378

SIEGE OF FORT ERIE.

Generals Brown and Scott being both severely wounded in the battle, the command devolved upon General Ripley, who took post at Fort Erie. General Gaines having arrived soon after and taken the command, 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.

On the 2d 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, was encamped two miles from Fort Erie, while his works were advanced to within 400 yards of the American lines. One of his brigades, with a detachment of artillery, was stationed at this advance. On the 17th, Generals Porter, Miller, and Brown, 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. 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 49 days, and retired to his entrenchments behind the Chippewa.

The

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 depôt for the army of the north and the flotilla on Lake Champlain.

Who invested Fort Erie ?

When was the siege raised?

What took place on the 13th of Au- How long had it lasted?

What was done by General Izard? What was the next point of attack for the British?

BATTLE ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN,

379

Its defence was entrusted 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 Prevost, with 14,000 men, advanced to Champlain, within 15 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

How was Plattsburg defended?

What was the force of General Prevost?

What took place on the 6th of September?

Describe the naval battle of the 11th.

380

FLIGHT OF GENERAL PREVOST.

troops and citizens. The British, seeing their fleet completely conquered, were dispirited and dismayed.*

At the moment when the naval action had commenced, the British from their works on shore, had opened a heavy fire of shot, shells and rockets upon the American lines. Under cover of this fire, three desperate efforts were made to cross the Saranac, for the purpose of carrying the American lines by assault, all which were met and successfully resisted. One ford, guarded by militia, was passed, and a body of the British being drawn into the woods, were so severely handled that they were compelled to recross the river with considerable loss. At six o'clock in the evening, the British batteries were silenced; and during the night the whole army decamped with precipitation, leaving their sick and wounded, and most of their camp equipage, entrenching tools and provisions, behind them. This retreat was so sudden and unexpected, that it was not discovered by the American general till the British were eight miles from the late scene of action. Indeed he had little reason to suppose that a disciplined and well appointed army, Wellington's veterans,' numbering some fourteen thousand, would have fled so incontinently from 1,500 American regulars, and 3,000 militia. The hard fighting on the lake must have had what it is the fashion to call a moral effect.' In the phrase of Monsieur De Bourrienne, it demoralised' them. Their commander was dis missed and disgraced by his government.

6

This battle terminated the active warfare on the Canada border, the general result of which conveys to Americans the important lesson that the genius of their institutions, and the character of the people, are as uncongenial to all schemes of foreign conquest as they are favourable to the resolute and unflinching defence of their own soil. The militia who displayed so much bravery near their own fire-sides, could never be brought to enter heartily into the scheme of invad

What was the result?

What was the comparative force of the fleets?

What was the effect of M'Donough's victory on the land operations? What remarks are made on the Canada war?

The American force consisted of the Saratoga 26 guns; Eagle 20; Ticonderoga 17; Preble 7; 6 galleys of 2 guns; and 4 of 1-in all 86 guns, and 820 men. The British had the Confiance 39 guns; Linnet 16; Cherub 12; Finch 11; 5 galleys of 2 guns each; and 8 of 1 gun each-making in all 95 guns, and 1,020 men. American loss 52 killed, 58 wounded. British loss 84 killed, 110 wounded. The old story! The result was always about ir the same roportion when the fighting was done on the water.

CAPTAIN PORTER'S CRUISE.

381 ing the British territory. All efforts in that quarter resulted in the same lame and impotent conclusion.' Even the splendid achievements at Chippewa, Bridgewater, and Fort Erie, produced nothing in the way of conquest; while the defence of Fort Sandusky and Plattsburg brought the solid advantages of immunity from foreign oppression and savage warfare.

The naval events of this campaign on the ocean were not less brilliant than those with which the war had commenced. The cruise of Captain Porter in the frigate Essex, chiefly in the Pacific Ocean, had commenced in 1812. He had captured a large number of British vessels, and had succeeded in completely destroying the enemy's commerce within the range of his cruise. One of the captured vessels had been converted into a vessel of war mounting 20 guns, which he named the Essex Junior. The intelligence of Captain Porter's exploits in the Pacific had at length occasioned a force of the enemy to be sent in pursuit of him. While the Essex and Essex Junior were lying in the harbour of Valparaiso, the Phœbe, a British frigate of 38 guns, and a sloop of war, appeared off the port. Having entered the harbour and obtained provisions, they cruised off the port for six weeks. Their united force was much greater than Captain Porter's. On the 28th of March, the Essex attempted to escape to sea, but in rounding the point she was struck by a squall which carried away her main top mast, and unable to regain the harbour, Captain Porter ran into a small bay and anchored within pistol shot of the shore. Here, in violation of the rights of neutrality, he was attacked in a most unfavourable position by a superior force, consisting of both the British ships above mentioned, and after gallantly maintaining the unequal contest for three hours, was compelled to surrender. The disregard of the British for the rules of warfare relating to an enemy under the protection of a neutral nation, was, subsequently referred to by the Americans in justification of General Jackson's retaliatory proceedings in Florida.

The sloop of war Peacock of 18 guns commanded by Captain Warrington, on the 29th of April, fell in with, and after an action of 42 minutes, captured the British brig of war Epervier of 18 guns; the Peacock and her prize, with 120,000 dollars in specie, arrived safely in the United States. The sloop of war Wasp, of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Blakely, encountered, on the 28th of June, the British brig of

What other naval actions took place this year?

war Reindeer, of 19 guns, and after a spirited action of two hours compelled her to surrender. The British vessel was so much disabled that it was found necessary to set her on fire. In September, Captain Blakely fell in with and captured the British sloop of war Avon of 20 guns. The appearance of a British squadron compelled Captain Blakely to abandon his prize, which sunk soon after the removal of her crew.

In February, 1815, Captain Stewart in the Constitution fell in with the British frigate Cyane, of 34 guns, and the sloop of war Levant, of 21 guns, and notwithstanding their great superiority of force, engaged them both and soon compelled their surrender. The British loss in both their ships was 77 killed and wounded; the American, 3 killed and 12 wounded.

The frigate President, commanded by Captain Decatur, on the morning after sailing from New York, was chased by the British blockading squadron, consisting of the Majestic, mounting 70 guns, and the Endymion, Pomona and Tenedos, of 50 guns each. Being overtaken first by the Endymion, she was engaged, completely dismantled, and her guns silenced; but the squadron soon after coming up, the gallant Decatur was compelled to strike his colours.

A very spirited naval actio was that of the Hornet, of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Biddle, and the Penguin, of 19 guns, fought in January, 1815, and terminated by the capture and destruction of the British vessel. The achievements of the navy had rendered this species of force highly popular with the nation; and its encouragement and gradual increase has ever since been the settled policy of the govern

ment.

The withdrawal of the British arms from the continent of Europe, and their embarkation for this country, rendered it a matter of necessity to fortify every important point on the seaboard, as it could not be known where the anticipated invasion was to take place. The people of the great commercial cities, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore, employed themselves with great activity in strengthening their respective fortifications, and the militia were mustered, and large bodies of them drafted for camp duty. The military district in the neighbourhood of Washington, was assigned to General Winder, and 1,000 regular troops were placed at his disposal, with authority to call out 15,000 militia, if their services should be required.

What measures of defence were taken | Who commanded the army near Wash

on the seaboard?

ington ?