can general. Contrary to the general plan of the commander in chief, Winchester resolved to send a force to their relief, and accordingly detached a body of men, with orders to wait at Presque Isle, until joined by the main body.

On reaching the latter place, it was ascertained that a party of British and Indians had already taken possession of Frenchtown. The resolution was immediately taken to attack them, without waiting for the arrival of Winchester. In this attack, the Americans were successful, and having driven the enemy from the place, they encamped on the spot, where they remained until the twentieth, when they were joined by General Winchester. The American force now exceeded 750 men.* Here, on the morning of January 22d, the Americans were suddenly attacked by a combined force of British and Indians, under Gen. Proctor. Unfortunately, the Americans were signally routed-many of them were killed, and not far from five hundred were taken prisoners, among whom was Gen. Winchester. After the surrender, nearly all the American prisoners were inhumanly butchered by the savages, although Proctor had pledged his honor, that their lives and private property should be secure

Scarcely had the Americans surrendered, than, contrary to express stipulations, the swords of the officers were taken from them, and many of them were stripped almost naked, and robbed. The dead also were stripped and scalped, while the tomahawk put an end at once to such of the wounded as were unable to rise. The prisoners who now remained, with but few exceptions, instead of being guarded by British soldiers, were delivered to the charge of the In

Historians do not agree as to the number of American troops. Dr. Holmes states the number at 1100. The force of Proctor consisted, acgording to this author, of 300 British troops, and 600 Indians.

dians, to be conducted in the rear of the army to Malden. But few of them, however, ever reached the British garrison, being either inhumanly murdered by the Indians at the time, or reserved to be roasted at the stake, or to be ransomed at an exorbitant charge.

By this bloody tragedy, all Kentucky, observes an historaan, was literally in mourning; for the soldiers thus massacred, tortured, burnt, or denied the common rites of sepulture, were of the most respectable families of the state; many of them young men of fortune and property, with numerous friends and relatives. The remains of these brave youth lay on the ground, beat by the storms of heaven, and exposed to the beasts of the forest, until the ensuing autumn, when their friends and relations ventured to gather up their bleaching bones, and consigned them to the tomb.

A few days after the above catastrophe, Gen. Harrison dispatched a surgeon, by the name of M'Keehan, for the purpose of attending the wounded, and with money to provide such things as they might need. The surgeon, notwithstanding his flag, his sacred errand, and an open letter to any British officer, stating the object of his mission, was actually wounded and robbed, then dragged to Malden, whence he was taken to Quebec. After the sufferings of several months, dragged from place to place, from dungeon to dungeon, sufferings which could hardly occur on the banks of the Niger, he at length reached home, with a constitution totally impaired.

Sec. 24. On the 23d of January, the day following the memorable action of Frenchtown, an engagement took place between the Hornet, Capt. James Lawrence, and the British sloop of war Peacock, Captain William Peake, off South America. This action lasted but fifteen minutes, when the Peacock struck.

On surrendering, a signal of distress was discovered on board the Peacock. She had been so much damaged, that, already, she had six feet of water in her hold, and was sinking fast. Boats were immediately dispatched for the wounded, and every measure taken, which was practicable, to keep her afloat until the crew could be removed. Her guns were thrown overboard, the shot holes were plugged, and a

• Brackenridge.

part of the Hornet's crew, at the imminent hazard of their lives, labored incessantly to rescue the vanquished. The utmost efforts of these generous men were, however, vain; the conquered vessel sunk in the midst of them, carrying down nine of her own crew, and three of the Americans. With a generosity becoming them, the crew of the Hornet divided their clothing with the prisoners, who were left destitute by the sinking ship. In the action, the Hornet received but a slight injury. The killed and wounded, on board the Peacock, were supposed to exceed fifty.

Sec. 25. On the 4th of March, 1813, Mr. Madison entered upon his second term of office, as president of the United States, having been re-elected by a considerable majority, over De Witt Clinton, of New-York, who was supported by the federal electors. George Clinton was elected vice-president: he died, however, soon after, and Elbridge Gerry succeeded him.

Sec. 26. It having been communicated to the American government, that the emperor of Russia was desirous of seeing an end put to the hostilities between Great Britain and America, and had offered to mediate between the two countries, Messrs. Albert Gallatin, James A. Bayard, and John Quincy Adams, were, early in the spring, 1813, appointed commissioners to Rus sia, to meet such commissioners as should be sent by the British court, and were empowered to negotiate a treaty of peace and commerce with Great Britain.

Sec. 27. About the middle of April, Gen. Pike, by order of Gen. Dearborn, embarked with 1700 men on board a flotilla, under command of Commodore Chauncey, from Sacket's Harbor, for the purpose of attacking York, the capital of Upper Canada, the great depository of British military stores, whence the western posts were supplied. On the 27th, an attack was successfully made,

and York fell into the hands of the Americans, with all its stores.

The command of the troops, one thousand seven hundred, detached for this purpose, was given to General Pike, at his own request. On the 25th, the fleet under Commodore Chauncey moved down the lake, with the troops, and, on the 27th, arrived at the place of debarkation, about two miles westward from York, and one and a half from the enemy's works. The British, consisting of about seven hundred and fifty regulars, and five hundred Indians, under General Sheaffe, attempted to oppose the landing, but were thrown into disorder, and fled to their garrison.

General Pike, having formed his men, proceeded towards the enemy's fortifications. On their near approach to the barracks, about sixty rods from the garrison, an explosion of a magazine took place, previously prepared for the purpose, which killed about one hundred of the Americans, among whom was the gallant Pike.

Pike lived to direct his troops, for a moment thrown into disorder, "to move on." This they now did under Colonel Pearce; and, proceeding towards the town, took possession of the barracks. On approaching it, they were met by the officers of the Canada militia, with offers of capitulation. At four o'clock the troops entered the town.

The loss of the British, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, amounted to seven hundred and fifty; the Americans lost, in killed and wounded, about three hundred.

Sec. 28. The news of the unfortunate occurrence at Frenchtown (Sec. 24.) reached Gen. Harrison, while on his march with reinforcements to Gen. Winchester. Finding a further advance of no importance, he took post at the Rapids, where he constructed a fort, which, in honor of the governor of Ohio, he named Fort Meigs. Here, on the first of May, he was besieged by Gen. Proctor, with a force of 1000 regulars and militia, and 1200 Indians. For nine days, the siege was urged with great zeal; but finding the capture of the place impracticable, on the 9th, Proctor raised the siege, and retreated to Malden. Gen. Harrison returned to Franklinton in

Ohio, leaving the fort under the care of General Clay.

When, at length, it was ascertained that the British were actually approaching to the siege of Fort Meigs, an express was sent to hasten the march of 1200 militia from Kentucky, who were approaching, under the command of Gen. Clay.

On the third day of the siege, and not until then, a flag was sent to the fort, and, for the first time, an officer summoned the place to surrender. The officer bearing the flag informed General Harrison, that the force of the British was so much superior to the garrison in the fort, that it would be impossible for the latter long to resist, and that it was the path of wisdom to surrender, while as yet the British commander had the power to restrain the Indians from a general massacre. To this Harrison replied, that while he had the honor to command an American fort, it should never be surrendered to a British force, supported and urged on by savage allies.

The siege now went on, and the firing was warmly maintained, on both sides. So determined were the Indians to succeed in their efforts to subdue the Americans, that they even ascended trees, adjoining the fort, from which they fired into it, and killed and wounded several.

On the 5th, it was announced that the troops under Gen. Clay were only a few miles distant. Orders were immediately dispatched from Harrison to him, to detach 800 of his men, who should cross the river, for the purpose of destroying the batteries, which the enemy had erected on that side; while a sortie should be made from the post, upon those who were on this side.

The simultaneous attack was well planned, and nobly accomplished. The batteries were taken, and the British and their Indian allies were compelled to flee, while the spirited Kentuckians, under their valiant leader, Col. Dudley, pursued them. Unfortunately for the latter, in their pursuit they came upon an ambush formed by a large body of Indians, under the celebrated Tecumseh, which body arrived just in season to surprise the now elated Kentuckians, the slaughter of whom was so terrible, that scarcely one hundred and fifty of the detachment of Dudley escaped, and even this valiant soldier was mortally wounded.

During the three following days, a cessation of hostilities took place, and prisoners were exchanged. On the ninth,