ALEXANDRIA
Whilst the army was thus actively employed, the fleet did not remain
idle. A squadron of frigates, with two bomb-ships, under the command of
Captain Gordon, of the Sea-horse, penetrated up the Potomac, and
appeared before Alexandria. The whole of the militia of the district
was at this time called away for the defence of the capital,
consequently no place could be less prepared to resist an invader than
that city. A party accordingly landed from the ships without
opposition, and having destroyed the barracks, public works, and all
the cannon which they found on shore, they seized a number of schooners
and other small craft then lying in the harbour, and loading them with
flour and tobacco to a considerable amount, prepared to rejoin the
fleet in the bay.
But by this time the country was alarmed; a detachment was sent from
the main army, and being joined by the reserve of militia, it was
determined to intercept the squadron on its return. With this view,
several pieces of heavy cannon were mounted upon a steep part of the
bank, where the river, in making an angle, narrows considerably in its
channel. Thither also hastened large bodies of infantry; and before the
frigates had begun to weigh anchor nearly 5000 men were assembled to
prevent their passage.
Of these preparations Captain Gordon did not long remain ignorant; nor
was he backward in making the best arrangements possible to meet the
danger. By shifting the ballast in each of the vessels entirely to one
side, he caused them to lean in such a manner as that their artillery
could be elevated to a surprising degree, and the shot rise even to the
summit of the hill. The guns were then stuffed, rather than loaded,
with grape and musket-balls; and the ships, taking their stations
according to their draft of water, the lightest keeping nearest to the
enemy’s shore, set sail, and, favoured by a leading breeze, stood
leisurely down the river.
As soon as they arrived within tangible distance, a brisk cannonade was
opened upon them from the heights, and the whole of the infantry
appeared in line along, the brow of the eminence. Regardless of these
formidable salutations, the ships continued to hold their course
without changing their order or returning a shot, till they reached the
base of the hill upon which the infantry stood, and received a volley
of musketry into their decks. Then, indeed, they answered the fire; and
with such effect, that at the first broadside the enemy’s guns were
abandoned, and their infantry took to flight. The Americans had
persuaded themselves that no ship could point her guns so as to sweep
the top of the hill; and under this idea had drawn up their troops
along the ridge, with the intention of overawing the squadron by a
display of their numbers. But in the event they found themselves
mistaken, for so well had Captain Gordon arranged matters, that not a
single shot fell under its mark; and as the ships’ artillery had been
loaded for the occasion, a shower of balls of every size and
description came amongst them, such as it was impossible to withstand.
A single broadside was sufficient to secure the safe passage of his
squadron; but with this Captain Gordon was not contented. Seeing the
enemy driven from their cannon, he immediately landed his marines,
spiked the guns, and blew up the expense magazines; when, having
received them all safely on board again, he continued his voyage, and
regained the Chesapeake without further molestation.
Nor was this the only operation in which the navy were employed.
Cruising about in every direction, they threatened the whole line of
coast, from the entrance to the very bend of the bay; and thus kept the
Americans in a constant state of alarm. Whenever a favourable
opportunity presented itself, parties landed, plundered or destroyed
the Government stores, laid towns and districts under contribution, and
brought off all the shipping which could be reached. In a word, the
hostilities carried on in the Chesapeake resembled the expeditions of
the ancient Danes against Great Britain, rather than a modern war
between civilized nations. But these hasty excursions, though generally
successful, were not always performed without loss to the invaders.
Many men and some officers were killed and wounded, among whom was
Captain Sir Peter Parker, of the Menelaus frigate, an officer
distinguished for his gallantry and knowledge of naval tactics. Having
learnt that an encampment of 300 men and six pieces of cannon had been
formed, at the distance of a few miles from the banks of the Potomac,
and about nine leagues below Alexandria, he determined, with part of
his ship’s crew, to surprise it, and to capture the guns. Running his
frigate with this view up the river, he cast anchor opposite to the
place where the American forces lay; and leaving on board only a
sufficient number of sailors to manage the ship, and to guard against
surprise, with the rest, amounting to 200 seamen and marines, he
landed, and marched rapidly towards the enemy’s camp. But intelligence
of his proceedings had already reached them; patrols of horse hovering
continually along the coast for the purpose of watching the motions of
our fleet. When, therefore, he arrived at the point of destination, he
found the bivouac deserted, and the rear-guard in full retreat. With
these a little skirmishing ensued, and he received a rifle-ball in the
thigh. Not suspecting that the wound was dangerous, he continued to
push forward, till he fell exhausted from loss of blood; when, on
examining the hurt, it was found that the femoral artery had been cut;
and before any proper assistance could be afforded, he literally bled
to death. Seeing their leader killed, and the enemy retiring,
apparently with the design of drawing them away from the coast, the
sailors now halted; and taking up their dead commander, returned to the
river without being able to effect anything which might, in any degree,
console them for their loss.
THE PATUXENT.
In the meantime the army continued, for some days, quietly on board the
ships in the Patuxent. The wounded whose cases appeared most desperate
were removed to vessels fitted up for their reception, and sailed, some
for Halifax, and others for England. The dispatches were likewise made
out and sent off in the Iphigenia, whilst a sort of breathing-time was
given to those who had been of late so actively employed. Whilst this
sabbath continued, I amused myself by landing; and under the pretext of
shooting, strolled sometimes farther up the country than prudence
exactly warranted. The houses and villas, upon the immediate banks of
the river, I found universally deserted, and thoroughly plundered. The
corn, however, was uninjured; and even flocks of sheep were seen
grazing within a short distance of the water, protected only by negro
slaves. Of these none were taken without an equivalent being as
faithfully paid as if they had been sold in the market-place of New
York; a circumstance which favoured the belief that the houses had been
ransacked, not by the British troops, but by the inhabitants
themselves. Whether it was really so or not I cannot say, but this I
know, that from the time of our arrival in the Chesapeake, all acts of
individual plunder or violence were strictly prohibited, and severely
punished.
But this appearance of ruin and desertion extended not more than a mile
or two from the coast. Beyond that, I found the cottages occupied by
their owners, and everything remaining as if no enemy were within a
hundred miles. The young men, indeed, were generally absent, because
every man fit to bear arms was now serving with the army; but the old
men and the women seemed to live as comfortably as if the most profound
peace had reigned throughout the State. Nor did I find them altogether
so hostile to our interest as I had expected. They professed to be
Federalists; and though they regretted the events of the war, they
blamed their own rulers for its commencement. Tempted by this show of
quietness, I one day continued my walk to a greater distance from the
fleet than I had yet ventured to do. My servant was with me, but had no
arms, and I was armed only with a double-barrelled fowling-piece.
Having wearied myself with looking for game, and penetrated beyond my
former landmarks, I came suddenly upon a small hamlet, occupying a
piece of cleared ground in the very heart of a thick wood. With this,
to confess the truth, I was by no means delighted, more especially as I
perceived two stout-looking men sitting at the door of one of the
cottages. To retire unobserved was, however, impossible, because the
rustling which I had made among the trees attracted their attention,
and they saw me; probably, before I had seen them. Perceiving that
their eyes were fixed upon me, I determined to put a bold face upon the
matter; and calling aloud, as if to a party to halt, I advanced, with
my servant, towards them. They were dressed in sailors’ jackets and
trowsers, and rose on my approach, taking off their hats with much
civility. On joining them, I demanded to be informed whether they were
not Englishmen, and deserters from the fleet, stating that I was in
search of two persons very much answering their description. They
assured me that they were Americans, and no deserters, begging that I
would not take them away; a request to which, after some time, I
assented. They then conducted me into the house, where I found an old
man and three women, who entertained me with bread, cheese, and new
milk. While I was sitting here, a third youth, in the dress of a
labourer, entered, and whispered to one of the sailors, who immediately
rose to go out, but I commanded him to sit still, declaring that I was
not satisfied, and should certainly arrest him if he attempted to
escape. The man sat down sulkily; and the young labourer coming
forward, begged permission to examine my gun. This was a request which
I did not much relish, and with which I, of course, refused to comply;
telling the fellow that it was loaded, and that I was unwilling to
trust it out of my own band, on account of a weakness in one of the
locks.
I had now kept up appearances as long as they could be kept up, and
therefore rose to withdraw; a measure to which I was additionally
induced by the appearance of two other countrymen at the opposite end
of the hamlet. I therefore told the sailors that, if they would pledge
themselves to remain quietly at home, without joining the American
army, I would not molest them; warning them, at the same time, not to
venture beyond the village, lest they should fall into the hands of
other parties, who were also in search of deserters. The promise they
gave, but not with much alacrity, when I rose, and keeping my eye fixed
upon them, and my gun ready cocked in my hand, walked out, followed by
my servant. They conducted us to the door, and stood staring after us
till we got to the edge of the wood; when I observed them moving
towards their countrymen, who also gazed upon us, without either
advancing or flying. The reader will readily believe, that as soon as
we found ourselves concealed by the trees, we lost no time in
endeavouring to discover the direct way towards the shipping; but
plunging into the thickets, ran with all speed, without thinking of
aught except an immediate escape from pursuit. Whether the Americans
did attempt to follow, or not, I cannot tell. If they did, they took a
wrong direction, for in something more than an hour I found myself at
the edge of the river, a little way above the shipping, and returned
safely on board, fully resolved not again, to expose myself to such
risks, without necessity.
THE PATAPSCO.
In this manner the time was spent till daybreak on the 6th of
September, when the whole fleet got under weigh, and stood towards the
Chesapeake. The wind was fair, and we speedily cleared the river; but
instead of standing up the bay, as we had expected, we ran down a few
miles below the mouth of the Patuxent, and there anchored. A signal was
then made by telegraph for all ships to send in a return of the number
of seamen whom, in addition to marines, they could land with
small-arms. Every ship’s crew was accordingly mustered, and it was
found that, besides the numbers necessary for conveying stores and
dragging guns, one thousand sailors could be spared from the fleet.
Thus, in spite of our loss at Bladensburg, we were enabled on our next
debarkation to bring into the field about five thousand fighting men.
Next morning we again weighed, and directed our course towards the
Potomac. We entered this river soon after midday, and continued to stem
the stream during the night, and till dusk on the following evening,
when we again brought up. Here we were joined by Admiral Cockburn, who
had quitted the anchorage some days before the rest of the fleet, with
a large flotilla of prizes and small craft; and having on the 9th once
more set sail, and steered for a few hours in the direction of
Alexandria, we suddenly put about, and, favoured by a fresh breeze, ran
down to the bay, turning our heads upwards towards the Patapsco.
Baltimore, it was now understood, was the point of attack; and towards
the river upon which that town is built we hastened under a heavy press
of sail.
The object of this manoeuvring was evidently to deceive the enemy, and
by keeping him in suspense as to the place threatened, to prevent his
concentrating his forces, or throwing up works for its defence. But in
the attainment of our object, the event proved that we were but
partially successful. Certain it is, however, that the utmost
consternation prevailed in every town or village opposite to which we
made our appearance. In passing Anapolis, a considerable town built
upon the bay, and possessing a tolerable harbour, we stood in so close
as to discern the inhabitants flying from their houses; carts and
waggons loaded with furniture hurrying along the roads, and horsemen
galloping along the shore, as if watching the fearful moment when the
boats should be hoisted out, and the troops quit the vessels. Wherever
a lighthouse or signal station was erected, alarm-guns were fired and
beacons lighted. In a word, all the horrors of doubt and apprehension
seemed to oppress the inhabitants of this devoted district.
The fair wind continuing to blow without interruption, on the 11th we
came in sight of the projecting headland, where it was designed to
disembark the troops. It was a promontory washed by the Patapsco on one
side, and a curvature of the bay itself on the other. It was determined
to land here, rather than to ascend the river, because the Patapsco,
though broad, is far from deep. It is, in fact, too shallow to admit a
line-of-battle ship; and, as no one could guess what impediments might
be thrown in the way to obstruct the navigation, prudence forbade that
five thousand men should be intrusted to the convoy of the smaller
vessels alone. Besides, the distance from the point to Baltimore did
not exceed fourteen or fifteen miles, a space which might easily be
traversed in a day.
But while the land forces moved in this direction upon Baltimore, it
was resolved that the frigates and bomb-ships should endeavour to force
their way through every obstacle, and to obtain possession of the
navigation of the river, so as, if possible, to co-operate with the
army by bombarding the place from the water. A frigate was accordingly
dispatched to try the depth, and to take soundings of the channel,
whilst the remainder of the fleet came to an anchor off the point. In
the meantime all was again bustle and preparation on board the
troop-ships and transports. Three days’ provisions were cooked, as
before, and given to the men; and as we were now to carry everything by
a coup-de-main, twenty rounds of ammunition were added to the sixty
with which soldiers are usually loaded; whilst a smaller quantity of
other baggage was directed to be taken on shore. A blanket, with a
spare shirt and pair of shoes, was considered enough for each man on an
expedition of so rapid a nature; whilst brushes and other articles of
that description were divided between comrades, one carrying what would
suffice for both. Thus the additional load of twenty cartridges was
more than counterbalanced by the clothing and necessaries left behind.
It was dusk when we reached the anchorage, consequently no landing
could take place before the morrow. But as the boats were ordered to be
in readiness at dawn, every man slept in his clothes, that he might be
prepared to start at a moment’s warning. There was something in this
state of preparation at once solemn and exciting. That we should obtain
possession of a place so important as Baltimore without fighting was
not to be expected; and, therefore, this arming and this bustle seemed
in fact to be the prelude to a battle. But no man of the smallest
reflection can look forward to the chance of a sudden and violent death
without experiencing sensations very different from those which he
experiences under any other circumstances. When the battle has fairly
begun, I may say with truth that the feelings of those engaged are
delightful; because they are in fact so many gamblers playing for the
highest stake that can be offered. But the stir and noise of equipping,
and then the calmness and stillness of expectation, these are the
things which force a man to think. On the other hand, the warlike
appearance of everything about you, the careless faces and rude jokes
of the private soldiers, and something within yourself, which I can
compare to nothing more seemly than the mirth which criminals are said
sometimes to experience and to express previous to their execution; all
these combine to give you a degree of false hilarity, I had almost said
painful from its very excess. It is an agitation of the nerves, such as
we may suppose madmen feel, which you are inclined to wish removed,
though you are not unwilling to admit that it is agreeable.
And yet, as if in mockery of these deadly preparations, I do not
recollect to have seen a more heavenly night than the present. The heat
of the day was past, a full clear moon shone brightly in a sky where
not a cloud could be discerned, and a heavy dew falling appeared to
refresh the earth, which had been parched and burnt up by the sun. We
lay at this time within two miles of the shore, consequently every
object there was distinctly visible. Around us were moored numerous
ships, which, breaking the tide as it flowed gently onwards, produced a
ceaseless murmur like the gushing of a mountain stream. The voices of
the sentinels too, as they relieved one another on the decks, and the
occasional splash of oars, as a solitary boat rowed backwards and
forwards to the Admiral’s ship for orders, sounded peculiarly musical
in the perfect stillness of a calm night. Though I am far from giving
the preference, in all respects, to a sailor’s life, it must
nevertheless be confessed that it has in it many moments of exquisite
enjoyment, and the present seemed to me to be of the number.