CHAPTER IV.

Bombardment between the batteries at Fort-Erie and Black Rock-Capture of some Canadian voyageurs-General Van Rensselaer's secession from the command-Appointment of general Smyth-The latter's plan for invading Canada -Ke-commencement of hostilities after general Sheaffe's armistice-General Smyth's proclamation-Preparations for the invasion-General Porter's address to his countrymen-The landing of the advance of the American army-—Its proceedings detailed-Summons to Fort-Erie-Attempt at invasion given up-State of the American army at Buffaloe-Commodore Chauncey's arrival at Lake Ontario-State of the two hostile feets-Attack upon the Royal George-Midnight incursion into Gananoque from OgdensburgState of the British works at Fort-WellingtonUnsuccessful attack upon Ogdensburg-Mutual advance of the American northern army and the British troops at Montreal-American reonnoissance-Retreat of the American army, and termination of the campaign.

ABOUT the middle of October, the batteries at Fort-Erie, under the direction of lieutenantcolonel Myers, opened upon the opposite fort of Black Rock. The latter returned only a few

shots; but not, as the Americans allege, on account of there being no heavier cannon mounted than 6-pounders; for, not many months afterwards, we spiked, upon the same battery, two 12, and two 9-pounders, and brought away one 12, and three 6-pounders. Several shots, it is stated, struck the Black Rock battery, and two or three passed through the upper loft of the west-barracks. The east-barracks were destroyed by a bomb, which blew up the magazine, and burnt a quantity of furs, the late cargo of the north-west company's brig Caledonia, whose capture, as a British man of war brig, we have already noticed.

On the 21st of October, 44 Canadian voyageurs, under the command of captain M'Donnel, were surprised, and, after losing four killed and four wounded, captured, by a body of Americans, under a major Young. The major's force is not stated; but, as the Americans proceeded to the attack in expectation of meeting "from one to three hundred British," we may conjecture that their numbers fully equalled the latter amount. Forty prisoners, (one having escaped,) along with their baggage, and some immaterial despatches, fell into the hands of the Americans; who, ingeniously enough, converted a large pocket handkerchief which they found among the spoils, into “a stand of colours:" and Mr. O'Connor exultingly

tells us, that major Young had the honor of taking the first standard from the enemy in the present war;" following it up with,-"The movements of the enemy, during these times, were not to them equally honorable or important."

Since the day succeeding the "brilliant” affair at Queenstown, major-general Van Rensselaer had resigned the command of the Niagara-frontier to brigadier-general Smyth. This officer, confident in the success of his plan of invasion, already felt upon his brow the gentle pressure of those laurels, so vainly sought after by his two predecessors. The information which the general had gained respecting the distribution of the British forces, and the superior facility, as he conceived, of disembarking troops above the falls, induced him to fix, for the invading point, some part of the shore between Fort-Erie and Chippeway. As the first step in the business, general Smyth was bound to give 30 hours' notice of his intention to break off the armistice,which had been so good-naturedly concluded by major-general Sheaffe with general Van Rensselaer. This the American general did, at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th of November; not, however, as he ought to have done, at general Sheaffe's head-quarters at FortGeorge, but, with all the craftiness of his nation, to the commanding-officer at Fort-Erie, the extreme right of the British line; in full hopes, no doubt, that he should be able to make the attack,

before succours could arrive from Fort-George, distant 36 miles.

Early on the morning of the 21st, by way perhaps of announcing the renewal of hostilities, the batteries at Fort-George, and those at FortNiagara, commenced a mutual bombardment, the latter with hot shot, and continued it throughout the day. The town of Newark was slightly injured; and several buildings in and near to Fort-Niagara were set on fire. Mr. Thomson celebrates, on this occasion, "the courageous fortitude" of the wife of one Doyle, a private in the United States' artillery, who had been. taken at Queenstown. After stating that she assisted in supplying one of the guns at FortNiagara, he, in the true hyperbolic style, declares she "was surpassed, neither by Joan, maid of Orleans, nor the heroine of Saragossa."* We suspect that "the refusal of the British to parole her husband" arose from his being an Irishman; and that, had the lady herself not been his countrywoman, her birth-place would have been vauntingly set forth in the history. The British lost, by the cannonade, one man killed, and one wounded; the Americans, four men killed, (two by the bursting of a gun,) and four wounded.

General Smyth, in order that he might visit the Canadian shore, with a force competent to retain the posts he should capture, was desirous to encrease his numbers, by such

* Sketches of the War, p. 80.

volunteers, as would be willing to perform one month's service; to submit to the rigid discipline of a camp; and to encounter the British on their own soil. This zealous officer had already made known his wishes, by a pompous proclamation, dated on the 10th of November.* It fully answered his purpose; and, by the 27th of that month, the force collected at his station amounted to 4500 men.†

The whole of this army, properly drilled, equipped, and organized, was to embark, on the morning of the 28th, from the navy-yard at Black Rock. No possible preparation had been omitted. At the navy-yard there were lying, for the purpose of transporting the troops across the river, 70 public boats, calculated to carry 40 men each; 5 large private boats, to carry 100 men each; and 10 scows, for the artillery, to carry 25 men each ; which, together with a number of small boats, were to convey the whole across, to effect the third invasion, and, it was more than hoped, the complete subjugation of Upper Canada.†

So easy was the task considered, that general Porter, of the New York militia, published an address to the people of Ontario and Gennessee; in which he assured them, that the American army would, in a few days, occupy all the British fortresses on the Niagara; restore peace to the whole of that section of the country; and redeem the tarnished reputation of the nation. * Appendix, No. 14. + Sketches of the War, p.