Lieutenant-general Drummond reports, that the spirit with which it was undertaken enabled our troops to surmount every obstacle. Fort Erie and the entrenchments were entered, the guns turned on the barrack block-house (the enemy's last refuge), when unfortunately a most violent explosion occurred on the battery: in its effect destroying and disabling many a valuable officer and soldier, and caused so considerable a consternation, as to induce the remaining troops to abandon the works, and all those advantages which they had gained by their determined conduct, and precipitately to retire to our first approaches. From other causes almost inseparable from night operations, carried on in a close and difficult country, the right column failed in the object it had to accomplish. With deep regret the commander of the forces records the loss his majesty's service has sustained on this occasion. Return of killed, wounded, and missing of the right division, in the assault of Fort Erie, on the 15th August, 1814. Killed-1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, 51 rank and file. Wounded—1 major, 9 captains, 11 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1 master, 20 serjeants, 3 drummers, 262 rank and file. Missing—2 captains, 3 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 midshipman, 41 serjeants, 3 drummers, 486 rank and file. Total-1 colonel, i lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 12 captains, 15 lieutenants, 4. ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 master, 1 midshipman, 62 serjeants, 7 drummers, 799 rank and file. Officers killed— 1st or Royal Scots, captain Torrens; 8th or King's regiment, lieutenant Noel; 103d regiment, colonel Scott; 104th regiment, lieutenant-colonel Drummond. Officers wounded-royal navy, captain Dobbs and lieutenant Stevenson, slightly; Mr. Harris, master, severely. 1st Royal Scots, captain Rowan, severely; lieutenant Vaughan, slightly. 8th or King's, lieutenant Young, slightly. 41st regiment, flank companies, captains Glew and Bullock, sev: rely; lieutenant Hailes, slightly; ensign Townshend, severely. 89ih regiment, captain Barney, acting assistant engineer, severely. 1001h regiment, lieutenant Murray, wounded and prisoner; volun:ter Fraser, severely. 103d regiment, major Smelt, and captain Gardner, severely; captain Colclough, and lieutenant Charlton, severely and pri r soner; lieutenant Fallon, severely; lieutenant Cappage, jun. dangerously; lieutenant Meagher, slightly; lieutenants Burrows, Hazen, and ensign Nash, severely. 104th Flank companies, captain Leonard and lieutenant MʻLaughlin, severely. Officers missing-General staff, captain Elliott, deputyassistant quarter-master general. Royal navy, Mr. Hyde, midshipman. 41st flank company, lieutenant Gardner, and ensign Hall. 103d regiment, captain Irwin, lieutenant Kaye, ensign Huoy, lieutenant and adjutant Pettet. (Signed) EDWARD BAYNES, Adjutant-general, N. A. AMERICAN AND BRITISH ACCOUNTS OF THE CAPTURE OF THE OHIO AND SOMERS, ON LAKE ERIE. 6 Copy of a letter from lieutenant Conkling to captain Kennedy, dated Fort George, Upper Canada, August 16th, 1814. Sir, With extreme regret I have to make knowa to you the circumstances attending the capture of the Ohio and Somers. On the night of the 12th, between the hours of 10 and 12, the boats were seen a short distance a-head of the Somers, and were hailed from that vessel—they answered “provision boats,” which deceived the officers of the deck, as our army boats had been in the habit of passing and repassing through the night, and enabled them to drift athwart his hawser and cut his cables, at the same time pouring in a heavy fire before he discovered who they were. Instantaneously they were along side of me, and notwithstanding my exertions, aided by Mr. M'Cally, acting sailing-master (who was soon disabled), I was unable to repulse them but for a moment. I. maintained the quarter-deck until my sword fell, in consequence of a shot in the shoulder, and all on deck either wounded or surrounded by bayonets. As their force was an overwhelming one, I thought farther resistance vain, and gave up the vessel, with the satisfaction of having performed my duty, and defended my vessel to the last. List of killed and wounded. Ohio. Killed- John Fifehill, boatswain's mate, shot through the body. Wounded-Reuben Wright, shot through the arm. Sailing-master M.Cally, shot through the thigh, and bayonetted through the foot. Serjeant Eastman, of the 11th regiment of the army, wounded in the neck by a musket ball. Granger, 11th regiment, wounded in the arm. Somers. Wounded—Samuel Taylor, shot in the arm and cut in the head. Charles Ordean, cut in the shoulder; also one of the Ohio's marines, whose name the serjeant cannot find, now in the hospital, badly wounded. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded is much more considerable; amongst the killed is the commanding officer of the Netley (lying here), captain Ratliff; he fell in attempts ing to come over my quarters. Notwithstanding the number of muskets and pistols which were fired, and the bustle inseparable from enterprizes of this kind, neither the Fort or the Porcupine attempted to fire as we drifted past them, nor did we receive a shot until past Black Rock, though they might have destroyed us with ease. Respectfully, your obedient servant, A. M. CONKLING. P. S. We expect to be sent to Montreal, and perhaps to Quebec directly. Edward P. Kennedy, Esq., commanding United States' naval force on Lake Erie. Extract from Morning District General Order. Head- Quarters, camp before Fort Erie, 13th August, 1814. Lieutenant-general Drummond congratulates the army on the brilliant achieveinents executed last night by captain Dobbs of the royal navy, and a party of seamen and marines, who in the most gallant style boarded, and after a short struggle carried, two of the enemy's armed schooners anchored close to Fort Erie. Accident alone prevented the capture of the third schooner. Those captured are the Somers and Porcupine; the former mounts two long 12-pounders; the latter one long 12. They were commanded by lieutenants, and had on board 35 men each. The lieutenant-general laments to find that lieutenant Radcliffe, commander of his majesty's schooner Netly, has fallen on this occasion; he was killed in the act of boarding. He will be buried at 12 o'clock, with such marks of respect as circumstances will permit; besides Mr. Radcliffe, our loss has been only one seaman killed and four wounded. The enemy's loss is one , seaman killed-3 officers and four seamen wounded. The whole enterprise reflects the highest credit on the ability and spirit of captain Dobbs and the gallant party under his command. J. HARVEY, Lieutenant-colonel, deputy adjutant-general, CONCLUSION OF THE CAMPAIGN ON THE NIAGARA, INCLUD ING THE SORTIE FROM FORT ERIE. GENERAL ORDER. Head-Quarters, Fort Erie, 6th September, 1814. The brigadier-general commanding has received the report of major Matteson, of the New York volunteers, on whom devolved the command of the party, engaged in the affair of the gallant colonel Wilcocks. With sincere pleasure, the brigadier-general congratulates the army that the steadiness and valour which have marked the conduct of this division, during the whole campaign, were again most singularly manifested by the volunteers and regulars engaged on this occasion. A party not exceeding 100 volunteers (the enemy being of treble numbers) drove the enemy to his works, with comparatively a small loss, and made him suffer severely. Previous to this a detachment of forty men from the twenty-first, under ensign Thomas, had successfully skirmished with the enemy. The conduct of major Matteson on this occasion excites the highest approbation of the brigadier-general, his cool. ness, courage and prudence, and the good conduct of his troops, were again conspicuously manifested. The New York volunteers have, on this occasion, as well as every other that has occurred during the whole campaign, reflected honour on the state of which they are members. Captain Hale of the eleventh infantry commanding piquet No. 2, and ensign Thomas commanding the regulars, conducted in a manner to the perfect satisfaction of the brigadier-general. The loss [M] a VOL. IV. on our side, with the exception of the gallant Wilcocks, and lieutenant Rosevelt, is trifling; but on the side of the enemy, it was severe in the extreme; various deserters report, that they had four officers and nearly 100 either killed or wound, ed; so great a disparity evinces, in the strongest light, the dif. ference between the coolness of troops, such as ours, in a just and honourable career, and of the enemy's thousands, who fight for objects which they care not for, and in a cause which they deprecate. Major Matteson speaks in the highest terms of the courage and good conduct of captains Hull, Harding, Knap, and Satterly, who volunteered to command a company; and lieutenants Hathaway, Jones, and ensign Wickwire; he also expresses his highest opinion of the correct, brave, and soldier-like conduct of brigade-major Dobbin, quarter-master Green, and adjutant Gilbert. Lieutenant-colonel Wilcocks, whose services and bravery have excited the warmest interest of the army in his favour, and lieutenant Rosevelt, of the New York volunteers, have added other names to the gallant heroes, who, during this unexampled campaign, have gloriously died on the field of honour. Colonel Wilcocks, at the instant he was mortally wounded, was charging and repulsing an infinitely superior force under the enemy's battery; the command devolving on major Matteson, he succeeded in driving the enemy to their works, and retired in good order to camp. By command of brigadier-general Ripley. R. JONES, Assistant adjutant-general. Copy of a letter from Major-General Brown to the Secre tary of War, dated Head-Quarters, Fort Erie, September 18th, 1814. Sir, I have the satisfaction to announce to you a brilliant achievement yesterday effected by the forces under my command. A sortie was made upon the enemy's batteries. These were carried--we blew up his principal work, destroyed his battering pieces, and captured 400 prisoners. The enemy resisted our assault with firmness, but suffered greatly. His total loss can. not be less than 800 men. In such a business we could not but expect to lose many valuable lives; they were offered up a voluntary sacrifice to the safety and honour of this army and the nation. I will forward to you the particulars of this splendid affair, |