near the head of Piscataway creek, about three miles in the rear of Fort Washington, where the ground was favorable for a small detachment to defend the country against a much greater force, and remained in this position until the morning of the 24th, when several orders were given to him; first, to march towards the eastern branch bridge; second, to cross the Potomac to the Virginia side, &c. This brigade was intended in its dispositions to aid Fort Washington, the town of Alexandria, and to be in a situation to join General Winder.

On the morning of the 24th, General Winder established his head quarters near the eastern branch bridge; detachments of horse were out in various directions as videts and reconnoitering parties, and arrangements made to destroy the Eastern Branch bridge. Colonel George Minor with his regiment of Virginia militia, composed of 600 infantry and 100 cavalry, arrived at the city of Washington in the twilight of the evening of the 23d; he called on the president who referred him to the secretary of war for orders; the secretary informed him that arms could not be had that night, but gave orders to report himself to Colonel Carberry early in the morning, who would furnish him with arms and ammunition, as he was charged with that duty by General Winder. From early in the morning till late in the afternoon, Col. Minor sought Colonel Carberry diligently, but he could not be found. He rode to head quarters and obtained an order from General Winder upon the arsenal for arms, &c. marched to the place with his regiment, and its care he found committed to a young man whose caution in giving out arms, &c. very much delayed the arming and supplying this regiment. An instance is here given when the flints were counted out by the officers of the regiment, to expedite business at this crisis, the young man would count them over before they could be obtained.

Colonel Carberry arrived at this moment, apologized for his absence, and informed Colonel Minor, that he had the evening previous ridden out to his country seat.

Colonel Minor was again delayed some small length of time in having to remain to sign receipts, &c. His men were ordered to Capitol Hill, in the mean time various reports were, brought into head quarters as to the movements and intentions of the enemy; the presi dent and heads of departments collected at head quarters, in the following order. The President, next Secretary of State, next the Attorney General, next the Secretary of the Navy, and last the Secretary of War and Treasury together. Colonel Monroe had left head quarters upon a rumor that gained ground, that the enemy was marching upon the city by way of Bladensburgh, with a view of joining General Stansbury, advising him of the rumor and to aid him in the formation of a line of battle to meet the enemy. General Stansbury, for reasons given in his report, had marched from his position in advance of Bladensburg, and occupied the ground west of that village on the banks of the Eastern Branch. Here the front line of battle was formed by General Stansbury and his officers, with the aid of Colonel Monroe, on the presumption that Gen. Stansbury's brigade, and the command of Colonel Sterret, including the command of Major Pinkney and Baltimore artillery.

There is a bridge over the Eastern Branch at Bladensburg, and a large turnpike road leading direct to the city of Washington. About 400 yards from this bridge, some small distance to the left of the road, the Baltimore artillery, six pieces of six pounders, occupied a temporary breastwork of earth, well calculated to command the pass over the bridge. Part of the battalion of riflemen, under Major William Pinkney, and one other company, took position on the right of the artillery, partially protected by a fence and brush; and on the left of the battery, leading to the rear of a barn, two companies, from the regiment under Col. Shutz, and the other part of the riflemen from Baltimore. Colonel Ragan was posted in the rear of Major Pinkney, his right resting on the road; Colonel Shutz continuing the line on the left, with a small vacancy in the

center of the two regiments; and Col. Sterret, formed the extreme left flank of the infantry, At this moment, Colonels Beall and Hood entered Bladensburg, with the Maryland militia from Apnapolis, crossed the bridge, and took a position on a most commanding height, on the right of the turnpike, about 300 yards from the road, to secure the right flank. In the nean time, (about 11 o'clock) certain intelligence was received at head quarters, that the enemy was in full march towards Bladensburg; which induced Gen. Winder to put in motion his whole force, except a few men and a piece of artillery left at the Eastern Branch bridge to destroy it. The day was hot, and the road dusty, the march was rapid to Bladensburg. The cavalry and mounted men arrived, and were placed on the left flank, and some small distance in its rear. General Winder now arrived, and told Gen. Stansbury and Col. Monroe, that his whole force was marchin for Bladensburg, and approved the dispositions which had been made of the troops; at which moment, it had become impracticable, in the opinion of the officers, to make any essential change; for the two armies were now coming to the battle ground, in opposite directions; and the enemy appeared on the opposite heights of Bladensburg, about a mile distant, and halted 15 or 20 minutes. This was about 12 o'clock. The troops from the city were disposed of as they arrived. Capt. Burch, with 3 pieces of artillery, was stationed on the extreme left of the infantry of the line; and a rifle company, armed with muskets, near the battery, to support it. About this time the secretary of war arrived, and in a few minutes after, the president and the attorney general, and proceeded to examine the disposition of the troops. In the mean time, as the enemy advanced into Bladensburg, the officers were forming rapidly the second line. The command of commodore Barney came up in a trot; and formed his men on the right of the main road, in a line with the command under Colonels Beall and Hood, with a considerable vacancy, owing to the ground. The heavy artillery commodore Barney planted in the road; VOL. IL

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the three 12 pounders to the right, under Capt. Miller, who commanded the flotilla men and marines, as infantry, to support the artillery. Lieut. Col. Kramer, with a battalion of Maryland militia, was posted in a wood, in advance of the marines and Colonels Beall and Hood's command. The regiment under command of Col. Magruder, was stationed on the left of commodore Barney, and in a line with him and Col. Beall. The regiment under command of Col. Brent, and Maj. Warring's battalion, and some other small detachments, formed in the left flank of this second line, and in the rear of Major Peter's battery; and Lieut. Col. Scott, with the regulars, was placed in advance of Colonel Magruder, and to the left, forming a line towards Maj. Peter's battery, but in such a manner as not to mask it; other small detachments in various directions.

About half after 12 o'clock, while the second line was thus forming, the enemy approached and the battle commenced the Baltimore artillery opened a fire and dispersed the enemy's light troops now advancing along the street of the village, who took a temporary cover behind the houses and trees, in loose order, and presented objects only occasionally for the fire of the cannon. The enemy commenced throwing his rockets, and his light troops began to concentrate near the bridge, and to press across it and the river which was fordable above. The battalion of riflemen under Major Pinkney, now united gallantly with the fire from the battery. For some minutes the fire was continued with considerable effect; the enemy's column was not only dispersed while in the streets, but while approaching the bridge they were thrown into some confusion, and the British officers were seen exerting themselves to press the soldiers on. Having now gained the bridge, it was passed rapidly, and as the enemy crossed, flanked, formed the line and advanced steadily on, which compelled the artillery and battalion of riflemen to give way, after which Major Pinkney was severely wounded. He exerted himself to rally his men, and succeeded at a small dis

tance in the rear of his first position, and united with the fifth Baltimore regiment.

It appears from the reports of several officers, Stansbury, Pinkney, Law, Sterret, &c. that the command of General Stansbury was 3 or 400 yards in the rear of the battery, and major Pinkney's riflemen and some other small corps to the left of the battery; of course this small party had to fight with the whole force of the enemy until they retired, and the enemy occupied the ground they left without any considerable resistance, as the enemy marched on without halting after the bridge was passed. Capt. Burch and Col. Sterret were about the same distance, when Col. Sterret was ordered to advance to support the first line. One of the pieces of artillery was abandoned, but spiked previously. The enemy soon took advantage of the trees of an orchard which was occupied or held by the force which had just retreated and kept up a galling fire on part of our line. Capt. Burch's artillery and a small detachment near it now opened a cross fire upon the enemy. Col. Sterret, with the fifth Baltimore regiment, was ordered to advance and made a prompt movement until ordered to halt, as at this moment the rockets assuming a more horizontal direction and passing near the heads of Colonels Schutz and Ragan's regiments, the right gave way, which was followed in a few minutes by a general flight of the two regiments, in defiance of all the exertions of Generals Winder, Stansbury and other officers. Burch's artillery and the 5th regiment remained with firmness: the orchard obstructed their fire; but notwithstanding, the enemy's light troops were for a moment driven back by them; the enemy having gained the right flank of the fifth, which exposed it, Burch's artillery and Col. Sterret, who commanded the fifth, were ordered by Gen, Winder to retreat, with a view of forming at a sinall distance in the rear; but, instead of retiring in order, the fifth, like the other two regiments under Gen. Stansbury, in a very few minutes were retreating in disorder and confusion notwithstanding the exertions of Colonel Sterret to prevent it. From reports of various officers