The opening scenes of the second, and last contest, between the
United States and Great Britain, were, to the former, disastrous in
the extreme. The apprehension long entertained, and, in the western
part of the Union, the openly avowed desire of a war with Spain, who
took little pains to conceal her dissatisfaction with the cession of
Louisiana,--and the protracted agitation of the various questions
in dispute with England and France; the two great powers contending
for the mastery, or, at least, the commercial supremacy in the
world,--had aroused, in some degree, the patriotic emotions of our
countrymen. The impressment of American seamen, the outrage on the
Chesapeake, the affair of the Little Belt, and the acts of violence
committed by the savages on the north-western frontier,--who were
prompted and encouraged by the agents of the British government,--had
also excited a war-spirit that needed but a breath to fan it into
a flame. Volunteer companies for improvement in discipline, were
everywhere formed; the regular military force of the nation was
augmented; and our chivalric young men sought eagerly for commissions
in the army.
But the declaration of war, on the 18th of June, 1812, found
the country almost entirely unprepared for hostilities.--Upon
whomsoever the blame may fall, the fact is too glaring to admit of
contradiction; and its consequences, at the outset, were signally
unfortunate.--The long line of sea-coast was in a defenceless
condition. The army was feeble in numbers, and feebler still in skill
and experience. The prominent officers of the Revolution were either
dead or superannuated, and recourse was had to those who had held
subordinate positions in that great struggle, under what proved to
be the mistaken notion, that they only could be relied on in such an
emergency. One reverse followed closely after another; and it was not
until a different policy prevailed, and younger, and more skilful and
enterprising officers, were placed at the head of the brave yeomen
who flocked around the American standard, that the tide of defeat
was turned. Among those who contributed to retrieve the disasters
of 1812 and 1813, and to terminate the war by a series of brilliant
achievements that elicited the applause of the nation, and enforced
admiration at home and abroad, was Major General JACOB BROWN.
[Sidenote: EARLY VICISSITUDES.]
General Brown was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the ninth
of March, 1775. His ancestors, for several generations, followed the
peaceful occupations of an agricultural life. George Brown, the first
of the family in this country, emigrated from England previous to the
establishment of William Penn on the Delaware, and was well known as
a man of strong and well-informed mind. His descendants resembled him
in character, and a number of them were, for many successive years,
prominent and influential members of the provincial government. With
few exceptions, they belonged to the Society of Friends. The early
associations, therefore, of General Brown, were not calculated to
awaken a desire for engaging in those warlike pursuits, in which he
subsequently acquired so much distinction.[1]
In the language of the inscription on the monument erected to his
memory, in the Congressional Cemetery, at Washington, he was “by
birth, by education, by principle, devoted to peace!” But the
fire of patriotism often burns the purest and the freest beneath
the plainest garb; and the heart warmed by the manly and generous
impulses which it quickens into existence, is easily moved by the
incentives that arouse the soldier’s ambition. Love of country,
where it is honest and sincere, will outweigh a thousand cold and
selfish considerations, and to him who cherishes it, in the hour of
danger, there is no post so acceptable as that which will secure the
protection of the land that gave him birth.
Samuel Brown, the father of Jacob, was a man of intelligence and
high character. He was liberal and enterprising, though not always
successful in his undertakings. He inherited a large and unincumbered
estate, which, with proper care and attention, yielded a very
respectable income; but, unfortunately, he was not content with the
moderate gains thus realized, and, with the hope of increasing them,
was induced to embark in commercial enterprises that wholly failed of
success. A total sacrifice of property was the consequence; and his
children were left to depend upon their own efforts and exertions to
make their way in the world.
At the time of his father’s failure, our hero was about sixteen
years of age; but, though still a mere youth, he was not unprepared
for practising that self-reliance which had now become a necessity
as well as a duty. So far from being dispirited, because he was
compelled to rely upon his own unaided resources, he nerved himself
manfully for the task before him, determined, if possible, to
secure the rewards of honest and industrious enterprise. The evil
consequences of a hasty and unwise act were brought home to him in
such a manner, that he could not well forget them; and thus it was
in after years, that caution and prudence were such conspicuous
features in his disposition. When he arrived at the age of eighteen,
he commenced teaching school at Crosswicks, New Jersey, and remained
there in that capacity, till he was twenty-one. While engaged in this
vocation,--in itself a noble school, and one that has served as the
introduction to a brilliant career of usefulness, to so many of our
most distinguished citizens,--he devoted all his leisure time, with
great assiduity, to the cultivation of his mind.
[Sidenote: TEACHES SCHOOL.]
After leaving Crosswicks, he spent two years in Ohio, in the
vicinity of Cincinnati, during which time he was employed in
surveying and laying out the public lands. On his return from
the west, he went to the city of New York, and, upon the urgent
solicitation of his friends, taught a public school for a few months.
This was in the year 1798--a most exciting period in the history of
the country. The depredations committed on the commerce of the United
States, the insults offered to our ministers by the French Directory,
and the arrogant tone of their Envoy and his agents, threatened
seriously to disturb the friendly relations which had formerly
existed between the two governments.
The political discussions of that day were animated and earnest
in their tone, and there were few possessing the capacity who did
not engage in them. Young Brown had constantly kept in view the
importance of disciplining and strengthening his mental powers, and
the magnitude of the questions, in relation to which parties were
then divided, was such, that he devoted a considerable portion of
his time to their examination. He was an active participant in the
debates which took place among his associates, and wrote several
essays, that were published in the city papers, and attracted the
favorable attention of that portion of his fellow-citizens whose
views coincided with those of the writer. While he remained in
New York, he commenced the study of the law, but, on discovering
that it was not congenial with his disposition or tastes, he
immediately abandoned it. These repeated changes in his occupation
were not caused by any indecision, or want of energy on his part,
but rather by the omission to seek a field where his active and
ardent temperament would have the opportunity to develop itself,
and his love of adventure find those projects better adapted to its
gratification.
[Sidenote: SETTLEMENT AT BROWNVILLE.]
In 1799, he purchased, at a low price, a large tract of land on the
borders of Lake Ontario, lying between the Black river and the St.
Lawrence, and embraced within the limits of the present county of
Jefferson. As soon as his arrangements were completed, he removed
thither, for the purpose of establishing himself and effecting a
settlement. At this time the country was rude and uncultivated,
and the first human habitation within thirty miles of the lake was
erected by him. The settlement that he founded, now a large and
flourishing village, was called Brownville, and the same name was
afterwards applied to the town in which it was located. Both the
village and town, and the county of Jefferson, are much indebted to
him for their prosperity and wealth. His activity and enterprise
were rewarded by pecuniary advancement; and his kindly disposition,
his integrity and intelligence, secured him a large share of
popularity. He was appointed to fill various public situations,
and acquired an extensive influence in his own immediate vicinity,
and in the state at large. He was distinguished as an enlightened
and practical agriculturist, and for the ability and energy with
which he prosecuted such measures as were most likely to improve
the appearance and condition of the country. But these were not the
only commendable traits that deserve to be mentioned. After he had
effected the necessary improvements, he brought his parents to his
home in the wilderness, and having placed them in a comfortable
situation near him, to the end of his life did every thing in his
power to promote their happiness.
Though occasionally meeting with reverses and disappointments, his
firmness and perseverance never deserted him, and his unconquerable
resolution enabled him to overcome every obstacle that interfered
with the success of his plans.
In 1809, he received the appointment of colonel in the state militia,
and, in the following year, was promoted to the rank of brigadier
general. He had ever been fond of perusing works on military science,
and the certain prospect of a war with Great Britain now made him the
more anxious to prepare himself for the proper discharge of those
duties which he might be required to perform, as it was a favorite
wish with him, to acquit himself creditably in every position he
was called upon to fill. At the commencement of hostilities, in
the summer of 1812, he was placed in command of a brigade in the
first detachment of New York militia mustered into the service of
the United States, and the defence of the eastern frontier of Lake
Ontario, and the southern shore of the St. Lawrence, was intrusted to
him.
The line under the charge of General Brown extended from Oswego
to Lake St. Francis, a distance of nearly two hundred miles; and
throughout the greater portion of its extent, it was but thinly
inhabited. The exposed situation of the country, on account of its
proximity to the Canadian provinces, rendered the duty assigned
him as responsible as it was arduous; and the small force under
his command, and the inadequate supply of means at his disposal,
frequently occasioned vexation and embarrassment. Owing to the repeal
of the orders in council, and the temporary armistice entered into
between Sir George Prevost, Governor General of Canada, and Major
General Dearborn, the Commander-in-chief of the American forces, it
was late in the season before any action of importance took place on
the northern frontier of New York. Both the regular and the militia
officers were constantly employed, in the meantime, in organizing and
disciplining their respective commands.
After completing the organization of his brigade, General Brown fixed
his head-quarters at Ogdensburgh. On the twenty-first of September,
1812, Captain Forsyth, the immediate commander of the regular troops
at that post, was directed to cross the St. Lawrence, with a small
party, in pursuit of some prisoners whom the English had taken from
that vicinity. He was met by a superior force of the enemy, whom he
defeated. He then entered the village of Gananoque, and destroyed and
brought off a large quantity of military stores, together with some
prisoners.
[Sidenote: THE BRITISH ATTACK OGDENSBURGH.]
In retaliation for this successful exploit, the British commenced
a heavy cannonade upon Ogdensburgh, on the second of October, from
their batteries at Prescott, on the opposite side of the river. This
was continued for two days in succession, and on Sunday, the fourth
of October, they attempted to storm the town. For this purpose, about
six hundred men were embarked in forty boats. General Brown had
anticipated the attack, and collected together a force not far from
four hundred strong to resist it. As the enemy approached the shore,
he ordered his troops, whom he had advantageously posted along the
bank, to fire upon them. The command was obeyed with alacrity, and a
spirited contest was kept up for two hours. The British made several
ineffectual attempts to land; but the galling fire poured upon them
was too severe to be endured. Deceived and disappointed in regard to
the firmness of the militia, and the spirit and energy of the officer
who commanded them, they were at length compelled to retire across
the river to Prescott, having lost a number of men, and leaving one
of their boats in the hands of the Americans.
Frequent collisions occurred between small parties of the two armies,
in this quarter, during the autumn, and the following winter. Early
in February, 1813, a body of the enemy crossed the St. Lawrence in
pursuit of some deserters, and committed a number of wanton and
unprovoked outrages. Major Forsyth, then in command at Ogdensburgh,
determined, as the only mode of obtaining satisfaction, to make
an incursion into Canada. Passing over the river with a part of
his riflemen, and a number of militia, many of the latter being
volunteers for the occasion, in all about two hundred men, he
surprised the guard at Brockville, captured the military stores, and
returned in safety, without the loss of a single man, bringing with
him fifty-two prisoners, among whom were eight officers.
In return for this second affront, the British attacked Ogdensburgh
in force, being near twelve hundred strong, under Colonel Frazier,
on the twenty-second of February. Major Forsyth, in connection
with Colonel Benedict, of the New York militia, made a gallant
defence; but they were finally forced to fall back into the interior,
before the superior numbers of the enemy. The latter destroyed
two schooners, two gunboats, and the soldiers’ barracks, and then
retired across the river. In consequence of this event, serious
apprehensions were entertained for the safety of Sacketts Harbor,
which had been selected as the principal naval and military dépôt on
the lake frontier, on account of the excellence of its harbor, and
prompt measures were taken for its security;--but the British made no
further attempts at invasion, during the winter.
[Sidenote: IS TENDERED A REGIMENT.]
The term for which he was called into service having expired soon
after the close of the campaign of 1812, General Brown returned
to his civil pursuits at Brownville. But the bravery and skill
which he had manifested in repelling the attack on Ogdensburgh,
had attracted the favorable notice of the national administration,
and they were unwilling to be even temporarily deprived of his
valuable services. Accordingly, the command of a regiment in the
regular army was tendered to him.--At the opening of hostilities,
extensive preparations had been made, and orders had been issued, for
the invasion of Canada; and it was confidently predicted that the
campaign would be signalized by the conquest of the two provinces.
The surrender of General Hull, the failure of the attempted invasion
under General Van Rensselaer, and the inaction of General Dearborn,
put an end to the brilliant hopes and expectations that had been
formed, and created a very general feeling of dissatisfaction in
regard to the manner in which the war had been carried on, and the
conduct of many of the principal officers of the army. As was quite
natural, General Brown shared in this feeling, and was unwilling to
enter the regular service if required to submit to a sacrifice of
rank. He therefore declined the appointment; but, at the same time,
acknowledging the duty of every good citizen to aid in the defence
of the country, he held himself in readiness to bestow his services,
voluntarily and gratuitously, in case they should be needed in any
emergency.
In the spring of 1813, the American fleet and land troops were
withdrawn from Sacketts Harbor, to cooperate in the reduction of York
and Fort George at the upper end of Lake Ontario. Lieutenant Colonel
Backus, of the 1st dragoons, was afterwards placed in command of the
post, whose garrison consisted of two hundred and fifty dragoons,
Lieutenant Fanning’s artillery, two hundred invalid soldiers, and
a few seamen. This was but a feeble force for the defence of the
important military stores collected at that point, and especially so,
because the batteries on the shore, and the vessels of war that were
left behind, had been dismantled of nearly all their heavy ordnance.
The commanding officer was active and vigilant, however, and he
had been instructed to communicate with General Brown, who resided
within eight miles of the Harbor, if an attack should be threatened.
The latter was not then in military command, but he was relied on
to rally the militia from the surrounding country, if it became
necessary. Signal guns were directed to be fired, on the approach of
a hostile force, in order to give the alarm with the least possible
delay, and such other preparations were made as were supposed to be
requisite.
On the evening of the twenty-seventh of May, the British fleet from
Kingston was discovered bearing in the direction of Sacketts Harbor,
by the small vessels under Lieutenant Chauncey, who had been sent
out to reconnoitre. The alarm guns were instantly fired, and a
messenger was also dispatched to General Brown with the information.
After issuing orders for the militia to assemble, he repaired to the
post of danger. The delay experienced by the enemy, in the attempt,
but partially successful, to capture a number of boats coming from
Oswego with troops, fortunately gave time to collect some five or
six hundred men: but not more than one thousand could be assembled,
in all, including the invalids. At the request of Lieutenant Colonel
Backus, who had been but a short time at the station, and was
unacquainted with the localities, General Brown took command of the
united force.
[Sidenote: ATTACK ON SACKETTS HARBOR.]
In the afternoon of the twenty-eighth, the hostile fleet, which
consisted of four ships, one brig, two schooners, two gunboats,
and thirty-three flat-bottomed boats, containing one thousand
picked troops, under Sir George Prevost and Commodore Sir James
Yeo, appeared in the offing. Under the orders of General Brown, a
breastwork was hastily, but skilfully thrown up, at the only point
where a landing could be readily effected,--the primeval forests
sweeping away, for miles on miles, in rear of the town, and on
either side of the opening leading down to the margin of the lake.
The militia, and the Albany volunteers, under Colonel Mills, who
had recently arrived, were posted behind the breastwork with a
field-piece. The regular troops, under Lieutenant Colonel Backus,
were stationed in a second line, in rear, and near the barracks and
public buildings. Lieutenant Fanning, with his artillerists, occupied
Fort Tompkins, at the barracks; and Lieutenant Chauncey and his men
were ordered to defend the stores at Navy Point.
During the night of the twenty-eighth, General Brown was constantly
on the alert. His men slept on their arms, while he and his officers
reconnoitred the shores of the lake. All was quiet, however, save the
mournful sighing of the breeze among the dark pines and hemlocks, the
tall oaks and maples, in the neighboring forests, and the constant
dashing of the tiny waves on the pebbly beach, till the early dawn
on the following morning. The British were then descried pushing
rapidly towards the landing in their small boats. As they approached,
the American militia appeared cheerful and animated, and betrayed no
symptoms of fear; on the contrary, they seemed anxious to participate
in the conflict.
The orders of General Brown were, to permit the enemy to come
within pistol shot, and then, taking deliberate aim, to open on
them vigorously with the field-piece and musketry. The first fire
was well-directed, and very destructive; the shot tearing and
crashing through the sides of the boats, knocking off the gunwales,
splintering the bowls of the oars, and killing and wounding several
officers and men. The British were thrown into confusion; their
advance was checked; and a few more rounds would undoubtedly have
terminated the engagement. But after firing the second round, the
militia, for the first time in action, were seized with a sudden
panic, and, in spite of the efforts of their officers, retreated in
disorder. Colonel Mills lost his life in the vain attempt to prevent
the retreat. General Brown succeeded in rallying about ninety men
belonging to the company of Captain McNitt, whom he formed in line
with the regulars, who maintained their position with spirit and
bravery.
Meanwhile Sir George Prevost had disembarked his troops on the beach,
and commenced his march towards the village. But the enemy now
encountered the most desperate opposition from the little band of
Americans who remained firm, encouraged by the presence of General
Brown, and the heroic example of the brave but unfortunate Backus,
who fell mortally wounded during the attack. Though compelled to give
way before superior numbers, they disputed every inch of ground, and
finally took possession of the barrack buildings. Here, partially
sheltered, they poured their galling volleys on the enemy; at the
same time, Lieutenant Fanning, though severely wounded, directed the
fire of his gun with remarkable precision and effect.
The British having made repeated efforts to dislodge the Americans,
without success, General Brown exhorted his men to continue the
defence of the position to the last extremity, while he made another
effort to rally the militia to their assistance. He then hastened
to overtake the fugitives. Having collected a large number of them
together, he earnestly addressed them, rebuking both officers and
men for their lack of courage, with such force and eloquence, that
many of them shed tears when he alluded to the brave conduct of the
regulars and volunteers, who, though strangers to the soil, were more
prompt to defend it, than they, its owners and occupants. He now
ordered them to form and follow him, declaring that he would punish
the first act of disobedience with instant death. Although his orders
were obeyed without reluctance, he was afraid to rely upon their
firmness in an open attack.
Being unwilling, therefore, to meet the enemy with the troops whom
he had just rallied, General Brown determined to effect by stratagem
what he was fearful he could not otherwise accomplish. Directing the
militia to pass through the edge of the forest, in sight of the field
of battle, as if affecting to conceal the movement, he marched them
by a circuitous route towards the place of landing. The British,
suspecting an attempt to turn their flank and capture their boats,
became alarmed, and made a precipitate retreat, leaving behind
them all their killed, a number of their wounded, and thirty-five
prisoners. They were suffered to re-embark without serious
molestation, though a dropping fire was kept up till they were out of
reach. After retiring to his shipping, Sir George Prevost demanded
the surrender of the town, which was promptly refused. All danger had
now passed, as reïnforcements were rapidly coming in, and the British
commander subsequently modified his demand into a request that his
killed and wounded might be properly cared for, and then returned,
quite crest-fallen, to the Canada shore.
While the action was at its height, a false report reached Lieutenant
Chauncey, to the effect that the American troops had been defeated,
and were about to surrender; whereupon, in compliance with his
orders, he set fire to the stores and shipping, to prevent their
falling into the hands of the enemy. The flames were afterwards
extinguished, but not until more damage had been done than had been
effected by the British soldiery. The loss of the enemy in this
affair was very severe; their total of killed, wounded, and taken
prisoners, being about four hundred and fifty. The Americans lost
twenty-two killed, eighty-four wounded, and twenty-six missing.
The gallant defence of Sacketts Harbor laid the foundation of the
military fame of General Brown. As a reward for the tact, courage,
and promptitude, which he had exhibited, he was appointed, in the
ensuing month of August, a brigadier general in the regular army.
In this capacity he accompanied General Wilkinson, who had been
appointed to succeed General Dearborn, in his unsuccessful expedition
down the St. Lawrence. General Brown was sent forward to take command
of the advance, at French Creek, which had been fixed upon as the
place of rendezvous for the various detachments composing the Army
of the Centre. On the first, and again on the second of November, a
British Squadron, with a large force of infantry, attacked the troops
who had already arrived there; but, on each occasion, they were
repulsed by the fire of a battery of three 18-pounders, skilfully
managed by Captains McPherson and Fanning. After many delays, General
Wilkinson embarked from French Creek with his whole force, amounting
to near seven thousand men, on the sixth of November, General Brown
being placed in command of the second brigade. In the evening they
arrived a few miles above the British batteries at Prescott. The
main body of the army, carrying with them their powder and fixed
ammunition, now landed, and moved round to a point on the river below
the enemy’s batteries.
[Sidenote: EXPEDITION DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE.]
The commander-in-chief, taking advantage of a dense fog which came on
early in the night, endeavored to pass down the stream, in his boat,
unobserved; but the fog rising before he had effected the passage,
the enemy discovered him, by the light of the moon, and opened their
fire. General Brown was in the rear, in charge of the flotilla,
consisting of three hundred boats; and, upon discovering that the
British were on the alert, he concluded to halt till the moon had
set. He then gave orders for the flotilla again to get under way. The
movement was discovered, however, and for three hours the American
flotilla was exposed to a heavy fire from the guns of the enemy; yet
such was the foresight and vigilance of General Brown, that not a
single boat suffered the slightest injury, and but one man was killed.
On the seventh, the army continued its progress down the river,
preceded by an advanced corps of twelve hundred men, under Colonel
Macomb, who were ordered to remove the obstructions in the stream,
and drive the light parties of the enemy occupying the commanding
points on its northern bank. The flotilla arrived at the White House
on the eighth of November, and General Brown was then ordered forward
with his brigade, to reïnforce Colonel Macomb and take command of
the advance. Clearing the bank of the river as he proceeded, he
arrived on the ninth instant, at the head of the _Longue Sault_,
without the occurrence of any incident of unusual moment. In the
morning of the tenth he continued his march, and soon became engaged
with a strong party posted at a blockhouse near the rapids, who were
handsomely driven off by the rifles under Major Forsyth.
In the meantime the British troops from Kingston had made their
appearance in the rear of the American army, and several skirmishes
had taken place. While General Brown was still separated from the
main body, General Boyd was ordered by the commanding general, to
face about and attack the enemy, with the remaining troops on shore.
An action was consequently hazarded on the eleventh of November, in
Chrystler’s fields near Williamsburg, which terminated in no decisive
result; the British retiring to their encampments, and the Americans
to their boats, each with the loss of over four hundred men. Without
being further molested by the enemy, General Wilkinson continued the
descent of the river to St. Regis, at which point he expected to be
joined by General Hampton, with the Army of the North. Owing to the
want of harmony and concert of action between the two generals, a
junction was not effected; the reduction of Montreal,--understood
to have been the object of the expedition,--was abandoned; and, on
the thirteenth of November, General Wilkinson retired into winter
quarters at French Mills, now Fort Covington, in the forks of the
Salmon river.
The capture of York and Fort George, and the successful operations
of the North-western army in the early part of the season, had
raised the public expectation to the highest pitch. Every thing
was hoped from the expedition under General Wilkinson, for which
extensive preparations had been made. The Secretary of War, General
Armstrong, in person superintended the movement, yet it was attended
with complete failure. The feeling of dissatisfaction thereby
engendered, was not confined to the rank and file of the army, but
extended throughout the nation. The expedition had attracted a more
than ordinary degree of attention; and, although the censures of
the public were mainly confined to those who were alone responsible
for its unfortunate issue, all connected with it, both officers
and soldiers, felt themselves, to a greater or less extent, the
objects of reproach. The tendency of this feeling was to produce
disaffection, even where it did not already exist; to discourage the
troops; and to impair, if not to destroy, their efficiency.
[Sidenote: APPOINTED A MAJOR GENERAL.]
Soon after the retirement of the army into winter quarters, the
command devolved on General Brown, in consequence of the sickness
of General Wilkinson, and the absence of the other senior officers.
Early in the year 1814, he was promoted to the rank of major general,
and, in connection with the able and efficient officers under his
orders, immediately applied himself to the work of reviving and
perfecting the discipline of the troops, and restoring their _esprit
du corps_.
The brilliant achievements of the heroic soldiers who rallied around
the eagle standard of Napoleon, and followed it, reckless of danger
and peril, to battle and to death, had awakened impulses that
prompted to like acts of daring; and it only required, among the
American troops, the presence of a gallant and chivalrous commander
to inspire that enthusiasm, and enkindle that patriotic ardor,
which were sure to accomplish the same results. General Brown was
a soldier by nature. His devotion to his profession assumed the
character of a romantic attachment. Foremost in every thought, was
a desire to redeem the honor of the flag that waved above him, and
to achieve something worthy to be recorded, side by side, with the
storied annals of the Revolution. His less fortunate contemporary,
“whose glorious name might turn a coward brave”--the accomplished
Ney--though the leader of mightier armies, and the hero of prouder
fields, was neither more brave, nor more highly gifted with those
qualities which are necessary to constitute a great and a successful
warrior.
The withdrawal of the greater part of the troops on the Niagara
frontier, for the expedition down the St. Lawrence, left it almost
defenceless. Fort George, in Canada West, was evacuated by General
McClure who had been left in command; but, before crossing the
river, exceeding his orders, he directed the village of Newark to be
burned. In retaliation for this act, which was promptly disavowed by
the American government, Fort Niagara was surprised on the night of
the eighteenth of December, 1813, and its whole garrison, of near
three hundred men, principally invalids, with the exception of a
small number who made their escape, were put to the sword. Lewiston,
Manchester, Youngstown, Buffalo, and the village of the Tuscaroras,
many of whom had entered the service of the United States, were
burned, and the whole frontier laid waste. It was therefore
determined to remove the principal seat of war to that quarter,
during the approaching campaign, and about the middle of February,
1814, the American army abandoned their cantonments at French Mills,
in two columns;--one marching to Sacketts Harbor, and subsequently
proceeding to Buffalo, under General Brown, and the other towards
Lake Champlain, under Generals Wilkinson and Macomb, for the purpose
of making a diversion in favor of the contemplated operations on the
Niagara.
[Sidenote: DUTIES OF HIS NEW OFFICE.]
The column under General Brown reached Buffalo in March, where it
was joined by the new volunteer levies. Having directed a camp of
instruction to be established, for drilling the troops, and the
regimental and company officers, he went back to Sacketts Harbor,
to complete the arrangements for the effectual cooperation of the
naval force on Lake Ontario, under Commodore Chauncey. The spring of
1814 opened gloomy and inauspicious for the American cause. Party
spirit ran high; the country was laboring under severe pecuniary
embarrassments; bitter complaints were uttered in some quarters;
and in numerous instances the measures of the administration were
thwarted, and its plans defeated. The temporary suspension of
hostilities, on the European continent, left Great Britain at liberty
to employ a larger portion of her army and navy in carrying on
the war against the United States. It was now announced, that she
intended to prosecute a vigorous system of offensive measures; to
plunder and devastate our sea-coast; and desolate our frontiers with
fire and sword. When her designs were understood on this side of the
Atlantic, our citizens, with few exceptions, forgot, for the time,
their political prejudices, and rallied with enthusiasm in support of
the government. At no time during the war was the country provided
with a suitable military establishment; collections, therefore, were
now made in the principal towns and cities, and large numbers of
volunteers were equipped, and means furnished for their support, by
voluntary contribution.
Fortunately, too, at this important crisis, there were such men as
Brown, Jackson, and Macomb, to take command of our armies, and lead
them on to victory. General Brown returned to Buffalo in June, and
resumed the command of the army, which consisted, at this time, of
the regular brigades under Generals Scott and Ripley, and a brigade
of volunteers, with a few Indians, under Generals Porter and Swift.
Notwithstanding his utmost exertions, he was unable to take the field
with his command before the first of July. It was then determined
to cross the river and capture Fort Erie, in the expectation that
the British would be compelled to abandon Fort Niagara, and fall
back on their posts on the head of the lake. During the night of the
second instant, General Brown embarked his troops, but little more
than three thousand strong, at Black Rock; and early in the morning
of the third, General Scott landed below the fort with his brigade,
and a battalion of artillery under Major Hindman, and General
Ripley, with his brigade, above. The commanding general followed
with the volunteer forces,--and a party of Indians were sent round
through the woods in rear of the enemy’s position. The fort was soon
invested, and a battery of heavy guns planted in a position that
completely commanded its defences. Without awaiting the threatened
assault, after firing a few guns, the garrison, to the number of one
hundred and seventy men, surrendered themselves prisoners of war.
[Sidenote: BATTLE OF CHIPPEWA.]
The main body of the British troops in the immediate vicinity of the
river, amounting to over three thousand men, under Major General
Riall, occupied an intrenched camp at Chippewa, about two miles above
the Falls. Leaving a small garrison in Fort Erie, General Brown
advanced, on the day after its reduction, against the position of
General Riall. The brigade of General Scott, which, with Captain
Towson’s battery, formed the advance, had a running fight, for
sixteen miles, with the 100th regiment, commanded by the Marquis of
Tweedale, and finally drove it across the Chippewa Creek. In the
evening, the whole army encamped on the south bank of Street’s Creek,
the bridge over which had been destroyed by the Marquis, within two
miles of the enemy’s works. Between this stream and the Chippewa, lay
the broad plain on which the sanguinary engagement of the following
day took place. On the east were the waters of the Niagara, speeding
along in their arrowy flight, to the cataract beyond; and on the west
was a dense forest of oaks, and beeches, and maples, extending for
several miles into the interior.
At an early hour on the morning of the fifth of July, the British
light troops, consisting of Canadian militia and Indians, who were
posted in the woods on the left, commenced making attacks on the
American pickets placed on that flank, and small parties of the enemy
occasionally appeared in the open plain in front. The commanding
officer of one of the pickets having made a hasty retreat, and left
one of his men wounded upon the ground, he was ordered instantly to
give up his command, and another officer was directed to take charge
of his party, and bring off the wounded man, which was accomplished
without loss. General Brown could never look with complacency on a
breach of discipline, or violation of orders; and when accompanied
with anything that bore the appearance of cowardice, it was sure to
be visited, not merely with an indignant rebuke, but with summary
punishment. He would tolerate the presence of no officer with the
army, who could forget, under any circumstances, the honor of the
profession to which he belonged. It is due to the officer referred
to, to remark, that he was permitted to engage in the battle as a
volunteer, and discharged his duty manfully. He was afterwards tried
by a court-martial, and honorably acquitted.
General Brown was anxious to bring on an engagement with the
enemy, and, in order to effect this object, or, if that were found
impossible, to put an end to the annoying fire of their skirmishers,
he directed General Porter to fetch a circuit through the forest
with the volunteers and Indians, and cut off their retreat; and the
advanced parties were ordered to fall back before the fire of their
opponents, and thus favor the movement. About four o’clock in the
afternoon, General Porter encountered the light companies of the
Royal Scots and the 100th regiment, in the woods, and drove them
back upon the Chippewa, where they met the whole British column,
under General Riall, who had anticipated the intentions of General
Brown, and was now rapidly approaching, with the hope of finding the
Americans unprepared for his reception.
The commanding general had accompanied the volunteers, but, on
hearing the roar of the artillery, and discovering the clouds of dust
rising in the vicinity of Chippewa bridge, he returned to camp, and
ordered General Scott to advance forthwith, with the first brigade
and Towson’s battery, and engage the enemy on the open plain, while
he brought up the second brigade, under General Ripley, to act at
whatever point it might be needed. The order was executed with all
possible speed. The troops under General Scott dashed across the
creek, and through the clumps of bushes fringing its bank, under a
galling fire of musketry and artillery, and were soon enveloped in
the wreaths of sulphureous smoke rising over the battle field; their
shouts and cheers, borne merrily on the breeze, and the deep-toned
thunder of their artillery, and their sharp rattling volleys,
announcing the spirit and eagerness with which they entered into
the contest. Meanwhile the British light troops had rallied, and
compelled the volunteers of General Porter, in turn, to give way.
The left flank of Scott’s brigade, therefore, became much exposed;
and the 21st infantry, forming part of General Ripley’s brigade,
which had been held in reserve, was detached to gain the rear of the
enemy’s right flank. The greatest exertions were made to reach their
position in time, but in vain; for such was the impetuosity of the
attack made by General Scott, that the battle was fought, and the
victory won, before they had time to participate in the conflict.
After the retreat of the volunteers, the 25th infantry, commanded
by Major Jesup, on the extreme left of Scott’s brigade, in the
forest, was warmly pressed in front and in flank, being exposed to a
withering tempest of musket balls that was fast thinning their ranks;
but, at this critical period, their brave leader gave his well-known
order,--“Support arms--forward march!”--Men who could advance without
faltering in such fearful peril were not to be resisted. Having
gained a more favorable position, they returned the fire of the
enemy, with interest, and in a few minutes compelled them to seek
safety in flight.
[Sidenote: THE VICTORY AND ITS RESULTS.]
In the other part of the field, equal zeal and gallantry were
displayed. The strife was bloody and fiercely contested on both
sides, but of short duration. A warm fire was kept up for about an
hour, when the enemy’s artillery was silenced; but their infantry
were now ordered to move forward with charged bayonets. As they
advanced, a raking fire was poured upon them from Towson’s guns,
which Scott had posted in the road to Chippewa, and this was
followed, almost instantly, by a destructive volley from the 9th
and 11th infantry, thrown forward on their outer flanks, and that
tremendous charge which scattered the pride of the English soldiery
like chaff before the wind.[2] The enemy’s whole line now wavered
and broke, and they were hotly pursued to their intrenchments. Here
the advance of the victors was checked by the batteries which opened
their fire. General Brown had already hastened forward with the
reserve, and joined in the pursuit. He at once decided to force the
British position, which was well fortified, having a heavy battery
on one flank, and a strong block-house on the other. The ordnance
was brought up for the purpose, but, as the hour was late, and the
men burning with thirst, and wearied with the fatigues of the day,
upon consulting with his officers, it was concluded to retire to camp
rather than hazard what had been gained by an attack which might
terminate in a disastrous repulse.
The number of troops actually engaged in this battle, on the side
of the British, was not far from twenty-one hundred: the American
force was about nineteen hundred. The loss of the enemy, according to
the official report of the action, was one hundred and thirty-eight
killed, and three hundred and sixty-five wounded and missing. Of the
Americans there were sixty killed, and two hundred and sixty-seven
wounded and missing.
This auspicious opening of the campaign, in a quarter, too, which
had previously witnessed so much of defeat and disgrace, was
hailed with acclamations of joy, in the farthest borders of the
Union. Resolutions of thanks and congratulations were liberally
showered on the American commander, and his brave officers and
soldiers. No doubt, the associations connected with the anniversary
of Independence were of invaluable service in encouraging and
inspiriting his troops; still he was none the less deserving of
commendation, for wisely availing himself of the emotions which the
recollections of that day were calculated to arouse. But the victory,
in itself, was one of which all who participated in it might well
be proud. Exposed to the fierce radiance of a summer’s sun, with
inferior numbers, they had met and vanquished disciplined troops,
familiar with every art and device of war, and who had often fought
and conquered, with Wellington, in the Spanish Peninsula. The battle
took place in an open field; the enemy had selected their position;
and the contest was determined solely by the superior bravery and
skill of their opponents. The weapon, also, that decided the fate
of the day, had for years been the Briton’s pride and boast. To the
bayonet he had arrogantly pointed, as “the test of invincibility,”
and the sure and certain resource when all other means proved
unavailing; but courage and presumption went down together, before
the shock of the glittering steel, that flashed back the rays of
the blazing orb whose parting effulgence lingered around the spot
hallowed by the recent triumph of American valor, and the success of
the American arms!
After their defeat at Chippewa, the British were unwilling to hazard
another action. On the eighth of July, General Ripley, who had been
detached by General Brown for that purpose, forced his way over the
Chippewa Creek, about three miles above the enemy’s camp; whereupon,
General Riall, though he had been reïnforced by another regiment,
abandoned his works, which were occupied by General Brown that
evening. On the following day the British commander continued his
retreat to Twenty-mile Creek.
[Sidenote: SKIRMISHING.]
General Brown followed closely the retrograde movement of the British
army, and encamped at Queenstown, or Queenston, as it is now usually
written, where he remained for several days, awaiting the arrival
of some heavy guns, and the rifle regiment, which he had ordered
from Sacketts Harbor. On the twelfth instant, a reconnaissance of
the works at Fort George, preparatory to an investment, was made
by General Swift, with a detachment of volunteers, one hundred and
twenty in number. A picket guard were surprised and taken; but, after
their surrender, one of the prisoners turned and shot the general
through the body. This cowardly act exasperated his men to such a
degree, that they attacked a patrolling party who now made their
appearance, alarmed by the report of the piece, with great gallantry,
and succeeded in driving them into the fort. They then returned to
camp, bringing with them their expiring commander, who died in a few
hours.
On the eighteenth instant Lieutenant Colonel Stone was detached with
a small volunteer force to dislodge a party posted four miles west of
Queenston, near the village of St. David’s, who were lying in wait
to attack the reconnoitering parties of the American army. The party
was routed and driven in to the main body, with commendable alacrity
and zeal; but after the action, the village was set fire to, and
burned, by some of the volunteers, without the orders or knowledge,
as was alleged, of the officer commanding the expedition.--It had
long been a favorite idea, and very properly so, with the American
authorities, to conciliate the Canadian people. The latter were
assured by the invading forces, on this as on other occasions, that
they came “to conquer, but not to destroy;” and strict orders had
been issued against the commission of any outrages upon the persons,
or property, of private citizens. General Brown regarded the officer
in command of the detachment as being responsible for this glaring
violation of duty, inasmuch as it was scarcely possible for the act
to have been committed, except through negligence or connivance on
his part; and, on the following morning, he issued a peremptory order
directing him to retire forthwith from the army.
This prompt mode of dismissal occasioned considerable remark in
military circles, and was pronounced, by many, an unwarranted
assumption of authority. Under ordinary circumstances, it would
certainly have been regarded as an usurpation of power that ought not
to be tolerated; but the situation of the army was peculiar--they
were in an enemy’s country, and the neutrality of the inhabitants was
absolutely essential to the accomplishment of their paramount object,
that of dislodging the enemy from the peninsula. An outrage of this
character could not remain unnoticed, and a delay, even of a few
days, in meting out the appropriate punishment, might put an end to
all the hopes and expectations of the campaign. The case, therefore,
was one that required immediate action, and, though General Brown
was always careful not to infringe the rights of other officers
unnecessarily, whether above or beneath him in rank, he never shrank
from any responsibility, or hesitated in the performance of any duty.
His course, however harsh it may seem, was approved by President
Madison, who was never fond of the exercise of doubtful powers,--and
by Mr. Monroe, then his Secretary of State, in a letter addressed to
Admiral Cochrane.
Daring reconnaissances of Forts George and Niagara were made by
Generals Porter and Ripley, and it was then decided at a council of
war, to attack these posts, instead of following up the retreating
forces under General Riall. On the thirteenth of July, General Brown
had written a pressing letter to Commodore Chauncey, informing him
of his situation, and requesting him to hasten forward the ordnance
and the reïnforcements, which were to be transported in the vessels
under his command, and inviting his coöperation in a combined attack,
by land and water, on the forts at the mouth of the Niagara. No
answer to this letter was received till the following September, in
consequence of the illness of Commodore Chauncey.
[Sidenote: EFFORTS TO BRING ON ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT.]
While in this state of suspense, the General decided to make a
demonstration on Fort George, and to attempt to draw the enemy out
into the open field. The inactivity which had prevailed since the
previous battle was no longer to be endured;--and on the twentieth
instant, he advanced with his whole army, drove in the enemy’s
outposts, and encamped near Fort George, in the expectation that
General Riall would be drawn from his position, and offer him battle.
Disappointed in this, he returned to Queenston on the twenty-second,
and on the ensuing day he received a letter by express, from General
Gaines, then in command at Sacketts Harbor, informing him that that
port was blockaded by a strong naval force,--the enemy now having the
ascendancy on the lake,--and that Commodore Chauncey was seriously
ill with a fever.
This information materially changed the aspect of affairs. The
artillery and reïnforcements, upon which he had confidently
calculated, were no longer to be expected; and his future
operations must be conducted entirely independent of them. Other
Generals, perhaps equally as brave as himself,--and the history
of modern warfare furnishes numerous examples in support of the
assertion,--would have suspended all further efforts, or ordered
an inglorious retreat, relying, for their justification, on the
neglect of the government to provide the means and supplies
which they desired. But, among the other valuable traits in his
character, General Brown possessed that highest quality of the
soldier--fertility of invention and resource. If the force placed at
his disposal was not sufficient to accomplish a favorite project, the
energies of his mind were at once employed in achieving something
besides, that would redound to the credit of the country, and the
honor of her flag. With his little army of three thousand men he had
crossed the Niagara, and established himself on British soil; there
he was determined to remain, and dispute its possession with the
enemy, while there was a single chance, or hope of success, still
left to cheer and encourage his brave and devoted band!
Being without the heavy guns necessary for an attack on Fort George,
General Brown was forced, though much against his will, to abandon
his designs on that post. But he was anxious, nevertheless, to
bring on another engagement with General Riall; and, influenced by
this desire, continued his feigned retreat up the river, on the
twenty-fourth, recrossed the Chippewa, and encamped. If this movement
failed to draw the enemy from their position, he designed to make a
rapid march on Burlington. About noon on the twenty-fifth, while his
men were busily engaged in making preparations for the march, he was
informed that the British appeared in considerable force on Queenston
heights; that four of their vessels had arrived during the previous
night at the mouth of the Niagara; and that a number of boats were
moving up the stream. A few minutes later he received the further
information, which proved to be incorrect, that the enemy had landed
one thousand men at Lewiston, and were threatening his baggage and
stores at Schlosser.
[Sidenote: BATTLE OF NIAGARA.]
The troops were instantly ordered under arms, and in twenty minutes
General Scott was on the road to Queenston with his brigade, Towson’s
artillery, and a troop of dragoons. About two miles from the American
camp, and within a short distance of the Falls, he learned that the
enemy were in force in his front, separated from view only by a
narrow piece of wood. Having dispatched Assistant Adjutant General
Jones, to General Brown, with the intelligence, he held on his march,
and in a short time discovered the British army, treble his own force
in numbers, strongly posted on Lundy’s Lane, which led up from the
Falls to Beaver Dams. Regardless of the great disparity between the
two armies, General Scott promptly made his dispositions for battle,
fully determined to maintain his ground till the reserve came up. As
the head of his column cleared the wood on the brink of the cataract,
whose low deep thunder was echoed by the enemy’s artillery, which
immediately opened its fire, it was encircled by the rainbow that
spanned the boiling Phlegethon beside it. Like the cross that infused
new ardor into the soldiers of Constantine, this was regarded as the
omen, the sure presage of victory. With their sabres and bayonets
gleaming in the rays of the setting sun, and their faces glowing with
“The stern joy which warriors feel,
In foemen worthy of their steel,”
the Americans now deployed in line on the left of the Queenston road.
Major Jesup was thrown forward on the right with his regiment, and
Captain Towson was posted on the left opposite the enemy’s artillery.
All were elated with their recent victory, and animated by the best
spirit. Undismayed by the terrible fire which they encountered, they
advanced firmly and steadily against the closely serried columns of
the enemy.
The British position was well chosen. They had seized a commanding
eminence at the head of Lundy’s Lane, upon which their battery
of nine guns was planted, and swept the field of battle with an
incessant torrent of cannon balls. Their forces, at first engaged,
consisted of the whole army under General Riall, who had marched
down from his position, directly to the Falls, with the expectation
of meeting Lieutenant General Drummond at this point. The latter
had arrived at the mouth of the Niagara on the evening of the
twenty-fourth, with large reïnforcements, collected at Kingston and
various other points on the lake, and was hastening as rapidly as
possible to join General Riall. He arrived on the ground shortly
after the commencement of the action, accompanied by his men, and
assumed the command of the united force, now between four and five
thousand strong.
[Sidenote: INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE.]
General Scott and his men held their ground manfully, till the
arrival of General Brown, who had hurried forward with his suite, in
advance of the brigades of Generals Ripley and Porter, as soon as the
firing was heard. Meanwhile the 11th and 22nd infantry, under Colonel
Brady and Major McNeil, both of whom were severely wounded, having
expended their ammunition, were withdrawn from action, and the whole
brunt of the battle in front, was sustained by the 9th infantry,
commanded by Major Leavenworth. With unswerving courage this regiment
resisted every effort of the enemy, though with the loss of half
their number, until their opponents suspended the attack. General
Riall was deceived by the obstinacy of their resistance, and as it
was impossible to distinguish objects with any precision in the
gloaming, he supposed the entire American army was engaged, and was
therefore content to wait for General Drummond to come up with the
reïnforcements.
For a few moments the roar of battle was hushed, and the silence
was only broken by the unceasing murmur of the cataract, and the
groans of the wounded and the dying. During the temporary suspension
of the fire, General Ripley, with his brigade and the remainder
of the artillery under Major Hindman, and the volunteers under
General Porter, arrived upon the ground. With these fresh troops
General Brown formed a new alignment, to cover the exhausted
command of General Scott, who fell back behind their comrades. The
respite was of brief duration, and the action was soon renewed with
increased warmth. Wider and wider reverberated the deep echoes of
the artillery; higher and higher rose the sharp, continued roll of
musketry; loud was the Briton’s cheer, and louder yet the answering
shout of defiance!
Captain Towson had failed to make any impression on the enemy’s
battery, though his guns were skilfully and actively directed; and
on the renewal of the engagement, under the advice of Major McRee,
the senior engineer officer, General Brown determined to carry
the eminence on which it was posted, at the point of the bayonet.
The execution of this enterprise was intrusted to Colonel Miller
with the 21st infantry. The reply of the gallant colonel, when he
received the order to advance, from General Ripley, is memorable in
history--“_I will try, sir!_” said the intrepid soldier.[3] The trial
was made,--nor made in vain. Supported by the 23rd infantry under
Major McFarland, while the 1st infantry, under Colonel Nicholas,
which had joined the army that day, was left to receive the enemy’s
fire in front, Colonel Miller moved up the hill through a raging
flood of missiles. The 1st staggered under the tremendous fire
to which it was exposed, the 23rd faltered, but the brave 21st,
following their heroic leader, rushed up the height with accelerated
speed. On reaching the summit they paused an instant, and then
rushed forward with shouts and cheers. The British troops had fought
bravely, for they were anxious to wipe out the discredit of their
late defeat. The cannoniers were transfixed at their posts, and for
a few seconds there was a fierce contest fought hand to hand, over
the loaded guns. But the daring onset of the Americans was not to be
resisted; the discipline of the British soldiery gave way before it;
their artillery was captured, and their routed columns, sullen and
discontented, retired slowly down the hill.
[Sidenote: GENERAL RIALL TAKEN PRISONER.]
Meanwhile Major Jesup had turned the enemy’s left with the 25th
infantry, and, favored by the darkness, had cautiously advanced in
their rear. A detachment from his command, under Captain Ketchum,
succeeded in reaching the place where Generals Drummond and Riall
were stationed with their suites. The former made his escape, but
the latter was taken prisoner with his staff. A large number of
prisoners, in addition, were captured by Major Jesup, and he then
moved to the left to attack the enemy in rear. Coming upon a body
of their troops posted in the Queenston road, about the time of the
capture of the battery, his men delivered their fire, as galling as
it was unexpected, and instantly dashed over the fence that separated
them. The enemy broke and fled, and, as the 1st and 23rd infantry had
been already rallied by the animated efforts of General Ripley, the
whole British line was now forced.
General Brown was prompt to improve the advantage he had gained, as
the British officers were heard encouraging their men for a desperate
effort to recover their cannon. While they were engaged in reforming
their broken masses under the hill, he advanced his line, placing the
captured guns in his rear; General Porter being on the extreme left
with his volunteers, General Ripley’s brigade occupying the centre,
and Major Hindman being stationed in the interval between the second
brigade and the 25th infantry, which was posted on the right of the
line. The first brigade, under General Scott, was held in reserve.
A gloomy and ominous silence prevailed for a short time, and it was
then interrupted by the lively strains of martial music, as the
British columns were again ordered to advance. General Drummond
had given his men but a few moments to recover from the effects of
their repulse. With great daring and intrepidity they marched up the
height, at double quick time, presenting an extended line outflanking
the Americans on both extremes. Within twenty yards of the crest of
the eminence, they poured forth their volleys, and prepared to rush
forward with their bayonets. In an instant the American line was one
blaze of fire. The enemy staggered; another volley, followed rapidly
by another, and still another, caused them to break and retire down
the hill in confusion, despite the exertions of their officers to
inspire them with confidence.
Another half hour passed in suspense, and again the measured tread
of the advancing columns was heard, as they rose the hill. The
Americans reserved their fire till it could be most effective, and
when the enemy came within range, the artillery of Major Hindman
once more pealed forth its brazen notes, and, as they pressed nearer
and nearer, the rattling musketry was added to the din. But the
constant shower of shot and ball poured upon them soon checked their
advance. For nearly half an hour they strove in vain to overcome the
firmness of the American troops. The contest was warm and animated;
and, during its continuance, General Scott, who had consolidated
his brigade into one battalion, under Major Leavenworth, made
two effective charges on the left and right of the British line,
in the latter of which he received two severe wounds, that soon
after obliged him to quit the field. General Brown was always where
his presence was needed--in the front of the battle. Heedless of
the exposure of his person, he was ever ready to utter words of
encouragement where symptoms of hesitation were manifested; to
commend every act of noble daring; and to arouse his men to further
exertions. His efforts were well seconded by the chivalric bearing
and the dauntless intrepidity of Scott and Ripley and Porter. Unable
to make head against the stern and unyielding resistance of the
American soldiers, General Drummond was a second time forced to draw
off his men.
[Sidenote: LAST EFFORTS OF THE ENEMY.]
The contest was not yet ended. Additional reïnforcements had joined
the enemy, and, after the lapse of another hour, their hesitating
columns were encouraged to make one more effort for the victory.
Regardless of the havoc made in their ranks, the British troops
advanced boldly under a withering fire. This time they gained the
summit of the hill, never pausing after they had delivered their
fire, and closed with their antagonists. The battle was now at its
height. The beams of the rising moon struggled vainly to penetrate
the murky pall that overhung the field of combat, but the darkness
was illuminated by the constant flashing of musketry and artillery.
Two lines of armed men, merged with each other, were seen surging
to and fro. The earth shook beneath their feet. Foot to foot, and
breast to breast, they fought. Locked in the death struggle, the
Briton and the American fell together. The green sward was soaked
with blood; it collected in pools in the ridges made by the ploughing
shot; and ran down in rivulets to mingle its crimson dyes with the
limpid waters of the Niagara.
General Brown had previously received a severe wound from a musket
ball which passed through his right thigh, and as he now moved to
the left of the American line, to encourage the volunteers to remain
firm, he was struck violently upon his left side by a missile of some
description. The blow nearly unhorsed him, and on meeting Colonel
Wood, he expressed his doubts as to his ability to keep the saddle.
“Never mind, my dear general,” was the reply, “you are gaining the
greatest victory that was ever gained by your nation!” Cheered by
these words, which indicated the spirit prevailing among his officers
and men, General Brown remained on his horse, giving his orders with
wonted firmness and promptitude. The American troops were sorely
pressed, but they were more than a match for their opponents. In vain
was every effort of the latter. The artillery on both sides was taken
and retaken during the struggle, but the British were finally forced
to yield the ground, leaving their guns in the hands of the Americans.
At midnight the contest terminated. The British made no further
effort to regain the position, but shrunk silently away in the
darkness. Faint from excessive pain and the loss of blood, General
Brown was now assisted from the field by his staff. General Scott
being also disabled, the command was assumed by General Ripley,
under whose directions the wounded were collected, and orders were
then issued for a return to camp. The artillery horses being all
killed, and there being no drag-ropes at hand, General Ripley very
reluctantly left the captured guns on the ground, having rolled the
smaller pieces down the hill. This circumstance was seized with
avidity by the British officers to give color to their claim that
they had defeated the American army, and it has frequently served a
similar purpose in the works of British writers. A few considerations
will show how utterly unfounded was this claim. The Americans
attacked their opponents in a position of their own selection. This
position they seized, and held against three daring and desperate
efforts to regain it. It was yielded, but yielded voluntarily; and
being without the means to remove the guns, General Ripley left them
on the field, and returned to the American camp unmolested. The
enemy remained nearer the battle-ground, as their tents and baggage
were directly in rear of their line; and when they discovered on
the following morning, that the guns had been abandoned, they took
possession of them without difficulty, there being no one to oppose
them.
[Sidenote: LOSSES OF THE TWO ARMIES.]
The truth is, that both parties sustained a severe loss in this
sanguinary conflict, and neither desired to renew it while the
odds were in favor of their antagonists. In the morning of the
twenty-sixth, General Ripley collected all the American troops fit
for duty, and with this force, which barely amounted to fifteen
hundred men, he sallied out to seek another contest with the enemy.
On approaching the field on which the action of the previous day had
been fought, he found them strongly posted in a still more favorable
position, slightly in advance of that formerly occupied. Becoming
satisfied that it would be unwise to attack a superior force under
such circumstances, he again returned to camp, and subsequently
retired to Fort Erie, the defences of which were immediately
strengthened and extended, in accordance with the instructions of
General Brown.
The British force engaged in the battle of Niagara, was little
short of five thousand; that of the Americans was nearly one third
less. The latter sustained the heaviest loss in killed and wounded,
however, on account of the galling severity of the British fire
previous to the capture of their guns. The Americans had seven
hundred and forty-three men killed and wounded, and the British six
hundred and forty-three. The latter lost two hundred and thirty-five
men taken prisoners, and the former one hundred and seventeen. The
aggregate loss of the British, therefore, was a trifle greater
than that of the Americans. Generals Brown and Scott, as has been
mentioned, were badly wounded; Generals Drummond and Riall, the
latter being likewise captured, also received severe wounds.
[Sidenote: ATTACK OF FORT ERIE.]
General Drummond did not offer to molest the American army in their
march to Fort Erie, or venture to make an attack on that post,
till the 3rd of August, when he had been reïnforced by General De
Watteville, with one thousand men. He then invested the fort, and
made preparations for its reduction. On the fifth of August, General
Gaines arrived from Sacketts Harbor, and assumed the command.
The enemy continued their approaches, and on the thirteenth and
fourteenth a heavy cannonade was kept up, which was followed by an
assault early in the morning of the fifteenth instant.[4] The work
was poorly calculated to withstand a siege, being nothing more than a
small redoubt, occupying the centre of an intrenched camp, of which
it formed the strong point. The enemy were, notwithstanding, repulsed
with great loss, by the gallantry and good conduct of General Gaines
and the officers and men under his command. During the siege General
Gaines was severely wounded by the bursting of a shell, and on the
twenty eighth instant, he retired to Buffalo, leaving General Ripley
in charge of the post.
Having partially recovered from his wounds, General Brown once more
resumed the command on the second of September. The defences of
Fort Erie had already suffered considerable injury from the enemy’s
fire, and the garrison were kept constantly at work repairing the
damages, and adding to the works. Frequent skirmishes took place, and
the cannonading on either side was maintained, at intervals, with
spirit and warmth. Reïnforcements were daily expected to arrive from
the army on Lake Champlain, but they did not make their appearance,
and it was soon evident that the post could not be held much longer
against the efforts of the enemy. General Brown fretted like an
imprisoned lion, and, on the seventeenth of September, discovering
that General Drummond had constructed another battery, that would
open a destructive fire on the following day, he planned a sortie,
which has been justly considered as the _chef d’œuvre_ of his
military career.
The infantry of the besieging force was divided into three brigades,
each containing twelve or fifteen hundred men, one of which was
stationed alternately in the works in front of the fort, for the
protection of the artillerists, and the other two occupied the main
camp about two miles in the rear. The circumvallation consisted of
two lines of intrenchments supported by blockhouses, in advance of
which the enemy had constructed their batteries. It was General
Brown’s intention “to storm the batteries, destroy the cannon, and
roughly handle the brigade on duty, before those in reserve could be
brought up.” The project was well conceived and admirably executed.
[Sidenote: SORTIE FROM FORT ERIE.]
At noon on the seventeenth, the troops intended to make the sortie
were paraded under arms. The sallying force was divided into two
columns; the left, commanded by General Porter, and consisting of the
rifles and a body of Indians under Colonel Gibson, the Pennsylvania
volunteers under Colonel Wood, the New York volunteers under General
Davis, and the 1st and 23rd infantry under Major Brooks, was ordered
to move cautiously upon the enemy’s right, by a circuitous road
previously opened through the woods; and the right, commanded by
General Miller, and consisting of the first brigade, was directed to
enter a ravine between the fort and the British lines, and advance
rapidly upon the enemy’s works as soon as General Porter became
engaged. General Ripley remained in reserve with the 21st infantry,
between the new bastions of the fort; his command, and that of
General Miller, being both out of view of the enemy.
The day was dark and lowering. A thick mist rested upon the lake and
river, and floated lazily along their banks. The clouds overhead were
surcharged with moisture, and sent down copious showers of rain.
Favored by these circumstances, the American columns gained their
positions unperceived. General Porter advanced with such celerity and
caution, that his men sprang upon the enemy’s pickets before they
were aware of his presence. As soon as the rapid volleys of General
Porter were heard, General Brown ordered General Miller to advance,
the head of his column being directed towards the interval between
batteries 2 and 3. Dashing forward at full speed, General Miller
reached the enemy’s line and pierced their entrenchments. The British
were taken by surprise, yet they fought bravely and well. The contest
was close and animated, but brief. Within thirty minutes after the
first gun was fired, batteries 2 and 3 were in possession of the
American troops, who swept every thing before them with the bayonet.
Battery number 1 was then abandoned by the enemy, and the Americans,
without loss of time, commenced the work of demolition. The British
guns were spiked or otherwise destroyed, their breastworks levelled,
and the magazine of battery number 3 was blown up.
General Ripley had now brought up the reserve, and was making
preparations for a demonstration on the enemy’s camp, when he
was disabled by a severe wound. The object of the sortie having
been accomplished, in the destruction, by a force of regulars and
volunteers, only two thousand strong, of the labors of four thousand
men for a period of near fifty days, General Miller ordered his men
to fall back to the ravine, and General Brown then directed all the
corps to return to camp with their prisoners, which was done in good
order. In this affair the Americans had eighty-three men killed, two
hundred and sixteen wounded, and there were two hundred and sixteen
missing. Three hundred and eighty-five of the enemy were taken
prisoners, and there were between four and five hundred killed and
wounded.
This daring sortie put an end to the leaguer. During the night of the
twenty-first of September, General Drummond broke up his camp, and
retreated to his intrenchments behind the Chippewa. Not long after,
General Izard arrived from Sacketts Harbor with large reïnforcements,
and on the twelfth of October, being the senior officer, he
superseded General Brown in the command. No further incident of
importance occurred, however, on this frontier. The gallant exploit
of the seventeenth of September was the appropriate _finale_ of a
bloody campaign, unsurpassed, during the war, for the display of
firmness, valor, and intrepidity. Leaving a sufficient garrison at
Fort Erie, General Izard moved down towards the Chippewa with the
remainder of his forces, and offered battle to the enemy, but they
declined leaving their intrenchments. A partial engagement took place
between detached corps on the nineteenth of October, which closed the
operations of the campaign; and early in November the American army
retired into winter quarters on the opposite side of the Niagara.
[Sidenote: HIS DECEASE.]
The treaty of Ghent, in December of this year, terminated the war,
and the services of General Brown in the field. Upon the reduction of
the army he was retained on the peace establishment, and placed in
command of the northern military division. In 1821 he was appointed
General-in-chief, and from that time till his death, which occurred
on the twenty-fourth of February, 1828, he resided at Washington.
The disease which terminated his life was superinduced by another
contracted at Fort Erie, from which he was never wholly exempt.
General Brown did not enter the military profession solely from
motives of patriotism, though these ever guided and governed his
conduct;--he was a soldier _con amore_! Early disciplined in the
school of adversity and trained to habits of self-reliance,--and
gifted with superior mental endowments, which had been carefully
cultivated,--he possessed that happy combination of faculties
and acquirements which rarely fails to achieve success. He was a
correct and thorough disciplinarian; industrious, methodical, and
indefatigable; brave, both physically and morally; stout in person
and strong of nerve; bold and energetic in carrying out his offensive
movements; firm, but cautious, when acting on the defence; sagacious
in council; and cool, calm, and collected, amid the roar of battle.
In the language of the general order announcing his decease to
the army--“Quick to perceive and sagacious to anticipate, prompt
to decide and daring in execution, he was born with the qualities
which constitute a great commander. His military _coup d’œil_,
his intuitive penetration, his knowledge of men and his capacity
to control them, were known to all his companions in arms, and
commanded their respect; while the gentleness of his disposition,
the courtesy of his deportment, his scrupulous regard to their
rights, his constant attention to their wants, and his affectionate
attachment to their persons, universally won their hearts, and bound
them to him as a father.”
The death of one so highly esteemed produced a deep impression, and
was sincerely lamented, not only by his brethren in arms, but by
all to whom he had become endeared in the relationships of private
life. Cut off in the vigor of manhood by a disease contracted in
the service of his country, she still treasures his memory as that
of one among the most honored of her sons. Like the amaranth, his
fame is enduring and imperishable; and while the ceaseless murmurs
of the cataract rise beside the battle-field of Niagara, his gallant
daring and determined courage will be gratefully remembered by his
countrymen.
[Illustration: EDMUND PENDLETON GAINES.]