the enemy. At this moment Winchester arrived at the place of conflict, his quarters having been at the distance of three or four hundred yards from the camp, and his attention was immediately directed to rally the retreating party. This retreat, however, being discovered by the enemy, the whole Indian force, together with a portion of the militia, bore down upon them with redoubled violence, and by the superiority of their numbers, and the severity of their fire, prevented their forming. After a short conflict, in which they suffered severely, all that survived were made prisoners.

The left, who were stationed within the pickets, maintained their ground for several hours, and repulsed the British regulars, in three successive charges, with great slaughter. About 11 o'clock, however, Winchester was brought in as a prisoner to this part of the field, and perceiving that resistance was in vain, and influenced by the threat of their being abandoned to savage fury unless they instantly surrendered, he acceded to a capitulation, and sent a flag to the pickets to inform them they were prisoners.

General Harrison was at Lower Sandusky, when he received the intelligence of Lewis having advanced to the river Raisin, and fearing that he might be overpowered, he immediately set out for the Rapids, which he found that Winchester had just left with the reinforcement. When the news of Winchester's disaster reached Harrison, he was about three miles above the Rapids, with 360 men. He immediately ordered them to prepare to march, and set out with his staff to overtake a detachment of 300 men that had set out that morning for the river Raisin. He soon overtook them; but before the troops that he had left came up, it was ascertained that the defeat was complete, and it was the unanimous opinion of the officers that the detachment should return. A hundred and seventy of the most active men, however, were sent forward, with directions to proceed as far as possible to assist those who were fortunate enough to escape. These, however, were but few: the snow was so deep that the fugitives were entirely exhausted in running a few miles; those that did get off effected it by turning down to the lake, and secreting themselves. There were not more than 40 or 50 that got a mile from the scene of action, and the greater part even of these were overtaken.

3. Though the resistance on the part of the Americans was put an end to by the capitulation concluded by Winchester, we regret to say, that the most tragical events of this disastrous day are still to be recorded, events which affix an indelible stain on the arms of the British. After the battle the British returned

to Malden with their prisoners, except about 50 or 60 wounded, who were not able to march. A few of the Indians remained behind, who, being joined next morning by about 50 more from Malden, immediately commenced a massacre of the wounded Americans, and afterwards set fire to the houses in which they had been left, and consumed their remains. The same day the Indians massacred a number of their prisoners who had not been wounded, whose remains they would not suffer to be interred, but left them above ground, where they were torn to pieces and devoured by hogs. These horrid outrages are but too well substantiated, not only by the inhabitants of Frenchtown, but by some of the officers who had the good fortune to escape, by being purchased from the savages. Great indignities were likewise inflicted on a surgeon and his two companions, who, a few days after the battle, had been despatched by Harrison with a flag of truce, to attend to the wounded. One of them was killed by the Indians, and the others robbed of the money with which they had been entrusted by the general, for the relief of the most pressing wants of the wounded. After suffering many indignities, not only from the Indians but from the British, under the flimsy pretext of their using the flag only as a cover*, they were at length set at liberty at Montreal, whither they had been carried and imprisoned.

§ 4. On the 23d of January, the day after the surrender of Winchester, Harrison retreated to Carrying river, about midway between Sandusky and the Miami. In the following month he again advanced to the Rapids, where he constructed a fort, which, in honour of the governor of Ohio, was named Fort Meigs. This fort contains about nine acres of ground, nearly in an octagon form. At each corner is a strong block-house, with cannon planted so as to rake each line, and command every elevated point near the fort. Between the block-houses are strong picketings fifteen feet in height, against which a breastwork of clay is thrown up on both sides, and in addition to this, several long batteries were erected, which were well supplied with cannon.

The term of service of a large portion of the militia in Harrison's army having expired, 1200 men were called out by the governor of Kentucky, and despatched under general Green Clay to supply their place. They left Cincinnati, their place of ren

General Harrison, in his official dispatch, states, that the surgeon was furnished with a letter addressed to any British officer he might meet, describing the character in which he went, and the object for which he was sent, an open letter to general Winchester, and written instructions to him. self, all of which he was directed to show to the first officer he met with.

-dezvous, in the beginning of April, and arrived near Fort Meigs on the 4th of May, which they learnt was besieged by a large force of British and Indians, under general Proctor.

5. Proctor had set out for Fort Meigs with 1000 British and 1200 Indians, about the middle of April, with the expectation of capturing it before the arrival of Harrison's reinforcements and supplies, but, owing to incessant and heavy rains, he was not able to open his batteries before the first of May. A brisk firing was kept up on both sides until the fifth, when a small party of general Clay's detachment arrived, with information of the rest being close at hand. Orders were immediately despatched to Clay, to proceed down the river in his boats, to land 800 men on the left bank of the river, who should immediately attack the enemy's batteries, and spike their cannon, and the remainder on the right bank, who would be aided by a sortie of the garrison. The plan was successfully executed, the cannon were spiked, but unfortunately, instead of returning across the river to the fort, they pursued the flying enemy to the woods, where they were surrounded, and the greatest portion taken prisoners. A great part of the baggage was also taken in the boats by the Indians.

Notwithstanding the unfortunate issue of this affair, however, Fort Meigs was relieved. Proctor, being deserted by the Indians, whom their chiefs could not prevent returning to their villages, as is their custom after any battle of consequence, with their prisoners and plunder, made a precipitate retreat on the 9th of May, having previously secured their ordnance on board a sloop.

6. No event of consequence took place on the New York frontier during the winter. The opposing armies being divided by a barrier of ice, not sufficiently strong to allow of the transportation of artillery, peace was only disturbed by a few petty incursions, which each party justified by the plea of retaliation.

On the 6th of February, captain Forsythe, the commanding officer at Ogdensburg, on the St. Lawrence, received information that several men who had deserted from the opposite shore, on the ice, had been taken on the American side by a party of British, and carried off and confined in the jail at Brockville.

In consequence of this intrusion, as it was deemed, Forsythe the same evening crossed over with about 200 militia and riflemen, for the purpose of retaking the prisoners, and capturing the military stores at Brockville.. On approaching the Canada shore, a flanking company was detached above, and another below the town, to secure all the passes, to prevent information being communicated to the country. Before the main force

reached the shore they were fired at by the centinels, but, instead of returning it, they rushed through the main street to the jail, which was instantly carried, the prisoners liberated, and then the magazine was secured. The troops in the town were completely surprised. One major, three captains, three lieutenants, one surgeon's mate, and forty-two privates, together with their arms, besides 130 rifles and musquets captured by the British at Detroit, and several casks of powder and fixed ammunition, were secured and brought off. Perfect order was observed by the officers and men, scrupulous respect paid to private property, and no injury was done to any individual. Although a severe fire was kept up from the houses as the Americans advanced to the jail, there were none killed, and but one wounded.

The following evening a party of 46 Indians, headed by a British officer, crossed over from Prescott, a village in Canada, a mile and a half above Ogdensburg, for the purpose of capturing a picket guard of nine men, belonging to Forsythe's company. They succeeded in taking the centinel on post, and then attacked the guard, but were repulsed by their steady bravery, aided by their advantageous position. The succeeding evening 15 or 20 American volunteers again crossed, and took a lieutenant and two men, together with 15 or 20 stand of arms.

$7. On the morning of the 22d of February, the British crossed over in considerable force, and succedeed in capturing Ogdensburg. Forsythe, with a force of less than half that of the British, effected his retreat to Black Lake in a masterly manner. Considerable alarm for the safety of Sackett's Harbour was excited by this event, and immediate measures were taken for reinforcing it. No attempts were made, however, at further conquest; the British shortly after retired across the St. Lawrence.

The ice having disappeared on Lake Ontario about the middle of April, the look-out boat Growler sailed from Sackett's Harbour on the 19th to reconnoitre the lake, and immediate preparations were made for an embarkation of troops for the invasion of Canada. The troops, to the number of 1700, under the command of general Dearborn, were embarked by the 23d, but the weather proving stormy, the fleet did not sail till the 25th.

§ 8. On the morning of the 27th they arrived off York, the capital of Upper Canada, and the fleet having taken a position to the south and westward of the principal fort, and as near the shore as possible, the debarkation of the troops commenced about 8, and was completed about 10 in the forenoon. The

place fixed on for landing was a clear field, the scite of the old French fort Tarento, but the wind blowing heavy from the eastward, the boats fell to leeward, by which they were exposed to a galling fire from the enemy, who had taken a position in a thick wood, near where the troops were obliged to land. This circumstance likewise prevented the fleet from covering the landing. The cool intrepidity of the officers and men, however, overcame every obstacle.

The riflemen under Forsythe first landed, under a heavy fire from the enemy, who had collected all their force at this point, consisting of 700 regulars and militia, and 100 Indians, commanded by general Sheaffe in person. The contest was sharp and severe for about half an hour, when about 700 or 800 of the Americans having landed, commanded by general Pike, and the remainder of the troops pushing for the shore, the enemy retreated to their works, leaving a number of killed and wounded on the field. As soon as the troops were landed, the schooners were directed to take a position near the forts, in order that the attack upon them by the army and navy might be simul

taneous.

Pike, having formed the troops on the ground originally intended for their landing, advanced to the batteries, which now opened their fire, which was returned from the schooners, that had beat up to a position within 600 yards of the principal fort. The troops were led in the most gallant manner by general Pike, who carried two redoubts, and was approaching the principal work, when the enemy, having previously laid a train, blew up his magazine, by which a great number of the troops were killed and wounded, and, among the former, the ever-to-be-lamented general Pike.-When the fall of Pike was made known to general Dearborn, he landed and took the command of the troops.

As soon as the magazine was blown up, the British set fire to their naval stores and a ship on the stocks; and then the regulars, with Sheaffe at their head, made a precipitate retreat from the town. By two in the afternoon the American flag was substituted for the British, and by four the troops were in peaceable possession of York, a capitulation having been agreed on with the militia commanding officer, by which the town, stores, and nearly 300 militia were surrendered.

The total American loss in killed on this occasion was

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+ Sheall was a native of Boston: Jornet Enemy in 1775 when very youn.