150 
ona very large scale, were brought 
away, and nothing fell into the 
enemy’s hands excepting six iron 
eighteen pounders, mounted on 
sea carriages, and two carronades 
which were in position on the left 
bank of the Mississippi: to bring 
them off at the moment the army 
Was retiring was impossible, and 
to have done it previously would 
have exposed the whole force to 
any fire the enemy might have 
sent down the river. These bat- 
teries were of course destroyed, 
and the guns rendered perfectly 
unserviceable. Only four men 
were reported absent next morn- 
ing, and these, I suppose, must 
have been left behind, and have 
fallen into the hands of the enemy; 
but when it is considered the 
troops were in perfect ignorance 
of the movement, until a fixed 
hour during the night, that the 
battalions were drawn off in suc- 
cession, and that the picquets did 
not move off till half past three 
o’clock in the morning, and that 
the whole had to retire through 
the most difficult new made road, 
cutin marshy ground, impassable 
for a horse, and where, in many 
places,’ the men could only go in 
single files, and that the absence 
of men might be accounted for in 
so many ways, it would be rather 
a matter of surprise the number 
was so few. 
An exchange of prisoners has 
been effected with the enemy upon 
very fair terms, and their attention 
tothe brave prisoners, and wound- 
ed, that have fallen into their 
hands, has been kind and humane, 
I have every reason to believe. 
However unsuccessful the ter- 
mination of the late service the 
army and navy havebeen employed 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
upon has turned out, it would be 
injustice not to peint out how 
much praise is due to their exer- 
tions, ever since the 13th of De- 
cember, when the army began to 
move from the ships; the fatigue 
of disembarking and bringing up 
artillery and supplies from sucha 
distance has been incessant: and 
I must add, that owing to the ex- 
ertions of the navy, the army has 
never wanted provisions. ‘The la- 
bour and fatigue of the seamen 
and soldiers were particularly con- 
spicuous on the night of the 7th | 
instant, when fifty boats were drag- | 
ged through a canalinto the Mis- 
sissippi, in which there were only 
eighteen inches of water; and I 
am confident that Vice Admiral 
Sir Alexander Cochrane, whosug- 
gested the possibility of this ope- 
ration, will be equally ready to ad- 
mit this, as well as the hearty co- 
operation of the troops on all 
occasions. . 
From what has come under my 
own observation since I joined 
this army, and from official reports 
that have been made to me, I beg 
to call your Lordship’sattention tc 
individuals, who from their station 
have rendered themselves pecu: 
liarly conspicuous. Major Forrest 
at the head of the Quarter-master 
general’s department, I cannotsay 
too much of. Lieut. Evans an 
Peddie of the same, have been re 
markable for their exertions an 
indefatigability : Sir John Tylden 
who has acted in the field as As 
sistant Adjutant General with by 
(Lieu.-Col. Stovin having bee 
wounded on the 23rd ult. thou t 
doing well, not as yet being pe tb 
mitted to take active service) h 
been very useful. Onthenight? 
the 7th, previous to the attacy 
