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MINOR ENGAGEMENTS.

21 long 32's, 10 long 24's, 3 short 42pound carronades and 12 cables (one of which 22 inches in circumference and weighing 9,600 pounds was for the Superior), accompanied by Major Appling and 130 men.* By hard rowing 18 of the boats reached Big Sandy Creek the following noon, 8 miles from the Harbor, but the other boat, containing 2 long 24's and a cable, was captured by the enemy. From the prisoners Yeo learned the position of the other boats and immediately sent in chase three gunboats, three cutters and a gig under Captains Popham and Spilsbury, with a force of 180 men. Being warned of the British approach, the Americans planned an ambuscade, Major Appling being sent down the river with 120 riflemen and some Oneida Indians (who had joined Woolsey). The British walked into the trap and, after a sharp skirmish, were captured with their boats. The Americans lost only one man wounded, but British accounts differ regarding the loss of the enemy.||

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Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. i., pp. 488489; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 798. Roosevelt says 120 men.

† Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 361. Cooper says 186 men.

Brackenridge, History of the Late War, p. 203; Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 799-800; Armstrong, Notices of the War of 1812, vol. ii., pp. 73-74.

James gives the loss as 18 killed and 50 wounded. McMullen (History of Canada, p. 302) gives the loss as 18 killed, 50 wounded, and 138 prisoners. Appling gives the loss as 14 killed, 28 wounded, and 133 captured. See also Roosevelt, pp. 361, note, 362; Maclay, p. 489.

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On June 6 Yeo raised the blockade of the Harbor, but not until six weeks later were Chauncey's ships ready to sail. Meanwhile, on June 19, Lieutenant Francis H. Gregory was sent to the St. Lawrence with three gigs and 22 men to cut out some of the enemy's supply ships. He was discovered by the British gunboat Black Snake (1 18-pounder and 18 men), but, after a short fight, Gregory captured her without the loss of a single man. He was afterward chased by a large boat and forced to sink his prize. On July 1 Gregory made a trip to Erie, where he burned a British 14-gun schooner just ready for launching. On July 31 Chauncey's squadron sailed and, after capturing the Magnet, blockaded Yeo for 45 days at Kingston."

All these hindrances obliged Armstrong to seek some other line on which the army could be employed against Upper Canada. On April 30 Armstrong suggested to the President that 6,000 troops be landed in the bay between Abino and Fort Erie to operate against the British post at the head of Burlington Bay, but the Cabinet dallied for some weeks without coming to any conclusion. Brown might have been strengthened by such troops as could be spared from Detroit, but the Cabinet decided to send the Detroit force (numbering about 900) against Mackinaw. Early in July, under command of Lieutenant

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THE BATTLE OF CHIPPAWA.

George Croghan, the troops started for Detroit, but were defeated on August 4 and soon returned.* The expedition did not even arrive in time to prevent a British expedition from Mackinaw crossing Wisconsin and on July 19 capturing the post at Prairie du Chien. Finally in June the Cabinet ordered General Brown to cross to the Canadian side above Niagara Falls as soon as the fleet was ready and to march to Burlington Heights and York. Brown had left Sackett's Harbor and was at Buffalo when these orders arrived. As the fleet would not be ready before the middle of July, Brown decided to land a force between Point Abino and Fort Erie, storm the fort, send forward a corps to seize the bridge at Chippawa, and to push farther onward if possible.|| Brown's force consisted of three brigades (under Scott, who had become a brigadier on March 9,8 Eleazer W. Ripley and Peter B. Porter, who also had some Indians) and a battalion of artillery (under Major Jacob Hindman, numbering 4,780 men in all, of whom 3,500 were present present and fit for duty. Major-General Riall, who commanded the right division of the British army, had a force on the Niagara River of

* Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 372; Brackenridge, History of the Late War, p. 251.

403.

Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 849-851.
Madison's Works (Congress ed.), vol. iii., p.

|| Armstrong, Notices of the War of 1812, vol. ii., p. 83.

§ Wright, Life of Scott, p. 30; Mansfield, Life of Scott, p. 100.

2,337 troops and 332 officers present for duty.* As soon as Porter's volunteers were ready (July 3), the whole American army was thrown across the river. Scott's brigade and Hindman's artillery landed below Fort Erie and Ripley's brigade above,t while the Indians gained the rear. After a weak resistance, the garrison of 200 soldiers capitulated.‡

According to instructions, Chippawa was the next point of attack. There Scott found the British force strongly posted on the banks of the Chippawa River.|| Falling back a mile or two behind Street's Creek, Scott went into camp in order to wait for Brown, Ripley and Porter, who came up during the night and early the next morning.§ Knowing that his army far out-numbered that of Riall, Brown was anxious to attack before reinforcements could arrive. On the morning of July 5, leaving the brigades of Ripley and Porter encamped in the rear, he reconnoitered the Chippawa River and decided to build a bridge over it above the Brit

* Adams, United States, vol. viii., pp. 35-39. For the general reviews of the campaign of 1814, see David B. Douglass, in Historical Magazine (July to October, 1873); Cullum, Campaigns of the War of 1812 to 1815, p. 222 et seq.; Facts Relative to the Campaign on the Niagara in 1814, elucidating General Ripley's management. See also the Proceedings of the New York Historical Society (1844), p. 123.

Mansfield, Life of Scott, pp. 102-103. Brackenridge, History of the Late War, p. 229; Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 804-805.

|| Armstrong, Notices of the War of 1812, vol. ii., p. 84.

§ Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 805-806.

THE BATTLE OF CHIPPAWA.

ish and then to cross the stream and attack them. Porter's volunteers and some Indians were ordered forward to clear the woods that work on the bridge might begin. Driving the enemy before them, Porter's advance had nearly reached the Chippawa River when, to their amazement, they learned that the whole British army was crossing the Chippawa bridge on

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As

As Ripley with the second brigade was in the rear of the camp and as Porter's brigade was in utter confusion, Scott with his brigade was left to bear the brunt of the attack. his thin column crossed the bridge, the two British 24-pounders opened upon it. Scott did not turn back, but instead marched out on the plain, formed in battle order under heavy

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A B show the positions of Majors McNeil and Leavenworth when they made the final charge. BATTLE OF CHIPPAWA.

their flank. The surprise was complete, and Porter's troops instantly broke and fled.* Riall's force, which was drawn up in three columns on the Chippawa Plain, consisted of about 1,500 regulars with two 24-pound two 24-pound field-pieces and a 51⁄2 inch howitzer. In the woods were 600 militia and Indians.t

Stone, Life of Red Jacket, p. 352; Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 807-808; Mansfield, Life of Scott, pp. 104-105.

Adams, United States, vol. viii., p. 41. McMullen (History of Canada, p. 305) gives the total as 2,400-1,500 regulars, 600 militia, and

fire, and began the charge. The three 12-pounders under Nathan Towson were placed in position near the river on the extreme right and opened fire on the heavy British battery opposite. The infantry was divided into three battalions, the right under Major Henry Leavenworth, the centre under Major John MacNeil, the left under Major Thomas S. Jesup. The flanks were thrown obliquely forward and Jesup's battalion was thrown into the

300 Indians. See also Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 808-809.

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THE BATTLE OF CHIPPAWA.

woods on the left to prevent outflanking. Just as Scott ordered the advance, Riall charged. The converging American fire wrought havoc in the British lines, but they came on until the flanks touched. Then the whole British line broke and fled. Ripley's brigade, arriving soon afterward, found no enemy on the plain. Riall reported a total loss of 515 killed and wounded and missing, not including Indians. Scott and Porter reported a total loss of 297, not including including Indians. Riall's regular regiments and artillery lost 137 killed and 305 wounded; while Scott's brigade lost but 48 killed and 227 wounded. The battle of Chippawa was the only occasion during the war on which nearly equal bodies of regular troops met face to face without advantage of position. The victory inspired such confidence in the minds of American regulars that never after was an army of regulars beaten by British troops.||

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Wright, Life of Scott, pp. 31-32.

McMullen (History of Canada, p. 305) reports the British loss as 157 killed and 320 wounded, total 477. Lossing (War of 1812, p. 810) gives the British loss as 236 killed, 322 wounded, and 46 missing, total 604. See, however, the figures in Mansfield, Life of Scott, pp. 114-115.

James, Military Occurrences, vol. ii., pp. 431434; Scott, Memoirs, p. 130 et seq. Wright (Life of Scott, p. 32) makes the American loss 60 killed, 248 wounded, and 19 missing, while Lossing (War of 1812, p. 810) says 61 killed, 255 wounded, and 19 missing.

|| Adams, United States, vol. viii., pp. 41-45; McMaster, vol. iv., p. 58; Captain Joseph Treat, Vindication against the Atrocious Calumny Contained in Maj.-Gen. Brown's Official Report of the Battle of Chippawa (Philadelphia, 1815),

The battle of Chippawa and three weeks of campaigning had told severely upon the Americans, however. According to to the army returns, Brown's force at Chippawa on July 25 numbered about 2,650 effectives, consisting of Scott's brigade of 1,072 men and officers, Ripley's brigade of 895, Porter's brigade of 441, and the artillery of 236.* Within three miles of Brown's camp at Lundy's Lane was Riall with 950 rank and file and five or six field-pieces. Three miles below marching up the river was Drummond with 815 rank and file, and a few miles behind Drummond was Colonel Scott, of the 103d Regiment, with 1,230 rank and file and two 6pound field-pieces. At nine o'clock the three corps, aggregating 3,000 rank and file, with eight field-pieces, were to unite at Lundy's Lane.t

With a view of drawing off the enemy from an attempt on Lewiston, Brown resolved to move his force toward Queenston. Accordingly, Gen

which contains the proceedings of a general court at Sackett's Harbor; Samuel White, History of the American Troops during the Late War under the Command of Colonels Fenton and Campbell (Baltimore, 1829-30); Cullum, Campaigns of the War of 1812 to 1815, p. 206; Dawson, Battles of the United States, vol. ii., p. 348; Stone, Life of Red Jacket, chap. x.; Brackenridge, History of the Late War, pp. 231-232; Mansfield, Life of Scott, pp. 106-117. McMullen (History of Canada, p. 306) seems to think the battle equivalent to a victory for the British. Brown was of a decidedly different opinion. See Life of General Brown, pp. 86-88.

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