APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



249 



rocket apparatus, with a detach- 

 ment of >aiiors under Lieutenants 

 Symonds, Botelj', and Slade, and 

 Mr. Sparling, master of his Ma- 

 jesty's ship Bulwark. 



Tl»e fog was so thick, it was 

 impossible to form a correct idea 

 of the features of the country, or 

 to reconnoitre the enemy, whose 

 number were reported to be four- 

 teen hundred, under the command 

 of Brigadier-General Blake. Be- 

 tween seven and eight o'clock, 

 our skirmishers in advance were 

 so sharply engaged with the enemy, 

 as to induce me to send forward 

 one-half of the light company of 

 the 29th regiment, under Captain 

 Coaker, to their support. The 

 column had not advanced much 

 further before I discovered the 

 enemy drawn out in a line, occu- 

 pying a very strong and advanta- 

 geous position in front of the 

 town of Hamden, his left flanked 

 by a high hill commanding the 

 road and river, on which were 

 mounted several heavy pieces of 

 cannon ; his right extending con- 

 siderably beyond our left, resting 

 upon a strong point d'appui, wiih 

 an 18-pounder and some light 

 field pieces in advance of his cen- 

 tre, so pointed as completely to 

 rake the road, and a narrow bridge 

 at the foot of a hill, by which we 

 were obliged to advance upon his 

 position. As soon as he per- 

 ceived our column approaching, 

 he opened a very heavy and con- 

 tinued tire of grape and musketry 

 upon us; we, however, soon 

 crossed the bridge, deployed, and 

 charged up the hill to get pos- 

 session of his guns, one of which 

 .we found had already fallen into 

 4he hands of Captain Ward's rifle- 



men in advance. The enemy's 

 fire now began to slacken, and 

 we pushed on rapidly, and suc- 

 ceeded in driving him at all points 

 from his position; while Crtptain 

 Coaker, with the light company of 

 the 29th, had gained possession of 

 the hill on his left, from whence 

 it was discovered that the Adams 

 frigate was on fire, and that the 

 enemy had deserted the battery 

 which defended her. 



We were now in complete pos- 

 session of the enemy's position 

 above, and Captain Barry, with 

 the gun-boats, had secured that 

 below the hill. Upon this occa- 

 sion twenty pieces of cannon fell 

 into our hands of the naval and 

 military force, the return of which 

 I enclose ; after which Captain 

 Barrie and myself determined on 

 pursuing the enemy towards Ban- 

 gor, which place we reached 

 without opposition ; and here 2 

 brass 3-pounders, and 3 stand of 

 colours, fell into our possession. 

 Brigadier-General Blake also in 

 this town, surrendered himself 

 prisoner, and with other prisoners, 

 to the amount of 121, were ad- 

 mitted to their paroles. Eighty 

 prisoners taken at Hamden are in 

 our custody. The loss sustained 

 by the enemy I have not had it in 

 my power correctly to ascertain ; 

 report states it to be from 30 to 

 40 in killed, wounded, and, miss- 

 ing. 



Our own loss, 1 am happy to 

 add, is but small, viz. one rank 

 and file killed ; one captain, seven 

 rank and file, wounded ; one rank 

 and file missing. Captain Gell, 

 of the 29th, was wounded when 

 leading the column, which de- 

 prived me of his active and useful 



