British, perceiving the strength of Captain Holmes' position, resorted to stratagem for the purpose of drawing him from it. They feigned an attack, and then retreated, taking care not to show more than sixty or seventy men; Captain Holmes now pursued, but with caution; and after proceeding about five miles, discovered their main body drawn up to receive him, on which he immediately returned to his former position. Having disposed of his troops in the most judicious manner, he firmly waited for them; being protected in front by a deep ravine, and the approaches on the other side somewhat difficult.

The attack was commenced at the same moment on every point, with savage yells, and the sound of bugles, the regulars charging up the heights from the ravine; the other sides were rapidly assailed by militia and Indians. The first approached within twenty paces of the American lines, against a very destructive fire; but the front section being cut to pieces, those who followed, severely wounded, and many of their officers cut down, they retired to the woods, within thirty or forty paces, and the firing continued with great spirit on both sides. The American regulars being uncovered, were ordered to kneel, that the brow of the heights might assist in screening them from the enemy; but the enemy's covering was insufficient, a single tree affording no shelter even to one, from the extended line of the Americans, much less to the squads that stood together.

On the other sides, the attack was sustained with equal coolness, and with considerable loss to the foe; the Americans had, on three sides, thrown together some logs hastily, and no charge being made, they could aim their pieces at leisure, with that deadly certainty which belongs to the backwoodsman. The British, after an hour of hard fighting, ordered a retreat; and as the night approached, Captain Holmes thought it not advisable to pursue; besides, his men were much fatigued, and many of them had nearly worn out their shoes on the hard frozen ground. The American loss on this occasion did not amount to more than six killed and wounded. According to the statement of the British, their loss was sixty-five killed and wounded, besides Indians. In consequence of his good conduct in

this affair, Captain Holmes was promoted to the rank of major.

The northern sea coast, which had thus far experienced little molestation from the enemy, became the object of attack early in the spring. On the seventh of April, a body of sailors and marines, to the number of two hundred, ascended the Connecticut River, as far as Saybrook, where they spiked the cannon, and destroyed the shipping; they proceeded thence to Brockway's ferry, where they did the same; and afterwards, unapprehensive of attack, carelessly remained twenty-four hours. In the meantime, a body of militia, together with a number of marines and sailors, under Captain Jones, and Lieutenant Biddle, had collected for the purpose of cutting off their retreat; but the British, taking advantage of a very dark night, and using muffled oars, escaped to their fleet, after having destroyed two hundred thousand dollars worth of shipping.

About this time the coasting trade was almost destroyed by a British privateer, the Liverpool Packet, which cruised in the sound. Commodore Lewis sailed with a detachment of thirteen gun-boats, and succeeded in chasing her off. On his arrival at Saybrook, he found upwards of fifty vessels bound to the eastward, but afraid to venture out. The commodore consented to take them under convoy, but was not able to promise them protection against the squadron then blockading New-London. They, however, being disposed to run the risk, he sailed with them on the twenty-fifth, and, in the afternoon of the same day, was compelled to throw himself between his convoy and a British frigate, a sloop of war and a tender, and kept up a contest until the coasters had safely reached New-London.

Having attained his object, he determined to try what he could do with his gun-boats against the enemy's ships. Furnaces being hastily constructed, he began to throw hot balls at the enemy's sides, and repeatedly set their ships on fire, without receiving any injury himself. The sloop soon withdrew, and the fire was principally directed against the frigate. One shot passed through her very near her magazine; her lieutenant, and a great number of

her men were already killed; her captain was on the point of striking, when he observed that the gun-boats had ceased firing. The night soon after coming on, the gun-boats desisted from the attack, determined to wait until morning. At daylight they perceived the squadron towing away; it was resolved to pursue them, but several other frigates soon made their appearance, and put a stop to this design. This affair, together with that of Craney Island, revived the discussion on the utility.of gun-boats in the defence of harbours, and the coast. Great services had been rendered by Captain Lewis, on this, as well as on many other occasions.

Formidable squadrons were kept up before the ports of New-York, New-London, and Boston; and the whole eastern coast was exposed to the enemy. The war was carried on here in a very different manner from that at the south. Commodore Hardy would not permit any wanton outrages upon private property, or upon defenceless individuals. In spite, however, of his general demeanour, there were particular instances of the contrary on the part of the officers commanding smaller parties, and actuated by a thirst for plunder. At the towns of Wareham and Scituate, they burned all the vessels at their moorings; and, at the former, they set fire to an extensive cotton manufactory. At a place called Boothbay, they met with a spirited resistance, and were repeatedly repulsed in various desperate attacks.

An invasion of a more serious nature was made in July, On the eleventh of that month, Sir Thomas Hardy, with a strong force, made a descent on Moose Island, and after taking possession of Eastport, declared all the islands and towns on the eastern side of Passamaquoddy Bay, to appertain to his Britannic majesty, and required the inhabitants to appear within seven days, and take the oath of allegiance. About two thirds of the inhabitants submitted; but, in the month of August, the council of the province of New-Brunswick declared, that notwithstanding the oath of allegiance, they should be considered as a conquered people, and placed under military government. Eastport was soon after strongly fortified; but it was found extremely difficult for the enemy to sub

sist his troops, and the desertions were so frequent as to render it almost impossible to keep up a garrison.

The commodore soon after sailed with a part of his squadron, for the purpose of attacking Stonington. The appearance of this force excited much alarm, which was not diminished when they received a message from the commodore, to remove the women and children, as he had received orders to reduce the place to ashes. The inhabitants, although with very trifling means of defence, determined to make an attempt to save their property.— The handful of militia of the place repaired to a small battery erected on the shore, and to a breastwork thrown up for musketry, and at the same time despatched an express to obtain assistance from General Cushing, commanding at New-London.

In the evening, five barges and a large launch, filled with men, approached the shore, under cover of a heavy fire from the ships. The Americans, reserving their fire until the enemy were within short grape distance, opened their two eighteen pounders, and soon compelled the invaders to retire out of the reach of their battery.They next proceeded to another part of the town, which they supposed defenceless; but a part of the militia being detached thither with a six pounder, the barges were again repulsed; the enemy then retired to their ships, but determined to renew the attack in the morning; and, in the meantime, kept up a bombardment until midnight. The next morning it was discovered, that one of the enemy's vessels had approached within pistol shot of the battery, and the barges advanced in still greater numbers than the day before; these were again gallantly repulsed, and the vessel driven from her anchorage. The squadron then renewed the bombardment of the town, but without effect; and on the twelfth, the commodore thought proper to retire.

The inhabitants, after this gallant defence, which, considering the means with which it was effected, and the great disparity of force opposed to them, deserve much praise, once more occupied their dwellings in security.. It was not long after this that the British occupied all that part of the district of Maine, between Penobscot river

and Passamaquoddy Bay, and declared it to be held as a colony.

On the first of September, the Governor of Nova Scotia and Admiral Griffith entered the Penobscot River, and took possession of Castine, which the garrison had previously evacuated. A proclamation was then issued, declaring that possession of that part of the province of Maine, east of the Penobscot, was formally taken in the name of his Britannic majesty. The country, which contained about thirty thousand inhabitants, was then gradually occupied, and possessed until the conclusion of the

war.

The naval incidents of eighteen hundred and fourteen, are as grateful to American feelings as those of the two former years. An occurrence took place in the very beginning of the year, which afforded to us as much cause for triumph, as of mortification to the enemy. In the month of February, Commodore Rodgers, on his return from a cruise in the President, found himself off Sandy Hook, within a short distance of three large British ships of war, the nearest of which was the Plantagenet, a seventy-four. Believing that an engagement with one or all of them was unavoidable, he cleared his ship for action, determined not to surrender, without selling his ship as dearly as he could. But notwithstanding he fired several guns to windward, as a proof of his willingness to engage, the British vessels did not think proper to approach, and he safely reached New-York. Captain Lloyd of the Plantagenet, after returning to England, accounted for his conduct, by alleging a mutiny in his ship, and several of his sailors were executed on the charge.

Another affair took place soon after, which furnished a still stronger proof of the now acknowledged superiority of America upon the ocean, an acknowledgment more strongly expressed than by words. In the month of April, Captain Stewart was also on his return in the Constitution, after a cruise, when he was chased by two British frigates and a brig, but escaped, by superior seamanship, into Marblehead. Some time before, after capturing the public schooner Pictou, he fell in with the British frigate La Pique, Captain Maitland, who fled on the