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In a week or two after a junction had been formed between admiral Warren and rearadmiral Cockburn, the latter was directed, with a squadron of small vessels, including two of the captured schooners, to penetrate the rivers at the head of the bay, and endeavour to cut off the enemy's supplies; as well as to destroy his foundries, stores, and public works; particularly a depôt of flour, military and other stores, ascertained, by the information of some Americans, to be at a place called French-town, situate at a considerable distance up the river Elk. Accordingly, the rear-admiral, with H.M. brigs Fantome and Mohawk, and the Dolphin, Racer, and Highflyer, tenders, on the evening of the 28th of April, moved towards the river. Having moored the brigs and schooners as far within the entrance as could be effected after dark, the rear-admiral took with him, in the boats of his little squadron, 150 marines, under captains Wybourn and Carter, and five artillery-men, under lieutenant Robertson, of that corps, and proceeded to proceeded to execute his orders.*

The boats, owing to ignorance of the way, having entered the Bohemia instead of keeping in the Elk river, did not reach the destined place till late on the following morning. This delay enabled the inhabitants of French-town to * App. No. 8.

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make arrangements for the defence of the stores and town; for the security of which a six-gun battery had lately been directed. As soon as the boats approached within gun-shot of it, a heavy fire was opened upon them. Disregarding this, however, the marines quickly landed; and the American militia fled from the battery to the adjoining woods.

The inhabitants of the town, situate at about a mile distant, having, as far as could be ascertained, taken no part in the contest, were not in the slightest degree molested; but a considerable quantity of flour, of army-clothing, saddles, bridles, and other equipments for cavalry; also various articles of merchandize, and the two stores in which they had been contained; together with five vessels, lying near the place, were entirely consumed. The guns of the battery, being too heavy to be carried away, were disabled; and the boats departed, with no other loss than one seaman wounded in the arm by a grape-shot. The Americans lost one man killed by a rocket, but none wounded.

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The rear-admiral's system, and which he had taken care to impart to all the Americans captured by, or voluntarily coming on board, the squadron, was to land without offering molestation to the unopposing inhabitants, either in their persons or properties; to capture

or destroy all articles of merchandize and munitions of war; to be allowed to take off, upon paying the full market price, all such cattle and supplies as the British squadron might require but, should resistance be offered, or menaces held out, to consider the town as a fortified post, and the male inhabitants as soldiers; the one to be destroyed, the other, with their cattle and stock, to be captured.

Both the editor of the "Sketches of the War" and of the “History of the War" confine the conflagration at French-town, to the two storehouses and their contents; and so does a writer in a respectable American periodical publication, of very recent date, subjoining to his account of the burning of the warehouses," but no private dwellings, as has erroneously been stated."* Yet is the editor of the "History of the United States" so totally disregardful of truth, as to accuse the British of having plundered and destroyed the whole village.† Mr. Thomson finds it convenient to describe the contents of the store-houses as goods belonging to merchants of Baltimore and Philadelphia, and to be totally silent about any military stores; but general Wilkinson expressly says: "By the defective arrangements of the war-department, he (rear-admiral Cockburn)

North American Review, Vol. V. p. 158.

+ Hist. of the United States, Vol. III. p. 283.

succeeded in destroying the military equipments and munitions found there; of which, I appre hend, the public never received any correct account."*

As the boats, in their way down the Elk, were rounding Turkey Point, they came in sight of a large estate, surrounded by cattle. The rear-admiral landed; and directing the bailiff, or overseer, to pick out as many oxen, sheep, and other stock, as were deemed sufficient for the present use of the squadron, paid for them to the full amount of what the bailiff alleged was the market price. Not the slightest injury was done; or, doubtless, one of our industrious historians would have recorded the fact.

Having learnt that cattle and provisions, in considerable quantity, were at Specucie Island, the rear-admiral, with the brigs and tenders, proceeded to that place. In his way thither it became necessary to pass in sight of Havre de Grace, a village of about 60 houses, situate on the west-side of the Susquehanna, a short distance above the confluence of that river with the Chesapeake. Although the British were a long way out of gun-shot, the Americans at Havre de Grace must needs fire at them from a six-gun battery, and display to their view, as a further mark of defiance, a large American

*Wilkinson's Mem. Vol. I. p. 732.

ensign. This determined the rear-admiral to make that battery and town the next object of attack. In the meanwhile, he anchored his squadron off Specucie Island. Here a part of the boats landed, and obtained cattle upon the same terms as before. A complaint having been made, that some of the subordinate officers had destroyed a number of turkies, the rear-admiral paid the value of them out of his own pocket. The Americans, as they were driving the cattle to the boats, jeered the men, saying,-" Why do you come here? Why don't you go to Havre de Grace? There you'll have something to do." About this time a deserter gave the people at Havre de Grace, who had already been in preparation, notice of the intended attack.

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After quitting Specucie Island, the rearadmiral bent his course towards Havre de Grace; but the shallowness of the water admitting the passage of boats only, the 150 marines and the five artillery men embarked at midnight on the 2d of May, and proceeded up the river. The Dolphin and Highflyer tenders attempted to follow in support of the boats, but shoal water compelled them to anchor at the distance of six miles from the point of attack. By daylight, the boats succeeded in getting opposite to the battery; which mounted six guns, 12 and 6-pounders, and opened a smart fire upon * App. No. 9.

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