Alexander Macomb, late General-in-Chief of the Army of the United
States, was one of the first fruits of the military institution
at West Point, suggested by General Washington, and established
during the administration of President Jefferson. Like all the most
prominent officers in the army, at the close of the war of 1812, he
was indebted, however, for his rapid promotion, to that “exfoliation
of veteran commanders,” which, says Mr. Ingersoll, in his Historical
Sketch of the second war with Great Britain, “was one of the
processes which the young army of that war had to suffer, before
becoming fit for action.”[28]
He was born at Detroit, then a frontier garrison town, on the third
day of April, 1782. His father, whose name was, also, Alexander
Macomb, was of Irish parentage, though a native of the city of New
York; he was highly esteemed as a citizen, and subsequently became
a member of the New York legislature; and it is said, to his honor,
that he furnished five sons for the regular army and the militia,
in the war of 1812. The elder Macomb removed to Detroit, just
previous to the American Revolution, and engaged in the fur trade,
in which he acquired a large property. His wife, the mother of
young Alexander, was a grand-daughter of Robert de Navarre, a French
officer, who came to America in 1745, and was appointed Notaire Royal
and Sub-Deligué, on the early establishment of Detroit.
Shortly after the restoration of peace, and while Alexander was yet
a mere infant, his father returned with his family to New York.
When the latter was eight years of age, he was placed at the Newark
Academy, in New Jersey, then under the charge of Bishop Ogden.
Many of his associates at this institution were the sons of French
_emigrés_, whom the revolution in France had driven to seek an asylum
in the western world. In their society, he acquired that polished
grace, and that polite ease of manners, for which he was always
remarkable, after he had arrived at the age of manhood.
He early manifested an unusual fondness for military studies and
accomplishments, and his infantile recollections were associated
with the martial displays he had witnessed at Detroit. When
preparations were made for the defence of the country, on account of
the threatening aspect of our relations with Great Britain, he, with
other lads of the same age, assisted in throwing up the projected
works; and when the nation became agitated with the almost certain
prospect of a war with France, his playmates and companions divided
themselves into parties, he being usually selected as the leader of
the American faction, and, like Napoleon and his school-fellows at
Brienne, built forts and castles in the snow, which they alternately
stormed and defended.
[Sidenote: RECEIVES A COMMISSION.]
In May, 1798, though still but a lad, young Macomb was elected a
member of a select company, called the “New York Rangers,” attached
to the third regiment of the state militia, who took their name
from those provincial bands, that, from 1755 to 1763, formed the
_élite_ of the armies operating on the borders of Canada. Congress
had recently passed a law authorizing the enrollment of a large
body of volunteers, and the services of this corps were tendered
to the General Government, and accepted. Previous to this time,
when only fourteen years of age, young Macomb had intimated to his
father a desire to enter the army or navy, but the latter gave no
encouragement to his wishes. He was bent, however, on accomplishing
the object which was now the favorite one of his heart; and, in the
autumn of 1798, he applied for a commission in the regular service,
through the commander of his regiment, Colonel Jacob Morton. His
application was supported by the recommendation of General Alexander
Hamilton, who had been attracted by his manly bearing, and his
personal and mental accomplishments; and on the tenth of January,
1799, he was commissioned a cornet of light dragoons, under the act
providing for the enlistment of an additional force of regulars.
Immediately after his appointment, through the kind partiality of
General Hamilton, he was selected as an assistant adjutant general,
and assigned to duty in the office of General North, the Adjutant
General of the Army. No opportunity was offered for signalizing
himself in the field, on account of the amicable settlement of the
matters in dispute with France; though, by the prompt and faithful
discharge of the duties which devolved upon him, he secured the
respect and confidence of his superior officers. With the permission
of General Hamilton, he visited Canada, to make himself acquainted
with the discipline and tactics in the British service; he was
kindly received by the officers at Montreal, visited the troops in
their quarters, and was present at several reviews for manœuvre and
inspection.
The American army was now reduced to a peace establishment; a great
portion of the troops were disbanded; and most of the officers
returned to private life. Macomb, however, was retained in the
service, and on the tenth of February, 1801, was appointed a second
lieutenant of dragoons. Upon his return to the United States, he was
ordered to Philadelphia, on the recruiting service. While in this
city, he eagerly embraced every opportunity to cultivate and improve
his mental abilities, by reading, and associating with learned and
scientific men. The valuable public libraries were open to him, and
he became a constant visitor. He here met with a French officer of
engineers, under whom he passed through a course of instruction
in fortification and military topography. He likewise formed the
acquaintance of Major Williams, of the 2d artillery, the Inspector of
Fortifications, an able and intelligent officer, who was afterwards
placed at the head of the corps of engineers, and the Military
Academy at West Point.
Having raised a body of recruits, he received orders to conduct
them to Pittsburg, the headquarters of General Wilkinson. Being
accompanied by a number of subaltern officers of infantry, he
cheerfully waived his privilege of being mounted, and walked
with them on foot, enlivening the weary march by his sprightly
conversation, his gay good humor, and his friendly attention to the
wants of those under his command.
Arrived at Pittsburg, Lieutenant Macomb was employed in instructing
the recruits preparatory to joining their respective regiments. He
also renewed his intimacy with Major Williams, then on a tour of
inspection upon the Niagara frontier, whom he assisted in preparing
his drawings, calculations, and estimates. He was subsequently
attached to the military family of General Wilkinson, as an extra
aid-de-camp, and accompanied him, in that capacity, to the camp of
instruction formed at Wilkinsonville, at the mouth of the Ohio,
for practicing the evolutions of the line. In August, 1801, he was
selected as the secretary of the commission, consisting of Generals
Wilkinson and Pickens, and Colonel Hawkins, appointed to treat with
the Indian tribes inhabiting the Southwestern territory. He was
engaged in this service, and in other collateral duties, until June,
1802--spending the winter of 1801–2 in the Creek nation--when he was
dispatched to Washington by the commissioners, with the treaties
and accounts. During all this time, he kept a journal, in which he
carefully noted the geological and geographical features of the
country which he traversed; and he also constructed a topographical
map of the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, which was deposited
in the War office, and noticed by President Jefferson in the most
commendatory terms.
[Sidenote: APPOINTED A LIEUTENANT OF ENGINEERS.]
Upon his arrival at the seat of government, he found that the corps
to which he belonged had been disbanded, but that he had been
retained, and attached to the 1st infantry, with the rank of first
lieutenant. At the same time authority had been given to raise
a corps of engineers, to consist of one major, two captains, two
first, and two second lieutenants, and ten cadets--which corps, when
organized, was to constitute the Military Academy. Being dissatisfied
with his new appointment, he remonstrated with the Secretary of War;
Major Williams, the head of the corps of engineers, seconded his
appeal; and, in consequence, he was transferred to that corps, as a
first lieutenant, in October, 1802.
He now proceeded to West Point, to take his place as a student,--the
lieutenants, as well as the cadets, being obliged to go through
the course of study,--in conformity with the provisions of the law
organizing the Academy. He was one of the first graduates, and was
then appointed adjutant of the corps. It was his duty to instruct the
cadets in their military exercises, and he was the first officer who
organized them into a body, and put arms in their hands.--This was
the beginning of an institution, which has since made the world ring,
with the heroism and daring of the gallant officers whose military
character and education were there formed and acquired.
In July, 1803, Lieutenant Macomb was married to his cousin,
Catharine Macomb, a young lady of rare beauty, of refined mind, and
highly-polished manners.
So highly were his talents appreciated, that in the autumn of the
same year, he was appointed Judge Advocate of a general court-martial
held at Frederick, Maryland, for the trial of Colonel Butler. In
discharging this duty he acquitted himself with such marked ability,
that the members of the court suggested to him the preparation
of a treatise on the subject of courts-martial,--a work which he
afterwards executed.
On the eleventh of June, 1805, in pursuance of the strong
recommendation of Colonel Williams, who was ever warmly attached to
his _protége_, he was further promoted to the rank of captain in
the corps of engineers; and, immediately thereafter, was ordered
to Portsmouth, to oversee the repairs on the fortifications in
that harbor. The next year he was appointed superintendent of the
public works, then erecting at Mount Dearborn, on the Catawba river,
thirty-six miles above Camden, where it was designed to establish
a national armory and dépôt. While at this place, he prepared his
treatise on courts-martial,--receiving the benefit of the advice
and suggestions of General William R. Davie, and General Charles
C. Pinckney, both equally accomplished as soldiers and civilians.
The work was soon after printed, and submitted to the President and
Secretary of War, by whom it was adopted as the standard for the
government of courts-martial.
[Sidenote: MADE LIEUTENANT COLONEL.]
Captain Macomb remained at Mount Dearborn, until 1807, when he was
instructed to take the general direction, as chief engineer, of the
works then in process of construction for the defence of Georgia and
the two Carolinas. He made a careful reconnaissance of the whole
coast, from Ocracoke inlet to the river St. Mary’s, and projected a
complete system of defences for all the principal harbors and inlets.
In February, 1808, he was raised to the rank of major, and, in 1811,
was made a lieutenant colonel. He remained at Charleston, and in
its neighborhood, superintending the fortifications on the coast,
till the month of April, 1812, when he was called to Washington, to
assist the Secretary of War in organizing, arranging, equipping, and
providing supplies, for the new regiments ordered to be raised, in
anticipation of a collision with England.
War was declared in June following, and Colonel Macomb promptly
solicited a command in the line of the army. Much to his chagrin
this was refused, as being incompatible with the existing rules of
the service.[29] Still he was not to be balked in his determination
to take a far more active part in the approaching contest, than as
a mere cabinet and staff officer. He now applied for an appointment
in one of the new regiments of artillery; the delegation in Congress
from the State of New York endorsed his application; and, on the
sixth of July, 1812, he received a commission as colonel of the 3rd
artillery, a double regiment, to consist of twenty companies, of one
hundred and eighteen men each.
Colonel Macomb forthwith repaired to New York, and by his own
personal efforts and exertions, soon succeeded in raising the
requisite number of men to compose his regiment. The different
companies rendezvoused at Greenbush, where they were completely
organized and instructed. Their fine state of discipline, their
soldierly appearance and deportment, and the high character of their
officers for ability and intelligence, attracted general attention,
and elicited tokens of approbation in every quarter. In November, the
colonel marched his regiment to Sacketts Harbor, with the intention
of embarking it on board the fleet, and making an attack on Kingston.
On his arrival at that post, he found that Commodore Chauncey had
sailed in quest of the enemy, whereupon, in accordance with the
advice of a council of war, the contemplated movement was abandoned,
and the regiment went into winter quarters.
[Sidenote: STATIONED AT SACKETTS HARBOR.]
During the winter, Colonel Macomb was invested with the command of
the land forces at Sacketts Harbor. In addition to his own regiment,
there was a large body of militia and volunteers stationed there,
together with a number of sailors and marines belonging to the
squadron. All the troops were drilled with great regularity and
precision--being often paraded on the frozen lake, to inure them to
the cold, and to fit them for a projected march, across the ice, upon
Kingston. This was ascertained to be practicable, by a reconnaissance
made by Captain Crane, and in order to cover the design, a rumor was
set afloat, to the effect that Sir George Prevost was concentrating
his forces at Kingston for an attack on Sacketts Harbor.[30] By some
means or other, the rumor reached the ears of General Dearborn, the
commander-in-chief, at Albany, in such a shape, that he could not
be induced to believe it was a mere device designed to lull the
suspicions of the enemy. He left Albany in a sleigh drawn by four
horses, reached Sacketts Harbor in forty-eight hours, and soon after
ordered up the brigades of Chandler and Pike from Plattsburg.
Kingston, therefore, remained unmolested,--and the army at Sacketts
Harbor continued inactive, till the opening of the lake navigation
in the spring of 1813, when General Dearborn proceeded against York
with the greater part of his forces. A portion of Colonel Macomb’s
regiment took part in the expedition, but their commander himself,
much against his own inclination and wishes, was left at Sacketts
Harbor,--it being deemed of the highest importance that an officer of
skill and ability should be placed in command of that post.
Having made every possible preparation for the defence of Sacketts
Harbor, and received permission to join General Dearborn on the
Niagara frontier, Colonel Macomb sailed up the lake, in company with
Commodore Chauncey, with the remainder of his regiment, and joined
the main army on the twenty-fourth of May; passing, in the night,
a schooner dispatched by the general-in-chief, with an officer on
board, bearing positive orders for him to remain at the post he had
left. The arrangements for the attack on Fort George had previously
been made; but a sort of second reserve was formed, under Colonel
Macomb, consisting of his regiment and the marines. The attack was
made on the twenty-seventh of May, and was eminently successful. None
of the troops participated in the action, except the advanced guard
under Colonel Scott, and the brigade of General Boyd; consequently,
Colonel Macomb had no opportunity to gather the laurels he longed to
win; and, immediately after the battle took place, he was ordered to
return to Sacketts Harbor, with four companies of his regiment.
Upon what trifling, and apparently unimportant circumstances, does
the destiny of individuals, like that of nations, depend!--The
temporary absence of Colonel Macomb from Sacketts Harbor enabled
General Brown, then only an officer of the militia, to distinguish
himself, and to obtain a high command, followed by rapid promotion,
in the regular service; while the former, though equally brave and
patriotic, was defeated in his most ardent hopes, by his impatience
and anxiety to meet the enemy in the field.
[Sidenote: EXPEDITION DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE.]
In the summer of 1813, General Wilkinson relieved General Dearborn
in the command of the Northern army. Colonel Macomb accompanied him
in the fruitless and unfortunate movement down the St. Lawrence,
in the autumn of that year.[31] He was placed at the head of the
_corps d’élite_, which consisted of his own regiment, the 20th
infantry, Forsyth’s rifles, and Major Herkimer’s New York volunteers,
numbering, in all, about twelve hundred men. On the march over land,
to avoid the fire of the British batteries at Prescott, he led the
advance; and when the army resumed its progress down the river, he
was detached with his corps, to remove obstructions from the stream,
and drive the enemy’s skirmishers and light troops from the line of
the route. While on this service, several slight affairs occurred
with the enemy, in which he and the officers and men of his command,
displayed commendable zeal and gallantry.
Being in the advance, Colonel Macomb had no part in the action fought
on the eleventh of November, near Williamsburg. After the death of
General Covington, who fell on that occasion, Macomb succeeded to
the command of his brigade, and conducted it to the winter quarters
of the army, at French Mills, where he was placed in command of the
artillery.
On the twenty-fourth of January, 1814, Colonel Macomb was promoted to
the rank of brigadier general, and, on the receipt of his commission,
was regularly assigned to the command of Covington’s brigade. In
conformity with orders from the War Department, the cantonment at
French Mills was broken up in February, 1814, and the troops divided
into two columns,--one moving to Sacketts Harbor, under General
Brown, and the other proceeding to Plattsburg and Burlington, under
Generals Wilkinson and Macomb. The latter was appointed to the
command of the troops on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, and
established his headquarters at Burlington.
In the month of March following, General Wilkinson concentrated his
forces at Champlain, on the New York frontier, in order to make a
demonstration, or attack, as might be most practicable, upon the
British outposts. General Macomb joined him with his brigade, and
proceeded, with the column, to La Cole Mill, on the St. John’s, a
strongly fortified position of the enemy. An attempt was made to
carry the work on the thirtieth of March, which wholly failed of
success. General Macomb, who had opposed, to the last, the order of
attack laid down by the commanding general, and suggested an entirely
different plan of operations, commanded the reserve, and displayed
his usual ability in covering the retrograde march to Odletown.
[Sidenote: INVASION OF NEW YORK.]
Shortly after this affair, General Wilkinson was recalled, and
General Macomb assumed the command of the army, till the arrival
of General Izard. Commodore Macdonough was then actively engaged in
constructing and equipping his fleet, at Vergennes. Early in May, the
enemy’s flotilla appeared off Plattsburg, on their way towards the
naval dépôt, intending, doubtless, to destroy the vessels and stores.
General Macomb instantly penetrated their design, and dispatched the
light artillery under Captain Thornton, to man the batteries which he
had caused to be erected on Otter Creek, to protect the dépôt. The
British flotilla attempted to pass up the creek, but were so roughly
handled by the American batteries, that they judged it expedient to
return to the Isle Aux Noix.
When General Izard arrived at Plattsburg and took the command,
General Macomb resumed his position at Burlington, till the departure
of the former, on the twenty-seventh of August, 1814, with the
greater part of his troops, to reïnforce General Brown on the Niagara
frontier.
Meanwhile, the British force in the Canadas had been largely
augmented, by the arrival of successive detachments from Wellington’s
victorious army on the Garonne. At the close of the month of August,
there were, at least, sixteen thousand regular soldiers, under the
orders of the governor-general, Sir George Prevost,--twelve thousand
of whom were in the lower province. This formidable force was
designed for the invasion of the United States, by the way of Lake
Champlain, in conjunction with the fleet then preparing to coöperate
with it, under Commodore Downie. At the same time, a strong naval
expedition, under Sir John Sherbrooke and Admiral Griffith, was
moving along the New England coast, landing at different places
on their route, and encountering but a feeble opposition, except
on the part of the regular troops or the navy. These two movements
were parts of a general plan, formed by the Prince Regent and his
cabinet--based, in all probability, on the well-known disaffection
in the New England States. But Sir George Prevost found, to his
cost, that the want of patriotism manifested in Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut, was not shared, to any considerable degree,
by the yeomen of New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
The preparations of the English commander for the projected invasion
were nearly completed, when General Izard set out for the theatre
of General Brown’s operations. General Macomb, whose brigade was
now broken up, was left in command at Plattsburg, to which he
again removed his headquarters. His whole force numbered about
twenty-five hundred men, most of whom, however, were convalescents,
or new recruits belonging to different regiments; there was but one
organized battalion in the entire command; many were sick; and,
on examination, it was found that there were only fifteen hundred
fit for duty. This was, indeed, a dilemma; and especially so, as
there was no time given to bring up new regular troops,--it being
announced, on the first of September, that the advance of Sir George
Prevost’s army had that day crossed the lines at Odletown, where he
was issuing his proclamations inviting the inhabitants to remain
neutral, and impressing wagons and teams--thus plainly indicating
his intention to sweep down the western shore of the lake, in the
direction of Plattsburg.
General Macomb never paused to count the number of his enemies, or
to consider his own weakness, any further than was necessary for the
defence of his position, which he was determined to maintain at all
hazards. General Mooers, of the New York militia, was invited to
consult with him, and to coöperate in the obstruction of the enemy’s
advance, with all the troops under his orders. Messengers sped off
in every direction, bearing spirited appeals from General Macomb,
to arouse the people of Vermont and New York; and every exertion
was made, in the meantime, to reduce the confusion prevailing
at Plattsburg into something like order, and to strengthen the
fortifications prepared to resist the “rushing onslaught” of the
British legions. A spirit of emulation was carefully fostered among
the officers and men, who were divided into detachments, and placed
near the different forts; General Macomb announcing, in orders, that
each party must be the garrison of its own work, and defend it to the
last extremity.
[Sidenote: DEFENCES OF PLATTSBURG.]
The village of Plattsburg is situated on the north-western bank of
the Saranac river, which flows into Cumberland bay, an arm of Lake
Champlain. On the south-east, between the river and the bay, there
is a triangular peninsula, from four to six hundred yards wide.
The American works were constructed, under the direction of Major
Totten, of the engineers, on this peninsula. There were, at first,
three redoubts, and two strong blockhouses. The principal work,
called, by General Izard, Fort Moreau, stood in the centre,--having
on its right, on the Saranac, Fort Brown, and on its left, resting
on the lake, Fort Scott; so named by General Macomb, in honor of
his gallant brothers in arms. Fort Brown and Fort Scott were deemed
inaccessible, on their water fronts, as the banks of the river and
bay were high and precipitous. On all the other sides, the several
works were surrounded by deep and wide ditches; they were defended by
_caponnières_; and each glacis was covered with rows of abattis. The
blockhouses occupied favorable positions for guarding the river, and
the ravines on the northern bank leading to the redoubts. The general
afterwards constructed a fourth redoubt, which he called Fort Gaines,
in advance of the other forts, on the south side of the river.
All the works occupied by the American troops were well supplied
with artillery, and their position was further strengthened, by the
presence of the fleet under Commodore Macdonough, which lay moored in
the bay on the right of their position. Besides the regular garrisons
detailed for the different redoubts, General Macomb formed four
small corps of observation,--placing two hundred and fifty men under
Major Wool, of the 29th infantry; two hundred under Major Sproul, of
the 13th; one hundred rifles under Captain Grosvenor, of the 26th;
and one hundred and ten rifles under Lieutenant Colonel Appling.
These corps were thrown forward on the different routes, to watch
the movements of the enemy. Most of the citizens of Plattsburg had
fled with their families and effects, but a small party of young men
remained behind, received rifles, and organized themselves into a
separate company. They also did good service as skirmishers.
[Sidenote: ADVANCE OF SIR GEORGE PREVOST.]
The advance of Sir George Prevost was slow and cautious. The example
and fate of Burgoyne were before him, and he desired to profit by
the lesson. He wished to penetrate into the country as far as Crown
Point and Ticonderoga, before the winter set in, but he did not care
to be caught in a trap. He therefore felt his way at every step,
repeatedly urging Captain Downie, however, to hasten the completion
and equipment of his fleet. Without the command of the lake he
naturally felt that his position, far advanced into the enemy’s
country, would be extremely hazardous and insecure. On the third of
September, the whole British army entered the town of Champlain,
and on the following day moved forward upon Plattsburg. They found
the roads blocked up with felled trees, the passes obstructed by
_chevaux-de-frise_ and abattis, and the bridges broken down,--the
corps of observation pushed out by General Macomb having faithfully
obeyed his orders, to impede, in every way, the progress of the
enemy’s troops.
The eloquent appeals of the American general to the yeomanry of
Vermont and New York were nobly answered. Hundreds and thousands
of the brave Green Mountain boys, and the patriotic militia and
volunteers of New York, daily poured into his camp. Those who
were destitute he furnished with arms, and all were supplied with
provisions. The militia were, of course, organized and enrolled under
their respective commanders, but the volunteers, at his suggestion,
usually separated into small parties, to lie in wait in the woods, to
fall upon detached parties of the enemy, to annoy their flanks, to
harass them by every possible means, and to obtain information and
intercept stragglers.
On the fourth of September, General Mooers, with seven hundred
militia, advanced about seven miles on the Beekmantown road,--which
passes over the swelling uplands overlooking the lake, and the lower,
or lake road, on its margin,--to reconnoitre, and obstruct the
approaches. Captain Sproul was then at Dead Creek bridge, on the lake
road, with his corps and two pieces of artillery; while Lieutenant
Colonel Appling and his rifles, who had been stationed on the Great
Chazy, were still further in front. When the enemy moved forward, on
the fourth instant, Appling retreated leisurely before them, tearing
up the bridges, cutting down trees and flinging them across the road,
and throwing every possible obstruction in the way of their advance.
[Sidenote: BATTLE OF PLATTSBURG.]
Sir George Prevost halted his troops at Little Chazy, on the fifth
instant, and it was the same day ascertained by General Macomb, that
they would take up the line of march on the following morning, in two
columns, on the Beekmantown and lake roads, which divided below Chazy
village. The general was urged by many warm and zealous friends, to
abandon Plattsburg to its fate, to remove the stores while there was
yet time, and to retire higher up the lake. He was not the man to
follow such advice; though a retreat, under the circumstances, could
not justly have been termed dishonorable. He had already decided to
dispute every inch of ground, and he felt confident, that if the
narrow peninsula, between the Saranac and the Champlain, should,
indeed, prove the Thermopylæ of himself and his gallant little band
of regular soldiers, the sacrifice would not be in vain. The militia
and volunteers who had flocked around his standard, or were operating
in the neighborhood, numbered from eight to ten thousand men, and
before the enemy could have improved any advantage gained over his
command, the forests around them would have been filled with an
overwhelming force of citizen soldiers, burning with impatience to
drive back the invader.
In the evening of the fifth instant, Major Wool was ordered forward
with his corps, to support the militia on the Beekmantown road. It
was designed to reïnforce him with two pieces of artillery, before
daylight; but the officer having charge of the guns did not join him
in season. At early dawn on the sixth, the enemy were in motion.
The column on the Beekmantown road, consisting of the divisions of
Generals Power and Robinson, pushed forward with great rapidity.
Major Wool and his men withstood them for some time with matchless
hardihood and bravery, killing Lieutenant Colonel Wellington, of
the Buffs, the leader of the advanced parties; but the militia were
seized with an unhappy panic, occasioned, in part, by the red coats
of the New York cavalry, stationed as look-outs on the hills, whom
they mistook for the British soldiers. The firmness and intrepidity
of Major Wool and his command failed to encourage them, and their
premature flight soon compelled him to retire.
The right column of the enemy having approached within one mile of
Plattsburg, General Macomb dispatched his aid, with orders to Captain
Sproul, to fall back by the lake road; and to Lieutenant Colonel
Appling, to attack the British right. Appling retired just in time
to escape being cut off; as he soon after encountered the head of a
detachment from the left column, which had made a _détour_ through
the woods for that purpose. A destructive fire from his rifles, at
rest, checked their advance, and enabled him to effect his retreat
in safety. The different corps, under Appling, Wool, and Sproul, now
united, and slowly continued their retrograde movement; the field
pieces were kept actively playing; the gunboats lying off the mouth
of Dead Creek, poured a lively and galling fire upon the enemy; and
their advanced parties were severely handled.
[Sidenote: SKIRMISHING.]
Every road and lane leading into Plattsburg was now full of British
soldiers. The artillery, which had supported the American advanced
corps, was pushed across the bridge in the town, where it was placed
in battery, to cover the retreat of the infantry, who retired in
alternate detachments. As the last platoons reached the southern
bank of the river, the planks of all the bridges spanning the stream
were torn up, by order of General Macomb, and breastworks formed
from them, to protect the parties left to guard the crossings. The
enemy promptly entered the town, flattering themselves that the
victory was more than half completed. The heavy artillery in the
redoubts immediately opened on them, and the staff officers, who
ascended the roofs and balconies to reconnoitre, were speedily
dislodged by the hot shot, poured upon them “like burning lava,”
while the buildings of which they had taken possession were set on
fire. The British commander, discovering that his men were suffering
considerably from the fire of the heavy metal, and not being prepared
to force the passage of the river, drew off the main body of his
army,--leaving only a few light troops to skirmish at the different
fords and bridges,--and encamped in a semicircle, about two miles
from the American forts. It was of the highest importance that the
weakness of his army should be concealed from the enemy, and General
Macomb took extraordinary precautions to prevent their obtaining
any positive information, and to deceive them in regard to his real
strength. All the troops were paraded at guard-mounting; and, as
several days elapsed before anything of moment transpired on either
side, a portion of the barracks constructed for General Izard’s army
was burned every night, to prevent the enemy from approaching the
works unobserved, and to march the troops through the light, as if
they were reïnforcements just arriving from the opposite shore of the
lake.
From the evening of the sixth of September, till the morning of the
eleventh, Sir George Prevost was zealously engaged in planting his
batteries, both open and masked, and bringing up his heavy artillery.
During all this time he refrained from offensive operations, though
there were constant skirmishes between advanced corps of the two
armies, at the bridges and fords. The reason alleged for the delay
on his part, was the want of his battering train, that came up very
slowly; but the absence of the fleet under Captain Downie, which had
not yet arrived,--and without which, as appeared in the sequel, he
dared not make an attempt on the American position,--was, probably,
the main consideration that influenced him.
In the meantime, a lively and effective cannonade was directed upon
the enemy’s lines from the American forts,--the sullen thunder of
their artillery echoing for many a mile through the sweeping forests
whose rich foliage enamelled the borders of Lake Champlain. The
repeated assaults of the enemy at the different crossings of the
river were repelled with ease and alacrity; and on one occasion,
Captain M‘Glassin, of the 15th infantry, gallantly crossed the river
in the night, with fifty men; attacked a working party one hundred
and fifty strong, constructing a battery opposite Fort Brown;
defeated both them and their support, also one hundred and fifty in
number, killing seven of the enemy; and completely demolished the
work. The regular troops, besides performing regular tours of duty
at the bridge and fords, labored incessantly, in strengthening the
fortifications.
On the night of the tenth of September, General Macomb was apprised
of the intention of the enemy to make an attack the next day; and,
by his orders, the roads and passes leading to the south of his
position, as he suspected they designed to turn it, were covered with
felled trees, and strewed with leaves, so as to deceive them, and a
new road was opened leading towards Salmon river.
[Sidenote: REPULSE OF THE ENEMY.]
At the earliest dawn of day, before the welkin began to glow with
the purple light of morning, a general movement was reported, by the
advanced parties, to be making in the enemy’s camp; and when objects
could be distinguished from the main line, all their different corps
were observed under arms. Shortly afterwards, the British fleet
rounded Cumberland head. As the Confiance, the flag ship of Captain
Downie, entered the bay, she scaled her guns,--the signal agreed
on with Sir George Prevost for the commencement of the action. A
desperate conflict, of rather more than two hours’ duration, now
took place between the rival squadrons, at the termination of which
Commodore Macdonough obtained a signal triumph over his opponent, who
fell mortally wounded in the action.
Nearly all the enemy’s vessels were captured or destroyed, and
their crews, with the exception of those who were killed during the
engagement, were taken prisoners.
Sir George Prevost only waited to give his men their breakfast, when
the attack was ordered on the land. Showers of bombs, shrapnels,
balls, and rockets, were hurled across the river; and immediately
after the bombardment commenced, the enemy advanced to force a
passage across the stream, and assault the American works, in three
columns--one approaching the bridge in the village, another the
upper bridge, and the third a ford about three miles above the
forts--all of which were provided with scaling ladders. The attack
was vigorously met by the American artillerists; fire answered fire;
and the ringing shot and shout resounded far and wide.
The two columns of the enemy which attempted to pass the bridges,
were gallantly driven back by the regulars; the remaining column was
led astray in the woods--the artifices of the American commander
being entirely successful--and after spending a long time in marching
and countermarching to no purpose, wearied and worn with fatigue,
they arrived in sight of the American works, only to hear the glad
shouts of victory at the brilliant success of the brave Macdonough.
A further advance was no longer to be thought of; the recall was
sounded; the scaling ladders were thrown down; and a hasty retreat
was made. The volunteers and militia stationed in this quarter,
pressed warmly upon them, and succeeded in cutting off an entire
company of the 76th foot, not a single man of whom escaped. The
cannonade was kept up till sunset, when the enemy’s batteries were
all silenced by the effective fire from the American forts.
Before another morning dawned, Sir George Prevost and his powerful
army had all disappeared, like “the baseless fabric of a vision.”
Their sick and wounded were left behind, with a message to the
American general commending them to his kindness and generosity. Vast
quantities of provisions were also abandoned or destroyed, together
with large stores of ammunition, tents, and intrenching tools.
The retreat was made so unexpectedly, and with such extraordinary
precipitance, that it was not discovered till the enemy had nearly
reached Chazy, about eight miles distant. The light troops,
volunteers, and militia, were instantly detached in pursuit of the
flying Britons; but a violent storm of rain impeded their progress,
and they were only able to capture a few prisoners, and to cover
the escape of between three and four hundred deserters. Sir George
Prevost succeeded in effecting his return to Canada, without further
molestation, where he resigned the command of the army and demanded a
court martial. Before the investigation took place, he died, as it is
said, of grief and mortification at the ill-success of an expedition
so well equipped and provided, and upon which depended so many hopes
and expectations.
The actual loss of the British army in this expedition was only
two hundred and fifty killed and wounded, but there were over four
hundred deserted in the retreat. Of the Americans, there were
thirty-seven killed, sixty-two wounded, and twenty missing.
The double victory of Macomb and Macdonough was everywhere hailed
by their countrymen with acclamations of joy. The legislatures of
New York and Vermont were foremost in offering their thanks and
congratulations. The freedom of the city of New York was presented to
General Macomb, in a gold box, and the State legislature voted him a
magnificent sword. Congress also passed a vote of thanks, and ordered
that a gold medal, emblematical of the victory, should be struck and
presented to him. The brevet of major general was likewise conferred
on him--his commission bearing date on the memorable eleventh of
September, 1814.
[Sidenote: RETURN OF PEACE.]
Upon the conclusion of the treaty of peace, the negotiations for
which were undoubtedly hastened to a close by the disastrous result
of the expedition under Sir George Prevost, the army was reduced
to the peace establishment, which was fixed at ten thousand men.
Two major generals, and four brigadier generals, were retained in
the service; among them was General Macomb, who stood at the head
of the brigadiers. He was now assigned to the command of the 3rd
military department, and established his headquarters at New York;
subsequently he was transferred to the 5th department, and removed
to Detroit. While in charge of the latter department, he established
the posts at Fort Gratiot, Chicago, Mackinaw, Prairie du Chien, St.
Peter’s, and St. Mary’s. So highly was he esteemed by the people
of Detroit, that when he was called to Washington, on the further
reduction of the army, in June, 1821, to take charge of the Engineer
Bureau, an address, in their name, with a piece of plate, was
presented to him, by Governor Cass; and the clergy, and all the most
prominent citizens, called upon him to take their leave, and express
their regret at his departure.
General Macomb now removed to Georgetown, in the District of
Columbia, in order to enter upon the duties of his appointment as
Chief Engineer. His military studies, his talents and experience,
eminently fitted him for this post; and it is not strange, therefore,
that he should have received, as he did, the repeated thanks of every
head of the War Department, during his administration of the affairs
of the engineer bureau. Millions of dollars were appropriated under
his directions, not a single cent of which was unaccounted for to the
government.
In the first year of his residence at Georgetown, General Macomb was
called upon to mourn the loss of his excellent wife, who had so long
shared with him the toils and dangers, the hardships and sufferings,
of a soldier’s life. He was married a second time, in May, 1826, to
Mrs. Harriet Balch Wilson, a lady richly meriting the praise awarded
to the possessor of so many graces and accomplishments.
On the death of General Brown, in February, 1828, General Macomb
was raised to the full rank of major general, and appointed
General-in-Chief of the army. His claims to this preference were
disputed by Generals Scott and Gaines, the two brigadiers; but
President Adams, and his successor, General Jackson, decided in favor
of Macomb, on the ground that his military service was the longest,
and that, even if this were not the case, the Executive possessed
the unquestioned right to go beyond the pale of the army, if thought
advisable, in making the selection.
While at the head of the army, General Macomb devised and recommended
various plans for its improvement, and that of the military school
at West Point, many of which were adopted by Congress, or the War
Department, and all of which would no doubt materially conduce to
the elevation of the military character of the country. He was not
again required to take the field, except that he was absent for a
few months in Florida, during the second Seminole war, and, in 1839,
concluded a treaty of peace with the refractory Indians, which proved
to be illusory and deceptive.
[Sidenote: HIS DEATH.]
As General Macomb advanced in years, he grew somewhat corpulent, and
became subject to apoplectic attacks. On the occasion of the funeral
ceremonies of President Harrison, in the city of Washington, he
commanded the funeral escort; and his tall and manly form, his noble
and dignified presence, rendered him the most conspicuous personage
in that brilliant pageant. But little more than two months elapsed,
when he was struck by the same relentless enemy of our race. He died
in a fit of apoplexy, on the twenty-fifth of June, 1841, universally
lamented by his associates and brethren in arms, and by his numerous
friends and acquaintances throughout the Union.
The personal appearance of General Macomb was decidedly in his favor.
He was above the ordinary height, and, until a few years previous to
his death, was finely proportioned. His eyes were blue, and beamed
with intelligence and kindness. His look was lofty and imposing, and
his whole cast of countenance indicated great decision and firmness,
coupled with intellectual ability of the highest order.
He was polished and easy in his manners; at all times accessible;
but never forgetting his own self-respect, or losing sight of the
dignity of his position. In his military career, he evinced unusual
promptness and energy, appropriately tempered by wisdom and prudence.
He made no pretences to extraordinary courage; but a braver soldier,
in the better sense of the term, never lived. His scientific
attainments in the line of his profession, and in general literature,
were remarked, and admired, by all who had the pleasure of his
acquaintance. He was singularly accurate in his judgment; correct
and exact in the discharge of every duty; patient and assiduous, but
decided, in anything he undertook. His disposition and character were
equable; and he wore well, as a soldier and a citizen,--as a friend,
a father, and a husband.