Captains Palmer and Money, for their exertions during the march to and from Washington. To Captoin Nourse, who has commanded the flotilla during my absence, my acknowledgments are also most justly due, as well as to Captains Sullivan, Badcock, Somerville, Ramsay, and Bruce, who have acted in it under him.

Lieutenant James Stott, now first lieutenant of the Albion, has on this occasion rendered me essential services; and as I have had reason so often of late to mention to you the gallant and meritorious conduct of this officer, I trust you will permit me to seize this opportunity of recommending him particularly to your favourable notice and consideration.

Captain Robyns (the senior of fcer of marines with the fleet), who has had, during these operations, the marines of the ships united under his orders, has executed ably and zealously the several services with which he has been intrusted, and is entitled to my best acknowledgments accordingly; as is also Captain Harrison, of the marine artillery, who, with the officers and men attached to him, accompanied the army to and from Washington.

Mr. Dobie, surgeon of the Melpomene, volunteered his professional services on this occasion, and rendered much assistance to the wounded on the field of battle, as well as to many of the men taken ill on the line of march.

One colonial marine killed, one master's mate, two serjeants, and three colonial marines wounded, are the casualties sustained by the naval department; a general list of the killed and wounded of the whole army will of course accom

Downing-street, Oct. 17, 1814. Capt. Macdougall arrived early this morning with a dispatch addressed to Earl Bathurst, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State by Colonel Brook, of which the following is a copy :

On board H. M. S. Tonnant, Chesapeake, Sept. 17, 1814.

My Lord, I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that the division of troops under the command of Major General Ross effected a disembarkation on the morning of the 12th of September near North Point, on the left point of the Patapsco River, distant from Baltimore about thirteen miles, with the view of pushing a reconnoissance, in co-operation with the naval forces, to that town; and acting thereon as the enemy's strength and positions might be found to dictate.

The approach on this side to Baltimore lies through a small peninsula formed by the Patapsco and Back River, and generally from two to three miles broad,

while it narrows in some places to less than half a mile.

Three miles from North Point the enemy had entrenched himself quite across this neck of land, towards which (the disembarkation having been completed at an early hour) the troops advanced.

The enemy was actively employed in the completion of this work, deepening the ditch, and strengthening its front by a low abbatis, both which, however, he precipitately abandoned on the approach of our skirmishers, leaving in our hands some few dragoons, being part of his rear guard.

About two miles beyond this post our advance became engaged; the country was here closely wooded, and the enemy's riflemen were enabled to conceal themselves. At this moment the gallant General Ross received a wound in his breast, which proved mortal. He only survived to recommend a young and unprovided family to the protection of his King and country.

Thus fell at an early age one of the brightest ornaments of his profession; one who, whether at the head of a regiment, a brigade, or corps, had alike displayed the talents of command; who was not less beloved in his private, than enthusiastically admired in his public character; and whose only fault, if it may be deemed so, was an excess of gallantry, enterprise, and devotion to the service.

If ever it were permitted to a soldier to lament those who fall in battle, we may indeed in this instance claim that melancholy privilege.

Thus it is, that the honour of

addressing your Lordship, and the command of this army, have devolved upon me; duties which, under any other circumstances, might have been embraced as the most enviable gifts of fortune: and here I venture to solicit through your Lordship, his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's consideration to the circumstances of my succeeding, during operations of so much moment, to an officer of such high and established merit.

Our advance continuing to press forward, the enemy's light troops were pushed to within five miles of Baltimore, where a corps of about six thousand men, six pieces of artillery, and some hundred cavalry, were discovered posted under cover of a wood, drawn up in a very dense order, and lining a strong paling, which crossed the main road nearly at right angles. The creeks and inlets of the Patapsco, and Back Rivers, which approach each other at this point, will in some measure account for the contracted nature of the enemy's position.

I immediately ordered the necessary dispositions for a general attack. The light brigade, under the command of Major Jones, of the 4th, consisting of the 85th light infantry, under Major Gubbins, and the light companies of the army under Major Pringle, of the 21st, covered the whole of the front, driving in the enemy's skirmishers with great loss on his main body. The 4th regiment, under Major Faunce, by a detour through some hollow ways, gained unperceived a lodgment close upon the enemy's left. The remainder of the right brigade, under the command of the Hon. Lieutenant

Colonel Mullins, consisting of the 44th regiment under Major Johnson, the marines of the fleet under Captain Robbyns, and a detachment of seamen under Captain Money, of the Trave, formed line along the enemy's front, while the left brigade under Colonel Paterson, consisting of the 21st regiment, commanded by Major Whitaker, the 2d battalion marines by Lieut.-Colonel Malcolm, and a detachment of marines by Major Lewis, remained in columns on the road, with orders to deploy to his left, and press the enemy's right, the moment the ground became sufficiently open to admit of that movement.

In this order, the signal being given, the whole of the troops advanced rapidly to the charge. In less than fifteen minutes, the enemy's force being utterly broken and dispersed, fled in every direction over the country, leaving on the field two pieces of cannon, with a considerable number of killed, wounded, and prisoners.

The enemy lost in this short but brilliant affair from five to six hundred in killed and wounded; while at the most moderate computation, he is at least one thou sand hors de combat. The 5th regiment of militia, in particular, has been represented as nearly annihilated.

the frigates, bomb ships, and flotilla of the fleet, would on the ensuing morning take their stations as previously proposed.

At day-break on the 13th, the army again advanced, and at ten o'clock I occupied a favourable position eastward of Baltimore, distant about a mile and a half, and from whence I could reconnoitre at my leisure the defences of that town.

Baltimore is completely surrounded by strong but detached hills, on which the enemy had constructed a chain of palisaded redoubts, connected by a small breast-work: I have, however, reason to think that the defence to the northward and westward of the place were in a very unfinished state. Chinkapin Hill, which lay in front of our position, completely commands the town; this was the strongest part of the line, and here the enemy seemed most apprehensive of attack. These works were defended, according to the best information which we could obtain, by about fifteen thousand men, with a large train of artillery.

Judging it perfectly feasible, with the description of forces under my command, I made arrangements for a night attack, during which the superiority of the enemy's artillery would not have been so much felt, and Capt. M'Dougall, the bearer of these dispatches, will have the honour to point out to your Lordship those particular points of the line which I had proposed to act on.

During the evening, however, received a communication from the Commander in Chief of the naval forces, by which I was informed, that in consequence of the

entrance

entrance to the harbour being closed up by vessels sunk for that purpose by the enemy, a naval co-operation against the town and camp was found impracticable.

Under these circumstances, and keeping in view your Lordship's instructions, it was agreed be tween the Vice-Admiral and my self, that the capture of the town would not have been a sufficient equivalent to the loss which might probably be sustained in storming the heights.

Having formed this resolution, after compelling the enemy to sink upwards of twenty vessels in different parts of the harbour, causing the citizens to remove almost the whole of their property to places of more security inland, obliging the government to concentrate all the military force of the surrounding states, harassing the militia, and forcing them to collect from many remote districts, causing the enemy to burn a valuable rope-walk, with other public buildings, in order to clear the glacis in front of their redoubts, besides having beaten and routed them in a general action, I retired on the 14th, three miles from the position which I had occupied, where I halted during some hours. This tardy movement was partly caused by an expectation that the enemy might possibly be induced to move out of the entrenchments and follow us; but he profited by the lesson which he had received on the 12th, and towards the evening I retired the troops about three miles and a half further, where I took up my ground for the night.

Having ascertained at a late hour on the morning of the 15th,

that the enemy had no disposition to quit his intrenchments, I moved down and re-embarked the army at North Point, not leaving a man behind, and carrying with me about two hundred prisoners, being persons of the best families in the city, and which number might have been very considerably increased, was not the fatigue of the troops an object principally to be avoided.

I have now to remark to your Lordship, that nothing could surpass the zeal, unanimity, and ardour, displayed by every description of force, whether naval, military, or marine, during the whole of these operations

I am highly indebted to ViceAdmiral Sir A. Cochrane, Commander in Chief of the naval forces, for the active assistance and zealous co-operation which he was ready, upon every occasion, to afford me; a disposition conspicuous in every branch of the naval service, and which cannot fail to ensure success to every combined operation of this armament.

Captain Edward Crofton, commanding the brigade of seamen appointed to the small arms, for the animated and enthusiastic example which he held forth to his men, deserves my approbationas do also Captains Nourse, Money, Sullivan, and Ramsay, royal navy, for the steadiness and good order which they maintained in their several directions.

I feel every obligation to RearAdmiral Cockburn, for the counsel and assistance which he afforded me, and from which I derived the most signal benefit.

To Colonel Paterson, for the

steady