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BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN E. WOOL.

BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN E. WOOL was born in Orange county, New York. His family were Whigs of the Revolution. Losing his father at an early age, he was taken by his grandfather, a farmer in Rensselaer county, to be brought up; and, consulting the bent of his disposition, he placed him when a boy as a clerk in a store in the city of Troy. By attention, industry, and perseverance, he became in a few years a merchant, and in due time he would have reached, in that capacity, the wealth and distinction that always follow energy, perseverance, and high honour; but a total loss of his property by fire induced him to turn his attention to some other pursuit one more congenial to his own mind. The war with England breaking out about this time, Wool was offered, and accepted a commission as captain in the 13th regiment of United States' infantry, and at once entered that career, in which he has lately become so distinguished.

Wool was early thrown upon his own resources, for the family from whence he sprung were poor but true and honest patriots of the Revolution; he was, in consequence, the founder of his own fortunes, and has literally fought his way to military distinction. His commission as captain bears date, April, 1812. Immediately after its receipt, he commenced raising a company in Troy, and having done so, he made his military debut at the battle of Queenstown Heights. Previous to this memorable action, our army had suffered so many reverses and defeats, as to cast upon our officers and troops the stigma of cowardice and misconduct; it was therefore necessary that some brilliant effort should be made, in order to redeem their character, and to raise throughout the United States a proper spirit for carrying on the war.

The first and most brilliant effort was made at Queenstown Heights. (125)

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a formidable post, fortified and held by a part of the British army. This place Major-General Stephen Van Rensselaer, who commanded the militia of the state of New York on the Niagara frontier, and who had established his quarters at Lewistown, determined to storm; and accordingly, a detachment of six hundred men, under the command of Colonel Van Rensselaer, and Lieutenant-Colonel Chrystie, were despatched on this hazardous service. In this detachment were three companies of the 13th, commanded by Captains Wool, Malcolm, and Armstrong. On Captain Wool the command of these devolved, and never did either officers or soldiers conduct themselves so gallantly under such trying circumstances. A position of extraordinary strength was about to be attacked by a band of less than three hundred men. The moment they reached the Canadian side of the river they encountered a tremendous fire from the enemy, so deadly in effect, that nearly every officer, and most of the soldiers in Captain Wool's command were either killed or wounded. Colonel Van Rensselaer was badly wounded, and was fast sinking from loss of blood, when Captain Wool, although himself wounded in both thighs, sought him and requested permission to continue the assault. The Colonel, at first unwilling to entrust the fate of the affair to so young an officer, and who was for the first time on the field, reluctantly consented. The assault was renewed with vigour by Wool and his gallant little band; they climbed the heights and drove the British from their batteries. The British, receiving a reinforcement under General Brock, the battle was renewed. Captain Wool, rallying his forces by a desperate effort, once more charged the British, reinforced though they were, and drove them a second time from the heights. General Brock was slain seeing this, the British, panic-stricken, abandoned their position and fled, leaving the Americans the victors of the field.

For his gallant conduct at Queenstown, Wool was promoted to the rank of Major in the 29th regiment, and we find him volunteering his services wherever and whenever duty and danger led.

After this engagement, Major Wool continued actively engaged with the army until the great battle of Plattsburg, [September, 1814,] in which he again distinguished himself. The following report of the American general, Macomb, is a vivid description of the dangers of that glorious event:

"I have the honour to communicate, for the information of the

BATTLE OF PLATTSBURG.

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war department, the particulars of the advance of the enemy into the territory of the United States, the circumstances attending the siege of Plattsburg, and the defence of the posts intrusted to my charge.

"The governor-general of the Canadas, Sir George Prevost, having collected all the disposable force in Lower Canada, with a view of conquering the country as far as Crown Point and Ticonderoga, entered the territories of the United States on the 1st of the month, and occupied the village of Champlain; there avowed his intentions, and issued orders and proclamations tending to dissuade the people from their allegiance, and inviting them to furnish his army with provisions. He immediately began to impress the wagons and teams in the vicinity, and loaded them with his heavy baggage and stores. From this I was persuaded he intended to attack this place. I had but just returned from the lines, where I had commanded a fine brigade, which was broken up to form the division under Major-General Izard, ordered to the westward. Being senior officer, he left me in command; and except the four companies of the 6th regiment, I had not an organized battalion among those remaining. The garrison was composed of convalescents and recruits of the new regiments—all in the greatest confusion, as well as the ordnance and stores, and the works in no state of defence.

"To create an emulation and zeal among the officers and men in completing the works, I divided them into detachments, and placed them near the several forts; declaring in orders, that each detachment was the garrison of its own work, and bound to defend it to the last extremity.

"The enemy advanced cautiously and by short marches, and our soldiers worked day and night; so that by the time he made his appearance before the place, we were prepared to receive him.

"General Izard named the principal work Fort Moreau, and, to remind the troops of the actions of their brave countrymen, I called the redoubt on the right Fort Brown, and that on the left Fort Scott. Besides these three works we have two block-houses strongly fortified.

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Finding, on examining the returns of the garrison, that our force did not exceed fifteen hundred effective men for duty, and well informed that the enemy had as many thousands, I called on General Mooers, of the New York militia, and arranged with him plans for

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