on every side, and immediately in front of us by an extensive hill, on which wait an entrenched camp, and great quantities of artillery. The information we collected, added to what we observed, gave us to believe, that there were at least within their works from 15,000 to 20,000 men. Colonel Brook lost no time in reconnoitring their defences; after which he made his arrangements for storming, during the ensuing night, with his gallant little army, the entrenched camp in our front, notwithstanding all the difficulties which it presented. The subsequent communications which we opened with you, however, induced him to relinquish the idea[1]. Yesterday morning, the army retired leisurely towards the place where it had disembarked, and where it arrived this morning, without suffering the slightest molestation from the enemy, who, in spite of his superiority of numbers, did not even venture to look at us during this slow and deliberate retreat.
“I have now only to inform you of my entire satisfaction and approbation of the conduct of every officer and man employed under me during the operations detailed above; and to express to you how particularly I consider myself indebted to Captain Crofton,for the gallantry, ability, and zeal with which he led on the brigade of seamen in the action of the 12th, and executed all the other services with which he has been entrusted since our landing; to Captain White of the Albion (acting), who attended me as my aide-de-camp the whole time, and rendered me every possible assistance; to Captain Sulivan, Money, and Ramsay, who commanded divisions of the brigade of seamen; and to Lieutenant James Scott, whom I have had such frequent cause to mention to you on former occasions, and who, in the battle of the 12th, commanded a division of seamen, and behaved most gallantly, occasionally also acting as an aide-de-camp to myself. Captain Robyns, who commanded the marines of the fleet, I also beg to recommend to your favourable notice and consideration; as well as Lieutenant George Constantine Urmston of the Albion, whom I placed in command of the smaller boats, to endeavour to keep up a communication between the army and navy, which he effected by great perseverance, and thereby rendered us most essential service. In short. Sir, every individual seemed animated with equal anxiety to distinguish himself by good conduct on this occasion; and I trust therefore, the whole will be deemed worthy of approbation.”
Marching over the field, where the battle of the 12th had been fought, the author of the “Subaltern” saw several men
- ↑ No effectual support could be given to the land force by the navy afloat; for such was the shallowness of the river, that none except the very lightest craft could make their way within six miles of the town; and even these were stopped by vessels sunk in the channel, and other artificial bars, barely within a shell’s longest range of the left of the American army, which extended to a fort, built upon the brink of the river, by silencing which the flank of the enemy’s position would have been turned.
