rocket apparatus, with a detachment of sailors under Lieutenants Symonds, Botely, and Slade, and Mr. Sparling, master of his Majesty's ship Bulwark. The fog was so thick, it was impossible to form a correct idea of the features of the country, or to reconnoitre the enemy, whose number were reported to be fourteen hundred, under the command of Brigadier-General Blake. Between seven and eight o'clock, our skirmishers in advance were so sharply engaged with the enemy, as to induce me to send forward one half of the light company of the 29th regiment under Captain Coaker, to their support. The column had not advanced much further before I discovered the enemy drawn out in a line, occupying a very strong and advantageous position in front of the town of Hamden, his left flanked by a high hill commanding the road and river, on which were mounted several heavy pieces of cannon; his right extending considerably beyond our left, resting upon a strong point d'appui, with an 18-pounder and some light field-pieces in advance of his centre, so pointed as completely to rake the road, and a narrow bridge at the foot of a hill, by which we were obliged to advance upon his position. As soon as he perceived our column approaching, he opened a very heavy and continued fire of grape and musketry upon us; we, however, soon crossed the bridge, deployed, and charged up the hill to get possession of his guns, one of which we found bad already fallen into the hands of Captain Ward's rifle men in advance. The enemy's fire now began to slacken, and we pushed on rapidly, and succeeded in driving him at all points from his position; while Captain Coaker, with the light company of the 29th, had gained possession of the hill on his left, from whence it was discovered that the Adains frigate was on fire, and that the enemy had deserted the battery which defended her. We were now in complete possession of the enemy's position above, and Captain Barrie, with the gun-boats, had secured that below the hill. Upon this occasion twenty pieces of cannon fell into our hands of the naval and military force, the return of which I enclose; after which Captain Barrie and myself determined on pursuing the enemy towards Bangor, which place we reached without opposition; and here 2 brass 3-pounders, and 3 stand of colours, fell into our possession. Brigadier-General Blake, also in this town, surrendered himself prisoner, and with other prisoners, to the amount of 121, were admitted to their paroles. Eighty prisoners taken at Hamden are in our custody. The loss sustained by the enemy I have not had it in my power correctly to ascertain ; reports states it to be from 30 to 40 in killed, wounded, and missing. Our own loss, I am happy to add, is but small, viz. one rank and file killed; one captain, seven rank and file, wounded; one rank and file missing. Captain Gell, of the 29th, was wounded when leading the column, which deprived me of his active and useful assistance; assistance; but, I am happy to sition was fortifying for her pro His Majesty's ship Endymion, off Castine, entrance of the Penobscot River, Sept. 9, 1814. Sir,-My letter of the 23d of August, from Halifax, by the Rover, will have made you acquainted with my intention of accompanying the expedition then about to proceed under the command of his Excellency Sir John Sherbrooke, K. B. for this place. I have now the honour to inform you, that I put to sea on the 26th ultimo, with the ships and sloop named in the margin, and ten sail of transports, having the troops on board, and arrived off the Metinicus Islands on the morning of the 31st, where I was joined by the Bulwark, Tenedos, Rifleman, Peruvian, and Picton. From Captain Pearce, of the Rifleman, I learned, that the United States frigate Adanis had a few days before got into Penobscot ; but not considering herself in safety there had gone on to Hamden, a place twenty-seven miles higher up the river, where her guns had been landed, and a po tection. Towards evening the wind being fair and the weather favoura ble, the fleet made sail up the Penobscot Bay, Captain Parker, in the Tenedos, leading. We passed between the Metinicus and Green Islands about midnight, and steering through the channel formed by the Fox Islands and Owl's Head, ran up to the eastward of Long Island, and found ourselves at day-light in the morning in sight of the fort and town of Castine. As we approached, some show of resistance was made, and a few shot were fired; but the fort was soon after abandoned and blown up. At about eight a. m. the men of war and transports were anchored a little to the north. ward of the peninsula of Castine, and the smaller vessels taking a station nearer in for covering the landing, the troops were put on shore, and took possession of the town and works without opposition. The General wishing to occupy a post at Belfast, on the western side of the bay, (through which the high road from Boston runs), for the purpose of cutting off all communication with that side of the country, the Bacchante and Rifleman were detached with the troops destined for this service, and quiet possession was taken, and held, of that town, as long as was thought necessary. Arrangements were immediately made for attacking the frigate at Hamden, and the General having proffered every military assistance, six hundred picked men under the command of Lieut. Colonel Colonel John, of the 60th regiment, were embarked the same afternoon, on board his Majesty's sloops Peruvian and Sylph, and a small transport. To this force were added the marines of the Dragon, and as many armed boats from the squadron as was thought necessary for disembarking the troops and covering their landing, and the whole placed under the command of Captain Barrie, of the Dragon; and the Lieut -Col. made sail up the river at 6 o'clock that evening. I have the honour to enclose Captain Barrie's account of his proceedings; and taking into consideration the enemy's force, and the formidable strength of his position, too much praise cannot be given him, the officers and men under his command, for the judgment, decision and gallantry with which this little enterprise has been achieved. So soon as accounts were received from Captain Barrie that the Adams was destroyed, and the force assembled for her protection dispersed, the troops stationed at Belfast were embarked, and arrangements made for sending them to take possession of Macchias, the only place occupied by the enemy's troops between this and Passamaquoddy Bay. I directed Captain Parker, of his Majesty's ship Tenedos, to receive on board Lieut.Colonel Pilkington, Deputy Adjutant-General, who is appointed to command, and a small detachment of artillery and riflemen, and to take under his command the Bacchante, Rifleman, and Picton schooner, and proceed to the attack of that place. He sailed on the 6th instant, and most likely, by this time, the troops are in possession of it. After destroying the defences they are directed to return here. The inhabitants of several townships east of this have sent deputations here to tender their submission to the British authority; and such of them as could give reasonable security that their arms would be used only for the protection of their persons and property, have been allowed to retain them. This indulgence was absolutely necessary in order to secure the quiet and unoffending against violence and outrage from their less peaceable neighbours, and for the maintenance of the peace and tranquillity of the country. All property on shore, bona fide belonging to the inhabitants of the country in our possession, has been respected. All public property, and all property afloat, has been confiscated. Sir John Sherbrooke conceiving it to be of importance that the Government should be informed, without delay, of our successes here, has requested that a vessel of war may take his dispatches to England. I have, in compliance with hist wishes, appropriated the Martin for that service, and Captain Senhouse will take a copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty. I have the honour to be, &c. EDW. GRIFFITH, To Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane, K. B. &c. &c. &c. His Majesty's Sloop Sylph, off Bangor, in the Penobscot, Sept. 3, 1814. Sir,-Having received on board the the ships named in the margin, a detachment of twenty men of the royal artillery, with one five and half-inch howitzer, commanded by Lieut. Garston; a party of eighty marines, commanded by Captain Carter, of the Dragon; the flank companies of the 29th, 62d, and 98th regiments, under the command of Captains Gell and Coaker, Majors Riddel, Keith, and Croasdaile, and Captain M'Pherson; also a rifle company of the 7th battalion of the 60th regiment, commanded by Captain Ward; and the whole under the orders of Lieut. Colonel John, of the 60th regiment, I proceeded agreeably to your order, with the utmost dispatch, up the Penobscot. Light variable winds, a most intricate channel, of which we were perfectly ignorant, and thick foggy weather, prevented my arriving off Frankfort before two p. m. of the 2d inst. Here Colonel John and myself thought it advisable to send a message to the inhabitants; and having received their answer, we pushed on towards Hamden, where we received intelligence that the enemy had strongly fortified himself. On our way up, several troops were observed on the east side of the river making for Brewer; these were driven into the woods without any loss on our side, by a party under the orders of Major Croasdaile, and the guns from the boats. The enemy had one killed, and several wounded. At five p. m. of the 2d inst. we arrived off Ball's Head Cove, distant three miles from Hamden. Colonel John and myself landed on the south side of the Cove, to reconnoitre the ground and obtain intelligence. Having gained the bills, we discovered the enemy's picquets advantageously posted near the highway leading to Hamden, on the north side of the Cove. We immediately determined to land one hundred and fifty men, under Major Riddel, to drive in the picquets and take up their ground. This object was obtained by seven o'clock, and notwithstanding every difficulty, the whole of the troops were landed on the north side of the Cove by ten o'clock; but it was found impossible to land the artillery at the same place. The troops bivouacked on the ground taken possession of by Major Riddel. It rained incessautly during the night. At daybreak this morning the fog cleared away for about a quarter of an hour, which enabled me to reconnoitre the enemy by water; and I found a landing-place for the artillery about two-thirds of a mile from Ball's Head. Off this place the troops halted till the artillery were mounted, and by six the whole advanced towards Hamden. The boats under the immediate command of Lieutenant Pedler, the first of the Dragon, agreeable to a previous arrangement with Colonel John, advanced in a line with the right flank of the army. The Peruvian, Sylph, Dragon's tender, and Harmony transport, were kept a little in the rear in reserve. Our information stated the enemy's force at fourteen hundred men, and he had chosen a most excellent position on a high bill. About a quarter of a mile to the southward of the Adams frigate he had mounted eight 18-pounders. This fort was calculated to command both the highway, by which our troops had to advance, and the river. On a wharf close to the the Adams, he had mounted fifteen 18-pounders, which completely commanded the river, which at this place is not above three cables length wide, and the land on each side is high and well wooded. A rocket boat under my immediate direction, but manoeuvred by Mr.Ginton, gunner, and Mr.Small, midshipman of the Dragon, was advanced about a quarter of a mile a-head of the line of boats. So soon as the boats got within gunshot, the enemy opened his fire upon them from the hill and wharf, which was warmly returned. Our rockets were generally well directed, and evidently threw the enemy into confusion. Meantime our troops stormed the hill with the utmost gallantry. Before the boats got within good grape shot of the wharf battery, the enemy set fire to the Adams, and be ran from his guns the moment our troops carried the bill. I joined the army about ten minutes after this event. Colonel John and myself immediately determined to leave a sufficient force in possession of the hill, and to pursue the enemy, who was then in sight of the Bangor road, flying at full speed. The boats and ships pushed up the river, preserving their original position with the army. The enemy was too nimble for us, and most of them escaped into the woods on our left. On approaching Bangor, the inhabitants, who had opposed us at Hamden, threw off their military character, and as magistrates, select men, &c. made an unconditional surrender of the town. Here the pursuit stopped. About two hours afterwards, Brigadier-General Blake came into the town, to deliver himself as a prisoner. The general and other prisoners, amounting to one hundred and ninety-one, were admitted to their parole. Enclosed I have the honour to forward you lists of the vessels we have captured or destroyed, and other necessary reports. I am happy to inform you our loss consists only of one seaman, belonging to the Dragon, killed; Captain Gell, of the 29th, and seven privates, wounded; one rank and file missing. I cannot close my report without expressing my highest admiration of the very gallant conduct of Colonel John, the officers and soldiers under his command; for, exclusive of the battery beforementioned, they had difficulties to contend with on their left which did not fall under my observation, as the enemy's field-pieces in that direction were masked. The utmost cordiality existed between the two services, and I shall ever feel obliged to Colonel John for his ready co-operation in every thing that was proposed. The officers and men bore the privations inseparable from our confined means of accommodation with a cheerfulness that entitles them to my warmest thanks. I can form no estimate of the enemy's absolute loss. From different stragglers I learn, that exclusive of killed and missing, upwards of thirty lay wounded in the woods. I have the honour to be, &c. (CAPITULATION) |