be numbered with the dead. The enemy had but little opportunity
of making prisoners.

I have the honour to be, etc.,
Jacob BROWN.

_____

_General Brown to the Secretary of War._

To the Honourable Headquarters, Camp Fort Erie,
John ARMSTRONG, September 29th, 1814.
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.

Sir: In my letter of the 18th instant I briefly informed you of
the fortunate issue of the sortie which took place the day
preceding. But it is due to the gallant officers and men, to
whose bravery we are indebted for our success on this occasion,
that I should give you a more circumstantial and detailed account
of this affair.

The enemy's camp I had ascertained to be situated in a field,
surrounded by woods, nearly two miles distant from their
batteries and entrenchments, the object of which was to keep the
parts of their force which was not upon duty, out of the range of
our fire from Fort Erie and Black Rock. Their infantry was formed
into three brigades, estimated at 1,200 or 1,500 men each. One of
these brigades, with a detail from their artillery, was (p. 212)
stationed at their works, (these being but 500 yards distant from
old Fort Erie, and the right of our line). We had already
suffered much from the fire of two of their batteries, and were
aware that a third was about to open upon us. Under these
circumstances, I resolved to storm the batteries, destroy the
cannon, and roughly handle the brigade upon duty, before those in
reserve could be brought into action.

On the morning of the 17th, the infantry and riflemen, regulars
and militia, were ordered to be paraded, and put in readiness to
march precisely at 12 o'clock. General Porter with the
volunteers, Colonel Gibson with the riflemen, and Major Brooke
with the 23rd and 21st infantry, and a few dragoons acting as
infantry, were ordered to move from the extreme left of our
position, upon the enemy's right, by a passage opened through the
woods for the occasion. General Miller was directed to station
his command in the ravine, which lies between Fort Erie and the
enemy's batteries, by passing them by detachments through the
skirts of the wood, and the 21s