1813] FALL OF CAPTAIN LAWRENCE. 357 the rebuke of the indignant chief, who on various occasions displayed a more Christian spirit than his Christian ally. "Your Indians can not be restrained," was Proctor's answer. "Go put on petticoats," indignantly interrupted Tecumseh; 'you are not fit to command men." Finding that he could neither frighten Harrison into a surrender, nor make any impression on his defences, the British general soon abandoned the siege. 484. The gallantry of American seamen, though not marked by the same uniform success as in the preceding year, continued to be the theme of admiration. On the 23rd of February, Capt. James Lawrence, in the Hornet, after having shortly before captured a brig containing $20,000, encountered off the coast of South America the Peacock, a vessel about equal in size to his own. After an action of fifteen minutes, the Peacock struck, and raised signals of distress. She was found to be sinking rapidly, and, despite the efforts of both victors and vanquished, went down, carrying some of her own crew, and three of the Hornet's. Captain Lawrence, on his return to port, was greeted with the usual honors, and appointed to the command of the frigate Chesapeake. Sailing out of Boston, with imperfect equipments and an ill-assorted crew, he met the British frigate Shannon. Early in the action, the brave Lawrence was wounded. His last order as he was carried below, "Don't give up the ship!" has ever since served as a watchword for American sailors. In a few moments, a hand grenade thrown from the deck of the Shannon fell in the Chesapeake's arm-chest and exploded with disastrous effect. The enemy immediately boarded, and the Chesapeake was soon theirs. In killed and wounded she had lost nearly 150 men, to 79 on the part of the British. Capt. Lawrence expired after four days' suffering (at the age of 31), and was buried at Halifax with the hon ors of war. His remains were afterwards removed to New York. between him and Proctor? 484. What is said of the gallantry of American seamen during the year 1813? Give an account of the engagement between the Hornet and the Peacock. To what vessel was Capt. Lawrence appointed on his return? Give an account of the engagement between the Chesapeake and the Shannon. What was the loss FALL OF CAPTAIN LAWRENCE,-"DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP." This reverse was followed by another in August. The sloop Argus, after carrying the American minister to France, had cruised in the British Channel, committing great havoc among the enemy's shipping. Several vessels started in pursuit, one of which discovered her by the light of a ship that she had taken and fired. A well-contested action followed, which resulted in the capture of the Argus and the destruction of a great part of her crew. Commodore Porter, in the Essex, had selected the Pacific for his sphere of action. In a five months' cruise, extending over the summer of 1813, he captured twelve armed whalers, of which he fitted up several as tenders, and dispatched others to the United States with valuable cargoes of oil.— On the 5th of September, Lieut. Burrows, in the Enterprise, a few days' sail from Portland, fell in with the English vessel on each side? What became of Capt. Lawrence? What reverse followed in August! Recount Commodore Porter's achievements. Describe the conflict between the En 1813] CAPTURE OF YORK. 359 Boxer. The British had nailed their colors to the mast, so that they could not draw them down; but, after an engagement of more than half an hour, in which both commanders were mortally wounded, they cried for quarter and surrendered. Burrows refused to be carried from the deck. When the sword of his vanquished adversary was presented to him, he pressed it to his heart, and said, "I die contented". The two commanders were buried side by side with military honors at Portland. 485. In the spring of 1813, the British government, feeling assured that the war with Napoleon would soon terminate, sent over additional forces for the defence of their possessions in the new world. The Americans, not discouraged by the last campaign, still contemplated an invasion of Canada; and the brave Pike, now raised to the rank of brigadier-general, was laboriously drilling 2,000 of his countrymen at Sackett's Harbor, to prepare them for a descent as soon as the season would allow. On the 25th of April, 1,700 picked men embarked; and, crossing Lake Ontario, they landed on the 27th, in face of a severe fire from the enemy, two miles from Toronto (then called York), the capital of Upper Canada. Two redoubts having been taken, Gen. Pike halted his columns within 300 yards of the British barracks, which seemed to be abandoned. An officer was sent forward to reconnoitre. Suddenly the air was rent by a deafening explosion. The earth shook. Huge logs and heavy masses of stones were scattered in all directions. The British had connected a slow match with their magazine, and lighted it as they retired. Had the Americans not halted as they did, few would have survived to tell the sad story; as it was, 200 of their number were instantly killed or wounded. Pike was felled to the earth by a heavy stone; but, forgetting the anguish of his terprise and the Boxer. Describe Burrows' death-scene. Where were the two commanders buried? 485. What was done by Great Britain in the spring of 1813? What did the Americans still contemplate? How was Gen. Pike preparing for the invasion? When did the invading army start? doubts, what did Gen. Pike do? How many Americans were disabled? Where did they land? After taking two reWhat followed? How was the explosion caused? Who was among the number? What did Piko mutilated frame, he cried out to his men, "Move on, my brave fellows, and revenge your general!" And they did move on, with three loud huzzas. The British gave way. Gen. Sheaffe, with a portion of his regulars, escaped; the rest surrendered. York, together with public property to the amount of half a million of dollars, fell into the hands of the victors. Among the trophies transmitted to the War Department was the mace used by the speaker of the provincial legislature, above which a human scalp was found suspended. Gen. Pike lived long enough to hear the victorious shouts of his men and to have the captured flag of the enemy placed under his head; then the light gradually faded from his eye, and he expired without a groan. This brave man had previously distinguished himself by his explorations in the service of government, having been the first to penetrate the wilds of Kansas and the valley of the Upper Mississippi. 486. After their victory at York, the American army, reinforced to 6,000 men, and led by Generals Dearborn and Lewis, proceeded to Fort George near the mouth of the Niagara River [see Map, p. 351]. This post was taken without difficulty, and along with it a number of prisoners, though most of the garrison made good their escape. The enemy, in alarm, blew up their remaining posts on the Niagara River, and retreated to Burlington Heights, at the western extremity of Lake Ontario. A superior force of Americans set out in their pursuit, but were attacked at night by the British, while encamped a few miles from their lines. The enemy were so warmly received that they beat a retreat, but they had managed in the mêlée to capture the American generals, and the officer left in command shrunk from the responsibility of further offensive operations, and fell back to await orders from Dearborn. This was unfortunate; an immediate tell his men? What was the result? What fell into the hands of the victors? What trophy was sent to the War Department? Describe Gen. Pike's death-scene. For what besides his military talents was he distinguished? 486. Where did the American army next proceed? [See Map, p. 351.-Where is Fort George? What place nearly opposite to it on the New York side?] By whom were the Americans led? What post was taken? What was done by the enemy? Who set out in their pursuit? What took place during the night? Who were captured in the mêlée? What was the consequence? 1813] SIEGE OF FORT STEPHENSON. 361 attack on the British could hardly have failed of success, for their general also had been separated from his army in the darkness, and was found the next day several miles from camp with neither hat nor sword.-During the absence of the American troops on this expedition, a thousand of the enemy made a descent on Sackett's Harbor; after destroying some of the stores there collected, they were repulsed by the militia under Gen. Brown, with considerable loss. 487. After his unsuccessful siege of Fort Meigs, Proctor had returned to Malden, where he remained several months inactive. In the latter part of July, he again approached Fort Meigs. Sending Tecumseh with his Indians into the neighboring woods, to make a noise as if a battle were raging there, he tried to draw the garrison out from their defences. But Gen. Clay, who was in command, was not to be thus deceived; and Proctor proceeded to attack Fort Stephenson at Lower Sandusky [see Map, p. 345], commanded by Major Croghan [crog'-an], a youth of twenty-one. Gen. Harrison, on hearing of the threatened attack, sent word to Croghan to retire with his garrison if artillery was brought against the fort, unless such a force of Indians should be collected as would render retreat dangerous. Before the order arrived, the woods around the fort were already filled. The young commander had no alternative but to hold out to the last extremity, and he sent one of his runners to inform Harrison of the fact. Supposing that his messenger might fall into the hands of the enemy, and wishing to mislead them, he closed his dispatch with these words, "We have determined to hold this place, and by heavens we can!" Contrary to his expectation, the runner reached Gen. Harrison. The dispatch was not explained; and Harrison, thinking that Croghan was wilfully disobeying orders, suspended him from What happened to the British general? Give an account of the enemy's descent on Sackett's Harbor. 487. Where did Proctor go after his unsuccessful siege of Fort Meigs? Towards the close of July, what did he do? What stratagem did he employ to draw the Americans out? Failing in this, whither did he proceed? [See Map, p. 345.-In what direction was Lower Sandusky, or Fort Stephenson, from Fort Meigs? On what river? Name the six forts in Northwestern Ohio.] By whom was Fort Stephenson defended? What order did Croghan receive from Gen. Harrison? What was the state of things by the time he received it? Recount the circumstances that led Harrison to |