JACKSON AMONG THE CREEKS.

291

Mims was suddenly surrounded by the Creek warriors. P’T. IV. They mastered the garrison, set fire to the fort, and P'D. II. butchered helpless babes and women, as well as men ca. vi. in arms. Out of three hundred persons, but seven- 1813. teen escaped to tell the tale.

and

8. What, in such a case, could the American government do, but to defend its own population, by such means as alone have been found effectual, with this terrible foe? Gen. Jackson, probably the most efficient commander ever engaged in Indian warfare, Jackson went among them, at the head of 2,500 Tennesseeans. Floyd Gen. Floyd, the governor of Georgia, headed about, make 1,000 Georgia militia. They laid waste the Indian the villages; they fought with them bloody battles, at Creeks Talledega, at Autosse, and at Eccannachaca.

havoc of

9. Finally, at the bend of the Tallapoosa, was fought the last fatal field of the Creeks; in which they lost 600 of their bravest warrriors. Then, to save the re- Topokeka, the sidue of their wasted nation, they sued for peace; and last bata treaty was accordingly made with them. But while it remains with the Indian nations an allowed custom, to make war without declaring it, treaties with them. are of no permanent value.

tle field.

CHAPTER VI.

The Niagara Frontier. -Battles of Chippewa and Bridgewater.

sioners to

1. VARIOUS proposals to treat for peace having been made since the commencement of the war, the Ameri- Commiscan government sent Messrs. Adams, Gallatin, and treat fo Bayard, in the month of August, to Ghent, the place peace of meeting previously agreed on. They were there Ghent

7. Give an accourt of the massacre at Fort Mims?-8. Who

went against the Creeks? At what places were they defeated? 9. Where was the final battle? What then occurred?

CHAPTER VI.-1. What persons were sent to treat for peace on each side? To what place?

meet at

292

WELLINGTON'S VETERANS SENT OVER.

PT.IV. met by Lord Gambier, Henry Golbourn, and William P'D. II. Adams, commissioners on the part of Great Britain. CH. VI. On that of America, Henry Clay, and Jonathan Russell, were afterwards added to the delegation.

May 24.

Congress.

2. Congress met in extra session, and with the firmness of the days of the revolution, taxed the people, A bold regardless of the popular clamor, for the necessary expenditures of their government. They also author ized a loan. At the regular session, congress, desirous of an efficient army, gave by law, 124 dollars to each

La Colle.

recruit.

3. CAMPAIGN OF 1814.-Gen. Wilkinson, having 1814. received orders from the secretary of war, detached Feb. 21. Gen. Brown, with 2,000 troops, to the Niagara fronAffair of tier, and then retired to Plattsburg. The British had fortified themselves at La Colle Mill, near the river Sorel. Gen. Wilkinson advanced, and made an attack. A sortie from the building ended in his repulse. The general was censured by the public, and tried by a court martial, but nominally acquitted.

Feb. 21. 4. Capt. Holmes, who was sent from Detroit, fell in Capt. unexpectedly with 300 of the enemy. With but 180 men he fought them, stood his ground, and killed 69 of their number.

Holmes.

14,000 of

veteran

5. After the fall of Napoleon, a formidable army of Welling fourteen thousand men, who had fought under the Duke to of Wellington, were embarked at Bordeaux for Canada; troops and, at the same time, a strong naval force, with an adequate number of troops, was directed against the maritime frontier of the United States, to maintain a strict blockade, and ravage the whole coast from Maine to Georgia.

sent

over.

6. In June, Gen. Brown marched his army from Gen. Sackett's Harbor to Buffalo, expecting to invade CaBrown nada. Here were added to his army, Towson's artilt. Erie. lery, and a corps of volunteers, commanded by Gen

takes

2. What was done by congress in their extra session? In the regular session? -3. What was done by Gen. Wilkinson What happened at La Colle? -4. What was done by Captain Holmes? 5. What threatening measures were now taken by the British? 6. What movements were made by Gen. Browni What addition was made to his army?

On PT. IV

Porter, making, in the whole, about 3,500 men. the 2d and 3d of July, they crossed the Niagara, and P'D. II. invested Fort Erie, where the garrison, amounting to cn. VI. 100 men, surrendered without resistance. A British army, of the supposed invincibles, and commanded by Gen. Riall, occupied a position at the mouth of the Chippewa.

1814

Am. 328

7. The two armies met at the battle of Chippewa, July ↳ in fair and open fight. The republican soldiers, Chippe wa, Br. headed by the able officers that had now come for- loss 518, ward, defeated, with inferior numbers, the veterans who had fought with Wellington. Soon after the battle, Gen. Riall fell back to Fort George, where in a few days he was joined by Gen. Drummond, when his army amounted to 5,000 men.

8. Gen. Brown being encamped at Chippewa, ordered Gen. Scott, with a brigade, and Towson's artillery, to make a movement on the Queenstown road, to take off the attention of the British from his stores on the American side, which, he had heard, they threat- 1814. ened. Instead of this, Gen. Riall was moving towards the Americans with his whole force. Gen. Scott passed the grand cataract, and then became apprized of the enemy's presence and force. Transmitting an account to Gen. Brown, he instantly marched on, and fearlessly attacked.

9. His detachment maintained the fight for more than an hour, against a force seven times their number: and it became dark before the main army of the Americans, under Gen. Brown, came up. Gen. Ripley then perceiving how fatal to Scott's brigade was a British battery of nine pieces of artillery, said to Col. Miller, "Will you take yonder battery?" "I'll try," said Miller; and at the head of the 21st regiment, he calmly marched up to the mouth of the blazing cannoi, and took them.

6. What was the position and strength of the British army? 1. What account can you give of the battle of Chippewa? What was now the amount of the force under Gen. Riall? 8. Describe the commencement of the remarkable battle of Bridgewater?-9. What was done by Scout's detachment! When joined by the main army? What was done by Ripley and Miller?

Gen.

Scott's

move

ment and

bold attack.

Br. loss

878.

Gens.

Ripley

and

Drum

moná wounded

294

BRIDGEWATER.

10. The eminence on which they were planted, was the key of the British position; and Gen. Ripley following with his regiment, it was kept, notwithstanding the enemy, by the uncertain light of the waning bravery. moon, charged with the bayonet, till they were four

Miller's

times repulsed. About midnight, they ceased to conBritish tend. The roar of the cataract alone was heard, as they loss 878. retired, and left their position and artillery to the Ame860, 11 ricans. Gens. Brown and Scott were both wounded; officers and the command after the battle, devolved on Gen.

Am. loss

were k.

56 w.

Ripley. He found no means of removing the artillery from the field. The British learning this, immediately re-occupied the ground, and hence, in writing to their government, they claimed the victory.

11. The American army, now reduced to 1,600, re

10. Was Miller's taking the battery important to the success of the Americans? What happened at midnight? What was the loss on both sides ?

SORTIE FROM FORT ERIE.

295

tired to Fort Erie, and there entrenched themselves. P'T. IV. The enemy, to the number of 5,000, followed and be- P'D. II. sieged them. They made an attempt to take the fort cH. VI. by storm, but were repulsed by the Americans. Col. 1814. Drummond had partially succeeded, and was in the Aug. 15. act of denying mercy to the conquered, who asked for quarter, when a barrel of powder beneath him became ignited, and he and they were blown together into the

air.

Br. loss at Erie

about

500.

Am. 84.

and ta

1,000.

Am. k.

12. Gen. Brown, observing that a portion of the British army was divided from the rest, ordered a sortie Sortie. from the fort; which was one of the best conducted Br loss, killed, operations of the war. Gen: Porter here distinguished wounded himself, as did many others. But the loss was heavy ken pri for the wasting army of the Americans, and the coun- soners, try became anxious for the fate of those whose valor had shown the foe, that when once inured to war, there are no better officers or soldiers, than those of the American Republic. Gen. Izard had, on this account, been sent from Plattsburg; and now, with 5,000 troops, he joined Gen. Brown. The British, after this, retired to their entrenchments behind Chippewa.

and w.

300.

CHAPTER VII.

Washington taken by the British.-Baltimore threatened.

Cochrane.

1. THE British fleet in the Chesapeake was aug- Aug. 17. mented by the arrival of Admiral Cochrane, who had been sent out with a large land force, commanded by Army Gen. Ross; in pursuance of the resolution which had R been taken by the British government, "to destroy and

11. What was the condition of the American army after the battle? What the strength of the British? What was done by each? What loss occurred? - 12. Describe the sortie from Fort Erie? What was the loss? What feeling had the country now respecting this army? What had the army shown? Who joined Cen. Brown? With what force?

CHAPTER VII.--1. What barbarous resolution had been taken by the British government?