four vessels lying in the river, together with some stores of sugar, of lumber, of leather, and other merchandize. On this occasion, five of the British were wounded. One of the Americans who entreated to have his property saved, wore military gaiters; and had, no doubt, assisted at the firing upon the British. Agreeably to his request, however, his property was left untouched.

Co

Mr. Thomson says: "The invaders were gallantly ressisted more than half an hour, when they effected a landing; and, marching towards the town, compelled the militia to retire. lonel Veazy effected his retreat in excellent order."* To prove that this was a gallant affair, Mr. Thomson has made the American force "about 80 militia, and one small cannon,' and the British force " 18 barges, each carrying one great gun, and manned altogether by 600 men.' "* Mr. O'Connor contents himself with accusing us of burning the unprotected villages of Frederick and George-town.

On his way down the river, the rear-admiral visited a town situated on a branch of it. Here a part of the inhabitants actually pulled off to him; and, requesting to shake hands, declared he should experience no opposition whatever. The rear-admiral accordingly landed, with the officers, and, chiefly out of respect to his rank, a

* Sketches of the War, p. 212.

small personal guard, Among those that came to greet him, on his landing, were observed two inhabitants of George-town. These men, as well as an inhabitant of the place who had been to George-town to see what was going on, had succeeded in persuading the people to adopt, as their best security, a peaceable demeanor. Having ascertained that there were no public property nor warlike stores, and obtained, upon payment of the full value, such articles as were wanted, the rear-admiral and his party re-embarked. Soon afterwards, a deputation was sent from Charlestown, on the north-east river, to assure the rear-admiral, that the place was con, sidered as at his mercy; and, similar assurances coming from other places in the upper part of the Chesapeake, the rear-admiral and his light squadron retired from that quarter.

None of the American historians notice the lenient conduct observed towards the inhabitants of the two last-mentioned towns; unless we are to consider Mr. Thomson as glancing at the subject, when he complains of" the treachery of some citizens of the republic." These editors find relief for their rancorous spirit either way. If the inhabitants preserve their towns by not opposing us, they are traitors, tories, or British agents:" if they make resistance; and their towns, sharing the fate of other

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stormed places, are burnt, we are "vile incendiaries, unprincipled marauders."

Much is said by American editors, about robbing the inhabitants of their cattle and live stock; but the truth is, the farmers themselves considered the British squadron in the Chesa peake as their best market. Not contented, however, with getting the highest prices for their stock, small as well as large; their eggs, butter, milk, cheese, garden-stuff, &c. they frequently practised upon their liberal purchasers the grossest impositions.

One writer, doctor Smith, alluding to the proceedings in the Chesapeake, expresses himself thus: "History blushes to recapitulate the depredations and conflagrations which were here perpetrated. The pen of the historian cannot record one solitary exploit of honorable warfare, worthy the arms of an heroic nation. The outrages of their sailors and marines were to the last degree shocking and indefensible. They committed indiscriminate havoc upon every species of private property along the shores of the bay, and on the margin of its inlets."*.

This is the very language that was used by the "National Intelligencer," " National Advocate," "Democratic Press," and other American newspapers, "known to be friendly

t

* History of the United States, Vol. III. p. 282.

to the war," for the double purpose of prejudieing the British character in the eyes of the other nations of Europe, and of filling the ranks of the American army from among the western, or Kentucky patriots. American citizens of the first consequence, in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, when they have gone on board the British Chesapeake squadron, as they frequently did, with flags, to obtain passports, or ask other favors, and these inflammatory paragraphs were shown to them, never failed to declare, with apparent shame, that they had been penned without the slightest regard to truth, but merely to instigate their ferocious countrymen in the western states to rally round the American standard. Yet does the sober historian of the United States not "blush" to record as truth these party-serving lies. Such statements soil the historic page; and, by their influence on the passions, may tend, at some future day, to rekindle the flames of war between the two nations.

Fortunately, we have American testimony to aid us in repelling the principal charge advanced against the British by this nest of calumniators. "They (the British) were always," says the writer in the Review, "desirous of making a fair purchase, and of paying the full value of what they received; and, it is no more than

justice to the enemy to state that, in some instances, money was left behind, in a conspicuous place, to the full amount of what had been taken away.

-We in England may find it difficult to consider, as soldiers, men neither embodied nor drest in regimentals. That circumstance has not escaped the keen discernment of the American government: hence we are so often charged, in proclamations and other state-papers, with attacking the “inoffensive citizens of the republic." The fact is, every man in the United States, under 45 years of age, is a militia-man; and, during the war, attended in his turn, to be drilled, or “trained." He had always in his possession either a musket or a rifled-barrel piece; knew its use from his infancy; and with it, therefore, could do as much execution in à smock frock or plain coat, as if he wore the most splendid uniform. These soldiers in citizens' dresses were the men whom rear-admiral Cockburn so frequently attacked and routed; and who, when they had really acted up to the character of " non-combatants," were invariably spared, both in their persons and properties. The rear-admiral wished them, for their own sakes only, to remain neutral; but general Hull, in his famous proclamation, prepared North American Review, Vol. V. p. 158.