The American loss was thirteen killed, fifty-one wounded, and two missing-loss of the enemy not known. After this affair, Colonel Croghan determined to remain on Lake Huron for a time, with three companies, for the purpose of breaking up any depots which the enemy might have on the east side of the lake. He learnt that the only line of communication from York to Mackinac, &c. was by the way of lake Simcoe and Nautawasaga river, which empties into Lake Huron about one hundred miles s. E. of Cabot's Head. On the 13th of August, the fleet anchored off the mouth of that river, and the troops were quickly disembarked on the peninsula formed between the river and lake, for the purpose of fixing a camp. On reconnoitreing the position thus taken, it was discovered that the enemy's schooner Nancy was drawn up in the river a few hundred yards above, under cover of a block-house, erected on a commanding situation on the opposite shore. On the following morning, a fire for a few minutes was kept up by the shipping upon the blockhouse, but with little effect-At twelve o'clock, two howitzers being placed within a few hundred yards, commenced a fire, which lasted but a few minutes, when the block-house blew up; at the same time, fire was communicated to the Nancy, (by the bursting of one of our shells,) which was so quickly enveloped in flames as to render any attempts which might have been made to save her, unavailing, giving the enemy barely time to make his escape, before an explosion took place, The loss of the Nancy was severely felt by the enemy; her cargo consisting (at the time of her being on fire) of several hundred barrels of provisions, intended as a six months' supply for the garrison at Mackinac. Colonel Croghan afterwards returned to De troit. Colonel Croghan continued in active service during the remainder of the war, and some time after the reduction of the army he resigned his commission. In May, 1817, he was married to a daughter of John R. Livingston, Esq. at NewYork, in which city he has since resided. COMMODORE THOMAS MACDONOUGH Of his Is a native of the state of Delaware. early years nothing has been said. At the siege of Tripoli, he held a midshipman's warrant, and served under Commodore Decatur, whose favourable report to Commodore Preble, of his good conduct, as one of the heroic volunteers by whom the frigate Philadelphia and Turkish gun-boats were destroyed, induced that officer to promote him. From that period to his appearance on Lake Champlain, nothing in the life of Macdonough is known. It had become an object of solicitude with the belligerent parties on the Northern frontier, to obtain the superiority on the lakes. Indeed, the success of the land operations was considered to be entirely dependent on that of the marine. Commodore Perry had already established our dominion on Lake Erie : and that of Lake Ontario, had been successfully disputed by Commodore Chauncey, with Sir James Yeo. The States of Vermont and New-York were threatened from Lake Champlain. To counteract hostile attempts from this quarter, the command of the American squadron on this lake, was entrusted to Commodore Macdonough; while the defence of Plattsburgh depended upon the exertions of General Macomb and his gallant little army: In September, 1814, an attack was anticipated upon these youthful commanders. Accordingly, on the 11th of that month, the expected event took place. For several days, the enemy had been on his way to Plattsburgh, by land and water, and it was well understood, that an attack would be made at the same time, by his land and naval forces. Commodore Macdonough determined to await at anchor, the approach of the latter. At eight o'clock in the morning, the look-out boat announced the approach of the enemy. nine, he anchored in a line ahead, at about three hundred yards distance from the American line: his flag-ship, the Confiance, under Commodore Downie, was opposed to Commodore Macdonough's ship, the Saratoga; the brig Linnet was opposed to the Eagle, Captain Robert Henley; the enemy's gallies, thirteen in number, to the schooner, sloop and a division of gallies, one of his sloops assisting his ship and brig; the others assisting his gallies: the remaining American gallies being with the Saratoga and Eagle. In this situation, the whole force on both sides become engaged; the Saratoga suffering much from the heavy fire of the Confiance, though the fire of the former was very destructive to her antagonist. The Ticonderoga, Lieutenant-commander Cassin, gallantly sustained her full share of the action. At half past ten o'clock, the Eagle not being able to bring her guns to bear, cut her cable and anchored in a more eligible position, between the Saratoga and the Ticonderoga, where she very much annoyed the enemy, but unfortunately left her Commodore exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's brig. The guns of the Sa ratoga on the starboard side, being nearly all dismounted or not manageable, a stern anchor was let go, the bower cable cut, and the ship winded with a fresh broadside on the Confiance, which soon after surrendered. The broadside of the Saratoga was then sprung to bear on the brig, which surrendered in about fifteen minutes after. The sloop that was opposed to the Eagle, had struck some time before, and drifted down the line; the sloop which was with the enemy's gallies, having struck also. Three of them were sunk, and the others pulled off. While Macdonough's gallies were in the act of obeying the signal to follow them, all the vessels were reported to him to be in a sinking state; it then became necessary to countermand the signal to the gallies, and order their men to the pumps. At this time there was not a mast standing in either squadron, in a condition to hold up a sail; the lower rigging being nearly all shot away hung down along the masts. The action lasted without intermission two hours and twenty minutes. The Confiance had one, hundred and five round shot in her hull. Her shot passing principally over the heads of her antagonists, the hull of the Saratoga received but fifty-five shot, and there were not at the close of the action, twenty whole hammocks in the nettings. The Confiance had one hundred and ninety men killed; and one of the captured sloops, the Chub, had but five men alive. The British Commodore Downie was killed at the first broadside. Commodore Macdonough was three times knocked down, by the splinters and falling spars and blocks, but escaped with trifling injury. The Saratoga was twice set on fire by hot shot from the enemy's ship. The following is a statement of the killed and wounded on board the American squadron, and of the force engaged on each side; taken from Commodore Macdonough's letter to the Secretary of the Navy, dated, "United States' ship Saratoga, at anchor off Plattsburgh, September 13th, 1814," accompanying the flags taken from the enemy. American Force. Saratoga, eight long 24 pounders six 42 pound carronades; twelve 32 pound do.-total 26. Eagle, twelve 32 pound carronades, and eight long 18 pounders :-total 20. Ticonderoga, eight long 12 pounders ;-four long 18 do.;-five 32 pound carronades-total 17. Preble, seven long 9 pounders :-total 7. Ten gallies, viz :--Allen, Burrows, Borer, Nettle, Viper, and Centipede, one long 24 pounder, and one 18 pounder, Columbiad, each;-and Ludlow, Wilmer, Aylwin, and Ballard, of one long 12 pounder, each.-Grand total 86 guns. RECAPITULATION.-14 long 25 pounders, 6 42 pound carronades, 29 32 pound do. |