1813] CAPTURE OF YORK. 359 Boxer. The British had nailed their colors to the mast, so that they could not draw them down; but, after an engagement of more than half an hour, in which both commanders were mortally wounded, they cried for quarter and surrendered. Burrows refused to be carried from the deck. When the sword of his vanquished adversary was presented to him, he pressed it to his heart, and said, "I die contented." The two commanders were buried side by side with military honors, at Portland. 485. In the spring of 1813, the British government, feeling assured that the war with Napoleon would soon terminate, sent over additional forces for the defence of their possessions in the new world. The Americans, not discouraged by the last campaign, still contemplated an invasion of Canada; and the brave Pike, now raised to the rank of brigadier-general, was laboriously drilling 2,000 of his countrymen at Sackett's Harbor, to prepare them for a descent as soon as the season would allow. On the 25th of April, 1,700 picked men embarked; and, crossing Lake Ontario, they landed on the 27th, in face of a severe fire from the enemy, two miles from Toronto (then called York), the capital of Upper Canada. Two redoubts, having been taken, Gen. Pike halted his columns within 300 yards of the British barracks, which seemed to be abandoned. An officer was sent forward to reconnoitre. Suddenly the air was rent by a deafening explosion. The earth shook. Huge logs and heavy masses of stones were scattered in all directions. The British had connected a slow match with their magazine, and lighted it as they retired. Had the Americans not halted as they did, few would have survived to tell the sad story; as it was, 200 of their number were instantly killed or wounded. Pike was felled to the earth by a heavy stone; but, forgetting the anguish of his scribe the conflict between the Enterprise and Boxer. Describe the death-scene of Burrows. Where were the two commanders buried? 485. What was done by Great Britain in the spring of 1813? What did the Americans still contemplate? How was Gen. Pike preparing for the invasion? When did the invading army start? Where did they land? After taking two redoubts, what did Gen. Pike do? What followed? How was the explosion caused? How many Americans were disabled? Who was among the number? What did Pike tell his mutilated frame, he cried out to his men, "Move on, my brave fellows, and revenge your general!" And they did move on, with three loud huzzas. The British gave way. Gen. Sheaffe, with a portion of his regulars, escaped; the rest surrendered. York, together with public property to the amount of half a million of dollars, fell into the hands of the victors. Among the trophies transmitted to the War Department was the mace used by the speaker of the provincial legislature, above which a human scalp was found suspended. Gen. Pike lived long enough to hear the victorious shouts of his men, and to have the captured flag of the enemy placed under his head; then the light gradually faded from his eye, and he expired without a groan. This brave man had previously distinguished himself by his explorations in the service of government, having been the first to penetrate the wilds of Kansas and the valley of the Upper Mississippi. 486. After their victory at York, the American army, reenforced to 6,000 men, and led by Generals Dearborn and Lewis, proceeded to Fort George, near the mouth of the Niagara River [see Map, p. 351]. This post was taken without difficulty, and along with it a number of prisoners, though most of the garrison made good their escape. The enemy, in alarm, blew up their remaining posts on the Niagara River, and retreated to Burlington Heights, at the western extremity of Lake Ontario. A superior force of Americans set out in their pursuit, but were attacked at night by the British, while encamped a few miles from their lines. The enemy were so warmly received that they beat a retreat, but they had managed in the mêlée to capture the American generals, and the officer left in command shrunk from the responsibility of further offensive operations, and fell back to await orders from Dearborn. This was unfortunate; an immediate men? What was the result? What fell into the hands of the victors? What trophy was sent to the War Department? Describe Gen. Pike's death-scene. For what besides his military talents was he distinguished? 486. Where did the American army next proceed? [See Map, p. 351.-Where is Fort George? What place nearly opposite to it on the New York side?] By whom were the Americans led? What post was taken? What was done by the enemy? Who set out in their pursuit? What took place during the night? Who were captured in the mêlée? What was the consequence? What happened to the British gen 1813] SIEGE OF FORT STEPHENSON. 361 attack on the British could hardly have failed of success, for their general also had been separated from his army in the darkness, and was found the next day several miles from camp with neither hat nor sword.-During the absence of the American troops on this expedition, a thousand of the enemy made a descent on Sackett's Harbor; after destroying some of the stores there collected, they were repulsed by the militia under Gen. Brown, with considerable loss. 487. After his unsuccessful siege of Fort Meigs, Proctor had returned to Malden, where he remained several months inactive. In the latter part of July, he again approached Fort Meigs. Sending Tecumseh with his Indians into the neighboring woods, to make a noise as if a battle were raging there, he tried to draw the garrison out from their defences. But Gen. Clay, who was in command, was not to be thus deceived; and Proctor proceeded to attack Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky [see Map, p. 345], commanded by Major Croghan [krog'-an], a youth of twenty-one. Gen. Harrison, on hearing of the threatened attack, sent word to Croghan to retire with his garrison if artillery was brought against the fort, unless such a force of Indians should be collected as would render retreat dangerous. Before the order arrived, the woods around the fort were already filled. The young commander had no alternative but to hold out to the last extremity, and he sent one of his runners to inform Harrison of the fact. Supposing that his messenger might fall into the hands of the enemy, and wishing to mislead them, he closed his despatch with these words, "We have determined to hold this place, and by heavens we can!" Contrary to his expectation, the runner reached Gen. Harrison. The despatch was not explained; and Harrison, thinking that Croghan was wilfully disobeying orders, suspended him from eral? Give an account of the enemy's descent on Sackett's Harbor. 487. Where did Proctor go after his unsuccessful siege of Fort Meigs? Towards the close of July, what did he do? What stratagem did he employ to draw the Americans out? Failing in this, whither did he proceed? [See Map, p. 345.-In what direction was Lower Sandusky, or Fort Stephenson, from Fort Meigs? On what river? Name the six forts in north-western Ohio.] By whom was Fort Stephenson defended? What order did Croghan receive from Gen. Harrison? What was the state of things by the time he received it? Recount the circumstances command. But the siege had already commenced; no one could reach the fort, and Croghan remained happily ignorant of his general's displeasure. Five hundred British regulars and eight hundred Indians Proctor appeared before the fort on the 1st of August. called on the garrison to surrender, as the only means of escaping massacre when the fort should be taken. The heroic Croghan answered, that, when the fort was taken, a massacre would do no harm, for none of its defenders would be left alive. A brisk cannonade was at once commenced by Proctor. Croghan had nothing with which to reply except one six-pounder; but, by firing it from different points, he tried to make the enemy believe that he was well provided with artillery. At length he judged from appearances that the besiegers would concentrate their forces on the north-west angle of the fort; and here, having loaded his piece heavily with slugs and grape-shot, he placed it in an embrasure carefully concealed from the enemy. As he supposed, the British soon prepared to storm the fort, and a column of 350 men approached the north-west angle, where the broken appearance of the wall invited attack. "Come on," cried Colonel Short, leaping into the ditch, "give the Yankees no quarter!" In a few seconds the ditch was filled with men, eager to scale the wall now but thirty feet distant. At this critical moment, a sheet of flame burst from the masked cannon. Fearful was its execution. The ditch was filled with dead and dying. A galling fire of musketry from the walls completed the discomfiture of the enemy. A retreat was ordered, and before dawn the following day the whole army had disappeared. Their loss was estimated at 150, while the Americans had but one killed and seven wounded. The conduct of Croghan was readily explained to Harrison's satisfaction, and loudly applauded by his admiring countrymen. that led Harrison to suspend Croghan from command. What prevented any one from superseding him? On what day was the fort invested? By how many of the enemy? How did Croghan answer Proctor's summons to surrender? How did he reply to the enemy's cannonade? What conclusion did Croghan soon come to? How did he prepare to meet their assault? Give an account of the attack 1813] COMMODORE PERRY ON LAKE ERIE. 363 488. Commodore Chauncey's victorious pennon now floated over the broad waters of Ontario, but the enemy were still masters of Lake Erie; to Oliver H. Perry (a native of Rhode Island, then in his 28th year) was assigned the difficult task of wresting it from them. The U. S. had no efficient naval force on the lake; and Perry was obliged to build his own brigs from the trees that fringed its shores. Working with unremitting diligence, he soon had nine vessels, carrying in all 54 guns, ready for action. With this little fleet, early in August, he stood boldly out into the lake; and the British slowly retired before him. Their force, consisting of six vessels, mounting 63 guns, was commanded by Commodore Barclay, a veteran who had fought with Nelson at the Nile and Traf-al-gar', and had already lost an arm in the service of his country. Perry had never seen a naval battle. After proceeding to Sandusky Bay, where he was furnished with men by Gen. Harrison, Commodore Perry made for Malden, and displayed the American flag before the stronghold of the enemy. The British fleet seemed in no hurry to meet him. On an island in the Detroit River several thousand Indians had assembled, to witness the expected engagement. Mortified at the backwardness of his allies, Tecumseh rowed over to Malden in his canoe to see what was the matter. "You told us," said he to Proctor, "that you commanded the waters. Why do you not go out to fight the Americans? There they are, daring you to meet them." Proctor could hardly satisfy the impatient chief by telling him that 'the big canoes of his great father, King George, were not quite ready'. 489. On the 10th of September, Commodore Barclay bore and repulse. What completed the discomfiture of the enemy? What were they obliged to do? What was the loss on each side? 488. On what waters was Commodore Chauncey victorious? What task was assigned to Commodore Perry? Of what state was Perry a native? How old was he at this time? Where was he obliged to get his vessels? Describe the fleet which he soon had equipped. What did he do in August? What was the naval force of the British on the lake? By whom was it commanded? How was Perry furnished with the requisite number of men? For what place did he then make? What seemed to be the disposition of the British fleet? Who had assembled to witness the engagement? What passed between Tecumseh and Proctor? 489. What movement was made |