tainly resist any attempt to prevent his capturing the vessels. The officer having now returned on board the brig, Boyle hailed her, and distinctly stated his intention of immediately attacking the convoy, which consisted of a ship of 14 guns, and two brigs of 10 guns each, the whole force, including the Portuguese, being 54 guns.

Boyle accordingly made sail for the English vessels, which were close together, and about half past eight, the moon shining clear, he hailed the ship, ordering them to back the main topsails. Little or no answer being given, Boyle, having quick way at the time, shot a little ahead, saying he should be along side again in a few minutes, when, if his orders were not obeyed, a broadside would be poured into him. After a few minutes he tacked, the man of war close after him. He then ran alongside the ship, one of the brigs being close to her, and opened his broadside upon them both, all the vessels at this time carrying a crowd of canvass. From his superior sailing Boyle was frequently obliged to tack, by which he would have received considerable advantage, had he not been closely followed by the man of war, which now opened a heavy fire upon him, which was returned by the Comet. Having now the whole force to contend with, Boyle kept as close as possible to the English vessels, which frequently separated to give the man of war an opportunity of giving a broadside. The Comet continued the action, sometimes pouring her broadsides into the merchantmen, at others into the man of war, until eleven o'clock, when the ship surrendered, being all cut to pieces, and rendered unmanageable, and directly after one of the brigs, which was also very much disabled. A boat was now despatched to take possession of the brig, but it was forced to return, being prevented from passing by the fire of the man of war, one of whose broadsides almost succeeded in sinking it. The Comet now directed the whole of her fire at the Portuguese, who soon sheered off, and was followed for a short distance by the Comet, which then returned, and made the third merchantman surrender, she also being cut to pieces.

Boyle now took possession of the Bowes, the brig that had first surrendered. He also spoke the ship, and ordered the captain to follow him, who answered, that his ship was in a sinking condition, having many shot holes between wind and water, and not a rope but what was cut away; but that he would, if possible, follow his orders, for his own safety. As soon as the Bowes was taken possession of, she received a passing broadside from the Portuguese. The moon having now set, it became very dark and squally, and the Comet was sepa

rated from all the vessels except the man of war, with whom for half an hour longer she continued occasionally to exchange broadsides. At day-light, however, the vessels being found to be still in the neighbourhood, the Comet wore close to her prize. The man of war then stood down for them; on perceiving which Boyle immediately hove about, and stood for him, when he also tacked, and made signals for the convoy to make the first port. The two merchantmen accordingly put before the wind, accompanied by the Portuguese, by whose assistance and their own exertions they succeeded with the utmost difficulty in regaining the harbour of Pernambuco, leaving the Bowes in possession of the Comet.

On the 11th of March, 1813, the General Armstrong, a privateer schooner, while cruizing off the mouth of Surinam river, discovered a sail, which was supposed to be a British letter of marque, and immediately bore down on her, with the intention of giving her two broadsides and then boarding. After giving her one broadside, and wearing and giving another, to their surprise they found they were alongside of a frigate, pierced for 14 guns on the main deck, 6 on the quarter-deck, and 4 on the forecastle. The wind being light, the privateer lay for about ten minutes like a log in the water. During that time, however, they shot away the frigate's fore-top sail tie, his mizen gaff haulyards, which brought his colours down, and his mizen and main stay, when, thinking she had struck, they ceased firing; but being soon undeceived, they recommenced the action. The frigate lay for a few minutes apparently unmanageable, but soon getting way, opened such a heavy fire as would soon have sunk the schooner, had she not succeeded in making her escape by the assistance of her sweeps. In this action, which continued for 45 minutes, the privateer had 6 men killed and 16 wounded. All the haulyards of her head sails were shot away, the fore mast and bowsprit one quarter cut through, all the fore and main shrouds but one cut away, both mainstays and running rigging cut to pieces, a great number of shot through the sails, and several between wind and water, which caused the vessel to leak, and a number in the hull. While they were getting away from the frigate, she kept up a well directed fire for the foremast and gaff of the schooner, but without effect.

§15. On the 5th of August, 1813, the privateer Decatur, being on a cruize, discovered a ship and a schooner, the first of which proved to be the British packet Princess Charlotte, the other the British vessel of war, the Dominica. She immediately stood towards them, and soon found herself abreast of the schooner. Both vessels continued to manœuvre for two or three L

VOL. II.

hours, the Dominica endeavouring to escape, and the Decatur to board, during which time several broadsides were fired by the former, and a number of shot from the large gun of the latter. The Decatur at last succeeded in boarding the Dominica, a number of the men passing into her stern from the bowsprit. The fire from the artillery and musketry was now terrible, being well supported on both sides. The Dominica, however, not being able to disengage herself, dropped alongside of the Decatur, and in this position was boarded by her whole crew. Fire-arms now became useless, the crews fighting hand to hand with cutlasses, and throwing cold shot; when, the captain and principal officers of the Dominica being killed, and her deck covered with dead and wounded, the British colours were hauled down by the conquerors.

During the combat, which lasted an hour, the Princess Charlotte remained a silent spectator of the scene, and as soon as it was over, she tacked about and stood to the southward. She had sailed from St. Thomas, bound to England, under convoy, to a certain latitude, of the Dominica.

The Decatur was armed with 6 twelve pound carronades, and 1 eighteen pounder on a pivot, with 103 men. Her loss in the action was three killed and sixteen wounded, one of whom afterwards died. The Dominica had 12 twelve pound carronades, two long sixes, one brass four pounder, and one thirty-two pound carronade on a pivot, with 83 men. She had 13 killed and 47 wounded, 5 of whom afterwards died of their wounds. Perhaps this engagement has been the most bloody, and the loss in killed and wounded on the part of the enemy, in proportion to the number engaged, perhaps the greatest, of any action to be found in the records of naval warfare. The surviving officers of the Dominica attribute the loss of their vessel to the superior skill of the Decatur's crew in the use of musquetry, and the masterly manœuvring of that vessel, by which their carriage guns were rendered nearly useless. The captain was a young man of not more than 25 years of age; he had been wounded early in the action by two musket balls in the left arm, but he fought till the last moment, refusing to surrender his vessel, although he was urged by the few survivors of his crew to do so; declaring his determination not to survive her loss.

The Decatur arrived at Charleston on the 20th of August with her prize. The surviving officers of the Dominica spoke in the highest terms of approbation of the humanity and attention displayed towards them by the officers and crew of the Decatur.

CHAPTER V.

§ 1. Battle near the River Raisin. § 2. Battle of Frenchtown. §3. Massacre of the prisoners. 54. Fort Meigs constructed. § 5. Siege of Fort Meigs. 6. Skirmishing on the St. Lawrence. §7. Capture of Ogdensburg. § 8. Capture of York. 9. Capture of Fort George. § 10. Generals Chandler and Winder made prisoners. 11. Capture of Borstler's detachment. § 12. Attack on Sackett's Harbour. §13. Sodus burnt. $14. Second attempt on Sackett's Harbour, § 15. Attack on Black Rock. $16. Siege of Lower Sandusky.

1. TOWARDS the beginning of January, general Tupper having in a manner paved the way by his expeditions*, general Winchester proceeded down the Miami from Fort Defiance to the Rapids, with the force under his command. On his arrival there, he was strongly urged by the inhabitants of Frenchtown, on the river Raisin, to protect them from the violence and outrage of the horde of savages by whom they were surrounded, and to whose brutalities they were daily exposed. Yielding to to the call of humanity, Winchester, on the 17th of January, by the unanimous advice of his officers, but, it appears, without consulting general Harrison, detached a body of about 750 men, under general Lewis, to their relief.

On the following day, when within three miles of Frenchtown, information was received that a body of British and Indians were encamped at that place, and that they had received notice of their approach. The troops were accordingly arranged and directed to prepare for action, and then proceeded within a quarter of a mile of the enemy, who immediately commenced a fire with a howitzer, from which, however, no injury was received. The line of battle being instantly formed, the whole detachment was ordered to advance across the river on the ice ; in which they succeeded, though it was in many places extremely slippery. The left wing and centre were then ordered to possess themselves of the houses and picketing about which the enemy had collected, and where they had placed their cannon. This order was executed in a few minutes. Both battalions advanced amidst an incessant shower of bullets, and succeeded in dislodging the enemy, neither the picketing nor the fencing over which they had to pass checking their progress.

* See Chapter III.

The right wing fell in with the enemy at a considerable distance to the right, and pursued them a mile to the woods, where they made a stand with their howitzer and small arms, covered by a chain of enclosed lots and a group of houses, with a thick brushy wood full of fallen timber in their rear. Lewis now ordered the left and centre to possess themselves of the wood on the left, and to move up towards the main body of the enemy as fast as practicable, in order to divert their attention from the right. At the moment that the left and centre commenced their fire, the right advanced, and the enemy being soon driven from the fences and houses, both parties entered the wood together. The fight now became close, and extremely hot on the right wing, the enemy concentrating their forces on that side, in order to force the line. They were, however, still obliged to retreat, although slowly, the Americans being much fatigued, and were driven, on the whole, not less than two miles, every foot of the way under a continual charge.

The battle lasted from three in the afternoon till dark, when the detachment was drawn off in good order, and encamped at the place which the enemy had first occupied.

The force of the enemy in this affair has never been exactly ascertained; but from the best information, there were 80 to 100 British and 400 Indians. The number of their killed and wounded is likewise unknown, as they were enabled to carry off all but those left on the field where the battle commenced, which was about fifteen; but from the blood, the trails of bodies dragged off, and the reports of the people who lived near the place, the slaughter must have been great, One Indian and two of the Canadian militia were taken prisoners. A quantity of public stores was also taken. The loss of the Americans was twelve killed and fifty-five wounded.

On the 20th, general Winchester joined the detachment, with a reinforcement of 250 men.

§ 2. Meanwhile colonel Proctor, who commanded at Detroit, hearing of the approach of the Americans, advanced to meet them with a body of 1500 Indians and British, 300 of whom were regulars. On the night of the 21st he discovered the American detachment, and early next morning commenced an attack on their lines. The attack commenced at 6 in the morning, by a heavy fire of musquetry, assisted by six field pieces. The main body of the Americans were stationed within pickets on the left; a smaller force, unprotected, occupied the right, who gallantly sustained the shock for a quarter of an hour, when they began to give ground for the purpose of forming in a situation more favourable for their fire, and less exposed to that of