328

SIEGE OF FORT ERIE.

artillery and the height. The guns were turned upon the enemy. Several attempts were made to regain them without success. The principal force of both parties were directed to this point, and a most sanguinary contest took place, which resulted in the defeat of the British. The loss on each sidé was about 800. Generals Brown and Scott being both severely wounded in the battle, the command devolved upon General Ripley, who took post at Fort Erie. Here he was attacked by General Drummond, at the head of 5,000 troops, who formally invested the place on the 4th of August. Having advanced their lines to within 400 yards of the fort, the enemy commenced a brisk cannonade on the 13th, which continued the whole of that and the next day. The fire was steadily returned by the Americans. On the night of the 14th, an assault was made by the British, which resulted in their repulse, with the loss of 900 men; the Americans losing but 84,

On the 2nd of September, General Brown had so far recovered from his wounds as to be able to resume the command. The British main body, under General Drummond, were encamped two miles from Fort Erie, while his works were advanced to within 400 yards of the American lines. One of the brigades with a detachment of artillery, was stationed at this advance. On the 17th, General Porter and General Miller, with large detachments, made a sortie with a view to cut off the British advanced posts from the main body. Within thirty minutes the whole line of the enemy's entrenchments were in possession of the Americans. The works were destroyed, and strong reinforcements of the enemy coming up, the Americans retired within their lines. The American loss was 79 killed, and 432 wounded and missing. The British lost 500 killed and wounded, and 385 captured. The result of this gallant sortie completely discouraged the enemy, who on the night of the 21st, raised the siege which had continued forty-nine days, and retired to his entrenchments behind the Chippewa.

On the 9th of October General Izard arrived with reinforcements from Plattsburg, and took the command, General Brown retiring to Sackett's Harbour. General Izard deeming it inexpedient to attempt any further offensive operations in this quarter, demolished the works at Fort Erie, and removed the troops to Buffalo.

The next attempt of the British was a descent upon Plattsburg. This was the principal military and naval depot for

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the army of the north and the flotilla on Lake Champlain. Its defence was intrusted to General Macomb, with 1,500 regulars, and the neighbouring militia, to be called in as occasion might require. On the 1st of September, General Provost, with 14,000 men, advanced to Champlain, within fifteen miles of the American lines. Having called in the militia, who flocked to his standard from the neighbouring country in great numbers, General Macomb made every exertion to impede the approach, and prepare for the attack of the enemy. The bridges on his line of march were broken up, and every possible impediment thrown in the way of his passage, and the fortifications at Plattsburg were strengthened by additional breastworks and batteries.

On the 6th of September the British advance was met at Batemantown, six miles from Plattsburg, by a corps of 700 militia, under General Mooers. After some slight skirmishing, the militia discovered the New York state dragoons in red uniform, reconnoitering the heights on their rear, and mistaking them for British troops in the act of surrounding their party, they broke and fled in every direction. On the same day the British, commanded by Sir George Prevost in person, entered Plattsburg. The Americans retired to the south side of the Saranac river, tore up the bridges and made breastworks of them, and guarded the ford-ways; while the British strengthened their works, and prepared for the attack.

While these operations were going forward on land, the American squadron on Lake Champlain lay at anchor in a bay two miles distant, awaiting the arrival of the British fleet, which was to assist in the simultaneous attack about to take place on land and water. On the morning of the 11th, the enemy's ships appeared, bearing down upon the Americans under easy sail, and the action immediately commenced. It was a hard fought battle, and it terminated in a manner highly honourable to the courage and resolution of Commodore M'Donough and his brave associates. The fleets were engaged two hours and twenty minutes. Nearly all the British ships were sunk or taken; and when the action closed, there was not a mast standing in either squadron to which a sail could be attached. When the flag-ship of the British, having lost its commander, Commodore Downie, struck her colours, the shores resounded with the acclamations of the American troops and citizens. The British, seeing their fleet completely conquered, were dispirited and dismayed.

330

FLIGHT OF GENERAL PREVOST.

At the moment when the naval action had commenced, the British from their works on shore had opened a heavy fire of shot, shells and rockets upon the American lines. Under cover of this fire, three desperate efforts were made to cross the Saranac, for the purpose of carrying the American lines by assault, all which were met and successfully resisted. One ford, guarded by militia, was passed, and a body of the British being drawn into the woods, were so severely handled that they were compelled to recross the river with considerable loss. At six o'clock in the evening, the British batteries were silenced; and during the night the whole army decamped with precipitation, leaving their sick and wounded, and most of their camp equipage, entrenching tools and provisions, behind them. This retreat was so sudden and unexpected, that it was not discovered by the American general till the British were eight miles from the late scene of action. Indeed he had little reason to suppose that a disciplined and well appointed army, 'Wellington's veterans,' numbering some fourteen thousand, would have fled so incontinently from 1,500 American regulars, and 3,000 militia. The hard fighting on the lake must have had what it is the fashion to call a 'moral effect.' In the phrase of Monsieur de Bourrienne, it 'demoralized' them. Their commander was dismissed and disgraced by his government.

This battle terminated the active warfare on the Canada border, the general result of which conveys to Americans the important lesson that the genius of their institutions, and the character of the people, are as uncongenial to all schemes of foreign conquest as they are favourable to the resolute and unflinching defence of their own soil. The militia who displayed so much bravery near their own fire-sides, could never be brought to enter heartily into the scheme of invading the British territory. All efforts in that quarter resulted in the same 'lame and impotent conclusion.' Even the splendid achievements at Chippewa, Bridgewater, and Fort Erie, produced nothing in the way of conquest; while the defence of Fort Sandusky and Plattsburg brought the solid advantages of immunity from foreign oppression and savage warfare.

The withdrawal of the British arms from the continent of Europe, and their embarcation for this country rendered it a matter of necessity to fortify every important point on the seaboard, as it could not be known where the anticipated invasion was to take place. The people of the great

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commercial cities, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore, employed themselves with great activity in strengthening their respective fortifications, and the militia were mustered, and large bodies of them drafted for camp duty. The military district in the neighbourhood of Washington, was assigned to General Winder, and 1,000 regular troops were placed at his disposal, with authority to call out 15,000 militia, if their services should be required.

On the 10th of August, a British fleet of 60 sail, under Admiral Sir A. Cochrane, with a land force of 6,000, under General Ross, entered the Chesapeake bay, and proceeded to the mouth of the Potomac, when a squadron under Commodore Gordon entered that river, and advanced towards Alexandria. The principal part of the fleet, with the land forces, continued their course to the mouth of the Patuxent, and entered that river on the 18th. Commodore Barney, who commanded the American flotilla of gun-boats on that river, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy, blew them up, and proceeded to join General Winder.

The British, on their advance up the Patuxent, learning the defenceless state of Washington, determined on an expedition to that city. Five thousand men, under General Ross, having landed at Benedict, advanced towards the capital; the Americans retiring before him. The whole force for the defence of the city, including militia, did not exceed 7,200. They were concentrated on and near the heights of Bladensburgh. On the 24th the British advanced, and commenced an attack, driving in the advanced parties until they encountered the battery of Commodore Barney, manned with seamen and marines, who gave them the only serious repulse which they met, and inflicted the heaviest loss which they suffered in the battle. Being deserted by the militia, this gallant little band were at length surrounded, and their commander, being wounded, was captured, and paroled for his courage by General Ross. The city was then abandoned by the president and heads of departments; the whole American force retreated to Georgetown.

At eight o'clock in the evening, General Ross entered the city at the head of 800 men. Having arrived on Capitol hill, he offered terms of capitulation, which were, that the city might be ransomed by paying a sum of money nearly equal to the value of public and private property which it contained; and that on receiving it the British troops should retire unmo

332

PLUNDERING OF ALEXANDRIA.

lested. As there was no civil or military authority on the spot, competent to enter into such an arrangement as this, he proceeded to burn the Capitol, the president's house, the offices of the several departments, and a considerable number of private dwellings. The navy yard with its contents, one frigate on the stocks, and several smaller vessels were also destroyed. The libraries and public archives, together with all the works of art contained in the public buildings were included in the general conflagration.

No parallel for this act of Vandalism can be found in the annals of modern warfare. It was felt with the deepest resentment by the American people, and denounced in the severest terms even in the British parliament. The disgrace of having their capital taken by an enemy, was suffered by the Americans in common with every other civilised nation; but the lasting stigma of burning national archives and senate chambers remains with the British alone.

Having accomplished their object, the enemy on the 25th made a precipitate retreat, and on the 30th embarked at Benedict.

The squadron, under Commodore Gordon, which had advanced up the river Potomac, arrived at Alexandria on the 29th; and the commander having granted terms of capitulation to the citizens, by which the shipping, naval stores and merchandise were delivered up, received the surrender of the place. A scene of indiscriminate plunder then ensued. The vessels in the harbour were taken, and loaded with the large stores of flour, tobacco, cotton, wines and sugars, of which Alexandria was the depot, and the whole was carried off with the squadron, on their return down the river. The public and private buildings of the town were mercifully spared.

The success of General Ross at Washington induced him to undertake the capture of Baltimore. He boasted that he would make that city his winter quarters, and with the force which he commanded he could march where he pleased in Maryland.

The Americans were not unprepared for an attack in this quarter. A force of militia from Maryland and the neighbouring states, together with the regular troops who had recently been engaged at Washington, amounting in all to 15,000 men, had been assembled for the defence of the city. The command of these troops was given to General Smith, of the Maryland militia, assisted by General Winder.