APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



995 



fort, aud opening a free commu- 

 nication above, as well as to cover 

 the retreat of the army, should its 

 return by the Bladensburgh road 

 be found too hazardous from the ac- 

 cession of strength the enemy 

 raiglit obtaia from Baltimore; it 

 was also reasonable to expect, that 

 the militia from the country to 

 the northward and westward would 

 flock in, so soon as it should be 

 known that their capital was 

 threatened. 



Captain Sir Peter Parker, in the 

 Menelaus, with some small ves- 

 sels, was sent up the Chesapeake 

 above Baltimore, to divert the 

 attention of the enemy in that 

 quarter; and I proceeded, with 

 the remainder of the naval force 

 and the troops, up this river, and 

 landed the army upon the 19th 

 and 20th at Benedict. 



So soon as the necessary provi- 

 sions and stores could be assembled 

 and arranged. Major General Ross, 

 with his army, moved towards 

 Nottingham, while our flotilla, 

 consisting of the armed launches, 

 pinnaces, barges, and other boats 

 of the fleet, under the command 

 of Rear Admiral Cockburn, passed 

 up the river, being instructed t© 

 keep upon the right flank of the 

 ^my, for the double purpose of 

 supplying it with provisions, and, 

 if necessary, to pass it over to the 

 left bank of the river, into Calvert 

 county, which secured a safe re- 

 treat to tlie ships should it be judg- 

 ed necessary. 



The army reached Nottingham 

 upon the 21st, and on the follow- 

 ing day arrived at Marlborough : 

 the flotilla continued advancing 

 towards the station of Commodore 

 Barney, about three miles above 

 Pig "Point, whp although much 

 ft,uperior in force to that sent against 



him, did not wait an attack, but 

 at the appearance of our boats, set 

 fire to his flotilla, and the whole of 

 his vessels, excepting one, were 

 blown up. 



For the particulars of this well- 

 executed service, I must refer their 

 Lordships to Rear Admiral Cock- 

 burn's report. No. 1, who, on the 

 same evening, conveyed to me an 

 account of his success, and intima- 

 tion from Major-General Ross, of 

 his intention to proceed to the city 

 of Washington, considering, from 

 the information he had received, 

 that it might be assailed, if done 

 with alacrity ; and in consequence 

 had determined to march that 

 evening upon Bladensburgh. The 

 remaining boats of the fleet were 

 immediately employed in convey- 

 ing up the river supplies of provi- 

 sions for the forces upon their re-- 

 turn to Nottingham, agreeably to 

 an arrangement made by the rear 

 admiral, who proceeded on in 

 company with the array. 



The report No. 2, of Rear- 

 Admiral Cockburn's, will inform 

 their Lordships of the brilliant suc- 

 cesses of the forces, after their de.^ 

 parture from Marlborough, where 

 they returned upon the 26th, and 

 having reached Benedict upon the 

 29th, the expedition was embarked 

 in good order. 



On combined services, such as 

 we have been engaged in, it gives 

 me the greatest pleasure to find 

 myself united with so able and 

 experienced an officer as Major- 

 General Ross, in whom are blended 

 those qualities so essential to pro- 

 mote success, where co-operation 

 between the two services becomes 

 necessary ; and I have much sa- 

 tisfaction in noticing the unanimity 

 that prevailed between the army 

 and navy, m 1 havt also in stating 



