EVENTS ON THE NORTHERN FRONTIER IN 1813.

On the 6th of February Capt. Forsyth, commanding at Ogdensburg, left that village with about 200 volunteers, part from his own and part from Capt. Lytle's companies, together with several patriotic citizens, who accompanied the expedition. The detachment were conveyed in sleighs up the river to Morristown on the American side, where they formed and at 3 o'clock in the morning crossed over to Elizabethtown, surprized the guard, took 52 prisoners, among whom were one major, S captains and two lieutenants; also 140 muskets and rifles and a quantity of ammunition. The party, after liberating 16 deserters from prison returned to Ogdensburgh without the loss of a single man.

Shortly after this the British crossed over on the ice from Prescott and commenced an attack upon Ogdensburgh, which they succeeded in taking after a sharp conflict in which they suffered severely. Capt. Forsyth effected his retreat up the river, with comparatively a trifling loss in men; but the enemy succeeded in capturing six pieces of cannon and the stores and provisions in depot.*

SIR,

* Capt. Forsyth to Colonel Macomb. February 22, 1813.

I have only time to inform that the enemy, with a very superior force, succeeded in taking Ogdensburgh this morning about nine o'clock. They had about two

PLAN OF THE CAMPAIGN, AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING NOTE PRESENTED TO THE CABINET ON THE

8TH FEBRUARY, 1813, BY THE SECRETARY OF WAR, CORRESPONDENCE, &c.

THE

HE enemy's force at Montreal and its dependencies has been stated at 16,000 effectives. It more probably does not exceed 10 or 12,000. The militia part of it may amount to one sixth of the whole. Is it probable that we shall be able to open the campaign on lake Champlain with a force competent to meet and dislodge this army before the 15th of May ? I put the question on this date, because it is not to be doubted but that

men to our one, exclusive of Indians. Numbers of the enemy are dead on the field. Not more than twenty of our men killed and wounded; lieutenant Beard is among the latter.

I have made a saving retreat of about eight or nine miles. I could not get all the wounded off.

We have killed two of the enemy to one of ours killed by them. We want ammunition and some provisions sent on to us, also sleighs for the wounded.

If you can send me three hundred men, all shall be retaken, and Prescott too, or I will lose my life in the attempt. I shall write you more particularly today.

Yours, with due respect,

BENJAMIN FORSYTH, Captain rifle regiment, commanding

Col Macomb, Sackett's Harbor.

The ad

the enemy will then be reinforced, and, of course, that new relations in point of strength will be established between us. Our present regular force on both sides of lake Champlain does not exceed 2,400 men. dition made to it must necessarily consist of recruits, who, for a time, will not be better than militia; and when we consider that the recruting service is but beginning, and that we now approach the middle of February, the conclusion is, I think, safe, that we cannot move in this direction and thus early [say 1st of May]

with effect.

It then remains to choose between a course of entire inaction because incompetent to the main attack, or one having a secondary but still an important object; such would be the reduction of that part of Upper Canada lying between the town of Prescott, on the St. Lawrence and lake Erie, including the towns of Kingston. and York, and the forts George and Erie. On this line: of frontier the enemy have,

At Prescott,

At Kingston,

At George and Erie, &c.

Making a total (of regular troops) of

300

600

1,200

2,100

Kingston and Prescott, and the destruction of the British ships at the former, would present the first ob-ject; York and the frigates said to be building there, the second; George and Erie the third.

The force to be employed on this service should not be less than 6,000 effective regular troops, because in this first enterprize of a second campaign nothing must,. if possible, be left to chance.

The time for giving execution to this plan is clearly indicated by the following facts:

1st. The river St. Lawrence is not open to the purposes of navigation before the 15th of May; and

2d. Lake Ontario is free from all obstruction arising from ice by the 1st day of April.

Under these circumstances we shall have six weeks for the expedition before it be possible for sir George Prevost to give it any disturbance.

Should this outline be approved, the details for the service can be made and expedited in forty eight hours.

Extract of a letter from the Secretary at War to Maj. Gen. Dearborn, dated

War Department, February 10, 1813.

"I have the president's orders to communicate to you, as expeditiously as possible, the out line of the campaign which you will immediately institute and pursue against Upper Canada:

"1st. 4,000 troops will be assembled at Sackett's Harbor.

"2d. 3,000 will be brought together at Buffalo and its vicinity.

3d. The former of these corps will be embarked and transported under convoy of the fleet to Kingston, where they will be landed. Kingston, its garrison, and the British ships wintering in the harbor of that place, will be its first object. Its second object will be York, (the capital of Upper Canada,) the stores collected and the two frigates building there. Its third object, forts George and Erie, and their dependencies. In the attainment of this last, there will be a cooperation between the two corps. The composition of these will be as follows:

4,030

8th. Several corps at Buffalo under the

command of colonel Porter and

the recruits belonging thereto,

Total,

3,000

7,030

"The time for executing the enterprise will be governed by the opening of lake Ontario, which usually takes place about the first of April.

"The adjutant general has orders to put the more southern detachments in march as expeditiously as possible. The two brigades on lake Champlain you will move so as to give them full time to reach their place of destination by the 25th of March. The route by Elizabeth will, I think, be the shortest and best. They will be replaced by some new raised regiments from the

east.

"You will put into your movements as much privacy as may be compatible with their execution. They may be masked by reports that Sackett's Harbor is in danger, and that the principal effort will be made on the Niagara in cooperation with General Harrison. As the route to Sackett's Harbor and to Niagara is for a considerable distance the same, it may be well to intimate, even in orders, that the latter is the destination of the two brigades now at lake Champlain.” [Extract.]