the Americans. The wind being light all day, little progress was made against the current. By sun down, the British were off Twenty Mile Creek, and had got a considerable distance from the Americans. At daylight, the British were perceived at anchor. but as soon as they saw the American squadron, they weighed and made all sail to the west. The wind. was from south to southwest and squally. The American commodore made all sail in chase, and continued it the whole day. At sundown, the British could scarcely be perceived from the mast head of the American vessels. On the following morning the British fleet was out of sight. Commodore Chauncey then steered for the Ducks, with a view of intercepting the British fleet on its return, should it have gone down the lake. The wind increased to a strong gale from the northward and westward, and continued during the whole day. At three o'clock in the afternoon of the 5th, seven sail were discovered near the False Ducks. Sail was immediately made in chase by the American commodore, who took them for the British fleet. But in the course of an hour he ascertained them to be sloops and schooners. Signal was made by the commodore for the Sylph and Lady of the Lake to cast off the vessels they had in tow, and chase N. E. Soon after this the British were perceived separating on different tacks. The Governor Tompkins was now cast off by the Pike, and the commodore made all sail in chase with her, having left the American squadron in charge of captain Crane. At five o'clock in the afternoon the British set fire to one of their gun vessels that did not sail well, after having taken out her people. At sundown, and opposite the Real Ducks, the Hamilton, Confiance,* and Mary-Ann, struck to the Americans. The Sylph soon after captured the Drummond. The Lady Gore ran into the Ducks, but the Sylph being left to watch her, she was captured early the next morning. The only British vessel that escaped was the Enterprise, a small schooner. The British vessels captured were three gun vessels mounting from one to three guns each. They were transporting troops to Kingston. The number of prisoners amounted to two hundred and sixty-four, of whom two hundred and twenty-two were soldiers. The American fleet immediately after this affair, re turned to Sackett's harbour.+ * The Hamilton and Confiance; these two vessels had not long been captured from the Americans, as already related, and had been in the American service called the Growler and Julia † Clark's Naval History, vol. i. p. 222-232 DURING the summer of the year 1812, preparations were made on lake Champlain to oppose the naval force that might be sent by the British from Isle-au-Noix. Nothing very interesting occurred until the 3d of June, 1813. In consequence of some British gun boats having appeared on the American side of the line, the Growler and Eagle sailed from Plattsburgh on the 2d of June, under the command of lieutenant Smith, with the intention of attacking them. At dark on the same day, they arrived within a mile of the boundary line. On the following morning, at daybreak, three British gun boats were discovered, to which the American vessels immediately gave chase. But the wind being south, they unfortunately ran so far into the narrow channel, that they found it difficult to return. The Eagle not being sufficiently strong for her weight of metal, became unmanageable, and sunk in shoal water; her crew were however saved. The Growler continued engaged with a number of British gun boats until the Eagle went down, when she was compelled to yield to a superior force; the action continued above four hours. The shores were lined with British soldiers who from the narrowness of the channel were enabled to do considerable execution. About the commencement of August the British in two large sloops of war, three gun boats, and about forty batteaux full of troops crossed the line. They landed at Plattsburgh, where they destroyed all the public buildings and stores. After which they abandoned the place. The American naval force on lake Champlain consisted on the 20th of August of The President Commodore Preble Montgomery Guns. 12 11 11 6 2 6 Frances Two gun boats, one 18 pounder each 48 In the month of September, commodore Macdonough sailed from Burlington, to the lines, and offered the British battle; this they refused, and sailed out of the lake to the northward.* BATTLE OF PLATTSBURGH. On the 31st of August 1814, the advance of the British army under general Brisbane, entered Champlain, and encamped on the north side of the Great Chazy river, and on the same day major general * Clark's Naval History, vol. i. p. 232, 233. Mooers ordered out the militia of the counties of Clinton and Essex. The regiment from Clinton county, under lieutenant-colonel Miller, immediately assembled, and on the 2d September took a position on the west road near the village of Chazy; and on the 3d general Wright with such of his brigade as had arrived, occupied a position on the same road about eight miles in advance of Plattsburgh. On the 4th the enemy having brought up his main body to Champlain, took up his line of march for that place. The rifle corps under lieutenant-colonel Appling, on the lake road, fell back as far as Dead Creek, blocking up the road in such manner as to impede the advance of the enemy as much as possible. The enemy advanced on the 5th within a few miles of lieutenantcolonel Appling's position, and finding it too strong to attack, halted and caused a road to be made west into the Beekmantown road, in which the light brigade under general Powers advanced, and on the morning of the 6th, about seven o'clock, attacked the militia, which had at this time increased to nearly seven hundred, under general Mooers, and a small detachment of regulars under major Wool, about seven miles from Plattsburgh. After the first fire, a considerable part of the militia broke and fled in every direction. Many, however, manfully stood their ground, and, with the small corps of major Wool, bravely contested the ground, against five times their number, falling back gradually and occupying the fences on each side the road, till they arrived within a mile of the town, when they were reinforced by |