Missing-1 deputy assistant quarter master general, I captain, 3 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1 midshipman, 1 adjutant, 7 seamen, 41 serjeants, 3 drummers, 479 rank and file. COLONIAL DEPARTMENT. Downing-street, Nov. 26. A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, has been received from Lieutenant Gen. Sir George Prevost, Bart. addressed to Earl Bathurst, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State: Head Quarters, Plattsburgh, My Lord,-Upon the arrival of the reinforcements from the Garonne, I lost no time in assembling three brigades on the frontier of Lower Canada, extending from the river Richelieu to the St. Lawrence; and in forming them into a division, under the command of Major Ge. peral De Rottenburgh, for the purpose of carrying into effect his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's commands, which had been conveyed to me by your Lordship, in your dispatch of the 3d of June last. As the troops concentrated and approached the line of separation between this Province and the United States, the American army abandoned its entrenched camp on the river Chazy, at Chaplain; a position I immediately seized, and occupied in force on the 3d inst. The following day the whole of the left division advanced to the village of Chazy, without meeting the least opposition from the enemy. On the 5th it halted within eight miles of this place, having surmounted the difficulties created by the obstructions in the road, from the felling of trees, and the removal of bridges. The next day the division moved upon Plattsburgh, in two columns, on parallel roads; the right column led by Major General Powers's brigade, supported by four companies of light infantry, and a demi-brigade, under Major Gen. Robinson; the left by Major General Brisbane's brigade. The enemy's militia, supported by his regulars, attempted to impede the advance of the right column, but were driven before it from all their positions, and the column entered Plattsburg.This rapid movement having reversed the strong position taken up by the enemy at Dead Creek, it was precipitately abandoned by him, and his gun boats alone left to defend the ford, and to prevent our restoring the bridges, which had been inperfectly destroyed, an inconvenience soon surmounted.Here I found the enemy in the occupation of an elevated ridge of land on the south branch of the Saranac, crowned with 3 strong redoubts and other field works, and block houses armed with heavy ordnance, with their flotilla (the Saratoga, 26 guns; Surprise, 20 guns; Thunderer, 16 guns; Preble, 7 guns; 10 gun boats, 14 guns) at anchor out of gun-shot from the shore, consisting of a ship, a brig, a schooner, a sloop, and 10 gun boats. I immediately communicated the circumstance to Captain Downie, who had been recently appointed to command the vessels on Lake Champlain, con sisting of a ship, a brig, 2 sloops and 12 gun boats, (the Confiance 36 guns; Linnet, 18 guns; Broke, 10 guns; Shannon, 10 guns; 12 gun boats, 16 guns), and requested his co-operation; and in the mean time batteries were constructed for the guns brought from the rear. On the morning of the 11th, our flotilla was seen over the isthmus which joins Cumberland-head with the main land, steering for Platts burg Bay. I immediately ordered that part of the brigade, under Major General Robinson, which had been brought forward, consisting of four light infantry companies, 3d battalion 27th, and 76th regiments; and Major General Powers's brigade, consisting of the 3d, 5th, 1st battalion 27th, and 58th regiments, to force the ford of the Saranac, and advance, provided with scaling ladders, to escalade the enemy's works upon the heights this force was placed under the command of Major General Robinson. The batteries opentheir fire the instant the ships engaged. : It is now, with deep concern, I inform your Lordship, that, notwithstanding the intrepid valour with which Captain Downie led his flotilla into action, my most sanguine hopes of complete success were not long afterwards blasted, by a combination, as it appeared to us, of unfortunate events, to which naval warfare is peculiarly exposed. Scarcely had his Majesty's troops forced a passage across the Saranac, and ascended the height on which stand the enemy's works, when I had the extreme mortification to hear the spout of victory from the enemy's works, in consequence of the on British flag being lowered board the Confiance and Linnet; and to see our gun-boats seeking their safety in flight. This unlooked-for event depriving me of the co-operation of the fleet, without which the further prosecution of the service was become impracticable, I did not hesitate to arrest the course of the troops advancing to the attack, because the most complete success would have been unavailing, and the pos session of the enemy's works offered no advantage to compensate for the loss we must have sustained in acquiring possession of them. I have ordered the batteries to be dismantled, the guns withdrawn, and the baggage, with the wounded men who can be removed, to be sent to the rear, in order that the troops may be sent to Chazy to-morrow, and on the following day to Champlain, where I propose to halt until I have ascertained the use the enemy propose making of the naval ascendancy they have acquired on Lake Champlain. I have the honour to transmit berewith* returns of the loss sustained by the left division of this army in its advance to Plattsburg, and in forcing a passage across the river Saranac. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) GEORGE PREVOST. Right Hon. Earl Bathurst, &c. board his Majesty's ship St. Lawrence, at Kingston, September, 24, 1814. Sir, I have the honour to transmit, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a letter from Captain Pring, late Commander of his Majesty's brig Linnet. It appears to me, and I have good reason to believe, that Capt. Downie was urged, and his ship hurried into action before she was in a fit state to meet the enemy. I am also of opinion that there was not the least necessity for our squadron giving the enemy such decided advantages, by going into their bay to engage them; even had they been successful, it would not in the least have assisted the troops in storming the batteries; whereas, had our troops taken their batteries first, it would have obliged the enemy's squadron to quit the bay, and given ours a fair chance. I have the honour to be, &c. United States ship Saratoga, Plattsburgh Bay, Lake Champlain, Sept. 12, 1814. Sir,-The painful task of making you acquainted with the circuinstances attending the capture of his Majesty's squadron, yesterday, by that of the Americans, under Commodore M'Donough, it grieves me to state, becomes my duty to perform, from the ever-tobe-lamented loss of that worthy and gallant officer, Captain Downie, who unfortunately fell early in the action. In consequence of the earnest solicitation of his Excellency Sir George Prevost for the co-operation of the naval force on this Lake to attack that of the enemy, who were placed for the support of their works at Plattsburgh, which it was proposed should be stormed by the troops, at the same moment the naval action should commence in the bay; every possible exertion was used to accelerate the armament of the new ship, that the military movements might not be postponed at such an advanced season of the year, longer than was absolutely necessary. On the 3d inst. I was directed to proceed in command of the flotilla of gun boats to protect the left flank of our army advancing towards Plattsburgh; and on the following day, after taking possession and paroling the militia of Isle la Motte, I caused a battery of three long eighteen-pounder guns to be constructed for the support of our position abreast of Little Chazy, where the supplies for the army were ordered to be landed. The fleet came up on the 8th instant, but for want of stores for the equipment of the guns, could not move forward until the 11th; at daylight we weighed, and at seven were in full view of the enemy's fleet, consisting of a ship, brig, schooner, and one sloop, moored in line, abreast of their encampment, with a division of five gun-boats on each flank; at forty minutes past seven, after the officers commanding vessels and the flotilla had received their final instructions as to the plan of attack, we made sail in order of battle.Captain Downie had determined on on laying his ship athwart-hause of the enemy, directing Lieutenant M'Ghee, of the Chub, to support me in the Linnet, in engaging the brig to the right, and Lieutenant Hicks, of the Finch, with the flotilla of gun-boats, to attack the schooner and sloop on the left of the enemy's line. At eight the enemy's gun boats and smaller vessels commenced a heavy and galling fire on our line; at ten minutes after eight, the Confiance having two anchors shot away from her larboard bow, and the wind baffling, was obliged to anchor (though not in the situation proposed) within 2 cables' length of her adversary; the Linnet and Chub soon afterwards took their allotted stations, something short of that distance, when the crews on both sides cheered, and commenced a spirited and close action; a short time, however, deprived me of the valuable services of Lieut. M' Ghee, who, from having his cables, bowsprit, and main boom shot away, drifted within the enemy's line, and was obliged to surrender. From the light airs and smoothness of the water, the fire on each side proved very destructive from the commencement of the engagement, and with the exception of the brig, that of the enemy appeared united against the Confiance. After two hours severe conflict with our opponent, she cut her cable, ran down, and took shelter between the ship and schooner, which enabled us to direct our fire against the division of the enemy's gun-boats and ship which had so fong annoyed us during our close engagement with the brig, without any return on our part; at this time the fire of the enemy's ship slackened considerably, having several of her guns dismounted, when she cut her cable and winded her larboard broadside to bear on the Confiance, who, in vain, endeavoured to effect the same operation; at 33 minutes after 10, I was much distressed to observe the Confiance had struck her colours. The whole attention of the enemy's force then became directed towards the Linnet; the shattered and disabled state of the masts, sails, rigging, and yards, precluded the most distant hope of being able to effect an escape by cutting the cable; the result of doing so, must in a few minutes have been, her drifting alongside the enemy's vessels, close under our lee; but in the hope that the flotilla of gun-boats, who had abandoned the object assigned them, would perceive our wants and come to our assistance, which would afford a reasonable prospect of being towed clear, I determined to resist the then destructive cannonading of the whole of the enemy's fleet, and at the same time dispatched Lieutenant H. Drew, to ascertain the state of the Confiance. At 45 minutes after ten, I was apprised of the irreparable loss she had sustained by the death of her brave commander (whose merits it would be presumption in me to extol), as well as the great slaughter which had taken place on board; and observing from the manoeuvres of the flotilla, that I could enjoy no further expectations of relief, the situation of iny gallant comrades who had so nobly fought, and even now fast falling by my side, demanded the surrender of his Majesty's brig entrust ed ed to my command, to prevent a useless waste of valuable lives, and, at the request of the surviving officers and men, I gave the painful orders for the colours to be struck. Lieutenant Hicks, of the Finch, had the mortification to strike on a reef of rocks, to the eastward of Crab island, about the middle of the engagement, which prevented his rendering that assistance to the squadron, that might, from an officer of such ability, have been expected. that of the enemy, I understand, amounts to something more than the same number. The fine stile in which Captain Downie conducted the squadron into action, amidst a tremendous fire, without returning a shot, until secured, reflects the greatest credit to his memory, for his judgment and coolness, as also on Lieutenants M'Ghee and Hicks for so strictly attending to his example and instructions: their own accounts of the capture of their respective vessels, as well as that of Lieutenant Robertson, who succeeded to the command of the Confiance, will, I feel assured, do ample justice to the merits of the officers and men serving under their immediate command; but I cannot omit noticing the individual conduct of Lieute nants Robertson, Creswick, and Hornby, and Mr. Bryden, master, for their particular exertion in endeavouring to bring the Confiance's starboard side to bear on the enemy, after most of their guns were dismounted on the other. The misfortune which this day befel us by capture will, Sir, I trust, apologize for the lengthy detail which, in justice to the sufferers, I have deemed necessary to give of the particulars which led to it; and when it is taken into consideration that the Confiance was sixteen days before on the stocks, with an unorganized crew, composed of several drafts of men who had recently arrived from different ships at Quebec, many of whom only joined the day before, and were totally unknown either to the officers or to each other, with the want of gun- It is impossible for me to express locks, as well as other necessary to you my admiration of the offiappointments not to be procured in cers and crew serving under my this country, I trust you will feel personal orders; their coolness and satisfied of the decided advantage teadiness, the effect of which was the enemy possessed, exclusive of proved by their irresistible fire ditheir great superiority in point of rected towards the brig opposed to force, a comparative statement us, claims my warmest acknow[the account of the British force ledgments, but more particularly has not been transmitted] of which for preserving the same so long after I have the honour to annex. It the whole strength of the enemy now becomes the most pleasing had been directed against the Linpart of my present duty to notice net alone. My First Lieutenant, to you the determined skill and Mr. Wm. Drew, whose merits I bravery of the officers and men in have before had the honour to rethis unequal contest; but it grieves port to you, behaved on this occame to state, that the loss sustained sion in the most exemplary manner. in maintaining it has been so great; By the death of Mr. Paul, acting second |