AFFAIR AT OTTER CREEK.

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Extract of a letter from Thomas M'Donough, Esq. command

ing United States force on Lake Champlain, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated Vergennes, 14th May, 1814.

“ I have the honour to inform you that an engagement be. tween our battery at the mouth of Otter Creek, and eight of the enemy's galleys, with a bomb-vessel, has just terminated by the retreat of the enemy, who, it is supposed, came with an intention of blockading us.

“The battery, commanded by captain Thornton of the artillery, who was gallantly assisted by lieutenant Cassin of the navy, received but little injury, although a number of shells were thrown, and many lodged in the parapet.

“Colonel Davis was advantageously posted to receive the enemy, in the event of his landing, which we had reason to expect, as his new brig, with several other gallies and four sloops, were within two and a half miles of the point on · which the battery stands, during the action, which lasted an hour and a half, when they all stood off, and were seen passing Burlington for the northward. Every exertion was made

the vessels down to the mouth of the creek, which, however, we could not effect until the enemy had withdrawn. Our whole force is at the creek's mouth, with the exception of the schooner, and she will be down also in the course of four or five days."

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Extract of a letter from Captain Thomas Macdonough, com

manding the United States Naval forces on Lake Champlain, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated Vergennes, May 18th, 1814.

“I omitted stating in my letter of the 14th, that the enemy

had two fine row.boats shot adrift from their gallies in the action with the battery, which, in their precipitate retreat, were left, and picked up by us.

“I have since learned, that in other parts of the lake, they are much cut up by the militia. Two of their gallies, in pass ing up a small river on the New York side, had nearly all their men killed and wounded.”

AMERICAN AND BRITISH ACCOUNTS OF THE SIEGE OF 1 PLATTSBURGH AND CAPTURE OF THE BRITISH FLEET ON

LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

Copy of a Letter from Brigadier-General Macomb to the Secretary of War, dated Head-Quarters, Plattsburgh, September 15th, 1814.

Sir.

I have the honour to communicate, for the information of the war department, the particulars of the advance of the enemy into the territory of the United States, the circumstances attending the siege of Plattsburgh, and the defence. of the posts entrusted to my charge.

The governor-general of the Canadas, sir George Prevost, having collected all the disposable force in Lower Canada, with a view of conquering the country as far as Crown Point and Ticonderoga, entered the territories of the United States on the 1st of the month, and occupied the village of Champlain; there avowed his intentions, and issued orders and proclamations tending to dissuade the people from their allegiance, and inviting them to furnish his army with provisions. He immediately began to impress the waggons and teams in the vicinity, and loaded them with his heavy baggage and stores. From this I was persuaded he intended to attack this place. I had but just returned from the lines, where I had commanded a fine brigade, which was broken up to form the division under major-general Izard, ordered to the westward. Being senior officer, he left me in command; and except the four companies of the sixth regiment, I had not an organized battalion among those remaining. The garrison was composed of convalescents and recruits of the new regiments-all in the greatest confusion, as well as the ordnance and stores, and the works in no state of defence.

To create an emulation and zeal among the officers and men in completing the works, I divided them into detachments, and placed them near the several forts; declaring in orders, that each detachment was the garrison of its own work, and bound to defend it to the last extremity.

The enemy advanced cautiously and by short marches, and our soldiers worked day and night; so that by the time he made his appearance before the place, we were prepared to receive him.

General Izard named the principal work Fort Moreau,

and, to remind the troops of the actions of their brave countrymen, I called the redoubt on the right Fort Brown; and that on the left Fort Scott. Besides these three works we have two block-houses strongly fortified,

Finding, on examining the returns of the garrison, that our force did not exceed fifteen hundred effective men for duty, and well informed that the enemy had as many thousands, I called on general Mooers, of the New York militia, and arranged with him plans for bringing forth the militia, en masse. The inhabitants of the village fled with their families and effects, except a few worthy citizens and some boys, who formed themselves into a party, received rifles, and were exceedingly useful. By the fourth of the month general Mooers collected about 700 militia, and advanced seven miles on the Beckmantown road, to watch the motions of the enemy, and to skirmish with him as he advanced: also to obstruct the roads with fallen trees, and to break up the bridges.

On the lake road to Dead creek bridge, I posted 200 men under captain Sproul of the 13th regiment, with orders to abattis the woods, to place obstructions in the road, and to fortify himself; to this party-I added two field-pieces. In advance of this position, was lieutenant-colonel Appling with 110 riflemen, watching the movements of the enemy, and procuring intelligence. It was ascertained, that before daylight on the 6th, the enemy would advance in two columns on the two roads before mentioned, dividing at Sampson's, a little below Chazy village. The column on the Beckmantown road proceeded most rapidly; the militia skirmished with his advanced parties, and, except a few brave men, fell back most precipitately in the greatest disorder, notwithstanding the British troops did not deign to fire on them, except by their flankers and advanced patroles. The night previous I ordered major Wool to advance with a detachment of 250 men to support the militia, and set them an example of firmness. Also captain Leonard of the light artillery was directed to proceed with two pieces to be on the ground before day, yet he did not make his appearance until eight o'clock, when the enemy had approached within two miles of the village. With his conduct, therefore, I am not well pleased. Major Wool, with his party, disputed the road with great obstinacy, but the militia could not be prevailed upon to stand, notwithstanding the exertions of their general and staff officers; although the fields were divided by strong stone walls, and they were told that the enemy could not possibly cut them off. The state dragoons of New York wear red coats, and they being on the heights to watch the enemy, gave constant alarm to the militia, who mistook them for the enemy, and feared his getting in their rear. Finding the enemy's columns had penetrated within a mile of Plattsburgh, I despatched my aid-de-camp, lieutenant Root, to bring off the detachment at Dead Creek, and to inform lieutenant Appling that I wished him to fall on the enemy's right fank. The colonel fortunately arrived just in time to save his retreat, and to fall in with the head of a column debouching from the woods. Here he poured in a destructive fire from his riflemen at rest, and continued to annoy the column until he formed a junction with major Wool. The field-pieces did considerable execution among the enemy's columns. So undaunted, however, was the enemy, that he never deployed in his whole march, always pressing on in column. Finding that every road was full of troops crowding on us on all sides, I ordered the field-pieces to retire across the bridge and form a battery for its protection, and to cover the retreat of the infantry, which was accordingly done, and the parties of Appling and Wool, as well as that of Sproul, retired alternately, keeping up a brisk fire until they got under cover of the works The enemy's light troops occupied the houses near the bridge, and kept up a constanı firing from the windows and balconies, and annoved us much. I ordered them to be driven out with hot shot, which soon put the houses in flames, and obliged these sharp-shooters to retire. The whole day, until it was too late to see, the enemy's light troops endeavoured to drive our guards from the bridge, but they suffered dearly for their perseverance. An attempt was also made to cross the upper bridge, where the militia handsomely drove them back:

The column which marched by the lake road was much impeded by the obstructions, and the removal of the bridge at Dead Creek, and, as it passed the creek and beach, the gallies kept up a lively and galling fire.

Our troops being now on the south side of the Saranac, I directed the planks to be taken off the bridges and piled up in the form of breast-works to cover our parties intended for disputing the passage, which afterwards enabled us to hold the bridges against very superior numbers.

From the 7th to ihe 11th, the enemy was employed in getting on his battering train, and erecting his batteries and approaches, and constantly skirmishing at the bridges and fords. By this time the militia of New York, and the volun

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teers of Vermont were pouring in from all quarters. I advised general Mooers to keep his force along the Saranac to prevent the enemy's crossing the river, and to send a strong body in his rear to harass him day and night, and keep him in continual alarm.

The militia behaved with great spirit after the first day, and the volunteers of Vermont were exceedingly serviceable. Our regular troops, notwithstanding the skirmishing and repeated endeavours of the enemy to cross the river, kept at their work day and night, strengthening the defences, and evinced a determination to hold out to the last extremity.

It was reported that the enemy only waited the arrival of his flotilla to make a general attack. About eight in the evening of the 11th, as was expected, the flotilla appeared in sight round Cumberland Head, and at nine bore down and engaged our flotilla at anchor in the bay off the town. At the same instant the batteries were opened on us, and continued throwing bomb-shells, sharpnells, balls, and congreve rockets until sunset, when the bombardment ceased, every battery of the enemy being silenced by the superiority of our fire. The naval engagement lasted but two hours in full view of both armies. Three efforts were made by the enemy to pass the river at the commencement of the connonade and bombardment, with a view of assaulting the works, and had prepared for that purpose an immense number of scaling ladders. One attempt to cross was made at the village bridge, and another at the upper bridge, and a third at a ford about three miles from the works. At the two first he was repulsed by the regulars, at the ford by the brave volunteers and militia, where he suffered severely in killed, wounded, and prisoners; a considerable body having crossed the stream, but were either killed, taken, or driven back. The woods at this place were very favourable to the operations of the militia. A whole company of the 76th regiment was here destroyed, the three lieutenants and twenty-seven men taken prisoners, the captain and the rest killed.

I cannot forego the pleasure of here stating the gallant conduct of captain M'Glassin, of the 15th regiment, who was ordered to ford the river, and attack a party constructing a battery on the right of he enemy's line, within 500 yards of Fort Brown, which he handsomely executed at midnight, with 50 men; drove off the working party, consisting of 150, and defeated a covering party of the same number, killing 1 officer and 6 men in the charge, and wounding many.

At dusk the enemy withdrew his artillery from the batte