On the 22nd of January, 1814, General Jackson with about 1,400 men was attacked by a large body of the Creeks near the bend of the Tallapoosa. The Indians were repulsed with considerable loss, and the general having effected his object, a diversion in favour of General Floyd, retired to Fort Strother. A furious night attack, made upon General Floyd's detachment on the 27th, was successfully resisted; and the Indians were compelled, after a severe loss, to fly for shelter into the Caulibee swamp.

The last signal stroke of vengeance was inflicted on the Creeks at the Horse Shoe Bend, called by the Indians Tohopeka, on the Tallapoosa, March 27th, 1814. Here by the judicious arrangements of General Jackson, they were completely surrounded, and, after a most sanguinary battle, the greater part of them were destroyed. Six hundred warriors fell in the battle, and but 300 escaped.

This may be considered the closing scene of the Creek war, since the subsequent march of General Jackson to the Hickory Ground only terminated in the formal submission of the chiefs.

'The interference of Great Britain,' says an American historian, 'in the relations that subsisted between the United States and the Creek Indians, was, as will be presently seen, finally retaliated upon her, with four-fold vengeance. The war with those deluded savages was the school in which Generals Jackson, Coffee, and Carroll, became adepts in the tactics, that made a Tennessee rifleman superior to a "Weilington invincible," and qualified an army of citizen soldiers to defeat an army of veterans, of superior numbers. The ways of Providence are indeed inscrutable to man. When the Creek war broke out, the United States were completely begirt with enemies; and short-sighted man would have considered the addition of an infuriated and warlike race, to the list of their foes, as an event much to be deplored. But this circumstance, more than any other, favoured the defence of New Orleans. The officers and soldiers, who defeated the legions of Pakenham, Gibbs, Keane, and Lambert, were formed in the contest with the unfortunate victims to British influence.'

CHAPTER XXXIX.

CAMPAIGN OF 1814.

EARLY in the spring of 1813 an offer was made by the Emperor of Russia of his mediation as the common friend of the United States and Great Britain, for the purpose of facilitating a peace between them. The president having accepted this offer, commissioned John Quincy Adams, then minister of the United States at St. Petersburg, Albert Gallatin, and James A. Bayard, with the requisite powers to conclude a treaty of peace, with persons clothed with similar powers, on the part of Great Britain.

During the session of congress which commenced in December 1813, a communication was received from the British government, declining to treat under the mediation of Russia, and proposing a direct negotiation in London or Gottenburg. This proposition was accepted, and the latter place appointed for the meeting, which was afterwards transferred to Ghent; and Henry Clay and Jonathan Russell were added to the commissioners who had already gone to Europe.

For the purpose of increasing the force of the regular army, several acts of congress were passed offering large bounties to recruits, and providing liberally for the pay, rations, and clothing of the troops. A loan of twenty-five millions of dollars, and the issue of treasury notes for five millions, were also authorized. Provision was also made for the increase and better organisation of the navy, and for the defence of the seaboard. An embargo, which had been laid to prevent the trade under British licences, was repealed in April, 1814.

The fall of Napoleon having left Great Britain at peace with all nations except the United States, enabled that power to direct the whole of her disposable force against the Americans. This circumstance, increasing the perils of the campaign, rendered it necessary to make greater exertions and sacrifices for the defence of the country.

The spring passed away without any important operations on either side. The army which had wintered at French Mills, left that station in the early part of the spring, one

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division under General Wilkinson proceeding to Plattsburg, and the remainder under General Brown returning to Sackett's Harbour. In March, General Wilkinson entered Canada, and made an attack on a party of the British stationed in a large stone building called La Cole Mill. He was defeated with a heavy loss; and being soon afterwards superseded, his command was given to General Izard.

On the 5th of May, the British made a descent on Oswego, and succeeded in capturing and destroying the fort and military stores at that place; after which they returned to Kingston,

Early in July, General Brown crossed the Niagara river, and invested Fort Erie, which was surrendered without opposition, and the prisoners, 137 in number, were sent to Buffalo. The army then advanced to Chippewa, where a large body of the British were posted; and on the 5th of July, a severe engagement took place, in which the British lost upwards of 300 killed and wounded, 200 being left dead on the field. The American loss was 60 killed and 268 wounded and missing. The British then retired to Fort George, and General Brown took post at Queenstown, to await reinforcements from Sackett's Harbour.

The expected reinforcements, however, being blockaded by a British fleet off the harbour, did not arrive. Detachments from the army were occupied with unimportant skirmishes until July 25th, when the battle of Bridgewater, near the cataract of Niagara, took place.

The British advanced to the attack under General Drummond. The first brigade, under General Scott, with Towson's artillery and a body of cavalry, composed the advance of the Americans, and engaging the enemy at six o'clock in the evening, sustained the attack without support for an hour. General Ripley with fresh troops then arriving, relieved General Scott, and his exhausted brigade formed a reserve in the rear. The British artillery had taken post on an eminence at the head of Lundy's Lane, and poured a most deadly fire on the Americans. It became necessary to dislodge them or retreat. Will you advance and capture that battery?' said the commanding general to Colonel Miller. 'I will try, sir,' was the modest reply of the colonel, which afterwards became the motto of his regiment. He advanced coolly and steadily to his object amidst a most tremendous fire of artillery, and at the point of the bayonet carried the

328

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artillery and the height. The guns were turned upon the enemy. Several attempts were made to regain them without success. The principal force of both parties were directed to this point, and a most sanguinary contest took place, which resulted in the defeat of the British. The loss on each side was about 800. Generals Brown and Scott being both severely wounded in the battle, the command devolved upon General Ripley, who took post at Fort Erie. Here he was attacked by General Drummond, at the head of 5,000 troops, who formally invested the place on the 4th of August. Having advanced their lines to within 400 yards of the fort, the enemy commenced a brisk cannonade on the 13th, which continued the whole of that and the next day. The fire was steadily returned by the Americans. On the night of the 14th, an assault was made by the British, which resulted in their repulse, with the loss of 900 men; the Americans losing but 84.

One

On the 2nd of September, General Brown had so far recovered from his wounds as to be able to resume the command. The British main body, under General Drummond, were encamped two miles from Fort Erie, while his works were advanced to within 400 yards of the American lines. of the brigades with a detachment of artillery, was stationed at this advance. On the 17th, General Porter and General Miller, with large detachments, made a sortie with a view to cut off the British advanced posts from the main body. Within thirty minutes the whole line of the enemy's entrenchments were in possession of the Americans. The works were destroyed, and strong reinforcements of the enemy coming up, the Americans retired within their lines. The American loss was 79 killed, and 432 wounded and missing. The British lost 500 killed and wounded, and 385 captured. The result of this gallant sortie completely discouraged the enemy, who on the night of the 21st, raised the siege which had continued forty-nine days, and retired to his entrenchments behind the Chippewa.

On the 9th of October General Izard arrived with reinforcements from Plattsburg, and took the command, General Brown retiring to Sackett's Harbour. General Izard deeming it inexpedient to attempt any further offensive operations in this quarter, demolished the works at Fort Erie, and removed the troops to Buffalo.

The next attempt of the British was a descent upon Plattsburg. This was the principal military and naval depot for

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the army of the north and the flotilla on Lake Champlain. Its defence was intrusted to General Macomb, with 1,500 regulars, and the neighbouring militia, to be called in as occasion might require. On the 1st of September, General Provost, with 14,000 men, advanced to Champlain, within fifteen miles of the American lines. Having called in the militia, who flocked to his standard from the neighbouring country in great numbers, General Macomb made every exertion to impede the approach, and prepare for the attack of the enemy. The bridges on his line of march were broken up, and every possible impediment thrown in the way of his passage, and the fortifications at Plattsburg were strengthened by additional breastworks and batteries.

On the 6th of September the British advance was met at Batemantown, six miles from Plattsburg, by a corps of 700 militia, under General Mooers. After some slight skirmishing, the militia discovered the New York state dragoons in red uniform, reconnoitering the heights on their rear, and mistaking them for British troops in the act of surrounding their party, they broke and fled in every direction. On the same day the British, commanded by Sir George Prevost in person, entered Plattsburg. The Americans retired to the south side of the Saranac river, tore up the bridges and made breastworks of them, and guarded the ford-ways; while the British strengthened their works, and prepared for the attack.

While these operations were going forward on land, the American squadron on Lake Champlain lay at anchor in a bay two miles distant, awaiting the arrival of the British fleet, which was to assist in the simultaneous attack about to take place on land and water. On the morning of the 11th, the enemy's ships appeared, bearing down upon the Americans under easy sail, and the action immediately commenced. It was a hard fought battle, and it terminated in a manner highly honourable to the courage and resolution of Commodore M'Donough and his brave associates. The fleets were engaged two hours and twenty minutes. Nearly all the British ships were sunk or taken; and when the action closed, there was not a mast standing in either squadron to which a sail could be attached. When the flag-ship of the British, having lost its commander, Commodore Downie, struck her colours, the shores resounded with the acclamations of the American troops and citizens. The British, seeing their fleet completely conquered, were dispirited and dismayed.