George Prevost, he detached a party to press upon their rearguard, which took possession of a quantity of provisions and stores, and completed the destruction of their block-houses, barracks, and boats. The American general remained quiet in his new position till March 30th, when collecting a large force from Plattsburg and Burlington he attacked at an early hour, the outposts of the communication leading from Odell-town to Burtonville, and La Cole mill, the chief attack being directed on the latter post, which was under the command of Major Hancock. The enemy brought a battery to bear upon it, which occasioned two attempts to take the guns, but both were unsuccessful. The resistance by the British commander, however, was so judicious and spirited, that after the enemy had persevered in the attack till nightfall, he withdrew his guns and retreated without attaining his object, after sustaining severe loss. That of the defenders, British and Canadian, amounted in killed, wounded, and missing to 61.

A message from the President to Congress, dated March 31st, recommends to the consideration of that assembly the expediency of authorizing after a certain day, exportations (specie excepted) from the United States in vessels of their own, and of powers in amity with them, and a repeal of the laws prohibiting the importation of articles, not the property of enemies. This proposed relaxation of the acts restrictive of commercial intercourse evidently proceeded from a sense of the discontents they had excited, and their effect upon the public reve

nue. The message was inmediately followed by the introduction of a bill for the repeal of the embargo and non-importation acts, and for other purposes, which passed by a great majority, aud seems to have excited in the more commercial states sanguine expectations of the revival of trade, and the renewal of pacific relations. A proclamation, however, by Admiral Cochrane, from Bermuda on April 25th, was calculated to overthrow these hopes. The blockade of the American ports, which before extended from the southern limits of the States to Long-island Sound, and the opposite ports of New York, was now inade to comprehend all the remaining coast northwards to the boundary of the British province of New Brunswick. The reason alleged for this extension was that numerous vessels of war had been fitted out from the ports left open, and others were now in preparation, for the prosecution of the war against Great Britain, and frustrating the object of the blockade.

An expedition under the command of Gen. Drummond, and Commodore Sir James Yeo, against the American fort Oswego on Lake Ontario, was undertaken in the beginning of May. After a reconnoisance of the defences of the place on the 5th of the month, the attack was made on the 6th, by a select detachment of troops and the squadron of armed vessels on the lake. The landing of the troops was effected under a heavy fire from the fort, and the enemy posted on the brow of a hill, and in the woods, but nothing could retard the advance of the assail

ants, who gained possession of the fort in ten minutes. The whole of the garrison made their escape except about 60 men, half of whom were severely wounded. There were taken seven heavy guns intended for a large ship of the Americans newly launched on the lake; and other guns, cordage, and naval stores, were sunk by themselves in the river. After the barracks in the town and fort had been burnt, and all the damage done to the works that was practicable, the troops were reembarked, bringing away a quantity of stores. The principal advantage aimed at by this expedition appears to have been preventing the completion of the enemy's armament on the lake, and especially the equipment of their new ship, which was calculated to carry 64 guns.

Another attempt on a small scale, which had the same purpose in view, proved unfortunate. Captain Popham of the navy commanding a squadron which was blockading Sackett's harbour, having obtained information of the arrival of an enemy's flotilla at Sandy creek, with naval stores from Oswego, to be thence conveyed over land to Sackett's harbour, resolved in concert with Captain Spilsbury upon an enterprize for its destruction. Proceeding to the creek, he reached its entrance with the boats of the squadron, soon after daylight on May 31st, having with him near 200 seamen and marines. The boats cautiously advanced up the creek to within a quarter of a mile from the enemy, and landed armed parties on each side. On coming to a turning which opened

the flotilla full to their view, a 68-pounder carronade, on which they greatly depended, was disabled, and as they were bringing a 24pounder to bear, they were attacked by a force consisting of 150 rifle-men, nearly 200 Indians, and a numerous body of militia and cavalry. A gallant resistance was made for a time, but against such a superiority it was unavailing. The loss as returned amounted to 18 killed and 50 dangerously wounded, besides prisoners, who are not specified, but it is remarked, that the winding of the creek gave the enemy great advantage in intercepting the retreat. Captain Popham makes acknowledgments for the exertions of the officers of the American rifle corps, in saving the lives of many officers and men, whom the Indians and their own men had devoted to death.

In order to counteract the effects of the general blockade of the American coast, the President of the United States on June 29th, issued a proclamation, in which, after asserting, that the enemy's declared blockade of a coast nearly 2,000 miles in extent, abounding in ports, cannot be carried into effect by any force actually stationed for the purpose, a fact proved by the many arrivals and departures of the private armed vessels of the United States; and affirming that a blockade so destitute of its legal character can form no lawful prohibition to the trade of neutral nations with the United States; strictly orders all the public vessels of the United States, and all private armed vessels commissioned as privateers, or with letters of marque, by no

means to molest or interrupt the vessels belonging to neutral powers, bound to any port within the United States, but to render them all the service in their power.

A large American force under Major-gen. Brown, computed in the British accounts at 6,000 men, crossed the Niagara river on July 3rd, and advanced into Canada, having driven in the picquets of Fort Erie, and summoned the garrison, which, to the number of 170, surrendered prisoners of war. They then proceeded towards the British lines of Chippawa, their attack upon which was anticipated by the sortie of Major-gen. Riall at the head of about 1,500 regular troops, besides 'militia and Indians. This commander made his dispositions in the afternoon of the 5th, for attacking the invaders who had taken a position with their right on the Niagara, strongly supported by artillery, and their left on a wood, with a body of Indians and riflemen in front. In the action which ensued, after the American light troops had been dislodged, the King's regiment was moved to the right, whilst the Royal Scots and 100th regiment were ordered to charge the enemy in front. They advanced with great gallantry through a destructive fire, from which they suffered so severely, (the commanders of each regiment, Lieut.-col. Gordon, and Lieut.-col. the Marquis of Tweedale being both wounded) that it was found necessary to withdraw them, and commence a retreat towards Chippawa, which was effected in good order, and without farther loss. That already incurred was however serious, amounting in killed, wound

ed, and prisoners, to about a third of the troops engaged. The loss of the Americans was also considerable.

The success of an expedition from Halifax to Passamaquoddy bay, near the mouth of the bay of Fundy, was reported in the same month. A party under the command of Lient.-col. Pilkington, Deputy Adjutant-general, sailed from Halifax on July 5th, and arriving at the place of rendezvous on the 7th, found there Capt. Sir Thomas Hardy in the Ramillies, with transports, having on board the 102nd regiment. They immediately proceeded, and on the 11th, anchored off the town of East-port on Moose-island in Passamaquoddy bay, when a summons was sent to the American officer commanding at Fort Sullivan, requiring his surrender of the island. On his refusal, preparations were made for an attack, the effect of which was an immediate capitulation, whereby the garrison became prisoners of war, and the island with all the ordnance, stores, &c. came into the possession of the victors. island is stated to contain about 1,500 inhabitants, and to be highly cultivated. Two other islands were likewise occupied by the expedition, so that the whole bay was subjected to the British flag, and the inhabitants were required 'to take an oath of allegiance to King George, or quit the spot with their property.

The

We had to record, at the conclusion of the last year's American campaign, the threats of a system of reciprocal retaliation, which would have fixed a character of sanguinary ferocity on

the war, disgraceful to any people above the rank of savages. The determined conduct of the British government, with the untenable ground upon which retaliation was first declared by that of the United States, doubtless produced that accommodation which was made public in a general order at Montreal on July 18th. Its substance was, that on the invitation of the American government, Col. Baynes, and Lieut.. col. Brenton having been deputed to meet Col. Lear at Champlain, for the purpose of re-considering the convention for the exchange of prisoners entered into in April last between Col. Baynes and Brigadier-gen. Winder, all objections to that convention were removed, and it was ratified, with a supplementary clause, by which the 23 British soldiers, and the 46 American officers and non-commissioned officers, detained as hostages, were included in the convention, to be released and exchanged in the same manner as other prisoners of war mentioned in the articles of convention, notwithstanding the exception therein contained.

After the action near Chippawa, Gen. Riall retreated to a position near fort Niagara, and the American army took post at Chippawa. The British force in Canada had been at this time augmented by the arrival at Quebec of some transports from Bourdeaux, conveying veteran troops which had served under Lord Wellington in Spain. On July 25th, Gen. Drummond arriving at Niagara, found that Gen. Riall had moved forward to the Falls in order to support the advance of

his division at that place; and he dispatched Lieut.-col Morrisou with the 39th regiment and de-tachments of two others, in order that he might, if necessary, act with the united force of the army, against the enemy posted at Street's creek, with his advance at Chippawa. Gen. Drummond proceeding to join Gen. Riall, learned that the Americans were advancing in great force; and pushing forwards, he found that the advance of. Riall's division had commenced their retreat. He immediately drew up his troops in line of battle, when his whole front was warmly and closely engaged. The Americans gained a temporary advantage, during which Gen. Riall, having been severely wounded, was made prisoner. In the centre, the enemy's repeated and determined attacks were resisted with the greatest steadiness and intrepidity by the detachments of the Royals and King's, and the light company of the 41st; and so obstinate was the encounter, that the British artillery-men were bayoneted while in the act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were brought within a few yards of those of their opponents. The action continued from six in the evening to nine, when there was a short intermission, during which the Americans were employed in bringing up the whole of their remaining force, and with this, they renewed their efforts to carry the height on which the British were posted, till about midnight. The gallantry with which they were received, and their severe losses, at length obliged them to give up the contest, and retreat with precipitation