APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



S55 



with a howitzer, the battalion 

 companies of the 29th regiment, 

 and a party of the 7th battalion 

 60th foot, on the morning of the 

 0th 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 apprehen- 

 sive of an attack ; I therefore 

 deemed it expedient to disembark 

 the troops with as little delay as 

 possible ; and Captain Hyde Par- 

 ker, commanding the naval force, 

 appointed Captain Stanfell to su- 

 perintend this duty, and it was 

 executed by that officer with the 

 utmost promptitude and decision. 



Upon reaching the shore, I as- 

 certained 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 niijht. 



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, al- 

 though the distance does not ex- 

 ceed five miles. 



The advanced guard, which 

 consisted of two companies of the 

 29th regiment, and a detachment 

 of riflemen of the (iOth regiment, 

 uiiiler Major Todd, of the former 

 corps, immediately drove in the 

 enemy's picquets, and upon pur- 

 toing him closely, found the fort 

 bad 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 block- 

 house. The party which escaped 

 amounted to about seventy men 

 of the 40th regiment of American 

 infantry, and thirty of the em- 

 bodied militia: the retreat was so 

 rapid, that I was not enabled to take 

 any prisoners. I understand there 

 were a few wounded, but they se- 

 creted themselves in the woods. 



Having secured the fort, we lost 

 no time in advancing upon Ma- 

 chias, which was taken without 

 any resistance ; and also two field- 

 pieces. 



The boatsof the squadron under 

 the command of Lieutenant Bou- 

 chier 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 ex- 

 tent in the vicinity of the town, 

 I was making the necessary ar- 

 rangements to advance into the 

 interior of the country, when I 

 received a letter from Brigadier- 

 General 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 pre- 

 sent 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 acces- 

 sion of territory which has been 

 wrested from the enemy : it em- 



