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The loss acknowledged by the British in their official account is

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This loss of killed, wounded, and prisoners, however, must only include the regulars, as 300 militia were surrendered in

the town.

The day after the capture of York was employed in burying the dead. The public buildings, barracks, &c. were then destroyed, together with the military stores that could not be brought away, and by the first of May the town was entirely evacuated, the militia prisoners parolled, and the troops embarked; but, owing to contrary winds, the fleet did not sail till the 8th. On the afternoon of the same day they arrived at Four Mile Creek, below Fort Niagara, where the troops and public property were landed, and on the 10th Chauncey again sailed for Sackett's Harbour for reinforcements. The day previous to his departure, two schooners, with 100 picked men, sailed for the head of the lake to seize a quantity of public stores. The stores were found to be guarded by about 80 regulars, who were repulsed, the stores brought away, the public buildings burnt, and the expedition returned to Fort Niagara without loss.

9. Chauncey arrived at Sackett's Harbour on the 13th of May, and having received 350 troops on board, again sailed on the 22d, and arrived near Fort Niagara on the 25th, where the troops were landed. A council was immediately held by general Dearborn, for the purpose of making arrangements for immediately passing to the opposite shore. Next day Chauncey reconnoitered the position for landing the troops, and at night sounded the shore, and placed buoys to point out the stations for the small vessels. He then took on board of the Madison, Oneida, and Lady of the Lake all the heavy artillery, and as many troops as could be stowed.

On the 27th, at three in the morning, the signal was made for the fleet to weigh, and before four the remainder of the troops were embarked on board of boats, which were directed to follow the feet. The schooners were judiciously placed in posi

tions to silence the enemy's batteries, and cover the landing of the troops, within musket shot of the shore. In ten minutes after they opened on the batteries, they were completely silenced and abandoned.

The troops then advanced in three brigades, and landed near a fort which had been silenced, at Two Mile Creek. Immediately on their landing, the enemy, who had been concealed in a ravine, advanced in great force to the edge of the bank, in order to charge them; but the schooners opened so well-directed and tremendous a fire of grape and canister, that they were soon obliged to retreat, The troops formed as soon as they landed, and immediately ascended the bank, and charged and routed the enemy in every direction, the schooners still keeping up a constant and well-directed fire. The British now re-entered Fort George, and set fire to their magazines, after which they moved off rapidly towards Queenstown, and were pursued by the light troops for several miles. The main body, however, having been under arms from one in the morning, were too much exhausted for further pursuit. They returned to Fort George, of which they had quiet possession by twelve o'clock.

On this occasion we find the first mention made of captain PERRY, the hero of lake Erie. He volunteered his services to commodore Chauncey, and rendered great assistance in arranging and superintending the debarkation of the troops. He was present at every point where he could be useful, under showers of musketry, but fortunately escaped unhurt. The next day he was despatched to Black Rock, with fifty-five seamen, to prepare and take the command of the squadron fitting out there.

The loss of the Americans in capturing Fort George, was thirty-nine killed and 111 wounded. The British lost 108 killed, and 278 prisoners, of whom 163 were wounded. The number of militia parolled by general Dearborn was 507.

The day after the capture of the fort, general Lewis marched with Chandler's and Winder's brigades, and the light artillery, dragoons, and riflemen, in pursuit of the British, by the way of Queenstown. Information had been received that they had made a stand on the mountain, at a place called the Beaver Dam, where they had a depot of provisions and stores, and that they had been joined by 300 regulars from Kingston, and were calling in the militia. Dearborn, therefore, was in hopes, that, confiding in the strength of his position, the enemy would await an action, by which an opportunity would be afforded to cut off his retreat. In this expectation, however, he was disappointed.-The troops at Fort Erie blew up their magazine, and joined the

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main body at Beaver Dam, who then broke up and retreated along the mountains towards the head of lake Ontario. The same evening Fort Erie was taken possession of by a party from the opposite shore, and Lewis, finding that the enemy had made their escape, returned to Fort George.

§ 10. Dearborn, still in hopes of being able to cut off the retreat of the enemy, on the 1st of June detached general Winder with his brigade, and one regiment from Boyd's brigade, along the lake shore. On the 3d general Chandler followed with the remainder of Boyd's brigade. The British general, however, anticipated the blow, by attacking the American army before day on the morning of the 6th. Unfortunately, although the American loss was but small, and the enemy, whose force was very inferior, driven from the field, yet both the generals Chandler and Winder were taken prisoners. In this attack the Americans lost two generals and several other officers, but a greater number of prisoners were lost by the enemy.

Dearborn received the intelligence of this affair late in the same evening, and immediately dispatched general Lewis to take the command of the troops. He arrived and took the command in the afternoon of the 7th. The British likewise despatched a messenger to sir James Yeo, who was off York with the British fleet, with orders to co-operate in the attack on the Americans. Lewis found the army encamped at the Forty Mile creek, on a plain of about a mile in width, ten miles in the rear of the ground where it had been attacked, its right flank resting on the lake, and its left on a creek which skirts the base of a perpendicular mountain of a considerable height.

Lewis had scarcely arrived at the camp before the hostile fleet hove in sight. It did not approach near enough before dark, however, to enable them to ascertain with certainty whether it was Yeo's or Chauncey's squadron. In this state of uncertainty, the army lay on their arms all night, and at break of day struck their tents, when the hostile fleet was discovered abreast of them, about a mile from the shore. About 6, it being a dead calm, the enemy towed in shore a large schooner, which on her approach, opened her fire on the boats which the army had employed for the transportation of their baggage and camp equipage, which then lay on the beach. As soon as her object was perceived, four pieces of artillery were sent down to the shore, and captain Totten of the engineers was ordered to construct a furnace for heating shot, which was prepared and in operation in less than 30 minutes, and the schooner was soon compelled to retire.

A party of Indians now made their appearance on the brow of the mountain (which being perfectly bald, exhibited them to view), and commenced a fire on the camp. They were quickly dislodged, however by a small party under the command of lieutenant Eldridge. The Americans lost not a man by the attacks of the fleet and Indians.

Sir James L. Yeo now sent on shore an officer with a flag, demanding a surrender of the army, it being invested with savages in its rear, a fleet in its front, and a powerful army on its flank. To this demand general Lewis only answered that "the message was too ridiculous to merit a reply."

Between 7 and 8 o'clock the four waggons that were with the army were loaded with the sick, and with ammunition; the camp equipage and baggage was put in the boats, and 700 men were detached to proceed in them for their protection. By some irregularity, however, the boats, induced probably by the stillness of the morning, put off before the detachment reached the shore, and they had not proceeded above three miles, when a breeze sprung up, which enabled an armed schooner to overhaul them. Some of the boats, however, kept on and escaped; the others were run to the shore and deserted, twelve of which were lost, principally loaded with baggage. At 10 o'clock the army was put in motion, and reached Fort George with the loss only of a few stragglers, who were picked up by the militia and Indians.

Shortly after this affair the American troops concentrated at Fort George, having evacuated Fort Erie, and the remainder of the Niagara frontier.

§ 11. On the evening of the 23d of June, Dearborn despatched lieutenant-colonel Barstler, with 570 men, to Beaver Dam, a few miles beyond Queenstown, to attack and disperse a body of the enemy, who had collected there for the purpose of procuring provisions and harrassing those of the inhabitants who were considered friendly to the United States. The force of the enemy was understood to be about 80 regulars, 150 or 200 militia, and from 50 to 60 Indians.

About 8 next morning, when within about two miles of Beaver Dam, Bærstler was attacked from an ambuscade, but soon drove the enemy some distance into the woods. He then retired into a clear field, whence he immediately despatched an express for a reinforcement, stating that he would maintain his position till it arrived. Three hundred men were instantly marched to his relief. They were, however, too late; for, on arriving at Queenstown they received authentic intelligence of the

surrender of the whole detachment, and accordingly returned to camp.

The British account of this affair states that the detachment to which Borstler surrendered was but small, the Indians being the only force actually engaged; but that his position was surrounded by woods, which he was led to believe was occupied by a superior force.

12. While the American army was thus employed at Fort George, several enterprises were undertaken by the British. On the night of the 27th of May a force of upwards of 1000 men, under sir George Prevost, were embarked at Kingston on board the British squadron, and in open boats, and immediately sailed for Sackett's Harbour. Next morning they were observed by lieutenant Chauncey, who commanded the small naval force remaining there, the principal part of the American squadron being engaged at Fort George, and he immediately sailed into the harbour firing alarm guns. The alarm being immediately communicated, guns were likewise fired from the alarm posts, in order to bring in the militia, and instant measures taken to resist the attack.

No attempt, however, was made to land on the 28th, the attention of the enemy being drawn off, at the moment when all was prepared for landing, by the appearance of a fleet of American barges passing from Oswego for Sackett's Harbour. The barges of the enemy were immediately despatched to cut them off, and succeeded in taking 12; the troops, however, had previously succeeded in landing and gaining the woods, and came into Sackett's Harbour the same evening. The remaining seven boats outsailed the enemy's barges, and got safe into port. It is presumed that the landing was now put off till next morning, under the expectation of cutting off more barges, as the fleet hauled their wind and stood into South Bay, and the armed barges were despatched, apparently in order to waylay them.

During the night a considerable militia force came in, and were stationed on the water side, near Horse Island, on which was placed a small body of Albany volunteers. The moment it was light, the enemy's squadron was perceived in line between Stony Point and Horse Island, and shortly after troops were landed on the latter, from thirty-three large boats, under cover of their gun-boats.

General Brown, who commanded the post, had directed that the volunteers should retreat across the neck which joins Horse Island to the main land, in case of the enemy landing there, which they accordingly did, and joined the militia under his command, amounting to between four and five hundred men.

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