IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 m tii |2.2 - mi 1.8 m m us ISi 1.4 1.6 ■>- V] ^m A- V2 /a ^M f % > '%^^ ^ rf /A PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 5(7 «^ . ^^^ \\ Vj V signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "F3N". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., pouvent Atre fiim^s A des taux de rMuction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cilichA, il est film* A partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 * -K* I, 5lf» VPX, *■ ■^Nk J^IfWTO^^ ^2 OF ^EM ILA^BB WAJBi BETWJfiE.V THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN:. WITH A CMTICAI. APlBfiWBlX, &c BY EBENEZER HARLOW CUMMINS, A. M. BALTIMORE: Printed by Benja. Edes. comer of Second and Gay-sli^et^. ' « 1820. ■■<* ^:- |# 4;. .-I », '4 ' • » 8.4r^^^ \rc to ^ • ADVERTISEMENT. OijrcE the late hostilities with Great Britain, several books Bavc been published in the United States purporting to be histories ot the war. No (me of them, it is believed, can be received as generally authentic; the whole adding little to the literary char- acter of the country. Of those most generally circulated, we can speak the lea^favourably, as specimens of history, which means sometlimg mofe than compilations from newspapers, or a Hrade of epithets stigmatising our adversaries. Two or three stipendi- aries occupied the fore ground in the race of the booksellers for tlie market of the United States, producing interesting though coarae compilations; which, while the feelings created by the xviv were still m lively existence, were read with sensations of pleas- ure. But no one now wUl ascribe to their works, the name, much less the character of history. Weems' life of Marion, in which the autlior has collated and embellished many interesting events, with the view to a popular book, has greatly superiour p retensions to either. With enough of fact to challenge, at this late day, the credence of most readers, it excels in all kinds of .jest and fancy; and administers abundantly of the finest entertain- meiit to the lovers of fun. Not so the works we have noticed. Eaton, Latour, and McAffee have furnished books of a differ- ent character. They are useful; containing a great mass of im- portant information, necessary to the historian who shall come ajter the.n. We do not design to bring up for criticism, or any thing else, the many other histories, sketches, and biographical memoirs, published in different parts of tiie country. They ap- pear to have been sheltered from animadversion, by their own demits, and naturally reposed in oblivion. Cii*at Britain, too, has had her histories of the war. We have seen three: Nicholson's, Clarke's, and Baines'. In addition to the f.nghsh histories there lias been one published in Canada, by a Mr James, cooked and seasoned exactly for the palate of John Hull. The first and second are echoes of the reports of Brit- iBh commanders, and British ministerial newspapers and maga. ■Mnes. The thuxl, which is contained in tliis volume. difler.s from ir them as All m composition as in character. It is. as a sneci. men of history, very superiour to any thin? we have, in the iame subject, m tl.e United States; and on the whole a liberal and X! nanimons production. It was not expected that the dominion of h,s ate majesty, George III. contained a British subject, who in wntmg a history of the war with the United States. wouW dare tell John Bull to his teeth, that brother Jonathan h«d broken his nose and spilled his claret: but the reader wiU find ~ the history of Mr. Baines many instances of this darinir. W« have derived infimte satisfaction from the contents of m!ny chaptew in this book; because they were writen by a British subjectrand because the compliments and concessions of a rival are «^atJv more valuable than the plaudits we bestow on ourselves ^ ^ The American reader must excuse the historian for many thinw t^^h!'^^^^''^^ call errors, when he reflects upon hisTelS ^«^5— %'' *"'1>*'^ ''?"^.^' ''~"» ^'^^^^^ ^^ »»«« most naturally drawn his information. In the end, he has fully compensated the pain his mistatements excite, by the honorable admiJsions to the American character, of gallantry, intelligence, and virtue. Where we have supposed the historian In error, from the want of just information, or from the bias of his feelings in fevour of his countrymen, ke have corrected him by a Series of notes appended to this volume; and where he has indulged too freely m prawe of British commanders, at the expense of the Amer- lean character, we have extended our criticisms to a iust re- taliation. We have left untouched the original, and have not interfered at all with the notes and references; except to correct typographical mistakes and the occasional misnomer of American othcers. The numerical figures, to be found interpetsed throuiph. out the history, refer to the Appendix, where allour animadver- sions are inserted. It is not pretended that all occasions for crit- icims have been fully improved. This would have swelled our commentary to an unreasonable size. We have seized only on the most important, leaving those merely venial to be occupied bv the reader; in doing which he will have a full share of amuse- ment On the capture of Washington, and several other ton- ics, we have not enlarged, because we have been unwilling to revive discussions and renew animadversions, which now sleep m the calm that has so happily succeeded the tempest of war We teel now as much disposed to foiwive and forget the blunders and nusfortunes of the unsuccesrfuJ, as we are qualified more justly to appreciate the achievements and exploits of those on whom Victory was pleased to bestow laurels. To the former we would not give a new pang; and from the latter we have not re. moved a wreath, though accorded by the people transported with joy m the moments ot triumph, when honours were distributed without discriminatiomand too frequently without regaid to merit BALTIMORE, 1820. r m^IE®IDlt(SI^I<^|f, The relations subsisting between Great Britain and the United States of America had for many years exhibited a singular aspect. The nations were not indeed in a state of open war, but the conflict of opposite pretensions, the angry discussion of many ,„tr,cate questions of international law, the charges and recriminations which had for a num. ber of years formed the only subject of their diplo- matic intercourse, had diffused over both countries In r J"t B •,'" '""' "-"" "' '"'^'""^ gratification. In Grea Bntam an idea prevailed, and seemed in a co„,Uer«bIe degree to influence the ministry! hadl. r .1 ^ 7"""^' *■"« '"""^'y' '^Wle she towards the interests and views of France. This op ni„„ appeared to justify those who were decw! ediy for war with the United States. i„ givinrcw ency to their hostile feelings, sit aLZ or cumstance also operated towards the same end. A A Yi war with America, it was argued, would be not only just but of short continuance, and would ex< hibit a scene of uninterrupted and splendid succes- ses on our part, and of defeat and disgrace on theirs. The Americans, on the other hand, were galled and irritated by the attacks made on their commerce; by the right of search, as claimed and exercised by England, not always on the best grounds, or in the least offensive manner; and by the impressment and detention of their seamen; and to these motives for war was probably added the hope of conquering Canada, and of enriching themselves by the capture of our merchant ships. As no doubt could be entertained, that in tb« event of a war between the two countries, Canada would be attacked. Sir James Craig, the governor of that province, very judiciously took exevy mea- sure which he thought could he effectual or condu- cive to its protection and defence. Had he confin- ed himself to this line of conduct alone, no blame could have been imputed to him; but he thought liimself justiified in sending a person, of tlie name of Henry, into the United States on a very ambig- uous and reprehensible errand. This man was seized (1) by the American government, who ob- tained possession of his instructions, as well as co- pies of the communications which he had made to Sir James Craig; and according to the statements submitted to congress, the object of captain Henry was to ingratiate himself with the federal party; to ascertain its strength, its wishes, and its views, in the different states; and more particuhirly to en- courai^p, witli the promise of British assistance, any design they might he disposed to form for a separation of the states. This conduct on the part of Great Britain, originating in one of her highest authorities in North America, the president, in a message to congress, represented as a flagrant hreach of public faith, committed at a time when Great Britain and America were employed in dis- cussions of amity and reconciliation. When the subject of the mission of Capt. Henry was brougjit •before the British parliament, ministers refused to produce the correspondence and papers connected with these mysterious transactions, nor did they give a very clear and satisfactory account of the business. They denied, however, that captain Henry was accredited by them, or that they were acquainted with the intention of Sir James Craig to employ him. Notwithstanding this disavowal, the British government had all th© disgrace of having acted contrary to the law of nations, and at the same time, the mortification to perceive that the American people were more closely united by this most injudicious and unjustifiable attempt to divide them. Before the intelligence of the assassination of Mr. Percival (2) reached America, that govern- ment had determined on war with Great Britain; and early in the month of June, a message was sent to the senate and house of representatives, containing a recommendation to that effect. In this state paper, the president complains of the violation which the AmAriran Han. K«- «^ - A«-» via ly suffered from British vewels "on the gi^at high- way of nations!" of the practice of impressing American seamen^* of the violation of the Ameri- can waters, and of the infraction of the fundamen- tal principles of the law of nations, by the pretend- ed 'blockades.' But all these causes of war are in the message held as subordinate to the orders in council, both in the injustice which they display, and in the injury which they inflict. These orders >*ere, it is said, evidently framed so as best to suit the political views and the commercial jealousies of the British government. The consequences which would result from them to neutral nations were never taken into the account, or if contemplated OP foreseen as highly prejudicial, that considera- tion had no weight in the minds of those by whom they were imposed. It was, indeed, attempted to justify them, by an appeal to similar measures adopted and carried into execution by France; as if America could be satisfied with the unjust and injurious conduct of one belligerent, by that bellig- >(f»4i- '^■"1 **n a:.: • Tn » publication, issued by the authority of tlie American government, entitled, "An Exposition of tlie Causes and Char- acter of the War with Great Britain," it is stated, that up to March, 1811, Great Britain had impressed from the crews of American vessels peaceably navigating the high seas, not less than six thousand mariners, who claimed to be citizens of the United States, and who were denied all opportunity of verifying their claims. And in the same publication it is added, that when war was declared, the orders in council had been maintained with inexorable hostility, until a thousand American vessels, with their wrgoes, 1«ad been seized and confiscated under tho operation of these edicts. erent proving that she bad been treated in an equally unjust ami injurious manner by tbe other* But, what was the fact? France, indeed, by her Berlin and Milan decrees, manifested her willing- ness and disposition to impede and injure neutral commerce, in order that she might thus cripple the trade of Great Britain; but these decrees were al- most a dead letter; British superiority at sea pre- vented them from being acted upon in any effective or permanent manner; it was therefore absurd to attempt to justify the mischief which actually flow- ed to America from the orders in council, by ap- pealing to decrees which, while Britain remained mistress of the sea, wcl-o utterly without effect. The British government were surprised and indig- nant that America viewed the conduct of France more coolly than the conduct of England; not re- collecting that edicts executed against millions of American property, could not be a retaliation on edicts comparatively impossible to be executed. Besides, this plea of retaliation was untenable, when viewed in another light. To be just, retalia- tion should fall on the party setting the guilty ex- ample, and not on the innocent party; which, more- over, could not be charged with an acquiescence in the injustice practised by France. This message, which was dated the 1st of Juns^ was, on the 18th of the same month, succeeded by an act of congress, containing a formal declaratioiti of war against Great Britain. Five days after this declaration of war, the orders in council wen; rescinded by the British fforernment.. h..f th^ «« A 2 "^ '■ ----- Hval cf this intelligence in America (ltd not appe?.r in the slightest degree to restore a pacific disposi- tioK on the part of that government. The orders in ccuncil, she said, had not been repealed because they were unjust in their principle and highly de^ trimental in their effects on neutral commerce. On the contrary, the motive of their repeal was ob- viously selfish, and had no reference to the rights of neutral nations. America, to protect herself, and to aveng.i her wrongs, had prohibited all com- mercial intercourse with Great Britain. The latter power, thus deprived of Iser best customer, had no longer a sufficient and regular market for her man- ufactures and colonial pr^iduce^ her merchants and har manufacturers were nearly ruined; distress, discontent, and poverty, spread over her territorv. complaints and petitions poured in from all quar- ters; and the orders in council were repealed, not to render justice to America, but to rescue a large portion of the British people from absolute starva- tion. It was, however, stated, that if the revoca- tion of the orders in council had takops, and the want of energy and skill in their commander, soon displayed them- selves in a manner that portended their final over- throw. The talents of general Hull were totally unequal to the enterprise he had undertaken. Ig- norant of the situation and movements of the Bri- tish force, which were coming to relieve the fort to which he had laid siege, and continually harassed and bewildered with various and contradictory re- ports concerning the different tribes of the hostile Indians, indecision and distrust began to prevail in the camp. Tlie plan of attacking Amherstburg was abandoned, and on the 8th of August the Ameri- cans retreated to Detroit, the capital of the Michi- gan territory, without even the appearance of an enemy to pursue them.* On the arrival of major-general Brock at Am- h rftburg, on the ISth, he found that colonel Pro- tor had begun to erect batteries opposite Fort De- troit, and although opposed by a well directed fire from seven twenty-four pounders, the Works were continued without intermission. The forre at the disi|sal of the British general being all collected the* a™?!!-''' f'"" '°''"'^ ""''' '' *^^ Hon. WiUiam Eustice, tne Amer^n Secretary at War. « iliiiiPMMH 24 THE UNITEll STATES m the iieighboijihood of Sandwicli, (hey passed the river in the (•oui-se of the 15th without molestation, «nd advanced on the following morning io Spring Well, an advantageous position three miles west of Detroit. The Indians, who had in the mean time effected their landing two milcr^ helow, noved for- wards ana occupieu the woods, about a mile and a half to the west of the Britiah position. Having learned that general Hull had dispatched colonel M*Arthur, one of his best officers, with a detach- ment of five hundred men, to escort a supply of provisions from the river Raisin, general Brock decided on an immediate attack, and advanced with a resolution to carry Detroit on the land side, while the Indians penetrated the camp. When the head of the British column had arrived within about five hundred yards of the American lines, orders were given by general Hull for the whole of his troops to retreat to the fort, and for the ar- tillery not to open on the assailants. A white flag, bung from the walls, indicated the wish of the American general to capitulate; and the terms were soon agreed upon. By this capitulation, so glorious to the arms of Great Britain, but so dis- graceful to the American army, not less than two thousand five hundred men became prisoners of war, and thirty-three pieces of brass and iron ord- nance fell into the hands of the victors. In endeavouring to appreciate the motives, and ^/"iT*!^^*^ the cAuses, which led to this deSsive but bloodless victory, it is impossible to find any solution of the mysterioivs surrender of general I AND GBEAT BRITAIN. £5 Hull in the relative strength of the contending ar- mies. In numbers, the Americans were far supe- rior to their enemies; and their supply of ammu- nition, and provisions, was by no means exhaust- ed.* General Hull, the commander-in-chief, in following the course he pursued, acted entirely up- on his own responsibility; and when his conduct came to be investigated before a court-martial, he ^»as found guilty of neglect of duty, unofficer-like conduct, and cowardice, and adjudged to be shot,* but in consideration of "his revolutionary services, and his advanced age," the court recommended him to mercy; and the president, while he express- ed his approbation of the sentence, thought proper to remit its execution. The British arms were destined to attain yet higher honors in the defence of Canada. The sea- son was far advanced before the Americans could collect a sufficient force upon the Niagara frontier to attempt offensive operations; but in the month of October, general Van Rensselaer, of the New- York militia, fixed his head-quarters at Lewis- town, between the Lakes Ontario and Erie, with a force under h\3 command amounting to about four thousand men, of which fifteen hundred were regular troops, and the remainder the militia con- tingents of the neighbouring stges. Early on the morning of the I3th, a division of the enemy's troops, under general Wadsworth, embarked near the falls of Niagara, tind made, an aHarh »««« +k- • Report of colonel Cass to the Secretary at War. 26 THE ViriTED STATES British position of Queenstown. Although the day had not yet dawned, this post was defended with «ndaun.e, gallantry hy the two flank cZtliJ', ttir i^'irT".'"*; ""'""'*•"' "^ *•"' P-^'^-"^* of vlabfe rr "'' ""'J-S*""'-'" Brock, whose valuable l.re „as o„ this occasion devoted to his country's service. The British position fell with their evcr-to-be-lamented general; but reinforce- ments of regular troops, militia, and Indians, hav- ".g been sent up from Fort Ueorge, under the di- rection of major-general Sheaffe, who now assum- ed the command of the army, a movement was made on the enemy's left, while a body of artillery, under the able direction of captain Holcroft, sup- ported by a body of i„fa„try, engaged him in front. Ihis operation was further aided by the iudiciouq position which Norton, the Indian ^hief ha tZ on the woody high ground above Queenstown, A communication being thus opened with Chippaway. a junction was formed with farther succours which had been ordered from that station. The crisis of the battle was now approaching, and a powerful mnforcement dispatched to the aid of ' neral Wadsworth. from the American side of the river, might have secured the victory; but to the utter astonishment of the commander-in-chief, he found' that the ardour of|he "unengaged troops" had en- tirely subsided, alJd all his solicit.ations. though seconded by the efforts of lieutenant-colonel Bloom, and Mr. Justice Peck, could not prevail upon his insiiImfHInQfo i»..: X- -1 ... * „.v. xv^Tj^a w i-moarK lu the assistance of AND GREAT BRITAIN. «r their companions in arms.* Finding that no rein- forcements would pass the river, and being well aware that the brave men on the heights were ex- hausted, and nearly out of ammunition, boats were sent (7) by general Van Rensselaer to cover the retreat of the troops under general Wadsworth, but the boats were dispersed, and so many of the boat-men had fled panic-struck, that only few of the vessels quitted the shore.* At three o'clock in the afternoon a vigorous attack was made upon the enemy's lines, and after a short, but animated con- flict, victory again ranged herself under tlie Bri- tish banners. The surrender of general Wads- worth, with a force of nine hundred men, to an army inferior in numbers, is the best eulogium that can be pronounced upon the plan of attack adopted by major-general Sheaffe, and upon tli« zeal and undaunted gallantry that animated every officer and soldier in his army. The loss of the British army in the battle of Queenstown, although continued for upwards of eight hours, did not ex- ceed one hundred men in killed, wounded and mis- sing; while the loss of the Americans, including deserters, may, without exaggeration, be estimated at two thousand. (8) The other operations on the Canadian frontier, and upon the lakes of North America, during the 4)resent year, were attended by* decisive results, nor are they of sufficient importance to claim a place in general history. During the campaign of • Letter from general Van Rensselaer to general Dearborn. - 96 TUB VHITEO 8TATE> rici-c. Early in the morning of the 25
  • ier-eencral Har- rison, with an ample force under his command, was proceeding on his destination towards the M chjgan territory. On the Niagara frontier, a detachment of the regidar and other forces, under the command of major-general Van Rensselaer, "pon a British post, and were for a time victorious; but no receiving the expected support, they were compelled to yield to reinforcements of British re gulars .^nd savages. On the lake,,, preparations' «ere making to secure a naval ascendency, so es- sential to a permanent peace with, an.I a controul over the savages. Among the incidents of the ".caMires oi war, the president was constrained to advert to the Refusal of the governors of Mall! 54 THE U7/ITED STATES chusetts and Connecticut, to furnish the requisite detachments of militia towards the defence of the maritime frontier; and to intimate, that if the au- thority of the United States to call into service, and command the militia for the public defence, could thjis be frustrated, the public safety might have no other resource than those of large and per- manent military establishments, which are forbid- den by the principles of a free government. On the coasts and on the ocean, the war had been *a8 successful as the circumstances, from its early stage, could promise: Great Britain had become sensible of the difference between a reciprocity of captures, and the long confinement of them to their own side. Commerce had been much protected by a squadron of frigates under commodore Rodgers; and in the instance of the frigate Constitution, un- 4ler the command of captain Hull, in which skill and bravery were more particularly measured with the British, the American flag enjoyed an auspi- cious triumph. Between France and America, affairs retained the posture which they held at the period of the last communication to the congress. Notwith- standing the authorized expectation of an early and favourable issue of the discussions on tlie tapis, they had been procrastinated to the latest period; and the only intervening occurrence meriting at- tention was the promulgation of a French decree, purporting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin tlie ground of the repeal of the British orders in AND GREAT 3RITAIN. 55 council, was rendered by its time and manner liable to many objections. The president, in continuation, then shortly adverted to the relations between the Ukiited States and the other governments of Eu- rope and Africa; and represented the Indian tribes, not under foreign instigationr, as remaining ^ peace, and receiving the civilizing attentions which had proved so beneficial to them. Recurring to the measures to be taken for the vigorous prosecution of the war, tlie president re- commended an arrangement, on the subject of the pay and term of enlistment, more favourable to the private soldier. The revision of the militia laws was also suggested; and while it was announc- ed, that of the additional ships autiiorized to be fit- ted for the public service, two would be shortly ready to sail, a further enlargement of the naval force of the United States was recommended. On the subje. t of finance, the receipts into the treasury during the year ending on the 30th of September last, were stated to exceed sixteen millions of dol- lars, which had been found sufficient to defray all the demands on the treasury to that day, including a necessary reimbursement of nearly three millions of the principal of the public debt; but in the re- ceipts into the treasury, a sum of nearly eight million eight hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars, received on account of loans, was included. It was not to be concealed that the country had difliculties to encounter, but at the same time it ahoundf^d wifli nnimafino* /^nnowlanof :».,^ 1 4.K- orders in H ^Pii'»<^ ant pr. tend t.. have any rigl,* to impress any who were really and truly American citizens. The whole ciuttjT. I then was about the means of assert- ing these rights} and had the ministers of both countries, as Mr. Burke expresses it, sought for peace ,„ the spirit of peace, there is no reason to suppose that two nations, of the same kindred, speaking the same tongue, and bound to each other by a common interest, would have remained for a single montte in a state of open hostility. ©HA^ffim T. The war between Great Britain and the United States of America, though affording none of those scenes of imposing grandeur, which in some mea- sure, compensate to the mind the contemplation of liuman misery, was, nevertheless, full of interest^ and the novelty of some of its principles, with the political considerations it involved, fixed the atten- tion more forcibly perhaps than the perpetual re- currcice of similar events in the conflicts between long established governments. The widely extended scene of military opera- tions in America lay principally upon the Canadian frontier, extending from the state of Vermont, on the southern confines of Lower Canada, to the Mi- chigan territory, at the western extremity of Up- per Canada. At the opening of the campaign of 1813, the American army of the west was placed at the front of Lake Erie, under general Harrison; the army of the centre, under generals Wilkinson and Dearborn, in the vicinity of the falls of Niaga- ra, between Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the ar- my of the north, under general Hampton, on the banks of Lake Champlain.# The object of these * The lakes of Amf>ia ♦« ..^^:.l. ^ ™»^ • .u ^. ' '" " " ^^c^cnce must so often be made m the history of the present war, form in extent a species ot inland orean. and are navigable for ships of large burthen Lake Superior is esteemed the largest body of fresh water in the 60 THE UNITED STATES forces wa,s to invade the two Canadas; and the du- ty which devolved upon sir George Prevost, the governor-general, or British viceroy, and the ar- mies under his command, was to resist their incur- sions, and to preserve the integrity of his majesty's North American dominions. For this purpose, the defence of the Detroit frontier was confided to colo- nels Proctor and Vincent, while general Sheaffe, acting under the more immediate direction of the governor-general, was charged with the defence of Lower Canada. After the surrender of general Hull, no opera- tions of importance took place on the Detroit fron- tier till the month of January, 1813, when the American general Winchester, commanding the world, being lour hundred miles long, and one thousand five hun- dred and twenty miles in circumference. Forty rivers pour forth their contributions into its vast expanse, and the waters are again discharged into Lake Huvon, through the straits of St. Mary. Next to Superior, Lake Hu?on claims the pre-eminence. It is two hundred and fifty miles long, and one thousand one hundred miles in circumference, studded to the north with islands, and abounding with commodious harbours. Lake Michigan extends from the straits of Miichileniackinac to about forty-two degrees noyth latitude, being nearly three hundred miles in length, and at the broadest part seventy-five miles in width. Detroit river forms the southern part of the communication between Huron and Erie, and was the scene of several important military opera- tions during the war. Lake Erie is about two hundred and sixty miles long, and in some parts, seventy miles wide; it is U.e shal- lowebt of the great lakes, and the navigation is the most difficult. The communication between Erie and Ontario is formed by the river Niagara, down which the water flows out of Erie with a fine majestic current, about a mile in width. About a mile below Chippaway the bank appears to recede from the river, and the AND OBEAT BRITAIIC. dl right wing of general Harrison's army, marched to the attack of Detroit, and concentrated his troops at the village of Frenchtown, on the river Raisin. On the 22d, the Americans, amounting to about one thousand men, were attacked by a combined British and Indian force, consisting of about five hundred regulars and militia, and six hundred Indians, un- der the command of colonel Proctor. The attack commenced early in the morning, on the right wing of the American army, and was made with so much vigour and effect, that after a contest of about a, quarter of an hour, they were driven across the river, where their retreat was cut off by a largo body of Indians stationed in their rear. The left wing, being fortified behind a picket fence, sustain- current is increased to an awful velocity. The fall continues tor about half a mile, and when arrived at the crisis, called the table rock, it sinks one hundred and seventy-six feet below the surface of the earth. In a deep channel, the work of ages, it continues to run wxth increased vehemence for upwards of nine miles, du- rmg which it faUs about one hundred and fifty feet, when the cur- rent, bursting from beneath the rocks, opens to the breadth of half a mile, and holds a placid course between Queenstown and Lewistown, till the congregated discharges of all the Upper Lakes are received by Lake Ontario. The Niagara is thirty feet deeps and the water flows at the rate of three miles an hour, discharg- ing about 128,000,000 of gallons every minute! a quantity that might seem incredible, were it not a well ascertained fact, that the river Mississippi discharges 96,000,000 of gallons every se- cond! Lake Champlain, which has no communication with the great lakes, is only, in comparison of them, a narrow slip of wa- ter; it is about one hundred miles long, situated between the ' ^'^' """^ T cniiuiu, luivHjg lis outlet Dy the oorrel, and like the Ontario, finds in the river St. Lawrence an ample re- ceptacle for its redundant streams. 63 THE VlfIT£0 STATES P ed three separate chal-i^es, but finding them.clvos at length exposed to a concentric fire, their gcner^ al, who had been taken prisoner by a Wyandot chief early in the day, agreed to capitulate, and hi« Whole corps was surrendered prisoners of war. In this short, but sanguinary engagement, the number of killed and wounded on the part of the Americans amounted to about five hundred, and their loss in prisoners to an equal number. Of the British troops, twenty.four only were killed, but one hun- dred and fifty-eigbt were wounded. The slaughter made by the Indians on the retreating division of the enemy was terriblei scarcely one of them sur- vived the battle.* (12) After the defeat of the right wing of the Ameri- can army, under general Winchester, general Har- rison retreated to fort Meigs, and occupied himself unceasingly in strengtiiening that position, while the brigade under general Cooks was actively em- ployed during the remainder of the winter in forti- fying Upper Sandusky. The frequent predatory incursions of the Ameri. tans on the Canadian border, near the river St Lawrence, induced sir George Prevost, who arri- ved at Prescot on the filst of February, to direct an attack to be made upon the enemy's position at Ogdensburgh. On the 22d, major Macdonnel, of the Glengary light infantry fencibles, at the head of about five hundred regulars and militia, crossed • Colonel Proctor's Disnatrhac. ^„*^j o_.- , . , . lojo *" ""' «at.va tsuiis-vyicn, January 25, AWII OBEAT BRITAIir. 64 the river, upon the ice, about seven o'clock in the morning. The right, commanded by captain Jen- kins, of the Glengaiy regiment, was directed to hold the enemy's left in check, and to interrupt bis re- treat, while major Macdonnel moved on with the left column towards his position in the town, where he had posted his heavy field artillery. The depth of snow, in some degree, retarded the advance of both columns, and exposed them, particularly the right, to a heavy c jss fire from the batteries of the enemy; but pushing on rapidly, the left column soon gained the right bank of the river, and after encoun- tering a few disciiaiges of artillery, obliged the ene- m>'s infantry to seek refuge in the houses or in the woods. During these transactions, captain Jen- kins gallantly led on his column, exposed to the heavy fire of seven guns, which he bravely attempt- ed to take by the bayonet, thougli covered by two hundred of the enemy's best troops. On advancing to the charge, his left arm was broken to pieces by a grape shot; still undauntedly running on with his men, he almost immediately afterwards was depri- ved of the use of his right arm by a discharge of case shot; disregarding all personal considerations, he continued nobly to advance, cheering his men to tlie assault;, tiH, exhausted by pain and loss of blood, he became unable to move; his company, however, continued gallantly to advance, under lieutenant M*Auley; but the reserve of militia not being able to keep up wltii the regulars, they were compelled to give way, nearly about the time that major Macdonnel gained the height. The enemy .^' 64 THE UiriTED STATES hesitating to surrender at the summons of the ma- jor, his eastern battery was carried, and a detach- ment, under captain Eustace, gallantly rushed into the fort, while the Americans, retreating to the opposite entrance, abandoned their works, and es- caped into the woods. The gallantry and self-de- votion of captain Jenkins was the theme of univer- sal admiration, and sir George Prevost, in trans- mitting the report of this brilliant achievement to his government, earnestly recommended the muti- lated hero to the favour and protection of his prince. In the battle of Ogdenburgh, wliich lasted little more than an hour, the enemy lost eleven pieces of cannon, all his ordnance, marine commis- sariat, and quarter-mastcr-gencral's stores; four officers and seventy privates were taken prisoners,- and two schooners and two gun-boats, together with the barracks of Ogdenburgh, were consigned ^) the flames. (13) The American army of the centre, at the com- mencemcnt of the campaign, consisted of about seven thousand men; four thousand of whom were stationed in the vicinity of Sackett's Harbour, and t^ie remaining three thousand at the head of the Niagara river, near Cape Buffalo. On the 22d of April, a corps of their best troops, amounting to sixteen hundred, under general Dearborn, embark- ed on board the flotilla, commaded by commodore Chauncey, at Sackett's Harbour, and in the morn- i"g of the snh, arrived off" York, on the northern fcan;i of Lake Ontario. The debarkation of the in- vaders was vigorously opposed by major-general *ii«f AWD GREAT BRITAIlT. Sheaffc, at the head of seven hundred British, and one hundred Indian troopsi but the superior num. bers of the enemy enabled him to surmount every difficulty, and to make good his landing without any material loss. No sooner had the whole of their troops gained the banks of the lake, than they advanced through an intervening wood to the open ground, and after carrying one of the British bat- teries by assault, moved in columns towards the main works. At this moment their progress was arrested by the accidental* explosion of a large magazine; an immense quantity of stones flew in every direction, and general Pike, to whom the command of the advancing column was confided, became one of the numerous victims of this dread- ful casualty. Nor were the British troops whol- ly exempt from its effects; forty at least of their number fell before a force which neither skill nor bravery could resist. General Sheaffe finding all further resistance unavailing, withdrew from the city with his regular troops towards Kingston, and left the commanding officer of the militia to treat with general Dearborn for the surrender of the capital of Upper Canada. The loss of the Ameri- can army in the battle of York, amounted to three hundred and twenty, including thirty-eight killed, • This explosion is represented in general Dearborn's des- patches to the American Secretary at War, as a preconcerted measure; no evidence, however, is given in support of the charge • and m the absence of all proof, we are hnnnd f »:..-- 1- ' 0i 66 THE ViriTKD 8TATB9 and two hundred and twenty-two wounded, by the explosion. The British loss may be estimated at four hundred, of which number three hundred, at least, became prisoners. (14) The next object of general Dearborn's expedi- tion, was the capture of forts George and Erie, and on the 8th of May, the American troops evacuated the capital of Upper Canada, and proceeded to the Niagara frontier. At nine o'clock in the morning of the 27th, the American flotilla appeared off fort George, and the debarkation of the light troops immediately commenced. The landing of the troops was vigorously i-csisted by colonel Vincent, the British commander; but the numerical superiority of the assailants, combined with that coolness and intrepidity which experience imparts, and of which the Americans had already begun to show several examples, overcame all opposition. It now became obvious that the place would soon become untena- ble; and colonel Vincent, having spiked his guns, and destroyed his magazines, abandoned fort George to the enemy, but not till he had sustained a loss of upwards of three hundred men. The cap- ture of fort Erie speedily succeeded the fall of fort George; but these conquests were only tran- sient, for before the end of the month of June, the superiority of the British deet, under sir James Y^o, became so decided, that the Americans in their turn were obliged to relinquish all the posts they had acquired on the left bank of the Niagara. (15) , Q^...,,j^ ^„ j^jj5- ^j^y..^ j^j „jg iiritisli troops, occurred on the 6th of June, at Burlington AlfD GBEAT BBITAIIT. 67 Heights, near the head of Lake Ontario, where colonel Vincent was posted with his division. Th« fall of forts George and Erie, had left the Ameri- cans at liberty to pursue their successes, and gene- rals Chandler and Winder, at the head of three thousand five hundred infantry, and two hundred and fifty cavalry,* advanced from Forty Mile Creek for the purpose of attacking the British position. Colonel Vincent, aware of the vast supe- riority of force with which he was menaced, dis- patched lieutenant-colonel Haney, with two 1^ ht companies, to reconnoitre the enemy's position, and from his report, was led to determine upon a noc turnal attack on the American camp. A force not exceeding seven hundred men was destined to this enterprize. About two o'clock in the morning, the picket was forced, and the attack commenced.— . The scene was truly appalling,- the yells of the In- dians, mingled with the roar of the cannon and musketry, were calculated to shake the iron nerves even of veteran troops. The British, having pre- concerted their measures, charged repeatedly, and witli considerable effect,- while the Americans, sur- prised at the dead of night, and incapable of dis- tinguishing friend from foe, fouglit to great disad- vantage. The result was, that the enemy was driven from his camp, and generals Chandler and Winder, with more than one hundred officers and privates, were made prisoners. The British after- -' ' "'^^"^ =» ucspaicncs.— Coionei Burn, of the Ameri- can sei-vice, states, that their number in the field did not exceed one thousand. 68 THE UNITED STATES wards inarched back to their cantonments, carry- ing with them three guns and a brass howitzer, captured in the battle; and the Americans, still greatly superiour in number, after re-occupying their camp, in order to destroy their incumbrances, commenced a precipitate retreat. (16) The last operation on this scene of hostility, pre- vious to the final retreat of tlie Americans, was undertaken by lieutenant-colonel Boerstler, having under his command a force amounting to about six hundred men. The object of this enterprise was to cut off the supplies of the British, and to break up their suhill encampments. But on the 24th of June, the Americans themselves were attacked about nine miles west of Quecsistown by a body of five hundred Indians, supported by one hundred . regular British troops. The attack commenced on the rear, and was made with so much decision and perseverance, that colonel Bcerstler, and the whole of his corps, suri-endered themselves prison- ers into the hands of lieutenant-colonel Bishopp. While the American army, under general Dear- born, and the flotilla, under commodore Chauncey, were employed in the expedition against York and fort George, a plan of combined operations was arranged by Sir George Prevost with commodore Sir James Yeo, for the purpose of reducing the garrison of Sackett's Harbour, and taking posses- sion of that place. In pursuance of this object, a fleet of between thirty and forty boats assembled • IX n — --"5 «»w Hi, iuii o ciocK on the night of the 28th of May, the expedition, headed AND GREAT BBITAIN. 09 by the commodore's ship, sailed for Sackett's Har- bour. It was the intention of colonel Baynes, to wliora the military command of the expedition was confided, to iiavc landed in the cove formed by Horse Island} but on approaching to that place, it was discovered that the enemy had lined the neigh- bouring woods with infantry, and that a field-piece was planted on the shore to give eflTect to their re- sistance. The boats were now directed to pull round to the opposite side of the island, where a landing was effected in good order, and with little loss, though in the face of a corps of the enemy. The advance was led by the grenadiers of the 100th regiment, with a spirit of gallantry which no ob- stacle could arrest. A narrow causeway, in many places under water, and about four hundred paces in length, which connected the island with the main land, was forced and carried, and a six-pounder, by which it was defended, taken. The gun-boats, which had covered the landing, afforded material aid by firing into the woodsy but the American soldiers, secure behind their trees, were only to be dislodged by the point of the bayonet. A vigorous charge now took place, and the enemy fled with precipitation from their block-house and fort. But here the energies of the troops became unavailing. The enemy having turned the heavy ordnance of his battery to the interior defence of his post; the British force first paused, and then re-embarked; a ^««-" asi 5v.r Miama, in expectation of reaching the army und-^ scnera. Harrison, which had taken post 'in foi- Meigs, near the foot of the Rapids. From the in. AND GBEAT BRITAIN. ra cessant and heavy rains, during which the British batteries were erected opposite the fort, it was not till the morning of the 1st of May, that the siege of Meigs could be commenced. The enemy, who occupied several acres of commanding ground, strongly defended by blockhouses, well furnished with ordnance, had so completely intrenched him- self, as to render unavailing every effort to carry his position. On the morning of the 5th, whUe the fate of the fortress yet hung in suspense, an American officer arrived at Meigs with a detach- ment of men from general Clay's division, bring- *"S to the garrison the welcome intelligence, that tha«fllneral, with his whole force, amounting to thirteen hundred men, was descending the river, and was at that moment but a few miles distant. Conceiving that the British army was now in his power, general Harrison dispatched orders to land one half of the advancing force on the side of the river opposite to the fort, and to co-operate with him in an attempt to force the British batteries, and to spike their cannon. Colonel Dudley, the officer charged with the execution of this movement, ad- vanced with so much vigour, that in a few minutes he was in possession of the batteries of the besieg- ers, and had taken some p^i8one^s^ but his troops, elevated unduly with their success, continued the pursuit till they were finally drawn into an am- bush; and their whole number, with very few ex- ceptions, was either killed or taken. Colonel Dud- ley, who was among the slain, displayed the most heroic firmness, and kiUed one of the Indian war- 74 TMB l/NlTliJO gTATBl Ihe offlcew and men of the 4l8t regiment, who* kd on by captain M..ir, cbargeU and rout d 2 ^^"fh^ . '""«-*«*'"''•'"'««' "'P-tation of the cor,.8j lZ77'tZ '""" '^o-tWIrto the successful rr II in, ?«"««""''"• The loss of the Ameri- Zm.tff' *""""'"• """ P"''°»«'-«' *«" esti- mated at between one thousand and twelve hun S T; " "'''■"'"" '"'* "^ ^"'"» -re «; vit teers. but consisted of the Kentucky quota.* (,7) Brilliant as had been the success of the ritask army on this occasion, it soon became evident that tbcr posj^.o„ of the Miami «ust be speedily aban doned One half „f the Canadian mUiti. \SZ he.r standard soon after the battle of the 5I Id the Indian warriors, following the custom of thdr country, after any battle of consequence, re Lnied to their villages, with their wounded, their pri^n- ers and their plunder, to revel in the spoils of war a..d to gratify their savage thirst for blood by ta mo «.„g a portion of their captives. Before Z ordnaace could be withdrawn from the batteries general Proctor found his twelve hundred iS auxiliaries reduced to less than twenty, and his thTor,'"""'"''*'''"*'^' *'"""» «'0 morning of retreat to his former station at Sandwich, AWD GREAT BSITAIlf. 75 On the 20th of July, general Proctor, havinir given way to the clamour of his Indian allies, again advanced towards the head of Lake Erie- and on the 2d of August, made an attack on fort Stephenson, near the mouth of the river Sandusky, where the Americans had collected a small force, under major George Croghan. Finding the ene- my determined to defend the fori:, general Proctor resolved to carry the place by assault; the Indians, however, not relishing this species of warfare, withdrew themselves out of the reach of the ene- my's fire; and although his majesty's troops dis- played the greatest bravery, they were repulsed after a short but aiiimated struggle, with the loss of about one hundred men, and obliged once more to return to Sandwich. The failure of the British troops at fort Stephenson, i„d the indication of disaffection exhibited by the Indians on that occa- Hion, had encouraged an attempt on the part of the Americans to detach from the British army their native allies,, and with this view, a deputation of chiefs ,n the interest of the enemy were dispatched to lH,ld a talk with their brethren; but the contempt with which their proposal was received, and the determination expressed by the Indians in the Bri- iish interest, to adhere to the cause of their ffreat father in England, extinguished these hopes,' and put an end to the negotiation.* In the autumn of' the present year, the tide of victory set in with a strong current in favour of <^^\^^V"\ ^'°"" ^'" ^^°^S^ ^revest to Earl Bathurst, dated «t. David's, August 25. 1813. re THB ViriTED (TATB) the Americn arms. Wliatever might be the nu- mencaJ superiority of tlie Americans on land, it seemed reasonable to .Tj.ec* that on another ele- ment Great Britain vh.hIu v).v«ys retain the ascen- •lency, and that the ample resources of her s val power would enable her at all times to contend sue cessfully with the enemy on the frontier lakes of Canada. The importance of tl,.s preponderance had become so manifest to the governor-general, that he had m.^de repeated applications for rein- forcements, but it was not till the month of Octo- ber. that shipping suitable for this service arrived at Montreal. In the meantime, the BriUsh, or ra- ther the Canadian fleet, commanded by captain Barclay, and the American fleet, under the com- mand of captain Perry, met near the head of Lake Erie * In the morning of the 1 oth of September, the American squadron, while lying at anchor in rut-in-Bay, discovered the British fleet, and im- mediately got under way to give them battle. At ten o clock in the forenoon, both fleets formed in line, and cleared for action. The lightness of the niL^'^ef"^ ■"',?" ^'"""^" '"'•""'''- *<' Britlsl, fleet con. «sted of the bng: Oetroit, of twenty gu„«; the Queen Charlotte, of eighteen, the Wy Prevost, of fourteen, the Hornet, of tl and one sloop and a schooner, of three guns each. On tke JTe authontyt is stated, tl-.at the American fleet consisted ofT Law^nce and the Nia^ra, of twenty guns each, and severl sma er vessels, carrying an avenge of two gun, elch. cl^ ^ Z tl tr P'^""^ '"P"'"' '" ''^"gth to his own, and s»y8. that there were not more than fifty British .„„,.„ „. L.^ flift Vessels, ' ' "'" "-'="" AWD OaEAT BBlTAIir. Jj Wind occasioned them to approach slowly, and ppo- longed the awful interval of suspense till mid-day. On the approach of captain Perry's ship, the Law- rence, a heavy fire was opened upon her from the Detroit, which, from tlie shortness of her guns, she was at fii^t unable to return. The American cap- tain, without waiting for his lighter vessels, kept steadily on his course, and approached so near that It seemed to be his intention to board. For some time the battle was decidedly in favour of the Bri- tish. Their shot pierced the side of the Lawrence in all directions, and her decks were strewed with the dead, while the wounded, in considerable numbers, were carried below. Perceiving the hazard of his situation, the American commodore advanced still further, and ordered the other vessels to follow, fop the purpose of closing with the British fleet. For two hours the contest was continued with unabated vigour, and captain Perry at length, finding the Lawrence incapable of further service, determined to transfer his flag to the Niagara, which was at that moment warmly engaged. Soon after the commodore's flag began te wave on the Niagara, the Lawrence being rendered totally incapable of further defence, struck ler flag. No sooner had captain Perry taken his station on board the Niag- ara, than a signal was made for close action^ and passing ahead of the British ships, in order to break their line, he gave them a raking fire with his starboard guns, and laid his ship alongside of ""^^" ''"* * "^ siuaiiur American vessels having in the meantime, advanced within grape and can' G 78 THE ViriT£D tTATlS nister shot distance, and kept up a well-directed fire, the Queen Charlotte struck, and all tlio other British vessels were obliged to submit to the same fate. The engagement, which was gallantly contested, lasted three hours, and the victory on the part of the enemy was decisive. The loss on both sides was severer and of the crew of the Lawrence, scarcely any individual, except the captain, escaped the shower of shot with which she was for upwards of two hours assailed. The return made by captain Perry, of the killed and wounded on board his fleet, amounted to one hundred and twenty-three; the British loss, as stated by captain Barclay, 'was for- ty-one killed, and ninety-four wounded, among the former of whom was captain Finnis, of the Queen Charlotte, and his first lieutenant; and among the latter, captain Barclay himself. This gallant vet- eran-veteran in service, though not in years, had already lost an arm while fig|,ting the battles of his country. During the present engagement he was twice carried below to receive dressings for his wounds, one of ivhich deprived him of ins other hand. While under the hands of the surgeon the second time, an officer came down, and told him that they must strike, as the ships were cut to pieces, and the men could no longer be kept totlioir guns; but captain Barclay, unwilling to listen to counsel to which his ears were so little accustomed, demanded to be conveyed on deck, and after taking a survey of his fleet, and finding that all l.on.« nf success had vanished, consented, with extreme re- AND GREAT BRITAIN. 79 luctancc, to strike to the enemy. The American commodoic, no way inferior to his rival in valour, fought with a degree of gallantry that acquired for him the admiration and gratitude of his country; and consummated his bravery by so much kindness and humanity towards his prisoners, that captain Barclay, in the generous frankness of his soul, de- clared that the conduct of Perry, towards the cap- tive officers and men, was sufficient, of itself, to im- mortal'7,e him. This victory, which, it must be confessed, was of high importance to the American cause, was extolled throughout the United States in language the most hyperbolical; and their public writers, under the influence of a glowing imagina- tion, did not hesitate to remark that, "the peal of war, which has once sounded on Eric, will, proba- bly, never again be heard on that lake. The last roar of cannonry, that died along her shores, was the expiring note of British domination. These vast internal seas will, perhaps, never again be the separating space between contend in- nations; but will be embosomed within a mighty empire; and this victory, which decided their fate, will stand unrivalled and alone, deriving lustre and perpetuity from its singleness." (18) The capture of the Britisli sciuadron on Lake Erie was the precursor, and in some degree, the cause of the relinquishment of the Michigan territo- ry, and tlie abandonment of all the posts in Upper Canada, beyond the Great River. Early in Sep- • .==--..i5 ovu^iiii AAarnson oegati to concentrate his force near the mouth of the Miami, and once more 80 THE UNITED STATES to prepare for a descent on Canada. On the 17th of that month, governor Shelhy, with a reinforce- ment of four thousand volunteers, arrived at the American head-quarters; and on the 20th, general M.Arthur's brigade joined the main army. Col- onel Johnson's regiment of cavalry remained at fort Meigs, but had orders to approach Detroit by land, and to advance pari passu with the commander-in- chief, wlio was to move in boats to Maiden. Com- modore Perry was actively engaged in transport- mg ,Me troops and baggage to their destination^ and on the 27th, general Harrison's army debarked three miles from Maiden. On advancing to that place, instead of the regimentals of the British, and the war hoop of the Indians, a group of well-dressed females presented themselves, and on behalf of themselves and the inhabitants, implored mercy and protection. It was now discovered that Maiden had been abandoned by general Proctor, who had determined to fail back for the purpose of taking a station on the river Thames, Sandwich and De- troit, thus abandoned to their fate, fell successively into tlie hands of tlic invaders; but before general Proctor quitted these places, he had taken the pre- caution to dismantle the ports, and to destroy the public buildings and stores of every description. On the 2d of October general Harrison had com- pleted liis arrangements for advancing in pursuit of the retreating British troops, and on the morn- ing of the 5th, the hostile armies came in contact *'^^*^*^''^ Moravian village, situated on the right bank of the Tliamcs, about forty miles from its entrance AND GREAT BRITAIN. 81 the irtli [•einforce- 5d at the » general »y. Col- ed at fort by land, mder-in- Com- •ansport- ion; and ced three at place, and the -dressed ehalf of Jrcy and Maiden vho had aking a md De- ess ively general he pre- 'oy the tion. tfl corn- pursuit morn- contact t bank I trance into Lake Clair. ? he British force, which was ad- vantageously drawn up in line of battle, on the banks of the river, was ectimated at five hundred men, supported by about twelve hundred Indians. (19) The numerical strength of the American ar- my was nearly double this amount, including one thousand irregular cavalry. The right division of the American army, consisting principally of horse, advanced to the charge with great impetuosity, and in an instant the British lines were broken, and the enemy formed in their rear. This sudden and unexpected manoeuvre was decisive of the fate of the day. On the left of the enemy's position the con- test was more serious, but not less successful. Co- lonel Johnson, who commanded the Americans on that flank, encountered a steady resistance on the part of the Indians, who, by their gallant conduct, rescued themselves from the disgrace at fort Ste- phenson. Tecumseh, one of themost distinguished of their chiefs, and the brother of the pi»ophet, was personally opposed to colonel Johnson, and was ad- vancing upon him with an uplifted tomahawk, when the colonel, observing his approach, drew a pistol from his holster, and laid his brave adversary dead at his feet,* At the moment of the fall of Tecum- • This celebrated aboriginal warrior fell in tfie forty.fourtfk year of his age. He was of the Shawannoe tribe. In stature he was above the middle size; extremely active; and capable of su». taming fatigue in a very extraordinary degree. His carriage was erect and lofty-his motion, quick-his eye penetrating -hig visage stern, with an air of hautercr in his countenance. a.i«inc. ' iToiu an elevated pride of soul. His rule of war was n^ith.r to rve nor to accept quarter. He had beea m almost eveiy b*tt»e, B2 THIS UNITED STATES sell, th? Indians, who till now had maintained their ground with great bravery, gave way; and general Proctor, perceiving that all was lost, ordered his troops to disperse, and sought his own safety in flight. Among the trophies taken by the Ameri- cans in the battle of the Thames, were six brass field-pieces, which had been surrendered by general Hull, and on two of which were inscribed, «• Surren- dered by Burgoyjie at Saratoga." (19) The American army, having effected the object of their expedition, returned to Detroit, but before they departed they destroyed Moravian village,, atten pting to palliate this enormity on the ground, that the Indian inhabitants had been among the foremost in massacreing the Americans at the river Raisin; 8?id on the further plea, that the town, if spared, would have afforded a convenient shelter for their British allies during the winter. While general Harrison was advancing to the Thames, the Ottawas, and the other Indian tribes, proposed to general M*Arthur to suspend liostilities, and to agree to <*take hold of the same tomahawk with the Americans, and to strike all the enemies of the United States, whether British or Indian.'' These with the Americans, since the breaking out of the war; had re- ceived several wounds, and always sought the hottest of the fire. His ruling passion was glory— wealth was beneath his ambition— and although his plunderings and subsidies must have amounted to a large sum, he died poor. The Americans had a kind of fe- rocidus pleasure (19) in contemplating tlie contour of his fea- tures, which vas majestic even in deathj but some of the Ken- tuckiaus disgraced themselves by committitig indignities on his tifead body. AND GREAT BRITAIN. 89 proposals were of course agreed to, and tlie Indians were left at liberty, according to the American ac- counts, either to take up arms in behalf of th© United States, or to remain neutral. General Proctor, after his retreat from Mora- vian village, repaired to Ancastcr, on the Grand River, where he collected the shattered remains of his army, amounting to about two hundred nen, and from thence marched to Burlington Heights, the head-quarters of general Vincent! ^. Si the self ed the don sail ant- but, troj habi (otl soor defe iiavj Que pose oftr ous 29th acco eiien desc pi ail barr thoiii Signal as the success of the enemy had been on the Detroit frontier, all his efforts to establish him- self in Lower Canada proved unavailing, and serv- ed only to involve him in loss and disaster. On the 3 1st of July, the Ontario fleet, under commo- dore Chauncey, consisting at that period of twelve sail, and carrying a military force, under lieuten- ant-colonel Scott, made its appearance off York; but, after throwing open the public jail, and des- troying the store-houses of some of the private in- habitants, tliey again evacuated the town, and took to their vessel^. The attention of the enemy wa^ soon drawn from these predatory excursions to the defence of their own settlements; and a number of naval officers and seamen were dispatched from Quebec, on board a flotilla of gun-boats, for the pur- pose of co-operating with a small, but chosen body of troops, under lieutenant-colonel Murray, in vari- ous demonstrations on Lake Champlain. On the 29th of July, the objects rf this service were fully accomplished by the ij'Ul destruction of all the eiiemy's arsenals, block-) , uses, and stores of every description, at Plattsburgh, Swanton, and Cham- plaintown; and the conflagration of the extensive barracks at vSaranac, capable of containing four thousand troops. This important service was per- >"'%! 86 formed with THE ITMTBD 8TATBI a degree of acting lo promptitude ar ----., ^.s...} Iionourable to the offircrs ( the expedition, and without the loss of a sin man. (20) The success of the Americans, on the shores and on the waters of Lake Erie, had created that ex- cess of exultation whi, h often finds in defeat and dwappo,„tme„t its appropriate punishment. Upper a>(...ted the other parts of the dominions of his Bntann.c majesty in North America. The pre- parations by wUch these magniOcent projects were to thT f ?«."' 'f'*'""'"' ""* """•^''""='- '"adequate to the,r fulfilment, a..! it was publicly announced, that the two armies under generals Wilkinson and Hampton, consisting of from eight to ten thousand men each, would take up their winter quarters at Montreal. These troops, however, were formida- ble only in numbers, and possessed no qualities which could enable them to stand the shock of ar mies under British discipline. The attack on Lower Canada was to ho made by a combined operation of the armies of the nortH and of the centre, and while the former, under genera Hampton, marched on Montreal from Lake Champlam, taking the route of the Chateaugaj; he la tcr, under general Wilkinson, was directed to sail down the St. Lawrence for the same desti- nation. On the morning of the aist of October general Hampton crossed the line of separation between the British dominions and the United ., — ,,, v^-wsjii-oiiovu ms movements alon^ tie ASB OBZAT BBITAIH. ff banks of the river. After some days snent i„ .om- I- ctn,g Ms arrangements and bringing "up his store, ami artillery, he advanced on the 25th in front of the British position, which he found supported by a wood of some miles in extent, formed into an entire abat.s. and filled by a succession of breast- works, well supplied with ordnance.* Karly in the forenoon of the 26th, the American light troops and cavalry were discovered advancing on both bank, of the Chateaugay. Lieutenant-Lonel De Salaberry. who had the command of the advanced IHcquets of the British army, composed of the light infantry company of the Canadian fencibles. and t«^ companies of voltigeurs, stationed on the north side 01 the river made so excellent a disposition of his little band, as to check the advance of the enemy's principal column, led by general Hampton m person, and accompanied by brigadier-general colonel M'Carty, was in like manner arrested in -ts progress on the south side of the river, by the spirited advance of the right flank company of the hud battalio, of the embodied militia, under cap- tarn Daly, supporte.l by captain Bruyer's company of Chateaugay chasseurs. In the course of the day the enemy rallied repeatedly, and returned to the attack: but all their eff.rts proved unavailing: and on the ap,,roach of evening they were obliged Jnally to reti e, being foiled on all points by a bandful ol me„. who, by their determined braver," ,i„f 1 ./ ^ ""■" °- """■^ ^lauipion ro tho Secretary at Wai- dated Four Corner., November 1. 1813. ' 88 THB UNITED STATES maintained their position in the face of an enemy twenty times their number. ' The governor-general, having fortunately ar- rived on the scene of action shortly after the ap- pearance of the enemy, witnessed the gallant can- duct of the troops on this glorious occasion, and had the satisfaction to award, on the spot, that praise which had become so justly their due. From the report of prisoners taken from the enemy in the affair of Chateaugay, it appeared that the American force consisted of seven thousand infan- try, and two hundred cavalry, with ten field pieces? while the British advanced force, actually engaged, did not exceed three hundred!* The entire loss of both armies, in killed, wounded, and missing, according to the official dispatches transmitted to their governments by the hostile generals, was esti- mated at seventy-five men, of which the British lost only twenty, five; and the Americans not more than double that number. After this memorable repulse, the American commander called a council of war, at which it was determined, with more calculating prudence than military enterprize, that under existing circumstances, it was not prudent to renew the attack; but that on the contrary, the army should "immediately return, by orderly marches, to such a position as would secure their communication with the United States, either to retire into winter quarters, or to be ready to strike below." (21) • Despatch from Sir George Prevost to Earl Buthurst, dated Montreal, October 50, 1»1J. I AND »R£AT BRITAIN. 89 The American troops, engaged in the expedition under general Wilkinson, were not more fortunate in the enterprizc upon which they had now enter- ed than their compatriots of the northern army. Early in the month of October, general Wilkinson! at the head t.f an army of ten thousand men, em- bai'ked at Fort George, on board the Ontario flotilla, consisting of upwards of three hundred vessels, and liaving entered the St. Lawrence, on the 2d of November, arrived on the 6th within a few miles of the port of Prescot. The powder and stores were here landed on the Canadian side of the river, to be transported by land, under cover of the night, beyond the British batteries; and all the troops were debarked to march at the same hour to a bay two miles below Prescot. The vigi- lance of the British troops, to which the enemy bears repeated testimony, was not to be surprised; and in this attempt to pass the fortress of Prescot,' the American armada was doomed to sustain a' heavy and destructive cannonade;* while the army on shore, under the command of brigadier-general Boyd, was briskly assailed by the garrison with shot and shells. The advance of the enemy, sub- sequent to the passage of Prescot, was retarded by the menacing position of the British army, which hung upon his rear, and by the difficulties of the navigation of the St. Lawrence, which exposed his flotilla to continually increasing dangers. Having anticipated the probability of the American gov! iicspaicitf s from sir ueorge Frevost. do TBffl VKxTED STATES. ernment sending its whole force from Lake Ontario towards Montreal, the British governor-general had ordered a corps of observation, consisting of the remains of the 49th regiment, the second bat- talion of the 89tli, and three companies of volti- geurs, with a division of gun-boats, the whole un- der the command of lieutenant-colonel Mojirison, of the 89th regiment, to advance from Kingston, and to follow the movements of general Wilkinson's army. On the i ith, this corps of observation was attacked at Williamsberg by a part of the Ameri- can force, under general Boyd, consisting of two brigades of infantry, and a regimeri of cavalry. About half past two the action Lccame general, when the enemy endeavoured, by moving forward a brigade from the right, to turn the British left, but was repulsed by the 89th forming in potence with the 49th, and both corps moving forward, occasionally firing by platoons. Finding himself unsuccessful on the left, the next efforts of the ene- my were directed against the right, but he was re- ceived in so gallant a manner by the companies of the 89th, under captain Barnes, and by a well di- rected fire from the artUlery, that he quickly re- treated, leaving one of his guns in the hands of the British. Colonel Morrison, in his turn, now became the assailant, and the enemy concentrated his force to prevent his advance; but such was the steady countenance, and well directed fire of the troops, and the artillery, that about half past four, the Americans gave way on all sides, and aban- doned their strong position. By a judicious move- i^^ AND GBEAT BRITAIN. 91 ment made at this moment by lieutenant-colonel Pearson, their light infantry, which had been lef to cover their retreat, was dislodged, and tlie Bri- tish detachment for the night occupied the ground from which the enemy had ignobly suffered them- selves to be driven. Colonel Morrison, in his re- port of the battle of V'Uiamsberg, very justly re- marks, that every man uid his duty; and that no stronger evidence can be given of their merits than that which is found in the fact, that the army of the victors did not exceed eight hundred men; while that of the vanquished amounted to from three to four thousand.* The loss of the Americans in kill- ed and wounded, amounted to three hundred and thirty-nine,f including upwards of one hundred prisoners. On the side of the British, the loss, in relation to the number engaged, was heavy, and amounted to one hundred and eighty, including twelve missing.:^ Sir George Prevost, in his des- patches relating to the repeated attempts of the Americans to invade his majesty's Canadian domin- ions, dwells with exultation on the loyalty and ac- tive zeal displayed by all classes of the inhabitants; and general Wilkinson bears ample testimony to the same important fact, by asserting, that the hos- • General Wilkinson, in his despatch to the Secretary at War, dated French Mills, November 16, 1813, states, rather loosely, that the American force engaged, did not exceed one thousand eight hundred men; while the strength of the British is estimat- ed at one thousand five hundred, or one thousand six hundi-ed, exclusive of the militia. J- General Wilkinson's despatches. ^ Colonel Morrison's official report. ^> O^, \^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) Y' ^ // .-^Z ^v:%' A u. .*^ s ^ 1.0 I.I us lAO 2.5 m 2.0 IL25 i 1.4 m I 1.6 Hiotographic Sciences Corpomiion ^ e- cember, colonel Murray was ordered to advance, for the purpose of checking a system of plunder organized by the enemy against the loyal inhabi- tants of that district. Notwithstanding the inclem- ency of the weather, the Biitish force arrived in, the neighbourhood of fort George, in time to coib^^ pel the enemy, uncjer general M'Clure, to abandon, the whole of the British side of the Niagara fron- tier,- but not till that general had stained the char- acter of his country, by the wanton conflagration of the town of Newark, which, under the pretence of securing the American frontier, but in violation of the. laws of nations, he reduced to a heap o£ ashes. The enemy, no longer secure within his own do^ minions, abandoned Lewistown on the advance of major-general Ri&U, leaving in the ))lace a consid- erable supply of small arms and ammunition,, with: ^out two hundred barrels of flour^ »Early in the morning of the J 9th of December,., colonel Murray, at the head of a. detachment of the lOQth regiment, the grenadier company of the royals, and the^ flank companies of the 41st regi. ment, advanced, to fort Niagara, where, having surprised the centries on the glacis of the fortress, the watch-word was obtained, and the place carried in a few minutes, with the trifling loss of six men killed, and five wounded. The loss of the garri- son was much more considerable. Sixty-five of their.- 04 THE VNITBD 8TATBS number were iilJed, fourteen wounded, and three hundred and forty-four made prisoners.* By this fh-*!*"''''"'!""'"'' twenty-seven pieces of cannon, three thousand stand of arms, a number of riiJes and the store-houses, well stocked with clothing and camp equipage of every description, feU into ^e hands of the victors. Captain Leonid, of Z artillery servico, to whom the command of the gL rwon haa been intrusted by general M'Clure, had, OB the evening before the assault, retired to his country residence, at a distance of two miles, and a royal salute, announcing the surrender of the fortress, gave this officer the first intimation of the surrender pf the garrison committed to his charge On the same day that the fortress oi Nlajrarii was carried by colonel Murray. Lewlstown sur- rendered without resistance to the forces under major-general Riall. During the night of the 30th, that general crossed the Niagara, for the purpose of attackmg the enemy at Black Hock and Bumjo, at the head of a detachment, consistir- of four compares of the king-, wgiment, the light compa- ny of the 89th, two hundred and fifty of the *m regiment, and the grenadiers of the looth reri. mentj with a small body of militia vohnteew, and a number of Indian warriors. At day-l^ak on tte following morning, the king's regiment, .ml light company of the 89th, moved forward^ fte pnadiers of the 41st and the lOOth wgiments being m reserve. On the approach of the British troops! • CoIo«l Muroy, „port to s«n«na Dnnamond. d«ted fort "'»«M». December 19, Ml J. ""-"no, «Keo io« •0m- ^ on of the ) charge. Niagara mn sur- )s under the SOth, purpose Bafftdo, of four compa- the 4t6t ;li regi- vs, and eak on ^t, and i*d| flie is being troops, Ated fort AWD OBEAT BBITAIIT. the enemy opened a very heavy fire of cannon and musketry on the royal Scots, under lieutenant- colonel Gordon, who was directed to land above Black Rock, for the purpose of turning his posi- tion, but who, owing to the boats in which the troops were embarked having grounded, was not able to land in sufficient time to accomplish that object. The king's and the 89th, having, in the mean time, gained the town, commenced a spirited attack up- on the Americans, under general Hall. The posi- tion, which was strong, was for some time sup- ported with much bravery,* but such was the gal- lant and determined advance of the British troops, that he was at length driven from his batteries, and pursued to the town of Buffalo, abof vl two miles distant. General Hall, finding his force now swell- ed to upwards of two thousand men, again attempt- ed to arrest the progress of the advancing columns; but finding all his efltorts ineffectual, his troops fled in disorder, and betook themselves to the woods. Eight pieces of ordnance, and one hundred and thirty prisoners, fell into the hands of the British, and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded, was estimated at from tly*ee to four hundred. General Riall now proceeded to execute the ulte- rior objects of the expedition; and colonel Robin- son was detached to destroy a sloop and two schooners, part of the Ontario flotilla,, which lay a little below the town. The town itself, the inhabi- tants having previously abandoned it, and the whole of the public stoics, consisting of a consid- erable quantity of clothing, spirits, and flour, which 96 THB CMrED STATES, &c. the British army had not the means of convevin- awa,. were then set on fire, and totally consumed! A similar fate awaited Black Rock, and on the evemng of the same day that village was consigned to the flames. * , These terrible inflictions were not deemed suffl- qent to retaliate the destruction of the town of Newark, and in obedience to the further instruc tions of general Drummond, Lieut, colonel Gordon, with a detachment of the .9th and 89th regiments^ moved down the river to fort Niagara, and des- troyed tl^, remaining cover of the enemy upon this frontier.* A dreadful scene of desolation now presented ^tself. All the towns and villages o„Z Amencan side of the communicating river betwe^ lakes Erie and Ontario were destroyed, and the concluding scenes of the campaign, of the present year, assumed the character of a war pf extermi natu>n-a species of contest abhorrent to every cmlized mind, and fit only for the savage auxilia! nes of the two exasperated belligerents. (23) .5a-w • m ©HAiPi^iiB rm. Amidst partial reverses., the campaign of the pre- sent year had proved glorious by land to Great Britain. On the ocean, the skill and bravery of the hostile nations were more equally balanced, but the ascendancy inclined, unquestionably, to that power who had so long reigned the unrivalled mistress of the waves. Her successes were, however, by no means unchequered, even on this element^ and the first action on the ocean between British and Ameri- can vessels, in the year 1813, terminated decidedly in favour of the latter power. On the 24th of March, the American brig Hornet, captain Lawrence, and the English brig Peacock, captain William Peake, met at sea off Demarara, and at half past five o'clock in the afternoon they passed within range of eacli other's guns, and exchanged broadsides. Observing the British captain in the act of wearing, captain Lawrence bore up and received his starboard broad- side, after which he approached close on the star- board quarter, and in that position kept up such a heavy and well-directed fire, that in less than fifteen minutes, the Peacock, being rendered unmanagea- ble, was obliged to strike her flag. With much diffi- culty, the Americans succeeded in bringing their prize to anchor; but before the prisoners could be removed, she went down, rarcvin^ with iu»" *ks- ' — * ■*■■•* =' £--• £«^£ wSSSS "^ ^ m M TpB UNITED STATES teen of her own crew, and three of the American aaUoro. Ca{>tain Peake, and four of his crew were found dead on board the sinking vessel, and thirty- three others were wounded. The loss of the Amer- icans was trifling in comparison,- and in the return made by captain Lawrence to the Secretary of the Navyt it is stated, that the number of killed and wounded did not exceed Ave men, of whom one on- ly was kiUed. The Peacock is represented as one ©f the finest vessels of her class in the British na- vy; and in size, guns, and crew, the combatants were nearly equal. On the i-etum of captain Law- rence to America, he was received with every pos- sible mark of distinction; and as a testimony of the estimation in which his tdents and bravery were held by his government, he was appointed to the command of the Chesapeake frigate, *hcn Ijinff in the port of Boston. The time now approached in which the British flag was to recover a large share of ite accustomed honours from that foe with whom i1» glories had suffered a temporary eclipse. Ever since the month of February, captain Broke, of the Shannon, had been cruising in the bay of Boston, in company with the Tenedos, in hopes that the Chesapeake would come out of the harbour; but the enemy not choos- ing to encounter two British frigates, captain Broke directed the Tenedos to cruise at a distance from the coast, and not to rejoin him till after the the expiration of a month. In order that captain Lawrence might be informed of the separation of the vessels, and be induced, in consequence, to I AHD OBBAT BBITAIir. 99 put to sea, the Shannon stood close into Boston %ht-hou8e^ and hoisted the British colours. The challenge, conveyed by this posture of defence, cap^ tain Lawrence was not slow to accept; and at mid* day, on the 1st of June, the Chesapeake weighed anchor, and stood out of the harbour, to decide, as it were, by single combat, the contest between the two nations in maritime prowess. About twenty-five minutes after five o'clock, the two frigates were within musket shot of each other; and it is scarcely possible to conceive a more in- teresting and awful moment. The engagement, which was about to commence, had few features io common with the usual routine of sea fights; there was, on the contrary, something chivalrous in thQ situation of the combatants; each commander, as well as the respective crews, had offered themselves as the champions of their country's glory and hon- our,- and by this feeling, it may be supposed, that the Americans were more particularly influenced, as the engagement was about to commence within sight of their own shores, which were lined by the inhabitants, who could observe, with ease, all the vicissitudes of a combat so interesting. Captain Broke and his crew, on their part, must have ex- perienced feelings little less stimulating to heroic enterprise; they had sought an opportunity of prov- ing to the world, that the sun of England's nava! glory was not yet set. l^hey had not merely to sus- tain, they had, in some measure, to retrieve and win back the glory and honour of their country, XheV had to nrnvA flinmcfAlmrAi^ ,.,^^4.1 i> XI ^ , — ^ — ,,^ v«-wMXKrv» T wa wvrhiij oi Ciiat COUn- 100 TUB ViriTBD IT4TB» try which had gflven birth to Nelson; and they did prove themselves worthy of this high distinction. The Uheaapeake frigate, on her advance, was ma- Bceuvred with so much skill as to call for the admi- ration of the British captain; aiid three American ensigns waved from her masts, on one of which was inscribed, "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights/' At half past five, the enemy placed himself on the star- board side of the Shannon, and the battle began. After the exchange of two or three broadsides, the enemy's frigate fell on board the Shannon, and they became locked in each other's rigging. Captain Broke, observing that the enemy Were flinching from their guns, determined to bring the battle to an immediate and glorious issue, and gave orders Ui prepare for boarding. Placing himself at the head of bis gallant bands, appointed to that ser- vice, they instantly rushed upon the enemy's decks, impelling every thing before them with irresistible fury. The enemy made a desperate, but disorder- ly resistance; and the firing was continued at all the gangways, and between the tops; but in two min- utes they were llriven, sword in hand, from every post. The American flag was hauled down, and the proud old British union floated tiiumphantly over it. In another minute the enemy ceased firingfrom below, and called for quarter; and the whole ser- vice was acliieved in fifteen minutes from the com- mencement of the action. No terms can adequately express the merits of the valiant oflicers and crew of the Shannon; the calm courage they displayed during the cannonade. ABO OUBAT BHITAM. 101 and the tremendous precision of their fire, could on- ly be equalled by the ardour with which they rush- ed to the assault. Nor was the courage of the Americans much less conspicuous} their bravo cap- tain, who received a musket ball through his body, in the heat of the action, exclaimed, as he was car- ned below, "Don't give up the sbipj" and his prin- cipal solace, while suffering the most excruciating pain from bis wounds, was derived from the hope that hM colours should never be struck. But at the moment when these orders were sent up by thesur geon, every officer on the upper deck was either killed or wounded, and the struggle bad ceased. I„ the very moment of victory. Captain Broke was se- vei-ely wounded in his head by a sabre, while exert- ing himself to save two Americans from the fury of 1.18 men. Of his gallant seamen and marines; he had twenty-three slain, and fifty-six wounded} while the loss of the enemy amounted to forty-seven kill ed, and ninety-three wounded. From a comparative' hat the Shannon mounted fifty-three g„„s, while the Chesapeake had only forty-nine; but if the su penority in guns was on the side of the English the Americans enjoyed a still higher advantage in' her number of menj and the Chesapeake had to op- pose her full compliment of four hundred and forty rh?h"fi.'^«!"'" *'" *'"■'"' ''""•'"'' ''"'• tWrty with which the Shannon entered the action The wounds of captain Lawrence proved mortal four days after the battle; when his body was shrouded in the colons nf i.io „i.:_ .. . ' ^ ,. ...= oM,|i, iinu conveyed 102 THS UNITED 8TATEI to Halifax for intorment. His funeral obsequies were celebrated with appropriate ceremonials. His pall was supported by the oldest captains in the British service then at Halifax, and the naval offi. cers crowded to yield the last honors to a man whom they considered now no longer in the light df a foe» but as an honour to his profession. There is a generous sympathy in the brave that knows no distinction of clime or nation. Tliey honour in each other that of which they feel proud in them- selves. The group, that congregated round the grave of Capt. Lawrence, presented a scene worthy of the heroic days of chivalry. It was a complete triumph of the nobler feelings over the savage pas- sions of war. The conflict of arms is ferocious; and triumph frequently does but engender more deadly hostilities; but the contest of magnanimity calls forth the nobler feelings of the soul, and the contest is over the affections. The capture of the Chesapeake, under such ani- mating and glorious circumstances, could not fail, in some degree, to re-establish in the minds even of the desponding their confidence in British na- val valour and skill; and an engagement which took place in the month of August, though not of so brilliant a nature, nor brought to so speedy an issue, ccmtributed to the same ( ffect. On the morn- ing of the 14th of August, captain Maples, of his majesty's sloop Pelican, while cruising in St George's Channel, for the protection of the trade, observe<: an American vessel in full sail, which slackened on her approach, and prepared for ac- m And gukat Britain. 103 tion. As Boon as the Pelican came alongside of licr antagonist, tlie seamen gave three cheers, and the action commenced. For forty-threo minutes the engagement was kept up witii great spirit on hoth sides; and though during this time the Pelican evidently had the advantage, it was by no means of a decisive nature. Captain Maples, finding his crew anxious to come to close quarters, laid the Pelican alongside of his adversai'y, and gave or- ders to board her; hut when the crew were in the act of executing the commands of their captain, the American struck her colours. The vessel prov- ed to be the Argus sloop of war, captain Allen, of twenty guns, and a complement of one hundred and twenty -seven men. Her commander fouglit his ship nobly, and was wounded early in the ac- tion so severely, that he was obliged to suffer am- putation of his left thigh, and died the day after the battle. In point of force, the two sloops were nearly equal, and perhaps the circumstance which most strongly indicated the relative skill with which the battle was fought, was tlie loss on each side: on board the Pelican there were only two men killed, and six wounded; while on board the Argus, the killed and wounded amounted to about forty.* • Despatch from Capt. \faple8 to vice-admiral Thornboroiigh. In a letter from John Hawker, esq. many years American vice- consul m England, dated from Plymouth, August 19, 1813, and addressed to general Allen, the father of the captain, it is stlted, that the loss on board the Argiw, amounted only to six killed', and twelve wounded. 104 THE UNITED STATES But the absolute superiority of th«; British by sea was not yet placed on so firrn a footing as not to be liable, in their engagements with the Ameri- cans, to vicissitudes; and those who, from the re- sult of the action between Ihe Shannon and the Chesapeake, looked for victory a« a matter of course, whenever the vessds were of equal force, wrre doomed to be disappointed. On the 5th of September, the American brig Enterprize, lieuten- ant Burrows, and bis Britannic majesty's brig Boxer, captain Blythe, met at the entrance of Ports- mouth bay, off tlie coast of tlie United States The English captain, when h«. observed the Ameri- can vessel standing towards him, fired a shot as a challenge, and hoisted three British ensigns, which he ordered to be nailed to the mast. About two o'clock, the American captain, having obtained th^ weather-gage, hoisted, in his turn, three ensigns, and iired a shot at tlie Bo.ier; this she did not deign to return till she came within half pistol shot, when her crew gave three cheers, and commenced the action by iiring her starboard ^roads'de. The action now became most obstinate,- and at twenty minutes past three, the American captain received a ball in his body, and fell. He refu-sed to be carried below, but raising his head, requested, even in the agonies of death, that his flag might never be struck. Nor was his adversary less dis- tinguished for his heroic bravery. About ten min- utes after the American commandant received his mortal wound, lieutenant MTni] ^n x,ri. command, of the vessel devolved, ordered his ship AND GREAT BRITAIN. 105 to be laid on board the Boxer, for the purpose of raking her with a starboard broadside. Captain Blythe hul now fallen,* and the situation of the ves- sels was such, that the Enterprize could command any situation which it might be deemed advisahle to take; while the Boxer could neither be manceu- vred with skill, nor fought with advantage. The raking fire tc which she was exposed, continued to be poured into her till forty-five minutes past three, when her crew, find ng further resistance unavail- ing, called forquarterj as their colours, being nail- ed to the mast, could not be hauled down. The loss of the Boxer was much more considerable than that of the American brigj and the hull, sails, and rigging^ of tiie former were nearly cut to pieces; while the latter, though injured in her spars and rigging, was left in a condition to have commenc- ed another action cf tiie same kind immediately Soon after the arrival of the Enterprize and Boxer at Portland, the bodies of the two commanding officers, captain Blythc, and lieutenant Burrows, were brought on shore in barges, rowed at minute strokes by the masters of ships, accompanied by most of the boats and barges in tlie harbour, while minute guns were fired from the two vessels. A grand procession was then formed on shore, and the interment took place with all the honours that th3 civil and military authorities of tlie place, and the great body of people, could bestow. '■+■ In the early part of the year 1813, the Chesa- peake and Delaware bays were declared by the British government to be in a state of blockade, and a squadron, under the command of admiral Warren, was stationed off the American coast, to seal up these great inlets of the United States. In the month of May, rear-admiral Cockburn, with a light squadron under his command, was sent up the Chesapeake, to carry on a coasting warfare, and to render the government and the inhabitants of America sensible of the danger of rousing the indignation of the British nation. The villages of Frenchtown, Havre-de-grace, Georgetown, and Fredericktown, situated near the head of the Ches- apeake, were seized upon and destroyed, and con- siderable injury was done to the enemy by these operations; but no vital point was reached, nor were any of the great objects of the war materially promoted. This desultory and piratical species of wari^re, though always a favourite topic of British declamation, seldom leads to any important result. Its successes are superficial and transient; and though the suffering and alarm it inflicts may in some measure dispose the minds of the people of a district to peace, even this effect must be oreatl^ counteracted by the hatred and irritation which it is always sure to excite. ♦ a 108 THE UNITED STATES « J^l fK , "' '" *''" Mississippi territory ava led themselves of the rapture between Great Britain and America to indulge once more their strong propensity for war, and endeavour tore- gain those territories which the events of former contests bad wrested from them. Deaf to the warn- ing voice of their most experienced chiefs, the Creek Indians procured supplies of arms and am- munition from the Spaniards in West Florida, and declared war against the United States. The first operations of the war took place near the Georgia frontier, and on the soth of August fort Mims was surprise^ by a.large body of the savages, and the garrison, with about two hundred and sixty of the .nhabitants, fell a sacrifice to their merciless hos- tility. Of the wnole number of persons in the place, not more than thirty* escaped the scalping knife, the flames, and the tomahawk. To revenge this massacre, and to strike terror was" ^f'Tr' ? '"■'«'"''' "^ *■'•' «"•"•««" ""»«« was detached, under the command of brigadier- general Floyd,- and the mUitia and volunt^rs of Tennessee, under the command of general Jackson, we^ employed ii. the same service. In the month Sr" ^t"?"'"' """^ '■»''«''* ** Tallushatches, Talledega, Hilhbeetown.. ...d Autossee, in all of ^hach^according to the accounts of their enemies, the Indians were defeated; numbers of their chiefs and warriors were kiUedj and their villages con- signed to the flames. I„ all these engagements • Letter from judge Toulmin, dated September 7, WIS, AND GREAT BRITAIN. 109 they fought with a fury peculiar to savages, and met and inflicted death without giving or receiving quarter.* The sanguinary details of this war of extermi- nation, present little but a repitition of successes on the part of the Americans, and of misery and desolation in the devoted country of their adversa- ries. A contest so uijcqual could not be of long duration, and the b^le of Tallapoosa, fought on the snh of Marcy 1814, brought the war to a close, by the destruction of almost all the warriors of the nation against which it was waged. On the morning of this decisive engagement, generalJack- son reached the crescent of the Tallapoosa, on the southern extremity of New Yonka, where the In- dians had formed a kind of fortress, covering about a hundred acres of ground, and rendered, as they conceived, impregnable, by the benedictions of their prophets, and the skill of their warriors. Tho breast-work, of this fortified peninsula, was from five to eight feet in height,- and the congregated warriors of Oakfuska, Oakehagu, New Yonka, Hillabeea, the Fish Ponds, and Eufatua, formed its garrison. Having despatched general Coffee to place himself in the rear of the enemy by securing the opposite banks of the river, the commander of the American army determined to take possession of the breast-work by storm, ^ae regular troops, led on by colonel Williams and major Montgomery, were flnnn in nnccAQcifin r\P fK« r.,1.r» 1 J. oj- - - j^.-^.^-rvutjivrii xjs. mix, rtUVttlH/CU Uciri 01 tiJC • See the official reports of the American generals. •3 110 THE UNITED STATES works, when an obstinate contest, tlirough the port holes, musket to musket, took phice, and in which many of the Indian bullets became transfixed upon the bayonets of their adversaries. At length the assailants succeeded in scaling the works, and the event was now no longer doubtful. The Indians, although they fought to the last moment of their existence, and displayed that kind of bravery which desperation inspires, W€re entirely routed and cut to pieces. The margin of the river was strewed with their slain. Five hundred and fifty dead bodies laid upon the field, and from two to three hundrefl others were buried in the water. Not more than twenty escaped; and among the dead was found their famous prophet, Monahell, with two other prophets of less celebrity. The loss of the Americans in killed and wounded, amounted to alfout two hundred, among the former of whom was major Montgomery, and lieutenants Sommer- ville and Moulton. This action, which was continued for five hours, and till the exterminating sword could find no more victims, terminated the Creek war. The Talla- poosa king was made prisoner. Tostahatchee, king of Hickory, afterwards surrendered himself; and Wetherford, their speaker, seeing that all further resistance was vain, ranked himself voluntarily among the captives.* In the month of April, a • In a private interview with general Jackson, after the battle, the intrenid Wpthprfnrrl thna o^m-^ — j %--.. . - .. >.,,,,, «..utn.33cu Ills sjuHqueror.— — " i fought at fort Mims-I fought the Georgian army-I did you all the injury I could.-Had I been supported, I would have done AHO GBEAT BRITAIIT. Ill peace^was concluded, and general Jackson with- drew bis forces. The terms of the treaty were dictated by the United States, and proceeded upon the principle of indemnity for the past, and securi- ty for the future. The victors were to retain as much of the Creek country as would by its sale defray the expenses of the war; and to guard against futui*e incursions from the tribes, the right of estabiishing military posts along the line of the whole frontier was conceded to them. It does not appear by any means clear, notwithstanding the confident assertions to the contrary, that this war, so disastrous to the Creeks, was instigated by the British government, and it is certain that not a single British officer or soldier was found in the Indian ranks. The message of the American president, at the opening of the congress, on the 7th of November, 1813, announced, that Great Britain had declined the offer made by tlie emperor Alexander, to medi- ate the existing differenceslietween that power and the United States; and under such circumstances, the president conceived, that a nation proud of its rights, and conSwioits of its strength, had no choice but in exertion of the one in support of the other. The door of negotiation was not, however, finally closed; for while Great Britain was disinclined to commit the decision of the question at issue, to the mediation of a power that, in common with Ameri- you more. But ray warriors are aii kiiled— I can fig-ht no longer. I am sorry for the destniction of my nation— I am now in your power— do with me what you please— I am a soldier." ■m> Ud THE UWITBD STATES, &C. ca, might be disposed to circumscribe her maritime claims, she professed a readiness to nominate pleni potentiaries to treat directly with the plenipoten- tiaries of the American government, and expressed an earnest wish that their conferences might result in establishing, between the two nations, the bless- mgs and reciprocal advantages of peace.* This proposal, which was communicated by lord Castle- reagh to the American secretary of state, on the 4th of November, was accepted by the government of the United States without hesitation, and Got- tenburg, being neutral territory, was fixed upoi^ as the place at which the plenipotentiaries should as- semble. • Despatch from lord Cathcart to the count Nesselrode, dated TopUtz, September 1, 1813. ' ©nAiMPffim az. 1 HE slow operations of diplomacy, combined with the great crisis in Europe, which had now arrived, and which absorbed the principal attention of the British government, doomed the United States of America to suffer, for another year, all the horrors of war. After the fall of Napoleon, it was held in this country, with a lamentable ignorance of the real state of the feelings and energies of the United States, that Britain, so long the undisputed mis- tress of the ocean, would soon be able to sweep from the seas, the ships of America,- and that those troops which had acquired so much ^ory when contending with the veteran armies of Europe, would no sooner show themselves on the western side of the Atlantic, than the panic-struck soldiers of the United States, would be driven far within their own frontiers. These pleasing illusions were height- ened by the hope that England would soon be able to dictate peace in the capital of the republic; or at least, that the splendour of British triumphs, and the pressure of American embarrassments, would induce and encourage the inhabitants of the north- crn states to form a separate government, under the protection of the crown of Great Britain, if not actuaUy under the sway of her sceptre. During the early part of the year 1814, the war ^ih America, was suffered to ' guish^ but no 114 »HB nriTEB STATES «ooner was Europe restored to peace, by the tie- thr«nement of Bonaparte, than the British govern- ment resolved to prosecute the contest with in- creased vigour, and to obtain in the field, a recog- nition of those maritime rights, which had hitherto lieen so strenuously resisted in the cabinet. Two distinct modes of prosecuting the war seem to have been determined upon by the British ministry; first, an invasion of the coasts of the United States; and, second, after the protection of Canada had been secured, the conquest of so much of the adjoining territory, as might, in the event of a future war, effectually guard that province from all danger. The peace of Paris was scarcely ratified, before fourteen thousand of those troops, which had gain- ed so much renown under the duke of Wellington, were embarked at Bordeaux, for Canada,* and about the same time, a strong naval force, with an ade- quate number of troops, was collected, and des- patched for the purpose of invading different parts of the coast of the United States. So early as the month of March, some move- ments had taken place in tlie American army of the north, under general Wilkinson, indicative of an intention to try once more the fortune of war on tlie Canadian territory; and on the 30th of tliat month, the position of Odell-town, under the com- mand of major Hancock, was attacked with con- siderable vigour; but the resistance made by the British commander was so spirited and judicious, «^,«n««.»»„ TTv**; *c|Fiyi3cu wua considefajDie AND OBEAT BRITAIN. Ill loss, and obliged again to retreat to their position, at Plattsburg. Before the reinforcements from Europe arrived in America, an expedition was undertaken, under the command of genera! Drummond and commo- dore sir James Yeo, against the fort of Oswego, on Lake Ontario. On the 6th of May, preparations were made for commencing the attack, but it was soon discovered that the garrison had made their escape, and general Drummond took possession of the town and fort without opposition. After the barracks had been destroyed, and all the damage inflicted upon the works that was found practica- ble, the troops re-embarked, bringing away seven heavy guns, and a quantity of stores. Another attempt, on a small scale, made on Sandy Creek, by captain Popham of the navy, in concert with captain Spilsbury, proved unfortunate, and was at- tended with a loss of eighteen men killed, and fifty dangerously wounded, exclusive of prisoners. A large American force, under major-general Brown, crossed the Niagara river, on the 3d of Ju- ly, and advancing against fort Erie, demanded the surrender of the garrison. Major Buck, to whom the command of the fort was confided, appears to have been very ill-informed of the hostile movement by which he was assailed; and, instead of his aton- ing for his want of vigilance, by a gallant defence^ surrendered the fort at the first summons, himself, and one hundred and forty men, being made pris- oners of war. After the fall o,f fort Erie, general Brown advanced towards the British lines of Chip- 116 THE UiriTEA STATE 8 paway; but no sooner was major-general Riall, who commanded the British troops in the neigh- bourhood, made acquainted with this movement, than he ordered the immediate advance of five companies of royal Scots to reinforce the garrison, while a detachment of the lOOth regiment, with a body of militia, and a few Indians, moved forward for the purpose of reconnoitring the position, and ascertaining the number of t!ie enemy. Early in the morning of the 5th, several affairs of posts took place, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, both armies were drawn up in battle array on a plain, about a mile to the west of Chippaway. The ene- my, m expectation of being attacked, had taken up a position, with his right, under general Scott, resting on an orchard, close to the river Niagara, and strongly supported by artillery; his left, under general Porter, rested on a wood, with a body of riflemen and Indians in front,* and general Rip- ley's brigade placed in reserve. In a few minutes the British line advanced in three columns, the light companies of the royal Scots, and the lOOth regiment, with the gd Lincoln, forming the ad- vance, under lieutenant-color^el Pearson, wmi^> tb' Indian warriors, posted on the right flahL, uoca- pied the woods. About half past four, the Cana- dian militia and the Indians, were sharply engaged with th?*. enemy's riflemen and Indians, who at first chr JfMl th^'ir advance; but the light troops being i,i 74ig; t to tlieir support, the division under general Porter, consisting principally of the New- York and Pennsylvania volunteers, gave ¥piy, and IND GREAT BRITAIN. 117 fled in every direction. After this success, gener- al Riall ordered the king's regiment to move to tho right, while the royal Scots, and the 100th regi- ment, were directed to charge the enemy in front. The steady bravery with which this charge »^7a8 received by general Scott*s brigade, gave the first intimatiovh that the Americans had found, in the in- cpcas'^d gallantry of their armies, a counterpoise against the veteran troops which Great Britain was at this moment pouring upon their shores. Two battalions of general Scott's brigade, with an en- larged interval between them, received the assail- ants in open plain, and prepared to take ijiem in front and flank at tlie same time, while captain Towson, advanced to the front of the British left with three pieces of artillery, and took post on the river.. The fire of the enemy's corps, accompanied by their artillery, produced a visible impression upon the British ranks, and the explosion of an ammunition wagon, silenced the most efficient of their batteries. A heavy discharge of canister shot was now poured on the British infantry, and general Riall, being no longer able to sustain this accumulated fire, ordered the attack to be aban- doned, and the troops to retire behind their works at Chippaway. In this engagement, which closed only with the day, lieutenant-colonel Gordon, of the royal Scots, and lieutenant-colonel the Marquis of Tweedale, late aid-de-camp to the Duke of Wel- lington, were both wounded, as were most of the officers belonging to their respective regiments* nd mav K 2 learly equals 118 THE UNITED STATES be pstimatcd, in round numbers, at five humli-ed each. The number of Britisli rcguljirs engaged in the battle of Chippaway, is stated by their general, at fifteen hundred, exclusive ofmilitia aitJ Indians; and on the same authority, it is sa'd, that the ene- my'^ force aniounted to about six thousand men (25) Emboldened by the success wliich had attended their first operations, the enemy looked forward to still greater advantages. After the action of the 5th, general Riall retreated to a position near fort IViagara; and the American army took post at Chippa^ay. On the arrival of general Drummond at Niagara, on the morning of the 25th of July, he advanced at the head of a considerable force to- wards the Falls,- and scarcely had he formed a junction with general Riall, when intelligence ar- rived that the American army, imder Gen. Brown, was again advancing. The British general imme ■ diately proceeded to meet the enemy, whom he found strongly posted on a rising ground at Bridge- water, near the Falls of Niagara, and within the sound of the thunders of that stupendous cataract. Without a moment's delay, the 89th regiment, the royal Scots detachments, and the light companies of the 41st, formed in the rear of the hill, their left resting on the great road to Queenstown; and two twenty-four pounder brass field guns were placed a little advanced in front of the centre, on the summit of the rising ground,- while the Glen- gary light infantry, the battalion of incorporated mUitia, and a detachment of the king's regiment, #» XTXn GEBAT BRITAIN. 1*9 occupied the left of the road, supported in the rear, by a squadron of the i9th light dragoons, under the command of major Lisle. This disposition of the British forces was no sooner completed, than they were attacked by brigadier-general Scott, and before the remainder of the American army Iiad crossed tlie Chippaway, the action became close and general between the advanced corps. On the arrival of general Brown upon the field, he found that the first brigade had passed the wood, near the Falls, and tliat the 9th, 11th, and 22d re- giments, with Towson's artillery, were engaged on the Qneenstown road, directing their principal ef- forts against the left and centre of the British. — • The eminence occupied by the British artillery, supported by the 2d battalion of the 89th i^cgiment, under lieutenant-colonel Morrison, was conceived by general Brown, to be the key of the whole posi- tion, and colonel Miller was ordcied to advance and carry the height at the point of the bayonet. The struggle at this point was arduous in the ex- treme; and the British troops, finding themselves severely pressed, formed round the colours of the 89th, and fought with invincible bravery. About the same time, major Jessup succeeded in turning the British left flank; and gener. 1 Riall, having received a severe wound in his arm, was intercept- ed by captain Ketch urn's detachment as he was passing to the rear, and made prisoner. In the centre, the repeated and determined attacks of the Americans were met with the most perfect steadi- ness and intrepid gallantry^ and they were con- IQO THB UNITED STATES stiintly repulsed with very Iieavy loss. These at- tacks were directed against the guns of the British with so much vigour and determination, that tho artillerymen were bayoneted in the act of loading their cannon, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were advanced within a few yards of those by which they were oppo ,ed. The night, which had now closed in upon the combatants, failed to put an end to the battle, and during this extraordinary conflict, the two armies, mistaking each other's guns, actually made an exchange, by which the enemy obtained one, and the British two pieces.-I The battle, having raged three hours, was sus- pended about nine o'clock, by mutual consent; during which time the enemy was employed in bringing up his reserves. In a short time the ac tion was renewed,- and general Porter, at the head of his New York and Pennsylvania volunteers, made a gallant charge, which retrieved the charac ter of the corps, and called forth the praises of the commander of the American army. About this period, general Drummond received a reinforce- ment of troops, under colonel Scott, consisting of the 103d regiment, the head quarter divisions of the royal Scots, and king's, and the flank compa- nies of the 104th regiment. This seasonable supply of troops seems to have decided the fortune of the day,- and at midnight, the enemy, finding all his ef- forts to obtain possession of the hUl unavailing, gave up the contest, and retreated to his camo be- yond Chippaway, carrying with him the wounded and artillery. On the day following, he abandon- AND GREAT BRITAIN. 121 ed his campy throwing the greater part of his bag- gage, camp equipage, and provisions, into the rap- ids^ and having destroyed the bridge at Chippaway, continued his retreat towards fort £rie. «The loss sustained by the enemy in this severe action, can- not," says general Drummond in his despatches, «be estimated at less than fifteen hundred men, in« eluding several hundred prisoners^ his two com- manding generals, Brown and Scott, were both wounded; his whole force, which has never been rated at less than five thousand, having been enga- ged. The number of troops under my command^ did not, for the first three hours, exceed sixteen hundred meni and the addition of troops tindtr col- onel Scott, did not increase it to more than two thousand eight hundred, of every description."* The battle of Bridgewater, was without exception^ the most sanguinary, and decidedly the best fought action, which had taken place on the American con- tinent. The repeated charges, and the actual con- test with the bayonet, are alone sufficient to render this engagement remarkable; and the charge made by colonel Miller, on the crest of the British posi- tion, is said to have exhibited traits of heroism, in- ferior only to those displayed at the storming of St. Sebastian. (26) A resolution was now formed to attempt the re- • According to the American accounts, the whole amount of their force engaged on the 25th July, did not not exceed 2800, of allien tli sir loss in Icillsil- v/onnflf*fi 5infl TTii*5*i!n'*' sitnoHntfid but to 860; while the loss of the British is stated by general Drum- mond, at 87^. lU THE UiriTED STATES capture of fort Erie; and for this purpose, genera* Drummond who had advanced to that pla^e! opet ed the fire of his batteries against it on the isth of August. Owing to the severe wounds received by baWe of Bridgewater. the command of the Jeft wing of the second division of the northern army had Sid h""? "'•'««''-■«--' Oaines, wh'o ha wi it th?r r'T.'""""^ '" "''^-Sthen bis position witlun the fort. During the 13th and 14th, a brisk cannonade was kept up against the works, wl^en fTuffiift"'""""""'- ^''^••■^— to-elieveti:: a sufficwnt impression had been produced, resolv ed to car.7 the place by a nocturnal »...„V";i: attacks were accordingly ordered to be made: tie one by a heavy column under lieutenant-co „„e s!rt,TlTHi''^"r *''«>'"*--'«»ents on the Scott and .w' ?" .*'" """"•• "»«'«'■ -^olonol Scott, and lieutenant-colonel Drummond, on the fort and intrenchment, leading to the Uke A half past .wo o'clock in the morning of the I5tt renchment, by a kind of abbatis. Lfonc j by th; can„o„ „„der captain Towson. The attention of the American general was soon after called to tbe S^f't« ni "PJ'^r" ''^.^'^ centre and left of „„ ^"""'""'' "no*"- colonels Drummond and Scott, was announced by a fire of cannon and mus- AND GREAT BBITAIIT. 1S3 ketry. A vigorous attack, made by the left col- umn, under colonel Scott, was successfully resisted by the New- York and Pennsylvania volunteers, aided by a six-pounder, under major M«Ree,- but the centre, led on by colonel Drummond, was not long kept in check; it approached, at once, every assailable point of the fort, and with scaling lad- ders ascended the parapet. The assault at this point was twice repeated, and as often checked; but the British troops, having moved round the ditch unobserved, re-ascended their ladders, and after carrying the bastion at the point of the bayonet, actually turned the guns of the fortress against its defenders. According to the American accounts, colonel Drummond performed prodigies of valour, but on the same authority, a stigma is cast upon the memory of this gallant officer, by the assertion that he frequently reiterated a sanguinary order to <'give the damned yankees no quarter."* The battle now raged with increased fury, and several attempts were made by the garrison to dislodge the assailants; but in a moment every operation was arrested by the accidental explosion of a quantity of ammunition which had been placed under the platform, and by which almost all the troops that had entered the place were dreadfully mangled. A panic instantly communicated itself to the British troops; and so fixed was their persuasion, that the explosion was not accidental, that the utmost ex- ei'tion of the few survivims: officers to pp„«tn,.a ^«.f.« • Despatches from general Gaines, to the American Secretary at War, dated Fort Erie, August 23d, 1814. 124 THE VNITBD STATBS ... It proTed ineffectual. The enemj^ availing himself of this advantage^ pressed forward upon the disor- dered cohimnsy and before day appeared, the be- siegers were obliged to abandon the bastion, and to seek shelter behind their own batteries. The loss of the British, in this disastrous enterprise, amounted, in killed, wounded, and missing, to up- wards of nine hundred menj and both colonel Scott and lieutenant-colonel Drummond were numbered among the slain. The American loss was compar- atively small, and is stated, in their own accounts, not to have exceeded eighty-four men, of whom sev- enteen were killed, iifty-six wounded, and eleven missing. > The loss of tlie British army was greatly aggra- vated by a sortie made upon their works before fort Erie, on the I7th of September, and from the de- tails of which, as stated in the American official reports^ it should appear, that a due degree of vigi- lance did not prevail in the camp. Early in the morning of that day, the infantry and riflemen, both of the regulars and militia, w^ere ordered by general Brow^n, who had now resumed the com- mand, to hold themselves in a state of readiness to march against the English batteries. At twelve o'clock, general Porter was ordered to move, at the head of his detachment, by a passage previously opened through the woods, for the purpose of at- tacking the right of the besieging army. General Miller was, at the same time, directed to occupy the ravine between fort Erie and the batteries, while general Ripley was posted with a corps of AND QUE AT BRITAIIT. 125 reserve between the two bastions of the fort. Soon after three o'clock in the afternoon, general Por- ter's column, which was destined to penetrate to the rear of the British batteries, and to turn their right, carried a strong Ulock-house by storm, while general Miller, advancing from the ravine, pierced the intrenchments; and within half an hour from the time tiiat the first gun was fired, two of the bat- teries out of the three were in possession of the en- emy. The fate of the remaining battery was soon after decided, and the assailants, having spiked the British guns, and destroyed one of the magazines, withdrew within their own lines. Thus, in the short space of one hour, the fruits of fifty day's la- bour were destroyed, and the efficient force of the British army diminished at least one thousand men, of whom three hundred and eighty-five were made prisoners. The aggregate loss of the Amer- icans amounted to five hundred and eleven, of whom forty-five were officers, and the remainder non- commissioned officers and privates. After the des- truction of bis works before fort Ej'ie, general Drummond broke up his camp, and returned on the night of the 21st, to his intrcnchments behind Chippaway. (27) # m msmciiM^'X 'n^^ was shortly carried, and the enemy obliged to re- AWD GREAT BRITAIN". 141 tire to the hoights. In support of tlie light brigade, general Ross ordered up a brigade under colonel Brooke, who, with the 44th regiment, attacked the enemy's left, nndek general Smith; the 4th regi- ment pressing his right, under general Stansbury with such effect, as to cause him to abandon his guns. The first line having given way, was driven upon the second, which, yielding to the irresistible attack of the bayonet, and the well-directed dis- charge of rockets, was thrown into confusion, and fled, leaving the British masters of the field. Tlie rapid flight of the enemy, and his perfect know- ledge of the country, precluded the possibility of making many prisoners; and the fatigue to which the troops had bcrn exposed by a march of eleven miles before the battle commenced, on a sultry day, prevented the pursuit from being followed up with vigour. The enemy's army amounted to from eight to nine thous^d men, with three or four hundred cavalry;* his artillery, ten pieces of which fell into the hands of the victors, was com- manded l^y commodore Barney, who was wounded, and taken prisoner. The retreating army being ordered to move upon Washington, general Winder repaired to that city, where a council was hastily called, at which Mr. Monroe, the secretary of • General Boss's despatches. According to the American official accounts, their force did not exceed 6,053 infantry and cavaliy. The British force, on the same authority, is stated at 4,500. See ^^Jteport of the Cofimittee of InvesHgatim on the Cat. *ure of Wathingtony" dated November 83, 1814, H 2 142 THE UNITED STATES sta% iin is next brought under consid- crtiUon, and the message concludes with the fre- Quently re|)eated declaration, that America was forced into the war by the violence and injustice of her enemy, and that she still retains an undimin- ished disposition towards peace on honourable terms. That part of the president's message which re- lates to finances, was i-eferred to a committee of ways and means^ who made their report in the course of the same month. In this report, it was stated, t!ikt the resources for carrying on the war, must consist in taxes, loans, and treasury notes.—- The first, it was said, could not be collected in time to meet the immediate exigencies of the state. As to loans, they could only be obtained on exor- bitant terms. The treasury notes therefore, must be had recourse to; and from this source, a con- siderable sum might be raised, and a general cir- culating medium created for every part of the union. With regard to new tax^, the committee i^marked, that several manufactures, which had grown up in the United States in consequence of the war having shut them out from foreign mar- kets, were in such a flourishing condition, that they would bear to be taxed^ and the amount of the proposed increase on the existing taxes, and of the new duties, was estimated at eleven millions six hundred and thirtv-^fi ve thQUfiand dolfufS! while the whole revenue^ under the old system, was only AND GBEAT BRITAIN. 155 ten millions eight hundred thousand; thus, at one step, naore than doubling the taxation. Next to t*ie financial arrangements, the atten- tion of the American government was directed to the army; and a bill, formed under the direction of a military committee, and grounded on the sugges- tions of the secretary at war, was brought into congress, to provide for filling the ranks of the army. The object of this measure, was to pre- serve and render complete the present military es- tablishment of the country, amounting to sixty-two thousand four hundred and forty-eight men; and to create an additional permanent force of, at least, forty thousand, to be raised for the defence of the cities and frontiers, under an engagement that such corps should be employed within certain specific limits. It was further proposed, that the whole of the white male population of the United States, be- tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five, should be distributed into classes of twenty-five each; every class to furnish one able bodied man, to serve during the w^ar; that assessors should determine the territorial precincts of each class, so that the property in each division should be as nearly equal as possible; that in case of failure, a penalty should be levied on each class, to be paid among them in proportion to the property of each individual; and that every five male inhabitants, liable to military duty, who should join to furnish one soldier during the war, should be exempt from service. jx i3ia ijiii vfaa ui3i;ussc;u iH uiu vjiiiicu iSiaieS with great freedom; and the adversaries of the 156 THE UNITED STATES^ &C. ineasore had no difficulty in discovering, in its pro- visioiifl, a rapid approximation towards the French code of conscription. But events were taking place at Ghent, which rendered it highly probable that tiiere would be no necessity for carrying into eifect its more obnoxious regulations. 'M mP x^*.0r,^fS'^''y.= imm^ DvRiKO tb€ progress of the negotiations at Ghent; the hostile operaitions of the belligerents extended to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. On the 15th of September fort Bowyer» at the eaKlern entrance of the bay of Mobile, was attackec\ by a British naval and oiilitary force, under the command of commodore the honorable captain William Henry Percy, and colonel Ni^bplls) but the resistance made by major William I#awrence, the commander of the fort, was so determined and successful, that the assailants were obliged to withdraw, with the loss of the British commQdore'9 ship, the Hermes^ which took was no sooner ■lade known to general Jackson, the American com- mander in Louisiana, than, placing himself at the head of the 7th and 44th regiments, with a body of the NAw Orleans and Tennessee militia, he advan- ced to meet the invaders. At eight o'clock in the evening, a heavy flanking fii-e was opened upon co- lonel Thornton's brigade,- but the temerity of the American general was speedily checked by the use of the ba^onetj and, in tho?orning of the following day, he retreated to a jiition about two miles nearer the city. On the 25th, major-general the Hon. sir Edward Pakenham, accompanied by major-general Gibbs, arrived and took the com- maud of the army. On the morning of the firth, the troops moved forward in two columns, and drove in the enemy's picquets, to a situation within three miles of the town, where their main body was dis- covered strongly posted behind a canal, with a breast work in front, extending from the Cypress Swamp to the banks of the Mississippi, their right resting on the river, and their left touching the wood. On the 1st of January, 1815, major-gene- ral sir John Lambert, in the Vengcur, with a AlfB GIIBAT BBITAIJC, H9 iber, all engage. impor- taclo to morning Lac Bo- resented 5 shore. sooner an com- f at the body of ad van- k in the pon co- r of the the use (lowing » miles ral the ied hy e com- 5 firth, 1 drove n three as dis- with a ypress [• right !^ the -gcne- kvith a convoy of transports, reached the outer anchorage of the lake; and, five days afterwards, his reinforce ments were brought up to the advance of the Eng. lish position. The whole of the 7th was occupied in active preparations for the aproaching battle. Before day-Ught on the 8th, the British army was formed for a general assault upon the enemy's lines, to be preceded by an attempt, with a detached force, under colonel Thornton, to cross the Mis- sisippi, and to carry the flanking battery erected by the enemy on the right side of that rlverj but various unforeseen difficulties retarded the execu- tion of this part of the plan, till the co-operation had lost its effect. The morning was ushered in by a shower of bombs and Congreve rockets, the army advancing at the same time to storm the right and left of the enemy's intrcnohments. Sir Edward Pakenham, the commander of the forces, «who,*^ says general Lambert, "never in his life could re- frain from being at the post of honour, and sharing the danger to which the troops were exposed, as Hoon as from his station he had made the signal for the troops to advance, galloped on to the front to animate them by his presence, and was seen >vith his hat off, encouraging them to the crest of the glacis. It was there, almost at the same time, iie received two wounds, one in the knee, and ano- ther, which was almost instantly fatal, in the body. He fell in the arms of major M tlj ^ e^^jjloyment of Henry, and have justly inc»»'ii?fl, ^i homo and abroad, all the odium of the triviwaction. (No. 2.) The decease of the minister, the Right Honour- able Spencer Perceval, in mentioned hero, not su- perfluously, according to the author's views of the bearing of his measures and disposition on the re- lations of the two countries. In a biographical sketch of the deceased minister, by Mr. Baincs, our author, there are the following remarks:— "The decision of his mind sometimes assumed the character of obstinacy; and beseemed to have imbi- bed a principle which a prime minister should never admit into his thoughts, that a measure once openlrj avowed, ought, on no account, ever to be abandoned. To his unyielding temper, tlie American war, in which the country was plunged soon after his death, has been imputed." No one can doubt, for a moment, that had the ministry, then led by Perceval, yielded their opin- ions to the universal clamour of the mercantile conamunity against the orders in council, seconded with uncommon eloquence and zeal by Mr. Uroug- ham in the British Parliament, and repealed them .^,^.„ -„.„^. ,„„„„j _j.j-..^j.^ -jjg ^j^j. would not have been declared by the American government. Hence APPENDIX. m our author na, with reason, laid sonie stress upon the incident of Mr. Perceval's death. (No. 3.) MOTIVES OF THE WAR PAHTY JJV THR SOUTH. Tlie author has here, erroneously, attributed un- worthy motives to the advocates and supporters of the war in the soutliern states. In that section of the United Sta m, the people were governed in their sentiments and conduct by a love of their own coun- try, indignation for the multifarious wrongs in- flicted on it by the government of Grtat Britain, and a spirited determination, by all lawful and honourable means, to punish the aggressor, and re- dress their injuries. Few of the American priva- teers were owned or fitted out in the southern ports. They generally belonged to tlio middle and eastern states. And if the historian had been scrupulously faithful to the truth, he would have re- corded the fact, that the American privateers dur- ing the war, with few exceptions, were far more animated by the spirit of the regular navy, than by the sordid motives of buccaneers; seeking the glory of vict* y, by honourable battle, ov^r the enemies of their country. Many instances occurred of the gallant privateers passing, without nbtice, the merciiantmen, and pursuing to the most despe- rate resulth BritisI) armed vessels. (No. 4.) BALTIMORE MOB. The respectable historian lias liere adopted tlie exparte representation of tlie Federal Republican. ir APi'ENDIX. It is true, tliw outrage was '^regnrdccl witb indigna- tion III cvei7 other part of tlie United States," but not more so tl.un in the city of Baltimore. And it ought to he understood, timt tUe indignation of all sohiT-miuded mon was not confined to the murder. y of Lingaii, hut was justly extended to the con- duct of those, who, it is believed, deliberately plan- tied, from motires of pei^onal and political aggran- dizement, the wanton excitement of the mob The partial representations of this affair have brought "l>o» the ( iiy a load of unmerited calumny^ but VNhile we unefiuivocally condemn all disorderly and riotous aksniihlies, we feel authorized in asserting that no city in the United States has a more sober ami orderly population t^mn Baltimore. (No. 5.) SUBJECTS OF THE UJVITEJ) STjiTES It is not a little amusing to see, oven in the libe- ral and vigorous composition of Mr. Baincs, the phraseology of a monarchist. Who, we would ask inm, are the subjects of the United States? TJie pcoiile of the United States ^vefeUow-ciUzcns, not subjects of any prince or potentate. (No. 6.) HULL'S SUJiJiEJ^VEH, Tiie historian hero is inaccurate in his geography and facts. Maiden is not on tlie Canard, nor did general Hull advance at all against that post= He haltod at Sandwich, and sent out exploring parties on several days, one of wliich encountered a Bri- APPENDIX. tish party nt the bridjifo on tho CftiiRrd; but the ar- my never attempted to cross it. Tlio historian, as may be seen, proceeds with a very well drawn pic- ture of general Hull's military catastrophe, but con- cludes with this strange solecism:— «By this cap- itulation, so glorious to the arms of Great Britain, but so disgraceful to the American army, not less than two thousand five hundred men became prison- ers, &c." We leave it to British philologists to reconcile this phraseology, and to divine tho mea- sure of glory won by the conqueror in a bloodless victory, when the vanquished are disgraced. This forcibly brings to recollection a specimen of the profoundest bathos we ever met in military story. In a British panegyrick on general Ross and his army, for defeating the Americans at Bladensburgh, and capturing the city of Washington, the enco- miast, straining his eulogium to the highest key, says, "On our forces taking the field, the president, with his cabinet, and the whole American army ran away like a flock of terrified sheep!" The reader^ to acquire a full view of tlie glory of the achievement, according to this metaphor, has only to imagine th« British army, commanded by general Ross, enter- ing the field on the one side, while on the other a flock of frightened sheep are escaping at full speed. We would recommend the attention of the histori- an to the result of the court-martial on general Hull, for a true estimate of the glory acquired by the Bri- 5.SC., RaZJSj ill vUu CupiUiO Ui iJv«rOi¥. UO WUM ruunil guilty of neglect of duty, unofflcer-like conduct, and A2 fc?':^ -■ Vi APPENDIX. cowardice, the true sources of all the glory acquired on the oecasion by the British arms. (No. 7.) We apprehend the author, to be intelligible, 8ho\ild have written ordered for *«scwf." (No. 8.) B.iTTLE OF QUEEJVSTOrrjSr. This, on the whole, is a most extravagant and absurd statement. General Wadsworth's force has just ueeii computed at nine hundred; by the killing, wounding, deserting and surrenderingof whom, the Americans are made to sustain a loss of two thousand,' The truth is, that not more than one thousand Ameri- cans crossed during the day; about four hundred of whom were militia and volunteers, who were parol- ed on the field, and permitted to return immediately to the United States. Besides there were mutual exchanges of prisoners, which further reduced the loss of the Americans. Of killed, wounded, and prisoners retained, we suppose, from an impartial examination of all the accounts, the American loss was about six hundred. (No. 9.) CAPTURE OF THE GUERRIERE. The historian, in giving what may bo said to be a pretty fair statement for an Englishman, docs every thing in his power to sooth the mortification of John Bull. Hence he says; "The battle had now APPE^D1X. vii raged Cor nearly two hours." Captain Hull, nn his very modest account of the affair, says by let- ter to the Secretary of tlie Navy; "After informing that so fine a ship as tlic Guerricre, commanded by an able and experienced officer, had been totally dismasted and otherwise cut to pieces, so as to make her not worth to\>ing into port, in the short space of thirty minutes, you can have no doubt of the gal- lantry and good conduct of the officers and ship's company I have the honour to command**' (No, 10.) THJJVKS OP COjYGRESS. The historian is in error when he states that (he congress of the United States, like city corpora- tions and the Irgislatures of New York and Massa. chusetts, voted **thanks** to the captain, officers, and cfew of the Constitution. Compliments of high character were voted by congress, as well as the sum of fifty thousand dollars in lieu of prize mo- ney. The thanks of congress were first during the War voted to commodore Perry, and aiterwards to commodore M»Donough, their officers and crews, on the occurrence of their glorious victories^ but, as far as memiory serves at present, to no other naval commander for a naval victory. Commodore Pat- terson, and the officers and men under hi'u, receiv- ed the thanks of congress for their auxiliary sery vices in the defence of New- Orleans. THA^YKS OF COJYGRESS JGJilM The historian commits a similar error with that above stated^ iu saying that the thanks of congress Vlll APPENDIX. were voted to captain Jones, &c. See the rcsolu- tions of congress, which, as in the case of captaiw Hull, express the high sense entertained of the gallantry, good conduct, &c. of the commander, his officers and crew, with the presentation af medals, swords, &c. (No. 12.) MASSACRE ^T THE RMSIJV. The historian, to save the honour of the British name, has chosen to suppress the sequel of this af- fair; hut it is due to posterity, that the tale should be fully told, wherever the British arms claim a victory in the battle of the Raisin. The whole ac count here given is defective. The right wing of the Americans, which is represented to have been dnven across the river, after a contest of a quarter of asi hour, and there cut off by a large body^f In- dians stationed in the rear, was so unfortunate as to receive without any shelter the violence of the first attack; and, in attempting to change its line, was thrown into confusion, and could never again be formed. In this deplorable state it was overwhelm- ed by the fury of the savage storm. Those who betook themselves to flight across the river, were pursued, overtaken, and generally massacred by the Indians. The left wing of the Americans, covered by a light picket, kept up a successful defence, un- til the general, who, as has been stated, was cap- tured in the disaster of the right wing, deeming -^^^---ji=i„tarsuw„ u*.^,pi;r«ii;, agretsii io surrender them on condition of being protected from the sav- APPENTDIX. IX a.?e9, allowed to retain private property, and having their side arms returned. How faithfully the Brit- ish commander observed the terms of capitulation, the result will testify. Scarcely had the surrender taken place, before the Indians commenced a course of violence and barbarity on the prisoners, especi- ally the wounded. Against this conduct the Amer- ican general remonstrating, insisted on tl e perfor- mance of the conditions, which had placed the pris- oners in the power of their enemies. The pledge of protection was reiterated, and the British com- mander promised that the wounded should be re- moved to a place of security and comfort on the fol- lowing day. Notwithstanding this engagement, he marched off for Maiden; taking with him the able bodied prisoners, and leaving the wounded at the mercy of his savage allies! They were soon strip- ped, murdered, and cast naked over the snow for the food of beasts. Captain Hart, brother-in-law of senator Brown and speaker Clay in congress, hav- ing received a wound in the knee, had the supposed good fortune to meet in captain Elliot, a British offi- cer, an old acquaintance and class-mate at Prince- ton, from whom he received a promise of protection, and conveyance tlie next day to the comfort and hos- pitality of his own quarters at Maiden. This mon- ster, leaving captain Hart in all the consolations of his engagements, abandoned him to a cruel fate. Suffering the most off nsivc barbarities at tlie hands v-i tjiv. Aiiuiaiio, iiv ill iuiigiii uiii ^aiiicii vviiii one of them to carry him to Maiden, paying him the price stipulated. He set off witii liis guide on horseback: X APPENDIX. but before they had gone five miles, the ci^ptaiii was beset by a fi-esh band of savages, who shot, tomahawked, and scalped him. In addition to these flagrant outrages, the officers and men, conduct- fid to Maiden under the immediate eye of the Bri- tish commander, were robbed of their money and clothing; and their arms given to the Indians. Could it be credited, that tlie British authorities, with the full knowledge of these f^normi'^js, did compliment Proctor, promoting him to the rank of brigadier general for his services on this oc- rasion,* acknowledging in the same general or- ders, the essential services, bravery, and good con- duct of tiie Indian chief Round Head, with iiis band of warriors!!! These are the distinctive features of tlH) honours which accrued to tlie British arms in the battle of the Raisin, which tho historian has suppressed; but that the affair might redound great- ly to the glory of general Proctor, the number of the Indian allies are stated at six hundred; the fact being notorious, on the authority of the late gov- ernor Madison and other respectable citizens who were present, that in the course of +iie day the In- dians appeared in French Town to the number of two thousand at least. (No. 13.) CAPTURE OF OQliEJ^SBUMGII. The affair of Ogdensburgh, recorded here with 80 much parade of detail, was in the United States «ivTti -u^v-jirou \ii bumL ient coiisi-quence to be com- municated publicly from tho war-departinent, al APPENDIX. Xi though it seems lo liave commanded not only the compliments, in general orders, of Sir GciVge Pro- vost, the governor of the BHtish provinces, hut the particular attention of the British histonan. A small garrison of riflemen, not exceeding two hun- (Ired and fifty, under the command of the memora- hie and much lamented captain Forsyth, had hecn kept up at Ogdenshurgh. A Bri, 3h force, in two columns of five or six hundred each, attacked the place in the morning. A good defence was made hy ( aptain Forsyth, hut the superior numhers of the enemy fojved him out of the town, with the loss of twenty men killed and wounded. The barracks were bunit^ and the public stores, trifling in amount, carried off. The cannon, stated to be captured, were not in service. According to the British ofli- ciiil report, they had seven killed and forty-cight wounded. The capture of four officers and seventy privates, by the enemy, has not the shadow of truth. (No. 14.) CAPTURE OF YORK. As to the explosion of the magazine, which kill- ed general Pike andjjo many of the Americans, there is a complete issue between the American and British reports. In the United Stales, the opinion of general Dearbor i, tliat it was premeditated by the enemy, seems geriei-ally to have been received, while in the British accounts, it has been uniformly attributed to accident. For ourselves we have licver beeii able satisfactorily to decide the question,- and we must admit that all which appears from the ■ ^■\ Xll APPENDIX. recital of general Dearborn, leaves the conclusion ratlier against his own opinion. It appears that forty of the enemy were killed hy tlie explosion^ a pretty strong argument, tliat they had not premed- itated the horrible catastrophe. Nevertheless, if it wore clearly established that general Shcaffe was wholly innocent of design in the matter there was not wanting in York, the capital of Upper Canada, proof of the demi-savage character of Britons, in their hostilities to the people of the United States. General Dearborn £om\iX in the Parliament House a hunirm acalp, suspcniled near the speaker's chair, in company wUh the mace. What could have been intended by this hi>rrible symbol, we are wholly at a loss to imagine, without recurring to the repeated instances in which the Bi'itisb commanders permit- ted, in their presence, the wounded and dead Amer- icans to be scalped and otherwise shockingly muti- lated. With such proofs of their participation in acts of this kind, as the events of the war furnish- ed, there cannot be a doubt left, that the British officers and troops adopted the savage custom of reckoning the scalp of their enemy a trophy; and, as an i-mblem of victory, was suspended the scalp found near the speaker's chair, in the Parliament House at York. (Xo. 15.) EKtCUATIOX OF FORT GEOIIGE. This declaration is in the teeth of several subse- quent statements of Mr. Baines. in the cc-isrse of his narrative; and it is well known that thJImeX APPENDIX. xtU cans did not abandon Fort George until sometime after general WUkinson set out on his famous ex- pedition against Montreal. The place was finally abandoned on the loth of December, 1813, by gen- eral M'Clure, of the New York Militia, to whom it had been committed; and at whose departure, Newark, a village adjacent was nearly all consign, ed to flames. (iVo. 16.) BATTLE OF STOJVEY CREEK. Of all the accounts publislLcd of the battle of Sto- ney Creek, no two agree; but of all we have seen, this is the most laconic, and the most arrogant on the British side. TJiat general Vincent, in making a night attack, did for a time produce great con- fusion in the American camp is true; and that the strange incidents of the scene put the American generals, with other officers, and troops, into the possession of the enemy cannot be denied; but it is not true Uiat the Americans were di jven from their camp. A force of five hundred was counted and at day ligrt reported by captain Francis D. Cummins, then adjutant of the 161h U. S. Infantry, to Col. Milton the senior officer present. This force had occupied the field without intermission the whole night. And in addition to the possession of the field, the Americans retained one hundred and fifty-four prisoners. About eight o'clock, A. M. the enemy sent mlo the American lines a flag of truce, re- ^i^tcvi^tisjj^ P^i-iiii55i^ji \t\} ijui'y tiicir ucuu^ and asking information of general Vincent, who was supposed xiv APPESfDlX. to bave been killed or captured. His horse was found killed; and Col. Milton had the good fortune to capture his saddle, housing, &c. It appeared in the end, that the British general had been in as great a dilemma as his opposing gencralsj except that he was not finally held a prisoner. He lost his horse, sword, saddle, housing and chapcau-de- bras,- and was found himself in an insensible state, lying on the ground, in the woods, a short distance u-oin tlie American camp. (No. 17.) REPULSE OF THE EJ^EMY AT FORT MEWS In detailing the events of this day, the historian has entirely omitted to notice the very spirited sal- lies from fort xMei.?s, upon the Indian and British batteries on the south-west side of the river, simul- tapeously vcith the attack on the north-west side. Detachments of the regular infantry, volunteers and militia, in all about three hundred and fifty, conducted by lieutenant colonel Miller, rushed up- on and destroyed the enemy's works,, captured several officers, made fifty prisoners, and drove from the field two hundred regulars, one hundred and fifty militia, and four or five hundred Indi- ans. This was a chequered day in its events,- the loss of the gallant Kcntuckiai.s bring no less deplorable, than the success of lieutenant colonel Miller and his comrades was brilliant. The result was decidedly in favour of the American cause; and general Proctor being of that conviction, precipi- tately quit his ground, and sought safety at Sand- V.'l APPENDIX. (No. 18.) XV .-^>i»M.-i'^'>-- k ■^:,^ ,.iA--i-.....jfa*-n ' Atf OL BATTLE OJST ERIE. This account is in all respects so fair, that we shall not take up one moment to insert a great ma- ny small omissions, but to do homage to the manly spirit and candour of captain Barclay, to which we presume the historian is indebted for his candid representation. And here we miglit observe, that many, if not most of the errors, bordering on false- hood, to be found in the British history, are due to the notorious misrepresentations and arrogance of British officers in foreign service. From Bar- clay's honest story there was no room for eqnivo- cation,- and hence the round admission that t^the vic- tory was decisive." In th« note appended by tho author, is a covert attempt to lessen the glory ac- quired by the American arms, by representing the squadron of commodore Perry greatly superior in strength. The following table will shew the truth in this respect; the swivels on both sides enumer- ated as guns: — British. Detroit, - - - Queen Ciiariotte, - Lady Prevost, - Hunter, - - - ." Little Belt, - - Chijjpeway, - . American. Niagara, - Lawrence, - Ariel, - - Caledonia, - Scorpion, Somers, Tigress, - Porrnpine, Trippe, Guns. 20 20 4 S 2 4 1 1 1 56 mer- vl Ba Guns. ■1 22 hI 18 Hn 14 ' Bj 10 S ■■ 3 I^^m7£^^B — 1^9 •♦■A- gf^M xvi APPENDIX. The killed on board the American squadron were sr, wounded 96, total 1S3. The killed on board the British squadron were 41. wounded 94. total 135. After the action the prisoners exceeded in numbers their captors. On what pretence then ran it be represented that the advantage was on the side of the Americans? The result proved that commodore Perry, with inferior numbers in men and guns, had the address, cour- age, and seamanship, to beat his antagonist, (No. 19.) _ , SJITTLE OF THE TH. LUES. The csti.nate of the British troops is notorious- ty too small. General Harrison killed twelve, wounded twenty-two, and captured on the field six hundred and one regularsj and the author himself a htUc subsequently admits that general Proctor col- Jccted at Ancaster, of the "shattered remains of hU army," about two hundred raeu. So that it does pp. pear from indubitable authority, that the British force at the Moravian vUlagewas.at least eight hundred and thirty-four regulars. The Indian forces are more fairly recorded^ but we do not give our faith in any degree to the story of the personal rencontre of colonel Johnson with Tecumseh. That the colonel was in the hottest of the fire, distin- gu.shcd by his gallantry and prowess, is known- but so far as our information extends he has never countenanced tlie romance of the story. On what authority it is stated, tliat the «'Americans had a kind of ferocious pleasure in contemplating the con- APPENDIX. xvii tour of tlie features" of Tecumsch we know not. It is without any hesitation we pronounce the reflec- tion false. Had such a pleasure animated the hearts of the brave and generous Kcntuckians, they did not want occasion to indulge it to satiety by retaliating the injuries of their countrymen up- on the very pe etrators of their wrongs, now in their power, auU of whom they could but cherish contempt and indignation. Other sentiments wer** entertained towards Tecumseh. True he was a savage and relentless enemy; but he was brave, and for his bravery respected by the Kentuckians. If, indeed, they had been able to designate the per- son of Tecumseh among the fallen, they would have contemplated his feature and form with the same curiosity that every generous man, especially a sol- dier, would contemplate the scull of Hannibal, Cje- sar,or Alexander; the person of Wellington, or the face of the great prisoner at St. Helena. It was believed, at the termination of the battle, that the great Shawanee warrior had fallen; and a fine corpse, with a noble front, was supposed to be his remains; but f o one offered it, or any other on the ground, any indignity. Such were not the deeds of the Kentuckians. Onr feelings in repelling these insinuations are awakened a little in retaliation; and therefore we shall not allow to general Proc- tor, or his fame, the benefit of the apology offer- ed for him by the historian. *' General Proctor per- ceiving that all was lost, ordered his troops to dis- general Proctor, the cold-hearted murderer of pris- b2 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 Uii pi 2.8 lit 2.2 2.0 1.8 U IIIIII.6 111 <^ VI. .^. '¥ ^? # ^jV .^ ^»'.^ '^M '"9 'f fliotographic Sdences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (776) 873-4503 \ f\ A \ ^ as the author has^certMbd in the most decided terms, that <^hi8 important service was per- formed with a degree of promptitude and regulari- ty highly honourable to the officers*?' Now, until this unqualified testimony of Mr. Baines, we had been accustomed to lodL upon this excurtuon of co- lonel Murray as quite equal to some of the most celebrated achievements of admiral Cockburn in the C hesapeake. At Plattsburgh, at the time whol- ly defenceless^ there was a most wanton, destruc- APPEI>^OIX. xjUc tion yf private ^operty. Tables> bureaux* clocks^ defiikS} &c. were cut and broken into piepest^ .and th|e| fragments thrown over the apartment^ they: bad fur- nished* B^oksy private papers^ s^d leathers dis- cMir§ed ;f|?iei)itifen9 pf the name of WilUam^n J9^s^ assaulted by ithr^ ru^anS) w^th direct menJices of her chas- titytt and esciapied disgrace alone j^y tbi9 heroic coiir dii^t of her husbandy who, with her aidy beat o^ Imp*, and actually captMred apd seQUP€$d one of the party. At @wa»t0n nothing ferociqu$ or barbarous was omitted* By the depositionsj; of several pcr- sf^ns it was proved, beyond a question^ that a young Jady» not exce^fUng the age of fifteen, was seized by a number of sold iers, and by force carried into a room. Having shut out all chance of rescue, they doomed her to the most diabolical] violence, regard- tttg nether her entreaties nor screams. After tliis well established case, it would be (creeping indeed, to recount, the mean and pilfering depredations that were pmctised in every part of the village. These were the "important services peribrjned with a degree of promptitude, and reg^Uarity highly hon- .Qturablc ta the aiiQtr% d|reQting the expedition!" (No. 21.) HAMPTON'S ^PEDITIO^ OJV T«E CHATKAUQAY. i^lth this, account the historian commences a se- ^s of rodomontade, worthy of Munchausen . In the first place, the united foroes yni^r !W^jilkJnson J atid Jiauiiptoii are greauy over-raDeu^ inose unucr XX. APPENDIX, the former being about six thousand five hundred, whil^ those under the latter amounted to throe thousand five hundred effective men. With theses had the commanders been good and true, Montreal ought easily tp have been captured. This dedfra- tion is hazarded without any regard to the opiigon of the historian, that the "troops were formyablt^ only in numbers, and possessed no qualities which could enable them to stand the shock of armies un-, der British discipline." The troops under Wilkin^ son had seen a good deal of service in the campaign, having captured York, forts George and Erie, and defended Sackett's Harbour; and the historian, re- lating the' capture of fort George, spoke of them as follows:— "But the numerical superiority of the assailants, combined with that coolness and intre^ pidity which experience imparts, and of which the Americans had already begun to sliew several ex- amples, overcome all opposition." On tlmt occa- sion it appears they did possess some ^•qualities which could enable tbem to stand the shock of ar- mies under British discipline." A ., if allowed to anticipate the story, for an exatople of their qualities, we would remind Mr. Baines that sixteen hundred of these very men, under general M«Comb, co*operating with commodore M^Donough's squads ron, and supported by two brigades of militia, suc- cessfully defended Plattsburgh, in 1814, against the British squadron and twelve thousand troops un- der "British discipline," headed by sir George Pre- vost in person, accompanied by adjutant general Baines, the brother o^'the historian. AM>END1X;% im The sequel of the narrative^ enibracin|f the moTe- ments of general Hampton on the Chateaugtijry which were intended only as a division in favour of Wilkinson on the St. Lawrence^ until his descent should enable him to come within communication with Hampton's division, is monstrously vain-glo- rious; insomuch that it could not procure the faith of a single reader out of the British dominionSf and we doubt much whether it would command that of John Bull himself. The forces under ^neral Hampton, which have just been estimated from eight to ten thousand^ and now at seven thousand infan- try and two hundred cavalry, &c. are Here repre- sented as defeated by a BritiiSh force not exceeding three hundred! The whole of thiJi story is just as true as thut part of it which makes colonel Meglmcnt, proceeded down the south-east side 6f the river to examine the position of the enemy In the rear of the forest, with instructions, if cir- Cilmstances favoured, to cross tlie river and attack^ oh the flank and in the rear, the forces posted in the wood. The night heingdark, and the guide los- mg his way, colonel Purdy did not accomplish the object of his destination. At three o'clock P. M. on the 26th, while the battalion in front was wait- ing the attack of colonel Purdy in the rear, the enemy came out and made an attack on it. A smart engagement ensued; but the enemy being charged, were entirely dispersed, and the forest cleared. The American loss here was one killed and four wounded. Colonel Purdy's command having had a good deal of bush fighting, lost, in the whole, killed, wounded, and missing, about thirt^ men. The results of these experiments ascertain? ed to general Hampton the position ok the enemy behind the woods; but the crisis of the campaign having not arrived, he was not authorized to attack further the enemy in his position. This service had been reserved for the united forces of Wilkinson and Hampton, and from the plan of the War De- partment, the latter was not to depart on his own responsibility. General Hampton remained unmo- lested in the neighbourhood for several days, with- out hearing any thing of general Wilkinson, and then, on the recommendation of a council of his officers, returned within the territory of the United States. This is the mighty affair which has beei^ APPENDIX. xxiii majfnified into a defeat of seven to eight thousand Americans by three hundred British regulars and Canada militia. i;«;*^i'SV^v Sn' rf«,^ (No. 22.) SBSCRYT OF THE ST. LAWREjYCE, In the relation of general Wilkinson's descent of the St. Lawrence, the historian has not been more accurate than in his account of general Hampton's campaign. In passing Presrot, says he, on the au- thority of sir George Prevost, "the American ar- mada was doomed to sustain a heavy -ind destruc- tive cannonade." On arriving near the place, gen- eral Wilkinson seems to have been sagacious enough to elude the enemy completely. He sent forward some old boats, on which, it being dark, the garrison exhausted their long shot, and after- wai'ds the flotilla passed without harm, excepting from one shot, whiph killed two and wounded three men, arriving in good order next morning at Ham- ilton, twenty miles below Prescot. Here the cav- alry, which had been marched previously on the American side, was crossed pv^r and landed near Williamsbcrgon the enemy's side. At the same time, and not before, general Boyd, with a brigade of (ifteen hundred men, was landed to cover the boats in their pr.8sage tlirough the rapids. These par- ticulars are stated to apprize the reader of the wonderful artillery at Prescot, which the historian asserts <*briskly assailed, at the distance ,'* mind ^ ^^of twenty mileSf the army on the shore under the com- mand of biigadier general Boyd, with shot and shells." MXk¥ APPBNBIX.^^ r ■'. ^ifewr Willmmgterg general B<^d kad a rencon- tre>> in which, by the fall of Heutenattt 8niHh» tlie enemy got possession of one gan» and afterlrarda boasted a splendid victory. From the account on both sides, it may fairly be supposed that neither party gained much on the field. Many lives were lost, and many valuable officers woundedf of t^e Americans, general Ckivington mortally. Between the notorious misrepresentations of colonel Morri- son, who commanded the enemy, and the windy re* port of general Wilkinson^ very great uncertainty has ever hu)ig on the events of the 11th of Novem- ber, iai5!. The historian very ignorantly, or disingenuously, ascribes to the disasters of the day the abandon- ment of the expedition against Montreal. The American army was not at all depressed by the re > suit of the battle of Williamsbcrg. Nor did it return to the territories df the United Spates from any con- sciousness of defeat! but on the contrary, the flotil- la proceeded, on the next day, through the rapids, while the cavalry, with the ordnance, marched along the Canada shore, without further molesta- tion by the enemy. The whole force re-united at Barnharfs^ near Cornwall, whei^ general Brown had arrived the day before, having successMly Com- batted all the obstructions of his march by the en# my. The result, then, of the battle of Williams- berg was entirely favouraUe to the destination of the American artaiy. It was at Bamhart's that general Wilkinson took upon himself to decide that general Hampton had declined a junction with him. •^.^i...^^iiL.J-.M /.djriti ""^ APPENDIX. and on that pretext, to violate what he had before admitted to be the orders of the government^ and the most solemn obligations of duty, «to preci|)itate his descent of the St. Lawrence by every practica- ble means." He having remained on the Canada shore until the 1 3th, without seeing or hearing of an enemy in his neighbourhood, gave up the service for which he had been especially selected, and with it the hopes of the country, the expectations of the government, his own military reputation, and the honour of the army; and, interposing the responsi- bility of a council of officers to exculpate himself, malignantly and fretfully inculpated general Hamp- ton, who, to say the most against him, was not more guilty than Wilkinson. Had Wilkinson ad- hered to his instuctions, and steadily pressed his way to Montreal, it was more than Hampton dared to absent his army when the crisis had arrived; and there is no one capable jof forming a correct opinion, who will not see, on inspection of the map, that to ensure the greatest facility to the junction of the two armies, Wilkinson, by descending the St. Lawrence, and menacing the forces of the ene- my opposed to Hampton on the 20th of October, would have brought himself into easy communication with the expected reinforcement, and the promised supplies. His determination to the contrary, how- ever, subjected himself and Hampton to this sarcasm of the historian:^— "It was strongly surmised in the United States that the battles of Chateaugay and Wiliiamsberg had abated their military ardour* C zzvi APPENDIX. and that it) reality their disgensions might be traced to this cause." On the whole, we have no disposition to attempt to defend the conduct of general Williinson in the closing scene of the expedition; believing, as we do, that no military service ever furnished, with im^ V^nxty, a parallel in neglect of duty and disobcdi- ence of orders; but wo would desire to rescue tlie faithful troops that followed him from the odium of defeat, and the taunts of the late enemy, and there- fore, all we have written on this particular head is intended for their beneat. (No. 23.) VOJ^rFI^OS^TJOY OP J^EWARK, Uc. The historian proceeds to the account of the burning of Newark by general M*Clure; and the events on the Niagara, which he has been pleased to consider in the nature of retaliation. We should permit his narrative to pass without a remark, but for the imputation to the Americans, «of a system of plunder organized" by them "against the loyal inhabitants of that district." This we have quoted for the sole purpose of contradiction. The gov- ernment and people heard of the conflagration of Newark with the most painful sensations, and, with- out explanation, condemned it. After the explana- tions between the commanding officer and the se- cretary of war, the moral character of the transac tion received little apology in the feelings and sen- timents of the American people. We, ourselves, have no hesitation in denouncing the act unneces- APPENDIX. # xxrii sary, so far as the good of the service was concern- ed, and therefore, in its character, wanton and van- dalic. But wanton and barbarous as it may have been, its measure was far transcended by the ene- my, in laying^ waste the whole country bordering x)n the Niagara, the inhabitants of which, being at the time, retired from military occupations. If any thing can be said in extenuation of the conduct of tlift enemy, there would not be wanting enough to justify general M'Clure for the destruction of New- ark, and all the settlements round about itj for ha was actually in the military occupation of fort George, the security of which was not a little to b« affected by the proximity of the town. We are en- tirely at a loss to understand how the historian could emblazon the conduct of general Riall and colonel Murray in the terms he has employed, and afterwards denounce tlie service in which they had been engaged as <«abhorrent to every civilized mind, and fit only for the savage auxiliaries of tlie two exasperated belligerents." Wanton and barbarous as he may have deemed the conduct of general M'Clure, it did not, in any degree, abate the hor- rid immorality of the conduct of the British offi- cers. In this narrative, one allegation occurs which we could wish had no foundation in truth. The histo- rian speaks of the ^^auxiliaries of the two exaspe- rated belligerents." We regret exceedingly that government, or its agents, ever tarnished the ser- vice of the country by receiving into the army the auxiliaries here mentioned. It is not unknown to / XZViU APP£NDim iw, that the government declined, in tlio beginninr of tha war, the proffered services of the Indians- nor 18 it unknown to us that the enemy had taken' ailvantage of their bloody propensities, and array, ed them against us; and that it was not until som^ time m the campaign of 1813, that a few of them were received into the American service, with such^ restraints as forbid the cruel practices to which. in war, they are accustomed. Nevertheless, we de- ny the policy, or moral propriety of associatinir savages with the troops of a Christian people; and our experience proves that they cannot be used with profit, unless they be permitted to wage war in their own stylo. Such a permission, an American offi- cer or the American government can never grant, and retain the countenance and support of the Amer- ican people. We need them not in any emergency. ^^rry and Harrison defeated them and their em- ployer*; and all the benefits derived from their ser- vices on the Niagara did n«^ compensate the impu- tation, that our army was sustained hy such aux- iliaries. > #^'^ -»-;( -^ (No. 24.) *^ CAPTURE OF THE CffESAPE.1KE, Ssfc The slender grounds, on which the historian claims ascendency for the British navy, are, of themselves, the highest compliment to that of ilm Americans. Of the incidents of the naval campaign of 1813, he has here enumerated four; the Hornet and Peacock, Chesapeake and Shannon, Wasp and Pelican, and Entei^irize and Boxer. A short APPENDIX. XXIX ^# review of these will show how well Uie historian was authorized to say to the world, that **ihe aicenden- cy inclinedf unquestionably, to thai power which had *>r of the Peacock, obliged three imp;*essed American sailors, notwithstanding their expostulations and entreaties to be excused, to fight against their country and countrymen. The crew of the Hornet, the day af- ter the battle, made up a subscription, and supplied their prisoners each with* a suit of comfortable clothing, of which they were deprived by the sud- den destruction and sinking of their vessel. This god-like occurrence sets out too brilliantly the claims of the generous victors, to be recorded by the Bri- tish historian; but is is deemed, by us, of sufficient consideration to be commemorated in this note.. X2 n XXX Appp.vnix. Mop© we sbairtiWt add on this affair, seeing it has been advuitted in iiave terminated deddedhj in favour of the Uiiltsd States. >-a#^ Novr oomes the case of the Chesapealce and Shannon, the result of whirh, ».vlien compared with that of the rencontre of the Kornct and Pcacork, was not of a decisive cliaracter; but the historia-i lias extolled it with all his powers, as an event prov- ing that the sun of the British navy had again ris- en to illiiWiine the world. In stating the case, he has said several handsomo things of captain Law- i*ence, and presented, in his f^cncral picture, many ornamental shades. Nevertheless, it is a British story, in which are blended general facts, with a groat deal of romance. In speaking of the result, we do not intend to be understood to deii^, that the Chesapeake was capturedj but wo deny thai, under all the cii*ciimgtances, the British nation have any just reason to set up her capture as a decided proof of their superiority. On the contrary, so long as captain Lawrence was able to direct the battle, he had the advantage; and it is not «t all improbable, if the two -^hips had not fallen foul on a on the other, and afforded captal.i Broke the opportunity of boai'ding, the Shannon would have become tha prir^.e. This hypothesis is founded on the decla- ration of captain Lawrence himself; and no one coDjif' be better able to form a correct opinion. He had remained on the deck for sometime after raT»i*vincif> f.Kp> CtitAOanosiL'A ivmaf alt%r»t%vfHmr :^a^ a« tion, witnessed all iJie incidents which had occurred on citiier side, and carried with him 'a the sur- Al'PENDIX.i XXXI geon^s department a cooi and unshaken spirit^ fry- ing iMNittive orders te the ofHcers about him to preBS the fight with continued energy. On hearing of the succesy of tlie enemy, he replied to the officer who bore the intelligence, "then, sir, you have not done your duty, for the Shannon was whipped when I left the deck." This was not the assertion of an enthusiast. It was a sober fact. The Shan- non was cut up in her hull, and was nearly in a sinking state at the moment when the fall of Law- rence took from the Chesapeake a directing spirit and judgment. The want of a mind to order and command, produced first unsteadiness, and then confusion and insubordination throughout the ship. Ludlow, the on!y officer who could, in any degree, have supplied the loss of the commander, fell early in the action J and the victory was due only to the wnfortunatc accidents whicli bcfel the Chesapeake, and not to any superiority of conduct or courage on board the Siiannon. It has been repeatedly confessed by British offi- cers, that of the ships, the Shannon was far the most crippled, when they arrived together at Hali- fax; the xlmericans, e-ven in their misfortunes, hav- ing given proofs of their superior gunnery. Will any impartial person, or community, after this view of the affair, contend that the victory was, in itself, so very decisive, as to put down forever the claims of the United States? If more were wanting, we #mii1<1 ditriAi'-arlfl flin vonv ImnnH'anf fart. fkA. inPp.ri- i.-trv.s->i ;^-.T^.-^-5 '»"!-. - J jj - -—7 -- orit; >f the Chesapeake, not only in guns, but also in tonnage, and the more important fact, the green, not to say mutinous, state of her crew. r xxxU APPENDIX. \ On this case, to our minds, very indecisive, compftred with that of the Hornet and Peacock, principally reposes the historian for the establish- ment of British superiority. The case of the Peli- can and Wasp, next stated, is confessed not to have been of a nature so brilliant; a large sloop of twen- ty-six guns, with a full complement of men, being occupied nearly an hour in subduing her adversary> a light sloop of eighteen guns, and a reduced crew. Little honour is claimed for this victory; yet, to- gether with the capture of the Chesapeake, it is deemed sufficient to preponderate the capture of the Peacock, and Boxer. It will be recollected that this is a question, not about the value of the prizes, but on the superiority of the antagonists, with re- ference to their respective forces, and professional prowess. So hard has the imrivalled mistress of the waves been pressed, by the stripling navy of the United States, that she is forced to come to judgment with testimony on which she herself scarcely dares to rely, and opposed by that which she has not tlie affrontery to discredit. According to the logic of the historian, two decided victories on the part of the Americans, are preponderated by two on the part of the British, which we have shewn to be iiuestionablo. But if the historian had chosen to put the case in candour, he could have found a fifth victory in the naval events of 1813, which, if credited on the right side, would have so decisively settled the issue, as to leave the most sceptical without a plea; we mean the great victory of Perry on Lake Erie, In the order of time,, it APPENDIX. XXXIU was achieved after all tlvose abovcmewtioned; and surely, unless Mr. Baincs be an Irishman, and claim the privilege of his countrymen, it should * have been classed with the naval victories. In^ character, and in its results, it stands high in the annals of the two nations. (No. 25.) BATTLE OF CHIP P AWAY, ^very American citizen will read, with emotions af pride and pleasure, this account of the battle of, Chippaway. We could ask of a partipan no more- than is here granted, so far as the result of the con-?, test is concerned. It is allowed by the author, that? the steady bravery of general Scott's brigade gave an intimation, that the Americans had acquired qualities to counterpoise the prowess of the veteran, troops of Great Britain. This is the apology for the admission, that general Riall, being no longer 2S^ to sustain the accumulated fire of the American corps, accompanied by Towson's artillery, order- ed the attack to be abandoned, and the troops to retire behind their works at Chippaway. But the historian has endeavoured to qualify his praise, by diminishing the British, and exaggerating the American forces engaged; fortifying his statement by an appeal to the report of the British command- er. The truth is, the advantage of numbers was on the side of the enemy. Exclusive of Canada militia and Indians, Gen. Riall led into the action, fifteen iiunureu reguiarsj wiiiuu were ujcs. aiju - i;ji4i!S3Sii.-K by three battalions of general Scott's brigade, and XXXIV APPENDIX. the Pennsvlvania and N. York volanteers, amount- ing in the whole, to about seventeen hundred effec- tive men. The action gave a good opportunity of testing the qualities of the troops on both side». Every species of weapon was employed; the bayo- net most liberally. In every trial, the veterans of Wellington flinched. In the use of fire arms, as usual, the Americans had decidedly the advantage; killing and wounding nearly one third of the enemy in less than one hour. Such was the effect of the steadiness, bravery, and dexterity of the Americans, that general Riall imagined a force of six thousand opposed to him, wlien in fact he contended with lit- tle more than one fourth of that number. The fol- lowing returns of the casualities on both sides may be trusted; being taken respectively from the offi- cial reports of the rival commanders: KiUed. Wounded. Missing. Total. British, 138 320 55 513 Americans, 60 S49 19 333 Difference, 78 n 36 185 (No. 26.) BATTLE OF BEIDGEWATER. This battle, more generally called in the United States, the battle of Niagara, has been considered on all hands, the most sanguinary field engage- ment that has ever taken place in America; in which the combatants contended for victory by long and various exertions. Taking togetlicr the offi- cial reports of both the generals in command, al- APPENDIX. XXXV though very contradictory in many particulars, it would seem, that the two armies were, numerically about equal; each being about three thousand strong; and that the aggregate loss on either side was very nearly balanced; the American being eight hun- dred and sixty seven, the British, eight hundred and eighty eight. It is not our present purpose to correct the many inaccuracies, which occur in the details of the historian; but to rectify his misrepre- sentations of the most important incidents of the battle, which he has so strangely wrought into a victory for the British arms. We claim the palm for general Brown and his associates, upon the usual evidences of victory, the repulse of the enemy; capture of general Rial], twenty officers, one hun- dred and fifty rank and file, and all their artillery; besides the actual possession of the field some time after the battle had closed. In other casualities, there was little preponderance on either side. The carnage, not confined to one spot, strewed the whole ground; the wounded, dying, and dead indiscrimi- nately piled in horrid and mournful heaps. The unvarnished tale runs thus: — The American army had been posted at Chippaway. Gen. Brown informed of the reinforcement of the enemy, and of his march on Queenstown, at the same time men- acing the American post at Lewistown on the op- posite bank, in the afternoon of the 25th July, 1813, advanced general Scott's brigade, Towson's artill- ery, and all the dragoon, ad mounted men, with orders to report if the enemy appeared, and when necessary call for assistance. On arriving* at the I XXXV 1 APPENDIX. Falls, general Scott descried the enemy posted di- rectly in front; a narrow wood intervening. Des- patching intelligence of his circumstances to gene- ral Brown, Scott precipitated his troops upon the enemy's line, and maintained singly a desperate fight of one hour; when general Ripley, with his brigade, major Hineman with his corps of artillery, and general Porter at the head of his command, having all pressed forward with the greatest ar- dor, arrived on the field. General Brown imme- diately interposed the fresh troops, and disengaged the first brigade, which he converted into the re- serve. Tiip enemy's artillery, posted on an emi- nence, the key of the position, had given and was now affording him great advantages; and to secure the victory to the Americans, it became necessary at any sacrifice to seize it. On the suggestion, by general Ripley, of this necessity, the commander in chief ordered the proper dispositions; and col- onel Miller, at the head of his regiment, advancing Steadily and gallantly to his object, carried the height and seized tlie enemy's cannon. About this juncture, major Jessnp, of tlie 15th, who had been ordered to the right, to be governed by circum- stances, having turned and engaged the left wing of the enemy, shewed himself again to his own army in a hlazc of fire; having captured general Riall and sundry other officers, among whom was the aid-dc-camp of lieutenant general Drummond, and made piisoners one hundred and fifty rank and file. These glorious and concurrent achievements gave rn undisputed possession of the field, Tl . APPENDIX. xxxvu and all the trophies of victory which the ambition of a soldier could covet. Not an enemy appeared to contest his claims. The American lines were all reformed, and in readiness to receive the enemy, who, having been greatly reinforced by the arrival of lieutenant col- onel Scott with twelve hundred fresh troops, again advanced, and with a determined charge, endeav- oured to force general Brown from his position* and recover the lost artillery. But the Ameri- can lines, not to be shaken, in turn pressed upon their antagonists, and a second time drove them at the point of the bayonet down the hill. Two other attempts of the enemy had the same issue. In the first, general Scott's brigade participated; and in the last, general Porter's corps was distin- guished, precipitating themselves on the right of the enemy with great effect, and making a number of prisoners. Generals Brown and Scott being wounded, the command devolved upon the -steady and gallant Ripley. After remaining sole possessors of the ground for some time, the American army return- ed to camp to seek refreshment; no enemy appear- ing to annoy it. On what pretext, then, has the historian claimed the victory for the arms of his Britannic majesty? Alone on the unblushing and false report of the vanquished general! One cir- cumstance only favored his wilful deception. From the dreadful destruction of the horses, general Rip- ley was unable to bring off the cannon, being un- willing to submit his gallant comrades to the ton D xxxviii APPENDIX. of dragging them by Irtnd. It was therefore left on the field, and was afterwards taken into the pos- session of those from whom it had been so glorious- ly wrested. For those who look to the list of kill- ed, wounded, and captured, for the evidence of vic- tory, we subjoin the following abstract, taken from the most authentic accounts that we have been able to consult. XXUed. Wounded. Miadng. Total. British, 160 559 169 888 American, in 579 117 867 Difference, il 20 52 21 In the beginning of our remarks on this memo- rable battle, we stated the contending parties to be nearly equal. Our calculations of the enemy's number are exclusive of a body of local militia, who front the best evidence were in the action; to; what number, we have been wholly unable to ascertain. It would be fair, though, from the population of the peninsula to estimate them at four or five hundred. It seems they formed a lieutenant colonel's com- mand. We find them mentioned in general Drum- mond's general orders, of the next day after the battle, when they were dismissed with his acknow- ledgments, in the following terms:— ''The lieuten- ant general and president has great pleasure in dis- missing to their homes the whole of the sedentary militia, who have so handsomely come forward on the occasion." In another place, tliey are spok^ of as a party of incorporated militia, by whom the brunt of the action was for a considerable time sus- tained. And again, the party is menUoned as APPENDIX. xxxix 21 composing a moiety of the advance, under lieuton- a!it colonel Pearson. All the British accounts en- tirely omit the return of the strength of this body. It seems to have constituted no mean part of the British force, ycl its muster roll has been carefully concealed from the world. Without it, it would seem, the enemy's numbers exceeded Gen. Brown's division by two hundred. This difference was early diminished by the capture of general Riall, twenty officers, and one hundred and fifty rank and file. But during the whole contest, the Americans were doomed to contend with an equal number of English veterans, and a concealed number of local militia, believed to amount as we have before stated, to four or five hundred. (No. 27.) ATTACK OJ^ FORT ERIE, tic. * ^ We have occasion to m^ke only a few reililirks upon the historian's accounts ot «^ attack on fort Erie, and the sortie, of the 17th Septemi»*^ on the British works. In these the truth is presetiv.4 with candor and force. The defeat of the enemy was complete in both instances; and his disasters 80 signal, that he was forced to relinquish all the objects proposed in the siege of the fort, and seek safety by retreat to his more permanent defences. All this has been fully admitted; and the author is found in the beginning of chapter tenth, to acknow- ledge, "that the Americans had been taught to fight on the land as well as upon the ocean, and that they were Indebted to Great Britain for their »i _ APPENDIX. instruction." He might more truly have said, that t^eJmmean!, had Uamcd to fight, and acquired Uutr proficiency on British subjects. (No. 28.) Jj^Pt^nrriay AGMJVST PLATTSBUItGH, Uc Ihis whole chapter is exclusively occupied with the formidable expedition, of sir Georee Prevost. against Plattsburgh. We have it he;e stated on British authority, that his land forces amounted to lourteen thousand men. These effected none of the purposes of the expedition, having been "baffled and defeated by an American army less than one third their number." The account of the naval battle is most fairly given; but the author has entirely neg- le«ted the opportunity of indulging his fancy and n rated in the British navy at twenty guns, affirmed in the British papers to carry twenty-one on thr an it stands. We have regarded with much m^m:h9t}m, the reflections of the histo- rian,- ispoB t!;c^ vaaualic coaduct of his countrymen, APPENDIX. xliit I in destroying the capitol, and oilier public edifices designed for the accommodation of the government, and the purposes of public legislation. They are Just, and very ably expressed; harmonizing in all respects with the sentiments of the venerable Mr. Jefferson, conveyed to congress in the letter by which ho proffered, to it, the substitution of his li- brary in the place of that destroyed by the enemy* (No. 31.) THE BATTLE OP JVEfV ORLEAJ\'S. We have suffered the historian's account of the battle of New Orleans, to go to the reader, believ- ing that every American is possessed of sufficient information to make all necessary corrections, ex- cepting in the matter of the relative forces, in which there is great error. Tlie whole American army, including the local militia, did not amount to ten thousand; and the troops engaged in the defence of the city, on the left bank, did not exceed three thousand five hundred, while those on the right bank may have amounted in the whole, including the Kentucky militia, to two thousand five hun- dred. The remainder of the American forces, em- bracing all descriptions, was posted variously to repel contingent movements of the enemy. The whole force of the epemy, including the naval and marine corps, was little short of twenty thousand. With this estimate of the forces contending, the re- sult gives an increase of disaster to the enemy. — And for the truth of our statement, we refer to the reports of general Jackson, as well as to those of admisal Cochrane and general Lambert. xlir APPENDIX. (No. 32.) C iPTVRH or TBE PRESIDBjrr, itc EnlT^'lr '"''"'■'*'" ''""'•' '""= *»«='«""' for the cr.b,ng .t to tlu> presence of ti.e wholo squadron. It IS a .act, that th« En,Iy,aio„ j.aid delrly for l.er te.ent. in engaging singly ier a^tag^nistl .nd a^er asceHaining that she was over-match! cd. fe I out of the battle, to give her consorts the opportunity of coming „p to divide the glory of he victory, and the profits of the pri.e. As the hn,tor,an has concluded, with this affair, his notice of the naval evUs of the war, we have subjoined he captures of the Cyane and Levant, by the Con- sftufon. captain Stewart, and the Penguin, by the Hornet, captain Biddle. And here, dos/ng'our desultory remarks, we call the attention of the read- er to the fact, that the historian, with all his can dour, and all his endeavours to preserve truth in l"s story, has contrived to omit two remarkable na- va engagements, in which his countrymen were si^ our Lt?*"' *" """"" •""" *"" '•"»« off conque;: CYANE AND LEVANT. On the 20th of February, ,815, about sixty leagues distant from the island of Madeira, the L S fngate Constitution, Capt. Stewart, m„„„t. Bg fifty-two guns, fell in with, and. after an ac- tion of forty minutes, captured his Britannic maies. 7J *l' 'r °/ "'"■' ^'""''' •=*?*«'» ^'"'^o"' «»ount- iBg thu'ty-four guns and two brass swivels, and ■ APPENDIX. xIt m Levant, Capt. Douglas, mounting twenty-one guns. The loss on board the Constitution, was three kill- ed and twelve wounded; and that on board the British ships was thirty-five killed, and forty-two wounded. The British ships had the advantage in a divided and mere active force, and in the weight and number of guns, and entered into the action with the greatest spirit. But Capt. Stewart manoeuvred his ship with so much judgment, as to avoid a raking fire from either; and his broadsides ,-^ soon compelled them both to surrender. >» PENGUIN. On the 23d of March, 1815, the U. S. sloop of war Hornet, capt. Biddle, near Tristan d'Acunha, descried the British brig Penguin, captatn Dicken- son, carrying nineteen guns. The Hornet hoved to, and the Penguin bore down, and, at forty min- utes past one r >cit«»i5, commenced battle, which, af- ter twenty-two minutCb. terminated in the surrep- der of the British vessel. The Penguin was so much injured, that she was nox worth preservation; and captain Biddle, having remoi^jd her crew, di- rected her to be scuttled. Of the Bntish, fourteen were killed, and twenty-eight wounded; and of the Americans, one killed, and eleven wounded. The captures of the Cyane and Levant, and Pen- guin, happened after the ratification of the treaty of peace; but before the expiration of the time fixed by the secoiid article, for the cessation of hostili- ties in the lutituues where they took place. They, of course, ought to be classed with the naval events ■fek-.. xlvi APPENDIX. '€*-• of the war,- and no one can doubt, that they would not have been omitted by the historian, had the le- suit been in favour of the "unrivalled mistress of the waves." In the United States, they have been considered decisively honourable to the American flag, ttnd will never be forgotten in the records of their navy. Should the historian ever be called on for new editions of his work, he will not have left an apology for again failing to state them to the Cf^it of the United States, if our review shall have "" le fortune to fall into hit hands. For his benefit, and that of our readers, we add, pro and con, the following memoir of the naval events of the war, viz: — AMERICAN SIDE. GUerriere, captured by the Constitution Alert, do, do. Macedonian, do. do. Frolic, do. do. Java, do. do. Peacock, do. #»• Dominica, do. do. Boxer, d*'* do. British squadron, on Erie, Epervier, captured by the Reindeer, do. do. Avon, do. do. British squad, on Champlain, Cyane & Levant, by the Tenguin do. Essex United States "irasp Constitution / Hornet Decatur privateer Enterprise American squadron Peacock Wasp Wasp American squadron Constitution Hornet ■"SPI» Nautilus, captured by a British squadron • *M' APPENDIX. xlvii Vixen, captured by the Southampton Wasp and Frolick do Poictiers Chesapeake, captured by the Shannon Ar^s, do. do. Pelican Essex, do. do. Phebe and Cherub Rattlesnake do. do. Leander President, do. do. Brttish squadron Taking leave of Mr. Baines, we niust^make our acknowledgments to him, for the many handsome things he has said of the American people, in h\§ very respecfkble "history of the wars ov thji'' TRENCH RBYOXUTION." -^ 'M