But the enemy's fire beginning to annoy the 5th still more, by wounding several of them, and a strong column passing up the road, and deploying on its left, I ordered them to retire; their retreat became a flight of absolute and total disorder." Of Beall's regiment, the general gives the following succinct account--"It gave one or two ineffectual fires and fled." In another place he says, piteously,--"The cavalry would do any thing but charge." General Armstrong's gentle and metaphysical account of the business was, that--"Without all doubt the determining cause of our disasters is to be found in the love of life." This affair at Washington, which in its result was certainly advantageous to America, inasmuch as it caused the present beautiful capitol to be built in the place of the one we burnt, was, nevertheless, considered as a national calamity at the time.
In a volume of miscellaneous poems I met with one, written with the patriotic purpose of cheering the country under it; one triplet struck me as rather alarming for us, however soothing to America.
"Supposing George's house at Kew Were burnt, as we intend to do, Would that be burning England too ?" I think I have before mentioned that no work of mere pleasantry has hitherto been found to answer; but a recent attempt of the kind as been made, with what success cannot as yet be decided.
The editors are comedians belonging to the Boston company, and it is entitled "The American Comic Annual." It is accompanied by etchings, somewhat in the manner, but by no means with the spirit of Cruikshank's.

Among the pleasantries of this lively volume are some biting attacks upon us, particularly upon our utter incapacity of speaking English.

We really must engage a few American professors, or we shall lose all trace of classic purity in our language.

As a specimen, and rather a favourable one, of the work, I transcribed an extract from a little piece, entitled, "Sayings and Doings, a Fragment of a Farce." One of the personages of this farce is an English gentleman, a Captain Mandaville, and among many speeches of the same kind, I selected the following.

Collins's Ode is the subject of conversation.
"A--r, A--a--a it stroiks me that that you manetion his the hode about hangger and ope and orror and revenge you know.