severe, and amounted to sixty-five men and two officers killed, twelve wounded, and three hundred prisoners. On the other hand, the British loss was only six killed and five wounded. A large quantity of stores of every description was captured, three thousand stand of arms, a number of rifles, and thirty-six guns.*

General Riall, who had crossed over with a detachment of five hundred men to support Murray, in case of need, on learning his complete success pushed up the river to Lewiston, where the enemy had erected batteries for the destruction of Queenston, immediately opposite. These were abandoned on his approach, and Lewiston, in revenge for the burning of Niagara, was given to the flames, as well as the villages of Youngstown, Manchester, and Tuscarora. At the same time the auxiliary Indians and light troops were scattered over the adjacent country, and took ample vengeance for the numerous injuries which had been inflicted on the Canadians. It was a sad sight to see the smoking ruins of a whole district; but the Americans themselves were alone to blame. They had commenced this savage description of warfare, and deserved to feel its full effects; they had invaded the happy homes of a people of the same lineage and the same language as themselves, and it was only fitting they should be taught the miseries which they had inflicted upon others.

M'Clure now called out the militia of Genesee, Niagara, and Chatauque counties to defend the frontier, and established his headquarters at Buffalo. Dreading, however, that the British would carry every post along the Niagara river, and unwilling to face the storm he had provoked, and incur the additional odium of defeat, he resigned the command of the district to Major-General Hall. The latter soon found himself at the head of two thousand men, and proceeded to make the best dispositions he could for the defence of Buffalo and its neighbourhood.

On the morning of the 28th of December the indefatigable Drummond was at Chippewa; next day within three miles of Fort Erie, and now determined to assail the enemy's position at Black Rock. Accordingly, on the night of the 30th, Riall, at the head of five hundred and forty regulars, fifty militia volunteers, and one hundred and twenty Indians, crossed the Niagara two miles below the post he was to attack, and landed without opposition. Next morning at daybreak this detachment pushed briskly forward against Black Rock; at the same time, the Royal Scots crossed the river

Murray's Despatch to Drummond, 19th Dec. 1813. M'Clure's Despatch to Armstrong, 22d Dec. 1813. Christie, vol. ii. pp. 138, 139.

above the village to effect a diversion in its favour, take the enemy in the left flank, and cut off his retreat toward Buffalo. This corps suffered severely from the guns in battery along the river, and was not able to land in time to take part in the spirited action that ensued. The troops already landed moved up to attack the enemy, who was strongly posted, with great spirit, and after an obstinate contest the Americans were driven through their batteries, and retreated towards Buffalo. The British followed closely in pursuit, and although the enemy endeavoured to check their advance, by throwing a body of cavalry and infantry with a field-gun across their front, they pushed steadily forward. Buffalo, from which the affrighted inhabitants had already fled, was given to the flames, as well as three vessels of Perry's squadron lying in its harbour. Black Rock shared the same fate, together with a vast quantity of stores; and from Lake Ontario to Erie the American frontier was one vast scene of desolation. These important successes were not accomplished without loss: the British had thirty-one killed, seventy-two wounded, and nine missing.* The American loss has never been correctly ascertained, but was supposed to amount to nearly four hundred killed and wounded, in addition to one hundred and thirty prisoners.

With these acts of retribution, the justice of which was admitted by the sufferers themselves, while they denounced the conduct of their own army in commencing such a mode of warfare, closed the campaign of 1813, which terminated to the complete disgrace of American arms. With exception of the extreme portion of Western Canada, the enemy did not hold a single position on British soil, and the possession of Amherstburg was more than counterbalanced by the loss of Niagara. His large armies had been beaten back by mere petty detachments; and dispirited and discouraged were compelled to retreat into their own territory, the laughing-stock of the military men of Europe. Not only was the conduct of the British regulars much better than that of the American, but the Canadian militia, of French, British, and American extraction, had also proved themselves infinitely superior, both for aggressive and defensive warfare, to the militia of the enemy. This circumstance goes far to establish the fact, that the climate of Canada is more favourable to the growth of a hardy and military population, than the milder and more luxurious regions farther south.

Nor were the American arms more successful, on the whole, at

* Riall's Despatch to Drummond, 1st Jan. 1814. Hall's Despatch to Armstrong, 31st Dec. 1813. Christie, vol. ii. pp. 138-144.

the seaboard than in Canada. Despite the victories won at sea by their well-manned and admirably-equipped frigates, they were unable to release their commerce from the close blockade established by the fleets of Great Britain, and their vast merchant marine lay idle in their harbours, while their decreased import revenue had to be made good by other and more direct taxation, to meet the heavy expenses of the war. The conquest of Canada was as remote as ever, and the fact began to force itself on the attention of the American people that they must emerge from the contest with little honour and no profit whatever.

CHAPTER XV.

THE GOVERNMENt of sir george PREVOST,—continued.

THE CAMPAIGN OF 1814.

HE Legislature of Lower Canada was convened on the 13th of

THE of Lovelaced by the Governor, in his speech

opening the session, on the satisfactory results of the campaign of the preceding year. One of the first measures of the House 1814. was to pass an act increasing the issue of "Army Bills' to £1,500,000. A bill to disqualify judges for seats in the Legislative Council was next introduced and passed in the Assembly, and sent to the Upper House, where it was thrown out, on the grounds that it was unparliamentary, and interfered with the prerogative of the Crown.

After passing a vote of thanks to Colonel De Salaberry for his gallant conduct at the Chateaugay River, and to Colonel Morrison for the defeat of Boyd at Chrystler's Farm, the Assembly proceeded to take into consideration the authority exercised by the courts of justice in the province. After some discussion they came to the conclusion, that the "Rules of Court" adopted in the Court of Appeals and King's Bench, during General Craig's administration, were contrary to parliamentary enactment, and subversive of the rights of liberty and property. For the adoption of these rules, and other misdemeanors, Chief Justices Sewell and Monk were now formally impeached by the Assembly, who employed Mr James Stuart, an eminent lawyer, and member of the House, to prosecute these judges in England. The Assembly soon after passed a supply bill, which made provision for £2000 to defray Stuart's expenses in England. This item was struck out by the Legislative Council; and, as the Commons refused to submit to the amendment, the bill was lost. After agreeing to an address to the Prince Regent on the state of the province, showing the urgent necessity of early assistance to enable it to resist effectually the aggressive acts of the United States,

and the transaction of some minor business, the last session of the seventh Parliament of Lower Canada terminated on the 17th of March.

In Upper Canada the Legislature met at Toronto on the 15th February, and enacted several useful statutes. The principal of these were a more effectual militia bill, an act to provide for the issuing and circulation of government bills for one year, and another act appropriating £6000 to repair roads and build bridges.

Meanwhile, the most strenuous exertions were made to prepare for the ensuing campaign, and stores of all descriptions forwarded by sleighs, from Montreal and Quebec to Kingston, at enormous expense. In the month of February the second battalion of the 8th regiment marched upwards from New Brunswick, and two hundred and fifty seamen for the lakes came by the same route.

In the month of March, deputies, as in the old days of the French governors, descended from the West to have a conference with the representative of King George at the castle of St Louis. They represented their poverty, owing to the Americans having deprived them of their lands, and desired that peace might not be made till they had recovered their ancient hunting-grounds. "Father," said one chief, "the Americans have no hearts-they have no pity on us. They take our lands from us every day, and seek to drive us beyond the setting sun. But we hope that our mighty father beyond the great salt lake will not forsake us in our distress, and will continue to remember his faithful Red Children." After some days' sojourn at Quebec, they were loaded with presents, and sent back to prepare their tribes for the approaching campaign.

The subjugation of the western extremity of Canada had by no means been completed by the defeat of Proctor. The sturdy militia of this district were not disposed to submit themselves slavishly to American military despotism, and the appearance of a respectable British force amongst them was alone required to rally them again in defence of their country. The successes on the Niagara frontier had enabled General Drummond to turn his attention in that direction, and detachments were pushed westward to drive in the American scattered parties towards Detroit. The militia, now partially armed, were immediately on the alert to second this movement, and twentyeight of them, under Lieutenant Metcalf, captured thirty-nine American regulars near Chatham. Another party, however, were not so fortunate in an attack, near Lake Erie, on a body of American rangers, made in connexion with a company of regulars, and some Indians, on the 14th of January. The enemy secured themselves