port (which is in evidence), wherein he expressly statesThis expedition was undertaken by me without orders, and upon my own responsibility.'

"The court, in delivering the above opinion unfavourable to colonel Campbell, are fully aware of the strong incentives to a just indignation which must have been present to his mind at the time of this visit to Dover-the massacres of the Raisin and the Miami were not yet forgotten, and the more recent devastation of the entire Niagara frontier, accompanied by many acts of savage barbarity, was fresh in remembrance. That these recollections should have aroused his feelings and have swayed his judgment, does not excite wonder but regret, and there is still left for admiration his kind and amiable treatment of the women and children of Dover, abandoned by their natural protectors.'

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a vessel of war on the stocks at Presque Isle. Both these exploits were performed by lieutenant Gregory.

§ 10. Nothing of importance took place on lake Erie. The only hostile event that occurred was the destruction of some mills employed in manufacturing flour for the British army, at Long Point, by colonel Campbell, with a detachment of 500 or 600 men from Erie. The mills and some houses occupied as stores were burned. About 50 dragoons stationed there as a guard made their escape, when the party returned without losing a man. This event, which was certainly not strictly justified by the laws of war, though sanctioned by the practice of the enemy, was an unauthorised act on the part of colonel Campbell. A court of enquiry was held on his conduct, whose opinion was unanimously pronounced as follows:

“That, considering the important supplies of bread-stuffs, which from the evidence it appears the enemy's forces derived from the flour-manufacturing mills at and near to Dover, colonel Campbell was warranted in destroying those mills, according to the laws and usages of war, and, for a like reason, the court think him justified in burning the distilleries under the said laws and usages. The saw-mills and carding machine, from their contiguity to the other mills, were, as the court conceives, necessarily involved in one and the same burning.

“In respect to the burning of the dwelling and other houses in the village of Dover, the court are fully of opinion that colonel Campbell has erred ; that he can derive no justification from the fact, that the owners of these houses were actively opposed to the American interests in the present war, or from the other facts, that some of them were at the conflagration of Buffalo. In their partizan services it does not appear to the court, that the inhabitants of Dover have done more than their proper allegiance required of them; and the destruction of Buffalo, by a lieutenant-general of the enemy's regular forces, was emphatically the wrong of the British government itself, rendered such by its subsequent adoption of the measure, and ought not to be ascribed to a few Canadians who were present at the time.

“ Acts of retaliation, on the part of a nation proud of its rights, and conscious of the power of enforcing them, should, in the opinion of the court, be reluctantly resorted to, and only by instructions from the highest in authority. That no such instructions were given in the case under consideration, is not merely inferred from the absence of evidence to that effect, but is candidly admitted by colonel Campbell in his official re

port (which is in evidence), wherein he expressly statesThis expedition was undertaken by me without orders, and upon my own responsibility.'

"The court, in delivering the above opinion unfavourable to colonel Campbell, are fully aware of the strong incentives to a just indignation which must have been present to his mind at the time of this visit to Dover-the massacres of the Raisin and the Miami were not yet forgotten, and the more recent devastation of the entire Niagara frontier, accompanied by many acts of savage barbarity, was fresh in remembrance. That these recollections should have aroused his feelings and have swayed his judgment, does not excite wonder but regret, and there is still left for admiration his kind and amiable treatment of the women and children of Dover, abandoned by their natural protectors.

CHAPTER II.

$ 1. Capture of Fort Erie. 82. Battle of Chippewa plains. 3. Bat

tle of Bridgewater. 84. Attack upon Buffalo. 85. Siege of Fort Erie. 96. General assault of the works. 57. Capture of two .schooners on lake Erie. 58. Critical situation of the garrison in Fort Erie. $ 9. Brilliant sortie. 10. The British raise the siege. $11. Expedition under general Bissel. $12. M'Arthur's expedition towards Burlington Heights. $13. Evacuation of Canada.

01. MEANWHILE general Brown was occupied in collecting and disciplining his forces, and preparing for the invasion of Canada. On the evening of the 2d of July, general orders were issued for the embarkation of the troops by day-light next morning, when the army, consisting of two brigades, and a body of New York and Pennsylvania volunteers and Indians, under general P. B. Porter, were landed on the opposite shore, without opposition. The first brigade, under general Scott, and the artillery corps, under major Hindman, landed nearly a mile below Fort Erie, while general Ripley, with the second brigade, made the shore about the same distance above. The fort was soon completely invested, and a battery of long eighteens being planted in a position which commanded it, the garrison, consisting of 137 men, including officers, surrendered prisoners of war. Several pieces of ordnance were found in the fort, and some military stores.

82. Having placed a small garrison in Fort Erie to secure his rear, Brown moved forward the following day to Chippewa plains, where he encamped for the night, after some skirmishing with the enemy.

The American pickets were several times attacked on the morning of the 5th, by small parties of the British. About four in the afternoon, general Porter, with the volunteers and Indians, was ordered to advance from the rear of the American camp, and take a circuit through the woods to the left, in hopes of getting beyond the skirmishing parties of the enemy, and cutting off their retreat, and to favour this purpose the advance were ordered to fall back gradually under the enemy's fire. In about half an hour, however, Porter's advance met the light parties in the woods, and drove them until the whole column of the British was met in order of battle. From the

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clouds of dust and the heavy firing, general Brown concluded that the entire force of the British was in motion, and instant*ly gave orders for general Scott to advance with his brigade and Towson's artillery, and meet them on the plain in front of the American camp. In a few minutes Scott was in close action with a superior force of British regulars.

By this time Porter's volunteers having given way and fled, the left flank of Scott's brigade became much exposed. General Ripley was accordingly ordered to advance with a part of the reserve, and skirting the woods on the left, in order to keep out of view, endeavour to gain the rear of the enemy's right flank. The greatest exertions were made to gain this position, but in vain. Such was the gallantry and impetuosity of the brigade of general Scott, that its advance upon the enemy was not to be checked. Major Jessup, commanding the battalion on the left flank, finding himself pressed both in front and in flank, and his men falling fast around him, ordered his battalion to support arms and advance." Amidst the most destructive fire this order was promptly obeyed, and he soon gained a more secure position, and returned upon the enemy so galling a discharge, as caused them to retire.

The whole line of the British now fell back, and the American troops closely pressed upon them. As soon as the former gained the sloping ground descending towards Chippewa, they broke and ran to their works, distant about a quarter

of a mile, and the batteries opening on the American line, considerably checked the pursuit. Brown now ordered the ord- . nance to be brought up, with the intention of forcing the works. But on their being examined, he was induced, by the lateness of the hour, and the advice of his officers, to order the forces to retire to camp.

The American official account states their loss at 60 killed, 248 wounded, and 19 missing. The British officially 'state theirs at 133 killed, 320 wounded, and 46 missing.

Dispirited as was the public mind at this period, the intelligence of this brilliant and unexpected opening of the campaign on the Niagara could not fail of being most joyfully received. The total overthrow of the French power had a few months before liberated the whole of the British forces in Eu. rope. A considerable portion of lord Wellington's army, flushed with their late successes in Spain, had arrived in Canada, and were actually opposed to Brown at Chippewa, while all our maritime towns were threatened by Britain's victorious armies, whose arrival was momentarily expected on the coast. When the intelligence of the stupendous events in Europe was