have fallen, had not the cables been cut; which 1814. made us drift to-leeward of her among the rapids." It is almost impossible, without having been on the spot, to form an adequate idea of the rapidity, and of course the danger, of the Niagara stream, as it approaches the cataract. The british loss was lieutenant Radcliffe and one seaman killed, and four seamen wounded; the loss on the part of the Americans one seaman killed, three officers and four seamen wounded. When it is considered that, with the Porcupine, the Americans had a force of 92 lbs. weight of metal and 105 men, to oppose to 75 men, without any artillery whatever, the exploit of captain Dobbs and his brave followers deserves every commendation. It proved that british seamen could find expedients to capture two out of three fine american armed schooners, in waters, where the gig and five batteaux of the conquerors were the only british vessels afloat. Loss on each side. ing of rence Lake About the middle of October, when the season Launchfor cruising on Lake Ontario was almost over, the St.the British succeeded in getting ready their large Lawship the St.-Lawrence, of 2305 tons, and intended on to mount 102 guns. A "peep into Kingston," by Onta one of the american light vessels, gave commodore rio. Chauncey timely notice of this, and he retired to Sackett's-Harbour to stir out no more. The Americans now commenced building two "74-gun ships," each of whose broadsides would have about equalled that of the St.-Lawrence. To meet this on the part of the British, a 74 was commenced upon, and a frigate, like the Princess-Charlotte, constructed; but, before the lakes were open in the ensuing spring, peace came, otherwise, there is no saying whether the building mania would not have continued, until there was scarcely room on the lake for working the ships. Arrival During the months of June and July, the Quebec of papers were continually announcing the arrival of troops transports from the Garonne with troops; and those Quebec at 1814. troops, too, such as, under the marquess of Welling ton, had hitherto carried all before them. So satisfied now were the Americans, that Sackett's-Harbour would be the first point of attack, even if sir George had to cross the St.-Lawrence, and march overland, that general Izard, on the 1st of September, broke up his encampment at Plattsburg, and marched there with between 3000 and 4000 regulars. If any thing could raise british courage beyond its accustomed height, it was, surely, the emulation which existed between the troops that had recently arrived from the Peninsula, and those that had been originally allotted for the defence of the Canadas; the one, highly jealous of the reputation they had already gained, the other, equally so, of their local experience, and of the dressing they had several times given to superior numbers of the very same enemy, against whom the two united bodies were now about Sir to act. Under these circumstances, will any one, Prevost except an American, say, that 11000 of such troops march- would not have beaten, upon any ground where them evolutions could be practised, 17000 of the best for the troops which the United States could have brought into the field? A british army, then, of 11000 men, lines. with a most excellent train of artillery, commanded George es with ameri can British force in chief by sir George Prevost, and, under him, by officers of the first distinction in the service, left their camp at Chambly, "with a view," says the american official account, "of conquering the country, as far as Crown point and Ticonderoga" on Lake Champlain. In the early part of August the british naval force on Lake on Lake Champlain consisted of the brig-sloop Cham- Linnet, of 16 long 12-pounders and 80 men and plain. boys, commanded by captain Daniel Pring, cutter Chubb, of 10 carronades, 18-pounders, and one long 6-pounder, and 40 men and boys, lieutenant James M'Ghie, cutter Finch, of six 18-pounder carronades, one medium or columbiad 18-pounder, and one 6-pounder, lieutenant William Finch, and 10 gun بہت boats, mounting between them two long 24, and five 1814. long 18, pounders, and six 32-pounder carronades, Aug. and manned with 294 men and boys, of whom 30 were british seamen: the remainder, as was the case with the greater proportion of the crews of the three larger vessels, consisted of privates of the 39th regiment and canadian militia, very few of which latter could speak a word of english. This would make a total of 48 guns and 444 men and boys; the greater part, as already stated, regular soldiers and canadian militia. can The american force consisted of the ship Saratoga, Amerimounting on a flush deck eight long 24-pounders, force. 12 carronades, 32-pounders, and six carronades, 42-pounders, total 26 guns, with a complement of 250 as her regular crew, besides a detachment of the 15th United States' infantry acting as marines, making a total of at least 300 men, commanded by commodore Thomas Macdonough; brig Eagle, captain Robert Henley, of eight long 18-pounders and 12 carronades, 32-pounders, total 20 guns, and 142 men as her regular crew, and at least 160, including her acting marines; schooner Ticonderoga, lieutenant commandant Stephen Cassin, of eight long 12, and four long 18, pounders and five 32pounder carronades, total 17 guns, and a regular crew of 115, with about 15 acting marines, or 130 men in the whole; sloop Preble, of seven long 9-pounders and 45 men, and 10 gun-boats, mounting between them six long 24, six medium 18, and four long 12 pounders, and manned with 346 men; making a grand total of 86 guns and 981 men, the whole of the latter, excepting the regular troops (about 83 in number) acting as marines, seamen from the american ships of war laid up at New-London and other ports on the Atlantic frontier. ing of On the 25th of August a ship, which had been Launch hastily constructed by the British, was launched in the the vicinity of Isle-aux-Noirs; and on the 3d of ConfiSeptember captain George Downie, late of the ance. George re 1814. Montreal on Lake Ontario, accompanied by his first Aug. lieutenant, arrived to take the command of the Confiance, as the new ship was named, as well as of the british squadron on Lake Champlain: which squadron, as soon as the Confiance could be armed Sir and manned, sir George Prevost had directed to Prevost Cooperate with the british army, in the intended attack upon Plattsburg and the american shipping captain lying near it. On the same day that he arrived, captain Downie detached captain Pring with the operate flotilla of gun-boats to protect the left flank of the attack army; and on the 4th captain Pring took quiet posupon session of Isle de la Motte, and constructed a battery burg. of three long 18-pounders to support his position abreast of Little-Chazy, where the supplies of the army were ordered to be landed. quests Downie to co in an Platts The british es to burg. The approach of sir George's army, by Odellarmy town, to the line of demarcation, was the signal for march- major-general Macomb, with the few regulars of wards general Izard's army left under his command, to Platts retire from the neighbourhood of the lines towards Plattsburg; and the latter's abandoned camp was entered by sir George Prevost on the 3d of September. From this position the british left division, of about 7000 men, composed of all but the reserve and heavy artillery, moved forward on the 4th, and halted on the 5th, within eight miles of Plattsburg; having taken four days to advance 25 miles along the lake-shore. On the 6th, early in the morning, the left division proceeded on its march, majorgeneral Power's, or the right column advancing by the Beckmantown road; and major-general. Brisbane's column, except one wing of De Meuron's regiment, left to keep up the communication with the main body, taking the road that runs parallel to Lake Champlain. At a bridge crossing a creek that intersects this road, the american general had stationed a small force, with two field-pieces, to abattis and obstruct the way. In the mean while the right column, meeting with no impediments to its pro Sept. gress, passed rapidly on, 700 american militia, 1814. upon whom, says general Macomb, "the british troops did not deign to fire, except by their flankers and advanced patroles," retreating before it. The rapid advance of major-general Power secured major-general Brisbane from any further opposition than such as he might experience from the american gun-boats and gallies. Notwithstanding a heavy fire from their long 24 and 12 pounders, the bridge across the creek was presently reconstructed, and the left column moved forward upon Plattsburg. scrip burg. The village of Plattsburg contains about 70 houses Deand stores, and is situated on both sides of the tion of river Saranac, close to its confluence with Lake PlattsChamplain. The statement in the british official account, that, "the column entered Plattsburg," must, therefore, be understood to mean, either the township of that name, or the small portion of the village which was situated on the north side of the stream. It was to the south side that general Macomb, after taking up the planks of the bridge, had retreated; and it was on the elevated ridge of land forming its bank, that the Americans had erected their works. General Macomb mentions three forts, and two block-houses strongly fortified. One of the latter mounted three guns; and we believe there were from 15 to 20 guns in all, most of them of heavy caliber. There was, also, a large new stone- Remill, four stories high, which formed an excellent by an position for the american riflemen. In was on the amerievening of the 6th, that the british left division arrived on the north bank of the Saranac. But," upon says, an american writer, "not all the gallies, aided George by the armament of the whole flotilla, which then lay Preopposite Plattsburg, under commodore Macdonough, supinecould have prevented the capture of Macomb's ness. army, after its passage of the Saranac, had sir George Prevost pushed his whole force upon the margin of that stream. Like General Drummond, at Erie, he made a pause, in full view of the un2 K VOL. VI. 66 marks can writer sir vost's |