ples of order, fortitude, and gallantry, which would have been honourable to the oldest troops. I have the honour to be, &c.

P. B. PORTER, Brigadier general, commanding volunteers. Major-general Jacob Brown, commanding

zd division United States army.

Copies of letters from Major-General Brown to the Secretary of

War, dated Head Quarters, Queenstown, July 22d, 1814. Dear Sir,

Ou the 20th, the army moved, and encamped in the rear of Fort George. General Scott, with the van, had some skirmishing before the main body came up, but as the enemy kept close to their works, nothing important occurred. No force was left in our rear; the heights were abandoned to the enemy, and we did hope that the movement would have induced him to re-occupy them, or close in nearer to us, so as to bring on an engagement out of his works. In this we were disappointed. The army returned to-day, and found a body of militia and a few regulars in and about the heights. General Porter pursued them with his command and a few regulars, and was so fortunate as to come up with and capture seven officers and ten privates. They will be sent to Greenbush. Very respectfully and truly yours,

JACOB BROWN. Hon. John Armstrong, Secretary of War.

Head- Quarters, Chippewa, July 25th, 1814. Dear Sir,

On the 23d instant, I received a letter by express from general Gaines, advising me, that on the 20th the heavy guns that I had ordered from the harbour, to enable me to operate againts forts George and Niagara, were blockaded in. that port, together with the rifle regiment that I had ordered with them. I had ordered these guns and troops in boats, provided the commodore should not deem it prudent or proper to convey them in his fleet, not doubting but that he would have been upon the lake for their protection, and that the enemy would have been driven into port or captured. As general Gaines informed me that the commodore was confined to his bed with a fever, and as he did not know when the

fleet would sail, or when the guns and forces that I had been expecting would even leave Sackett's Harbour, I have thought it proper to change my position, with a view to other objects. You know how greatly I am disappointed, and therefore I will not dwell upon that painful subject. And you can best perceive, how much has been lost by the delar, and the command of Lake Ontario being with the enemy; reliances being placed upon a different state of things. The Indians all left me some time since. It is said that they will return, but this you will perceive depends upon circumstances. The reinforcements ordered on from the west have not arrived. Yours, respectfully and truly,

JACOB BROWN. Hon. Secretary of War, Washington.

AMERICAN AND BRITISH ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLE OF

BRIDGEWATER.

Our army

Copy of a letter from Captain L. Austin, aid to General Brown,

to the Secretary of War, dated

Head-Quarters, Buffalo, 29th July, 1814. I have the honour of addressing you by desire of general Brown, who is now confined by wounds received in a severe and desperate engagement with the enemy, on the afternoon and night of the 25th instant.

had fallen back to Chippewa. The enemy col. lecting every reginent from Burlington and York, and meeting with no opposition on Lake Ontario, transported by water to Fort George, troops from Kingston, and even from Prescott, which enabled them to bring against us

a force vastly superior, under the command of lieutenant-general Drummond and major-general Riall. They were met by us near the Falls of Niagara, where a most severe conflict ensued. The enemy disputed the ground with resolution, yet were driven from every position they attempted to hold. We stormed his batteries directly in front and took possession of all his artillery. Notwithstanding his immense superiority both in numbers and position, he was completely defeated, and our troops remained on the battle ground without interruption. As, however, both general Brown and general Scott had received severe wounds, almost every chief of battalion disabled, and our men quite exhausted, it was thought prudent to retire to our encampment, which was done in good order, without any 'molestation from the enemy, our wounded having first been removed.

Major-general Riall, with the aid-de-camp of lieutenantgeneral Drummond and about twenty other officers, with 200 privates, are taken prisoners.

The loss on both sides is immense, but no account has yet been returned. The aid and brigade-major of general Scott, are both severely wounded, and captain Spencer, and aid of general Brown, most probably dead, having received two balls through his body. Both generals Brown and Scott are on this side confined by their wounds. General Ripley commands on the other.

I have the honour to be, very respectfully, sir, your most obedient servant,

L. AUSTIN,

Aid-de-camp. Hon. Secretary at War, Washington.

P.S.-General Brown received his wounds at the same instant during a late part of the action, but still continued to keep his horse until exhausted by loss of blood. This probably has rendered his wounds more painful than they would otherwise have been.

General Brown's report of the battle of the 25th July, at the

Fulls of Niagara. Sir,

Confined as I was, and have been, since the last engagement with the enemy, I fear that the account I am about to give, may be less full and satisfactory, than under other circumstances it might have been made. I particularly fear that the conduct of the gallant men it was my good fortune to lead, will not be noticed in a way due to their fame, and the honour of our country.

You are already apprised that the army had on the 25th ultimo taken a position at Chippewa. About noon of that day, colonel Swift, who was posted at Lewistown, advised me hy express, that the enemy appeared in considerable force in Queenstown, and on its heights; that four of the enemy's fleet had arrived during the preceding night, and were then lying near Fort Niagara, and that a number of boats were in view, moving up the streight. Within a few minutes after this intelligence had been received, I was further informed by captain Denmon, of the quarter-master's department, that the enemy was landing at Lewistown, and that our baggage and stores at Schlosser, and on their way thither, were in

a

danger of immediate capture. It is proper here to mention, that having received advices as late as the 20th from general Gaines, that our fleet was then in port, and the commodore sick, we ceased to look for co-operation from that quarter, and determined to disencumber ourselves of baggage, and march directly for Burlington Heights. To mask this intention, and to draw from Schlosser a small supply of provisions, I fell back upon Chippewa. • As this arrangement, under the increased force of the enemy, left much at hazard on our own side of the Niagara, and as it appeared by the before-stated information, that the enemy was about to avail himself of it, I conceived that the most effectual method of recalling him from this object, was to put myself in motion towards Queenstown. General Scott, with the first brigade, Towson's artillery, and all the dragoons and mounted men, were accordingly put in march on the road leading thither, with orders to report if the enemy appeared, and to call for assistance, if that was necessary. On the general's arrival at the falls, he learned that the enemy was in force directly in his front, a narrow piece of woods alone intercepting his view of them. Waiting only to give this information, he advanced upon them. By the time the assistant adjutant-general (Jones) had delivered his message, the action began, and before the remaining part of the division had crossed the Chippewa, it had become close and general between the advanced corps. Though general Ripley with the second brigade, major Hindman with the corps of artillery, and general Porter at the head of his command, had respectively pressed forward with ardour; it was not less than an hour before they were brought to sustain general Scott, during which time his command most skilfully and gallantly maintained the conflict.

Upon my arrival I found that the general had passed the wood, and engaged the enemy at Queenstown road, and on the ground to the left of it, with the 9th, 11th, and 22d regiments, and Towson's artillery. The 25th had been thrown to the right to be governed by circumstances. Apprehending that these corps were much exhausted, and knowing that they had suffered severely, I determined to interpose a new line with the advancing troops, and thus disengage general Scott and hold his brigade in reserve. Orders were accordingly given to general Ripley. The enemy's artillery at this moment occupied a hill which gave him great advantages, and was the key of the whole position. It was supported by a line of infantry:

a VOL. IV.

[H]

To secure the victory, it was necessary to carry this artillery, and seize the height. This duty was assigned to colonel Miller, while, to favour its execution, the first regiment, under the command of colonel Nicholas, was directed to menace and amuse the infantry. To my great mortification this regiment, after a discharge or two, gave way, and retreated some distance before it could be rallied, though it is believed the officers of the regiment exerted themselves to shorten this distance. In the mean time, colonel Miller, without regard to this occurrence, advanced steadily and gallantly to his object, and carried the height and the cannon. General Ripley brought up the 23d (which had also faultered) to his support, and the enemy disappeared from beforé them. The first regiment was now brought into line on the left of the 21st, and the detachments of the 17th and 19th, general Porter occupying, with his command, the extreme left. About the time colonel Miller carried the enemy's cannon, the 25th regiment, under major Jessup, was engaged in a more obstinate conflict with all that remained to dispute with us the field of battle. The major, as has been alrealy stated, had been ordered by general Scott, at the commencement of the action, to take ground to his right. He had succeeded in turning the enemy's left fiank; had captured (by a detachment under captain Ketchum) general Riall and sundry other officers, and showed himself again to his own army in a blaze of fire, which defeated or destroyed a very superior force of the enemy. He was ordered to form on the right of the second regiment. The enemy rallying his forces, and, as is believed, having received reinforcements, now attempted to drive us from our position, and regain his artillery. Our line was unshaken, and the enemy repulsed. Two other attempts, having the same object, had the same issue. General Scott was again engaged in repelling the former of these; and the last I saw of him on the field of battle, he was near the head of his column, and giving to its marcha direction that would have placed him on the enemy's right. It was with great pleasure I saw the good order and intrepidity of general Porter's volunteers from the moment of their arrival, but during the last charge of the enemy those qualities were conspicuous. Stimulated by the examples set them by their gallant leader, by major Wood, of the Pennsylvania corps, by colonel Dobbin, of New York, and by their officers generally, they precipitated themselves upon the enemy's line, and made all the prisoners which were taken at this point of the action.

Having been for some time wounded, and being a good