Hull, and produced in a great measure the surrender of Detroit, as in another part of his official despatch he thus expresses himself:-"It was impossible, in the nature of things, that an army could have been furnished with the necessary supplies of provisions, military stores, clothing, and comfort for the sick, on pack-horses through a wilderness of two hundred miles, filled with hostile savages The General's fears for the safety of his troops certainly here got the better of his judgment, as he goes on. "It was impossible, Sir, that this little army, worn down by fatigue and sickness, by wounds and deaths, could have supported itself against not only the collected force of all the Northern Nations of Indians, but against (save the mark !) THE UNITED FORCE of Upper Canada, whose population consists of more than twenty times the number contained in the territory of Michigan, (as if the General had depended for his defence on the Michigan Militia) aided by the principal part of the regular forces of the Province." Our readers are in a position to judge of the truth of this part of the statement. The General by way of climax arrays also against him and his devoted army "the whole influence of the north-west and other trading establishments among the Indians, which have in their employment and under their control MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND WHITE MEN. We will close this portion of our subject with an extract from one of General Brock's letters to his brothers, which shows pretty clearly the real secret of his success:-"Some say nothing could be more desperate than the measure; but I answer that the state of the Province suggest to them that the frontiers of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky were now open to a retaliatory invasion, either by themselves or their Indian allies. They were now taught how a conjunction of incidents, under Providence, had occurred, which shortsighted man could not provide for or foresee. The boasted prospects of acquiring Canada, at least as far as the Niagara, had been frustrated and overturned, and the whole Union as much astonished at the failure of their long-cherished plans, as if the mighty Niagara had changed its current and been thrown from Lake Ontario to Erie upwards, by earthquakes or other convulsive phenomena. Such was the revulsion from overweening confidence to utter amazement. The effect, indeed, produced throughout the Canadas by the fall of Detroit was as electrical as it was unexpected. It was the first enterprise in which the militia had been engaged, and its complete success not only imparted confidence to that body, but it inspired the timid, fixed the waverers, and awed the few disaffected who might have been inhabitants of the Province. This victory, too, at the very commencement of the campaign, produced the most beneficial results in atthe Indians of the west-many of whom, had retaching yet more strongly to the British cause, verses overtaken the British arms, would have seceded from a cause which they conceived us too helpless to defend, or joined the American standard. The tribes, also, and numerous they were, who were undecided which party and numbers into the opposite scale. to join, would have thrown their influence Fortunate, indeed, was it for Canada, that to a General of such energy and decision as Brock, had been entrusted the defence of the Province, and by the capture of Detroit he may fairly and deservedly be called the saviour of Canada. Had this decisive blow not been struck, both the Canadas must have passed under the yoke of the United States, and cut off, as they were, during six months of the admitted of nothing but desperate remedies. -I got possession of the letters my antagonist addressed to the Secretary at War, and also of the SENTIMENTS WHICH HUNDREDS OF HIS ARMY uttered to their friends,-evident des pondency prevailed THROUGHOUT. I crossed the river contrary to the opinion of Colonel Proctor; it is, therefore, no wonder that envy should attribute to good fortune what, in jus-year by ice, from all European assistance, they tice to my own discernment, I must say proceeded from a cool calculation of the pours et contres." The first and greatest effect was at once to Effect produced on release Canadians of all Canadians by these anhoped for successes, fears of invasion, and to would, in all probability, have become integral portions of that country. To General Brock it may be ascribed that Canada was not only not conquered, but not even injured, and that a delay of nearly a year was, at least, ensured erc another invading force could be organised from the same quarter. The effect produced alone. The line of march then proceeded to the town in the following order, viz: in the lower Province, also, was not less marked, passed, and then returned to La Chine, leaving and the arrival at Montreal of General Hull the prisoners of war to be guarded by the militia and the regulars of the American regular army, as prisoners of war, did not fail to produce a marked and beneficial result. We subjoin a short account of the event: "MONTREAL, September 12. "Last Sunday evening the inhabitants of this city were gratified with an exhibition equally novel and interesting. "1. Band of the King's regiment. "3. General Hull in a carriage, accompanied by Captain Gray. Captain Hull and Major Shekleton followed in the second, and some wounded officers occupied four others. "4. The American officers. "5. The non-commissioned officers and soldiers. "6. The second division of the escort. "That Gen. Hull should have entered into our city so soon, at the head of his troops, rather exceeded our expectations. We were, however, very happy to see him, and received him with all the honors due to his high rank and importance "It unfortunately proved rather late in the evenas a public character. The following particulars, ing for the vast concourse of spectators assembled relative to his journey and reception at Montreal, to experience the gratification they so anxiously may not be uninteresting to our readers:— looked for. This inconvenience was, however, in 1 ment. "It appears that General Hull and suite, accon-a great measure remedied by the illuminations of panied by about 25 officers and 350 soldiers, left the streets through which the line of march passed. Kingston, under an escort of 130 men, comman- When they arrived at the General's house, the ded by Major Heathcote, of the Newfoundland regi- General was conducted in, and presented to his At Cornwall, the escort was met by Capt. Excellency Sir George Pievost, and was received Gray, of the Quartermaster-General's department, with the greatest politeness, and invited to take who took charge of the prisoners of war, and from up his residence there during his stay at Monthence proceeded with them to La Chine, where treal. The General appears to be about sixty they arrived about two o'clock on Sunday after years of age, and is a good looking man, and we noon. At La Chine, Captains Richardson and are informed by his friends that he is a Ogilvie, with their companies of Montreal militia, man of general information. He is communicaand a company of the King's from Lower Chine, tive, and seems to bear his misfortunes with a commanded by Captain Blackmore, formed the es- degree of philosophical resignation that but few cort till they were met by Colonel Auldjo, with men in similar circumstances are gifted with. On the remainder of the flank companies of the mili-Thursday last General Hull, with eight American tia, upon which Captain Blackmore's company fell officers, left this city for the United States, on out and presented arms as the General and line their parole.” CHAPTER V. CONTENTS. the declaration of war, America had been Naval encounters at sea-General remarks on.decoying men from British vessels by every First objects of the War; chase of Belvidera; artful scheme, so that the captains of American escape of English homeward-bound fleet of vessels had to pick their complement not only West Indiamen.-Manning of American fleet, from amongst men of their own nation, but as compared with that of the British.-Captain from a numerous body also of foreign seaPorter's inhuman treatment of an English men. The constitution also of the body of sailor. First consequences of the meeting of American marines was wholly different from unequal forces; loss of the Guerrière; Frolic the British. and Wasp; Macedonian and United States; Java and Constitution, December 29th.-Effect of these successes on the American people.Measures adopted by the British Government. --American list of captures made.-American President's Message, November 4. The failure of all the military movements undertaken, so far, by the Naval encounters at sea.general remarks on. In the United States every man may learn to shoot, every man may be a marksman. To collect these expert marksmen officers were sent into the western parts of the Union, and to complete still farther their efficiency, a marine barrack was established near Washington, from which depôt the American ships were regularly supplied. There was another Americans was, in some point in which the British were found, as comdegree, balanced by the unexpected success pared with their opponents, very deficient― which attended their operations on an element gunnery, -nor was this entirely the fault of which had long been the scene of triumph to the commanders of H. M. ships, as the Admitheir opponents-we may advisedly use the ralty instructions, which they were bound to expression ‘scene,' as the sea had hitherto been obey, restricted them, during the first six the stage on which the triumphs of British | months after the ship received her armament, prowess had been most brilliantly represented. from expending more shots per month* than In entering, however, on a contest with Ame- amounted to one-third in number of her upperrican sailors, bone of their bone and sinew of deck guns, and after these six months had their sinew, the British Government appear expired, they were to use only half the quanto have lost sight of the fact, that the strength tity. The disastrous consequences of this disof the United States navy consisted of a few couragement of the expenditure of powder and frigates, of scantling and armament correspon-shot will be apparent, as we shall have to bring ding to their own seventy-fours, and that, by forward in quick succession, instances that will their own well understood regulations, every show how much the British navy suffered by single-decked vessel was bound to engage any inattention to this most essential point in war, single-decked vessel of the enemy, nominally the proper handling of the weapons by which of her own class, however superior, in reality, it was to be waged. in tonnage, guns and crew;-another impor- We have boldly made the assertion that tant fact also, must not be lost sight of, that the American frigates were of the scantling of the American vessels were manned by sailors, seventy-fours, and a few explanatory remarks many of whom, unfortunately, were British, will show the correctness of the statement. while many more had been trained in the British service. For many years previous to * Vide James' Naval History, part 8. First objects of the of West Indiamen. In 1794, an English shipwright,* Mr. Joshua Endymion) that carried long twenty-fourHumphreys, resident at Philadelphia, gave in pounders." The Constellation was a sister estimates of the cost of building three seventy frigate to the Chesapeake, and "had ports for four gun ships, to measure sixteen hundred mounting on her two broadsides (vide James) and twenty tons, American measurement, fifty-four guns." Had the Americans, posabout seventeen hundred and fifty English. sessed no stronger frigates than the heaviest Before, however, the keels of these vessels had of these, Europeans would not have been so surbeen much more than laid, Mr. Jay's treaty feited with tales of American naval prowess. restored the amicable relations between En- An object of paramount importance to the gland and America, and it was resolved to Americans was, the capconvert the vessels, begun as seventy-fours, ture of the homeward into frigates. This was done by contracting bound West India fleet, the breadth about three feet and a half, and supposed to be on the not connecting the quarter-deck and forecastle, coast, and known to be under the convoy of so as to give in reality only one continuous but one thirty-six gun frigate, and a sloop of 'tier of guns,-thus were these seventy-fours war. This fleet had left Jamaica on the 20th converted into enormous sixty-two gun frigates. May, and had passed Havanna on the 4th A frigate, the Constellation, begun at the same June, at 3, a. m. : on the 23rd (five days after time, and originally intended to class as a for- the declaration of war) the American Comty-four, was in a similar manner reduced to modore spoke a brig, and ascertained that, the rate of a thirty-six. It appears from the four days previous, in lat. 36° long. 67°, estimates rendered to Congress that the ori- the Jamaica fleet had been seen, steering to ginal intention had been to construct two the eastward. In that direction he immediately forty-fours and a thirty-six; but, by the proceeded, and, at 6, a. m., that day made out new arrangement it was confidently expected a large sail to the northward and eastward, that the sphere of utility of these vessels would standing directly towards them. This was the be widely extended "It was expected (vide British thirty-six gun frigate, Belvidera, Capt. estimates) from this alteration, that they would Byron, then on the look-out to intercept a possess in an eminent degree, the advantages French privateer schooner, hourly expected of sailing, that separately they would be supe- from New London. Capt. Byron having a few rior to any single European frigate of the same days before, spoken a New York pilot boat, rate and of the usual dimensions; that if and ascertained what was likely to happen, assailed by superior force, they would be finding his private signals unanswered, and always able to lead a-head; that they could coupling this circumstance with the efforts never be obliged to go into action but on their of the Americans to close, was no longer own terms, except in a calm; and that in in doubt as to the hostile intentions of heavy weather they would be capable of en- the approaching squadron, and immediately gaging double-decked ships." These were tacked and made all sail, hoisting his colors. the principal advantages contemplated in thus The American squadron did the same, the two rating vessels of this heavy scantling as forty- commanders displaying their broad pennants; four gun frigates. Having thus shown that in and, by signal, the frigates and the sloops designating these "line of battle ships in dis- hauled to the wind in chase. For twelve hours guise" by their true titles we have not greatly the chase was continued, during which time erred, we shall add a few remarks on the Con- the Belvidera kept up a steady stern fire, stellation, nominally a thirty-six gun frigate. firing upwards of three hundred round shot "Even here (says James) was a frigate more from her two cabin eighteen pounders. than equal to any French or English frigate of Commodore Rodgers, in the President, the the largest class, carrying long eighteen-poun- leading frigate of the squadron, finding himself ders, and, be it remembered, in the year 1811, by this time three miles astern, shortened sail. France did not own any, and England only The Belvidera suffered only from the fire of three frigates (Cornwallis, Indefatigable, and the President, (as the shot of the Congress, the only other vessel that got up, all fell short,) and her loss amounted to two killed, and twenty * Vide James, part 8, page 2. It had been intended that the frigate Essex Manning of American should have formed part fleet as compared with that of the British. of Commodore Rodgers' squadron, but she could not be got ready in time; the complement of this vessel, as acknowledged by Capt. Porter, was three hundred and twenty-eight men. Another confession was also made by Capt. Porter, (one for which his government did not thank him), that, out of his three hundred and twenty-to save him from the crowd then beginning eight men, there were but eleven landsmen. To those cognizant of the material from which the complement of a British ship is made up, this admission must appear most extraordinary, and establishes the very important fact that, no pains were spared by the Americans to two wounded, the greater part slightly. Ac- refusing to become a traitor to his country:cording to the American official account, the "A New York newspaper, of June 27th, 1812, President lost altogether, two midshipmen and contains the following as the substance of the one marine killed, the commodore, one lieu- formal deposition of the victim of Capt. Portenant, one lieutenant of marines, three mid-ter's unmanly treatment. The deposition shipmen, and twelve seamen wounded. This states, that John Erving was born in Newcastlealone was a high price to pay for the day's upon-Tyne, England; that he has resided amusement, but this was not all, as the home- within the United States, but has never been ward bound fleet, through Capt. Byron's judg- naturalized; that, on the 14th October, 1811, ment in leading the American squadron, so he entered on board the Essex, and joined her long a dance, arrived safely on the 23rd at Norfolk; that Captain Porter, on the 25th August, in the Downs, Com Rodgers only June, 1812, caused all hands to be piped on falling in with a fleet, not of ships, but, of cocoa deck, to take the oath of allegiance to the nuts, orange peel, &c. To complete his mis- United States, and gave them to understand, fortunes, the scurvy broke out among the that any man who did not choose to do so men, and thus conferred an additional value should be discharged; that, when deponent on the oranges and lemons that were known heard his name called, he told the Captain to be in such profusion in the much coveted that, being a British subject, he must refuse vessels. taking the oath; on which the captain spoke to the petty officers, and told them they must him into the launch which lay alongside the pass sentence upon him; that they then put frigate, and there poured a bucket of tar over him, and then laid on a quantity of feathers having first stripped him naked from the waist; that they then rowed him ashore, stern foremost, and landed him; that he wandered about, from street to street, in this condition, until a Mr. Ford took him into his shop, send their vessels to sea equipped and manned in the most complete way. We will now show the importance that was attached to the retention of British seamen on board the American ships of war, and this should be held in remembrance by all who desire to judge fairly of those encounters between British and American ships, of which we are now about to begin the to gather; that he staid there until the police magistrate took him away, and put him into the city prison for protection, where he was cleansed and clothed. None of the citizens molested him or insulted him." He says he why he did not choose to fight against his gave as an additional reason to the Captain country, that, if he should be taken prisoner, he would certainly be hung. This, as we remarked above, if true, is a significant fact, and shows the importance attached to the retention of a good seaman. So much has been already written on the way in which British vessels are manned, that it is almost unnecessary to remark, that there was no great cause for wonder that, seduced by promises of high pay, good seamen should enter the American service, and fight desperately; especially with a noose dangling from the foreyard arm ever before their eye when in sight of a British man-of-war. The first fatal consequence of the disregard |