the attack on the enemy's columns, on their approach to the village of Buffaloe. But every effort proved ineffectual; and experience proves, that with militia a retreat becomes a flight, and a battle once ended, the army is dissipated. Deserted by my principal force, I fell back that night to the Eleven mile creek, and was forced to leave the flourishing villages of Black Rock and Buffaloe, a prey to the enemy, which they have pillaged and laid in ashes."

General Hall retired to Eleven mile creek, where he collected about 300 men; and, with these, endeavoured to cover the fleeing inhabitants, and make a show to prevent the advance of the enemy.

Eight pieces of artillery fell into the hands of the enemy. About 30 men were killed, and somewhat more than that number wounded, in the defence of Black Rock. But the worst remains to be told, or rather some faint idea to be given of the indescribable barbarity of the enemy.

had

Black Rock and Buffaloe were destroyed, together with every building for two miles east of Buffaloe on the Batavia road, and almost every building between Buffaloe and Niagara along the river. "The enemy," says General Hall, with him at Black Rock and Buffaloe, a number of Indians, (the general opinion in that country is about 200,) who pursued their accustomed mode of horrid warfare, by tomahawking, sealping, and otherwise mutilating the persons who fell into their hands. Among the victims of their savage barbarity, was a Mrs. Lovejoy, of Buffaloe, who was tomahawked, and afterwards burnt in her own house. The conduct of these -savages has struck the minds of the people on the Niagara frontier with such horror, as to make

absolutely necessary, that a more efficient

force than the ordinary militia of the country, should be employed for its protection, to prevent its becoming entirely depopulated."

All the settlements of a populous country, 40 miles square, were completely broken up, and 12,000 persons sent as if into beggery. The tomahawk and bayonet deprived parents of their children, and children of their parents; the savages white and red, who acted not merely as conquerors, but as murderers and robbers, by a fell swoop, pounced upon their prey with the ferocity of the tiger, and the all-desolating ruin of the locust. On the 4th January the robbers retired into their own woods, not daring to wait the chastisement that was prepared for them.

Considerable contributions of money were collected for the relief of the surviving sufferers, who gradually returned to view the smoking ruins of their late habitations.

The enemy having declared their conduct on the Niagara frontier, to have been committed in retaliation for excesses said to have been committed by the American armies in Canada, the censure. or rather indignation of the suffering. inhabitants were turned against Gen. McClure, who had the command. The general, previous to retiring from command, published an address. to the public, in justification of his own conduct, in which he seems to have been pretty successful. McClure was certainly a good and zealous soldier; ever ready to obey his superiors, he exacted obedience from those who were placed under his command; he knew that strict discipline was essential to form the practical soldier; and he probably suffered in the esteem of some, be cause he pursued a system from which he could not depart without a crime, that might stamp him with indeliable disgrace.

The importance of Fort Niagara, as a military position, is sufficiently evident, and the possibility of preserving it has been unfortunately proven by an enemy, who probably would not meditate its reduction, were he not, in some manner apprized that the garrison, sufficiently strong, was not sufficiently watchful. Had this post been preserved, as it might have been, the ruthless massacre of its garrison, after resistance had ceased, would not have happened; nor would a savage enemy have dared to attempt his horrid incursion, without the previous possession of the key to the settlements along the Niagara frontier.

These observations are not merely speculative. The enemy had undoubtedly an early eye on the post at Niagara ; it may perhaps be cause of surprise to some, that it was not seized while in state of ill defence, and, that its occupation by the enemy, was deferred to a time, when it was amply supplied with men, arms, and ammunition. This can be best explained, by a re-assertion, that the enemy prudently waited until he could find the garrison not watchful, sleeping. To the undaunted prowess of one of the most intrepid, zealous, and active officers of the army, is to be attributed, that the enemy had not an earlier possession of Niagara Fort. Captain McKeon, of the artillery, in his bold and successful defence of this post, has signalized himself in a manner that had few parallels during the war, and may probably be ranked, because it bore strong similitude, to the brave exploit of the hero of Lower Sandusky. This act of Captain M⚫Keon will be best explained by the following letter to the Secretary of War, which is now published, for the first time.

New-York, 6th June, 1813: SIR-When the army was yet in its infancy, and but very few troops to garrison the old fort of Niagara, I had the honour to command at that station, a company of the 3d reg. U. S. artillery; at this time the enemy prepared to bombard us, and raised several strong batteries for the purpose. We sustained his fire for seven hours, and had our works so much shattered, that our commandant Captain Leonard thought them no longer tenable; he had the guns spiked, and evacuated the fort. According to orders I retreated with the garrison; but at a very short distance from the place, I solicited and obtained Captain Leonard's permission to return to it: at the moment it was the depot of an immense quantity of public stores, worth perhaps a million of dollars, and still more valuable in a military point of view; these I wished at every risk to preserve. Though I possessed entire command of all my men, I took back with me but 25; because from the circumstance of the guns being spiked, I could not employ more, and this number was enough for the execution of my plan if it should succeed, and enough to lose if it should fail. I placed centinels on the ramparts and at the barriers, and caused them to give the usual call every six minutes, through the night, so as to impress the enemy with a belief that the fortress was garrisoned, and the garrison vigilant: At the same time four men belonging to the laboratory had port fires lighted and fuzees prepared to blow up the mag azine and all, if the enemy could not be intimidated from advancing upon us. Fortunately he was intimidated; the fort was saved; and the next morning at 6 o'clock the garrison returned with a reinforcement. On the 16th of October, a second order was issued by Gen. Alexander Smyth, for the evacuation of this fort, and the public property was accordingly_remov. ed from it to Lewiston; but immediately I repre sented to Col. Winder, that the fort was not only ten

able, but that I would maintain it: he was pleased to sanction this opinion, and thus I was, in some measure, the cause of preserving it a second time. On the 21st of November following, the enemy bombarded our fort with the greatest fury for 13 hours; during this time it was my good fortune to have been most assailed by his attack and most opposite to his position. The conflagration of Fort George and Newark will I trust bear testimony to the successes of my efforts on that day.

(Signed)

JAS. M'KEON, late Capt. Art'y.

The brave defence of Fort Niagara led to the following garrison order.

GARRISON ORDER.

Fort Niagara, October 15th, 1812. It is with the greatest satisfaction the commanding officer gives to Capt. M'Keon his full approbation for his spirited and judicious conduct, during the severe cannonading from Fort George and the batteries on the opposite side the river, against this post, for more than seven hours on the 13th October inst.

To Dr. West he begs to express his sincere thanks for the aid and assistance received from him. Το the non-commissioned officers and privates of the garrison he has only to say that they have his full approbation for their cool and determined courage, and their zeal and activity during the day.

N. LEONARD, Capt. Commanding Fort Niagara.

While things were thus progressing on land, the British were preparing a naval force for the annoyance of the citizens on the sea-board.

Admiral Warren arrived at Halifax on the 27th September, 1812; and having attempted in vain to deceive the American government with false professions of a pacific_intention, he proceeded in January, off New-York.