the wounded, were general Covington, who afterwards died; colonel Preston, majors Chambers, Noon and Cummings; captains Townsend, Foster, Myers, Campbell and Murdock; and lieutenants Heaton, Williams, Lynch, Pelham, Brown and Creery. The British loss could not have been less than that of the Americans.

This appears to have been a drawn battle; the British and Americans both leaving the ground. On the 11th, the army joined the advance near Barnhart. The commander-in-chief received information from general Hampton, which put an end to the design against Montreal.

On the sixth, a few days before the battle of Chrystler's field, the commander-in-chief had given orders to general Hampton to meet him at St. Regis ; but soon after this order, a letter was received from General Hampton, in which, after stating that from the disclosure of the state of General Wilkinson's supply of provisions, and the situation of the roads to St. Regis, which rendered it impossible to transport a greater quantity than could be carried by a man on his back, he had determined to open a communication from Plattsburgh to Conewago, or by any other point on the St. Lawrence, which the commander-in-chief might indicate. General Hampton, some time before this, with a view to a further movement of troops, had descended the Chateaugay river, about the same time that the army was concentrated on Lake Ontario. Sir George Prevost, perceiving this movement towards Montreal, had collected all his force at this point to oppose the march of Hampton. On the twenty-first of October, this officer crossed the line, but soon found his road obstructed by fallen timber, and the ambuscade of the enemy's militia and Indians. A wood of considerable extent would have to be passed, before they could reach the open country, and while the engineers were engaged in cutting a way through, colonel Purdy was detached with the light troops and one regiment of the line, to turn their flank, and then seize on the open country below. In this he succeeded, and the army by the next day reached the position of the advance. But it was discovered that about seven miles further, there was a wood which had been felled and formed into an abatis,

and that a succession of breast works, some of them well supplied with artillery, had been formed by the main body of the enemy. Colonel Purdy, on the 25th, was ordered to march down the river on the opposite side, and on passing the enemy, to cross over, and attack him in his rear, whilst the brigade under general Izard would attack him in front. Colonel Purdy had not marched far, when his orders were countermanded; but on his return, he was attacked by the enemy's infantry and Indians, and at first thrown into confusion, but the assailants were soon after repulsed; they came out at the same moment in front, and attacked general Izard, but were compelled to retire behind their defences.

Gen. Hampton finding that the enemy was gaining strength, determined to retreat. A council of officers was called by the commander in chief, and the army retired to winter quarters at French Mills.

Thus determined a campaign, which gave rise to dissatisfaction, proportioned to the high expectations which had been indulged; this unexpected turn of affairs appeared to cast a shade upon all the brilliant series of success which had preceded. Opinion was much divided as to the causes of the failure, and as to the parties who ought to bear the blame.

While these things were taking place on the land, the commander of our squadron on the lake was not idle. Commodore Chauncey, it has been seen, after his first attempt to bring the enemy to action, returned to Sackett's Harbour, for the purpose of obtaining a fresh supply of provisions. After being reinforced by a new schooner, he again sailed on a cruise; and on the seventh of September, discovered the British squadron near the Niagara, and immediately stood for it. Sir James, on perceiving the Americans, made sail to the northward, and was pursued during four days and nights; but owing to the dull sailing of a greater part of the pursuers, he was enabled to keep out of their reach. On the fourth day, off Genesee river, commodore Chauncey having a breeze, while sir James lay becalmed, endeavoured to close with him; this he was not able to accomplish, the enemy taking the breeze also, when the American squadron had approach

ed within half a mile. After a running fight of more than three hours, the British escaped; but the next morning ran into Amherst bay, whither the American commodore, for want of a pilot, did not think it prudent to follow, but contented himself with forming a blockade. In the running fight, the British sustained considerable injury that of the Americans was very trifling. The blockade was continued until the seventeenth of September, when in consequence of a heavy gale which blew from the westward, the commodore was compelled to leave his station, and the British escaped into Kingston.

After remaining but a short time in Sackett's Harbour, commodore Chauncey again sailed towards Niagara, where he arrived on the 24th, having passed sir James at the False Ducks, without noticing him, intending to draw him into the lake. A few days after, the American commodore received information, that the enemy was in the harbor of York; he therefore made sail to that place, as fast as his dull sailing schooners would permit; and on the twenty-seventh, early in the morning, discovered the enemy in motion in the bay, and immediately stood for him. This being perceived by sir James, he stood out and endeavoured to escape to the southward: but finding that the American was close upon him, tacked his squadron in succession, and commenced a well directed fire at the Pike, in order to cover his rear; and attacking the rear of his opponent as he passed to leeward; this was prevented by the skilful manœuvring of Chauncey, by bearing down in line on the centre of the enemy's squadron, which was thrown into confusion, Yeo immediately bore away, but not before his ship had been roughly handled by that of the commodore. In twenty minutes, the main and mizentopmast and mainyard of the Wolfe, were shot away; the British commander set sail upon his forcmast, and keeping dead before the wind, was enabled to outsail the greater part of Chauncey's squadron. The chase was continued until three o'clock, the Pike having the Asp in tow, and during the greater part of this time, within reach of the enemy's shot. Captain Crane, in the Madison, and lieutenant Brown, of the Oneida, used evev exertion to close with the enemy, but without success

The chase was at length reluctantly given up, as it came on to blow almost a gale, and there was no hope of closing with the enemy before he could reach the British batteries, and without great risk of running ashore. The commodore was justly entitled to claim a victory in this affair ; although the enemy were not captured, they were certainly beaten; two of his vessels were at one moment completely in the commodore's power; but from his ea gerness to close with the whole fleet, they effected their escape. In addition to the general policy of sir James Yeo, the late affair on lake Erie had rendered him particularly careful to avoid an engagement. The loss on board the Pike was considerable, owing to her having been so long exposed to the fire of the enemy's fleet the most serious, however, was occasioned by the bursting of one of her guns, by which twenty-two men werc killed and wounded; the total amounted to twenty-seven The vessel was a good deal cut up in her hull and rigging.

Shortly after this affair, the commodore having communicated with general Wilkinson on the subject of the expedition then on foot, was advised to continue to watch the enemy's squadron; and if possible, to prevent its return to Kingston. About the beginning of October the commodore again chased the enemy's fleet for several days, and forced it to take refuge in Burlington bay; the next morning, on sending the Lady of the Lake to reconnoitre, it was discovered that sir James had taken advantage of the darkness of night, and escaped to Kingston. Much pleasantry was indulged at this time, at the shyness of the British knight, and his ungallant escape from the Lady of the Lake. The chase was now renewed, and, favoured by the wind, the commodore came in sight of seven schooners, and captured five of them, in spite of their efforts to escape by separating. Before sun down, three of them struck to the Pike, and another to the Sylph and the Lady of the Lake, and a fifth was afterwards captured by the Sylph. They turned out to be gun vessels, bound to the head of the lake as transports. Two of them were the Julia and Growler, which had been lost by the Americans. On board were three hun

dred soldiers, belonging to the De Watteville regiment. It was ascertained that the ship of sir James Yeo, and the Royal George had suffered very considerable injury. as well as loss in killed and wounded. Commodore Chauncey remained master of the lake during the remainder of the season.

The consequence of leaving a large force of the enemy in the rear, and withdrawing the troops from Niagara were soon felt. General Harrison arrived at Buffalo soon after the departure of the commander in chief, but could not follow, for want of transports. He embarked after the main body had gone into winter quarters. The fort was left under command of general M'Clure, who commanded militia, whose term of service had nearly expired. This force was soon reduced to a handful of men, and the place was no longer tenable. The enemy was in march with a large force. The fort was blown up, and the few troops crossed the river, just in time to escape the British. But this retreat was preceded by an act which every American ought to condemn. Newark, a handsome little village, near the fort, would greatly favour a besieging army, and orders were given by the Secretary, that if necessary for the defence of the fort. the village should be destroyed, to prevent the enemy from taking shelter in it. By an astonishing misconception of these orders, the General gave notice to the inhabitants to retire, and left the village in flames.

The

act was promptly disavowed by the government. The order so misconceived, was soon enclosed to Sir George Prevost, expressing regret, and declaring the act unauthorised.

Sir George Prevost, however, did not wait for the disavowal of the American government; he had already inflicted a retaliation sufficient to satisfy the vengeance of the fiercest enemy. At day light, on the nineteenth of December, fort Niagara was surprised by colonel Murray. with about four hundred men, and the garrison, nearly three hundred in number, and principally invalids, was put to the sword; not more than twenty being able to escape. The commanding officer, captain Leonard, apears to have been shamefully negligent, or perhaps