could be easily discovered, even after death, among the rest of the slain, for he wore no insignia of distinction. When girded with a silk sash, and told by General Procter that he was made a brigadier in the British service, for his conduct at Brownstown and Magagua, he returned the present with respectful contempt. Born with no title to command but his native greatness, every tribe yielded submission to him at once, and no one ever disputed his precedence. Subtle and fierce in war, he possessed uncommon eloquence. His speeches might bear a comparison with those of the most celebrated orators of Greece and Rome. His invective was terrible, as we had frequent occasion to experience, and as may be seen in the reproaches which he applied to Procter, a few days before his death, in a speech which was found amongst the papers of the British officers. His form was uncommonly elegant, his stature about six feet, his limbs perfectly proportioned. He was honorably interred by the victors, by whom he was held in much respect, as an inveterate, but a magnanimous enemy.

The loss of the Americans, in this engagement, was more than fifty killed and wounded, among whom was Colonel Whitely, a revolutionary soldier, killed. The loss of the British was nineteen killed, and fifty wounded. Six hundred were taken prisoners. Of the Indians, one hundred and twenty were left on the field. Several pieces of cannon, taken in the revolution, and which had been surrendered by General Hull, were trophies of this victory. General Procter fled when the charge was made, and escaped down the Thames, by means of fleet horses, though closely pursued. His carriage, together with his private papers, were captured.

CHAPTER XLIV.

WAR OF 1812.-Operations on the northern frontier-Wilkinson appointed to the command-Expedition against Montreal-Affair of Chrystler's Field-March of Hampton-Failure of the campaignNaval affairs on Lake Ontario-Burning of Newark-Capture of Fort Niagara-Burning of Buffalo-Indian war in the south-Massacre at Fort Mimms--Hostile movements of the Creeks-Jackson's campaign—Battle of Talladega-Defeat of the Indians-Battle at the Horse-Shoe Bend-Pacification of the south.

THE Victory of the Thames put an end to the hostilities of the savages, and the northwestern frontier rested in security. Most of the volunteers returned home. Harrison stationed General Cass at Detroit, with about one thousand men, and proceeded with the remainder to join the central army at Buffalo. The successes of the northwestern army, and the victory on lake Erie, prepared the way for the invasion of Canada. A formidable force was collected on the frontier, under experienced officers, and the Indians declared against the British. General Armstrong was at the head of the war department, and much was expected from his experience and zeal. Improvements were introduced, especially in the selection of officers. The secretary proceeded to the northern frontier, to put his plans into operation: The plan was, perhaps, judicious, but the season was too far advanced to accomplish his intentions.

General Wilkinson was called from the southern army, --to command on the Ontario frontier. The force directly under his command amounted to eight thousand men, and he expected to be joined, in October, by the force under Harrison. General Hampton commanded about four thousand men at Plattsburg. The plan of the campaign

was, to descend the St. Lawrence, pass the British posts above, form a junction with General Hampton, and invade Montreal. The army, which had been distributed in different corps, and stationed at various points, was to be concentrated at some place most convenient for its embarkation. For this purpose, Grenadier's Island, which lies between Sackett's Harbor and Kingston, was selected, on account of its contiguity to the St. Lawrence, as the most proper place of rendezvous. On the 2d of October, 1813, Wilkinson left Fort George, with the principal body of the troops, and soon reached the island, where he occupied himself incessantly in making the necessary preparations for the prosecution of his enterprise. By the 23d, the troops thus collected exceeded seven thousand men.

General Brown, now a brigadier in the service of the United States, was ordered to take the command of the advance of the army at this place. On the 1st of November, a British squadron made its appearance near French Creek, with a large body of infantry. A battery of three eighteen pounders, skilfully managed by Captains M'Pherson and Fanning, soon forced them to retire. The attack was renewed the next morning, but with no better success; and as the other corps of the army now daily arrived, the enemy thought proper to move off. On the 6th, the army was put in motion, and in the evening landed a few miles above the British Fort Prescott. After reconnoitring the passage at this place, and finding that the fort commanded the river, Wilkinson directed the fixed ammunition to be transported, by land, to a safe point below, and determined to take advantage of the night to pass with the flotilla, while the troops were marched to the same point, leaving on board the boats merely a sufficient number to navigate them. Availing himself of a heavy fog which came on in the evening, the commander endeavored to pass the fort unobserved; but, the weather clearing up and the moon shining, he was discovered by the enemy, who opened a heavy fire. General Brown, who was in the rear with the flotilla, thought it prudent to land for the present, until the night should grow darker. He then proceeded down the

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river, but not without being discovered, and again exposed to a severe cannonade; notwithstanding which, not one of three hundred boats suffered the slightest injury. Before ten o'clock the next day, they had all safely arrived at the place of destination. A messenger was now despatched to General Hampton, informing him of the movement of the army, and requiring his coöperation. The army was delayed for half a day in extricating two schooners, loadedwith provisions, which had been driven into a part of the river near Ogdensburgh, by the enemy's fire. A body of twelve hundred men, under Colonel Macomb, being despatched to remove the obstructions to the descent of the army, he was followed by the main body. On passing the first rapids of the St. Lawrence, the barge of the commander-in-chief was assailed by two pieces of artillery, but without any other injury than cutting the rigging. The attention of the enemy was soon diverted by LieutenantColonel Eustis, who returned their fire from some light barges, while Major Forsythe, at the same time, landed some of his riflemen, attacked them unexpectedly, and carried off three pieces of their artillery.

On the 9th of November, a skirmish occurred between the American riflemen and a party of militia and Indians. In the course of the day, the cavalry and four pieces of artillery, under Captain M'Pherson, were ordered to clear the coast as far as the head of the Longue Saut; and in the evening the army arrived at the place called the Yellow House, which stands near the Saut. As the passage of this place was attended with considerable difficulty, on account of the rapidity of the current and of its length, it was deemed prudent to wait until the next day; when Brown recommenced his march at the head of his troops. It was not long before he found himself engaged with a strong party at a block-house near the Saut, which, after a contest of a few minutes, was repulsed by the riflemen under Forsythe, who was severely wounded. About the same time, some of the enemy's galleys approached the flotilla, which had landed, and commenced a fire upon it,

pounders, however, being hastily run on shore, a fire from them soon compelled the assailants to retire. The day being now too far spent to attempt the Saut, it was resolved to postpone it until the day following. On the 11th, the enemy's galleys approached, for the purpose of attacking the rear of the American flotilla. General Boyd now advanced, with his detachment formed in three columns. Colonel Ripley passed the wood which skirts the open ground called Chrystler's Field, and drove in several of the enemy's parties. On entering the field, he met the advance of the British. Ripley immediately ordered a charge, which was executed with surprising firmness, so that these two regiments, nearly double his numbers, were compelled to retire; and, on making a stand, were, a second time, driven before the bayonet, and compelled to pass over the ravines and fences, by which the field was intersected, until they fell on their main body.

General Covington had, before this, advanced upon the right of the enemy, where his artillery was posted; and, at the moment Ripley had assailed the left flank, the right was forced by a determined onset, and success appeared scarcely doubtful. Unfortunately, however, Covington, whose activity had rendered him conspicuous, became a mark for the sharp-shooters of the enemy, stationed in Chrystler's house, and he was shot from his horse. The fall of this gallant officer arrested the progress of the brigade, and the artillery of the enemy threw it into confusion, and caused it to fall back in disorder. At this critical moment, Ripley, who had been engaged with the enemy's left flank, threw his regiment between the artillery and the advancing column, and frustrated their design. The British fell back with precipitation. The regiments which had broken had not retired from the field, but still continued to keep up an irregular fight with various success. The action soon after ceased, having been kept up for two hours, by little better than raw troops against an equal number of veterans. The British force consisted of detachments from the forty-ninth, eighty-fourth, hundred and fourth, the Voltigeurs, and the Glengary regiments. The