proceeding up the Patuxent on the flank of the army. When they approached the station of commodore Barney with his flotilla, that officer did not wait an attack, but set fire to his vessels, all of which, to the number of 17, were blown to pieces, except one, which was captured. The expedition was now within 16 miles of Washington; and the force of the Americans being ascertained to be only such as would authorise an attempt to carry the capital, Gen. Ross determined on making it. He put his troops in motion on the evening of the 23rd, and on the 24th reached Bladensburg, on the eastern bank of the Potowmac, about five miles from Washington.

The enemy was now discovered on the opposite side of the river, strongly posted on two commanding heights, formed in two lines, his advance occupying a fortified house, which, with artillery, covered the bridge over which the British troops were to pass. They were in number 8 or 9,000 men, with 3 or 400 cavalry, commanded by Gen. Winder, and composed of troops drawn from Baltimore and Pennsylvania. The disposition for an attack being made, the British light brigade soon carried the fortified house, the enemy retiring to the higher ground. The assailants rushed on, and with an irresistible charge, drove the first line upou the second, which also got into disorder, and fled with rapidity, leaving the British in full possession of the field. Of the American artillery, ten pieces fell into the victor's hands, its commander commodore Barney being wounded and taken prisoner. The British

loss in this action did not exceed 250 in killed and wounded.

After a short halt, Gen. Ross marched to Washington, which he reached at 8 o'clock in the evening, and he immediately began the destruction of the public buildings. Those committed to the flames were the Capitol, including the senate-house and house of representation, the arsenal, the dockyard, treasury, war-office, President's palace, rope-walk, and the great bridge across the Potowmac: in the dock-yard were consumed a frigate nearly ready to be launched, and a sloop of war. The object of the expedition being effected, it was determined to withdraw the troops, before any greater force of the enemy could be assembled; and a retreat was accordingly commenced on the night of the 25th. The army reached Benedict on the 29th, and re-embarked on the following day, having met with no molestation on their return, and nothing could be more complete than the success of this daring enterprize, the credit of suggesting which is given by the general to admiral Cockburn.

By the capture of Washington, the American government not only sustained a severe loss in property, but incurred much reproach from the nation, especially ~ from the party adverse to the war, as having been the occasion of a disgrace, which it had taken no effectual measures to prevent. A vulnerable part of the republic was now exposed, and men's minds were impressed with a sense of imminent danger, where before it had been regarded only as a remote possibiltiy. On the other

hand, it cannot be concealed, that the extent of devastation practised by the victors, brought a heavy censure upon the British character, not only in America, but on the continent of Europe. It is acknowledged, that strict discipline was observed, while the troops were in possession of Washington, and private property was anxiously protected; but the destruction not only of every establishment connected with war, but of edifices consecrated to the purposes of civil government, and affording specimens of the advance of the fine arts among a rising people, was thought an indulgence of animosity more suitable to the times of barbarism, than to an age and nation in which hostility is softened by sentiments of generosity, and civilized policy.

If there be such a thing as humanized war, its principle must consist in inflicting no other evils upon an enemy, than are necessary to promote the success of warlike operations. This indeed may be construed so as to admit of a wide scope of mischief, and it will sometimes scarcely be possible to draw the line between allowable and illicit injury. But there are cases in which no ambiguity exists, and those of the destruction of useful or ornamental works, the purpose of which is altogether pacific, seem to be of this kind. History presents many instances of the hostile conflagration of palaces, which have seldom failed to be reprobated as acts of unmanly vengeance. Retaliation, indeed, has usually been the pretext for hostilities exceeding the prescribed measure; and in the

present case, the excesses committed by the Americans in their invasion of Canada have been made the apology for the devastations at Washington. But it has appeared in the preceding narrative, that due retribution had already been inflicted for those enormities, with the promise that the punishment should not be carried farther without fresh provocation. If the matter be considered in a simply political light, it can scarcely be thought desirable that unnecessary severities should be practised, which must leave a deep and durable resentment in the bosoms of a people, with whom a restoration of the relations of peace and amity is so much to be wished. Such reflections as these will naturally occur to every one, who has at heart the honour and moral reputation of his country, as well as its character for military

prowess.

It has been mentioned, that a part of the operations against Washington consisted in dispatching a force against fort Washington, situated upon the Potowmac below that city. Capt. Gordon of the Sea-horse, the commander of this expedition, proceeded with several other vessels up the Potowmac on August 17th, but for want of pilots, was not able, after severe labour, to reach the fort till the 27th. On the evening of that day he began the bombardment of the place, the effect of which was such, that after the explosion of a powder-magazine, the garrison evacuated it, and possession was taken of the fort and batteries at day-light on the 28th. A number of pieces of heavy ordnance were found spiked in the works, the

destruction of which, with their carriages, was completed by the captors. The populous and commercial town of Alexandria, situated higher on the same river, thus lost its sole protection; and Capt. Gordon having no obstacle to his advance against it, buoyed the channel, and placed his shipping in such a position as to enforce compliance with the terms which he had resolved to insist upon. The common-council of Alexandria in the mean time having assembled, unanimously concurred in a resolution, stating, that the forts for the defence of the district having been blown up by their own men, and abandoned without resistance, and the town being left without troops or means of resistance to the hostile force now in sight, they have with reluctance been compelled to authorize an arrangement with the -enemy, by which it has been stipulated, that during their continuance before the town they are not to be molested. The conditions proposed by Capt. Gordon, and acceded to by the corporation of Alexandria, imported that the town, with the exception of public works, should not be destroyed, nor the inhabitants in any manner molested, on compliance with the following articles-that all naval and ordnance stores, public and private, be given up; that possession is immediately to be taken of all the shipping, the furniture of which must be sent on board by their owners; that the sunk vessels are to be delivered in the state they were in on the 19th: that merchandize of every description must be instantly delivered up, including all such as has been re

moved from the town since the 19th; and that refreshments are to be supplied to the British squadron at the market-price. This capitulation was signed on the 29th, and the whole of the captured vessels which were seaworthy, being 21 in number, were fitted and loaded by the 21st. Capt. Gordon being now informed, that great preparations were making by the Americans to oppose his return, determined to quit Alexandria, without waiting to destroy the remaining stores which he had not the means of bringing away. Contrary winds impeded the progress of the squadron down the river, and the grounding of one of the ships afforded the enemy an opportunity of attempting its destruction, and raising batteries to command the channel. The skill and gallantry of the different commanders, however, enabled Capt. Gordon to bring back in safety all his ships and prizes, and he was at anchor in the Chesapeak on Sept. 9th.

The result of this expedition, with that of the enterprize against the capital of the United States, appear to have been particularly galling to the President, who, on Sept. 8th, issued a proclamation, in which he speaks of the devastation at Washington, and the plunder at Alexandria, as nieasures of extreme and barbarous severity. He further states, that "it appears, by a direct communication from the British commander on the American station, to be his avowed purpose to employ the force under his direction in destroying and laying waste such towns and districts upon the coast as may be found assailable,

under the pretext of retaliation for a wanton destruction committed by the army of the United States in Upper Canada, when no destruction was committed which was not unauthorized,and promptly shown to be so." The proclamation then calls upon all officers to be alert and vigilant in providing the means of defence, and authorizes them to call in for the defence of threatened places, portions of militia most convenient thereto, whether they be or be not parts of the quotas detached for the service of the United States under requisitions of the general govern

ment.

Resuming the narrative of events, we have next to notice an attack upon a body of American militia posted at Bellair, by Sir Peter Parker, captain of his Majesty's ship Menelaus lying in the Chesapeak. From information received of their number and position, Sir Peter landed about 120 men on the night of August 30th, and marching at their head up the country, found the enemy drawn up in line before their camp in the inidst of woods, and in much greater force than had been represented. He did not, however, hesitate to attack, but as he was animating his men, he received a mortal wound. The other officers gallantly continued the combat, and forced the enemy to full retreat; but the inequality of their numbers rendered it expedient to fall back to the beach, carrying with them their wounded. Besides the death of their brave. commander, the assailing party iucurred a loss of 41 killed and

wounded.

The approach of the equinox

rendering it unsafe for the British fleet to proceed immediately to sea out of the Chesapeak, and act according to a concerted plan of further operations, it was agreed between Admiral Cochrane and General Ross, to employ the intermediate time in an attempt upon the important maritime town of Baltimore, which had been thrown into the utmost alarm by the fate of the neighbouring capital. The Admiral accordingly sailed up the bay, and on Sept. 11, anchored off the mouth of the Patapsco river, on the north side of which, round a kind of bason, Baltimore is situated. On the following day the troops were disembarked at the distance of about 13 miles from the town; the approach to which is through a peninsula formed by the Patapsco and Black rivers. An entrenchment extended across this neck of laud, which the Americans were diligently employed in completing, when they precipitately abandoned the work on the approach of the British forces. Two miles beyond this post the advance of the British were engaged with the enemy's rifle men covered by the surrounding woods, and at this spot Gen. Ross received a mortal wound in his breast. He immediately sent for the second in command, Col. Brooke, and after giving him his instructions, and recommending his young family to the protection of his country, exclaiming "My dear wife!" he dropt senseless. "Thus (says Col. Brooke) fell, at an early age, one of the brightest ornaments of his profession; one who, either at the head of a regiment, a brigade, or · corps,hadalike displayed the talents of command; who was not less beloved in his private, than enthusias

tically admired in his public character; and whose only fault, if it may be deemed so, was an excess of galHantry, enterprise, and devotion to the service." A tribute not less warm and affectionate is paid to his memory in the dispatch of the 'naval cominander.

The van of the British continued to press forward, pushing before it the enemy's light troops, to within five miles from Baltimore, where a corps of about 6,000 men, with cavalry and six pieces of artillery, was descried posted under cover of a wood, and in dense order lining a paling which crossed the main road. Dispositions were immediately made by Colonel Brooke for a general attack, which began by the light brigades driving the enemy's skirmishers upon his main body with great loss. The rest of the troops pressing on with rapidity, in less than fifteen minutes the Americans were entirely broken and dispersed, leaving on the field two pieces of cannon, and a considerable number of killed, wounded, and prisoners. The day being now far advanced, the fatigued troops halted for the night on the ground on which the enemy had been posted; and the commander received a communication from Admiral Cochrane stating that the frigates, bomb-vessels, and flotilla of the fleet would take their proposed stations on the following morning. At day break on the 13th the army advanced, and at ten o'clock occupied a position a mile and a half to the eastward of Baltimore. This town is completely surrounded by detached hills, on which were constructed a chain of pallisaded redoubts connected by a small breast-work. These works

were defended, according to the best information, by about 15,000 men, with a large train of artillery. Relying, however, on the quality of his soldiers, the British commander had planned a nocturnal attack, in which the superiority of the enemy's artillery would have been less felt; but on the evening of that day a message from the admiral informed him that the entrance to the harbour was closed. in such a manner by a barrier of sunken vessels, defended by gunboats and fortifications, that a nearer approach of the ships was impracticable. It was in consequence agreed by both commanders, that the chance of capturing the town was not an equivalent for the probable loss which would be incurred by storming the heights. The Colonel therefore moved back three miles from the position which he had occupied, where he halted to see whether the enemy would be induced to quit his entrenchments and follow him, No demonstration of that kind being made, the army, on the 15th, was moved down to the place of reembarkation, carrying with it 200 prisoners, many of them belonging to the best families in Baltimore. The general alarm and confusion excited by this attempt, the necessity to the enemy of sinking a number of vessels, and burning a rope-walk and other public buildings, and the rout to which he had been put in a general action, were farther consolations for the failure of an enterprize conducted with the characteristic spirit and activity of British troops. The heaviest loss sustained was that of the lamented General. The killed and wounded in the action of the