CHAPTER LVI.

CAMPAIGNS OF 1813 383-425

Americans determined to conquer Canada this year 383

Disadvantage of the Governor-General of Canada from the fewness of his troops, regulars and militia, compared with those of the invading armies 383

Three American invading armies--one consisting of 18,000 men, the second of 7,000 men, and the third of 8,000 men 384

General Proctor's slender force at Detroit 384

Battle of Frenchtown; victory of Colonel Proctor; American misrepresentations respecting it corrected 385

Colonel Proctor promoted to be General 388

Several American plundering raids on Brockville and neighbourhood; retaliatory raid of the British on Ogdensburg; town ordnance, arms, &c., taken, and vessels destroyed 388

Canadian preparations in the winter of 1813 for the season's campaign; U.E. Loyalist regiment comes from Fredericton, New Brunswick, to Quebec, on snow shoes 390

The American plan of campaign to invade and take Canada in 1813 390

The American fleet on Lake Ontario superior to the British fleet; attack upon York with 1,700 men, commanded by Generals Dearborn and Pike; battle, explosion of a magazine; many of both armies killed; Canadians defeated and York taken 391

Americans evacuate York and return to Sackett's Harbour, after having destroyed public buildings, and taken much booty 393

Americans attack Fort George, Newark (Niagara), by land and water, and after a hard fight take the town and fort, the British retiring to Queenston 393

General Vincent, having destroyed the fortifications on the frontier, retreats to Burlington Heights, pursued by Generals Chandler and Winder, with an army of 3,500 infantry and 300 cavalry 394

Colonel Harvey, with 700 men, surprises the whole American army at Stony Creek, captures their two generals and 150 men, &c. 395

American army retreats in great disorder towards Fort George 396

The affair at the Beaver Dams; the capture of 700 American soldiers, with their officers, by a small party of soldiers and Indians--the captured prisoners being five to one of their captors 397

The American army confined to Fort George and its neighbourhood 397

A small party of the British retaliate the marauding game of the Americans by crossing the river at Chippewa, attacking and dismantling Fort Schlosser and bringing off military stores; and seven days afterwards, 11th July, crossing from Fort Erie to Black Rock, and burning the enemy's block-houses, stores, barracks, dockyards, &c. 397

The two armies almost within gunshot of each other at Fort George; but the Americans could not be drawn out to a battle, though their numbers were two to one to the British 398

General Harrison prepares to prosecute the war for recovering the Territories of Michigan; General Proctor raises the siege of Lower Sandusky and retires to Amherstburg 399

Unsuccessful expedition of Governor-General Prevost and Sir James L. Yeo against Sackett's Harbour; Sir George Prevost orders the withdrawment of the troops, at the very crisis of victory, to the great disappointment and dissatisfaction of his officers and men 399

OCCURRENCES ON LAKE ONTARIO.

Second unsuccessful attempt of Commodore Sir James Yeo on Sackett's Harbour 401

Commodore Chauncey's expedition to the head of the lake to take Burlington Heights is deferred by the preparations of Colonels Harvey and Battersby to receive him 402

Commodore Chauncey makes a second raid upon York (Toronto), plunders, burns, and departs; singular coincidence 402

The British fleet, sailing from Kingston the last day of July, with supplies for the army at the head of the lake, encounters the American fleet at Niagara, and after two days' manoeuvring, a partial engagement ensues, in which the British capture two small vessels--the Julia and Growler 402

A graphic account of the naval manoeuvring and battle by the American historian of the war, Brackenridge (in a note) 402

Encounters and tactics of the British and American fleets on Lake Ontario for the rest of the season 404

OCCURRENCES ON LAKE ERIE AND IN THE WEST.

Fleet fitting out by Commodore Perry at Presqu' Isle (Erie) blockaded by Commodore Barclay, who, neglecting his duty and absenting himself from Presqu' Isle, allowed the American fleet to get over the bar at the mouth of the harbour, and getting into the lake with their cannon reshipped and completely equipped 405

Commodore Barclay, the enemy too well manned and too powerful for him, sails for Amherstburg; is pursued by Commodore Perry and compelled to fight, in which he lost his fleet, though he fought bravely 406

In consequence of the loss of the fleet on Lake Erie, the British army in possession of the territory of Michigan, left without resources, evacuate the territory and Fort Detroit, before an American army of 7,000 men and 1,000 dragoons, under General Harrison 407

General Proctor retreats up the Thames; is pursued by General Harrison, with a force of 3,000 men, including 1,000 Kentucky dragoons, and overtaken near Moravian Town, where a battle ensues, in which General Proctor is defeated with heavy loss--the Indians remaining loyal, fighting longest, suffering most, with the loss of their chief, Tecumseh 408

Shameful burning of Moravian Town by the Americans 410

Americans accept Indian alliance; Americans intoxicated by these successes, but driven from every inch of Canadian territory before the end of the year 410

AMERICAN INVASION OF LOWER CANADA.

Defeat of an American advance invading division, and capture of two vessels, the Growler and Eagle, of eleven guns each, at the Isle-aux-Noix, by 108 men, under the command of Lieut.-Col. George Taylor 411

Attacks upon and capture and destruction of the American war materials, hospitals, barracks, &c., at Plattsburg, under Colonel Murray (General Moore retreating with 1,500 men), at Burlington (where was encamped General Hampton with 4,000 men), capturing and destroying four vessels, and afterwards at the towns of Champlain and Swanton, destroying the block-houses and barracks 412

These successes but preliminary to the Canadian victories of Chateauguay, and Chrystler's Farm 413

BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY.

General Hampton, with 5,000 men, defeated by the skill and courage of Colonel De Salaberry with 300 Canadians; the battle described, and the close of it witnessed, by the Governor-General Prevost and Major-General De Watteville 413

General Hampton with his demoralized army retires into winter quarters at Plattsburg 417

Next expedition against Montreal by the St. Lawrence, under command of General Wilkinson, with a force of 10,000 men; the American soldiers promised grand winter quarters at Montreal 417

American army descends the St. Lawrence from near Kingston in 300 boats; is followed by a detachment of the British from Kingston, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison, who overtakes and skirmishes with divisions of the American army on the way; at the American post, at the town of Hamilton, takes a considerable quantity of provisions and stores, and two pieces of ordnance 418

BATTLE OF CHRYSTLER'S FARM.

American force engaged between 3,000 and 4,000 men; the British forces were about 800 rank and file; preliminaries and description of the battle, said to be the most squarely and scientifically fought battle of the war 419

Losses; General Wilkinson's testimony as to the loyalty and courage of the Canadians 420

General Wilkinson proceeds down the St. Lawrence with his flotilla; disappointment and mortification at General Hampton's disobedience and failure to meet him at St. Regis; crosses the St. Lawrence and retires into winter quarters at Salmon River 420

The campaign of the season terminated in Lower Canada; the Canadian militia dismissed to their homes with thanks and applause 421

BRITISH VICTORIES IN UPPER CANADA.

In December, 1813, Lieutenant-General Drummond supersedes Major-General De Rottenburgh in command of Upper Canada, and proceeds to York and the head of the Lake at Burlington Heights; despatches Colonel Murray to arrest the predatory incursions of General McClure in the neighbourhood of Fort George, of which he was then in possession 422

McClure's plundering the inhabitants; his barbarous act in burning the town of Newark (Niagara), and flight to the American side of the river 423

The British, under command of Colonel Murray, take Fort Niagara, the whole garrison, and much warlike supplies 423

Lewiston, Manchester, Black Rock and Buffalo destroyed in retaliation for the burning of Newark (Niagara), and exposure of 400 women and children, by McClure 424

Proclamation issued by General Drummond, deprecating this savage mode of warfare, and declaring his purpose not to pursue it, unless compelled by the measures of the American Government 425