IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 12.8 m ■ 4 y£ *^ ISA WM Ui m 2.0 IL25 110 1.4 III m ^ y fliDtographic Sciences Corporation ^ "^ n>^ <^ '^°^\ ^ %%"- ;\ 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WnS7IR,N.Y. I45S0 (716) •73-4503 '^ ( i^^%^ '>>^ v.4/^ ^ % CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical MIcroraproductions / Institut Canadian de microreprodiictions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The I istitute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D y D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ D Couverture endommagie Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurte et/ou pellicul^e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes g6ographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReiiA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may iippear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutAes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque ceia Atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas M filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; L'Institut a microfilm* le meilleur exemplaire qu'ii lul a 6ti possible de se procurer. Les details d« cet exemplaire qui sent peut-Atre uniques du print de vue bibliographique. qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exigar une modification dans la mAthode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. r~~| Coloured pages/ n Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies Pages restored and/oi Pages restauries et/ou pelliculAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxe( Pages d^colortes, tachettes ou piqudes r~~| Pages damaged/ r~~| Pages restored and/or laminated/ FT] Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ □ Pages detached/ Pages d^tachAes HShowthrough/ Transparence I I Quality of print varies/ Quality inigale de I'impression Includes supplementary materiel/ Comprend du materiel supplAmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata clips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont Jt^ filmAes A nouveau de fa^on A obtenir Ih ..teilleure image possible. Th to Th po of fllr Or be th( sio oti fin sio or Th( shi Tl^ wh Ma difl ent bei rigl req me This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X J 12X 16X aox 24X 28X 32X aire I details |uet du t modifier igtir une > filmage The copy filmed here hae been reproduced thenica to the generoaity of: Canadian War IMuseum Ottawa The imagea appearing here are the beat quality poaaible conaidering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract apeciflcationa. L'exemplaire film4 f ut reproduit grAce A la ginAroaitA de: IMuste de guerre du Canada Ottawa Lea imagea aulvantea ont At4 reproduitea avec ie plua grand aoin, compta tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de l'exemplaire filmA, et en conformity avec lea conditiona du contrat de filmage. / Li6es Original coplea in printed paper covera are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the laat page with a printed or llluatrated imprea- aion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other originel copiea are filmed beginning on the firat page with a printed or llluatrated imprea- alon, and ending on the laet page with a printed or llluatrated impreaalon. Lea exemplairea originaux dont la couverture en papier eat imprlmte aont filmte an commandant par Ie premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'Impreaalon ou d'illuatration, aolt par ie second plat, aelon Ie caa. Toua lea autrea exemplairea originaux aont filmte en commenpant par la premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'Impreaaion ou d'illuatration et en terminant par la derniAre pege qui comporte une telle empreinte. The laat recorded frame on each microfiche ahali contain the aymboi — »> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the aymboi y (meaning "END"), whichever appliea. Un dea aymboiea auivanta apparattra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, aelon Ie caa: Ie aymbolo — »> algnifie "A &UIVRE", Ie aymbole y algnifie "FIN". ire Mapa. piatea, charta. etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratloa. Thoae too large to be entirely included In one expoaure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa required. The following diagrama illuatrate the method: iMs. cartea, planchea, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fllmie A dea taux de rMuction diffirenta. Loraque Ie document eat trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un aeul cllchA, 11 eat fiimA A partir de Tangle aupArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bee, en prenant Ie nombre d'Imagee nteeaaaire. Lea diagrammes auivanta illuatrent la m^thode. ly errata Bd to nt ne pelure, 1900 A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 mt*i :iiiiiilhiiiWiiHi»i M»i T «v!?lk J^ '**''r "^H ^ v.*'M^PH 'w Ihk^'' \: wP^J ^' -t ^ ^^n ^^' ^L» " • ' ffl^^ IS*' ^= ..)^ 3 © H ^ 3 o 'i.V "laiSTORY Of '^M& Ib^^Ifi ^AIB, BET'WEEN THE « « C O' ©I UNITED STATES AND GR^AT-BRI tovrxntrso A MIJWTE ACCOUJrr OF Tin TABIOVt lEilitarp anti iftateal (&ptt^iim$^ ZUXJSTSUTfit WITH FZ^'nSB. B¥H, M, BILflCKKJ\rRIDQE,SSfl, Second Edition, BSVISXD AND GORRSCTKO. I i ^\S BJiLTJMOBE: '\ PUBIJSHED AND SOLD BY JOSEPH CUSKINO, NO. 6, N. BOWARD-STaEST. /. fiobinaon, Ptintet\ 1817. I r 50-? 3- 3 5 7 i\ BE rr REMEMBERED, That on this Twentieth day of Januuy, Sm the FoHy-first year of the Independence of the United States of Ameriea, Joseph Cvshing, of the said District, hath depoated in this office the title of a Boole, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor ; in the words following, to wit :— y** History of the Late War, between the United States and Great-Bri« ttdn.*— ContHttiing a ininate account of the various Military and Natal Ope- ntions.— niuBtrated with Plates.— By H. M. Braokenndge, Esq." In confttnmty to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, *' An act for the eiicourag^eiAent of learning, by securing the copies of infip% eharts and books, lo the authors and proprietors of such oopiesdur- ing the times therdn mentioned." And also to the act, entitled, ** An acl aipplementaiy to aa act, entitled, ** An act for the enoourMement of Icnrmng^ tyweiiriiigthe coj^aof maps, charts, and books, to toe authors twd ^n^rietrnv of such copies during the times therein mentioned.," and «ztendin(^ the benefits thereof to the arts of deagning^ engraving, and ttdiiiiK hiatorieal and other prints." PHILIP MOORE, Clerk of the IKstrictof Mvyland. Declai Crc narl mac J\*avai Hon Caf side Wa — i! kins pedi Troop, -ja Bon rati Cha NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANAP MUSSES NATIONAUX DU CANAl UBRARY - BIBLIOMQUE ^ 10^^ ■. * . ■■^ Jlfera^ CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Declaration of War^^General Hull reaches Detroit-^ Crosses into Canada^-I^irmiahes on the river *9ux Ca" nards — Battle of Br ownstaum— Taking of MichiU- mackinack — TtScing of Chicago-^Bame of . — 2%« surrender of HulL CHAPTER II. JVaval events — Cruise of Commodore RodgerS'^CoiutUu* Hon chases the Belvidera — Captures the Cht er r i i t^ Captain Porter captures the JUert-^Cruise of the Pre- sident-^United States capture* the Macedon i a n the Wasp captures the Frolich-^Frivateer^'^^-Stn^aHma excited in England, tiig9 44 CHAPTER III. €7en. Barrison takes command of the JVWAtre^tvrn arili|f •--Expedition under general ' Wincheste r — 'fiMw* fli)jp* kins— Defence oflP^rrt Harrison— CoL CkaupM^pr Jp* pedition. --MmiT CHAPTER IV. .^ [:m-y - Troops on the Canada frotUier,'<^CaplKre of the tSakdonia ■—Battle of ^eenstown, and deam of genend Brocb^ Bombardment of JSTiagara-'^^bortive attempt of gene- ral Smyth — Northern Army'— first crtuse ofcommodir$ Chauncey, Page Tl CHAPTER V. Meeting of Congress — Proposal for an Armistice— -Be- verses of JKIapoleon — Measures for atrrying tm ^ War— Blockade of our coasts — The f^^^Wfi^ IndiaiM —Tecumseh^s visit to the Creeks— ff ^jj ^ ljl ^ |feg /laval preparations on Lake Erie— Com- modore Perry sails with his Fleet — Capture of the ene- my's squadron— Battle of the Thames and death of Te* ewsiaehr— Correspondence between GenerkU Harriso^ and General Vincent, Page 179 CONTENTS. CHAPTER. XI. Preparations for invading Canada — General Wilkinson takes command — Rendezvous of the American forces—- General Wilkinson descends me St. LnwrenceSattle of CkrystWs field- -Hampton^s inahility to co-operate —Failure of the Expedition — Cruise of Commodore Chauncey—The Burning of JSQueark—SrUish retatia- twn, m Page 196 CHAPTER XII. Meeting of Congress and violence ^ party spirit — MeU' sures for carrying on the war — Unfriendly deportment of the JVew England states — The subject of retaliation — *i committee of Congress inquires into the manner in which the war has been carried on by the enemy— 2%e war gaining ground in the United States, Page 214 CHAPTER XIII. 'JHie Southern war — Massacre of Fort JVRms — Epedition af^eneralJacksony and general Cocke — Battle of Tat-' tetKga— 'Indians surprised by general Cocke-^Exyedi' tion of general Floyd — Oriticid situation of general _ Jackson — Defeat of the Indians— ^The Creeks tbtal^ defeated at the Horse-shoe-bend— 'General Jackson fer- fninates the Creek war and dictates a peace. Page S24 CHAPTER XIV. General Wilkinson retires to Plattsbursh—Gen, Brown marches to the JyTlagara frontier'— AJ^ir at La Colle—' 'Exertions of commodore MDonou^h to create a naval force — Contest for superiority on Lake Ontario— -At- tack of Oswego— Death of colonel Forsythe — Colonel Campbell's expedition — Gallant defence of captain Holmes — Several reflections on the state of our affairs — Commodore Fardy invades the northern sea-coast— Takes possession of Eastport and Castine— Gallant de- fence of Stonington — T'he John Maths destroyed* Page&35 CHAPTER XV. J\lhvalincidents—The Plantagenet 74, declines a cor>.*88t with Commodore Bodgers— Captain Stewart chases a British frigate of equal force — Cruise of Commodore Portei-^Typee war— The Essev captured by the Phabe m *" "" "* '' , , I I ■ . ^...^ l '" i ll 'I JO. . .J — VI COJn^NTS. 1l^ and duruh-mThe Peacock captures the Epervier--71ie Wasp captures the Reindeer — The Wasp siriks the Avon -—Loss of the Wasp — Frigate President captured by a s^adron — Constitution engages and captures twoBri- Its/t sloops, the Cyane and Levant'— -The Hornet captures the Penguin. Page 253 CHAPTER XVI. Jifovements of the Jirmy on the JViagara Frontier'— Cag" ture of Fort Erie— Battle of Chippawor-Death of Ge- neral Shmft— Battle of MagaraSiege of Fort Erie —d&sauU upon Fort Erie— Sortie upon the British works — Affairs of the West — Expedition against Mi- ehiUmackinack, Page 9,7% CffAPTER XVII. War on the sea-coast — Engagements between the enemy and Barney's fiotilla in the Chesapeake — Plunderings of the Briti^— Washington and Baltimore threatened — Qeneral Winder appointed to command the IQth dis- trict — Serious apprehensions from the British— Diffi- euUies in collecting an efficient force for defence- Capture of Washingon — The plunder of Alexandria, Page 300 CHAPTER XVIII. Sensations produced by the capture of Washington, in Europe and in England — Effect of this event in the United States — Glorious defence of Baltimore — The retreat of the British — Cap ure of the British squad- ron on Lake Champlain — Repulse of Sir George Pre- vost—The British fleet leaves the Chesapeake, and a part sails to the south. P3Pir w^»— ^ ' ' " 'O INTBODXJCTiaN. ^' One tniongst the Bumeroug artifices, which the selfleh* ness of European nations has put m practice, the better to retain the American colonies in a slavish suMectioB, or what araounts to the same thing, in a state of perpe- tual non-age, has been to claiin over them a muUrwU au- thority i ofr prerogative. If th^ fiction^ imposed upon them, tlte obligation of treating the colonies with tender- ness and affection, the colonies might regard it as inno- cent, if not salutary ; but it is used to cover the cruel iniquity of fastening on ti. ir necks the joke of con* quest. The self-styled mother, without a spark of that affection which exists, as a law of nature, in the breast of every creature, would inculcate, that, on our part, to re* fuse the most implicit and slavish obedience, to what- ever dispositions she may choose to make of our persons or estates, to her sole and exclusive benefit, is no less^ than filial impiety. That the opposition of the colonies to the most glaring abuse of power, was in them the con- duct of wicked and unnatural children ; that reniptt^ airance was insolence, and resistance atrocity. From no better source than this idle fiction, proceed the invec- tives lavished on the colonies, for manfully resenting the indignities that have been offered them. It is time that this shallow artifice should be exposed. It has encouraged the nations of Europe to make their un- warranted demands upon us, and it has too often with- held our arm from opposing them, in the manner that we ought. As a poetick fiction, it might serve to amuse the fancy. It was first invented by the colonist himself, t» express his affection for the soil of his nativity, or the birth place of his ancestors; for who is there that cease» to love the spot from which he is an exile ? He little thought that he was contriving a fiction, which would etm^ ble the inhabitants of that paternal soil, his kinsmen, tor claim the privileges of masters ; tliey could feel no affec- • ••• ▼111 INTRODUCTION. tion for the exile, or the land which received him. So «tronelj ha» this fiction fastened itself upon all our thou^te, that it has become necessary to make an effort to shake it off, and return to simple truth. Are the pre- sent inhabitants of the British isles, the fathers, or mo- thers of the Americans P Are they brothers, or cousins, or tenth cousins ? No : We sprang from the same stock, have a common ancestry, and that is all. We have at much right to claim a parental prerogative over English- men, as thejT have to clai n it over us. An enlightened and fidventurous individual, opened the way to the new world $ others, not less adventurous, subdueid it and established colonies.. Columbus was re- warded with a dungeon, and the hardy colonists who so much enriched the pa .ent state, were shut up in their country as in a prison, watched hj the dragon jealousy of Spain. The colonies of Britain were, for the most part, established by persons who fled from persecution, and at the private expense of the colonists. They were suffered to struggle with the difficulties incident to their new situation, and after they had thus grown up in ne- glect, and become possessed of what might tempt the cu- pidi^iy of the European mother, she assumed the arbitra- ry power of << binding them in all cases whatsoever,*' in other words, she declared them in a state of vassallage. In leaving the land of our forefathers, already crowded with population, our condition was ameliorated, at the same time that a correspondent benefit accrued to the mother country, in the creation of new marts for her trade. We carried with us the language, the laws, the literature, the *^ free born thoughts," of our ancestors, to which we were as much entitled as the islanders whom we left in possession of the natale solum. We left be- hind, indeed, many customs and institutions, not suited to our new situation, or which we considered as useless* Admitting that the infancy of the colonies was protected by the European states does this create a debt of grati- tude never to be repaid P Does it authorise the treating of the colonies as subjugated countries P The European states have been J ong ago repaid a thousand fold. The INTRODUCTION. U new world has been continually pouring forth her trea- sures, to be lavished in distant wars, to be expended in courtly extravagance, or to contribute to the comfort of myriads across the Atlantick. The colonie^ were foster- ed from inferes^ never from affection. The conduct of the European stote, far from being that of a mother, has b^en that of a wicked guardian, whose only wish is to lengthen the pupilage of his ward, that he may riot in his estate. Away then with the trash of filial obedience in the colonies, unnatural children, unnatural wars, or maternal prerogative. The obstinaS persistance of Great-Britain in her pre- tensions to this prerogative, first broke the ties of depen- dence, which it was so much her interest to preserve, and her subsequent illiberal policy, has tended to weaken the influence of affinity, which a true wisdom would have taught her to cherish. Why is it that the enmity of those, between whom there naturally exists the most numerous bonds of friendship, -is the most bitter? It is because each of these is a distinct cord which may vi« brate to the feelings of hatred, as vrtW as of love. With China, with Turkey, with France, we may be eoverned by temporary and varying policy, but towards England we can nev^r feel indifference. Why then has En^and taken so much pains, to make us hate her as a nation ? The grievances of which we li|ve to complun, br fre- quent recital, have grown weansome to the.$ilh . ?%ere always existed, and still exists, numerous tiriisto^ attach us to Britain, which nothing but her ungentumi and un- natural policy, can weaken or destroy. Her wisest and best men foretold to her, the consequences of the usur- pations which led to our independence, and yet she still continued to afflict us, with every species of irritating and insulting deportment, and then at last complained of our unnatural conduct, in refusing to bear it any longer. With the acknowledgment of our independence* Great Britain did not renounce her designs of subjugating Ame* rica. Force had been found unavailing, she next resolv- ed to try what might be done by fraud. For many yean after the peace of 1783, our affairs wore no promising ap« INTRODUCTION. M pearance. The confederation, which bound the states during their struggle against a common enemy, was too feeble to hold them together in a time of peace. The cement of eur union being thus taken away, England foresaw what we had to encounter, and prophecying ac- cording to her wishes, solaced herself with the hope of feeing us divided and engaged in civil broils. The seeds of dissention had been abundantly sown, our state of fiuance was deplorably defective ; it might almost he said, that the nation was at an end, for so many jaring inter- ests discovered themselves in the states, as almost to preclude the hope, of reducing these discordant ele- ments to harmony and order. A state of anarchy and civil war might restore us to Great Britain. Happily for America, she possessed at this moment, a galaxy of sages and patriot?^, who held a powerful influence over the minds of their fellow-citizens. By their exertions, a spirit of compromise and accommodation was introduc* ed, wliich terminated in our present glorious compact. A second revolution, which secured to us the benefits of the first. By this event Great Britain lost, for a time, the oppor- tunity of tampering with the individual states, of foment- ing jealousies, and governing by division. Her poller was changed $ it became a favourite idea, that our growtn should be repressed, and so many impediments tlirown in our way, as to convince us, that we had gained no- thing in becoming free. We soon experienced the effects of her disappointment. Contrary to express stipulation, she refused to surrender the western posts, and, at the same time, secretly instigated the savages to murder the frontier settlers. Spain was, at this very moment, prac- ticing her intrigues to draw off the western states from Ihe confederacy, of which there is little doubt England would soon have availed herself. But we also came in contact with Britain on the ocean f our commerce began to flourish, and on the breaking out of the French war, she found in us formidable rivals. In order to put a stop to this competition, she called into life £he odious, and almost absolet^ rule of '56, which is MlMtt mt» INTJlOftUCTtbN. IX in palpable violation of the I^ of nations. The spirit of this rule is to prevent the iieutral from enjoyuig any eommerce) which would not, at the same time, be open to the belligerent ; in other words, to permit no neutral. In practice it was carried to the full extent. The orders in council of the 8th of January, 1793, became the source of a thousand vexations to American commerce ; and yet was in a manner tolerable, compared to those of the sixth of November, which were secretly circulated among the British cruisers, authorising them to capture, ^ all ves- sels laden with the produce of .any of the colonies of France, or carrying provisions or supplies to the said co- lony " The greater part of our commerce was at once swept from the ocean. No diversity of opinion, among our merchants, prevullet] on this occasion.* They ex- pressed themselves in the strongest terms, against this treacherous and wicked procedure. The war of the re- volution had not been forgotten, that with the savages still raged ; it was not by such acts, we could be induc- ed to entertain a friendly feeling towards England. There prevailed a universal clamour for war, among the merchants particularly, and which required all the firm- ness of Washington to withstand. This great man had marked out to himself the wise polic;^, of keeping alout inticements to foreign seamen, which no other nation does. Here, then, is a simple question ; how comes that to be unlawful in x\merica, which is lawful in Hi! tain ? Would not Great-Britain protect an American seaman, who has been made an Englishman by being two years in her service ? But are we to blame because "her seamen prefer our service? There is, in fact, nothing in the American practice to justify reprisals. The empioy- inent of English seamen, who voluntarilv tender their ser- vices, is lawful, however disagreeable it may be to En"-- land. How far a friendly feeling towards that country, raav induce us to consult her convenience and interests, or how far our oWn weakness, or interest, nyiy require us to wave our rights, is another matter. This is placing the subject in the least reprehensible view, as respects England. Bol when we come to exa- mine the manner, in which this pretended right was ex- ercised by her, it cannot be doubted for a moment, that 2 wfi^r' I^^IIL IH lllllllllifl) ( XIV INTRODUCTION. the whole was a were pretext to vex our commerce, and recruit for her navy, from American ships. This is^ evi- «!enl, from the uniform practice of impressing men of all nations, found in them, Spaniards, Portuguese, Danes, Russians, Flollanders, and even Negroes. It was, in fac% an insult to every nation in the civilized world. Tros ' Tyriusqm nulloy was the motto, although not exactlv in the proper sense. The British practice amounted to suhjecting the crew of every American veissel, to be drawn up before a lieutenant of the navv, that he might bhoose out such as suited his purpose. The good sailor Was uniformly an Englishman, and the lubber an Ame- rican. It has been said, that the number of impressed Americans has been exaggerated ; was there no exagge- ration, as to the number of Englishmen in American ser- vice ? Is it then of more importance, that Great-Bri- tain should pi vent a few of her seamen from escaping into a foreign service, than it is to us, that free Ameri- cans should be doomed to the worst of slavery ? England has never known the full extent of the sensa- tions produced in America, by the practice of impress- ment. The influence of pai ty spirit has contributed to deceive her. The great body of Americans have always felt this outrage to their persons, with the keenest indig- nation ; noAnieiican administration would ever express a different sentiment. Let her look to the Roman histo- ry, to see what effect is produced in a nation of freemen, by the ill usage of one of its citizens ! She is not aware, that an humble American citizen is a persimage of more importance, than an obscure British subject can be. She is much mistaken, if she supposes, that the outcry against her conduct was a mere party trick : it was deeply felt, as an egregious insult. She did not know that the Ame- rican seamen weie, in general, of a different class from her own ; more decently brought up, of better families and morals, and many of them looking forward, after the expiration of their appre^iceships, to be mates and cap- tains of vessels j or rather she knew it well, and there- fore gave them her baleful preference- But mark the re- tiibution which follows the steps of injustice. When -■*-nfl(iiSriirTrii INTRODUCTION. XV jommerce, and This is evi- sing men of all uguese, Danes, It was, in fac% world. Tros not exactly in i amounted to vessel, to be that he might he good sailor ibber an Ame- of impressed ire no exagge- American ser- hat Great-Bri- from escaping at free Ameri- very ? it of the sensa- ce of impress- contributed to ms have always 3 keenest indig- ild ever express e Roman histo- Jon of freemen, le is not aware, jonage of more ctcan be. She 5 outcry against 'as deeply felt, I' that the Ame- rent class from better families ward, after the mates and cap- ell, and there- at mark the re- lustice. When my of these men were so fortunate as to escape from se- iven, or ten years servitude, on board a British man of /ar, tiiey breathed nothing but revenge, and imparted [the same feeling to all their countrymen. It was pre- [dicted, that these men who had ivrongs of their own, would be found, in case of war with England, no common foes. War came, and Britain may read in our naval combats, a commentary on her practice of impressment, and her tyranny on the ocean. As early as the year 1793, it was declared by tlie Ame- rican minister at London, that the practice of impress- ment had produced great irritation in America, and that it was difllKJult to avoid making reprisals on tiie British seamen in the United States. It is perhaps to be regret- ted, that general Washington's threat was not carried into execution, as it might havQ brought the affair to is- sue at once. The practice had ^rown so vexatious after the treaty of 1794, that the British government was told in plain terms, that unless a remedy was applied, war would be inevitable. It was said to be of such a nature, as no American could bear, <^ that they mi^lit as well rob the American vessels of their goods, as to drag the Ame- rican seamen from their ships, in the manner practised by them." Certainly the oflfence would have been as much less, as a bale of goods is of less value than a man. It was stated, that as many as two hundred and seventy Americans were then actually in the British service, the greater part of whom persistea in refusing pay and bounty. They were told, that if they had any regard tor the frienil- ship of this country, they would facilitate the means of relieving those of our oppressed fellow-citizens. That the excuse alleged by Great-Britain, in not being able to distinguish between her subjects, and the citizens 9f Ame- rica, was without foundation, inasmuch as fureignei*8 who could not be mistaken, were equally liable to iinpress- Uient. The honour of the nation, it was said, was deep- ly concerned, and unless the practice should be discon- tinued, it must ultimately lead to open rupture. This was the language uniformly held forth, by every succes- sive administrfttion of the American government. It was **M>QOni» 5V1 INTRODUCTION. V- the theme of reprobation, and remonstrance, oF every distinguished statesman of this country. On this sub* ject we find Washington, Adams, Jefierson, Madison, Monroe, Marshall, Jay, Pickering, King,'an(i. many others, in their official correspondence, fully and uni- formly concurrin?. In fact, these complaints continu- ed until the last hour, in consequence of our impolitick •submission. This shocking outrage was at length carried to sudr *»xtent, that voyages were often broken up, and the safe- ty of vessels endangered, by not leaving a sufficient number of mariners on board to navigate them. It was calculated, that at \csisi seven thousand •SmericanS were at one time in the British service, against their wilh Even as repeets her own subjects, the practice of im- pressment is one of the most cruel and unjust; in direct contradiction to the general freedom of her constitution, and only covered by the m;^st miserable sophistry ; but to America, who would not «:'adure a single one of her citizens, to be impressed into her own service, it is not surprising tliat it should appear detestable. The tribute of Minos, or of Montezuma, of the youth doomed as a sacrifice to infernal idols, was not more hateful. The American was compelled to stoop to the humiliation of carrying about him» on tlie high seas, the certificate of his nativity ; and this was soon found unavailing, it was torn to pieces by the tyrant, and its fragments scattered to the winds. She boldly asserted the right of dragging from underneath our flag, every one who could not prove v7i the spot, that he wan not a British subject. Every fo- reigner, no matter of what country, was, in consequence, excluded from our merchant service. On the part of the United fcitates, every possible eftbrt was made to compro- mise the matter, but in vain. No otter was ever made by Great-Britain, which presented any pi'ospect of put- ting an end to these abuses, while the most Fair and ra- tional on our part, were nMec ted. About the year 180{>, a proposal was made rbr the mutual exchange of deser- ters, but tiiis was rejected by Mr. Adams, for tlie same reason tliat tlie President rejected th© treaty of 1806, be- - -" t^--' •^'1% >r*MaM Hliiil|t»ii|^il«',if"'.ii»i INTRODUCTION. xvii cause it was thoudit better to have no provision, than one which did not sufficiently provide against the abuses of impressment. Eagland offered to make it penal, for any of lier naval officers to impress our seamen, provided we discontinued our practice of naturalizing her subjects. The mockery of such a propriition, aloce fully proves her fixed mii\d. No plan could be devised so suitable to her wishes, as that of subjecting the liberty, life, and -happiness, of an American citizen, to the caprice of eve- ry petty lieutenant of her navy: otherwise, she would have been contented, with the exclusion of her subjects from all American vessels, a thing which she had no right to ask, but which we were willing to grant for the sake . of peace. The climax of this extraordinary humiliation, and which, a century hence, will scarcely be credited, was still wanting; the attack on the Chesapeake occurred, , and, for the moment, convulsed the nation. The burst of indignation which followed, was even more violent than that which was produced by the orders in council of 1793. Party animosity was suspended, meetings were assem- bled in every village, tlie newspapers were filled with formal addresses, volunteer companies were evei*y where set oh foot, and, in tlie first phrensy of the moment, the universal cry was for iinmediate war. Although hostili- ties were not declared, the feelings of America were from that day at war with England ; a greater attention was paid to the discipline of our militia, and the forma- tion of volunteer corps $ and the government was conti- nually making appropriations for our national defence. We still resorted to uegociation, and the aggressors, thinking that we might now possibly be in earnest, were willing to avoid war by a sacrifice uf pride. They yield- ed to the humiliation of surrendering the American citi- zens, upon the very deck from which they had been forc- ed ; but, at the same time, rewarded vhe officer, by whom the violence had been otfered.' In excusing her conduct, England condescended to tell us, with a serious face, that h/i never pretended to the right of impressing Jinuri' tail GUixen$9 and this* she seemed to consider, rather as 2* "-" -■ y w "I II liiHIIIui xviii INTRODUCTION. a masnaniinous acknovi'ledgment. Humiliating indeed^ to be seriously told, that she did not regard our citizens a» her property I Nothing can furnish stronger proof of tho extent of the abuse, and the bad policy of our pacifick €(iu;8c of reiiioTristrance. Our sacred cmty to our fellow- citizens, as weH as a regard to our national character^ forbade such an acquiescence. From this review of the subject of impressiiicut, we re- turn to the other priitcipal branch of our natianal differ- cnc&^.^ It must be evident to the reader, that nothing was to be expected from any temporary arrangement on. the part of our enemy : that nothing si' ort of a chance in her general policy and ttmper, would suffice, and nothing but a war couiil effect this change. Whatever disputes M'e may have had with other natiims, they were of little moment, compared to our differences with England. To settle the terms on which we were to be with her, was of the first importance ; our mutual intercourse and trade, was of vast extent; she occupied the high way to other nations, which she could interrupt, when she pleased ; it was of little consequence on what terms we were with othera, as long a&our relations witli England were not properly adjusted. Our intercourse with France was compara- tively of but little moment; she had not recovered from the phrensies of her revcdution ; her deportment was ctn- ce*" tiiek, lawless, and unstable ; she was a comet, three- tening all nations. Our true wisdom wa^ to keep out of iier way. On the ocean she was but little to be dreaded, and was in no condition to execute her threats. But not- withstanding the power of England t sweep our com- merce from the ocean, and to seel our norts, we still ex- pected something from her good sense, her justice, or her interest* Yet scai cely was the flame of war once more lighted up on tlie continent* than both the belligeretits began, under various pretexts, to prey upon our com- merce. On the part ot England, the rule of '56 was re-^ vived, and applied in a manner more intolerable than ever. The sufferings of the American merchants were such, as to cause them to call loudly on the government for protection, and a \Yar with Eugl&n^} at i)m time, wae INTRODUCTION. la by many thought inevitable. It appeared to be her fixed determmationt that neutrals shoula enjoy no trade with- out her d|iecial license and permission. By some it was thought, that if we should enter into her views, and de- dare war against France, she would anticably arrange the points in dispute between us. This, however, was very doubtful ; it would only have encouraged her to make still further claims. Such a thing was, besides, impossible. The American people, still smarting under so many wrongs unredressed, could not be induced to do what would almost amount to a return to subjection. In May 1806, Britii* i commenced her system of paper blockade, by interdicting all intercourse with a great part of Fr:ince and her dependencies. This operated exclusively on the U. States, who were the only remaining neutrals. The decrees of the French emperour of the 6th of Novem- ber followed, and were immediately made known to our minister at London, with a threat, that if they were put into execution (although the British minister well knew, that it could be nothing more than a bravado) Mnular measures would be adopted. But without waiting the result, in fact before the lapse of a fortnight, the British government issued the orders in council, of the 7th Ja- nuary 1806, which went tne full length of declaring, that no vessel should be at liberty to trade from one port of France to another, or from a port under her control^ and from which ttie English were excluded. Napoleon's Milan decrees succeeded, which were little more than nominal to the neutral who did not place hiniseif in liis power ; they aftected us, not England. AYe were tive only sufferers in this system of retaliation, which was, ia fact, a shameful disregard to neutral rights on the part of both. England was apparently benefitted, inasmuch as it struck a blow at our commerce, and rendered it impos- sible for us to spread a sail without her permission. Tlie belligerents presented the spectacle of two highwaymen, robbing a passenger and then quarrelling for the spoils n and yet this was called retaliatioal XX INTRODUCTION. Thp United States sincerely wished to be at peace. Each of the belligerents accused us of partiality; and wherein was that partiality ? Simply in this ; France de- clared that we suffered the robbenes of England with more patience, than h ^ and England, that she alone had a right to plundek ik. i Each seemed to consider it us a previous conaition of rendering us justice, that we shoold compel her adversary to respect our rights. In this sin- gular situation, it appeared the wisest course to withdraw entirely from the ocean. Experience soon taught us that our emoareo system could not be carried into effect, for reasons which it is unnecessary to repeat. The restric- tive system was substituted $ we placed it in the power of either of the wrong doers, to make us the open enemy of .the other, unless that other renounced his practices. Na- poleon ^as the first to announce, ** a sense of returning Justice ^ our guvernnient, the suffering party, declared itself satisfied. England had shown no such sense of re- tuming justice, on this occasion ; she had promised to re- peal her orders, provided the French decrees were rescin- ded, but refused to take, the official declaration of the French minister, although we had, in a similar case, be- fore accepted her own, and positively refused to repeal the orders in council, in default of evidence that the French were disposed to treat ns well. I do not think it ne- cessary to enter into a discussion of the question of par- tialUy to France or England, or Spain or Algiers, al- though I cannot but regard, as exceedingly strange, that any one of these powers, should insist upon it as a preli- minary step to accommodation, that we should puuisn the agressions of any other nation. The meaning of both was obvious enough ; it was that we should tajce part in the affairs of Europe. England supposed that we could do her service, and Napoleon thought we couXd injure England. In the meantime, the loss of American property by the depredations of the belligerents, had been immense. The vexations practised by the British cruisers off our coast^ who made it a point to harass the issuing and returuinff commerce of iUb United States, and which the people i^ « « ' M W l' INTRODUCTION. Xii England were notable to estimate, kept the publick mind ccntinually inflamed. Our citizens were distracted amid these surrounding difficulties. It was agreed that we had ample cause of hostility against both belligerents, but the administration was accused of undue leaning towards France, and a disposition not sufficiently conciliatory to- wards England. The friends of the administration de- dared, that the eftbrts to obtain redress from England, were weakened by a powerful British influence, which had grown up of late years, in the Eastern States, and in tlie commercial cities. While tlie publick mind was in this state of fcrmenti from our disputes with England and France, our frontiers were threatened with an Indian war, which, as usual, was attributed to the instigations of the former. The United States have frequently been charged with cruel violence and injustice to the Indians. That we have encroached upon their hunting grounds, cannot be denied, but this was the necessary conseauence of the increase in our population ; but the great difference between us and other nations, in relation to the Indian lands, is, that instead of taking them without evei* acknowledging the^right of the Indians, we have endeavoured to obtain them by fair purchase. The United States were the first to respect the Indian territorial right, as they were the first to abo- lish the slave trade, and domestick slavery ; for, as a na- tion, we have forbidden it. There existed a celebrated Indian warriour, who had been always remarkable for his enmity to the whites, and who, like POntiac, had formed the design of uniting ail the different tribes, in order to oppose an effectual barrier to the further extension of the settlements. Tecumsch was a formidable enemy ; he resorted to every artifice to stir up dre minds of the Indians against us. Of an ac- tive and restless character, 1 e visited the most distant nations, and endeavoured to rouse them b]^ his powerful eloquence. He also assailed the superstitious minds of his countrymen, by means of his brother, a kind of con- jurer, called the *♦ Prophet." He had received assuran- ces from the British; oi such assistance as would enablQ '. imif Xtii INTRODUCTION. r t r him to ctrrj his plans into execution. In the year 1811, a council was held by governour Harrison, of Indiana, at Vitacennes, and at whicii Tecumseh attended, to remon- strate against a purchase lately made from the Kickapoos and some otlier tribes. In a strain of wonderful elo- quence, the orator inveighed against the encroachments of the Americans, gave a faithful history of the progress of the settlements, from the first commencement on the Delaware, to the moment at which he spotce. When an- swered by Harrison, he grasped his tomahawk, in a fit of phrensy, and boldly charged the American governour Vf'iui having uttered what was faise; the warriours who attended him, twenty or thirty in number, followed his eiample ; but Harrison had fortunately posted a guard of soldiers near, who put a stop to their fuiy. The council was, however, broke up, and nothing short of war was expected to result. Towards the close of the vear, the frontier settlers had become seriously alarmed ; every thing on the part of the Indians appeared to indicate approaching hosti- lities. Governour Harrison resolved to move towards the Prophet^s town, with a body of Kentucky and Indiana RiiHtia, and the 4th United States' regiment, under colo- nel P ''yd, to demand satisfaction of the Indians, and to put a stop to their hostile diesigns. In the month of No- vember, having approached within a few miles of the Prophet's town, the principal chiefs came out with ofiers of peace and submission, and requested the governour to encamp for the night, as it was tnen too late to enter on business. It was not long before this was discovered to be a treacherous artifice. At four o'clock in the morning, the camp was furiously assailed, and after a bloody and doubtful contest, the Indians were finally repulsed, with the loss of one hundred and eighty killed an(||w'ouhded, on our part, and a still greater number on theirs. Colo- nel Davies, one of the most distinguished lawyers in the United States; colonel White, of the Saline, and a number of other valuable ofiicera, fell on this occasion. Ilarrison, after thiSj destroyed the Prophet's town, and « ■ ■y^aiBi III iiMmnili^ iir '1111111 '■'■' " I I 'l l ' '*" I'^-iiiirfgMii itoii iiiiiilliii r INTRODUCTION. ti W the year 1811, ) of Indiana, at (led, to remon- the Kickapoos wonderful elo- encroachinents of the progress icement oa the Ice. When an- ihawk, in 4 fit rican governour warriours who er, followed hU 9Sted a guard of r. The council lOrt of war was frontier settlers ling on the part proacliing hosti- I move towards cky and Indiana ;nt, under colo- Indians, and to c month of No- w miles of the I out with ofiers le governour to ate to enter on is discovered to |in the morning, r a bloody and [repulsed, witli anc|pv'ouhded, theirs. Colo- led lawyers in Saline, and a this occasion. jt*8 town, mi having established forts, returned to Vincennes j but peace was by no means restored. The battle of Tippecanoe (the name of the branch of the Wabash on which it was fonglit) seemed to inflame the temper of the country, already calling for war. A naval incident which occurred some time afterwards^ did not serve to allay it Oft* the American coast, commiKJore Rodgers, during the night, fell in with a British frisate, which afterwards proved to be the Little Belt; being hail- ed by the commodore, the commander merely rcyseated the question, and, after some minutes, actually firj| seve- ral of his guns. On this, the commodore poured a broad* side into her, and compelled her commander to beg for mercy. This was the first check the British commanders had received from us on the ocean. The conduct of Great-Britain, which grew every day- more insupportable, can only be accounted for, by her be- lief that we could not (to use the contemptuous expres- sions of the day) be kicked into a war. The experiment of war, on the part of the Cnited States, was an awful one ; any administration might be justly apprehensive of venturing upon an experiment, the consequences of which no one could foresee. This forbearance was construed into pusillanimity ; and the name and character of the United States, had sunk low, in consequence, with every nation of Europe. We had become the butt and jest of Napoleon and the English ministry, and who yet vainlj essayed to draw us into a participation in tlieir wars. A war with Napoleon could not have been more than nomi- nal, unless we united in a close alliance with England; without this, we could inflict on him nothing more than a simple non-intercourse. But a war with England would be a very diflferent matter j without forming any alliance with Napoldin, ve might asMai! her commerce, her pub- lick ships, and her adjoining provinces. But Great-Brivain was contending for her existence, she was fighting the battles tf the civilized world, it was therefore cruel and ungenerous to f>reti our demandji at such a moment. This was by no means evidetU. If it had been true, why did she continue, at such a time, to ..drtti isW iNTIlODUCTIOK. ,v- lAsuIt and abuse us in every possible shape ? Notwith- standing thitf appeal, there were many amongst us who could only see a contest between two gveat nations for the mastery of the world. We saw the stupendous schemes of British asgrandisement, in every part of the globe, which had little the appearance of fishting for her existence. We saw her already mistress of the seas ; we regarded any actual invasion ot her shores, as a thing too visionary, even for Napoleon ; we saw, in the lawless and unbounded projects of this despot, at which England af- fected to be alarmed, her best security, as they kept alive the fears and jealousies of the surrounding nations, and continually undermined his throne. We have seen how inconsiderable w^re, in reality, all his conquests. The existence of England was never in danger^ Napoleon could never have subdued Spain and Russia ; two pro- jects, which all now admit to have been the extreme of folly« England was not fighting the battles of the world, but of her Ambition ; she was not the bulwark of our reli- gion) but the instigator of the savages $ she was not the world's last hope— that last hope is America; not as the pretended champion in tiie cause of other nations, but as a livirjg argument that tyranny is not necessary to the safety of man $ that to be degraded and debased, is not the w&y to be great, prosperous, and happy. $ n M m^ irfiMi HISTORY OF THE LATE WAK. CHAPTER I. feclaration of War^General Hull reaches Detroit'^ Crosses into Canada-^Skirmishes on the River auuc Canards — Battle of Brownstoum-^Taking of MichiU limackinac— ^Taking of Chicago^Battle of Magagua , — The surrender of IIulL ^N interesting period in the history of this youthful na- lon was fast approaching. Our anairs with Great Bri- iin had become every day more and more embarrassed* ^he storm already lowered, and there was little hope lat the gathering clouds, would pass harmless over us. la bonsequence of this state of things, the session of the twelfth congress had been protracted to an unusual length, ind the eyes of America were turned towards it, in anx- ious expectation. On the fifth of June, the President laid beforie Congress the correspondence between our secretary of state, and the British minister near our go- i^ernment, which seemed to preclude all hope of coming to an adjustment, in the two principal points in dispute, the orders in council, and the subject of impressment, lut, we had so often been on the point of a rupture with vreat Britain, that no certain conjecture could be form- led by tlie most intelligent, of the probable result. The ipubUck voice called loudly for war, at least this was the rtense of a great majority of the nation. At length, e|| Ithe eighteenth of June, after sitting with dosed doore^^ I the solemn and important appeal to arms wii^^i9||ii|iunced. JTlie President had communicated his message, Ih^^^ch all our complaints against Great Britain were enfuHlt- ed with great force, and an opinion expressed thaifP^re" medy, no hope uow remained, but in open war. The com^ 5 36 • HISTORV OF THE WAR. SsuT"r^tefflr„rf„%r -^^ --ere. Dlan^nfil^^*'® of mere interAsf • "^''^ "'^''s, iva- e™ »!' ''Ve'''''^'- ■"" «'■" -a b lard 'a7r-it of Z fro... bet:' jivr'it"' "'•■■«'' it torcjd "■' ^*f • fventful experiment ^T ''^. as a most interS. *""? of h-man mve„ti„"„;f "^h' '"P^ot, « the ...blesrEt » ensue. A powerful pulj >\ i." HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2? is opposed to the measure, on the ground, that an ac- i>nitnodation with England might yet be made, t!\at wat iuld not be otherwise than in subserviency to the views of ranee, and that we were unprepared for so serious a con- Bt. The opposition of a great portion of the population^ the talents, and wealth of the country, would certainly bd to throw embarrassments on its prosecution. Unani- Ity, in so important a measure, was not to be expected 5 ■ the disadvantages of this opposition would be greatly . It was foreseen that our Atlantick cities would be ijich exposed, that the coasts of the southern states lid be laid open to the incursions of maraudihg parties^ that the western frontier would feel all the horrours savage and murderous warfare. Many persons, on other hand, entertained the belief, that the Canada^ lid fall, and that the Floridas, in case that Spain should )rought into the contest on the side of England, .wouldi )urs. Thus should we be freed from troublesome neigh- irs, and end forever, that dreadful species of hostility ^hich we had been so often engaged with the savages. ise hopes were not ill founded ; but we were not aware. he time, of our deficiency in experience, and want of ill knowledge of our resources $ the causes of many b(f|uent calamities; For some years previous to the declaration of war, a litary spirit was gradually diffusing itself amongst the [)ple. Pains were taken in disciplining volunteer hpanies throughout the country, a degree of pride and >utation was every where felt, to excel in military ex- ".ises. There seemed to be a kind of instinct, to pre- re for the approach of war. But the military establish- jnts were exceedingly defective. Acts of Congress 1 already authorised the enlistment of twenty -five thou- id men, but it was found impossible to fill the ranks of a ^ulararmy, from the small number of individuals who 5re not in easy circumstances, and therefore under no icessity of enlisting. The whole number already enlisted, freely amounted to five thousand men, and these scatter- ttover an immense surface of country. The President las authorised to receive fifty thousand volunteers, and to 1 HISTORY OF THE WAR. fall out one hundred thousand militia. This force, could not be expected to be otherwise serviceable) than for the purpose of defending the sea coast, or the frontier. A dif. ficultj of still greater importance existed; the best troops^ in the world, are inefficient, unless they happen to be led ly able and experienced officers. Ouf ablest revolution- ary heroes had paid the debt of nature, and those who re- mained, were either far advanced in life, or had not been proved in other than subordinate situations ; and besides n-om long repose, they had laid aside all their military habits. There prevailed, however, a disposition to place a degree of reliance on the skill of the revolutionary sol- .dier, from the mere circumstance of having been such, which was not corrected' until we had been severely taught by after experience. Such was the situation of things, at the commencement of hostilities. It was expected that the first blow would be struck at Canada, it was well known, that at this time, military preparations in that province,, were in no greater state of forwardness than on the part of the United States. Governour Hull, at the head of about two thousand men, was on his march to ^Detroit, with a view of putting an end to the Indian hostilities, when he received informa- tion of the declaration of war. His force consisted of about one thousand regulars, and twelve hundred volun- teers from the state of Ohio, who had rendezvoused on the twenty-ninth of April. In the beginning of June they advanced to Urbanna, where they were joined by the 4th regiment of United States infantry, and immediately commenced their march through the wilderness, still in possession of the Indians, and which separates the inha- bited part of the state of Ohio, from the Michigan terri- tory. From the town of Urb&nna to the Rapids, a dis- tance of one hundred and twenty miles, they had to pass through a country without roads, and abo'inding with marshes. From the Rapids to Detroit, along the Miamie of the I'^.ke, and along the Detroit river, there were a few settlements chiefly of French Canadians, but in general the territory was but thinly inhabited ; the whole of its f mattered population scarcely exceeded five or si^ thou-* ind soiS '.a'.-.'^H ^armyfl '^^^1 nsiderH ^j9 most tfl id romfl mi U of al ily to"! ersof ■ ■■d actif iM wev. col % ey loaJ l der to 1 H^nce J ^was ol pe capt ihen, wl ley enc ithin a ••a ad beei ■■'.*'. lution, •m leir alii ave pos 'I'i'^ irown I ndhad jiles be ,.ii Helled t( 41 Ban arti *^ J This Bperati( f.'J ■Canada V^ Hry pov Heterm HISTDRV OF THE WAR. 2sr nd souls. It was near the last of June when this lit- army reached the Rapids, after having experienced nsiderable obstacles, in passing through a gloomy, and ost trackless wilderness. They now entered an open d romantick country, and proceeded on their march^ 11 of an ardent and adventurous spirit, which sought ly to encounter difficL'lties and dangers. The volun- ers of Ohio consisted of some of the most enterprising d active young men of the state ; finer materials were vec collected. After taking some refreshments here, ey loaded a schooner with a part of their baggage, in "erto lighten their march. By some misfortune, intel- nce of the existing war did not reach the army, until was on this march, and was /bllowed by the news of capture of the schooner, and a lieutenant and thirty n, who had been put on board. On the fifth of Jixly^ [ey encamped at Spring Wells, opposite Saiidwich, and ithin a few mileS of Detroit. For some c^-js the army id been under the necessity of proceeding with great ution, to guard against surprises from the Indians, and eir allies, and who, but for this timely arrival, would ive possessed themselves of Detroit : they however, had rown up breast-work!i.on the opposite side of the river, id had made an attempt to fortify a situation about three iles below. From both these holds, they were soon com- lied to retreat, by a well directed fire from the Ameri- n artillery. This was the favourable moment for commencing actire eratioos against Ihe neighbouring province of Upper anada; «inu ac governour Hull had received discretion- y power to act oftensively, an immediate invasion wa» termined on. Preparations for this purpose were di- ctly made, and boats provided to effect the passage of e vyhole army at the same instant. The British, awar© this design, attempted to throw up a battery, for the iurpose of opposing the landing j this was twice rendered }ortive J on their attempting it a third time, they were jiermitted to accomplish it unmolested, as our army could jither land above ..r below it, and thus keep out of the reueh of thwr guas, which consisted of seven small can- .8» '-»■ ■ > "Hu m t Mmmifmm*fmmmi>if mmmmfmmm SO HISTORY OF THE WAR. non, and two mortars.— On the twelfth, every thing bein^ made ready, the army embarked, and landed without molestation, some distance above the fort, and entered the village of Sandwich The inhabitants made no shew of resistEince, and were therefore respected in their per- sons and property ; the principal part, however, had been marched to Maiden, for the purpose of aiding in ita de- fence. A proclamation was immediately issued by Hull, in which he declared his intention of invading Canada, but gave every assurance of protection to the inhabitants, ivhom he advised to take no part in the contest. The pro- clamation was written in a spirited and energetick style, and had he been eventually successful, there is no doubt but that it would have been regarded as an eloquent pro- duction. It has been censured by the British as intend- ed to seduce her subjects from iheir allegiance, as if this were not justifiable m an invading army ; and as violating the laws of civilized warfare, in the declaration that no quarter would be given to any whiteman, found fighting W the side of an Indian. When we consider, that Indians IB^ve no quarter, there may be as much justice in retalia- ting, upon those who are %hting by their sides, as upon the savages themselves, for it may be presumed that both are actuated bv the same intentions. It is not to be sup- posed that Hull was seriously resolved on carrying tliis threat into execution ; his object was to prevent, if possi- ble, the employment of savages. It was altogether a Su^estion of his own, unauthorised by the government, ana never acted upon by himself. Id a few days, possession was taken of the whole couht try alon^ the Trench, or Thames, a beciutiful. river^ tirnoae borders are well settled. This service was per- foimed by Cul. M' Arthur, of. the Ohio militia, who re- turned to camp^ after' having collected a considerable quantity of blankets, ammunition, and other military •stores. Col. Cass was then despatched in an opposite direction, towards Fort Maiden, with two hundred and eighty men, for the purpose of reconnoitring the British and Indians. This place is situated at the junction of JUetroit river with lake Eriej tliirtcen miles south, of # HMiMIMWMM R. verj thing beini^ Jjnded without *^> and entered 8 made no shew ted in their per- vever, had been ?»ng in it&de. issued by Hull, Jding Canada, he inhabitants, est. The pro- lergetick style. 5re IS no doubt eloquent pro- »sh as intend- ™ce, as if this nd as violating :ation that no ound fighting > that Indians ;ice in retalia- 'des, as upon ined that both lot to be sup- carrying this ent, if possi:. altogether a government, whale coun* itiful, river, ce was per- t'a, who re- Jonsiderable er military m opposite undred and •he British lUJotiott of « south, of HISTORY OF THE WXH. 0,1. ill's camp* col. Cass, following the course of the. sam, reached thi; river Aux i'anards, about four miles [m Maiden, where he found a British detachment in. •session of the bridge. After reconnoitnng the situa- In of the enemjr, the colonel placed a rifle company un- [r capt. Robinson, near the place, with orders, to divert. e attention of the guard, by keeping up a fire until the mainderof the party should appear on the opposite side., lis part of the detachment, was to have foraed the river Dut five miles below. The design was frustrated, by iir want of a sufficient knowledge of the country ; the. ^tachment was unable to reach the designated spot, un- late in the evening; in the meanwhile, the attempt to )rise the post had been discovered, and it was strength- $d by considerable reinforcements ; notwithstanding iich, a. smact skirmish ensued, and the enemy was impelled tp abandon his position, after losing, eleven, llled and, wounded, besides several deserters. Col. ^ass, having no orders to retain possession of it, although, constituting the principal obstruction between the A me- lean camp and Maiden, thought proper, to retire. The. lioor of this bridge was afterwards taken up, and a reast-work erected on the bank to obstruct the pa^ > bge of the river. There occured, a few days afterwai'ds,- mother skirmish at the same place* between the guard md one hundred and fifty men under coL.M'Acthur* ^he Q^eeaChariptte was discovered at the. mouth of the LUX Canards, with dome gun-boat)|Ldisposed around her, [while the passage was defended b^. about eighty-five Te- [gulars, a body of militia nearly twice that number, and Isome Indiana. The colonel having advanced somewhat too near the enemv, while reconnoitring their situation^ narrowly escappd, being cut off from, his men... A mes-: sengjer informed him,. that several Indians had been seen passing to his rear, and it was at the same time discover- ed, that those who had been stationed at tiie battery, were rapidly quitting it. He had scarcely time to turn his horse, when he, together with, his companions. Dr. M*Anaw, and capt. Puthuff, were fired upon by a par« ty of Indians, concealed in the bushes. Th« detacft* 32 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ment, on the report of the guns, advanced to the succour of their leader, and drove the Indians back. The In- dian party is said to have been commanded by the daring chief Tecumseh. These skirmishes, in which the Americans were sene- rally victorious, served to inspire confidence, and, to- gether with the proclamation, had an effect upon the Ca- nadians, many of whom joined our standard, and thtew themselves on Hull for protection. These were, how- ever, but preludes to the great object in view, the re- duction of Fort Maiden ; nothing could be said to be done, until this was accomplished. Preparations for this pur- pose proceeded but slowly; no artillery was prepared for the occasion; it seems that everything was tooe made ready after the invasion. It was not until the beginning of August, thatiwo twenty -four pounders and three how- itzers were mounted, and no attempt in the meanwhile had been made upon the Fort The capture of this place, which would have been necessary in the prosecution of any further design, had now became absolutely essential to self-preeervatiun. A most unexpected disaster had happened during the last month ; an eventf to which many of our subsequent misfortunes is to be attributed. This was the surrender of Michillimackinac*. On the sixteenth of July, a party of three hundred white troops, and upwards of six hundred Indians, embarked at St. Josephs, and reached the island next morning. A wisoner was despatcf^d to inform the garrison, and the inhabitants of the village, that if any resistance were made they would all be indiscriminately put to deaths Many of the inhabitants escaped to the enemv for protection. The sarrison consisted of no more than fifty -six men, un- der tne command of lieutenant Hanks, of the artillery^ A flag was now sent by the British, to the fort, demanding ft surrender. This was the first intimation of the decla- ration of war, which the garrison had received- Until thid moment, the American commandant had considered this fts one of the outrages on the part of the Indians, which of late had been frequent; he had therefore resolved to defend himself to the last extremity, lie now consider^ MiiaMalb.**!. ■MM. «9bi^i«MMiiaiMiiB m0^ * ' HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^9 r» it most prudent to agree to a capitulation, as there was ID hope of being able to defend himself successfully, gainst so great a disparity of force, and therefore the at- -jmpt would only be compromittin^ the livesof the soldiers, Jnd such of the inhabitants of the island as had fled to him for protection. The garrison was accordingly delivered lip 5 security to the property and persons of individuals *as stipulated, and the British put in possession of one of [he strongest positions in the United States, on that ac- count, sometimes called the American Gibraltar. The situ- ition completely commands the northwest trade, which is compelled to pass immediately under the guns of the fort jind consequently aflfords the best means of intercepting;, the Indian supplies, and of checking the incursions of those restless warriours. The blame of this affair hasbeen thrown iy some upon the government, by others on Hull ; the following facts will enable the reader to judge. Hull reached Detroit on the fifth of July, and the fall of Mi- chilliinackinac, took place on the seventeentli. The dis- tance is too hundred and forty miles. That the British It Maiden, should have had sooner intelligence of the declaration of war, than the American general, is less Surprising when we consider the wonderful activity of ^ose engaged in the Indian trade, as well as the circum- Jptances of the regular establishments, all along the lakes. i|Kotwithstanding this, it is not easy to account for the tar- Idiness with which the news of war travelled to Detroit, Iwhether it be attributable to accident or neglect. 1 Intelligence ofthis unfortunate occurrence reached Hull [on the 23d of July, while engaged in making preparations Ifor the attack on Maiden. The British, by this time, were Iconsiderably reinforced, and aided bv an additional num- iber of Indians. The golden momem %d been suffered |to pass, it is generally conceded, that if *. .i assult had been pmade on the fort, in the first instance, it must have fallen. This was the opinion of the officers, the general however, declined it under various pretexts. But naving neglected this opportunity, there was no longer any hope of carry- ing the place withaut being provided with a train of artille« ry, and the necessary means fof a regular assault. The 34 HISTORV OF THE WAR. presses to Procure Jcifo^oS,?,' K ""* "'P-ated 'i": insfanc«rwasgr^„5f,l»?".»''««'l th, troops, i„ the fi„t make ,t immediate^ DeseAinn«T' ^ determination to *« still continued, and theXlT? ""^ ^'^^ ^*»«da n?ili! the prospect of undSnAi T^^ ^vas animated w h „ ^uiuinued, and the wlmio f "^ Canada mili- the prospect of undSnAi T^^ ^vas animated w h t^^u.sacL.,ap;a:r-^^ Sometime befor«» fh.-c « river Rajsin, with sijpplies for flVJ*'^^"*^'"^^^ at the vith?'^*^."^^ ?*«*^^^e of &si';2l ^^ '^'^' ">^ 'ch could be sent! r^'fl *« remain here unt « '"''"^' "lu ue sent to guard them tMo j^ """i an escort fmr Vanhorn,\ith a deUchmln/?*-^ ^"^« ^""^^ed to fi% men. On his second ?]«?* ''^""^ '^"^dred and town,hewassudddenirit?w' "^^^^ «ear Brov^s. r«§uiarsand Indian's^ Cm fe'Lc" ^'^'^^^bS - force made a deter- fmmmmw ttittmmiiiimami HISTORY OF THE WAk 3i lined resistance, and being commanded b^ a brave and kilful officer, was at length brought off, with the loss of ineteen killed and missing, and nine wounded. Cap- u'ns Gilcrease, M'Culloch, and Bortler were killed, and iptain Ulry severely wounded. Scarcely had this detachment left the camp at Sand* [ich, when a sudden and unlooked for change took place 1 the determination of the commander in chief. Without ly apparent cause, or the occurrence of any new event, announced his intention of abandoning not only th^ sign upon Maiden, but even the position which he then lid. This operated like a thunderbolt upon the army ; volunteers murmured; they upbraided their com- tnder with pusillanimity, and even treachery; and ^was with dimculty they could be restrafned by their vn officers, in whom they confided^ The disappoint* lent, and vexation, which ensued, can b(^tter be ima* Ined than described ; all confidence in their leader was pdently at an end; if treacherous, he might deliver »m up to be massacred ; and it was evident he was de» ient in the skill and ability necessary to command. ^was with much reluctance this gallant little artny was ipelled to abandon, almost in disgrace, the ffatter- hopeS) which they thought themselves on the point of lizrng. They reached the opposite shore on the eighth [August, where they received the intelligence ot the lir of major Vanhorn, of the day before. Such was the jrmination of this expedition into Canada, of whose suc- an account was every moment expected in the lited States ; happy had it been if the misfortunes of ^ arms had terminated here ! The enemy's territory not however, entirely evacuated; a detachment of it three hundred men, was left to keep possession of lidwich, principally witii a view of affording somfi pioa tion to the Canadians who had been induced by £[ip^ klamatioti to join our standard. '>ne thing was now on all hands considered indispen* ^le, the opening the communication with the river Rai- . In a few weeks, the army might stand in need of supplies in the possession of captain Brush, and at all y a W'STORY OP THE War. «^ent8, its situatinn •'■ the gaC *^™3', consisting otL'T' filler, of th. '"»»abou[tS"lh^^'''/« **« "S *«'' d'^tinguislfed i ! ".renewal of «. l^™"* ""''''a- Tliep„ W'^noe, and Solars and/nl?"'"^*. had sen reln?™^' ""Wating he increased durini'^ "•«•"•• 'his force "fi*'^ 'hortof ™"es from thifw '"""■''' «f trees aJrf,"'' "''^ thrown "-hid. the greate"^'/'/flace cjfed Mi"*"' *'"'" C ^Y P<"'"afr„ntinhl"[ ""'.^"dian , unS^ ''"'"•nH "^^e'e comitiandprf K '^■J'^^oans should . ^«<""nseh, . On the ninfh ''7 "'"J*'- -Muir nf 1? ^Cproach. The ynce, with Z "isual k"'?^' ^^o con,''!"^^ ^^ ««»"- T'^'s corps, undaunf I .^''''"'•^"s shouTs „r 1 ^''^ *^- Sroundunti th^nf •^?'^.*':^ t^»s suS ^^ **»« enemy ^e front of the Treast t/t^"^^'^ ^"rious. "?' '''^'*"» we utmost ceJerJf V . * ^'eav v fire 7 i S?^ « ''effu. «d a brisk firJad^*?^ ^^^'nessf drew un K* ^'"«^> ^'rSi S»^e way. but/hf r i-*"^" ^^'^ai -. i tk 'i,'".* '"en, onen 1 1 1' ^ ,•' "'59S«(»fr«',«5 mnni HISTORY OF THE WAR. <» kideous manner, and yelling like demons ; engaged at the ime time with a body of regulars. Disrejwrding both le savage shrieks ana the musketry of the British, the Lmerican leader repelled their attacks on every side, ' troops gallantly maintaining their ground until the lemy was compelled to yield. They retired slowly to Irownstown, literally retreating at the point of the lyonet ; here they hastily embarked in boats, provid' * for their reception. Had not this precaution been [en, it is probable the whole force would have fallen in- the hands of the Americans. Their loss was, of the re- ^lars, fifteen killed, and thirty or forty wounded, but the Indians nearly one hundred were left on the field, this battle, which lasted about two hours, we had fif- in killed^ and about sixty wounded. The oflicere who liefly distinguished themselves were captain Baker, lieu- Slants Larabee and Peters, and ensign Whistler. The kxt day at noon, col. Miller who Kept possession of »wnstown, received orders to return to Detroit. Thi§ rendered necessary from the fatigue which his com- ind had experienced in the engagement of the day be- Fe. It was thought more advisable, to send a fresh de- ^hment to accomplish the ultimate object, in occurrence took place about this time in another jirter, which ought not to be passed in silence, i.aptaia aid, who commanded at fort Chicago, had received or- from Hull to abandon that post and make his way to troit. He accordingly consigned the publick property le care oi some friendly Indians ; and with his com- ly, about fifty re^lars, accompanied by several fami- \ which had resided near this place, sat out on his rch. He had proceeded but a short distance along I beach of the lake, when he was attacked by a large ly of Indians, who occupied the bank. Captain Heafd ended the bank, and fought tiieni for som« time, until ly had gained his rear and taken posse«isioti of his hor* I and baggage. He then retired to an open piece (^ putid, where he was enabled to keep the Inttians at bay. It finding that he would be compelled to yield at last, accepted the ofior of protection ffom ai) XmUan chi^ 38 WSTORy OF THE War. essential aVv:„ul^"f»\a'™?/wa"p":,*iJJ?,'l%^ tT'^of I,: f^; ""f". incoming U" Zf'"^ '^'•' a'SLf r-'^'"^^^^ Si'rt "r^ »K { KIde f ' ^^S^ye'-al advised |,?m th»T '^""""•'Wo- In DUroose «.. ^"''ee hundred and fi f **'''® ^^''^ ISvpd .^^"'et.me before this «n *^ '"^"' ^«'- this hrfn^^.^*""™ General Hall !' " ^^P'^ss had been cunte&t commences^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^ fou will find me disposed to enter into such conditions b will satisfy the most scrupulous sense of honour, lieutenant col. McDonald and major Glegg are fully au- rised to enter into any arrangements that may tend to jvent the unnecessary effusion of blood/' This was jned by major general Brock. fTo this summons an answer was returned, that the H would be defended to the last extremity. The Bri- ih immediately opened their batteries, and continued to row shells during a great part of the night. The fire returned, but with Tittle effect on either side. In the irnin^, it was discovered that the British were land- tlieir troops at Spring Wells, under cover of their pps. To prevent the landing from the fort, at this )ment, was a matter impossible ; the town lying be- !en it and the river. But if Hull had not neglected advice of his officers, he might have efiectuaUy pre- ited it, by erecting batteries on the bank, where they kuld be compelled to debark. A strange fatality seemed attend this unfortunate man in everv thing he did, or (lected to do. The enemy having fanded, about ten lock advanced towards the fort in close column, and five deep. The fort being separated from the town, Ian open space of about two hundred yards, they could Se within this distance, before its guns could be ight to bear upon them, unless they should approach he rear. The American force was, however, judi- Isly disposed to prevent their advance. The militia, a great part of the volunteers, occupied the town, or e posted behind pickets, whence they could annoy [enemy's flanks; the regulars defended (he fort, and tvventy-four pounders charged with grape, were ad- *^ieeously posted on an eminence, and could sweep /hole of the enemy's line, should he dare to approach. |was now silent expectation : the daring foe stiU slow- Idvanced, apparently regardless, or unconscious of Ir danger ; for their destruction must have been cer- i, had they not been impressed with contempt for a ^mander, who had so meanly abandoned Sandwich a days before. The hearts of our countrymen beat ■^ > " m ■Hill Jill mi while their accidtntfU i. ■tfOMaMMMMMiMteMl mm »r credit. But tification which era were issued llerj, at the ve- sh were delibe- ruction, was or- lier with a great thered into the Here the troops > the astonish- 1 of submission, I officer rode up was no less un- on was agreed ^ords are want- ns on this occa- y betrayed, is irithout nring; a that that force ns for at least [1 the requisite .hus humiliated, es prisoners at '•possession of It contained; powder, four nd sliot, one sand five hun- iron cannon, f\\\c\\ had been lutiunary war. ^d sarrisons of the general, detachments |1 as the party capitulation. sfore, for the return, and !ar to discQ- [ir accid«n^l HISTORY OF THE WAR. 41 situation, might enable them to render the most material service during the attack. They were surprised at the silence which prevailed when every moment was expect- ed to announce the conflict, and that surprise was soott chanf IV^deria, and thence passing the Azores,, stood for IFewfoundland, and thence by Cape Sable, arrived at Bos- m the SOth of August, having made prize of several Iritish vessels; but owing to the haziness ofthe weather, ley were less successful than miglit have been expected. The frigate Essex went to sea from New-York, on the lird of Tuly $ the Constitution sailed from the Chesa* iake on the twelfth ; the brig^ Nautilus, Viper, and Vix- »n, were at the same time cruising off the coast $ the loop of war Wasp was at sea on her return from France* The Constitution, captain Hull, had sailed from An- lapolison the 5th of July. On the morning of the irth, >ff Egg Harbour, she was chased by a ship of the line, the Africa, and the frigates Shannon, Guerriere, Belvidera» und iBoIus. These vessels were approaching rapidly ^ith a fine breeze, while it was nearly a calm about the /onstitution. At sunrise the next morning, escape from the memy was almost hopeless, as they were then witfiin five niles. The Constitution was therefore cleared for ac- tion, determined to make a desperate resistance. The ?nemy still drawing near, captain Hull resolved to make mother effort to escape. Boats were sent ahead, with mchors for thepurpose of warping, tliere prevailing al- losfja calm. The otiiers fimling the Constitution (gaining 46 HISTORY OF THE WAR. if ^•pon them, resorfpri * *l continued in this manlXZo ra!^'"""; ^^ '='>«* «ght breezes, and mrftJ .? • ""y*' P*rt'y «« Ud" with the squadron' was le&rZP;"?' fV the"^ SOth" when from so great a dispTritv ofc' "^ ''^^ Th" "ea^ ser'tng a high rank'^in naval e^lv** considered as ,fe° "'red at thi time, m evTnein?. '"' .«'«' "as much ad- fhe advantage to tl "Bfu "hTif thK'""'" "'"'«'=»' 'k'"- able, when we reflect that thp?r fJ "''**'' "»» consider- as,'*«'?« "t alt the boats of the s„tr"*V'*'»«' ''»<' tl>e of towinc. The suDerioritr „f "l""".™"' for the purpose veredtobetheGueSertoTeofi ? »»» »oon dS^ Bmish navvs and which seemed nfl* ''*" 'rs*'^' i- the Spntre as ,|,e 5,^^^^ her mSn ^'T™* ^""^ "'e ren- Constitotion to come down '?h:T"'' """"« <"•■• the occurrence to our brave to" «. «'*?'•' "">»' Wable «.«e been in search of « Americll.'V'-"^?'* !'»<' f""- »"•' She Sh ";'"'"*"S« *• aHorv^ete? '•'"'''SS'^''" one had at one of her mast hl-j V' the same class, coTadr*!?^"^''"' '"Ccharacte^K"" *""=•">" gven that vlU %eVr fc^^^ ^^M'^d iooked into several of our Zr^ :„ 7^f «»erriere had ceediogl^ anxious to earn Sr.fi' ??'' "Seated to be n. «»emy. The Constit^tL h.; '"T*'' '"»» the new no* bore down, Ccre^ ^"217'''' T*"^ foractfonT •t was the intention of can»E! ?? n "^* «^''«e«'- At first action imn.edi.telv ; bu?n„ " ■ "' '*! ''"''8 her to clo?e pve a broadside 'a nd filLd ?'"'"« V"""'" S-n-shot, sh* Broadside „„ the ouTer ta.t T^' •' '«" »'»% givinst IHNmIM HISTORY OF THE WAR. AT And run wit4i her topsail and jib on the quarter. The Constitution perceiving this, made sail to come up witli her. Captain Hull, with admirable coolness, received the enemy's fire, without returning it. The enemy, mis- taking this conduct on the part of the American comm?n- der, for want of skill, continued to pour out. his broad , sides with a view to cripple his antagonist. From the [Constitution, not a gun had been fired. Already had an )fficer twice come on deck, with information that several >f the men had been killed at their guns. The gallant brew, though burning with impatience, silently awaited lie orders of their commander. The moment so long loked for, at last arrived. Sailing master Avlwin, hav- Ig seconded the views of the captain, with admirable skilly bringing the vessel exactly to the station intendedi lers were given at five minutes before five, P. M. to re broadside after broadside, in quick succession. The ;w instantly discovered the whole plan, and entered ^to it, with all the spirit the circumstance was calculated inspire. Never was any firing so dreadful. For fif- »n minutes the vivid lightning ofthe Constitution's guns fntinued one blaze, and their thunder roared with scarce intermission. The enemy's mizen-mast had gone by board, and he stood exposed to a raking fire, whick I'eptliis deck,^. The Guerriere had now become un- lageable $ her hull, rigging and sails dreadfully torn j \en the Constitution attempted to lay her on board, this moment lieutenant Bush, in attempting to throw marines on board, was killed by a musket ball, and enemy shot ahead, but could not be brought before wind. A raking fire now continued for fifteen rain- longer, when his mainmast and foremast went, bg with them everj «par, excepting the bowsprit, seeing this, the firing ceased, and at twenty -five ites past five she surrendered. " In thirty minutes," captain Hull, " after we got fairly along side of the Iniy, she surrendered, and had not a spar standings I her hull, above and below water, so shattered, that a ;more broadsides must have carried her down." 1 he ^rriere was so much damaged, as to reader it impossible t ''^'^T [H f' Si ' .. 'i »..""'-'Vi» ';' MW ' * """ ^ """ ' '" < y" ^ 48 HISTORY OF THE WAR It to bring her in ; she was therefore set fire to the next day, and blown up. The damage sustained by the Constitu- tion, was comparitivcly of so little consequence, that she actually made really tor action, when a vessel appeared in sight the next day. The loss on board the Guerriere was fifteen killed, and sixty-three wounded : on the side of the Constitution, seven killed and seven wounded. It is pleasing to observe, that even the British commander, on this occasion, bore testimony to the humanity and ge- nerosity, with which he was treated by the victors, 'rhe American frigate was somewhat superiour in force, by a few guns, but this difference bore no comparison to the disparity of the conflict. The Guerriere was thought to be a match for any vessel of her class, and had been ranked amongst the largest in he British navy. The Constitu- tion arrived at Boston on the twenty-eighth of August^ having captured several merchant vessels. Never aid any event spread such universal joy over the vvhole country. The pliant Hull, and his equally gal- lant officers, were received with enthusiastick domonstra- tions of gratitude, wherever they appeared. He was presentea with the freedom of all the cities, through which he passed, on his way to the scat of government, and with many valuable donations. Congress voted fif- ty thousand dollars to the crew, as a recompense for the loss of the prize and the executive promoted several of tiie officers. Sailing master Alywin, who had been se- verely wounded, was promoted to the rank df lieute- nant, and lieutenant Morris, who had been also Wounded, was promoted to the rank of m)st captain. This affiur was not less mortifying to Great Britain, who l^r thirty years, had in no instance lost a frigate in any thii^ like an equal conflict. l^e publick mind was now continually excited by some new series of naval exploits. There was scarcely time for one victory to become familiar, before another was announced. On the 7th of September, commodore Por- ter of the Essex, entered the Delaware after a most active and successful cruise. He had sailed from New-York on the third of July, and shorlfy ai'ter fell in with a fleet uf i^':-%.,.^,, mmm ^--m^mmmmmmmmm i;V'AR re to the next day, 1 by the Constitu- isequence, that she a vessel appeared oard the Guerriere tided : on the side I seven wounded. British commander^ e humanity and se- f the victors, 'fne ■iour in force, by a comparison to the Te was thought to nd had been ranked y. The Constitu- jT-eighth of August., sels. iversal joy over the id his equally gal- »astick domonstra- ippeared. He was he cities, through eat of government, Congress^ voted fif- recompense for the romoted several of who had been se- le rank df lieute- had been also : of post captain. ireat Britain, who ist a frigate in any y excited by some vas scarcely time efore another was commodore For- fter a most active om New-York on n with a fleet of \ ^dkrti. WK*i?^!9^'^**?»^*'^WilWBBI''^" I Jim .n^nfm^fimm •'•*£! ^ •! ■' * ■•.H«f-Kf-.*.!«!,^--;,g35.^ HISTORY Of THB WAK. 49 a frigate. Having kept at a difttance until nieht, she cut oflfabrig, with a hundred and fiftj soldiers on Mard, which was ransomed for 14,000 dollars ; the men where disarmed and released, on taking an oath aot to serve against us dur- ing the war. The commodore regretted, in his letter to the secretary of the navy, that he nad not had with him a sloop of war, as in this case he could have engaged the fri- gate, while the convoy were kept employed, and he could tlien have captured the whole fleet, consisting of several sail, and having two thousand men on boarc|, including the^ crew and transports. On the 13th of August, the Essex fell in with the Alert sloop of war, and captured her, afj^er an action of eight minutes : the Alert had mistaken this frigate for the Hornet, of which she was in pursuit, and actually commenced the engagement, by running down and pour- ing a broadside into the Essex. When she struck her co- lours but three men were wounded, but she had seven feet of water in her hold. The fri^te did not suffer the slightest injury. Com. Porter, being embarrassed with his prissoners,'who exceeded five hundred in number) concluded to convei the Alert into a cartel, for the pur- pose of effecting an exchan^. Her guns were thrown overboard, and she was ordered to proceed to St. John's, under the command of a lieutenant of the Essex. The British commander at that place protested strongly against the practice of converting captured vessels into cartels, but in this instance was witling, in consequence of the attention iwhich commodore Porter had uniformly shewn to British prisoners, to consent to the proposed ex- change. On the afternoon of the SOtb of August, a British frigate was seen standing to\^ards tiie Essex ; preparation was immediately made for action, and atood she towai^ the enemy. Night intervening, the Essex hoisted liglits ilb {prevent a separation, which were answered. But at day- ight, to the mortification of the crew, who were anxious to support the cause of '* Free trade and sailor^s rights," the enemy dii^appeared. On the 4th of September, neav St. George's banks, two ships of war were seen to tiie fiouthwaiti, i^d a brig to me northwwrd, to whidi tbCi ■ ' 5 \ •f.. so HISTORY OF THE WAU Essex gave chase) but the winds being light, she made her escape. The Essex was afterwards chased by the two ships seen to the southward, but escaped in the night by skilful mancBUvering. On the 8th of October, a squadron, consisting of the President, the United States, Congress, and the Argufi, sailed from Boston on a cruise. On the ISth, the United States and Argus parted from the rest in a gale of wind. A f^.w davs afterwards, the President and Congress had the good ^rtune to capture the British packet Swallow^ with 200,000 dollars on board, and on the SOth of Decem- ber arrived at Boston, after a very successful cruise. The Argus was not less fortunate ; after parting from the squadron, she cruised in every direction, between the continent and the West-Indies, and after being out nine- ty ^six days, she returned to New -York, with prizes to tr*^ amount of two hundred thousand dollars. She made vi^nous hairbreadth escapes ; at one time fihe was chased by a British squadron for three days, and 8l^veral times almost surrounded ; she was one moment within pistol shot of a 74^, and yet, in the midst of all this peril, she ac- tually captured and manned one of her prizes. Tl^e tfnited States, commanded by that distinguished officer commodore Decature, soon after her separation from the squadron, had the good fortune to add another victor) to our Naval Chronicle, not les:; glorious than %^t\t ot the Constitution. On the 25th of October, oif the Webt^rn kUnds,8he fell in with the Macedonian, captain Card(.t, a frigate of the largest class, carrying 49 gum and SOC men. The Macedonian, being, to windward, she had it in her power to choose her distance, and at no time were they nearer than musket shot ; from this cir- cumstance, and the prevaience of a heavy sea, tlie action lasted nearly two hours. The superiority of the Amerii* can gunnery, in this action, was very remarkable, both for its sreater rapidity and effect. From the continued blaze of her ftuns, the United States was, at one moment, thought l)y her antagonist to be on fire ; a mistake of very short duration. On board the Macedonian there were 36 killed and 68 wounded. She lost her mainmas^ $^4^ ^*^ y g^ r^^^ /X^ j^^^ ■**/-»v ::ffiT'i'"?afi',vifffti '><- « B WlWV -^?rfww»w|BK: I HISTORY OF THE WAR. (Si [h6r maintopmast, and main yard, and was much cut up in ; there hull. The United States suffered so little, that a re- turn to port was not necessary : 6he had only five killed} ind seven wounded. Among the killed were lieutenant i'unk, of whom the commodore spoke in the highest terms, lieutenant Allen was on this occasion higrhly applauded, i'he commodore arrived at New-York on the -Ith of De- cember, with his prize. Commodore Decatur, already a Iniversal favourite, experienced the same demonstra- ^ns of gratitude, as were shewn to captain Hull: nor there denied him that new species of praise, which I generous conduct of ourheroick teamen has uniformly iwn forth, the praise of the enemy; all the private proper* belonging to the men and officers^ board the Mace- ^nian, was restored to the captured with the most rigid ictitude ; and their treatment was the most polite and (mane. [In the midst of these rude scenes, of war, itissome- tes pleasing to turn aside, jIn order to indulge tlie mild- feelings of humanity. AA act of generosity and be- irolence on the part of our brave tars, of the victorious [;ate, deserves to be honourably recorded. The car- ^ter, who was unfortunately killed in the conflict with 'Macedonian, had left three small children to the care worthless mother. When the circumstance became fwn to the brave seamen, they instantly made a con- ation amongst themselves, to the amount of eight hun* id dollars, and placed it in safe hands, to be appropri- to tiie education and maintenance of the unhappy or- is. Such acts deserve to be recorded in letters of le feelinp of the nation had scarcely time to subside, I the welcome news of another victory was received $ tory over aa enemy most decidedly superiourin forcej FUnder circumstances the most favourable to him. 1 was the capture of the brig Frolick, of 22 guns, by Woop of war Wasp. Captain Jones had returned .France, two weeks after the declaration of war, and ke 13th of October again put to sea. On the 16th he ^ienced a heavy gale, ia which the Wasp lost her jib- .«a HISTORY OF THE WAlt boom and two men. On the evening of the foNowing da^, the-Wasp found herself near five strange sail, and as twa of them appeared to be ships of war, it was thought proper to keep at a distance. At day -light on Sunday morning, Ihey were discovered to be six merchant ships, from Hon- duras to England, under a strong convoy of a brig and two ships, armed with sixteen guns each. The brig, which g roved to he the Frolick, eapt. Whinyates, dropped be- ind, while the others made sail. The Wasp, being pre- pared for action, at 32 m. past 1 1 o'clock, came down to windward in handsome style, when the action was bes:ni> by the enemy's cannon and musketry. This was return- ed, and approaching stilt nearer the enemy, brought her to close action. In five minutes the maintopmast of the Wasp was shot away, and falling down with the maintop- sail yard, across the larboard fore and foretopsail, rendered her head yards unmanageable during the rest of the action. In two minutes more her gaft and mizeu top-gallant mast were shot away. The sea being cxceedingfy rough, the -muzzles of the Wasp's suna were sometimes under water. The English fired as their vessel rose, so that their shot was either thrown away, or touched the rigging of the Americans $ tlie Wasp, on the contrary, fired as she sunk, and every time struck tlie hull of her antagonist. The Wasp now shol ahe;::d, raked her, and tlieh resumed her position. The Frulick's fire had evidently slackened, and the Wasp, gradually neared her, until in tiie last broadside, they touched her side with their rammers. It was now determined to lay her by tlie board. The jib<* boom of the Frolick came in between the main andmiz- cn mast, rigging of the Wasp and after giving; a rakins j^re, which swept tlie whole deck, they resolved to board. Lieutenant Biddle sprang on the rising of the enemy's bowsprit, where he was at first somewhat entangled, and i^idshipman Barker, in his impatience to be on board, caught hold of fiiddle's doat, and fell back ort the deck, but in a moment sfiKfing up and leaped on the bowsprit, where he found one L&ng and another seaman. His sur- prise can scarcely be imagined, when he found no persoiv «D deck; except threeo|&cers and th^ seaman ajt the whe«l« m .mM ■•mmmstiimffy*>'m<»m>iisiKT ■^mf ^mmmm #« HISTORY OP THE WAR» 53 i TRc deck was slippery with blood, and presented a scene of liavock and ruin, such as has been seldom witnessed. As he advanced the officers threw down their swords in. ' submission. The colours were still flying, there being no * seaman left to pull them down. Lieutenant Biddle leaped into t!ie I'igging, and hauled them down with his own- i hands. Thus, in forty-three minutes, complete posses- [sion was taken of theFrolick, after one of the most oloody [conflicts any where recorded in naval history. The coti- iition of this unfortunate vessel, was inexpressibly shock- ing. The birth deck was crowded with the dead, thedjr- Ing and the wounded ; and the masts^ which soon after f&ll lovering the dead and every thing on deck, leaving her a liost melancholy wreck. Captain Jones sent on board hist lurgeon, and humanely exerted himself in their relief, to "he utmost of his power. The los» on board the Frolick fas thirty killed and fifty wounded ; on board the Wasp Eve killed and Ave slightly wounded. This was certainly e most decisive action fought during the war. The ^asp and Frolicfc were both captured thi^t very dayby^/ British 74, the Poietiers, captain Beresford. . Captain Jones spoke of all his officers and men in hand- ime terms ; but the noble part which he bore in this ^lebrated combat, was torched upon with all that modes- for which our naval heroes have been so iu»tly admir- I. Lieutenant Booth,. Mr. Rapp, and midshipman Grant id Baker, were particularly distinguished^ Lieutenant Hxton, altlwugh too unwell to render any assistance, Siwled out of bed, and came on deck, that he might miess the courage of his comrades. A seaman of the ine of Jack Lang, from Chester county, Pennsylvania, krave fellow, who had been twice impressed by the itish, behaved, on this occasion, witj) unusual brAvery. ^tain Jones reached New-York towards the latter end *fovember. The legislatures of Massachusetts, New- Irk, and Delaware, of which state lie was a native^ Isented him with their thanks, and several elegant l<>rds and pieces of plalej and the Congres? of the *ited States voted him. his officers, and crew, 25,000 n^n, as a recompense for their loss, io not being able 9nMA^ r j pyp i ( i| i -p, n il I J i i i i i |i .iTT|nn i»w^ I ■*- 54 HISTORY OF THE WAR. to bring in the Frolick. He was soon after promoted to the command of the Macedonian) captured by commo- . dore Decatur. Feats of naval prowess were not confined to national Vessels ; the exploits of private armed vessels daily filled the- gazettes. Letters of mar(]^ue were issued soon after the declaration of war^ and privateers sailed from every port) to annoy and distress the enemy's commerce. They were generally constructed for swift sailing, an art in ivhich the Americans excel eve y other people. In their contests they exhibited the Satiie superiority over the ' vessels of. the enemy, as was shewn with respect to the ships of war. One of tlie first to sail, was the Atlas, com- manded by captain .Moffat. On the third of August he fell in with two armed ships, and after a se'^re action, captured "them both, but was not able to brin^ nibre thaa one of th^m into port. The Dolphin, captain Endicot, of Salem, in the course^ of a few weeks, captured fifteen of the enemy's vessels, and for his activity and courage soon became noted. He had the misfortune to be- captured by a squadron, under commodore Broke, and in consequence of the prejudice entertained against privateers, and the irritation which, his exploits had excited, he was treated somewhat rough- ly $ this conduct^ to the honour of the British officers^ was soon changed, when they were informed, by the pri- soners, of the humanity of his conduct. On one occasion^ there happebed to be on board one of the Dolphin's 'prizes, an old woman, wha had her whole fortune on. Do&rd, consisting of 800 dolUira ; she made a lamentabia outcry at her misfortune; but the fact was no sooner known to the sailors,^ than they spontaneously agreed not io touch her pid|Hice ; and on arriving in tlie United States, she felt Jo much gratitude, that she could not re- frain from giving publicity to it, in the newspapers. It soon became understood, that American privateera were under the same regulations as national vessels, a circum- stance in which they differed from those of other nations ; Ittiat in fact, private cupidity was not the sole motive m mraung th^ni} but that they constituted a pari of our ctode '•'«»««P»W ■■M.:y>-MiKm!^j!Sl^' HISTORY OF THE WAR. 35 of carrying on the war, by assailing the enemy in hi»most vulnerable part; and that the gallantry displayed on board these vessels, bestowed almost as much honoar on the actor, as those of a publiek character ; there were, therefore, the same inducements to correctness of deport- ment. It cannot be denied, however, that on some occa- sions during the war, the captured privateersman were treated wi3i a degree of harshness, and even cruelty, which nothing can justify. Earlv in the war, one of our oldest and most distin- guished naval heroes, but »"ho had, for many years, led a private life, entered this service. Commodore Barney sailed from Baltimore in the Rossie, and, in the course of a few months, did more havock in the British commerce^ than was experienced from the French cruisers, for The fame of this gallant officer was already well years. known to the enemy, particularly as the captor of one of their vessels of war M-superiour force, the Monk, during the revolution. Such was the glorious beginning (^ our naval warfare against Great Britain. In uie course of a few monthsr two of her finest frigates surrendered, each after a W minutes fighting; and a most decided victory was gained over an adversary confessedly superiour. Be- fore tlie meetine of Congress, ia November, nearly two^ hundred and fifty ves8e^ were captured from the enemy, and more than three thousand prisoners taken. Upwards Gf fifty of them were armed vessels, and carrying five hundred and seventy-five guns. To counterbalance this immense loss, the eoemy had but a small account. By the cruise of commodore Kodgers, our merchantinent had ieen much aided in getting into port, and the nut^tbor captured was but trifling compared to theirs. The Frolislii and Wasp, we have seen; were captured in a way. tot- give no credit to the captors. Two other smaller ves- sels were also capturea by scjuadrons ; the first, on the twentieth of July, the schooner Nautilus, of twelve^uns,^ commanded b^ lieutenant Crane, captured by tlie frigate Shannon, the leading ship of the squadron^ *fhe Vixen ^u captured the tweaty-second of November, by tlm I ■MOMMia m HISTORY OF THS WAH. r- Northampton frigate, Sir James Yoe. Not long after the capture, both vessels ran ashore, and were wrecked « Through the exertions of captain Reed, of the Vixen, much of the property was saved from the wreck ; and, in eonsequence of his services on the occasion, |ie was pub- lickly thanked by Sir James, and permission given to him to return home on his parole. This he generously declined, as he could not think of receiving any benefits, in which his officers and crew could not partake. He accordingly^ accompanied them to Nova Scotia, where he fell a victim to the climate. He was interred by the Biitish with the honours of war, accompanied with every demonstration of respect^ to the men?ory of a brave- and. gallant officer. The navy now became the favourite of the nation; for thus far, contrasted with our armies, it was entitled to the most decided preference. There were not wanting occasions in which our arms by land had acquired repu- tation, but they had also brought upon us disnonour^ on the contrary, the navy, in every instance^ had added to- ournational renown. The modesty of our naval com- manders, in the narratives of the most brilliant achieve- ments, amd which were read with delight in every cot- tage, and spread over our country by thf; means of our thousand newspapers, was peculiarly pleising: whereas the proclamations of our generals, were too often filled^ with idle fustian. The British had threatened to drive OMr <* bits of striped bunting'^ from the ocean^r ftnd wc- bad been seriousfy apprehensive tliat oUr little navy would at once be annihilated V we, however, sought con- solation for^is, in the prospect of possessins Canada,., and. freeing ourselves from troublesome neighbours. In both instances how greatly disappointed ? Ine dispensa- tions of Providence are better tnan the wisdom of men.. The mortification of Great Britain was attended with no alleviation. She was wounded ia the most vital part. . In vain did she seek consolation in endeavouring to tiide her misfortune from herself, by representing our vesselsr^ m every instance, as greatly superiour in size, and liaving^' fvery advantage in the vanuus conflicts*^ Thi» might 49^^ m m 'i m I i- Jn .T-WT^TKfPW- ■■■'meim^f"- ■■«'«rT"^"'^viJ!^*s«»wf»iipi|^^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^ onour; on >ith respect to one engagement, but the same cause wa» insufficient to account for her defeats in every instance* The American frigates were seventy-fours in disguise,, and she turned her setenty-fours into frigates, that she mij^ht contend on equal terms. But she could not so •asily account for the wonderful superiority in the ma- nagement of the ships, and in gunnery. She set on foot committees of investigation ; and the result was, that by some unaccountable neglect, her marine had degene-^ rated, and it was seriously recommended to her Navy^ Board, to put their heroes again to school, (hat they might learn to cope with this new, ttiis subtle, and most extraordinary enemy. From the idle boast of beins thri aovEREioNs OF THE SEAS, a cUim, as vain asmatta [tile dominion of the air or the Hght, and> without whose [permission not a sail could be spread, uey were most Icompletely humbled by one of .the youngest maritime states ; actuated by no ambition of conquest, but merely contending: forCthe privile^of navigating an element, de« ligned by tne Alm^hty for the common possession of th|S lumaarace. CHAPTER III. hneral Bdrrison takes command of the JVbrtkivest§rH army — Expedition under general fVinchester — General Hopkins — Defence of Fort Harrisonr^Colonel Cantp- belVs Expeditiun, HE publick mind having recovered from the distress d chagrin occasioned by the surrender of Hull, was |»w carried to the contrary extreme. A spirit was rous- U which produced effects not equalled by the most en- Misiastick periods of our revolution. To the westwar4 ■d to the southward, volunteer corps were forming in :ry quarter, and tendering their services for any en^ MM MMiM jMiM i» HISTORY OF THE WAIL I - terprise which might Be undertaken. The western parti of PennsvWania and Virdnia exhibited great alacritj : but it was^in ihe states of Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennes- see, that this generous zeal prevailed in, the highest de- gree. Civil pursuits were almost forsaken, while this enihiisiasm was shared by persons of every sex, and •very age. The ladies set themiielves to work in prepar- ing military clothing and knapsacks for their relatives and friends, and cheerfully confnbuted from their household stock, sbch articles as their soldiers might require. Com- panies were equipped in a single day, and ready to march tiie next. There prevailed e\etj where, the most anima- ted scenes of preparation. The admiration which this •Excites, is not lessened by the reflectibn, that they were but acting in self-^defenbe, for excepting in the remote settleinents, alid n^relj^ on the frontier, there was but little to Uppreheiid ff'Oih the Indians: tbe stfttTements baving foeict brook the thought of having been worsted, or that a part of the territory of the United States, should fall by conquest into the hands of our enemy. The military ardour which was now awakened, displayed the character of a free peopte^ ia the most interesting point of view. Louisville andf Newport had been appointed as the places of rendezvous, for the troops destined to the aid of Hull. So numerous were the volunteers from Ken- tucky, who offered their services here, that it was soon found necessary to issue orders that no more would be received, and many companies, thus disappointed, were compelled to turn back. The command of the Kentucky Udilitia, was assigned to general Fa^ne. The same ala- crity was ihanifested in the state ot Ohio, which, in the course of a few days, embodied an equal force under gene- ral Tupper. The Pennsylvania volunteers, under sene* ral Crooks, were marched to fclrir and a brigade of Virgi- nians under general Leftwitch, was to j.oin the troops of Ohio, at Urbanna. The Kentucky troops, togetlierwUh '"WMSSPIW"- -'iT'^^^^MBPUPP - HISTORyoFTimWAH. the seveuleenth U s ^« • 99 neater part of which hl5T"** ""*^«'- colonel WpII .. Mnd men were dr« J * ^^"^ ^^^^sVunvvarl Ir / ^^"^''^' «quipDed Pmk r ?" **"* from their kI® ^'^^ourthou- '^^o was well kZwn f ' ^K^i,?" ^'UO'- general Si ^°'"- ^cent conducf at 7? • ^''^^esteri veoX. a ?''''' h a ieader In ^,'PP'canoe had relS] *"'* ^''«8e N the ^.'3' '""Sell^ t '?"«"^. i" o^:' nr fe »n the twelfth of s^ * H»riigon arrivcrf .V .?• Pe Indians wCh^ S^t-'^ber. »ieh ^C^ismnS!" HPproach if l j . *"" "ege to it j •''■'"" men. I'nth.MeVthr/'''^'''''' «*'^cfc»ffrlT'''"''li'''« ("g 't ad»i8»f.I. J» *" "aj'''. Seneral w. • PdtooCCUDV fh--^ ^'^"V*' of thp n*K ! *"™'' »i»n co2' *•''« 'fermediate tio,e i! l.**' *'"»»P». A with El •^'''''"«' Wells, WM I'V"^ waste r' -der «.e c^„, of gene^i^^^tf ^-^h. i €r» HISTORY OF THE WAH. ing of colonels Lewis and Allen's re^ment, and captain Garrard's company, against the Miami villages. The detachments were in both instanras successfuK the bark and wooden huts of nine villages wene destroyed, the inhabitants having abandoned them $ their corn was also cut up, according to the mode of warfare practised on these people by all Euro^iean nations. General fHarrison returned to fort Wayne about the eighteenth, where h€ found general Winchester, with considerable reinforce- ments from Ohio and Kentucky ; this officer had been 'jiiginally destined to the command, and the new arrange- ment had not yet been known. General Harrison, there- fore, sat oft' for Indiana, but was soon overtaken by a mes- senger, with information of his promotion. On the 2Sd he accordingly resumed the command. The day before his arrival, general Winchester had inarched for fort Defiance, on his wa^ to the Rapids, the place of ultimate destination. His force consisted of a brigade of Kentucky militia, four hundred regulars, and a troop of horse, in all about two thousand men. The country which he was compelled to traverse, opposed great difficulties, particularly in the transportation of stores. Along the heads of the rivers which discharge themselves into the Ohio, on the south, and those which discharge themselves into the \ake6 on the north, there is an extensive tract of flat land, full of marshes and ponds, in which the streams take their rise. In rainy seasons particularly, this tract is exceedingly difficult to pass, the not-ses at every step sinking to the knees in mud. The grouiidf besides, is covered with deep forests and close tickets. To facilitate the passage through this wilder- ness, each man was obliged to carry provisions for six days. General Harrison proceeded to Fort St. Mary's, for the purpose of transporting supplies by the Aux Glaise, a br nch of the Miami. The detachment, for this purpose, was placed under the command of major Jen^* nin^s. Ihe American troops proceeded 6lowly on their march) on account of the precautions necessary to avoid surpiise In A country highly favourable for Indian warfare* li-ii , '::':;^ii^r-^^m^wm^imn-^^.mrmii^ hiSTMY OF THE WAR. et From the closeness of the thickets^ thej were under the necessity of cutting open a road each ^'lay, and weve not iBble to make more than six or eisht miles. Thej 'isualljr [encamped at three o'clock, and uirew up a breast-work to guard against a night attack. They had the precfiu- tion,o B their march, to be preceded by a party of spies. inder an active ofiicer, captain Ballard, and an advanced lard of about three hundred men. On the 24th they iiscovered an Indian trail for the first time, and pursued some distance; but from the nature of tiie country, it ras impossible to overtake the enemy. Ensign Legget, aving obtained permission to penetrate to Fort Defiance, 'ill at the distance of twenty four miles, set out accom- inied by four volunteers. These gallant young men, >t being sufficiently experienced in such enterprises, killed the sam^ evening, and found the next day sre the spies, scalped ar^ i tomahawked in th^ most barba- ^us manner. On the £7 ch, captain Ballard, who had gone fore for the purpose of burying the dead, discovered an fie enemy being thus frustrated, they rose from their ' ]g places, r&ised the war whoop, and took posses- of an elevatei! piece of ground ; but were soon comn the opposite side of the river, and almost within gun shot of tne camp. He beat to arms, and ordered major ^ruslvtu cross over with about fifty men, and explore the woodSf while a strong detachment would be formed for the purpose of supporting him, in case of attack. The party had no sooner moved, than all in camp began to oreaK away, twenty or thirty togetiier, in order to join ia tlie chase, and by no exertion of authority could they be kept back ; so totally insensible were the^ to any tbiog like regular military subordination. Luckily the«ie :. ..■■ x...'rAddiat.'jJ'... •■ ,".sft^.. -f-tlllf' '• I. en ihe Indians nd bloody flag arrived from jat, on having sesuon of Fort id about forty 1 a block-house, ird) with about orders to Jen- promptly obey- rt to a brigade J, after having incessant rain, to the starving ssession of Foi't recipitatelv dc- , general Harri- leinents, with a Mitre and right fen placed under Jers were given lief, to proceed i thousand meny that place, 'upper proved ' tlie damaged time requisite nnsiderably de- d killed a man ost within gun ordered major nd explore the be formed for attack. The ;amp began to order to join ity could they e they to any Luckily these mSTORV OF THE WAIL small bodies were not attacked, or fhey must have been :^ Tupper represented his situation, and requested that tho^ order might be countermanded ; but this was answered by a peremptory command, which he now attempted to ooey. This unfortunately resulted in a misunderstand- ing between him and the commanding general, in conse- quence of whieh coloner Allen received private orders to supercede him in the command; on this being made known to the corps of Ohio, they positively refused to march, unanimously set off for llrbanna, and the expedi- tion was-entirely broken up* These are instances of insubordination much to* be re- gretted-; but tiiey ^ring from the want of the habit or mechanical obedience j and not p^mittihs their comman- ders, on occasions like thi», to think for them. Such are ihe unavoidable evils attending a militia hastily caljed together, and not kept in a body a sufficient length of time, to learn the utility of perfectisobordination. They do hot reflect, that, to a soldier, this is no more incom- patible unth the liberty of the citizen, than the wholesome restraints of virtue and the lawS) are to the man of so- ciety. ■ It was how necessary to wait until the arrival of tha other divisions of the army, before any thing further could be attempted against the Rapids, and much less against Detroit. The army was at this^ time accompanied by some friendly Indians, whom general Harrison had re- ceived iiito his service at Fort Wayne, the greater part under the command of Logan. No other course would have prevented their becoming our enemies ; it was in vain to expect them to remain neutral, while surround- ed by war. However contrary to our maxims arid policy to employ such auxiliaries, weVere compelled to do so in self defence; and we afterwards sufficiently evinced^ by the conduct of those Indians, that it is not impossible to restrain them, from the commission of acts of barbarity. 64 BISTORro,THE.WAlt — « A iMju 'VF Air ™e'i' scouts »» L ?r™»BaDid8 »Mlt ? ■PJ><"««ched «»d indhS? A is 'f ' '" tfc*PoCi^*pV »«»«!, by "'"•eineffechi.ir.L • *^ such. tR«rs. •**• "a »P»ce opp»X Tf ''"'"»«« out of ale»^™'r e«l«iiin* *H and d.scenJeVfc'-'^'^'' »"'«l« sEdT*^"'"" Mere seen camrv^ • "® "^c* whilp *i.„ rr5*'^'»c»«' ca. ^•«? then IS'y oft- on the road t%i?^r *^««en was /r:r ^^^wpenng oft' on 7k. " 7 "»< n«8 then opened uSon H a '"^^^ *» jnd afour pounder n" ^''® Americans, uiii:'" ? "''• to cross. .J".r'*"tfeHrjnji^^„,«;fgem did not per. to cross fltwi *L "^ "^W' indian« «f « ^"^ "'" not ner *« attadted ' Z^""* 'PP'-ebensi^X', k™'""* '''8''er PunniJl ."^-jy to orders, fir^d „! ?' j""* men. unfortu. • -f^i tnis moment, « t] "^IW'llWe».»n* 'Fort JVi*Artbur. ns^Ivania and a l^lArthur, or. « wproceedin* M»t 8IX hundreU ?a Provisiong, jn approached ^fy found, br «f«ie British i vessels wer© ■•nation, Uiev [ndthenhali ^^ river, and break. The f'f attempt* reavoiired te was thought «8ed, tore. «««>» and if »/pose, ear- te coiumnsv in an open : eonfusioft « their ca* an women t- ABrt »»«8k«trj not per- (fisposed number, "P niidifc en. He unfortu. >£».> and disobe- nent, 4 HISTORY OF THE WAR *>orIj of mounted Tn^- ^ nien, and attartAri :, '*"s rushed forwnr^ 1 -.» «mn be.„, tto'^ttcr'' '' ''' ^«nL ^t,^ ^«"r caused the Indians. *'• J ^^™"»«nce1^ a Kfc fi*"® ^**- and passing alon Ahl ^ "^^ ^''^^n^. The Fni' ^''*' ^'^d J-ear of the left ? i ''^n-guard, made « M '*'*' ''a"'e<^, biisklyback »M I?""- ^'"s column t ?^ upon the ^^' *^''«ssed on .undertaking, Tan; nf 'f,'' *^«^P'etei v guco! ^^ ^^s or- 'ntberiver 'P^ -ry *'^em bem rf r i i i. i L..j-^ jiLi i ian • 66 HISTORY OF THE WAR. y bash, was appointed the place of rendezvous for an ex^ pedition against the Peoria towns, and others situated on the Illinois and Wabash rivers. Nearly four thousand men, chiefly mounted riflemen, under the command of seneral Hopkins, collected at this place, and early in Oct6ber proceeded to Fort Harrison. This expeditionr was sanctioned by the venerable Govemour Shelby, of Kentucky, and was, perhaps, the most formidable in ap- pearance that had ever entered the Indian country. The army reached Fort Harrison about the tenth, and en the fourteenth crossed the Wabash, and proceeded on its march against the Kickapoo and Peoria towns ; the first about eighty miles distant, the others about one hun- dred and twentj. Its march lay through open plains cover- ed with a luxuriant grass, which in autumn becomes very dry and combustible. Murmurs and discontents soon be- fan to shew themselves in lAiis unwiddy and ill compacted ody, which was kept together by no cfiscipline or author- ity. Every one consulted his own will ; in fact, but littfe could be expected from this " press of chivalry". They had scarcely been four days on their march, when they demanded to be led back ; a major, whose name it is un- necessary to remember, roile up to the general, and pe- remptorily ordered him to return ! An idea had begun to prevail, that the guides weire ignorant of the country, and that their course was the opposite of that which they direct- ed. An unlucky occurrence, towards evening, gave the finishing blow to this mighty expedition. A gust of wind had|jarisen, while they were encamped, which blew^violent- ly towards them ; soon after, the grass was discovered to be on fire, and the flames approaching with great ve- locity. This was supposed to be an Indian attack; it would have been a formidable one, hud they not set fire to the grass around their camp, and thus arrested the pro- gress of the flames. The next morning a council of offi- cers was called, and the general, seeing the state of the army, or mure properly ofthe crowd, proposed to proceed against the Indian towns with five hundred men, if that number would volunteer their services, while the re- mainder might return to Fort Harit^xm, When ^e prOi| 1^' mSTORY OF THE WAR, er DU9 for an ci- thers situated four thousand e command of , and early ia his expedition: our Shelby, of •mitlable in ap- country. the tenth, and d proceeded on riatownsj the about one hun- sn plains cover- i becomes very mtents soon he- ld ill compacted pline or author- i fact, but littte ivalry". They ^rch, when they » name it is un- moral, andpe- !a had begun to le country, and lich they direct- ning, gave the A gust of wind ;h blew^violent- as discovered with great ve- ndian attack; ley not set fire [ested the pro- louncil of offi- le state of the led to proceed 1 men, if that while there- hen t>w pf<»t posal was made to the men, not one would turn out; the general having entirely lost his popularity. He then re- quested to be permitted to direct the operations of that single day; this being agreed to, he placed himself at their head, and gave orders to march ; but instead of fbllowin^ him, they turned round, and pursued a contra- ry direction. Findins it useless to attempt any thing further with such a body, he followed in its rear to Fort Harrison. They saw no Indians during their march ; their number must have caused a most fopmidabl'R! ap- pearance in the prairie, particularly as they were nearly all on horseback. The expedition was by no means use- less, as it impressed the enemy with an alarming idea of the numbers which we could bring against them. No in- ference unfavourable to militia, can be justly drawn from this body, or to the individuals who composed it: for it was nothing more than a crowd of armed men under no command. The same officer, sometime in November, led another ^arty, with more success, against the towns at the head of the Wabash. On the I Itn, he again set out from Fort Harrison, with about 1200 men ; while at the same time, seven boats, under the command of lieutenant colonel Barber, ascended the river with supplies and provisions. On the 19th, he reached the Prophet's town, and immedi- ately despatched SOO men, to surprise the Winebago towns on ronce Passu creek. The party, *undcr colonel Butler, came upon the place about day break, butfound it evacuat- ed. Tnis village, together with the Prophet's town, and a large Kickapoo village, containing one hundred and twenty cabins and huts, were destroyed, together with the winter'sjprovision of corn. Until the 21st, no Indians were discovered, when they fired on a small party, and kill- ed a man of the name «f Dunn, a gallant soldier of Du- vall's company. The next day, about sixty horsemen, under colonels Miller and Wilcox, being sent out to bury the dead, they were suddenly attackeaby « considera- ble party of Indians ; and, in the skirmish which ensued, eighteen of our men^were killed, wounded and missing. T£e principal (amp of the Indians having been disco- ,^ '■^*«i*^'*«iip 68 ■1.i HISTORV OF THE WAR. MitTTlT '^''■^ ■»»«'« to attack';* I, , "oipe narrow raJlnT;' ''?,r^"'.'>f ascfnd"!'^ ^-k of dition. mttlF?'™' Wopkin" on hi, «'"".'■ *"» P»st, the For* I ■'^ "'"' 'i'*™ sickness p"'""!"""/ Iiav- 6 S w tue contractor, di >l .f ^■^''^SBftr.*.- ^^fWlRp^*- HISTORY OP TOR WAR. ^^ ffln^'a^'J^f^H^^^^^^^^^ enveloped the Pirate ,. the jells of Se iSn " ?h. ^.k 'T H'^^ ^^s! Sf w««»en and children wS 'Jjl5'l"^i* of a number tiie n^t, altogether nnSJr '3' !?®''.^.*'»« horroursrf soldiers, «^ylas^Z^iZ^'^;^ ^ JerriBck scene. Two The commander, with m^^r **°% «*»* to pieces the rooft tobeVktn & thHr*!^^ "^»"d' <^^e5 attemnt, with th? «sistenMr^« I'^ckstm Fovea successfnl, althoS^de^.:,?**^^' lortuhatelj iets. A breast work Wa- S fif^ "^"^Jer a shower 6f buf- fr eight feet hiirk so M*n/^^ ^^'^S^' ^^^""^^ mornink sir ^ftbrtheburSVoThou?;''^ t»l dajr-iighi,^!, tf.j;^*.«- *«? wwg continued un- «evere loss / that of ?he FoT' '^^"^^' ''^'' suffering a a few wounded. The Ihdia^ T ^'^^ ^^ree killed^ id ibrSi'i^^ *ho4htp^r^rr::jf^^''^*^«fi^i^^ /urther attempts, unfflthrp'kc^^^^ and made no the arnval of «ener«l HookW T ^^^^'^^ "^''eved by conduct. captSn 'l^lw- wS .V*. ** ^»««q«ence of hii a^oritv. \ *^'*'^ ^*s afterwards promoted tiS enterprize, and dwCed „»??'> I^^^vered in^ij name of Pamitaria', toln .■f/"'* '•*»» known by ft. Th« party „,dej ■ '» *n«« they had fled for sheltoJ. some pUcea to the waiat^* **»"? % wveral mile,^ ■nw 76 mSTORT OF THE WAR. ■''.■'■ lihirtj-irst of October, aftel' an absence of only thirteen} flays. Lieutenant-colonel Campbell of the 19th U. S. infantry, was, about the same time, detached against the towns on the Mississinewa river, a branch of the Wabash. A town, inhabited by Delawares and Miamisj was surprised on the seventeenth of November 5 upwards of tliirty per- sons were taken prisoners, and eight warriours Killed. The next morning, at day-light, a furious attack was- made on ii\e American camp ; major Ball, with his dra- goons, sustained the onset for some time; -but a well di- rected fire from captain Butler's " Pittsburgh volunteers,'*' eompelled the enemy to give way. Captain Trotter, of the Lexington troop of horse, charged, and the Indians precipitately fled. Cap^in Pearce,of the Zansville troop, was, unfortunately, killed in the pursuit. Lieutenant Waltz, of the PennsyLvani& volunteers,, was also kilkd; The officers particularly named on th6 occasion wereliett- tenant colonel Simn^eral, major M*D6well, captains Mar« kle, McClelland, Oerrard and Hopkins. The loss in kill- e#on the part of the assailants, amounted tp forty, and on our Pftrt^to eightkilled and about thirty wounded. Se- tefai or their villages were atterwards destroyed. Besides these anairs^ there were a number of less moment, in which t^e militia of Indiana, Illinois^ and Missouri territories, greatly distinguished themselves. The Indians were so much harassed, that they began seriously to repent of having taken Up the war-club so hastily ; and their sufferings, during the succeeding win- ter, were n*lt likely to produce any change of feeling towards those who had thus urged them to encounter their Own ruin. The security of the frontier from the mur- derous scalping knife of the savage, was thusj in a great measure) effected. The Indians would be compelled to remove to the distant British establishments for suste- nance, during the winter, since . their means of subsis* tence were cut OflT. As to the loss of their huts or wig- wams, that waS a matter of little consequence to tliem ; a few days being sufficient to re-construct them. But by their being thus driven to a distance^ witii their wi,>'eB al si ^^K H^ K'a ^pr a^H^I Biu Kr K t H Hr^ /■ "mmimi'- --^^^ pppipl HISTORY OF THE WAR. n r thirteen^ infantry, he towns ibash. A surprised hirty per- irs Killed, ttack was h hisdra- a welldt- iunteers,"' trotter, of a Indians ^ille troop, lieutenant aso kilkd; were llett- tains Mar- OSS in kill- forty, and nded. Se- ed. ir of less Inois^ and lemselves, ey began ar-club so idinff win- of fueling nter their the mur- in a great pel led to or suste- if subsis- ts or wig- |to them ; sm. But iir wijes and children> they ajrere prevented frora annoying the settlerS) with their fiend-liKe warfare. Many a peaceful, settler was saved from their midnight attacks ; and <' the slumbers of'the cradle**- were protected from the savage S'waf-hpop. . > '■U 'm CHAPTER IV, p^roops on the Canada froiiUer — Capture of the Caledonia — Battle of ^leenstown, and the deuUi qf Gen, Brock-^ Bombardment of J^Tiagana-'-Jihoriive attempt of Otiu Smyth — J^orthem Army^^First Cruise of Commodore CluLuncey* Lt is now time to turn our attention to the Northern fron- Her, that we may take a view of the occurrences on that ctensive line, from Niagara down the St« Lawrence. To- rards the close of the year, our forces hiid chiefly concen- I'ated in two bodies; one near Lewistown, consisting of bme regulars r>ewly enl,isted, and militia, amounting to bur thousand men, nnder general Van .Rensselaer, of New - [ork; the other, in the neighbourhood of Plattsburs and "rreenbush, under the commander in chief, general Dear- >rne.| At Black Rock,'at O^ensburg, aiid Sackett's H|r* lur, some regulars and lonilitia were also stationed. Dur- Ig the summer and autumn, a number df volunteer coma mies had marched to the borders, as also the new re- nts, as fast as they could be ehlisted. Bodies of regulars Ire distributed in each of these places, with officers of lerience, for tlie purpose of drilling the raw troops as 5y arrived. It was expected that before the month of |tober, everything would be made ready for k formidable rasion of Canada. Considerable disappointio.ent was, ^ever, experienced, in consequence ot the refusal of the :rnours of Massachusetts, New -Hampshire^ and Con- feticut, to permit the militia of those states tA march nn. \, t \ ' # ft HISTORY OF THE WAR. der the requisition of the President, on the ^ound of thein being the proper judges, under the constitution, of the exi> sency which might require them ; and as thej were not fi-iendty to the war, and particularly so to rendering it ofiensive, they felt no disposition to wave their priviie^s. Other constitutional objections were also urged, which it is scarcely necessary to mention. As the militia in those stages was better disciplined, aAd more effective, than any in the. Union, their absence was severely felt. It is highly I re jible, that had there been a full co-operation on the |M ' i c iHese states, with the views of liie general govern- it. \t^i\iA Upper Canada, at least, would have fallen in- to our haiu!: , in the course of the first campaign. Military stores had been collected at diflferent points, and general Dearborne, who had been appointed in consequence of his experience in the revolutionary war, was actively engaged, with the assistance of such officers as Pike, Boyd and Scott, in drilling, disciplining, and organizing his army. General Smyth, who was considered an able tactitian, was similarly engaged. Between ei^ht and ten thousand men were collected along|this extensive line, and it was hoped that something might still be done. Skilful officers of the navy were also despatched, for the purpose of arming ves« sels on lake Erie, Ontario, and Champlain, in order if pos- sible to gain the ascendency there, and to aid the opera- tions ofour forces. The army under the command of Van Rensselaer, was called the arniy of the Centre, to distinguish it from that of Harrison. That uiider the im- mediate command of general Dearborne} the army of the North. About the beginning of October, an action was achieved by lieutenant Elliot, who had arrived on lake Erie, for the purpose of superintending the naval equipments, which roused the attention of the army of the centre, and ex* cited a general emulation to do something woruiy of no- tice. On the morning of the eighth, the British ^rig De- troit, formerly the Adams, surrendered by Hull, and the brig Caledonia, came down from Maiden, and anchored under the guns of fort Erie, nearly opposite Black Rock ; filliot conceived the idea of attacking them^ and sent an :ll -WWIP* »v>v.i*>.fei^r-'-*V' m i«PpM m^ HISTORY 0* THE WAft. r$ ound of theiv m, of the exi* By were not rendering it ir privile^s. d, which it is itia in those ive, thai? any . It is highly ition on the leral govern- ive fallen in- gn. Military , and general pence of his ely engaged, s. Boyd and ng his army, actitian, waa lousand men it was hoped fficers of the armineves* order if pos- the opera- command of Centre, to der the im- rmy of the achieved Erie, for fnts, which f and ex* hvof no- b'rig De- [I, and the anchored |ck Rock; sent an • ii 1 fl ,)ress to hasten the seamen, then on the way, aiid fh'o, about fifty in number, arrived in the evening, wea- ' id with a march of five hundred miles. Allowing them itil twelve at night for repose, he then embarked in its with about fifty volunteers, who joined him, find, )ssing the river, slipped down to the brigs ; in an instant was on board, and drove the British below. In ten mutes afterwards, he was under weigh. But the wind being sufiiciently strong to bear them against the rrent, they were botii run aground ; the Caledonian, Las to be protected by the batteries of Black ock ; but [ Detroit, after being bravely defended, uni.:l h onsi- ible part of the miliary stores on board w 'e sccriredy set on fire and destroyed. ^ The Caleaonian waft m with furs to the amount of ijiO,000 dollars. This eflfected with the loss of only two killed, and four inded. This affair, having kindled the ardour of ti.ti Americans le army of the centre, they demanded to be led to the Sioh of Canada, and some of the volunteers threat- to return home, unless their wishes were complied But this was not the ardour of veterans, well ^nted with the dangers to be encountered, and des- them ; it was the inconsiderate rashness of inexpe- i men, rea^ to anticipate the proper moment, but jsesing the firmness to persevere when surrounded icustoined terrours. AfteV a conference with gene- ~»yth and Hall, general Van Rensselaer resolved to 1 attack on the heights of Queenstown. From th« ition he could collect, the enemy's force had been idrawn off" for the defence ot Maiden, as it was >d, under the command of general Brock, who had iterritory of Michigan under the government of f^Froctor, until he could organize a force 46 return his place be possessed by our troops, they would Itered from the approaching inclemency of the amd the operations of the Western army much faci- Accordingly,atfour in the morning of the llth, iidst of a dreadful northeast storm, and Keavr attempt waa made to pass the river j butawii^ f4 inSTORY OF THE WAR. to the darkness of the night, and various unforseen acei- dents, the passage could not be eflfected. This failure but served to increase the impatience of the troops, who became almost ungovernable. Orders were despatched to general Smyth, to advance with hia corpd, as another attempt would be made on Queenstown. Every arrangement was rapidly made, and early on the morning of the thirteenth, the troops embarked, under the cover of the American battenes. The force designated to storm the heights, was divided into two columns ; one of three hundred militia, under colonel Van Rensselaer, the other of three hundred regulars, under colonel Chri3> tie. These were to be followed by colonel Kenwick*s ar- tillery, and then the other troops in order. The British, in the meanwhile, anticipating this attack, had obtained considerable reinforcements from Fort George, and if necessary, could be still further assisted by general Brock, who, it now appeared, commanded at that place. At daylight, as soon as the approach of the Americana oould oe discovered, a shower of musketry and grape •pened from the whole line on the Canada shore, and was returned by our batteries, with the addition of two sixes, which, after an extraordinary effort, lieutenant colonel Scott had brought to their assistance from the Falls of Niagara. The fire of the enemy, and the eddies in the fiver, produced considerable embarrassment, in conse- quence of which, lieutenant colonel Christie, who was wounded by a grape shot in the hand, and colonel Mula- ney, fell below the intended point, and were obliged to return. Colonel Van Rensselaer, who commanded the whole, and who led the van, reached the shore, with only one hundred men, in the midst of a most galling fire. He Md scarcely leaped on land, when he received four severe wounds, which retarded' the onset. This gallant officer, being still able to stand, though suflfering the most excruciating pain, ordered his men to move rapidly up the heights. Captain O&ilvie assumed the command, seconded by captain Wool, who was also wounded, and followed by lieutenants Kearney, Carr, Hi^inan, Som- m«rsy aod ensign Keeve of the tlurteenth* Xieutenantft I .tenant Totten, an able engineer. The fortune of the da^ was not yet decided. At three o'clock, the enemy hiving rallieif, and beinv reinforced hy several hundred Chippewa Indians, again advanced ;to the attack. A t first, our men were disposed to faiilter, but being animated by such leaders as colonel Christie and colonel Seott, marehed boldly to the charge, and at ihe point of the bayonet, oac^ more compelled the British, V'ho were now the assailants, to retire. This was the third victory gained since morning, and had the contest ended here, it would have been one of the most eloriou» for our country. General Van Rensselaer perceiving that the men on the opposite side embarked but slowly, and learing another conflict, re-crossed for the purpose of ex- |KKliting their departure. But what was his astonish- mentj on reaching the American side, when he found that they positively refused to embark \ Mere than twelve l^undred men under arms, were drawn up on the bank, where thcg remained as idle spectators of the scene, and neither commands nor entreaties could prevail on them to move. Thej refused to do so on the ground of con- stitntional privilege $ the same men, who a few days he- fore had expressed so much impatience, that their ardour was restrained. It seems that this boiling ardour had already been cooled, by what they had witnessed on the opposite shore. At four o'clock, the British being reinforced by trated. It bein^ iiupussible to hold out any longer, an4 more overcome by the apathy of their couhtrymen, who stood looking coldly on, than by the strength of their foes, they at length surrendered themselves prisoners of war* During the greater part of the engagement with the jast reinforcement, the regulars, not more than two hundred and fifty in number, bore the brunt of the action entirely alone. The prisoners were generally treated well by the British, but they imposed no restraint on their alliesy who proceeded immediately to the work of stripping and scalping the slain, and even many of ^ne wounded. Amongst other indignities which these wretches were nut restrained from committing, were those ottered to the body of ensign Morris, brother to our naval hero. Con- trasted with this, it is worthy of being mentioned, that the suns of the American fort were fired during the fu- neral ceremony of general Brock, a brave and gener- enemy. Even savages, had tliey chosen to'inquire- ous of. the meaning of this, ought to have learned a lesson humanity, their civilized allies could not teach. Every officer who crossed the river, it is said, distin- euished himself. Colonel Scott, afterwards so justly cele- brated, continued the greater part of the day in the hot- ^test of the fight, and although dressed in uniform, and of la tall and elegant stature^ did not receive the slightest [wound. Several Indians afterwards declared that they bad taken deliberate aim at him. A volunteer company if riflemen under lieutenant Smith, who took prisoner an 'ndian Chief, when the enemy rallied a second time, wat^ fiuc distinguished. Lieutenant coloi.el Fen wick wa« everely wounded, but never left the ground during the action. Captains Gibson, Wool, and Vl«Che»ney, were fcighly complimented by the general. The loss of the British and Indians is not exactly known; our»must iv« been at least one thousand in killed, wounded and m -^- wp '- H'i '— '^Wg»W^**'>1l" '"IP»»" ^ .ww » WW < II >B ' : . "•(W""**** »■ 78 mStORY OF THE WAR. prisoners. The greater part of the prisoners were talcen to Montreal. During the embarkation of the troops at Lewistown, a £re was opened from Fort George on the American Fort Nj^ara, which was returned and kept up during the day on both sides, llie battery commanded by captain M'Keon, which was manased widi ability, set fire to se- veral houses near the Britisn fort. A twelve pounder hap" pened to burst, and at the same time the opposite garri- son beginning to throw shells, captain Leonard thought it prudent to l^ave the fort ; but soOn after, perceiving the jSritish about to cross, he returned with a gtiard of twenty men, and kept possession during the ni^t. The next evening he was joined by the remainder of the garrison. Three days afterwards the British batteries below fort Erie, opened a fire on the camp at Bfack Rock. One olr* ihe barracks was destroyed by a shell, which blew up the magazine, but no lives were fost. The garrison of Niagara, having been considerably re- inforced, was again attacked on the twenty -first, from the batteries of Fort Georgq; These places are situated Bearly opposite each other^ and at the entrance of the Niagara. The cannonading continued from sun rise* until dark, the enemy throwin«^ upwards of three thou* "sami red hot shot, and upwards of two hundred shells;: several of the barracks and adjoining buildings were '^red, but, through the indefatigable exertions of major ,Armistead, of the United States artillery, the fire was vepeatedly extinguished. Colonel M>Feelejr, who com- manded the fort, ordered the different batteries to open^ and the enemy's fire was returned with interest. Seve- ral houses in Newark, and about the fort, were burnt ; a schooner lying under its guns was sunk, and one of their Wteries for a time completely silenced. Captain H*Keon commanded in ^e south-east block house, and «aptain Jack, of the militia artillery, in the north-east, Utie situation most exposed. The different batteries ' "Were commanded by lieutenants Rees and Hendal, both ef which were very destructive. Lieutenant Gansevoort oommaaded the Salt battery } Doctor Cooper^ of the miU- -«■ , «i toSTORY OF THE WAlt. T9 rs were tslk^ii tia had the command of a, six-pounder. Lieutenant Uees having been wounded, his place was taken by cap- tain Leonard, during the remainaer of the day. During this severe bombardment, we had only four killed, and a small number wounded, among whom was lieutenant Thomas, Colonel M^Feeley spoke in high terms of colonel Gray, major Armistead, captain Mulligan, and all the other officers and men. Such was their ardour, that havitig expended their wadding, the officers tore off their shirti and the soldiers their pantaloons, to be used for that purpose. An extraordinary instance of female bravery oecuretl on this occasion. The wife of a common soldier, of the name of Doyle, taken prisoner at Queens- town, and carried to Montreal, determined to revenge the treatment of her husband, volunteered her services, and obtained permission to assist at one of the batteries, where she continued to serve hot shot until the last gun- was fired, although the enemy 'is shells continually fell^ a ''ound her, and every moment threatened destruction. Shortly after the unfortunate battle of Queenstown, General Van R^isselaer resigned the command, whicb devolved on brigadier general Smyth, of the United States army. General Smyth announced his determina- tion of retrieving the honour of the American arms, by another attempt on the British batteries and entrench- ments on the opposite side. He conceived that the for- mer attack had not been conducted with judgment, in the selection of the point of debarkation, directly in the face of their batteries, whereas it ou^ht to have been be* tween fort Erip and Chippewa. This he had at first re* commended to general Van Rensselaer, and to the ne- ?;lect of his intimatiou he attributed the failure of tht uriner attempt. Having now the sole command, and be- ing at liberty to carry into execution his own plan, he set about preparing a force for the purpose ; that which he then had under his command being insufficient. As the most effectual mode to accomplish tiiis, he issued a procla- mation appealing to the publick feeling and patriotism of the American people, and inviting volunteers from every f)art of the country. Every topick which could iufluelkct D'XMD mmiifmmf''<'''mmmmmfiifi(^ 1 I 8» HISTORY OP THE WAR. the hearts and minds of the people, was strongly urged ^ they were reminded of the exploits of their ancestoj-s of the revolution ; of the little honour which had thus far at- tended the prosecution of the war ; the recent failure, and the disgraceful surrender of Hull. They were told that even the Indians of the friendly six nations had offered their services, hat that, through regard to the cause of humanity, he had refused to follow a disgiraceful example, by letting loose these barbarous warriours-upon the in- habitant^ of Canada. Hi- then addressed himself particu- larly to the ** Men of New-York," appealing to their pa- triotism, calling on them to retrieve the late disaster, and at the same time, by this step, secure their wives and children from the predatory and murderous incur- sions of the savage. This address was well calculated to reach the feelings of the moment, although excentrick in its style, and in some respects reprehensible, particularly tn the reflections indulged at the expense of others. Moreover, it w• ^»^'' •bout two hundred man obedience, and aftS-dinl evJll h""'"' f'^* «»-d«'- and Jh'ng was wanting bul fhe ^^^'^^P* ""^ «"c<^m. No. jcme delajr, ordel were * hTI *" '.""^*^5 when, after *?Jand, accompanierwith"^t"^ 8r^«n '«»• the %ho?e ««" of Canadk was rivl* ^^^^''r*^'^"' ^hat the invi! arrangements werT mfd^* *'''^' •^'*' ^^^^ «^«son- while ^ne universal ex^48^n«f*^^^ '^*^ ^^"^^ quarters greater part of tCminti« ^'^'^^f^^*'" '^"'•st ft>?«i rthe returned to their home, '* threw down their, arms and »alij threateneTthe^r^'of"!*''''" ^« remaiM co„S„^ natrons passed between hfij^^"*'*^' ^.evere r«crimi Jl^sed hi| of cowlrdTe and "' S^^* ft^*«^ ^v^oTc General Smyth, in vindio"!" Jr*'^^'';''^« deportment, ^e had posit ,ve' instruc ions 1^^^ """u^^"*' ^^%od tTJi less than 3000 men, and fh»rfl *° "'^ ^ ^"^asion with ^ot exceed fifteen hundred 1 1^^^^' ^'nbarked did wn, and embarked in forty boats, with about fifteen len in each $ but they were warmly received by generid 'rown, of the New- York militia, who commanded here person. A sharp action continued for nearly two »urs, when they werd* compelled to abandon their de« (n, leaving one of the boats in our hands, and suffering sunsiderabie loss* Colonel Pike, to whose zeal and indefatigable exeD> 18, the army was even at this time much indebted, the nineteenth passed into the enemjr's territory, prised a blockhouse defended by a considerable body Kn^iish and Indians, put them to flight, and destroyed publick stoi-es. Skirmishes like tnese were not un- |uent, until the close of autumn, and even occurred mg the winter $ but nothing of moment transpired in quar^ter, until tlie begiuoing of the year* HiSTOHy OF THE WAR. 4 " "AlC, »er, commodore r\!t.^ "eutenant WooIspv i^A.' but lost »..\-,'„*';;:!"'«dlon fell inCh the R„„, r ,^'■.8 the „ig^ h'^«.^^ George, IHSTORY OP TBB WAR. m, iiu\ to board her; but the wind blowine directly ie enemy being too well protected by the guns of riesj^he changed his intention. The next morn- tt up in good order, and commenced an attack on [l George, under a heavy fire both from this ship i the natteries. The Conquest, the Julia, th« the Gro'^ler, pushed forward in succession ; af- Uie brig General Hamilton, and tlie Governour U ; shortly after, the whole fire of the batteries led upon the brig, and continued hot on both hour, when the Royal George cut her cables, ^ ler up the bay. The sc^uadron being now ex- le cross fire of the battenes, and not deeming to pursue the Royal George, hauled oflf to. the made sail out of the bay. 'I his was certainly ring exploit, and, to say the least of it, merited The Koyal George suifered severely in her shot from the gun vessels struck her frequently, • loss of commodore Chauncey was very incon- . The commander of "the Pert, Arundel, was by the bursting of her gun, but refusing to quit , was knocked overboard and drowned. The >re captured a schooner oflf the harbour, and sent ^ler as her convoy past the entrance, for the pur- lecoying the Royal Gtorge, but witiioul success. 1 sailed with her prize for Sackett's Harbour. ray she discovered the Prince Regent and Earl convoying a sloop to Kingston 5 she immediately ni herselt behind a point, and when the armed lad passed, she ran out and captured the schooner, , ight her into Sackett's Harbour. The prize had oa 2,'000 dollars in specie, and the baggage of gene- :k, with captain Brock, the brother of that officfr. lore Chauncey soon alter arriving, received the jnce respecting the Earl Moira, and immediate- »ff in tlie imdst of a severe storm, to intercept le False Ducks ; but returned to the Harbour witS- Ing able to fall in with her. n ^'Petti "^^ o{ "ti^ess. '^^^^T^ij ^. msa.3^d naiil'^^'^^^Crell-i^^^^ the verir ice of '^"■e'-. ami """»s«T n ^ '■ "" «6r. * ""''on ' Pf«ce, it «o see f "'^•ne adrf * "'roii/ ," ""e eae,„\, "* Paitv ,„ tbe */it ^O-; ^^''^, ( ipon j iia- i . r© f II*' p; f HISTORY OF THE WAR. m ;hat the government, with which the nation, as others, is identified, should be disgraced, in at the power may be transferred to better hands* ould not be the maxim of Washington. But on ject it is difficult, if not impossible, to draw the ine oetween a manly and laudable opposition ta i conceive to be wrong, and such intemperance a& danger the character and safety of the country, of the Eastern States, where the opposition to the most violent, it was voted to bd immoral and im- to rejoice at the success of our arms.; of Uiift'vote ir wards became ashamed, and ordered it to be 'rom their journals. adminisiration) Boon after the war, had mani" wish for the restoration of peace, codld it be sistently with 'prudence. About the time of the ion of war in this country, the Prince R^nt ealed his Orders in Counalj one of the princi|)al f hostilities : an^act, which was by no means dic« ' a sense of whalt waia due to justice and to us, but rgency of the particular interests of Great Britain, repealed them, he considered himself entitled to e regard as if they had been expressly repealed account, and demanded that hostilities, on our loiild cease. To this the president replied, that ow at war, the Uii< ted States would not put an ostilities^ unless a provision were made for a settlement of differences, and a cessation of inabie practice of impressment, pending tiie .ne- m. In the mean tinve, a law would b^ passed for* le employment of Britiiih seamen in our vesselSy soever kind. A law to thiseftect was passed dur* Qessiun. klv after the commencement of tlie war, a pro- tor an armistice had been made by the governouir Ida, but was rejected as a matter of course. The can minister in London, was authorised to agree ssation of hostilities, even on the unofficial asauf- liat the practice of impressment would be discon- b duripj5 the armistice. This was rejected. A pro- '•muff m 98 HISTORY OF THE WAR. position was afterwards made by admiral Warren,! which required as a preliminary to every other %\\ that oar armies should be immediately withdrawn, andj orders to our cruisers recalled. This he alleged, ^va)l consequence of our being the aggressors, and as suchj became us to take the first step, and uncondition^ throw down our arms. Here it might be asked, whet! tills country has ever e:cperieneed so much good faith i forbearance from Great Britain, as to justify such c« dence ? But was she not the aggressor, by her own knowiedgment ? for, by the repeal of the Orders j Council, if on our account, she acknowledged her to have violated our neutral rights. Moreover, iti well known tiiat she had, at that moment, more i two thousand impressed American seamen, confined] prisoners of war, and persisted in refusing every irranj inent whidi might remedy in future the odioas practice. ! strangely inconsistent are the pretexts of injustice. Thel attempts at reconciliation had failed, when the EmperJ of Russia interposed his mediation, which, on the parti our government, was instantly accepted : on being \m jknown to England, it was declined, as being incompatii with her naval interests; but she professed a willingna to enter into a direct negociation ; this? it will be se iwas merely thrown out as a pretext, to prolong the l^i her pleasure. A mbst iuinortant change had taken place in the ,of Europe, r^apoleon had experienced a reverse, pn portioned to the^ vastness of his designs. This man, in] -toxicated with his former success, and with the vile flat] lery which is always paid to the despot, had begun tiiink himself more than mortal. It is thought thatk^ had conceived the ii!sa of universal empire, naturall'S enough tiie ultimate object of a conqueror ; for what conl queror ever set bounds to his ambition ? The vanitjroli his scheme, if any such ever entered his head, of bringiD'] all Europe to his' feet, of mastering the fleet of Englanii] md then extending his powr over the globe, was nowl fully demonstrated. The joy which many of our fellow! citizens esipressed on this occasion, was perhaps ill judg^j HISTORY OF THE WAR. '89 [fall of a despot and a tyrant, is certainly an agreeable le to a republican ; but the immediate connexion of this with our welfare, was not easily traced. It was evident that the enmity both of France and England ^rds this country, proceeded from the same cause, J considering human nature, a very natural cause , [it, the circumstance of our prospering* and growing frdm their dissentions. We had but little to fear [we should be molested by any European power, at- iting to cunquer our vast country ; and as to univer- lominioQ, England, in her claim to the sovereignty [e seas, already possessed it, as far as the thing, ia lature, was capable of being possessed. As to Eu- the mad attempt of Napoleon had been followed overthrow so complete, that so far from being dan- is to its repose in future, it becameaiiiatter of doubt* [yery enlightened politicians, ^whether he would be Ko main' ain his own ground, and whether if France [reduced to a seconnTrate power, Europe would not |to fear a mure formidable enemy in Russia. No- I but the pacifick temper of the present sovereign,. ' be a guarantee to the safety of the neighbouring s. The consequence of the rapid decline of the r of Napoleon, would be highly favourable to Eng- in the disposal of her forces against this country | fated by her success against France, it was not proba- kat she would feel much disposition to treat with us > wonable terms, first business, on the meeting of Congress, with to the war, wbich now occupied its chief atten- IfWas the providing an additional force. Enlist-* had been extremely slow, and sufficient encou* ;nt had not been held outfor recruits. It was pro-^ jsto receive into the service of the United States, thousand volunteers, for a year, to be clothed Rid in the same manner as regular troops. The in- \y of mere militia, under no discipline, and under itrol, bad been sufficiently seen, both during the it and the revolutionary war. But there was no - of remedying the evil; for regularsuldieis cuiildaot ted, or at, least, in sufficient numbers. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 m lis ■ 50 1^ 1^ 112.2 ^ t^ 12.0 m t U |,.6 A" O V J% A w Pliotographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STMIT WnSTIR, N.Y. USM (716) I73-4S03 NT 37 iV N> ^^<$^/^ ^V^ ^ mmmm 90 HISTORY OF THE WAR; r ■'. , The nar^ attracted mtich attention. On this sufiject there prevailed the most perfect unanimity ; and it was resolved, that it should be fostered as thebest and safest reliance of our country. Such as might have once been inimical to it, became its warmest friends. The national legislature now engaged with great assiduity, in devising such measHzes as were necessary, for a vigorous nrosecu* tionot the war, and as would tend to remedy tne eTils already experienced. The seaWrd, although sometimes threatened by tlie enemy$ had iiot yet experienced any serious molestation. In the month of December, the w hole coast was proclaim* ed in a state of blockade^ but with no force actually ap^ plied. This paper blockade had no pretence of retalia- tion^, like that declared against the coast of France ; and the United States did not choose to follow an example so I tontrary to the laws of nations, and in turn declare tlie coast or England in a state of blockade, and under that pretence interrupt the commerce of neutrals, going to her ports. The British vessels wfcre chiefly employed in the protection of her commerce against our cruisers, anil her I attention was so muc^i taken up with the mighty affain !which were then passing on the continent, that we for- tuaately remained, during this season, unmolested ', at least our homes and our fo-esides were nut disturbed. ~ A war, however, threatened us in another quarter, to which we now looked with no small rnxiety. The southern Indians, equally ferocious in their modes of warfare, and periiaps more daring than the northern, ^began to exhibit sii^ns of hostility. No people had ever )eea cause t(; complain. The Creeks, witlvin the territo* link limits of the United States, had been uniformly pro* lected by the Americans ; intruders upon their lands ivere turned off at the point of the bayonet; immense •oms were expended for the purpose of teaching them the arts of civilized life $ persons were employed to residi nmong them, for the purpose of teaching those arts, and implements of agriculture were furnished at the publick •xpenfce. This humane System, commenced by Wash* il^^D; was strictly pursued by subsequent adaunistiiif HISTORY OF THE WAll. tl tions. The eflfects were viHible in the course of a few [years. Their country and climate, probnl?»ly the best* in the United States, were capable of aftbrilinj; every- thing essential to their happiness. The domestick arts had taken root atnonorst tnem $ that strong stimulant to indnstry, separate property on the soil, was beginning to be understood ; they possessed numerous herds, and I all the domestick animals ; their situation was, in every 1 respect, equal to that of the peasants in many parts of Europe. They had thrown off their clothing of skins, and wore cottons of their own manufacture; and their [Bopulution was rapidly increasing. They hml always [lived on terms of friendship with the llnited States ;> Itheir lands had never been encroached upon ; and thev' [had become considerably intermixed, b^ marriages, with, jtlie whites. According to one of their laws, no white [roan, except the Indian agent, is permitted to oeside lix [their territory, unless \\e marries a native. I The benevolent societies of the United States, had [opened schools through the country, for the purpose of [giving the finishing to this state of manners ; for in every [other respect they had entirely thrown off the savage [habits. Nearly the same state of improvement existed [ainougst the other tribes, tlie Choctaws, Chickasaws, and [the CRerokees. The same regular industry was visible- [in the villages of these people, in their daily occupations^ [in their cultivatic^n of the soil, in their attention to their [lands, and even in the construction of their dwellings, [which, in many cases, were built by white .carpenters [employed for the purpose, and little inferior to the generality of white settlers. So far, indeed, had this [avilization advanced, that ihe luxuries of eoffee and igar, and many other articles, had be«i introduced mong them ; aod it was no uncommon thing to see tlieici [women riding to some neighbouring town, dressed m [neat cottoa garments of their own weaving, on siden [saddles manufactured by the.wlutss, which had cosi [them twenty-five o* tiiirty dollars. Many of them had ilaves, who laboured in the fields, or were employed io^ "" various QCGupaliioM o£ the houAeholii : L ! ■ HISTORY OF THE WAR. To seduce these people into a war, would be an act of cruelty to them, and, hostilities on their part, would be the extreme of folly. For although, if united, their num< hers would be thrice that of the northern Indians, yet being completely surrounded by white settlements, their destruction must be inevitable. The United States' agent, colonel Havykins, an enlightened man, had devoted his life tathe civilization of these uhfortunate people, and had acquired a considerable ascehdencv. But, amongst them, there was a large portion of the idle and the worthless, who had been too lazy to acquire property, and who were nclined to retHrn to the old State of savage manners, be- cause more favourable to their loose, unrestrained prO' pensities, than the habits newly introduced^ wniclv they pretended to despise. During the summer, while war rased on the northern frontier, the disorderly Creeks oegan to shew much uneasiness $ they collected in small oands, roamed about the country, commit- ted depredations on. the property of the well-ordered class, and often upon the whites. Shortly after the sur- render of Hull, this disposition brok« out into open vio- lence. A party of these vagabond Musco^ees tell upon some people, who were descending the Mississippi, and murdered them near the mouth of the Ohio. The aftiiir was represented to the nation, who caused the perpetra- tors to be seized and put to death. A civil war, soon after, was Uie consequence, in which the savage part^ as might be expected, prevailed ; and the greater num- ber of those who had been friendly to the United States^ were either obliged to flyy or to join their standard. Other causes contributed to bring about, this ruinous fttate of things. The celebrated chief, Tecumseh, had, the year before, visited all the southern tribes, for the purpose of kindling a spirit unfriendly to the United States. Tliis savage Demosthenes, wherever he went^ cklled councils of their tribes, and with that bold and commanding elo- quence, which he possessed in a degree infinitely sup^- riour to what has ever been witnessed amongst these people, exhausted every topick calculated to operate on ^eir minds; and alienate their affections from their ben^ aiSlX)KY OF THE WAR. m hcion. Amongst all these nations his speeches had Scat effect) but amon^t the Creeks particularij, al- oueh the more considerate rejected nis interference. Amid the usual topicks of his discourses, he was in the habit of reproaching them witii their civilization ; and in the keenest and most sarcastick manner, contrasting tiieir degenerate effeminacy, with every thing that was great and noble in the opinion of Indians, Demosthenes, ui his reproaches of his countrymen, wls not more ter- ribly vehement and audacious. Against the United States, he pronounced the most furious invectives, which might be compared to the philippicks of the Grecian orator ; and b£ unquestionably left a strong impression on the minds of all the southern Indians. There existed, however, another more immediate cause -of their enmity towards as. The Seminoles, and the tribes of the Creeks who resided within the territory of Spain, were frequently supplied with arms and presents from tiie British government, with a view of engi^ng them to make war upon the United States, and also ta prevail upon tiie other Creeks to join themi The town: of Pensacola, which was then, to every purpose, under the control of Great Britain, was the usual place at which these presents were distributed, and wher^the vagabond Indians could be supplied with arms ; aQ^ they resorted to it, from all the diLerent tribes, for the purpose of -receiving them. It was no difficult matter, thus to excite hostilities; unfortunately, the event proved them but too successful. Such was the disposition of the southern Indians, during the first year of the war. The Choctaws, Chickasaws and Cherokees, the latter particularly, being further removed from British influence, and witliin reach of our pov/er, were disposed to be friend- ly ; but many of their restless young men, in spite of the nation, strayed off and joined our enemies. Hostilities did not commence on the part of any of these Indians, witliin our territory, during the first year of the war. The government, however, fearing the worst, called on the- soyernours of Georgia and Tennessee, to hold their mi- Utia in readiness j and general Jackson, at the head of two « wmmm mmm S9tmiCii!J.-> 4 HISTORY OF THE WAR thousand men, early in the spring, marched through the Choctaw and Chickasaw country to Natchez* a distance I oT five hundred miles ; but every thing appearing); peace* ful in this quarter, he shortly after returned. This ev I pedition had the effect of fixing the tiibes through which it passed j and of retarding the Creek war. Irie tiibei within tite limits of the Spanish part of Florida, on the contrary, declared themselves at once, and brandishetl "^e seaming knife against the frontier of Geor^a. The Semmoles, very soon* after the declaration of war, began to make incursions into Georgia, accompanied bji number of negro runauays, who had taken refi^» amongst thein. They proceeded to the usual work of murdering I the inhabitants, and plundering their prop4»rty. Early it ] September, a party of marines and aoout twenty volun- teers, under captaintWilliams, were attacked near Davis'i { Creek by about -fifty Indians and nesroes. After a despe< rate resistance, in which captains Williams and Fort were I both severely woundlNl, the party retreated, leaving the sa'^es in possession of their wagons and teams. * of the ^th of the same months colonel Newman i -of the ' Georgia volunteers, with about one hundred and seven' teen men« marched to the attack of the Loehway towns, /When within a few miles of the firstof these,,''he meta party of one hundred.' and fifty Indians 4)n hor6e!>ack, who instantly dismounted and prepared for battle. Culo- nel Newmdn ordered a charge, and' the Indians were driven into one of the swamps, which abound in this-part of the country. As they fled, the fire of the musketry did considerable execution, and, amongst others of the stain, they left their king in the hands of the whites. The Indians discovering this, with a spirit which deserves to be admired, made several desperate charges, in order to recover the body of the chief, and were each time driven back. But in atiother attempt) still more desperately fu* xious, they succeeded in carrying off the dead body; when they retired from the fields uter a severe conthct of two hyurs. This, however, did not free the Georgi- ans from their unpleasant situation. Before night, the,, Indians returned with considerable reinforcements ot' oe* fflSTORY OF THE WAR. lb groes, and after a loss more severe than the firsts tbej I again fled. The volunteers now found their situation be- comins every moment more critical ; the number of their wounded, would neither permit them to retreat, nor to advance, and the enemy was hourlv increasing on all i sides. A messenger was despi^ched for reinforcements $ and in the meanwhile, they throw up a small breast work. Here they remained until the 4th ofOcituber, waiting for I assistance; having in the meantime repelled numer- |ou9 assaults from the Indiaos, who continued to harass I them day and night* The Indians observing that a per- fect silence prevailed within the breast- works, suspcxted that they had been deserted in tiie night ; and approach- jed under this assurance, until within thirty or fbfty pa- ces, when the Georgians suddently shewed themselves [above the breast-work, fired tiieir pieces, and sent theia lyelling to the swamps. The volunteers then decamped, land reached unmolested the village of Peccolatta. whence Ithey had set out Intelligence of this aifair reached tlte [government about the commencemeht of* the session of I Congress, and it was found necessary to make suitaide preparations to meet a war in this quarter. I'he defence of this important frontier was assigned to general Pinck- ney, of South Carolina, a gentleman of great distinction and ability, who vmis appointed a brigadier in the service I of tlie United States. CiMigress had not been long in session, when the pub- jUck feelings were once more excited, by news of the most flattering kind. Another naval victory was announced, not less splendid than those of the Constitution and the Macedonian ; the flag of another British frigate was trans- mitted to our capital, and was placed amongst the other trophies of OHT aaval prowess. In October, the Constitution, commodore Bainbridge, and the Hornet, -captain Lawrence, sailed from Mew [York, and were to effect a junction with t^e Kssex, cap- tain Porter, which sailed about the same time from the Delaware ; the object of which was to cruise in the South Seas, and destroy the British fisheries and commerce in th&t quarter. The junotion not happening at the time* ^ IHSTORY OF THE WAlU and place appointed, comiiodore Porter passed round Cape H'lrn alone. In the mean while, on the 29th December, a few leagues west of St. Salvador, the Coiwl stitution, wluch had a few days before parted companjl with the Hornet, descried a British frigate. Commodorel Bainbridge tacked sail and stood for her. At 2 P. }A,\ the enemy was within half a mile of the Constitution, and to windward, havinjc hauled down his colours, excej^ the.union jack, which was at the mizen-mast head. Ai gun was then fired ahead,'tamtke him shew his colourg,! which was returned by a broadside* The enemy's co. lours being now hoisted, the action commenced with rnund| and i^rape ; hut he ke^t at so great a distance that thi bad little effect; and in this position, if he were brougMJ nearer, the Constitution would be exposed to raking ; at] thirty niinutes past two, both thips were within good can*i nister distance, wh«^ii the Constitution's wheel was shot] away. At forty minutes past tv^o, the fore and main-siull were set, and commodore Bainbridge, being now deterJ mined to close with her, luflfed up for that purpose, and] in ten minutes after, the enemy's jib-boom got iiul of fhel Constitution's mizen rising, and in another ten *n:nute8,1 his bow-sprit and jib-boom were shot away. At five inin-f Qtes past three, his main top mast v^as shot away justl above the cap. This was followed by the loss of his gaJfl and spanker boom, and soon after' his main mast tveiitr nearly by the board. At fifteen minutes past three the enemy was completely silenced, and his colours at the! main roast bein»- down, it was thought he had surrender* led ; under this idea, the Constitution shot ahead to repair I damages; after which, discovering the enemy's flag still flying, she wore, stood fur him in a handsome style, and| fot close athwart his bows in an eifectual position for ra* ing, when his main mast went entirely by the board,and| he lay an unmanageable wreck. He now struck his co> lours, and wus taken possession of bv lieutenant Parker^ 9;ad found to be the British frigate Java, of thirty-ei^ht I'uns, but carrying forty-nine, commanded by a distiri' ginshed officer^ captain liambert, who was mortally ^Ot^ded. iShe had vn board four hundred men, besidd HISTORY OP THE WAK. 9T /»! Cast Indies, for the service there. The Constitution fad nine men killed, and twenty-five wounded ; the Java Kxty killed, and one hundred and twenty wounded. She ad on board despatches for St. Helena, Cape of Good lope, and the different establishments in the East Indies, ina China, with copper for a seventy-four, building at Bombay. There were also on board a number of passen- etv, among whom were lieutenant general Hislop^ jgo- lernour of Bombay ; major Walker; and one staflTmijor; iptain Marshall, master and commander of the Eoyal favy ; and several officers appointed to ships in the East idies. The conduct of all the American officers, on this occa* Ion, was as conspicuous for gallantry durins t^e engage- ment, as for humanity to the vanquished* It is this true hivalrick courtesy, which gives estimation to valoUn Lieutenant Aylwin, so favourably known to the reader, eceived a severe wound, of which he soon after died. He m in the act of firing his pistols at the eiemy from the uarter deck hammocK, when he received a ball in hi| kulder blade, which threw him on the deck. Midshipnian >uiany, who had fought by his side in both actions of this hip, ordered two men of his division to carry him below; h this he would not consent, until he saw the issue of ie battle, at the same time declaring: that no man should luit ilia post on his account. Lieutenant Parker, Jamef )ulany, of Pennsylvania, and James Packett, of Virginia^ rere much distinguished ; the latter was afterwards pre- ented with a sword by his native state, a^^d was promo- hd tu a lieutenancy. Many extraordinary instances of IraTery were manifested by the seamen, one of whom, [fter being mortally wounded, !ay upon deck during a reat part of the action, apparently expiring ; but no loner was it announced that the enemy had struck, than |e raised himself up, gave three cheers, fell back aud ex- bred. Oq the first of January, the commodore finding the brizein such a state as to render it impossible toDrin|g ler in, and leaving every thing on board except the pri- joiiers' baggage, blew her up. On arriving at Sit pal- I»8 HISTORY OF THB WAR. Tsdor, the commodore received the publiek acknowledge.! meDts of y^oTernour Hislop, who presented him with an I elegant sword in consideration of the polite treatment vrhich he had shewn. He released the private passengen I without considering them as prisoners } the publiek passen. cerS) ofiicers and crew, were released on their parole. At tnis place the Constitution met with the Hornet, and leaving this vessel to blockade the Bonne Citoyenne, the commodore sailed for the United States, changing the original destination for the South Seas. On the arrival of commodore Bainbridge in the United | States, he was universally hailed by the applauses of his i countrymen ; he received the/reedom of the city of New* York in a g;oId box; a piece of plate from the citizens (^ Philadelphia, and the thanks of many of the state Icgisli I tares. QonsressT «lso presented him a medal, and vote^ fifty thousand doHa^ to himself, officers and crew. 1 In the midst ofthese affairs, news of fresh disasters tQl tiie westward, i^id accompanied hy circumstances such as rarely occur in the annals of history, tended much to I temper the publiek joy for the second victory of the Con- jtitutiom ^ ' HISTORY OF THE WAR. 99 CHAPTER VI. |B»iT»8on returns to Ohio — Oeneral Winchester sends a detachment to protect Frenchtown — Colonel Lewis dt' feats the British and Indians — Winchester arrives with reinforcements — Battle of tlie river Raisin-^ Shocking conduct of the British and their allies — Sar- Tison*s return — 8ieee of Fort Meigs — Defeat ofDudly —•The siege raised — Exploit of Major Ball. jVV'^ ^^^^ ^^®° ^^^^ ^^^^ indefatigabld industry gene* Iral Harrison was engaged, in placing the western frontier [in a posture of defence, and in attempting to regain what iwe had lost. The Indian tribes had been made to feel Itiie war in their own country, and were driven to such a distance by the destruction of their vill^es, as o prevent I Ihem from annoying bur settlements ; ^ey were compel- |led to remove their wives and children to the distant Eritish establishments, in order to obtain the means of sibsistence. The close of the season was now chiefly occupied in strengthening the frontier posts, and in es- tablishing others. Great exertions were mad^ by gover- nour Meigs, of Ohio, to keep up the necessary supply of men, ana to provide the means of subsistence. General Harrison estU)lished his head quarters at Franklinton^ whence he could with greater facility organize and distri- bute to the diftercnt forts, the reinforcements and supplies which must arrive. His object was to concentrate a con- siderable force at the Rapids, and thence, unless a change of circumstances forbade, proceed to Detroit. The go- vernment was compelled, in consequence of the taking of that place, to transport artillery and publick stores at an enormoujR expense! across the mountains, and down the Ohio J and afterwards to the different forts. This neces- sarily consumed. much time^ and delayed the operations of the army. In the meanwhile, general Winchester continued at Fort Defiance, with about eight hundred men ; many of 100 HISTORY OF THE WAR. the volunteers having returned home on the expiratioil of their term of service. Those who remained wcrtl chiefly from Kentucky, and the greater part rankedl amongst its most respectable citizens. Early m the montitl of January, general Winchester received intiniatioiiil from the inhabitants of the village of Frenchtown, whicij is situated on the river Raisin, oetween the Rapids a Detroit, tiiatalarge body of British and Indians mn\ about to concentrate at this point, for the purpose of pre. . Tenting the farther progress of the Americans. The in- habitants became alarmed at their situation, besought titt Americans to march to their protection, as they would .probably be exposed to :he horrours of Indian massacr;, in the midst of fAocioui savages, whom the British were obliged to indulge, thnt they might be kept in a good hu- mour. Threats acains*. them had, besides, been thrown oit %one of the Indian Chiefs. The sensibility of the youn* nerican volunteersf officers anci privates, was strong* ly excited, and they earnestly besoumtthe general to lead uiem to the defence of the distresseoTinhabitants. With Some reluctance, he yielded to their wishes, and contrary to the fi;eneral plan of the commander in chief, resolved io send a force to their relief. Accordingly, on the seven- teenth of January, he detached a body of men under co* lonels Lewis ancl Alleq, with orders to wait at Presque Isle, until joined by the main body. arty of British and Indians, had already taken pos- ' session of Frenchtown. It was determined to march in- atantly and attack them. As they drew near, the enem^ hccam'e apprised of their approach, and prepared fur their reception. Colonel Allen commanded the right wing, ma- jor Graves the left, and major Madison the centre. On coming to the river, which was bridged with ice, they (lis* played and moved forward under a fire from a howitzer and musketry. Majors Graves and Madison, with their battalions, were ordered to dislodge the enemy from the houses and picketing, which they in a moment eflected, un- der a shower of bulnts, and drove the British and Indians to the woods. Colonel Allen made a simultaneous move- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 101 lincntupon their left, and after several spirUed charges [cninpelled these te take to the wood also. Here availing hhemselves of the fences and fallen timber, they attempted {to make a stand ; but were attacked a second time) and after is conflict more obstinate than the first, they again fled. I'rhey now attempted to draw their pursuers into a wood ; land partly succeedinj^, they charged in turn furiously, hut Iwere unable to break the Ameiican line. A severe conflict now ensued, but the enemy was finally beaten, pursued with a continual charge for several miles, and entirely dis- persed. The American loss was twelve killed, and fifty-five [wounded : that of the enemy could not well be ascertain- ed, but fifteen of the Indians were left on the field. The Ivolunteers having thus gallantly efiected their object, en- Icamped on the spot, where they remained until the 20th» [when they were joined by general Winchester^ With this ■addition, their whole force exceeded seven hundred and Ifirty men. 8ix hundred men Were placed within a line of pickets, land the remainder, to the number of one hundred and fifty, encamped iuthe'open field. On the morning of the 22d, a combined force of about fifteen hundred men, un- der Proctor and the Indian chiefs Round-head and Split- lug, suddenly attacked our little arm v. They were in an instant ready for the reception of the enemy, who |)lanted six pieces of artillery, and opened a heavy iire, accompanied with musketry, against the slight breast-work of pickets. The body of men belonging to the encampment, p.nd composing the right wing, was so^n overpowered by numbers, and endeavoured to retreat across the river. Two companies of fifty men each, see- ing the critical situation of their comrades, sallied out of the breast-work to their relief, but shared the same fate. Nearly the whole of these unfortunate men were either cut oif, or surrendered themselves prisoners to the Bri < tish, under promise of protection. The left wine within the pickets, still continued a cool and steady resistance. Three successive assaults were made by the British 41st, but they were driven back, with the loss of thiity killed aad one hundred wounded. When the right wing broke 9* " 102 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ftt the commencement of the action, great efibrts had been made by general Winchester and colonel Lewis, to rally and bring them within the pickets y but in the attempt these officers were taken prisoners. Notwithstanding these misfortunes, and the overwhelming force which assailed them on every sld^, they still continued, with firmness and determination never surpassed, to repulse every assault of the enemy, until eleven o'clock in the dayj makin« prodigous slaughter in hi& ranks. Finding at length that it would be vain to contend open' ly with such men, resolved to defend themselves to the last, and that even if they had now been successful, their victo. | ry would have been dearly bought, the enemy attempted to prevail on them lo surrender. The general was told I by colonel Proctor, that unless his men surrendered, they would be delivered over to the fury of the savages, or what amounts to the same thins, no responsibility ^vould betaken for their conduct, and that the houses*^ of the village would be burnt. The general sent a flag com' | mumcatins these particulars, and stating that in order to preserve the remamder of his brave troops, he had agreed to surrender them as prisoners of war, on condition of | their being protected from the savages, of their being al- lowed to retain their private property, and of having their side arms returned them. T he flag passed three times, the Americans unwilling to «iurrender with arms in their hands, until they received a positive engagement from a British colonel that they ;,should hot be murdered, and that they should have the privilege of burying tlie dead. Thirty-five officers, and four hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers and men, still remained, after fighting six hours against artillery, surrounded by the yelU ot a thousand savages, waiting like wolves for their pre^. At this time the killed, wounaed and missing, of the lit- tle army, including those that had been outside the picket, amounted to more than three hundred. The loss of the British could not have been less. The little band, thus soficited by their general, and giving way to that ray of hope which the bravest men in desperate situations 'iViil 9eize) at last consented to a surrender. HISTORY OF THE WAK. K)d The office of the historian sometimes imposes a melan- Ich6ly duty. The mind may be allowed to iiuliiif«;e a one- rous satisfaction, in recording tliose actions v ore ahigh, but mistaken ambition, calls forth our energies at the ex- pense of humanity. Who can read without admiring, the retreat of the ten thousand Greeks, and what heart can be insensible to the recital of the fate of Leonidas and his immortal band ! The virtues of such men, their forti- tude, their love of country, their unconquerable minds, give a sanctity to their fate ; and while we grieve for them, we rejoice that we also are men. Far otherwise when we trace, in characters of blood, the cofd, deliberate, iicnd-like depravity, which assimilates men to the most odious and ferocious of the brute creation. The task I must now fulfil is painful; I must speak of such things as I almost shudder to name ; neither can it be done without tearing open the yet bleeding ivounds of my country. But faithtul history forbids that tney should be passed over in silence ; they must stand forth in all the ftwtulness of truth : and that impartial judgment must be passed upon them, which will doom them to the detesta- tion of all posterity. The vengeance of heaven does not sleep. There is a measure of retributive justicti even in this world, which sooner or later overtakes the swiftest guilt. Not the most infuriated passions of the worst of times, ever generated a more shocking scene of cruelties than were practised towards a band ot brave men, fight- ing in honourable battle, and who deserved statues of their country. Impelled by feelings of humanity, they inarched to protect the feeble and the helpless from savage violence : and assailed by overwhelming numbersy they might have contended. to the last man ; but yielding to the solicitations of their captured general, to the threats of conflagration and murder, to^the innocent people of the village, they surrendered in an evil hour to ataitldess and treacherous foe, that they might be consigned to cruel euffering, to butchery, to murder, to unrelenting torture, to every species of savage death. Well miglit those dispos- ed to wage such a war, wibh to destroy the pen of hitto- 104 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ry. 'Hie pen of history cannot be broken.* At its com- mand) the sword of vengeance shall leap from its scab- bai-d. Would for the honour of Britain ; would for the sake of humanity ; M'ould for the sake of our common re- lationship to a nation in which there exist many of lite most generous and refined, that the odious tale of the river Raisin and Frenchtown> might be consigned to eteriial oblivion. But ijt cannot be. The sacr^ call of truth must he obe^^ed. The savage and wanton massacre of our heroick countrymen, in the presence of a British officer, has not been denied, or palliated. Other atrocities the perpetrators have attempted to cover, fey some flimsy veil of unsubstantial excuse, but this charge has always been met with silence. They have not dared directly to deny; and^ gracious Heaven, where could they find an excuse ! Let the virtuous Briton, who reads this page, blush for his countrymen ; let the posterity of the nation to which vie are so closely related, shed a tear upon it, and maj fu- ture generations of Americans, for the sake of the com- mon relationship they bear to a Sidney, a Russel, a Chat- ham, and a Howard, generously forgive. VThey cannot forget. Scarcely had the Americans surrendered, under the stipulation of protection from the British officer, than our brave citizens now discovered too late, that thejr were reserved to be butchered in cold blood. Of the right wing, but a small number had escaped ; the work of scalping and stripping the dead, and murdering those ivho could no longer resist, was suffered to go on with- out restraint. The infernal work was now to negin with those who had so bravely defended themselves. The infamous Proctor and the British officers turned a deaf ear to the just remonstrances of these unhappy men. Contrary to express stipulations, the swords were taken from the sides of the officers, many of them stripped al- most naked, and robbed. The brave dead were stripped * In the Vandal mutilations of the beautiful naval monument at Washington, the ptin of the figure representing history wu broken. HISTORY OF THE WAR. mo [and scalped, and their bodies shockingly mutilated. The Itomahawk put an end at once to the sufterings of many [of the wounded who could not rise ; in allusion to which, Igome dajR afterwards, a British officer observed, ^ The [Indians are excellent doctors." The prisoners, who [now remained, with but a. few' exceptions, instead of [being guarded by- British soldiers, were delivered to the charge of the Indfians, to be marched in the rear of the ar- \mj to Maiden. Thier was, in other words, a full permis- sion to indulge their savase thirst of blood ; and in this they were not disappointed^ for tlie greater part of these ill-fated men were murdered on the way^ through mere wantonness. Perhaps, as a christian^jf he be sucn. Proc- tor attempted to put a stop to these butcheries; no — there was not even an attempt} and in this country we know well that it was amply in. his power to have pre- vented these things. But if he wjere notj it neither les- ions bis villainy nor the infamy of the British, in associat- ing with such allies. All such as became too weak for. want of nourishment, from excessive fatigue, from their [wounds, in this, most inclement season of tlieyear, were at once despatched. But small was the number of this little army, that ever reached the British garrison ; the greater part of the prisoners had been carried off by the Indians, that they might satiate their fiend-like hatred bj roasting them at the stake ; or if reserved, it was to gratify their cupidity, by rendering them the objects of an abominable traflick. Alas ! what heart that does not shrink with fnward horrour, at the contemplation of thi9 ghastljr scene ! But its abominations were not yet com- plete. About sixty of the wounded, many of them officers of distinction, or individuals of much respectability, had been suffered to take shelter in the houses of tlie inhabi- tants, and two of their own surgeons nermitted by Proc- tor to attend them, from whom they also obtained a pro- mise that a guard should be placed to protect them, and that they should be carried to Maiden tlie next morning in sleds. But alas! this wretch's affected humanity, was but an aggravation of bis cruelty, by av^akening a hope 106 HISTORT OP THE WAR. ivhich he iQtended to disappoint. No guard of soldiers was lefty and on the next day, instead of sleds to convey them to a place of safety, a party of Indians returned to the field of battle, fell upon these poor wounded men, plundered them of tiieir clothing, and efery article of any value which remained, tomahawked the greater part of them, and, to finish the scene, fired the houses, and! Consumed the dying and the dead. The terrible tale is not yet told. Those rites, which in every civilized country are held sacred, -which are not I withheld from the vilest malefactor, which are paid ahke to enemies and to friends, the rites of sepulture, a]> though there existed an express stipulation with tht inonster who commanded, a stipulation unnecessary amongst civilized men, yet these were not only deniea, but the humane inhabitants of the village darea not per* form them under pain of death. And why was this refused ? Because, said Proctor, his majesty's alUei would not permit ! Was there any attempt made to bury them ? None. ' Notwithstanding this, some of the inhabitants, although it>< was as much as t|^ lives vrere worth," did venture to perform this last and pious office to captain Hart, to captain Woolfolk, and (ifew others; but the remainder, nearly two. hundred in nuniber, never had this ofiice performed for them, until their friends and relatives triumphed over the inhuman mbn8ter,the autumn following, and then^athered up their bleaching bones. Their mangled bodies had been suffered to lie on the ground exposed to the ferocious beasts of prey, or to the more horrmle pollution of domestick animals. The general tri^edy was diversified by a hundred scenes ^ individual sufferings. The fate of the brave and accomplished captain Hart, a near relative of two of our most distinguished statesmen, (Henry Clay, and James Brown,) a young gentleman of finished education and polished manners, cannot be related without a tear. He had in a particular manner distinguished himself dur- ing the engagement, and had received a severe wound in the knee. On being surrendered with the other prisoners, he was recognized by colonel Elliot, a native of the Unit* HISTORY OF THE WAR. lor l^d States, with whom he had been a class-mate at Princeton, but who had become ^ British officer and aii al- ly to the savages. Base indeed must be that man, whose i«ouI, under such circumstances, would not be touched. Elliot voluntarily offered his services to the friend of his vouth, his countryman, promised to take him under liis special protection, and to transport him to Maiden ; but whether his heart, naturally vile, soon changed its pur- pose, or whether forbidden by Proctor, he gave himself no further concern on the subject. The next day a par- ty of Indians came into the room where he lay, and tore him from his bed ; he was then carried to another apart- ment by one of his brotlier officers, where he soon experi- enced the same treatment. He then, by the offer of a large sum of money, induced some Indians to take him to Maiden ; they had proceeded but a short distance, when they dragged him from his horse, shot him and scalped him. The same species of suffering was undergone by colonel Allen, by captains Hickman, WoolfoTk, and M'Cracken. Many of the choicest sons of Kentucky had been ofthis ill-fated band; we may name Mr. Simpson, a member of congress, captains Bledsoe, Matson, Hamil- ton, Williams, and Kelly, and majors Madison and Bal- lard. With the exception of three companies of United States infantry under captains Hightower, Collier, and Sabrie, they were all the volunteers of that patriotick state. On the evening succeeding the enga|;ement, rum was distributed to the Indians, for a frolick, in which they were disposed to indulge, and we may easily sup- pose what was the nature of their infernal orgies. Proctor now beginning to fear the consequences of the infamy attached to his conduct, offered a price for those prisoners, whom the Indians still preserved ; those prison- ers Who had surrendered on the faith of a capitulation with him, and whom he ought never to have abandoned. The humane inhabitants of Detroit, had already exhibit* ed a degree of tenderness and solicitude for their int- fortunate countrymen, which will ever entitle ih^hi to our gratitude and esteem. Many of them parted with every thing they possessed of valii^ for the purchase of % lt)8 HISTORY OF THE WAR. the prisonei-s ; for, to the disgrace of the British arms must it be recorded, persdns of the first respectahihtj, who composed this Spartan band, were suffered, under the eyes of colonel Proctor, to be hawked about the streets from door to door, and offered for sale like beasts! The only restraint on the cruelty of the savage wretchcii, arose from permitting- them to consult their avarice. Even such prisoners as were more fortunate, no matter what their rank or character, were treated with every Apecies of contumely and contempt. Thf conduct of the people at Detroit was such as might be expected from humane Americans. Every class of peo- ple eagerly sought opportunities of redeeming the unfor* tunate sufferers^ The female sex, ever the foremost in acts of benevolence and in sympathy for the distressed, weie particularly distinguished; they gladly ^ave their shawls, and even the blankets from their oeds, when nothing else remained for them to give. Woodward, the former judge of the supreme court, and appointed by the Presi* dent of the United States, a man ot o-niightened mind, now openly and boldly remonstrated with Proctor, and in the manly tone of his injured country depicted the infamy of the British conduct. *^ The truth,'? said he, *< must un* doubtedly eventually appear, and that unfortunate dajr must meet the steady and impartial eye of history." Those facts have been established by a cloud of witnt sses, and the appeal of judge Woodward will reach posteiHy. Let the reader of this history, now remember, that this was but the commencement of a series of barbarities, both npotk the Atlantic board, and upon the frontier, which y,u Afterwards systematically pursued : that so far from this having been covered by tiie base excuse of retaliation, it is a charge which has never otherwise been met by Britain but with the silence of conscious guilt. There can be nothing; more delightful to a good man than tJie reflection that Tie lives in the heart of gratitude. What is all earthly pageantry, er power, or wealth, com* pared to the pleasure of a nobk mind, in the conteropla- tiuu «f the bright s^ure of its virtuous ectiuns ! W ho would HISTORY OF THE WAR. 1«» Lot be a M'latosh,* to experience, whereTer he goeS) the unfeigned, the full, the anectins homage of nature, fron the beings, whom at the nsk of his life, and at the ex- pense of his ample fortune, he saved trom the horrid I massacres ! Whose name parents teach their children to bless; and, delightful reward of virtue, families indebt- ed to him for their existence, cling around him with tear- ' fui gratitude, when he visits these shores on which they I have found a home i The page shall brishten which con- tains the name of Augustus B. Woot^ard ; « who (to use the expression of an American, who acknowledged him bis benefactor) was the life and soul of the Ameritanti [who remained; to whom they all looked up for succour in the hour of difficulty, for advice on every occasion." [His zeal and industry were unwearied, and to his exer* [tiansmany a fomily is indebted for the restoration of the [tenderest relative, a father, a son, or a brother. The indignation of the American officers was, on one [occasion, nobly expressed. Wiien at Fort Greorge, all [except general Winchester and some others, were per- mitted to return home on their parole; when the paper was presented for signature, they demanded to Know ioiio were his inajesty^s (diiesP Insolence and guilt were sti^^red at the question. Ashamed to own their savase .>. allies, they replied, his majesty^s allies are knowtii Truff I they were known, they were known like the blood-hottnds of Pizarro ; they were known to the disgrace of their employers. Never did any calamity so deeply ailect the sensibili- ties of a people. All Kentucky was literally in mourti" ing ; for the soldiers thus massacred, tortured, burnt^ or denied the common rites of sepulture, were of the most respectable families of the state; many of them young * Mr. Mintosh several times visited this country. The ex- pression of g^titude from thousands whom he saved, was almost overwhelming. There we few scenes in the annals of history, 9ie in the fictions of the poets, so sublimely ulfecting, as those wbicli occurred when this ^od man visited Baltimore and New-Orleans. In these places particularly, the unfortunate people were receiv- ed with open arms, and new live in comfort and respectability. 10 Ii(» HISTORY OF THE WAR. inen of fortuiie and property, with numerous friends ani relatives. It wouM b^ unjust, in this common anathema, to includt i nil the British officers ; the names of some deserve to bt irescued from this indelible reproach; major Muir, cap. luns Atkins, Curtis, Dr. Bdwen, and the reverend Mr. Farrow. Elliot was also spoken of in favourable tenni by the American officers, as having on some occasioni interested himself for the sufferers. Enough has Ge^ tainly been said on this distressing subject; one part, Jiowever, can^iot be omitied. Proctor, perceiving tiirj fUgemess of the people of Detroit in pun basins th; uimappy captives, actually issued an order prohibiting any further purchases, on the ground that they gav« more than the government. This officer was afterwardi promoted to the rank of a brigadier, in consequcnctj of his good conduct, particularly in saving the prison^j ers from the fury of the Indians. If any thing caul move indignation, it is this climax of insult It is thu tbki Great Britain wilfully shuts her eyes. The facd msre afterwards proved to the sati^action of every maD,] ftnd the British government was silent; but haf* not tltel mMrnaumity to consign the guilty wretch to punishment The ir.ci4ent8 of this catastrophe might be swelled toi V^ume. A few days after the afi^ir, a doctoi* M^Keehan HfWi despatched by general Harrison for the purpose of attending the sick, and with gold tu provide such thin|^ as they might want. The doctor, notwithstinding hii SU^f his sacred errand, and an open letter d rected to any JBritbdi officer, stating the object of his mission, was ac- IbiaUy wounded and robbed, then dragged to Maiden, whence he was taken to Quebec. After tne sufferings of a«>veral months, drasged from place to place, from dun* S:on to dungeon, sufferings which could hardly occur on e banks ot the N^er, he at length reached home, with • constitution totally impaired, tsuch are the distressing lieeurreuces which it becomes the painful duty of the his* torian to record. The heart sickens at the contemplation of so much depravity. Why are so much pains taken to make us hate the name of Englishman P This is far from HiSTonv or rnt war. tit meing the wish of Ameri'^anfi. Such conduct is not t6 bt accounted fur, unless it proceeds from a deeply rooted hft* tred on the part of the British gi^vernment. We know thit pains hitve been taken to cherish in the minds of tfid ! piopfe ot England) a cor tempt for our national character|- I we know that hired calumniators have represented us ai a i»^:<^ race, to whom the courtesies of civilized lifis caLnot be extended, because they cannot be reciprocilK The^e things must have an end, or a day of terrible retri« bution will come at last. The news of this melancholy affair .^ Jon after reached general Harrison, who was on his march with teinforce* ments to general Winchester. He had heard with cha-^ erin the movements of that officer, and apprehensive of 8ie consequence, had ordered a detachment of three han« dred men, under major Cotgrevea, from general Perking^ brigade of Ohio militia, to march to his relief. Hearing ef the disaster, they fell back upon the Rapids^ wher^ general Harriaon was then stationed, who retreated txk- Carrying river, for the purpose of forming a junction witil the troops in the rear, and favouring; the cocvoy of artil* lery and stores then coming from Upper Sandusky. Hi M, however, despatched a chosen body of one hundred and seventy men for the pwpose of picking up soch of tiie unfortunate fugitives as might have escaped^ tkn number of these was very small, on account of ^e depth of tike snow, which rendered it almost impossible for them to make their way. Governour Meigs bavins promptly despatched two regiments to the assistance uf Harriaoti^ who agun< advanced to the Ranids, and immediately set about constructing a fort, whicn in honour of the gOTer-* noor of Ohio, he named Fort Meigs. Fortifications wtrt at the same time constructed at iJpper Sandusky by sd* toeral Cooks, who commanded the Pennsylvania militia. Excepting some parties on excursions, nothing additional transpired during the severe winter months. The move« ment of general Winchester had considerably derated the plans of Harrison ; and it «vas necessary to oi^atiizo* ft new system. . He returned to Ohio, for tne purpose (^ obtaining an additional force from that state} and Ken* -"%■ US HISTORY OF THE WAR. tucky. Towards the beginningjtf April, he received ia. formation which hastened his return to Fort Meigs. The enemy for some tiir had been collecting in considerable numbers, fort., purpose of laying siege to this place ; and as the new levies had not arrived, the Pennsylvania brigade, although its term of service had expired, generously volunteered for the defence of th« I fort. Immediately on his arrival, general Harrison set about making preparations for the approaching siege.— The fort was situated upon a rising ground, at the dig. tance of a few hundred ^ards from the river, the country on each side of which is chiefly natural meadows. Tht garrison was well supplied with the means of defence, and Harrison, with unremitted exertions, laboured ni^tJ and day, to improve its capacity for resisting the sieee.] The assistance of ca}>taiu9 Wood and Gratiot, his pnnJ qipal engineers, enabled him to put in practice whateTer] was necessary to improve his fortifications. The troopij in the fort, to the number of twelve hundred, the ^reaterj part volunteers, were in high spirits, and determmedto defend themselves to the utmost. On the twenty-eighth,! one of th« parties constantly kept out for the purpose of] noting the advance of the enemy, reported that he wai in ereat force' about three miles below. A few British and Indians showed themselves on the opposite side ; but a few shot from an eighteen pounder, compelled them to retire. A despatch was now sent to hasten the march of general Clay, who was approaching with twelve hundred militia from Kentucky. These brave people, so much suflerers during the war, were ever the foremost to meet danger, and the first to fly to the relief of their friends. On the three following days, the enemy was occupied in selecting the best positions on either side of the river, around the fort, whence it might be annoyed, and in erecting batteries on the opposite side; in the latter, they were considerably impeded by the fire from Fort Meigs ; but they usually availed themselves of the night, to proceed in the woik. A fire of small arms had been kept up by them, which was returned by the Americaa HISTORY OF THE WAR. lis laTtillerjr) but without any loss of importance on either Bide. The garrison suffered somewhat from want of water, Itheir well not being completed ; and it was attended Iwlth great risk to obtain their supply during the night Ifrom the river. l*he perpetual vigilance necessary ia Ibe obMerved, to guard against a surprise, by lying con- Istantiy on their arms, was calculated to wear them* down. lOn the first of May, the enemy had succeeded in mount* bsg his batteries, and opened a fire with one twenty-four )under, one twelve, one six, and one howitzer. No ma- srial ii^ary was. done on either side: the commander IB chief made a narrow escape, a ball having struck a each otk which he was sitting ; and some days before, & lan was mortcdly wounded by his side. On the third, additional battery was opened, at the distance of two jndred and fifty yards from the fort, mounted with a* lortar, and a number of bombs were thrown $ but this several time» silenced. In this part of tiie siege,- ia|or Chambers approached the fort witli a flag, and for Ithe first time, suinmoned the place to surrender. Ho jstated, that the British commander was deairou» of spar-^ ling' the fusion of human bloody that his force wa» 8(i> limmense that it would be impossible to withstand it;. land that, unless the Americans threw themselves at oncfr lupon the tender mercy of Proctor, they might expect to* Ibe massacred in cold blood* This summons was receiy* ted by Harrison,, with the contempt and indienatiooi it Imerited. To look for mercy from the hands of Proctor* lyet reeking from the murder of the Kentuckians, at the Iriver liaisfJD, would have been imbecility indeed; and if Ihe had not been able to restrain the Indians t^en, hcnv Icould he now; when, acccording to his own account, the Inumber (^ Indians collected, was greater than had ever been known. The commander expressed his surprise, that the ^rrison had not been summoned before ; thiaat least implied they tfaoueht him resolved to do his duty.:: and that as to the numBer of hifr^ force, which he represented I as of such unusual magnitude, i"* was a trick which be* [perfectly undecstood. lie then requested major Chjupoiw It4 HISTORY OF THE WAB. berfl to return for answer to general Prociori tliat whili he had the honour to command an American fort, it should never surrender to a combined fdrce of British and In. | dians. The sieee was renewed with great vigour, and the firin* I was hotly Icept up on both sides. The Indians mounted •n trees at some distance from the fort, fired into it, and killed and wounded several. On tlie fifth, a small partj from the advancing corps under general Clay, reached tiie fort with the information, that he was iii his beats not many miles above. Orders were instantlv despatch* ed by tlie commander in chief to the general, requiring him to detach eight hundred men for the purpose of land* ing on the opposite side, and destroying the enemy's batteries; ana in the meanwhile he projected a sortie aeiinst those on the side of the fort, under the command of lieutenant colonel Miller, of the 19th U. S. infantrj. This simultaneous attack was well planned; should It' succeed, the enemy would be instantly compelled to raise I tiie siege. Colonel Dudley, who was charged with the I execution of the order by general Clay, landed his men in good Ok ier, and then advanced on the enemy's cannon. The four batteries were carried in an instant, and the 9rtiiftH regulars and Indians compelled to take to flight A lai^ body of Indians, under the celebrated Tecumseh, was unted, and had i personal conflict with a chief of prodigious strength, and they fought w*>. desperation,, until an officer shot ' Inoian. We now return to tii* eperaiions of our armies on the] •NoHliern frontiers,. events of a very important character] having trranspiced in that quarter, nnce the winter, by J which hostilities had been suspended. HISTORY OF THE WAR* ltd CHAPTER VII. I^ftfis^ preparations in Canada — Incursion of For8}/tke --Attack on Ogdenshurgh-^The taking df York and death of Pike, — Taking of Fort George^-^BaHle of Stmiey Creeks and capture of wtnerals Chandler and Winder-^General Brown defems Sackett*8 HatbouV'-^ BesignoHon of general Jbearhome — The town of So- dus attacked — Batlle of the Beaver Dams—Second tak" ingof Fork — British devastate the borders of Lake Champlaii>--Cruise ff commodore Chauncey, luRiNG the winter, Great Britain had sent a number Df troops to Halifax, for the purpose of being employed, lathe spring, in the defence of Canada. The recent luccess of the allies on the continent, had taken away iny disposition she might have had for a peace, as was dearly proved by the rejection of the Russian mediation. Illie militia of Canada was disciplined with great care, land from the greater energy of the British governments lit was enabled to bring them more promptly into service, land to retain them for a longer term ; wnereas, during tthe iMstyear, from the war beins unpopular, it was dif- ficult to prevail on the state authorities to call out thoi militia; and volunteers, by which the war to the west- hrard was so spiritedly carried on, come forward, in the jnorthern sections of the union, in but small numbers* It was still hoped that such preparations would be made, during the winter, as woula lead to something of more importance than had been done the year before, although [the golden moment for the conquest of Canada had pass- ed, ^he British having so strengthened themselves, as to render the execution of such a project, a matter of extreme diiBculty. It was thought, however, that by one more vigorous effort, particularly if the spirit of the Northern States could be roused, and the nation be made to move forth in its strength,, something yet might be effected. 11M) HISTORY OF THE WAR. : If a complete command could be obtained on the the whole of upper Canada, at least) must fall beforej winter. A mutual exchange of prisoners had taken place, arran^ments were entered into, to effect this in future;! by which means some valuable, officers, taken in the first campaign, were restored. The troops, inlisted in thtl inidlana and northern states, were marched to the fron* tier, and all the necessary supplies and munitions of war were assiduously collected at the different posts! along the line. Excepting some partizan affairs, nothinjl of consequence transpired during the winter. In the month of February, a party of the enemy, wh| crossed, in search of some of their deserters, committ many wanton depredations on the houses and propert| of the inhabitants. Major Fersythe, who commanded i Ogdensburgh, resolved to return the visit. Taking part of his riflemen, and such volunteers as offered* some of whom were private gentlemen of the neighbourhoodJ he crossed the St. . Lawrence, surprised the guard atl Elizabeth-town, took fifty-two prisoners, among whoml were one major, three captains, and two lieutenants;] and captured one hundred and twenty muskets, twentrj rifles, two casks of fixed ammunition, and otiier pu'olick] property. He then returned, without the loss of a single man. Soon after, it was discovered that the British medi* tated an attack on OgHensburgh. Colonel Benedict called out his militia, to aid in the defence of the place* The British Appeared on the 21st of February, with twelve hundred men. This force, so much superiour to that of Forsythe, succeeded in expelling hiin from the town, but not without a sharp conflict. The British attacked in two columns, of six hundred men each, at ei^ht o'clr :k in the morning, and were commanded by captain M^Don* nel, of the Glen^Hry light infantry, a corps trained with peculiar care, and colonel Frazer of the Canada militia. The Americans kept up the contest for an hour, with the loss of twenty men killed and wounded ; and from the ctol and deliberate aim of the riflemsv, the enemy must HISTORY OF THE WAR. Ul liave lost twice that number, among whom wei'e five I)fficer3 of distinction. A flourish was made by the Jritiah of this affair, which, judging by what it cost them, ley regarded as a ^reat victory ; and in consequence, a lessage was sent with the news to colonel M^Feeiy, com> jianding the An^erican garrison of Niagara, informing Sim that a salute would be fired from Fort George. Th^ American officer expressed his satisfaction at being able (o return the complement, as he had just received intel- ligence of the capture of his Majesty's frigate Java, by in American frigate of equal force ; and intended to fire t salute from Niagara, at the same time, in honour of this [rilliant victory. Bodies of new levies were daily arriving at Sackett's larbour, and the vicinity of that place. To convert new recruits, in the course of a few months, into effi- cient troops, was not an operation easily performed. In- lefatigable industry was displayed in this essential duty bj Pike, lately promoted to the rank of a bri^dier, in ponsequence of his meritorious services, and increasing eputation. Pike was almost cradled in the camp ; his ither, a revolutionanr officer, was still in the army, but to6 far advanced in life ^r active service. He was acquaint* ed with all the details of the military profession, having served in every grade from a soldier to the general. I}e possessed an ardent mind, and was highly animated by a Idesire of martial glory and renown ; mi such glory anid [renown as were compatible with the welfare of his coun- Itry. The models which he had placed before him, were Isomewhat of a romantick cast ; he desired to combine the Icourj^ of the soldier, and the ability of the commander, jwith tnose ornaments of character which become the man. fPike was already a favourite in the United States, and [distinguished as the adventurous explorer of the immense I Western desert, traversed in another direction by Le: Ihe reached the shore of the Lake, when a loud and victo- Itious- shouts from his brigade bri^tened, for a moment^ [the expiring lamp of life ; a faint sigh was all hisstrcn^h would permit him to express. Shortly after his being carried on board the Pert, the British flag was brought^ to him; at sight of it, his eye again resumed its lustre I for a moment, and making signs for it to be placed un* derhis head, he ^oriously expired. Thus fell, awar*- riour who will live with honour in the page of history. Brave, prudent, and chivaK ous, he was adorned with that moral exceiUnce which is essential totheaccom* {dished soldier and the real hero. Thus falling in the very day-spring of life, we can but feebly anticipate what the ripened age of so much promise would bring forth. He was amiable in all the domestick relations of life, strictly observant of the duties of morality an^ ^li<> gion; he wag a sincere patriot, whose chief ambition v. aJ to give distinction to his country. With him tlie Sci* pios of antiquity were no . fables ; . and the fate, as v^ell as characterof. Montgomery, whose name he bore, were truly his own. No officer ever entertained a more refin-^ ed and perfect sense of honourable warfare $ as a proof of it, are the orders which he gave this memorable day^ that any of his soldiers« who should molest the possessioftft 11* 126 HISTORY OF THE WAR. or persons of the inhabitants, or M>'antonly destroy the pubiick property, should suffer instant death. It is dif. ncult to say whether such men are actuated by the pre. Tailing sentiments of their country, or whether they eive an original tone to its manners and habits of think* | ing: certain it is, that both in our army and navy, a I species of refined honour and generosity has uniformlj I manifested itself, in striking contrast with the conduct of our enemy, who has elesewhere exhibited the noblest traits, but who seems to consider this new world, tool contemptible a theatre on which to appear with any dig. ! nity of character. On the fall of general Pike, the command devolved on! colonel Pearce, who advanced to the barracks, wiiich he found already in the possession of Forsy the ; the enemy . having retreated to the fort. There being now no person \ acquainted witii the plan of the invasion but the con).| mander in chief, the enemy was not immediately pursu. cJ i ntherwise the whole of the regulars and pubiick] stores^ must have fallen into our hands. The Americans, after halting a short time, moved on towards the town ;{ and drawing near it were met by officers of the Can* ada militia, with offers of capitulation. This produced -omc delay $ but it being suspected that it was only in- tended to facilitate the escape of general Sheaffe and the principal part of his regulars, and to ^ain time while they could destroy the military stores, and burn the vessel on the stocks, Forsythe and Ripley pushed forward, and were soon after followed bj rearce. The strictest ob- servance of Pike's order, with respect to the treatment of the inhabitants and their property, was enjoined. At f >ur o'clock the Americans were masters of the town. Although with just right they might be enraged at tha conduct of the British, as well for their barbarous and unmanly attempt to destroy them by a mine, as their amusing them under the pretence of discussing the stip* ■Illation of surrender, the troops conducted themselves with the most perfect order and forbearance ; perha[)8 considering this the best testimonial of respect for their brave leader. The stipulations of surrender were en- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 127 tered into with colonel Peaixe, at the very moment the British were engaged in the destruction of the pub« lick property. By, the terms of the stipulation, the troops, regulars and militia, naval officers and seamen, were sur- rendered prisoners of war ; all the puhhck stores were given uj), and all private property was to be guaranteed to the citizens of York ; every thing relating to the civil departments should be respected ; and the surgeons, at- tending on the wouiided, should not be considered as prisoners of war. On entering the house appropriated for the sittings of the legislature, a discovery was made, which cannot be spoken of without feelings of indignation. Among the regal trophies, a human scalp was found over the mace, near tne Speaker's chair ! Other nations have en- deavoured to civilize the Indians, by inducing them to imitate the manners of the Europeans ; the officers of the British government alone have taken pains to pam- per their savage propensities, not merely by indulgence, Dut by adopting their horrid customs. A human scalp to be hung up as a trophy, in the legislative hall of a civilized and christian people ! Can we now wonder at the brutali- ty with which the war was conducted towards us ? Had> the eloquent and virtuous Chatham lived to have seen this day, what must he have thought of the degradation of his countrymen ! Would he not have renounced the name of Briton, thus scandalized, by all that is profane and inde- cent ? Would he not think his country sunk below the level of civilized nations, in so far setting at naught the precepts of religion and humanity, as to mingle with her regal trophies, the detestable symbol of cruelty, which disgraces even the savage ? Can tliese things be coun- tenanced by the enlightened Enjylishman, whose famef whose writings, receive a second life in this country ; or will he not disbelieve that his countrymen can be guil- ty of such atrocities ? For we who huye seen and felt tnem, could not otherwise have believed th^t a people, wha display so many virtues both in peace and war, should thus forget what belongs to the character of christian men. It seems then, whatever their conduct may be on tho isa HISTORY OP THE WAR. other.stde of the Atlantic, that in this new world, and tq this youthful nation, they would say, by the horrible sym* bol of the scalp, that they have renounced all that is res- pectable among civilized men, while we are endeavour- ing to emulate the actions of those illustrious Englishmen, whose fame their degenerate sons have disgraced. Notwithstanding the ample cause of rage, in the dis- covery of this additional proof of the disposition of their enemies, the soldiery was perfectly restrained from Gommittiuo; any acts of violence ; they marched to the barracks the same evening, with the exception of the riflemen, who remained in town. No part of the house in which the detested scalp was founds underwent any injury from them $ nothing was carried away except the oaious trophy and the Speaker's mace. So far from in- flicting any injury on the inhabitants, a considerable portion of the publick stores, which couild not easily be transported, were distributed among them, and they ex- pressed themselves highly satisfied with the conduct of the Americans. The principal civil offices of the place addressed a letter of thanks to general Dearborne, for the strict resard which was manifested by the troops under his command^ for the safety of the persons and property of the inhabitants. The commander in chief landed soon after the fall of Pike, but did not assume the immediate command untili after the surrender of tlie town. Great assistance was rendered d 'j)g the engagement by the co-operation of commodore €!^»uncey, after land- ing the troops. The vessels, in consequcncie of a con- trarjwind, were compelled to beat up to their several positions with great difiiculty, and under a heavy fire irom the batteries. When this was effected, they open* ed a galling and destructive fire, which contributed much to the success of the attack. lo the squadron*, three were killed and eleven wounded ; among tiie first,, midship- nen Thompson and Hatfield, both much regrettfed. The loss on the American side was inccnsiderable un- til the explosion of the infernal machine, which caused it to amoimt to three hundred in killed luid wounded. mSTORY OF THE WAR. I8> Several officers of merit were killed or wounded b^ the explosion. The aids of the eeneral) captains NithoU SOD and Frazier, were woonded ; the first proved instant- \]y mortal : alsO} captain Lyon, captain noppock, lieu-^ Itenant Bbomfieldy and many other valuable officers. iMuch praise was bestowed on lieutenant colonel Mit- Ichell, of the third regiment of artillery, who formed the Icoluran after the explosion, and throughout the whole of jihe affair particularly distinguished himself. Major lEustice, captains Scott, Youns, Walworth, M'GIassin, lod Stephen H. Moore of the Baltimore volunteers, who lost a leg by the explosion ; Lieutenants Irvine, Fan- lineand Riddle, were named among the most distin- uishedofthe day. There were taken from the British, one lieutenant* solonel, one major, thirteen captains, nine lieutenants, iieven ensigns, one deputy-adjutant-^eneral, and four laval officers, and two hundred and hfty-one non-com- missioned officers and privates. But it was contended > hat according to the capitulation, the commanding gen- eral, his stafl^ and all his regulars, ought to have been lurrendered. There was certainly an unfair procedure DB the part of the British general, as well in this busl- Qes3, as in the destruction of the publick property, after it had been fairly surrendered. \Yith respect to the ex« plosion, it was attributed by general Sheafie to accident ; ind as a proof, he mentioned the circumstance of forty of his own men having been billed and wounded on the retreat. But the American officers, who witnessed the iffkir, were perfectly satisfied that it was designed. Af- Iter the connict had entirely ceased for sometime, and the magazine and barracks entirely abandoned by the !Qetny, the American column at rest within three hun-^ Ired yards, the occurrence of such an accident is almost impossible, and leads to a conviction, that a match had jbeen purposely, laid, intended to explode on the approach lof the American column ; which, hut fur the fortunate jprecaution of their commander, would have involved Ithem in one general destruction. In further proof,, we may [adduce the tact^ of an immense number of stones and a 130 HISTORY or THE WAIt quantity of old iron, evidently collected for the expreai purpose of causing greater havock. It is certainly unjust, on light grounds, to impute to the Britisli general, acti ao cHshonourable $ and but for this last circumstitQce it mieht be regarded as the unauthorised act of some base individual. The circumstance of a part of his owncu« lumn having been overtaken by the stMies propelled to an immense distance, has no weight in his exculpation; this may have proceeded from not having calculated with sufficient accuracy for their own safety^ although no. thing could have been better timed for the complete de>| struction of our gallant countrymen. Had the explo. sion taken place in the midst of the fight, there might I then be room for supposition that it was the resuli] of accident; but, under llie circumstances, that thigj should have been the case, appears next to impossibles The loss of the British, amounted to seven hunared an^l fifty men in killed, wounded and prisoners; of these,] the killed and wounded were not short of t\\(o hundred;.] the prisoners amounted to fifty regulars, and five hundreiil militia. Property to an immense amount was destroyed^l and there still remained to the value of at least half i] million of dollars : in his hasty retreat^ general Sheaffo] abandoned his baggage, containing all his books and pa* pers, which proved a valuable acquisition. Upon thftl whole, the capture of York was a brilliant achievement, i and worthy of Pike, its projector. It was the first dawn of that military distinction, to which we afterwards so rapidly attained under the gallant officers, whom the test of experience made known. The object of this expedition being now fully attained, the American forces evacuated York on the first of May, and embarked. The fleet, however, did not leave tbe harbour until the eighth. A schooner had in the mean time been despatched to Niagara, to inform general Lewis of the success of the expedition, and of the intended movement uf the troops. The next thing to be undertaken, was the attack of Fort George and Fort Erie, which had been unsucceisfullj Uttempted the year before. Commodore Chauncey hav< HISTORY OF TttE WAR. 131 ing the command of the lake, troops could be transport" ed to any part with facility. On the evening or the eighth, the troops were landed at Four Mile Creek, so called) froth being four miles distant from Niagara. Th6 text day, two schooners, under the command of lieuten- ant Pettigrew, sailed with a detachment of one hundred men, commanded by captain Morgan of the l^th, for the purpose of destroying some of the enemy's stores at tiie nead of the lake. On their approach, the guard, about eighty men, retired; the publick buildings were burnt, and the party returned with the greater part of the property. On the tenth, commodore Chauncey sail- Ud to Sackett's Harbour, for the purpose of leaWng the ivounded men and officers, and of bringing such addi- tional force as could be spared from that place. He again sailed on the twehty-second, leaving the Pert and I toe Fair American to watcii the movements of the ene- I iny. Two days afterwards he arrived safely at Niagara, with colonel M*Comb's regiment of artillery, 350 men, and an additional number of guns. Arrangements were now made for carrying the con* teroplated enterprise into immediate operation. Com* inoaore Chauncey having, on the twenty-sixth, reconnoi- tred the opposite shore, and ascertained the best placet ^or landing, and the stations for the smaller vessel to occupy ; the next morning was fixed Upon for the attack. A number of boats were made ready ; and others, which had been building for the occasion, were launched in the afternoon ; this being observed by the enemy, a fire was opened upon the workmen, from a battery erected for the purpose nearly opposite. This brought on fi severe can- nonade from tlie forts and batteries, which continued fqr some hours, and in which the Americans had the de- cided advantage* Fort George appeared to suffer consi** derable injury ; the guns of the American battery were directed with so much precision, that the haWards of the flag-staff were shot away. The buildings of^^ ever^ des- cription around the fort were mnch damaged, while the loss on the American side was very inconsiderable. All' the boats in the mean while passed safely to the encamp* IS2 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ment at Four Mile Creek : and as soon as it grew dark, the artillery was put on board the Madisoni the Oneida, I and La^j of the Lake ; the troops were to embark in the boats and follow the fleet. At 3 o'clock in the morning, sienal was made to weigh; but in consequence of the calm which prevailed, the schooners were obliged to re- sort to sweeps to gain their stations. These consisted of the Julia, Growler, Ontario, Governour Tompkins, Conquest, Hamilton, Asp, and Scourge ; each within mug. ket shot of the shore, and skilfully disposed to attack the I different batteries, and cover the landing of the troops, I At day break, generals Dearborne and Lewis, and suits, I went on board the Madison; the troops being now all | embarked, amounted to about four thousand men. The enemy's batteries immediately opened, as the troops'^ advanced in three bri^des. The ^dv^nce was led bj 1 that accomplished officer colonei Scott, who had so much signalized himself in this place the year before; and was composed of Forsythe's riflemen, and detach." ments from various infantry regiments : it landed near the fort, which had in the mean time been silenced by tlie Governour Tompkins. General Boyd^ to whom was assigned the brigade lately commanded hjr general ?;ke, formed the first line, flanKed by the Baltimore and \1. bany volunteers, under colonei M^Clure. He reached the shore immediately after the advance had landed. General Winder followed nelt, at the head of the se* cond brigade, and was imniediately followed by the third, under general Chandler. 1 he wind suddenly '.apringins up from the east, -and producing a considera- ble swell, the troops from the Madison and Oneida, could not reach shore until the second and third brijiades had advanced ; M^Comb's regiment, and the marines an* der captain Smith, tlierefore, did not reach shore until the debarkation had been completed^ The advance under Scott, consisting; of five hundred men, on its approach to the shore, had been exposed to an incessant volley of musketry, from at least twelve hundred regulars, stationed in a ravine. This spirited €0l|)8» composed of the flower of the army, moved on with* HrSTORY OF THE WAtt. 135 out faultering, anil for a few minutes returning the fire. As they drew near the shore, a surprising degree of emu- lation manifested Itself both amongst officers and soldiers ; many of them leaping into the lake, and wading to land. Captain Hindman, an accomplished young officer of the second artillery, was the first on the enemy's terri- tory. No sooner were the troops formed on the beach, than they were led to the charge, and instantly dispers- ed the enemy in every direction, some flying to the woods for shelter, and others seekins; refuse in the fort. The first were briskly assailed b^ Forsythe, while the advanc- ted corps and the first brigade, under general Boyd> jvio-orously attacked the latter. The prevailing panick had |sei2.ed the garrison, which made but a feeble resistance. [Fort Niagara, and the batteries on the American side, opened at the same time ; and Fort George, now being un- tenable, tiie British laid trains to their magazines, and retreated with precipitation, having abandoned all thfe I works, and pursuing dirterent routs. Colonel Scott [and iiis light troops were closely in their rear, when he ! was recalled by general Boyd. Lieutenant Riddle, with iiis party, not receiving the order, followed the enemy almost to Queenstown, and picked up a number of strag- glers. The light troops took possession of Fort George $ captains Hindman and Stockton entering first, and extin- guishing the fire intended to explode the magazine ; the lormer withdrew a match at the imminent hazard of his life. General Boyd and colonel Scott mounted the pa- rapet for the purpose of cutting away the staff; but Hind* man succeeded in taking the nag, which he forwarded to general Dearborne, and which was immediately replaced by the American ensign, while the troops were ordered^ iu and (juartered. At twelve o'clock the whole of the British fortifications on this shore were in posses- sion of the Americans. The enemy had moved off with such rapidity, that in a short time nothing more of them was to be seen ; and our troops, having been eleven hours under arms, were too much tatisued to pursue them far. The loss of the British in this afiair, considering the time which tiie contest lasted, was very considerable* They 12 134 HISTORY OF THE WAR. fiad one hundred and ei^ht killed, and one hunvlred anj sixty wounded, who fell into our hands : they besides lost one hundred ond fifteen regulars, and five hundred mili. tia, prisoners. The loss of the Americans was thirtt nine killed, and one hundred and eight wounded; among the former, lieutenant Hobart oT the light ar- tillery ; and of the latter, major King of the thirteenth, captains Arrowsworth of the sixth. Steel of the sixteenth, lioach of the twenty -third, {who had been wounded tht year before at the heights -of Queenstown, and was pro. moted to the rank ot captain for his good conduct oi that occasion,) and lieutenant Swearingen of the rille corps. The forty-ninth, the British Invincibles, was ii ibis aifair, and its commander, colonel Myers, wound- ed and taken prisoner. The action, notwithstanding, was fought on the American side with inferiour numberg, the advance and part of Boyd's brigade only having been actually engaged. Shortly after the surrender of the fort, the lake became so rough as to render the situa- tion of tI»o fleet somewhat dangerous. Comniodor* Chauncey, therefore, made signal to weigh ; and accord- ingly stood up the river, choosing a place of safety be* tween the two forts, he there anchored. High praise was given both by the commodore, and general Dearborne, to the forces under their respectiv« commands. Scott and Boyd were particularly mention* «d ; the commander in chief also acknowledged biniself much indebted to colonel M. Porter, of the li<»ht aitil- ler^, and to major Armistead, of the third regiment ar- tillery, and to captain Totten of the endneers, for their skill m demolishing the enemy's forts and batteries. We here find the first mention of the hero of Lake Erie, lieu- tenant commandant Oliver FI. Perry, wlio had volunteer- Sid his services on the night of the twenty -sixth, and had rendered great services in assisting in the arrangement and debarkation of the troops. Much of the success ol" the enterprise was owing to the judicious plan of com- modore Cnauncey, in attacking the different batteries of the enemy with his vessels, and rendering them untena- ble. General Dearborne had beQu much indisposed ', he HISTORY OF THE WAR. 1S5 continued to command regularly, issuing his orders frem jiisbed. Lieutenant Peirv was despatched the day af- ter to Black Rock, with fifty men, fur tlie purpose of [taking five vessels to Erie as soon as possible, to aid in Iforming the squadron preparing at tliat place, and which fit was expected would be ready by the fifteenth of June^ commence operations in conjunction with lAarrison. A few days afterwards, it was ascertained that the ene- iniy under general Vincent, had retired to the Beaver Dams, where he formed a junction with the command of lieutenant colonel Bishop from Fort Erie and Chippe^ ^va. The day after this was effected, the British gene- al retrearoctor to hold out after his communicatioa with the low- ^r provinces had been cut oft*. Until late in the evening, the 95th had occupied the j)eadow ground on the opposite side of the creek^ where Ihey had Kindled fires for the purpose of cooking, but to- wards midnight were withdrawn to the position assign- fed tliem on the brow of the high bank. These precau- Kons had well nigh proved fruitless, from the unaccounta- llle nes^ligence and misconduct of the main guard. Seve- il of the sentinals in advance, were silently bayoneted by lie enemy, who pushed a column of seven or eight hun- |red men, passed the chapel, whilst the guard must have leen buried in sleep, since not a shot was fired by them. )n approaching the fires made by the 25th, and which had lot yet been extinguished, they raised a tremendous In- lianyellj expecting no doubt to bayonet the Americans, ^hom they supposed to be asleep a few paces from them. This yell was noost fortunate for the Americans, who irere instantly roused on the opposite bank, and as the )th had lain on their arms, they instantly commenced 1 heavy fire oi. the British, who were revealed by the fires irhichhaddel'jided them. General Winder, who command- the troops on the left of the road, succeeded in a few aoments in stationing the greater part of them on the ige of the creek, to the left of the artillery, and joined [is fire with that of the 25th, which was by this time re- amed by the enemy, though with little effect. In twenty linutesthe firing on the part of the British ceased, and as hey had become invisible after passing the fires, the night eina; excessively dark, it wa» uncertain whether they had etired, or meant under cover of the darkness, to attack with lie bayonet ; the firing on the part of the Americans, was tlso ordered to cease. Arrangements were rapidly made receive them. At this moment some shots in the rear If the army induced the general, who was apprehensive m an attack might also be made in tl "vt quarter, to order le of the regiments to face about, and take such a posi- Ion, as would enable him to repel it) whether made on ink or rear. Whilst general Chandler was directing lese movements on the right, his horse fell under him > IS* 138 HISTORY OF THE WAR. after recovering somewhat from the fall which had stuQ. I ned him, he attempted to walk towards the centre, neat ' the artillery, where he and general Winder had met from i time to time, to receive and communicate informatioo and orders. In the meantime, favoured by the excessive i darkness, which had been increased by the sraoke,the ene- my stole along the road unperceived, until they mingled I "With the artillerists, whom they drove from their pieces. At this moment gaueral Chandler found himself in the I midst of the enemy, and was taken prisoner. General Winder, in returning from maintaining tlie dispositions on the left, met with a part of the 16tli, which had either never reached its position, or had fall. en back, and was posting it to protect the artillery, when, discovering some confusion there, he rushed forward to | ascertain the cause, and was made prisoner in attempt. ing to turn back what he supposed to be the American artillerists. The British finding two pieces limbered, drove them off, overturned one or two more, and retreat- 1 ed with precipitation and disorder. Before clear day. light the enemy had, in his retreat, covered himself from I the view of the Americans by a wood. General Vincent was thrown from his horse, and did not rejoin his troops until the evening, almost exhausted with fatigue. Several gallant efforts were made, after the flight of the enemy, to recover the artillery. Lieutenant W. M*Dono«gh prevented the capture of one piece, and lieutenant M*Chesney anotiier; these officers, as well as colonel Burn, colonel Milton, captains Hindman, Archer, Steel and Leonard, were highly complimented in general or^ ders. The American loss was sixteen killed, and thirty eight wounded, and two brigadiers, one major, three captains, and ninety -four missing. I'he loss of the enemy was much more severe, particularly in officers ; one hundred prisoners were taken. Blame was attached to general Chandler, who commanded, but with very little reason ; •till less of general Winder, who only met with such mis* fortune as the bravest and most prudent are subject to. Had the enemy been immediately pursued, there is liMlo HISTORY OF THE WAR. 139 doubt they would have fallen into our hands. Colonel Burn, on a consultation with the officers, judged it most prudent to fall back on Forty Mile Creek, where he was joined by colonel Miller's regiment, who had been sent to guard the boats, and generals Lewis and Boyd, the former now assuming the command. The British claimed in this affair a splendid victory. Tlie accidental capture of the American generals would seem to give it the appearance of one ; but in the action they were certainly beaten with great loss. Their ob- ject, howcvef, was effected by the attack, though not to the extent which they had anticipated. The credit of this affair has been justly given to colonel Harvey, who is said to be an elegant and accomplished ofilcer. A flag having been sent into camp to obtain informa- tion of tne killed and wounded, as also permission to bury the dead, but merely to obtain information, general Vin- cent immediately despatched a messenger to sir James Yeo, advising him of theposition of the Americans. On the eighth sir James, with his squadron, appeared abreast of the encampment, and within a mile of the shore. He at- tempted to destroy the boats, and warped in a large schooner for the purpose ; but captains Archer and Tow- son, in thirty minutes, constructed a furnace, and opened a fire with hot shot,which compelled him to haul off. A party of Indians now appealed upon the brow of the moun- tain, but were soon dislodged by lieutenant Eldrige, who gained the summit with a few volunteers, before tne detachment which was ordered for tlie purpose. Sir James now demanded a surrender, with the usual story' of Indians in the rear, a fleet in front, and regulars ap- proaching. This artifice had grown stale, and could be played off no longer. Orders were now received from general Dearborne,for the army to return to Fort George ; the greater part of the camp equipage and baggage were put in boats, but were intercepted by an armecf schooner, and twelve of them taken* The army broke up its encampment about ten o'clock, and took up its march for Fort George, harrassed nearly the whole way by Indians^ who hung upon its flapks. 140 HISTORY OF THE WAR. The movement of general Dearborne against the Brit, ish fortifications on the Niagara, had well nigh cost him dear. The British having obtained information of it, re> solved to seize the opportunity of the absence of our troops and fleet, to attacic Sackett's Harbour. Tiiey well knew the importance to us of this place. It was the deposite of all our naval and military stores, both those captured at York, and those which had been collecting for a year, with a view to the operations against Cana* da. The convenience of this spot had caused it to be se- lected as the place to fit out our navies of the lake, and great quantities of timber and other materials were here collected for the construction of vessels. The new ship, the General Pike, was on the stocks, nearly ready to be launched, and the prize, the Gloucester, lay in the harbour. No time was to be lost in carrying into effect this im- portant enterprise. Sir George Prevost selected a thousand picked men, and emkarked them on board the fleet under commodore James Yeo^ Scarcely had com* modore Chauncey arrived at Niagara, when sir James shewed himself off the harbour, with the Wolf, the Uoyal George, the Prince Regent, Earl of Moira, ^nd some smaller vessels. The small vessels under lieutenant Chaun- cey, left to give notice of the enemy's approach, espied the squadron, on the twenty-seventh, and hastened to the harbeur, firing guns of alarn^ This wa& immediately followed by the alarm guns on the shore, to bring in the militia, aiid to give notice to such regulars as might be near enough to hear them. Lieutenant colonel Backus, of the dragoons, had been left in command of the place ^ but in case of attack, general Brown, then at his resi> dence eight miles off, was recj^uested to take the com- mand, although his brigade of militia had retired to their homes, their term of service having expiredr The whole regular force consisted of a few seamen, lieutenant Fan- ning's artillery, about two hundred invalids, not exceeding in the whole five hundred n;en, and colonel Mills, with the Albany volunteers and some militia, amounting to about five hundred more. On the twenty-eighth, the ene- my was seen at the distance of about five mi^S; and seem- . v,-.^-*- 'fi HISTORY OF THE WAll. 141 ed to be standinj; for the harbour, when a fleet of Amcri-^ can barges was discovered coming round North Point, with troops from Oswego. Their attention was now occupied by these, and they succeeded in cutting oflf twelve of them -f and taking it for granted that there were many more, they stood off all this daj, with a view of inter- cepting them. In the meanwhile general Brown was diligently occupied, in making arrangements for the de- fence of the place, in which lie discovered much judg- ment. But a small part of the ground adjacent to the village was cleared, the rest being surrounded by woods. At tne only point of landing, a battery and breast-work were hastily constructed, and the militia placed behind them ready to receive the enemy as he landed, and to open a fire upon him in conjunction with the artillery. The regular troops, and the light artillery, were station- ed in a second line nearer the barracks and publtck build- ings. On the approach of the enemy's boats, which were eommanded by Sir George Prevost in person, a well directed fire, which was opened upon them, compelled them to pause ; several officers and men were seen to fall. Encouraged by this, they were en;;aged in loading a se- cond time, the artillery would then open ; 'when sud* denly some unaccountable panick seized the militia, a panick, to which corps composed of the bravest men in- dividually, are liable on being engaged for the first time ; they fled in confusion, and their officers in vain attempt- ed to rally them ; their brave commander, colonel Mills, in attempting to effect it, was shot from his horse. The enemy now landed with little opposition, and having formed, advanced to the barracks ; but were for a mo- ment checked by a vigorous attack from a party of infan- try under major Aspiu wall, and the dismounted dragoons under major Lavalle. These were compelled, by num- bers, to retreat. A sharp conflict now commenced, with the regulars and artillery under colonel Buckus which retired gradually, taking possession of the houses and barracks, whence they continued to annoy the enemy. The colonel, about this time, fell severely wounded. Shortly after the flight of the militia^ general Brown sue?* 142 HISTORY OF THE WAR. eeeded in rallying the company of captain M*Nitt, abouj ninety in number ; with this ne assailed the rear of the British, and in his own words, ^' did some executioii," Finding that there was now little hope of repelling the enemy, so superiour in force, and every moment gaining ground, he resorted to a ruse de guerre. A considerable part of the militia, now ashamed of their panick, had collected near the scene of action ; the general instantly formed them, and marched them silently through the woods, so as to be discovered by the enemy. Sir George Prevost, believing that his rear was about to be cut off, ordered a retreat, which became a precipitate flight to the boats^ leaving all his wounded and a number of pri- soners. The resistance at the barracks had been exceedingly obstinate ; a destructive fire was poured from the build- ings, while lieutenant Fanning, though severely wound- ed, still directed one nut less so from his piece of artil- lery. Captain Gray, a valuable British officer and an accomplished gentlemai',, was shot by a small boy, a drummer, who snatched up a musket and fired at him, as he was advancing at the head of a column, to storm one of the barracks. This boy, who was an American, had served him in his kitclien, and on the war breaking out, had returned home ; he now approached his former mas- ter while in his last agonies, and owned that he had shot him. Captain Gray generously forgave him, and with a nobleness of soul, of which we have had but too few ex- amples on the part of Britain during the war, took out his watch and presented it to him, with tliese words, " my brave little fellow, you have done well." It is delightful to read such traits even in an enemy ; whether the boy deserved his encomium or his curse, is a matter to be settled by casuists. During the battle, a false alarm having been communi- cated to lieutenant Chauncey, that our troops had been defeated, he immediately, according to orders previously received, set fire to the publick store houses ; and the fire was not extinguished until considerable damage had been dune. The loss of the Americans in this aftair was HISTORY OF THE WAH. 143 one colonel of volunteers, twenty regulars and one volun- teer killed; one lieutenant colonel, three lieutenants and one ensign of the re^^ulars, and scventj-nine men, com- missioned officers and regulars, wounded ; and twenty -six missing; the loss of the enemy amounted to three field officers, two captains, and twenty rank and file found dead upon the ground ; two captains and twenty rank and tile wounded, besides those killed and wounded in the boats, and carried away previous to the retreat. On the same evening lieutenant colonel Little arrived, after a forced march of forty miles, with about six hundred men, and re-inforcemeats were rapidly arriving from eve- ry quarter. Notwithstanding this, a modest request of a surren- der was made by Sir George Prevost, which he soon after as modestly changed into a request for permission to hur- ry the dead, and that tli« wounded in our hands should be attended to ; of tliis he received satisfactory assuran- ces. On his return to Kingston, he issued a vaunting proclamation, in which he announced a splendid victory, which no one believed. The injury inflicted on us was certainly considerable, but fell tar short of the object of tills expedition ; and that he was compeiled precipitately to retreat, he could not pretend to deny. General Brown received and deserved applause for his conduct on thie occasion, which laid the ground work of his military celebrity. Shortly after this affair, commodore Chauncey return* ed with his squadron ; general Levis took command of the place, and set about repairing the buildings and pub- lick store houses. General Dearborne, whose increas- ing indisposition disqualified him for an active command, retired from service^ leaving colonel Boyd in command of Fort (jeorge. On the L6th of June, lieutenant Chauncey having been ordered to cruise oft' Presque Isle with the Lady of the Lake, captured the Lady Murray, with some officers and privates, besides a quantity of military stores. About the same time, a devastating and j)lundering party of the British made an attack on the village of Sodus, where 141 MISTOUY OF THE WAR. some publick stores were deposited. Op their approacli, these were concealed in the woods, while the militia could be assembled to defend them. The British, exas- perated at their disappointment, set fire to all the valug. ble buildings ir the town, destroj^ed tbe private property of individuals, and were only induced to desist from the entire destruction of th j place, on the stipulation of tiK; inhabitants to deliver the publick stores at the wharf. The militia soon after appearing, the British were com- pelled to decamp with the booty they had already collect- ed. They made a second attempt a few days afterwards, but were prevented from landing by the appearance of the militia. This marauding expedition had no pretext of retaliaticn to cover it. About this time an affair of considerable moment took place near Fort George, in which our arms again expe* riencef! a severe reverse. A detachment had been ordered out for the purpose of dislodging a party of the enemy at La Coose's house, about seventeen miles from Fort George, where they had been stationed for some time, in the neighbourhood of two others still more formidable, but which were boih aearer to Fort George. Lieutenant colo- nel BcBrstlu •, wjiS selected to command it. Theyexpedition had no rational obj'j;t, was dangerous and ill-judged. The detachment had not proceeded more than half way, ■when Indians were seen skulking across the wood in their rear. A camp of several hundred of these, lay between them and the point to which they were going. The In- dians now attacked them from the adjoining woods ; at last they were compelled to fly ; but they Kept up the fight long enough for the British parties to come up and attack them on all sides. Colonel Bcerstler continued to make a brave resistance, until his ammunition was nearly expended, and a third of his detachment placed Aorsae combat. His rear was assailed by a large body of British and Indians, and no way of retreating remained but by cutting his way through them. He proposed a charge upon the enemy : he had been twice summoned to sur- render ; on consultation with his officers, it was agreed .to capitulate under the same stipulations as those of History of twe WAlt. 14i (tcne.dl Winchester, and which were but little better re- spected. moment took A few days after this, the British having been greatly reinforced by general De Rottenburgh, invested the American camp. General Vincent was stationed at Bur^ lini'ton heights, and De Rottenburgh at ten mile Creek. The New- 1 ork volunteers were detained at the head of the Lake, contrary to their parole, and on the 12th were ordered to Kingston ; but on the way a number effected their escape. During the remainder of this and the succeeding months, a war of post was kept up between the two ar- mies. On the 8th of July, a severe skit'mish was brought on, in which nearly the whole force on either side was engaged, without any thing of moment resulting from it. An incident* however, occurred, which served to exas- perate the Americans to a higher degree than any thing during the war in this quarter. Lieutenant Eldridge, a gallant and accomplished youth, was drawn by his im- petuosity too far, with about thirty men, and was sur- rounded by British and Indians. The greater part re- sisted until they were killed; but lieutenant Eldridge and ten others, were taken prisoners, and never after- wards heard of. The bodies of the slain were ti^ated in the most shocking manner by the Indians ; their hearts were torn out and actually eaten by those monsters, the allies of a Christian King! General Boyd, considering the forbearance hitherto practised iu declining the aid of Indian allies, as no longer justifiable, accepted the servi- ces of the Seneca nation, having about four hundred warriours, under Young Cornplanter, or Henry 0. Beal, an Indian, educated at one of our colleges, but who on his return had resumed the blanket, ft was, however, positively stipulated, that the unresisting and defenceless should not be hurt, and that no scalps should be taken ; from this they never deviated during the war j but the circumstance of having Indians on our side, it was thought, might operate on the minds of the British. On the 1 1th of July, a force of two hundred of the ene- my crossed the Niagara} and attacked Black Rock $ the J3 1.4a msrORY OF THE WAR. militia stationed there, at first fled, but soon returned with a force of regulars and Indians, and compelled them to fly to their boats, leaving nine of their men killed, and their commander, colouel Bishop) mortally woundei'. On the 28tb of July, a second expedition was under* taken against York. Three hundred men, under colonel 3cott, embarked in commodore Chauncey's fleet, and suddenly landing at that place, drove the enemy, des- troyed tne publick stores and property, released a num. ber of colonel Bcerstler's men, and returned to Sackett's Harbour, with a trifling loss. The British, who were at this time pursuing the sys- tem of devastation along our sea-board, which will be recounted in the next oiapter, were at the same time enaaged in la;^ing waste the country on the borders of Lake Champlain. A little navy was also set on foot by both sides, on this Lake, in the beginning of the year ; but that of the United States was thus far less prosper- ous than that of the enemy. The whole American force, on this lake, consisted of a few armed barges, some gun boats, and two schooners, the Growler anfTEagle, under lieutenant Sidney Smith. In the beginning ofJul^, the schooner were attacked near the entrance of this lake into the St. Lawrencfe, and after a severe resistance of three hours, against a very superiour force, were compell- ed to surrender. The Britisn bein^ now masters of the lake, cruised along its borders, landing in various places, and committing many depredations on the property of the inhabitants. On the thirty -first of July, twelve nun- di'ed men landed at Plattsbur^h, where no resistance was made, a sufficient body of militia not being collected ia time ; \hey first destroyed all the publick buildings, and then waptonly burnt the storehouses of several of the inhabitants, and carried ofl' great quantities of private property. The same outrages were committed after- wards at Swanton, in the state of Vermont. Such Acts served onl^ to provoke the inhabitants, and render them bc^tter disposed to give the enemy a warm recep- tion at some other period. HISTORY OF THE WAR. i4r On Lake Ontario, a fof midable naval armament, con- sidering the size of this inland sea, was arrayed on either side, and an interesting contest ensued, Between two ^icilfiil officers, for the superiority. Tiie General Pike, of tvtrenty-two guns, had been launched, and proved to be an excellent sailor, and commodore Chauncey was now fully equal, in point of dtreng^th, to his anta»-onibt. SirJames^ though somewhat itfferiour in force, had the advantage iii an important particular, his ships sailed better in squad- ron, and he could therefore avoid or come to an engage- ment when hie should think proper. But it being a mat- ter all important for the British, to prevent the Ameri- cans from becoming masters of the ^ake, Sir James pru- dently avoided a general action, and on all occasions ex- erted his utmost skill, with this intention. On the con- trary, to bring him to action, was the utmost wish of commodore Cnaunc^y ; and the manoeuvres on either side, are said to be amongst the most skilful known in the history of naval tacticks. On the 7th of August, they came in sight of each other, the fleets about equal force, t^ommodore Cliauncey manoeuvred to gain the wind. Having passed the leward of the enemy's Mne, and being abreast of his van ship, the Wolf, he fired a few guns to ascertain whether he could reach the hostile fleet. The- shot falling short, he wore, and hauled upon a wind to the starboard tack ; the rear of the commodore's schooners^ teing six miles astern. Sir James wore a^so, and hauled upon a wind on the saiae tack, but observing that the American fleet would be able to weather him in the next tack, he tacked again and made all sail to the northward. Commodore Chauncey pursued him. The chase waft continued until night, but the schooners not being able to^ keep up, a signal was made to give up the pursuit, our force in close order. Tlie wind now blew heavy, and at midnight, two of the schooners, the Scourge and the Hamilton, were found to have overset in the squall. Lieutenants Winter and Osgood, two valuable ofllcers*.- were lost, and only sixteen men of tlic crew saved. The* next morning the enemy, discovering this loss, appeared- to be disposed to engage, and seemed to bear oft' for tliat '^ismmikmu^ 148 HISTORY OF TIIE WAR. purpose, having now the superiority. Two schoonert were ordered to move up and en^e him, but when with. in a mile and a half, he attempted to cut them oft*, in whicli he failed ; he then • hauled his wind and hove to. \ squall coming on, and commodore Chauncey being ap. prehensive of separating from his dull sailing schooner^, ran in towards Niagara and anchored. Here he receiv. ed on board^ from Fort George, one hundred and fifty men to act as marines, and distributed them "*.. .'ough his fleet; he again sailed and contihued until 11 o'clock, at times pursuing and being pursued, when the rear of the line opened its fire, and m fifteen minutes (he fire be- came general on both sides. At half past eleven, the weather line bore off, and passed to the leward, except the Growler and Julia, which soon after tacked to the southward, and brought the British between them and the remainder of the American fleet, which then edged away to engage the enemy to more advantage, and to lead him from the two schooners* Sir James exchanged a few shot with the American commodore's ship, and pur* SLued the Growler and Julia. A firing commenced be* tween them, which continued until one o'clock in the morning of the tenth. A desperate resistance was made against this superiour force, to which the two vessels were compelled to yield ; Sir James' ship is said to have b>>en considerably injured. The next day he was visible, but shewed no disposition to come to action. Commodore Chauncey soon after returned to Sackett's Harbour. A victory for this affair was claimed by Sir Jatnes Yeo ; his situation would not allow him to be can- did, (or he was compelled to keep up an appearance of being willing io engage the American squadron, although he had no such intention ; he expecteci, however, to Be able to cut ofl* our dull sailing schuonera in detail* HISTORY OF THE WAR; 149 CHAPTER VIII. ]far on the coast — Exploits of Cockbum — Plundering and burning of Havre de Grace — Burning of Oeorge- town and Freaericktown — ^Arrival ^f admiral Warten ami Sir Sidney Beckwith — Southern cities threatened --Attack OH Craney Island — Enormities at Hamf*''n>^* Cockbum plunders the Coast of J\*orth Corolind^-Block- ade of the American squadron at J\ew London, by com- modore Hardy — The Torpedo System, During the first year of the war, Great Britain beings deeply engaged in the important transactions then go- ing on :n Europe, had little time to attend to the war with this country ; not one of our ports couM be -said tor' have been in a state of actual'blookade. The forces which she could spare, were sent to Canada. The change in the face of things in Europe, gave her a> greater disposable force, and more leisure, while our unparalleled' victories on the ocean, awakened her at- tention, and kindled a desire for revenge. Lons before spring, it was known that a British squadron had arrived at Bermuda, with a body of troops on boards and well supplied with bombs and rockets, for the purpose of at- tacking some of our most exposed southern cities. For the inYidious distinction was made between the north and south, from a belief, that the northern states were not merely unfriendly to the war, but were strongly in- clined to secede from the Union, and return to their for- mer allegiance to the king of England. We are now about to enter upon a species of hostili- ties, entirely new among civilized people. The scenes which we must pass in review, can scarcely be spoken of with moderation. They are compounded of the avarir cious and plundering barbarity, which characterizes the pirates of the Mediterranean, and of ^he savage ferocity •f the scenes which disgraced the River Raisin. Whiu-- 13» i«^-*V"a 150 HISTORY OF THE WAR. ever may be the reputations of the chief actors in En- land, they can never be otherwise regarded in this coun. tnr, than as the infamous instruments in the perpetration ofenormities, from which the honorable man would shrink with instinctive honour. The recollection of the prison- ships and other enormities during the revolutionary war, when England chose to regard us as traitors, and which the generosity and wisdom of England oight to have kept from our minds, was renewed with all possible aggrava* tion, now that she chose to regard us^4i»~double traitors. If it ha^' been her intention to plant an eternal hatred in the hearts of a people, destined at some future day to be> come numerous and powerful, she has certainly fallen up. on the proper means. To say that these things should be passed over lightly, because we are now at peace with her^ would be a scandal to every American ; it would be a de< sertion of truth, justice, religion, humanity } it would be passing over lightly and indulgentl^r, the most eompjica* ted crimes, and sinking at once every distinction-betweeu infamy and virtue. It was soon understood that the war to be carried on against the Atlantic coast in the spring, was to be a war of havock and destruction ; but to what extent was lot exactly known. The enemy, however, " talked of chaf tis« iig us into submission^', aixl it was expected that our large commercial towns, now somewhat fortified against the approach of their shippin^r^ would be vigorously attack* ed ; and, froip the example we had seen at Copenhagen, it was not impossible that they would be much injured, and perhaps reduced to ashes. Small bodies of regular troops were stationed at dilferent points- along tbe sea- board, to form the rallying points of the militia, which might be called out as occasion should require : a number of marines and seamen, belonging to publick vessels which did not put to sea, were also to co-operate in tliis service. On the fourth of February, a squadron consisting o£ two ships of the line, three frigates and other vessels, made its appearauce in the Chesapeake, apparently standing for Hamptou Roads. The alarm was imme- HISTORY OF THE WAR. I5t (liately caught at Norfolk, and the militia called in from the upper part of the state. No attempt, however, was made upon the town, the enemy contenting himself with destroying the smaller vessels employed in the naviga- tioa of the Bay, and effectively blockading its waters. About the same time, another squadron under the com- mand of commodore Beresford, appeared in the Dela- ware, consisting of the Poictiers, the Belvidera, and some other vessels, which in the same manner destroyed a DUiriber of small trading vessels, and attempted several ' times to land some of their men, who were as often re- pulsed by the militia, hastily collected. On the tenth of April, Sir John Beresford made a demand on the peo- ple of the village of Lewistown, for a supply of provi-- sioDS, which was spiritedly refused by colonel Uavis, eommanding at that place. Captain Byron, of the Bel- videra, was ordered to move near the village and bom^ bard it, until the demand should be complied with. This was obeyed, but without effect ; after a cannonade of twenty hours, tfiey were enable to make any impres- sion on the place. Their fire had been returned from some batteries, hastily thrown up on the bank, with con*^ aiderable effect. On the tenth of May, the same squad- ron sent'out their barges in the neigbourhuod of Lew*^ istowD, to procure water. Major George Hunter was-' detached by colonel Davis, with one hundred and fifty men, to oppose their landing, which the major liid with so much gallantry, that he compelled them to ii&sten t» their shipping. The squadron soon after returned to Ber-~ muda, wher'j Sir J. Borlace Warren, who commanded onr this station, wa» engaged in fitting out a more considera- ble armament, foF the attack of our seaccast during the summer. Sooji after the departure of the squadron, the Spartan^ and some other frigates, entered the Delaware, One of their vessels, the Martin, was discovered on the 29th of July, slightly grounded on the outer edge olt Crow's shoals«- A detachment of the gun boat flotilla immediately movedi^ 9Ad anchoring in line about three quarters of a mile fVom the sloop, opened a destructive fire upon her^ The J»- ^Ki 15S HISTORY OF TirE WAR. non friirate soon after came off to her relief; a cannonade was kept up during an hou;- between the gunboats and these two vessels, in which the latter suffered great injury. Finding it impossible to drive off this mosqueto fleet, they manned their launches, tenders and cutters, to cut ofTthe gunboats, at the extremity of the line. No. 121, command, ed by sailing master Head, was unfortunately taken, after a desperate resistance against eight times her number. The British soon after made sail, tne Martin having been extricated from her situation. Scenes of a different kind were, in the meanwhile, act- ing in the Chesapeake. The squadron, which returned in February,, still continued to carry on a predatory, war along the shores and inlets. * It was here that one Cock^ biirn^ by some means an admiral in the service of the King of England, exhibited the first of those exploits, for which he afterwards become so highly celebrated ; and of which he may justly claim to be the originator. At first they were directed against the detached- farm-houses and seats of private gentlemen, unprepared for, atdincapa* ble of defence ; these were robbed, and the owners treat* ed in the rudest manner. The cattle which could not be cariied away, were doomed to wanton destruction ; the slaves were armed against their owners, and persuaded to follow the example of their new friends, to attack their master's defenceless families, and to. engage in pil- laging them. It was impossible to station a force at each farmhouse, to repel these miserable and disgraceful in- cursions ; yet, in several instances, Cockburn and his ruffians were bravely repelled, by a collection of the neighbours without authority, and under no leader. The spirited citizens of Maryland formed bodies of cavalry, which were slationed at intervals along the shore, to be drawn out at a moment's warning, for the purpose of re- pelling the sudden inroads of the enemy. Cockburn took possession of several islands in^the Bay, particular- ly Sharp's, Tilghman's, and Poplar Islands, whence he could seize the opportunity of making a descent upon the neighbouring shores, when the inhabitants happened to be on' th^ir guard. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 153 Encouraged b^r his success against the farmers, and hiA rapacity increasing by the booty which he had already obtained) Cockburn now resolved to undertiike some* thine of a more bold and adventurous character, in which his thirst for plunder, and his love of mischief, might be gratified in a higher degree. He therefore directed his attention to the unprotected villages and hamlets aloi^ the bay; carefully avoiding the larger towns, the plun- dering of which might he attended with some danger. The first of these exploits was against the village of Frenchtown, containing six dwelling houses, two large store houses, and several stables. It is important, howe^ ver, as a place of deposite on the line of packets and sta- ges from Philadelphia to the city of Baltimore, and Cock- Durn rightly conjectured that here there might be private property to a considerable amount. He accordingly sat out on this expedition, from his ship the Marlborough, in barges, with nve hundred marines ; a sufficient nunmer tq have carried the town on their backs. Some shew of resistance was made by a small party of militia collected from Elktori, but which moved ofl as the admiral ap- proached. The storehouses were destroyed, togetber with the goods they were unable to parry 'o&\ to an inv* inense amount. Amongst other objects of wanton de- struction, was an elegant drop-curtain, intended for the theatres of the cities before mentioned. The brand wasap-* plied to some of the private dwelling houses, and to seve- ral vessels lying at the wharf ; after achieving this glorious victory, the admiral, fearing the approach of the militia^ hastily retired to his ship. The next exploit of the admiral, was of still greater importance. The town of Havre-de-Grace is situated on the Susquehannaf .tbcut two miles fom the head of the Bay, and is a neat village, containing twenty or thir- ty bouses; An attack on this place was the next object which entered into the plan of the admiral's operations. Accordinlgy, on the third of May, before day-light, liis approach was announced by a few cannoii shot, and thf) linng of rockets. TIic mhubitamtsj roused from their \| -tmi 154 HISTORY OF THE WAR. sleep, leaped up in the greatest consternation, and t!i« more courageous repaired to tlie beach, where a few small pieces of artillery had been plantofi r,na kind of battery, for the purpose of defence against the smaller ivatering or plunclerin^ parties of the enemy. After fir. ing a few shots, with tne exception of aii old citizen of the place> of the name of 0*Neill, they all fled on theap. proach of tlie barges, abandoning the village to the mercy ©f Cockburn. O'Neill alone continoed the fij»ht, loading apiece of artillery, and tiring it himself, until bv recoil. ing, it ran over his thigh and wounded him severely. H« then armed himself with a musket, and limping away, still kept up a retreating fight with the advancing column of the Britishywho had by this time landed and formed j after which he moved off to join his five or six com- rades, whom he attempted in vain to rally. The enemy had no sooner taken possession of the viU hge by this sudden and bold assault, than they set themselves about destroying the private dwellings, and plundering their contents. Having glutted their avarice, they then amused themselves with every species of barba- rous and wanton mischief. The houses being now on fire, they cut open iLe beds of the inhabitants, ami thretv in the feathers to increase the flame. Women and chil- dren fled shrieking in every direction, to avoid the brutal insolence of the British seamen and mariues, and no. where did they . find a protector amongst these savages. Their clothes were torn from their backs, and they felt themselves at every moment in danger of being massacred. Not on women and children alone were these outrages committed ; the sttige horses kept at this place were cruelly maimed, and the stages broKen to pieces. Deter- mined that their character should not be equivocal, these worse than Vandals, selected as the next object of their barbarous vengean' e, a neat and beautiful building, dedicated to the worship of the Almighty, and with un- usual pains defaced its doors and windows. One build- ing yet remained undemolished, an elegant dwelling belonging to commodore Rodgers, where the mo'st res- pectable females of tlie iowa had taken refuge vvitU. their HISTORY OF THE WAR. 155 chihii'en, believing that a naval officer would not wanton- ly insult the unprotected wife of a brave and gallant sea- man, who was then absent in the service of nis country. The officer to whom the task of conflagration had been assigned, already held the torch, when with much solici' tationhe consented to wait a few moments, until an ap- peal to the admiral could he made. It proved successful, and it is mentioned to his praise, that he only refrained {on one occasion from doing that which would have been the ciijiiax of brutality'. There being no further mischief for theni to perpetrate in the village, they divided their force into three parts, and while one remained to keep Iwatch, the others proceeded to lay waste the adjacent jcountiy. One party followed the road towards Balti- Imorefor several miles, plundering the farm-houses, and Irobbing the travellers on the road of their clothes and Imoney ; the other proceeded up the river, cotrmittingsi- linilar outrages. It were endless to enumerate the acts lof base and wanton injury, inflicted by this party, during tiie short time which they remained. On the sixth, to lie great satisfaction of the inhabitants, these savages, lian whom those of the west were not worse, returned to their fleet. O'Neill, who had been taken prisoner, was jcarried with them and detained several days, at the end of which time they thought proper to release him. The bnhabitants of the village, many of whom were almost Wned, threw themselves on the humanity of their fel- pw-citizens of Baltimore, who generously contributed to their relief, and they were soon after enabled to cojn- nence the rebuilding of their houses. Elated with the profitable issue of this descent, in [which so rich a booty was obtained with so little danger, the enemy was eager for some other enterprise equally knourable to the British arms. The admiral had cast Ills eye upon two beautiful villages, situated on the ri- Iver Sassafras, which empties itself into the bay ; George- Itown and Frederick-town, situated opposite each other, lone in Kent, the other in Cecil county. His hired lagents, for miscreants may be found in every country [for such purposes, had informed him y that here he might '^■"■*J!|^« 156 HISTORY OF THt WAll. glut his crew with plunder. On the sixth, placing him. self at the head of six hundred men, in eighteen barges, he ascended the river, and proceeded towards Frede"! ick-town. Colonel Veazy had collected here about filtv militia, on the approach of the barges, which immediate. jy commenced a heavy fire with langra^e, shot, and mus- ketry. The greater pait of the Tnilitia fled, and left colonel Veazy to oppose them as he could; he, notwith- standing, kept up a steady fire, until they approached so near that he was compelled to retreat. The admiral boldly advanced to the town, plundered the houses, and in spite of the entreaties of the women and children, again acted the incendiary, and leaving Frederick-town in flames, passed to the opposite side of the river, where after having treated the village of George-town in the same manner, he returned glutted with spoil and satiat- ed with wanton havock. It was not long after this, that admiral Warren enter. ed the bay with a considerable reinforcement, and a num- ber of land troops and marines, under the command of Sir Sidney Beckwith. They had seized a number of the smaller vessels employed in the navigation of the bay, for the purpose of being used in penetrating the various inlets, impervious to their larger tenders. To oppose to these small parties, employed in frequent and distressing depredations on the property of private indi- viduals, the government hired a number of barges and light vessels, which by moving from place to place with great rapidity, would tend to keep the enemy in check. On the arrival of admiral Warren, their force, which appeared in the Chesapeake, consisted of seven ships of the line, and twelve frigates, with a proportionate num* ber of smaller vessels. The appearance of this formida* ble force, created much alarm in the more considerable towns along the Chesapeake. Baltimore, Annapolis, and Norfolk, were threatened. The last of these place, it was evident was to receive the first blow. On the eighteenth, commodore Cassin, having receir- ed intelligence that a squadron of the enemy had arriv- ed in Hampton Koads, now made the necessary dispo* HISTORY OP THE WAR. 157 sitions for repelling the invader. The frigate Constella- tion was anchored oetween the two forts, on each side of Elizabeth river, >vliich commands the approach to Norfolk. At this place nearly ten thousand of the Vir- jrinia militia had been already collected. The gan-boat lotilla was ordered in the mean while to descend the river, and engage the foremost of the enemy's frigates. Captain Tarbell, by whom it was commanded, proceed- ed in two divisions } the first commanded by lieutenant Gardner, and the other by lieutenant Henley. On th& twentieth, having brought his gun.boats into a favourable position, he opened a rapid fire u|)on the Junon frigate, at the distance of half a mile. This was returned, and continued for half an hour, apparently to the great in-. jury of the frigate* the gun-boats suffering but little. Another vessel, which proved to be a razee, was seen coming to her assistance ; the fire of the Junon for a short time appeared to have been silenced; but on the arrival of tier consort, and additional frigates, she again open- ed. Captain Tarbell now thought proper to retire. The Junon was mucii shattered ; and her loss, consider- ing the great disparity of force, is thought to have been considerable. A formidable attack on Norfolk was resolved upon by the British ; preparatory to this, it would be necessary to subdue the forts by which it was protected. Tiie near- est obstruction to the enemy's advances, was Crany Island; and in the course of the day, they dropped to the mouth of James' River. Captain Tarbell gave orders to lieutenants Neal, Shubrick and Saunders, of the fri- gate Constellation, to land with a hundred seamen on the islandy for the purpose of manning a battery on the N. W. side, while he stationed the gun«bt»ats in such a manner as to enable him to annoy the enemy from tlie opposite side. On the twenty-second, at day light, they were discovered approaching round the point of Nansi- mond river, witli about four thousand men, a great pro- portion of whom, it was afterwards ascertained, were wretclied French troops, who had been taken prisoner^ in Spain, and induced to enter into the British service^ 14 ^ ■\, ". J -. ^^P*W*'*?(»*>yfc37Sp|i^^_ 158 HISTORY OF THE WAR. under promise of being permitted to pillage and abate the citizens of the Unitea States. They selected a place of landing out of the reach of tlie gun-boats ; but unfor. tunately for them« not out of the reach of danger. When they had approached within two hundred yards of the ^hore, lieutenant Neale, assisted by lieutenants Shu- brick and Saunders, opened a galling fire upon them, which compelled them to pause. I'he battery was mouDt- ed with an eighteen-pounder, and manned by one hua. dered and fifty men, including lieutenant Brecke midge's marines. The piece was directed with so nNich preci. sion, that several of their boats were cut in two, and the men with difficulty escaped. The Centipede, the ad* | fniral's barge, was sunk, and the whole force was compell. i «d to make a precipitate retreat. This was no sooner dis* I covered, than lieutenant Neale ordered his men to haul up the boats, which had been sunk, and to aiford the un«j fortunate suiierers every assistance in their power. A Jarge body of the enemy who had landed on the main shore, were not less warmly received by the Virginia volunteers, on their crossing the narrow inlet tu the west. A short time before the approach of the barges, this body of men, about eight hundred in number, at< tempted to cross to the island by the inlet of which we have spoken ; colonel Beaty had been posted, with about four hundred men, to guard the pass; two twenty-four] pounders, and two sixes, were planted to oppose the pa fiage, under the -direction of major Faulkner^ and tite guns commanded by captain Emerson, and Ueutenanti Bowel and Godwin. The conflict here raged at the same ' moment with the aittack on the party approaching bj water. The enemy was compelled to give up the at* tempt in this quarter also. His loss in this signal re* ■pulse, was upwards of two hundred in killed and wound- { ed, besides a number of deserters, who seized the op- portunit}*^ of making their escape. The safety of the city of Norfolk, and (rf the surround- ing towns of Gosport, Portsmouth anil others, is tobej attributed to the resiolute defence of Crany Island. The condMct cf lieutenant Neale and his brave cumpaniun% HISTORY OF THE WAlL 159 Shubn'ck, Saunders, and Breckeoridge, received the I grateful aeknowledgeraent^ of the inhabitants. Colonel ifieaty and his officers) And two nun -commissioned vo- I lunteers, sergeant Young and corporal Moffit, were no less entitled to praise foe the parts whieh they took in this interesting affair. This unexpected repulse enraged t^e enemy beyond measure. At the same time that their ciesire of revenge was excited, in consequence of their disappointment in the sacking of Norfolk, they were tauij;ht greater pru- Idence in the selection of the object of attack. In a con- sultatioir between admiral Warren, Sir Sidney Beck- with, and Cockburn, they determined on attacking the {town of Hampton, about eighteen miles distance Troni Norfolk. There was a garrison here, consisting of about four hundred men, artillerists and infantry. The forti- fications of the place were of very little consequence; in fact, it was but an open village, of little more importance than those pil lathed by Cockburn. It was tJiought, that by possessing this place, the communication lietweea Isorfolk and tlie upper county would be entirely cut off. JOn the twenty-fifth, the plan of attack having been ad- Ijusted, admiral Cockburn advanced towards the town, [with a number of barges, tenders, and smaller vessels* throwing rockets, and tiring towards the town, while Sir Sidney landed below, at the head of two thousand meoi intending to march up and gain the rear of the Ameri- cans. Admiral Cockburn was so warmly received by major Crutchtield, the officer commanding at Hampton, who opened upon him a few pieces of artillery, that he was compelled instantly to withdraw, and Conceal him* self behind a point. In the meanwhile, Sir Sidney made his appearance, and was severely handled by a nUe com- |»ny under captain Servant, which had been posted in a wood, near which he had to pass. Major Crutchtield, soon after drew up his infantry in support of the rifle- men; but finding himself unable to contend with num- [bers so superiour, he made good his retreat, not, how- ever, without great difficulty. Captain Pryor, who had been left to coaimand the battery, which opposed th& n leo HISTORY OF THE WAR. '#' sneinv's landing) found that the royal marines had ap- proached within sixty yards of him ; his corps considering itself in a situation hopeless of escape, already regard* ed themselves as prisoners of war ; when he ordered the guns to be spiked, and charging upon the enemj, threw them into confusion, and actually eflfected his escape without the loss of a single man. The loss of the Ameri- cans, in this affair, amounted to seven killed and twelve \rounded ; that of the British, according to their ac* knowledgements, was five killed and thirty-three wound< ed ; but probably much more considerable. We have once more to record the infamous and bruta) deportment of the enemy, which may vie with the fouN est acts of the savages at the river Kaisin. A series of parallel iniquities, is scarcely to be met with in history. The most infernal imagination can scarcely invent a ca^ talogue of crimes Qf equal atrocity and ftend-like wicked« nesfl. Scarcely was this village in quiet possession of tlie invaders, when full permission was given to tbe vilest mercenary wretches which composed the British ar* iny, to give a loose to their worst passions and propensi* ties. After itcting the usual scenes of shameless plun* der and devastation, in which officers and men took an equal share ; they proceeded to ofter violence to the per. sons of the unfortunate inhabitants, whose age, whose sex, whose infirmities prevented them from escaping, The wretched females were consigned to the gratifica lion of the brutal desires of a brutal soldiery, with cir cumstances of indignity unheard of antongst civilized men. Wives were torn from the sides of their wounded husbands, daughters from their mothers, and violated in their presence. Human nature was shocked beyond endurance at the detested spectacle $ mothers claspin;; their helpless babes to their bosoms, endeavoured tu plunge at once into the sea, as the last sad refuge of des* Eair : but even this was denied them, they ^ere driven ack, and compelled to undergo what was worse than ten thousand deaths. Was there no British oflicer who, on this occasion, felt for the honour of his country, and endeavoured, at the risk of his life, to save it from this HISTORY OF THE WAR. 161 indelible reproach P It seems there was not one. The heart of humanity cannot fill up the disgusting picture with its revolting particulars. Would it be believed that a sick old man of the natne of Kirby, unable to rise from his bed, was set upon by these fiends, and murdered in the arms of his aged wife, who, because she desired to remonstrate, received the contents of a pistol in her body ! If any thing could be wanting to complete the sacriligious picture, it was their wantonly putting to death his faithful dog ! Two sick men were murdered in the hospital, the medical stores were destroyed, all the wounded who fell into their hands, were nut only denied medrcal aid, but even common sustenance, during two days, that they thus threw aside, not merely the character of Si»idiers, of. christians, but of men. -This picture is by no means overcharged." It is founded upon the fullest evidence submitted to a com- mittee of congress, which reported upon it in still stronger terms. But the substance was not denied by Sir Sidney Beckwith, to whom it was communicated by general Taylor, and the greater part actually acknowledged. The feelings of the people throughout Virginia were^ if possible, more excited on this subject, than were those of the people, of Kentucky, at the massacre by Proctor. General Taylor, who comfmanded the station, addressed a letter to dir Sidney Beckwith, conceived in that species of dignified and appalling eloquence, which the feelings of an honourable man alone can dictate, on the subject of such an outrage, and by which guilt is compelled to seek refuge in the sheltering meanness of falsehood and pre- varication. General Taylor, after stating the enormities of which the^ritish had been guilty, desired to be inform- ed of the nature of the war intended to be carried oa against the United States ; whether the scenes at Hamp- ton had been unauthorised by the British government, or whether that government had entirely thrown asido the ordinary usages of war which govern civiiiztd na« tions. " Worthless," said he, " is the laurel steeped m feniale tears, and joyless the conquests which have intlict- ed needless woj on the peaceful and uoresiating.*' die 14* ^IP 162 HISTORY OF THE WAK, Sidney replied, that he was soptj for the excesses at Hampton, and hoped that, in future, the war would be carried on with as much regard to humanity as possible. This evasive answer was not received as satisfactory, one more explicit was required. He then declared that the etcesses were committed in retaliation, for the conduct on the part of the Americans at Crany island, in shooting at the seamen who clung to a barge which had overset. General Taylor immeuiately instituted a court of inqui- ry, which proved the charge to be without foundation. On the result being communicated. Sir Sidney did not think proper to gi' e a written reply; but promised ver- bally to withdraw ins troops from t!ie neighbourhood, and excused liLnself, on the score of his not having been ac- quainted with tlie kind of war to which these men had bten accustomed in Spain; that in fact, they could not be restrained : but he added, tliat as soon as he had found them engaged in such excesses, he had given orders for them to re-embiirk. Tl»e facts will not, however, support the excuse, and there is no criminal who has perpetrated the grcMsest crime, that cannot fabricate as goou. It is unpleasant to implicate Admiral Warren, and Sir Sidney Beckwith, in this detestable affair, as ilieir conduct has been in general of a different characteri This is much more the element of Cockburn, who doubtless sliared in it with peculiar pleasure. But there was in the conduct of the two ofliccrs before mentioned, a shameful indiifer- ence upon a subject, which so deeply regarded the charac- ter of the British government ; if such indifference be wise Ornot, the hi stovy of the world will decide. As to the assertion that the scenes at Hampton were sintiiar to those which had occurred in Spaifi, it by no means clears tAie British character; but, in reality, such acts of atrocity Were never perpetrated in Sjiain, or in any other country. The squadron, during tlie remainder of the summer, frequently threatened the city of VVashington, Annapolis and Baltimore. Large bodies of militia were on several occasions drawn tfut, and the country in cimsequence ^liiuch harassed. This was fair and justifiable in the '9n«niy, and is nosubject of complaint; and had any of sound, in thi« rtlSTORY OF THE WAKr 163 our towns been laid in ashes, white attempting a resist- ance, it would only have been regarded as a inisfoituue of war, which the enemy had a right to inHict. Cockburn was permitted to pursue his own inclination, in moving to the south with a formidable squadron, to carry on in the Carolina's and Georgia, the same species of '.varfare which he had so successfully practised in the Chesapeake. In the beginning of July, tlie admiral appeared oft' Ocra,- coke, a village of North Carolina, and shortly after crossed the bar ; and, with a number of barges, attacked two private armed vessels, the Anaconda and the Atlas, which, after a gallant resistance, were captured. The Revenue cutter, then in port, made her escape to i!\ c w- bern, at which place the militia assembled in such num- bers, that the admirals designs upon it were frustrated. He landed about three thousand men, then proceeded to I Portsmouth, and having treated the inhabitants in the [same manner as he had treated those of the Chesapeake^ he returned with a valuable booty, and a number of slaves, who had been induced to leave their masters, un- der a promise of freedom, but wlio were afterwards sold I Id the West-Indies. To the north of the Chesapeake, although these dis- I graceful depredations were not committed, the coast was Inot exempt from the effects of war. A strict blockade was kept up at New-York. The American frigates, United States, and Macedonian, and the sloop Hornet, attempted to sail on a cruise from that port about the be- ginning of May ; but finding the force at the Hook much supei'iour to theirs, they put back, and passed through Hell Gate, with the intention of passing out by the Isound^ In this they were once more frustrated ; and ion the first of June, after another attempt, they were jGhased into New London. Six hundred militia were immediately called in from the surrounding country, for [the protection of the squadron; commodore Decatur, landmg some of his guns, mounted a battery on the shore, land at the same time so lightened his vessels, as te en* (able them to ascend the river out of the reach of the ene- Imy. This place was su well fortified, that i^o attempt 164 HISl'DRY OF THE WAR. Ivaa made upon it, but the blockade was strictly kept up for many months. It is pleasing to contrast the conduct of commodore Hardy, who commanded the squadron north of the Cliesa. peake, with that of Cockburn. His conduct was uoi- formiy that of a brave, humane, and honourable officer. Although he frequently landed on different parts of the coast ; liis deportment was such as might be expected from a manly and generous enemy. Sucn an enemy we had reas:on to dread; hut the depredations of the other, could only tend to provoke the inhabitants of this coun* try, and to sink all party feelings in the opposition to the war. If the procedure of Cockburn was authorised by his government, it was dictated by a very mistaken policy, for notliing could more effectually heal political difierences, and render the war a common cause with every American. An act of congress had been passed during the last win. ter, which cannot be mentioned without feelings of re. gret. Some excuse may be found for it in the irritation produced, in consequence of the mode of warfare which the enemy had threatened to pursue. By this act, a re?. ward of half the vessels destroyed, was offered to such as should effect the destruction, by any other means, than. by the armed or commissioned vessels of the United States. The measure originated with the torpedo scheme, of which so much at that time was said. There is some- thing unmanly in this insidious mode of annoyance j itis not justifiable even for defence against an unsparing foe. It is but little better than poisoning fountains, and prepar* ing mines. Valour can claim no share in such exploits, and to the brave mind little pleasure can be derived from the recollection of having thus treacherously destroyed an enemy. It is forbidden by the same I'eason which for* bids us to strike the unresisting, because there is no oppor* tunity of defence. The laurel which is not fairly won, is of no value to the real hero. It had been in the pow* er of general Sinclair, to have poisoned his spirituous liquors at the moment of his defeat, and to have des< troyed our cruel enemy $ but shame would have followed the infliction of such an injury, even upon savages. HISTORY OF THE WAR. J 65 Several attempts at blowing up the enemy's vessels were made, in consequence of tne law. The most rr- markable, were those against the Ramilies, the admiral's ship, the other against the Plantagenet. Sometime in June, the schooner Eagle having been filled with flour barrels, and containing a quantity of ^un-powder, had a gun-lock fixed at the bottom, so contrived as to explode the pow- der in the attn this occa- sion only served to render his memory the more dear to his countrymen. To put our ingenuity to the rack in finding elxcuses for this defeat, would be but to imi- tate the British, who have not allowed us a single fait naval victory, out of at least twenty instances, m wltich their national flag has struck to ours. If accidents may happen in twenty successive cases, why may they not happen in one or two ; but we do not regard thein as such. By letters dated early in July, news reached the Unit- ed tStates from captain Porter, who had captured sevp- ral British vessels in the South Seas, aud was then cruis- ing with great success, his crew in fine health. He haJ actually created a fleet, of nine sail, by means of vessels captured on those seas, eight ofv/hich had been letters of marque ; and he was at this time completely master of the Pacific ocean. This may be regarded as a novelty in ^aval incidents $ and there is no doubt, had it been pet* WSTORY OF THE WAR. \75 formed by an English naval commander, it would have been applauded to the skies, but in an American it was the deportment of a buccanier. By none of our com- manders has there been so mucli injury done to British commerce ; against none of them have they been so pro- fuse in their invective. On the list of his captures were two fine English sliips, pierced for twenty guns, and car- rying between them sixteen, with fifty-five men, and on board a considerable sum in specie. On the twenty -sixth of March, he fell in with a Spanish ship, the Nereyda, which ha«l been engaged in capturing American ships ; he took tlie liberty of throwing her guns overboard, and liberatingthe ships and prisoners, the pirate had captur- ed. This is probably one of the grounds upon which commodore Porter has been charged with the conduct of a buccanier. The British were not long permitted to rejoice in the concjuest of tlie Argus ; victory once more returned to the side of justice, ** free trade and sailor's rights." The brig Enterprize, lieutenant William Blirrows, sailed from Portsmouth on a cruise, about the first of Septem- ber. On the fifth, a large man of war brig was discover- ed, to which he gave chase. The enemy, after firing se- veral guns, stood for the Enterprize with several ensigns hoisted. She proved to be the Boxer, of force somewhat superiour to the Enterprize. At twenty minutes after three, the firing commenced on both sides, within pistol shot. After the action had continued fifteen minutes the I Enterprize ranged ahead, and raked her, which she con- I tinued for twenty minutes, when the enemy ceased fir- ing, and cried for quarter, being unable to haul down her flag, as it had been nailed to the mast. The Enterprize had one killed and tliirteen wounded, but that one was the lamented Burrows. He fell at the commence- ment of the action, and refused to auit the deck, but rais- ing his head, with a noble spirit, he requested that the flag might never be struck. When the sword of the enemy was presented to him, he exclaimed with enthu- siasm, clasping it to his breast, ^* 1 die contented ',** and not till then would he permit himself to be carried be- l...L»..„^^J(,_L._^. ire HISTORY OF THE WAR. low. Who will say that such a death is not truly hero- ick ? while such a spirit resides in the breasts of our sea- men, they may indeed be called invincibles 5 their bodies may be subdued, but their souls never can. The British loss was much move considerable, but not properly as- certaiiie,hing in this quarter, he stood towards the A/.ores, w... he continued until the 6th of June, without meeting any of the enemy's vessels* From information which he now received, he shaped his course to intercept the convoy from the West Indies to £ngland. In this he was not successful, but made four captures, between the 9th and 13th of June. He next cruized in the track from Newfoundland to St. George's Channel, but without meeting a single vessel ; being short of provisions, he put into Novui Bevgen on the 27th of June. He thence steered towards the Orkneys, to intercept a convoy from Archangel; but about the mvMle of July, when in momentary expectation of meet- ing with it, he was cha&ed by a ship of the line and a .£^*.*-..-> ^*'. HISTORY OF THE WAR. m "■y^ f/igate^ for several days, owin^ to the ]ightne§s of the \vind8. He next steered to gain the direction of the trade passing out and into the Irish Channel. In thid position he made three captures ; but finding that the ene ay had a superiour force near this, he made a circuit roond Ireland, and then steered for the banks of New- loundland, where he made two captures. On the 23d of September he captured, in a singular manner, the British schooner Highflyer, tender to admiral Warren ; on her approach to the President she hoisted a private signal, which was accidentally answered by one that proved to kthe British signal for that day; she accordingly bore aown and was captured. By this means the l^ritish private signals, and admiral Warren's private instruc- tions, were obtained, and which enabled the commodore to avoid their squadrons on the coast. He soon after ar- rived at Newport. The Congress, after parting from the Prendent, con- tinued her cruize until the l£th of December, when she arrived at Portsmouth, N. H. She had cruized chiefly on the coast of South America, and had captured a num- ber of the enemy's vessels, amongst others two armed brigs of ten guns each. ft has already been said, that the character of our flag at sea, was not merely supported by our national ves- sels: there we>'n numerous instances in which our pri- vate cruisers acquitted themselves in a manner to gra- tify the pride of any people. But the publick attention was so much occupied with the flrst, that the latter per- haps has not received a due share of applause. A few instances may be selected from amongst a number. Per- haps no action during the war displayed more daring courage, and wonderful superiority of seamanship, than the engagement of the Comat, captain Boyle, with a Portuguese brig, and three ai-med merchantmen. After engaging them all four, and fighting them several hours, he compelled one of the merchantmen to surrender, and the brig to sheer off, although double the force of the Co- met. Phis would appear almost incredible, if the de» tails were not perfectly satisfactory. I '8 iriSTORY OF THE WAR. On the eleventh of March, the Geneml Armstrong, olT tBurrinam, discovered a sail which she supposed to be a letter of marque, and after giving her a broadside, and wearing to give another, to their surprise they founi they Were along side of a frigate, which soon opened 8Hcn a heavy fire, as would have sunk the schooner, had she hot succeeded in making her escape. ©n the fifteenth of August, the privateer Decatur, be- ing on a cruise, discovered a ship and a schooner ; tl\e first proved to be the British packet, the Princess Char- lotte, the other the British vessel of war, the Dominica. She immediately stood towards them, and soon found herself abreast of the schooner. Both vessels continued to manceuvre for two or three hours, the Dominica en- deavouring to escape, and the Decatur to board ; during which time several broadsides were fired by the former, and some shot from the large gun of the latter. The Decatur at last succeeded in boarding, s number of her men passing by means of her bowsprit into the stern of the otiier. The fire from the artillery and musquetry was now terrible^ being well supported on both sides. The Donninica not being able to dif -engage herself, dropped along side of the Decatur, and was thus boarded by her whole crew. Fire-arms now became useless, and the CLciws fought hand to hand, with cutlasses and cold shot. The officers of the Dominica being all killed and wound- ed, she was forced to surrender. As soon as the com- bat was over, the Princess Charlotte tacked about, and escaped; The Decatur was armed with six twelve-pound car- ronades, and one eighteen -pounder on a pivot, with one hundred and three men. Her loss was three killed, and ei^vteen wounded. The Dominica had twelve twelve- ppH^l carj'naues, two long sixes, and one brass four- poundrr, ujmI one thirty-two pound carronade on a pi- vot, "svitii eigii^y-three men. She had thnteen killed, and foi ty s- ven wounded. The surviving officers of the Do?ninic.. attnLutcd the loss of their vessel to the su- periour skill ot the Decatur's crew in the use of musketry, acd the mrv^terly manieuvring of that vessel, by which $ HISTORY OF THE WAR. 179 their carriage guns were rendered useless. The captain had been a young man of about twenty-five years of age ; he was wounded early in the action ; but he fought to the last moment, declaring that he would only surrender his v(>9£iel with his life. The Decatur arrived at Charlestown with her prize, on the twentieth of August. It is pleasins to record, that this instance our brave tars did not depart from their in accustomed generosity. The surviving officers of the Dominica spoke in the highest terms of the humanity and Attention which they experienced from the viotoi'S. CHAPTER X. Jlffairs of the West — Patriotick conduct of Ohio and Kentucky — Defence of Sandusky — Generosity of the Americans — JVaval preparations on Lake Erie — Com- modore Fei^y sails with his Fleet — Capture of the ewe- my's Squadron — Battle of the Thames^ and death of Te- cumseh — Correspondence between General Harrison and General Vincent* I^f the midst of the various occurrences of the war, on the northern frontier, on the sea-board, and on the ocean, important preparations were making to the westward ; and aithougli the spring and summer had passed away, without any incident in this quarter worthy of being rer corded, they had not passed inactive. The general at- tention was now turned towards it with much ftnxiet}^, and tlie armies of the Niagara and St. Lawrence, re- mained almost with folded arms, awaiting the issue of Harrison's campaign, and the result of the contest for the mastership of Lake Erie. The British, aware of the *«f 180 HISTORY OF THE WAR. 4>. consequence of a defeat, had with great assiduity labour* ed to strengthen themselves. The reinforcements conti- nually arriving at Fort George, were evidently destined to follow up the advantages which Proctor might gain, in conjunction with the commander on the lake. In the meanwhile, in the neighbouring states of Kentucky and Ohio, the people were excited in a most surprising de- gree; had it been necessary tliey would have risen en masse ; almost every man capable of bearing a musket, was anxious to march. The governour of Ohio had scarcely issued his proclamation, calling on volunteers, (for the obligations of law to render military service were no longer thought of,) than fifteen thousand men present- ed themselves, completely armed and equipped — more than five times the number required. The venerable governour of Kentucky, Shelby, a revolutionary liero, and the Nestor of the present war, made it known that he would put himself at the head of the injured citizens of that state, and lead them to seek revenue for the mur> der of their relatives and friends ; but limited the numberof volunteers to four thousand. The state of Kentucky, cal- led by the natives, "the dark and bloody ground," forty years ago was a dark uninhabited forest, possessed by no trib 16* 186 HISTORY OP THE WAR. whom he was opposed, resolved to shift his flag, leaped into his boat, and heroically wavini; his sword, passed irnhurt to the Niagara. At the moment he reached the ^iai^ara, he saw with anguish the flag of his ship come ■down ; she was utterly unable to make further resistance, and it would have been a wanton waste of t!)e remain- ing lives, to continue tlid cctntest; the enemy was not jibTSto take possession of her. Captain £lliot, second- ing the design of the commodore, volunteered to bring up the rest of the fleet; for at this critical moment the Vfind had providentially increased. Perry now bore down upon the enemy with a fresh ship ; and passini; ahead of the Detroit, Queen Charlotte, and Lady Prevost, poured a destructive broadside into each from his star- board) and froiii his larboard into the Chippewa and Little Belt. la this manner cutting through tne line, he was within pistol shot of the Lady Frevost, which . received so heavy a fire as to compel her men to run below. At this moment the Caledonia came up, and opened her fire } several others of the squadron were enabled soon after to do the same. For a time, this novel and important com- bat mingled with indescribable violence and fury. The issue of a campaign, the mastery of a sea, the glory and renown of tivo rival nations, matched for the first time in squadron, were the incentives to the contest. But it wai not long before the scale turned in favour of Perry, and his •hip, the Lawrence, was a^ain enabled to hoist her flag. The Queen Charlotte, having lost her captain and all the principal officers, by some mischance ran foul of tlie Detroit, and the greater part of the guns of both siiipi were rendered useless. They were now compelled to austain,''in turn, an incessant fire from the Niagara, and the other vessels of the squadron. Tite fla^ of captain Barclay was soon after struck, and those ot the Queen Charlotte, the Lady Prevost, the Hunter, and the Chippe- wa, came down in succession : the Little Belt attempted j to escape, but was pursued by two gun-bgats and cap< lured. 4 , Thus, after a contest of three hours, was this unparal- leled naval victory achieved, in which every vessel of I ihe enemy was captured $ the first occurrence of the kifid ||ityy^gB^W^I|i^wpw»yf»y>iw w;)i.». ' n-,i ' ^. ' »yjljWj..j |i iJt,,B y .i|8.' '' ■ j. ' l" ? X \ ^ 4* '" ':>^mim>^'f %<■ ^ f |ipp »mkv'*f g?w. 'ji ? j ' y , I i k'. i ,Jiii > w*i HIS vM. .'i-.v every recorded. 0U8 victory, it wi which it wa«) ann he, WE HAVE M Britain had bee now beaten in sq invincible. The in proportian-to t haa t\venty-sev< imongstthe first, tnd midshipman tenant Yarnel), s and midshipmen tiie British was a I ed, and the nuai dred, exceeding I Commodore Bar arm at the battl and the loss of c unusually great. I of on this occasio jner, Edwards, ] [those already mc Never was any I monstrations of j ment forgotten, f bjr illuminations i I sent to the other It is highly gr I the British prison Captain Barclay More Pecry towar |ficient, of itself, We were nov I vas still in the | ment would be a^ and at Maiden. of the Ohio milil tlie seventh four 1 itate, with their hero of king's m( HrSTOKY OF THE WAR. \9r every recorded. If any thing could heighten tliis glori- ous victory^ it was the mbdest yet subj line manner ia which it was announced by the incomparalilc Perry; said be, WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND THEY ARE OUUS. Britain had been beaten in single combat ; she was no\^ beaten in squadron, where she had conceived herselt invincible. The loss in this bloody aftair, was very ^reai in proportion'to the numbers engaged. The Americans had twenty-seven killed, and ninety-siK wounded; amongst the first, were lieutenant Brooks, of the marincS} and midshipman Laub ; amongst the latter, were lieu* tenant Yarneli, sailing master Taylor, purser Hamilton, and midshipmen Claxton and Swartwout. The loss of I tlie British was about two hundred in killed and wound- I ed, and the number of prisoner^ amounted to six hun- dred, exceeding the whole number of the Americans. Commodore Barclay, a gallant officer, who had lost an arm at the battle of Trafalgar, was severely wounded, and the loss of oliicerF, .on the side of the British, was unusually great. Aniong the officers particularly spoken I of on this occasion, were captain Elliot, lieutenants Tur- jner, Edwards, Forest, Ciark, and Cummings, besides I those already mentioned. Never was unv event received with such unbounded de- Imonstrations of joy. All party feelings were for a mo- ment forgotten, and this glorious occurrence celebrated Uy illuminations and festivals, from one end of the conti- 1 sent to the other. It is highly gratifying to know, that the treatment of I the British prisoners was such, as to call forth their thanks. Captain Barclay declared, that "the conduct of commo* hlore Pecry towards the captive officers and men, was suf« jficient, of itself, to immortalize him." We were now masters of the lake ; but our territory jvasstillin the possession of Proctor. The next move- ment would be against the British and Indians at Detroit, and at Maiden. General Harrison called on a portion of the Ohio militia, which had been embodied; and on tlie seventh four thousand Kentuckians, the flower of Clie itate, with their venerable governour, Isaac Shelby, the hero of king's mountaini at their ii^ad) arrived at Har» 188 HISTORY OP THE WAR. rison's camp. With the co-operation of the fleet, it\i>ag determined to proceed at once to Maiden: and at the same moment, colonel Johnson was ordered to proceed with a body of Kentuckians to Detroit. These accor* dinglj marched I but on approaching the River Raisin, whe-i e those scenes of horrour had been acted, they halt* ed sometime to contemplate the tragick snot. The feel- 1 ingSt which they experienced on this occasion, cannot be described ; many of tiiem had lost their friends and relu. I tions, whot^e bones they now gathered up, after in vain i attempting to distinguish them ; and therefore consigned V\em to a common grave, with the most affecting demon< I sti'ations of grief. On the twenty-seventh, the troops were received on | board, and on the same day reachecl a point below Mai* i den. The British general iiad in the meivnwhile destroy- ed the fort and pubiick stores, and had retreated along the Thames, towards the Moravian villages, to^^etherj with Tecumseh's Indians.' A number of females caate out to implore the protection of the American general, as though it had been necessary : general Harrison had given orders that even Proctor, if taken, should not be hurt; nay, the dwelling of the obnoxious Elli(»t was ;u»t even ' touched by the magnanimous Kentuckianp, who lad beec represented by Proctor as savages. It was now resolved by Harrison and Shelby, to pro- ceed immediately in pursuit of Proctor. On the second j of October, they marched with about three thousand 0ve hundred men, selected for the purpose, consisting of co- lonel Ball's dragoons, colonel Johnson's regiment, and other detachments of governour Shelby's volunteers. The heroick Perry accompanied general Harrison, as a I volunteer rid. Ihey moved witti such rapidity, that they encamped tiie nrst day at the distance of twenty- six-miles. The next day they captured a guard, o^ whom the^ learned that Proctor was not aware of their approach, but had sent to destroy the bridges. On the fourth, the^ were detained some* time by a deep creek, the bridge OTiT which had been partly destroyed $ and | « aumber j|jf ln(]!iaiw commenced an attack from the oppo* mSTORT OF THE IVAR. m rrison, as a i lite bankj but wek'e dispersed bj colonel Johnson, and th« irtillery of mi^or Wood, while the bridge was repaired On the otlier side, thej captured two thovsand stand «fanns; the bouses containing the enemy's publick itiffes, tf^ther with several vessels, were on fire. On the fifth, ^e pursuit was renewed, when, after capturinr lome properij to a considerable amount, they reached the place where the enemy had encamped the night be> («t. ColMiel JohnsMi was sent forwards to reconnoiT tre the British and Indian forces; and he very soon re- torDed with information, that they had made a stand a \ few miles distant, and were ready for action. They wer& drawn up across a narrow strip of land, covered wit^ I beach-trees, and hemmed in on one side by a swamp, and I DU the other by the river ; their left r.^eted on the river, npported by their artillery ; and their right consisted «f (he Indians under Tecuniseh, who occupied the morQ I dense forest in the vicinity of the morass. The American troops were now formed in vrderof inttle. General Trotter's brigade formed the front lin«» t:itb general Desha's division en fwfenee en the left. Ge- ni ^QK^ brigade formed a second line, in the rear of general Trotter J and Chile's, as a corps of reserve $ boO& under the command of major^eneral Ilenry. Eaclt*kri- ndeaverasec 500 men. The an^le formed by DdMia'a brigade and Trotter's, was occupied by the veneraMe Shelby. The regular troops, amounting to one hundred •od twenty men, were formed in columns, occupyinfr a nairow space between the road and the river, for tii« parpose or seizing the artillery, should the enemy be re* Sised. General Harrison h7,d at first ordered colonel ...hnson's mounted men to form iu two lint:a, in fi-ont of ilfae Indians ; but the underwood being too close here for cavalry to act wiUi any effect, he deil3rmined upon a mode of atfcick aitc^ther new. Knowing the dexterity iof the backwood's-men in riding through forests, and the little inconvenience to them oT carrying their rifles in (ttch a situation, he determined to refuse his left to the llndians and charge on the regulars, drawn up among the beech-trees; the uouated regiment w&i accordingly .190 HISTORY OF THE WAR. drawn up in front. The army moved on but a short distance in this way, when the mounted men received theenemv'g fire, and were instantly ordered to cliarse. The horseg, in front of the column, at first recoiled trem the fire; hut toon after got in motion, and immediately at full speed I broke through the enemy with irresistible rorce. In one minute the contest was over in front. The mounted men I instantly formed in tiieir rear, and poured a destructive fire, and were about to make another chars;e, when the British ofiicers, finding it impossible to form their brokea I ranks, immediately surrendered. Upon the left, tiie onset was begun by Tecumseh with I great fury. Colonel R. M. Johnson, who commanded un that flank of his regiment, received a galling fire, which he returned with eifect, wiiile the Indians advanced towards the point occupied by governuur Shelby, and at first made an impression on it; but the aged warriour brought a re^ment to its support. The combat now rased with mcreasing fury ; the Indians to the number of twelve or fiftegi hundred, seemed determined to maintain their S round to the last. The terrible voice of Tecumse'i could I Indistinctly heard, encouraging his warriours; and al* though beset on every side, excepting on that of the mo. ra&^s, they fought with more determined courage than had ever been witnessed in these people. An incident soon occurr^, however, which decided the contest. Colonel Johnson rushed towards the spot where the warrionrg,| clustering around their undaunted chief, ameared resolv' ed to perisii by his side ; in a moment a hundred riflegj were aimed at the American, whose uniform and the white horse which he rode rendered a conspicuoi'3 (loject; his bolsters, dress, and accoutrements were pierced with I bullets, his horse and himself receiving a number ofl wounds. At the instant his horse was about to sink un*] der liini, the daring Kentuckian, covered with blood froml his wounds, was discovered by Tecumseh; the chief iiav'j ing discharged his rifle, sprang forward with his toroa>| hawk, but struck with the appearance of the warriour whol stood before him, hesitated for a moment, and that mo- pent was his last. The Kentuckian levelled a pistol atl Wi ■-J' 'li 1 .1 1 '^J a short distance I veA the enemy'g J. The horses, j am the fire; but i Iv at full speed I force. In one e mounted men A a destructive irgc, when the rm their broken ''■**^%r-^ . !lSi>* ?•/>■■* ■y .<& ^ 0. w*- HISl ■y?i m; liisbreatt, and tf to tbc ground.* itsciie of their U g the voice of \ spot where this gi iewAf ind six wh llms feli Teci Iriflarthatever ra [him fell the las) Inightj wanrioiTr ma had for jean tribjsin opposinj westward. Had aUtsun theirfirst would still have I fer a savage, m ind panthers, an dty, to the peac< the comforts of c \ttffet that Tecu don of the earth, jject and the hun the Creator, it mi diamuion of barbj I period, when he c UtD head, by t strength. But 1 11 a great and an twk prisoners in been taken by ot Ituallyput todea jfork of massacre |g|ent with the wh Ibis death, he scai IcttDiseh had rcce * Oslonerjohnst l&irlbavead^ted i |l)e tvally put to death a chief whom he found engaged m the work of massacre. He had been in almost every engage- nent with the whites since Uarmer's defeat, althwi^ at Us death, he scarely exceeded forty years of aee. Te- Cttinseh had received the stamp of greatness from the * Colonel Johnston if itUl a member of cottgress. In this a^ l&ir I have adapted the popular story : but I am aware that it hm Ibetii dented that the Indian killed by colonel Johnston was le- Immseh. tTnttl it shall be formally denied by kin), I ihall Uub|u IKnydit^ torelate thestoryas lfiiu|it. ^' 192 HISTORY OP THE WAR, band of nature, and had his Ifot been cast in a different state of society, he would have shone as one of the most distinguished of men. He was endowed with a powerful mind, with the soul of a hero. There was an uncom* ifien dignity in his countenance and manners ; by tiie fop' mer he could be easily discoyered even after death, among the rest of the slain, for he wore no insignia of distinc- tion. When girded with a silk sash, and told by general Proctor that he was made a brigadier in the British seN vice, for his conduct at Brownstown and Magagua, he returned tlie present with respectful contempt. Born with no title to command, but his native greatness, ever? tribe yielded submission to him at o^ce, and no one ever disputed his precedence. Subtle and fierce in war, he was possessed of uncommon eloquence^— his speeches might bear a comparison with those of tlie most celebrated orators of Greece or Uome. His invective was terrible, as we had frequent occasion to experience, and as maybe seen in the reproaches whi^vh he applied to Proctur, a few days before his death, in a speech which was found amongst the papers of the British officers. His form was uncommonly elegant ; his stature about six feet, his limbs perfectly proportioned. He was honourably inter- red bj the victors, oy whom he was held :n much respect, as an inveterate, but a magnanimous enemy. In this engagement the British loss was nineteen re- gulars lulled, and ^fty wounded, and about six hundred piisonera. The Indians left one hundrei^ and twenty m the field. The American loss, in killed and wounded, amounted to upwards of fifty $ seventeen of tiie slain were Kentuckians, and among them, colonel Whitelj, a. soldier of the revolution, who served on tliis occasion 80 a private. Several pieces of brass cannon, the tro* |rf)ies of our revolution, surrendered by Hull, were once more restored to our country. Proctor had fled as soon as the charge was made, and by means of swift horses, was enabled to escape down the Thames, though hotlj mirsued. His carriage was, however, taken, in which his private papers had been left, in the haste of his re^ iTMt / HISTORY OF THE WAR. 193 The time was now come, which would prove whether the stigma cast upon the chivalrous people of Ken- tucky by the infamous Proctor* in order to hide his atro- city, was founded in truth. It was now seen whether* to use the words of Proctor, thev were a " ferocious and mortal foe, using the same mode of warfare, with the allies of Britain." The recollection of the affair of the River Raisin might have justified revenge : and what is more, the instruments who perpetrated those deeds were now at their disposal ; bereft of hope by this signal defeat and the loss of their great leader, they sued for peace$ and as an earnest of their sincerity, offered to raise their j tomahawks on the side of the United States, and wouhl have acted upon the British prisoners the same tragedy they had performed on the Americans. But the Ken" tuckians, to their honour, forebore even a woixi or a look of insult ; there was not even an allusion to the murder of dieir. brothers and friends ; the prisoners were distributed iii small parties, in the interior towns, and altbou^ ex- tremelv insulting in their deportment, were not merely treated witli humanity, but in many places actually fed with dainties by the humane inhabitants. This treatment was carried to an extreme, which might properly deserve tlieuameof folly, were it not anoblemoae of revenge for what our countrymen at thiat moment endured in the British dungeons on the land, and in the floatiD]E(|>risons on the sea, where thev suffered every species or wretch- {eduess, want and torture. Nur was the treatment of the conquered savages less Igenerous. Peace was granted to tiiem, and during the suc- ceeding winter they were actually subsisted at the publick expunss. They stipulated to raise the tomahawk against their former friends, but engaged not to assail the deieoce- less and tlie nou>cumbatant.* * The British ministers at Ghent, a year afterwards, demanded lis A tine qua non, that an article should be inserted in the treaty in favour of these their quandun allies^ but who Were at that I time their enemies. it • '-^ m HISTORY OIF THG WAR. 'the Indian war being now settled, and security it. stored to ouf frontier, the greater part of the volunteer irere permitted to return home ; and Harrison, after stationing general Cass at ])«5troti, with about one thou. sand men, proceeded, according to hia Instructions iviih the remainder of his force, to join the army of the •centre at Buffkloe. Shortly before his arrival at this plaee,an interesting correspondence between him and Sneral Vincent, was brought on hy a request from e latter, that Uie British prisoners in his possession mi^t be treated with humanity. General Harrison^ aifter assuring him that such a request was unnecessary, deferred him to the prisoners themselves for infor. mation on this score. He then took occasion to go into a miiiute detail of the enormities committed bv the Brit* ish and Indians, in the mode of warfare whicli they had practised towards the Americans. He painted the scenesofj the lliver Raisin, and the Miami, with otiiers of a similar character, and which gen. Proctor had attempted to cover by an inlkmous slander of the Western people : he at the Same'time stated, that in no single instance had the Brit* bh complained of a deviation from civilized warfare on our part t for the truth of these facts, he appealed to the |)er8onal knowledge of general Vincent. General Har* lison distinctly stated, that, in his treatment to British prisoners, he acted purely from a sense of humanity, and noton tiie score of reciprocity, and as there were still a number of those Indians, who reside beyond the bound- aries (^ the United States, in t4ie employment of the British, he now wished to be informed explicitly, wheth* er these allies would be restrained in future, or whether general Vincent would permit them to practice their nsual cruelties. " Use then, 1 pray you," said he, " your authority and influence to stop the dreatn'ul effusion of innocent bloud, which proceeds from the employment of tiiose savage nr-onstet-e, wliose aid, as must now be discov- ered, is so little to be depended on when most wanted, and which can have so trifling MUeflect on ttie issue of the war. The etiect of their barbarities will not be confined to the present generation. Ages yet to come will feel .f HISTORY OF THE WAR. m the deep rooted hatred and enmity, which they must pro* juce between the two nations." He concluded by declar- jng, that unl€88 a stop should be put to these proceedingBy lie would be under the necessHj of retorting the same treatment, which as a soldier he most sincerely deprecat- ed. This part of his letter cannot be so well approved*; it jg a threat v\l)ich the government would not have permit- ^ to be put in execution ; retaliation is only justifiable IS a mode of preventing a violation of the laws of nationsy. but not as a punishment for it ; this, in fact, places the civilized nations upon a footing with the barbarians. The vanton practice of military executions, was properly ar- Ksted bv general Washington ; but had he proceeded ai once to the slaughter of his prisoners, it would have caus- ed a war of extermination. There is something exceed* jigly repugnant to the feelings, in this substitution of tb» ibjectsof punishment, in causing tli« itmocent to su£fec fc the guilty. The reply of general Vincent was not unlike that of Sir Sidney Beckwith, vague and evasive. He express- ed himself perfectly satis&d on the score of the treat* ineot of the,prisoiicrs, but with respect to the otiier topickt^ it declined saying any thing ^ it was beyond hisi power to give an expticit answer $ but he pledged his honour]^ that to the utmost of his power, he woulcl join with gene- lal Harrison in alleviating the calamities of war. Although geoeral Harrison pledged himself to produce proofs of ivery thing which he sUted, general Vincent chose to be 9ileut upon the subject ; ncitlier disavowing that s^ch aeti* wei-e sanctioned by the British government, nor calling the truth of them in question ; tney will, therefore, re- foainan indelible stigma, oo the British name. m 196 HISTORY OF TUB WAR. CHAPTER XL Preparations for invading Canada — General fFiOcins^n takes command — Rendezvous of the timerican fwcn •^General Wilkinson descends the St, Lattrence-^ Battle of Chrifstler'^s field — Rampton*s inability to ca- oferate — Failure of the expedition — Cruise of Comnuh aore Chauneey^^The hwrning of JS^ivark — British re. taliation. XHE glorious result of the operations of the north-west- em army, and the splendid victory on the lake, opened the way to a more effectual invasion of Canada. We iwere now in the situation that we should have bften at the commencement of the war, had HuU^ expedition proved successful. There was, however, this difierence, that the British had time to provide for a defence, by col< lecting troops, disciplining their militia, and fortifying the borders of tne 8t. Lawrence. On the other hand, a more formidable force was collected on the frontier, than at any time since the war, under officers whose merits had been tried in actual service ; and besides, the greater part of the Indians on our frontiers had declared against the British. The publick was now so elated by the se- ries of brilliant victories to the westward, that it was thought the tide of fortune had at last turned in onr fa- vour, and it was expected that the administration would go about the conquest of Canada in earnest. At the head ^f the war department, tiiere was now a man of energy and distinguished talents, who had re- sided a long time abroad ; and it was-suppposed that, from the natural bias of his mind to military affairs, he had availed himself of his opportunities to the best advan- tage. Much was expected fiom him. In a short time HISTORY OF THE WAIL iQf itwasaeknowledged, thmt great improvements were in- troduced into this department, particularly in the selec- tion and promotion of the officers of the army. General Armstrong, knowing the sanguine expectations w]\ich prevailed through the country, proceeded to the north« ern frontier) with a plan of operations diget^ed in the cabinet ; and which he intended to see put in ex^cutioa. nnder his own eye. The plan as afterwards devetdped>- was in itself judicious, but there was, perhaps, in its exe-* etition, not a sufficient allowance for a change of circam* stances. Although the season was far advanced much mig^t yet be done ; but, to satisfy the publick expecta- tions, to the extent to which they had been raised by the success of Harrison, was scarcely possible. Little short. of the complete conquest of Canada would suffice, anc^ iHit vacuo ideas of the nature of the enterprise, and;the I difficulties to be encountered, prevailed tliroughottft the neat body of the nation. The people in this country^ oke other sovereigns^ look little further than the success or failure of titeir agents, without much weighing the pe<* iwliar circumstances under which they may have acted* To the desire of doing too much, may perhaps be attri dertaking, it is unwise to make no allowance fur some possible failure, and not to calculate the consequences; ticepting indeed, in those cases, were the party, iikjB Ccesar, resolves to be great or dead. * / The army, wttich had been distributed in different corps, and stationed at various points, was now to be concentrated at some place most convenient for its em- barkation. For this purpose Grenadier's Island, which lies between Sackett's Harbour and Kingston, was se* ]ected,'on account of its contiguity to the at. Lawrence, as the most proper place of rendezvous. On the second «f October, General Wilkinson left Fort George, with the principal body of the troops, and boon after reacheii the island, where he occupied himself incessantly in mak- ing the necessary preparations for the prosecution of his enterprise, lit several times visited Sackett's Harbour, >iS'- HISTORY OF THE WAR, i9sr it which place the troops first arrived, and r'ter re liv- ing the'.r necessary supplies, proceeded to the place of rendezvous. Colonel Scott, whom he had left m com' nand at Fort George, \v&^ ordered to embark with his regiment of artillery, and colonel Randolph's infantry, oD board a vesse' of the squadron, and proceed to the- isl- and. Colonel Dennis was left in the command of Sack- ett's Harbour; and the general having provided a suffi- cient number of boats to transport the artillery through the St. lrward with his brigade, I to reinforce colonel M^Comb, and to take command of 1^ advance, while the commander in chief directed the Snsportatiou of the dragoons across the St. LawrenceJ e last was completed during the night [The British finding themselves freed from any appr^- JKiiiions of attack on Kingston, moved, wi^ the great- ^er part of their force, to harass the American army. I^On the ninth, they had so far gained upon its rear, as to ' bring on a skirmish between the American riflemen and I a party of militia and Indians. To be thus harassed by |alan;ebody of troops hanging on its rear, is a situation I which military men have always carefully avoided, and I this was the necessary consequence of withdrawing tiie I troops from above, which might have kept them in check. Had two thousand men been stationed in the vicinity of [Kingston to threaten it, the enemy would have been compelled to concentrate his force at this place, by which I meaas the main body of the army might have passed in t j;reater safety. In the coitrse of the day, the cavalry and four pieces of artillery under captain M'Pherson, were ordered to clear the coast as far as the head of the Longue 8aut ^ and in the evening the army arrived at a place called the Yellow House, which stands near the Saut. As the passage of this place was attended with con- siderable difficiil ty, on account of the rapidity of th« w$ HISTORY OF THE WAM. r current, and of its kneth, it was deeir -^ 'lent to wait until t')e neit day, and in the mean wh . jecame ncceg. tary to U8« the utmost precaution. On the rooming of tha tenth, general Brown, with t^ie troops under his comnMnd, excepting two pieces «f artillery, and tho second regiment of dragoons, was or. dered to march in advance ofthe army. A regard for the safety of the men, had induced the commander in chief to retain as few ofthe troops in the boats as possible, oa account of the exposure to which they would ho subject, in the long and dangerous nassage of these rajuils, and where the enemy had in all prm)ability established bat. teries for the purpose of impeding their descent. Th^ second foment ot dragoons, and si considerable portion of the other briMides, who had been withdrawn fium ti^e boats, were orc^ed to follow under general Boyd, tho stene of general Brown, to prevent the enemy who werft atiU banging on the rear ofthe army, from making asf advantageous attack. General Brown now CDininencra his march at the head of his troops, consisting principal* lyof colonel M^Comb^s artillery, and a part ofScott'tt) part of the light artillery, the riflemen, and the sixtbJ fifteenth and twenty-second regiments, It was i>ot lon| before he found himself engagea with a strong party at a i block-house near the Saut, wiiich after a contest of a few yiinutes, was repulsed by the riflemen under FursytheJ who was severely wounded. About the same time some ofthe enemy's galleys approached ttie flotilla, which had landed, and commenced a Sre upon it, by which a number Qf the boats were injured'; two eighteen pounders, how. lever, being hastily run on shore, a fire from them soon compelled the assailants to retire. The day being now too tar spent to attempt the Saut, it was r|Soived to post* pone it until the day lollowing. At ten o'clock on the eleventh, at the moment that the 0otilla wa^ about to proceed, and when a.t the same time, the division under general Boyd, .consisting of his own and the brigades of generals Covington and Swartwout, were drawn up in marching order, an alarm was given that the enemy was disoovered approaching | HISTORY Of tHR WAR. ^U {g column. The commander in chief and general Lcw- igjHeinghoth too much indisposed to take the command) •eneral Bojd was ordered to face about and attack the ipproaching army^ The enemy's galleys had at ther tame time approached, for tiie purpose of attacking the rear of the American flotilla. General Boyd now ad- vanced M'ithhis detachment formed in three columns, and ordered a part of general Swartwout's brisade to move fon\'ard, and brine the enemy to action. Cmonel Ripley, accordingly, at the head of the 21st regiment, passed the wood which skirts the open ground called Chrystler's ield, and drove in several of tne enemy'« parties. On entering the field, he met the advance ol the British, consisting of the forty-ninth and the Glengaiy fencibles. Colonel Ripley immediately ordered a charge, which las executed with such surprising firmness, tliat these tvo regiments, nearly double his numbers, were com- |elled to retire ; and on making a stand, were a second time driven before the bayonet, and compelled to pass ever the ravines and fences, by which the field was inter-^ Kcted, until they fell on their main body. General Covington had, before this, advanced upon the right of the inetny, where his artillery was posted, and at the mo- ment colonel Ripley had assailed the left flank, the right was forced by a determined onset, and Success appeared scarcely doObtful. Unfortunately, however, ^neral Covington, whose activity had rendered him conspicuous^ ^ame a mark for the sharp-shooters of the enemy sta^ tioned in Chrvstler's house, and he was shot from his horse. The fall of this gallant officer arrested the.pfo* cress of the brigade, and the artillery of tlie enemy threw It into confusion, and caused it to tall back in disorder. The British commander now wheeled part of his line in- to column, wiCli the view of capturiug some pieces of artillery, which were no longer supported. A body of dragoons, under the adjutant general Walbach, at- tempted, in A very gallant manner, to cbargi the British column ; but from me nature of the ground were not suo^ cessfttl. At this critical moment, colonel Ripley, who I hd been engagod with the enemy's left flank) threw his fi04 HISTORY OF THE WAR. regiment, between the artillery and the advancing column and friibtriited their design. Tiie British fell back with precipitation. The re<*iinent8 which had broken had not retired from the field, out still continued to keep up an irregular Aght with various success; and the twenty-iirst having by tnis time expended its ammunition^ and being in an exbosed situation, was withdrawn to another posi. tion, ana in the mean while the enemy again attempted to possess themselves of the artillery. One piece was un* fortunately captured by them, in consequence of thedeatit of lieutenant \Vm. S. Smith, who commanded it; the others were brought oif by the coolness and bravery of captain Armstrong Irvine. The action soon after ceased, having been kept up for t\yo hours, by little better than raw troops against an equal number of veterans. The British force consisted of detachments from the forty, ninth, eighty>fourth, hundred and fourth, the Voltigeurs, and the Glengary regiment. The enemy soon aifter retired to their camp, aiid the Americans to their boats. In this battle the loss of the Americans, in killed and wounded, amounted to three hundred and thirty>nine, of I whom one hundred and two were killed : among these were lieutenants Ssmith, Hunter, and Qlmstead ; among the wounded, were general Covington, who afterwards di- ed $ colonel Preston, majors Chambers, Noon, and Cummin&s ; captains Townsend, Foster, Myers, Camp. bell, and Muraock; and lieutenants . Heaton, Williains, Lynch, Pelham, Brown, and Creery. The British loss could not have been less than that of the Americans. Both parties claimed the victory on this occasion, but it was properly a drawn battle; the British retiring to their encampments, and the Americans to their boats. Perhaps, from the circumstance of the enemy's never again assailing the American army, it may be taken fur granted, that they were defeated in their object. Gene* rai Brown had, in the meanwhile^ reached the fort of { the Rapids, and awaited the arrival of the army. On the eleventh, the army proceeded on its rout, and joined the advance near Barmiart. At thisplacey tlie comnian- H18T0RY OP THE WAR. tt5 d«r in chief received a letter from general Hampton^ ^hich in the most unexpected manner, pat an end at oDce to the further prosecution of the oesign against Montreal. On the sixth, a few days before the battle of Chrystler's field, the commander in chief had gjiven orders to seneral Hampton, to meet him at St Regis ; but soon aner this order, a letter was received from general Hampton, in which, after stating tha^'from the insclosure of th6 state' of general Wilkinson's supply of provisions, and' the situation of the roads to St. Regis, which rendered it impossible to transport a greater quantity than could be carried by a man on his back, he had determined to open I communication from Piattsburgh to Conewaeo, or bf toy other point on the St. Lawrence, which tne com- iBwnder in chief might indicate. General Hampton Mtuetime before this, with a view to a further movement of his troops, had descended the Chateaugay river ; about the same time that the army was concentrated on Lake Ontario. Sir George Prevost perceiving this movement towards Montreal, had collected all nis force at this Kint, to oppose the march of Hampton. On the 2l8t of itoberthis officer crossed the line, but soon found his road obstructed b^ fallen timber, and the ambuscade of the enemy's militia and Indians. A wood of considera> Me extent would have to be passed, before they could reach the open country, and while the engineers were engaged in cutting away through, colonel -Purdy was detached with the light troops and one regiment off the line, to turn their flank, and then seize on the opeii' country below. In this he succeeded, and the army by the next day reached the pcsition of the advance. But it was discovered that about seven miles further, there was a wood which had been felled and formed into ah abatis, and that a succession of breast-works, some of them well supplied with artillery, had been funned by the main boay of the enemy. Colonel Purdy, on the twenty 'fifth, was ordered to march down the river on* the opposite side, and on passing the enemy, to cross over, aad attack him in his rear, whilst the origade an*" 18. • sod HISTORY OF THE WAR. der general Izard would attack him in front. Colonel Punly had not marched far, when his orders were coun- termanded ; but on his r( turn, he was attacked by the enemy^s infantry and Indians, and at first thrown into some confusion, but the assailants were soon after re* pulsed ; they came out at the same momeT)t in front, and attacked general Izard, but were soon after compelled to retire behind their defencesv General Hampton re- ceiving information that the enemy were continually re- inforced, resolved, on the advice of his officers, to re- treat to a position which he had occupied some days be< fore, called the Four Corners, where he arrived on the last day of the month. The British claimed a victory for this afiair« which they say was gained with a very in- feriour force. But it was not the intention of general Hampton to penetrate to Montreal, but merely to divert the attention of the British from the army of general Wilkinson, with which it w;i8 his intention to form a junction some days afterwards. Having accomplish- ed his object, he fell back to the position whence he could, with greater facility, make his way to some point on the St. Lawrence. It was then that, on the receipt of the order of the commander in chief, he despatched the letter already mentioned, stating the impracticability ofa compliance. On the receipt of general Hampton's com- jnimication, a council of the principal officers was called, by which it was determined that the objects of the cam- paign were no longer attainable i it was therefore resolved to retire into winter-quarters at French Mills. The Ijroops under general Hampton soon affer followed bis ex- ample, and in consequence of the illness of that officer, his corps was left under the command of general Izard. ; Thus terminated a campai^^n, which ^ave rise to iiiuch dissatisfaction, proportioned to the high expectations wliich had been indulged ; and this unexpected turn of affairs appeared tu cast a shade upon all the brilliant se- ries of success which had preceded. Opinion was much divided as to the causes of the failure, and as to the par- ties who ought to bear the blame. With respect to gene- i^al WilkinsoD) after (he di^apporntmerit in hiB rmiorctB- HISTORY OF THE WAlk. Si?? went and supplies, it would not perhaps have been pru- dent fur him tu have persevered; and besides, from the state of his health, he was not c^ualiiied to cany into ex- ecation what would have required the utmost vigour of mind and bodj. With respect to Hampton, military men will probably say, tliat it was his duty to have obey- ed ; but ir we place implicit reliance upori the correct- ness of the facts which he alleged, it will be difficult to condemn his conduct. VV'ith respect to the whole plan of operations, it was certainly judicious; it ought iroin the first to have been adopted. By seizing a favour- able position on the St. Lawrence and strongly fortify- ing it, the commaaication between the upper and lower provinces would have been cut oSj andr the most import- ant results would have followed. The season, however, was too far advanced to attempt it with just expectations of success. It is by no means certain, that Montreal eoiild have been taken witliouta siege of some length ; and die strength of the British was probably greater than it had been supposed. The presence of the secretary at war, fur the purpose of superintending the operations of the campaign, was perhaps more injurious than servicea- ble. He was by no means in a situation in which he could be considered responsible, although in case of suo cRss, the merit of it would be assigned to him. This is an uniair and improper interference which ought to be condemned. While these things were taking place pn the land, the comntaniler of our squadron on tlie lake was not idle. Co.iimodore Chauncey, it has been seen, after his first attempt to bring the enemy to action, returned to Sack* ett's Harbour, for the purpose of obtaining a fresh sup- ply of provisions. After being reiiEiforced -by a new schooner, he again sailed on a cruise; and on the se- venth of September, discovered the British isquadron near the Niagara, and immediately stood for it : Sir James, on perceiving the Americans, made sail to the northward, anil was pursued during four days and^ni^ts; but owing to the dull sailing of a greater part of the pun> 8uerb,ho was enabled to keep out of their reach. Oa the V ao8 HISTORY OF THii WAR. fourth day, off Genesee river, commodore Chauneej havine a breeze, while Sir James lay becalmed, endea* iroured to close with him | this he was not able to ac- complish, the enemy taking the breeze also, when the American squadron' had approached within half a mile. After a runnins fight of more than three hoursi the Bri- tish escaped ; but the next mornins ran into Amherst ,bay, whither the American commodore, from the want of a pilot, did not thmk it prudent to follow, but con* tented himself with forming a blockade. In the running fight, the British sustained considerable injury ; that of the Americans was very trifling. The blockade was continued until the seventeenth of September, when ii^ .consequence of alieavy gale which blew from the west* ward, the commodore was compelled^ to leave his station, and the British escape i into Kingston. After remaining but a short time in Sackett's Harbour,i commodore Chauncey again sailed towards Niagara, where he arrived on the twenty -fourth, having passed! Sir James at the False Ducks, without noticing him, in- ^ tending to draw him int^the lake. A few days after, the! American commodore received information, that the enemy was in the harbour of York ; he therejFore mad( «ail to that place, as fast as his dull sailing schooners ^would permit ; and on the twenty-seyentli, early in the morning, discovered the enemy in motion in the bay, and immediately stood for him. This being perceiyed by Sir James, he stood oat and endeavoured to escape to tne southward $ but finding that the American was clos- ing upon him, tacked his sc^uadron in succession ; and commenced a well directed hre at th^ Pike, in order to cover his rear $ and attacking the rear of his opnouent «8 he passed to leeward ; this was prevented by the skil- JTul manoeuvring of Chauncey, by bearing down in line on the centre of the enemy's squadron, which was thrown into confusion, and Veo immediately. bore away, but not ibefore his ship had been roughly handled by that of the commodore. In twenty minutes, the main and mizen- .top-mast and main yard of the Wolf, were shot away ; the British commander set sail upon his foremast, and and forced it to HISTORY OF THE WAR. 209 keeping dead before the wind, was enabled to outsail the ' Leater part of Chauncey's squadron. The chase was Continued until three o'clock, the Pike having the As[^ jntow, and during the greater part of this time, within itach of the enemy's shot. Captain Crane, in the Madt-' Ld, and lieutenant Brown, of the Oneida, used every (lertion to close with the enemyr but without success. me chase was at length reluctantly given up, as it came Jon tff blow almost a gale, and there was no hope of clos- [iiBwith the enemy before he could reach the British bat- [teries, and without great risk of running ashore. .The {ginmodore was iustly entitled to claim a victory in this ir; although the enemy were not captured, they were trUinly beaten ; two of his vessels were at one moment boipletely in the commodore's power ; but from his ea- rness to close with the whole fleet, they effected theii^ ipe. In addition to the general policy of Sir James leo, the late affair on Lake Erie had rendered him< par* Icularly careful to avoid an engagement. Thelossoix oard the Pike was considerable, owing to her having. en so long exposed to the fire of the enemy's fleet $ tlie jst serious, however, was occasioned by the bursting ' [of one of her guns, by which twenty -two men were killeoi ;, land wouiNiea; the total amounted to twenty -seven* [The vessel wa» a good deal cut up in her hull and. rif^- Shortly after this aftuir, the commodore having commu- bicated with general Wilkinson on the subject ofthe expe- Idition then on foot, wa» advised to continue to watch tite [enemy's squadron ; and, if possible, prevent its return ta |Kine;ston. About the beginning ot October, the com- Imudore again chased the enemy's fleet for several days^ land forced it to take refuge in Burlingtim Bay $ tlie next morning, on sending the Lady of the Lake to reconnoi-^ Itre, it was discovered that Sir James had taken advan- tage of the darkness of the night, and escaped to- ICing8

it JJiagafa was surprise! by colonel Murl: ray, with about four hundred men, and the garrison, nearv ly three hundred in number, and principally invalids^ was put to the sword ; not more than twenty being abU to escape. The commanding otficer, captain Leonard, appears to have been shamefully negligent, or perhaps bought by the enemy ; he was absent at tlie time^ and had used no precautions against an assault. Having possess- ed themselves of this place, they soon after increased their force, and immediately proceeded to tay waste the Niagara frontier with fire and sword. The militia, has- tily collected, could oppose no resistance. to a large budv «f British regulars and seven hundred Indians. A spi- rited, but unavailing attempt was made by major Ben. nett to defend Lcwisiown ; this village, together with that of Manchester, Young's-town, and the Indian viU lage of the Tuscarroras, were speedily reduced to ashes, and many of the inhabitants butchered. Major Mellory advanced from Shlosser, to oppose the invaders, but was compelled by superiour numbers to r e^jfift t. On the thir« tieth, a detachment landed at Black RotIc, and proceed- ed to Buftaloe ; general Hall had organised a hpdy of mi- litia, but on the approach of the enemy, the J^ could not be iitduced to hold their ground. Great %^fli.ers in confine-| ment, to be detained untd it should be known that the American officers were released. On the receipt of infunnatiun, the governour ordered all the American pri'l ^■f i?rs into close continenient, and a simUar step was sooo a(ter taken by our government. This interesting subject gave rise to warm debates io congress. One party insisting that Great Britain had a right to her subjects, in ail situations ani under all cir^ cumstances ; that tliey were in fact her property, and without her consent they never could free ihemselve from her authority ; they contended further, that ma cannot divest himself ut allegiance to the goveromenti HISTORY OF THE WAR. ftl9 9r prince, of the country in which he happens to be born : that although he may leave the country of his birth for a time) he never can expatriate himself. The procedure ttf the government was condemned in attempting to op- pose the British, in punishinj^ the natives of Great Bri- tain, who have been naturalized in this country, and liave taken up arms in its cause ; tiiat their bavins; resid- ed amongst us ten years, or twenty years before the war, is immaterial, they must be regarded in the same light IS deserters from her armies. It was answered on tiie other side, that it ill became Americans to deny the right of expatmtion on principle, however we might from ne- cessity yield to the unjust laws of other nations, where (he individual is regarded as a slave; for he that has an (iwner whom he cannot change, is indeed a slave. Can it be possible, it was asked, for an American t{> contend on principle, that a free man cannot change his allegiance, and ittach himself to the country of his choice, but must drag a diain after him at every remove ? This doctrine could only originate in that species of slavery, called the feudal system, or under an absolute despot, wha considers Ms subjects as without any rights. The doctrine indeed is closely allied to that of the divine right of kings, or rather oi legitimate sovereigns; for, according to some individuals, even in this country, no government is law- ful unless it exists in the hands of some one who claims it by birth-right ; at least, that this is the only just foun- dation of European governments. Whatever may exist in other nations, and beyond our control, we ought never to forget, that such a state arises from their cor- ruption or weakness, and that we ought sincerely to wish with tiie great Washington, in his farewell address, that they could be altogether as we are. If we ought not to re- probate their systems, Lt us view them with compassion; out how can we admli-e them, without at the same time despising uur own nithle institutions ! The principle of American liberty is, that no man is born a slave, and that allegiance is a matter of clioice, not force ; and however we might unavoidably give way, where we interfered m\h the slavish practices of other nations, we ought a&fo..:.-. 230 HISTORY OF TilE WA1«. never to approve the principle. But, it was contended that according to the law of nations and their uniform practice, the right of expatriation was acknowled'^ed. Numerous instances were cited, where the subjects of a joation were taken in arms against her, and regularly ex* changed ; the practice of Great Britain in naturalizing fo. reigners was cited, by which they were placed on the same footing with her native citizens, and equally entitled to protection. She could not object to our practice of na« turalizing her subjects, for she practised the same thing with respect to our citizens, unless indeed it be contend* ed, tliat every thing she does is lawfbl, while the same thing in another would be unlawful ? Would she nofc think herself bound to protect her adopted subjects, whom she solemnly undertakes to protect against all the world, without exception P If the United States alone naturalized foreigners, the case might then rest on its principles ; but wnen the same thing is practised every where, who has a right to complain ? A case in point was adduced, to shew the practice of the British govern^ ment, were she was differently situated ; having engag> ed in her service a regiment of French emigrants, to serve against France, the question was agitated in the house of commons, whether they should proceed to retaliate, in case the French should put any oi them to death, and it was agreed that such would have been their duty. They went much further than the American government: Lord Mulgrave declared in debate, that, '' while he had the command of the British troops at Toulon, and the French, who voluntarily flocked to theij standard, under the authority and invitation of his majesty's proclama* tion, he had always considered the latter as entitled to the same protection in every respect, as the British troops.*' Thus it appears, that both in principle and practice, the conduct of Great Britain has been similar to that of the United States. The result of this debate was, a determination to maintain with firmness the position which the adminis- tration had taken ; and if Great Britain persisted in the fell resolution of rendering the wj^r blojody beyond th^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2Zi example of Jftodern tiroes, as they had already rendered it most barbarous and ferocious, the United States must reluctantly pursue a course to be lamented by every man of common humanity. Somewhat connected with this, an investii^ation was set oufoot, as to the spirit and manner in whicli the war had I been carried on by the enemy. The report of the com- [inittee enumerated the various instances, in which the British military a)id naval officers had violated all the known usages of civilized nations, in the manner of con- I ducting the war against the United States. The massacres oD the Rivef* Raisin, the depredations and conflagrations on the lakes, before there existed any pretext for retalia- tion, and the barbarous warfare of the sea coast, were spo* ken of in the strongest terms of indignation. The war had been conducted, on the part of Great Britain, nearly in thes^ame spirit, as at the commencement of our struggle I for independence ; she appeared to be actuated by a be- I lief that she was chastising rebellious subjects,"and not contending with an independent nation. The treatment of American prisoners was the most cruel that can be I imagined ; the horrours of the prison ships were renewed ; several hundred unhappy wretches were shut up, without light or air, in the holds of the ships, and were in this wanner transported across the Atlantic ; stowed togeth- er in the manner practised towards the miserable Afri- cans, by those engaged in the slave trade. In this cruel I and unnecessary transportation across the Atlantic, many ! of our countrymen perished tor want of air and nourish- ment, and all experienced sufferings almost incredible. I This treatment was contrasted with that received by the [British prisoners in this country $ in fact they were treat- i ed more like guests than prisoners.^ The committee de- I dared itself satisfied, from the evidence submitted to it, that Great Britain had violated the laws of war, in the most flagrant manner ; and submitted to congress the pro^ priety ol devising some mode of putting a stop to sucli disgraceful conduct. Amongst the most extraordinary of the enemy's acts, was the putting in close confinement ibe unfortunate Americans, who had been kidnapped by. 19* ^2^22. HISTORY OF THE WAR. her before the war, and compelled to fight her battle.^, Mout two thousand were acknowledged to be Americans' and, on refusing to fight agatiist their country, were com- pelled to undergo the same treatment as if they had been prisoners of war. This was, indeed, accumulating cut- raee upon outrage. It were well it this had been the whole number in her service ; on the contrary, there was every reason to be- lieve, that by far the greater 'part were still compelled to obey the oncers who had enslaved them, under the pretence that diey were not Americans. Had we tame- ly submitted under such a grievance, we indeed deserv- 1 ed to be the slaves of George the third, of Napoleon, or any other monarch, and our posterity would have blush- { ed to be called Americans. It has been mentioned, that Great Britain had declin'l ed the Russian mediation, under the flimsy pretext of being unwilling to submit her rights to the decision of an umpire, although nothing of tne kind was proposed, the| interference of the Empcrour of Russia extending noi fiirther than bringing the parties together. The Prince I Regent, however, onered a direct negociation at Lou- don or Gottenburg; this was no sooner made known! to our government, than accepted ; and in addition to the commissioners who were already in Europe, under the Russian mediation, the president nominated Henry! Clay, Jonathan Russel, and Albert Gallatin, as com-j missioners of peace, and who soon after lell this coun- try for Gottenburg. Little more was expected, however,] from this, than to shew the sincerity of the United States, in desiring peace; but the conduct of Great Britain already proved, that her only wish was to keep open a door for a treaty of peace, when necessity should compel hor to assent to it. Subsequent transactions sufticiently prove, that her rejection of thq Hussianj snedialion was a pitiful excuse for delay. Notwithstanding the intemperate opposition on the! floor of c.«n|i;re8s, the war was evidently gaining ground; the conduct of the enemy, in the prosecution of hostili- ties^ was such as tu awaken the iigdiags of evci ^ Aureri^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. 22S can; and the rejection of the Russian mediation stagger- ed many, who confidently predicted its prompt accept- jnce. The victories, which we had obtained at sea, came home to the feelings of the whole nation, and were claimed exclusively by the opposition, as having always been the best friends of the navy. The British actually complained, that those whom ane considered her friends ill America, should rejoice in her misfortunes ; and ac- cused them of faithlessness and inconstancy, because they permitted their love of country to overcome their hatred for the men in power. But this was a delightful proof of nationality, such as might have been expected from Britain herself, or from France, though not from a Bation so recently composed of independent jarring states, not yet perfectly cemented. It becomes every virtuous man to rejoice in the good fortune of his country, how- ever he may dislike the present rulers. This sentiment was gradually {gaining ground ; the warlike appearances every where displayed, interested the ardent minds of ^ ^e younj| and enterprising, and the feats of arms daily ^ recounted, awakened the desire of being distinguished. The contagion of military pursuit- was rapidly spreading; The habits of a people, , who had been thirty years at peace, and constantly occupied in their industrious avo* catiuns, could not be changed suddenly. But man is every wiiere by nature warlike, and he cannot exist long in the midst oi martial scenes and preparations, without catching their spirit. It would not h&ve been difficult to predict, that the foreign enemy, which was at first regard* ed only as the enemy of a party, would soon become the enemy of the country. 224 HISTORY OF THE WAR; CHAPTER Xm. Tlie Southern war — Massacre of fort Mim^^ExpediWin of general Jackson, and general Cocke — Battle of Tal- iedega — Indians surprised by general Cocke — Expedi- tion nf general Floyd—^-Critical situation of generul Jackson — Defeat of the Indians — The Creeks tuUdh defeated at the Horseshoe-bend — Creneral Jackson ier.\ minutes the Creek, war, and dictates a peace, OvR affairs to the southward, the reader will recollect) had assumed a serious aspect, and no sooner had the I Northern armies retired into winter (Quarters, than the publick attention was kept alive, by the interesting events j which transpired in the country of the Creeks, during j the winter. That ill-fated people had at length declareaj open war. In consequence (»f the threatening appearances to the j South, and the hostilities which already prevailed witii, the Indians inhabiting the Spanish territory, governour Mitchell, of Georgia, was required by the secretary at war, to detach a brigade to the Oakmulgee river, for the | purpose ()f covering the frontier settlements of that state, ijovernour Holmes, of the Mississippi territory, was at the j same time ordered to join a body of militia to the volun*| teers under general Claiborne, then stationed on the Mo* bile. In the course of the summer, the settlers in the vicinity of that river, became so much alarmed from the hostile deportment of the Creeks, that the greater part abandoned their plantations, and sought refuge in the different forts ; while the peace party amongst the ('reeks,! had, in some places, shut themselves up in forts, and were] besieged by their countrymen. The commencement of hostilities was witnessed byj one of the most siiocking massacres, that can be found inl the history of our Indian wars. The settlers, from an I imperfect idea of their danger, had adopted an en-oneousl IHSTORY OF THE AVAR. 225 i^ode of defence, by throwing themselves into small forts or stations, at great distances from. each other, on the various branches of the Mobile. Early in August it was iscertained, that the Indians intended to make an attack I upon all these stations, and destroy them in detail. The irst place which they would attempt, would probably be iirt MimS) in which the greatest number of families had lieen collected. Towards the latter part of August, infor- nation was brought that the Indians were about to make an attack on this post, but unfortunately too little attention Ifftspaid to the warning. During the momentary continu- laoceof the alarm, some preparations were made for de- jlltDce, but it seems that it was almost impossible to rouse l^em from their unfortunate disbelief of the proxiniity of [tlieir danger. The fort was commanded by major Beaslj^, |lf the Mississippi territory^ (a brave officer, and as a pri- Inte citizen hignly respected,) with about a hundred vo- liuiteers under his command. By some fatality, notwith- nding the warnings he iiad received, he was not suffi- LieDtly on his guard, and suffered himself to be surprised \n the thirtieth, at neon-day. The centinel had scarcely ime to notify the approach of the Indians, when they sshed, with a dreadtul yell, towards the ^:itc, wliich wft& iride open $ the garrison was instantly under arms^ and be ma^or flew towards the gate, with some of his men, in der to close it, and if possible expel the enemy ; but soon after fell mortally wounded. The ^ate was at bogth closed, after great slaughter on both sides ; but a jminber of the Indians had taken possession of a block- house, from which they were expelled, after a bloody con- st, by captain Jack. The assault was still continued bran hour, on the outside of the pickets ; the port holes jrere several times carried by the assailants, and retaken Ijf those within the fort. [The Indians now for a moment withdrew, apparently lishcartened by their loss, but on being harangued by Tieir chief Weatherford, they returned with augmented pry to the assault | having procured axes, they proceed- jd to cut down the gate, and at the same time made a Ireach in the pickets^ and possessing themselves of the 296 HISTORY OF THE WAR. area of the fort, compelled the hesieged to take refu"e m i the houses. Here they made a gallant resistance, Imt the i Indians at length setting fire to the roofe, the situation uf I these unfortunate people became altogether hopeless. T|ie| agonizing shrieks of the unfortunate women and children! at their unhappy fate, would have awakened pity in the! breasts of tygers; it is only by those who have sonief faint idea of the nature of Indian warfare, that the hor- rourof their situation can be conceived. The terrourof! the scene had already been sufficient to have bereft thciJ of their senses ; but what heart does not bleed at tlie re*| cital of its realities. Not a soul was spared by these monsters ; from the most aged person to the youngest inJ fant, they became the victim& of their indiscriminate butchery ; and maoy., to avoid a worse fate, threw them-j selves into the flames ! A few only escaped by leapir over the pickets, while the ^adians were engaged in thd work of massacre. About two hundred and sixty perJ sons of all ages, and sexes, thus perished, inciudins some friendly Indians, arid about one hundred negroesJ The panick which this dreadful catastrophe excited at th other posts, can scarcely be described $ the wretched in^ lial)itant«, fearlujr a similar fate> abandoned their retreat^ of fancied security in the middle of the night, and io their endeavours to escape to Mobile> encountered everjr species of suffering. Tne dwellings of tiie settlers, proi bably twice as numerous as the whole tribe of Crc«k8j were burnt, and their cattle destroyed. Savage man is little better than a wild beast ; it is unaccountable howl some feel a compassion for such men, and can regnid un| moved the horrours wrhich they habitually peipetiat^ against foes of every kind. Could these people complain of our having injured them? Never was there afootol ground taken from them ; and besides, according to own account, it is not a century swice they possessed themselves of the country, by extirpating the right own j ers : nothing but tlie basest ingratitude could have actuj ated them, under the instigations of our no less- crui!l| enemy. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 2^T On the receipt of this disastrous intelligence, the Ten- nessee militia, under the orders of general Jackson and general Cocke, immediately marched to the country of the Creeks. On the second of November general Cof- lee wns detached, with nine hundred men, against the TaK inshatches towns, and reached the place about day -light I the next morning. The Indians, apprised of his approach,. vere prepared to receive him. Within a short distance of the village the enemy charged upon him, with a boid- I gess seldom displayed by Indians. They were repulsed, {nd after the most obstinate resistance, in which they would receive no quarters, they were slain almost to a pan, and their women and children taken prisoners. There were nearly two hundred of their warriours killed in this affair. I'he loss of the Americans was five killed ind forty wounded. 1 Late m the morning of the seventh, a friendly Indian brought intelligence to general Jackson, that about thir- t? miles below his ^amp, there were a number of Creeks eollected at a pla^je called Tallede^a, where they were engaged in besieging a number of iriendly Indians, who must inevitably perish unless speedily relieved. This •fficer, whose resolutions were as rapidly executed as they were formed, marched at twelve o'clock the same night, tttheheadof twelve hundred men, and arrived witnin six miles of the place the next evening. At midnight he igain advanced, by seven o'clock was within a mile of J the eueniy, and immediately made the most judicious Itrrangcments for surrounding them. Having approach- led in this manner almost unperceived, within eighty [yards of the Indians, the battle commenced on tlieir [part with great fury, but being repulsed on all sides, Ithpy attempted to make their escape, but soon found tliemselves enclosed ; two companies having at first [given way, a space was left through which a considera- Ible number of the enemy escaped, and were pursued to tlie mountains with great slaughter. In this action the Aiuerican loss was fifteen killed and eighty wounded. Tiiat ot the Creeks was little short of three hundred | their whole force exceeded a thousand. JtevriA - S28 HISTORY OF THE WAR. General Cocke, who commanded the other division of the Tennessee militia, on the eleventh detached gene* ral White from Fort Armstrong, where he was encamp- ed, against the hostile towns on tfie Tallapoose river. After marching the whole night of the seventeenth, he Burpriscd a town at day -light, containing upwards ot'j three hundred warriours, sixty of whom were killed and the rest taken prisoners. Having burnt several of their villages which nad been deserted, he returned on the twenty -third, without losing a single man. The Georgia militia, under general Floyd, advanced i into the Creek country, about the last of the month. Receiving information that a great number of Indians! were collected at the Autossce towns, on the Tallapoose river, a place which they called their beloved grjund and where, according to their prophets, no white man could molest them, general Floyd, placing himself at the head of nine hundred militia, and four hundred! friendly Creeks, marched from his encampment oii the I Chatahouchie. On the evening of the twenty -eighth, hei encamped within ten miles of the place, and resuming his march at one o'clock, reached the towns about six, I and commenced an attack upon both at the same mo^l ment. His troops were met by the Indians v?ith uncom- f tnon bravery 5 and it was not until after an obstinate resist- 1 ance, that ther were forced, by his musketry and bayonets, to fly to the thickets and copses in the rear of the towns. In the course of three hours the enemy was completely defeated, and the villages in flames. Eleven Americans I were killed and fifty wounded, among the latter the ge. I neral himself: of the enemy, it is supposed that, besides the Autossee and Tallassee kings, upwards of. two hun* dred were killed. This just retribution, it was hoped, would bring these wretched creatures to a proper sense of their situations ; but unfortunately it had not this effect, they still persist- ed in their hostilities against us. In the month of De- cember, general Claiborne marched a detachment against the towns of Eccanachaca, on the Alabama river. On j the twenty -second, he came suddenly upon them, killed ♦^>^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. £S9 lliirtyof their warriours, and after destroying their villa* ges, returned with a trifling loss. After the battle of railedega} general Jackson wa9 left with but a handful of men, in consequence of the term of service of the militia having expired. On the fourteenth of January he was fortunately reinforced by eight hundred volunteers from Tennessee, and soon after u several hundred friendly Indians. He was also join- ed by general Coft'ee with a number of. officers, his nititia having returned home. On the seventeenth, with I view of making a diversion in favour of general Floyd, ind at the same time of relieving Fort Armstrong, which I was said to be threatened, he penetrated the Indian countrv. On the evening of the twenty first, believing hiinseir, from appearances, in the vicinity of a large body of Indians, he encamped with great precaution, . and placed himself in the best attitude of defence. Some time in the night, one of his spies brought information that he had seen the enemy a few miles oft, and from their lieins busily en<^aged in sending away their women and children, it was evident they had discovered the Amen« cans, and would either escape or make an attack before moraing. While the troops were in tl:i8 state of readi- ness, they were vigorously attacked on their left flank about daylight ; the enemy was resisted with firmness, and after a severe contest, they fled in every direction. This was, however, soon discovered to be a feint ; gene- ral Cofiee having been detached with four hundred men, to destroy the enemy's camp, with directions not to at- tack it, if strongly fortified, returned with information that it would not be prudent to attempt it without artille- ry ; a half an hour had scarcely elapsed, witcn the ene* my commenced a fierce attack on Jackson's left flank. It seems they had intended, by the first onset) to draw the Americans into a pursuit, and by that means creat<^ confusion j but this was completely prevented by Jack- ion's causing his left flank to keep its position. General oifee, with about fifty of his officers, acting as volunteers^ sailed the Irtdians on the left, while about two hun- itd friendly Indians came upon them on the right. 20 ■* 2S0 HISTORY OF THE WAR. The whole line giving them one fire, resolutely charged and the enemy being disappointed in their plan, fled with precipitation. On the left flank of the Indians the con. I test was kept up some time longer; general Coffee was severely wounded, and his aid, A. Donaldson, killed* on I being reinforced by a party of the friendly Indians, he compelled the enemy to fly, leaving* fifty of their warriours on the ground. General Jackson, being apprehensive of another attack fortified his camp for the night; the next day, fearing a ■want of provisions, he founcT it necessary to retreat, and! before night reached Knotachopco, having passed a dan-i ferous defile without interruption. In the morning hel ad to cross a defile, still more dangerous, where hel might expect that the enemy had formed an ambuscade ; hel therefore determined to pass at some other point. The| most judicious ariangemeuts having been made for the| disposition of his force in case of attack, he moved For-j ward towards the pass which he had selected. The froHt guard, with part of the flank columns, together with the| wounded, had scarcely crossed the creek, when the| alarm was given in the rear. Jackson immediately gavej orders for nis right and left columns to wheel on their| pivot, and crossing the stream above and below, assaiJ the flanks and rear of the enemy, and thus compieteljr| enclose them. But, to his astonishment and mortificationj when ^he word was given for these columns to form, and| a few guns were fired, they precipitately gave way. Thisj unaccountable flight had well nigh proved fatal : it drew! along with it the greater part of the centre column, leav-j ing not more than twenty-five men, who being formed bjj colonel Carrol, maintained their ground fur a time a*i gainst overwhelming numbers. All that could now be op*! posed to the enemy, were the few who remained of thej rear guard, the artillery cbmpany, and captain RupeFgl company of spies. Their conduct however was admira-j ble. Lieutenant Armstrong, with the utmost coolnes»| and intrepidity, dragged, with the assistance of a fewl more, the six pounder up the hill, although exposed to al heavy fire ; and having gained his position, loaded {k\ HISTORY OF THE WAR. £Sl piece with grape, and fired it with such effect, that after a ^^r discharges, the enemy was repulsed. The [ndians were pursued for several miles, by colunel Carrol, colonel Hig- |ins, and captains Elliot and Pipkins. Captain Gordon, of the spies, had partly succeeded in turning their flank, ^d by this impetuous charge, contributed greatly to res- tore the day. '^'he Americans now continued their march without further molestation. In these different engage- ments, about twenty Americans were killed and seventy- {ve wounded ; in the last about one hundred and eighty I of the Creeks were slain. Meanwhile general Floyd was advancing towards the Indian territory, from the Chatahouchie river. On th« twenty-seventh of January his camp was attacked by a large body of Indians, about an hour before day; Tnejr Itule upon the centinels, fired upon them, and then rush- id with great impetuosity towards the line. The action Non became general ; the front of both flanks was close- ly pressed, but the firmness of the officers and men re- yelled their assaults at every point. As soon as it be- came sufficiently light, general Floyd strengthened his I light-wing, and formed his cavalry in the rear, then direct- ed a charge ; the enemy were driven before the bayonet, and being pursued by the cavidry, many of them were killed. The loss of general Floyu was 17 killed and 132 wounded. That of the Indians could not be ascertained ; thirty-seven of their warriours were left dead on the field, but it is thought their loss was very considerable. By this time, it might be supposed that the Creeks had Ibeen satisfied with the experiment of war, but they appear Ito have been infatuated in a most extraordinary d^ree. IFrom the influence of their prophets over their superstl- Itious minds, they were led on from one ruinous enort to laiiother, in hopes that the time would at last arrive, when iir enemies would be delivered into their hands. Gt:- Ineral Jackson having received considerable reinforce- I meats from Tennessee, and being joined by a number of Ifricndly Indians, set out on an expedition to the Talla- jpoose river. He proceeded from tlie Coose on the 24Ui lof March, reached the southern extremity of the New * r \-. 'SS2 HISTORY OF THE W\R. Youca on the 27th, at a place called the Horse^shoe-bend i of the Coose. Natnre furnishes few situations so eligible for defence, and here the Creeks, by the direction of their J>rophets, had made their last stand. Across the neclcof and they had erected a breastwork of the greatest com- pactness and strength, from five to eight feet high, and provided with a double row of port holes artfully arran». ed. In this place they considered themselves perfects secure; the assailants could not approach without being exposed to a double and cross fire from the Indians who lay behind. The area thus enclosed by the breast works was little short of one hundred acres. The warrioursj from Oakfuskee, Oakshaya, Hillebees, the Fish Ponds I and Eupauta towns, had collected their force at this place.! in number exceeding a thousand. | Early in the morning of the twenty-seventh, ffener^lj Jackson having encamped the preceding night wittiin sin miles of the bend, detached general Coflree, with thel mounted men and nearly the whole of the Indian force,! to pass the river at a ford about three miles below their| .encampment, and to surround the bend in such a maD< ner, that none of them* should escape by attempting toj cross the river. With the remainder of 'his force, gene.| ral Jackson advanced to the point of the breast-work,! and at half past ten, planted his artillery on a smalll eminence witnin eighty yards of the nearest point of the! work, and within two hundred and fiftv of the farthest.! A brisk cannopade was opened upon the centie, and al severe fire was kept up with musketry and rifles, when! the Indians ventured to show themselves behind their defences. In the meim time, general Coifee having crossed below, had advanced towards the village; when within a half a mile of that which stood at the extremitjl of the peninsula, the Indians gave their yell ; Co$Ci>| expecting an immediate attack, drew up his men in orr*>viide for themselves. They also engaj,. ed to establisli trading houses, and endeavour to brin^l back the nation to their former state. ! It is truly lamentable to c«atentplate the ruin of these] tribes, who were making such rapid advances to civiiiza.- tion. Their villages were entirely dcitroyed, and their I herds, which had become numerous, were killed by them> selves at an early part of the contest. It is to be hoped,! they will be restored to their former prosperity, though their experience has been dearly bought^ HISTORY OF THE WAR. 235 CHAPTER XIV. General Tfilldnson retires to Plattshurg — General Brown marches to the Niagara frontier — *^air of La CoUe—- Exertions of commodore M^Donouf^h to create a naval farce — Contest for superiority on Lake Ontario-^M- tack of Oswego — Death of colonel Forsythe' — Colonel CampbeWs expedition — GraUant defence of eaptain UohneS'~^&erious crisis in the state of our affairs ^Commodore Hardy invades the nortfiern sea-coast'—' Takes possession of Eastport and Castine — Gallant de- fence of Stonington-^The John Adams destroyed, Jt^FTER the failure of the campaign against the British provinces, the Northern army remained in winter quar- ters, without any material occurrence, untit towards the latter end of February. General Wilkinson had sub- mitted several plans of attack, on the different British posts in his vicinity, with a view of cutting off the com- munication between Upper and Lower Canada ; these however, did not meet the approbation of the secretary at war : who gave orders that the American force should be withdrawn from its present position, and stationed at Pbttsburgh ; and that two thousand men should be inarched under general Brown to Sackett's Harbour, with a proportion of field artillery and battering cannon. The general, in obedience to these orders, after destroying his barracks, retired to the place appointed; The British, apprized of his movements, detached a large force under colonel Scott, of the lOSd, who destroyed the publick stores, and pillaged the private citizens, but on hearing of the approach of an American force, retreated in the most precipitate manner. The whole party suffered much from a severe snow storm, besides losing upwards of two hundred deserters. It is about this time, tnat de- lertjons became one of the serious difficulties which the 2S6 HISTORY OF THE WAR. enemy had to encounter : their custom of permitting their soldiery to plunder in almost every instance, may perhaps have arisen from the necessity of indulging them m this, as one method of retaining them in their service. Towards the latter end of March, general Wilkinson determined to erect a battery at a place called Rouse's Point, where his engineer had discovered a position from which the enemy's fleet, then laid up at St. John's, might be kept in check. The ice breaking up on Lake Cham- plain sooner than usual, defeated his plan ; a body of the enemy, upwards of two thousand strong, on discovering his design, had been collected at LaColle mill, three miles from Rouse's Point, for the purpose of opposing him.-* With a view of dislodging this party, and at tlie same time of forming a diversion in favour of general Brown, tvho had marched against Niagara, the commander in chief, at the head of about four thousand men, crossed the Canada lines, on the thirtieth of March. After dig. persing several of the enemy's skirmishing parties, he reached La Colle mill, a large fortified stone house, at which major Hancock commanded. An eighteen pounder was ordered up, but owing to the nature of the ground over which it had to pass, the transportation was Found impracticable ; a twelve pounder and a five inch howitzer, were therefore substituted. These pieces, un- der the direction of captain M'Pherson, and lieutenants Larrabee and Sheldon, were posted at the distance of two hundred paces from the house, and covered by the second brigade, with part of colonel Clark's command, under general Smith, on the right ; and the third brigade under general Bissel, on the left. Colonel Miller was orderea to take a position with the twelfth and thirteenth regiments, in order to cut off the enemy's retreat ; while the reserve, composed of four select corps of the first bri- ffade, was placed under the command of general M^Comb. These arrangements being made, the battery opened up- on the house, and the fire was promptly returned. The ditlerent corps were greatly exposed to the fire from the 1 house ; it was found impossible to effect a bleach, al- though the guns were managed with great skill. Captain HISTORY OF THE WAfe, tsr H^Pherson was wounded at the commencement of the attack, but continued notwithstanding at his post, until i second shot had broken his thigh ; his next officer Lara- bee was shot through the lungs; lieutenant Sheldon kept up the fire until the end of the affair, and behaved in a manner which drew forth the praise of his general. The British commander, perceiving that the Ameri* cans persisted in bombarding the house, made a desperate (ortie, and several times charged upon the cannon, io which he was repulsed by the covering troops, and cora- nelled to retire to his fortress with loss. It being now found impracticable to make an impression on this strong building, whose walls were of unusual thickness, the commander in chief, calling in his different parties, fell back in good order. The loss of the Americans in this affair, was upwards of one hundred and forty in killed md wounded, that of the British is not ascertained. The unfortunate issue of this affair, and the failure in the last campaign, brought general Wilkinson into disre- pute with the publiek. One great fault inherent in the Dature of our government, is the hasty and harsh decision respecting the conduct and character of men ; it no more ceases to be injustice when committed by ten millionsi than if by ten individuals. Men are often ruined in pub- lick estimation, for slight causes, or for uncontrollable ac- cidents ; and thev are as often elevated to the highest pinnacle of celebrity, for actions which may be better considered the effect of ch nee, than the test of merit* The administration, yielding to the popular voice, thought proper to suspend him from the command, and the army was left under general Izard. General Wilkinson was afterwards tried, and honourably acquitted of all the char- ges alleged against him. The most discouraging difficulties presented them- selves in the economy, equipment, and government of the American forces, to the very last hour of the war. The severity of the climate on the borders of the St. Lawrence and the lakes, to which our tvros were fre- quently exposed, and their want of knowledge and expe- rience to render themselves comfortable in camp, were 239 HISTOttY OF THE WAR. ^.-:i" the causes of fatal diseases, which carried off a mater ■umber than fell in battle. The proportion of sick and unfit for duty was at all times very great. From the want of that system, regularity and strictness, which be- long to old establishments, there existed at one moment a superabundance of all the necessary munitions, and at another, as great a scarcity. There was no end to the ir- regular and unforseen expej5^es, which the gove, ment was constantly called upon to incur. The most vtx.iioug abuses were practised in every subordinate department, and which baffled every effort to reform. All this must be attributed to the true cause ; to our settled habits of peace, and to the slowness with which the organization of military establishments, must ever be effected under a constitution like ours. We had yet to learn and put in practice, the endless minutiae of the police of the eanip^ which varies according to a thousand circumstan- ces. We had no regular soldiers until almost the close •f the war. How could we expect that they should be formed P Our subalterns wei'e at first, generally, men of Httle education of any kind, and required themselves the instruction which they undertook to give. To these unavoidable misfortunes, we have to add the disgraceful conduct of many of the frontier inhabitants, who continued regularly to supply the enemy with every tiling of which they stood in want. In spite of every exertion to prevent it, a constant intercourse was kept up across the Canada line, and the British wiere not only furnished with immense quantities of provisions, without which they could not have subsisted their armies, but were also regularly informed of every thing which trans- pired on the American side. Shortly after the aifair of La Colle, the greater part of the British force was collected at St. John's, and Isle Aux Noix, for the purpose of securing the entrance of the squadron into Lake Champlain, on the breaking up of the ice. This was effected early in May. Sometime before this, on the suggestion of general Wilkinson, commodore M ceeded in getting close into Sackett^s Harbour undisco. vered ; but befo-e they could execute their purpose, they were detected and fired upon by lieutenant Dudley, the officer of the guard, on which they threw tUeir powder into the lake, and pulled off. Failing in all these at-< tempts, from the vigilance of the Americans, they next ] formed the determination to intercept the naval stores on I their way from Oswego, where they had been deposited Hither Sir James proceeded with his whole fleet, and j having on board a large body of troops under general Drummond, proceeded on the fifth of May, with thede* termination of storming' the town and capturing tlie equipments destined for the new vessels. The British commenced a heavy bombardment, which was kept up for several days ; the unexpected and gallant resistance (\( the garrison, consisting of three hundred men unJer lieutenant colonel Mitchel, was in vain against such su- periour force. The schooner Growler, then in Oswego creek to receive the cannon, was sunk to prevent her from being taken, and all the tents that could be procured were pitched on the village side, to aive the appearance of a large force of militia. The sailors of the Growler, under lieutenant Pearce, were added to the garrison; the shore battery was commanded by captain Boyle, se* conded by lieutenant Legate. At one o'clock, fifteen barges filled with troops, moved towards the shore, pre- ceded by several gun-boats, while a heavy cannonade was commenced by the larger vessels* They were so warmly received by the battery on the shore, that the boats were twice repuised, and one of the largest fell into the bauds of the Americans. * ♦ l^STORY OF THE WAR. 24t The squadron now stood oflf, but this was evidentlj for the purpose of renewing the attack, in such a man- ner as to render it effectual. They again approached on the sixth, having resolved to land under cover of their ; they accordingly kept up a heavy fire for thrcci hours, while their land forces, two thousand in number» I goder general I)e Watteville, succeededi n gaining the shore, after being gallantly opposed by lieutenant Pearce tnd his sealnen. Colonel Mitchell now abandoned the Fort, and joining his corps to the marines and seametti engaged the enemy's fiank, and did great en^tion. I Finding further resistance useless, he fell back, wrmed^ this ronps, and took up his march to the Falls of OswegOi destroying the bridges in his rear. Hithar, to the inex- pressible disappointment of the British, the naval stores lad already been removed, and all their trouble, and the Jlogs which they sustained, procured them nothing more ban a few barrels of provisions and some whiskey. This |ns purchased with a loss of two hundred and thirty-five IneD, in killed and wounded ; they were certainly en- i to the victory, but they never thought proper to Iclaimit. The loss of the Americans was sixty-nine in Ikilled wounded and missing ; among the first, a promis- ling officer, lieutenant Blaney. On the evening of the same day, a part of this force proceeded to PuTtneyville, and demanded the publick litores. The inhabitants were unable to repel the inva- W who indulged themselves in their usual depreda- pons ; when e^eneral 8wift, of the New York militia, op- Bortunely arriving, with a part of his brigade, put them n flight. The British soon after, hearing that the Supe- liour, which had lately been launched, had received her (|aipments from the interior, broke up the blockade, and eturned to Kingston. Another new ship, the Mohawk^ jras at this time on the stocks, and as she would have to I supplied with her equipments from the same place, it bs determined, since the British had disappeared, to IraDsport them by water, and avoid the expense and de- lay of land transportation. To deceive the enemy, who lad numerous gun-boats hovering about the difierent «*:.r*^ 243 HISTORY OF THE WAIL treeks, a report was circulated that it was intended to 1 forward the stores to the Oneida Lake. "Nineteen bar- ges were loaded at Oswego, und major Appling was dcsJ patched by general Gains, with a detachment to aid captain Woolsey in their defence. On the twenty-eightli of May, captain Woolsey, finding the coast clear, reach. ed the village of Oswego by sun-set, and taking advan- tage of the darkness (u the night, put into the lake. The next day they reached Sandy Creek, -and ascendJ injvitafew miles, despatched a boat to look out for the} Britisk qn the Lake ; this boat was discovered by some] gun vessels, and immediately chafed. Major Applinoj and captain Woolsey determined to draw them Intol an ambuscade. As had been anticipated, the enemrj pushed their gun-boats and cutters up the Creek, while J party landed and ascended along the bank. The AmcriJ cans now Viuddenty ruslied upon them, and in a fc\v] moment?, after one fire^by which a number of them werej killed and wounded, the whole party was taken prisonl ers, consisting of four lieutenants of the navy, twc lieutenants of marines, and one hundred &ud thirty men, together with all their boats and cutters. Major! Appling, for this aiikir, was breveted, and his oflicersj lieutenants Smith, M^ntosh, Calhuun, M^Farland, and Armstrong, and ensign Austin, were publickly thankedJ The conduct of captain Woolsey and his ollicers wa« not less applauded. A party of Oneida Indians had joined the Americans in this allair, and were the first tol reach the British, after their surrender ; these were ^out to commence the mode of warfare practised bj the anglo Indians, at the River Raisin, Lev/istown, and Tus^ carora, but were compelled, greatly to tlieir displeasureJ to desist.* The barges soon after arrived at SacketlV Harbour in safety. • The Chief, on this occasion, expressed himself in this ma ner. "When British come Buftuloe, they kill white man, thed kill Indian, they kill woman, they burn all house.— When BritJ ish come herej you no let Indian kill him— you give eat— dis nq good." HISTORY OF THE WAR. 243 The consequent « of this affair, were severely felt by •the British; tliey lost a number of their best seamen and officers, an sorted to stratagem for the purpose of drawing him from it. They feigned an attack, and then retreated, taking tare nut to show more than sixty or seventy men : cap- tain Holuies now pursued, but with caution ; and after proceeding about nve miles, discovered their main body drawn up to receive him, on which he immediately re- turned to his former position. Having disposed his troops in the most judicious manner, he firmly waited for them $ being protected in front by a deep ravine, and the ap* proaches on the other sides somewhat difficult. The at- tack was commenced at the same moment on eve/ point, with savage yells, ind tlie sound of bugles, the regulars charging up the heights from the ravine ; the other sides were rapidly assailed by militia and Indians. The first tpproacned witiiin twenty paces of the American line, against a very destructive fire ; but the front section be* ia^' cut to pieces, those who followed severely wounded^ and many of their officers cut down, the\ retired to the woods, within thirty or forty paces, and th? ^I'ing con- tinued with great spirit on both sides. The American regulars being uncovered, were ordered to kneel, that tiie brow of the heights might assist in screening thenv firoin the enemy ^ but the enemy's covering was insuffi<* cient, a single tree affiirding no shelter even to one, front. the extended line of the Americans, much less to the squads that stood together. On the other sides, the at- tack was sustained with equal coolness, and with consi- derable loss to the foe; tiie Americans had, on three 9ide8, thrown together some logs hastify, and no charge being made, they could aim their pieces at leisure, witb I that deadly certainty, which belongs to the backwoods* nan. The Britishi after an hour oC hard fightings wdJer* Uf) HISTORY OF THE WAR. ed a retreat, and as tlie night approached, captairt Holmes thought it not advisable to pursue : besides, his men were much fati«>;ued, and many of them had nearly worn out their shoes on the hanl frozen ground. Tlie American loss on this occasion i\n\ not amount to more than six killed and wounded. According to the state. ment of the British) tlieir loss was sixty-five in killed and wounded, besides Indians. In consequence of hift good conduct, on this affair, captain Holmes waspro> moted to the rank of major. Hitherto nothing of moment had occurred, which could have much influence on the final result of the war. On the ocean, it had been glorious for us ; on the lakes and on the frontier, our arms during the last year, had retriev- ed our former disgraces 5 and on the sea-coast, the enemy Rad discovered that it was not an easy matter to make an impression. It is true, the disastrous issue of the cam, paign against Canada, took away all hope of being able to make an impression on that province, under present circumstances; hut the happy termination of the Indian \var to the Westward, ana its success to the South, in some degree aftbrded a consolation. An inr.portant cri- sis, however, had arrived in the general stf.te of our af- fairs. The third year of the war found the situation of this country materially changed.' The most dishearten- ing periods of the revolution scarcely presented a state of tnings more painfully embarrassing. The distress of the northern states, whose subsistence, in a great mea- sure, depended upon their shipping, and those' of the peo- ple of the South, whose staples had almost ceased to be of any value, together with embarrassments of the banks in the middle states, had begun, at last, to make ui^ feel that we were at war. To a people who had been for years in the most flourishing state, a check to their pros- perity, however it might result to their ultimate good, ■was felt as a positive aflliction. To the great body of the farmers, in the interior of the country, the effects of JhostiKties were rather beneficial ; their produce was raised in price, and their lands in value ; the Wealth of the cities, BO longer applied to commerce^ was diverted to the rote- HISTORY OF THE WAH. 24r ipor, and was soon discovered in the improvement of the laods; the increase of the inland towns, and the esta- blishment of manufactures. ' But the number of those, ijiom the war distressed or ruined, was proportionally Irreat; and as men are more loud in crying out against* [(tiamities, than forward in displaying; their good fortune, Itlie unfavourable side of the picture only was exhibited. The philosopher might say, that what was lost to the na- Ition, on one side, was gamed in the other; but this rea- honing could have little weight with the individual suifer- |(rs, In several of the New England states, complaints ned a more serious cast ; a convention was talked |if,and it was even insinuated, that they meant to secedfr liroin tlie union. This, indeed, would have been an event, lihich would have filled every American bosom with giief^ ligreater injury to our common country than a thousand liars. The collisions between the state authorities aiid Ijiat of the union, were beginning to produce all the em- llarraissments, which had been predicted by Patrick Hen- Irrat the formation of the constitution. The supposed iKistence of such a temper, at the period of our utmost Ineed, could not fail to weaken the hamds of the adminis*^ Itration, and increase the disposition of England to pro* Itecute the war. The embarrassments in our financial ls?8tem were alarming, and it was confidently predicted,. Ilat from a want of Tunds, the administration would be Icompelled to yield up the reigns of government, or Ithrow the nation upon the mercy of the enemy. A new event haa occurred in Europe, which could not I viewed with indifference, even on these distant shores^ bid its connequence threatened us with a serious danger. The ambitious monai ch of France had been hurled from his throne, by the combined powers of Europe, and the^ liouse of Bourbon restored. This event was received by ome of our fellow-citizens with open rejoicing, as hough it brought some signal good fortune to this coun- try, or to the human race. To this country it could bring no benefit, for it was not likely that the king of France could, any more than Napoleon, feel a riendr hip for 08, although he might not so cordially hate 6t dt^ («afe*w„, 848 HISTORY OF THE WAR. spise us. Louis the eighteenth could not be expected to I entertain much love for republicks, and certainly not for ours, the contagion of whose example is said to have conJ tributed much to that dreadful revolution, in which his family had so severely suffered ; indeed it is natural that a repuhlick, like ours, should not be regai*ded with much complacency by any monarch; for, to use the expression of Demosthenes, " we are considered as a spy upon their actions." Napoleoii, having been already reduced witU in a reasonable compass, there was no longer any danger of his sei/jng the ships of England, and transporting sc* veral hundred thousand men to make a barren conquest of Americi : it is more probable, that he would have paid a visit to the empercur of China. I am not the ad* vocate of a cold and unfeeling policy. The unfortunate] family of the French Bourbons, have suffered enough to| atone for many errours and faults ; and as men, we inigh^ be permitted to express our satisfaction that providence! haa deigned to put a term to their miseries. It had, however, become a matter of indifference to us, whe* ther the throne of France- was occupied bv an empercur or a kins. Buf,as Gneat Britain had claimecl the chief me. ritof this wonderful operation, publick rejoicings^for the event hud too much the appearance of a rejoicing fur the success of our enemies, and for the abstract success of royalty, which whether of recent or ancient usurpa' tion, ought to be equally nauseous to a republican. The event was, in reality, greatly adverse to our national iu* terests. Fired by the success of the wars of the conti'^ neut, and extravagantly, elated with her supposed power and greatness, the enemy was at liberty to send herve-j teran troops, and her numerous fleets, to chastise Aroe* rica; while our commissioners were suffered to rcmaiaj for months in neglect, under a pretence, that despised republicans might wait patiently in the auti-chan^erj inrnile Britain was engf^ed with personages of impor' tance. This turn pf affairs, far from producing exulta* tion, ought rather to have depressed the friends of liber. ty and America. Great Britain was highly incenstd! pat we had im>| waited^ how )od^ no obo cooUi tell^ witb H-rki^ AlSTORY OF THE WAR. fi4d ijl due patience, under the numerous outrages she had nerpetrated for y&rs, until, disengaged from all her £u» fopean wars, she would have leisure to give us a severe diastisement for daring to assert our rights. It now be- loved us to think no more of invading Canada ; oiir Nor- fliem frontier was to be laid waste, our sea-coast devas- dted, and the utmost to be expected, was a successful jieifdefence. In the plenitude of her arrogance, Britain lilked of recolonization, and of crippling us for fifty years tocotue. Such was tlie situation ot America at this eVent" k\ period ; the time was approachipg, which would put totne test the strength of our confederation, and our abt- I BtjT for defence ; and what was still more interesting, the time had come, which would try our attachments to our [Mlitical institutions, which, although not yet venerable Ifm time, deserved the highest admiration for their jus- iice and wisdom. The people of other nations could not fiev, with indifference, the fate of this assylum and sane- tunr of the oppressed and unfortunate throughout the Iwond. Tbe northern sea-coast, which had thus far experienced I jittle molestation from the enemy, became the object of iHack early in the spring. On the 7th of April, a body fif sailors and marines, to the number of two hundredf, isceoded the Connecticut river, as far as Saybrook, wher^ tiiey spiked the cannon and destroyed the snipping ; they proceeded thence to Brockway's ferry, where they did the same ; and afterwards, unapprehensive of attack, carelessly remained twenty-four hours. In the meantime I body of mUitia, together with a number of marines and tailors, under captain Jones and lieutenant Biddle, had icollected for the purpose of cutting off their retreat $ but tlie British, taking advantage of a very dark night, and lusing muffled oars, escaped to their fleet, after having^ des^ Itroyed two hundred thousand dollars worth of shippinar* About, this time the coasting tr^de. was almost de- utroyed by a British privateer, thib Liverpool Packet, which cruised in the sound. Commodore Lewis sailed iwith a detachment of thirteen gun*boats, and succeeded |ia chasing her off. On his arrival at Saybrook^ he fuuiiil I '; I i ' ■ I r ;r manu^. S50 HISTORY OF THE WAU. upwards of fifty vessels bound eastward, but afraid to Tentuie out. The commodore consented to take them under convoy, but was not able to promise them a pro. tection. against the squadron then blockading New-Lon- don. They, however, being disposed to run the risk, lie sailed with them on the 25th, anil in the afternoon of the same day, was compelled to throw himself between hjg convoy and a British frigate, a sloop of war and a tender, and kept up a contest until the coasters had safely reach. ed New-London. Having attained his object, he deter- mined to try what he-could do with his gun-boats against \ the eraemy*8 ships. Furnaces being hastily constructed, he began to throw hot balls at the enemy's sides, and re- peatedly set their ships on fire, without receiving any in- 1 jury himself. The sloop soon withdrew, and the fire was principally directed against the frigate. One shot passed through her, very near the magazine ; her licuten-i ant, and a great number of her men, were already killed; her captain was on the point of striking, when he ob- served tbat the gun-boats had ceased firing. The night ! soon after coming on, the gun-bOats desisted from the i attack, determined to wait until morning. At daylight, I they perceived the squadron towing away; it was re«| solved to pursue them, but several other frigates soon! after made their appearance, and put a stop to this de- sign. 'J'his affair, together with that of Crany Island, revived the discussion on the utility of gun-boats in the defence of harbours and the coast. Great service had been rendered by captain Lewis on this as well as many other occasions. Formidable squadrons were kept up before the ports of New-York, New-London, and Boston ; and the whole eastern coast was exposed to the enemy. The war was carried on here in a verv different manner from that to the South. Commodore Hardy would not permit any| wanton outrages upon private prop.erty, or upon defence* less individuals. In spite, however, of his general de- meanor, there were particular instances of the contrary! en the part of the officers commanding smaller partiesj and actuated by a thirst for plunder. At the towns of| HISTORY OF THE WAKi ^51 Wiireham and Scituate, they burned all the vessels at their moorings; and at the former, they set fire to an extensive cotton manufactory. At a place called Booth- bay* they met with a spirited resistance, and were re- peatedly repulsed iti various desperate attacks. An invasion of a more serious nature was made in July, On the eleventh of that month, Sir Thomas Hardy, with a strong force, made a descent on Moose Island, and aC> ter taking possession of Eastport, declared all the islands and towns, on the eastern side of Passaniaquoddy bay, to appertain to his Britannick Majesty, and re(^uired the inhabitants to apppear within seven days and take the oath of allegiance. About two-thirds of the inhabitjints ^ submitted ; but in the month of August, the council of the Province of New-Brunswick declared, that notwith- slamling the oath of. allegiance, they should be consider- ed as a conquered people, and placed under military go- vernment. Eastport was soon after strongly fortified ; but it was found extremely difficult for the enemy to sub- sist his troops, and the desertions were so frequent as to render it almost impossible to keep up a garrison. The commodore soon after sailed with a part of hi& squadron, for the; purpose of attacking Stonington. The appearance of this force excited much alarm, which was not diminished when they received a message from thft commodore, to remove the women and children, as he had received orders to reduce the place to ashes. The inhabitants, although with very trifling means of defence) determined to make an attempt to save their property. The handful of militia of the place, repaired to a small battery erected on the shore, and to a breast work thrown up for muiiketry ; and at the same time despatched an express to obtam assistance from general Cushing, com- mandin'^ at New-London. In the evening, five barges and a large launch, filled with men, approached the shore, under cover of a heavy fire from the snips. The Ameri- cans, reserving their lire until the enemy were within short grape distance, opened their two eidi teen -pound- ers, and soon compelled the invaders to i-eiire out of the amM of the battery. They uoxt proceeded to another .(■t h f tS > * ft5^ HISTORY OF THE WAH. ^art of the town* which they supposed defenceless, but a part of the militia being dfetaclied thither with a six. pounder, the barges were again repulsed; the enemy then retired to their ships, but determined to renew the attack in the morning $ and in the mean time, kept up a bombardment until midnight. The next morning it was v..^covered, that one of the enemy's vessels had ap< proached within pistol shot of the battery, and the barges advanced in still greater numbers than the day before ; tliese were again gallantly repulsed, und the vessel driven from her anchorage. The squadron then renewed the bombardment of the town, but without effect ; and ou the twelfth the commodore thought proper to retire. The inhabitants, after this gjallant defence, which, considering the means with which it wa:" fleeted, and the ereat (lis- parity of force opposed to thv.m, deserves much praise ; once more occupied their dwelUiigs in security. It was not long after this, that the British occupied all that part of the District of Maine between Penobscot river and Passamaquoddy bay, and declared it to be held as a colony. On the first of September, the governour of Nov>^ Scotia, and admiral Griffith, entered the Penob* scot river, and took possession of Castine, which the garrison had previously evacuated. A proclamation was then issued, declaring that possession of that part of the province of Maine, east of the Penobscot, was formally taken in the name of his Britannick Majesty ; the coun^ try, which contained about thirty thousand inhabitants, was then gradually occupied, and possessed until the tonclusion of the war. A few days before the occupation of Castine, the fri* gate Adams, captain Morris, entered the Penobscot river, after a successful cruise $ and having run upon a roek, was obliged tO be hove down at Hampden, thirty*five miles up the river, for the purpose of bein^ repaired. On 4he thii'd of September, several of the British vessels, together with ten barges, and about one thousand men, ascended from Castine for the purpose of capturing the frigate. Captain Morris, apprised of their approach, 4Nrected some batteries ou the neighbouring heights, and MSTORY OF THE WAR. i& trmed the militia ; finding, however, that th^re was no pogsibility of defending tiie vessel, he ordered the ereat- er part of his crew to retreat under lieutenant Wads- vortii) while the captain remained with a few men to How up the ship. This he effected, but his retreat being eut oft', he plunged into the river, and escaped by swim- filing. The British, disappointed in this undertaking; retired to Gastine. CHAPTER XV. iXiival incidents — The 'Plantagenet 74, declines a eonte't with commodore Rodgers — Captain Stewart chases (t British frigate of equal force— Cruise of commodore Porter — J'ypee war — The Essex captured by the Phwbe and Cherub — T^he Peacock captures the Epervien^ The Wasp captures the Reindeer — 2%e Wasp sinks the Avon — Loss of the Wasp — Frigate President captured by a squadron-^Constitution engages and captures two British sloops, the Cayenne and Levant'^The Hornet captures the Penguin* 1 ME naval incidents of eighveen hundred and fourteen, are f.s grateful to American feelings, as those of the two former years. An occurrence took place in the very be- I sinning of the year, which attbrded to us as much cause I for triumph, as of mortification to the enemy. In the nontii of February, commodore Rodgers, on his return from a cr 4ise in the President, found himself oft' Sandy Hn >k, within a short distance of three large Brtish ships oi war, the neatest of which was the Plantagenet, a se- venty-four. Believing that an engagement with one, ov all of them, was unavoidable, he cleared his ship for ac" tion, determining not to surrender without selling his ship as dearly as he could. But notwithstanding he fired several guns to windward, as a proof of his willingnesl to engage, the British vessels aid not think proper iff (pproacli, find he safely reached New-York* Cautain' 2« .-^1 S54 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Llojd, of the Plantagenct, after returning to England I accounted for his conduct, by alleging a mutiny in his ship 1 and several of his sailors were executed on the charge. I Another aflTair took place soon after, which furnished a! still stronger proof of the now acknowledged superiorityl of America upon the ocean, an acknowledgment morel strongly expressed than by words. In the month of I April, captain Stewart was also on his return in the Con. stitution, after a cruise, when he was chased by two Bri. tish frigates and a brig, but escaped by superiour seaman. ship, into Marblehcad. Sometime before, after captur* injgthe publick schooner Picton, he fell in with th«; British! frigate La Pique, captain Maitland, who fled on the ap- proach of the Constitution, and finalljr escaped durin? the night, after a long chase. Captain AJaitland was complimented by the board of admiralty, for thus obey. ing their instructions, in not lighting an American frigate singly; it having been determined that not less than two frigates could be a match for ?n American. The enemy had become equally shy of the gun-boat flotilla, ('onuj modore Lewis repeatedly beat ott'the British vessels near Sandy Hook, ana facilitated the return of the American ships. The Regent, loaded with a very valuable cargo,] was chased by the *Belvidera, when commodore Lewis throwing himself with eleven of his gun-buats between them, tne frigate moved oft' without returning the shot of j the gun-boats. That brave and adventurous seaman, commodore For* j ter, terminated this year his glorious cruise in the Paci- fic. From Lima, in the neighbourhood of which he had chastised the pirates of the ship Nereyda, he proceeded to the Gallipagos, where he cruised from April, 1813, until October ; and in the course of that time captured twelve armed Rritish whale ships, carrying m all one hundred and seven guns, and three hundred and two men. Several of these were equipped as American cruis- ers and stoi'e ships $ and^ the Atlantic, now called the Essex Junior, of twenty guns and sixty men, was assign- ed to lieutenant Downes. The prizes, which were to be faid up, were convoyed by this ofloicer to Valparaiso. Utt HISTORY OF THE WAR. ^5 las return, he brought intelligence to commodore Porter, diata British squadron, consisting of one frigate and two jiuops of war, and a store ship of twenty guns, had sailed inquest of the Essex. The commodore, having been Unost a year at sea, with little intermission, found it absolutely necessary that his ship should undergo consi- derable repairs. With this view, he steeled to tne island of Nooaheevah, or Miiflison*s Island, which he so named I ja honour of t!»e President. Here he found a fine bay, ami a situation in every respect suitable to his wishes, the johahitants apparently friendly. But it was not long be- fore he found that his situation would he unsafe, in conse- i queace of a war which prevailed between the inhabitants of the neighbouring village, and those among whom he had been received. These insisted upon his joiniuj^ them ia their wars, and threatened to drive him away if he did not. The commodore was compelled, by a regard to his own safely, to send a party of sailors with the natives, who, by their assistance, defeated their enemies ; and by tlie interference of the commodore, a peace was brought about between them. In consequence of this, the natives erected a village for the commod<»re, freely traded with Mm for provisions, and for some time the greatest harmo- ny prevailed. His safety was again threatened by the conduct of th^ Tjpees, an inland tribe, one of the most warlike on the island, and which still continued hostile, und who were continually urging the friendly Indians to destroy the strangers. The commodore found his situation grawing every day more critical. He therefore resolved to pur- sue the course necessary to ensure his safety, and wiiich has always been held justifiable in our intercourse with uncivilized men, who are only to be restrained from vio- lence and injustice by terrour. He had succeeded thus far by peaceable means, and by the permission of the na^ tives, in placing his vessel in a state to be repaired ; but should the tribes around him become inimical, (and what confidence can any one repose in the faith of a sava^, who regards only force) he might be in greater danger in his present situation. He was very unwilling to engage i»6 HISTORY OF THE WAH. IB a war with them ; to prevent the necessity, he sent ihem a present) and requested that they would remain quiet and be at peace. This had no other effect than to increase their insolence to the Americans, whom they re* presented as a cowardly race, or they would not have etindescended to bej^ for peace. This enmity was natu< rally enough engendered by their jealousy of the tribes who had the benefit of the traffick with the whites, and *by this meaun obtained rrticles from them, according to their estimati it;, rf g-eat value. The commodore now discovered, tlv «» spfety depended entirely upon making these people ft ' hi6 t. rength, as it was impossible for him, in his preseiu, sitau;; n, to leave the island until his vessel could be repaired, and while the greater part of his effects were actually on shore. He therefore set off, at the head of thirty-five men, against these people, de- termined to give them battle, and, by shewing the effica- cj of his weapens, compel them to be at peace. The tribes, heretofore friendly, were on the point of breaking Qtzt into hostilities, and were only induced to wait the re- sult of thfs expedition, of which fhey were little more than silent spectators. The commodore had in vain en- deavoured to convince tliem of the destructive nature of his fire-arms, by shooting at rocks and trees ; war was absolutely unavoidable. But the small force with which he marched, was insufficient to make any impression. Their country being exceedingly mountainous and abound, ing in thickets, rendered it easy for them to escape. The commodore was, therefore, compelled to return in a worse situation than before. To prevent the friendly Indians from rising, lie found it necessary to inform them, that he would proceed the next day with the greater part of his men. A, large body was now marched across the moun- tains, notwithstanding the extreme difficulties of the route, and penetrated into their valley ; but the natives, as usual, took refuge in their inaccessible fastnesses. The onlj mode of causing them to feel the consequences of their conduct, was in the destruction of their villages ; nine of them were accordingly burnt, after which the par- ty retreated. The Typees now gladly accepted terms '<*.' HISTORY OF THE WAR. m ifpeace, and all the tribes on the island, soon after, were reconciled to each other ; a circumstance which the old- egt amongst them did not recollect to have seen; and (hevvied with each other in friendship towards the whitea while the commodore remained. The destruction of the Typee villages has given rise^ in the part of the British writers, to the most scandalous tbuse of commodore Porter and the American people, by vhich means they have endeavoured to bring the ^cts of the Americano to a level with their own. The destruc- tion of a few wigwams covered with palm-leaves, erected to shield the inhabitants from the heats or the rains of the. torrid zone, eifected by an American officer in self-de^^ fence, aad for the sake of peace, is to be viewed with hor<^ rour; while the conduct of the British government in In- dia, in America, and throughout the world, without any 9ther motive tiian base rapacity, is to be passed over un« noticed. The destruction of the Typee villages, is the conduct of a bucanier, in commodore Pointer; but the wan* ton destruction of a flourishing town, inhabited by civiliz* (d people, on the coast of Chdi, by admiral Anson, is an exploit to be boasted of. Can it be that the wanton de- struction of our villages on the sea-coast, by the British admirals, was in retaliation for the destruction of the Ty- pee villages ? Accusations of this nature ill-befit an En» glishman : they too readily call to mind the innumerable acts of wicked, depraved, rapacious violence, which Great Britain, in common with other European powers, has^ without scruple, committed upon the inhabitants of both the Indies. Even if there be grounds for the accusation, itif^not for Britain to be the accuser. Humanity must andoubtedly regret that the villages of the Typees were destroyed ; but reason must acknowledge t)ie justice of tlie destruction, from the impossibility of purchasing peace and security from the savage by any other means. There is one part of commjdore Porter's conduct which is not approved ; the taking possession of the island in- th$ name of the American government ; this, it .is true^ gave satisfaction to the natives, who regarded it as a mere^ expressiou of friendship, or rather aa adogtioa mno^i esv HISTORY OF THE WAR. the Mellickees, and extending no further ; but this was following the example of the Eurn))ean states^ who have usually considered themselves entitled, by the right of discovery, to territories inhabited only by uncivilized men. We, however, have followed a different principle, and had the Typee war ensued in consequence of this act, it could find no justification ; of this there is no doubt; the enmity of the Indians proceeded from their jealousy of the tribes nearer the sea-coast, who had freely permit- ted the commodore to refit his vessel. In no instance has any European power acknowledged the right of unciviiiz* ed men to the lands occupied by them ; they have uni- formly possessed themselves by violence of such portions as they wanted, whereas the Onited States have uniform- ly obtained them by purchase. The Essex being completely repaired, and provided with provisions for four months, sailed for Valparaiso on the twelfth of December, in company with the Essex Ju- nior. The three prizes were secured under the fort, left in the charge of lieutenant Gamble, of the marines, with orders to proceed to Valparaiso, after a certain time. It was not long after the arrival of commodore Porter at Valparaiso, wnen commodore Hillyar appeared there in the Phcebe frigatei accompanied by the Cherub sloop of war. These vessels had been equipped for the pur- pose of meeting the Essex, with piclced crews, in prime order, and hoisted flags bearing the motto, **■ Goa and Dur country, British siailor's best rights; traitors offend fftem." This was in allusion to Porter's celebrated niutto, '* Free trade and sailor's rights ;'^ he now hoisted at his mizzen, *^God, our country, and liberty: tyrants of- Ibhd them.*' On entering the harbour, the British com* jmodore fell foul of the Essex, in such a situation as tt be placed completely in the power of the latter ; the for* tiearance of commodore Porter was acknowledged bjr the English commander, and he passed his word and ho- nour to observe the same regard to the neutrality of tbe |U)rt cable, which he HISTORY OP THE WAR. 239 The British vessels soon after stood out, and cruised off the port about six weeks, rigorously blockading the {gsex. Their united force amounted to eighty-one suns pid about nve hundred men, about double that of the Kggex ; but the circumstance of this force being divided, in two ships, rendered the disparity stiil greater ; and was by no means counterbalanced by the Essex Junior. Commodore Porter being prevented, by this great dispa- rity of force, from engaging, made repeated attempts to draw the Phoebe into action singly, cither by manceuv-. ring or sending formal challenges ; but commodore Hill- yar carefully avoided the coming to action alone. The American commander, hearing that an additional Bri- tish force was on its way, ana having discovered that his vessel could outsail those of the British, determined to sail out, and, while the enemy was in chase, enable the Essex Junior to escape to a place of rendezvous pre- viously appointed. On the twenty-eighth of March, the wind coming on to blow fresh from the southward, the Essex parted her starboard cable, and draped her larboard anchor to sea» Not a moment was lost in getting sail on the ship, as it was determine to seize this moment to escape. In en- deavourin^iopass to the windward of the enemy, a squall struck the American vessel, just, as she was doubling the point, which carried away her main -top-mast; both ships immediately gave chase, and being unable to escape in bis crippled state, the commodore endeavoured to put back into the harbour ; but finding this impracticable, he ran into a small bay, and anchored within pistol shot of the shore $ where, from a supposition that the enemy would continue to respect the neutrality of the port, he thought himself secure. He soon found, however, by the manner in which they approached, that he was mistaken* With all possible despatch, therefore, he prepared his •hip for action, and endeavoured to get a spring on Jiia cable, which he could not accomplish before the enemy commenced the attack, at fifty -four minutes past three. At first, the I^cebe placed herself on his stern, and the Cherubs oa his larboard bow $ but the Ijitter soon fin^^ing nm HISTORY OP THE WAR. herself exposed to a hot fire, changed her position, and with her consort, kept up a /akin^ fire under his stern. The American being unable to bnng his broadside to bear on the enemy, his spring cables having been three times shot away, was obliged, tiiurcfore, to rely for de- fence against this tremendous attack, on three long twelve pounders, which he ran out of the stern ports; but whicn were worked with such bravert and skill, as in half an hour, to do so much injury to the enemy, as to compel them to haul off and repair. It was evident that commodore Hillyar meant to risk nothing from the dar* ing courage of the Americans; all his manoeuvres were deliberate and wary ; his antagonist was in his power, and his only concern was to succeed with as little loss to himself as possible. The situation of the Essex was most vexatious to our brave countrymen ; many of them were already killed and wounded, and from the crippled state of. their ship, they were unable to bring her guns to bear upon the enemy. — Her gallant crew were not dis. heartened, aroused to desperation, they expressed their defiance to the enemy, and their determination to hold 6ut to the last. The enemy having repaired, now placed himself, with both ships, on the starboard quarter of the Essex, where none of her guns could be brought to bear; (he commodore saw no hope but in getting under way; the flying-jib was the only sail he could set ; this he caused to be hoisted, cut his cable, and ran down on both ships, with the intention of laying the Phoebe on board. For ft short time he was enabled to close with the enemy, and the firing was tremendous ; the decks of the Essex Were strewed with dead, and her cockpit filled with the Wounded ; she had been several times on fire, and was, in fact, a perfect wreck. At this moment a feeble hope, ftrose that she might yet be saved, in consequence of the Cherub being compelled to haul off on account of her crippled state : she-, however, kept up her fire at a dis> tance, with her long guns. The £ssex was unable, hoW' tver;, to take advantage of the circumstance, as the Phoibe •dged oily and also kept up, at a distance, a destructive able to bring a s HISTORY OF THE WAR. 261 Ire; the former being totally bereft of her sails, couldr got bring her to close quarifers. Commodore Porter, find* jgg the greater part of his crew disabled, at last gave up Hi hope, and attempted to run his yessel on shore, tbe wind at that moment favouring his design ; but it sudden- ly changed, drove her close upon the Phoebe ; exposing he» to a raking fire. The ship was totally unmanagable, but IS she drifted with her nead to the enemy, commodore Porter again seized a faint hope of being able to board. At this moment lieutenant Downes came on board, to I Kceive orders, expecting that his commander would soon be a prisoner. Ilis services could be of no avail in the present deplorable state of the Essex, and finding fronL liie enemy's putting up his helm, that the last attempt at I iioarding would not succeed, Downes was directed to re« pair to nis ship, to be prepared for defending and de» ' stroying her in case of attack. The slaughter on board the Essex now became horri* Ue, the enemy continuing to rake her, while she was un> able to bring a single gun to bear. Still her commander refused to yield while a ray of hope appeared. Every expedient that a fertile and inventive genius could sug* gest, was resorted to^ in the forlorn hope, that he might be able, by some lucky chance, to escape from the grasp of the foe. A hawser was bent to the sheet anchor, aha the anchor cut from the bows to bring the ship's head around. This succeeded ; the broad-side of the Essex was again brought to bear ; and as the enemy was much cripp ed, and unabled to hold his own, the commodore thought she might drift out of gun shot, before he discov- ered that the Essex had anchored ; but alas ! this last ex* pedient failed ; the hawser parted, and with it went the fast lingering hope of the Essex. At this moment her si- tuation was awful beyond description. She was on fire both before and aft, the fiame^ were bursting up her hatch way, a quantity of powder exploded below, aad wbr<|> was given that the fire was near her magazine. Thus sur- rounded by horrours, without any chance of savine his ship, lie turned his attention to the saving as many o? his gal- lant companions as he could ; the distance to the shore ' .'fi a6s HISTORY OF THE WAR. not exceeding three quarters of a mije, he hoped that nany of thena. would save themselves before the ship blew up. His boats being cut up, they could only hope to e%, eape by swimming ; by some this ^vas eftected, but the greater part ol his penerous crew resolved to stay by the ship, and share the fate of their commander. They now laboured to extinguish the flames, and suc- ceedei^ ; after this, they again repaired to their guns, but their strength had become so much exhausted, that this effort was iu vain. Commodore Porter summoned a con. sultaticn cf the officers of the divisions, but was surpiU, ed to find onty one acting lieutenant, Stephen Decatur M*N:^htj remaining. The accounts from every part of the ship were deplorable indeed ; she was in imminent danger of sinking, and so crowded with the wounded, that even her birth deck could hold no more, and several were killed under the surgeon's hands. In the mean time the enemy, at a secure distlince, continued his iire; the water having become smooth, he struck the hull of the Essex at every 'shot. At last, despairing of saving his ship, the commodore was compelled, at twenty mi. nutes past six, to give the painful orders to strike the co* Ic'i.s. The enemy, probably not seeing that this had taken place, continued to fire for ten minutes after, and Porter was about to give orders that the colours should again be hoisted, under a belief that the enemy intended to give no quarters, when the firing ceased. The loss on board the Essex was fifty>eight killed, thirty-nine wound- ed severely, twenty-seven slightly, and thirty-one mis- sing. The loss on board the British vessels was five killed and ten wounded ; but they we»e both much cut up in their hulls and i'igging; the Phoibe could scarcely be kept afloat until she anchored in the port of Valparaiso next morning. Commodore Porter was paroled^ and permitted to re* turn to the United States in the Essex Junior, which was converted into a cartel for the purpose. On arriving oil' the port of New- York, the vessel was detained by the Sa- turn razee, and to the disgrace of the British navy, al- ready dishonoured by the oast attack upon this gallant HISTORY OF THE WAK. JS6S tfficerf he was compelled to give up his parole, and de- clare himself a prisoner of war, and as such he informed the British ufiicer that he would attempt his escape. In consequence of this threat, the Essex Junior was ordered to remain under the lee of the Saturn ; but the next morn- in topsail, and was obliged to keep aloof during the remain* der of the action, which lasted forty-two minutes. In -this time, she received considerable damage in her rig. ging, but her hull was not at all injured. The Epervier -Btruck, having five feet water in her hold, her topmast 4>ver the side, her main boom shot away, her foremast icut nearly in two, her fore rigging and stays ghot away, 'her hull pierced by forty -five snot, twenty of which were within a foot of her water line. Eleven of her crew were Icilled, and her first lieutenant and fourteen men wound- ed. She was immediately taken possession of by lieu- tenant Nicholson, first officer of the Peacock, who with lieutenant Vorhees, of the same ship, had been already distinguished in another naval action. The sum of one hundred and eighteen thousand dollars in specie, was found in her, and transferred to the Peacock. Captain Warrington immediately repaired, with his prize, to one 'Of the southern ports. The day following the captain -discovered two frigates in chase ; at the suggestion of lieutenant Nicholson, he took all the prisoners on board the Peacock, and leaving a sufficient number on board the Epervier for the purpose of navigating her, he direct- ed her to seek the nearest port. By skdful seamanship the captain succeeded in escaping from the enemy's ships, and reached Savannah, where he found his prize. Lieu- tenant Nicholson, by his good management, had brought her in, after encountering very great difficulties. The new sloop ;f war Wasp, captain Biakely, sailed from Portsmoutn on the first of May, and after captur- ing seven merchantmen, fell in with the British brig of war the Reindeer, captain Manners, which she captured ilter an action of eighteen minutest On the sixth ol Ju' HISTORY OF THE WA»t. m jy, being in ehase of two vessels, he discovered the Rein- deer, and immediateiy altered his course, and hauled by tliewind in chase of her. At 15 minutes past one, cap- fain Blakely prepared for action ; hut it was not before nf- tecn minutes after three, in consequence of their ma- nceuvering, and the endeavours of the Reindeer to escape, tliat they approached sufficiently near to engage. Seve* ral.jBjuns were fired frAm the Wasp before her antagonist coultl bring her guns to bear ; lier helm was then nufe alee, and at twenty six minutes after three, captain Blake- ly convmenced the action with his after carronades - on the starboard side, and i^red in succession. Shortly af- ter, the larb(»ard bow coming in contact with the VVasp, captain Manners gave orders to board, but the attempt vas gallantly repulsed by the crew of the Wasp, and tlie enemy was several times repelled : at forty-four mi- jiute« past three, orders were given to board in turn. Throwing themselves with promptitude upon her deck, they succeeded in the execution of their orders ; and at forty-five minutes past three, the flag of the enemy's ship came down. She was almost cut to pieces, and half her aew were killed and wounded. The loss of the Wasp was five killed and twenty -one wounded ; among the lat- ter, niidslnpmeti Langdon and Toscan ; both of whom expired some days after. The Reindeer having been found altogetlier unmana»eai)le, was blown up ; and cap- tain Blakely steered lor L'Orieat to provide for the wounded of both crews. . Alter leaving L'Orient, and capturing two valuable British merchantmen, captain Blakely fell in with a fleet of ten sail, under convoy of the Armada seventy -four, and a bomb-ship. He stogd for them, and succeeded in cutting out of the squadron a brig laden with brass anil iron cannon, and military stores, frpjn Gibraltar; after taking out the prisoners and setting her on fire, he en- deavoured to cut out another, but was chased ofl' by tlie seventy -four. In the evening, at half past six, he de- scried two vessels, one vn his starboard, and one on his larboard how, and hauled fur that which was farthest to winiiward. At seven, s|ie was dis<^yered to be a brig f^ X9 |1| »«»;-'JiadKr«:.. . V 9M HISTORY OF THE WAR. ifA war, and at twenty-nine minutes past nine she wns inidw the lee bow of the Wasp. An action soon after com- menced, which lasted until ten o'clock, when captain Blakely, supposing his antagonist to be silenced, ceased ' jSring, and demanded if he had surrendered. No an- swer being returned, he commenced firing; and the ene- my retarned broadside for broadside for twelve minutes, when, perceiving that the two last were not returneil, he hailed again, and was informed that she was sinking, and I that her commander had struck. Before the Wasp's! boats could be lowered, a second brig of war was dis- covered : the crew were instantly sent to their quarters, and the Wasp was standing to for the approach of the stranger, when two other brigs appeared : he now made sail, and e'ldeavoured to dsaw the first after him, but without effect. The name of the prize has since been as- 1 certained to have been the Avon, captain Arbuthnot, of | the same force as the Reindeer. She sunk immediately after the last man had been taken out of her. She had I eight killed and thirty-one wounded, induding her cap- tain and several other officere. The Wasp soon repaired her damage, and continued 1 on her cruise. On the prehensions were entertained of her being able to escape;] the raotain therefore returned to the first, which iniinedi- ateij Scr^sok. Possession was then taken of her by lieute* want n<»fitn:in, a.^d prove,d to be the frigate Cyane, captain I Gordon Falk n, ol thirty-four guns. Captain Stewart then steerru iu jiursuit of the other vessel, and alter a short resistance, in which she suffered considerably, siie struck, with five feet water in her hold. She proved to HISTORY OF THE WAR.' a69. Lthe sloop of war Levant, of eighteen thirty-two pound (iri'onades. The loss on board the two ships amounted to about eighty in killed and wounded; on board the. Constitution there were four killed and eleven wounded ; kut the sliip received a very trifling injury. On the tenth ofMarch) captain Stewart entered the harbour of part' Praya, with hin prizes, and on the 11th a British squa- ilron uf two sixty gun ships aod a frigate, appeared oil the eotrance of the harbour; captain Stewart, having no faith if) his security, in this neutral port, made sail with his prize the Cyane, and though closely pursued, had the Ipod fortune to escape into the United States. The Le- vant was recaptured iu th& Portuguese port, in contempt jif the neutral state. These are acts of injustice, la Ifliich no nation can ever prosper. I The Peacock, Hornet, and Tom Bowliiie, left New- nork a few days after the President, without having re- eeived information of her capture. On the twenty-tiiird hf January, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, the Hornet parted company, and directed her course to rris« Ibn d'Acuna, the place of rendezvous. On the twen- Ity-third of March, she descried the British brig Penguin^ bptain Dickenson, of eighteen guns, and a twelve pound lurronade, to the southward and eastward of the island* [Captain Biddie hove to, while the Penguin bore down :, htlbrty minutes past one, the British vessel commenced Itbe engagement. The firing was hotly kept up for fifteen. iDiautes, the Penguin gradually Hearing the Hornet withb jiie intension to board, her captain having given ordera m this purpose, but was killed by a ^rape shot : her lieu- jtenant then bore her up, and running hsr bowsprit be«- peen the main and mizen rig»;iag of tlie Hornet, gave; ders to board ; his men, however, perceiving the crew, the Hornet ready to receive them, refuseu to follow: Biin. At this moment the heavy swell of the sea lifteil^ Itke Hornet ahead, and the eneihy's bowsprit carried pay her niizzen shrouds and spanker boom, and thQ IPenguin hung upon tlie Hornet's quarter, witli the los». [of her foremast and bowsprit Her commander theii lied out that he had surrendered, aud captain Biddlt: ard HISTOaV OF THE WAR. ordered his men to cease firing. At this moment an oifi. cer of the Hornet called to captain Biddle, that a man was taking aim at him in the enemy's shrouds ; he had scarcely changed his position, when a musket ball struck him in the nock, and wounded him severely. Two ina* rines immediately levelled their pieces at the wretch, alid killed him before he brought his gun from his shoul- der. The Penguin had by Uiat time ^ot clear of the j Hornet, and the latter wore round to give the enemy a fresh broadside, when they cried out a second time that they had surrendered. It was with great difficulty ^t •captain Biddle could restrain his crew, who were exas- perated at the conduct of the enemy. In twenty -tw'o minutes after the commencement of the action, she was taken possession of by lieutenant Mayo, of tlie Hornet. The Penguin was so niuch injured, that captain Biddle determii)^ on taking out her crew, and scuttling h cumstances. The spring jKiSseH away before general Brown was la j a situation to attempt any thing against the British post» ^oa the opposite side of the river } e¥«n Fort Niagara stiil HISTORY OF THE WAR. V^ jtmained in their hands. He had, however, been assi- duously occupied, ivith his gallant officers, general Scutt and general Ripley, in disciplining his troops, and in col- lecting his force. By the beginning of July, this consists tA of two brigades of regulars^ and a brigade of New^ York volunteers, under generals Porter and Swift, toge- ^er with a few Indians. In the mean time the force of the enemy, under general Drumniond, had been greatly increased, by the additon of a numlier of veterati regw nents, which, since the pacification of RUrope, Great^ Britain had been enabled to send to this country. The first step to be taken, with a view to any future iperations against Canada, and to recover the possession |«r Niagara, it was thought should be against Fort Erie } for being once possessedof this post, it was supposed the inemy would evacuate the American side, and it was ex- i peeled that this garrison would be carried with more ease I than the other, ^om the circumstance of an attack beinz less expected. Fort Erie was at that time commanded. I bj captain Buck^ with about one hundred and seventy nen. The two brigades of regulars embarked on the lorning of the third of July ; general Scott with the firsts' and a detachment of artillery under major Hindman) I crossed to the Canada shore, below Fort Erie ; and gene-; ral Ripley, with tlie second brigade, above. The garrison: was completely taken by surprise, and surrounded before the movements of the assailants were discovered, and was I compelled to surrender after firing a few shot. It was next resolved to proceed immediately and at* I tack major general Uiall, wno at that time occupied an; intrenched camp at Chippewa; having first made arrange- ments for the defence of the furt, which was entrusted to lieutenant M^Donough, and for securing the rear of I tlie army. On the morning of the fourth, general Scott advanced I with his brigade, and captain Towson's artillery, and wa^ I followed in the course of the day by general Ripley, and I the field artillery under major Hmdman, together with general Porter's volunteers. The army was then drawn up in a regular order to receive tlie enemy, on the right of IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) &^ ^/ /, -% 1.0 1.1 «f I4i 12.2 lit lU u IL25 HIU 140 m 1.6 ^^V*'*- c/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIISTH,N.Y. MSM (716) 173-4503 2r4 HISTORY OF THF WAR. Street's creek) within two miles of th« caiAp. The first brigade had encountered the advance corps, which re* treated, but not until after destroying the bridge. Cap- tain Crooker had crossed the stream some distance above, and, not conscious of his situation, was in pursttit of the British, who now turned upon and surrounded him ; but he defended himself in so gallant a manner, that he was enabled to keep off* the enemy, until captains Hull and Harrisbn, and lieutenant Randolph, came to his relief. The army remained in this position until the next day, when, early in the morning, the British commenced an aittack u|)on the picket guards. A company, commanded by captain Treat, was suddenly fired upon by a party concealed in the high grass ; one man fell, and the van- guard brokf; and repeated. The exertions of the captain to rally his men was mistaken for an act of cowardice, »id he w«« stripped of his command. Being resolved to do awav the imputation, he requested to engage in the iqaeproacning battle as a private, and was accordingly di* rected to lead a platoon. He was afterwards tried and jhononrably acquitted. 'I'he necessity of strict discipline, ttsttch a moment, cannot be disputed. These assaults continued throughout the greater pai*t of the day. Gene* ral Riall, peixeivine that an engagement was unavoidable, nsdlved to strike tne first blow ; he therefore issued from kis encampment, with his whole force, and soon aippear- •d on the left bank of Street's creek ; sending iiis light troops to the left of the American ".amp, -for the purpose «f tunning (heir ilankj this was frustrat<;d by the vulun- Iteers, who after a sharp conflict compelled them to retire; but in pursuing on the Chippewa road, they came sudden- ly in Contact with the main body of the* British. The voluuterri' were now severelj^ pressed by troops greatly superioui- in numbers and disciplioe. General lirown per^ I ceiving this, ordered Scott's brigade and Towson's artii* lery to advance, and draw the enemy into action on the plains of Chippewa. This was efteeted immediately on crossing the bridge. Major Jessup, a gallant youne oflScer, who commanded the third battalioni waa oraered to tura the right flank of I ftlSTORY OF THE WAR. £W> the British, which rested on a wood to the left ; whilst f jurmly engaged in this service, he was compelled to attack captain Ketcnum, to keep a superiour detachment in check ; the major, having cleared his front, moved to the relief of his captain, who had maintained an unequal contest uainst superiour numbers. His object was n6t accmn> pished here until after a severe struggle ; being at length closely pressed in front and in flank, he deliberately gave orders to his men to support arms and advance, under a dreadful fire, until he gained a position of more security, wlience he compelled me enemy to retire. This admira* Ue coolness and intrepidity in his corps, was worthy of feterans, and proved the great progress the Americans litd made in discipline. The British right Dauk soon af* ter began to fall back, while the Americans pressed them closely. The battalion on the American right, under ma- jor Leavenworth, was not only engaged with the British lofatitiy, but often exposed to the tire of their batteries, Ooe of his officers, captain Harrison, had his leg shot oft" by a cannon ball ; but he considered (tie contest so doithi ■elected by eeneral Riall, where he had planted a mosj formidable battery of nine pieces of artillery, tuo uj which were brass twenty '■four pouinders. On reaching i narrow strip of woods, which intervened between then and the British line, captains Harris and Pentlandl whose companies formed a part of the advance, mn first fired on, and engaged the enemy, who retreated foj the purpose of drawing the American column to the sir tuation at Lundv's-lane. General Scott resoiuteij pressed forward, urst dcspatching| major Jones with tli ERtelligence to the commander in chief. He had no socHi er cleared the wood, and formed in line on a plain fineij adapted to military manceuvres, than a tremendous caii tiooade commenced from the enemy's batteries, whicl was returned by captain Towson, but without being ablj to bring his pieces to bear on the eminence. The actioi Ivas continued for an hour, against a force three tituef HISTORY OF THE WAR. 279^ he advance) wen O^itof the American brigade, on the ground to the left if Queenstown road. The 1 1th and 22d having expen4- j^ their ammunition, colonel Brady and lieutenant colonel |t*Neiil being both severely wounded, and nearly all the itjier officers either killed or wounded« both regiments yere withdrawn from action. Lieutenant Crawford, ijeutenant adjutant Sawyer, and a few others, attached themselves to the 9th, in such stations as were assigned tbein. This regiment, under its gallant leader lieutenant colonel Leaven wortli, was now obliged to maintain the whule brunt of the action, when orders were given to ad- vance and charge on the heigiits, and, with the other luegiments, break the e\iemy'ri line. But general Scott, \j» receiving information ot the shattered condition of the lleventh and twuity -second, countermanded his order* ^lonel Jessup, at the commencement of the action, had becD detached with the twenty «fifth, to attack the left. «£ the enemy's line. . The British now pressed forward on the 9th, which witli wonderful firnmess withstood die attack of their over^ whelming numbers ; but reduced at length to nearly one half, and being compelled at every moment to repel fresh charges of the British, colonel Leavenworth despatched aincssenger to General Scott, to communicate its con- dition. The general rode up in person, roused the flag* SDg spirits of his brave men with the pleasing intelligence at reinforcements were expected at every moment, and besought tliem to hold their ground. Lieutenant Riddle^ alreat^ well knuw^i as a reconnoitring officer, was th« frst to come to the assistance of his felu»w soldiers, hav- ing been drawn to the place bv the sound of the cannon, f^liile in a scouting party. The same circumstances in- duced general Brown to proceed rapidly to the scene cf «ction,dving orders to general Uipley to follow with the Mcond brigade," On his way he was met by major Jonesy. and from his information, he was induced to order up general Porter, with the volunteersi together with the artillery. The situation of the brigade became every moment lot^re critical.. They bad repulsed every attack of iixt d80 HISTORY OF THE WAlu •neicij with desperate coura;^; but their itrength mm MOD fail, wh«n continually obJi;2;eU to en^ay^e a fresh line! OenerAl Riall, from the obstinacy of the resistance, had kj this time over-rated tlieir force, and had despatched t messenger to general Drummond for reinforcements* ^18 numbers engaged thus far having been more than dou' ble that of the American. About this time an awful pause ensued between the two armies; for a time no sound broke upon the stillness of the night, but the groans of the wounded, mingling wiia the distant din of the cata* ract of Niagara. The shattered regiments were con> solidated into one brigade, and placed as a reserve under •olonel Brady) who, though severely wounded, refused to quit the field. The silence was onc^ more interrupt- od by the arrival of general Ripley's brigade, major Kindman's artillery, and general Forter's volunteers tnd at the same time of general Drummond with rein* force ments. In the meantime, that accomplished young officer, ma* jor Jessup, who had been ordered, in the eany partof the action, to take post on the right, haid succeeded during tiie Ithgaeement, after encountering great difficulty, in turn- iflg the left flank of the enemy. At the present mo- ment, taking advantage of the darkness of th? night and the incaution of the enemy, he threw his regiment in the rear of their reserve, and surprising one detachment lifter another, made prisoners of so many of their offi* cers and men, that his progress was ^reatl^ impeded by it. The laws of war would have justified him in putting tiiem to death $ '< but the laurel, in his opinion, was h>ost glorious when entwined by the hand of mercy ;" hetherC' ^re spared them, under circumstances where tiiey cer* tainly would not have spared him. One of his omcera, fiaptain Ketchum, had the good fortune to make prisoner of general Riall, and of the aid of general Drummond; the tatter a most fortunate circumstance, as it prevented ihexoncentration of the British force, contemplated by that ofliceiv before the Americans were prepared forhia reception. After disposing of his prisoners, colonel Jessup felt his way to the place where the hottest fire wai HISTORY OF THE M'AR. aifl lond with rein* kept up on the bri^fle to which he belonged, and drew up his regiment beh'iid ja fence} on the side (»t' the Queens* tiiwn rojul, but in the rear of a partj of British infantry^ drawn up on the opposite side of the same road : he 8ud« denly gave them a destructive fire, on which they broke |tnd lied. " The major,*' says general Brown, "'shewed himself to his own aruiy, in a blaze of fire." * He was orfered to form on the right of the second brigade. General Ripley's brigaile iiad thus far been, attended with brilliant success, when orjJers were given for it to lilvance to the support of general Scott, against whom a ire was now directed whicTi he could not long withstand*- General Ripley, with that rapid decision whicn chai*aeter« lies the real .commander, seeing that too much time would k lost before he could make his way through the skirt of woods, in the darkness of the night, decided at once upoa liis own responsibility, io adopt the only measure from vhich he saw a hope; and which being made known to the commander in chief, he instantly sanctioned. The enemy's artillery occupied a hill which was the key to tie whole position, and it would be in vain to hope for Tictory while they were permitted to retain it. Address* iog himself to colonel Miller, he inquired whether be could storm the batteries at the head of th>3 twenty^first^. while he wouhi himself support him with the younger, ra- pment, the twenty -third. To this the wary,, but intre^ pid veteran replied, wrth an unaffected phrase, I wili. liRT SIR $ words, w jich were afterwards given as the- motto of his regiment " The twenty -third was formed in 86 column, under its commander, ;^ajor M'Farlandy atiiithe first regiment, under colonel Nicholas, was leftta bep the infantry in check. The two regiments moved onto one of iiie most periloi's charges ever attempted 5 the whole of the artillery opened upon them as they ad- Taiiced, supported by a powerful line of infantry. The tff";nty-fir8t advanced sttadUy to its purpose ; the twen- ty-ilnird faultered on receiving the deadly fire of the ene-- Riy ; hut was soon rallied by the personal exertions of i^ne-- ral Hipley. Wlien within a hundred yards of the sum* nit, they received another dreadful discharge, by whiieli i^ History of the war. fhtjor M*Far1and vtm killed t and the command de?olTL on major Brooks. To the amazement of the Bridsh, th^ intrepid Miller firmly advanced, until within a few pa cea of their line, when he impetuously charged upon th( artillery, which, after a short but desperate resistance^ vielded their whole battery, and the American line was! in a moment formed in the rear, upon the ground previous* ly occupied by the Britisli infantry. In carrying thej latter pieoes, the twenty-first suflfered severely ; lieute nant Ciiley, after an unexampled effort, fell wounded b the side of the piece which he took : few of the office " of this regiment were not either killed or wounded. B, the united efforts of the two regiments, the British in fantry was in a short time driven :down the eminence^ out of the reach of musquetry, while their own canno was turned upon them. This admirable effort complete ly changed the nature of the battle ; every movement wai now directed to tliis point, as upon the ability to maintai the heiglit, the result entirely depended. While con tending for the heights, the capture of general Riall kai been announced by loud huzzas, on the part of the Anie ncan troops helnw, which brought a shell among ma jor Hindman'a corps, exploded a caison, and unfoitO'l nately killed the brave captain Ritchie. Major Hind man was ord^ered to bring up his corps, to post himsel with his ow^. and the captured cannon, to the right o£ Bipley'ii brigaile, and between it and the twenty-fifth,] while the volunteers of general Porter were arranged od| the right The British commander, stung with rage and mortifica- tion at this most extraordinary and successful expluitol the Americans, now considered it absolutely essential U tlie ceditof the British army, unil to avoid insuppurta- |}ie disgrace, that he should uiake a desperate efii)it . Having been greatly reinforced, and placing his troops iai the best possible order for the exer.ution oi his purpose, b^ now advanced upon Kipley, with a heavy and extend* •d line, out-flankine him in both extremes. The Anl^| ricans fitood silently awaiting his approach, having 1e- HISTORY OF THB WAR. SM eeived orders from the seneral to reserve their fire, until H could be rendered elective and deadly. The whole (Uvision of the British no^r advanced with a brisk step, an- til within twenty paces of the summit, when it poured in fr rapid fire, and prepared to rush forward with the bayo* iet| the American line, bein^ directed by the fire of the enemy, returned it with deadly eflfect ; they were tiiirown into confusion, but being again rallied, furiously return- ed to the attack, and a most tremendous confliet eosneiL F»r twenty minutes the action continued with violence ^iodiiicribable. The British line was at last compelled to bield^ and to retire down the hill. Generah Porter's volun* ileers emulated the conduct of the regulars. The eillant IflMJor Wood, of the Pennsylvania corps, and colonel Dob,* ^bin, of the New-York, gave examples of unshaken intre- ^pidity. It was not supposed, however,.that this would be Jie last effort of tlie British seneral; the line waa instant- If restored and the wounqed transpoi :ed to tlie rear. General Scott^s brigade, during this period, had been held in reserve under colonel Leavenworth, colonel Bradj havine been compelled, by the severity of bis v/ound, to re* Mgn the command ; the general's brigade major, lieutenant Smith, and his aid, captain Worth, were both compelled to retire in consequence of their wounds ; this brigade was uo^ ordered to move to Lundy's Lane, with its right on the Niagara road. After the lapse of half an hour, general Drummond was again discovered advancing to the assault with jreno- vated vigour. The precaution at first adopted by general Ripley, was again observed^ the fire of thie Americans was dreadful, and the artillery of majoc llmdman, serv* fd with great skill, would have taken away all heart on the part of the British for this perilous enterprise, had Dot the example beeu set them by ttie Americans. The Britiv h general having rallied his troops, threw himself with his whole weight upon the American centre $ he walk firuily received by the gallant twenty-first, a few pla- tooDS only fauUerin^, but which were soon restored bj( general Ripley. Finding that no impression could tie nade^ the whole British line again recoiled, and fell JitMll fi84 HISTORY OF THE WAIT. to the bottom of the hill. During the last contcRt, two gallant charges ^-ere led by general Scott in person, upon the enemy's left and right flanks, with hrs consoli- dated battalion: but having to oppose double linos of in. fantry, his attempts, which would have been decisive bad they proved successful, were unavailing ; they |^ro- bably contributed, however, in shaking the British line. The general himself, being severely wounded in these charges, although he had hitherto remained unhurt rlur- ing tnis perilous combat, was compelled to quit the field, after uniting the battalion with the twenty -fifth, and plac- ing them under colonel Leavenworth. Disheartened by ihese repeated defeats, the British were on the point jf yielding the contest, when they received fresh reii fortements from Fort Niagara, which revived their spirts, and induced them to make another and still more desperate struggle. After taking an hour to refresh themselves, and recovering from their fatigue, they advanced with a new and more extended line, and with confident hopes of being able to overpower the Ame- ricans, worn down with fatigue. Our countrymen Imd stood to their arms during all this time, their canteens exhausted, and many almost fainting with thirst; and from the long interval, they had began to cherish hopes that the enemy bad yielded. In this they were disap- pointed I but on discovering the approach of the Britisn, their courageous spirit returned, and they resolved never Vd yield the glorious trophies of their victory, until they could contend no longer. The British delivered their fire at the same distance as on the last onset*, which wai returned by the Americans with the same deadly effect;, but they did not fall back with the same precipitation, a fresh line supplied the place of the front, and the whole steadily advanced. A conflict, dreadful beyond description, ensued; the twenty -first, under its brave lead* er, firmly withstood the shock. The right and Icftrepat* edl V fell back, but were again rallied by the general, by colonels Miller, Nicholas and Jessup. At length the two lines were on the very summit of the hill, which they con* teftteU with terrifick violence at the point of the bayonet. HISTORY OF THE WAR 284* Uch wts the obstinacy of the contest, that many batta- lioiiS) on botS sidftt, were forced back, and the contending Lrties became minp;led with each other. Nothing coulu aceed the desperation of the conflict %i the point where Ihe cannon was stationed. The enemy liaving forced himself into the very midst of major liindman's artillery* Itbis officer was compelled to spike two of his pieces, ana IfiS warmly engaged across the carriages and guns. Geoeral Ripley, now pressing upon the enemy^s flanks^ leompelled them to give way, and the centre soon follow*^ ' og the example, the whole British line fled a third timCi lid no exertions of their officers could restrain them> itil they placed themselves out of the reach of the mui« letry and artillery. The British being now completely faten, retired beyond the borders of the field, leaving t«ir dead and wounded. General Brown had received two severe wounds at ht commencement ef the last charge, and was compell- led to follow general Scott, leaving the ^i^ommand to rgiplev. This officer had made repeated efforts to ob- tiintne means of removing the captured artillery, but the horses having been killed, and no drag ropes to be Nrocured, it was delayed until after the last contest^ vhen orders were received from general Brown, to col- lect the wounded and return to camp. The British can- ion were therefore spiked, and the smaller pieces rolled UowD the hill by major Hindman, who returned in good order with his corps ; the whole reaching camp about mid- loight. It is much' to be regretted that these trophies of JTictory could not hav^ been secured, as the circum- litance gave occasion to the British, surprising as it may Kern, to claim tlie victory. To high praise they cer- linly were entitled, but to claim the merit of *^ a com- ilete defeat of the Americans," was outna^ns truth } Rod to be complimented for this, ought to infuse the lUush of shame into the cheek of an honourable soldier, rfhe British force engaged was little short of five thoa- nnd men, inctudins fifteen hundred militia and In- dians $ nearly a third greater than that of the Americans. The loss on either side was proportioned to the nature Uj.a«!4:*a«j»,, 266 HISTORY OF THE WAR. •f this dreailful and sanguinarj battle $ Ha a^ej^t^ amounted to one thousand seveh hundred and tweiity^ nine ; and the killed and wounded alone to one thousand three hundred and eiglity-four. Oh the side of the Bri- tish, one assistant adjutant-general, one captain, tiuci subalterns, and )Kcventj-nine non-commissioned officers and. privates, were killed ; lieutenant general DrummoiMl major general Riall, and three lieatenant-eolonels, twt majors, eight captains, twenty-two subalterns, and five hundred non-com (missioned omcers and privates, wen wounded: the prisoners and mis»ng, one aid-de-camt (captain Loring) five ca|>tains, nine subalterns, and twi hundred and twenty non-commissiuned officers and prtt, vates ; making in all eight hundred and seventy-eight ineirJ In the records of the most bloody wars we seldjuM meet with so [;reat a number of officers killed and wound] ed. The American loss was one major, five captains, fiva subalterns, and one hundred and fiUy-nine non-commigl sioned officers and privates, killed ; major general BrovnJ Brigadier generals Scott and Porter, two aids-de-cam]^ one brigade major, one colonel, four lieutenant-colonels, one major, seven captains, thirty-seven subalterns, woi five hundred and fitteeq non-commissioned officers andl privates, wounded; aiujl one brigade major, onecaptainJ six subalterns, and one hundred and two non-cotninisJ sioned officers and privates, missing; making a grendl total of eight hundred and fifty -one, and a ditterenceof| twen^-seven only, between the contending parties. On arriving at the camp, the commander in chief or<| dered general Hipiey to refresh the troops and proceed ^le ground in the morning, and to engage the enemy ifi circumstances permitted. On eiaiiiiniue his troops, ge<| serai fiipiey found that he had but fifteen iiundred menf i4>r duty ; and r«;cunnoitrin|^ the enemy, he found then drawn up in their first position, presenting a formidablel appearance; it therefore would have been madness, withl bis men in their present state, to have renewed the cora*! b&t; and he properly declined it His conduct was hastiljrl censured by general Brown, in his despatches ift the goJ vennnent; and* general Kipley, unfortuoatelfy bad foril '$ HISTORY OF THE WAR. 587 foDgiime to contend with the flibloqny of pubtick opinion } it was not until lateljthat the full extent of his merit Las known; it i« now generally ackr .vledged, that Uuch of the praise, of the most hrilliant victory that ever Lonrned our arms on the land) is due to the skill and va» Uarof this officer. General Ripley, finding himself unable to make a^stand inst the superiour force of the British, retf«ateJ to t Erie, and anticipating the approach of the enemy, im* Ifediately set about extending its defences. The enemy, otmtstanding their pretended victory, did not think loper to follow up the Americans, until they had been itinforced by general De Watteviile, with upwards of a bovsand men, their whole force about £ve thousand. Fhls formidable body, appeared on the third of August, ifore a fortification which, a few days previously, had ten considered untenable, and commenced with regular |^)proache8, hopeless of being able to prevail otherwise liin by a formal siege. The besieged, at the same time, tjiboured incessantly to complete their defences. The {position which the American army had taken, for the pur- pose of defending itself against so great a superiority, pos« lessed few natural advantages, and the work called Fort |£rie v/as little more than a small unfinished redoubt. I It was situated about one hundred yards from tbe lake ihore at its nearest anele, and on a plain of about fifteen I feet elevation. The fort could be considered as nothing j more than the strongest point of a fortified camp, for liiii'' of works was yet to be constrjicteil in front, and hntending to the ri^ht and left to the lake ; tire rear da Sthe shore being left open. The fort itself probably did kot occupy more than a sixtli of the space taken up JiD the line of defences : the remainder could not be |«therwise tlian hastily constructed, and indeed notwith- ritaiiding the slow and cautious approaches of the British, [much of it was left incomplete until the last moment. Abnut the same time a party crossed tlie Niagara, for (he purpose of attacking Buifaloe, and recapturing ge- neral KialL This party, und^r colonel Tucker^ was re« S8§ histohy of thb war. pulsed by mi^or Moi^an, with a detachment of two bim., dred and forty men, although reioforced by a regiment J In this affair captain Hamilton, and lieutenants Wadgil worth and Mcintosh, were killed. I . The defences of Fort Erie were sufficiently completed J by the seventh, to keep at bay an enemy, who had by thi J time learned to respect our arms, and trom this day, un-j til the fourteenth, there was an almost incessant cannon^ ade with the enemy's batteries, who were gradually gaM.I ing ground. In the frequent skirmishes which took place] between the outposts and reconnoitring parties, the Ame^l rieans were {2;enerally victorious .; in on^ of them, how* ever, they lost inajor Morgan, a brave officer, who waa sincerely lamented. Geneial Gaines had arrived shortly after the commencement of tfie siege, and being the se*| nior officer, assumed the compiand. On the night of the! fourteenth, general Ripley, perceiving a bustle in tkj British camp, conceived that an assault was about tu be] made ; he despatched a messenger with this intelligencej to general Gaines, who was already apprised of it ; dis*] positions were rapidly made, and the troops manifested] great enthusiasm to engage the assailants. | General Orummond had made arrangements to assail every part of the American fortifications at tlie same in- stant; and general Gaines, not knowing where the ene- my would make his attack, was prepared to meet him at every point. The fort and bastions were placed under the command of captain Williams, of the artillery: the battery on the lake was assigned to captain Douglass; a blockhouse, near the salient bastion, was occupied by major Trimble ; the batteries in front, under captains] Biddleand 1 anning, supported by general Porter; and I the whole of the artillery throughout the garrison, underl major Hindnian. The first bri^^atle, consis^ting of parts of] the 11th, 9th, 22nd' infantry, lately commanded byge*| neral Scott, nOw under colonel Aspin>vall, was posted «n the right ; and general Ripley's brigade, supported Towson's battery £nd the lino, upon the left. A few hours before tlie commencement of the assault, one ot\ the enemy's shells exploded a magazine witliin the Ame- ■^ mSTOUY OF THE WAR.^ 289 I rican works, which was succeeded by a loud shout from the besiegers, under the belief that the magazine of the Urt had blown up. The shout was returned bj the Ame- ricans, and captain Williams, amid the smoke of the ex« flosion, renewed the contest by an animated roar of his Kftvy guns. Athalf after two in the morning, the approach of the tnemy's right column, which was one thousand three hun- itd strong, was distinctly heard on the left of the gar* lison. In this quarter nothing but a line of loose brush, representing an abattis, intervened. The second brigade lajor Wood commanding the 21st) and Towson's ar- llery, were ready to receiv^ them. -The British, under itonel Fischer, were permitted to approach within a short iitance, when a tremendous fire was opened upon them, iuid their column fell back in confusion. The colonel} lying his men, advanced furiously to the attack ; but } again compelled to retire, with still greater loss. The session of this battery being essential to the general |lan of assault, he next essayed to pass the abattis bj iwadiog in4he lake ; but in this unsuccessful attempt, |tearly two hundred of his men were either killed or irowned, and the remainder fled to tiie encampment. The other of the enemy's columns having waited until tke first was completely engaged, (presuming that their own operations would by that means be facilitated) colo- Iroel Scott now approached on the right along the lake, while colonel Drummond, who had taken advantage of a nvine which lay between the hostile camps, at the same tnent rose up, and advanced to the assault in front. ilonel Scott was checked by the Douglass battery, and ptains Broughton and Harding's New-York and Penn- Ivania volunteers, the ninth infantry under captain nter, and a six>pounder under the direction of colonel ^Ree. Their fire was so well directed, that the U)* aching column paused at the distance of fifty yarcTS) id then recoiled. The column of colonel Drummond^ wever, composed of eight hundred select troops, firm* ly advanced to the point of the fort which was strength- ^ by a temporary parapet breast-work, with two Sat« 25 ■'a.j6i;iite.,j. . 290 HISTORY OF THE WAR. tones and six field pieces. Suddenly applying Ins seal ing ladders, he mounted the parapet, his officers callinl out to the line at the Douglass battery to cease firin-^l this artifice, for a few moments succeeded ; the Ameri! cans supposing the order to cume from their own officers] suftered colonel Scott, who had rallied his men, to anj proach their line, by which the trick was discovered • ij Jiowever availed nothing, for this column was assailed .with 80 much eft'ect, as to be compelled again to retreat, with the Ipss of its commander and a third of its numbers] The front column was, in the mean whil^, with great dif ficulty thrown back, and the troops Within the fort rer reinforced from general Ripley's brigade, and genera Porter's volunteers. Repeated assaults were madebl colonel Drummond, and repulsed by colonel Hindman artillery, and the infantry under major Trimble. Aftei the defeat of colonel Scott's column, liuetenant Douglasi was engaged in giving such directions to his guns, as ti cut off the communication between colonel l)rummon and the rescive intended for his support, under colon Tucker. Colonel Drummond, although three times repulse was unwilling to renounce his undertakicg. Avaiiini himself of the darkness of the hour, which was increasi eil by the smoke^e stole silently along the ditch, arn Siddenly applying his ladders once more, rapidly gaine the parapet, crying out to his men to rush forwani, an in the elegant phrase, in which tiie Urilish are in theh bit of expressing tjieir esteem for i\»,^ive the d — d Vai keys no quarters! This order was liiithfully executed and the most furious striie now ensued that had bee witnessed since the couimencement of the assault. Al the efforts of uiajor Hindman, and the corps suppuiti him, could not dislodge tlie enemy from the bastioi though he could approach no further. Captain Williatii was mortally wounded ; lieutenants VVatmouth and M>l)i vough, severely; the latter, no longer able to fight, caile -for quarter?. This was positively refused bv colon Drummond, who repeated his instructions to his tro()[ to deny it in every instance. The declining and alinoj HISTORY OF THE WAR. 291 exhausted strength and spirits of the lieutenant, beina; re- Stored and roused by the shocking barbarity (»f tins order., he»ei''«^pd a handspike, and with the desperati<»n of mail- Less, defended himself against the assailants, until he waai liiot by the colonel himself. This nian survived an act, Itliat was little better than assassination, only a few mi- nutes ; he received a ball in his breast, which terminat- ed his inglorious life. Brutal courage deserves only our jabliorrence; it is only when tempered v/ith mercy, that Iwlour is estimable among men. The eneniy still main- lined their position, notwithstanding the deatl» of their leader, and repulsed every attempt to dislodge them u»« |1 day-liglit; they had, in the mean time, suffered exces- kively ; and the contest along the whole line of defences, Iwith this exception, having ceased, considerable reinforce- Iwents were ordered up. The enemy began at last to i-e- [coil, and many were tnrown over the bastion. The Bri- |tirii reserve was now expected to come up to their sup- Iportj the result, however, by this time, scarcely admit- ted a doubt. The cannon of the Douglass battery in fi- laded their approach, and tiie artillery of lieutenant Fan- [ning already played upon them with great effect. A part of the reserve was about to advance, when an explusiuti took place under the platform, which carried away the bastion and all who were on it. The reserve fell back, ind the contest, in a short time, terminated in the en- tire defeat of, the enemy. The British left on the field two hundred nnd twenty- two killed, among them fourteen officers of distinction ; one hundred and seventy-four wounded, and one hun- iiired and eighty-six prisoners, making a total of five him- [dred and eighty-two. I'he official statement of gener.J Drummond makes it in all nine hundred nnd five. Tti^ [American loss amounted to seventeen killed, fifty-i x wounded; and one lieutenant (Fontain), thrown out while defending the bastion, and ten privates, prisoners; [in all, eighty four men. It was not until all hopes of car- rying the fort were at an end, that they deigned to take (prisoners of a few wounded men, who fell into their power. s»st HISTORY OF THE WAR. The explosion furnished the British with an exf.use k iaeir defeat ; and they represented its consequences much more serious than thev really werei in order m, bear them out; but it is well known, that the assault had already failed in every part, and the small body of men inl possession of the outer oastioD, could not expect to sub-l due the whole garrison. Nor was the nuinb turn of spring, the British renewed their practice of pettj plundering and savage devastation on the waters of the Chesapeake, but carrying it to an extent still greater than tne year before. ' The flotilla already spoken of, for the defence of the inlets and smaller rivers, consisting: of a cutter, two gun-boats, and nine barges, was placed under the command of that gallant veteran, conimudorc Barney, and who, on several occasions, severely repressed the inroads of the enemy. On the first of June, ne gave chase to two of the enemy's schooners, but on the ap- {learance of a large ship, \yhich despatched a number of HISTORY OF THB WAR. 3«l on over a sur- ■:it: I larges to eut him oif) the commodore ordered his flotilla ijr signal to sail up the Pktuxent. Here he encased the Miemy's schooners and harges, and succeeded in oeating tfiem oflT, inflicting considerable injury oh them. The enemy having been reinforced, made another attempt upon the flotilla with all their barges, but were again compelled to retire, being pursueiT to tlieir ships. On the teRth) the enemy made a still more formidable attack upon Ithe flotilla, with two schooners and twenty barges. Af- Iter a smart action, the barges were driven to take shelter lin the St. Leonards from an eighteen gun vessel, which tiras then so roudily handled, at long shot, that her crew [ran her agrouna and abandoned her. These attempts jwere frequently repeated until the twenth-sixth, when pe commodore, having received a reinforcement of ar- [tillerists and''mannes, moved against the enemy's squa- tdron, of wliich two of the vessels were frigates, and after |in action of two hours, drove them from tlieir anchorage. JThe commodore finding the blockade of the St. Leo- liards raised, sailed out and ascended the Patuxent. I After this, the enemv was constantly engaged in mak- ing inroads on the defenceless and unprotected settle- liDents and villages along the bay, and its various inlets. Benedict and Marlborough, on the Potomack, were plun- dered of considerable quantities of tobacco, merchan- dize, and stock. Jth the detail of their operations given Ibj themselves, it appears to have been the uniform prac- tice to destroy the shipping, carry away the tobacco, and other staples, and induce the negroes to join them, who were afterwards, it is said, retained in slavery, in the West Indies. A great number of individuals, in easy' ind ev3n aflluent circumstances, were reduced to poverty. Several gallant attempts were made by general Taylori ind general Hungerford, to repress their incursions in Virginia, but the militia, hastily assembled, was generally ibund inefficient. At K-insale, general Taylor was wound* ltd aod unhorsed, narrowly escaping capture. At this place, at Tocomoco, at St. Marys, and various others, lidmiral Cockburn obtained a respectable booty ef tobscS^ p> negroes, atid houiehtfld furtiiturei ^ «6 ■>9 •*; d02 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Towards the latter end of June, apprehensions be«»an to be entertained, that the enemy haa in view some more serious object of attack, either Baltimore, or Washington. Much alarm had been felt in these places the year before' but after it had subsided, an opinion was indulged, pro' bably well founded , that a land force, greatly more con< siderable than was then at the command of the British, inrould be required to make any serious impression upon either of these places, or even upon Annapolis and Nor- folk ; this was particularly proved in the attack upon the latter. It was justly thought, that the enemy had re* ceived a lesson which would render him cautious in at- tacking the more considerable towns. But the sudden i and unforeseen events of Europe, had entirely changed the face of things ; Britain was now able to supply what she was not possessed of the year beforei a powerful land force. Towards the latter end of June, our government j receiver certain intelligence from Messrs. Gallatin and Bayard, that our enemy was determined not to let slip the opportunity of gratifying revenge, and was about to send powerful re-inforcements to America. From the English prints it appeared that Eno-land was extravagant- ly elatea by her saccess, and took to herself the whole merit of the great events on the continent, and in reality believed herself ^e mistress of the world. She was inrelf acquainted with our situation; she knew that the, regular troops on the Canada frontier could not at this moment be withdrawn, leaving powerful armies to penc-] trate the northern states; and she knew, that it was nu- possible in the short space of time, which had elapsed since the occurrence of the singular change in the state! of Europe, which no statesman nad foreseen, to embody a considerable and efficient force. The American cities i were all exposed to attack by land, >»U!iuugh tolerably for- tified against any approach by v.ater. A few thousand] regulars were scattered along a coast of fifteen hundred mUes, and the only force to be opposed to their veteran soldiers, was inexperienced militia drawn together on t;he spur of the occasion. There is no doubt that the niili-l tCk coflstitiiteB lbs bsst fvatwtais fer armise, because i^idi* ■'»i4. tnSTOUY OF THE WAR. »<», flduatly they are actuated by higher motives than the en- listed soldier can always be ; but in order to be efficient^ (0 use the words of the great frienil of this species of forcCy (Fletcher of Salten,) "they must be on a right foot;** tliey must be encamped, disciplined, harmonised, accus- (o:ned to see danger, and the different corps taught to rely on each other, to obey and confide in their omcerQi h'tiis is not the woric of a day. In the open field, where jnilitary evolutions are necessary, the novelties of the Lcne, as well as the want of reliance on each other, ren- jilers it im^ssible for this description of force to encoun- Itcr, witlj eft'ect, an army of veterans, used to dangers, and [regularly compacted by discipline, so a6 to act, as it were^ jky one mind. I The attention of the President, being thus seriously liwakened by the approaching danger, to be apprehended lif the news of the reinforcements, intended for the fleet ken in the Chesapeake, should be true, called a council loftlie heads of departments, and suggested the propriety [of collecting all tne regulars within reach, of forming a Itamp of at least three ttiousand nien, at some point oe* Itween the Eastern Branch and the Patuxent* and of em- lliodying at least ten thousand militia at Washington. JThese ideas appeared to meet the approbation of all ; and ' ire is little doubt, that had they been, or could they te been carried into execution, both the cities of Bal- llimore and Washington would safely have bid defiance to the British arms. Steps were immediately taken in liiirtherance of these views ; a reauisition was made of ! whole quota of the state of Maryland, of six thou* Isand ; five thousand of that of Pennsylvania ; two thott- liand of Virginia; besides the whole quota of the district lof Columbia, amounting to two thousand more ; making lintlie whole fifteen thousand, which it was thought would Iscarcely fail of bringing at least ten thousand into the Ifieid. It was ascertained, that about a thousand regulars Icould be depended on, besides a squadron of horse then liii Pennsylvania, and some regulars who were ordered Ifrom North Carolina, and in addition, the men of Bi(r- JAey's Flotilla, in case it should be found necessary itf I • i «^;>^::c»i»jiu^ ^ HISTORY OP THE WAft. alhandon it. Here mvm a formidable armj on paper ; buLJ ivith the exception of the regulars, these soldiers were I yet quietly at their homes, the greater part at a consider- able distance, and the work of drawing them out, emb^. dying* arming, and di8Ciplinin|;, yet to be performed > each of these operations requiring time, and causing urlA avoidable delay. A new milftary district, composed of Maryland, th^ district of Columbia, and part of Virainia, was formeaJ and on the fifth of July the command was given to g^A neral Winder, who had been a short time4;efore ex.j changed. The duties assigned to this officer were amongsu the most important entrusted to any one during the war;! and were, in their nature, exceedingly arduous and diffi. Q;Ult. The army, with which he was to defend the impor* t&nt cities of Baltimore and Washington, existed only oal |>aper ; and whether they could be brought into tlie fieidJ or not, depended upon casualties beyond his control. | A difficult task was imposed upon the general, in requiring; him to create an army, and make every arrangement fur] successful defence, in little better than a month. In ius*j tice to himself, it is to be regretted, that, under tnes&l circumstance!, he had not dec uieii the command ; for the! duty of a general certainly required no more, than the taking command of troops actually assigned to him ; not on paper, but in the field. The desire of distinction, and tlie sincere wish to serve his country, overcame eveiyJ personal consideration, and he diligently employed him<>j self, from the moment of his appointment, in visiting everjr part of the country, and in acquiring a minute topographi- cal acquaintance with all those places where the enemy would be most likely to make an attack. To. visit everyJ part of iiis district, and examine its different fortifications,] was a work of considerable labour, and required time. Atl the same moment he was assiduously eniployed in collec- ting a force : in this, unexpected difficulties occurred : the governour of Maryland, after issuing the drafts for three thousand men, found that scarcely as many l.undrcdl could be collected. With the ^overnour of Pennsylvania, niatters were still worse. He intormed the secretary at War, HISTORY OF THE WAR. m thatm consequence of the .deranged state of the militia law, the executive had at that moment no power to en- fiffce a draft ; but that he would appeal to the patriotism Lfthe people, in hopes that the legal objection would not be made. Bj a letter of the seventeenth of July, eight or jten days after the general had assumed the command, ||ie was authorised to call upon the governour of Penn- jsylvania for the proportion of that state ; but this letter l/id not reach him until it was too late. The effect, how- leyer, of the call,, is merely conjectural, as it could be Iftfunded upon no authority ,~ but merely depended on the iiclination of individuals. Thus seven tljousand men were at once thrown out of |||ie question, and of the remaining eight thousand mett 'this army on paper, two thirds at least must be deduct- Itd in allowing for other fiii lures. Towards the beginning ^f August, the general had about a thousaad regulars, Igpon which he could depend witli certainty, and about jfour thousand militia, the greater part yet at their homes; lind in addition to this, the perplexity of not knowing Iihere the enemy intended to strike, Baltimore or Wash- liiigton ; for admitting that this force had bean sufficient Itttdefend one place, it was not sufficient to 'defend both lit the same time. On the failure of the draft in the state lof Maryland, the force then embodied at Annapolis wad^ Iliy the consent of the governour, taken as part of the state hquisition; and a brigade of Maryland militia, undetr ; l^neral Stansbury, was also placed at the disposal of ge* il Winder; but the inhabitants of Baltimore, near llhich they were collected, could not think of permitting Ithem to leave the city, without reluctance, considering Itheir own exposed situation. This is a candid statement lof the causes which resulted in the subsequent disastet ^ Ifor under the circumstances, it scarcely could have hap* Ipened otherwise, without one of those extraordinary turn^ lof fortune, of which we can form no calculation* It iB ■wrong in us to throw the blame exclusively on all, or any Ipart of the agents on the occasion. The blame must bo lihared by the nation, and partly by out political institu* |tiiQs; nor do I tliink the worse ot* theta for their want i i SQG HISTORY OF THE WAR. of energy in assuming promptly a military attitude : \ve should have to resign too many blessings to possess the capacity ; unless our militia can be regularly classed and disciplined. The expected reinforcements arrived in the Chesapeake about the beginning of August, under admiral Cochrane, who was soon joined by the fleet in great force, under ad- miral Maicom. The expedition was destined against Baltimore or Washington, but until the last moment, it was uncertain against which in particular. To increase this perplexity, the enemy divided his force into three parts, sending one up the Potomac, under captain Gor- don, for the purpose of bombarding Fort Warburton, and opening tlie way to the City of Washington ; the other under Sir Peter Parker, as if to threaten Baltimore: while the main body ascended the Patuxent, apparently with the intention of attacking commodore Barney's flo- tilla, which had taken refuge at the head of that river, hut with the real intention, as it was soon discovered, of at* tacking Washington. They proceeded to Benedict, which tbev reaced on the 19th ol August, and by the next day, had completed the debarkation of their land forces, under general Ross,%o tlie number of six thousand ; on the 2Ist they moved towards Nottingham, and on tl. . "'>\ving day reached Marlborough. The British flotilla, coi ist* injg of launches and barges, ascending the river under COckburn, keeping on the right flank m the army. The day following, on approaching the flotilla of commodore barney, it was set lire to by sailors left for the purpose, the commodore having already joined general Winder with his men. General Winder was at this time, while the enemy vias within twenty miles of the Capital, at the head of no more than three thousand men, fifteen hundred of whom were militia just drawn into camp. The Baltimore militia had not yet arrived, and those from Annapolis, and the Virgi- nia detachment, were on their way. The general's camp was at the Woodyard ; he was still in xlouht whether the British intended an. attack upon Fort Warburton, which could offer but little' resistance to the land forces, biit HISTORY OP THE WAR. SOT could be formidable to the ships of the enemy, or intend- ed to march directly to Washington. The first was cer- tainly the safest mode of attack on the part of the enemy, and that he did not make it, can only be accounted for, from his perfect knowledge of the capacity of <^e City at this moment for defence. The City could make no defence^ but that of repelling the assailaujA in the open field ; the only hope was in taking advantageous positions in the broken ground, bordered with woods, along the road through which they had to pass : but as their numbers were such as to enable tliem to push out flanking parties, this would not avail in the end. The onlv mode of re- sisting them effectually, would have been 6y interposing sufficient numbers, to compel them to repeated engage- ments, and to harass their flanks, and threaten their rear». Oa the afternoon of the 22d, the British army a^ain set out, and after skirmishing with the Americans, halted for the night, five miles in advance of Marlborough. General Winder now retired by the Woodyard, where he had be- I fore encamped, to a place called the Old Fields, which co- I vered Biaacnsburgh, the bridges on the Eastern Branch, and Fort Warburton ; for it was uncertain which of these directions the enemy intended to pursue. Colonel Mon- I roe, the secretary of state, had been with him for several days, assisting with his counsel, and actively engaged in I reconnoitring the enemy ; on this eve-ning he was joined by the president and heads of departments, who remained luutil the next evening. The anxious and painful situation of the general, rendered him desirous of benefiting by the council of the first officers of the nation ; and their unea- siness in the urgency of the moment, induced them to hazard their opinions, perhaps too freely, in matters merely executive. In a critical moment, where prompt I decision is necessary, too many minds, suggesting their various expedients, do more harm than good. But this was an interference, considering the anxiety of the mo- ment, for which no one can be blamed. On tlie 23d, ma- I jor Peter was detached with some field pieces, and cap* I tains Davidson and Stull's companies, to skirmish with thOv Mem J near Marlborough) who advanced on himt and toek' 308 HISTORY OF THE WAR. a position near Old Fields, menacing iC'with an attack eitner that night or early in the morning. Apprehensive of a night attack, which might be fatal to him, general Winder retired to the City, intending to choose a po. »ition between it and Bladensburgh, where he could op' pose the enemy with his whole force. On the evening before, general Stansbury arrived with his brigade, at Bladensburgh, after a very fatiguing march, and immediately despatched his aiat't of them unaccustomed. On the receipt of tiie inteU igence of the retreat of general Winder, Stansbury, in consultation with bis officers, determined to move towards the City. Before day he crossed tlie brid»;e, and after securing his rear, halted for a few hours. Early in the morning he again moved forward, with a view of taking posseision of some ground for defence, when orders were received from general Winder, to give battle to the ene* my at Bladensburgh ; he therefore retraced his steps, and between ten and eleven o'clock the troops were halted in an orchard field, to the left of the road from Washington to that place. About this time colonel Monroe, at the request of general Winder and of the president, reached the brigade of general Stansbury, and •j&red his. assistance in forming the brigade, so as to 4ppate th» pa^ witlk the cDemjs hi» aid. waft thank- Ill STORY OV Ti« WAR'. 509 ftlly aeeepted ; the enemy was then within three miles^ in luU inarch. The best arrangements the time would permit, were made. About five hundred yards from the bridge, th^ artillery, consisting of six six-pounders, under the com- Biand of captaiits Myers and Magruder, was posted be- hind a kind of breastwork ; major Pinkney's riflemen were placed in ambush to the right and left, so as to an* loy the enemy in attempting to ford the stream, and at die same time to support the artillery. The fifth regi- Inent was drawn up about fifty yards in the rear; and f afterwards, perhaps injudiciously, removed much further ; the other parts of the brigade were so disposed, as ti> support the artillery, and annoy the enemy in his ap- 5 roach. Shortly after this order was formed, major lealt arrived with about five hundred men from Anna^ Silis, and was posted higher up in a wood on the right of e road. General Winder^ by this time, had brought up his main body, and formed it in a line to the right and left of the road, in the rear of Stansbury's brigade, and the detachment under Beall^ with the heavy artillery, under commodore Barney, posted on an eminence near the road. ^ This line hadf scarcely been formed, when the engagement commenced, anil the pi*esident and heads of departments, who had until now been present, with- drew ; the president conceiving it proper to leave the di- rection of the combat ^o the military men. About twelve o'clock the enemy's column made its appearance on the hill which overhangs the stream, and moved down towards the bridge, throwing rockets, and apparently determined to force the passage. He now made ^n attempt to throw a strong body of infantry across the stream, but a few well direcU ' shot from the artillery, cleared the bridge, and compelk the ene- my precipitately to shelter himself behind some houses near it, and apparently having suffered considerably. The fire was briskly kept up, and after a considerable nause, a lar^e column rapidly advanced in the face of the battery, whicii, although managed with great spirit by officers of ackuuwledged akiil. and courage, was unable S\B HISTORY OF THE WAll. to represg them ; they still continued to push forward theu' column, which was constantly reinforced, until they were able to form a considerable body on the Washing.. ton road. The enemy had not advanced far, when a company, under captain Dougherty, discharged their pie* oes and fled, in spite of the efforts uf their commanuer) and of major Pinkney, to rally them. The major's corps began its tire, also, too soon, hut with some execution. The British were every moment drawinz nearer the ar* tillery, which could no longer be brought to bear upon them ; and besides, there were no troops sufficiently near to afford a support ; it then became unavoidably neces- sary for it to rcdru, and was followed by major Pink* ney's riflemen. One piece of artillery was spiked and left behind. The whole fell back upon the fifth regiment, tlie nearest rallying point. A volunteer company of ar- tillery now opened a cross fire upon the ensmy, who were advancing through the orchard, but with iiot muck effect ; but, from the sneiter of the trees, they were ena* bled to open a galling fire upon the fifth regiment. Co- lonel Sterrett was ordered to advance, which he did promptPy, until again halted, in consequence of the other two regiments, of Stansbury's brigade, having been thrown into confusion by rockets, and having begun to give way. In a few minutes they took to flight, in des- pite of the exertions of general Winder, of general Stansbury, and other officers, to rally them. Sterrett's regiment, Burch's artillery, and major Pinknev's rifle- men, still maintained their ground with great nrmness, and evinced a disposition to make a gallant resistance } but the enemy having by this time cutnanked them, thej were ordered to retire ; th^swas unfortunately efiected in confusion and disorder, tlie unavoidable consequence with militia, in its retreat. Thus the first line was com- pletely routed. The Baltimore artillery had before this taken a position oigher up on the hill. On the risht, €•• lonels Be^le and Hood, commanding the Annapolis mili- tia, had thrown forward a small detachment under colonel Kramer, which, after maintaining its ground some time, with considerable injury to the enemy, retired upon the # HISTORt 0? THE WAR. Ml ■ain body. Soon after the retreat of this detacbinentj ihe enemy's column, marchine along the turnpike road^ tas suddenly exposed to the nre of commodore Barney, who opened an eighteen-pounder upon them, and instant"* \j cleared the road ; in several attempts to rally, they were again repulsed with ereat loss. In consequence of this, they attempted to nank the American line to the right, by passing through an open field ; but this was frus- trated by captain Miller, with three twelves, and his ma- •ines. The enemj continued flanking to the ri^ht,and pres- led upon the mihtia of Annapolis, who fled, after giving an ineffectual fire. The command of commodore Barney was left to maintain the contest alone; but the enemy DO longer appeared in front ; he continued to outflank^ pusliing forward a few scattering sharp-shooters, by which the commodure was wounded, Jand his horse killed under him, while several of his officers and men fell near him. His corps was by this time outflanked on both sides, and in the confusion, the ammunition wasgons had been dri» ren off. His men were therefore ordered to retreat, the commodore himself was taken prisoner, and his pieces fell into the hands of the enemy. The Geoi^etown and City militia, and the regulars, itill remained firm, having been stationed in the rear of the second line< in positions the most convenient for an- noying the enemy, and supporting the other corpf. These being in danger every moment of being oyt-flank- ed, orders were sent to general Smith, to retreat towards the city. After proceeding a few hundred paces, they were joined by a regiment of Virginia militia, which had irrivcd in the city the evening before, but had not been ready till now to take the field. General Winder still entertained hopes of being able to rally his troops, and of fij^hling the enemy between tiiis place and Washington; ehail ordered the Baltimore artillery ^to move'on towards he city, and expected to find that the cavalry and Stansbury's command, had fallen down the road to that place : he thi)Uj;ht that they might yet be rallied on tlie re- gulars, and City and Georgetown troops, so as to make Uipiber struggle to save the capital. With this view l|e I •^' 8U HISTORY OF Tire WAU. rode forward for the purpose of selecting a position, hut he toon found that instead of moving towards Washinj^ton ihej had scattered in every direction, and as it afterll wards appeared, the greater part had fled towards Mont- 1 ffomery court-house. No words can pourtraj the grief of tne City and Georgetown militia, at being thus compelled to retire, without having had the slightest opportunity of defending their fire-sides and their homes. On arriving | at the City, the general was met by the secretary at war, j and the secretary of state, and after a consultation, it was agreed, that, witn the small remains uf the army, it was in Tain to think of making a stand ; the few scattered villages, which compose the City, occupying an extensive open plain, there was no position to be taken, at which the enemy night be opposed, and the capital was a detached building, which could be easily set on fire ; and even if troops were stationed in it, they could not prevent the enemy from | proceeding to any part pf the city they might choose toi assail. It was therefore proposed to rally the troops oq{ the heights of Georgetown. But the seneral soon found, that but few of the militia could be collected, the greater I part had strayed oft' in search of food or refreshmeiit, after having suffered much during tiie day ; and otiiers were almost exhausted, after the privations and fatigues which ^ey had experienced. The next day he proceeded, with such as he could collect, to Montgomery. Thus did we experience the mortification of having our oapital entered by a hostile army. The wound to our national pride was great $ for it was more a matter ofj feeling than of actual inju ^ It was at most but a des- j perate bravado on the part .'f the enemy, who was com- pelled to retire as rapidly a» lie had approached, and mhich had noeflect upon the contest, other than to exaspe- rate the people of tnis country, and of disposing both parties to join in carrying on tlie war. To use the com-i mon language, it was the name of the thing which pro- duced mortification ; for there was nothing wonderful is a large body of veteran troops stealing a march upon a new and unfortified town, and defeating an equal num- Ven of raw militia. The greater part of oar force tit- HISTORY OF THE WAR. 313 lifred on the spot so short a time before the battle, as not Lhave been permitted to take some repoise from their Mtigue ; the different corps and their olHcers were uVi- Iknown to each other, ana to the commander ; the ar- Ifingements for meeting a powerful regular force had to emade at the rery momet of battle. That we should ire been defeated under such circumstinces, is not to be onilered at, and furnishes no inference unfavourable t*^ It is the duty of the historian, lo rescue worth from lie unmerited condemnation of the hour, or the abusive Ijrulence of party spirit The ablest generals have at tnes been placed in situations, where courage, and ge<- kins, were alike unavailing. If general Winder erred, jiserroursmustbe shared by some of the greatest men of ur country. Few possess more acknowledged merit) ' Qd ability ; and he is entitled to the applause of his fel- citizens for bis conduct, at a moment ivhenht re- ar , , . . , Hi 314 HISTORY OF THE WAR. quired assistance : he abandoned a profesdion in iitlvieK \n was eminently distinguished, and sacrificed a lucrative practice, andt almost tu the ruinof hisfurtune, embarked ii tiie cause of his country. This was at a period too, whei. hy sucli course he incurred the displeasure of many of lug political friends, some of whom denounced every one of their party, that contributed either money or personal services in support of the war. When we recollect thJ extraordinary violence of party feeling at that moment! we o:*ght to be cautious in condemning a man, whocoul(| forget" every other consideration, and zealously devot< himself to the support of governnient. The distinctioi Mas made by those opposed to the war, and who non (and in many respects justly) claim a share in its hoi nours, between the war of the nation and a warof apartyj as if the reverses of our arms would not affect the wholfl nation in its interests at home, and its character abroad] What would Me say of the crew, who should refuse td aid in working the vessel, and rather suffer it to be dashed on the rocks, because tiie captain, whom thsy dis] liked, had imprudently put to sea in the midst of storm ? The- loss of the British, in this expedition, was little short of a thousand men in killed, wounded and missing^ that of the Americans, ten or twelve killed, and thirt) or forty wounded. General Uoss, af^er halting his arm) for a short time for refreshments, pushed on to Wash] ington, wherehe arrived that evening about eight o'clockj ttudT having stationed his main body about a mile and an half from the capital, he entered the deserted city, alj the head of about seven hundred men. We have now to record the climax of that Vandal barbarity, exhibited by Great lirituin during this war. The American metro^ polls, or more properly its scite, was entered by then without opposition $ they found about nine hundred honj ses, scattered in groups over a surface of three miles, ana two splendid buildings, probably the finest specimens of architecture in the new world ; the capital, though still unfinished, presented a noble structure; and the presij deaths hduse^ in point of taste, rivalling &ny building in HISTORY OF THE WAR. 315 [Europe, and both constructed of a beautiful winCe free- jtone. ^By the admirer of the art8 of every country, Niese splendid edifices could not be contemplated wiihojt lalei^Cire, nor their destruction without the most iudig^ |Wi feelings. The reader may easily conjecture thai it^ infamous Cockburn was here; conjointly with gene- IrtlRoss, who now withered every laurel he had gained III honourable war, orders were issued for the confia<^ra- Ition of these noble edifices, with the valuable libraries of |tiie capital, and all the fiirniture and articles of taste or alue, which they contained. The great bridge across. he Potomack, was also wantonly burnt, together witlr elegant hotel, and several other private dwellin;>f:^ bis base and savage destruction, is detailed in the olK^ pal letter of the British general, as a matter of perfect ndilierence. The blaze produced by the conilagration^ las seen even in Baltimore, aflurding terrible warning to Itfie inhabitants. All that was combustible about tlie ca- ||ital and the president's house, was reduced to ashes, and he walls of these stately buildings, blackened and broken liii melancholy ruin, remained for a time, the monumentB lifBritish barbarity. The American, who saw them long Itfler, could scarcely refrain from swearing in his heart Itternal hatred to Britain. << I have seen the >v^lls of |laiclutha, but they were desolate ; the tire had resound- 1 in their halls." These are the words of one of Os- jain's heroes, on beholding the ruins of his father's halls. On the consultation of the president with the heads of epartments, it was resolved to destroy the publick stores (the navy yard, to prevent them from falling into the Inemy's hands; on the retreat, tlie pubiick buildings, ores, afid vessels, were set on fire, and cunsequentiy ^stroyed, with the exception of the schooner Lynx,. ihich escaped in an extraordinary manner. What rl- lined, was destroyed by the enemy, who took particu- pains to mutilate the beautiful monument erected iff Buour of the naval heroes who fell at Tripoli. The ittfldering ot private houses was not carried on to tho itent that might have been expected, probably from the iirtnes9 of tlie time which they remained ; they retreat*' »■-»*»«*».,, 316 HISTORY OF THE WAR ed precipitately the next evening. It was now conjee tured, that they meant to proceed immediately to Balti more ; the inhabitants of tiiat place were in the greates ^consternation, which the arrival of the city militia, froi] the field of battle, was not likely to allay. A momenl of silent, gloomy despondency prevailed, which cauoc be described. In the midst of^ this disheartening panicJi the citizens, notwithstanding, rejected all thoughts c capitulation, and under generals Smith and Strieker, the] prepared themselves to oppose the enemy, and in all pro ^ability, they would have made that desperate resistance vhich renders eveii inexperienced troops superiour veterans, when fightinjj for j;ijeir families and their home. General ^^ inder, witK all the force he could collect, pro ceeded rapidly to lialtimore; by this time, however, ' appeared that the British had letired to their slitpping. The squadron uniler captain Gordon, consisting i eight sail, passed Fort Warliurton two days after the rel treat of the British. The fort had been abandoned an( blown up by captain Dyson, in a most ejitraordinarj manner ; probably under the induence of the dreadfu panick which generally prevailed. His orders had beeij to abandon it only,, in case of an at'ack by the 1 forces, but on a mere rumour, and without waiting th^ enemy's approach, he tliought proper to take diis mea sure. On the twenty-nintli, the squadron reached Alei andria ; and the inhabitants of that place, being cuml pletely in the power of the captain, were compelled t^ ofter terms for the preservation of the town from confla gration And pillage. Tiie insatiable avarice of the ene my imposed the hardest conditions : all the merchaadis of every description, whether in town, or removed sIdc ^he nineteenth, was required to l>e put on board the ship pin*;, then at the wl^irf, at the expense of the inhabitants and the whole delivered to the enemy ; tbat even sue' vessels as had been sunk, should be delivered up. Thes terms, somewhat modified, were complied with ; and captain descended with a fleet of prize vessels, and rich booty. In the meantime, preparations had beed made in hastC) by the uaval heroes, captaifit Porter m HISTORY OF THE WAR. Sir I Perry, to throw diflSculties in the way of his desccnf. llie first, at the battery of the White Iloiise, was assist- ed by general Hungeriord's brigade of Virginia militia^ ind captain Humphrey's rifle company ; and at the bat- tery at Indian Heatl, captain Perry was supported by Itlie brigade of general Stewart, and the volunteer com- Unies of major Peter and captain Burch. From the bird, until the sixlh of September, the British vessels Itere greatly annoyed in passing thdse batteries. Fi'c- (jufriit attempts were also ipade oy commodore Rodgerw, |ly approachin;^ the fleet with fire-vessels ; but owing to a marine of wind, tiiey proved ineft'ectual. Tliese respect- lire forces were afterwards concentrated under commo- jre Rodgers, at Alexandria; he determined to defend" he place, should the enemy, who was not yet out of sight [df the battery, think proper to return. Sir Peter Parker, who ascended the Chesapeake, wa^ jiot so fortunate as the other officers. lie landed at nigjht liothe neiglibourhood of Moor's Fields, with the view of Inrprising a party of militia, encamped under the com- Ihaiidof colonel Keid-. In this he was disappointed, for Ithemilttia having iieard the approach of the barges, were wepared to receive him. Sir Peter Parker having land* M, moved forwatd at the head uf aboiit two hundred and llfty men ; but on approaching within seventy yards of the lAmericans, ther received a heavy fire 5 he endeavoured lit press forward on the centre of the line ; in this he was Ibiled, and threw himself on the flank, M'here he was alsO litpulsed. Colonel Reid being informed that the cartridg- |« were nearly expended, ordered his men to retire a Imail distance until they could be supplied. In the mean Ibe, the British having suftered- a severe loss, thought pper to retire ; carrying with them tlie wounded, among ihom was sir Peter Parker, who died soon after, 'ffie capture- of Washington^ we have seen, excited Uie most painful sensations- throughout the United States, and tie indignant feelings of the people were at first levelled Igainst the whole administration, but soon settled in lay* Ag the blame of the affair on the secretary at war and ^neral Winder. We are willing to thr^w Uie blame any 27* .! I M8 HISTORY OF THE WAR. where, sooner than acknowledge ourselves in the faalt. It was not the fault of the secretary at war that the miliJ tia could not be called out, nor was it the fault of general] Winder, that the greater part of his troops would not] stand their ground ; nor was the administration to blame] in not foreseeing the events in Europe, which no man in the world ever conceived. The president was shamefuUyJ abused in the newspapers of the day, for not sufieringj himself to be shot by the enemy, or at least, taken pri- soner. He did all, and more than his station, or years, required. What could he have done, after the city, waj abandoned by the American troops ? The question is| ridiculous. He returned immediately to the city after it] bad been evacuated by the enemy, and from its smokingl ruins issued a proclamation, whicn did honour to his heard and head, and which tended to raise the desponding rniiKU of his country. Against the secretary at war, tlie cry wasj every where so loud, that the president, from motives of] prudence, intimated to him the propriety of suspending! his functions fur a time; this his pride would not permit him to do, and he therefore resigned. Again, let as re* probate this hasty and arbitrary condemnation of men inl a land Oi* freedom ; such treatment of our publick func*] tionaries is a blot on our national character. 1 regard the attack on Wabhington, as a thing whidi could not have been foreseen. It appears from the ofiicial letter of gene- ral Ross, since published, that he had not conceived the! idea, until within sixteen jmles of it, and informed of itsl defenceless state ; that .ilie destruction of commudorel Barney's flotilla had been his real and sole object. It was on his part, notwithstanding, a piece of unparalidedl rashness, without a commensurate advantage to be gained.] From the improbability of the attempt, it is said, that the| secretary at war could not be persuaded, until the last moment, that it was seriously intended. General Win* dcr demanded an examination of his conduct, and a| court, of which general Scott was president, hunouvabijl acquitted him. 1 Tha character of Great Britain will not soon recover! ffjUm the inlawy attached to it, in eooaeqi^iepcQ olf m HISTORY OF THE WAR. 919 fiolatioBB of the laws of civilized warfare, committed ou our coast. The confirmation of Washinxt struction ? But we were told, that there were, besides,^ the burning of a few sheds and huts at Long Point and St. David's ; these were followed up by instant retalia- tion, and those who committed them, although capable of pleading the uniform practice of the enemy in excuse, were dismissed the service.f Were the conflagrations in ^e Chesapeake, during the summer, in retaliation for these acts ? or >vere they in prospective retaliation for tlie burning fot Newark, whien he ppened at the close of the same year ? What was the avowed object of the Bri- tish governour in burning four or five villages, putting a garrison to the sword, and laying waste the Niagara fron- tier ? It was to retaiiute the burning of Newark, an act th& American government had promptly disavowed. And why did the governour of Canada, after this, declare to the world, that he was doubly satisfied, first with the disa- vowal of our government, and next with this ample mea- sure of retaHation ? How then could the conflagration of ttie noble buildinj^s at Washington be in retaliation for the burning a brick-house, hired for tlie temporary occu* *The malignant falsehoods resorted to by the British to cover their outrages, are truly astonishing. The chancellor of the £x« chequer asserted in the Briti&h Parliament, that the Americans at York, " had not only burnt the house of the gp'' ?rnour, but also every house belongmgr to the meanest indivluuuV even to a •hell, and left the populace in a most wretched condition.'* f The burning of the Indian village on the river Thames, called the Moravians ; not the Moravians whom our countrvman Hackenwelder devoted his life to civilize and improve, out a horde of savages in the employment of Great Britaiiv -etahation for HISTORY OF THE WAR. 8^1 nation of the provincial legislature, or for the burning of Kevvark, uf a few out-posts, and the cabins or huts of hostile savages 1 These, by the admission of the gover* nour, had been more than expiated. No ! such pretexts are too absurd to impose upon the most ignorant. A la- mentable barbarity has marked the conduct of the British in. the war throughout, very diiferent from that of the United States, who sincerely endeavoured to avoid what* ever might stand in the wa} to the most friendly rela- tions, on the restoration of peace. At the very opening of tiie war, the British officers permitted the savage to fight by their sides, while we declined their aid ; they no^ only niiade them their allies, but did not interfere to pre- vent their commission of horrours, whose recital causes the hair to stand on end. When the British admirals vi^ sited our sea-coast, under no pretext of retaliation ; wheil no complaints had been made against us, when the com* plaints were on our side, they plundered and burnt thQ villages on the Chesapeake ; the^ plundered th^ defence- less planters of their stock, of tneir ue^oes, of their furniture, and at Hampton even transcended the abo- minations of the River Raisin. On the borders of C%f nadai tlie same i>ourse of burning or plundering is pur- sued, and under the rage excited oy these series of out- rages, an American officer burns a village of his owr authority ; gladly is this seized as the pretext, for the first avoweiT retaliation, byi laying waste a whole frontier! Their outrages, until this tintCi were without pretext for retaliation. In the mean time, what was their treatment to ANMric|n prisoners, and to those who were dragged from theirNships to be enslaved, and what was the treat- ment of British subjects prisoners with us ? What pre- text of retaliation covers the violation of neutral portst in the capture of our vessels confiding in their sanctuary? What pretexts warrant the barbarous orders of their ofli- rane, and the order of general Brown, issued about the same timC) on his entering Canada. <' Upon entering Canada," said he, *< the laws of war ^ill govern : men found in arms, or otherwise engaged in the service of the enemy, will be treated as enemies ; those behaving peace- ably, and roUowing their private occupations, will be treated as friends. Private property will in all cases be held sacred ; publiok property, wherever found, will be seized and disposed oi by the commanding general. Any plunderers shall be punished with, deathjt VrjM> tthall be iband violating this order,'* *.;i5. jr'X-Vti riiSTORY OE THE WAR. S^i CHAPTER XVIIL tensations produced hy the capture of Washington, in Europe and in En^ltind~^Effect of this event in the United States—Olorious defence of Baltimore — The retreat of the British — Capture of the British squad" ron on Lake Champlain — liepulse of Sir George Pre- vost — The British fleet leaves the Chesapeake, and a part sails to the south, v The capture of Washington was, at tirst, boasted of by the British ministry, as a most signal exploit ; but it win' viewed in a very different light on the continent. To say nothing of the prosecuting hostilities with augmenteti rigour, ut a moment when there was a negociation for peace, the wanton acts of barbarity roused the indigna- tion of all the powers of Europe ; and in the British par- Irnment, so great a s'^.nsation was excited, as to cause its perpetrators to shelter themselves from publick odium, by the basest falsehoods : the ministry were compelled to make a statement, that instructions had been sent to the coast of America, to desist from further inflictions oi vengeance. But if the effect was powerful abroad, it was unexam- pled throu(^out the United States. Party spirit, that political fiend, instantly fled, and with it fled the dis- sections which almost paralyzed the eftbrts of the nation. But one voice was heard from one end of the continent to the other ; a glorious union was brought about, and a nation of freemen was seen to rise in its strength. Those who had at first opposed the war, from an opinion of i(*4 impolicy, or who condemned the invasion of Canada, now saw only a powerful nation about to precipitate her armies on America, with the avowed intention of deso- lating our fair possessions. The poison of political 4i«8eii»iooS| was de^id witli the political death of ^ia{H)u ^i 524 HISTORY OF THE WAR. l€©n ; and who could now say, that Britain was not ac- tuated by the mere thirst for revenge, or the less honour- able thirst for plunder ? The war now came home to the interests and feelings of every man, and the scenes of preparations, which were exhibited over the continenti were the most animated that could be conceived. The whole country was in motion ; every town was a camp ; and in the cities, the peaceful avocations of the citizens, which the war until now had scarcely interrupted, were laid aside. All the principal cities selected their com- mittees of defence, and the whole of the population mov- td in bands, to the sound of martial musick, to the daily occupation of labouring on the entrenchments and forti- fications. The New England states, at first so much averse to the war, now exhibited their characteristick activity and energy, and gave at once a satisfactory proof that no- thing was further from their intentions, than seceding from the confederation. The governour of Vennont, who had the year before made an attempt to recall the mi- litia of the state from the service of the United States, and on which occasion the militia nobly refused to obey him, now endeavoured to atone for his conduct, by call- ing them forth in the most animated manner, to join the standard of their country. The American ladies, al- ways conspicuous in the history of America, for tiieir patriotick conduct in times of difficulty and danger, ne- ver appeared soloVely in their zeal for tiieir country. The first object ot attack, it was rightly conjectured, ould be Baltimore ; and the cities of Philadelphia and W' New-York waited the result with as much anxiety, as if their fate depended upon its successful issue ; and in this, they perhaps had reason ; for should Baltimore fail, iluring the panick which succeeded the capture of Wash- ington, and before the other cities would have time to place themselves in an attitude of defence, they could make but a feeble resistance. After the first moment of despondency, occasioned by the capture of Washing- ton, had subsided in Baltimore, and it was discovered that the place would not be assMled immediateiyy the l^STORY OF THE WAR. 325 lahahitants set about making preparations for defence. Under the tlirection of general Smith, a ditch was opened) and a breastwork thrown up bj the inhabitants, on the high ground to the north-east (to eflect which every ilass of people united,) so as completely to protect the town in the only quarter in which it was accessible by land forces. In ac few days, a considerable number of militia ar- rived from Pennsylvania and Virginia ; and the spirits of the inhabitants were greatly animated by the arrival of the naval veteran, commodore Rodgers, with his ma- rines, who took possession of the heavy batteries on the l)ill. A brigade of Virginia volunteers, together with the regulars, was assigned to general Winder, and the city brigade to general Strieker j the whole under the iommand of major-general Smith ; the two latter, dis- tinguished revolutionary officers : general Strieker had served from the commencement to the conclusion of that and shared in many important battles. Tiie ap- vai proach to the city by water was defended by Fort M*Ken fy, commanded by major Armistead, with about sixty artillerists under captain Evans, and two companies of sea fencibles, under captains Banbury and Addison ; of these, thirty-five were on the sick list. As this number was insufficient to man the batteries, major Armistead was furnished with two companies of volunteer artdlery, under captain Berry and lieutenant Pennington, and a company under Judge Nicholson, (> hief Justice of Balti- more county) which had tendered its services. Besides these, there was a detachment uf commodore Barney's flotilla, under lieutenant Kedtn'an General Winder kd also furnished about six hundred intantry, unde( lieutenant colonel Stewart and major Lane, consisting of detachments from the twelfth, fourteenth, and thirty sixth regiments of the United States troopi, which were en- camped' under the walls of tiie fort. L'he total amounted to aouut one thousand men. Two batteries to the right of Fort M'Henry, upon the Patapsco, to prevent the ene- ,my from landing during the night, Ifi the rear of the t^wDy were manaedi tlie one by U^tea&at X e«veum%» OS M ■•■I 3£6 HISTORY OF THE WAR. with a detachment of sailors; the other, by I'leutcnaDf Webster, of the flotilla; the former was called For] Covington ; the latter, the City Battery. It wat eaually important to tne safety of the city, that ir the event ot an attack by land and naval forces, both Khoultj be repelled; for in case Fort M*Henry was silenced h\ tlie shippin;;, there would be nothing to prevent the de^ struction of the tou n ; and if the land forces of the eneo my were successful, the fort could no longar be of an^ avail, and would even be untenable. To the defence Fort M^Henry, and to the repulse of the British from tli( lines, the inhabitants looked for safety. Independent]] of the devastating orders of Cochrane, and tlie leceni •cenes at Washington and Alexandria, this city was ; selected obiect of the vengeance of the enemy, in conse^ quence of ner active and patriotick exertions durin;; th^ war. No one can imagine to himself a just picture of the ■tate of anxious feeling, among fifty thousand people o^ all aees and texes, for the approaching crisis, whicn would determine the safety or destruction of their city] And even in case of successful resistance, tlie must paiaJ ful incertitude hung over the fate of those who were tq risk their lives in its defence, not strangers or mercenaj lies, but their bosom friends, their brotlters, their sons anc husbands; every one, even old men and boys, wh« could wield a musket, were found in the rank». The coin^ mittee of safety, composed of those advanced in life, and the most influential citizens, (amon^ whom was the res^ pectable colonel Howard, a hero ot the revolution) took a large share in the preparations to meet the appruachiiij danger. liie British army having re-embarked on board the fleel| in the Patuxent, admiral Cochrane moved down the river and proceeded up the Chesapeake ; and on the mornin|^ol the i 1th of September, appeared at the mouth of the PaJ (apsco, about fourteen miles from the city of Baltimorcj with a fleet of ships of war and transports amouhting tu fifty sail. On the next day, tlie land forces, to the nuuibcr 9f at least six thousanil men, tlie veterans of WelliogtonJ HISTORY OF THE WAR. S^ debarked at North Point, and under the command ofgene^ Ul Uuss, took up their march tor the city. General Striek- er claimed for the city hrigade, under his command, the honour of being the iirsit to meet the invader, and was accordingly detached hv general Smith, in anticipation of the landing of the Uritinh troops. On the 1 1th, general Strieker proceeded on tlie road to Nortft Point, at tne head of three thousand two hundrer lieuteiiaiit colonel Sterrett, 550 sti'(>ng; 620 of the 6th, under lieutenant colonel M*Do- nald ; 500 of the 2rth, under lieutenant colonel Long; 550 of the S9th, under lieutenaiit colonel Fowler; 700 of the 51st, under lieutenant colonel Amey ; 150 riflemen^ under captain Oyer; 150 cavalry, under lieutenant colo- jncl Biays; and the Union Artillery, of 75 men and six l-fuur pounders, under captain Montgomery (attorney I general of the state.) A light corps of riflemen and musketry under major Randal, taken from general Stans- bury's brigade, and the Penns^ Ivania volunteers, were de- tached to the mouth of Bear C reek, with orders to co-ope- rate with general Strieker, and to check any landing 1 which the enemy might eft'ect \n that quarter. At 6 o'clock P« M. general Strieker reached the meet- ing-house, near the head of Bear Creek, seven miles from I the city. Here the brigade halted, with the exception of the cavalry, who were pushed forward to Gorsuch's farm* three miles in advance, and the riflemen, who took post near the blacksmith's shop, two miles in advance of the encampment. The next morning ^the libth) ' : 7 o'clock* information was received from the videttcs, that the ene- my were debarking troops under cover of their gun vessels, wltich lay oft' the bluft'of North Point, within the mouth of the Patapsco river. The baggage was immediate- ly ordered back under a strong guard, and general Striek- er moved forward the 5th and 2rth reKinK'nts, and the artillery, to the head of Long Log Lane, resting the fifth withits right on the head of a branch of Bear Creek, its left on the main road, while the 27th was' posted on the opposite side of the road, in a line with the 5th. The artillery was posted at the head of tUe lane, in the inter* iiltU: $s» HISTORY OF THE WAR. Tal between thefie two regiments. The S9th was dra\„ «p three hundred yards in the rear of the twenty-sevent^ and the 5 1st, the same di&tance in the rear of the 5th ; th« 6th regiment was drawn up as a reserve within sight, hal( a : lile in the rear of the second line. Thus judiciuush posted, the general determined to wait an attack, harinf given orders, that the two regiments composing the fronl line, should receive the enemy^and if necessary, fall bach through the 51st and d9th, and form on the ngiit of tlic 6th, posted in reserve. The general now learned that the British were .movin^- .jrapidly up the main road, and at the moment when hel .'xpected their approach to be announced by the riflemen|| stationed in th^ l^y/ thick pine and {ur%, in advanceil freatly to his chagrin, he discovered tliis corps falling ack upon tlie main position, having listened to agroand-j less rumour that the enemy were landing on Back River J tr cut them off. This part of the general's plan having been frustrated, he placed the riflemen on the riglitof hitl front line, by this means better securing that flank. Thel Odettes soon after bringing information that apartyofl the ns and teams in this vicinity, it was soon discovered that their obj watch the motions of the enemy, and to skirmish with them as they approadied ^ at the same time to obstruct the road by breaking dowa the bridges and fdlling trees. Captain Sprowl, with two hundred men of the 13th Regiment, was posted at Dead Creek Bridge, on the Lake road, with similar orders; he was also ordered to fortify himself, tvvo field pieces beins attached to his command for the purpose. In advance of this position, lieutenant-cuionel Appling was posted with one hundred riilemen, for the purpose also of watch- ing their movements. At day light on the 6tb, it was ascertained that the enemy were advancing in two col- umns by each of these roads, dividing at Sampson's, a little below Chazy Village. I'he column on the Beckman road approached rapidly ; the militia skirmished a little with its advance parties, but which, with the exception of a few brave men, soon broke, and fled in the greatest disor- der. A detachment of two hundred and fifty men, under major Wool, had bean marched to their support, and to shew them an example of firmness j but it vvas found unt- vailing. 'i ! »38 HISTORY OF THE WAR. Finding that the enemy's columns had penetrated with* in a mile of Plattsburgh, orders were received for colonel I Appling to return from his position at Dead Creek, and fall on the enemy's right flank. The colonel fortunately arrived just in time to save his retreat, and to fall in witii the head of a column debouching froiA the woods. He poured a destructive fire from his riflemen, and continued to annoy the column until he formed a junction with ma- jor Wool. Notwithstanding that considerable execution was done by the field pieces, the enemy still continued to press forward in column ; considerable' obstructions were, however, thrown in their way by the removal of the bridge, and by the fallen trees: a galling fire was also kept up from the galleys as they passed the creek. The village of Pittsburgh is situated on the north east side of the small river Saranac, near its entrance into Lake Champlain, while the American works are situated directly opposite. The town being no lunger tenable, the parties of Appling, Wool, and Sprowl, were ordered to retire ; whicn was accordingly done, keeping up a brisk fire until they had got under cover of their works. The enemy then threw their light troops into the houses near the bridge, and annoyed the Americans with their small arms from the windows and balconies, until by a few hut shot the buildings were set on fire. Throughout the day their light troops attempted to drive the guards from the bridge, but they paid dearly for their pt "severance, and in an attempt to cross the upper bridge, whey were reso- lutely thrown back by the militia. After the whole of the American troops had crossed the bridges, the planks were taken up, and piled in such a manner as to form a breastwork. The enemy, new masters of the village, instead of attempting to carry the American works, on the opposite aide of the river, which their vast superiority of force might have enabled them to do, contented themselves wim erecting works, whence the^r continued to annoy the Americans, and constantly skirmishing at the bridges and £brds. By the eleventh, the fifth day of the sie^e, a con* •iderable force of New-York and Vermont militia^ which HISTORY OF THE WAR. 339 Htid been continually eoUectinj?, lined the Saranac, and repelled the attempts of the British to cross, while at the game time, a considerable body was sent to harass their rear. There was scarcely an intermission t«» the skir- mishes which took place between them and the militia, who acted, after the first day» with ijreat intrepidity. The American regulars, at the same tune, laboured in- cessantly to extend and strengthen their works. During this time, a handsome affair was achieved by captain M'Glassin, who, crossinjy the river in the night, assailed the British regulars, more than three times his numbers, stationed at a masked battery, which had been for some days preparing, drove them from their posts, and demo- lished the works. The principal cause of delay, which was fortunate for the Americans, was the momentary expectation of the fle^t, which M^as intended to co-operate. On the morn- ing of the eleventh, at eight o'clock, the ' look-out-boat of commodore M^Donough, announced its approach. It consisted of the fiigate Contiance, carrying thirty -nine guns, twenty-seven of which were twenty-four pounders; the brig Linnet, of sixteen guns ; the sloops Chub and Finch, each carrying eleven guns ; thirteen gallieSy five of which carried two, and the remainder one jun. The commodore at this moment hy at anchor in Plattsbui^ bay^ and intended in that situation, to receive the enemy* His fleet consisted of the SaraU^a, carrying twenty-six guns, eight of which were long twenty-fuur poundfers; the Eagle, of twenty guns ; the Ticoncleruga, of seven- teen; the Preble, 7; and ten galleys, six of which car- ried two, the remainder one ^n. Besides the advantage which the enemy possessed, in being able to choose their position) their h>rce was much superiour. The number of guns in theBiitish fleet amounted to ninety -five, and of men, to upwards of a thousand $ while that ot the Ame* ricans was eighty-six, and the number of men, less by two hundred. One of the American vessels had been built with despatch almost incredible. Eighteen days be- fore, the trees of which it was constructed^ were actually growing on tlie shores of the lake. -Ktrttedik^ «i\.i( HISTORY OF THE WAR. The American vessels were moored in line, with five gnn-boatS) or galleys, on each flank. At nine oMock, captain Dowuie, the British commander, anchored in Ime, ahreast of the American squadron, at about three hundred yards distance, the Confiance opposed to the Saratoga, the Linnet to the Eagle ; the British galleys and one of the sloops, to the Ticonderoga, Preble, and left division of ^he American galleys; the other sloop was opposed to the right division. In this situation the whole force on both sides became engaged, and at the same moment, as if this had been the signiu, the, contest commenced between general M'Comb and sir George Prevost. One of the British sloops was soon thrown out of the engagement, by running on a reef of rocks, whence she could not be extricated, while one division of the enemy's galleys was so roughly handled, as to be compelled to pull out of the way. But the fate of this interesting day, on which tiie two rivals for naval superiority, were for the second time matched in squa- dron, depended chiefly on the result of the engagement between the two largest ships. The American commo* 4ore maintained the unequal contest for two hours, but the greater weight of the enemy's battery seemed to in- eline the scale of victory, although he suffered prodi- aaously. The chances against 'the Saratoga were acci- dentally increased by the commander of the Eagle, who 90t being able to bring his guns to bear as he wished, cut j^is cable ^nd anchored between the Ticqndcroga and Saratoga, by which this vessel was exposed to a gallins fire from the enemy's brig. The guns on the starboard 9ide had, by this time, been either dismounted or become itnraanageaule ; the situation of the enemy was but little better $ to both> the fortune of the day depended upon tlie execution of one of the most difficult naval manoiu- to wind their vessel round, and bring a new broad vres aide to bear. The Confiance essayed it in vain, but the efforts of the Saratoga were successful ; a stern anchor was let go, the bowe;' cable cut, and the ship winded with 1^ fresh broadside on the frigate, which soon after surren* dered. A broadside was then sprung to bear on the brig, HISTORY OF THE WAR. 841 which surrendered in fifteen minutes after. The sloop opposed to the Eagle had struck to captain Henley some time before, and drifted down the line. Three of the galleys were sunk, the others escaped ; all the rest of the fleet fell into the hands of commodore M^Donough. By the time this bloody contest was over, there was scarcely a mast in either squadron capable of bearing a gall, and the greater part of the vessels in a sinking state. There were fifty-five round shot in the hull of the Sara* toga, and in the Confiance one hundred and five* The Saratoga was twice set on fire by hot shot. The action lasted two hours and twenty minutes. The comniitnder of the Confiance was killed, with forty -nine of his men, aiid sixty wounded. On board the Saratoga, there were twenty-ei»ht killed, and twenty-nine wounded. Of the first, was lieutenant Gamble; and on board theTiconde- rbga, lieutenant Stansbnry, (son of general Stansbury, of Maryland.) Among the wounded, were lieutenant Smith, acting lieutenant Spencer, and midshipman Bald- win. The total loss in the American squadron amount- ed to fifty -two killed, and fifty-ei^ht wounded. The loss of the enemy was eighty -four killed, one hundred and ten wounded, and eight hundred and fifty -six prisoners^ which actually exceeded the number of their captors. This engagement, so deeply interesting to the two ri- val nations, took place in sight of the nostile armies.- But they were by no nreans quiet spectators of the scene, a hot engagement was kept up during the whole time; the air was filled with bombs, rockets, sharpnels, and hot balls. Three desperate efforts were made by the British. to cross over, anu storm the American works, in which. they were as often repulsed, with considerable loss. An attempt to force the bridge, was bravely defeated by a detacnment of regulars and captain Grosvenor^s riflemen. They attempted a ford about three miles above, but were so briskly assdled by a body of volunteers and militia^ posted in a wood, that the greater part of the detachment was cut to pieces. The efforts of the enemy naturally relaxed, after witnessing the painful sight, so little ex* pected^ of the entire capture of their iteet. The firing- 29* ****•«-.■., i, ""•"■^^"-^Wifcl., . 34S HISTORY OF THE WAR. ivas, howtevcr, kept up until night ; at dusk the enemy withdrew their artillery, and raised the siege. The plans of sir George Prevost'were completely fri atrated, since ! the Americans had now the command of the lake ; even l if he were to possess himself of tlie American works, it would not serve him in any furtiier design ; in the mean time, he would be exposed to great danger from the hour- ly augmentation of tiie American force. Under the cover of the night he, therefore, sent off all his baggage and artillery, for which he found means of transportation;! ^nd before day the next mornin?, his whohe force preci*! pitately retreated, leaving behind their sick and wound-l , ed. Vast quantities of military stores and munitions of I war, were abandoned hy them, and still greater quanti-f ties were afterwards found hid in marshes, or buried in] the ground. They were hotiy pursued, a number ■: stragglers were picked up, and upwards of five hundred] deserters came in. Tlio6e of the British army and navy who fell, were in- terred with the honours of war. The humane attention] of the Americans to the wounded, and the politeness and! generous attention to the prisoners, wcree- cember — Battle of the 8th of January — Tlie British compelled to retreat — Bombardment of Fort 8t. Philip •^Peace with Great Britain. J. HE national legislature convened under very different feelings from those that had existed in tills botiy for many years past. Party spirit, it is true, was not altogether at an end, but no other course remained but a union in de- vising the best means for carrying on the war, which had become a war of defence. Whatever difference of senti- ment might prevail with respect to the past, and as to the men in power, there was but little as to the course to be pursued in future. The great cause of the most bitter complaint against the administration, French influencei Was at ail end, and the recent conduct of Great BritatQ towards ithis country, rendered it impossible for any one to say that she was not wantonly pursuing hostilities when these causes no longer existea. No one could now )ie the advocate of Britain. Ail felt the neglect with which our ministers in Europe had been treated^ suffering them to remain for months un* tioticed, shifting the place of neguciation, and with a du- plicity unbeconving a great nation, endeavouring to pro- long, for half a year, a treaty which might have beeik accomplished in a day. But m hen the first occurrence which took place on the meeting of the commissioners^ was communicated to this country, it produced a burst of indignation from all parties on the floor of congress, and tiirough the union. It was thought, that all hopes of '■} r '■"■'*-*«*«««*^: 344 HISTORY OF THE WAR. peace were at an end, and the people began to prepar tlieir minds for a long and bloody war. From the instructions which our commissioners had received, they were author- ised (in consequence of the pacification of Europe, and the necessity of Gre »t-Britain for resorting to impress- ment no longer existing, having already more seamen in the service than she required) to pass the subject of im- pressment in silence for the present r this was in fact no- thing more than the request made after the commence- ment of hostilities, to cease the practice of impressment pending the proposed armistice. The practice had now ceased with its alleged necessity. The subject of block- ade was also " ■ an end for the present, with the power of Napoleon, and ought not to stand in the way of pacilica- tion. There was nothing, in fact, between the two nations : and our war, which had grown out of the war in Europe, •ftnd the injustice practised upon us by both the belligerents from alleged necessity, ought to nave ceased with it. Perhdps the governt.».ent was censurable in this ^reat anxiety for peace $ perhaps we ought never to have yield- ed, until some provision had been made by the enemy to prevent the recurrencei at some future period, of the de- testable abusesinseparably attendant on the practice of im- pressing her seamen from our vessels; a practice, which had reduced to slavery many thousands of our fellow citi/^ens. But the nation at this moment required peaci ; we had suffered much from our inexperience during this first war; a few years repose would enable us to vindicate this prin- ciple of eternal justice with a greater hope of success. Be- sides, it was reasonable to conclude that Great-Britain had, by this time, dearly f>aid for the impressment of our citizens and the confiscation of their property, and that in future she would b? cautious how she infi-iaged our rights. II is seldom by compelling an enemy to acknow- ledge his wrong, that a war is successful ; it is- by klie resistance made, and tlie injiiry inflicted, that its object is attained. This sincere wish for peace was not tlius met by the British commissioners, who proposed at once, as a nne qua non^ the surrender of an immense portion of the mSTORT OF THE WAR. A45 American territory, and a total relinquishment of the lake shores. These new and unwarranted pretensions exci- ted universal astonishment. Could it he supposed, that the English commissioners, on an occasion like the ■resent, would descend to the trifling artifice of pro- longing the negociation, by proposing terms from which they meant to recede ? could they consistently with the indignity of their nation, recede from them ? If serious, luch proposals argued a surprising Ignorance of the gituation of the United States, or a disposition to insult them in the grossest manner. ' A subject which was brought before the legislature of Pennsylvania, and which received the approbation of alt parties in congress, furnished a strong proof of a dispo- sition to unite in the cauije of the country. The leaderi of the party in the New'England States, opposed to the war, had grown every day more and more intemperatej while the great-mass of the people, on the contrary, were kecome better reconciled. Under a mistaken idea of thtf * real sentiments of the people, a convention was propos- ed to meet at Hartford, in Connecticut; and, accoraing to the gazettes, its object was no less than a separation of the Union. Whatever this may have been, it was loon found that it was not approved by the majority of any party : the deputies of three states only convened, scarcely representing a third of Nelv -England ; and after a shoit session, this mighty effort, to destroy, as was sup* posed, our noble patriotick fabrick, terminated in a de- clamatory address on subjects long since forgotten, and a remonstrance or petition to the congress otthe United States, enumerating stale objections to the Federal Con- stitution, and which was presented to the several states for approbation, but every where rejected. In the Penn-* sylvania legislature, this extraordinary memorial was re- ferred to a committee, and a noble and eloquent report was drawn up by a member of the opposition, in which the causes of complaint were clearly refuted, the con- stitution ably vinaicated, and the conduct of the me-, murialists severely censured. This attempt to destroy the confederacy of the states, proved only disgracefvl I. mtrn'mmmj^i '**«iii#i^. ****'««««*i«i d4d HISTORY OF THE WA». to those by whom it was made. Let it be the warm pm\^ •r of every American, that this noble fabrick, reared b^ the bauds of sages, and cemented by the blood of pa- triots, may be eternal! The American has now still greater reason to admire, and love the institutions of hja •ountry, since the most violent tempest cannot shake this fortress of his safety, which is'placed upon a rock. The confederation of these states, was an achievment^ which transcends almost every effect of human wisdom.' How much bloodshed has it not saved already, and how much will it not save in future ? Look at the eternal wars of the Grecian states ; for, unfortunately, it is but too true, that neighbouring independent powers are natural ene- mies. What strength does not this glorious Union, give to each individual state, and what consequence to each individual citizen, who is thus made the member of a great nation, instead of being one of a petty tribe? The mind cannot contem^ilate this subject, without being filled with ""the m6st magnificent conceptions : eternal infamy to the wretch, whose heart caii harbour so much wickedness against his country, and malignity to his fellow creatures, 9S^ to wish to loosen the bands by which we are made a na- tion, destined to be one of the greatest on the globe! Another important affair was brought before congress. In consequence of the capture of Washington, serious ap- prehension were entertained that a removal of the seat of fDvernment would follow, particularly a« it was well nown that there were a number of enemies to this scite. But these fears were soon dispelled ; the question was fi- nally put at rest ; the veneration for the great father of our republick prevailed over every other consideration, and the city ot Washington is now destined for ages, aiul it is hoped for ever, to be the seat of our national govern- ment. ^ Our finances also appeared to revive, under tlie indefa- tigable industry and great abilities of Mr. Dallas, whom the President selected at this critical moment to fill the office of secretary of the treasury. His plana were cha- racterised by tlie greatest boldness, but were unfolded in 80 luminous (^ manner, as to carry conviction to every i''-j HISTORY OF THE WAR. $47 he said to have plucked up the sink- nation, by the locks. The duties of toind. He njay 1ng credit of the tlie secretary at war were, at the same time, discharged by colonel Monroe, in addition to his other avocations ; in which undertaking he exhibited no small courage, for it had become a forlorn hope of popularity : he was hap* pdy rewarded by the most fortunate success in all his »isure^, and by the universal applause of his country. RfWh^ the American congress was thus occupied, th^^ publick attention was awakened, by a most alarming state of affairs to the southward. The Creek war was renew- ed, and a powerfiil invasion of Louisiana was threat- ened. General Jackson, after coQcludin<^ a treaty with the Creeks, moved his head quarters to Mobile. Here, about the latter end of ^August, he received certain in- formation that three British sliips of war had arrived at Pensacola, and had landed a large quantity of ammuni- tion and guns, for the purpose of arming tlie Indians, and had besides marched into the fort with three hundred troops. He was also informed, that the fleet of admiral Cochrane had been reinforced. at Bermuda, and that thir- teen ships of the line, with transports, were daily ex- pected with ten thousand troops, for the purpose of invad- ing some of the southern states. On the receipt of this information, he immediately wrote to the governour of Tennessee, calling for the whole quota of that state. The two vessels at Pensacola having been joined by another, appeared on the fifteenth of September^ oft' Fort Bowyer, which commands the entrance to Mobile bay. A proclamation was now issued by colonel Nichols, commanding his majesty's forces in the Floridas, ad- dressed to the inhabitants of Louisiana, Kentucky or Tennessee. If it was not intended as a piece of hu- mour, it proved a surprising ignorance of the character of these people. The inhabitants of Louisiana were ealied upon, to aid the British forces, in liberating their paternal soil from the usurpation and oppression of the Americans, and in restoring the country to the right owners ; as if these people would prefer to be a remote Cblony tf Great-Britain, a nation whom they hated, t» i '■ m mE^vciV'" '■■'SB*' ''^'*?*^»*-^. d4S HISTORY OF THE WAR. a state of independence ! The topicks addressed to the I people of the other states, excited tlieir mirth ; and this contemptible buffoonery, of colonel Nichols, was thought I to do no great honour to his master. It was not long Be- fore this o£5cer made an experiment of the persuasive effects of his eloquence. On the fifteenth, at four o'clock in the afternoon, he proceeded to make an atf \^ack oi. the furt, at this time garrisoned by major Law- >en'>;e, cf the second infantry, with one hundred ai'.d tiv '^ty men. The batteries were opetflbd upon the ene* mj , ''.nd the fire was returned by all his vessels. Before this, iJ ("^rty of one hundred and ten marines, with two hundred Creeks, headed by captain W'oodbiie, and I about twenty artilleriists, had landed in the rear of the fort, whert" they couuncnced a fire with a twelve poun- der and a howitzer, but were goon driven from their po- sition. The vessels, after a cannonade of three hours, were compelled to retire, with great loss. The couinio- dure's ship, carrying twenty -two thirty-two pounders, was driven on shore within six hundred yanls of the bat- tery, where she suffered so severely, that those on board were obliged to set heron fire, and make their escape; out of a crew of one hundred and seventy, this was ef- fected, however, by only twenty. On board the other ships, which were considerably injured, eighty-five were killed and wounded. If the waggish proclamations of colonel Nichols had Tendered him and his employers ridiculous, his conduct in another quarter was such as to cover him with lasting infamy. South West of the Mississippi, in one of tlie lakes which communicate with the Gulf, a nest of out- laws, smugglers, privateersmen, or more properly speak- ing pirates,* had fixed themselves on an island, almost inaccessible* These desperadoes, to tlie number of live or six hundred, were headed by a ferocious fellow ot the name of Lafite. From an accurate acquaintance with all the secret passages to the Mississipi, they could with • They pretended to have uniformly acted as privateersmen, under the flag of Cai'thagena, but Ihey condemned their pnzes ia tbeir own way. HISTORY OP THE WAR. S49 facility smuggle their booty to N»iw Orleans, and with their aid an enemy might be guided to the very entrance of the City undiscovered. Lafitte, however, with that lawless boldness of chtrtticter, mixed something of mag< ftaniniity. tie had for several years been outlawed, and his estahlishment had been broken up in the course of the summer, by a detachment under colonel Ross, of the 44th, and a naval force under commodore Patterson ; but the force was no sooner withdrawn, than the pirates returned to their old occupation. . The British had been solicited to join in extirpating these publick enemies, but they de- clined, probably intending to use them in due sea'"'>n» This hau now arrived, and to the disgrace of the j>ri tish goViH^ment. an alliance was proposed by colont! Nicholsl^ith extra va<>;ant offers of reward to Lu.Htei But what was most humiliating to those who could stoop so low, this alliance was indignantly rejected. La- fitte at first ilissembled, until he had drawn fror the co- lonel important information, when he disinissed • n with disdain, and immediately despatched-a messenger to go- Vernour Ciairborne« who had sometime offered live hua- dred dollars for his apprehension, and laid before him in- contestible proofs of the truth of his declaration. The governour was agreeably surprised at this unexpected trait of generosity, but at first hesitated as to the course to be pursued : on the ap{)roach of danger, however, he issued his proclamation, in which he pledged himself, that those engaged in this illicit course of life should be forgiven, provided they would come forward and aid in trie defence of the country. This was joyfully accepted by the Barratarians, as they were called, who rendered their services, and were found eminently useful. General Jackson having in Vain remonstrated with the governour of Pehsacola for his unprecedented conduct^ determined to march against that place. Having receive ed a reinfo^rceiuent of two thousand Tennessee militia^ which had marched through the Indian country, he ad| vanced to Pensacola, to demand redress. On the 6th of November, he readied the neighbourhood of that posty 4ti|d ioimedtateiy sent major Peire with a flag to commu^ 50 ' i^ n V »!l«*fK««»?5.WSW. < SoO HISTORY OF THE WAR. nicate the object of his visit to the eovernour ; but he was forced to return, being fired on from the batteries. Jackson then reconnoitred tiie fort, and finding it de- fended both by British and Indians, he made arrange, ments for storming it the next day. The troops were put in motion at day light, and being encamped to the west of the town, the attack would oe expected from that quarter ; to keep up this idea, part of the mounted men were sent to show tfiemselves on the west, whilst the re- remainder of the troops passed to the rear of the furt, un- discovered, to the east of the town. His whole force, consisting of a few regulars, a body of militia, and some Choctaw Indians, appeared in view, when within a mile ©f the fort, and advanced firmly to the enemy's works, although there were seven British vessels on their left, and strong batteries of cannon in front. On entering the town, a battery of two cannons, loaded with ball and grape, was opened on the centre column, composed of regulars, and a shower of musketry was poured from the houses and gardens. The batterj*^ was soon carried and the musketry silenced. The governour now made his ap- pearance with a flag, begged for mercy, and offered to surrender the town immediately. This was granted, and every protection afforded to the persons and property of the inhabitants ; the commandant of the fort retuscd to surrender until midnight, when he evacuated it with his *troops, just as the Americans were preparing to make a fu* rious assault. The British withdrew to their shipping, uiid jAckson, having accomplished his purpose, returned to Mobile. By the first of Septemeber it was reduced to a certainty, that, notwithstanding the negociations pending at Ghent, serious preparations were making for a formidable inva- sion of Louisiana. Governour Clairborne ordered the two divisions of the militia, the fust under general Vil- lere. and the second under general Thomas, to hold them- selves in readiness to march at a moment's warning. He »lso sent forth an animated address, calling on the inhabitants to turn out en masse, for the defence of their Cainilies and homes, from the lawless violence of the in- vader. On the 16th of September, a number of the citi* HISTOKY OF THE WAR. isi «ens convened, in order to devise measures, in co-oiera- tion with the civil authorities, for the defence A the- country. Mr. Edward Livingston was chosen presi- dent of the meeting; after an eloquent speech) he pro- posed a spirited resolution, which would repel the calum- ny of the insinuation of their being disaifected to the American government, and would prove their determi- nation to oppose the common etkemy. This, when made publick, was received with universal demonstrations of applause. The war had^ thus far, been felt in one of the most peaceful portions of the globe, only by its efTects ia commercial and agricultural property. In consequen(;e of the suppression of trade, and the low price of ^l kinds of produce, the people had suilered much* The banks hud stopped payment, and distresses of every kind in this country of abundance, had begun to be felt. The great mass of the planters, (at least, of the French {>art,) of an amiable and gentle disposition, had paid but ittle attention to the existing war; th'i militia could scarcely be said to be organized, much less disciplined or armed. Nothing short of an actual invasion could rouse them. In the city, the case was different ; from the commencement of the war, as if sensible of the feeble help which they could expect from the general govern- ment, they manifested the greatest alacrity in qualify- ing themselves for taking the field against an invader. Every man, capable of bearing arms, had become a sol- dier, and perhaps in none was there such frequent and elegant displays, of well disciplined volunteer compa- nies, dressed in uniform. The wonderful aptitude of the French, for the profession of arms, was never more fully displayed. There were intermingled with them a num- ber of men, who had served in the Frencii armies. The free people of colour, a numerous class, were permitted as Si privilege of which they were proud, to form volun- teer companies and wear their uniform ; some of these were natives, but the greater part had been refugees from St. Domingo. The American and French inhabi- tants, although sometimes at variance with each other^ ♦■ •i ^"•wmm^ r^^vmmmm^i^-'- S5t HISTORY OF THB WAR. •n thit occMion united heartily in dislike to the Bngliilk and in a disptsition to frutitrate their designs. The chief dependence of the inhabitants for safety^ which, after crossing the bar, is narrow, deep, and ra- pid, and of a course so winding as to render it easily sus- ceptible of being fortified. To the west, the country is composed of impassible swamps, and on the East, the Igif marshy coast can only be approached through a shal- W Tiie most natural defence of such a country, would be sun boats, or vessels drawing little water, and capable of being easily transferred from place to place. At the suggestion of commodore Patterson, a blocK siiip had been commenced, but was not yet completed. Great Uneasiness, however, prevailed, on account of the pow- erful force expected to attack them, and the deficiency of tht»r means of defence. Louisiana had been left by the administration, which had neither money nor. men to aend, like other parts of the Union, to rely chiefly on, Itself. It was certainly, as it respected men, arms, and military works, in a most defenceless condition. The legislature had been convened, but instead of actively providing the ineans of defence^ much of their time wa» spent in idle discussion. In these times of general alarm and danger, nothing ia of so much importance, as a man at the head of affairs, possessed of firmnesB and decision of character, in whoin all may safely confide. Happily, at tiiis critical juncture, i^ere was found such a man in general Jackson. Th}» officer hastened his departure from Mobile, on hearing of ibe danger of New Orleans, and arrived on the second if December. Ilis presence was instantly felt in the confideuce which it inspired, and the unanimity and alacri. ^y with which they seconded every disposition of a man so Justly celebrated for activity, prudence, and good for- f|H|ie; With wonderful rapidity, he put in operation all %e,* resources of his fertile genj^us, for the defence of ^e* country. He visited in person, according to his i*- "■tnJSi(hiil ofe^ ■* , ^-^ , ^ti YY •»! ■ ,,, .'^»,* . M '*s*,SS#«^ iJHMfa«L-J '0i> !|;!l^''t.s,!^ If*'''" ' m^ -f-;^ ' " =511 ij(i»i<>» 11 ,ji,i|i;ii!iw :/'lfi • ? f '^ .;.. for the safety of the country, to declare martial law, a measure fully justified by necessity* Lafitte and his Barratarians, about this time joined the American forces. The city now exhibited an interesting spectacle ; alt classes cheerfully propariug for the recep- tion of the invader, and reposing the utmost confidence in Jackson. All was life and bustle, and the female part of the society seemed emulous to share in this aftecting scene. HISTORY OF THE WAR. 355 lit in the ack, and, us of the lander in dered the ether with ' Menteur, [id captain the Kego- jt extremi- !, from en- re rapidly cipal iner- Bince of the jrmed a se- lommand of a conside- ities which scd to serve r Louisiana, led the city with the ap- ed by major a company ivas ordered id for three IS, confined 7 serving in [i chief eon- country, to jy necessity* [e joined the 1 interesting or the recep- ,t confidence Bfemaiepart his aftecting All the principal bayous which communicate with the lake, and the narrow strip of land on the borders of the Mississippi, through the swatnps, had been obstructed. There was, however, a communication with Lake Borgne, but little known, called the Bayou Bienvenu, used by fishermen; its head near the plantation of general Villere, seven miles below the city. Major Villere had received orders from his father to guard this bayou, and he accord- ingly stationed a guard near its entrance into the lake, at the cabins of some fishermen. It afterwards appeared^ that these wretches had been in the employment of the British. On the twenty second, guided by them, the'ene- niy came suddenly upon the American guard, and took them prisoners. The division under general Keane, by four o'clock in the morning, reached the eommencement of Villere's canal, and having disembarked and rested some hours, proceeded through the can brake, and by two o'clock, reached the bank of the river* General Villere's bouse was suddenly surrounded, as also tliat of his neigh- bour, col. La Runde ; but this ofiicer, as well as major Villere, was so fortunate as to etfect his escape, and hast- ening to the head quarters, communicated the intelli- gence. * The alarm gun was fired, and the commander in cliief, with that promptitude and decision for which he is so re- markable, instantly resolved on the only course to be pur- sued, which was^ without the loss of a moment's time, to attack the enemy. Coffee's riflemen, stationed above the city, in one hour's time were at the place of rendezvous, the battalion of major Plauche had arrived from the bayou, and the regulars and cit^ vokiuteers were ready to march- By six o clock, the different corps were united on Rodrigues' canal, six miles belew me city* The- schooner Caroline, captain Henley, at tlie same time dr(»pped down the river. The command of general Cof- fee, together with captain Beale's riflemen, were placed on the left, towards the woods ; the city voluoteers and men of colour under Plauche and Daquin, the whole un- der vhe comtnand of colonel Ross, were stationed to tlie ii^ht of tliei^e^and nexttoihemf tlie two regimeoii ofi J I hmpif HISTORY OF THE WAft. regulars, the seventh and forty-fourth ; the artillery and marines under colonel M*Rea, occupied the road. Hie whole scarcely exceeding two thousand men. The Eii- tish force at this time amounted to three thousand, and instead of pushing directly towards the city, had bivo':rck- ed, fully convinced that the most difficult part ol the enterprise was already achieved. '_i^Bjl " mSTORi OF THE W^R. !5f ^e river to the awamp, with a ditch in front. To htstett the construction of these works, cotton bags were used| 9B the cheeks of the einbrazures. As the enemy was (till annoyed by the Caroline, they set to work in con« structing batteries to attack her ; and on the twenty#se- Tenth, threw hot shot, by which she was set on fire and blown up, about an hour after she was abandoned by her crew. The Louisiana, which then took her station, bus* tained the fire of all the batteries, until in imminent danger : in losing her, the whole co-operative naval ibrce would be lost : her commander, lieutenant Toinp- son, after encountering many obstacles, ' finally suc- ceeded in bringing her near Jackson^s Msition. Af- ter the destruction of the Caroline, Sir Bdward F&dc* enham, the British commander in chief, having landed the main body of his army, with a sufllicient train of ar« tiilery, superintended in person the arrangements for for<* tifying her position. On the twenty-eighth, the British general advanced up tlie levee in force, with the in* tention of drivins Jackson from his entrenchments, and at the distance of half a mile commenced an attack witk rockets, bombs, and a heavy cannonade, as he approach* ed the American works, which were yet unfinished^, The Louisiana discharging her broadside upon the ene* my's columns, caused great destruction; the fire from the American batteries was not less destructive ; and af- ter a violent struggle of seven hours, the British general retired. The loss of the Americans was seven killed and eight wounded, among the former colo..el Henderson, of Tennessee; that of the British much more considerable. On the morning of the first of January, 1815, Sir Ed- ward Packenham was discoveredd to nave constructed batteries near the American works, and ac day-light commenced a heavy fire from them, which was well re- turned by Jackson. A bold attempt was, at iha same time, m,aae to turn the left of the Americans ; but in this the enemy was completely repulsed. The IJritish re- tired in the evening, from their batteries, having spiked^ tlieir suns, and leaving beliind a quantity of ammunition. The loss of the Americans on tiu» occasion, was eleven '<^- jftej HISTORY OF THE WAR. it killed and twenty-three wounded. On the fourth, genets * ral Jackson was joined by two thousand five hundred Kentuckians, under general Adair; and on the sixths the British were joined by general Lambert, at the head of four thousand men. The British force now amount^ ed to little short of fifteen thousand of the finest troops ^ that of the Americans to about six thousand, chiefly raw militia, a considerable portion unarmed, and from the haste of their departure, badly supplied with clothing. All the private arms which the inhabitants possessed were collected, and the ladies of New-Orleans occupied them- selves continually in- making diflferentarticles of clothing. The mayor of the city, Mn Girod> was particularly ac*> tive'at uiis trying moment. The British general now prepared for a serious at- tempt on the American works. Wi^h great labour he had completed, by the seventh, a canal from the swamp to the Mississippi by which he was enable to- transport a number of his boats to the river : it was his intention to make a simultaneous attack on the main force of ge- neral Jackson on the left bank, and crossing the river, at- tack the batteries on - he ri^ht. The works ot the Ame- rican general were by this time completed ; hid front was a straight,line of one thousand yards, defended by upwai ds of tfiree thousand infantry and artillerists* The ditch contained five feet water, and his front from hav- ing been Uooded'by opening the levies^nd frequent rains> ^vas rendered slippery and muddy. Eight distinct bat- teries were judicously disposed, mounting in all twelve gune of ditVerent calibers. On the opposite side of the river, there was a strong battery of fiUeen guns, and the entrenchments were occupied by general Morgan, with the Louisiana militia, and a strong detachment of the K^ejitucky troops. To gua?d against an attack from ano- ther quarter,- colonel Reubin Kemper^ witli a few men^ eiif-ountering infinite difiiculties, hadexplored every pass am? bayou, and on this subject had placed at ease the rahii of the commander in chief On the memorable morning of the eighth of Januaryj general Packeuhani) having detached colonel Thorntoft HISTORY OF THE WAR. S99 nth, gen«t * 5 hundred the sixths t the head vf amount- ist troops $ :hiefly raw 1 from the h clothing, essed were ipied them- of clothing, cularly ac- serious at- t labour he the swamp to transport is intention force of ge- the river, at- bt the Ame- i 5 his front defended by crista* Tlie it from hav- ;quentrain8> distinct bat- in all twelve ! side of the ihs, and the [organ, with ment of the ;k from ano- a few mcn^ Id every pass at ease the of January, iiel Thorntoh frith a considerable force, to attack the works on the ri^ht ^ ^puk of the river, moved with his whole force, exceeding ^weive thousand men, in two divisions, under major generals Gibbs and Kean, and a reserve under general ILambert. Tbe first of these officers was to make the principal attack; the two columns were supplied with scalin;; ladders, and fascines. Thus prepared, the Ame- ricans patiently w^ted the attack, which would decide the fate of Nev/-Orleans, and perhaps of Louisiana. The British deliberately advanced in solid columns, over an even plain, in front of the American entrenchments, the men carrying, besides their muskets, fascines, and some of them ladders. A dead silence prevailed, until they approached within reach of the batteries, which commenc- ed an incessant, and destructive cannonade : they, not- • withstanding, continued to advance in tolerable order, closing up their ranks, as fast as they were opened by the fire ot the Americans. When they came within reach, however, of the musquetry and rifles, they joined with the artillery, and produced such dreadful havock, that they were instantly thrown into confusion. Never was there 80 tremendous a fire, as that kept up from the AmericiUi lines ; it was a continued stream ; those behind loading for the men in front, enabled them to fire with scarcely an intermission. The British columns were literally swept away; hundreds fell at every dischars;e. The Bri- tish officers were now making an effort to rally their me' , ami in this attempt their commander, a gallant office:, general Packenham, was killed. Tiie two generals Gibbs and Kean, succeeded in pushing forward their co- lumns a second tune; but the second approach was more fatal than first ; the continued rolling fire of the Americans, resembled peels of thunder; it was such as no troops could withstand ; the advancing columns broke, an> ful truth, tliat she has a superiour on the Ocean. She has been taught that her threats of burning our towns> and chastising our presumption, would only bring destruction npon her own head, when attempted to be carried ints execution $ she has seen the market for her manufisctures greatly diminished in America-— All this might hayd Been saved by a timely repeal of her orders in council} by acceding to the friendly arrangement) so often ;^'oposed on our part, to provide against the abuse *ftne practice of impressment, by which the lieutenant or boatswain of a man of war, could decide, without evi- liuice, and in a moment, upon the life and iibevty of ai HISTORY OF THE WAR. 36d irar of three hat hewing I, us th» war iaidhCi^yott dcncfe ie yet )Tir bands at to bring tt« ^r. She has brtget^ that it ctwe her un- atvar,by And \g d«stTiictioa carried into manufactures might hay* irt in cottocili jnt, 80 often tgt the abuse the lieutenant without evi- Hbwty of »» Anerican citizen. We have at last compelled this im- placidile enemy of our political institutions, to treat us with respect; and an American may own his country with pride, in whatever portion of the globe his fortune may lead him. It is hoped that Britain will at last, treat ns as she does other nations, if not with the civility, at least without superciliousness and scorn. Although a task by no means easy, let us foi^ve the ungenerous temper with which the last war has been con- ducted towards us, but let us not foi^et it ; let us keep it in view* until Britain, by her friendly deportment, mani- fests a wish to atone ; let us not hastily charge those enor- mities upon the British nation ; but rather consider them the disgraceful acts of a few rufiian individuals, who mity be found every where, or at most attribute them to the mistaken policy of a corrupt ministry ; let us believe that every virtuous Englishman condemns them. It is in vain for Britait to tell us that she is fighting the battles of the world, while we see her the tyrant of the seas ; it is in vaiiv to tell us that she is the bulwark of our religion, while she stirs up the fury of the savage, to destroy the helpless and the innocent. We have no wish to be other- wise than on terms of friendship with England, while she refrains from insulting our national independence. We have a common origin, a common language, institutions nearly similar, freed from gross corruptions and abuses, and, to use the elegant language of Milton, we draw light from the same fountain. Should Britain ever need A FRIEND, NOTWITHSTANDING THE WRONGS SHE HAS '' INFLICTED, SHE WILL FIND A SINCERE ONE IN AmB- RIGA. To US the war is pregnant with important lessons. We have acquired a knowledge of our weakness and of our strength. Our confederation wilt rise like a pyramind, its base eternal. Our best policy is peac<*, if honourable, but war sooner than the slightest insult. Fair and honourable policy to all nations, preferring iustice to profit. One les- son we have been taught, which was worth the sum we have paid for the war, that we are weak in the pur- SeiT OF conquest, but ALL POWERFUL IN DEFEJ^GE* FINIS.