tario, took a position north of the light house, enfiladed the battery and crossed the fire of the Julia and Growler, Lieutenant Brown in the Governor Tompkins, was ordered to take a station near the 2 mile creek, where the enemy had a battery with a heavy gun. Lieut. Pettigrew in the Conquest, took a position so as to rake the same battery. Lt. M'Pherson in the Hamilon, Lt. Smith in the Asp and Mr. Osgood in the Scourge, covered the landing of the troops. All the vessels anchored within musket shot of the shore, and in ten minutes after they opened upon the batteries, they were completely silenced and abandoned. Capt. Perry was present at every point where he could be useful, exposed to showers of musketry.* Commodore Chauncey had himself prepared about 400 seamen, with whom he calculated to land, if the enemy had made a stand.

In the brigade order of the 28th May, applause is bestowed on Colonel Miller for "the steadiness with which he supported the advance party;" on Maj. King who continued to lead his regiment through the severity of the contest long after having received a painful and debilitating wound ;" and on the "intrepid conduct of Capt. Grafton and Lieut. Whiting. The Irish volunteers under Col. M-Clure from New-York, and the 16th regiment under Col. Pierce are honorably mentioned.

The battle of Fort George may be justly ranked amongst the most brilliant feats of arms during the war. The modesty, or indifference to popular applause, of General Dearborn prevented him from speaking with sufficient eclat of this masterly achievement. The tro

See Com. Chauncey's official report, May 28, 1813.

phies of the victory were splendid-more than forty pieces of cannon, besides small arms, ammunition and provisions to an immense amount.

The morning after the action, Gen. Lewis' division consisting of Chandler and Winder's brigades, the light artillery, dragoons, light infantry and riflemen, were ordered to march in pursuit of the enemy, by way of Queenstown. The commander in chief had entertained a belief that the enemy, after receiving reinforcements from Chippewa, Erie and Kingston, and calling in the neighbouring militia, would make a stand at the Beaver Dam, where they had a considerable deposit of provisions, but he was disappointed. The enemy suddenly decamped and continued his retreat on to Burlington heights. General Dearborn upon hearing of this movement, recalled General Lewis with a part of his force for the purpose of attempting to cut off the enemy's retreat at York by the aid of commodore Chauncey's fleet. Unfavorable winds prevented the execu tion of this measure. Generals Chandler and Winder continued in pursuit of the enemy, who halted about 50 miles from Fort George.

On the 29th, Lieutenaut Colonel Preston, with about 600 men crossed from Buffalo and took possession of Fort Erie and its dependencies. The enemy spiked the guns of the fort and batteries, blew up the magazines and retreated at his approach.

ATTACK ON SACKETT'S HARBOR.

N the 29th of May, Sackett's Harbor, garrisoned by about 400 regular troops, principally dragoons, under Lieutenant Colonel Backus, the regiment of Albany volunteers under Lieutenant Colonel Mills, and the neighboring militia, the whole under the orders of Brig Gen. Jacob Brown, was attacked by 1,000 regu, lars under the immediate command of Sir George Prevost.

. Fortunately, Gen. Brown was apprized of the intentions of the enemy on the 28th, and had made suitable preparations to receive them. Anticipating the point of descent, General Brown placed the militia and Albany volunteers, amounting to 500 men, near the water's edge on the peninsula usually called Horse island. "Lieutenant Backus with the regulars formed the second line, the care of Fort Tompkins was committed to the regular artillerists, and that of the Navy Point to Lieutenant Chauncey." In case the militia and volunteers were driven from their position, Lieut. Col. Backus was ordered to advance and meet the head of the enemy's column, while General Brown was to rally and fall on its flanks. If unable then to resist the enemy's attack, our troops were to throw themselves into the forts and defend themselves to the last extremity, in which case Lieutenant Chauncey was to destroy the stores and retire.

Such, in short, was the plan of defence. A little before sunrise the enemy were seen in 38 large boats making for the shore under cover of their gun boats. General Brown gave orders for his men to reserve the fire until the near approach of the enemy should enable every shot to hit its object. The fire was too soon, but not without effect. Yet the aspect of danger was too terrible for militia, unaccustomed to the music of balls, to withstand. They fled without giving a second fire. General Brown and Lieutenant Colonel Mills made every possible exertion to rally their men, but in vain. The intrepid Mills received at the same instant a canister and musket ball through his body, and fell dead on the first line of defence. Lieutenant colonel Backus with the regular troops, according to previous arrangement, met the advancing column and with greatly inferior numbers caused it to faulter and finally with the aid of about 100 militia and volunteers, who rallied under General Brown and Captain M'Nitt, succeeded in checking its progress and defeating its intentions. The enemy repulsed, retreated under the fire of his ships. After having reembarked, they sent a flag to General Brown requesting attention to the wounded.

The total loss of the Americans in killed, wounded and missing, was 158. Lieutenant Colonel Backus, to whose undaunted bravery General Brown chiefly as cribes the success of the day, was mortally wounded near the close of the action.

The British loss in killed and wounded remaining on the ground exceeded ours; besides, many were killed and wounded in their boats by the militia and volunteers while effecting a landing; a number were also carried off the field by the enemy previous to his re

freat. Among the British officers killed, was Adjutant General Gray, Colonel Moody, and Major Edwards.

Lieutenant Chauncey being falsely told that the battle was lost, unfortunately set fire to the navy barracks and stores, by which means a heavy public loss was unnecessarily sustained. General Brown's official report of this affair pays a becoming homage to the noble conduct of Colonels Mills and Backus, Maj. Swan and Captain M⚫Nitt.

The chief object of the enemy seems to have been the destruction of the Pike, then on the stocks, and the stores in depot; in which he failed, at the same time sustaining a disgraceful discomfiture.

On the 5th of June Commodore Chauncey sailed from Fort Niagara for Sackett's Harbor, having on board Colonel M.Comb and two hundred men. At this period the British squadron under Sir James Lucas Yeo was decidedly superior in point of guns and tonnage. The command of the lake gave the enemy peculiar advantages. Lieutenant Colonel Ripley with his regiment was also ordered to the defence of Sackett's Harbor. He was directed to land at Oswego.

The indisposition of General Dearborn continued. The inhabitants in the vicinity of Fort George came in great numbers and received their paroles. A large majority of them were friendly to the United States, and fixed in their hatred against the government of Gt. Britain. The Mohawk Indians were principally quiet for fear of losing their valuable tract of land on Grand River.*

* See Gen. Dearborn's official letter of June 8, 1818.

VOL. II.