was in the action,) "dated Oswego-falls, May 7;" which was published in all the principal American newspapers of the day. This officer witnessed the cutting adrift of the boats, and assigned for it the true cause. On the morning of the 6th, the ships having returned, and every thing being ready, the two flank-companies of De Watteville's regiment, under captain De Bersey, the light company of the Glengarry's, under captain M'Millan, the battalion of marines, under lieutenant-colonel Malcolm, and 200 seamen, armed with pikes, under captain Mulcaster; the whole under the immediate command of lieutenant-colonel Fischer, of De Watteville's; and amounting to about 770 rank and file, embarked in the boats: leaving the four remaining companies of De Watteville's, and the detachments of artillery, rocketeers, and sappers and miners, as a corps of reserve. Owing to the shoalness of the water off the harbor, the two largest ships could not approach near enough, to cannonade the battery with any effect. This service was most gallantly performed by the Montreal and Niagara, under a heavy discharge of red-hot shot, which set the former on fire three times. The Magnet took her station in front of the town, on the opposite side of the river; while the Star and Charwell towed in, and covered, the boats, containing the troops. The wind was at this time nearly a-head. and the consequent tardiness in the approach of the boats exposed the men to a heavy and destructive fire from the enemy's batteries, and from upwards of 500 regulars and militia, drawn up on the brow of the hill. The British, nevertheless, effected their landing, and instantly formed on the beach. Having to ascend a steep and long hill, the troops suffered extremely from the enemy's fire; no sooner, however, had they reached the summit, than the 300 American regulars retired to the rear of the fort, and the 200 American militia fled, helter-skelter, into the woods. In ten minutes from the time that the British had gained the height, the fort was in our possession. Lieutenant James Laurie, of the marines, was the first man who entered it; and lieutenant Hewett, of the same corps, climbed the flagstaff, under a heavy fire; and struck the American colours, which had been nailed to the mast; more, as it would seem, to give trouble to the British, than to evince a determination, on the part of the Americans, of defending the post with any unusual obstinacy. The British loss in the affair of Oswego was rather severe. It amounted to one captain, (captain Holtoway,) and 14 non-commissioned officers and privates, of the royal marines and De Watteville's regiment, and three seamen, killed; one captain, and one subaltern, (since dead,) of De Watteville's; two captains, one lieutenant, and one master of the navy, 51 uon commissioned officers and privates, of the royal marines and De Watteville's, and seven seamen, wounded; total, 18 killed, and 64 wounded. All three of our American editors, one copying from the other, have declared the British loss to have been," in killed, 70; in wounded, drowned, and missing, 165; in all, 235."* Their own loss the Americans state, at a lieutenant and five men killed, 38 wounded, and 25 missing. We captured 60 prisoners. Admitting this number to include the wounded, it is no proof that the American commander retired quite so leizurely, or in so "good order," as the American writers would have us believe. The Americans have pursued their usual exaggerating system, as respects the relative numbers in the attack upon Fort-Oswego. General Brown declares that the British force, "by land and water, exceeded 3000;"† but he is not explicit enough to tell us, what portion of this force came on shore and captured the fort. This we gain from other sources. Mr. Thomson says we landed 1700;* Mr. O'Connor, 2000, ‡ and doctor Smith, "between 2 and 3000"§ men ; but the American officer, who writes from Oswego, states the number that landed, at 1200; which is but a moderate increase upon 770. In estimating their own force at Oswego, the * Sketches of the War, p. 263. + App. No. 24. § History of the United States, Vol. III. p. 208. American writers, not excepting general Brown' himself, pursue quite an opposite course. With ús, every man within sight or hearing of the place is to be estimated: with them, it is only such as were bold enough to fight. Therefore, because the American militia thought best to run, without firing a shot, they are not to be reckoned as part of the numerical force, whose duty it was to oppose the landing of the British. The behaviour of the militia is well explained in the American officer's letter:--"The militia, at this time," says he, "thought best to leave us : I do not think they fired a gun." Considering the commanding position of the batteries, the length of time during which, owing to the shoalness of the water and state of the wind, the troops a-float were exposed to hot and cold shot and musket-bullets, and, after they did effect a landing, the difficulty of ascending the hill, under the fire from the cannon, and from a body of troops, well-posted upon its summit, it would not have been extraordinary, if 500 men had succeeded in keeping off an enemy" for nearly two days,"* instead of scarcely as many hours; nor would general Brown's "General Order," in which he thought fit to boast, that the Americans at Oswego had "established for themselves a name in arms, worthy of the gallant nation in whose cause App. No. 24. they fight," have had quite so much the air of a lampoon. Although the chief part of the stores, for the capture of which the expedition had been undertaken, was removed to Onondago falls, about 13 miles from Oswego, a considerable quantity still remained. Among the captured ordnance and ordnance stores, were three long 32, and four long 24-pounders, besides guns of smaller caliber; and several 42 and 32-pounder round, grape, and canister shots. We also captured, and carried away, upwards of 1000 (one official account says 2400*) barrels of provisions,† 70 coils of rope and cordage, a quantity of blocks, two or three schooners, and several boats. Among the property destroyed by us were, eight barrels of gun-powder, all the shot of small caliber, the platform and works at the fort; also the barracks, both there and in the town. We have no very accurate account of what the Americans themselves destroyed. They mention having scuttled and sunk the Growler, United States' schooner, with three long 32-pounders, and a quantity of ordnance-stores, on board. The federal, or opposition papers of the day, complained much against the government, for concealing the amount of the loss sustained at Oswego. How trifling that loss was made, is clearly shewn, by the statements of our three + App. No. 23. * App. No. 22. |