and a flag of truce was sent into the town to demand its surrender, with the assurance, that if no resistance was made, private property should be respected. There being no troops in the place, of course there was no resistance, and the enemy landed and burnt the public buildings, consisting of a blockhouse, barracks, arsenal, &c. when they again embarked.

On the 2d of August the enemy appeared off Burlington, on the other side of the lake, where the American army was stationed under general Hampton, and opened their fire from two sloops and a galley, which was returned from a battery in front of the town, the fire from which soon compelled them to make off. Several gun-boats and sloops lay under the battery, but were unable to pursue the enemy, having suffered severely in a gale a few days previous.

§ 2. In the month of October, Hampton's army crossed the lake, and proceeded towards the Canada lines, which they crossed about the 20th or 21st. The army moved in two divisions, one on each side of the Chateaugay river, and on two different days drove in the British pickets, one of which they succeeded in capturing. Every precaution had been taken by the enemy to intercept the progress of the army. The roads were filled with trees, which had been previously felled in every direction; the bridges were destroyed, and the houses burnt or pulled down. Notwithstanding these impediments, however, they continued slowly to advance till the 26th, when the advanced guard was attacked on both sides of the river by a body of regulars, voltigeurs, and Indians, posted in strong positions in a wood, flanked by the river and impassable swamps. The attack was several times renewed, and the enemy always driven behind their works. On the 27th one of the divisions forded the river, and the whole army returned within the American lines to Four Corners. The British claimed great merit from the splendid victory, as they call it, which they assert was achieved by a force of only 300 men, against Hampton's whole army, which consisted of 3000 or 3500. From their own statement, however, it would appear that their force was much larger than they represent it. They state it to have consisted of "Captains Levesque and Debartzch, with their flank companies of the 5th battalion incorporated militia, together with about 200 of the Beauharnois division."

"Lieutenant-colonel De Salaberry, with his voltigeurs, and captain Ferguson's light company of the Canadian regiment.' Besides these are mentioned, in the course of the action, "A large body of Indians under captain Lamothe." "Lieutenant-colonel M'Donnell, of the Glengary light infantry, with a part of his light brigade.'

These forces do not include the reinforcements which are stated to have arrived the following day. And yet we are gravely told, that," though it may appear incredible, the whole force engaged on our side did not exceed 300 men*."

But even allowing their force to be as small as it is here represented, it by no means follows, either that a victory was gained, or that Hampton's measures were baffled. It does not appear that it was the intention of the American general to push on by this route to Montreal, for the reduction of which his small force was utterly incompetent, independent of the natural impediments which this part of the country presented to an invading army. There is no reason to doubt, indeed, that this movement was merely intended as a demonstration, to divert and distract the attention of the enemy from the movements on the St. Lawrence, and this end being completely attained, it was not the general's intention to risk the loss of any part, however small, of his army, by an attempt to force a position so strong as the British represent this to have been.

3. General Wilkinson having transported his army in safety from Fort George to Sackett's Harbour, in the beginning of October, in a few days they were again moved to Grenadier Island, with the intention of immediately proceeding down the St. Lawrence against Montreal. Considerable delay, however, took place, owing to the uncommon severity of the weather, and it was not until the 3d of November that he was enabled to move. On the evening of the 6th he reached Ogdensburg, whence he wrote to general Hampton at Four Corners (where he had established his head-quarters after his return from Canada), ordering him to form a junction with him on the St. Lawrence, and recommending St. Regis as the most suitable place, where he expected to be on the 9th. "On the subject of provisions," continues Wilkinson, "I wish I could give a favourable information; our whole stock of bread may be computed at about fifteen days, and our meat at twenty. On speaking on this subject to the secretary of war, he informed me ample magazines were laid up on lake Champlain, and therefore I must request of you to order forward two or three month's supply by the safest route, in a direction to the proposed scene of action. I have submitted the state of provisions to my general officers, who unanimously agree that it should not prevent the progress of the expedition; and they also agree in opinion, if you are not in force to face the enemy, you should meet us at St. Regis or its vicinity."

*The statement here alluded to is not the official account. It is a detailed account, apparently written by an officer who was present at the affair.

A short distance above Ogdensburg, on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence, stands Prescot, a fortified post commanding the river. The lateness of the season not admitting of delay, Wilkinson determined to pass it in the night, in place of stopping to reduce it. This was effected on the night of the 6th, without other loss than two privates killed and three wounded. In the course of the 8th the cavalry was crossed from the American to the Canada shore, and a detachment of the infantry was landed, to prevent the enemy, who had previously lined the shore with musquetry, from harassing the boats in their passage down the river. A considerable body of the enemy from Kingston also, in concert with a heavy galley and a few gun-boats, hung on the rear of the Americans, and considerably retarded their progress.

On the morning of the 10th, general Brown advanced down the river, for the purpose of clearing its banks, as a rapid, eight miles long, was expected to be passed in the course of the day, in the passage of which, without this precaution, the army would be much exposed. About noon, the army was apprized by the report of artillery, that Brown was engaged some distance below, and about the same time the enemy were observed in their rear. Their galley and gun-boats having approached the flotilla, and opened their fire, Wilkinson ordered a battery of eighteen pounders to be planted, the shot from which soon compelled the vessels of the enemy to retire, together with their troops, after some firing between the advanced parties.

§4. The day was now so far spent, that the pilots did not dare to enter the rapid, and therefore the flotilla fell down about two miles, and came to for the night. Early next morning every thing was ready to move, but it was still deemed imprudent to commit the flotilla to the rapid until the result of general Brown's affair should be ascertained. At half past 10, an officer arrived with information that Brown had forced the enemy to retire, and that he would reach the foot of the rapid early in the day. Orders were now given for the flotilla to sail; but at this moment the enemy's gun-boats appeared and began to fire, and information was received from general Boyd, that the enemy's troops were advancing in column, on which Wilkinson sent him orders to attack them. This report was soon contradicted; but their gun-boats continued to annoy the flotilla, and such a variety of reports of the movements and counter-movements of the troops on shore was brought to Wilkinson, as convinced him of their determination to hazard an attack, when it could be done to advantage. He therefore resolved to anticipate them; and directions were accordingly sent to general Boyd to throw the detachments under his command into three columns, to march

upon the enemy, outflank them if possible, and take their artillery. The force under Boyd consisted of detachments from the first, third, and fourth brigades, which were formed agreeably to orders, and placed respectively under colonel Coles, general Covington, and general Swartwout. A report was now brought to Boyd from the rear guard, that a body of about 200 British and Indians had advanced into the woods that skirted his rear. General Swartwout, with the fourth brigade, was immediately ordered to dislodge them; general Covington, with the third brigade, being at the same time directed to be within supporting distance. General Swartwout dashed into the woods, and with the 21st infantry (a part of his brigade), after a short skirmish, drove them back to the position of their main body. Here he was joined by general Covington. The enemy had judiciously chosen his ground among the deep ravines which every where intersected the extensive plain, and discharged a heavy and galling fire upon the advanced columns of the Americans. No opposition or obstacle, however, checked their ardour. The enemy retired for more than a mile before their resolute and repeated charges. During this time, the detachment of the first brigade under colonel Coles, whose greater distance from the scene of action retarded its arrival, rapidly entered the field. Being directed to attack the enemy's left flank, this movement was promptly and bravely executed, amid a shower of musquetry and sharpnel shells. The fight now became more stationary, until the brigade first engaged, having expended all their ammunition, were directed to retire to a more defensible position, to wait for a re-supply. This movement so disconnected the line, as to render it expedient for the first brigade likewise to retire.

The artillery, excepting two pieces attached to the rear division (which, from the nature of the ground, and the circuitous route they had to take, were likewise much retarded in their arrival), did not reach the ground until the line, for want of ammunition, had already begun to fall back. When they were arranged, their fire was sure and destructive. When the artillery was finally directed to retire, having to cross a deep, and, excepting in one place, to artillery, impassable ravine, one piece was unfortunately lost, by the fall of its gallant commander, lieutenant Smith, and most of his men.

The whole line was now re-formed on the borders of those woods from which the enemy had first been driven; when, night coming on, and the storm returning, Boyd, conceiving the object in view, which was to beat back the enemy that would retard the junction with the main body below, to have been ac

complished, directed the troops to return to the ground near the flotilla; which movement was executed in good order, and without molestation from the enemy.

As the American force in this action, which took place in the neighbourhood of Williamsburgh, consisted of indefinite detachments taken from the boats, it is impossible to say with accuracy what was the number on the field; but it was supposed to be about 1600 or 1700 men. The force of the enemy was estimated at from 1200 to 2000, exclusive of militia. The British say their force did not exceed 800 rank and file, in which statement the militia and Indians are probably not included. The Americans had 102 killed, and 237 wounded, among the latter general Covington, mortally. The British state their loss at 22 killed, 147 wounded, and 12 missing. Both parties claim the victory in this battle: the British, because they captured a piece of cannon, and because the Americans retired from the battle ground; the Americans, because their object was fully. attained, that of beating back the enemy, who was harassing them in their progress down the river. The British account states that they took upwards of 100 prisoners, of which no mention is made by the Americans.

At the time of this action general Wilkinson was confined to his bed, and emaciated almost to a skeleton, a disease with which he was assailed on the 2d of September, on his journey to Fort George, having, with a few short intervals of convalescence, preyed on him ever since.

The Americans having resumed their position on the banks of the St. Lawrence, the infantry, being much fatigued, were reembarked, and proceeded down the river, without further annoyance from the enemy or their gun-boats, while the dragoons, with five pieces of light artillery, marched down the Canada shore without molestation. The next morning the flotilla passed safely down the rapids, and joined general Brown, at Barnhart's, near Cornwall, where he had been instructed to take post and wait their arrival.

5. At Barnhart's Wilkinson confidently expected to have heard of Hampton's arrival on the opposite shore, but, immediately on his halting, colonel Atkinson waited on him with a letter from that officer, in which, to the surprise and mortification of Wilkinson, Hampton declined the junction, and informed him that he was marching towards lake Champlain, by way of cooperating in the proposed attack on Montreal. The reason assigned by Hampton for this measure, was the smallness of