THE FORT WILLI PUBLIC ANGLO-AMERICAN MAGAZINE. VOL. V. TORONTO: JULY, 1854.-No. 1. HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, menced, which in a few minutes compelled During the Years, 1812, 1813, AND 1814. masse, and stood out of the harbour." CHAPTER XVIII. CONTINUED. American Accounts of the descent on Oswego. It will be seen by this extract, that the ships were not within reach of the American It will be as well, before giving Sir James omit to mention the cause which compelled guns, why then did General Armstrong Yeo's official account, to the British vessels to withdraw? and why make a few observations does he contradict himself by leaving it to on the American version be inferred, that the withdrawal was occaof the descent on Oswego. It is worthy of re- sioned by the fire, and should therefore be mark, that Gen. Drummond distinctly states, considered in the light of a repulse. that the vessels anchored at long gun shot of the batteries, and that the reconnoisance of Again, too, the General states that, on the the morning was only intended as a feint to occasion of the second landing, "every foot enable him to discover where the enemies' of ground was well contested with the head batteries were, and what was their force; of the British column, for half an hour, after this effected, Sir James Yeo would then be which no farther annoyance was given to the enabled, on the withdrawal of his gun-boats, retreat, which was effected with coolness and to place his vessels in the most commanding courage." situations. This retirement of the gunboats, however, appears to have afforded General could have been so rash as to claim We do not exactly understand how the General Armstrong and others an opportu- for the defendants at Oswego either coolness nity of palliating the defeat, by claiming a sort of victory on the first day. The General officers, who was in the action, in a letter or courage, when one of the American says, "The larger vessels took a position for dated "Oswego Falls," writes thus:-" The battering the fort, and soon after, opened militia thought best to leave us, I do not upon it a heavy fire; while fifteen boats, think they fired a gun." James mentions crowded with infantry, moved slowly to the this same letter, which he speaks of as shore. When arrived within the range of having been published in the newspapers of Mitchell's shot, a fire upon them was com- the day. * The Commander at Oswego. VOL. V.-A Another circumstance, which occurred that same afternoon, afforded also great cause 14245 cans. for self laudation on the part of the Ameri- most assiduous in their attempts to repreThe British fleet found it necessary, sent the amount of loss "as most trifling." in consequence of a heavy gale from the This proceeding afforded an opportunity to north-west, to claw off a lee shore, without the opposition or federal papers of the day delaying to hoist up all their boats, some of to tax government with wilfully deceiving which were cut loose, and drifted on shore. the people. We have already shown what This was done to prevent getting embayed; really was captured, and will now give in and to every one, who may remember the contrast the American accounts. situation of Oswego, the necessity of this will be apparent, especially when it is farther borne in mind, that a lee shore, on these lakes, even in a moderate gale, is so much dreaded, that, even at the present day, despite the superior build of vessels, and increased skill in seamanship, vessels are sometimes compelled to leave their anchorage twice or three times, and that it often takes a fortnight, or perhaps longer, to take in a load which a couple of days in fair The returns made by the British are borne weather would be sufficient for. The American out by an American writer from Onondago, writers represent these who estimates the amount at over forty boats as prizes. Smith, thousand dollars. O'Connor, and Thompson, all mention the retreat of the British fleet, but not one of them had the honesty to state the cause. Retreat of the fleet. Mr. Thompson says:-"The enemy took possession of the fort and barracks, but for the little booty which he obtained, consisting of a few barrels of provisions and whiskey, he paid much more than an equivalent." Smith declares that we captured “nothing but a naked fort." O'Connor admits eight pieces of cannon, and stores worth one hundred dollars. The last point worthy of note is that, although the British troops remained for nearly 24 hours in the place, we do not find Another point to be commented on is the any complaint against them on the part of discrepancy as to numbers. General Brown a single American writer. This was highly declares, that over three thousand were creditable to the troops, marines and seamen, landed; Mr. O'Connor reduces this number and affords a very marked contrast to the to two thousand; Smith states the numbers behaviour of some Americans in an affair at at between two and three thousand. Mr. Long Point, which we shall shortly have to Thompson only mentions seventeen hun- relate. We will now give Sir James Yeo's dred; and the American officer, whom we version of the affair, and in our notes will have already mentioned, estimates the num- be found the general order issued by the ber at twelve hundred. Armstrong eschews American commander, General Brown. numbers, and merely mentions fifteen boats crowded with men. American General Order. Head quarters, Sackett's Harbor, These same writers have been quite as determined to reduce their own, as to swell the Major General Brown has the satisfaction to numbers of their opponents; and appear announce to the forces under his command, that accordingly, one and all, to have carefully the detachments stationed at Oswego, under the omitted in their list of combatants the the third artillery, by their gallant and highly immediate orders of lieutenant-colonel Mitchell, of militia, and to have confined their state-military conduct, in sustaining the fire of the ment as to numbers to that of the regulars whole British fleet of this lake for nearly two alone. We accordingly find that three hun-numbers of the enemy on the land, as long as the days, and contending with the vastly superior dred men, and no more, formed the heroic interests of the country, or the honour of their proband who, for half an hour, resisted, accord-in good order, in the face of this superior force of fession required; and then, effecting their retreat ing to General Brown, the onslaught of more the enterprising and accomplished foe, to the depot than three thousand men. The same policy of naval stores, which it became their duty to was observed with regard to the captured articles, and the government organs were arms, worthy of the gallant nation in whose cause defend, have established for themselves a name in they fight, and highly honourable to the army. |