Colonel John, of the 60th regiment, were embarked the same afternoon, on board his Majesty's sloops Peruvian and Sylph, and a small transport. To this force were added the marines of the Dragon, aud as many armed boats from the squadron as was thought necessary for disembarking the troops and covering their landing, and the whole placed under the command of Captain Barrie, of the Dragon; and the Lieut.-Col. made sail up the river at 6 o'clock that evening. I have the honour to enclose Captain Barrie's account of his proceedings; and taking into consideration the enemy's force, and the formidable strength of his position, too much praise cannot be given him, the officers and men under his command, for the judgment, decision and. gallantry with which this little enterprise has been achieved. So soon as accounts were received from Captain Barrie that the Adams was destroyed, and the force assembled for her protection dispersed, the troops stationed at Belfast were embarked, and arrangements made for sending them to take possession of Macchias, the only place occupied by the enemy's troops between this and Passamaquoddy Bay. I directed Captain Parker, of his Majesty's ship Tenedos, to receive on board Lieut.Colonel Pilkington, Deputy Adjutant-General, who is appointed to command, and a small detachment of artillery and riflemen, and to take under his command the Bacchante, Rifleman, and Picton schooner, and proceed to the attack of that place. He sailed on the 6th instant, and most likely, by this time, the troops are in possession of it. After destroying the defences they are directed to return here. The inhabitants of several townships east of this have sent deputations here to tender their submission to the British authority; and such of them as could give reasonable security that their arms would be used only for the protection of their persons and property, have been allowed to retain them. This indulgence was absolutely necessary in order to secure the quiet and unoffending against violence and outrage from their less peaceable neighbours, and for the maintenance of the peace and tranquillity of the country. All property on shore, bona fide belonging to the inhabitants of the country in our possession, has been respected. All public property, and all property afloat, has been confiscated. Sir John Sherbrooke conceiv ing it to be of importance that the Government should be informed, without delay, of our successes here, has requested that a vessel of war may take his dispatches to England. I have, in compliance with his wishes, appropriated the Martin for that service, and Captain Senhouse will take a copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty. I have the honour to be, &c. EDW. GRIFFITH. To Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane, K. B. &c. &c. &c. His Majesty's Sloop Sylph, off Bangor, in the Penobscot, Sept. 3, 1814. Sir,-Having received on board the ships named in the margin, a detachment of twenty men of the royal artillery, with one five and half-inch howitzer, commanded by Lieut. Garston; a party of eighty marines, commanded by Captain Carter, of the Dragon; the flank companies of the 29th 62nd, and 98th regiments, under the command of Captains Gell and Coaker, Majors Riddel, Keith, and Croasdaile, and Captain M'Pherson; also, a rifle company of the 7th battallion of the 60th regiment, commanded by Captain Ward; and the whole under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel John, of the 60th regiment; I proceeded agreeably to your order, with the utmost dispatch, up the Penobscot. Light variable winds, a most intricate channel, of which we were perfectly ignorant, and thick foggy weather, prevented my arriving off Frankfort before two p. m. of the 2nd inst. Here Colonel John and myself thought it advisable to send a message to the inhabitants; and having received their answer, we pushed on towards Hamden, where we received intelligence that the enemy had strongly fortified himself. On our way up, several troops were observed on the east side of the river making for Brewer; these were driven into the woods without any loss ou our side, by a party under the orders of Major Croasdaile, and the guns from the boats. The enemy had one killed, and several wounded. At five p. m. of the 2nd inst. we arrived off Ball's Head Cove, distant three miles from Hamden. Colonel John and myself landed on the south side of the Cove, to reconnoitre the ground and obtain intelligence. Having gained the hills, we discovered the enemy's picquets advantageously posted near the highway leading to Hamden, on the north side of the Cove. We immediately determined to land one hundred and fifty men, under Major Riddel, to drive in the picquets, and take up their ground. This object was obtained by seven o'clock, and notwithstanding every difficulty, the whole of the troops were landed on the north side of the Cove by ten o'clock; but it was found impossible to land the artillery at the same place. The troops bivouacked on the ground taken possession of by Major Riddel. It rained incessantly during the night. At daybreak this morning the fog cleared away for about a quarter of an hour, which enabled ine to reconnoitre the enemy by water; and I found a landing-place for the artillery about two-thirds of a mile from Ball's Head. Off this place the troops halted till the artillery were mounted, and by six the whole advanced towards Hamden. The boats under the immediate command of Lieutenant Pedler, the first of the Dragon, agreeable to a previous arrangement with Colonel John, advanced in a line with the right flank of the army. The Peruvian, Sylph, Dragon's tender, and Harmony transport, were kept a little in the rear in reserve. Our information stated the enemy's force at fourteen hundred men, and he had chosen a most excellent position on a high hill. About a quarter of a mile to the southward of the Adams frigate he had mounted eight 18-pounders. This fort was calculated to command both the highway, by which our troops had to advance, and the river. On a wharf close to the Adams, he had mounted fifteen 18-pounders, which completely commanded the river, which at this place is not above three cables length wide, and the land on each side is high and well wooded. A rocket boat under my immediate direction, but manoeuvred by Mr. Ginton, gunner, and Mr. Small, midshipman of the Dragon, was advanced about a quarter of a mile a-head of the line of boats. So soon as the boats got within gunshot, the enemy opened his fire upon them from the hill and wharf, which was warmly returned. Our rockets were generally well directed, and evidently threw the enemy into confusiou. Meantime our troops stormed the hill with the utmost gallantry. Before the boats got within good grape shot of the wharf battery, the enemy set fire to the Adams, and he ran from his guns the moment our troops carried the hill. I joined the army about ten minutes after this event. Colonel John and myself immediately determined to leave a sufficient force in possession of the hill, and to pursue the enemy, who was then in sight of the Bangor road, flying at full speed. The boats and ships pushed up the river, preserving their original position with the army. The enemy was too nimble for us, and most of them escaped into the woods on our left. On approaching Bangor, the inhabitants, who had opposed us at Hamden, threw off their military character, and as magistrates, select men, &c. made an unconditional surrender of the town. Here the pursuit stopped. About two hours afterwards, Brigadier-General Blake came into the town, to deliver himself as a prisoner. The general and other prisoners, amounting to one hundred and ninety-one, were admitted to their parole. Enclosed I have the honour to forward you lists of the vessels we have captured or destroyed, and other necessary reports. I am happy to inform you our loss consists only of one seaman, belonging to the Dragon, killed; Captain Gell, of the 29th, and seven privates, wounded; one rank and file missing. I cannot close my report without expressing my highest admiration of the very gallant conduct of Colonel John, the officers and soldiers under his command; for, exclusive of the battery beforementioned, they had difficulties to contend with on their left which. did not fall under my observation, as the enemy's field pieces in that direction were masked. The utmost cordiality existed between the two services, and I shall ever feel obliged to Colonel John for his ready co-operation in every thing that was proposed. The officers and men bore the privations inseparable from our confined means of accommodation with a cheerfulness that entitles them to my warmest thanks. I can form no estimate of the enemy's absolute loss. From different stragglers I learn, that exclusive of killed and missing, upwards of thirty lay wounded in the woods. I have the honour to be, &c. (CAPITULATION.) To Captain Hyde Parker, com- The forces under your command having captured the forts in the neighbourhood of Macchias, and taken possession of the territory adjacent within the county of Washington, and the situation of the country being such between the Penobscot river and the Passamaquoddy bay, as to preclude the hope that an adequate force can be furnished by the United States for its protection; we propose a capitulation, and offer for ourselves and in behalf of the officers and soldiers of the brigade within the county of Washington, to give our parole of honour, that we will not, directly or indirectly, bear arms, or in any way serve against his Britannic Majesty King George the Third, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, his Successors and Allies, during the present war between Great Britain and the United States, upon condition we have your assurance, that while we remain in this situation, and consider ourselves under the British Government until further orders, we shall have the safe and full enjoyment of our private property, and be protected in the exercise of our usual occupations. JOHN BREWER, BrigadierGeneral, 2nd brigade, 10th division, for the officers and soldiers of the 3rd regiment in the said brigade. JAMES CAMPBELL, Lieut. COLONIAL DEPARTMENT. Downing-street, Oct. 24, 1814. A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, addressed to Earl Bathurst by Lieutenant-General Sir J. Sherbrooke, K. B. was yesterday received at this office: Halifax, Sept. 28, 1814. My Lord, Having now received Lieutenant-Colonel Pilkington's official report of the capture of Machias, I do myself the honour of forwarding it for your Lordship's information. I beg leave to call the attention of your Lordship to the zeal and activity displayed by LieutenantColonel Pilkington on this occasion, as well as the discipline and good conduct evinced by the officers and troops under his command in the execution of this service. I have the honour to be, &c. J. C. SHERBROOKE. Machias, September 14, 1814. Sir, have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that I sailed from Penobscot Bay with the brigade you was pleased to place under my command, consisting of a detachment of royal artillery, with a howitzer, the battalion companies of the 29th regiment, and a party of the 7th battalion 60th foot, on the morning of the 9th instant, and arrived at Bucks Harbour, about ten miles from this place, on the following evening. As the enemy fired several alarm guns on our approaching the shore, it was evident he was apprehensive of an attack; I therefore deemed it expedient to disembark the troops with as little delay as possible; and Captain Hyde Parker, commanding the naval force, appointed Captain Stanfell to superintend this duty, and it was executed by that officer with the utmost promptitude and decision. Upon reaching the shore, I ascertained that there was only a pathway through the woods by which we could advance and take Fort O'Brien, and the battery in reverse; and as the guns of these works commanded the passage of the river upon which the town is situated, I decided upon possessing ourselves of them, if practicable, during the night. We moved forward at 10 o'clock p. m. and after a most tedious and harassing march, only arrived near to the fort at break of day, although the distance does not exceed five miles. The advanced guard, which consisted of two companies of the 29th regiment, and a detachment of riflemen of the 60th regiment, under Major Todd, of the former corps, immediately drove in the enemy's picquets, and upon pursuing him closely, found the fort had been evacuted, leaving their colours, about five minutes before we entered it. Within it, and the battery, there are two 24-pound ers, three 18-pounders, several dismounted guns, and a blockhouse. The party which escaped amounted to about seventy men of the 40th regiment of American infantry, and thirty of the embodied militia: the retreat was so rapid, that I was not enabled to take any prisoners. I understand there were a few wounded, but they secreted themselves in the woods. Having secured the fort, we lost no time in advancing upon Machias, which was taken without any resistance; and also two fieldpieces. The boats of the squadron under the command of Lieutenant Bouchier of the royal navy, and the royal marines under Lieutenant Welchman, were detached to the eastern side of the river, and were of essential service in taking two field-pieces in that quarter. Notwithstanding that the mili tia were not assembled to any extent in the vicinity of the town, I was making the necessary arrangements to advance into the interior of the country, when I received a letter from BrigadierGeneral Brewer, commanding the district, wherein he engages that the militia forces within the county of Washington shall not bear arms or in any way serve against his Britannic Majesty during the present war. A similar offer having been made by the civil officers and principal citizens of the county, a cessation of arms was agreed upon, and the county of Washington has passed under the dominion of his Britannic Majesty. I beg leave to congratulate you upon the importance of this accession of territory which has been wrested from the enemy: it em |