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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/33621-8.txt b/33621-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..053dbc7 --- /dev/null +++ b/33621-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1774 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Battle of Fort George, by Ernest Cruikshank + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Battle of Fort George + A paper read on March 14th, 1896 + +Author: Ernest Cruikshank + +Release Date: September 3, 2010 [EBook #33621] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + + + + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + "Ducit Amor Patriae" + + TRANSACTION NO. 1 + + Niagara Historical Society. + + + + + BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE + + + + + A PAPER READ ON MARCH 14TH, 1896, BY + + ERNEST CRUIKSHANK + + CAPT. 44TH BATTALION. + + + + + NIAGARA: + PICKWELL BROS., BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS. + 1896. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The reproach has frequently been cast upon us that Canada has no +history; it might be said of us with far more justice that we do not +know our own history. The various historical societies are, by their +efforts, trying to wipe away this reproach, and we feel proud of +following in the wake of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society in +publishing a paper written by Capt. Cruikshank, who has well earned the +title of the historian of the Niagara peninsula. + +Of the towns of Ontario not one we are sure possesses a history so +eventful, so ancient, so interesting as Niagara, having been at +different times a legislative, an educational, a military and a +commercial centre, at one time occupied by the enemy and again a heap of +smoking ruins, now a quiet summer resort with many points of historical +interest, with wide streets shaded by old elms and having unrivalled +lake and river scenery. The members of the youngest of these Historical +Societies feel that they may congratulate themselves on being able to +place in the hands of the public the story which so far has not yet been +told of the Taking of Fort George, told too in a style so clear, so +dispassionate, and shewing such deep research, a story of troublesome +times, which so told can not but be helpful to old and young of every +nationality. + +Asking for our first venture a kind reception we send it out to the +public, hoping that it may do its part in proving that we have a not +ignoble history which should inspire us to yet nobler deeds. + + + + +BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE. + +27TH MAY, 1813. + + +For about a quarter of a century Niagara was the principal town and +commercial capital of Western Canada, and for a brief period was +actually the seat of government for the Upper Province. The removal of +the provincial officers to York in 1796 struck the first blow at its +supremacy, but its material prosperity continued until the beginning of +the war with the United States when its exposed situation subjected it +to a series of calamities which culminated in its total destruction on +the 10th of December, 1813. + +During that time many travellers of more or less note visited the place +at short intervals on their way to or from the Falls, and a considerable +number of them have recorded their observations. Patrick Campbell in +1791, D'Arcy Bolton in 1794, the Duke de Rochefoucauld Liancourt in +1795, Isaac Weld and J. C. Ogden in 1796, John Maude in 1800, George +Heriot in 1806, Christian Schultz in 1807, John Melish in 1810 and +Michael Smith in 1812 have described the town and adjacent country at +considerable length from various points of view. Other accounts are to +be found in the _National Intelligencer_ newspaper published at +Washington, D. C., in 1812, and in Smith's Gazetteer of Upper Canada for +1813. From these numerous sources it would seem an easy task to form a +fairly correct estimate of the appearance of the town, its commercial +importance and the character of the inhabitants. + +[Illustration: THE TAKING OF FORT GEORGE.] + +It is described as being nearly a mile square, sparsely built, with many +pasture fields, gardens, orchards and open spaces interspersed among the +houses. Smith, an American resident of the province now was expelled in +1812 for having declined to take oath of allegiance, states that there +were "several squares of ground in the village adorned with almost every +kind of precious fruit." According to the same authority it contained +two churches--one of them built of stone, a court house and jail, an +Indian council house, an academy in which Latin and Greek were taught by +the Rev. John Burns a Presbyterian minister, a printing house, six +taverns, twenty stores and about a hundred dwelling houses, many of them +described as "handsome buildings of brick or stone, the rest being of +wood, neatly painted." From the lake the town is said to have made an +"imposing appearance" as most of the buildings fronted the water. Smith +concludes his account with the remark that it was "a beautiful and +prospective place, inhabited by civil and industrious people." Dr. John +Mann, a surgeon in the United States army who accompanied the +invading forces and afterwards wrote the "Medical History of the War," +styles it "a delightful village." The population was probably +underestimated at five hundred exclusive of the regular garrison of Fort +George, usually numbering about two hundred men. The names of John +Symington, Andrew Heron, Joseph Edwards, John Grier, John Baldwin and +James Muirhead have been recorded as some of the principal merchants. + +An open plain or common of nearly a mile in width separated the town +from Fort George. This post was described by the Governor General in the +early summer of 1812, in official report on the defences of Upper Canada +as an irregular fieldwork consisting of six small bastions faced with +framed timber and plank, connected by a line of palisades twelve feet +high, and surrounded by a shallow dry ditch. Its situation and +construction were alike condemned as extremely defective. Although it +partially commanded Fort Niagara it was in turn overlooked and commanded +by the high ground on the opposite side of the river near Youngstown. +The troops were lodged in blockhouses inside affording quarters for 220 +men, besides which there was a spacious building for the officers. The +magazine was built of stone with an arched roof but was not considered +bombproof. All the works were very much out of repair and reported as +scarcely capable of the least defence. + +On the margin of the river immediately in front of the fort stood a +large log building known as Navy Hall, which had been constructed during +the American Revolution, to serve as winter-quarters for the officers +and seamen of the Provincial vessels on Lake Ontario. Near this was a +spacious wharf with good-sized store houses, both public and private. +The Ranger's Barracks, also built of logs and an Indian Council House +were situated on the further edge of the common, just south of the town. +A small stone light house had been built upon Mississauga Point, in +1805-6. + +The road leading along the river to Queenston, was thickly studded with +farm buildings, and the latter village is said to have contained nearly +a hundred houses, many of them being large and well built structures of +stone or brick, with a population estimated at 300. Vessels of fifty +tons and upwards, loaded with goods for the upper country, sailed up the +river to this place, where they discharged their cargoes, and took in +furs and grain in return. Ever since its establishment, the "Carrying +Place" on the Canadian side of the river, had furnished much profitable +employment to the neighboring farmers, who were paid at the rate of +twenty pence, New York currency, a hundred weight for hauling goods +between Queenston and Chippawa; Maude relates that during his visit in +1800, he passed many carts and wagons on this road, taking up boxes and +bales of merchandise, or bringing down furs, each drawn by two horses or +two yoke of oxen. Three schooners were then moored at the wharf at +Queenston, and fourteen teams stood waiting to be loaded. Others had +noticed as many as fifty or sixty teams passing each other in a day. At +this time the old portage on the American bank was entirely dis-used, +but in 1806 the exclusive rights to the carrying place on that side were +granted to Porter, Barton & Co., and much of the traffic was +consequently diverted. + +Christian Schultz, tells us that in 1807, the Canadian side of the river +was "one settled street, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie," while the +other was still almost wholly "waste and uninhabited," which he +attributes chiefly to the fact, that the land on the American bank was +entirely held by speculators. The villages of Chippawa and Fort Erie +contained about twenty houses each. For upwards of twenty miles back, he +states that the country was pretty well settled from lake to lake. A +stage coach made three round trips weekly between Niagara and Fort Erie. +A considerable sum from the Provincial Treasury was annually spent in +opening and improving roads. Frenchman's, Miller's and Black creeks were +bridged only on the river road, but there was a bridge across Lyon's +creek, at Cook's Mills, and the Chippawa was bridged at its mouth, and +at Brown's sixteen miles higher up. From the Portage Road near the +Falls, a continuation of Lundy's Lane led westerly through the +Beechwoods and Beaver Dam settlements, crossed the Twelve Mile creek at +DeCew's, and following the crest of the mountain to the Twenty, ascended +that stream as far as a small hamlet, known as "Asswago" and finally +united with the main road from Niagara to York near Stoney Creek. +Another well travelled road from Queenston passed through St. Davids, +and joined the Lake Road from Niagara at Shipman's tavern, where they +crossed the Twelve Mile Creek on the present site of the city of St. +Catharines. A third leading from Niagara through the dreaded "Black +Swamp," of which all trace has long since disappeared, united with the +road from St. Davids before crossing the Four Mile creek. Still another +beginning near the mouth of the Two Mile creek, ran nearly parallel with +the river, till it intersected Lundy's Lane. Besides these there were +the main travelled roads along the river from Queenston to Niagara, and +along the lake from Niagara to Burlington. + +In 1794, Lieutenant Governor Simcoe styled the Niagara settlement, "the +bulwark of Upper Canada," and affirmed that the militia were loyal to a +man, and "very well calculated for offensive warfare." Since then the +character and feelings of the population had been essentially altered. +Many of the first settlers had died or removed with their families to +other parts of the Province, and their places had been taken by later +immigrants from the United States. The twenty townships extending from +Ancaster to Wainfleet, which then composed the County of Lincoln, were +supposed to contain 12,000 inhabitants in the spring of 1812. In the +entire province of Upper Canada, one-sixth of the population were +believed to be natives of the British Isles and their children; the +original loyalist settlers and their descendants were estimated to +number as many more, while the remainder, or about two-thirds of the +whole, were recent arrivals from the United States, chiefly attracted by +the fertility of the soil and freedom from taxation. Michael Smith +states (1813), that within twelve years, the population "had increased +beyond conjecture, as the terms of obtaining land have been extremely +easy." The proportion of loyalists in the County of Lincoln was perhaps +greater than elsewhere, but it is probably a safe estimate to say that +one-third of the inhabitants were recent settlers from the United +States, who had removed to escape taxation or avoid militia service. +John Maude met several families in 1800 on their way to Canada from +those counties in Pennsylvania, where the 'Whiskey Insurrection' had +just been suppressed who informed him that "they had fought seven years +against taxation, and were then being taxed more than ever. Hundreds of +them" he remarked "have removed, are removing, and will remove into +Upper Canada, where they will form a nest of vipers in the bosom that +fosters them." + +In 1811, the Governor General estimated the number of militiamen in +Upper Canada fit for service at 11,000, of whom he significantly stated +that it would probably not be prudent to arm more than 4000. This was +virtually an admission, that more than half the population were +suspected of disaffection. The Lincoln Militia were organized in five +regiments, numbering about 1,500 men, of whom perhaps two-thirds were +determined loyalists. + +In many quarters before the war, the disaffection of the people was open +and undisguised, Schultz states that while at Presqu'ile, on Lake +Ontario, in 1807, he strolled along the main road, and found six or +seven farmers assembled in a country tavern, who had just heard of the +Chesapeake affair. "They seemed disappointed," he observed "that I did +not think it would lead to war, when they expected to become part of the +United States." He also relates that he was subsequently in a public +house in Niagara, where eight or ten persons were gathered about a +billiard table. The attack upon the Chesapeake again became the topic of +conversation, and one man said, "If Congress will only send us a flag +and a proclamation declaring that whoever is found in arms against the +United States, shall forfeit his lands, we will fight ourselves free +without any expense to them." + +John Melish declared his conviction from enquiries made during his visit +in 1810, "that if 5000 men were sent into Upper Canada with a +proclamation of independence, the great mass of the people would join +the American Government." Barnabas Bidwell, formerly Attorney General of +Massachusetts, who had become a defaulter and fled to the Newcastle +District, near the Bay of Quinte, where he was engaged in teaching a +private school, wrote secretly to his political friends in a similar +strain. + +These statements were eagerly quoted, and no doubt believed by the +leaders of the war party in Congress. Henry Clay assured the people +that "the conquest of Canada is in your power. I trust I shall not be +deemed presumptuous when I state that I verily believe that the Militia +of Kentucky are alone competent to place Montreal and Upper Canada at +your feet." + +On the 6th of March, 1812, Calhoun expressed equal confidence. "So far +from being unprepared, Sir," he exclaimed. "I believe that four weeks +from the time the declaration of war is heard on our frontier, the whole +of Upper Canada and a part of Lower Canada will be in our possession." + +Jefferson wrote about the same time that "The acquisition of Canada this +year as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, would be a mere matter of +marching, and would give us experience for the attack of Halifax, the +next and the final expulsion of England from the American continent." + +Mr. Eustis, the Secretary of War, was if possible, still more +optimistic, "We can take Canada without soldiers," he declared, "we have +only to send officers into the Province and the people disaffected to +their own Government will rally round our standard." Gen. Widgery, a +representative in Congress, gained momentary notoriety by his statement. +"I will engage to take Canada by contract. I will raise a company and +take it in six weeks." Another speaker declared that "Niagara Falls +could be resisted with as much success as the American people when +roused into action" After the declaration of war had been promulgated, +Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the real leader +of the war party solemnly declared that he would never consent to any +treaty of peace which did not provide for the cession of Canada. + +The correspondence of General Brock with the Governor General, shows +that in many respects these expectations were well founded, and that he +was far from being hopeful of offering a successful defence without +strong reinforcements. + +"The late increase of ammunition and every species of stores," he wrote +on the 2nd December, 1811, "the substitution of a strong regiment and +the appointment of a military person to the government, have tended to +infuse other sentiments among the most reflecting part of the community, +and during my visit to Niagara last week I received most satisfactory +professions of a determination on the part of the principal inhabitants +to exert every means in their power for the defence of their property +and to support the government. They look with confidence to you for aid. +Although perfectly aware of the number of improper characters who have +obtained possessions and whose principles diffuse a spirit of +insubordination very adverse to all military institutions, I believe the +majority will prove faithful. It is best to act with the utmost +liberality and as if no mistrust existed. Unless the inhabitants give a +faithful aid it will be utterly impossible to preserve the province, +with the limited number of military." + +On the 24th of February, 1812, a proclamation was published announcing +that divers persons had recently come into the province with a +seditious intent and to endeavor to alienate the minds of His Majesty's +subjects, and directing the officers appointed to enforce the act lately +passed by the Legislature for the better security of the province +against all seditious attempts to be vigilant in the discharge of their +duties. Joseph Edwards of Niagara, Samuel Street of Willoughby, Thomas +Dickson of Queenston, William Crooks of Grimsby and Samuel Hutt of +Ancaster were among the persons commissioned to execute this law. + +On the 17th of April, a boy at Queenston fired a shot across the river +which happily did no injury. He was promptly arrested and committed for +trial, and two resident magistrates, James Kirby and Robert Grant, +tendered an apology to the inhabitants of Lewiston for his offence. Five +days later General Brock reported that a body of three hundred men in +plain clothes had been seen patrolling the American side of the river. +On the 25th, it was announced that 170 citizens of Buffalo, had +volunteered for military service. A proclamation by President Madison +calling out one hundred thousand was published about the same time, and +the Governor of New York was required to send 500 men to the Niagara +which he hastened to do, being a warm advocate of the war. + +Meanwhile the flank companies of militia regiments of the counties of +Lincoln, Norfolk and York were embodied by General Brock, and drilled +six times a month. They numbered about 700 young men belonging to "the +best class of settlers." By the recent Militia Act, they were required +to arm and clothe themselves, and as many of them had far to travel, +Brock begged that they should at least receive an allowance for rations. + +The Governor General suggested that the Government of the United States +entertained hopes that something might happen to provoke a quarrel +between its soldiers and the British troops on that frontier, and +desired him to take every precaution to prevent any such pretext for +hostilities. + +Early in May, Brock made a rapid tour of inspection along the Niagara, +thence to the Mohawk village on the Grand river, returning to York by +way of Ancaster. He reported that the people generally seemed well +disposed and that the flank companies had mustered in full strength. + +By the 17th of June six hundred American militia were stationed along +the river, and a complaint was made by three reputable inhabitants of +Fort Erie that their sentries were in the habit of wantonly firing +across the stream. On the 25th of the same month this period of suspense +was terminated by the arrival of a special messenger employed by Mr. +Astor and other American citizens interested in the Northwest fur trade, +to convey the earliest possible information of war to Colonel Thomas +Clark, of Queenston, who immediately reported his intelligence to the +commandant of Fort Erie. The messenger, one Vosburg, of Albany, had +travelled with relays of horses at such speed that he outrode the +official courier bearing despatches to Fort Niagara by fully +twenty-four hours. On his return he was arrested at Canandaigua, and +held to bail together with some of his employers, but it does not appear +that they were ever brought to trial. + +Lieut. Gansevoort and a sergeant in the United States Artillery, who +happened to be on the Canadian side were made prisoners, and the ferry +boats plying across the river at Queenston and Fort Erie, were seized by +the British troops at those places. The people of Buffalo received their +first intimation of the declaration of war by witnessing the capture of +a merchant schooner off the harbor by boats from Fort Erie. + +The flank companies of militia marched immediately to the frontier, and +were distributed along the river in taverns and farm houses. On the +second day, General Brock arrived from York, with the intention of +making an attack on Fort Niagara. He had then at his disposal, 400 of +the 41st Regiment, and nearly 800 militia. Success was all but certain, +as the garrison was weak and inefficient. His instructions however, were +to act strictly on the defensive, and he abandoned this project in the +conviction that the garrison might be driven out at any time by a +vigorous cannonade. Rumors of his design seem to have reached General P. +B. Porter, who commanded the militia force on the other side, and he +made an urgent demand for reinforcements. + +"The British on the opposite side are making the most active +preparations for defence," Benjamin Barton wrote from Lewiston on the +24th of June, "New troops are arriving from the Lower Province +constantly, and the quantity of military stores etc. that have arrived +within these few weeks is astonishing. Vast quantities of arms and +ammunition are passing up the country, no doubt to arm the Indians +around the Upper Lakes, (for they have not white men enough to make use +of such quantities as are passing). One-third of the militia of the +Upper Province are formed into companies called flankers, and are well +armed and equipped out of the King's stores, and are regularly trained +one day in a week by an officer of the standing troops. A volunteer +troop of horse has lately been raised and have drawn their sabres and +pistols. A company of militia artillery has been raised this spring, and +exercise two or three days in the week on the plains near Fort George, +and practice firing and have become very expert. The noted Isaac Sweazy, +has within a few days received a captain's commission for the flying +artillery, of which they have a number of pieces. We were yesterday +informed by a respectable gentleman from that side of the river, that he +was actually purchasing horses for the purpose of exercising his men. +They are repairing Fort George, and building a new fort at York. A +number of boats are daily employed, manned by their soldiers, plying +between Fort George and Queenston, carrying stores, lime and pickets, +for necessary repairs, and to cap the whole, they are making and using +every argument and persuasion to induce the Indians to join them, and we +are informed the Mohawks have volunteered their service. In fact, +nothing appears to be left undone by their people that is necessary for +their defence." + +However, the Governor General seized the first opportunity of again +advising his enterprising lieutenant to refrain from any offensive +movements. "In the present state of politics in the United States" he +said, "I consider it prudent to avoid any means which can have the least +tendency to unite their people. While dissension prevails among them, +their attempts on the Province will be feeble. It is therefore my wish +to avoid committing any act which may even from a strained construction +tend to unite the Eastern and Southern States, unless from its +perpetration, we are to derive an immediate, considerable and important +advantage." + +Brock felt so confident at that moment of his ability to maintain his +ground on the Niagara, that he actually stripped Fort George of its +heaviest guns for the defence of Amherstburg, which he anticipated would +be the first point of attack. But the militia who had turned out so +cheerfully on the first alarm, after the lapse of a couple of uneventful +weeks, became impatient to return to their homes and families. They had +been employed as much as possible in the construction of batteries at +the most exposed points, and as they were without tents, blankets, +hammocks, kettles, or camp equipage of any kind, they had suffered +serious discomfort even at that season of the year. As their prolonged +absence from their homes, in some cases threatened the total destruction +of their crops, many were allowed to return on the 12th of July, and it +was feared that the remainder would disband in defiance of the law which +only imposed a fine of £20 for desertion. Nearly all of them were +wretchedly clothed, and a considerable number were without shoes, which +could not be obtained in the Province at any price. Many of the +inhabitants Brock indignantly declared, were "indifferent or American in +feeling." + +However, the month of July passed away without developing any symptom of +an offensive movement on this frontier. On the 22nd, the session of the +Legislature began at York, with the knowledge that General Hull had +invaded the Province at Sandwich with a strong force, and in hourly +expectation of tidings that the garrison of Amherstburg had surrendered +to superior numbers. Yet amid these depressing circumstances, Brock +concluded his "speech from the throne" with these hopeful and inspiring +words. "We are engaged in an awful and eventful contest. By unanimity +and despatch in our councils, and by vigor in our operations, we may +teach the enemy this lesson, that a country defended by freemen who are +enthusiastically devoted to their King and Constitution can never be +conquered." + +During the following week the most discouraging reports from Amherstburg +continued to arrive almost daily. It seemed as if the invading army +would be able to over run the whole of the Western District, with +scarcely a show of resistance on the part of the inhabitants. A +majority of the members of the Legislature were apathetic or despondent. +They passed a new militia act, and an act to provide for the defence of +the Province, but amended both in a highly unsatisfactory manner, after +which the House was hastily prorogued by the General who was eager to +proceed to the seat of war. + +"The House of Assembly," he wrote on the 4th of August, "have refused to +do anything they are required. Everybody considers the fate of the +country as settled, and is afraid to appear in the least conspicuous in +the promotion of measures to retard it. I have this instant been +informed that a motion was made in the House and only lost by two votes, +that the militia should be at liberty to return home, if they did not +receive their pay on a fixed day every month." + +On the succeeding day he began his march to the relief of Amherstburg. +Most of the regulars and some of the militia which had been hitherto +stationed along the Niagara, preceded or accompanied him on this +expedition, which they were fortunately enabled to do by the inactivity +of the enemy on the opposite bank, who actually do not seem to have +become aware of their absence until they had returned victorious. Lieut. +Col. Myers, the Assistant Quartermaster General, was left in command. +The men belonging to the flank companies who had been allowed to return +to their homes to assist in the harvest were summoned to rejoin, and 500 +more held in readiness to support them. + +On the 20th of August, the inhabitants were thrown into a frenzy of +delight by the almost incredible intelligence that Detroit had been +taken with the entire American army. A few hours later, General Van +Rensselaer who was still in ignorance of this event, signed an armistice +which put an end to any further apprehension of an attack for several +weeks. + +The Americans did not remain idle during the interval. A body of five or +six thousand men was assembled and five detached batteries were +completed on the bank of the river, between Fort Niagara and Youngstown, +two of which were armed with very heavy guns, and two with mortars. + +Upon the termination of the armistice, the militia generally returned to +their posts with alacrity, accompanied by a number of old loyalists +unfit for service in the field, but capable of performing garrison duty. + +The Garrison Order-book of Fort George still exists to bear witness to +the ceaseless vigilance with which the movements of the enemy were +watched. On the 2nd of October an order was issued directing one-third +of the troopers to "sleep in their clothes, fully accoutred and ready to +turn out at a moment's notice." This was followed on the 6th by another, +requiring the whole of the regular troops and militia to be under arms +by the first break of day, and not to be dismissed until full daylight, +and on the 12th all communication with the enemy by flag of truce was +forbidden, unless expressly authorized by the commanding general. + +On the morning of the 13th of October, as soon as General Brock was +convinced that the Americans were actually crossing the river at +Queenston, he directed Brigade Major Evans who remained in command at +Fort George, to open fire with every available gun upon Fort Niagara and +the adjacent batteries, and continue it until they were absolutely +silenced. This attack was forestalled by the enemy, who, as soon as they +perceived the columns of troops marching out on the road to Queenston, +turned the whole of their artillery upon Fort George and the neighboring +village, with such a disastrous effect, that in a few minutes the Jail +and Court House and fifteen or sixteen other buildings were set in a +blaze by their red hot shot. Major Evans had at his command not more +than twenty regular soldiers who composed the main guard for the day. +The whole of the small detachment of Royal Artillery usually stationed +in the Fort, had accompanied the field guns to repel the attack upon +Queenston. Colonel Claus, with a few men of the 1st Lincoln Regiment, +and Capt. Powell and Cameron with a small detachment of militia +artillery, alone remained to man the guns of the fort and batteries. The +gravity of the situation was greatly increased by the fact, that upwards +of three hundred prisoners were confined in the jail and guardhouse +which was now menaced with destruction. However, while the guards and +the greater part of the militia were vigorously engaged in fighting the +flames, amid an incessant cannonade, under the personal direction of +Major Evans and Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers, the batteries +were served by the militia artillery men, assisted by two +non-commissioned officers of the 41st Regiment, with such energy and +success that in the course of an hour the American guns were totally +silenced. By that time the Court House and some other buildings had been +totally consumed, and the disheartening news arrived that Gen. Brock and +Colonel McDonell had been killed, and their men repulsed by the enemy +who were landing in great force at Queenston, and had obtained +possession of the heights. Evans rode off at once to send forward every +man that could be spared from the stations along the river. He had just +marched off a small party from Young's battery, when the American +batteries resumed firing, and obliged him to return at full speed to his +post. As he reached the main gate at Fort George, he encountered a party +of panic-stricken soldiers flying from the place, who informed him that +the roof of the magazine which was known to contain eight hundred +barrels of powder was on fire. Captain Vigoreux climbed upon the burning +building without an instant's hesitation, and his gallant example being +quickly followed by several others, the metal covering was soon torn +away and the flames extinguished in the wood beneath. The storehouses at +Navy Hall were, however, next set in a blaze which could not be overcome +owing to their exposed situation, and they were totally destroyed. The +artillery combat was resumed, and continued till not only Fort Niagara, +but all the other batteries on that side of the river were absolutely +silenced and deserted. One of the largest guns in that fort had burst, +completely wrecking the platform, disabling several men and dismaying +the remainder to such an extent that they deserted the place in a body, +and could not be induced to return until the firing had ceased. For +several hours the works were entirely abandoned, and could have been +taken without the least resistance, had Evans been able to spare men for +the purpose. + +On the next day, a cessation of hostilities was again agreed upon which +continued until the evening of the 20th of November. During this +interval the six battalion companies of the First Lincoln Regiment were +consolidated into three, under the command of Captains John Jones, +Martin McClellan, and George Ball, each containing about eighty rank and +file. + +At six o'clock on the morning of the 21st November, the guns of Fort +George and five detached batteries began a second bombardment of the +American works chiefly with the object of diverting the attention of the +enemy to that part of the line, as general Smyth who had succeeded Van +Rensselaer was massing his troops in the vicinity of Buffalo, with the +apparent intention of forcing the passage of the river between Fort Erie +and Chippawa. The fire from the American batteries, which appear to have +been weakly manned, was ill-directed and occasionally ceased altogether +for long intervals, while flames could be seen rising from their works, +apparently caused by the explosion of shells. One of these missiles fell +within the north blockhouse in Fort Niagara, and dismounted the only gun +there. Another shot from a twenty-four pounder on the right of Fort +George dismounted a heavy gun near Youngstown, while a third silenced +the piece on the roof of the messhouse at Fort Niagara for nearly an +hour. One of the guns in that place also burst with disastrous results, +killing two men and disabling others. A large building under the walls +which covered the landing of troops was entirely destroyed. By five +o'clock in the afternoon Fort Niagara was absolutely silenced, and only +the Youngstown "Salt" Battery continued to fire an occasional gun. At +dark the British guns ceased firing. But a single private of the 49th +Regiment, and a gallant old half-pay officer, Capt. Barent Frey, late of +Butler's Rangers, had been killed on the Canadian side of the river +during the cannonade. The latter had voluntarily occupied himself in +gathering the enemy's shot as they fell, for the purpose as he declared +of having them sent back to them as soon as possible. He is said to have +been killed by the wind of a cannon ball as it ricocheted along the +ground. The messhouse at Navy Hall was destroyed, and seventeen +buildings in the town itself were set on fire by heated shot, besides +many others considerably damaged by the cannonade. A small merchant +schooner lying at the wharf was sunk. + +The American commandant at Fort Niagara, Colonel McFeely of the United +States' Artillery, admitted the loss of only eleven men killed and +wounded, though he estimated that not less than 2000 round shot and 180 +shells had been discharged against his works from the British batteries. +He reported an instance of remarkable courage displayed by a woman. +Among the prisoners taken at Queenston on the 13th October, was a +private in the United States Artillery, named Andrew Doyle, who was +recognised as a British subject, born in the village of St. Davids. He +was accordingly included among those who were sent to England to be +brought to trial for treason. His wife remained in Fort Niagara +throughout the bombardment, and actually took part in working one of the +guns. "During the most tremendous cannonading I have ever seen" said +Colonel McFeely in his official letter, "she attended the six-pounder on +the old messhouse with the red hot shot and showed fortitude equal to +the Maid of Orleans." + +Cannon balls were much too scarce and valuable to be wasted, and Col. +Myers took pains to state in his report that the number of round shot +picked up on the field exceeded the number fired from his guns on this +occasion. + +This artillery duel put an end to actual hostilities in the vicinity of +Niagara for the remainder of the year. But the privations and sufferings +of the militia were not yet terminated. They were retained in service +until the middle of December, when winter set in with unusual severity, +and all danger of an invasion seemed at an end. + +As early as the middle of November, Sir Roger Sheaffe had reported that +many of them were "in a very destitute state with respect to clothing, +and all that regards bedding and barrack comforts in general, these +wants cause discontent and desertion, but the conduct of a great +majority is highly honorable to them, and I have not failed to encourage +it by noticing it in public orders." In the order to which reference is +made he had said; "Major General Sheaffe has witnessed with the highest +satisfaction, the manly and cheerful spirit with which the militia on +this frontier have borne the privations which peculiar circumstances +have imposed upon them. He cannot but feel that their conduct entitles +them to every attention he can bestow upon them. It has furnished +examples of those best characteristics of a soldier, manly constancy +under fatigue and privation and determined bravery in the face of the +enemy." + +On the 23rd of the same month he observed that the number of the militia +in service had constantly increased since the termination of the +armistice and that they seemed very alert and well disposed. Their duty +during the next three weeks was of the most wearisome and harassing kind +as none of them were permitted to take off their clothes by night, and +in the day they were kept fully accoutred with arms in their hands. +Strong patrols constantly moved along the river, keeping up the +communication between the posts, and owing to the smallness of the force +assembled to watch such an extensive line, the same men were frequently +placed on guard for several nights in succession. Their clothing was +insufficient to protect them from the cold, and numbers were actually +confined to barracks from want of shoes. Disease carried off Lieut. Col. +Butler, Captain John Lottridge, Lieut. John May, Sergeant Jacob Balmer, +and twenty privates of the Lincoln Regiments during the month of +December, and there was much sickness among those who survived. Many, +distressed beyond all endurance by the miserable condition of their +families in their absence, returned home without leave. + +Late in November the Governor General issued a proclamation directing +all citizens of the United States residing in Upper Canada who still +declined to take an oath of allegiance, to leave the Province before the +first day of January, 1813. Among those who were banished at this time, +was Michael Smith, already mentioned, who published a few months later a +small volume, entitled "A Geographical view of the Province of Upper +Canada." This book met with such a favorable reception that five other +editions appeared at short intervals during the next three years, +several of them being materially revised and enlarged. His description +of the wretched state of this part of the Province was the result of +personal observation, and is certainly not overdrawn. + +"In the course of the summer on the line between Fort George and Fort +Erie, there was not more than 1000 Indians in arms at any one time. +These Indians went to and fro as they pleased to their country and back, +and were very troublesome to the women when their husbands were gone, as +they plundered and took what they pleased, and often beat them to force +them to give them whiskey, even when they were not in possession of any, +and when they saw any man that had not gone to the lines, they called +him a Yankee, and threatened to kill him for not going to fight, and +indeed in some instances these threats have been put into execution. +They acted with great authority and rage when they had stained their +hands with human blood. + +"The inhabitants at large would have been extremely glad to have got out +of their miserable situation at almost any rate, but they dared not +venture a rebellion without being sure of protection. + +"From the commencement of the war there had been no collection of debts +by law in the upper part of the Province and towards the fall in no +part, nor would anyone pay another. No person could get credit from +anyone to the amount of one dollar, nor could anyone sell any of their +property for any price except provisions or clothing, for those who had +money were determined to keep it for the last resort. No business was +carried on by any person except what was necessary for the times. + +"In the upper part of the Province all the schools were broken up and no +preaching was heard in all the land. All was gloom, war and misery. + +"Upon the declaration of war the Governor laid an embargo on all the +flour destined for market, which was at a time when very little had +left the Province. The next harvest was truly bountiful as also the +crops of corn, buckwheat, and peas, the most of which were gathered +except the buckwheat which was on the ground when all the people were +called away after the battle of Queenston. Being detained on duty in the +fall not one half of the farmers sowed any winter grain." + +All supplies from Montreal were cut off by the American fleet being in +possession of Lake Ontario from the 8th November until the close of +navigation. Flour and salt were scarcely to be purchased at any price +and the condition of many families soon became almost too wretched to be +endured. It is not surprising then that numbers of those who had no very +strong ties to retain them, seized the first opportunity of escape. + +Lake Erie was frozen over as early as the 12th of January. A few days +later two deserters and three civilians made their way from Point Abino +to Buffalo upon the ice. They stated that the British forces were +greatly reduced by sickness and desertion and that they did not believe +there were more than thirty regulars stationed along the river between +Fort Erie and Niagara. In fact several companies of the 41st had been +recently despatched to strengthen the garrison of Amherstburg which was +again threatened with an attack, and a show of force was kept up by +ostentatiously sending out parties along the river in sleighs by day and +bringing them back to quarters after dark. + +Stimulated by the information derived from these men the commandant at +Buffalo projected the surprise of Fort Erie by crossing on the ice, but +the desertion of a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Major Macfarlane, +disconcerted his plans. + +Late in March the arrival of three families of refugees at Buffalo by +the same route is recorded. They confirmed former accounts of want and +distress and the weakness of the British garrisons on the Niagara. The +American officers were enabled, by information obtained from these and +other sources, to estimate with precision the actual force which might +be assembled to resist an invasion. But as they failed to make their +attacks simultaneously it happened in several instances that they +encountered the same troops successively at different places many miles +apart. Soldiers of the 41st, who had been present with Brock at the +taking of Detroit fought at Queenston on the 13th of October and +returned in time to share in the victory at the River Raisin on the 22nd +January, 1813. Two companies of the 8th that took part in the assault +upon Ogdensburg on the 22nd February, faced the invaders at York on the +27th April and again at Fort George a month later. Finding themselves +repeatedly confronted with considerably larger forces than they had been +led to expect, the American generals soon ceased to put much confidence +in the reports of their spies. + +The cabinet had at first designated Kingston, York, and Fort George +points of attack in the order named. The attempt upon Kingston was +quickly abandoned owing to a false report that the garrison had been +largely increased and it was determined to limit the operations of the +"Army of the Centre" in the first instance to the reduction of the two +latter places. + +On the 17th of March, Major General Morgan Lewis, who had been appointed +to the command of the division on the Niagara, arrived at Buffalo +attended by a numerous staff. At noon of the same day, the batteries at +Black Rock began firing across the river and continued the cannonade +with little intermission until the evening of the 18th. A few houses +were destroyed and seven soldiers killed or wounded near Fort Erie. +Three of the American guns were dismounted by the British batteries. A +week later the bombardment was resumed with even less result. + +York was taken without much difficulty on the 27th April, but it cost +the assailants their most promising general and between three and four +hundred of their best troops. They ascertained on that occasion that +they still had many warm sympathizers in that part of the Province. A +letter from an officer who accompanied this expedition, published in the +_Baltimore Whig_ at the time, states that "our adherents and friends in +Upper Canada suffer greatly in apprehension or active misery. Eighteen +or twenty of them who refused to take the oath of allegiance lived last +winter in a cave or subterraneous hut near Lake Simcoe. Twenty-five +Indians and whites were sent to take them but they killed eighteen of +the party and enjoyed their liberty until lately when being worn out +with cold and fatigue, they were taken and put in York jail whence we +liberated them." Michael Smith corroborates this account in some +respects. He relates that twelve days after the battle of Queenston +Colonel Graham, on Yonge Street, ordered his battalion to assemble that +a number might be drafted to go to Fort George. Forty of them did not +come but went out to Whitchurch township which was nearly a wilderness +and joined thirty more fugitives that were already there. Some men who +were home for a few days from Fort George offered to go and bring them +in but as they were not permitted to take arms they failed and the +number of fugitives increased by the first of December to 300. When on +my way to Kingston to obtain a passport, I saw about fifty of these +people near Smith's Creek in the Newcastle District on the main road +with fife and drum beating for recruits and huzzaing for Madison. Some +of them remained in the woods all winter, but the Indians went out in +the spring of 1813 and drove them into their caves where they were +taken. + +So pronounced was the disaffection among the inhabitants in the vicinity +of York, that Chief Justice Powell warned the Governor General that "in +the event of any serious disaster to His Majesty's arms little reliance +is to be had on the power of the well disposed to depress and keep down +the turbulence of the disaffected who are very numerous." + +On the 29th of April, the capture of York became known at Fort George +and the boats and stores deposited at Burlington were removed to a place +of safety. On the 8th of May the American fleet came over to Fort +Niagara and landed the brigade of troops that had been employed in +reduction of York. Although victorious they were described by General +Dearborn as being sickly and low spirited. Next day some of these troops +were sent in two schooners to Burlington Beach where they destroyed the +King's Head tavern, built by Lieut.-Governor Simcoe, which had served as +quarters for soldiers on their march to and from Niagara. These vessels +continued to cruise about the head of the lake, while the remainder of +their fleet sailed away, as it proved to bring forward another division +of troops. + +Brigadier General John Vincent, had lately assumed command of the +British forces on the line of the Niagara, consisting of the 49th +Regiment, five companies of the 8th, three of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and a captain's +command of Royal Artillery with five held guns, numbering in all 1925 +officers and men, of whom 1841 were effectiver. Besides these, Merritt's +troops of Provincial cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, a company of +militia artillery and an uncertain and fluctuating number of militiamen +belonging to the five Lincoln Regiments were in service. + +By a general order in March, about 1700 militia had been summoned to the +protection of the frontier, but when the alarm had subsided, most of +them had been allowed to return to their homes as it was felt that they +would be more usefully employed in cultivating their farms than in idly +waiting for an attack which the enemy appeared to be in no hurry to +make. + +The regular troops were in high spirits and confident of victory, but +the militia appeared gloomy and depressed. Vincent complained ruefully, +"it is with regret that I can neither report favorably of their numbers +nor of their willing co-operation. Every exertion has been used and +every expedient resorted to, to bring them forward and unite their +efforts to those of His Majesty's troops with but little effect, and +desertion beyond all conception continues to mark their indifference to +the important cause in which we are now engaged. In considering it my +duty to offer a fresh exposition of my sentiments to Your Excellency +respecting the militia of this Province, I must at the same time express +a belief that when the reinforcements reach this frontier, many of the +inhabitants who have been for some time wavering and appalled by the +specious show of the enemy's resources will instantly rally round the +standard of their King and country." + +Lieut.-Colonel John Harvey, a very able and enterprising young officer, +who had lately joined General Vincent's division as Deputy Adjutant +General, earnestly advised that accurate information of the enemy's +numbers and designs should be secured at any cost, and then "by a series +of both active and offensive movements, they should be thrown on the +defensive no matter how superior their numbers might be." Had the whole +of the 8th Regiment arrived in time this might have been accomplished, +but two of its companies had been nearly annihilated at York, and the +march of the remainder very much delayed by the attack on that place. + +As late however, as the 20th of May, we find Colonel Myers writing to +the Adjutant General in these terms. "It is not wise to hold an enemy +too cheap, but I cannot divest myself of the idea that the foe opposite +is despicable and that it would be no hard task to dislodge him from the +entire of his lines on the Niagara River. With some subordinate attacks +upon his flanks, I am of opinion that it would be an enterprise of +little hazard for us to get an establishment on the heights above +Lewiston, opposite Queenston. This once affected, I cannot but feel the +strongest confidence that we would in a short time effect the object so +much to be desired. It would be giving such a turn to the war that I +conceive it would strike terror to the enemy, which would produce the +happiest effects." + +The return of the American fleet with a numerous body of regular troops +on board put an end to these rather fantastic schemes of conquest. At +daybreak on the 21st, no less than seventeen armed vessels, and upwards +of one hundred Durham boats and batteaux were seen assembled near the +mouth of the Four Mile Creek in rear of Fort Niagara, from which several +thousand men were speedily disembarked. + +For several days these troops paraded ostentatiously in plain view +probably in the hope of overawing their opponents by the display of +numbers. Many workmen were seen at the same time busily occupied in +constructing new batteries along the river and building boats. +Reinforcements continued to arrive daily until it was supposed that +about 7000 soldiers were encamped between Lewiston and Fort Niagara. +This force was composed almost wholly of regular troops that had been in +service for some time and included nine of the best regiments of +infantry in the United States army. They were accompanied by a strong +regiment of heavy artillery, a well appointed field-train and a +battalion of dragoons. + +Major-General Henry Dearborn who was in command had distinguished +himself in the Revolutionary war during which he had commanded a +regiment in Arnold's expedition against Quebec and in Sullivan's +campaign against the Six Nations. But he was now past sixty years of age +and in ill health. + +The Secretary of War had warned him to be careful to employ a sufficient +force to ensure success. Seven thousand men was the number deemed +requisite. "If the first step in the campaign fails," he wrote +plaintively, "our disgrace will be complete. The public will lose +confidence in us. The party who first opens a campaign has many +advantages over his antagonist, all of which, however, are the results +of his being able to carry his whole force against part of the enemy's. +We are now in that state of prostration Washington was in after he +crossed the Delaware, but like him we may soon get on our legs if we are +able to give some hard blows at the opening of the campaign. In this we +cannot fail provided the force we employ against his western posts be +sufficiently heavy. They must stand or fall by their own strength. They +are perfectly isolated, send, then, a force that shall overwhelm them. +When the fleet and army are gone we have nothing at Sackett's Harbor to +guard. How would it read if we had another brigade at Sackett's Harbor +when we failed at Niagara?" + +The undisturbed control of Lake Ontario by his fleet gave the American +general a still greater advantage than his numerical superiority. It was +understood that the British squadron would not be able to leave Kingston +for at least a week, but two small vessels were detached to watch that +port while the remainder assembled at Niagara to cover the landing. + +Vincent was accordingly thrown entirely upon the defensive. Had he only +had Dearborn's army to contend with, superior as it was, he might have +entertained a reasonable hope of being able to maintain his position but +the presence of the fleet would enable his antagonist to select the +point of attack at will and even to land a force in his rear. + +Nor were the fortifications along the river in a satisfactory state. The +chief engineer had examined them during the winter and reported that +Fort George was still in a "ruinous and unfinished condition," although +the parapet facing the river had been somewhat strengthened. He had +recommended that it should be completed as a field work and that a +splinter-proof barracks capable of sheltering 400 men should be built +within, and the upper story of the blockhouses taken down to place them +on a level with the _terre pleine_. But these suggested improvements +could not be carried out for lack of materials and workmen. At this time +the fort mounted five guns; one twelve, two twenty four pounders, and +two mortars. On the left fronting Fort Niagara were no less than five +detached batteries armed with eleven guns, five of which were mortars. +All of these works were open in the rear, and could be enfiladed and +some of them taken in reverse by an enemy approaching on the lake. Six +other batteries had been constructed along the river between Fort George +and Queenston, two at Chippawa and three opposite Black Rock about two +miles below Fort Erie. All of these posts required men to occupy them +and there were besides thirty odd miles of frontier to be constantly +patrolled and guarded. About one-third of his regular troops and +two-thirds of the militia were unavoidably stationed along the upper +part of this line extending from Queenston to Point Abino, under the +command of Lieut.-Colonel Cecil Bishop. Vincent retained for the defence +of the eleven miles of front between Queenston and the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek, thirty gunners of the Royal Artillery with five field +pieces, under Major Holcroft, 1050 regular infantry, 350 militia, and +about fifty Indians. This force was subdivided into three diminutive +brigades of nearly equal numbers, the right under Lieut.-Colonel Harvey +being detailed to guard the river, and the left under Lieut.-Colonel +Myers, the lake front of this position, while the third under his own +command remained in readiness to support either of these when attacked. +Fort George was garrisoned by Ormond's company of the 49th, and a +detachment of militia artillery amounting in the whole to about 130 men. +The gunners serving with the field artillery being not more than half +the usual complement, additional men were attached from the infantry. +The batteries were entirely manned by volunteers from the regulars and +militia. The whole force was turned out every morning at two o'clock, +and remained under arms until daylight. The staff officers set a +conspicuous example of activity and watchfulness. Colonels Harvey and +Myers, accompanied by their aides patrolled the lines the whole night +through and slept only by day. As the enemy continued their preparations +for nearly a week after the return of their fleet, the effects of the +prolonged strain soon became apparent in the exhausted condition of both +the officers and men. At first, General Dearborn's movements seemed to +indicate that an attack would be made by crossing the river above Fort +George, and on the 24th of May the whole of the British troops were kept +under arms all night. About three o'clock in the morning the enemy was +distinctly heard launching boats at the Five Mile meadows nearly +opposite a station occupied by Lieut. (afterwards Major General) R. S. +Armstrong, R. A., who by command of the vigilant Harvey, immediately +began to fire in that direction with a six pounder field gun and the +nine-pounder mounted in a battery at Brown's Point. The Americans +replied briskly with two six-pounders and continued their efforts until +they had put ten boats in the river. But if they had intended to cross +at this place, they soon abandoned the attempt, and when day dawned all +of these boats were seen on their way down the river with a few men in +each. As they came within range the guns of Fort George began firing, +which instantly drew upon that work the fire of no less than sixteen +heavy guns and mortars mounted in Fort Niagara and the adjacent +batteries. The twelve pounder in Fort George was soon dismounted by a +shot which shattered its carriage, and every building inside was set on +fire by the shower of shells and red-hot shot which rained upon it. The +gunners were driven by the flames from the twenty-four pounder beside +the flagstaff, but the unequal contest was still gallantly maintained by +a similar gun in the cavalier and a smaller piece in the north-western +bastion until Major Holcroft perceiving that the barracks were totally +consumed and shells bursting in every corner of the place sent orders to +this handful of undaunted men to cease firing and retire under cover. +The gun at Mississauga Point remained silent by order of Colonel Myers +who hoped by this means to deprive the enemy of any excuse for turning +their artillery upon the village, and the other detached batteries seem +to have taken little part in the contest. Having destroyed all the +buildings in Fort George and effectually silenced its fire, the +Americans discontinued the bombardment about two o'clock in the +afternoon. + +The lake front of the British position was then closely reconnoitred by +boats from the fleet, sounding the shore in every direction and +occasionally venturing within musket shot of some of the batteries which +remained silent, partly from scarcity of ammunition and partly through +fear of provoking a renewal of the cannonade. Buoys were placed to mark +the stations the ships were to occupy next day when they engaged the +batteries on the left of Fort George and covered the landing. + +On the part of the British some ineffectual efforts were made to repair +the damages of the morning. The tackle and carriage of the gun at the +flagstaff in Fort George had been totally destroyed by the flames, and +could not be replaced, while the ring-bolts of another gun at the light +house had been drawn by the recoil, and little service could be expected +from it. Only a small picquet was stationed in the fort during the +night, and the remainder of the garrison lay upon their arms on the +common about half a mile in the rear in hourly expectation of an alarm, +with the other brigades on either flank. + +Shortly after reveille had sounded next morning, a rocket was seen to +rise into the air from Fort Niagara and a single gun was fired at Fort +George. This was the signal for all the American batteries to begin a +cannonade which was not returned and ceased at the end of half an hour. +Long after the sun had risen a dense fog hung over the river and lake, +effectually concealing all objects on the opposite side except the dim +outline of Fort Niagara. Nothing could be seen of their troops, most of +whom had been embarked soon after midnight, at the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek. At daybreak Generals Dearborn and Lewis went on board +Commodore Chauncey's flagship which immediately got under way, followed +by the remainder of the fleet and the immense flotilla of batteaux and +other boats filled with soldiers. Hours passed away and the entire +armada remained almost motionless waiting for the rising of the fog. +Finally when the fog banks rolled away 16 vessels of different sizes +were descried standing across the mouth of the river at a distance of +about two miles from land, followed by no less than 134 boats and scows, +each containing from thirty to fifty men, formed in three compact +divisions one behind the other. At a signal from the flagship the entire +fleet tacked and stood towards the Canadian shore, the small boats +wheeling by brigades and carefully preserving their alignment. Their +approach was gradual and deliberate, being favored by a gentle breeze, +which, however, scarcely raised a ripple on the glassy surface of the +lake. The schooners _Julia_ and _Growler_ each armed with a long +32-pounder and a long 12-pounder mounted on pivots, by making use of +their sweeps entered the mouth of the river and opened fire on the +crippled battery near the lighthouse while the schooner _Ontario_ of +similar force took up a position near the shore to the northward so as +to enfilade the same work and cross the fire of the two first-named +vessels. Two guns and a mortar in Fort Niagara also concentrated their +fire upon this battery, which was occupied by a few men of the Lincoln +artillery under Capt. John Powell. Only a single shot was fired from the +gun mounted there when it again became unmanageable and the gunners were +soon afterwards driven out by the incessant fire directed against them +from different quarters. At the same time the _Governor Tompkins_ of six +guns engaged the one-gun battery near the mouth of Two Mile Creek in +flank while _Conquest_ of three guns anchored in such a position as to +fire directly into it from the rear, which was entirely open and +unprotected. Resistance in this case was obviously out of the question +and it was immediately abandoned. The _Hamilton_, _Scourge_ and _Asp_ +anchored within short musket shot of the shore, a few hundred yards +further west, nearly opposite a group of farm houses called Crookston, +which was the place selected for landing the troops. The three largest +vessels, the _Madison_, _Oneida_ and _Lady of the Lake_ drew more water +and were in consequence obliged to remain at a greater distance, though +still well within effective range of every part of the level plain +beyond the landing place. The united broadside of the fleet amounted to +fifty-one guns, many of them being heavy long-range pieces mounted upon +pivots which could fire in any direction, and the weather was so calm +that they were afterwards able to increase the number by shifting guns +from the other side. The whole of the artillery in Fort Niagara and the +batteries on that bank of the river had also opened fire. Two sides of +the British position were thus simultaneously assailed by the fire of +more than seventy guns and mortars which swept the roads and fields in +every direction with scarcely a shot in reply. A picquet of the +Glengarry Light Infantry which had been stationed with about 50 Indians +of the Six Nations under Captain John Norton among the thickets near the +mouth of the Two Mile Creek hastily retired to avoid utter destruction +by the storm of missiles hurled against their covert. Two Indians were +killed and several wounded before they could escape. + +A heavy column of troops was then discovered marching from the American +camp in rear of Fort Niagara near Youngstown. This consisted principally +of dismounted dragoons and heavy artillery commanded by Colonel Burn who +had been instructed to cross the river there and intercept the retreat +of the British garrison towards Queenston. Their appearance had the +effect of detaining a large part of Harvey's brigade on that flank to +watch their movements. + +It was about nine o'clock when the landing began at Crookston in the +following order. The advanced guard in twenty boats was composed of +four hundred picked light infantry selected from several regiments, +Forsyth's battalion of riflemen, and the flank companies of the 15th +United States Infantry, amounting in the whole to about 800 rank and +file, with a detachment of artillery in charge of a three-pounder field +piece, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Winfield Scott, an able and +energetic young officer who had been taken prisoner at Queenston the +year before, and was destined to be the future conqueror of Mexico. This +force was strictly enjoined not to advance more than three hundred paces +from the water's edge before it was supported by General Boyd's brigade +of infantry, with Eustis's battalion of artillery and McClure's rifle +volunteers on its flanks. This was succeeded by Winder's brigade with +Towson's artillery, and Chandler's brigade with Macomb's artillery, +which were instructed to form upon Boyd's right and left respectively. +Each of these brigades must certainly have numbered not less than 1500 +officers and men. The reserve was composed of the marines of the fleet +and a picked body of 400 seamen which were landed but not brought into +action. + +The entire fleet continued to fire over the heads of the men in the +boats and effectually screened their advance until they reached the +shore and formed on the beach under shelter of the steep clay bank. +Captain Hindman of the United States Artillery, a very gallant young +officer who was in command of the detachment with the gun attached to +the advance guard, is mentioned as the first man to reach the shore. So +far they had not met with the slightest opposition, but when they began +to ascend the bank, the artillery fire from the ships slackened and they +were briskly attacked by three companies of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two companies of Lincoln militia, and the Grenadiers of the +Royal Newfoundland Regiment who had been partially sheltered during the +cannonade in a ravine two or three hundred yards distant. The effect of +their musketry was sufficient to cause the American advance guard to +retire under cover of the bank once more and the fleet recommenced its +fire. Lieut.-Colonel Myers then succeeded in bringing forward the +remainder of his brigade, increasing the force assembled in the ravine +to forty men of the Newfoundland Regiment, ninety of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, twenty-seven of Captain Runchey's negro company, one hundred +Lincoln militia and 310 of the 8th or King's regiment. Several American +authorities agree in the statement that they twice attempted to ascend +the bank and were twice driven back by this determined handful of men. +After they had succeeded in forming upon the plain, General Boyd +declared that for "fifteen minutes the two lines exchanged a rapid and +destructive fire, at a distance of only six or ten yards." The official +returns of casualties establish the fact the whole of his brigade +consisting of the 6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry was brought +forward to the support of Colonel Scott's advance-guard, making a force +of about 2,300 men opposed to 567. Whenever practicable the ships +continued to fire with destructive effect on the attenuated British +line. Colonel Myers fell desperately wounded in three plans when leading +the first charge. Every field officer and most of the company of +officers were soon killed or disabled, and at the end of twenty minutes +close fighting the survivors gave way, leaving nearly three hundred dead +and wounded on the field. They were rallied at a second ravine some +distance in the rear by Lieut.-Colonel Harvey, who brought up with him +several companies of the 49th, and a six-pounder field gun under Lieut. +Charlton, which had been stationed near Fort George. + +Lieut. Armstrong with two other guns, had also been directed to proceed +to the support of Lieut.-Colonel Myers, but upon advancing along the +road parallel with the lake near Secord's house, he was suddenly +assailed from both flanks by a body of riflemen, whose fire wounded his +horse and one of his men, and a belt of thick woods prevented him from +joining the remnant of that brigade, which was then in full retreat. +While engaged in examining the road in front, Armstrong came +unexpectedly upon one of the enemy's riflemen whom he made prisoner, and +discovering that he was in danger of being surrounded, retired hurriedly +to the Presbyterian church where the remainder of the field guns had +been posted. From this position they covered the retirement of +Lieut.-Colonel Harvey's force, which took place about ten o'clock. By +that time the Americans had succeeded in landing the greater part of +their field artillery, and began to advance slowly in three dense +columns, Scott's light troops skirting the woods on the right, with the +6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry and four guns in the centre +and the 18th United States Infantry and four guns moving along the +margin of the lake. As they had brought no horses, they were obliged to +drag their guns by hand, and their advance was necessarily very slow. +While observing their movements, Colonel Harvey was almost cut off by a +party of riflemen who had stealthily made their way through the woods +with that object. He galloped off unhurt amid a shower of bullets, and +formed his brigade in a fresh position behind a third ravine. Major +Holcroft opened fire from a six-pounder and a howitzer, but on +perceiving the advance of the enemy's light troops on the right, he +placed these guns in charge of Lieut. Armstrong, and moved in that +direction with the two other pieces. For nearly half an hour the +artillery kept up a brisk fire and succeeded in checking the enemy's +infantry. Harvey then noticed that their riflemen were again stealing +forward through the woods, with the intention of turning his left flank, +and ordered a general retreat to the Common beyond the Council House. +During the cannonade Holcroft had lost but one gunner wounded and a +single horse killed but the limber of his largest gun, a twelve-pounder, +was so badly damaged that it went to pieces on the road. + +An hour later when the Americans emerged from the village, an eighteen +pounder, in the battery next to Fort George was traversed, and fired +upon them until they made a vigorous charge and captured it with several +of the men engaged in working it. + +Vincent joined Harvey with the reserve, and the whole force remained in +position on the Common for nearly half an hour. Commodore Chauncey's +flagship entered the river and anchored abreast of Fort George. The +troops at Youngstown began to enter their boats while the enemy in front +were steadily prolonging their lines to the right with the evident +purpose of occupying the only possible avenue of retreat, and +surrounding the British forces. + +At noon, General Vincent despatched an order to Lieut.-Colonel Claus, to +evacuate Fort George and join him upon the Queenston road. He +immediately began his retreat upon St. Davids, the infantry retiring +through the woods, and the artillery and baggage by the road. This +movement was so quietly accomplished that it seems to have almost +escaped the attention of the enemy who were busily engaged in reforming +their line. + +General Dearborn had become so much enfeebled by his exertions, and the +effects of his previous illness, that he had to be lifted from his horse +and supported to a boat which conveyed him on board the flagship, from +which he viewed the landing of his troops, although unable to keep his +feet for more than a few minutes at a time. The command accordingly +devolved upon Major General Morgan Lewis, an officer of little +experience and less military knowledge, but an active and influential +politician, who had been in turn Chief Justice and Governor of the State +of New York and was a brother-in-law of the Secretary of War. He was +absurdly fond of military pomp, parade and display, and his opponents +delighted to ridicule a speech he had made to the militia when Governor +in which he had remarked that "the drum was all important in the day of +battle." Having the fate of Van Rensselaer and Winchester fresh in his +memory, his movements were cautious to the verge of timidity. An hour +and a half elapsed after Harvey retreated before he ventured to advance +beyond the village. He had then not less than 4,000 men in order of +battle besides the reserve of marines and seamen. His line extended +without a break from the lighthouse on Mississauga Point to the river +above Fort George. That work was approached with excessive caution as +the sound of repeated explosions within, caused them to dread a +recurrence of their disastrous experience at York, and even the +lighthouse was avoided lest it should be hurled in fragments on their +heads. Colonel Scott was in fact unhorsed by a large splinter which +broke his collar bone, but there were no other casualties. When the fort +was entered, it was found that the garrison had disappeared with the +exception of a few soldiers of the 49th Regiment, who were still engaged +in dismantling the works. Some of the men were surprised in the act of +cutting down the flagstaff to obtain the garrison flag from which the +halliards had been shot away, and others were taken prisoners as they +attempted to escape through the main gate. More than a hundred sick and +wounded were found in the hospital. The village of Niagara was entirely +deserted, and many of the houses had been much damaged by cannon shot. + +During the afternoon the Second Regiment of United States Dragoons was +brought over from Youngstown, but scarcely any pursuit was attempted as +the American army was described as much exhausted from being under arms +for eleven hours. No one seemed to know positively which way the British +had retreated. Colonel Scott with some of the riflemen seems to have +advanced a few miles along the Queenston road, but was peremptorily +recalled by General Lewis who feared an ambush. Meanwhile Vincent's +column had retired in almost perfect order, leaving scarcely a straggler +behind and marched with such speed that the rear guard arrived that +night at DeCew's house, where a small magazine of provisions had been +formed a few days before in anticipation of a reverse. + +About four o'clock in the afternoon a dragoon reached Fort Erie with +information of the loss of Fort George, and Lieut.-Colonel Bishop +immediately began his retreat with the regular troops and field guns +stationed there, leaving Major John Warren with a few men of the Third +Lincoln Regiment of militia to occupy the works and engage the attention +of the enemy on the opposite bank. Soon after his departure, Warren +opened fire on Black Rock from all the batteries, and continued the +cannonade all night. At daybreak the destruction of the stores and +fortifications began. The barracks and public buildings were burnt, the +magazines blown up, the guns burst or otherwise rendered unserviceable +along the whole line from Point Abino to Chippawa. When this had been +thoroughly accomplished, Warren disbanded his men, and an American force +crossed from Black Rock and took possession of the dismantled works. A +quantity of stores which had been abandoned at Queenston, was destroyed +on the same day, by Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Clark, at the head of a small +party of the Third Lincoln Regiment, who had returned from Beaver Dams +for the purpose. + +Scarcely had this been done, when a strong brigade of American troops +advanced from Fort George and occupied that village. + +During these operations General Vincent had lost the whole of his +garrison ordnance and a considerable quantity of spare arms and military +stores. His regular force had been diminished by 350 officers and men, +nearly all of whom were killed or wounded, but he was joined during the +night of the 27th by two strong companies of the 8th Regiment which had +advanced that day as far as the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek on their +way to Fort George. The loss of the regulars in the battle was +officially stated at fifty-two killed, forty-four wounded, and 262 +missing, nearly all of those reported missing being either killed or +left wounded on the field. The small detachment of Lincoln militia +engaged is stated to have lost five officers and eighty men, killed or +wounded, but no official return seems to have been preserved. The names +only of Captain Martin McClellan and Privates Charles Wright and William +Cameron, who were killed, have been recorded. Two Mohawk Indians, Joseph +Claus and Tsigotea, were also among the slain. General Boyd stated that +his men found 107 dead and 175 wounded of the British troops upon the +field. The losses of some of the detachments actually engaged were truly +appalling. The five companies of the 8th Regiment lost, Lieut. Drummie +killed, Major Cotton, Lieuts. Nicholson, McMahon, and Lloyd, and Ensign +Nicholson wounded, and 196 non-commissioned officers and privates +killed, wounded, or missing out of 310 of all ranks who went into +action. The Glengarry Light Infantry lost Captain Liddle and Ensign +McLean killed, Captain Roxborough and Lieut. Kerr wounded, and 73 +non-commissioned officers and men out of an aggregate of 108. The +grenadier company of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lost Capt. Winter, +Lieut. Stewart, and fourteen others out of forty. + +The total loss of the American army was officially stated at 150, of +whom thirty-nine were killed. The only officer killed was Lieut. Henry +Hobart, a grandson of General Dearborn. Covered as their landing was by +the fire of so many cannon, it is, perhaps, remarkable that their loss +was so great. As a proof, however, of the severity of the short struggle +on the plain. Dr. Mann, the American army surgeon, who was present, +remarked that he found 27 dead and 87 severely wounded on the field when +he landed and that nearly 400 of both armies lay stretched on a plot of +ground not more than 200 yards in length and fifteen in breadth. + +On the 28th, the whole of the militia except Merritt's troop of +Provincial Cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, and about sixty picked +men of other corps who were determined to follow the fortunes of the +army, were disbanded, and Vincent continued his retreat to Grimsby and +finally to Burlington Heights where he arrived on the 2nd June with +eleven field guns and 1800 seasoned soldiers, who, in spite of their +recent reverse were in high spirits and eager to meet the enemy again on +more equal terms. The brilliant result of the action at Stoney Creek +three days later amply atoned for a defeat by which they had lost no +credit. + +The Americans were justly disappointed by the incompleteness of their +success. For nearly two days they appear to have absolutely lost all +track of their enemy. "When we marched for Queenston on the 28th," wrote +an officer in the United States army whose letter was published at the +time in the _Baltimore Whig_, "we found the British far advanced on +their retreat by the back road toward the lower part of the Province. +They collected their force very actively. Our friends hereabouts are +greatly relieved by our visit. They had been terribly persecuted by the +Scotch myrmidons of England. Their present joy is equal to their past +misery. This is a charming country but its uncertain destiny together +with the vexations the farmers endured by being dragged out in the +militia left the fields in a great degree uncultivated. The British +Indians are not of much use to them. They run as soon as the battle +grows hot. I saw but one Indian and one Negro with the Glengarry uniform +on, dead on the field. Their Eighth fought very resolutely and suffered +severely." + +Many American historians have condemned General Dearborn for not having +accomplished more with the means at his disposal but they have made +little or no allowance for the physical weakness which actually rendered +him unfit to command at all. General Armstrong, who, as Secretary of +War, was eager to justify his own conduct, declared that "if instead of +concentrating his whole force, naval and military, on the water side of +the enemy's defences he had divided the attack and crossed the Niagara +below Lewiston and advanced on Fort George by the Queenston road, the +investment of that place would have been complete and a retreat of the +garrison rendered impracticable." This, however, was actually the +movement which Dearborn had planned but failed to execute in time. +Ingersol, a member of Congress and a leader of the war party, bitterly +observed that "the British General effected his retreat (probably +without Dearborn knowing it for he stayed on shipboard) to the mountain +passes where he employed his troops in attacking, defeating, and +capturing ours during all the rest of that year of discomfitures." + +THE END. + + N. B.--For the engraving, "The Taking of Fort George," we + are indebted to the kindness and courtesy of the Hon. P. A. + Porter, Niagara Falls. It is from the portfolio published in + Philadelphia, 1817, and is particularly interesting to us as + giving the appearance of the churches St. Mark's and St. + Andrew's before the town was burnt down, as also the + Lighthouse situated nearly where the Queen's Royal Hotel + stands now. + + + + + +-----------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the | + | original document have been preserved. | + | | + | Typographical errors corrected in the text: | + | | + | Page 5 huudred changed to hundred | + | Page 6 uninhabitated changed to uninhabited | + | Page 7 Presqu'le changed to Presqu'ile | + | Page 9 patroling changed to patrolling | + | Page 12 armisfice changed to armistice | + | Page 14 Rensslaer changed to Rensselaer | + | Page 15 permited changed to permitted | + | Page 19 resourses changed to resources | + | Page 21 Deleware changed to Delaware | + | Page 21 patroled changed to patrolled | + | Page 21 Bisshop changed to Bishop | + | Page 22 detatchment changed to detachment | + | Page 24 missles changed to missiles | + +-----------------------------------------------+ + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Battle of Fort George, by Ernest Cruikshank + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + +***** This file should be named 33621-8.txt or 33621-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/6/2/33621/ + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Battle of Fort George + A paper read on March 14th, 1896 + +Author: Ernest Cruikshank + +Release Date: September 3, 2010 [EBook #33621] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + + + + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h3> "Ducit Amor Patriae"</h3> + +<h4> TRANSACTION NO. 1</h4> + +<h3> Niagara Historical Society.</h3> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h1> BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE</h1> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4> A PAPER READ ON MARCH 14TH, 1896, BY</h4> + +<h2> ERNEST CRUIKSHANK</h2> + +<h3> CAPT. 44TH BATTALION.</h3> + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 20%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4> NIAGARA:<br /> + PICKWELL BROS., BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS.<br /> + 1896.</h4> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h2>PREFACE.</h2> + + +<p>The reproach has frequently been cast upon us that Canada has no +history; it might be said of us with far more justice that we do not +know our own history. The various historical societies are, by their +efforts, trying to wipe away this reproach, and we feel proud of +following in the wake of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society in +publishing a paper written by Capt. Cruikshank, who has well earned the +title of the historian of the Niagara peninsula.</p> + +<p>Of the towns of Ontario not one we are sure possesses a history so +eventful, so ancient, so interesting as Niagara, having been at +different times a legislative, an educational, a military and a +commercial centre, at one time occupied by the enemy and again a heap of +smoking ruins, now a quiet summer resort with many points of historical +interest, with wide streets shaded by old elms and having unrivalled +lake and river scenery. The members of the youngest of these Historical +Societies feel that they may congratulate themselves on being able to +place in the hands of the public the story which so far has not yet been +told of the Taking of Fort George, told too in a style so clear, so +dispassionate, and shewing such deep research, a story of troublesome +times, which so told can not but be helpful to old and young of every +nationality.</p> + +<p>Asking for our first venture a kind reception we send it out to the +public, hoping that it may do its part in proving that we have a not +ignoble history which should inspire us to yet nobler deeds.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> + +<h2>BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE.</h2> + +<p class="cen"><b>27TH MAY, 1813.</b></p> + +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> + +<p>For about a quarter of a century Niagara was the principal town and +commercial capital of Western Canada, and for a brief period was +actually the seat of government for the Upper Province. The removal of +the provincial officers to York in 1796 struck the first blow at its +supremacy, but its material prosperity continued until the beginning of +the war with the United States when its exposed situation subjected it +to a series of calamities which culminated in its total destruction on +the 10th of December, 1813.</p> + +<p>During that time many travellers of more or less note visited the place +at short intervals on their way to or from the Falls, and a considerable +number of them have recorded their observations. Patrick Campbell in +1791, D'Arcy Bolton in 1794, the Duke de Rochefoucauld Liancourt in +1795, Isaac Weld and J. C. Ogden in 1796, John Maude in 1800, George +Heriot in 1806, Christian Schultz in 1807, John Melish in 1810 and +Michael Smith in 1812 have described the town and adjacent country at +considerable length from various points of view. Other accounts are to +be found in the <i>National Intelligencer</i> newspaper published at +Washington, D. C., in 1812, and in Smith's Gazetteer of Upper Canada for +1813. From these numerous sources it would seem an easy task to form a +fairly correct estimate of the appearance of the town, its commercial +importance and the character of the inhabitants.</p> + +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +<div class="img"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> +<a href="images/frontis.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/frontisth.jpg" width="75%" alt="The taking of Fort George." /></a><br /> +<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">THE TAKING OF FORT GEORGE.</p> +</div> + +<p>It is described as being nearly a mile square, sparsely built, with many +pasture fields, gardens, orchards and open spaces interspersed among the +houses. Smith, an American resident of the province now was expelled in +1812 for having declined to take oath of allegiance, states that there +were "several squares of ground in the village adorned with almost every +kind of precious fruit." According to the same authority it contained +two churches—one of them built of stone, a court house and jail, an +Indian council house, an academy in which Latin and Greek were taught by +the Rev. John Burns a Presbyterian minister, a printing house, six +taverns, twenty stores and about a hundred dwelling houses, many of them +described as "handsome buildings of brick or stone, the rest being of +wood, neatly painted." From the lake the town is said to have made an +"imposing appearance" as most of the buildings fronted the water. Smith +concludes his account with the remark that it was "a beautiful and +prospective place, inhabited by civil and industrious people." Dr. John +Mann, a surgeon in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>United States army who accompanied the +invading forces and afterwards wrote the "Medical History of the War," +styles it "a delightful village." The population was probably +underestimated at five hundred exclusive of the regular garrison of Fort +George, usually numbering about two hundred men. The names of John +Symington, Andrew Heron, Joseph Edwards, John Grier, John Baldwin and +James Muirhead have been recorded as some of the principal merchants.</p> + +<p>An open plain or common of nearly a mile in width separated the town +from Fort George. This post was described by the Governor General in the +early summer of 1812, in official report on the defences of Upper Canada +as an irregular fieldwork consisting of six small bastions faced with +framed timber and plank, connected by a line of palisades twelve feet +high, and surrounded by a shallow dry ditch. Its situation and +construction were alike condemned as extremely defective. Although it +partially commanded Fort Niagara it was in turn overlooked and commanded +by the high ground on the opposite side of the river near Youngstown. +The troops were lodged in blockhouses inside affording quarters for 220 +men, besides which there was a spacious building for the officers. The +magazine was built of stone with an arched roof but was not considered +bombproof. All the works were very much out of repair and reported as +scarcely capable of the least defence.</p> + +<p>On the margin of the river immediately in front of the fort stood a +large log building known as Navy Hall, which had been constructed during +the American Revolution, to serve as winter-quarters for the officers +and seamen of the Provincial vessels on Lake Ontario. Near this was a +spacious wharf with good-sized store houses, both public and private. +The Ranger's Barracks, also built of logs and an Indian Council House +were situated on the further edge of the common, just south of the town. +A small stone light house had been built upon Mississauga Point, in +1805-6.</p> + +<p>The road leading along the river to Queenston, was thickly studded with +farm buildings, and the latter village is said to have contained nearly +a hundred houses, many of them being large and well built structures of +stone or brick, with a population estimated at 300. Vessels of fifty +tons and upwards, loaded with goods for the upper country, sailed up the +river to this place, where they discharged their cargoes, and took in +furs and grain in return. Ever since its establishment, the "Carrying +Place" on the Canadian side of the river, had furnished much profitable +employment to the neighboring farmers, who were paid at the rate of +twenty pence, New York currency, a hundred weight for hauling goods +between Queenston and Chippawa; Maude relates that during his visit in +1800, he passed many carts and wagons on this road, taking up boxes and +bales of merchandise, or bringing down furs, each drawn by two horses or +two yoke of oxen. Three schooners were then moored at the wharf at +Queenston, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>and fourteen teams stood waiting to be loaded. Others had +noticed as many as fifty or sixty teams passing each other in a day. At +this time the old portage on the American bank was entirely dis-used, +but in 1806 the exclusive rights to the carrying place on that side were +granted to Porter, Barton & Co., and much of the traffic was +consequently diverted.</p> + +<p>Christian Schultz, tells us that in 1807, the Canadian side of the river +was "one settled street, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie," while the +other was still almost wholly "waste and uninhabited," which he +attributes chiefly to the fact, that the land on the American bank was +entirely held by speculators. The villages of Chippawa and Fort Erie +contained about twenty houses each. For upwards of twenty miles back, he +states that the country was pretty well settled from lake to lake. A +stage coach made three round trips weekly between Niagara and Fort Erie. +A considerable sum from the Provincial Treasury was annually spent in +opening and improving roads. Frenchman's, Miller's and Black creeks were +bridged only on the river road, but there was a bridge across Lyon's +creek, at Cook's Mills, and the Chippawa was bridged at its mouth, and +at Brown's sixteen miles higher up. From the Portage Road near the +Falls, a continuation of Lundy's Lane led westerly through the +Beechwoods and Beaver Dam settlements, crossed the Twelve Mile creek at +DeCew's, and following the crest of the mountain to the Twenty, ascended +that stream as far as a small hamlet, known as "Asswago" and finally +united with the main road from Niagara to York near Stoney Creek. +Another well travelled road from Queenston passed through St. Davids, +and joined the Lake Road from Niagara at Shipman's tavern, where they +crossed the Twelve Mile Creek on the present site of the city of St. +Catharines. A third leading from Niagara through the dreaded "Black +Swamp," of which all trace has long since disappeared, united with the +road from St. Davids before crossing the Four Mile creek. Still another +beginning near the mouth of the Two Mile creek, ran nearly parallel with +the river, till it intersected Lundy's Lane. Besides these there were +the main travelled roads along the river from Queenston to Niagara, and +along the lake from Niagara to Burlington.</p> + +<p>In 1794, Lieutenant Governor Simcoe styled the Niagara settlement, "the +bulwark of Upper Canada," and affirmed that the militia were loyal to a +man, and "very well calculated for offensive warfare." Since then the +character and feelings of the population had been essentially altered. +Many of the first settlers had died or removed with their families to +other parts of the Province, and their places had been taken by later +immigrants from the United States. The twenty townships extending from +Ancaster to Wainfleet, which then composed the County of Lincoln, were +supposed to contain 12,000 inhabitants in the spring of 1812. In the +entire province of Upper Canada, one-sixth of the population were +believed to be natives of the British Isles and their children; the +original loyalist settlers and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>their descendants were estimated to +number as many more, while the remainder, or about two-thirds of the +whole, were recent arrivals from the United States, chiefly attracted by +the fertility of the soil and freedom from taxation. Michael Smith +states (1813), that within twelve years, the population "had increased +beyond conjecture, as the terms of obtaining land have been extremely +easy." The proportion of loyalists in the County of Lincoln was perhaps +greater than elsewhere, but it is probably a safe estimate to say that +one-third of the inhabitants were recent settlers from the United +States, who had removed to escape taxation or avoid militia service. +John Maude met several families in 1800 on their way to Canada from +those counties in Pennsylvania, where the 'Whiskey Insurrection' had +just been suppressed who informed him that "they had fought seven years +against taxation, and were then being taxed more than ever. Hundreds of +them" he remarked "have removed, are removing, and will remove into +Upper Canada, where they will form a nest of vipers in the bosom that +fosters them."</p> + +<p>In 1811, the Governor General estimated the number of militiamen in +Upper Canada fit for service at 11,000, of whom he significantly stated +that it would probably not be prudent to arm more than 4000. This was +virtually an admission, that more than half the population were +suspected of disaffection. The Lincoln Militia were organized in five +regiments, numbering about 1,500 men, of whom perhaps two-thirds were +determined loyalists.</p> + +<p>In many quarters before the war, the disaffection of the people was open +and undisguised, Schultz states that while at Presqu'ile, on Lake +Ontario, in 1807, he strolled along the main road, and found six or +seven farmers assembled in a country tavern, who had just heard of the +Chesapeake affair. "They seemed disappointed," he observed "that I did +not think it would lead to war, when they expected to become part of the +United States." He also relates that he was subsequently in a public +house in Niagara, where eight or ten persons were gathered about a +billiard table. The attack upon the Chesapeake again became the topic of +conversation, and one man said, "If Congress will only send us a flag +and a proclamation declaring that whoever is found in arms against the +United States, shall forfeit his lands, we will fight ourselves free +without any expense to them."</p> + +<p>John Melish declared his conviction from enquiries made during his visit +in 1810, "that if 5000 men were sent into Upper Canada with a +proclamation of independence, the great mass of the people would join +the American Government." Barnabas Bidwell, formerly Attorney General of +Massachusetts, who had become a defaulter and fled to the Newcastle +District, near the Bay of Quinte, where he was engaged in teaching a +private school, wrote secretly to his political friends in a similar +strain.</p> + +<p>These statements were eagerly quoted, and no doubt believed by the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>leaders of the war party in Congress. Henry Clay assured the people +that "the conquest of Canada is in your power. I trust I shall not be +deemed presumptuous when I state that I verily believe that the Militia +of Kentucky are alone competent to place Montreal and Upper Canada at +your feet."</p> + +<p>On the 6th of March, 1812, Calhoun expressed equal confidence. "So far +from being unprepared, Sir," he exclaimed. "I believe that four weeks +from the time the declaration of war is heard on our frontier, the whole +of Upper Canada and a part of Lower Canada will be in our possession."</p> + +<p>Jefferson wrote about the same time that "The acquisition of Canada this +year as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, would be a mere matter of +marching, and would give us experience for the attack of Halifax, the +next and the final expulsion of England from the American continent."</p> + +<p>Mr. Eustis, the Secretary of War, was if possible, still more +optimistic, "We can take Canada without soldiers," he declared, "we have +only to send officers into the Province and the people disaffected to +their own Government will rally round our standard." Gen. Widgery, a +representative in Congress, gained momentary notoriety by his statement. +"I will engage to take Canada by contract. I will raise a company and +take it in six weeks." Another speaker declared that "Niagara Falls +could be resisted with as much success as the American people when +roused into action" After the declaration of war had been promulgated, +Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the real leader +of the war party solemnly declared that he would never consent to any +treaty of peace which did not provide for the cession of Canada.</p> + +<p>The correspondence of General Brock with the Governor General, shows +that in many respects these expectations were well founded, and that he +was far from being hopeful of offering a successful defence without +strong reinforcements.</p> + +<p>"The late increase of ammunition and every species of stores," he wrote +on the 2nd December, 1811, "the substitution of a strong regiment and +the appointment of a military person to the government, have tended to +infuse other sentiments among the most reflecting part of the community, +and during my visit to Niagara last week I received most satisfactory +professions of a determination on the part of the principal inhabitants +to exert every means in their power for the defence of their property +and to support the government. They look with confidence to you for aid. +Although perfectly aware of the number of improper characters who have +obtained possessions and whose principles diffuse a spirit of +insubordination very adverse to all military institutions, I believe the +majority will prove faithful. It is best to act with the utmost +liberality and as if no mistrust existed. Unless the inhabitants give a +faithful aid it will be utterly impossible to preserve the province, +with the limited number of military."</p> + +<p>On the 24th of February, 1812, a proclamation was published announcing +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>that divers persons had recently come into the province with a +seditious intent and to endeavor to alienate the minds of His Majesty's +subjects, and directing the officers appointed to enforce the act lately +passed by the Legislature for the better security of the province +against all seditious attempts to be vigilant in the discharge of their +duties. Joseph Edwards of Niagara, Samuel Street of Willoughby, Thomas +Dickson of Queenston, William Crooks of Grimsby and Samuel Hutt of +Ancaster were among the persons commissioned to execute this law.</p> + +<p>On the 17th of April, a boy at Queenston fired a shot across the river +which happily did no injury. He was promptly arrested and committed for +trial, and two resident magistrates, James Kirby and Robert Grant, +tendered an apology to the inhabitants of Lewiston for his offence. Five +days later General Brock reported that a body of three hundred men in +plain clothes had been seen patrolling the American side of the river. +On the 25th, it was announced that 170 citizens of Buffalo, had +volunteered for military service. A proclamation by President Madison +calling out one hundred thousand was published about the same time, and +the Governor of New York was required to send 500 men to the Niagara +which he hastened to do, being a warm advocate of the war.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the flank companies of militia regiments of the counties of +Lincoln, Norfolk and York were embodied by General Brock, and drilled +six times a month. They numbered about 700 young men belonging to "the +best class of settlers." By the recent Militia Act, they were required +to arm and clothe themselves, and as many of them had far to travel, +Brock begged that they should at least receive an allowance for rations.</p> + +<p>The Governor General suggested that the Government of the United States +entertained hopes that something might happen to provoke a quarrel +between its soldiers and the British troops on that frontier, and +desired him to take every precaution to prevent any such pretext for +hostilities.</p> + +<p>Early in May, Brock made a rapid tour of inspection along the Niagara, +thence to the Mohawk village on the Grand river, returning to York by +way of Ancaster. He reported that the people generally seemed well +disposed and that the flank companies had mustered in full strength.</p> + +<p>By the 17th of June six hundred American militia were stationed along +the river, and a complaint was made by three reputable inhabitants of +Fort Erie that their sentries were in the habit of wantonly firing +across the stream. On the 25th of the same month this period of suspense +was terminated by the arrival of a special messenger employed by Mr. +Astor and other American citizens interested in the Northwest fur trade, +to convey the earliest possible information of war to Colonel Thomas +Clark, of Queenston, who immediately reported his intelligence to the +commandant of Fort Erie. The messenger, one Vosburg, of Albany, had +travelled with relays of horses at such speed that he outrode the +official courier bearing despatches to Fort <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>Niagara by fully +twenty-four hours. On his return he was arrested at Canandaigua, and +held to bail together with some of his employers, but it does not appear +that they were ever brought to trial.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Gansevoort and a sergeant in the United States Artillery, who +happened to be on the Canadian side were made prisoners, and the ferry +boats plying across the river at Queenston and Fort Erie, were seized by +the British troops at those places. The people of Buffalo received their +first intimation of the declaration of war by witnessing the capture of +a merchant schooner off the harbor by boats from Fort Erie.</p> + +<p>The flank companies of militia marched immediately to the frontier, and +were distributed along the river in taverns and farm houses. On the +second day, General Brock arrived from York, with the intention of +making an attack on Fort Niagara. He had then at his disposal, 400 of +the 41st Regiment, and nearly 800 militia. Success was all but certain, +as the garrison was weak and inefficient. His instructions however, were +to act strictly on the defensive, and he abandoned this project in the +conviction that the garrison might be driven out at any time by a +vigorous cannonade. Rumors of his design seem to have reached General P. +B. Porter, who commanded the militia force on the other side, and he +made an urgent demand for reinforcements.</p> + +<p>"The British on the opposite side are making the most active +preparations for defence," Benjamin Barton wrote from Lewiston on the +24th of June, "New troops are arriving from the Lower Province +constantly, and the quantity of military stores etc. that have arrived +within these few weeks is astonishing. Vast quantities of arms and +ammunition are passing up the country, no doubt to arm the Indians +around the Upper Lakes, (for they have not white men enough to make use +of such quantities as are passing). One-third of the militia of the +Upper Province are formed into companies called flankers, and are well +armed and equipped out of the King's stores, and are regularly trained +one day in a week by an officer of the standing troops. A volunteer +troop of horse has lately been raised and have drawn their sabres and +pistols. A company of militia artillery has been raised this spring, and +exercise two or three days in the week on the plains near Fort George, +and practice firing and have become very expert. The noted Isaac Sweazy, +has within a few days received a captain's commission for the flying +artillery, of which they have a number of pieces. We were yesterday +informed by a respectable gentleman from that side of the river, that he +was actually purchasing horses for the purpose of exercising his men. +They are repairing Fort George, and building a new fort at York. A +number of boats are daily employed, manned by their soldiers, plying +between Fort George and Queenston, carrying stores, lime and pickets, +for necessary repairs, and to cap the whole, they are making and using +every argument and persuasion to induce the Indians to join them, and we +are <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>informed the Mohawks have volunteered their service. In fact, +nothing appears to be left undone by their people that is necessary for +their defence."</p> + +<p>However, the Governor General seized the first opportunity of again +advising his enterprising lieutenant to refrain from any offensive +movements. "In the present state of politics in the United States" he +said, "I consider it prudent to avoid any means which can have the least +tendency to unite their people. While dissension prevails among them, +their attempts on the Province will be feeble. It is therefore my wish +to avoid committing any act which may even from a strained construction +tend to unite the Eastern and Southern States, unless from its +perpetration, we are to derive an immediate, considerable and important +advantage."</p> + +<p>Brock felt so confident at that moment of his ability to maintain his +ground on the Niagara, that he actually stripped Fort George of its +heaviest guns for the defence of Amherstburg, which he anticipated would +be the first point of attack. But the militia who had turned out so +cheerfully on the first alarm, after the lapse of a couple of uneventful +weeks, became impatient to return to their homes and families. They had +been employed as much as possible in the construction of batteries at +the most exposed points, and as they were without tents, blankets, +hammocks, kettles, or camp equipage of any kind, they had suffered +serious discomfort even at that season of the year. As their prolonged +absence from their homes, in some cases threatened the total destruction +of their crops, many were allowed to return on the 12th of July, and it +was feared that the remainder would disband in defiance of the law which +only imposed a fine of £20 for desertion. Nearly all of them were +wretchedly clothed, and a considerable number were without shoes, which +could not be obtained in the Province at any price. Many of the +inhabitants Brock indignantly declared, were "indifferent or American in +feeling."</p> + +<p>However, the month of July passed away without developing any symptom of +an offensive movement on this frontier. On the 22nd, the session of the +Legislature began at York, with the knowledge that General Hull had +invaded the Province at Sandwich with a strong force, and in hourly +expectation of tidings that the garrison of Amherstburg had surrendered +to superior numbers. Yet amid these depressing circumstances, Brock +concluded his "speech from the throne" with these hopeful and inspiring +words. "We are engaged in an awful and eventful contest. By unanimity +and despatch in our councils, and by vigor in our operations, we may +teach the enemy this lesson, that a country defended by freemen who are +enthusiastically devoted to their King and Constitution can never be +conquered."</p> + +<p>During the following week the most discouraging reports from Amherstburg +continued to arrive almost daily. It seemed as if the invading army +would be able to over run the whole of the Western District, with +scarcely a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>show of resistance on the part of the inhabitants. A +majority of the members of the Legislature were apathetic or despondent. +They passed a new militia act, and an act to provide for the defence of +the Province, but amended both in a highly unsatisfactory manner, after +which the House was hastily prorogued by the General who was eager to +proceed to the seat of war.</p> + +<p>"The House of Assembly," he wrote on the 4th of August, "have refused to +do anything they are required. Everybody considers the fate of the +country as settled, and is afraid to appear in the least conspicuous in +the promotion of measures to retard it. I have this instant been +informed that a motion was made in the House and only lost by two votes, +that the militia should be at liberty to return home, if they did not +receive their pay on a fixed day every month."</p> + +<p>On the succeeding day he began his march to the relief of Amherstburg. +Most of the regulars and some of the militia which had been hitherto +stationed along the Niagara, preceded or accompanied him on this +expedition, which they were fortunately enabled to do by the inactivity +of the enemy on the opposite bank, who actually do not seem to have +become aware of their absence until they had returned victorious. Lieut. +Col. Myers, the Assistant Quartermaster General, was left in command. +The men belonging to the flank companies who had been allowed to return +to their homes to assist in the harvest were summoned to rejoin, and 500 +more held in readiness to support them.</p> + +<p>On the 20th of August, the inhabitants were thrown into a frenzy of +delight by the almost incredible intelligence that Detroit had been +taken with the entire American army. A few hours later, General Van +Rensselaer who was still in ignorance of this event, signed an armistice +which put an end to any further apprehension of an attack for several +weeks.</p> + +<p>The Americans did not remain idle during the interval. A body of five or +six thousand men was assembled and five detached batteries were +completed on the bank of the river, between Fort Niagara and Youngstown, +two of which were armed with very heavy guns, and two with mortars.</p> + +<p>Upon the termination of the armistice, the militia generally returned to +their posts with alacrity, accompanied by a number of old loyalists +unfit for service in the field, but capable of performing garrison duty.</p> + +<p>The Garrison Order-book of Fort George still exists to bear witness to +the ceaseless vigilance with which the movements of the enemy were +watched. On the 2nd of October an order was issued directing one-third +of the troopers to "sleep in their clothes, fully accoutred and ready to +turn out at a moment's notice." This was followed on the 6th by another, +requiring the whole of the regular troops and militia to be under arms +by the first break of day, and not to be dismissed until full daylight, +and on the 12th all communication with the enemy by flag of truce was +forbidden, unless expressly authorized by the commanding general.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>On the morning of the 13th of October, as soon as General Brock was +convinced that the Americans were actually crossing the river at +Queenston, he directed Brigade Major Evans who remained in command at +Fort George, to open fire with every available gun upon Fort Niagara and +the adjacent batteries, and continue it until they were absolutely +silenced. This attack was forestalled by the enemy, who, as soon as they +perceived the columns of troops marching out on the road to Queenston, +turned the whole of their artillery upon Fort George and the neighboring +village, with such a disastrous effect, that in a few minutes the Jail +and Court House and fifteen or sixteen other buildings were set in a +blaze by their red hot shot. Major Evans had at his command not more +than twenty regular soldiers who composed the main guard for the day. +The whole of the small detachment of Royal Artillery usually stationed +in the Fort, had accompanied the field guns to repel the attack upon +Queenston. Colonel Claus, with a few men of the 1st Lincoln Regiment, +and Capt. Powell and Cameron with a small detachment of militia +artillery, alone remained to man the guns of the fort and batteries. The +gravity of the situation was greatly increased by the fact, that upwards +of three hundred prisoners were confined in the jail and guardhouse +which was now menaced with destruction. However, while the guards and +the greater part of the militia were vigorously engaged in fighting the +flames, amid an incessant cannonade, under the personal direction of +Major Evans and Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers, the batteries +were served by the militia artillery men, assisted by two +non-commissioned officers of the 41st Regiment, with such energy and +success that in the course of an hour the American guns were totally +silenced. By that time the Court House and some other buildings had been +totally consumed, and the disheartening news arrived that Gen. Brock and +Colonel McDonell had been killed, and their men repulsed by the enemy +who were landing in great force at Queenston, and had obtained +possession of the heights. Evans rode off at once to send forward every +man that could be spared from the stations along the river. He had just +marched off a small party from Young's battery, when the American +batteries resumed firing, and obliged him to return at full speed to his +post. As he reached the main gate at Fort George, he encountered a party +of panic-stricken soldiers flying from the place, who informed him that +the roof of the magazine which was known to contain eight hundred +barrels of powder was on fire. Captain Vigoreux climbed upon the burning +building without an instant's hesitation, and his gallant example being +quickly followed by several others, the metal covering was soon torn +away and the flames extinguished in the wood beneath. The storehouses at +Navy Hall were, however, next set in a blaze which could not be overcome +owing to their exposed situation, and they were totally destroyed. The +artillery combat was resumed, and continued till not only Fort Niagara, +but all the other <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>batteries on that side of the river were absolutely +silenced and deserted. One of the largest guns in that fort had burst, +completely wrecking the platform, disabling several men and dismaying +the remainder to such an extent that they deserted the place in a body, +and could not be induced to return until the firing had ceased. For +several hours the works were entirely abandoned, and could have been +taken without the least resistance, had Evans been able to spare men for +the purpose.</p> + +<p>On the next day, a cessation of hostilities was again agreed upon which +continued until the evening of the 20th of November. During this +interval the six battalion companies of the First Lincoln Regiment were +consolidated into three, under the command of Captains John Jones, +Martin McClellan, and George Ball, each containing about eighty rank and +file.</p> + +<p>At six o'clock on the morning of the 21st November, the guns of Fort +George and five detached batteries began a second bombardment of the +American works chiefly with the object of diverting the attention of the +enemy to that part of the line, as general Smyth who had succeeded Van +Rensselaer was massing his troops in the vicinity of Buffalo, with the +apparent intention of forcing the passage of the river between Fort Erie +and Chippawa. The fire from the American batteries, which appear to have +been weakly manned, was ill-directed and occasionally ceased altogether +for long intervals, while flames could be seen rising from their works, +apparently caused by the explosion of shells. One of these missiles fell +within the north blockhouse in Fort Niagara, and dismounted the only gun +there. Another shot from a twenty-four pounder on the right of Fort +George dismounted a heavy gun near Youngstown, while a third silenced +the piece on the roof of the messhouse at Fort Niagara for nearly an +hour. One of the guns in that place also burst with disastrous results, +killing two men and disabling others. A large building under the walls +which covered the landing of troops was entirely destroyed. By five +o'clock in the afternoon Fort Niagara was absolutely silenced, and only +the Youngstown "Salt" Battery continued to fire an occasional gun. At +dark the British guns ceased firing. But a single private of the 49th +Regiment, and a gallant old half-pay officer, Capt. Barent Frey, late of +Butler's Rangers, had been killed on the Canadian side of the river +during the cannonade. The latter had voluntarily occupied himself in +gathering the enemy's shot as they fell, for the purpose as he declared +of having them sent back to them as soon as possible. He is said to have +been killed by the wind of a cannon ball as it ricocheted along the +ground. The messhouse at Navy Hall was destroyed, and seventeen +buildings in the town itself were set on fire by heated shot, besides +many others considerably damaged by the cannonade. A small merchant +schooner lying at the wharf was sunk.</p> + +<p>The American commandant at Fort Niagara, Colonel McFeely of the United +States' Artillery, admitted the loss of only eleven men killed and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>wounded, though he estimated that not less than 2000 round shot and 180 +shells had been discharged against his works from the British batteries. +He reported an instance of remarkable courage displayed by a woman. +Among the prisoners taken at Queenston on the 13th October, was a +private in the United States Artillery, named Andrew Doyle, who was +recognised as a British subject, born in the village of St. Davids. He +was accordingly included among those who were sent to England to be +brought to trial for treason. His wife remained in Fort Niagara +throughout the bombardment, and actually took part in working one of the +guns. "During the most tremendous cannonading I have ever seen" said +Colonel McFeely in his official letter, "she attended the six-pounder on +the old messhouse with the red hot shot and showed fortitude equal to +the Maid of Orleans."</p> + +<p>Cannon balls were much too scarce and valuable to be wasted, and Col. +Myers took pains to state in his report that the number of round shot +picked up on the field exceeded the number fired from his guns on this +occasion.</p> + +<p>This artillery duel put an end to actual hostilities in the vicinity of +Niagara for the remainder of the year. But the privations and sufferings +of the militia were not yet terminated. They were retained in service +until the middle of December, when winter set in with unusual severity, +and all danger of an invasion seemed at an end.</p> + +<p>As early as the middle of November, Sir Roger Sheaffe had reported that +many of them were "in a very destitute state with respect to clothing, +and all that regards bedding and barrack comforts in general, these +wants cause discontent and desertion, but the conduct of a great +majority is highly honorable to them, and I have not failed to encourage +it by noticing it in public orders." In the order to which reference is +made he had said; "Major General Sheaffe has witnessed with the highest +satisfaction, the manly and cheerful spirit with which the militia on +this frontier have borne the privations which peculiar circumstances +have imposed upon them. He cannot but feel that their conduct entitles +them to every attention he can bestow upon them. It has furnished +examples of those best characteristics of a soldier, manly constancy +under fatigue and privation and determined bravery in the face of the +enemy."</p> + +<p>On the 23rd of the same month he observed that the number of the militia +in service had constantly increased since the termination of the +armistice and that they seemed very alert and well disposed. Their duty +during the next three weeks was of the most wearisome and harassing kind +as none of them were permitted to take off their clothes by night, and +in the day they were kept fully accoutred with arms in their hands. +Strong patrols constantly moved along the river, keeping up the +communication between the posts, and owing to the smallness of the force +assembled to watch such an extensive line, the same men were frequently +placed on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>guard for several nights in succession. Their clothing was +insufficient to protect them from the cold, and numbers were actually +confined to barracks from want of shoes. Disease carried off Lieut. Col. +Butler, Captain John Lottridge, Lieut. John May, Sergeant Jacob Balmer, +and twenty privates of the Lincoln Regiments during the month of +December, and there was much sickness among those who survived. Many, +distressed beyond all endurance by the miserable condition of their +families in their absence, returned home without leave.</p> + +<p>Late in November the Governor General issued a proclamation directing +all citizens of the United States residing in Upper Canada who still +declined to take an oath of allegiance, to leave the Province before the +first day of January, 1813. Among those who were banished at this time, +was Michael Smith, already mentioned, who published a few months later a +small volume, entitled "A Geographical view of the Province of Upper +Canada." This book met with such a favorable reception that five other +editions appeared at short intervals during the next three years, +several of them being materially revised and enlarged. His description +of the wretched state of this part of the Province was the result of +personal observation, and is certainly not overdrawn.</p> + +<p>"In the course of the summer on the line between Fort George and Fort +Erie, there was not more than 1000 Indians in arms at any one time. +These Indians went to and fro as they pleased to their country and back, +and were very troublesome to the women when their husbands were gone, as +they plundered and took what they pleased, and often beat them to force +them to give them whiskey, even when they were not in possession of any, +and when they saw any man that had not gone to the lines, they called +him a Yankee, and threatened to kill him for not going to fight, and +indeed in some instances these threats have been put into execution. +They acted with great authority and rage when they had stained their +hands with human blood.</p> + +<p>"The inhabitants at large would have been extremely glad to have got out +of their miserable situation at almost any rate, but they dared not +venture a rebellion without being sure of protection.</p> + +<p>"From the commencement of the war there had been no collection of debts +by law in the upper part of the Province and towards the fall in no +part, nor would anyone pay another. No person could get credit from +anyone to the amount of one dollar, nor could anyone sell any of their +property for any price except provisions or clothing, for those who had +money were determined to keep it for the last resort. No business was +carried on by any person except what was necessary for the times.</p> + +<p>"In the upper part of the Province all the schools were broken up and no +preaching was heard in all the land. All was gloom, war and misery.</p> + +<p>"Upon the declaration of war the Governor laid an embargo on all the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>flour destined for market, which was at a time when very little had +left the Province. The next harvest was truly bountiful as also the +crops of corn, buckwheat, and peas, the most of which were gathered +except the buckwheat which was on the ground when all the people were +called away after the battle of Queenston. Being detained on duty in the +fall not one half of the farmers sowed any winter grain."</p> + +<p>All supplies from Montreal were cut off by the American fleet being in +possession of Lake Ontario from the 8th November until the close of +navigation. Flour and salt were scarcely to be purchased at any price +and the condition of many families soon became almost too wretched to be +endured. It is not surprising then that numbers of those who had no very +strong ties to retain them, seized the first opportunity of escape.</p> + +<p>Lake Erie was frozen over as early as the 12th of January. A few days +later two deserters and three civilians made their way from Point Abino +to Buffalo upon the ice. They stated that the British forces were +greatly reduced by sickness and desertion and that they did not believe +there were more than thirty regulars stationed along the river between +Fort Erie and Niagara. In fact several companies of the 41st had been +recently despatched to strengthen the garrison of Amherstburg which was +again threatened with an attack, and a show of force was kept up by +ostentatiously sending out parties along the river in sleighs by day and +bringing them back to quarters after dark.</p> + +<p>Stimulated by the information derived from these men the commandant at +Buffalo projected the surprise of Fort Erie by crossing on the ice, but +the desertion of a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Major Macfarlane, +disconcerted his plans.</p> + +<p>Late in March the arrival of three families of refugees at Buffalo by +the same route is recorded. They confirmed former accounts of want and +distress and the weakness of the British garrisons on the Niagara. The +American officers were enabled, by information obtained from these and +other sources, to estimate with precision the actual force which might +be assembled to resist an invasion. But as they failed to make their +attacks simultaneously it happened in several instances that they +encountered the same troops successively at different places many miles +apart. Soldiers of the 41st, who had been present with Brock at the +taking of Detroit fought at Queenston on the 13th of October and +returned in time to share in the victory at the River Raisin on the 22nd +January, 1813. Two companies of the 8th that took part in the assault +upon Ogdensburg on the 22nd February, faced the invaders at York on the +27th April and again at Fort George a month later. Finding themselves +repeatedly confronted with considerably larger forces than they had been +led to expect, the American generals soon ceased to put much confidence +in the reports of their spies.</p> + +<p>The cabinet had at first designated Kingston, York, and Fort George +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>points of attack in the order named. The attempt upon Kingston was +quickly abandoned owing to a false report that the garrison had been +largely increased and it was determined to limit the operations of the +"Army of the Centre" in the first instance to the reduction of the two +latter places.</p> + +<p>On the 17th of March, Major General Morgan Lewis, who had been appointed +to the command of the division on the Niagara, arrived at Buffalo +attended by a numerous staff. At noon of the same day, the batteries at +Black Rock began firing across the river and continued the cannonade +with little intermission until the evening of the 18th. A few houses +were destroyed and seven soldiers killed or wounded near Fort Erie. +Three of the American guns were dismounted by the British batteries. A +week later the bombardment was resumed with even less result.</p> + +<p>York was taken without much difficulty on the 27th April, but it cost +the assailants their most promising general and between three and four +hundred of their best troops. They ascertained on that occasion that +they still had many warm sympathizers in that part of the Province. A +letter from an officer who accompanied this expedition, published in the +<i>Baltimore Whig</i> at the time, states that "our adherents and friends in +Upper Canada suffer greatly in apprehension or active misery. Eighteen +or twenty of them who refused to take the oath of allegiance lived last +winter in a cave or subterraneous hut near Lake Simcoe. Twenty-five +Indians and whites were sent to take them but they killed eighteen of +the party and enjoyed their liberty until lately when being worn out +with cold and fatigue, they were taken and put in York jail whence we +liberated them." Michael Smith corroborates this account in some +respects. He relates that twelve days after the battle of Queenston +Colonel Graham, on Yonge Street, ordered his battalion to assemble that +a number might be drafted to go to Fort George. Forty of them did not +come but went out to Whitchurch township which was nearly a wilderness +and joined thirty more fugitives that were already there. Some men who +were home for a few days from Fort George offered to go and bring them +in but as they were not permitted to take arms they failed and the +number of fugitives increased by the first of December to 300. When on +my way to Kingston to obtain a passport, I saw about fifty of these +people near Smith's Creek in the Newcastle District on the main road +with fife and drum beating for recruits and huzzaing for Madison. Some +of them remained in the woods all winter, but the Indians went out in +the spring of 1813 and drove them into their caves where they were +taken.</p> + +<p>So pronounced was the disaffection among the inhabitants in the vicinity +of York, that Chief Justice Powell warned the Governor General that "in +the event of any serious disaster to His Majesty's arms little reliance +is to be had on the power of the well disposed to depress and keep down +the turbulence of the disaffected who are very numerous."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>On the 29th of April, the capture of York became known at Fort George +and the boats and stores deposited at Burlington were removed to a place +of safety. On the 8th of May the American fleet came over to Fort +Niagara and landed the brigade of troops that had been employed in +reduction of York. Although victorious they were described by General +Dearborn as being sickly and low spirited. Next day some of these troops +were sent in two schooners to Burlington Beach where they destroyed the +King's Head tavern, built by Lieut.-Governor Simcoe, which had served as +quarters for soldiers on their march to and from Niagara. These vessels +continued to cruise about the head of the lake, while the remainder of +their fleet sailed away, as it proved to bring forward another division +of troops.</p> + +<p>Brigadier General John Vincent, had lately assumed command of the +British forces on the line of the Niagara, consisting of the 49th +Regiment, five companies of the 8th, three of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and a captain's +command of Royal Artillery with five held guns, numbering in all 1925 +officers and men, of whom 1841 were effectiver. Besides these, Merritt's +troops of Provincial cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, a company of +militia artillery and an uncertain and fluctuating number of militiamen +belonging to the five Lincoln Regiments were in service.</p> + +<p>By a general order in March, about 1700 militia had been summoned to the +protection of the frontier, but when the alarm had subsided, most of +them had been allowed to return to their homes as it was felt that they +would be more usefully employed in cultivating their farms than in idly +waiting for an attack which the enemy appeared to be in no hurry to +make.</p> + +<p>The regular troops were in high spirits and confident of victory, but +the militia appeared gloomy and depressed. Vincent complained ruefully, +"it is with regret that I can neither report favorably of their numbers +nor of their willing co-operation. Every exertion has been used and +every expedient resorted to, to bring them forward and unite their +efforts to those of His Majesty's troops with but little effect, and +desertion beyond all conception continues to mark their indifference to +the important cause in which we are now engaged. In considering it my +duty to offer a fresh exposition of my sentiments to Your Excellency +respecting the militia of this Province, I must at the same time express +a belief that when the reinforcements reach this frontier, many of the +inhabitants who have been for some time wavering and appalled by the +specious show of the enemy's resources will instantly rally round the +standard of their King and country."</p> + +<p>Lieut.-Colonel John Harvey, a very able and enterprising young officer, +who had lately joined General Vincent's division as Deputy Adjutant +General, earnestly advised that accurate information of the enemy's +numbers and designs should be secured at any cost, and then "by a series +of both <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>active and offensive movements, they should be thrown on the +defensive no matter how superior their numbers might be." Had the whole +of the 8th Regiment arrived in time this might have been accomplished, +but two of its companies had been nearly annihilated at York, and the +march of the remainder very much delayed by the attack on that place.</p> + +<p>As late however, as the 20th of May, we find Colonel Myers writing to +the Adjutant General in these terms. "It is not wise to hold an enemy +too cheap, but I cannot divest myself of the idea that the foe opposite +is despicable and that it would be no hard task to dislodge him from the +entire of his lines on the Niagara River. With some subordinate attacks +upon his flanks, I am of opinion that it would be an enterprise of +little hazard for us to get an establishment on the heights above +Lewiston, opposite Queenston. This once affected, I cannot but feel the +strongest confidence that we would in a short time effect the object so +much to be desired. It would be giving such a turn to the war that I +conceive it would strike terror to the enemy, which would produce the +happiest effects."</p> + +<p>The return of the American fleet with a numerous body of regular troops +on board put an end to these rather fantastic schemes of conquest. At +daybreak on the 21st, no less than seventeen armed vessels, and upwards +of one hundred Durham boats and batteaux were seen assembled near the +mouth of the Four Mile Creek in rear of Fort Niagara, from which several +thousand men were speedily disembarked.</p> + +<p>For several days these troops paraded ostentatiously in plain view +probably in the hope of overawing their opponents by the display of +numbers. Many workmen were seen at the same time busily occupied in +constructing new batteries along the river and building boats. +Reinforcements continued to arrive daily until it was supposed that +about 7000 soldiers were encamped between Lewiston and Fort Niagara. +This force was composed almost wholly of regular troops that had been in +service for some time and included nine of the best regiments of +infantry in the United States army. They were accompanied by a strong +regiment of heavy artillery, a well appointed field-train and a +battalion of dragoons.</p> + +<p>Major-General Henry Dearborn who was in command had distinguished +himself in the Revolutionary war during which he had commanded a +regiment in Arnold's expedition against Quebec and in Sullivan's +campaign against the Six Nations. But he was now past sixty years of age +and in ill health.</p> + +<p>The Secretary of War had warned him to be careful to employ a sufficient +force to ensure success. Seven thousand men was the number deemed +requisite. "If the first step in the campaign fails," he wrote +plaintively, "our disgrace will be complete. The public will lose +confidence in us. The party who first opens a campaign has many +advantages over his antagonist, all of which, however, are the results +of his being able to carry <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>his whole force against part of the enemy's. +We are now in that state of prostration Washington was in after he +crossed the Delaware, but like him we may soon get on our legs if we are +able to give some hard blows at the opening of the campaign. In this we +cannot fail provided the force we employ against his western posts be +sufficiently heavy. They must stand or fall by their own strength. They +are perfectly isolated, send, then, a force that shall overwhelm them. +When the fleet and army are gone we have nothing at Sackett's Harbor to +guard. How would it read if we had another brigade at Sackett's Harbor +when we failed at Niagara?"</p> + +<p>The undisturbed control of Lake Ontario by his fleet gave the American +general a still greater advantage than his numerical superiority. It was +understood that the British squadron would not be able to leave Kingston +for at least a week, but two small vessels were detached to watch that +port while the remainder assembled at Niagara to cover the landing.</p> + +<p>Vincent was accordingly thrown entirely upon the defensive. Had he only +had Dearborn's army to contend with, superior as it was, he might have +entertained a reasonable hope of being able to maintain his position but +the presence of the fleet would enable his antagonist to select the +point of attack at will and even to land a force in his rear.</p> + +<p>Nor were the fortifications along the river in a satisfactory state. The +chief engineer had examined them during the winter and reported that +Fort George was still in a "ruinous and unfinished condition," although +the parapet facing the river had been somewhat strengthened. He had +recommended that it should be completed as a field work and that a +splinter-proof barracks capable of sheltering 400 men should be built +within, and the upper story of the blockhouses taken down to place them +on a level with the <i>terre pleine</i>. But these suggested improvements +could not be carried out for lack of materials and workmen. At this time +the fort mounted five guns; one twelve, two twenty four pounders, and +two mortars. On the left fronting Fort Niagara were no less than five +detached batteries armed with eleven guns, five of which were mortars. +All of these works were open in the rear, and could be enfiladed and +some of them taken in reverse by an enemy approaching on the lake. Six +other batteries had been constructed along the river between Fort George +and Queenston, two at Chippawa and three opposite Black Rock about two +miles below Fort Erie. All of these posts required men to occupy them +and there were besides thirty odd miles of frontier to be constantly +patrolled and guarded. About one-third of his regular troops and +two-thirds of the militia were unavoidably stationed along the upper +part of this line extending from Queenston to Point Abino, under the +command of Lieut.-Colonel Cecil Bishop. Vincent retained for the defence +of the eleven miles of front between Queenston and the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek, thirty gunners of the Royal Artillery with five field +pieces, under Major Holcroft, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>1050 regular infantry, 350 militia, and +about fifty Indians. This force was subdivided into three diminutive +brigades of nearly equal numbers, the right under Lieut.-Colonel Harvey +being detailed to guard the river, and the left under Lieut.-Colonel +Myers, the lake front of this position, while the third under his own +command remained in readiness to support either of these when attacked. +Fort George was garrisoned by Ormond's company of the 49th, and a +detachment of militia artillery amounting in the whole to about 130 men. +The gunners serving with the field artillery being not more than half +the usual complement, additional men were attached from the infantry. +The batteries were entirely manned by volunteers from the regulars and +militia. The whole force was turned out every morning at two o'clock, +and remained under arms until daylight. The staff officers set a +conspicuous example of activity and watchfulness. Colonels Harvey and +Myers, accompanied by their aides patrolled the lines the whole night +through and slept only by day. As the enemy continued their preparations +for nearly a week after the return of their fleet, the effects of the +prolonged strain soon became apparent in the exhausted condition of both +the officers and men. At first, General Dearborn's movements seemed to +indicate that an attack would be made by crossing the river above Fort +George, and on the 24th of May the whole of the British troops were kept +under arms all night. About three o'clock in the morning the enemy was +distinctly heard launching boats at the Five Mile meadows nearly +opposite a station occupied by Lieut. (afterwards Major General) R. S. +Armstrong, R. A., who by command of the vigilant Harvey, immediately +began to fire in that direction with a six pounder field gun and the +nine-pounder mounted in a battery at Brown's Point. The Americans +replied briskly with two six-pounders and continued their efforts until +they had put ten boats in the river. But if they had intended to cross +at this place, they soon abandoned the attempt, and when day dawned all +of these boats were seen on their way down the river with a few men in +each. As they came within range the guns of Fort George began firing, +which instantly drew upon that work the fire of no less than sixteen +heavy guns and mortars mounted in Fort Niagara and the adjacent +batteries. The twelve pounder in Fort George was soon dismounted by a +shot which shattered its carriage, and every building inside was set on +fire by the shower of shells and red-hot shot which rained upon it. The +gunners were driven by the flames from the twenty-four pounder beside +the flagstaff, but the unequal contest was still gallantly maintained by +a similar gun in the cavalier and a smaller piece in the north-western +bastion until Major Holcroft perceiving that the barracks were totally +consumed and shells bursting in every corner of the place sent orders to +this handful of undaunted men to cease firing and retire under cover. +The gun at Mississauga Point remained silent by order of Colonel Myers +who hoped by this means to deprive the enemy of any <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>excuse for turning +their artillery upon the village, and the other detached batteries seem +to have taken little part in the contest. Having destroyed all the +buildings in Fort George and effectually silenced its fire, the +Americans discontinued the bombardment about two o'clock in the +afternoon.</p> + +<p>The lake front of the British position was then closely reconnoitred by +boats from the fleet, sounding the shore in every direction and +occasionally venturing within musket shot of some of the batteries which +remained silent, partly from scarcity of ammunition and partly through +fear of provoking a renewal of the cannonade. Buoys were placed to mark +the stations the ships were to occupy next day when they engaged the +batteries on the left of Fort George and covered the landing.</p> + +<p>On the part of the British some ineffectual efforts were made to repair +the damages of the morning. The tackle and carriage of the gun at the +flagstaff in Fort George had been totally destroyed by the flames, and +could not be replaced, while the ring-bolts of another gun at the light +house had been drawn by the recoil, and little service could be expected +from it. Only a small picquet was stationed in the fort during the +night, and the remainder of the garrison lay upon their arms on the +common about half a mile in the rear in hourly expectation of an alarm, +with the other brigades on either flank.</p> + +<p>Shortly after reveille had sounded next morning, a rocket was seen to +rise into the air from Fort Niagara and a single gun was fired at Fort +George. This was the signal for all the American batteries to begin a +cannonade which was not returned and ceased at the end of half an hour. +Long after the sun had risen a dense fog hung over the river and lake, +effectually concealing all objects on the opposite side except the dim +outline of Fort Niagara. Nothing could be seen of their troops, most of +whom had been embarked soon after midnight, at the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek. At daybreak Generals Dearborn and Lewis went on board +Commodore Chauncey's flagship which immediately got under way, followed +by the remainder of the fleet and the immense flotilla of batteaux and +other boats filled with soldiers. Hours passed away and the entire +armada remained almost motionless waiting for the rising of the fog. +Finally when the fog banks rolled away 16 vessels of different sizes +were descried standing across the mouth of the river at a distance of +about two miles from land, followed by no less than 134 boats and scows, +each containing from thirty to fifty men, formed in three compact +divisions one behind the other. At a signal from the flagship the entire +fleet tacked and stood towards the Canadian shore, the small boats +wheeling by brigades and carefully preserving their alignment. Their +approach was gradual and deliberate, being favored by a gentle breeze, +which, however, scarcely raised a ripple on the glassy surface of the +lake. The schooners <i>Julia</i> and <i>Growler</i> each armed with a long +32-pounder and a long 12-pounder mounted on pivots, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>by making use of +their sweeps entered the mouth of the river and opened fire on the +crippled battery near the lighthouse while the schooner <i>Ontario</i> of +similar force took up a position near the shore to the northward so as +to enfilade the same work and cross the fire of the two first-named +vessels. Two guns and a mortar in Fort Niagara also concentrated their +fire upon this battery, which was occupied by a few men of the Lincoln +artillery under Capt. John Powell. Only a single shot was fired from the +gun mounted there when it again became unmanageable and the gunners were +soon afterwards driven out by the incessant fire directed against them +from different quarters. At the same time the <i>Governor Tompkins</i> of six +guns engaged the one-gun battery near the mouth of Two Mile Creek in +flank while <i>Conquest</i> of three guns anchored in such a position as to +fire directly into it from the rear, which was entirely open and +unprotected. Resistance in this case was obviously out of the question +and it was immediately abandoned. The <i>Hamilton</i>, <i>Scourge</i> and <i>Asp</i> +anchored within short musket shot of the shore, a few hundred yards +further west, nearly opposite a group of farm houses called Crookston, +which was the place selected for landing the troops. The three largest +vessels, the <i>Madison</i>, <i>Oneida</i> and <i>Lady of the Lake</i> drew more water +and were in consequence obliged to remain at a greater distance, though +still well within effective range of every part of the level plain +beyond the landing place. The united broadside of the fleet amounted to +fifty-one guns, many of them being heavy long-range pieces mounted upon +pivots which could fire in any direction, and the weather was so calm +that they were afterwards able to increase the number by shifting guns +from the other side. The whole of the artillery in Fort Niagara and the +batteries on that bank of the river had also opened fire. Two sides of +the British position were thus simultaneously assailed by the fire of +more than seventy guns and mortars which swept the roads and fields in +every direction with scarcely a shot in reply. A picquet of the +Glengarry Light Infantry which had been stationed with about 50 Indians +of the Six Nations under Captain John Norton among the thickets near the +mouth of the Two Mile Creek hastily retired to avoid utter destruction +by the storm of missiles hurled against their covert. Two Indians were +killed and several wounded before they could escape.</p> + +<p>A heavy column of troops was then discovered marching from the American +camp in rear of Fort Niagara near Youngstown. This consisted principally +of dismounted dragoons and heavy artillery commanded by Colonel Burn who +had been instructed to cross the river there and intercept the retreat +of the British garrison towards Queenston. Their appearance had the +effect of detaining a large part of Harvey's brigade on that flank to +watch their movements.</p> + +<p>It was about nine o'clock when the landing began at Crookston in the +following order. The advanced guard in twenty boats was composed of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>four hundred picked light infantry selected from several regiments, +Forsyth's battalion of riflemen, and the flank companies of the 15th +United States Infantry, amounting in the whole to about 800 rank and +file, with a detachment of artillery in charge of a three-pounder field +piece, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Winfield Scott, an able and +energetic young officer who had been taken prisoner at Queenston the +year before, and was destined to be the future conqueror of Mexico. This +force was strictly enjoined not to advance more than three hundred paces +from the water's edge before it was supported by General Boyd's brigade +of infantry, with Eustis's battalion of artillery and McClure's rifle +volunteers on its flanks. This was succeeded by Winder's brigade with +Towson's artillery, and Chandler's brigade with Macomb's artillery, +which were instructed to form upon Boyd's right and left respectively. +Each of these brigades must certainly have numbered not less than 1500 +officers and men. The reserve was composed of the marines of the fleet +and a picked body of 400 seamen which were landed but not brought into +action.</p> + +<p>The entire fleet continued to fire over the heads of the men in the +boats and effectually screened their advance until they reached the +shore and formed on the beach under shelter of the steep clay bank. +Captain Hindman of the United States Artillery, a very gallant young +officer who was in command of the detachment with the gun attached to +the advance guard, is mentioned as the first man to reach the shore. So +far they had not met with the slightest opposition, but when they began +to ascend the bank, the artillery fire from the ships slackened and they +were briskly attacked by three companies of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two companies of Lincoln militia, and the Grenadiers of the +Royal Newfoundland Regiment who had been partially sheltered during the +cannonade in a ravine two or three hundred yards distant. The effect of +their musketry was sufficient to cause the American advance guard to +retire under cover of the bank once more and the fleet recommenced its +fire. Lieut.-Colonel Myers then succeeded in bringing forward the +remainder of his brigade, increasing the force assembled in the ravine +to forty men of the Newfoundland Regiment, ninety of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, twenty-seven of Captain Runchey's negro company, one hundred +Lincoln militia and 310 of the 8th or King's regiment. Several American +authorities agree in the statement that they twice attempted to ascend +the bank and were twice driven back by this determined handful of men. +After they had succeeded in forming upon the plain, General Boyd +declared that for "fifteen minutes the two lines exchanged a rapid and +destructive fire, at a distance of only six or ten yards." The official +returns of casualties establish the fact the whole of his brigade +consisting of the 6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry was brought +forward to the support of Colonel Scott's advance-guard, making a force +of about 2,300 men opposed to 567. Whenever practicable the ships +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>continued to fire with destructive effect on the attenuated British +line. Colonel Myers fell desperately wounded in three plans when leading +the first charge. Every field officer and most of the company of +officers were soon killed or disabled, and at the end of twenty minutes +close fighting the survivors gave way, leaving nearly three hundred dead +and wounded on the field. They were rallied at a second ravine some +distance in the rear by Lieut.-Colonel Harvey, who brought up with him +several companies of the 49th, and a six-pounder field gun under Lieut. +Charlton, which had been stationed near Fort George.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Armstrong with two other guns, had also been directed to proceed +to the support of Lieut.-Colonel Myers, but upon advancing along the +road parallel with the lake near Secord's house, he was suddenly +assailed from both flanks by a body of riflemen, whose fire wounded his +horse and one of his men, and a belt of thick woods prevented him from +joining the remnant of that brigade, which was then in full retreat. +While engaged in examining the road in front, Armstrong came +unexpectedly upon one of the enemy's riflemen whom he made prisoner, and +discovering that he was in danger of being surrounded, retired hurriedly +to the Presbyterian church where the remainder of the field guns had +been posted. From this position they covered the retirement of +Lieut.-Colonel Harvey's force, which took place about ten o'clock. By +that time the Americans had succeeded in landing the greater part of +their field artillery, and began to advance slowly in three dense +columns, Scott's light troops skirting the woods on the right, with the +6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry and four guns in the centre +and the 18th United States Infantry and four guns moving along the +margin of the lake. As they had brought no horses, they were obliged to +drag their guns by hand, and their advance was necessarily very slow. +While observing their movements, Colonel Harvey was almost cut off by a +party of riflemen who had stealthily made their way through the woods +with that object. He galloped off unhurt amid a shower of bullets, and +formed his brigade in a fresh position behind a third ravine. Major +Holcroft opened fire from a six-pounder and a howitzer, but on +perceiving the advance of the enemy's light troops on the right, he +placed these guns in charge of Lieut. Armstrong, and moved in that +direction with the two other pieces. For nearly half an hour the +artillery kept up a brisk fire and succeeded in checking the enemy's +infantry. Harvey then noticed that their riflemen were again stealing +forward through the woods, with the intention of turning his left flank, +and ordered a general retreat to the Common beyond the Council House. +During the cannonade Holcroft had lost but one gunner wounded and a +single horse killed but the limber of his largest gun, a twelve-pounder, +was so badly damaged that it went to pieces on the road.</p> + +<p>An hour later when the Americans emerged from the village, an <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>eighteen +pounder, in the battery next to Fort George was traversed, and fired +upon them until they made a vigorous charge and captured it with several +of the men engaged in working it.</p> + +<p>Vincent joined Harvey with the reserve, and the whole force remained in +position on the Common for nearly half an hour. Commodore Chauncey's +flagship entered the river and anchored abreast of Fort George. The +troops at Youngstown began to enter their boats while the enemy in front +were steadily prolonging their lines to the right with the evident +purpose of occupying the only possible avenue of retreat, and +surrounding the British forces.</p> + +<p>At noon, General Vincent despatched an order to Lieut.-Colonel Claus, to +evacuate Fort George and join him upon the Queenston road. He +immediately began his retreat upon St. Davids, the infantry retiring +through the woods, and the artillery and baggage by the road. This +movement was so quietly accomplished that it seems to have almost +escaped the attention of the enemy who were busily engaged in reforming +their line.</p> + +<p>General Dearborn had become so much enfeebled by his exertions, and the +effects of his previous illness, that he had to be lifted from his horse +and supported to a boat which conveyed him on board the flagship, from +which he viewed the landing of his troops, although unable to keep his +feet for more than a few minutes at a time. The command accordingly +devolved upon Major General Morgan Lewis, an officer of little +experience and less military knowledge, but an active and influential +politician, who had been in turn Chief Justice and Governor of the State +of New York and was a brother-in-law of the Secretary of War. He was +absurdly fond of military pomp, parade and display, and his opponents +delighted to ridicule a speech he had made to the militia when Governor +in which he had remarked that "the drum was all important in the day of +battle." Having the fate of Van Rensselaer and Winchester fresh in his +memory, his movements were cautious to the verge of timidity. An hour +and a half elapsed after Harvey retreated before he ventured to advance +beyond the village. He had then not less than 4,000 men in order of +battle besides the reserve of marines and seamen. His line extended +without a break from the lighthouse on Mississauga Point to the river +above Fort George. That work was approached with excessive caution as +the sound of repeated explosions within, caused them to dread a +recurrence of their disastrous experience at York, and even the +lighthouse was avoided lest it should be hurled in fragments on their +heads. Colonel Scott was in fact unhorsed by a large splinter which +broke his collar bone, but there were no other casualties. When the fort +was entered, it was found that the garrison had disappeared with the +exception of a few soldiers of the 49th Regiment, who were still engaged +in dismantling the works. Some of the men were surprised in the act of +cutting down the flagstaff to obtain the garrison flag from which the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>halliards had been shot away, and others were taken prisoners as they +attempted to escape through the main gate. More than a hundred sick and +wounded were found in the hospital. The village of Niagara was entirely +deserted, and many of the houses had been much damaged by cannon shot.</p> + +<p>During the afternoon the Second Regiment of United States Dragoons was +brought over from Youngstown, but scarcely any pursuit was attempted as +the American army was described as much exhausted from being under arms +for eleven hours. No one seemed to know positively which way the British +had retreated. Colonel Scott with some of the riflemen seems to have +advanced a few miles along the Queenston road, but was peremptorily +recalled by General Lewis who feared an ambush. Meanwhile Vincent's +column had retired in almost perfect order, leaving scarcely a straggler +behind and marched with such speed that the rear guard arrived that +night at DeCew's house, where a small magazine of provisions had been +formed a few days before in anticipation of a reverse.</p> + +<p>About four o'clock in the afternoon a dragoon reached Fort Erie with +information of the loss of Fort George, and Lieut.-Colonel Bishop +immediately began his retreat with the regular troops and field guns +stationed there, leaving Major John Warren with a few men of the Third +Lincoln Regiment of militia to occupy the works and engage the attention +of the enemy on the opposite bank. Soon after his departure, Warren +opened fire on Black Rock from all the batteries, and continued the +cannonade all night. At daybreak the destruction of the stores and +fortifications began. The barracks and public buildings were burnt, the +magazines blown up, the guns burst or otherwise rendered unserviceable +along the whole line from Point Abino to Chippawa. When this had been +thoroughly accomplished, Warren disbanded his men, and an American force +crossed from Black Rock and took possession of the dismantled works. A +quantity of stores which had been abandoned at Queenston, was destroyed +on the same day, by Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Clark, at the head of a small +party of the Third Lincoln Regiment, who had returned from Beaver Dams +for the purpose.</p> + +<p>Scarcely had this been done, when a strong brigade of American troops +advanced from Fort George and occupied that village.</p> + +<p>During these operations General Vincent had lost the whole of his +garrison ordnance and a considerable quantity of spare arms and military +stores. His regular force had been diminished by 350 officers and men, +nearly all of whom were killed or wounded, but he was joined during the +night of the 27th by two strong companies of the 8th Regiment which had +advanced that day as far as the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek on their +way to Fort George. The loss of the regulars in the battle was +officially stated at fifty-two killed, forty-four wounded, and 262 +missing, nearly all of those reported missing being either killed or +left wounded on the field. The small detachment of Lincoln militia +engaged is stated to have lost five <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>officers and eighty men, killed or +wounded, but no official return seems to have been preserved. The names +only of Captain Martin McClellan and Privates Charles Wright and William +Cameron, who were killed, have been recorded. Two Mohawk Indians, Joseph +Claus and Tsigotea, were also among the slain. General Boyd stated that +his men found 107 dead and 175 wounded of the British troops upon the +field. The losses of some of the detachments actually engaged were truly +appalling. The five companies of the 8th Regiment lost, Lieut. Drummie +killed, Major Cotton, Lieuts. Nicholson, McMahon, and Lloyd, and Ensign +Nicholson wounded, and 196 non-commissioned officers and privates +killed, wounded, or missing out of 310 of all ranks who went into +action. The Glengarry Light Infantry lost Captain Liddle and Ensign +McLean killed, Captain Roxborough and Lieut. Kerr wounded, and 73 +non-commissioned officers and men out of an aggregate of 108. The +grenadier company of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lost Capt. Winter, +Lieut. Stewart, and fourteen others out of forty.</p> + +<p>The total loss of the American army was officially stated at 150, of +whom thirty-nine were killed. The only officer killed was Lieut. Henry +Hobart, a grandson of General Dearborn. Covered as their landing was by +the fire of so many cannon, it is, perhaps, remarkable that their loss +was so great. As a proof, however, of the severity of the short struggle +on the plain. Dr. Mann, the American army surgeon, who was present, +remarked that he found 27 dead and 87 severely wounded on the field when +he landed and that nearly 400 of both armies lay stretched on a plot of +ground not more than 200 yards in length and fifteen in breadth.</p> + +<p>On the 28th, the whole of the militia except Merritt's troop of +Provincial Cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, and about sixty picked +men of other corps who were determined to follow the fortunes of the +army, were disbanded, and Vincent continued his retreat to Grimsby and +finally to Burlington Heights where he arrived on the 2nd June with +eleven field guns and 1800 seasoned soldiers, who, in spite of their +recent reverse were in high spirits and eager to meet the enemy again on +more equal terms. The brilliant result of the action at Stoney Creek +three days later amply atoned for a defeat by which they had lost no +credit.</p> + +<p>The Americans were justly disappointed by the incompleteness of their +success. For nearly two days they appear to have absolutely lost all +track of their enemy. "When we marched for Queenston on the 28th," wrote +an officer in the United States army whose letter was published at the +time in the <i>Baltimore Whig</i>, "we found the British far advanced on +their retreat by the back road toward the lower part of the Province. +They collected their force very actively. Our friends hereabouts are +greatly relieved by our visit. They had been terribly persecuted by the +Scotch myrmidons of England. Their present joy is equal to their past +misery. This is a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>charming country but its uncertain destiny together +with the vexations the farmers endured by being dragged out in the +militia left the fields in a great degree uncultivated. The British +Indians are not of much use to them. They run as soon as the battle +grows hot. I saw but one Indian and one Negro with the Glengarry uniform +on, dead on the field. Their Eighth fought very resolutely and suffered +severely."</p> + +<p>Many American historians have condemned General Dearborn for not having +accomplished more with the means at his disposal but they have made +little or no allowance for the physical weakness which actually rendered +him unfit to command at all. General Armstrong, who, as Secretary of +War, was eager to justify his own conduct, declared that "if instead of +concentrating his whole force, naval and military, on the water side of +the enemy's defences he had divided the attack and crossed the Niagara +below Lewiston and advanced on Fort George by the Queenston road, the +investment of that place would have been complete and a retreat of the +garrison rendered impracticable." This, however, was actually the +movement which Dearborn had planned but failed to execute in time. +Ingersol, a member of Congress and a leader of the war party, bitterly +observed that "the British General effected his retreat (probably +without Dearborn knowing it for he stayed on shipboard) to the mountain +passes where he employed his troops in attacking, defeating, and +capturing ours during all the rest of that year of discomfitures."</p> +<br /> + +<p class="cen">THE END.</p> +<br /> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>N. B.—For the engraving, "The Taking of Fort George," we +are indebted to the kindness and courtesy of the Hon. P. A. +Porter, Niagara Falls. It is from the portfolio published in +Philadelphia, 1817, and is particularly interesting to us as +giving the appearance of the churches St. Mark's and St. +Andrew's before the town was burnt down, as also the +Lighthouse situated nearly where the Queen's Royal Hotel +stands now.</p></div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="tr"> +<p class="cen"><a name="TN" id="TN"></a>Transcriber's Note</p> +<br /> + +Some inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in +the original document has been preserved.<br /> +<br /> +Typographical errors corrected in the text:<br /> +<br /> +Page 5 huudred changed to hundred<br /> +Page 6 uninhabitated changed to uninhabited<br /> +Page 7 Presqu'le changed to Presqu'ile<br /> +Page 9 patroling changed to patrolling<br /> +Page 12 armisfice changed to armistice<br /> +Page 14 Rensslaer changed to Rensselaer<br /> +Page 15 permited changed to permitted<br /> +Page 19 resourses changed to resources<br /> +Page 21 Deleware changed to Delaware<br /> +Page 21 patroled changed to patrolled<br /> +Page 21 Bisshop changed to Bishop<br /> +Page 22 detatchment changed to detachment<br /> +Page 24 missles changed to missiles<br /> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Battle of Fort George, by Ernest Cruikshank + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + +***** This file should be named 33621-h.htm or 33621-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/6/2/33621/ + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Battle of Fort George + A paper read on March 14th, 1896 + +Author: Ernest Cruikshank + +Release Date: September 3, 2010 [EBook #33621] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + + + + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + "Ducit Amor Patriae" + + TRANSACTION NO. 1 + + Niagara Historical Society. + + + + + BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE + + + + + A PAPER READ ON MARCH 14TH, 1896, BY + + ERNEST CRUIKSHANK + + CAPT. 44TH BATTALION. + + + + + NIAGARA: + PICKWELL BROS., BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS. + 1896. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The reproach has frequently been cast upon us that Canada has no +history; it might be said of us with far more justice that we do not +know our own history. The various historical societies are, by their +efforts, trying to wipe away this reproach, and we feel proud of +following in the wake of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society in +publishing a paper written by Capt. Cruikshank, who has well earned the +title of the historian of the Niagara peninsula. + +Of the towns of Ontario not one we are sure possesses a history so +eventful, so ancient, so interesting as Niagara, having been at +different times a legislative, an educational, a military and a +commercial centre, at one time occupied by the enemy and again a heap of +smoking ruins, now a quiet summer resort with many points of historical +interest, with wide streets shaded by old elms and having unrivalled +lake and river scenery. The members of the youngest of these Historical +Societies feel that they may congratulate themselves on being able to +place in the hands of the public the story which so far has not yet been +told of the Taking of Fort George, told too in a style so clear, so +dispassionate, and shewing such deep research, a story of troublesome +times, which so told can not but be helpful to old and young of every +nationality. + +Asking for our first venture a kind reception we send it out to the +public, hoping that it may do its part in proving that we have a not +ignoble history which should inspire us to yet nobler deeds. + + + + +BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE. + +27TH MAY, 1813. + + +For about a quarter of a century Niagara was the principal town and +commercial capital of Western Canada, and for a brief period was +actually the seat of government for the Upper Province. The removal of +the provincial officers to York in 1796 struck the first blow at its +supremacy, but its material prosperity continued until the beginning of +the war with the United States when its exposed situation subjected it +to a series of calamities which culminated in its total destruction on +the 10th of December, 1813. + +During that time many travellers of more or less note visited the place +at short intervals on their way to or from the Falls, and a considerable +number of them have recorded their observations. Patrick Campbell in +1791, D'Arcy Bolton in 1794, the Duke de Rochefoucauld Liancourt in +1795, Isaac Weld and J. C. Ogden in 1796, John Maude in 1800, George +Heriot in 1806, Christian Schultz in 1807, John Melish in 1810 and +Michael Smith in 1812 have described the town and adjacent country at +considerable length from various points of view. Other accounts are to +be found in the _National Intelligencer_ newspaper published at +Washington, D. C., in 1812, and in Smith's Gazetteer of Upper Canada for +1813. From these numerous sources it would seem an easy task to form a +fairly correct estimate of the appearance of the town, its commercial +importance and the character of the inhabitants. + +[Illustration: THE TAKING OF FORT GEORGE.] + +It is described as being nearly a mile square, sparsely built, with many +pasture fields, gardens, orchards and open spaces interspersed among the +houses. Smith, an American resident of the province now was expelled in +1812 for having declined to take oath of allegiance, states that there +were "several squares of ground in the village adorned with almost every +kind of precious fruit." According to the same authority it contained +two churches--one of them built of stone, a court house and jail, an +Indian council house, an academy in which Latin and Greek were taught by +the Rev. John Burns a Presbyterian minister, a printing house, six +taverns, twenty stores and about a hundred dwelling houses, many of them +described as "handsome buildings of brick or stone, the rest being of +wood, neatly painted." From the lake the town is said to have made an +"imposing appearance" as most of the buildings fronted the water. Smith +concludes his account with the remark that it was "a beautiful and +prospective place, inhabited by civil and industrious people." Dr. John +Mann, a surgeon in the United States army who accompanied the +invading forces and afterwards wrote the "Medical History of the War," +styles it "a delightful village." The population was probably +underestimated at five hundred exclusive of the regular garrison of Fort +George, usually numbering about two hundred men. The names of John +Symington, Andrew Heron, Joseph Edwards, John Grier, John Baldwin and +James Muirhead have been recorded as some of the principal merchants. + +An open plain or common of nearly a mile in width separated the town +from Fort George. This post was described by the Governor General in the +early summer of 1812, in official report on the defences of Upper Canada +as an irregular fieldwork consisting of six small bastions faced with +framed timber and plank, connected by a line of palisades twelve feet +high, and surrounded by a shallow dry ditch. Its situation and +construction were alike condemned as extremely defective. Although it +partially commanded Fort Niagara it was in turn overlooked and commanded +by the high ground on the opposite side of the river near Youngstown. +The troops were lodged in blockhouses inside affording quarters for 220 +men, besides which there was a spacious building for the officers. The +magazine was built of stone with an arched roof but was not considered +bombproof. All the works were very much out of repair and reported as +scarcely capable of the least defence. + +On the margin of the river immediately in front of the fort stood a +large log building known as Navy Hall, which had been constructed during +the American Revolution, to serve as winter-quarters for the officers +and seamen of the Provincial vessels on Lake Ontario. Near this was a +spacious wharf with good-sized store houses, both public and private. +The Ranger's Barracks, also built of logs and an Indian Council House +were situated on the further edge of the common, just south of the town. +A small stone light house had been built upon Mississauga Point, in +1805-6. + +The road leading along the river to Queenston, was thickly studded with +farm buildings, and the latter village is said to have contained nearly +a hundred houses, many of them being large and well built structures of +stone or brick, with a population estimated at 300. Vessels of fifty +tons and upwards, loaded with goods for the upper country, sailed up the +river to this place, where they discharged their cargoes, and took in +furs and grain in return. Ever since its establishment, the "Carrying +Place" on the Canadian side of the river, had furnished much profitable +employment to the neighboring farmers, who were paid at the rate of +twenty pence, New York currency, a hundred weight for hauling goods +between Queenston and Chippawa; Maude relates that during his visit in +1800, he passed many carts and wagons on this road, taking up boxes and +bales of merchandise, or bringing down furs, each drawn by two horses or +two yoke of oxen. Three schooners were then moored at the wharf at +Queenston, and fourteen teams stood waiting to be loaded. Others had +noticed as many as fifty or sixty teams passing each other in a day. At +this time the old portage on the American bank was entirely dis-used, +but in 1806 the exclusive rights to the carrying place on that side were +granted to Porter, Barton & Co., and much of the traffic was +consequently diverted. + +Christian Schultz, tells us that in 1807, the Canadian side of the river +was "one settled street, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie," while the +other was still almost wholly "waste and uninhabited," which he +attributes chiefly to the fact, that the land on the American bank was +entirely held by speculators. The villages of Chippawa and Fort Erie +contained about twenty houses each. For upwards of twenty miles back, he +states that the country was pretty well settled from lake to lake. A +stage coach made three round trips weekly between Niagara and Fort Erie. +A considerable sum from the Provincial Treasury was annually spent in +opening and improving roads. Frenchman's, Miller's and Black creeks were +bridged only on the river road, but there was a bridge across Lyon's +creek, at Cook's Mills, and the Chippawa was bridged at its mouth, and +at Brown's sixteen miles higher up. From the Portage Road near the +Falls, a continuation of Lundy's Lane led westerly through the +Beechwoods and Beaver Dam settlements, crossed the Twelve Mile creek at +DeCew's, and following the crest of the mountain to the Twenty, ascended +that stream as far as a small hamlet, known as "Asswago" and finally +united with the main road from Niagara to York near Stoney Creek. +Another well travelled road from Queenston passed through St. Davids, +and joined the Lake Road from Niagara at Shipman's tavern, where they +crossed the Twelve Mile Creek on the present site of the city of St. +Catharines. A third leading from Niagara through the dreaded "Black +Swamp," of which all trace has long since disappeared, united with the +road from St. Davids before crossing the Four Mile creek. Still another +beginning near the mouth of the Two Mile creek, ran nearly parallel with +the river, till it intersected Lundy's Lane. Besides these there were +the main travelled roads along the river from Queenston to Niagara, and +along the lake from Niagara to Burlington. + +In 1794, Lieutenant Governor Simcoe styled the Niagara settlement, "the +bulwark of Upper Canada," and affirmed that the militia were loyal to a +man, and "very well calculated for offensive warfare." Since then the +character and feelings of the population had been essentially altered. +Many of the first settlers had died or removed with their families to +other parts of the Province, and their places had been taken by later +immigrants from the United States. The twenty townships extending from +Ancaster to Wainfleet, which then composed the County of Lincoln, were +supposed to contain 12,000 inhabitants in the spring of 1812. In the +entire province of Upper Canada, one-sixth of the population were +believed to be natives of the British Isles and their children; the +original loyalist settlers and their descendants were estimated to +number as many more, while the remainder, or about two-thirds of the +whole, were recent arrivals from the United States, chiefly attracted by +the fertility of the soil and freedom from taxation. Michael Smith +states (1813), that within twelve years, the population "had increased +beyond conjecture, as the terms of obtaining land have been extremely +easy." The proportion of loyalists in the County of Lincoln was perhaps +greater than elsewhere, but it is probably a safe estimate to say that +one-third of the inhabitants were recent settlers from the United +States, who had removed to escape taxation or avoid militia service. +John Maude met several families in 1800 on their way to Canada from +those counties in Pennsylvania, where the 'Whiskey Insurrection' had +just been suppressed who informed him that "they had fought seven years +against taxation, and were then being taxed more than ever. Hundreds of +them" he remarked "have removed, are removing, and will remove into +Upper Canada, where they will form a nest of vipers in the bosom that +fosters them." + +In 1811, the Governor General estimated the number of militiamen in +Upper Canada fit for service at 11,000, of whom he significantly stated +that it would probably not be prudent to arm more than 4000. This was +virtually an admission, that more than half the population were +suspected of disaffection. The Lincoln Militia were organized in five +regiments, numbering about 1,500 men, of whom perhaps two-thirds were +determined loyalists. + +In many quarters before the war, the disaffection of the people was open +and undisguised, Schultz states that while at Presqu'ile, on Lake +Ontario, in 1807, he strolled along the main road, and found six or +seven farmers assembled in a country tavern, who had just heard of the +Chesapeake affair. "They seemed disappointed," he observed "that I did +not think it would lead to war, when they expected to become part of the +United States." He also relates that he was subsequently in a public +house in Niagara, where eight or ten persons were gathered about a +billiard table. The attack upon the Chesapeake again became the topic of +conversation, and one man said, "If Congress will only send us a flag +and a proclamation declaring that whoever is found in arms against the +United States, shall forfeit his lands, we will fight ourselves free +without any expense to them." + +John Melish declared his conviction from enquiries made during his visit +in 1810, "that if 5000 men were sent into Upper Canada with a +proclamation of independence, the great mass of the people would join +the American Government." Barnabas Bidwell, formerly Attorney General of +Massachusetts, who had become a defaulter and fled to the Newcastle +District, near the Bay of Quinte, where he was engaged in teaching a +private school, wrote secretly to his political friends in a similar +strain. + +These statements were eagerly quoted, and no doubt believed by the +leaders of the war party in Congress. Henry Clay assured the people +that "the conquest of Canada is in your power. I trust I shall not be +deemed presumptuous when I state that I verily believe that the Militia +of Kentucky are alone competent to place Montreal and Upper Canada at +your feet." + +On the 6th of March, 1812, Calhoun expressed equal confidence. "So far +from being unprepared, Sir," he exclaimed. "I believe that four weeks +from the time the declaration of war is heard on our frontier, the whole +of Upper Canada and a part of Lower Canada will be in our possession." + +Jefferson wrote about the same time that "The acquisition of Canada this +year as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, would be a mere matter of +marching, and would give us experience for the attack of Halifax, the +next and the final expulsion of England from the American continent." + +Mr. Eustis, the Secretary of War, was if possible, still more +optimistic, "We can take Canada without soldiers," he declared, "we have +only to send officers into the Province and the people disaffected to +their own Government will rally round our standard." Gen. Widgery, a +representative in Congress, gained momentary notoriety by his statement. +"I will engage to take Canada by contract. I will raise a company and +take it in six weeks." Another speaker declared that "Niagara Falls +could be resisted with as much success as the American people when +roused into action" After the declaration of war had been promulgated, +Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the real leader +of the war party solemnly declared that he would never consent to any +treaty of peace which did not provide for the cession of Canada. + +The correspondence of General Brock with the Governor General, shows +that in many respects these expectations were well founded, and that he +was far from being hopeful of offering a successful defence without +strong reinforcements. + +"The late increase of ammunition and every species of stores," he wrote +on the 2nd December, 1811, "the substitution of a strong regiment and +the appointment of a military person to the government, have tended to +infuse other sentiments among the most reflecting part of the community, +and during my visit to Niagara last week I received most satisfactory +professions of a determination on the part of the principal inhabitants +to exert every means in their power for the defence of their property +and to support the government. They look with confidence to you for aid. +Although perfectly aware of the number of improper characters who have +obtained possessions and whose principles diffuse a spirit of +insubordination very adverse to all military institutions, I believe the +majority will prove faithful. It is best to act with the utmost +liberality and as if no mistrust existed. Unless the inhabitants give a +faithful aid it will be utterly impossible to preserve the province, +with the limited number of military." + +On the 24th of February, 1812, a proclamation was published announcing +that divers persons had recently come into the province with a +seditious intent and to endeavor to alienate the minds of His Majesty's +subjects, and directing the officers appointed to enforce the act lately +passed by the Legislature for the better security of the province +against all seditious attempts to be vigilant in the discharge of their +duties. Joseph Edwards of Niagara, Samuel Street of Willoughby, Thomas +Dickson of Queenston, William Crooks of Grimsby and Samuel Hutt of +Ancaster were among the persons commissioned to execute this law. + +On the 17th of April, a boy at Queenston fired a shot across the river +which happily did no injury. He was promptly arrested and committed for +trial, and two resident magistrates, James Kirby and Robert Grant, +tendered an apology to the inhabitants of Lewiston for his offence. Five +days later General Brock reported that a body of three hundred men in +plain clothes had been seen patrolling the American side of the river. +On the 25th, it was announced that 170 citizens of Buffalo, had +volunteered for military service. A proclamation by President Madison +calling out one hundred thousand was published about the same time, and +the Governor of New York was required to send 500 men to the Niagara +which he hastened to do, being a warm advocate of the war. + +Meanwhile the flank companies of militia regiments of the counties of +Lincoln, Norfolk and York were embodied by General Brock, and drilled +six times a month. They numbered about 700 young men belonging to "the +best class of settlers." By the recent Militia Act, they were required +to arm and clothe themselves, and as many of them had far to travel, +Brock begged that they should at least receive an allowance for rations. + +The Governor General suggested that the Government of the United States +entertained hopes that something might happen to provoke a quarrel +between its soldiers and the British troops on that frontier, and +desired him to take every precaution to prevent any such pretext for +hostilities. + +Early in May, Brock made a rapid tour of inspection along the Niagara, +thence to the Mohawk village on the Grand river, returning to York by +way of Ancaster. He reported that the people generally seemed well +disposed and that the flank companies had mustered in full strength. + +By the 17th of June six hundred American militia were stationed along +the river, and a complaint was made by three reputable inhabitants of +Fort Erie that their sentries were in the habit of wantonly firing +across the stream. On the 25th of the same month this period of suspense +was terminated by the arrival of a special messenger employed by Mr. +Astor and other American citizens interested in the Northwest fur trade, +to convey the earliest possible information of war to Colonel Thomas +Clark, of Queenston, who immediately reported his intelligence to the +commandant of Fort Erie. The messenger, one Vosburg, of Albany, had +travelled with relays of horses at such speed that he outrode the +official courier bearing despatches to Fort Niagara by fully +twenty-four hours. On his return he was arrested at Canandaigua, and +held to bail together with some of his employers, but it does not appear +that they were ever brought to trial. + +Lieut. Gansevoort and a sergeant in the United States Artillery, who +happened to be on the Canadian side were made prisoners, and the ferry +boats plying across the river at Queenston and Fort Erie, were seized by +the British troops at those places. The people of Buffalo received their +first intimation of the declaration of war by witnessing the capture of +a merchant schooner off the harbor by boats from Fort Erie. + +The flank companies of militia marched immediately to the frontier, and +were distributed along the river in taverns and farm houses. On the +second day, General Brock arrived from York, with the intention of +making an attack on Fort Niagara. He had then at his disposal, 400 of +the 41st Regiment, and nearly 800 militia. Success was all but certain, +as the garrison was weak and inefficient. His instructions however, were +to act strictly on the defensive, and he abandoned this project in the +conviction that the garrison might be driven out at any time by a +vigorous cannonade. Rumors of his design seem to have reached General P. +B. Porter, who commanded the militia force on the other side, and he +made an urgent demand for reinforcements. + +"The British on the opposite side are making the most active +preparations for defence," Benjamin Barton wrote from Lewiston on the +24th of June, "New troops are arriving from the Lower Province +constantly, and the quantity of military stores etc. that have arrived +within these few weeks is astonishing. Vast quantities of arms and +ammunition are passing up the country, no doubt to arm the Indians +around the Upper Lakes, (for they have not white men enough to make use +of such quantities as are passing). One-third of the militia of the +Upper Province are formed into companies called flankers, and are well +armed and equipped out of the King's stores, and are regularly trained +one day in a week by an officer of the standing troops. A volunteer +troop of horse has lately been raised and have drawn their sabres and +pistols. A company of militia artillery has been raised this spring, and +exercise two or three days in the week on the plains near Fort George, +and practice firing and have become very expert. The noted Isaac Sweazy, +has within a few days received a captain's commission for the flying +artillery, of which they have a number of pieces. We were yesterday +informed by a respectable gentleman from that side of the river, that he +was actually purchasing horses for the purpose of exercising his men. +They are repairing Fort George, and building a new fort at York. A +number of boats are daily employed, manned by their soldiers, plying +between Fort George and Queenston, carrying stores, lime and pickets, +for necessary repairs, and to cap the whole, they are making and using +every argument and persuasion to induce the Indians to join them, and we +are informed the Mohawks have volunteered their service. In fact, +nothing appears to be left undone by their people that is necessary for +their defence." + +However, the Governor General seized the first opportunity of again +advising his enterprising lieutenant to refrain from any offensive +movements. "In the present state of politics in the United States" he +said, "I consider it prudent to avoid any means which can have the least +tendency to unite their people. While dissension prevails among them, +their attempts on the Province will be feeble. It is therefore my wish +to avoid committing any act which may even from a strained construction +tend to unite the Eastern and Southern States, unless from its +perpetration, we are to derive an immediate, considerable and important +advantage." + +Brock felt so confident at that moment of his ability to maintain his +ground on the Niagara, that he actually stripped Fort George of its +heaviest guns for the defence of Amherstburg, which he anticipated would +be the first point of attack. But the militia who had turned out so +cheerfully on the first alarm, after the lapse of a couple of uneventful +weeks, became impatient to return to their homes and families. They had +been employed as much as possible in the construction of batteries at +the most exposed points, and as they were without tents, blankets, +hammocks, kettles, or camp equipage of any kind, they had suffered +serious discomfort even at that season of the year. As their prolonged +absence from their homes, in some cases threatened the total destruction +of their crops, many were allowed to return on the 12th of July, and it +was feared that the remainder would disband in defiance of the law which +only imposed a fine of L20 for desertion. Nearly all of them were +wretchedly clothed, and a considerable number were without shoes, which +could not be obtained in the Province at any price. Many of the +inhabitants Brock indignantly declared, were "indifferent or American in +feeling." + +However, the month of July passed away without developing any symptom of +an offensive movement on this frontier. On the 22nd, the session of the +Legislature began at York, with the knowledge that General Hull had +invaded the Province at Sandwich with a strong force, and in hourly +expectation of tidings that the garrison of Amherstburg had surrendered +to superior numbers. Yet amid these depressing circumstances, Brock +concluded his "speech from the throne" with these hopeful and inspiring +words. "We are engaged in an awful and eventful contest. By unanimity +and despatch in our councils, and by vigor in our operations, we may +teach the enemy this lesson, that a country defended by freemen who are +enthusiastically devoted to their King and Constitution can never be +conquered." + +During the following week the most discouraging reports from Amherstburg +continued to arrive almost daily. It seemed as if the invading army +would be able to over run the whole of the Western District, with +scarcely a show of resistance on the part of the inhabitants. A +majority of the members of the Legislature were apathetic or despondent. +They passed a new militia act, and an act to provide for the defence of +the Province, but amended both in a highly unsatisfactory manner, after +which the House was hastily prorogued by the General who was eager to +proceed to the seat of war. + +"The House of Assembly," he wrote on the 4th of August, "have refused to +do anything they are required. Everybody considers the fate of the +country as settled, and is afraid to appear in the least conspicuous in +the promotion of measures to retard it. I have this instant been +informed that a motion was made in the House and only lost by two votes, +that the militia should be at liberty to return home, if they did not +receive their pay on a fixed day every month." + +On the succeeding day he began his march to the relief of Amherstburg. +Most of the regulars and some of the militia which had been hitherto +stationed along the Niagara, preceded or accompanied him on this +expedition, which they were fortunately enabled to do by the inactivity +of the enemy on the opposite bank, who actually do not seem to have +become aware of their absence until they had returned victorious. Lieut. +Col. Myers, the Assistant Quartermaster General, was left in command. +The men belonging to the flank companies who had been allowed to return +to their homes to assist in the harvest were summoned to rejoin, and 500 +more held in readiness to support them. + +On the 20th of August, the inhabitants were thrown into a frenzy of +delight by the almost incredible intelligence that Detroit had been +taken with the entire American army. A few hours later, General Van +Rensselaer who was still in ignorance of this event, signed an armistice +which put an end to any further apprehension of an attack for several +weeks. + +The Americans did not remain idle during the interval. A body of five or +six thousand men was assembled and five detached batteries were +completed on the bank of the river, between Fort Niagara and Youngstown, +two of which were armed with very heavy guns, and two with mortars. + +Upon the termination of the armistice, the militia generally returned to +their posts with alacrity, accompanied by a number of old loyalists +unfit for service in the field, but capable of performing garrison duty. + +The Garrison Order-book of Fort George still exists to bear witness to +the ceaseless vigilance with which the movements of the enemy were +watched. On the 2nd of October an order was issued directing one-third +of the troopers to "sleep in their clothes, fully accoutred and ready to +turn out at a moment's notice." This was followed on the 6th by another, +requiring the whole of the regular troops and militia to be under arms +by the first break of day, and not to be dismissed until full daylight, +and on the 12th all communication with the enemy by flag of truce was +forbidden, unless expressly authorized by the commanding general. + +On the morning of the 13th of October, as soon as General Brock was +convinced that the Americans were actually crossing the river at +Queenston, he directed Brigade Major Evans who remained in command at +Fort George, to open fire with every available gun upon Fort Niagara and +the adjacent batteries, and continue it until they were absolutely +silenced. This attack was forestalled by the enemy, who, as soon as they +perceived the columns of troops marching out on the road to Queenston, +turned the whole of their artillery upon Fort George and the neighboring +village, with such a disastrous effect, that in a few minutes the Jail +and Court House and fifteen or sixteen other buildings were set in a +blaze by their red hot shot. Major Evans had at his command not more +than twenty regular soldiers who composed the main guard for the day. +The whole of the small detachment of Royal Artillery usually stationed +in the Fort, had accompanied the field guns to repel the attack upon +Queenston. Colonel Claus, with a few men of the 1st Lincoln Regiment, +and Capt. Powell and Cameron with a small detachment of militia +artillery, alone remained to man the guns of the fort and batteries. The +gravity of the situation was greatly increased by the fact, that upwards +of three hundred prisoners were confined in the jail and guardhouse +which was now menaced with destruction. However, while the guards and +the greater part of the militia were vigorously engaged in fighting the +flames, amid an incessant cannonade, under the personal direction of +Major Evans and Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers, the batteries +were served by the militia artillery men, assisted by two +non-commissioned officers of the 41st Regiment, with such energy and +success that in the course of an hour the American guns were totally +silenced. By that time the Court House and some other buildings had been +totally consumed, and the disheartening news arrived that Gen. Brock and +Colonel McDonell had been killed, and their men repulsed by the enemy +who were landing in great force at Queenston, and had obtained +possession of the heights. Evans rode off at once to send forward every +man that could be spared from the stations along the river. He had just +marched off a small party from Young's battery, when the American +batteries resumed firing, and obliged him to return at full speed to his +post. As he reached the main gate at Fort George, he encountered a party +of panic-stricken soldiers flying from the place, who informed him that +the roof of the magazine which was known to contain eight hundred +barrels of powder was on fire. Captain Vigoreux climbed upon the burning +building without an instant's hesitation, and his gallant example being +quickly followed by several others, the metal covering was soon torn +away and the flames extinguished in the wood beneath. The storehouses at +Navy Hall were, however, next set in a blaze which could not be overcome +owing to their exposed situation, and they were totally destroyed. The +artillery combat was resumed, and continued till not only Fort Niagara, +but all the other batteries on that side of the river were absolutely +silenced and deserted. One of the largest guns in that fort had burst, +completely wrecking the platform, disabling several men and dismaying +the remainder to such an extent that they deserted the place in a body, +and could not be induced to return until the firing had ceased. For +several hours the works were entirely abandoned, and could have been +taken without the least resistance, had Evans been able to spare men for +the purpose. + +On the next day, a cessation of hostilities was again agreed upon which +continued until the evening of the 20th of November. During this +interval the six battalion companies of the First Lincoln Regiment were +consolidated into three, under the command of Captains John Jones, +Martin McClellan, and George Ball, each containing about eighty rank and +file. + +At six o'clock on the morning of the 21st November, the guns of Fort +George and five detached batteries began a second bombardment of the +American works chiefly with the object of diverting the attention of the +enemy to that part of the line, as general Smyth who had succeeded Van +Rensselaer was massing his troops in the vicinity of Buffalo, with the +apparent intention of forcing the passage of the river between Fort Erie +and Chippawa. The fire from the American batteries, which appear to have +been weakly manned, was ill-directed and occasionally ceased altogether +for long intervals, while flames could be seen rising from their works, +apparently caused by the explosion of shells. One of these missiles fell +within the north blockhouse in Fort Niagara, and dismounted the only gun +there. Another shot from a twenty-four pounder on the right of Fort +George dismounted a heavy gun near Youngstown, while a third silenced +the piece on the roof of the messhouse at Fort Niagara for nearly an +hour. One of the guns in that place also burst with disastrous results, +killing two men and disabling others. A large building under the walls +which covered the landing of troops was entirely destroyed. By five +o'clock in the afternoon Fort Niagara was absolutely silenced, and only +the Youngstown "Salt" Battery continued to fire an occasional gun. At +dark the British guns ceased firing. But a single private of the 49th +Regiment, and a gallant old half-pay officer, Capt. Barent Frey, late of +Butler's Rangers, had been killed on the Canadian side of the river +during the cannonade. The latter had voluntarily occupied himself in +gathering the enemy's shot as they fell, for the purpose as he declared +of having them sent back to them as soon as possible. He is said to have +been killed by the wind of a cannon ball as it ricocheted along the +ground. The messhouse at Navy Hall was destroyed, and seventeen +buildings in the town itself were set on fire by heated shot, besides +many others considerably damaged by the cannonade. A small merchant +schooner lying at the wharf was sunk. + +The American commandant at Fort Niagara, Colonel McFeely of the United +States' Artillery, admitted the loss of only eleven men killed and +wounded, though he estimated that not less than 2000 round shot and 180 +shells had been discharged against his works from the British batteries. +He reported an instance of remarkable courage displayed by a woman. +Among the prisoners taken at Queenston on the 13th October, was a +private in the United States Artillery, named Andrew Doyle, who was +recognised as a British subject, born in the village of St. Davids. He +was accordingly included among those who were sent to England to be +brought to trial for treason. His wife remained in Fort Niagara +throughout the bombardment, and actually took part in working one of the +guns. "During the most tremendous cannonading I have ever seen" said +Colonel McFeely in his official letter, "she attended the six-pounder on +the old messhouse with the red hot shot and showed fortitude equal to +the Maid of Orleans." + +Cannon balls were much too scarce and valuable to be wasted, and Col. +Myers took pains to state in his report that the number of round shot +picked up on the field exceeded the number fired from his guns on this +occasion. + +This artillery duel put an end to actual hostilities in the vicinity of +Niagara for the remainder of the year. But the privations and sufferings +of the militia were not yet terminated. They were retained in service +until the middle of December, when winter set in with unusual severity, +and all danger of an invasion seemed at an end. + +As early as the middle of November, Sir Roger Sheaffe had reported that +many of them were "in a very destitute state with respect to clothing, +and all that regards bedding and barrack comforts in general, these +wants cause discontent and desertion, but the conduct of a great +majority is highly honorable to them, and I have not failed to encourage +it by noticing it in public orders." In the order to which reference is +made he had said; "Major General Sheaffe has witnessed with the highest +satisfaction, the manly and cheerful spirit with which the militia on +this frontier have borne the privations which peculiar circumstances +have imposed upon them. He cannot but feel that their conduct entitles +them to every attention he can bestow upon them. It has furnished +examples of those best characteristics of a soldier, manly constancy +under fatigue and privation and determined bravery in the face of the +enemy." + +On the 23rd of the same month he observed that the number of the militia +in service had constantly increased since the termination of the +armistice and that they seemed very alert and well disposed. Their duty +during the next three weeks was of the most wearisome and harassing kind +as none of them were permitted to take off their clothes by night, and +in the day they were kept fully accoutred with arms in their hands. +Strong patrols constantly moved along the river, keeping up the +communication between the posts, and owing to the smallness of the force +assembled to watch such an extensive line, the same men were frequently +placed on guard for several nights in succession. Their clothing was +insufficient to protect them from the cold, and numbers were actually +confined to barracks from want of shoes. Disease carried off Lieut. Col. +Butler, Captain John Lottridge, Lieut. John May, Sergeant Jacob Balmer, +and twenty privates of the Lincoln Regiments during the month of +December, and there was much sickness among those who survived. Many, +distressed beyond all endurance by the miserable condition of their +families in their absence, returned home without leave. + +Late in November the Governor General issued a proclamation directing +all citizens of the United States residing in Upper Canada who still +declined to take an oath of allegiance, to leave the Province before the +first day of January, 1813. Among those who were banished at this time, +was Michael Smith, already mentioned, who published a few months later a +small volume, entitled "A Geographical view of the Province of Upper +Canada." This book met with such a favorable reception that five other +editions appeared at short intervals during the next three years, +several of them being materially revised and enlarged. His description +of the wretched state of this part of the Province was the result of +personal observation, and is certainly not overdrawn. + +"In the course of the summer on the line between Fort George and Fort +Erie, there was not more than 1000 Indians in arms at any one time. +These Indians went to and fro as they pleased to their country and back, +and were very troublesome to the women when their husbands were gone, as +they plundered and took what they pleased, and often beat them to force +them to give them whiskey, even when they were not in possession of any, +and when they saw any man that had not gone to the lines, they called +him a Yankee, and threatened to kill him for not going to fight, and +indeed in some instances these threats have been put into execution. +They acted with great authority and rage when they had stained their +hands with human blood. + +"The inhabitants at large would have been extremely glad to have got out +of their miserable situation at almost any rate, but they dared not +venture a rebellion without being sure of protection. + +"From the commencement of the war there had been no collection of debts +by law in the upper part of the Province and towards the fall in no +part, nor would anyone pay another. No person could get credit from +anyone to the amount of one dollar, nor could anyone sell any of their +property for any price except provisions or clothing, for those who had +money were determined to keep it for the last resort. No business was +carried on by any person except what was necessary for the times. + +"In the upper part of the Province all the schools were broken up and no +preaching was heard in all the land. All was gloom, war and misery. + +"Upon the declaration of war the Governor laid an embargo on all the +flour destined for market, which was at a time when very little had +left the Province. The next harvest was truly bountiful as also the +crops of corn, buckwheat, and peas, the most of which were gathered +except the buckwheat which was on the ground when all the people were +called away after the battle of Queenston. Being detained on duty in the +fall not one half of the farmers sowed any winter grain." + +All supplies from Montreal were cut off by the American fleet being in +possession of Lake Ontario from the 8th November until the close of +navigation. Flour and salt were scarcely to be purchased at any price +and the condition of many families soon became almost too wretched to be +endured. It is not surprising then that numbers of those who had no very +strong ties to retain them, seized the first opportunity of escape. + +Lake Erie was frozen over as early as the 12th of January. A few days +later two deserters and three civilians made their way from Point Abino +to Buffalo upon the ice. They stated that the British forces were +greatly reduced by sickness and desertion and that they did not believe +there were more than thirty regulars stationed along the river between +Fort Erie and Niagara. In fact several companies of the 41st had been +recently despatched to strengthen the garrison of Amherstburg which was +again threatened with an attack, and a show of force was kept up by +ostentatiously sending out parties along the river in sleighs by day and +bringing them back to quarters after dark. + +Stimulated by the information derived from these men the commandant at +Buffalo projected the surprise of Fort Erie by crossing on the ice, but +the desertion of a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Major Macfarlane, +disconcerted his plans. + +Late in March the arrival of three families of refugees at Buffalo by +the same route is recorded. They confirmed former accounts of want and +distress and the weakness of the British garrisons on the Niagara. The +American officers were enabled, by information obtained from these and +other sources, to estimate with precision the actual force which might +be assembled to resist an invasion. But as they failed to make their +attacks simultaneously it happened in several instances that they +encountered the same troops successively at different places many miles +apart. Soldiers of the 41st, who had been present with Brock at the +taking of Detroit fought at Queenston on the 13th of October and +returned in time to share in the victory at the River Raisin on the 22nd +January, 1813. Two companies of the 8th that took part in the assault +upon Ogdensburg on the 22nd February, faced the invaders at York on the +27th April and again at Fort George a month later. Finding themselves +repeatedly confronted with considerably larger forces than they had been +led to expect, the American generals soon ceased to put much confidence +in the reports of their spies. + +The cabinet had at first designated Kingston, York, and Fort George +points of attack in the order named. The attempt upon Kingston was +quickly abandoned owing to a false report that the garrison had been +largely increased and it was determined to limit the operations of the +"Army of the Centre" in the first instance to the reduction of the two +latter places. + +On the 17th of March, Major General Morgan Lewis, who had been appointed +to the command of the division on the Niagara, arrived at Buffalo +attended by a numerous staff. At noon of the same day, the batteries at +Black Rock began firing across the river and continued the cannonade +with little intermission until the evening of the 18th. A few houses +were destroyed and seven soldiers killed or wounded near Fort Erie. +Three of the American guns were dismounted by the British batteries. A +week later the bombardment was resumed with even less result. + +York was taken without much difficulty on the 27th April, but it cost +the assailants their most promising general and between three and four +hundred of their best troops. They ascertained on that occasion that +they still had many warm sympathizers in that part of the Province. A +letter from an officer who accompanied this expedition, published in the +_Baltimore Whig_ at the time, states that "our adherents and friends in +Upper Canada suffer greatly in apprehension or active misery. Eighteen +or twenty of them who refused to take the oath of allegiance lived last +winter in a cave or subterraneous hut near Lake Simcoe. Twenty-five +Indians and whites were sent to take them but they killed eighteen of +the party and enjoyed their liberty until lately when being worn out +with cold and fatigue, they were taken and put in York jail whence we +liberated them." Michael Smith corroborates this account in some +respects. He relates that twelve days after the battle of Queenston +Colonel Graham, on Yonge Street, ordered his battalion to assemble that +a number might be drafted to go to Fort George. Forty of them did not +come but went out to Whitchurch township which was nearly a wilderness +and joined thirty more fugitives that were already there. Some men who +were home for a few days from Fort George offered to go and bring them +in but as they were not permitted to take arms they failed and the +number of fugitives increased by the first of December to 300. When on +my way to Kingston to obtain a passport, I saw about fifty of these +people near Smith's Creek in the Newcastle District on the main road +with fife and drum beating for recruits and huzzaing for Madison. Some +of them remained in the woods all winter, but the Indians went out in +the spring of 1813 and drove them into their caves where they were +taken. + +So pronounced was the disaffection among the inhabitants in the vicinity +of York, that Chief Justice Powell warned the Governor General that "in +the event of any serious disaster to His Majesty's arms little reliance +is to be had on the power of the well disposed to depress and keep down +the turbulence of the disaffected who are very numerous." + +On the 29th of April, the capture of York became known at Fort George +and the boats and stores deposited at Burlington were removed to a place +of safety. On the 8th of May the American fleet came over to Fort +Niagara and landed the brigade of troops that had been employed in +reduction of York. Although victorious they were described by General +Dearborn as being sickly and low spirited. Next day some of these troops +were sent in two schooners to Burlington Beach where they destroyed the +King's Head tavern, built by Lieut.-Governor Simcoe, which had served as +quarters for soldiers on their march to and from Niagara. These vessels +continued to cruise about the head of the lake, while the remainder of +their fleet sailed away, as it proved to bring forward another division +of troops. + +Brigadier General John Vincent, had lately assumed command of the +British forces on the line of the Niagara, consisting of the 49th +Regiment, five companies of the 8th, three of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and a captain's +command of Royal Artillery with five held guns, numbering in all 1925 +officers and men, of whom 1841 were effectiver. Besides these, Merritt's +troops of Provincial cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, a company of +militia artillery and an uncertain and fluctuating number of militiamen +belonging to the five Lincoln Regiments were in service. + +By a general order in March, about 1700 militia had been summoned to the +protection of the frontier, but when the alarm had subsided, most of +them had been allowed to return to their homes as it was felt that they +would be more usefully employed in cultivating their farms than in idly +waiting for an attack which the enemy appeared to be in no hurry to +make. + +The regular troops were in high spirits and confident of victory, but +the militia appeared gloomy and depressed. Vincent complained ruefully, +"it is with regret that I can neither report favorably of their numbers +nor of their willing co-operation. Every exertion has been used and +every expedient resorted to, to bring them forward and unite their +efforts to those of His Majesty's troops with but little effect, and +desertion beyond all conception continues to mark their indifference to +the important cause in which we are now engaged. In considering it my +duty to offer a fresh exposition of my sentiments to Your Excellency +respecting the militia of this Province, I must at the same time express +a belief that when the reinforcements reach this frontier, many of the +inhabitants who have been for some time wavering and appalled by the +specious show of the enemy's resources will instantly rally round the +standard of their King and country." + +Lieut.-Colonel John Harvey, a very able and enterprising young officer, +who had lately joined General Vincent's division as Deputy Adjutant +General, earnestly advised that accurate information of the enemy's +numbers and designs should be secured at any cost, and then "by a series +of both active and offensive movements, they should be thrown on the +defensive no matter how superior their numbers might be." Had the whole +of the 8th Regiment arrived in time this might have been accomplished, +but two of its companies had been nearly annihilated at York, and the +march of the remainder very much delayed by the attack on that place. + +As late however, as the 20th of May, we find Colonel Myers writing to +the Adjutant General in these terms. "It is not wise to hold an enemy +too cheap, but I cannot divest myself of the idea that the foe opposite +is despicable and that it would be no hard task to dislodge him from the +entire of his lines on the Niagara River. With some subordinate attacks +upon his flanks, I am of opinion that it would be an enterprise of +little hazard for us to get an establishment on the heights above +Lewiston, opposite Queenston. This once affected, I cannot but feel the +strongest confidence that we would in a short time effect the object so +much to be desired. It would be giving such a turn to the war that I +conceive it would strike terror to the enemy, which would produce the +happiest effects." + +The return of the American fleet with a numerous body of regular troops +on board put an end to these rather fantastic schemes of conquest. At +daybreak on the 21st, no less than seventeen armed vessels, and upwards +of one hundred Durham boats and batteaux were seen assembled near the +mouth of the Four Mile Creek in rear of Fort Niagara, from which several +thousand men were speedily disembarked. + +For several days these troops paraded ostentatiously in plain view +probably in the hope of overawing their opponents by the display of +numbers. Many workmen were seen at the same time busily occupied in +constructing new batteries along the river and building boats. +Reinforcements continued to arrive daily until it was supposed that +about 7000 soldiers were encamped between Lewiston and Fort Niagara. +This force was composed almost wholly of regular troops that had been in +service for some time and included nine of the best regiments of +infantry in the United States army. They were accompanied by a strong +regiment of heavy artillery, a well appointed field-train and a +battalion of dragoons. + +Major-General Henry Dearborn who was in command had distinguished +himself in the Revolutionary war during which he had commanded a +regiment in Arnold's expedition against Quebec and in Sullivan's +campaign against the Six Nations. But he was now past sixty years of age +and in ill health. + +The Secretary of War had warned him to be careful to employ a sufficient +force to ensure success. Seven thousand men was the number deemed +requisite. "If the first step in the campaign fails," he wrote +plaintively, "our disgrace will be complete. The public will lose +confidence in us. The party who first opens a campaign has many +advantages over his antagonist, all of which, however, are the results +of his being able to carry his whole force against part of the enemy's. +We are now in that state of prostration Washington was in after he +crossed the Delaware, but like him we may soon get on our legs if we are +able to give some hard blows at the opening of the campaign. In this we +cannot fail provided the force we employ against his western posts be +sufficiently heavy. They must stand or fall by their own strength. They +are perfectly isolated, send, then, a force that shall overwhelm them. +When the fleet and army are gone we have nothing at Sackett's Harbor to +guard. How would it read if we had another brigade at Sackett's Harbor +when we failed at Niagara?" + +The undisturbed control of Lake Ontario by his fleet gave the American +general a still greater advantage than his numerical superiority. It was +understood that the British squadron would not be able to leave Kingston +for at least a week, but two small vessels were detached to watch that +port while the remainder assembled at Niagara to cover the landing. + +Vincent was accordingly thrown entirely upon the defensive. Had he only +had Dearborn's army to contend with, superior as it was, he might have +entertained a reasonable hope of being able to maintain his position but +the presence of the fleet would enable his antagonist to select the +point of attack at will and even to land a force in his rear. + +Nor were the fortifications along the river in a satisfactory state. The +chief engineer had examined them during the winter and reported that +Fort George was still in a "ruinous and unfinished condition," although +the parapet facing the river had been somewhat strengthened. He had +recommended that it should be completed as a field work and that a +splinter-proof barracks capable of sheltering 400 men should be built +within, and the upper story of the blockhouses taken down to place them +on a level with the _terre pleine_. But these suggested improvements +could not be carried out for lack of materials and workmen. At this time +the fort mounted five guns; one twelve, two twenty four pounders, and +two mortars. On the left fronting Fort Niagara were no less than five +detached batteries armed with eleven guns, five of which were mortars. +All of these works were open in the rear, and could be enfiladed and +some of them taken in reverse by an enemy approaching on the lake. Six +other batteries had been constructed along the river between Fort George +and Queenston, two at Chippawa and three opposite Black Rock about two +miles below Fort Erie. All of these posts required men to occupy them +and there were besides thirty odd miles of frontier to be constantly +patrolled and guarded. About one-third of his regular troops and +two-thirds of the militia were unavoidably stationed along the upper +part of this line extending from Queenston to Point Abino, under the +command of Lieut.-Colonel Cecil Bishop. Vincent retained for the defence +of the eleven miles of front between Queenston and the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek, thirty gunners of the Royal Artillery with five field +pieces, under Major Holcroft, 1050 regular infantry, 350 militia, and +about fifty Indians. This force was subdivided into three diminutive +brigades of nearly equal numbers, the right under Lieut.-Colonel Harvey +being detailed to guard the river, and the left under Lieut.-Colonel +Myers, the lake front of this position, while the third under his own +command remained in readiness to support either of these when attacked. +Fort George was garrisoned by Ormond's company of the 49th, and a +detachment of militia artillery amounting in the whole to about 130 men. +The gunners serving with the field artillery being not more than half +the usual complement, additional men were attached from the infantry. +The batteries were entirely manned by volunteers from the regulars and +militia. The whole force was turned out every morning at two o'clock, +and remained under arms until daylight. The staff officers set a +conspicuous example of activity and watchfulness. Colonels Harvey and +Myers, accompanied by their aides patrolled the lines the whole night +through and slept only by day. As the enemy continued their preparations +for nearly a week after the return of their fleet, the effects of the +prolonged strain soon became apparent in the exhausted condition of both +the officers and men. At first, General Dearborn's movements seemed to +indicate that an attack would be made by crossing the river above Fort +George, and on the 24th of May the whole of the British troops were kept +under arms all night. About three o'clock in the morning the enemy was +distinctly heard launching boats at the Five Mile meadows nearly +opposite a station occupied by Lieut. (afterwards Major General) R. S. +Armstrong, R. A., who by command of the vigilant Harvey, immediately +began to fire in that direction with a six pounder field gun and the +nine-pounder mounted in a battery at Brown's Point. The Americans +replied briskly with two six-pounders and continued their efforts until +they had put ten boats in the river. But if they had intended to cross +at this place, they soon abandoned the attempt, and when day dawned all +of these boats were seen on their way down the river with a few men in +each. As they came within range the guns of Fort George began firing, +which instantly drew upon that work the fire of no less than sixteen +heavy guns and mortars mounted in Fort Niagara and the adjacent +batteries. The twelve pounder in Fort George was soon dismounted by a +shot which shattered its carriage, and every building inside was set on +fire by the shower of shells and red-hot shot which rained upon it. The +gunners were driven by the flames from the twenty-four pounder beside +the flagstaff, but the unequal contest was still gallantly maintained by +a similar gun in the cavalier and a smaller piece in the north-western +bastion until Major Holcroft perceiving that the barracks were totally +consumed and shells bursting in every corner of the place sent orders to +this handful of undaunted men to cease firing and retire under cover. +The gun at Mississauga Point remained silent by order of Colonel Myers +who hoped by this means to deprive the enemy of any excuse for turning +their artillery upon the village, and the other detached batteries seem +to have taken little part in the contest. Having destroyed all the +buildings in Fort George and effectually silenced its fire, the +Americans discontinued the bombardment about two o'clock in the +afternoon. + +The lake front of the British position was then closely reconnoitred by +boats from the fleet, sounding the shore in every direction and +occasionally venturing within musket shot of some of the batteries which +remained silent, partly from scarcity of ammunition and partly through +fear of provoking a renewal of the cannonade. Buoys were placed to mark +the stations the ships were to occupy next day when they engaged the +batteries on the left of Fort George and covered the landing. + +On the part of the British some ineffectual efforts were made to repair +the damages of the morning. The tackle and carriage of the gun at the +flagstaff in Fort George had been totally destroyed by the flames, and +could not be replaced, while the ring-bolts of another gun at the light +house had been drawn by the recoil, and little service could be expected +from it. Only a small picquet was stationed in the fort during the +night, and the remainder of the garrison lay upon their arms on the +common about half a mile in the rear in hourly expectation of an alarm, +with the other brigades on either flank. + +Shortly after reveille had sounded next morning, a rocket was seen to +rise into the air from Fort Niagara and a single gun was fired at Fort +George. This was the signal for all the American batteries to begin a +cannonade which was not returned and ceased at the end of half an hour. +Long after the sun had risen a dense fog hung over the river and lake, +effectually concealing all objects on the opposite side except the dim +outline of Fort Niagara. Nothing could be seen of their troops, most of +whom had been embarked soon after midnight, at the mouth of the Four +Mile Creek. At daybreak Generals Dearborn and Lewis went on board +Commodore Chauncey's flagship which immediately got under way, followed +by the remainder of the fleet and the immense flotilla of batteaux and +other boats filled with soldiers. Hours passed away and the entire +armada remained almost motionless waiting for the rising of the fog. +Finally when the fog banks rolled away 16 vessels of different sizes +were descried standing across the mouth of the river at a distance of +about two miles from land, followed by no less than 134 boats and scows, +each containing from thirty to fifty men, formed in three compact +divisions one behind the other. At a signal from the flagship the entire +fleet tacked and stood towards the Canadian shore, the small boats +wheeling by brigades and carefully preserving their alignment. Their +approach was gradual and deliberate, being favored by a gentle breeze, +which, however, scarcely raised a ripple on the glassy surface of the +lake. The schooners _Julia_ and _Growler_ each armed with a long +32-pounder and a long 12-pounder mounted on pivots, by making use of +their sweeps entered the mouth of the river and opened fire on the +crippled battery near the lighthouse while the schooner _Ontario_ of +similar force took up a position near the shore to the northward so as +to enfilade the same work and cross the fire of the two first-named +vessels. Two guns and a mortar in Fort Niagara also concentrated their +fire upon this battery, which was occupied by a few men of the Lincoln +artillery under Capt. John Powell. Only a single shot was fired from the +gun mounted there when it again became unmanageable and the gunners were +soon afterwards driven out by the incessant fire directed against them +from different quarters. At the same time the _Governor Tompkins_ of six +guns engaged the one-gun battery near the mouth of Two Mile Creek in +flank while _Conquest_ of three guns anchored in such a position as to +fire directly into it from the rear, which was entirely open and +unprotected. Resistance in this case was obviously out of the question +and it was immediately abandoned. The _Hamilton_, _Scourge_ and _Asp_ +anchored within short musket shot of the shore, a few hundred yards +further west, nearly opposite a group of farm houses called Crookston, +which was the place selected for landing the troops. The three largest +vessels, the _Madison_, _Oneida_ and _Lady of the Lake_ drew more water +and were in consequence obliged to remain at a greater distance, though +still well within effective range of every part of the level plain +beyond the landing place. The united broadside of the fleet amounted to +fifty-one guns, many of them being heavy long-range pieces mounted upon +pivots which could fire in any direction, and the weather was so calm +that they were afterwards able to increase the number by shifting guns +from the other side. The whole of the artillery in Fort Niagara and the +batteries on that bank of the river had also opened fire. Two sides of +the British position were thus simultaneously assailed by the fire of +more than seventy guns and mortars which swept the roads and fields in +every direction with scarcely a shot in reply. A picquet of the +Glengarry Light Infantry which had been stationed with about 50 Indians +of the Six Nations under Captain John Norton among the thickets near the +mouth of the Two Mile Creek hastily retired to avoid utter destruction +by the storm of missiles hurled against their covert. Two Indians were +killed and several wounded before they could escape. + +A heavy column of troops was then discovered marching from the American +camp in rear of Fort Niagara near Youngstown. This consisted principally +of dismounted dragoons and heavy artillery commanded by Colonel Burn who +had been instructed to cross the river there and intercept the retreat +of the British garrison towards Queenston. Their appearance had the +effect of detaining a large part of Harvey's brigade on that flank to +watch their movements. + +It was about nine o'clock when the landing began at Crookston in the +following order. The advanced guard in twenty boats was composed of +four hundred picked light infantry selected from several regiments, +Forsyth's battalion of riflemen, and the flank companies of the 15th +United States Infantry, amounting in the whole to about 800 rank and +file, with a detachment of artillery in charge of a three-pounder field +piece, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Winfield Scott, an able and +energetic young officer who had been taken prisoner at Queenston the +year before, and was destined to be the future conqueror of Mexico. This +force was strictly enjoined not to advance more than three hundred paces +from the water's edge before it was supported by General Boyd's brigade +of infantry, with Eustis's battalion of artillery and McClure's rifle +volunteers on its flanks. This was succeeded by Winder's brigade with +Towson's artillery, and Chandler's brigade with Macomb's artillery, +which were instructed to form upon Boyd's right and left respectively. +Each of these brigades must certainly have numbered not less than 1500 +officers and men. The reserve was composed of the marines of the fleet +and a picked body of 400 seamen which were landed but not brought into +action. + +The entire fleet continued to fire over the heads of the men in the +boats and effectually screened their advance until they reached the +shore and formed on the beach under shelter of the steep clay bank. +Captain Hindman of the United States Artillery, a very gallant young +officer who was in command of the detachment with the gun attached to +the advance guard, is mentioned as the first man to reach the shore. So +far they had not met with the slightest opposition, but when they began +to ascend the bank, the artillery fire from the ships slackened and they +were briskly attacked by three companies of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, two companies of Lincoln militia, and the Grenadiers of the +Royal Newfoundland Regiment who had been partially sheltered during the +cannonade in a ravine two or three hundred yards distant. The effect of +their musketry was sufficient to cause the American advance guard to +retire under cover of the bank once more and the fleet recommenced its +fire. Lieut.-Colonel Myers then succeeded in bringing forward the +remainder of his brigade, increasing the force assembled in the ravine +to forty men of the Newfoundland Regiment, ninety of the Glengarry Light +Infantry, twenty-seven of Captain Runchey's negro company, one hundred +Lincoln militia and 310 of the 8th or King's regiment. Several American +authorities agree in the statement that they twice attempted to ascend +the bank and were twice driven back by this determined handful of men. +After they had succeeded in forming upon the plain, General Boyd +declared that for "fifteen minutes the two lines exchanged a rapid and +destructive fire, at a distance of only six or ten yards." The official +returns of casualties establish the fact the whole of his brigade +consisting of the 6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry was brought +forward to the support of Colonel Scott's advance-guard, making a force +of about 2,300 men opposed to 567. Whenever practicable the ships +continued to fire with destructive effect on the attenuated British +line. Colonel Myers fell desperately wounded in three plans when leading +the first charge. Every field officer and most of the company of +officers were soon killed or disabled, and at the end of twenty minutes +close fighting the survivors gave way, leaving nearly three hundred dead +and wounded on the field. They were rallied at a second ravine some +distance in the rear by Lieut.-Colonel Harvey, who brought up with him +several companies of the 49th, and a six-pounder field gun under Lieut. +Charlton, which had been stationed near Fort George. + +Lieut. Armstrong with two other guns, had also been directed to proceed +to the support of Lieut.-Colonel Myers, but upon advancing along the +road parallel with the lake near Secord's house, he was suddenly +assailed from both flanks by a body of riflemen, whose fire wounded his +horse and one of his men, and a belt of thick woods prevented him from +joining the remnant of that brigade, which was then in full retreat. +While engaged in examining the road in front, Armstrong came +unexpectedly upon one of the enemy's riflemen whom he made prisoner, and +discovering that he was in danger of being surrounded, retired hurriedly +to the Presbyterian church where the remainder of the field guns had +been posted. From this position they covered the retirement of +Lieut.-Colonel Harvey's force, which took place about ten o'clock. By +that time the Americans had succeeded in landing the greater part of +their field artillery, and began to advance slowly in three dense +columns, Scott's light troops skirting the woods on the right, with the +6th, 15th and 16th United States Infantry and four guns in the centre +and the 18th United States Infantry and four guns moving along the +margin of the lake. As they had brought no horses, they were obliged to +drag their guns by hand, and their advance was necessarily very slow. +While observing their movements, Colonel Harvey was almost cut off by a +party of riflemen who had stealthily made their way through the woods +with that object. He galloped off unhurt amid a shower of bullets, and +formed his brigade in a fresh position behind a third ravine. Major +Holcroft opened fire from a six-pounder and a howitzer, but on +perceiving the advance of the enemy's light troops on the right, he +placed these guns in charge of Lieut. Armstrong, and moved in that +direction with the two other pieces. For nearly half an hour the +artillery kept up a brisk fire and succeeded in checking the enemy's +infantry. Harvey then noticed that their riflemen were again stealing +forward through the woods, with the intention of turning his left flank, +and ordered a general retreat to the Common beyond the Council House. +During the cannonade Holcroft had lost but one gunner wounded and a +single horse killed but the limber of his largest gun, a twelve-pounder, +was so badly damaged that it went to pieces on the road. + +An hour later when the Americans emerged from the village, an eighteen +pounder, in the battery next to Fort George was traversed, and fired +upon them until they made a vigorous charge and captured it with several +of the men engaged in working it. + +Vincent joined Harvey with the reserve, and the whole force remained in +position on the Common for nearly half an hour. Commodore Chauncey's +flagship entered the river and anchored abreast of Fort George. The +troops at Youngstown began to enter their boats while the enemy in front +were steadily prolonging their lines to the right with the evident +purpose of occupying the only possible avenue of retreat, and +surrounding the British forces. + +At noon, General Vincent despatched an order to Lieut.-Colonel Claus, to +evacuate Fort George and join him upon the Queenston road. He +immediately began his retreat upon St. Davids, the infantry retiring +through the woods, and the artillery and baggage by the road. This +movement was so quietly accomplished that it seems to have almost +escaped the attention of the enemy who were busily engaged in reforming +their line. + +General Dearborn had become so much enfeebled by his exertions, and the +effects of his previous illness, that he had to be lifted from his horse +and supported to a boat which conveyed him on board the flagship, from +which he viewed the landing of his troops, although unable to keep his +feet for more than a few minutes at a time. The command accordingly +devolved upon Major General Morgan Lewis, an officer of little +experience and less military knowledge, but an active and influential +politician, who had been in turn Chief Justice and Governor of the State +of New York and was a brother-in-law of the Secretary of War. He was +absurdly fond of military pomp, parade and display, and his opponents +delighted to ridicule a speech he had made to the militia when Governor +in which he had remarked that "the drum was all important in the day of +battle." Having the fate of Van Rensselaer and Winchester fresh in his +memory, his movements were cautious to the verge of timidity. An hour +and a half elapsed after Harvey retreated before he ventured to advance +beyond the village. He had then not less than 4,000 men in order of +battle besides the reserve of marines and seamen. His line extended +without a break from the lighthouse on Mississauga Point to the river +above Fort George. That work was approached with excessive caution as +the sound of repeated explosions within, caused them to dread a +recurrence of their disastrous experience at York, and even the +lighthouse was avoided lest it should be hurled in fragments on their +heads. Colonel Scott was in fact unhorsed by a large splinter which +broke his collar bone, but there were no other casualties. When the fort +was entered, it was found that the garrison had disappeared with the +exception of a few soldiers of the 49th Regiment, who were still engaged +in dismantling the works. Some of the men were surprised in the act of +cutting down the flagstaff to obtain the garrison flag from which the +halliards had been shot away, and others were taken prisoners as they +attempted to escape through the main gate. More than a hundred sick and +wounded were found in the hospital. The village of Niagara was entirely +deserted, and many of the houses had been much damaged by cannon shot. + +During the afternoon the Second Regiment of United States Dragoons was +brought over from Youngstown, but scarcely any pursuit was attempted as +the American army was described as much exhausted from being under arms +for eleven hours. No one seemed to know positively which way the British +had retreated. Colonel Scott with some of the riflemen seems to have +advanced a few miles along the Queenston road, but was peremptorily +recalled by General Lewis who feared an ambush. Meanwhile Vincent's +column had retired in almost perfect order, leaving scarcely a straggler +behind and marched with such speed that the rear guard arrived that +night at DeCew's house, where a small magazine of provisions had been +formed a few days before in anticipation of a reverse. + +About four o'clock in the afternoon a dragoon reached Fort Erie with +information of the loss of Fort George, and Lieut.-Colonel Bishop +immediately began his retreat with the regular troops and field guns +stationed there, leaving Major John Warren with a few men of the Third +Lincoln Regiment of militia to occupy the works and engage the attention +of the enemy on the opposite bank. Soon after his departure, Warren +opened fire on Black Rock from all the batteries, and continued the +cannonade all night. At daybreak the destruction of the stores and +fortifications began. The barracks and public buildings were burnt, the +magazines blown up, the guns burst or otherwise rendered unserviceable +along the whole line from Point Abino to Chippawa. When this had been +thoroughly accomplished, Warren disbanded his men, and an American force +crossed from Black Rock and took possession of the dismantled works. A +quantity of stores which had been abandoned at Queenston, was destroyed +on the same day, by Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Clark, at the head of a small +party of the Third Lincoln Regiment, who had returned from Beaver Dams +for the purpose. + +Scarcely had this been done, when a strong brigade of American troops +advanced from Fort George and occupied that village. + +During these operations General Vincent had lost the whole of his +garrison ordnance and a considerable quantity of spare arms and military +stores. His regular force had been diminished by 350 officers and men, +nearly all of whom were killed or wounded, but he was joined during the +night of the 27th by two strong companies of the 8th Regiment which had +advanced that day as far as the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek on their +way to Fort George. The loss of the regulars in the battle was +officially stated at fifty-two killed, forty-four wounded, and 262 +missing, nearly all of those reported missing being either killed or +left wounded on the field. The small detachment of Lincoln militia +engaged is stated to have lost five officers and eighty men, killed or +wounded, but no official return seems to have been preserved. The names +only of Captain Martin McClellan and Privates Charles Wright and William +Cameron, who were killed, have been recorded. Two Mohawk Indians, Joseph +Claus and Tsigotea, were also among the slain. General Boyd stated that +his men found 107 dead and 175 wounded of the British troops upon the +field. The losses of some of the detachments actually engaged were truly +appalling. The five companies of the 8th Regiment lost, Lieut. Drummie +killed, Major Cotton, Lieuts. Nicholson, McMahon, and Lloyd, and Ensign +Nicholson wounded, and 196 non-commissioned officers and privates +killed, wounded, or missing out of 310 of all ranks who went into +action. The Glengarry Light Infantry lost Captain Liddle and Ensign +McLean killed, Captain Roxborough and Lieut. Kerr wounded, and 73 +non-commissioned officers and men out of an aggregate of 108. The +grenadier company of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lost Capt. Winter, +Lieut. Stewart, and fourteen others out of forty. + +The total loss of the American army was officially stated at 150, of +whom thirty-nine were killed. The only officer killed was Lieut. Henry +Hobart, a grandson of General Dearborn. Covered as their landing was by +the fire of so many cannon, it is, perhaps, remarkable that their loss +was so great. As a proof, however, of the severity of the short struggle +on the plain. Dr. Mann, the American army surgeon, who was present, +remarked that he found 27 dead and 87 severely wounded on the field when +he landed and that nearly 400 of both armies lay stretched on a plot of +ground not more than 200 yards in length and fifteen in breadth. + +On the 28th, the whole of the militia except Merritt's troop of +Provincial Cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, and about sixty picked +men of other corps who were determined to follow the fortunes of the +army, were disbanded, and Vincent continued his retreat to Grimsby and +finally to Burlington Heights where he arrived on the 2nd June with +eleven field guns and 1800 seasoned soldiers, who, in spite of their +recent reverse were in high spirits and eager to meet the enemy again on +more equal terms. The brilliant result of the action at Stoney Creek +three days later amply atoned for a defeat by which they had lost no +credit. + +The Americans were justly disappointed by the incompleteness of their +success. For nearly two days they appear to have absolutely lost all +track of their enemy. "When we marched for Queenston on the 28th," wrote +an officer in the United States army whose letter was published at the +time in the _Baltimore Whig_, "we found the British far advanced on +their retreat by the back road toward the lower part of the Province. +They collected their force very actively. Our friends hereabouts are +greatly relieved by our visit. They had been terribly persecuted by the +Scotch myrmidons of England. Their present joy is equal to their past +misery. This is a charming country but its uncertain destiny together +with the vexations the farmers endured by being dragged out in the +militia left the fields in a great degree uncultivated. The British +Indians are not of much use to them. They run as soon as the battle +grows hot. I saw but one Indian and one Negro with the Glengarry uniform +on, dead on the field. Their Eighth fought very resolutely and suffered +severely." + +Many American historians have condemned General Dearborn for not having +accomplished more with the means at his disposal but they have made +little or no allowance for the physical weakness which actually rendered +him unfit to command at all. General Armstrong, who, as Secretary of +War, was eager to justify his own conduct, declared that "if instead of +concentrating his whole force, naval and military, on the water side of +the enemy's defences he had divided the attack and crossed the Niagara +below Lewiston and advanced on Fort George by the Queenston road, the +investment of that place would have been complete and a retreat of the +garrison rendered impracticable." This, however, was actually the +movement which Dearborn had planned but failed to execute in time. +Ingersol, a member of Congress and a leader of the war party, bitterly +observed that "the British General effected his retreat (probably +without Dearborn knowing it for he stayed on shipboard) to the mountain +passes where he employed his troops in attacking, defeating, and +capturing ours during all the rest of that year of discomfitures." + +THE END. + + N. B.--For the engraving, "The Taking of Fort George," we + are indebted to the kindness and courtesy of the Hon. P. A. + Porter, Niagara Falls. It is from the portfolio published in + Philadelphia, 1817, and is particularly interesting to us as + giving the appearance of the churches St. Mark's and St. + Andrew's before the town was burnt down, as also the + Lighthouse situated nearly where the Queen's Royal Hotel + stands now. + + + + + +-----------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the | + | original document have been preserved. | + | | + | Typographical errors corrected in the text: | + | | + | Page 5 huudred changed to hundred | + | Page 6 uninhabitated changed to uninhabited | + | Page 7 Presqu'le changed to Presqu'ile | + | Page 9 patroling changed to patrolling | + | Page 12 armisfice changed to armistice | + | Page 14 Rensslaer changed to Rensselaer | + | Page 15 permited changed to permitted | + | Page 19 resourses changed to resources | + | Page 21 Deleware changed to Delaware | + | Page 21 patroled changed to patrolled | + | Page 21 Bisshop changed to Bishop | + | Page 22 detatchment changed to detachment | + | Page 24 missles changed to missiles | + +-----------------------------------------------+ + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Battle of Fort George, by Ernest Cruikshank + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE *** + +***** This file should be named 33621.txt or 33621.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/6/2/33621/ + +Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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