surrender demanded; which was the first intimation of 1812. the declaration of war that the garrison had received. The demand was precipitately complied with, and a. July 17. the British were thus put in possession of one of the strongest posts in the United States. Soon after, Major Van Horne, who had been despatched by Genral Hull to convoy a party approaching his camp with supplies, was defeated by a force of British and b. Aug. 5. Indians near Brownstown.*

1. What t said of the

treat of Gen. Hull?

Aug. 7.

5. 'General Hull himself, after remaining inactive early a month in Canada, while his confident troops were daily expecting to be led against the enemy, suddenly recrossed, in the night of the 7th of August, to the town and fort of Detroit, to the bitter vexation and disappointment of his officers and army, who could see no reason for thus abandoning the object of the expedition. "He now sente a detachment of several hundred men, under Colonel Miller, to accomplish the object previously attempted by Major Van Horne. In this expedition a large force of British and Indians, the latter under the famous Tecumseh, was met and rout- d. Aug. 9. ed with considerable loss, near the ground on which Van Horne had been defeated.

c. Aug. 8. 2 of the of Colonel

expedition

Miller?

Aug. 16.

3. Give an the surren

account of

der of Detroit.

6. On the 16th of August General Brock, the British commander, crossed the river a few miles above Detroit, without opposition, and with a force of about 700 British troops and 600 Indians, immediately marched against the American works. While the American troops, advantageously posted, and numbering more than the combined force of the British and Indians, were anxiously awaiting the orders to fire, great was their mortification and rage, when all were suddenly ordered within the fort, and a white flag, in token of submission, was suspended from the walls. Not only the army at Detroit, but the whole territory, with all its forts and garrisons, was thus basely surrendered to e. Aug the British.

4. How was

the event

7. The enemy were as much astonished as the Americans, at this unexpected result. General Brock, in writing to his superior officer, remarked, "When I the British

regarded by

* Brownstown is situated at the mouth of Brownstown Creek, a short distance N. from the mouth of Huron River, about twenty miles S.W from Detroit. (Map, p. 304.)

1. What is

said of Gen.

Hull's trial?

1812. detail my good fortune you will be astonished." "General Hull was afterwards exchanged for thirty British prisoners, when his conduct was investigated by a courtmartial. The court declined giving an opinion upon the charge of treason, but convicted him of cowardice and unofficerlike conduct. He was sentenced to death, but was pardoned by the president; but his name was ordered to be struck from the rolls of the army.

a See Map, below.

Give an

the prepa

invading Canada, and of the attack on Queenstown.

II. EVENTS ON THE NIAGARA FRONTIER.a -1. 2Du ring the summer, arrangements were made for the inaccount of vasion of Canada from another quarter. A body of rations for troops, consisting mostly of New York militia, was collected on the Niagara frontier, and the command given to General Stephen Van Rensselaer. Early on the morning of the 13th of October, a detachment of two hundred and twenty-five men, under Col. Solomon Van Rensselaer, crossed the river, gained possession of the heights of Queenstown,* and took a small battery near its summit. Van Rensselaer was wounded at the landing, and the assault was led by Captains Ogilvie and Wool.

3. Describe the remain

that occur. red at Queensioon.

2. At the very moment of success, the enemy reing events ceived a reinforcement of several hundred men under General Brock. These attempted to regain possession of the battery, but were driven back by an inferior force under Captain Wool, and their leader, General Brock, was killed. In the afternoon, the British received a strong reinforcement from Fort George,† while all the exertions of General Van Rensselaer, during the day, could induce only about one thousand of his troops to cross the river. These were attacked by a far superior force, and nearly all were killed or taken prisoners, in the very sight of twelve or fifteen hundred of their brethren in arms on the opposite shore, who positively refused to embark.

NIAGARA FRONTIER. LONTARIO

Niagara Pt.Niagara

BeaveFeorgoungstown

Welland

3. While these men asserted that the were willing to defend their country when

*Queenstown, in Upper Canada, is on the W. bank of Niagara River, at the foot of Queenstown Heights, sever miles from Lake Ontario. (See Map.)

Fort George was on the W. bank of Niagara River nearly a mile from Lake Ontario. (See Map.)

fered by the

attacked, they professed to entertain scruples about 1812. carrying on offensive war by invading the enemy's 4.what rea territory. 'Unfortunately, these principles were entertained, and the conduct of the militia on this occasion defended by many of the federal party, who were, generally, opposed to the war.

b

son was of men for reembark?

fusing to

1. How extensive were

these princi

ples? 2. What change of

ficers occurred soon a. Oct. 14.

after?

b Nov. 10.

account of ings of Gen.

the proceed

4. Soon after the battle of Queenstown, General Van Rensselaer retired from the service, and was succeeded by General Alexander Smyth, of Virginia. This officer issued an address, announcing his resolutior. of retrieving the honor of his country by another attack on the Canadian frontier, and invited the young 3. Give an men of the country to share in the danger and glory of the enterprise. But after collecting between four and five thousand men, sending a small party across at Black Rock,* and making a show of passing with a large force, the design was suddenly abandoned, to the great surprise of the troops. Another preparation for an attack was made, and the troops were actually embarked, when they were again withdrawn, and ordered to winter quarters.

III. NAVAL EVENTS.-1. Thus far the events of the war, on the land, had been unfavorable to the Americans; but on another element, the national honor had been fully sustained, by a series of unexpected and brilliant victories. On the 19th of August, the American frigate Constitution, of forty-four guns, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, engaged the British frigate Guerriere, of thirty-eight guns, commanded by Captain Dacres; and after an action" of thirty minutes, compelled her to surrender. The Guerriere was made a complete wreck. Every mast and spar were shot away, and one-third of her crew was either killed or wounded.

2. ❝In October, an American sloop of war, the Wasp, of eighteen guns, Captain Jones commander, while off the coast of North Carolina, captured the brig Frolic, of twenty-two guns, after a bloody conflict of three quarters of an hour. On boarding the enemy, to the surprise of the Americans, only three officers and one

Smyth. c. Nov. 28.

Dec.

4. what is said of he war thus

events of the

far?

Aug. 19. 5. What is the Consti tution and

related of

Guerriere?

d. Off the

coast of Mas

sachusetts.

6. Of the Wasp and the Frolic

e. Oct. 18

* Black Rock is on the E. bank of Niagara River, two and a half miles N from Buf falo, of which it may be considered a suburb. (See Map, p. 306.)

1812. seaman were found on the forecastle

a. Oct. 25.

1 of the United

frigates

States and Macedonian?

b. West of

e the other

decks, slippery with blood, were covered with the dead and the dying. The loss of the Frolic was about eighty, in killed and wounded, while that of the Wasp was only ten. On the same day the two vessels were captured by a British seventy-four.

3. A few days later, the frigate United States, of forty-four guns, commanded by Commodore Decatur, engaged the British frigate Macedonian, of forty-nine guns. The action continued nearly two hours, when the Macedonian struck her colors, being greatly inthe Canary jured in her hull and rigging, and having lost, in killed and wounded, more than 100 men. The United States was almost entirely uninjured. Her loss was only five killed and seven wounded. The superiority of the American gunnery in this action was remarkably conspicuous.

2. Of the

4. In December, the Constitution, then commanded Condition by Commodore Bainbridge, achieved a second naval c. Dec. 29. victory; capturing the British frigate Java, carrying forty-nine guns and 400 men. The action occurred off St. Salvador,* and continued more than three hours. Of the crew of the Java, nearly 200 were killed and wounded; of the Constitution, only thirty-four. The Java, having been made a complete wreck, was burned after the action.

3. What is

naval suc

cesses?

5. 3In addition to these distinguished naval victories, Baid of other others, less noted, were frequently occurring. Numerous privateers covered the ocean, and during the year 1812, nearly three hundred vessels, more than fifty of which were armed, were captured from the enemy, and more than three thousand prisoners were taken. Compared with this, the number captured by the enemy was but trifling. The American navy became the pride of the people, and in every instance it added to the national renown.

* St. Salvador is a large city on the eastern coast of Brazil.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF 1818.

DIVISIONS.

I. Events in the West and South.-11. Events in the North.-III. Naval Events.

I. EVENTS IN THE WEST AND SOUTH.-1. 'In the beginning of 1813, the principal American forces were arranged in three divisions.

COMMODORE PERRY

the princi

pal Ameriarranged in

2.

can forces

1813?

What oc the west,

curred at

The army of the West was commanded by General 1813. Harrison; the army of the centre, under General Dear- 1. How were born, was on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, and on the Niagara frontier; and the army of the North, under General Hampton, on the shores of Lake Champlain. 2. Shortly after the disaster which befell the army under General Hull, the militia of the Western States, promptly obedient to the calls of their country, assembled in great numbers at different and distant points, for the defence of the frontier, and the recovery of the lost territory. It was the design of General Harrison to collect these forces at some point near the head of Lake Erie, from which a descent should be made upon the British posts at Detroit and Malden.

800n after Hull's sur

render?

3. What s said of Har

rison's design?

a.

Jan. 10 N. p. 290. related of under Gen.

What is

the force Winchester!

3. On the 10th of January, General Winchester, with about 800 men, arrived at the rapids of the Maumee. Learningb that a body of British and Indians was about to concentrate at the village of Frenchtown,* thirty miles in his advance, on the river Raisin ;t at the earnest solicitation of the inhabitants he detached a c. Jan. 17. small party under Colonels Lewis and Allen for their protection. This party, finding the enemy already in possession of the town, successfully attacked and routed them; and having encamped on the spot, was soon after joined by the main body under General Win- e. Jan. 29. chester.

d. Jan. 18.

* Frenchtown is on the north bank of the River Raisin, near its mouth, about twenty five miles S.W. from Detroit. The large village that has grown up on the S. side of the stream at this place is now called Monroe. (See Map, p. 304.)

†The River Raisin, so named from the numerous grape-vines that formerly lined its banks, enters Lake Erie from the W. two and a half miles below the village of Mon foe. (See Map, p. 304.