Uneasy at the discontent of his Indians, and finding that he could not take the fort, Proctor raised the siege on the 9th of May and returned to Canada, first, however, demanding the surrender of the garrisons as the "only means left for saving the latter from the tomahawk and scalping knives of the savages," a demand he was warned by General Harrison "not to repeat.

Our loss during the siege was 81 killed, 189 wounded, and 605 prisoners, total, 875. Of the killed and wounded 156 were regulars; the remaining 114" were twelve months' volunteers and militia from Ohio and Kentucky.

The British casualties were 14 killed, 47 wounded, and 40' missing; total, 101. Although Fort Meigs had not been taken, our losses were so great that the enemy gained the prestige if not the substantial fruits of a third victory.

Having been reenforced by about 400 regulars, Proctor again resolved to carry the war into Ohio, and recrossing the lake in July, appeared a second time before Fort Meigs.

His idea was "that Clay and his garrison, made up of insubordinate militia, might be provoked or seduced to quit their entrenchments and take the risk of a field fight with him and Tecumseh, whose combined forces were represented at 4,000 men.

Leaving the latter to observe Fort Meigs, the British commander moved with a portion of his troops to Fort Stephenson, on the Lower Sandusky, garrisoned by 160 regulars, under the command of Major Croghan. On the 2d of August, after summoning the garrison to surrender and meeting with a prompt refusal, Proctor assaulted the place with 391 British regulars," who were repulsed with a loss of 96 killed and wounded.

The casualties among the garrison were but 1 killed and 7 slightly wounded.

This gallant defense by an officer not 21 years of age marked the turning point in Proctor's career. Thwarted at a moment when he felt sure that another American detachment would become the prey of his savage allies, he gathered his troops together and retired once more to Canada.

The enormous expense already incurred in the effort to retake Detroit, by marching through the wilderness, induced the Government, early in the year 1813, to organize a naval flotilla for the purpose of securing the command of Lake Erie.

With the vessels constructed in pursuance of this design, Commodore Perry, on the 10th of September, won the brilliant victory of Lake Erie, which gave our army direct communication by water with the enemy's stronghold.

Meantime, by calls upon the governors of Kentucky and Ohio, our numbers were increased to more than 7,000 men. With this force, Harrison crossed the lake to Canada, landing at Amherstburg on the 27th of September and pushing on in pursuit of the now retreating

a Thompson's Late War, p. 114.

b James's Military Occurrences between Great Britain and the United States, vol. 1,

p.

164.

d James's Military Occurrences between Great Britain and the United States, vol. 1, p. 265.

Proctor, overtook him at the Thames, on the 5th of October, and totally defeated him, inflicting a loss of 12 killed, 22 wounded, and 600 prisoners, all regulars, including 25 officers. The Indians, estimated at 1,200, left 33 warriors on the field, among whom was the famous Tecumseh.

Johnson's regiment of mounted infantry, after receiving the fire of 356 British regulars" posted in open order in a beech forest, charged with such impetuosity, that, in the language of General Harrison, one minute the contest, in front, was over. 996

in

Harrison estimated his force at little over 3,000; his casualties in killed and wounded were but 29. The whole number of regulars engaged on the enemy's side was 834.

After this decisive battle, which detached all of the Northwestern Indians from the British cause, and gave us back the territory we had lost, our Army was disbanded, pursuant to our usual practice, instead of being led to fresh victories. The militia and twelve months' men were discharged, while General Harrison with 1,300 regulars embarked at Detroit for Buffalo.

The cost of dispersing the 800 British regulars, who from first to last had made prisoners of Hull's army at Detroit, let loose the northwestern Indians, defeated and captured Winchester's command at Frenchtown, besieged the Northwestern army at Fort Meigs, and twice invaded Ohio, having experienced but one rebuff, at the hands of a stripling in command of 160 regulars at Fort Stephenson-teaches a lesson well worth the attention of any statesman or financier.

Not counting the hastily organized and half-filled regiments of regulars, sent to the West, the records of the Adjutant-General's Office show that about 50,000 militia were called out in 1812 and 1813, from the States of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, for service against Proctor's command.

As further evidence that the keys of the Treasury were turned over to the States with no check, save the honesty of the officers who made out the muster-rolls, it need only be stated that up to April 14, 1813, "no return of any description" e from General Harrison's division of the Army, had ever been received at the Adjutant-General's Office.

The above facts would seem to offer conclusive proof that the same mistake in statesmanship which, in time of peace, gives us a non-expansive military establishment, is certain to bring about, in time of war, useless sacrifice of human life, unlimited waste of money, and national humiliation.

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE CENTER.

In the central theater of operations, extending from Prescott, on the St. Lawrence River, to Lake Erie, the British regular force, on the 8th of February, 1813, was estimated by the Secretary of War at 2,100 men; the force necessary for offensive purposes on this line the Secretary stated "should not be less than 6,000 effective regular troops, because

a James's Military Occurrences between Great Britain and the United States, vol. 1, p. 279.

Harrison's Official Report, Fay's American War, p. 138.

Letter of Secretary of War to General Harrison, dated April 4, 1813, American State Papers, vol. 1, p. 453.

in the first enterprise of a second campaign, nothing must, if possible, be left to chance." a

The first movement of importance was the successful attack on York (now Toronto), on the 27th of April. In this enterprise our force numbered 1,700 men, their losses in killed and wounded, mostly by the explosion of a mine, being 280.

The British force was estimated at 750 regulars and militia and 100 Indians. Their losses were some 200 killed and wounded and 293 prisoners.

General Dearborn followed up this success by taking Fort George on the 27th of May, and later gained possession of all the forts on the Niagara frontier after a number of encounters with the enemy, who made but little resistance.

In one of these encounters, a night attack, attended by little loss on both sides, Generals Winder and Chandler had the misfortune to be taken prisoners. In another, Colonel Boerstler, believing himself to be surrounded by a superior force, surrendered with 542 men, of whom nearly 500 were regulars.

On the 6th of July, General Dearborn was relieved, this honored veteran of the Revolution having voluntarily given up his command, in conequence of ill health and infirmities.

While our Army was engaged at Fort George, the weakness of the garrison at Sacketts Harbor induced the enemy under Sir George Prevost to attack that place, his object being to take possession of our naval depot and stores and destroy the new ship General Pike, then in process of construction.

The invading force, from 900 to 1,200 strong, left Kingston on the 27th of May, and, landing on the 29th, was repulsed with a loss of 50 killed and 211 wounded. Our casualties were, regulars, 20 killed, 84 wounded, and 26 missing; volunteers, 2 killed; militia, 25 killed and wounded; total, 157.

The battle of Sackett's Harbor, like every one that had preceded it, established the value and superiority of disciplined troops.

In his report to the Secretary of War, General Brown of the militia, who, for this successful defense, was appointed a brigadier-general of the Army, thus speaks of the conduct of our troops:

My orders were that the troops should lie close and reserve their fire, until the enemy had approached so near that every shot might hit its object. It is, however, impossible to execute such orders with raw troops, unaccustomed to subordination. My orders were, in this case, disobeyed; the whole line fired, and not without effect; but in the moment while I was contemplating this, to my utter astonishment, they rose from their cover and fled. Colonel Mills fell gallantly, in brave but vain endeavors to stop his men. I was, personally, more fortunate. Gathering together about 100 militia, under the immediate command of Captain MeNitt, of that corps, we threw ourselves on the rear of the enemy's left flank, and, I trust, did some execution. It was during this last movement that the regulars under the command of Colonel Backus first engaged the enemy; nor was it long before they defeated him. Hurrying to this point of action, I found the battle still raging, but with obvious advantage on our side. The result of the action, so glorious for the officers and soldiers of the Regular Army, has already been communicated in my letter of the 29th. Had not General Prevost retreated most rapidly under the guns of his vessels, he would never have returned to Kingston. One thing in this business is to be seriously regretted: in the midst of the conflict fire was ordered to be set to the navy barracks and stores. This was owing to the infamous conduct of those who brought information to Lieutenant Chauncey that the battle was lost, and that to prevent the stores from falling into the enemy's hands they must be destroyed.

a American State Papers, vol. 1, p. 439.

b Fay's American War, p. 102.

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH.

Disgraceful as were our failures in the center, they shrink into insignificance when compared with the fate of our invasion from the Northern frontier. In this zone of operations two bodies of troops were assembled toward the end of the year, with the intention of attacking Montreal.

66

One column, numbering 8,000 regulars, under General Wilkinson, rendezvoused at the foot of Lake Ontario and was to descend the St. Lawrence, while the other, about 5,000 strong, under General Hampton, was to cooperate from the foot of Lake Champlain. This force, like Wilkinson's, was composed of regulars, or rather, recruits who had been but a short time in service and had not been exercised with that rigid discipline so essentially necessary to constitute the soldier. They had indeed been taught various evolutions, but a spirit of subordination was foreign to their views."¿

The exploits of these two commands are quickly related. Crossing the frontier, Hampton was repulsed on the Chateaugay by a force of some 800 Canadian militia and Indians, of whom not more than 400 were engaged, after which he returned to Lake Champlain and Plattsburg. Wilkinson began his descent of the St. Lawrence in November. On the 11th, his advance corps, numbering 1,600 or 1,700 men, encountered a force of 800 British regulars at Chrystler's Fields, where, after a fight of two hours, in which he lost 338 killed and wounded, our forces, being unable to dislodge the enemy, returned to their boats. This repulse was followed by a council of war, which decided "that the attack on Montreal should be abandoned for the present season and the Army near Cornwall be immediately crossed to the American shore, for taking up winter quarters." The fact must here be plainly stated that two American columns, mainly composed of regulars and numbering at least 13,000 men, recoiled before a force of regulars, militia, and Indians not exceeding 2,000.

Want of cooperation, superannuated and incompetent commanders, newly enlisted and undisciplined men, inexperienced officers-all the fruits of a bad military policy--were the causes of these humiliating

defeats.c

The story of Hampton's nerveless campaign affords perhaps the most satisfactory demonstration of the great importance of, once and for all, doing away with a military system which, as under the Confederation, still largely based itself upon the support and cooperation of the States.

During this period it happened that an election for governor occurred in the State of Vermont. The highest candidate having failed, by

a Official returns, Wilkinson's Memoirs, vol. 3, Appendix No. VII. Official report of Colonel Purdy, 4th New York, American State Papers, vol. 1, p. 479. This officer's estimate of General Hampton's force was about 4,000.

The spirit of the opposition at this stage of disaster was indicated in the following extract from the Boston Gazette: "Every hour is fraught with doleful tidings; humanity groans from the frontiers. Hampton's army is reduced to about 2,000; Wilkinson's cut up and famishing; crimination and recrimination the order of the day. Democracy has rolled herself up in weeds and laid down for its last wallowing in the slough of disgrace. Armstrong, the cold-blooded director of all the military anarchy, is chapfallen.

Now lift, ye saints, your heads on high,
And shout, for your redemption's nigh."

Ingersoll's Second War, vol. 1, p. 309.

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some 300 votes, to secure a majority, the election was thrown into the legislature, where, on joint ballot, Governor Chittenden was chosen by a majority of 3 votes. Being a bitter opponent of the war, he sought to place Vermont in a position of open hostility to the United States, by defying the authority of the General Government and wantonly interfering with its plans of campaign.

A brigade of Vermont militia, duly enrolled in the service of the United States, being stationed at Plattsburg in support of Hampton's command, then in Canada, Chittenden issued his roclamation, as } captain-general and governor commanding this militia force, to return to their homes" within the territorial limits of their own brigade, there to repel if need be, the enemy's invasion, either in cooperation with troops of the United States or separately, as might be necessary." a He then declared

That, in his opinion, the military strength and resources of the State must be reserved for its own defense and protection exclusively, excepting in cases provided for by the Constitution of the United States; and then under orders, derived only from the commander in chief. a

This attempt to bring about insubordination and mutiny, was promptly resisted by some of the patriotic men who had left their homes at the call of the Government. On the 15th of November, Lieutenant-Colonel Dixon and other officers of one of the Vermont regiments then at Plattsburg, replied to the governor that

When ordered into the service of the United States it becomes our duty to march to any section of the Union, not confined to the narrow limits of the town or State in which we reside. We are under a paramount obligation to our common country and the great confederacy of States; and while in actual service, your Excellency's power over us, as governor of Vermont, is suspended. If legally ordered into service of the United States, your Excellency has no power to order us out of it. An invitation or order to desert the standard of our country will never be obeyed by us, although it proceeds from the captain-general and governor of Vermont.a

As to the effect of this proclamation, the officers stated that-The governor's proclamation is a renewed instance of that spirit of disorganization and anarchy, carried on by a faction to overwhelm our country with ruin and disgrace. Your Excellency's object must be to embarrass the operations of the Army, excite mutiny and sedition among the soldiers, and induce them, by deserting, to forfeit their wages. Distributed among the soldiers by your agent employed for the purpose, your proclamation has produced no effect. They regard it with mingled emotions of pity and contempt for its author and as a striking monument of his folly. A knowledge of your Excellency's character, induces us to believe that the folly and infamy of the proclamation to which you have put your signature, are chiefly ascribable to the evil advisers, by whom your Excellency is encompassed.

The views of Mr. Ingersoll, a war member of Congress, as to the action of the Vermont officers are thus expressed:

By that military revolt, collision in arms and civil war were probably prevented, by insubordination, more lawful, rational, and patriotic than the command; for the militia were sustained in their resistance by the Supreme Court of the United States, whose decree condemned the military illegalities of the supreme court and other constituted authorities of Massachusetts, which misled the governor of Vermont. Gen. Jacob Davis, of the Vermont militia, charged by Governor Chittenden with the execution of his proclamation, was arrested as soon as he attempted it, at Plattsburg, and put in confinement, General Hampton having gone into winter quarters there, after his and General Wilkinson's quarrelsome abandonment of this expedition to Canada.c