CH. IX.] PREVOST ATTACKS SACKETT'S HARBOR. sion. Property to an immense amount had been destroyed, but there still remained unconsumed to the value of at least half a million of dollars. In his hasty retreat, General Sheaffe abandoned his baggage, containing all his books and papers, which proved a valuable acquisition.* The loss of the British was ninety killed, two hundred wounded, and three hundred made prisoners, beside five hundred militia released on parole. The American forces evacuated York early in May, and it was determined to attack Fort George and Fort Erie. After visiting Sackett's Harbor, and disposing of the wounded and the prisoners, having taken reinforcements on board, to the number of about five thousand, the fleet sailed for Fort George, on the Niagara River, at the head of the lake. There, under cover of the vessels, the advance, five hundred strong, landed, on the 27th of May, under the command of Colonel Scott and Major Forsythe; and being followed by the brigades of Generals Boyd, Winder, and Chandler, the enemy fled, abandoning their works and laying trains for blowing up their magazines; but Captain Hindman, entering the fort first, was fortunately able to remove the match, before the fire had reached the powder. In a few 1813. 187 hours, Fort George, Fort Erie, and the other fortifications in the vicinity received new masters. In this affair, it is said that the British lost a hundred and eight killed, and half as many more wounded, while six hundred were made prisoners; of the Americans, one hundred and eight were wounded, and only thirty-nine were killed. Captain Perry, who had volunteered on the 26th, was busily occupied at this date at Presque Isle, preparing the timber for the construction of those vessels, with which he afterwards obtained such imperishable renown, and withal inflicted new and unusual losses on the enemy. On embarking for York, General Dearborn had left Sackett's Harbor in rather a defenceless state, which induced Sir George Prevost at the head of about seven hundred troops, to combine with Sir James Yeo, whose squadron on Lake Ontario had recently been very considerably reinforced, to put to sea on the 28th of May from Kingston, and attack that American post both by land and water. "The expedition," says Alison, "excited great interest on both sides of the water, (both in Canada and Great Britain,) and the most sanguine hopes were entertained by the British, that it would lead to the destruction of this growing and formidable naval establishment of the enemy. These hopes, however, were disappointed." General Brown, of the New York militia, had the chief command at the Harbor, and on the 29th he detached Colonel Mills with the militia (whom "History of the he charged strictly to reserve their fire) and the Albany volunteers to oppose * Ingersoll mentions, that among the articles taken at the capture of York, was a scalp found suspended over the speaker's chair in the parliament house. "This atrocious ornament" the author cites as one the landing of the British. Brown had hastily thrown up a slight breastwork at the only place where this could be effected. At first, although exceeding the attacking force by four or five hundred men, the Americans were seized with a panic from some unexplained cause and were driven back. Colonel Mills lost his life in attempting to rally them. The invaders, thus left in possession of the peninsula, advanced against the loop-holed blockhouses; before which some four hundred regulars, under Colonel Backus, were drawn up. But the resistance made by this small band was so desperate, and the fire from the blockhouses so tremendous, and Brown, having succeeded in rallying about a hundred of the fugitives, made so welltimed an attack upon their rear, that the bravest of the British recoiled. Prevost urged on his men, but notwithstanding all his efforts the strait could not be passed, and a retreat was ordered and hastily made, the wounded being left to the care of the Americans. knowledged, was appointed a brigadier in the regular army. Prevost who, it was expected, would have been successful, was a good deal censured and abused by his countrymen. At the time when Forts George, Erie, and the others near them had fallen into the hands of the Americans, | Colonel Vincent had retreated to the heights at the head of Burlington Bay, where he occupied a strong position, when he gradually collected from the posts in the vicinity about sixteen hundred troops, one half of which were regular soldiers. The Americans on their side, fully aware of the advantage they had obtained in getting so strong a lodgment in the Canadian territory, determined to drive him out of his stronghold, that they might more se curely push on towards the interior, and achieve the conquest of the whole country. Generals Winder and Chandler were, therefore, sent against Vincent, with three thousand infantry, two hundred and fifty horse, and nine guns; and, on the 5th of June, they encamped on the bank of Stony Creek. As soon as the British General was apprised of their approach, he called a council of war, and directly afterwards, dispatched seven hundred and fifty men, under Colonel Harvey, in order to retard the advance of Winder and Chandler. On drawing near the Americans, and finding that they were careless and kept a complished the most important bad look out, Harvey resolved upon a part of their expedition, the night attack; which he executed as destruction of a large part of the sup- soon as it was dark, and with considerplies which were essential to the suc- able success. The sentinels were silently cess of the campaign. General Brown, bayonneted; the main guard, who must whose good conduct was warmly ac- | have been asleep, were passed; but for During the battle, information having been communicated to Lieutenant Chauncey, that our troops had been defeated, he immediately, according to orders previously received, set fire to the public store houses; and the fire was not extinguished until very great damage had been done. In fact, though the enemy were repulsed, they had ac 1813. CH. IX.] 1813. COLONEL BOERSTLER'S DEFEAT. tunately for our countrymen, the Indians, when they arrived near some fires just abandoned, where the troops had cooked their supper, raised their usual yell, supposing the Americans were sleeping around them. This awoke the troops, who, having slept on their arms, discharged their pieces at the enemy standing in the light of the fires which had deluded them. But they soon retired into the darkness, which was intense; and then no one knew where his enemy was, nor which was friend or foe. Several irregular conflicts took place, in which some were killed and others wounded. General Chandler, intending to take the head of his artillery, found himself in the midst of a British party, and was made prisoner. A few minutes afterwards, General Winder, under the same mistake, fared no better. Satisfied with the capture of these officers, and about a hundred other prisoners, the enemy made a precipitate retreat, losing however, more than they gained. The English commander, Colonel Vincent, also lost his way in the confusion of the night and wandered some distance off, where he was found next day, without sword or hat. The American loss was sixteen killed, and thirty-eight wounded; and two brigadiers, one major, three captains, and ninety-four men missing. The loss of the enemy was much more severe, particularly in officers; and one hundred prisoners were taken. The captured generals were much blamed for the result of this encounter, and not without reason. Had the enemy been immediately pursued, there is little doubt 189 they would have been made prisoners; but Colonel Burns, who now command ed, after consultation with the officers, judged it most prudent to fall back on Forty Mile Creek. Here he was joined by Colonel Miller's regiment, which had been sent to guard the boats, and Generals Lewis and Boyd, the former of whom now assumed the command. A fortnight afterwards, General Dearborn sent out an expedition of six hundred men, under Colonel Boerstler, to dislodge a British picket, which was posted at a place called Beaver Dams, to collect provisions, and to watch such of the Canadians as were friendly to the United States. Whilst on their way through the woods, they were beset by a small body of Indians, and a few of the forty-ninth regiment, not two hundred strong in all. By a skil ful ruse de guerre, Boerstler and his troops were led to believe, that the force they were fighting with was only an advance corps of a large army near at hand; and so, finding his ammunition nearly exhausted, the American commander surrendered with his whole detachment consisting of five hundred and seventy men, together with two guns and two standards. Subsequent to this, during the months of June and July, the contest between the British and American armies was little else than a war of posts. On the 8th of July a severe skirmish occurred, without material result to either side. An incident, however, occurred, which exasperated the Americans to a greater degree than any thing which had transpired during the war in this quarter. Lieutenant Eldridge, 1813. this event. General Boyd now took command of the forces at the Fort; and towards the latter part of August, General Wilkinson was appointed to the command of the army of the centre. The Americans as well as the Eng a gallant and accomplished youth, with about forty men, was drawn by his impetuosity too far, and was surrounded by British and Indians. The greater part resisted until they were killed; but Lieutenant Eldridge, and ten others, were taken prisoners, and never after-lish had made diligent efforts to gather wards heard of. General Boyd, induced by the same considerations which weighed with General Harrison (p.185) determined to accept the services of the Seneca warriors under Cornplanter, an intelligent and educated chief. The same stipulation, however, in regard to the unresisting and the defenceless was expressly insisted on, and we believe was observed by the Indians during the war. On the 11th of July, the British made an attack on Black Rock, but were driven back, losing nine of their men and Colonel Bishop their commander. On the 28th of July, an expedition was undertaken against York, which had been re-captured by the enemy after the battle of Stony Creek. Three hundred men, under Colonel Winfield Scott, embarked in Commodore Chauncey's fleet, and suddenly landing at that place, destroyed the public stores and property, released a number of Colonel Boerstler's men, and returned to Sackett's Harbor, with only a trifling loss. General Dearborn, whose age and increasing infirmities rendered him quite unfit for the arduous duties of his post, retired from the service, in July, by direction of the executive. Much, and we doubt not sincere, regret was expressed by the whole body of the officers at Fort George in consequence of a naval force on Lake Champlain. The In Europe, the declining power and greatness of Napoleon were already pro ducing their effect, and the state of things was verging to the point which gave England an opportunity to devote more attention to the war in America. The naval victories of the United States had not only mortified British pride, but had also naturally excited a strong desire to punish so audacious a competitor on the ocean. Early in the year it was known, that a British squallron had arrived at Bermuda, with a body of troops on board, and a large supply of bombs and other means of attacking the cities and towns on the CII. IX.] RAVAGES ON THE SEA COAST. sea coast. With the same mistake in judgment which was made in the Revolution, it was determined, to devastate the coast, and lay waste the towns and villages in every accessible direction. The necessary effect in such cases, must be, of course, to rouse the spirit of any people; and in the result, we find, that the outrages of the British under Cockburn, and his willing assistants, stirred up intense indignation, and incited the Americans to deeds of revenge. Early in February, a squadron appeared in Delaware Bay, which destroyed many vessels and blockaded the Bay. On the 10th of February, Lewiston, in Delaware, was bombarded, because the inhabitants refused to supply the enemy with fresh provisions; and a month later, the militia succeeded in driving away a number of barges which had been sent to obtain water. It was, however, in the Chesapeake principally, that this new and discreditable species of warfare was carried on by the British ships. Admiral Cockburn was in command of the squadron here, and he rendered his name and character notorious, on account of the numerous piratical incursions in which he indulged, the houses he robbed, the families he plundered, the wanton destruction of property he authorized, and the shameful insults and injuries he inflicted upon defenceless women and children. The militia did good service in meeting the invaders whenever possible, but they were not able, of course, to do much in the way of effectual resistance. Frenchtown was assaulted, and plundered; Havre de Grace, early in May, shared the same fate; as did also Georgetown 191 aud Fredericktown, a few days later. The details of outrage and in- 1813. jury of every kind are such as excite astonishment and shame, that men calling themselves Englishmen could have sunk so low as to be guilty of conduct to be looked for only in pirates and savages. Admiral Warren soon after arrived in the Chesapeake, which increased the enemy's force to seven ships of the line, and twelve frigates, with a proportionate number of smaller vessels. The appearance of this formidable armament created much alarm in the more considerable towns along the neighboring coast. Baltimore, Annapolis, and Norfolk were threatened; and it soon became evident, that the latter of these places was selected to receive the first blow. Commodore Cassin, on the 20th of June, aided by Captain Tarbell with a number of gunboats, made a gallant attack upon a British frigate at Craney Island, but did not succeed in capturing her. On the 22d, it having been determined to open the way to Norfolk, a large British force was detailed against Craney Island. They were bravely met by the Americans, some six hundred in number, partly marines and Virginia volunteers, and after a sharp fight, they were completely defeated, with a loss of over two hundred killed and wounded. Enraged at this unlooked-for result, the British determined to fall upon Hampton and destroy it, so as, if possible, to cut off the communication between Norfolk and the upper part of Virginia. 1813. On the 25th of June, Cockburn advanced against the town with |