dier, having never commanded a platoon, was utterly ignorant of all the principles of discipline. He had read, it is true, many military memoirs, and confounded his position with that of European monarchs, who, at the time they commanded armies, were sovereigns, and not mere servants of the people. If Colonel Stone was guilty, there is not the least doubt a court martial would have punished him. The matter, however, amid the excitement of the time, passed almost unnoticed, notwithstanding the exertion of a similar abuse of power previously, in the case of Captain Treat. One or two officers have since attempted to make these precedents examples, but have been signally repulsed, both by public opinion and by the authorities.

On the 20th, General Brown advanced towards Fort George, the outposts of which he drove in, and took up a position which commanded the fort, with the expectation that the British would attack him. Information from General Gaines, however, who was stationed at Chippewa, here reached him. He learned that Sackett's Harbor was blockaded, and that it was impossible for him to receive the heavy guns he expected thence. He therefore fell back to Chippewa on the 24th, and the next day learned that the enemy with large reinforcements were advancing to attack him.

At four o'clock on the 25th, General Scott, in obedience to General Brown's order, led his brigade, which consisted of seven hundred men, besides Towson's battery and a troop of horse, along the Niagara river towards Chippewa. When near the cataract he saw General Riall in position at Lundy's Lane, with nine pieces of artillery, two of which were bronze twenty-fours. The advance of Scott, under command of Captain Harris, of the dragoons, immediately attacked the British advance,

which retreated so as to draw the Americans within the reach of the British position.

Scott saw what was intended, and after imparting his views to his distinguished chief of staff, Jones, sent him to communicate them to General Brown, and advanced to the attack. On this occasion Scott was ably seconded by his distinguished juniors, Brady, McNeil, Leavenworth, and Jesup, each of whom there won applause and promotion.

No sooner had Harris driven in the British advance, than Scott cleared the wood and deployed in a beautiful plain. The artillery on either side began to fire. After having attacked, as has been described, the regiments of Brady and McNeil, which were forced to retire, the main force of the enemy was thrown on the 9th, commanded by Leavenworth, who sent for aid to Scott, who came up in person, with Worth by his side. This action has often been described: the bloody carnage which ensued from the contest for the possession of the hill on which the British artillery was posted; the gallantry of Miller; the daring of Jesup, who, on the occasion, as General Brown says, showed himself in a sheet of fire. A British general was taken, and a British army routed. Almost at the same moment, Scott and Worth (who had accompanied him into the midst of the British fire) fell severely wounded; and both were deprived of participation in the other events of the campaign. For his services here, Worth was breveted a major.

The absolute loss of the two armies in this engagement was nearly equal. That of the British was eight hundred and seventy-eight; of the Americans, a few less.

Worth recovered from his wound in much less time than Scott; and when his general proceeded south, accompanied him as his aid. The war soon terminated, VOL. II.

16

and after it, Worth became a captain, and was assigned to duty as commandant of the corps of cadets at West Point. Ten years after the battle of Niagara, Major Worth was made a lieutenant-colonel by brevet; and when, in 1832, the ordnance corps was organized, was made one of the majors, with rank from the 30th of May. On the 7th of July, 1838, he was appointed colonel of the 8th infantry, the rank he now occupies in the line of the army.

After service on the northern frontier, and an elaborate pursuit of the famous Johnson, the chief of the Thousand Isles, and service everywhere, from the foot of Champlain to Detroit, Colonel Worth was sent westward with his regiment, and in the fall and winter of 1840 he was sent to Florida. General Armistead was then in command, but in May, 1841, Colonel Worth was placed in command. Proceeding from Fort Brooke, Tampa Bay, westward, he occupied almost the whole country; and on the 17th of April, 1842, forced the Indians to an engagement at Pilaklaklaha, near the St. John's. The American loss was not great; but the enemy, already morally defeated by Taylor's victory at Okee-Chobee, from which they had not recovered, were totally defeated. For this he received the brevet of brigadier-general, with rank from the 1st of March, 1842. He subsequently served in Florida, but achieved but little, because the Indians would show him no front.

He then returned northward, and we next hear of him, in active life, on the movement of the army of occupation to Corpus Christi, under command of General Taylor.

In the engagements on the Niagara, no one was more distinguished than the colonel of the 22d, who, even then, had the reputation of a veteran. His fre

T

quent service in the same army with Worth, makes this a proper place to speak of him.

HUGH BRADY is one of the oldest officers in the service, having entered the army as an ensign of infantry, on the 7th of March, 1792. Report says he had previously been an enlisted man. After serving many years, and acquiring much rank, on the 6th of July, 1812, he was appointed colonel of the 22d infantry, a fact which shows that he previously must have occupied a prominent position. In the battle of Chippewa Brady headed his regiment, which was so much cut to pieces by the enemy's fire, that it was necessary to withdraw it, after the colonel had been severely wounded. His regiment had on this occasion been well fought, but had been almost annihilated. On the disbandment of the army, Colonel Brady was retained in the service, but with his old rank, and has since commanded his regiment (the 2d infantry), to which, on the reduction, he was assigned, with the date of his appointment in the 22d. He is one of the oldest officers of his grade in the world, having been a colonel thirty-five years. On the 6th of July, 1822, he received the brevet of brigadier-general; according to which, for a great part of the time, he has commanded. General Brady has long had his head-quarters at Detroit; and, during the recent Canada disturbances, contributed much to the pacification of that portion of the frontier. He is now in the midst of a green old age, hale, hearty and strong, without an enemy in the world, and universally beloved, both by his command and the community amid which he has long been stationed. General Brady is a native of the interior of Pennsylvania, and must now be considerably more than seventy years of age. At Chippewa he was at least forty.

CHAPTER IV.

American army crosses the Colorado-Worth's interview with General Vega-Dispute between Worth and Twiggs-Worth resigns his commission-Recalls his resignation and rejoins the army.

Ir is well known that the army which won the battles of Palo Alto and La Resaca, was prepared for victory by constant drills and discipline at Corpus Christi. Worth was here indefatigable; one of the best tacticians in the army, he made the army competent to cope with any in the world. At this place the army remained from August, 1845, to March, 1846, when it moved westward, and on the 20th was at the Colorado. A road was opened to the river, and in the meantime notice was sent that if any opposition were made to the passage of the army, it would be thought an overt act of war. The artillery was accordingly posted so as to command the ford. At about the same time General Mejia informed General Taylor that a passage of the river would be thought a declaration of war.

The American army, however, crossed, having on the 22d advanced towards Matamoras, Worth commanding the advance. On the 28th of March the army was opposite the city, and General Taylor immediately despatched Worth and his personal staff to cross the river to demand an interview with the authorities, and to deliver a written communication from General Taylor. A Mexican party, however, crossed over to the northern bank. After some delay, General Worth crossed,