worn undress uniform, simple glazed cap, and wore his brigadier's sword. His aids are two fine-looking, intelligent young officers. Major Bliss, whose name is so familiar to the public as the constant companion of the old hero through all his battles and campaigns, has a face indicative of a reflective and meditative order of mind, rather than of those military talents which he is known to possess. But his manners have the off-hand ease and self-possession of the accomplished and experienced officer. Captain Eaton is a younger looking officer, of manly bearing and intelligent countenance. Colonel Belknap, who was distinguished in the late war, and also in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca, where he commanded a brigade, and where he led the gallant 8th Infantry in their charge upon the enemy's cannon, is a large, portly gentleman, who looked as if he could wield a broadsword with most destructive effect. His aid, Captain Clark, is a young and very handsome officer, who has attained to considerable distinction in the army for his valour and talents.

On the 5th the general left New Orleans in the steamboat Missouri on his way to Baton Rouge. After remaining a short time with his family, it is his intention to visit his country-seat on the Mississippi, and remain there in readiness to depart for Mexico, should his services again be required.

The following item of news contains, perhaps, the highest compliment ever conferred upon General Taylor:

General Minon is at Guatemala with five hundred cavalry, acting as a corps of observation for General Filisola, whom he represents as being in San Luis with nine thousand troops. It is rumored that Filisola intends to march upon Saltillo, in consequence of General Taylor having left the country. The Mexicans have great confidence in this officer, and the people of San Luis were presuming largely upon the weakness of our forces, when once from under the guidance of the dreaded Taylor. They seem not at all dispirited by the loss of their capital, but evince as strong a determination as ever to continue the conflict.

MAJOR-GENERAL SCOTT,

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN ARMY.

MAJOR-GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT is a native of Virginia, born near Petersburg, June 13th, 1786. The accounts of his early life are few and meagre. He passed through the Richmond HighSchool, and afterwards studied law at William and Mary College. His military career began in 1807, on the reception of news concerning the Chesapeake, when he became a volunteer member of the Petersburg troop of horse. On the 3d of May, 1808, he was commissioned as captain of light artillery, and has remained in the army ever since. When the war of 1812 commenced, he had already advanced to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

At the battle of Queenstown Heights, Scott gave assurance of his future military usefulness. After behaving in the most gallant manner, his command of three hundred men became separated from the main body, and were attacked by thirteen hundred British and Indians. He defended himself for a long while, but was at length taken prisoner, and carried with his troops to Quebec. While here, he challenged the respect of the British officers, by his inde pendent and soldier-like bearing. His rescue of the Irish prisoners is well known; and many other anecdotes are related of him during this confinement. In a little while he was exchanged and sent to Boston.

In the following year, Scott was engaged in a still more glorious affair at Fort Grey. In the passage of the river, before taking this place, he led the van and rushed up the steep Canadian bank amid a shower of balls, and drove the British into the woods. At the fort, he tore down the flag with his own hands, and afterward pur sued the enemy until evening.

The summer passed without any attack from the British, and, burning for active operations, Scott was permitted by General Wilkinson to resign the command of Fort George, which he then held, to General McClure, and join the main army at Sackett's Harbour; marching to the mouth of the Genesee river, where the commanderin-chief promised that transports should meet him. In this, however, Scott was disappointed, and he was compelled to advance over roads almost impassable along the whole distance from Niagara to the St. Lawrence. Leaving his column near Utica, under the command of Major Hindman, Scott hastened forward himself, reached the St. Lawrence at Ogdensburg on the 6th November, in time to take part in the descent, and was appointed to command the advance guard; and owing to his being in advance, had no part in the indecisive battle of Chrystler's Field, or the events which took place in the rear. He did, however, encounter and overcome severe resistance at the Hoophole creek, near Cornwall, where he routed a nearly equal British force under Colonel Dennis-making many prisoners, and pursuing the fugitives till night; and also at Fort Matilda, erected to guard the narrowest part of the river. He took the fort, its commander, and many of his men. But with victory within his grasp - for there was no force between Scott and Montreal which could have arrested his march six hours, and no garrison in Montreal that could have obstructed his entry-he, as well as the nation, was doomed to disappointment, by the incom petency and the quarrels of two of its generals - Wilkinson and Wade Hampton: Wilkinson ordering a retreat because Hampton would not join him with his detachment, and Hampton refusing to join, because, as he alleged, provisions were insufficient; the campaign closed in disaster. But it was brilliantly redeemed by that of the following year.

On the 9th of March, 1814, Colonel Scott was promoted to the rank of brigadier, and immediately joined General Brown, then in full march from French Mills to the Niagara frontier. Brown, who was an able but self-taught commander, perceiving the need of instruction and discipline, left the camp expressly for the purpose of giving the command to General Scott, and enabling him to carry out a system of instruction and discipline with the troops as they assembled at Buffalo. For more than three months this duty was assiduously and most successfully discharged by General Scott.

BATTLE OF CHIPPEWA.

13

Now it was that the knowledge of the art of war, which he had so sedulously acquired during his year of suspension, came into play. He personally drilled and instructed all the officers, and then in turn superintended them as they instructed the soldiers. By assiduous labour, he succeeded, at the end of three months, in presenting in the field an army skilful in manœuvres, and confident alike in their officers and in themselves. When all was ready for action, General Brown resumed the command. The army was crossed over to Canada in two brigades, Scott's and Ripley's, the former below, the latter above Fort Erie, which almost immediately surrendered, and then marched to attack the main British army, lying behind the Chippewa river, under the command of General Riall. On the morning of the 4th of July-auspicious day!-Scott's brigade, several hours in advance, fell in with the 100th regiment, British, commanded by the Marquis of Tweedale, and kept up a running fight with it till it was driven across the Chippewa. Scott encamped for the night behind Street's creek, about two miles from the British camp, behind the Chippewa, with a level plain extending between, skirted on the east by the Niagara river, on the west by woods.

On the 5th-a bright, hot day-the morning began with skir mishing in the woods, between the New York volunteers, under General Porter, and the British irregulars; and it was not till four o'clock in the afternoon, and just as Scott, despairing of bringing on an action that day, was drawing out his brigade on the plain for drill, that General Brown, who had been reconnoitring on the left flank, and perceived that the main body of the British army was moving forward, rode up to General Scott, and said, "The enemy is advancing; you will have a fight:" and without giving any order, such was his reliance upon Scott, proceeded to the rear to bring up Ripley's brigade. Scott immediately prepared for action; and there, on the plain of Chippewa, with his own brigade only, consisting of the 9th, 11th, and 25th regiments of infantry, with a detachment of the 22d, Towson's company of artillery, and Porter's volunteers-in all, nineteen hundred men-encountered, routed, and pursued a superior force of some of the best regiments of the British service -the Royal Scots, the 8th and 100th regiments, a detachment of the 19th dragoons, another of the Royal Artillery, and some Canadian militia-in all, twenty-one hundred men. Here it was that the

discipline so laboriously taught by Scott, in the camp of instruction, told; and this it was that enabled him, as at a turning point of the battle he did, in a voice rising above the roar of artillery, to say to McNeil's battalion of the 11th infantry :-"The enemy say that we are good at long shot, but cannot stand the cold iron. I call upon the Eleventh instantly to give the lie to the slander. Charge!" And they did charge; and, aided by Leavenworth's battalion, they quickly put the enemy to rout, before the 21st, of Ripley's brigade, which was hastening to take part in the battle, or any portion of that brigade, could get up.

Justly, indeed, did General Brown, in his official report of the battle, say: "Brigadier-General Scott is entitled to the highest praise our country can bestow: to him, more than to any other man, am I indebted for the victory of the 5th of July." The fight was fierce and bloody in an unwonted degree, the killed on both sides amounting to eight hundred and thirty, out of about four thousand engaged more than one in five. This action-which was chiefly valuable for the good effect it produced upon the feelings of the nation, by proving that in the open field, and hand to hand, our troops were equal at least, and in this instance had proved themselves superior to the best troops of England-was followed in just three weeks by another, yet more decisive of the courage and discipline of the American army-that at Lundy's Lane. General Riall, unknown to General Brown, had been largely reinforced by General Drummond from below; and when, on the morning of the 26th of July, General Scott in advance, as usual, was on a march to attack General Riall's forces, he suddenly came upon the British troops, which, reinforced that very day by Drummond, were themselves bent on attack. Scott had with him but four small battalions, commanded, respectively, by Brady, Jessup, Leavenworth, and McNeil; and Towson's artillery, with Captain Harris's detachment of regular and irregular cavalry-the whole column not exceeding thirteen hundred men.

With this small force, Scott found himself in presence of a superior body. His position was critical, but it was precisely one of those where promptness and decision of action must supply the want of battalions. Despatching officers to the rear to apprise General Brown that the whole British army were before him, General Scott at once engaged the enemy, who all the while believed they had to do with the whole of General Brown's army,