general Hull, commenced his march for Detroit, with fiftyfour regulars and twelve militia; accompanied by captain Wells, the inhabitants near the place, principally women and children, and a few friendly Indians. They had not proceeded more than one mile and a half, when they were attacked by 500 Indians. Captain Heald made all the defence which he could with his small force. After losing twenty-six of the regulars and all the militia, he surrendered to an Indian chief, who offered him protection. Captain Wells, ensign Roman, two women and twelve children, who accompanied captain Heald's party, were killed. Mrs. Heald, who was taken prisoner with her husband, was wounded by six shot; and the captain himself by two. The Indians had fifteen killed, and numbers wounded.

On the 16th of August, immediately after the surrender of Detroit, general Brock issued a proclamation, announcing the cession of the Michigan territory, by capitulation, to his Britannic majesty, without any other condition than the protection of private property; continuing in force, until his majesty's pleasure should be known, or so long as the peace and safety of the territory would admit, the laws before in existence; and securing to the inhabitants the full exercise and enjoyment of their religion.

CHAPTER XLII.

Proposition for an Armistice; United States' Navy; Commodore Rodgers sails from New York; Chase of the Belvidera; Pursuit of the Constitution; Capture of the Guerriere; Capture of the Alert, &c.

THE operations of the right wing of the United States' army, under major-general Dearborn, were suspended a few weeks in the summer of 1812, by a proposition for an armistice from sir George Prevost, governor-general of the Canadas. Mr. Foster, the late British minister to the United States, immediately after the declaration of war, sailed from New York for England. He proceeded by way of Halifax. When he arrived there, he received intelligence of the repeal, or rather the suspension, of the British orders in council, on the 23d of June. Supposing that this circumstance had removed the principal cause of the war, and that a door was now opened for a cessation of hostilities, he communicated the intelligence to sir George Prevost, with an intimation, that it might be used as the basis of an armistice. Sir George Prevost despatched colonel Baynes, the British adjutant-general in Canada, as a commissioner, with powers to negociate an armistice with major-general Dearborn, near Albany. A provisional agreement was formed between those two officers, which suspended all military operations on both sides, until the decision of the president should be received on the proposition for an armistice, with a view to renewed nogociations. The president deemed the proposition too indefinite to be entitled to notice. The orders in council by no means covered the whole ground of controversy between the two nations; and, as the other subjects of complaint were not included in the proposition from sir George Prevost, the president refused to sanction the armistice. This decision was communicated without delay to the governor of Canada.

The events of the war by land, thus far pursued, were truly

discouraging. And had nothing occurred to counteract the impressions that they were well calculated to produce, the prospect of its continuance would have been overcast with gloomy apprehension. On the ocean, a far different scene soon began to be displayed. The navy, on which the calculations of the friends of the war were not sanguine, exhibited, in an early period, rational grounds for hope and exultation. Scarcely had the first military movements commenced on land, when the principal portion of the navy put to sea, followed by the solicitudes of our citizens. Although the American coast was covered by a squadron of British men of war, all the American frigates in readiness, went gladly forth to the unequal combat; and, to the joy and surprise of all who had been long familiar with the naval pre-eminence of Great Britain, returned, in succession, to cheer their country with the intelligence of their adventures and achievements.

At the commencement of the war, the United States had not more than seven frigates, three sloops, five brigs, four schooners, one corvette, and a number of gun boats. With this small armament, the naval officers dared to court a participation in the contest with that nation, whose bards had chaunted to her naval pride, that

"Her march is o'er the mountain wave,
"Her home is on the deep."

Commodore Rodgers, in the frigate President, when he received the proclamation of war, called his ship's crew to gether, and offered a discharge to every man who was reluctant to risk his life with him in the perils of the conflict which at length had arrived: but, all were willing to meet the thousand ships of the enemy. His pendant was immediately displayed, and his anchor weighed. He sailed on. the 21st of June, in company with the United States, Congress, Hornet, and Argus, from.the harbour of New York. His first object was to capture, or drive from the coast, two British frigates, the Tartarus and the Belvidera, which had

been riding for some time, in the vicinity of Sandy Hook, and frequently, interrupting the outward and homewardbound commerce of the United States. The Belvidera was soon discovered and chased: but she escaped by superior sailing. The frigate President pressed her so closely, that she was compelled to start her water, throw a considerable portion of her armament over board, and resort to other expedients, to expedite her sailing. She was, several times in the chase, reached by the bow guns of the President, by which her rigging was injured, and several of her crew killed and wounded. The President had six killed and wounded by the fire of the Belvidera, and sixteen by the bursting of one of her own guns. The commodore himself, by this untoward accident, was wounded in one of his legs.

Having thus cleared the coast of these frigates, commodore Rodgers, with the squadron under his command, proceeded in quest of a large homeward-bound British West India fleet; whose track he followed until he arrived within the mouth of the English channel. Here he was obliged to abandon the hope of coming up with the object of his pursuit, and steer a new course. He ran, thence, along the coasts of France, Spain, and Portugal; thence by the island of Madeira, off Coro and Floros, back to the Banks, along Nova Scotia, to Boston; where he arrived on the 1st of September, with 120 British prisoners taken on the cruise.

This long and enterprising cruise, though not fortunate in affording an opportunity for any brilliant military achievement, was important to the commerce of the United States: as it induced the enemy, instead of annoying it, to send their cruisers in quest of the American squadron. Thus the property, despatched home in consequence of the war, had a better opportunity of a safe arrival in the ports of the United States.

On the 12th of July, 1812, the frigate Constitution, captain Isaac Hull, sailed from the Chesapeake. On the 17th, she was chased by a British squadron, consisting of the African, of sixty-four guns, the frigates Shannon, Guerriere, Belvidera, and Eolus, a brig, and a schooner. One of the frigates

ran up within gun-shot of the Constitution; but shortened sail, to wait for her comrades. A dead calm prevailed through the day. Captain Hull, determined to save his ship, if possible, employed all his skill, and encouraged his crew to the exertion of every muscle, while hope was left. At length, he improved the suggestion of his first lieutenant, now captain Morris, and resorted to towing and warping his ship; by sending out his boats ahead, with anchors to hold them, while the sailors with incessant labour hauled her up. This expedient was observed by the enemy, and imitated with the advantage of greater numbers, by sending out all the boats belonging to his squadron attached to two frigates, and warping after the Constitution. They perceptibly gained upon, and, at length, reached her with their bow-chasers. The Constitution returned their fire with her stern-chasers. On the morning of the 18th, a favouring breeze took the Constitution. She spread all her canvass, eluded her pursuers, and arrived safe at Boston, on the 26th.

This singular chase was continued sixty hours; during which, every man on board the Constitution cheerfully adhered to his station. Her escape was due, not only to the skill and gallantry of the commander and his officers, and the patience and energy of the crew, on the one side; but to the respect which the pursuers evinced for the single ship, in various periods of the chase. Once, a frigate could have brought her to action: but, as has been observed, she waited the near approach of her associates. Again, had all the boats of the squadron been attached to one, instead of two frigates, the Constitution would probably have been overtaken by towing: but this would have resulted as in the case of the frigate, which came within shot by sailing. The enemy afterwards spoke of the conduct of captain Hull, on this trying occasion, in handsome terms: and admitted that he rescued his ship from, what they had considered, certain capture.

As soon as the Constitution had received her complement of guns, and was fully equipped for sea, she sailed from Boston on a cruise. On the 19th of August, being in latitude 41, 41, and longitude 55, 48, at 2 o'clock P. M. captain Hull