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District of Vermont, to wit:

(L. S.)

SEIT REMEMBERED, that on the twentieth day of January, in the thirt ninth year of the independence of the United States of America, Messrs. Fay and Davison, of the said district. have deposited in this office the title of a book the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to

wit:

"Sketches of the War between the United States and the British Isles intended as a faithful "history of all the material events from the time of the declaration in 1812, to and including the "treaty of peace in 1815 interspersed with geographical descriptions of places and biographical "notices of distinguished military and naval commanders."

In conformity to the act of the congress of the United States, entitled "an act for the encourage ment of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors o! such copies during the times therein mentioned."

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JESSE GOVE Clerk of the District of Vermont.

READERS,

Who may not have perused this work, as it progressed from the press, will perceive, that these numbers were commenced, and that part of them were written for a family record, while the war was continually proclaiming its events from the embattled field. Hence, the work, from a seeming necessity, and from the then unknown duration of the war, assumed its present form. Had all the events herein registered in our numbers been matter of history, before the first was printed, they would have enabled us to have given to this work a more dignified character. Perhaps, however, what we may lose in respect, the reader may gain in information. The simple "unvarnished tale" often more instructs than the leisurely composed and rounded periods of some better writer, but semi-romantic historian.

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CHAPTER XX.-Creek war-Preliminary observations-Massacre at fort Mims-Battle at
Tallushatches-Battle at Talledega-Battle at Hillibee-towns,

233

CHAPTER XXI-Creek war continued-Battle at Autosse-Attack upon camp Defiance—
Expedition to the bend of the Tallapoosa.

242

CHAPTER XXII-Conclusion of the Creek war-Brilliant and decisive victory at the bend
of the Tallapoosa-Draft of the scene of action-Termination of hostilities with the Creeks
-Geographical descriprion of the Creek country,

253

CHAPTER XX¡II-Naval-Lake Erie-Battle with and capture of the British fleet-Inte-
resting anecdotes of the battle-Biography of Commodore Perry,

267

Y

CHAPTER XXIV.-Lake Ontario-Comparative view of the American and British forces in

18:3-Co-operation of the American fleet in the captures of York and fort George-Commo-

dore Chauncey's first cruise-Loss of the Growler and Julia-Chauncey's second and third

cruises-His fourth cruise-Capture of five British transports-Lake Champlain-Loss of the

Growler and Eagle-Descent of the enemy on Plattsburgh-American naval force on the

lake, &c.

CHAPTER XXV.-Naval events on the ocean-Cruise of the Hornet and capture of the Pea-
cock-Return of the Hornet to the United States-Appointment of Captain Lawrence to
the command of the Chesapeake-Action with the Shannon and loss of the Chesapeake
Biography of Captain Lawrence-Funeral obsequies of Lawrence and Ludlow,
CHAPTER XXVI.-Cruise of the Enterprize-Capture of the Boxer-Biography of Lieuten-
ant Burrows,

CHAPTER XXVII.-Cruise of Commodore Rodgers-Cruise of the Congress-Cruise and loss
of the Argus-Biography of Captain Allen,

CHAPTER XXVIII-Blockade of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays-Loss of the schooner

Lottery-Loss of the privateer Dolphin-Burning of Frenchtown, Havre-de-Grace, &c.-

Commodore Cassin's expedition-Outrages at Hampton-Attack on the schooner Asp-At-

tempt to blow up a British 74-Attack on Lewistown-Blockade of Commodore Decatur's

squadron-Capture of the Eagle-Private armed vessels-List of British vessels captured

during the year 1813.

CHAPTER XXIX.-Northern_army-Battle at La Cole-Attack on Oswego-Geographical
description of Oswego fort and village-Capture of a British force at Sandy creek-Death of
Colonel Forsyth. &c.

CHAPTER XXX-Capture of fort Erie-Battle at Chippewa-Draft of the scene of action
-Death of General Swift-Army movements and battle at Bridgewater-Biography of Ge
neral Scott.

CHAPTER XXXI.-Repulse of the enemy at Conjocketa creek,&c.-Bombardment and bat-
tle at fort Erie-Splendid sortie against the enemy's batteries-Arrival of General Izard on
the Niagara frontier-Action at Lyon's creek-Evacuation of fort Erie-Biography of Gen.

Brown,

CHAPTER XXXII-Lake Ontario-Michigan Territory-Captain Holmes' expedition-Mi-
chillimackinac-Lake Huron-General M'Arthur's expedition,

CHAPTER XXXIII-Lake Champlain-Repulse of the enemy at the mouth of Otter Creek
-Gallant exploit-Siege of Plattsburgh-Capture of the British fleet, &c.

CHAPTER XXXIV-Depredations of the enemy in Connecticut, Massachusetts and the Dis-
trict of Maine-Burning of vessels at Petipang, Wareham and Scituate-Attack upon Ston-
ington-Capture of Eastport-Capture of Castine, &c. and loss of the U. S. frigate Adams
-Chesapeake bay-Battle at Bladensburgh, and capture of Washington city-Surrender of
Alexandria-Repulse of the enemy at Baltimore and in the Rappahannock,

CHAPTER XXXV.-Naval-Cruise of the Essex-Action at Valparaiso and loss of the Es-

sex-The Alligator-Cruise of Commodore Rodgers-Gapture of the British brig Epervier-

Cruise of the Wasp-Capture of the Reindeer and Avon-Cruise of the Peacock-Gunboat

action-Private armed vessels-Destruction of the General Armstrong-List of British ves-

sels captured during the year 1814,

324

337

343

367

$93

399

491

430

450

462

469

487

PREFACE.

To our fellow citizens we do not promise a perfect and an im partial history of this war. To depict with perfect accuracy the embattled plain, while the roar of cannon yet lives in our ears, and the dust, excited by the conflict, yet obscures the contending legions, is more than the discerning public will demand or we can perform. The agitations of the flood may distort and render indistinct the images which the sun has painted on its bosom. We profess to love our country, feel for its honour and hope for its glory. With this partiality, though we would, we may not always be just. We may also be embarrassed by the necessary policy of war, which conceals as much as possible, that the enemy by no chance of information may profit. Any occasional excess of feeling in us may usually be either restrained or rendered harmless to others, as we shall endeavor to collate official or other accredited public documents, to present rather faithful sketches of the war, than ourselves as historians, imposing upon the world the hasty deductions of our own mind, perhaps often partial and incorrect. In the compilation of this work, in which genius can take no part, we would labor to exhibit concisely and truly this war to our citizens. By the method attempted to be pursued, the illusions of fancy, and the vagaries of a distorted imagination will be excluded from our pages,

The present is a nameless moment. Political partizans, like prophecy, effect not the past; they operate only on the future..... In this presage, even honest men have differed, may now differ, and will hereafter differ: but the evidence of the past is testimony growing into historic fact. The curses of the law are against him who perverts it. This is a hallowed ark, which no man may

touch.

One, whose political sentiments differ from those of the publishers, being associated with this press, for the sole purpose of compiling these sketches of the war, opposite politics will balance in even scales, and our patrons may less apprehend any of the excesses of party.

The work shall be for our country, truth shall be our aim, and we hope a general patronage our reward. Surely no good citizen would be regardless, and no proud one ignorant of the martial achievements of our country. Useful to ourselves and to posterity may be the knowledge of the causes, which have occasionally operated victory or disgrace to our arms. It is profitable to be taught, even by the enemy, and to learn from defeat to achieve victories.

When believed to be necessary for understanding the subject, geographical descriptions and biographical sketches will be interspersed, and every elucidation, which we may be enabled to give, shall appear on our pages. With the generous patronage of our fellow citizens, our mountains may echo the storm of battle, and the gleam of the sword of our warriors be seen afar.

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