“H.M. Ship Dragon, Nov. 1st, 1814.
“Chesapeake Bay.“The provisions of the squadron under my command getting extremely low, and it being very uncertain at this advanced season of the year when a supply can arrive, I find myself under the painful necessity of placing the ship’s company and marine battalion on short allowance.
“You are therefore to place the crew and marines on board your ship upon half allowance, so as to make your provisions last for two months from this date.
“You will signify to your crew that I trust it will not be necessary to continue this restriction long, and that I shall try by every means in my power to procure temporary supplies from the enemy. In the meantime, I am satisfied their zeal for their country’s cause will point out the absolute necessity of persevering in the blockade of the Chesapeake to the last extremity, and that the temporary privations they are reduced to will be borne with the utmost cheerfulness.”
“(Signed) Robert Barrie,
“Captain and Senior Officer.”
In November we proceeded up the river Rappahannock for the purpose of attacking the American militia, 600 strong, who had some fieldpieces posted at Farnham Church.
We first took the town of Rappahannock, driving the enemy out of it, who ran away so fast that they dropped their colours, which we took. On one side of them, under the American eagle, was this motto, “Death or victory”; on the other, “Down with the tyrants.” However, they were “scared” from death, and ran away from victory. We then attacked the militia at Farnham Church, and captured two of their fieldpieces; afterwards returning to Rappahannock we embarked some flour and tobacco, and then retired down the river to our ships, without in the least injuring the town.
We had with us on this expedition Major Brown, of the 85th Regiment, who had been severely wounded at the battle of Bladensburgh, and on the falling back of our army from Washington, he, with several other officers and men, who were too ill to be removed, were left behind. He was a fine gallant fellow, and now commands the 2nd Battalion of Rifles.
I must take this opportunity of confirming two statements of my gallant friend Captain J. Scott, which he mentions in his memoirs. First, with regard to the unjust accusation of plundering: all I can say is, that I saw nothing of the kind, unless taking provisions when we were starving upon half allowance may be called so; but on every principle of war we were entitled to forage, and for which in many cases we paid. The orders of both Admiral Cockburn and Captain Barrie were positive against plundering.
With respect to the second, I can vouch for his account of the poisoning the spirits at Benedict being perfectly true. In consequence of what had taken place, if we wished to eat or drink anything that was found in their houses placed out ready for us upon their tables, we used to force the natives to eat a part first, that, in the event of its being poisoned, they might die with the Britishers.
We used occasionally to purchase cattle from the Americans. The plan agreed on was this: they were to drive them down to a certain point, where we were to land and take possession; for the inhabitants being all militiamen, and having too much patriotism to sell food to “King George’s men,” they used to say, “put the money under such a stone or tree, pointing to it, and then we can pick it up, and say we found it.” More ways than one to cheat the old gentleman.
Having seen in some publications several comments upon our mode of warfare in America, and no person yet ever having taken the trouble to place the facts before the public in its different bearings, it is high time that our side of the question should appear. According to the old proverb, “there are always two sides to a story.” The truth of the matter was this:—
At the commencement of hostilities, America invaded Upper Canada, took York Town, and at the very beginning of a severe winter, having first sacked the place, and turned the inhabitants out into the snow to perish, burnt it to the ground. Had it been taken by storm, after a severe resistance, the laws of war would have sanctioned the proceedings; but the case was far different, little or no resistance being made.
General Sir George Prevost wrote a letter of remonstrance, not only to the American officer commanding the division, but also to the Government, reprobating the mode of warfare they had just adopted, and calling upon both to disapprove of it by a public manifesto, and punish the parties concerned. An evasive answer was returned, and we got no redress. Sir George Prevost sent copies of the correspondence to the naval commander-in-chief, and retaliation was in consequence determined upon; and that their Government might feel we had the power to repay the favour they had conferred upon poor York Town, and other places, we had orders to destroy all public buildings, and such private houses also as had been fortified or fired from, inasmuch as they had been placed in the light of a fortress; and the blaze that burnt York, in Upper Canada, reached Washington.