The Charge at Lundy's Lane: First and Third

In the mean time, Colonel Jesup, who, as before mentioned, had been ordered, at the commencement of the action, to take post on the right, had succeeded during the engagement, after a gallant contest, in turning the left flank of the enemy. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, and the carelessness of the enemy in omitting to place a proper guard across a road on his left, he threw his regiment in the rear of their reserve, and, surprising one detachment after another, made prisoners of so many of their officers and men that his progress was greatly impeded by it. The laws of war would have justified him in putting them to death; "but the laurel, in his opinion, was most glorious when entwined by the hand of mercy," and he generously spared them. One of his officers, Captain Ketchum, who had already distinguished himself at the battle of Chippewa, had the good fortune to make a prisoner of General Riall, who on the arrival of General Drummond had been assigned to the command of the reserve, and also of Captain Loring, the aide of General Drummond. The latter was a most fortunate circumstance, as it prevented the concentration of the British forces contemplated by that officer, before the Americans were prepared for his reception. After hastily disposing of his prisoners, Colonel Jesup felt his way through the darkness to the place where the hottest fire was kept up on the brigade to which he belonged, and, drawing up his regiment behind a fence, on one side of the Queenstown road, but in the rear of a party of British infantry posted on the opposite side of the same road, he surprised them by a fire so destructive that they instantly broke and fled. "The major," said General Brown, "showed himself to his own army in a blaze of fire." He received the applause of the general, and was ordered to form on the right of the Second Brigade

General Ripley, seeing the impracticability of operating upon the enemy from the place at which he had been ordered to post his brigade, or of advancing from it in line through a thick wood in the impenetrable darkness of the night, determined, with that rapid decision which characterizes the real commander, to adopt the only measure by which he saw a hope of saving the First Brigade from destruction, or of ultimately achieving the victory, and which, when made known to the commander-in-chief, was instantly sanctioned. The eminence occupied by the enemy's artillery was a key to the position. Addressing himself to Colonel Miller, the same who had distinguished himself at Magagua, he inquired whether he could storm the battery at the head of the Twenty-First Regiment, while he would himself support him with the younger regiment, the Twenty-Third. To this the wary but in-trepid veteran replied, in unaffected phrase, "I will try, sir," - words which were afterwards worn on the buttons of his regiment, - and immediately prepared for the arduous effort, by placing himself directly in front of the hill. The Twenty-Third was formed in close column, by its commander, Major McFarland; and the First Regiment, under Colonel Nicholas, which had that day arrived from a long and fatiguing march, was left to keep the infantry in check. The two regiments moved on to one of the most perilous charges ever attempted, the whole of the artillery, supported by the fire of a powerful line of infantry, pouring upon them as they advanced. The Twenty-First moved on steadily to its purpose: the Twenty-Third faltered on receiving the deadly fire of the enemy, but was soon rallied by the personal exertions of General Ripley. When within a hundred yards of the summit, they received another dreadful discharge, by which Major McFarland was killed, and the command of his regiment developed on Major Brooks. To the amazement of the British, the intrepid Miller firmly advanced until within a few paces of their cannon, when he impetuously charged upon the artilleries, and, after a short but desperate resistance, carried the whole battery, and formed his line in its rear, upon the ground previously occupied by the British infantry. In carrying the largest pieces, the Twenty-First suffered severely: Lieutenant Cilley, after an unexampled effort, fell wounded by the side of the piece which he took; and there were few of the officers of this regiment who were not either killed or wounded. By the united efforts of these two regiments, and the bringing into line of the First, the fate of this bold assault was determined: the British infantry were in a short time driven down the eminence, out of the reach of musketry, and their own cannon turned upon them. This admirable effort completely changed the nature of the battle: every subsequent movement was directed to this point, as upon the ability to maintain it the result of the conflict entirely depended. Major Hindman was now ordered to bring up his corps, including Captain Towson's detachment, and post himself, with his own and the captured cannon, to the right of Ripley's brigade, and between it and the Twenty-Fifth, Jesup's regiment, while the volunteers of General Porter retained their position on the left of Scott's brigade.