Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

WASHINGTON CITY. Oct. 29.
Copies of letters from Major General
Van Rensselaer, of the New-York
Militia, to Major Gen. Henry Dear-
born, transmitted by the latter to the
Department of War.

HEAD QUARTERS, LEWISTOWN,
October 14, 1812.

SIR--As the movements of the army
under my command, since I had last the
honor to address you on the 8th instant,
have been of a very important character,
producing consequences serious to many
individuals; establishing facts actually
connected with the interest of the
service and the safety of the army; and
as I stand prominently responsible for
some of these consequences, I beg leave
to explain to you, sir, and through you
to my country, the situation and circum-
stances in which I have had to act, and
the reasons and motives which governed
me; & if the result is not all that might
have been wished, it is such, that when
the whole ground shall be viewed, I
shall cheerfully submit myself to the
judgment of my country.

In my letter of the 8th instant I ap-
prised you that a crisis in this cam-
paign was rapidly advancing; and that
(to repeat the same words) "the blow
must be soon struck, or all the toil and
expence of the campaign go for nothing
and worse than nothing, for the whole
will be tinged with dishonor."

Under such impressions, I had on the
5th instant written to brigadier-general
Smyth of the United States forces, re-
questing an interview with him, major
general Hall, and the commandants of
the United States' regiments, for the
purpose of conferring upon the subject
of future operations. I wrote major
general Hall to the same purport. On
the 11th, I had received no answer from
general Smyth; but in a note to me of
the 10th, general Hall mentioned that
general Smyth had not yet then agreed
upon any day for the consultation.

In the mean time, the partial success
of lieutenant Elliott, at Black Rock, (of
which, however, I have received no of-
ficial information) began to excite a
strong disposition in the troops to act.
This was expressed to me through va-
rious channels in the shape of an alter-
native: that they must have orders to
act; or, at all hazards, they would go
home. I forbear here commenting upon
the obvious consequences to me, per-
sonally, of longer withholding my orders
under such circumstances.

I had a conference with ---
-- as to
the possibility of getting some person
to pass over to Canada and obtain cor-
rect information. On the morning of
the 4th he wrote to me that he had
procured the man who bore his letter to
go over. Instructions were given him;
he passed over--obtained such informa-
tion as warranted an immediate attack.
This was confidentially communicated to
several of my first officers, and produc-
ed great zeal to act; more especially as
it might have a controlling effect upon
the movements at Detroit, where it was
supposed general Brock had gone with
all the force he dared spare from the
Niagara frontier. The best preparations
in my power were therefore made, to
dislodge the enemy from the Heights of
Queenstown, and possess ourselves of
the village, where the troops might be
sheltered from the distressing inclemen-
cy of the weather.

Lieut. Col. Fenwick's flying artillery,
and a detachment of regular troops un-
der his command, were ordered to be
up in season from Fort Niagara.
Orders were also sent to general Smyth to
send down from Buffalo such detach-
ment of his brigade as existing circum-
stances in that vicinity might warrant.
The attack was to have been made at 4
o'clock in the morning of the 11th, by
crossing over in boats from the Old Fer-
ry opposite the Heights. To avoid any
embarrassment in crossing the river
(which is here a sheet of violent eddies)
experienced boatmen were procured to
take the boats from the landing below to
the place of embarkation. Lieut. Sim
was considered the man of greatest skill
for this service. He went ahead, and
in the extreme darkness, passed the in-
tended place far up the river, and there,
in a most extraordinary manner, fasten-
ed his boat to the shore, and abandoned
the detachment. In this front boat he
had carried nearly every oar which was
prepared for all the boats. In this ago-
nizing dilemma, stood officers and men,
whose ardor had not been cooled by ex-
posure through the night to one of the
most tremendous north-east storms,
which continued, unabated, for twenty
-eight hours, and deluged the whole
camp. The approach of day light ex-
tinguished every prospect of success,
and the detachment returned to camp.
Col. Van Rensselaer was to have com-
manded the detachment.

After this result, I had hoped the pa-
tience of the troops would have conti-
nued until I could submit the plan sug-
gested in my letter of the 5th, that I
might act under and in conformity to the
opinion which might be then expressed.
But my hope was idle: the previously
excited ardor seemed to have gained
new heat from the late miscarriage--
the brave men were mortified to stop
short of their object, and the timid tho't
laurels half won by an attempt.

On the morning of the 12th, such was
the pressure upon me from all quarters
that I became satisfied that my refusal
to act might involve me in suspicion,
and the service in disgrace.

Viewing the affairs at Buffalo as yet
unsettled, I had immediately counter-
manded the march of general Smyth's
brigade upon the failure of the first
expedition; but having now determined
to attack Queenstown, I sent new or-
ders to general Smyth to march; not
with the view of his aid in the attack,
for I considered the force detached suf-
ficient, but to support the detachment
should the conflict be obstinate and long
continued.

Lieut. Colonel Christie, who had just
arrived at the Four Mile Creek, being
late in the night of the first contem-
plated attack, gallantly offered me his
own and his men's service; but he got
my permission too late. He now again
came forward; had a conference with
colonel Van Rensselaer, and begged that
he might have the honor of a command
in the expedition. The arrangement
was made. Col. Van Rensselaer was to
command one column of 300 militia;
and lieut. col. Christie a column of the
same number of regular troops.

Every precaution was now adopted as
to boats, and the most confidential and
experienced men to manage them. At
an early hour in the night, lieut. colonel
Christie marched his detachment, by the
rear road, from Niagara to Camp. At 7
in the evening lieut col. Stranahan's re-
giment moved from Niagara Falls--at 8
o'clock Mead's--and at 9, lieut. colonel
Blan's regiment marched from the same
place. All were in camp in good sea-
son. Agreeably to my orders issued up-
on this occasion, the two columns were
to pass over together; as soon as the
heights should be carried, lieut. colonel
Fenwick's flying artillery was to pass
over; then major Mullany's detachment
of regulars; and the other troops to fol-
low in order.

At dawn of day the boats were in rea-
diness, and the troops commenced em-
barking, under the cover of a command-
ing battery mounting 2 eighteen pound-
ers and 2 sixes. The movement was
soon discovered, and a brisk fire of mus-
ketry was poured from the whole line of
the Canada shore. Our battery then
opened to sweep the shore; but it was,
for some minutes, too dark to direct
much fire with safety. A brisk cannon-
ade was now opened upon the boats from
three different batteries--our battery re-
turned their fire, and occasionally threw
grape upon the shore, and was itself
served with shells from a small mortar
of the enemy's. Colonel Scott, of the
artillery, by hastening his march from
Niagara Falls in the night, arrived in
season to return the enemy's fire with 2
six pounders.

The boats were somewhat embarrassed
with the eddies, as well as with a
shower of shot; but colonel Van Rens-
selaer, with about 100 men, soon effect-
ed his landing amidst a tremendous fire
directed upon him from every point;
but to the astonishment of all who wit-
nessed the scene, this van of the column
advanced slowly against the fire. It was
a serious misfortune to the van, and in-
-deed to the whole expedition, that in a
few minutes after landing, colonel Van
Rensselaer received four wounds--a ball
passed through his right thigh, entering
just below the hip-bone--another shot
passed through the same thigh, a little
below--the third through the calf of his
left leg--and a fourth contused his
heel. This was quite a crisis in the ex-
pedition. Under so severe a fire it was
difficult to form raw troops. By some
mismanagement of the boatmen, lieut.
col. Christie did not arrive until some
time after this, and was wounded in the
hand in passing the river. Col. Van
Rensselaer was still able to stand; and
with great presence of mind ordered his
officers to proceed with rapidity and
storm the fort. This service was gal-
lantly performed, and the enemy driven
down the hill in every direction. Soon
after this both parties were considerably
reinforced, and the conflict was renewed
in various places--many of the enemy
took shelter behind a stone guard house,
where a piece of ordnance was now
briskly served. I ordered the fire of
our battery, directed upon the guard-
house; and it was so effectually done,
that with 8 or 10 shot the fire was si-
lenced. The enemy then retreated be-
hind a large store house; but in a short
time the route became general, and the
enemy's fire was silenced except from a
one gun battery, so far down the river
as to be out of the reach of our heavy
ordnance, and our light pieces could not
silence it. A number of boats now pass-
ed over unannoyed, except from the one
unsilenced gun. For some time after I
had passed over, the victory appeared
complete: but in the expectation of
further attacks, I was taking measures
for fortifying my camp immediately--
the direction of this service I committed
to lieut. Totten, of the engineers. But
soon the enemy were reinforced by a
detachment of several hundred Indians
from Chipawa--they commenced a fu-
rious attack; but were promptly met
and routed by the rifle and bayonet. By
this time, I perceived my troops were
embarking very slowly. I passed im-
mediately over to accelerate their move-
ments; but to my utter astonishment, I
found that at this very moment when
complete victory was in our hands, the
ardor of the unengaged troops had en-
tirely subsided. I rode in all directions
urged men by every consideration to
pass over--but in vain. Lieut. colonel
Bloom, who had been wounded in action,
mounted his horse and rode through the
camp; as did also Judge Peck, who hap-
pened to be here, exhorting the compa-
nies to proceed but all in vain.

At this time a large reinforcement
from Fort George were discovered com-
ing up the river. As the battery on the
hill was considered an important check
against their ascending the heights, mea-
sures were immediately taken to send
them a fresh supply of ammunition, as
I had learnt there were left only 20 shot
for the 18 pounders. The reinforcement,
however, obliqued to the right from the
road, and formed a junction with the In-
dians in the rear of the heights. Find-
ing to my infinite mortification, that no
reinforcement would pass over; seeing
that another severe conflict must soon
commence; and knowing that the brave
men on the heights were quite exhaust-
ed and nearly out of ammunition, all I
could do was to send them a fresh sup-
ply of cartridges. At this critical mo-
ment I dispatched a note to gen. Wads-
worth, acquainting him with our situa-
tion--leaving the course to be pursued
much to his own judgment--with assu-
rance that if he thought best to retreat,
I would endeavor to send as many boats
as I could command, and cover his re-
treat by every fire I could safely make.
But the boats were dispersed--many
the boatmen had fled, panic struck--but
few got off. But my note could hardly
have reached Gen. Wadsworth about 4
o'clock, when a most severe and
obstinate conflict commenced and continued
about half an hour, with a tremen-
dous fire of cannon, flying artillery and
musketry. The enemy succeeded in
re-possessing their battery; and gaining
advantages on every side, the brave men
who had gained the victory, exhausted
of strength and ammunition,
grieved at the unpardonable neglect of
their fellow-soldiers, gave up the
conflict.

I can only add, that the victory was
really won; but lost for the want of a
small reinforcement. One third part of
the idle men might have saved all.

I have been so pressed with the various
duties of burying the dead, providing
for the wounded, collecting the public
property, negotiating an exchange
of prisoners, and all the concerns conse-
quent of such a battle, that I have not
been able to forward this dispatch at as
early an hour as I could have wished. I
shall soon forward you another dispatch
in which I shall endeavor to point out to
you the conduct of some most gallant &
deserving officers. But I cannot in jus-
tice close this without expressing the
very great obligation I am under to
brigadier-general Wadsworth, Colonel
Van Rensselaer, Col. Scott, Lt. Colonels
Christie and Fenwick, and Captain Gib-
son.

Many others have also behaved
most gallantly. As I have reason to be-
lieve that many of our troops fled to the
woods with the hope of crossing the ri-
ver, I have not been able to learn the
probable number of killed, wounded or
prisoners. The slaughter of our troops
must have been very considerable. And
the enemy have suffered severely.

General Brock is among their slain,
and his aid-de-camp mortally wounded.

I have the honor to be, sir, with great
respect and consideration, your most
obedient servant.

(Signed)
STN. VAN RENSSELAER,
Major-General.

Major General Dearborn.

HEAD QUARTERS
Lewiston, 15th October, 1812.

Sir--For any further particulars re-
specting the action; the present situa-
tion and movements of our troops; the
appearance of the enemy's situation; and
our future prospects, generally, I beg
leave to refer you to Captain Dox, who
will have the honor to deliver you this
dispatch. Capt. Dox is an intelligent
officer, and much reliance may be plac-
ed on his information and judgment.

I am, with great respect, sir, your O-
bedient servant

(Signed)
STN. VAN RENSSELAER.

Major-General Dearborn.