Ame 1813. town, and blown the houses about the ears of the inhabitants, if they refused to deliver up the ships. June. For several weeks previous to this event, the rican New-York and Boston papers had been filled with version panegyrics on their "naval heroes," whose valour busi- they depicted as impetuous, amounting almost ness. to rashness. Some of the papers, as if a little of the Two York mer fit out vessel stroy Ra ashamed of what they had said, now added "a rasée" to the two british ships, and gave that as a reason that the american commodore suffered his squadron to be chased into New-London. In a week or two afterwards two merchants of New New-York, encouraged by a promise of reward from the american government, formed a plan for chants destroying the british 74-gun ship Ramillies, captain an ex- sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, as she lay at anchor plosion off Fisher's island. A schooner named the Eagle was to de- laden with several casks of gunpowder, having trains leading from a species of gunlock, which, millies. upon the principle of clockwork, went off at a given period after it had been set. Above the casks of powder, and in full view at the hatchway, were some casks of flour, it being known at New-York that the Ramillies was short of provisions, and naturally supposed that captain Hardy would immediately order the vessel alongside, in order to get the ship's wants supplied. Schoo ner sails taken by one boats. Thus murderously laden, the schooner sailed from New-York and stood up the Sound. On the 25th, and is in the morning, the Eagle approached New-London, as if intending to enter that river. The Ramillies of her detached a boat, with 13 men under lieutenant John Geddes, to cut her off. At 11 A. M. lieutenant Geddes boarded the schooner, and found that the crew, after having let go her only anchor, had abandoned their vessel and fled to the shore. The lieutenant brought the fatal prize near to the Ramillies, and sir Thomas ordered him to place the vessel alongside of a trading sloop, which had been recently captured and lay a short distance off. The 1813. lieutenant did as he was ordered; and at 2 h. 30 m. P. M., while he and his men were in the act of Exsecuring her, the schooner blew up with a tremen- plodes dous explosion. The poor lieutenant, and 10 of the kills a fine fellows who were with him, perished; and the lieut. remaining three men escaped only with being shockingly scorched. and and 10 men. on the We shall not trust ourselves to comment upon Rethis most atrocious proceeding. In the following marks remarks on the subject by a contemporary, we per- subject fectly concur: "A quantity of arsenic among the food would have been so perfectly compatible with the rest of the contrivance, that we wonder it was not resorted to. Should actions like these receive the sanction of governments, the science of war, and the laws of nations, will degenerate into the barbarity of the Algerines; and murder and pillage will take place of kindness and humanity to our enemies."* ас bound tween and pro The northern frontier of the United States, as is Some almost too well known to need repetition, bounds on count the british provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. of the The line, or barrier, as far as we need take notice ary beof it, consists of a rapid river, the St.-Lawrence, twe and the navigable lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron. United From Quebec to Kingston, which stands at the States entrance of Lake Ontario, the distance is about 180 British miles, but the water communication is interrupted Pince by shoals and rapids. Lake Ontario is about 180 miles long and 50 broad, and is navigable for ships of any burden. The strait of Niagara, in length about 36 miles, but interrupted at one part by its famous falls, connects Ontario with Lake Erie; which is about 220 miles in length, and about 40 broad, and is also navigable for large ships. Of Lake Huron, it will suffice to say, that it is connected with Erie by the river Detroit; on which river stands the british post of Amherstburgh, distant just 800 miles from Quebec. * Brenton, vol. v. p. 120. 1813. naval Cana The regular force, scattered over the Canadas at July. the breaking out of the war, consisted of between Milita- 4000 and 5000 men, chiefly fencible and veteran or ry and invalid troops. The british commander in chief was force lieutenant-general sir George Prevost. Ontario was in the the only lake that contained any armed vessels bedas. longing to the British. These consisted of the RoyalGeorge, a ship of 340 tons, mounting 20 guns, a brig of 14 guns, and two or three smaller vessels; all manned by Canadians, and commanded by a provincial officer, named Earle. The force of the Americans on this lake, at the commencement of the war, consisted of only one solitary brig, the Oneida, of 16 guns, commanded by lieutenant Melancthon Thomas Woolsey, of the national navy. The principal port of the British was Kingston; that of the Americans, Sackett's-Harbour. Incom peten british com Ontario On the 15th of July, 1812, commodore Earle, cy of with his squadron, appeared off Sackett's-Harbour, the with the avowed intention of taking or destroying the naval Oneida; but a fire from two or three guns, mounted mander on a point of land near the harbour's mouth, was on Lake sufficient to deter the canadian (we will not call him british) commodore from attempting that, with his five vessels, which the Royal-George alone, well manned and appointed, might easily have accomplished. Emboldened by the dastardly behaviour of his opponent, lieutenant Woolsey fitted out a captured british merchant schooner with one long 32-pounder and two sixes; and, manning her with about 30 seamen and a company of riflemen to act as marines, sent her, under the command of lieutenant Henry Wells, to Ogdensburg, on the St.-Lawrence. On her way thither, the Julia encountered, and actually beat off without losing a man, the Moira of 14, and the Gloucester of 10 guns. Apy of sir Notwithstanding the glaring incompetency of George Earle, sir George Prevost neither removed nor cenPrevost sured him. About this time the british 20-gun ship Tartarus, captain John Pasco, arrived at Quebec 1813. from Halifax; and, had the governor-general of Oct. British America but given his sanction to the measure, the captain would have laid his ship up, and, with his officers and men, have proceeded straight to Kingston, and superseded Earle in the command of the squadron. Instead of this, an attempt was made to hire sailors at Quebec, at one half of the wages which the merchants were giving; as if sailors could be of any use, without an officer capable, or willing, (for, we believe, Earle, as well as sir George, was born on the wrong side of the boundary line,) to lead them against the enemy. mo cey mand In the month of October, 1812, commodore Isaac ComChauncey arrived at Sackett's-Harbour, as com- dore mander in chief; and, having brought with him a Chaunnumber of officers, and between 400 and 500 prime takes sailors, from the atlantic frontier, was enabled, by comthe 6th of November, to appear on the lake with onLake the Oneida and six fine schooners, mounting alto- Ontario gether 48 guns, including several long 24 and 32 pounders; and many of the guns, being mounted on pivot or traversing carriages, were as effective as double the number. With this comparatively formidable force, commodore Chauncey chased the Royal-George into Kingston, cannonaded the town and batteries, and possessed the entire command of the lake. On the 26th of November the Madison, a fine ship of 600 tons, pierced to carry 24 guns on a flush deck, was launched at Sackett's-Harbour ; and, as soon as she was fitted, the commodore shifted his broad pendant to her. Soon afterwards sir George Prevost ordered two ships of war to be built, to mount 24 guns each; one at Kingston, the other at York, an unprotected port at the opposite extremity of the lake." and ar On Lake Erie, while the Americans possessed British only one armed vessel, the Adams, a small brig mounting six 6-pounders, the british colonial au- can thorities, by hiring or purchasing some merchant onLake vessels and arming them, had assembled a force, Erie. forces 1813. consisting of one ship of 280 tons, the QueenCharlotte, mounting 16 light carronades, a brig of 10 guns, a schooner of 12, and three smaller vessels, mounting between them seven guns. These six vessels were manned by 108 Canadians, and subsequently by 160 soldiers in addition. On the 16th of July, at the surrender of Detroit, the Adams fell into the hands of the British, and was afterwards named the Detroit, and sent down the lake, manned by a small canadian crew. Early in the month of October, 1812, the american government Cap- sent lieutenant Jesse D. Elliot, and between 50 and from 60 petty-officers and seamen, to superintend the construction of some schooners at Black-Rock. ture the British Detroit donia. On of the the 9th lieutenant Elliot, with the whole of his seaand men and about 50 soldiers, boarded and carried the Cale- Detroit, and a merchant brig, the Caledonia, of one or two swivels, in her company. The former the Americans were afterwards obliged to burn, to save her from falling into the hands of a detachment of soldiers from Fort Erie; but the Caledonia and her valuable cargo, they carried safe to Black-Rock. Commo dore makes cessful on On the 25th of April, 1813, having received a reinforcement of seamen, commodore Chauncey sailed Chaun- from Sackett's-Harbour with his fleet, now augmented cey to 10 vessels, on board of which was a body of troops a suc- under general Dearborn, to attack the port of York, attack and destroy the ship of war there building. The Americans landed and drove away the few british &c. troops at the post; but, previously to their retreat, the latter saved the Americans the trouble of burning the ship on the stocks, by destroying her themselves. Commodore Chauncey took away a considerable quantity of naval stores and a small unserviceable 10-gun brig, the Gloucester, and returned to Sackett's-Harbour in triumph. York, of sir Arrival On the 6th of May the british troop-ship WoolJames Wich, captain Thomas Ball Sullivan, arrived at Yeo, Quebec from Spithead, having on board captain sir &c. James Lucas Yeo, four commanders of the navy, eight lieutenants, 24 midshipmen, and about 450 officers |