Chapter XX: Section II: American Authors

No. 1.--Page 233.

_Extract from Jefferson's Correspondence_.--_Monticello_, _October_ 1, 1812.

"I fear that Hull's surrender has been more than the mere loss
of a year to us. Besides bringing on us the whole mass of
savage nations, whom fear, and not affection, had kept in
quiet, there is danger, that in giving time to an enemy who can
send reinforcements of regulars faster than we can raise them,
they may strengthen Canada and Halifax beyond the assailment of
our lax and divided powers. Perhaps, however, the patriotic
efforts from Kentucky and Ohio, by recalling the British force
to its upper posts, may yet give time to Dearborn to strike a
blow below. Effectual possession of the river from Montreal to
the Chaudière, which is practicable would give us the upper
country at our leisure, and close for ever the scenes of the
tomahawk and scalping knife."

No. 2.--Page 240.

_Revolutionary Services of General Hull, as taken from his Defence before the Court Martial_, _in March_, 1814.

"For more than half a century I supported a character without
reproach. My youth was devoted to the service of my country; I
fought her battles in that war which achieved her liberty and
independence, and which was ended before many of you,
gentlemen, who are my judges, were born. If upon any occasion a
man may speak of his own merits, it is at such a time as this;
and I hope I may be permitted to present to you, in very few
words, a narration of my life, while I was engaged in scenes
which were calculated to prove a man's firmness and courage. I
shall do it with less reluctance, because the testimony I have
offered of the venerable men who served with me in the
revolutionary war, will vouch for all I have to say. In the
year 1775, at the age of about twenty-one years, I was
appointed a captain in one of the Connecticut regiments; during
that campaign, and until March, 1776, when the enemy evacuated
Boston, I served with the army at Cambridge and Roxbury, and in
the immediate command of General Washington. I was with that
part of the army, in March, 1776, which took possession of
Dorchester heights--the movement which compelled the enemy to
evacuate Boston. The next day, the regiment to which I belonged
marched for New York. I was on Long Island when the enemy
landed, and remained until the night the whole army retreated.
I was in several small skirmishes, both on Long Island and York
Island, before the army retired to the White Plains. I then
belonged to Colonel Charles Webb's regiment, of Connecticut.

"This regiment was in the severest part of the action on
Chatterdon's Hill, a little advanced of the White Plains, a few
days after the main body of the army abandoned New York. This
battle is memorable in the history of our country; and the
regiment to which I belonged received the particular thanks of
General Washington, in his public orders, for its bravery and
good conduct on the occasion. It was particularly distinguished
from all the other troops engaged in the action. I received a
slight wound by a musket ball in my side, but it did not
prevent me from remaining at the head of my company.

"I was in the battle of Trenton, when the Hessians were taken,
in December, 1776; and, being one of the youngest captains in
the army, was promoted by General Washington the day after the
battle, to a majority, for my conduct on that occasion. The 1st
of January, 1777, I was in the battle of Princeton. In the
campaign of the same year, the regiment to which I belonged
served in the northern army. I was early in the spring ordered
to Ticonderoga, and commanded the regiment (being the senior
officer present) under General St. Clair, and I was with that
officer in his retreat from that post.

"After General St. Clair's army formed a junction with General
Schuyler's army on the North River, at Fort Edward, the
regiment to which I belonged was detached, and marched to Fort
Schuyler, and relieved that post, which was besieged by General
St. Leger.

"On the retreat of General Schuyler's army from Fort Edward, I
commanded the rear guard of the army; and, being two miles in
the rear, was attacked by a large body of British troops and
Indians at daylight in the morning, in which action were killed
and wounded between thirty and forty of my guard. And I
received the particular thanks of General Schuyler for my
conduct on the occasion.

"I was in the two memorable battles, on the 19th of September
and the 7th of October, on Bemis' heights, against General
Burgoyne's army, previous to its surrender. In the action of
the 19th of September, I commanded a detachment of three
hundred men, who fought the principal part of the afternoon,
and more than one half of them were killed or wounded.

"On the 7th of October, I likewise commanded a detachment from
the brigade which assisted in attacking the enemy on the left
of our position, defeated him, followed him to the right of his
lines, stormed his entrenchments, and took and held possession
of the right of his position, which compelled him to retreat to
Saratoga, and there to capitulate.

"After the memorable event of the capitulation of General
Burgoyne's army, the regiment to which I belonged was ordered
to Pennsylvania, to join the army under the command of General
Washington. I remained with the army the winter of 1777, at
Valley Forge; and in the spring of 1778, when the British army
evacuated Philadelphia, I was in the battle of Monmouth.

"From December, 1778, to May, 1779, I commanded the American
posts in advance of the White Plains, near Kingsbridge, during
which time I had various skirmishes with the enemy. In May,
1779, the principal part of the British army advanced up the
North River to Verplank's and Stoney Point, and I was ordered
to retreat before them to West Point.

"I then joined the light infantry, under the command of General
Wayne, and was in the memorable attack on Stoney Point, with a
separate command of four hundred light infantry.

"For my conduct on this occasion I received the particular
thanks of General Wayne, General Washington, and congress.

"In the summer and autumn of 1780, I commanded the advanced
posts of the army; and in December of that year, I commanded an
expedition against the enemy, stationed at Morrissina, which
was successful, and for which I received the thanks of General
Washington, in his general orders to the army, and likewise the
thanks of congress. General Washington, in his orders, I well
remember, made use of these words: 'He thanked me for my
judicious arrangements in the plan of operations, and for my
intrepidity and valour in the execution.'

"From the conclusion of the revolutionary war I have lived
with the respect of my countrymen, and have enjoyed repeated
marks of their confidence in the offices which have been
bestowed upon me. When I found that the independence, for which
I had so often fought, was assailed,--that again my country
must appeal to arms to avenge her wrongs, and to protect her
rights,--I felt that I might yet do her some service. For
though many years had passed since I had fought under her
standard, and though my own arm might not have had its wonted
strength, yet my spirit was unbroken, and my devotion to her
unimpaired. I thought in the field, where there could be but
few who had any military experience, what I had learned in the
most active scenes of a seven years' war, might be useful. I
fondly hoped that in my age, as well as in my youth, I might
render services that should deserve the gratitude of my
country--that if I fell by the sword of her enemies, my grave
would be moistened with the tears of my countrymen; that my
descendants would be proud of my name and fame. But how vain is
anticipation! I am now accused of crimes which would blast my
former honors, and transmit my memory with infamy to posterity.
And in that hideous catalogue, there is none from the
imputation of which my nature and my feelings have more
recoiled than from that of cowardice, to which I am to answer."

"The appearance of General Hull was venerable and
prepossessing. Beneath snowy locks, of nearly sixty winters'
bleaching, he exhibited a countenance as fresh and blooming as
a youth of eighteen. His eloquence was perspicuous and
graceful."--_American History._

No. 3.--Page 322.

_Letter from Captain Wool to Colonel Van Rensselaer._

"BUFFALOE, October 23, 1812.

"I have the honor to communicate to you the circumstances
attending the storming of Queenstown battery, on the 13th
instant; with those which happened previously you are already
well acquainted.

"In pursuance of your order, we proceeded round the point and
ascended the rocks, which brought us partly in rear of the
battery. We took it without much resistance. I immediately
formed the troops in rear of the battery, and fronting the
village, when I observed General Brock with his troops formed,
consisting of four companies of the 49th regiment, and a few
militia, marching for our left flank. I immediately detached a
party of one hundred and fifty men, to take possession of the
heights above Queenstown battery, and to hold General Brock in
check; but in consequence of his superior force they retreated.
I sent a reinforcement; notwithstanding which, the enemy drove
us to the edge of the bank: when, with the greatest exertions,
we brought the troops to a stand, and ordered the officers to
bring their men to a charge as soon as the ammunition was
expended, which was executed with some confusion, and in a few
moments the enemy retreated. We pursued them to the edge of the
heights, when Colonel M'Donell had his horse shot from under
him, and himself was mortally wounded. In the interim, General
Brock, in attempting to rally his forces, was killed, when the
enemy dispersed in every direction. As soon as it was
practicable, I formed the troops in a line on the heights
fronting the village, and immediately detached flanking
parties, which consisted of Captain Machesney, of the 6th
regiment, Lieutenant Smith and Ensign Grosvenor, with a small
detachment of riflemen, who had that moment arrived; at the
same time, I ordered Lieutenant Ganesvoort and Lieutenant
Randolph, with a detachment of artillery, to drill out an
18-pounder which had been previously spiked, and, if possible,
to bring it to bear upon the village. The wounded and prisoners
I ordered to be collected, and sent to the guard-house. About
this time, which was about three or four o'clock in the
afternoon, Lieut.-Colonel Christie arrived, and took the
command. He ordered me across the river to get my wounds
dressed. I remained a short time. Our flanking parties had been
driven in by the Indians; but General Wadsworth and other
officers arriving, we had a short skirmish with them, and they
retreated, and I crossed the river."

[NOTE.--Captain Wool, in stating that he was opposed to four companies of the 49th, _only_ doubled the number of companies; but this exaggeration is a trifle compared with the following gross and _hudibrastic_ mis-statements, relative to the battle of Queenstown in "Ramsay's History of the United States," viz: "The 49th British regiment, signalized in Egypt under Colonel, since Lieut.-General, Brock, and usually called the 'Egyptian Invincibles,' was among the prominent corps, and was led by its favorite commander. In the second engagement, this regiment of British regulars, 600 strong, encountered a body of 320 American regulars, supported by a few militia and volunteers, the whole under Colonel Chrystie. They mutually resorted to the bayonet, and after a bloody conflict, the famous invincibles yielded to the superior energy of their antagonists, although the latter were so far inferior in numbers. They were rallied by Lieut.-General Brock, who was killed in conducting them a second time to the charge. The American prisoners were kindly treated by this brave regiment, who, after the battle was over, acknowledged they had never opposed more gallant adversaries."--The 49th, not having been with the British army in Egypt, could not be called the "Egyptian Invincibles;" and instead of this regiment, 600 strong, being led by Major (not Lieutenant) General Brock, only the flank companies were present, with a small body of militia, together about 300 men. In fact, four companies of the 49th were at Kingston, 160 miles distant, and the remaining four battalion companies were, we believe, at Fort Erie, 27 or 28 miles from Queenstown; and therefore, the assertion that the "famous invincibles" yielded to far Inferior numbers, is something worse than ridiculous. Such, however, is the correctness of this American historian on the subject, and with such materials is history too often compiled.--ED.]

"REPORT OF THE BATTLE OF QUEENSTOWN."--(Extracts.)

"Captain Wool discovered the British troops forming at
Queenstown, and formed the troops under his command in line.
General Brock was at the head of the British troops, and led
them round about to the heights in the rear of the battery.
Captain Wool detached 160 men to meet the British; this
detachment was driven back, reinforced, and the whole driven
to the brink of the precipice, forming the bank of the Niagara
river, above Queenstown.

"At this moment some of the officers put a white handkerchief
on a bayonet to hoist as a flag, with intention to surrender.
Captain Wool inquired the object. It was answered that the
party were nearly without ammunition, and that it was useless
to sacrifice the lives of brave men. Captain Wool tore off the
flag, ordered the officers to rally the men, and bring them to
the charge. The order was executed, but in some confusion. The
boasted 49th could not stand the American bayonet. The British
troops were routed, and Major-General Brock, in gallantly
exerting himself to rally them, was killed. His aid, Colonel
M'Donell, fell mortally wounded at the same time.

"The British being completely driven from the heights about ten
o'clock, the line was reformed and flanking parties sent
out."--_Niles' Weekly Register, 1812._

_Extracts from Niles' Weekly Register, Baltimore, 1812._

"Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Detroit to his friend
in Pittsburg, dated July 7, 1812.--'General Hull is making
preparations to cross the river this evening or to-morrow, and
it is expected that an immediate attack is contemplated on
Maiden (Amherstburg). The army are all in health and good
spirits, and wait with anxiety to be put on the other shore:
they are certainly as fine looking men as I ever saw.'

"We have several reports of the capture of Fort Malden. General
Hull has sent expresses to the governors of Ohio and Kentucky
for further supplies of troops, supposed for the purpose of
maintaining the ground he may take, and to keep the allies in
check. We trust he may religiously adhere to his proclamation,
whatever General Brock may say, and give no quarters to the
white savages when found fighting by the side of the Indians,
for whose extensive murders the British should be made
responsible."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 156: "The 'Letters of Veritas' were originally printed in a weekly paper published at Montreal, in Lower Canada, and subsequently collected into the little volume before us. Within a small compass, these unpretending Letters contain a greater body of useful information upon the campaigns in the Canadas than is any where else to be found. They are, we believe, the production of a gentleman in Montreal, of known respectability. Though not a military man, he enjoyed the best opportunities for acquaintance with the circumstances of the war; and as these letters, which excited great attention in the Canadas, appeared in successive papers while Montreal was filled with almost all the officers of rank who had served in the country, it may reasonably be presumed that his errors, had he committed any, would not have escaped without censure. Yet no reply was ever attempted to his statements, no doubt ever expressed in the provinces, of the correctness of his assertions."--_Quarterly Review, July_, 1822.]

[Footnote 157: Wampum is the current money among the Indians. It is of two sorts, white and purple: the white is worked out of the insides of the great Congues into the form of a bead, and perforated so as to be strung on leather; the purple is worked out of the inside of the muscle shell. They are wove as broad as one's hand, and about two feet long; these they call belts, and give and receive them at their treaties, as the seals of friendship. For lesser motives, a single string is given; every bead is of a known value; and a belt of a less number is made to equal one of a greater, by so many as is wanted being fastened to the belt by a string.--_Buchanan's North American Indians._]

[Footnote 158: It is impossible here to forget (however different were the circumstances and character of the two warriors) that fine passage by the splendid historian of Rome, wherein he immortalizes the death and funeral of the ferocious Attila, in language at once musical and sublime, and which is probably without an equal in the whole range of English literature: "His body was solemnly exposed in the midst of the plain, under a silken pavilion; and the chosen squadrons of the Huns, wheeling round in measured evolutions, chaunted a funeral song to the memory of a hero, glorious in his life, invincible in his death, the father of his people, the scourge of his enemies, and the terror of the world."]

[Footnote 159: The monument itself is not yet finished; we shall therefore defer our description of the edifice until it is completed.]

[Footnote 160: It is remarkable that, on inspecting the remains, the body of Colonel M'Donell was found to be almost entirely decomposed,--whilst that of the general was still firm and nearly entire; some of the flesh and lineaments of his martial countenance being yet visible.]