HE duty of defending the north-western territory against the victorious British and Indians, and of recovering the ground lost by Hull's surrender, was, as we have seen, committed to General Harrison. It was one of the most arduous nature, requiring abilities of the highest order to give it even a prospect of success. The sufferings endured by the troops

in this vast wilderness were of the most painful nature. Many of the militia were without a covering for their feet, and numbers of regulars perished for want of clothing.

General Harrison's plan for the campaign of 1813 was to occupy the rapids of the Miami, and, after collecting provision's, to move by

a select detachment upon Malden. On the 8th of January he proceeded to Upper Sandusky, where his force was augmented to about fifteen hundred men. He had already despatched orders to General Winchester at Fort Defiance to advance to the Rapids as soon as he had accumulated provisions for twenty days. That officer was to build huts there, in order to deceive the enemy by a belief that he was going into winter quarters. Winchester arrived there on the 10th of January, and on the 17th despatched Colonels Lewis and Allen with six hundred men to the river Raisin. On the road Colonel Lewis attacked a body of British and Indians at Frenchtown, defeated them, and took possession of the place. General Winchester reached it on the 20th with about two hundred and fifty men, and encamped in an open lot, Colonel Lewis's troops being protected by pickets. About daylight on the 22d they were surprised by a party of British and Indians, and the detachment of General Winchester was thrown into complete confusion and driven across the river. All attempts to rally were unsuccessful, although made in several places by General Winchester, and Colonels Lewis and Allen. Being crowded into a small lane, they were shot down on both sides

by the Indians, until the whole body was nearly annihilated. The troops under Colonel Lewis bravely maintained their post, and repulsed all efforts of the enemy until General Winchester capitulated for them. The scene following this defeat was one of butchery never witnessed but among savages and their employers. When General Winchester surrendered, Proctor, the British commander, promised that the prisoners should be saved from the fury of the Indians. At noon he marched with the captured men to Malden, leaving a few soldiers with the wounded Americans at Frenchtown. At sunrise on the following day, the Indians, who had accompanied him, returned to the village, and fired the houses containing the disabled prisoners, thrusting back all those who endeavoured to escape. Others met their death in the streets; and a number, after being tomahawked, were dragged out into the highway. This horrible affair of the massacre at the river Raisin has fixed an indelible stain upon the name of Proctor.

In consequence of this disaster, General Harrison abandoned his designs upon Malden, and commenced the fortification of his camp, which he called Fort Meigs. Here he was attacked in the latter part of April, by General Proctor, with his victorious army of British and

YORK TAKEN BY THE AMERICANS.

493 Indians. On the 1st of May the enemy opened a heavy fire from their batteries, which was continued until late at night, but without producing much effect on the well-constructed works of the garrison. Thus disappointed, Proctor transferred his guns to the opposite side of the river, and opened a fire upon the centre and flanks of the camp. The cannonading continued several days; that of the Americans producing much execution, although from a scarcity of ammunition they were compelled to economize their fire. An attempt by General Clay to raise the siege was defeated by the insubordination of his troops. Many valuable lives were lost, and atrocities were committed upon such of the Americans as were captured by the Indians. At length, on the 9th of May, Proctor, finding that he could make no impression upon the fort with his batteries, and that his allies, disappointed in their hopes of scalps and plunder, were deserting him in numbers, embarked and sailed down the river. Their force is supposed to have been upwards of one thousand men, with as many Indians-the latter under the celebrated Tecumseh. The American garrison seldom exceeded twelve hundred men, only a small portion of whom were regulars. The loss during the siege, except that caused by the unfortunate attempt of General Clay, was not great.

On the 25th of April, General Dearborn, with seventeen hundred men, left Sackett's Harbour, for an attack on York, the capital of Upper Canada. On the 27th the army effected a landing, though opposed by eight hundred British and Indians. Major Forsyth, with his riflemen, first gained the shore, followed by General Pike, who formed his troops on the water-edge, and then pressed on in regular column. After carrying one of the batteries they were advancing upon the main works, when an explosion of one of the enemy's magazines hurled amid their ranks masses of stone and timber, one of which killed General Pike. Colonel Pierce assumed command; and, notwithstanding the momentary pause occasioned by this untoward accident, he pushed forward and carried the British works. At five o'clock the Americans took possession of the town. The land and naval forces were surrendered prisoners of war, and all public stores given up. Two hundred and ninety-one officers and privates were taken prisoners, and four hundred killed or wounded. The Americans lost three hundred and twenty men, of whom two hundred and sixty were killed by the magazine explosion.

General Dearborn next made a descent upon Fort George, which was taken after a spirited resistance. The garrison having received

reinforcements and retired to Burlington Heights, Generals Chandler and Winder were detached to cut off its retreat. These generals were surprised at night, captured, and their forces driven back to Fort George. A similar result attended an expedition to Beaver Dams, the party under Lieutenant-Colonel Boerstler being surrounded, and compelled to lay down their arms at the head of the British column.

At the departure of General Dearborn for York, he had intrusted the command of Sackett's Harbour to Brigadier-General Brown, of the New York militia, whose collected force amounted to about five hundred militia, with an equal number of regulars, seamen, and volunteers. The militia and volunteers, under Colonel Mills, formed his first line, being posted behind a hastily constructed breastwork.; the regulars, under Colonel Backus, composed the second line; while some seamen, under Lieutenant Chauncey, were stationed at the navy-yard. These arrangements were scarcely completed, when, on the 29th of May, Sir George Prevost landed with one thousand picked men, and, after defeating the militia, with the loss of their colonel, advanced against the village. About one hundred militia, under General Brown, uniting with the regulars under Colonel Backus, severely annoyed the enemy; and, when forced to retire, they took possession of some neighbouring houses, and poured upon