United States, and all private armed vessels commissioned as privateers, or with letters of marque and reprisal, not to interrupt, detain, or molest any vessels belonging to neutral powers, bound to any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States; but, on the contrary, to render all such vessels all the aid and kind offices which they might need or require.1 1814. The British made an unexpected attack upon Fort Oswego, on May 6. Lake Ontario, took it, and having destroyed the military stores, F. Oswego returned to the shores of Canada the next day. taken. The pacification in Europe offered to the British a large dis- July. posable force, both naval and military, and with it the means of The militia organized giving to the war in America a character of new and increased for service. activity and extent. As a measure of precaution, therefore, the president deemed it advisable "to strengthen ourselves on the line of the Atlantic, and, as the principal means to this end would be found in the militia, to invite the executive of certain states to organize and hold in readiness for immediate service a corps of 93,500 men." The requisition was accordingly inade. The hostile movements on the northern frontier were now be- Northern coming vigorous and interesting. The first step towards future frontier. operations in Canada, and for the recovery of Niagara, it was concluded should be against Fort Erie. That fort was at this time commanded by captain Buck, with about 170 men. The American force now collected, under the command of general Brown, consisted of two brigades of regulars, and a brigade of New York volunteers, under generals Porter and Swift, together with a few Indians. On the morning of the 3d of July, the two Fort Erie brigades of regulars embarked; general Scott with the first, and taken by a detachment of artillery under major Hindman, crossed to the gen. BrownCanada shore below Fort Erie, and general Ripley with the second brigade, above the fort. Before their movements were discovered, the British garrison was taken by surprise, and, after firing a few ahot, was compelled to surrender. in a It was next resolved to proceed immediately to attack major July 5. general Riall, who occupied an entrenched camp at Chippewa. Battle of On the morning of the 4th of July, the army was drawn up Chippewa. regular order to receive the enemy, on the right of Street's Creek, within two miles of the camp. After repeated assaults from the British and a brave resistance upon this and the greater part of the succeeding day, general Riall, perceiving that an engagement was unavoidable, issued from his camp with his whole force, and soon appeared on the left bank of Street's Creek. A body of his light troops, sent to the left of the American camp to turn their flank, was frustrated by the volun 1 American State Papers, v. App. xxiii. 1814. July 25. water. Aug. 14. Fort Erie attacked. Evacuated. 24. Action at Bladensburg. teers, who, after a sharp conflict, compelled them to retire. While pursuing them on the Chippewa road, they came suddenly in contact with the main body of the British. At this instant, general Brown, perceiving that they were severely pressed, ordered Scott's brigade and Townson's artillery to advance, and draw the enemy into action on the plains of Chippewa. Here an obstinate and sanguinary battle was fought, in the result of which, general Riall was compelled to retire, until he reached the sloping ground which led to Chippewa, when the British fled in confusion to their entrenchments. This was the first regular, pitched battle; and it was fought with great judgment and coolness on both sides. The loss of the Americans in killed, wounded, and missing, was 338; the loss of the British was upwards of 500, of whom 46 were missing, the remainder were either killed wounded.1 A very destructive battle was fought at Bridgewater, near Niagara Falls, between the Americans under general Brown and the British under general Drummond. The battle lasted from four in the afternoon until midnight. The loss of the British, in killed and wounded, is stated to have been upwards of 800, exclusive of 200 regulars and 20 officers, prisoners; that of the Americans, in killed, wounded, and missing, was from 600 to 700. The British general Riall was wounded and taken prisoner. The Americans obtained possession of the battle ground, but retired from it about midnight to their encampment. Fort Erie was attacked by the British under lieutenant general Drummond; but after a severe engagement they were repulsed with the loss of 582 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The American loss was 245. The fort was evacuated by the Americans on the 5th of November. About the middle of August, a British squadron of between 50 and 60 sail arrived in the Chesapeak, with troops destined for the attack of Washington, the capital of the United States. A body of 5000 of them having landed, an action was fought at Bladensburg, six miles from Washington. General Winder commanded the whole American force; commodore Barney, the flotilla. The British were commanded by major general Ross and rear admiral Cockburn. The Americans were repulsed, and the British advanced toward the capital. A body of militia had been assembled in this emergency, but the president and Washing heads of departments, on reviewing the force brought out for ton taken, defence, despaired of success, and dispersed. General Ross, at and capitol the head of about 700 men, took possession of Washington, and burnt. 1 Brackenridge, Hist. War, c. 16. Niles' Register [vi. 389.] says, the British loss was 514. 2 Niles' Register, vi. 433. burned the capitol or senate house, the president's house, and 1814. public offices, the arsenal, the navy yard, and the bridge over the Potowmack. The loss of the British in this expedition was nearly 1000 men, in killed, wounded, and missing; the loss of the Americans was 10 or 12 killed, and 30 or 40 wounded. Commodore Barney's horse was killed under him, and himself wounded in the thigh and taken prisoner; but he was paroled on the field of battle for his bravery. After the capture of Washington, the British army re-embarked on board the fleet in the Patuxent, and admiral Cockburn moved down that river, and proceeded up the Chesapeak. On the 29th of August, the corporation of Alexandria, submitted to articles of capitulation, Alexandria. and the city was delivered up to the British. On the 11th of September the British admiral appeared at the mouth of the Patapsco, 14 miles from Baltimore, with a fleet of ships of war and transports, amounting to 50 sail. The next day, 6000 land forces were landed at North Point, and commenced their march towards the city. In this march, when the foremost ranks were harassed by a brisk fire from a wood, major general Ross was mortally wounded. A battle was fought on this day between Sept. 12. the armies. The American forces, the militia and the inhabi- Battle near tants of Baltimore, made a gallant defence, but were compelled to retreat. The British, abandoning the attempt to get possession of the city, retired to their shipping during the night of the 13th of September. Baltimore. The naval operations were continued with various success. The Essex The United States frigate Essex, commanded by commodore captured. Porter, after a desperate action on the 28th of March, was captured in the bay of Valparaiso, in South America, by commodore Hillyar in the Phoebe frigate, accompanied by the Cherub sloop of war. The loss on board the Essex was 58 killed, 39 wounded severely, 27 slightly, and 31 missing. The loss on board the two British vessels was 5 killed, and 10 wounded; but both were much cut up in their hulls and rigging; the Phoebe could scarcely be kept afloat until she anchored in the port of Valparaiso the next morning.-Captain Warrington, in the United States sloop of Vessels war Peacock, captured the British brig Epervier, of equal force, in 45 minutes. The British loss was 18 killed, and 13 wounded; the American, 2 wounded.-The United States sloop of war Wasp captured the British sloop of war Reindeer.-The town Eastport. 1 Niles, Reg. vi. 442-444. The president, and the secretaries of war and of the navy, were in the camp the evening before the engagement; but finding the force collected smaller than they expected, they retired to the city to make some needful arrangements. All the public papers, with the specie of the banks &c. were removed. Mrs. Madison left her home but a little while before the enemy entered Washington. taken. bombarded. 1814. of Eastport, in Passamaquoddy bay, was taken by a British force consisting of 7 sail, under Sir Thomas Hardy in the Aug. 9-11. Ramilies, on the 11th of July.-The British under Sir Thomas Stonington Hardy bombarded Stonington in Connecticut. The inhabitants sustained the bombardment with great fortitude, and made the most valorous defence. The loss of the British was 21 killed, and upwards of 50 wounded; of the Americans only 6 were wounded. The British took peaceable possession of Castine on the Penobscot, with a large naval force, on the 1st of September. -Captain Macdonough with the American fleet, after an action of 2 hours and 20 minutes, on Lake Champlain, off Plattsburg, captured the British squadron commanded by commodore Downie; and Sir George Prevost was compelled by general Macomb to retire with his army, amounting to 14,000 men, from Plattsburg. Sept, 1. . 11. Macdonough captures a British squadron. Dec. 25. N. Orleans. - The British, having effected a landing at the extreme point of Villery's canal, reached the left bank of the Mississippi, 6 miles below the city of New Orleans. General Jackson, the American commander in chief, apprehending an attack from that quarter, had, but one hour before he received this intelligence, ordered 500 men, under the command of Inspector general Hayne, to take post on Villery's canal. Major Tatam and Mr. Latour had been ordered to precede this command, for the purpose of reconnoitering, and were in the execution of this order, when, to their astonishment, they found the British in possession of the left bank of the river. According to previous arrangements, signal guns were fired, and all the troops of the different cantonments were placed under arms, ready to move against the enemy. To prevent a surprise of the city before he should be able to concentrate his forces, he ordered colonel Hayne, with the light troops, consisting of the Mississippi dragoons and two companies of riflemen, to advance, reconnoitre the position of the enemy, and, if found advancing, to check his advance, so as to enable the commander in chief to collect and concentrate his forces. This duty was promptly performed, without meeting with opposition. The forces of the enemy were supposed to amount to 2000 men; and were so reported to the commander in chief. The troops in advance halted within a short distance of the enemy, and were joined by the main body of the army a little after sunset. The order for battle was given. Commodore Patterson and captain Henley were directed to drop down the river with the schooner Caroline; come to anchor opposite the enemy's position; and at half past 7 o'clock, bring on the action. The main army, under the immediate direction of the commander in chief, was to attack the enemy in front at 8 o'clock; and brigadier general Coffee's mounted riflemen, supported by 1814. major Hind's dragoons, had orders to turn his flank and gain his rear. The enemy's position was at some distance in advance of the American line, his right towards a swamp, his left resting on the Mississippi, with a chain of centinels very closely posted in front of his camp, supported by strong pickets. At half past 7, the battle was brought on, as had been arranged, by commodore Patterson and captain Henley. This attack produced a diversion in favour of the Americans, and caused much confusion in the British ranks. At 8 o'clock, the main army advanced in line of battle upon the enemy. About half after 8, brigadier general Coffee's men commenced their attack; and about 9, the engagement became general. After an obstinate conflict of about an hour, the British were withdrawn from all their positions. The Loss in the loss of the Americans was great; but that of the British much more severe. The number of the Americans, regulars and irregulars, engaged in the battle, has been estimated at about 1500; and that of the British at about 5000. The result of this battle was the saving of New Orleans.1 battle. N. Orleans saved. States. At this perilous and alarming crisis, some of the Northern Consulta states held a consultation. The misunderstanding between the tion of national executive and the executives of these states on the requisition of the militia to be placed under officers of the president's appointment, embarrassed the measures of the state governments. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, were at this time. destitute of the protection of the national troops, and exposed to the ravages of an incensed enemy, with scarcely any other than their own resources, and these continually diminishing by an onerous system of taxation for the national treasury. The alarm and horror of the people were immeasurably excited, and the pressure upon the state governments was proportionably great. The governor of Massachusetts convoked the general court of that commonwealth; the legislature of Connecticut was about to hold its usual semiannual session; and the legislature of Rhode Island also assembled. When these several bodies met, what should be done in this unexampled state of affairs became a subject of most solemn deliberation. To insure unity of views and concert in action, the legislature of Massachusetts proposed a 'Conference' by delegates from the legislatures of the New England states and of any other states that might accede to the measure. Their resolution for this purpose, and the circular letter accompanying it, show, that the duty proposed to be assigned to these 1 "A brief account of the battle," written by colonel Arthur P. Hayne, at the request of major general Jackson. Garden. |