlip o-onprul nnin.! Heai- sir. vmir ImmhlA t. i-vont Admit al Coclcburn. T his man has been relea-man named O’Neale, taken by the detachment.particularly examined, and the general opin-1 dear sir, your humble servant,ion is. that there could not have been fewer on •that side than 1000 or 1200; they were indeed the efficient force of the enemy.I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of the 14th, 18th and 28th ult. and 4th inst.I am sorry to infirm you that Major Stod-WILLl\M H. HARRISON.His Excel. Gov. ihelby.been relea, sed upon the application of the magistrates of I Havre-de-Grace, on parole. I was not inform-! cd ol this man being an Irishman, or he wouldExtract of a Letter from Major General Dear- certain,.v l,a*e been detained, to account to hisborn to the Secretury of War, datedJViagara, May 3. As nearly as 1 have been able to ascertainsovereign country for being inarms against the British colorsda:d died the night before I left the Rapids, of: the loss of the enemy m the late affair of York n lock-jaw, produced by a slight wound from i amounted to one hundred killed, two hundred, fragment of a shell which struck him oil the j prisoners, and three hundred wounded. I hav_ thigh. Several have died in this way from ! not been able to ascertain precisely the amountthoir great and unavoidable exposure to the I of the militia put on tlieir parole! I presumecold; but perhaps there never were so many instances ol desperate wounds being like to do well.I have the honor to be,Sir, your most obedient,Humble servant, JOHN BORLASE WARREN.it could not be less Ilian five hundred. Tht was an immense depot of naval and military' — York was a magazine for Niagara,FROM THE ENQUIRER.CHARACTER OF THE WAR.In the asbes of Frenchtown and Ha-The gallant captain Bradford will recover. Detroit, Ac. and notwithstanding the immense Vre‘clf‘^'race *s wr‘lten true charac-I shall go from here to Upper Sandusky, and ; am uin' w hich was destroyed bv them, we tcr t*le lt;-’nemy, and of the war whichu,»i,----- tv i..............~ found more than we could bring off. General he r eans to wage against us. What didSheaffe’s baggage and papers fell into my, we hear a short time since ?Sits we hr °f the ™es °f bgislative Council Chamber, suspended ,!ear the j *ear ° Jis i—» ... , the o’roans nt I I’plnnn ’ TliH wp t* nf ueltall take mv station at Delaware or Franklin ton until the troops are assembled. Gen. Ulay who commands at the Rapids, is a man of capacity and entirely to be relied on1 have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir, your humble servant,Wm HENRY HARRISON. The hon. Jorm Armntroso,Secretary at WarReturn of the killed and wounded inr.ti^utics of the fifth inst.L.^Htillerv, 1 killed.tU «bihfan. 39 killed, 90 wounded,aggre.129U. S. Drag. 3 do.17 do.do.20Krnt.Milit.30 do.42 do.total71Oiiio Milit. 3 do.8 do.do.1112 mo. Vol. 2 do.29 do.do.31Etl ichm )ofbTam V 3 do.3 do.do.6of tile US. jTot killed81 tot.wd.l89tot.kill.wound.270 REMARKS.Majors Stoddard and Hukill—the former died This wounds, the latter slightly wounded.Sixty-four of thi above were killed in the Ronus, and one hundred and twenty-four wounded ; the balance,eighty-two, killed and ■Wounded .within the fortified camp.J. O’FALLOW, Actiug Ass. Adj. General.Speaker’s Chair, in company with the mace ithe ffroans of Ireland ? Did we hear of | ] Ac” thecatastrophe of Copenhagen? No,■t llPV WPPP rl rnitrnprl i n tlia nnoicno /all ' -no—they were drowned in the praises ofExtract of a letter from a Field Officer in the the friends of Britain. I 'force which landed al York, to the Debartment iof W - 1The federal prints cliaunted a different I f1note. They rung with the praises ofi*5ed humanity, “ the bulwark of our holy religion’’—nothing foul,nothing unfeeling, could flow from so pure and generous a fountain.“ The column of attack consisted of the 6th, I „ in15th, IgHi, and 21st reg.mentsof Infantry, and Britain, rihe was the shield of oppress- 11 a detachment of the Light and Heavy Artillery.Major Forsyth’s corps of riflemen, and Lieut.Col. M’Clure'a corpv of Volunteers acted on the flanks. There was a long piece of woods to go through, which offered many obstructions to our heavy ordnance. As was expected, we were there annoyed on our flanks by a part of the British and Indians, with a six pounder and two howitzers. One of the enemy’s batteries accidentally blew up, by which they lost fifty men of the 8th regiment. A part of our force was detached from our column, as it came into the open ground, who carried the second battery by storm. The troops were halted aA voice came from the west I It was the yell of the savages. It was the shriek ! Cl of the women and children writhing un-' 6 der the scalping knife of the unchristian | and uncivilized Indian. It was the shout d of the Englishman cheering and encour-i S aging his ally in the work of assassina-' S! The wounded prisoner with the j51nhv M brf up 1 pledge of a Britiboifoer lor'his protM-ivvtion, was tomahawked by the Indian;!11pairing of holding the town, ordered fire to be put to the magazine, in wlticb there were five hundred barrels of powder, many cart loads of s o,.e, and an immense quantity of iron, shells and shot. The explosion was--------- by the Indian;!but there was no voice from an officer to' a' save ; there was no voice from a British j officer to punish ; the ruthless ally was a' .rewarded, instead of being dismissed- ^
Newspaper Details
Lexington Kentucky Gazette
Lexington, Kentucky, US
Tue, Jun 01, 1813
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
National G.
USA 21 Jan 2024
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