your orders, respected. The officers and men under my command behaved with great activity and zeal, particularly Midshipman Swartwout.

"I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, DANIEL TURNER."

After Holmes and Turner returned from St. Mary's Falls, with the launches, to St. Joseph's Island, the squadron sailed for Michilimackinac, arriving July 26th. Since their first appearance off Bois Blanc Island, Lieut. Colonel Robert McDouall, (Glengarry Light Infantry, Fencibles), commanding, had ample to plant cannon at assailable points, muster Canadian and Indian allies, and prepare for defense. Guns were planted to command all water approaches, the heights, the elevation above the distillery, on the hill west of the fort and convenient places east to Robinson's Folly.

The fleet came to anchor at the foot of Round Island. They were at once obliged to move towards Bois Blanc Island to avoid the range of the enemy's guns, that opened fire, and rendered their position untenable. Then Col. Croghan sent a force in launches to Round Island (Mr. Ambrose Davenport as guide), to reconnoiter, with the view of establishing a battery on the water front opposite the fort. A site above the "lime-kiln" was selected, facing the village, and the party leisurely returned through the woods and clearings, picking raspberries by the way. The British, on the alert, discovered them and sent a large party of savages over in two or three hundred canoes and several batteaux, who soon reached the island. They pursued the stragglers to their boats and captured one Frenchman. One of the launches struck a rock, just below the water level, and swung around as if on a pivot within reach of the enemy's guns. The savages opened fire and the boat returned the compliment, but no damage was done.

The officer in charge ordered the men to cease firing

and push off the boat, which was soon done, and they returned to the fleet. Sinclair directed a small, one-gun, vessel to sail up through the Round Island channel to head off the Indians and re-take the prisoner if possible. Whenever the boat, in tacking, neared the shore she was fired on by the savages, who swarmed on the beach. The fire was returned from the boat with gun and small arms. No one was injured but nothing was accomplished, as the wind was against them.

As the Indians were returning by the Mackinac channel, the "Lawrence," anchored west of the island, fired a shot at them without effect. They plied their paddles, chanting the death-dirge, intending to roast their victim and feast on him. When they landed, Colonel McDouall sent a strong guard, who took the prisoner and conveyed him to the fort.

When the "Lawrence" was cruising, the day after, a dense fog came on. As it lifted, later that day, the vessel had drifted near the southwest end of the island, with little wind, and in range of the enemy's guns; she was fired on from the west-end battery without effect. One shot was returned by the "Lawrence," but her guns could not be elevated enough to strike the fort. After this, unfavorable weather prevented operations several days.

Finding the place could not be carried by assault from the front, or east and west sides of the island, Colonel Croghan and Sinclair determined to effect a landing in the northwest bay, where Roberts debarked two years before, and make a lodgment from which they could annoy and finally starve out the enemy. That plan they attempted to execute, August 4th, and the result is shown in the following reports:

66

Official report of Lieut. Col. George Croghan of the Battle of Mich

ilimackinac Island.

“U. S. S. WAR, ‘NIAGARA,' OFF THUNDER Bay, Į }

August 9th, 1814.

SIR-We left Fort Gratiot (head of the Straits St. Clair) on the 12th ult., and imagined that we should arrive in a few days at Matshadash Bay. At the end of the week, however, the Commodore, from the want of pilots acquainted with that unfrequented part of the lake, despaired of being able to find a passage through the island into the bay, and made for St. Josephs, where we anchored on the 20th day of July. After setting fire to the Fort of St. Josephs, which seemed not to have been recently occupied, a detachment of infantry and artillery, under Major Holmes, was ordered to Sault St. Mary's for the purpose of breaking up the enemy's establishment at that place.

"For particulars relative to the execution of this order, I beg leave to refer you to Major Holmes' report, herewith enclosed. Finding on my arrival at Michilimackinac, on the 26th ult., that the enemy had strongly fortified the height overlooking the old Fort of Mackinac, I at once despaired of being able with my small force, to carry the place by storm, and determined (as the only course remaining) on landing and establishing myself on some favorable position, whence I could be enabled to annoy the enemy by gradual and slow approaches, under cover of my artillery, in which I should have the superiority in point of metal. I was urged to this step by another reason, not a little cogent; could a position be taken and fortified on the island, I was well aware that it would either induce the enemy to attack me in my strongholds, or force his Indians and Canadians (the most efficient and only disposable force) off the island, as they would be very unwilling to remain in my neighborhood after a permanent footing had been taken.

"On inquiry, I learned from individuals who had lived many years on the Island, that a position desirable as I might wish could be found on the west end, and therefore made arrangements for disembarking. A landing was effected on the 4th inst.., under cover of the guns of the shipping, and the line being quickly formed, had advanced to the edge of the field, spoken of for a camp, when the intelligence was conveyed to me that the enemy was ahead, and a few

seconds more brought us a fire from his battery of four pieces firing shot and shells. After reconnoitering his position, which was well selected, his line reached along the edge of the woods, at the further extremity of the field and covered by a temporary breast work; I determined on changing my position (which was now two lines, the militia forming the front), by advancing Major Holmes' battalion of regulars on the right of the militia, thus to outflank him, and by a vigorous effort to gain his rear. The movement was immediately ordered, but before it could be executed, a fire was opened by some Indians posted in a thick wood near our right, which proved fatal to Major Holmes and severely wounded Captain Desha (the next officer in rank). This unlucky fire, by depriving us of the services of our most valuable officers, threw that part of the line into confusion from which the best exertions of the officers were not able to recover it. Finding it impossible to gain the enemy's left, owing to the im penetrable thickness of the woods, a charge was ordered to be made by the regulars immediately against the front. This charge although made in some confusion, served to drive the enemy back into the woods, from whence an annoying fire was kept up by the Indians. "Lieut. Morgan was ordered up with a light piece to assist the left, now particularly galled; the excellent practice of this brought the enemy to fire at a longer distance. Discovering that this disposition from whence the enemy had just been driven (and which had been represented to me as so high and commanding), was by no means tenable, from being interspersed with thickets, and intersected in every way by ravines, I determined no longer to expose my force to the fire of an enemy deriving every advantage which could be obtained from numbers and a knowledge of the position, and therefore ordered an immediate retreat towards the shipping. This affair, which cost us many valuable lives, leaves us to lament the fall of that gallant officer, Major Holmes, whose character is so well known to the war department. Captain Van Horne, of the 19th Infantry and Lieut. Jackson of the 24th Infantry, both brave intrepid young men fell mortally wounded at the head of their respective commands.

"The conduct of all my officers on this occasion merits my approbation. Captain Desha, of the 24th Infantry, although wounded, continued with his command until forced to retire from faintness through loss of blood. Captains Saunders, Hawkins and Sturges,