Daily National Intelligencer

BRITISH POLICY CHANGING.

The following extract from a general order of the British commander at Kingston (Upper Canada) will serve to illustrate the policy of meeting the enemy with his own weapons, and retaliating upon him his own cruelties—the employment of Indians on our part, has it appears, already worked a wonderful change among the defenders of the faith, for the same price is now offered for the bringing in of a prisoner, that is given for a scalp. We hope for the sake of humanity, that the principle of retaliation, which has already began to operate so successfully will be persisted in, until the enemy find it their interest to discontinue the system of conflagration, robbery, murder, and brutality, which has hitherto marked their career, and to carry on the war on principles of honor, and in the mode practised by civilized nations.

Aurora.

GENERAL ORDER:

The commander of the forces has had under his consideration the report of a board of officers, of which brigadier general Vincent was president, assembled by his excellency's orders, at the head-quarters of the centre division of the army of St David's, the 20th of July, 1813, for the purpose of considering the claims of the Indian warriors in regard to head money for prisoners of war brought in by them, and to the propriety of some provisions being made for those who may be disabled on service.

With a view to soften and restrain the Indian Warriors in their conduct towards such Americans as may be made by them prisoners of war, his excellency is pleased to approve of the following arrangements, submitted by that board, and directs that the same may be acted upon, viz.

The proceedings of a council with the several Indian warriors, assembled at the Forty Mile Creek, on the 27th ult. having been presented to the board it is of opinion that upon the subject of head money upon prisoners of war brought in by Indians, allowance should be made to them for each prisoner brought in alive, of five dollars.

The board is of opinion the following rates of pensions are sufficient:-

To a chief, for loss of eye, limb, or receiving a wound equal to loss of limb—100 dollars per annum, in money or presents.

To a warrior for loss of eye, limb, or receiving a wound equal to loss of limb—70 dollars per annum, in money or presents.

To the widow or family of a chief killed in action, or dying of his wounds—a present of 200 dollars in money or goods.

To the widow or family of a warrior killed in action, or dying of his wounds—a present of 140 dollars in money or goods.

The board is of opinion the Indians ought to be entitled to prize money for the capture of Detroit in the following proportion Chiefs as subalterns—Warriors as privates.

The head money for prisoners of war brought in by the Indian warriors is to be immediately paid by the commissaries, upon the certificate of the general officer commanding the division with which they are acting at the time.

EDWARD BAYNES, Adj. Gen.