Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and 1813. South Carolina, Georgia, and all the entrances from the sea into the Mississippi to be strictly and rigorously blockaded.1 Lewistown, by the A Gen. Pike The scene of military transactions, this year, was principally Jan. 22. in the north, towards Canada. Brigadier general Winchester Freuch of the United States army, and nearly 500 men, officers and town. soldiers, were made prisoners at Frenchtown by a division of the British army from Detroit under colonel Proctor.2-The British April 6. made a furious attack on Lewistown, which lasted 22 hours.York, the capital of Upper Canada, was taken by the troops of 27. the United States under the command of general Dearborn. For York taken this expedition, commodore Chauncey took the general and suite, mericans. and about 1700 men, on board his squadron, and, two days before, left Sacket's Harbour for York. The total loss of the Americans, in killed, wounded, and otherwise, is stated to have been 203; the enemy's loss 930, of whom 750 were made prisoners. By the explosion of a magazine, on the approach of the troops towards the main work, a considerable number was killed and wounded. Brigadier general Pike received a contusion from a large stone, which within a few hours terminated killed. his valuable life. The object of this expedition being attained, the American forces evacuated York, and embarked on board the fleet, which left the harbour on the 8th of May. The May 2. British, under the command of general Proctor, attempted to Fort Stecarry Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky, by assault, but phenson aswere repulsed. The force of the assailants was estimated at about 400 in uniform and as many Indians; the garrison consisted of 160 men under the command of major Croghan. The loss of the British in killed, wounded, and prisoners, is supposed Repulse & to have exceeded 150. One lieutenant colonel, a lieutenant British. and 50 rank and file, were found in and about the ditch, dead or wounded; those of the remainder who were not able to escape, were taken off during the night by the Indians. The whole loss of major Croghan during the siege, was one killed, and 7 slightly wounded. About three the next morning the British sailed down the river, leaving behind them a boat con 1 American State Papers, v. Appendix xx. 2 Frenchtown is a village on the river Raisin, about 26 miles from Detroit. The American force is stated at 1100, that of Proctor, about 300 troops of the line and sailors, and 600 Indians. The "Return of prisoners taken" by the British makes the number, besides 60 officers, 433 rank and file; total 493. Montreal Herald of Feb. 6, 1814. Niles, v. 409. 3 The death of general Pike was deeply regretted. His remains were interred at Sacket's Harbour, and captain Nicholson, who fell by his side, was buried in the same tomb. Port Folio.-Brackrenridge says, "The loss on the American side was inconsiderable until the explosion of the infernal machine, which caused it to amount to 300 in killed and wounded." saulted. loss of the May 27. Battle of F. George. 29. 1813. taining clothing and considerable military stores.1-Fort George, commanded by general Vincent, was taken, after a sharp conflict, by the American troops under general Boyd and colonel Miller. The loss of the British was 108 killed, and 160 wounded, who fell into the hands of the Americans; they lost, besides, 115 regulars, and 500 militia, prisoners. The loss of the Americans was 39 killed, and 108 wounded.2-Two days afterward, about 1000 British, under Sir J. L. Yeo and lieutenant general Prevost, attacked Sacket's Harbour, defended by brigadier general Brown, and were repulsed with considerable loss. After the repulse, the deputy quarter master general, 2 majors, 1 captain, and 25 left dead, and 2 captains and 20 men wounded, were found on the field of battle; and 2 captains, 1 ensign, 32 men taken prisoners. The British stated their total loss to be 260; the total loss of the Americans was 156. British at tack Sack et's Harbour. June 1. The Chesa peake taken by the Shannon. Vessels The American frigate Chesapeake, commanded by captain Lawrence, was captured by the British ship Shannon, captain Broke, after an action of 11 minutes. Captain Lawrence was mortally wounded. He survived the action four days. His body was wrapped in the colours of the Chesapeake, and laid on the quarter deck, until the vessels arrived at Halifax, where he was buried with the highest naval and military honours. The remains of captain Lawrence and lieutenant Ludlow, of the Chesapeake, were soon after brought from Halifax, and interred at Salem.3 The United States sloop of war Argus was captured by the captured. British sloop of war Pelican, in St. George's channel, on the 1 Letter of major Croghan to general Harrison, and of governor Huntington to Gideon Granger, Esq. dated Lower Sandusky," 4 and 5 August. Niles, iv. 390. 2 Major general Dearborn, on the 27th, the day of the action, writes: "We had 17 killed and 45 wounded. The enemy had 90 killed and 160 wounded of the regular troops. We have taken 100 prisoners, exclusive of the wounded.” The precise number of either may not then have been ascertained. The numbers on both sides, given in the text, are from later authorities. Shallus says, 115 of the British were taken prisoners," and 507 Canadian militia paroled."— Fort Erie deserves notice. General Dearborn, in a letter of the 29th of May, writes: "Lieut. colonel Preston took possession of Fort Erie and its dependencies last evening: the post had been abandoned and the magazine blown up." The whole of the Niagara frontier, from Fort George to Fort Erie, was now in possession of the Americans. Niles, iv. 239. 3 Captain George Crowninshield, a private citizen of Salem, having obtained a cartel of the president of the United States, fitted out a vessel for the purpose, and proceeded to Halifax at his own expense, and easily effected the object of his voyage. After the service, a funeral eulogy was pronounced by Judge Story. The bodies were soon after carried to New York, and there interred with renewed funeral honours.-Captain Lawrence was 32 years of age. Niles" Register. The loss of the Shannon, in the action, was 28 officers and scamen killed, and 58 wounded; the loss of the Chesapeake, 48 officers, seamen, and marines killed, and 98 wounded, of whom 14 died soon after. Alden, Biog. and Hist. Collection, iii. 219, where there is a biographical sketch of Lawrence. 14th of August; and on the 5th of September the British brig 1813. Boxer was captured by the United States brig Enterprise, off Portland. The British sloop of war Peacock was taken by the American sloop of war Hornet; but was retaken by the Poictiers, a British 74 gun ship. Affair at The troops commanded by brigadier general Chandler were June 6. attacked by the British and Indians, near Stony Creek. Though Stony the American loss was small, and the enemy completely routed Creek. and driven from the field, both brigadier generals Chandler and Winder were taken prisoners.1 18. Three British frigates entered Hampton Roads. Two days after, they were re-enforced by 13 vessels, of 75 guns and frigates. The British, under Sir Sidney Beckwith and admiral 22. Warren, were defeated at Craney Island, in Chesapeak bay, by Action at Craney lieutenant colonel Beatty, captain Tarbell, lieutenant Shubrick, Island. and others of the United States navy, major Faulkner and other officers, with 480 Virginia militia and 150 sailors and marines. The British lost 1200 killed, wounded, or drowned, exclusive of 40 who deserted. Several of their boats were sunk. tory on Lake Erie. A British squadron on Lake Erie was captured, after a gallant Sept. 10. Perry's vicnaval action, by an American squadron under the command of commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The British loss was 41 killed, and 94 wounded. The American loss was 27 killed, and 96 wounded, of which number 21 were killed and 62 wounded on board the flag ship Lawrence, whose whole complement of able bodied men, before the action, was about 100. The commodore gave intelligence of the victory to general Harrison in these words: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop." 2 The Americans were now masters of the lake; but the territory was still in the possession of colonel Proctor. The next move 1 Gen. Dearborn to the Secretary at War. Niles, iv. 262. 2 Niles, v. 60-62. Letter of commodore Perry to general Harrison, dated "U. S. brig Niagara, off the Western Sister, Head of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, 4 P. M." In a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, of precisely the same date, he thus announces the intelligence: "It has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on this lake. The British squadron [here stating the number as above] have this moment surrendered to the forces under my command, after a sharp conflict." By a subsequent letter from the commodore to the Secretary of the Navy, it appears that of the 96 wounded, 3 only died of their wounds :-" Of Dr Usher Parsons, Surgeon's mate, I cannot say too much. In consequence of the disability of both the other Surgeons, Drs. Horsely and Barton, the whole duty of operating, dressing, and attending nearly an hundred wounded, and as many sick, devolved entirely on him; and it must be pleasing to you, Sir, to reflect, that of the whole number wounded, only three have died."-U. Parsons M. D. is now Professor of Surgery in Brown University.-Of the killed on board the Lawrence was John Brooks, lieutenant of marines (a son of the late governor Brooks), whose death was much lamented. 1813. Malden ments were against the British and Indians at Detroit and Malden. General Harrison had previously assembled a portion of the Ohio militia on the Sandusky river; and on the 7th of September 4000 from Kentucky, the flower of the state, with governor Shelby at their head, arrived at his camp. With the cooperation of evacuated. the fleet, it was now determined to proceed at once to Malden. On the 27th the troops were received on board, and reached Malden on the same day; but the British had, in the mean time, destroyed the fort and public stores, and had retreated along the Thames, towards the Moravian villages, together with Tecumseh's Indians, amounting to 1200 or 1500. It was now resolved to proceed in pursuit of Proctor. On the 5th of October a severe battle was fought between the two armies at the river Thames, and the British army was taken by the Americans. In Battle of the this battle Tecumseh was killed, and the Indians fled.1 Thames. The British loss was 19 regulars killed, and 50 wounded, and about 600 prisoners. The Indians left 120 on the field. The American loss, in killed and wounded, amounted to upwards of 50. Proctor made his escape down the Thames.-On the 29th of September, the Americans took possession of Detroit, which, on the approach of Harrison's army, had been abandoned by the British.-Preparations were now made for subduing Upper Canada, and taking Montreal. The battle of Williamsburg, Upper Canada, was fought between a detachment of general WilWilliams-kinson's army under brigadier general Boyd, and the British Nov. 11. burg. under lieutenant colonel Morrison. Of the Americans 102 were killed, and 237 wounded; total 339. The loss of the British, by their official account, was 22 killed, 147 wounded, 12 missing; total 181. Brigadier general Covington, while leading on his men to a successful charge against the British, was shot through 1 Tecumseh was in the 44th year of his age. He was of the Shawanese tribe, 5 feet 10 inches high, of a fine form, and well proportioned limbs. "His carriage was erect and lofty. His eloquence was nervous, concise, impressive, figurative, and sarcastic." Habitually taciturn, "his words were few, but always to the purpose." He is pronounced to have been, "in every respect, a savage, the greatest, perhaps, since the days of Pontiac." His ruling maxim in war was, to take no prisoners. He neither gave nor accepted quarters; yet to the prisoners made by other tribes he was attentive and humane. It had long been a favourite project of this aspiring chief, to unite the northern, western, and southern Indians, for the purpose of regaining their country as far as the Ohio. He was always opposed to the sale of the Indian lands. He was in almost every battle with the Americans, from the time of Harmar's defeat to that of the Thames. In the first settlement of Kentucky, he was peculiarly active in seizing the boats going down the Ohio, killing the passengers, and carrying off their property. He made frequent incursions into Kentucky, where he invariably murdered some of the settlers, and escaped with several horses loaded with plunder. He always eluded pursuit; and when too closely pressed, retired to the Wabash. After his fall, his person was viewed with great interest by the officers and soldiers of Harrison's army. Brown's Campaigns, and Niles' Register, vi. 111. the body. He fell where he fought, at the head of his men, 1813. and survived but two days.1 re-estab gan. Major general Harrison, commander in chief of the 8th mili- Sept. 29. tary district in the army of the United States, issued a procla- Gen. Harrimation, stating, that the enemy having been driven from the clamation territory of Michigan, and a part of the army under his comlishing the mand having taken possession of it, it became necessary that government the civil government of the territory should be re-established, of Michiand the former officers resume the exercise of their authority. He therefore proclaimed, that all appointments and commissions which have been derived from British officers are at an end; that the citizens are restored to all the rights and privileges which they enjoyed previously to the capitulation made by general Hull on the 15th of August, 1812; and, until the will of the government should be known, directed that all persons having civil offices in the territory of Michigan, at the period of the capitulation of Detroit, resume the exercise of the powers appertaining to their offices respectively. with the General Harrison issued a proclamation at Detroit, stating that Oct. 16. an armistice had been concluded between the United States and Armistice the tribes of Indians called Miamis, Weas, Ottoways, Chippe- Indians. ways, and Wyandots, preparatory to a general council to be held with these different tribes; and exhorting all citizens living upon the frontiers to respect the terms of the armistice. 17. tion for the government Canada. General Harrison of the army, and commodore Perry commander of the fleet on lake Erie, issued a proclamation, stating, Proclamathat by the combined operations of the land and naval forces under their command those of the enemy within the upper dis- of a district in Upper trict of Upper Canada having been captured or destroyed, and this district being now in quiet possession of our troops, it became necessary to provide for its government; and therefore they proclaimed and made known, "that the rights and privileges of the inhabitants, and the laws and customs of the country, as they existed or were in force at the period of their arrival, shall continue to prevail. All magistrates and other civil officers are to resume the exercise of their functions; previously taking an oath to be faithful to the government of the United States, as long as they shall be in possession of the country." The United States squadron, chased by commodore Hardy with a superior naval force, had taken refuge in the harbour of 1 Letter of brigadier general Boyd to general Wilkinson, dated "Camp, near Cornwall, Nov. 12;" and of major Wilkinson to the Secretary at War, dated "Head Quarters, French Mills, adjoining the province of Lower Canada, November 16, 1313." Niles, v. 266, 233, 252.-The whole American army, after the action of Williamsburg, recrossed the St. Lawrence, and took up winter quarters at French Mills. |