A gallop among American scenery / or, Sketches of American scenes and military adventure

by Augustus E. Silliman

“He had succeeded in turning the enemy’s left, had captured Gen. Riall and several other officers, and sent them to camp, and then, feeling and searching his way silently towards where the battle was raging, had brought his regiment, the 25th, after a little comparative loss, up to the eastern fence at the Queenston road, a little to the north of Lundy’s Lane. The moment the British gave Jesup notice of having discovered him, Jesup ordered his command to fire upon the enemy’s line. The lines could not have been more then four rods apart—Jesup behind the south fence, the British in front of the north. The slaughter was dreadful; the enemy fled down the Queenston road at the third or fourth fire. As the firing ceased, the Major-General approached Major Jesup, advised him that Col. Miller had carried the enemy’s artillery, and received information of the capture of Gen. Riall.

“The enemy having rallied his broken forces and received reinforcements, was now discovered in good order and in great force. The commanding General, doubting the correctness of the information, and to ascertain the truth, passed in person with his suite in front of our line. He could no longer doubt, as a more extended line than he had yet seen during the engagement was near, and advancing upon us. Capt. Spencer, without saying a word, put spurs to his horse, and rode directly up to the advancing line, then, turning towards the enemy’s right, inquired in a strong and firm voice, ‘What regiment is that?’ and was as promptly answered, ‘The Royal Scots, Sir.’

“General Brown and suite then threw themselves behind our troops without loss of time, and waited the attack. The enemy advanced slowly and firmly upon us: perfect silence was observed throughout both armies until the lines approached to within four to six rods. Our troops had levelled their pieces and the artillery was prepared,—the order to fire was given. Most awful was its effect. The lines closed in part before the enemy was broken. He then retired precipitately, the American army following him. The field was covered with the slain, but not an enemy capable of marching was to be seen. We dressed our men upon the ground we occupied. Gen. Brown was not disposed to leave it in the dark, knowing it was the best in the neigbourhood. His intention, then, was to maintain it until day should dawn, and to be governed by circumstances.

“Our gallant and accomplished foe did not give us much time for deliberation. He showed himself within twenty minutes, apparently undismayed and in good order.”

[4] The twenty-first carried the celebrated ‘I’ll try, Sir,’ inscribed upon their buttons during the remainder of the war.

Extract of a private letter from the writer of the above article, dated January 15, 1841.

... “As to the fate of the gallant and accomplished Wood.—You supposed a flag from the enemy reported he had been bayoneted to death on the ground—like enough, but how did the enemy recognise his body. Gen. Porter thinks he fell at the close of the action at battery No. 1, but I never heard that any one saw him fall.—His body never was recovered. Those of Gibson and Davis, the leaders of the two other columns in Gen. Porter’s command, were.

“Soon after the war, McRee, one of the best military engineers this country ever produced, threw up his commission in disgust and died of the cholera at St. Louis.

“From the time I lost sight of Gen. Scott in my narrative until after the change referred to at the end of the narrative, Gen. Scott with three of his battalions had been held in reserve. The commander-in-chief now rode in person to Gen. Scott, and ordered him to advance. That officer was prepared and expected the call.—As Scott advanced toward Ripley’s left, Gen. Brown passed to the left to speak with Gen. Porter and see the condition and countenance of his militia, who, at that moment, were thrown into some confusion under a most galling and deadly fire from the enemy: they were, however, kept to their duty by the exertions of their gallant chiefs, and most nobly sustained the conflict. The enemy was repulsed and again driven out of sight. But a short time, however, had elapsed, when he was once more distinctly seen, in great force, advancing upon our main line under the command of Ripley and Porter. The direction that Scott had given his column would have enabled him in five minutes, to have formed a line in the rear of the enemy’s right, and thus have brought him between two fires. But in a moment most unexpected, a flank fire from a party of the enemy, concealed upon our left, falling upon the centre of Scott’s command, when in open column, blasted our proud expectations. His column was severed in two; one part passing to the rear, the other by the right flank of platoons towards the main line. About this period Gen. Brown received his first wound, a musket ball passing through his right thigh and carrying away his watch seal, a few minutes after Capt. Spencer received his mortal wound....

“This was the last desperate effort made by the enemy to regain his position and artillery....