JACOB BROWN.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.