The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain (1817)

by (1817) sister projects: Wikipedia article, Wikidata item. 1613899 The Late War Between the United States and Great Britain Gilbert J. Hunt 1817







CHAP. I

President's Message--Causes of the War--Energetic Measures proposed.



NOW it came to pass, in the one thousand eight hundred and twelfth year of the Christian era, and in the thirty and sixth year after the people of the provinces of Columbia had declared themselves a free and independent nation ; 2 That in the sixth month of the same year, on the first day of the month, the chief Governor, whom the people had chosen to rule over the land of Columbia; 3 Even James, whose sur-name was Madison, delivered a written paper to the Great Sanhedrin of the people, who were assembled together. 4 And the name of the city where the people were gathered together was called after the name of the chief captain of the land of Columbia, whose fame extendeth to the uttermost parts of the earth ; albeit, he had slept with his fathers. 5 Nevertheless, the people loved him, forasmuch as he wrought their deliverance from the yoke of tyranny in times past ; so they called the city Washington. 6 Now, when the written paper was received, the doors of the chambers of the Great Sanhedrim were closed, and a seal was put upon every man's mouth. 7 And the counsellors of the nation, and the wise men thereof, ordered the written paper which James had delivered unto them to be read aloud ; and the interpretation thereof was in this wise : 8 Lo ! the lords and the princes of the kingdom of Britain, in the fulness of their pride and power, have trampled upon the altar of Liberty, and violated the sanctuary thereof : 9 Inasmuch as they hearkened not unto the voice of moderation, when the cry of the 'people of Columbia was, Peace ! peace ! 10 Inasmuch as they permitted not the tall ships of Columbia to sail in peace on the waters of the mighty deep ; saying in their hearts, Of these will we make spoil, and they shall be given unto the king. 11 Inasmuch as they robbed the ships of Columbia of the Strong men that wrought therein, and took them for their own use, even as a man taketh his ox or his ass. 12 Inasmuch as they kept the men stolen from the ships cf Columbia in bondage many years, and caused them to fight the battles of the king, even against their own brethren! neither gave they unto them silver or gold, but many stripes. 13 Now the men of Columbia were not like unto the men of Britain ; for their backs were not hardened unto the whip, as were the servants of the king ; therefore they murmured, and their murmurings have been heard. 14 Moreover, the Council of Britain sent forth a Decree to all the nations of the earth, sealed with the signet of the Prince Regent, who governed the nation in the name of the king his father ; for lo ! the king was possessed of an evil spirit, and his son reigned in his stead. 15 Now this Decree of the Council of Britain was a grievous thing, inasmuch as it permitted not those who dealt in merchandize to go whither soever they chose, and to trade freely with all parts of the earth. 16 And it fell hard upon the people of Columbia; for the king said unto them, Ye shall come with your vessels unto me and pay tribute, then may ye depart to another country. 17 Now these things pleased the pirates and the cruisers of Britain mightily, because it permitted them to rob the commerce of Columbia with impunity. 18 Furthermore, have not the servants of the king leagued with the savages of the wilderness, and given unto them silver and gold, and placed the destroying engines in their hands ? 19 Thereby stirring up the spirit of Satan within them, that they might spill the blood of the people of Columbia ; even the blood of our old men, our wives, and our little ones ! 20 Thus, had Britain, in her heart, commenced War against the people of Columbia, whilst they cried aloud for peace : and when she smote them on the one cheek they turned unto her the other also. 21 Now, therefore, shall we, the independent people of Columbia, sit down silently, as slaves, and bow the neck to Britain ? 22 Or, shall we, like our forefathers, nobly assert our rights, and defend that Liberty and Independence which the Lord hath given unto us ?

CHAP. II.

Report of the Committee--Declaration of War.

NOW, when there was an end made of reading the paper which James had written, the Sanhedrim communed one with another touching the matter : 2 And they chose certain wise men from among them to deliberate thereon. 3 And they commanded them to go forth from their presence, for that purpose, and return again on the third day of the same month. 4 Now, when the third day arrived, at the eleventh hour of the day, they came forth and presented themselves before the Great Sanhedrim of the people. 5 And the chief of the wise men, whom they had chosen, opened his mouth and spake unto them after this manner : 6 Behold ! day and night have we meditated upon the words which James hath delivered, and we are weary withal, for in our hearts we desired peace. 7 But the wickedness of the kingdom of Great Britain, and the cruelty of the princes thereof, towards the peaceable inhabitants of the land of Columbia, may be likened unto the fierce lion, when he putteth his paw upon the innocent lamb to devour him. 8 Nevertheless, the lamb shall not be slain ; for the Lord shall be his deliverer. 9 And if, peradventure, the people of Columbia go not out to battle against the king, then will the manifold wrongs committed against them be increased tenfold, and they shall be as a mock and a bye-word among all nations. 10 Moreover, the righteousness of your cause shall lead you to glory, and the pillars of your liberty shall not be shaken. 11 Therefore, say we unto you, Gird on your swords and go forth to battle against the king ; even against the strong powers of Britain ; and the Lord God of Hosts be with you. 12 Now when the great Sanhedrim of the people heard those things which the wise men had uttered, they pondered them in their minds many days, and weighed them well; 13 Even until the seventeenth day of the month pondered they in secret concerning the matter. 14 And it was so, that on the next day they sent forth a Decree, making WAR upon the kingdom of Great Britain, and upon the servants, and upon the slaves thereof. 15 And the Decree was signed with the hand writing of James, the chief Governor of the land of Columbia. 16 After these things, the doors of the chambers of the Sanhedrim were opened.



CHAP. III.

Reception of the Declaration of War in Great Britain--her friends in America--Caleb Strong--Hartford Convention.





AND it came to pass, that when the princes and the lords and the counsellors of Britain saw the Decree, their wrath was kindled, and their hearts were ready to burst with indignation. 2 For, verily, said they, this insult hath overflowed the cup of our patience ; and now will we chastise the impudence of these Yankees, and the people of Columbia shall bow before the king. 3 Then will we rule them with a rod of iron ; and they shall be, unto us, hewers of wood and drawers of water. 4 For, verily, shall we suffer these cunning Yankees to beard the mighty lion, with half a dozen fir-built frigates, the men whereof are but mercenary cowards “bastards and outlaws?" 5 Neither durst they array themselves in battle against the men of Britain. No ! we will sweep them from the face of the waters, and their name shall be heard no more among nations. 6 Shall the proud conquerors of Europe not laugh to scorn the feeble efforts of a few unorganized soldiers, undisciplined, and fresh from the plough, the hoe, and the mattock ? 7 Yea, they shall surely fall ; for they were not bred to fighting as were the servants of the king. 8 Their large cities, their towns, and their villages will we burn with consuming fire. 9 Their oil, and their wheat} and their rye, and their corn, and their barley, and their rice, and their buckwheat, and their oats, and their flax, and all the products of their country will we destroy, and scatter the remnants thereof to the four winds of heaven. 10 All these things, and more, will we do unto this froward people. 11 Neither shall there be found safety for age or sex from the destroying swords of the soldiers of the king ; 12 Save in those provinces and towns where dwell the friends of the king , for, lo ! said they, the king's friends are many. 13 These will we spare; neither will we hurt a hair of their heads : nor shall the savages of the wilderness stain the scalping-knife or the tomahawk with the blood of the king's friends. 14 Now it happened, about this time, that there were numbers of the inhabitants of the country of Columbia whose hearts yearned after the king of Britain. 15 And with their false flattering words they led astray some of the friends of Columbian Liberty ; for their tongues were smoother than oil. 16 Evil machinations entered into their hearts, and the poison of their breath might be likened unto the deadly Bohon Upas, which rears its lefty branches in the barren valley of Java.1 17 And they strove to dishearten the true friends of the great Sanhedrim ; but they prevailed not. 18 Moreover, Satan entered into the heart of one of the governors of the east, and he was led astray by the wickedness thereof, even Caleb the Strong. 19 Now Caleb, which in the Cherokee tongue, signifieth an ass, liked not the decree of the great Sanhedrim, inasmuch as he favored the king of Britain ; 20 And, though willing to become a beast of burden, yet would he not move on account of his very great stupidity. 21 And he said unto the captains of the hosts of the state over which he presided, Lo ! it seemeth not meet unto me that ye go forth to battle against the king. 22 For, Lo ! are not the fighting men of Britain, in multitude, as the sand oh the sea shore ? and shall we prevail against them ? 23 Are not the mighty ships of the king spread over the whole face of the waters ? Is not Britain the " bulwark of our religion ?" 24 Therefore, I command that ye go not out to battle, but every man remain in his own house. 25 And all the governors of the east listened unto the voice of Caleb. 26 Moreover, the angel of the Lord whispered into the ear of Caleb, and spake unto him, saying, 27 If, peradventure, thou dost refuse to obey the laws of the land, the thing will not be pleasant in the sight of the Lord ; 28 Inasmuch as it may cause the people to rise up one against another, and spill the blood of their own children ; 29 And the time of warfare will be lengthened out, and the blood of thousands will be upon thine head. 3O And Satan spake, and said unto Caleb, Fear not ; for if thou wilt forsake thy country, and throw off the paltry subterfuge of Columbian Liberty, and defy the councils of the great Sanhedrim, 31 Then shall thy name be proclaimed with the sound of the trumpet throughout all the earth ; and thou shalt be a prince and a ruler over this people. 32 Now the smooth words of Satan tickled Caleb mightily, and he hearkened unto the counsel of the wicked one : 33 For the good counsel given unto him was as water thrown upon a rock. 34 But when the chief governor and the great Sanhedrim of the people saw the wickedness of Caleb, their hearts were moved with pity towards him and his followers : yea, even those who had made a convention at the little town of Hartford. 35 Neither doth the scribe desire to dwell upon the wickedness which came into the village of Hartford, the signification of the name whereof, in the vernacular tongue, appeareth not. 36 For the meddling therewith is as the green pool of unclean waters, when a man casteth a stone therein.



CHAP. IV.

John Henry--Elijah Parish

LET the children of Columbia beware of false prophets which come in sheep's clothing ; for it is written, Ye shall know them by their fruits. 2 Now it came to pass, that a certain man, whose sirname was Henry, came before James, the chief governor, and opened his mouth, and spake unto him, saying, 3 Lo ! If thou wilt give unto me two score and ten thousand pieces of silver, then will I unfold unto thee the witchcraft of Britain, that thereby thy nation may not be caught in her snares. 4 And James said unto him, Verily, for the good of my country I will do this thing. 5 And immediately the man Henry opened his mouth, a second time, and said, 6 Lo ! the lords and counsellors of Britain have made a covenant with me, and have promised me many pieces of gold if I would make a league with the provinces of the east that they might favour the king ; and long and faithfully have I laboured in their cause. 7 But they deceived me, even as they would deceive the people of Columbia ; for their promises are as the idle wind that passeth by, which no man regardeth. 3 And ; when he had gotten the silver into his own hands he departed to the land of the Gauls, where he remaineth even until this day. 9 Nevertheless, the people profited much thereby; inasmuch as it put them upon the watch, and they guarded themselves against the evil accordingly. 10 He that longeth after the interpretation of the deeds of Henry, let him make inquiry of those who acted with him--the ministers of the Hartford Convention. 11 Now, there was a certain hypocrite, whose name was Elijah, and he was a false prophet in the east, and he led astray those of little understanding ; moreover, he was an hireling, and preached for the sake of filthy lucre. 12 And he rose up and called himself a preacher of the gospel, and his words were smooth, and the people marvelled at him ; 1 3 But he profaned the temple of the Lord, and he strove to lead his disciples into the wrong way. 14 And many wise men turned their backs against him ; nevertheless, he repented not of his sins unto this day. 15 Neither did the people, as Darius the Mede did unto the prophet Daniel, cast him into the den of lions, that they might see whether the royal beast would disdain to devour him. 16 But they were rejoiced that power was not given unto him to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the friends of the great Sanhedrim.

CHAP. V.

American Army--Militia--Navy--British, Navy--Rodgcrs' first Cruise--Capture of the U. S. brig Nautilus--removal of aliens beyond tide-water,

THE whole host of the people of Columbia, who bad been trained to war, being numbered, was about seven thousand fighting men. 2 Neither were they assembled together ; but they were extended from the north to the south, about three thousand miles. 3 But the husbandmen, who lived under their own fig-trees, and lifted the arm in defence of their own homes, were more than seven hundred thousand, all mighty men of valor. 4 Now the armies of the king of Britain, are they not numbered and written in the book of Hume, the scribe ? is not their name a terror to all nations ? 5 Moreover, the number of the strong ships of the peaceable inhabitants of Columbia, that moved on the waters of the deep, carrying therein the destroying engines, which vomited their thunders, was about one score :besides a handful of " cock-boats ;" with " a bit of striped bunting at their mast-head. 6 But the number of the fighting vessels of Britain was about one thousand one score and one, which bore the royal cross. 7 And the men of war of Britain were arrayed in their might against the people of the land of Columbia. 8 Nevertheless, it came to pass, that about this time a strong ship of the United States, called the President, commanded by a skillful man whose name was Rodgers, 9 Sailed towards the island of Britain, and went nigh unto it, and captured numbers of the vessels of the people of Britain, in their own waters ; after which she returned in safety to the land of Columbia. 10 And the people gave much praise to Rodgers, for it was a cunning thing ; inasmuch as he saved many ships that were richly laden, so that they fell not into the hands of the people, of Britain. 11 Moreover, it happened about the fifteenth day of the seventh month, in the same year in which the decree of the great Sanhedrim was issued, that a certain vessel of the states of Columbia was environed round about by a multitude of the ships of the king. ; 12 And the captain thereof was straitened, and he looked around him and strove to escape : 13 But he was entrapped and fell a prey to the vessels" of the king; howbeit, the captain, whose name was Crane, tarnished not his honor thereby. 14 And the name of the vessel of the United States was called Nautilus. 15 Now, about this time, there was a law sent forth from the great Sanhedrim, commanding all servants and subjects of the king of Britain forthwith to depart beyond the swellings of the waters of the great deep ; even two score miles. 16 And they did so ; and their friends from whom they were compelled to flee, mourned for them many days.



CHAP VI

Hulls expedition--he enters Canada, and encamps at Sandwich--issues his Proclamation--retreats to Detroit,

NOW it was known throughout the land of Columbia that war was declared! against the kingdom cf Britain. 2 And to a certain chief captain called William, whose sir-name was Hull, was given in trust a band of more than two thousand chosen men, to go forth to battle in the north. 3 Now Hull was a man well stricken in years, and he had been a captain in the host of Columbia, in the days that tried men's souls ; even in the days of Washington. 4 Therefore, when he appeared in the presence of the great Sanhedrim, they were pleased with his countenance, and put much faith in him. 5 Moreover, he was a governor in the north, and a man of great wealth. C And when he arrived with his army hard by the Miami of the Lakes, he gat him a vessel and placed therein those things which were appertaining unto the preservation of the lives of the sick and the maimed. 7 But, in an evil hour, the vessel was ensnared, near unto a strong hold, beside a river called in the language of the Gauls, Detroit. 8 And the army of Columbia suffered much thereby. 9 Nevertheless, on the twelfth of the seventh month about the fourth watch of the night, William with his whole host crossed the river which is called Detroit. 10 And he encamped his men round about the town of Sandwich in the province of the king. 11 From this place, he sent forth a proclamation, which the great Sanhedrim had prepared for him ; and the wisdom thereof appeareth even unto this day. 12 But if a man's ass falleth into a ditch, shall the master suffer thereby ? if injury can be prevented, shall we not rather with our might endeavour to help him ? 13 Now in the proclamation which Hull published abroad, he invited the people of the province of Canada to join themselves to the host of Columbia, who were come to drive the servants of the king from their borders. 14 And it came to pass, that a great multitude flocked to the banners of the great Sanhedrim. 15 Nevertheless, they knew not that they were to be entrapt. 16 However, it was so, that William departed from the province of the king, and re-crossed the river. 17 And when the husbandmen of the province of Canada, who had joined the standard of Columbia, learned those things, they wept bitterly ; for they were left behind. 1 S After this William secured himself in the strong hold of Detroit ; and the eyes of the men and the women of Columbia were fixed upon him. 19 And the expectation thereof may be likened unto a man who hath watered well his vineyard.

CHAP. VII.

Hulls expedition--surrender of his army and the whole Michigan Territory--his trial and pardon by the President--capture of Michilimackinack.

NOW the host of the king were few in numbers, nevertheless, they came in battle array against the strong hold of William. 2 And when he beheld them from afar, he was afraid ; his knees smote one against another, and his heart sunk within him ; for, lo ! the savages of the wilderness appeared amongst them. 3 And there was a rumor went throughout the camp of Columbia, and it bore hard upon William. 4 Inasmuch as they said the wickedness of his heart was bent on giving up the strong hold to the servants of the king. 5 Howbeit he was not taxed with drinking of the strong waters of Jamaica ; which, when they enter into the head of a man, destroy his reason and make him appear like unto one who hath lost his senses. 6 And when the charge against William was made known unto the soldiers of Columbia, they were grieved much, for they were brave men, and feared nought. 7 So the officers communed one with another touching the thing ; but they wist not what to do. 8 And they fain would have done violence unto William, that they might have been enabled to pour forth their thunders against the approaching host of Britain which he had forbidden to be done. 9 Moreover, the names of these valiant men, who were compelled to weep before the cowardice of William, are they not recorded in the bosom of every friend of Columbian liberty. 10 And it was about the sixteenth of the eighth month when the servants of the king appeared before the strong hold of Detroit. 11 And the name of the chief captain of the province of Canada, that came against the strong hold, was Brock, whose whole force was about seven hundred soldiers of the king, and as many savages. 12 Now when the soldiers of Canada were distant about a furlong, moving towards the stronghold; even when the destroying engines were ready to utter their thunders and smite them to the earth ; 13 William, whose heart failed him, commanded the valiant men of Columbia to bow down before the servants of the king. 14 And he ordered them to yield up the destructive weapons which they held in their hands. 16 Moreover, the cowardice of his heart caused him to make a league with the servants of the king, in the which he gave unto them the whole territory over which the people had entrusted him to preside ; notwithstanding it appertained not unto him. 17 And the balls of solid iron, and the black dust,and the destroying engines became a prey unto the men of Britain. 1 8 Now there had followed after William a band of brave men from the west, and the name of their captain is Brush; and he had in trust "the bread and the wine which were to refresh the army of Columbia. 1 9 And, lest they should fall into the hands of the savages, a captain, whose name was Vanhorn, was ordered to go forth and meet him. 20 And the band that went forth, were entrapped at Brownstown, by the cunning savages, that laid wait for them ; and the killed and the wounded of Columbia, were about two score. 21 And again there were sent from the camp of William more than five hunched men to go to the aid of Brush. 22 And the name of the chief captain thereof, was Miller ; and the captain whom he ordered to go before him was called Snelling. 23 Now Snelling was a valiant man, and strove hard against the men of Britain, and the savages 3 even until Miller the chief captain arrived. 24 And the place which is called Maguago, lieth about an hundred furlongs from Detroit. 25 Now the battle waxed hot ; and the host of Miller pressed hard upon the savages and upon the men of Britain. 26 Inasmuch as they were compelled to flee before the arms of Columbia : and Miller gat great honor thereby. 27 And there fell of the men of Britain that day an hundred two score and ten. 28 Nevertheless, in the league which William had made, he had included Miller, and all the brave captains and he men of war of Columbia that were nigh the place. 29 Now, therefore, whether it was cowardice outright, in William, or whether he became treacherous for filthy lucre's sake, appeareth not unto the scribe2. 30 But the effect thereof to the nation, was as a man having a millstone cast about his neck. 31 So William and his whole army fell into the hands of the servants of the king. 32 But, as it is written in the book of Solomon, There is a time for all things ; so it came to pass, afterward, that William was called to account for his evil deeds. 33 And he was examined before the lawful tribunal of his country; and they were all valiant warriors and chief captains in the land of Columbia. 34 Howbeit, when the council had weighed well the matter, they declared him guilty of treason, and that he should suffer death. 35 Nevertheless, they recommended him to the mercy of James, the chief governor of the land of Columbia, 36 Saying, Lo! the wickedness of the man appeareth unto us as palpable as the noon day ; 37 But the infirmities of his age have weakened his understanding ; therefore let his grey hairs go down to the grave in silence. 38 And when James heard the words of the council, his heart melted as wax before the fire. 39 And he said, Lo ! ye have done that which seemeth right unto me. 40 And although, as my soul hopeth for mercy, for this thing William shall not surely die ; yet his name shall be blotted out from the list of the brave. 41 Notwithstanding this, William thanked him not, but added insult to cowardice. 42 So William was ordered to depart to the land which lieth in the east, where he remaineth unto this day : and his name shall be no more spoken of with reverence amongst men. 43 Moreover, there was another evil which fell upon the people of the United States, about the time the host of Columbia crossed the river Detroit. 44 For, lo ! the strong hold of Michilimackinack, which lieth nigh unto the lakes of Michigan and Huron, fell an easy prey unto the men of Britain and their red brethren ; 45 Whose numbers were more than four-fold greater than the men of Columbia, who knew not of the war. 46 Nevertheless, the people of the United States, even the great Sanhedrim, were not disheartened ; neither were they afraid : for they had counted the cost, and were prepared to meet the evil.

CHAP. VIII.

Capture of the British frigate Guerriere., by the United State's frigate Constitution, captain Hull--capture of the Alert sloop of war, by the Essex, captain Porter.

NOW it came to pass, on the nineteenth day of the eighth month, that one of the tall ships of Columbia, called the Constitution, commanded by Isaac, whose surname was Hull, 2 Having spread her white wings on the bosom of the mighty deep, beheld from afar one of the fighting ships of Britain bearing the royal cross. 3 And the name of the ship was called, in the language of the French, Guerriere, which signifieth a warrior, and Dacres was the captain thereof. 4 Now when Dacres beheld the ship of Columbia his eyes sparkled with joy, for he had defied the vessels of Columbia. 5 And he spake unto his officers and his men that were under him, saying, 6 Let every man be at his post, and ere the glass hath passed the third part of an hour the stripes of the Constitution shall cease to sweep the air of heaven, 7 And the yawning deep shall open its mouth to receive the enemies of the king. 8 And the men of. Dacres shouted aloud, and drank of the strong waters of Jamaica, which make men mad moreover, they mixed the black dust therewith. 9 Now when Isaac drew nigh unto the king's ship, the warriors of Columbia shouted. 10 And Isaac bore down upon the strong ship of the king. 11 About this time they put the lighted match to the-, black dust of the destroying engines, and it was like unto a clap of thunder. 12 Moreover, the fire and smoke issued out of the mouths of the engines in abundance, so as to darken the air, and they were overshadowed by the means thereof. 13 Now the black dust was not known among the ancients ; even Solomon, in the plenitude of his wisdom knew it not. 14 And the battle continued with tremendous roar for about the space of half an hour, when its noises ceased. 15 But when the clouds of smoke had passed away, behold ! the mighty Guerriere lay a sinking wreck upon the face of the waters. 16 The shadow of hope passed over her as a dream ; and most reluctantly was she compelled to strike the lion's red cross to the Eagle of Columbia : 17 Whilst the Constitution, like Shadrach in the fiery furnace, remaining unsinged, filled her white sails, and passed along as though nothing had happened unto her. 18 Now the slain and the maimed of the king that day were five score and five. 19 And the loss of the people of Columbia, was seven slain and seven wounded. 20 After this Isaac caused a burning coal to be placed in the Guerriere, that she might be consumed, and the flames thereof mounted towards the heavens. 21 And the great Sanhedrim honored Isaac with great honor, and the people were rejoiced in him, and they forgat, in the contemplation of his glory, the evils which had befallen them in the north. 22 But when the lords and counsellors of Britain heard those things, they believed them not ; it was as the bitterness of gall to their souls : for the pride of Britain was, fixed upon her navy ; it was the apple of her eye. 23 Now, as one evil followeth after another to the sons of men, so it happened that, in the same month, a certain strong ship of the United States, even the Es-

search of the vessels of the king, on the waters of the ocean. 24 And in process of time, she fell upon one of the ships of Britain, called the Alert, and made spoil thereof to the people of Columbia.

CHAP. IX.

Attack on Sacket's Harbour--affair of Ogdensburgh--British drove from St. Regis, by the Troy militia under major Young--the brigs Adams and Caledonia re-captured by capt. Elliot, near fort Erie.

NOW the movements of the enemy were as the motion of a whirlwind, which passeth from the north to the south, and from the east to the west. 2 And they sought to encompass the whole land of Columbia round about. 3 So it came to pass, that a number of the armed vessel of the king, that sailed on the great lake which is called Ontario, moved towards Sacket's Harbour. 4 And they demanded certain vessels of the people of the United States, which they had taken from the king, to be given up unto them, saying, 5 Verily, if ye give them not up, then will we lay a contribution upon you, and ye shall pay tribute. 6 But Bellinger, the chief captain of the Harbour, refused. 7 And when the vessels of the king were hard by, a certain captain, whose name was Woolsey, set one of the engines to work. 8 And the vessels of the king also opened the mouths pf their engines, and shot into the camp of Columbia. 9 And the number of the husbandmen of the United States that flocked to the defence of the Harbour was about three thousand. 10 And when the men of war of Britain saw that the people of Columbia were not afraid, and that they knew to use the destroying engines, they fled to their strong hold, in the province of the king, which is called Kingston. 11 Howbeit, some of their ships received much damage from the balls of heavy metal, that smote them from the strong hold. 12 Now as the malice of the nations increased one against another, so did the evils increase which surrounded them. 13 And it came to pass, on the fourth day of the tenth month, there came a thousand fighting men of Britain to lay waste the village of Ogdensburgh, which lieth hard by the river St. Lawrence. 14 Howbeit, the people of Columbia permitted them not to come unto the land ; but compelled them to depart in haste. 15 Nigh unto this place is a village which is called St. Regis, where the soldiers of Britain had come to fix a strong hold on the borders of Columbia. 16 But a brave captain, whose name was Young, with a band of men, called militia, went against them. 17 And he set the destroying engines to work, and the noise thereof sounded in their ears ; so they were discomfitted and fled in confusion. 18 And the number of the servants of the king, made captive that day, was two score men, with the instruments of destruction in their hands. 19 Moreover, one of the banners of the king, even the red-cross standard of Britain, fell into the hands of Young. 20 On the eighth day of the same month, a captain of Columbia, whose name was Elliot, a cunning man, took a chosen band, who came from the sea-coast, and put them in boats. 21 And he departed with them from Niagara towards the strong hold of Erie, even in the dead of the night. 22 And he cams unaware upon the two vessels which were covenanted to the king, with the army At Detroit. 23 And the names of the vessels were the Adams and the Caledonia, and Elliot captured them the same night. 24 However, the next day, as Elliot and his men were returning with their prizes, the men of Britain, who were upon the other shore, let the destroying engines loose upon them from their strong hold ; 25 And a few of the people of Columbia were slain. It was here the valiant Cuyler* fell ; a ball of heavy metal struck him as he was coming on a fleet horse to- wards the water's edge. 26 Now, Cuyler was a man well beloved ; and the officers and men of Columbia grieved for him many days.

CHAP. X.

Battle of Queenstown--the British General Brock killed.





AND it came to pass, on the morning of the thirteenth day of the tenth month, 2 That Stephen, a chief captain of Columbia, sir- named Van Rensselaer, essayed to cross the river which is called Niagara, with his whole army. 3 Now the river lieth between the Lake Erie and the Lake Ontario. 4 And the noise of the waters of the river is louder than the roaring of the forest ; yea, it is like unto the rushing of mighty armies to battle. 5 And the movement of the stupendous falls there- of bringeth the people from all parts of the earth to be- hold it. 6 So Stephen gat his soldiers into the boats that were prepared for them, and they moved upon the rough waters of the river, towards the strong hold of Queens- town. 7 And when the men of Britain saw them approach, they opened the engines upon them, from Fort George, and round about. 8 Nevertheless, they persevered ; although the strength of the waters, which were ungovernable, separated the army. 9 However, Solomon,t a captain and a kinsman of Stephen, reached the shore with the men under his command, in all about two hundred. 10 And he put the army in battle array, in a valley, and moved up towards the strong hold ; and Brock was the chief captain of the host of Britain. 11 And from their strong hold they shot, with their mischievous engines, balls of lead in abundance ; and it was as a shower of hail upon the people of Columbia ; 12 For there was no turning to the right hand nor to the left for safety. 13 And Solomon and his men fought hard; and they rushed into the hottest of the battle. 14 And a captain of the United States, whose name was Chrystie, followed close after them, with a chosen band of brave men. 15 So they pushed forward to the strong hold, and drove the men of Britain before them like sheep, and smote them hip and thigh with great slaughter ; and Brock, their chief captain, was among the slain. 16 And Chrystie, and the valiant Wool, and Ogilvie, and the host of Columbia, got into the hold, and the army of the king fled : and Chrystie was wounded in the palm of his hand. 17 But Solomon was sorely wounded, so that his strength failed him, and he went not into the hold. 18 And that day there fell of the servants of the king many valiant men, even those who were called Invincibles, and had gained great honour in Egypt. 19 Nevertheless, the same day a mighty host of savages and soldiers of the king, came forth again to battle, and rushed upon the people of the United States, and drove them from the strong hold of Queenstown. 20 For, lo ! Stephen, the chief captain, could not prevail on the hosts of militia on the other side of the river to cross over. 21 So the army of Columbia moved down towards the river to cross over again, that they might escape. 22 But when they came down to the water side, lo ! they were deceived, for there was not a boat to convey them to a place of safety ; so they became captives to the men of Britain. 23 Now the men of Britain treated the prisoners kindly, and showed much tenderness towards them ; for which the people blessed them. 24 And the killed and wounded of the host of Columbia, were an hundred two score and ten. 25 And the prisoners that fell into the hands of the king, were about seven hundred. 26 Nevertheless, in a letter which Stephen sent to Henry, the chief captain of the army of the north, he gave great honor unto the captains who fought under him that day. 27 And the names of the valiant men, who distinguished themselves in the battle, were Wadsworth, Van Rensselaer, Scott, Chrystie, Fenwick, Fink, Gibson, and many other brave men of war.

CHAP- XI.

Gen. Smyth, succeeds Gen. Van Rensselaer--his attempt to cross the Niagara, and failure--causes.

AFTER these things, on the same day in which the letter was written, Stephen resigned the command of his army to a certain chief captain whose name was Alexander, 2 Now Alexander was a man well skilled in the arts of warfare. 3 And he made a proclamation to the young men of the state of New York, wherein he invited them to go forth from their homes and join the host under him. 4 And the words thereof pleased the young men so that they went in numbers and joined Alexander, on the shores of the river which is called Niagara. 5 But here the hand of the scribe trembleth, his tongue faltereth, his heart sickeneth, and he would fain blot from his memory that which truth compels him to record ; for he is a living witness thereof. 6 Alas ! there was an evil spirit moving in secret and In bye-places throughout the land of Columbia. 7 And lo ! its viper-like insidiousness crept into the ears of the unwary husbandmen. 8 For the sect of the tories whispered unto them, saying, Lo! the laws of the land cannot compel you to step over the borders the United States. 9 Moreover, said they, the fierceness of the savages is terrible as the wild tyger, and their numbers as the trees of the forest. 10 And the veteran soldiers of the king, who have been bred to war, are spread in multitudes over the province of Canada. 11 Therefore, if ye go over to fight against them, ye will be as sheep going to the slaughter ; and ye shall never again return to the house of your fathers, for ye will be destroyed. 12 Even as the wickedness of the war, which the great Sanhedrim have made against the king cannot prosper, so shall ye fall a prey to the folly thereof. 13 And it came to pass when the husbandmen heard these smooth words, many of them were bewildered in their minds, and knew not what to do. 14 So when the young men, who had flocked to the banners of Alexander, came down to the waters edge, to go into the boats, they thought of the words which the enemies of Columbia had spoken unto them ; and they refused to cross over : 1 5 Neither could the persuasions of the chief captain prevail on them all to go into the boats ; and those whose hearts were willing were not enough. 16 So he was obliged to suffer them to return to their homes ; for his expectations were blasted. 17 And the army of Columbia went into winter quarters ; for the earth was covered with snow, and the waters of the great lakes, on the borders of which they had pitched their tents, were congealed.

CHAP. XII.

Capture of the British sloop cf war Frolic, of 22 guns, by the United States' sloop of war Wasp, of 18 guns.

NOW the strong ships of war of the kingdom of Great Britain were spread over the whole face of the waters of the ocean. 2 But few, indeed, were the vessels of Columbia that were fighting ships, and carried the destroying engines. 3 Howsoever, early in the morning of the eighteenth day of the tenth month, about the sixth hour, being on the sabbath day, 4 One of the ships of Columbia, called the Wasp, the name of the captain whereof was Jones, a valiant man, discovered afar off one of the strong ships of the king. 5 Now the ship of Britain was mightier than the ship of Columbia ; and she was called the Frolic, and the captain's name was Whinyeates. 6 And they began to utter their thunders about the eleventh hour of the day, and the noises continued for more than the space of half an hour ; 7 When the Wasp, falling upon the Frolic, and getting entangled therewith, the men struggled together ; and the mariners of Columbia overpowered the mariners of Britain. 8 So it came to pass, that the Frolic became captive to the ship of Columbia. 9 And the slain and the wounded of the king's ship were about four score. 10 And the children of Columbia lost, in all, about half a score : howbeit, there was much damage done to both vessels. 11 Nevertheless, about this time, a mighty ship of Britain, called the Poictiers, came upon the vessels which were in a defenceless situation, and took then: both, and commanded them to go to the island of the king which is called Bermuda. 12 However, the people of Columbia were pleasec with the noble conduct of Jones, and for his valiant act! they gave him a sword of curious workmanship. 13 Moreover, while he remained at Bermuda, the inhabitants, the servants of the king, treated him kindly and showed much respect for him and his officers that were made captive.

CHAP. XIII.

Capture of the British frigate Macedonian, by Com, Decatur, in the frigate United States.--Brig Vixen captured by the British frigate Southampton.



NOW it happened on the twenty-fifth day of the tenth month, in the first year of the war ; that a certain strong ship of Britain, that had prepared herself to fight a ship of Columbia, appeared upon the waters of the mighty deep. 2 And she was commanded by a valiant captain, whose name was Carden, and the name of the ship was the Macedonian. 3 And on the same day she met one of the strong ships of Columbia, the name of the captain whereof was Decatur, and the vessel was called the United States. 4 Now Decatur was a man who had never known fear ; and the good of his country was the pride of his heart ; 5 And when he came towards the vessel of the king, he used no entreaty with his men, for they all loved him, and the motion of his finger was as the word of his mouth. 6 So when the ships came nigh unto one another, their thunders were tremendous, and the smoke thereof was as a black cloud. 7 Nevertheless, in the space of about ninety minutes, the strong ship of Britain struck her red flag to the stripes of Columbia. 8 Now the Macedonian was a new ship and she gat much damage. 9 But the United States, like the companions of Shadrach, moved unhurt upon the waters ; nay, even her wings were not singed. 10 And the slain and the wounded, of the ship of the king, were five score and four. 1 1 And there fell of the people of Columbia five who were slain outright, and there were seven maimed. 12 Moreover the ship of Britain had seven of the stolen men of Columbia therein, who were compelled to fight against their brethren ; and two of them were slain in battle. 13 And when Carden came on board the ship of Columbia, he bowed his head, and offered to put his sword, of curious workmanship, into the hands of Decatur. 14 But Decatur said unto him, Nay, thou hast defended thy ship like a valiant man ; therefore, keep thy sword, but receive my hand. 1 5 So they sat down and drank wine together : for the spirits of brave men mingle even in the time of warfare. 16 And after they had eaten and drank, Carden opened his mouth, for he was troubled in his mind, and spake unto Decatur, saying : 17 Lo ! if this thing which hath happened be known unto the king, that one of the vessels of Britain hath struck her flag, and become captive to a vessel of the United States, what shall be done unto the captain thereof ? for such a thing hath not been heard of among the nations of the earth. 18 And Decatur answered, and spake unto Carden, saying, Verily thou art deceived, neither will harm happen unto thee. 19 For, lo ! it came to pass, about three score days ago, that one of the strong ships of the king, thy master, the name whereof was called Guerriere, fell an easy prey to one of the strong ships of Columbia and they burnt her with fire upon the waters. 20 Now when Carden heard these words, his heart leaped with joy ; for he dreaded the frowns of the king, and he was glad that he stood not alone in the thing. 21 After this, in the eighteen hundred and thirteenth year of the Christian era, on the first day of the first month of the same year, and on the sixth day of the week, 22 The ship United States, and the ship Macedonian came into the haven of New-York, having passed a certain dangerous place called Hell-gate ; and there was a heavy fog that day. 23 And there were great rejoicings in the city of New- York, and throughout the land of Columbia. 24 Moreover, there was a sumptuous dinner given to Isaac, Decatur, and Jones, in honor of their valiant deeds ; and the number of the guests were about five hundred. 25 And the inhabitants of New- York made a great feast, on the ninth day of the month, for the brave mariners that wrought in the ship of Columbia. 26 And they became merry with the drinking of wine ; after which they departed and went into a house of mirth and gaiety. 27 Now, it is written in the words of Solomon, whose wisdom hath not been excelled, that, there is a time to weep, and a time to rejoice. 28 Not many days after those things, it came to pass, that the hearts of the lords and the counsellors of Britain were rejoiced. 29 For a certain mighty ship, called the Southampton, fell upon a smaller vessel of the United States,! and made capture thereof unto the king. 30 But the storm arose, and the sea beat upon the vessels, and they were cast away, and they parted asunder, upon an island which lieth far to the south, and both vessels were lost.



Chap. XIV.

Affairs in the north--skirmishes--battle of Frenchtown on the river Raisin--capture of Gen. Winchesters army--massacre of American prisoners.





OW it came to pass, that the wickedness of Britain had roused up the spirit of Satan in the savages of the forest, in the north and in the west. 2 And the tomahawk and the scalping knife were raised against the people of Columbia on the borders of the great lakes. 3 So the people sought after a valiant man to go against the savages and the men of Britain. 4 And they pitched upon a certain governor of one of the states in the west, whose name was Harrison, and the great Sanhedrim made him a chief captain of the army. 5 Moreover, he was beloved by the people, and a mighty host of husbandmen were ready to follow after him. 6 And Harrison rested his army at the strong hold of Meigs, nigh the Miami Rapids, which lieth in the way journeying towards the strong hold of Maiden, which is in the province of the king ; whither he intended to go forth in the pleasant season of the year. 7 And Winchester was another chief captain that went against the savages. 8 Now the savages had been a sore thorn in the side of the people of Columbia. 9 They had assailed the hold which is called after a chief captain, whose name was Dearborn, and their numbers overpowered it, and they used deceit, and put to death the men, and the women, and the infants that were found in the hold, after they had become captives, save about half a score. 10 And their howlings along the dark forest were more terrible than the wild wolf, and their murderous cunning more dreadful than the prowling tyger. 1 1 And the servants of the king gave them to drink of the strong waters of Jamaica, well knowing that they loved it as they did their own souls. 12 These were the allies, the messmates, the companions of the soldiers of Britain ! hired assassins. 13 However, about this time there were many brave captains of the people of the United States that went against them. 14 Even Russel, and Hopkins, and Tupper, and Campbell, and Williams, and others, who drove the red savages before them, 15 And burnt their villages, and laid waste their habitations, and slew many of them ; for it is written in the holy scripture, Blood for blood ! 16 Nevertheless, they treated the savage prisoners who fell into their hands kindly ; neither suffered they the people to buffet them ! 17 But it came to pass, on the twenty-second (jay of the first month, that a mighty horde of savages, and servants of the king, fell upon the army of Winchester the chief captain. 18 And it was about the dawning of the day, when the destructive engines opened their fires. 19 And the place where the battle was fought was called, in the vernacular tongue, Frenchtown, which lieth on the south side of the River Raisin, nigh unto Lake Eric. 20 Now the name of the chief captain of the army of Britain was Proctor, and he proved himself a wicked man, and his name is despised even unto this day. 21 And when the battle waxed hot, and they began to rush one upon another with great violence, 22 The small band of Columbia fought desperately, and the slaughter was dreadful : and the pure snow of heaven was sprinkled and stained with the blood of men ! 23 Nevertheless, the people of the United States were overcome, and their chief captain made prisoner. 24 So when Winchester found he was made captive, and that there was no hope for the rest of the men under his command, he made a league with Proctor, the chief captain of the host of the king. 25 In the which Proctor agreed to vouchsafe protection to the captive men of Columbia, from the wrath of the savages, whom he had inflamed. 26 Now the number of the men of Columbia that fell into their hands that day, were about five hundred ; and the slain and wounded about an hundred two score and ten. 27 And the number of the savages and the men of Britain who fell in battle that day were many. 28 And Proctor removed the captives unto the strong hold of Maiden, which lieth upon the opposite side of the river, in the province of the king. 29 But, in the cruelty of his heart, he left the sick, the wounded, and the dying to the mercy of the savages of the wilderness ! 30 In this thing he transgressed the word he had pledged, which is evil in the sight of the Lord. 3 1 Oh ! for a veil to hide in utter darkness the horrid deeds of that awful day, that they might not be handed down to the children of men, in the times to come. 32 Lo ! early in the morning of the next day, ere the sun had risen, the work of death began ! 33 Behold the sullen savage, with deadly rage, drag forth the shivering soldier over the blood-stained snow fainting, bleeding with his wounds, and imploring on his knees for mercy. 34 Alas ! the savage understanding not his words ; but giveth him a blow with the hatchet of death. 35 For have not the counselors of Britain said, For this will we give unto you silver and gold ? 36 Thus were the poor wounded prisoners of Columbia slaughtered in abundance. 37 And Round-Head, the chief captain of the warriors, and the savages under him, gat great praise from Proctor, the chief captain of the host of Britain. 38 Neither did the sick and wounded escape, who had gathered themselves together in the houses, that they might be sheltered from the piercing cold ; even those who were weary and unable to go forth. 39 For the savages put the burning brand to the houses, from which they could not flee, and burnt them to death therein. 40 And the flames and the smoke arose ; and their cries and their groans reached the high chancery of heaven, 41 Where they will stand recorded, until the coming of that day for which all other days were made. 42 Lo ! these were the helpmates of the mighty kingdom of Britain, that noble and generous nation, the bulwark of religion ! 43 Tell it not in Gath ; publish it. not in the streets of Askelon.3

CHAP. XV.

Capture of the British frigate Java, by the United States frigate Constitution.

IN the twelfth month of the first year of the decree of the great Sanhedrim, on the twenty and ninth day of the month, 2 It came to pass, that one of the strong ships of the king had approached the country of the south, which lieth many thousand miles off. 3 And the ship was called Java, after one of the sweet scented islands of the east ; where the poppy flourishes, where the heat of the sun is abundant, and where the Bohon Upas emits its deadly poison. 4 Moreover, she carried about four hundred and fifty men, and a governor, and many officers and soldiers of the king ; and she was well prepared for battle. 5 And Lambert commanded the ship of Britain, and he was a brave and valiant man. 6 So, as he passed along, nigh unto the coast of Brazil, where the sun casteth the shadow of a man to the south at noon day : 7 (A place unknown to the children of Israel, in the days of Moses) 8 Lo ! one of the tall ships of Columbia, even the Constitution, beheld her when she was yet a great way off, and made signs unto her which she answered not ; 9 Which caused the gallant captain, whose sir-name was Cambridge, to cast a shot towards her, after which she received the thunder of his destroying engines. 10 And it was about the second hour after the mid- day, when the sound of the battle-drum was heard. 1 1 And, as they approached towards each other, the people shouted aloud, and the roaring of the engines was dreadful. 12 And the servants of the king fought bravely ; and they held out to the last. 13 For they were ashamed to let the nations of the earth say unto them, 14 Lo ! ye, who are the lords and the masters of the mighty deep, have suffered these feeble Yankees to conquer you. 15 Therefore, the slaughter was dreadful, beyond measure. 16 And the black clouds of smoke arose, and obscured the rays of the sun, so that they fought in the shade. 17 And the winds moved the vessels about, and they strove to avoid the balls of lead, and the heavy balls of iron, that whistled about them in multitudes. 18 (Now these balls, which were gathered from the bowels of the earth, were an invention unknown to the Philistines ; even Sampson was a stranger to them.) 19 However, the ships fought hard, for the space of about two hours, when their thunders ceased. 20 And the ship of Britain had become a wreck, and the deck thereof was covered with blood ! 21 Nevertheless, the servants of the king struck not the flag of Britain ; for they were loth and hesitated : 22 But when Bainbridge, who saw this, came down upon them a second time, they humbled themselves, and drew down the British cross. 23 And the slain and the wounded of the king, that day, were an hundred three score and ten ; 24 And those of the people of Columbia, were about thirty and four. 25 Moreover, Bainbridge, the captain of the vessel of the United States, was sorely wounded. 26 And Lambert, the captain of the ship of the king, was wounded, even unto death. 27 Now when the servants of the king were taken from the wreck, and meat and drink sat before them, that they might be refreshed, they partook thereof and were thankful. 23 And on the second day Bainbridge put a match to the black dust that remained in the ship, and she burst asunder, and rent the air with a loud noise. 29 And the fragments thereof were spread upon the waters round about. 30 And the fish of the sea, even the mighty whales, fled from the noise of the explosion. 31 However, the Constitution escaped not unhurt, for she was much wounded in her tackling. 32 So, when Bainbridge came into the haven of St. Salvador, which lieth farther to the south, he gave the men of Britain, whom he had made captive, liberty to go home to the king, their master. 33 But when the tidings thereof reached the palace of the king, the lords and the princes and the rulers of Britain were confounded. 34 Their spirits sunk within them : astonishment seized the tyrants of the ocean. 35 The smile of joy had departed from their countenances, and the gloom of despair hovered around them. 36 The wise men and the orators were mute ; they gaped one upon another and wist not what to say. 37 But the people of Columbia, from the north to the south, were gladdened ; and bestowed great honor and praise on Bainbridge the captain. 38 Even the great Sanhedrim of the people rejoiced with great joy.

CHAP. XVI.

Com. Rodgers return from a second cruise--capture of the U. States brig Viper--the General Armstrong and a British frigate--privateering,

NOW it came to pass, in the beginning of the one thousand eight hundred and thirteenth year of the Great Founder of the Christian sect, 2 That a strong ship of the United States, called the President, commanded by Rodgers, returned a second time to the land of Columbia. 3 And while she was upon the waters of the great deep, she fell in with one of the packets of the king called after the swift flying bird of the air, and made capture thereof. 4 And in the ship Rodgers found abundance of wealthy even an hundred, sixty and eight thousand pieces of silver. 5 And it was carried, with many horses, to a place of safe-keeping,t in the town of Boston, which lieth to the east. 6 Moreover, he made capture of another ship of the king,! laden with oil and bones of the great fish of the deep. 7 Now it happened, on the seventeenth day of the first month of the same year, 8 That one of the weak vessels of the United States became a prey to one of the strong ships of the king called the Narcissus : albeit, she fought not. 9 About this time the great waters of the Chesapeake, which empty into the sea, were guarded by the strong chips of the king, so that the vessels might not arrive or depart therefrom. 10 But the vessels of the United States, and the private vessels of the men of Columbia, were doing great damage unto the commerce of Britain, even in her own waters. 11 And the number of the private vessels, that moved' swiftly over the face of the waters, and went out to despoil the commerce of Britain, and to capture the merchant vessels thereof, was about two hundred two score and ten. 12 And they made capture of more than fifteen hundred of the vessels of the people of Britain. 13 Moreover ; there was a sore battle between one of the private armed vessels of the people of the United; States, and a strong ship of the king: 14 The privateer was called the General Armstrong and the name of the captain was Guy. ; 15 Now Guy was a valiant man, and fear was a stranger to him. . 16 And on the eleventh day of the third month he espied from afar a vessel which appeared as a speck upon the waters. 17 But when he bore down upon her, behold ! She was a fighting ship of Britain, carrying the destroying' engines. 1 8 And Guy was near being entrapped, for he was ' deceived, thinking it was a merchant's vessel. 19 Therefore he was compelled to fight ; so he opened upon the vessel of the king, one of his mischievous engines called, in the vernacular tongue, Long-Tom. 20 And they fought hard, and the noise of the engines was very great. 21 And the balls of lead and iron showered around like hail-stones; for the strong ship of Britain had them in abundance. 22 Now the slaughter was dreadful on both sides, and Guy was on the point of making capture of the ship : but he received a wound, and his vessel was disabled, so lie made good his escape. 23 And the slain and the wounded of Guy were twenty and three, and the vessel of the king lost about twice that number. 24 Now, for this valiant act, Guy gat great honor, and the people give him a sword of fine workmanship. 25 Moreover, the Saratoga, the Scourge, the Chasseur, and many other private vessels of the people of the United States, were a grievous plague to the servants of the king; 26 Inasmuch as some of them made sport with the mighty blockade of Britain, which she put forth against the free people of the land of Columbia. 27 For when they came nigh unto the coast of Britain, they made capture and burnt the vessels of the king, that carried rich merchandise, costly jewels, and silver and gold. 28 Yea, even in their own waters, and in the sight of their own havens, did they do these things. 29 For it happened that the cunning Yankees knew how to construct the swift-sailing vessels, that they out- ran the strong vessels of Britain. SO And as the ships of Britain moved but slowly oh the waters, so they caught them not. 31 Wherefore the artificers, the mechanics, and those who dealt in merchandise, raised their voices to the great council of Britain, saying, 32 Lo ! are we not the faithful servants of the king, our master ? have we not given unto him the one half of our whole substance ? and shall these Yankees take from us the remainder ? 33 Hath not the king a thousand ships of war ? and wherefore should we be hemmed in ? 34 Lo ! our merchant vessels are idle! neither can we pass in safety even unto the land of Hibernia, which lieth nigh unto us. 35 And, behold, the captain of a private armed vessel of the Yankees, in derision of the proclamation of our lord the king, hath proclaimed the island of Great Britain and her dependencies in a state of rigourous blockade ; saying, Lo ! I have the power to hem ye in, 36 Therefore, let the counsellors of the king ponder these things, and let the strong ships of Britain drive the vessels of Columbia from our coast. 37 "Now the wise men of Britain heard those things with sorrow ; and they spake one to another concerning the matter : 38 But they wist not what to do ; for the cunning of the captains of the fast sailing vessels of Columbia, surpassed the wisdom of the lords of Britain.



CHAP. XVII.

Capture and hunting of Ogdensburgh by the British.

ON these days the war against Columbia was waged -with great violence, 2 And the fur-clad savages prowled in secret places and fell upon the helpless. 3 They hid themselves in the wilderness ; they couched down as a lion; and, as a young lion, they watched for their prey. 4 The tall and leafless trees of the forest bent to the -Strong winds of the north ; and the sound thereof was as the roaring of mighty waters. 5 Moreover, the face of the earth was covered with snow and the water of the rivers was frozen. 6 And the borders of Columbia, nigh unto the province of the king, were exposed to the transgressions of the enemy. 7 And the soldiers of the king came in abundance from the island of Britain, and pitched their tents in the Canadian provinces. 8 Accordingly, it came to pass, on the twenty-second day of the second month, being the birth-day of Washington, the deliverer, 9 That a mighty host came out of the province of the king, and went against the town of Ogdensburgh, .10 And there were five slain and ten wounded of the people of Columbia, and about three score were taken by the servants of the king. 11 Moreover, the men of Britain gat much spoil; even a large quantity of the black dust fell into their hands ; 12 And twelve of the destroying engines, which the people of Columbia had taken from the king about forty years before. 13 Also, three hundred tents, and more than a thousand, weapons of war; but the vessels and the boats they consumed with fire. 14 Now Ogdensburgh was a beautiful village to be- hold ; nevertheless they burned it with fire, and it be-came a heap of ruins. 15 And the women and the children looked for their homes, but found them not ; and they sat down in sorrow, for the haughty conquerors laughed at their sufferings. 16 After which they returned with their spoil to Prescott, from whence they came, being on the other side of the water, in the province of the king. 17 And the honor that was given to the servants of Britain that day was as a thimble full of water spilt into the sea : for they were like unto a giant going cut against a bulrush.

CHAP. XVIII.

Capture of the Peacock, of 18 guns, by the V. S. sloop of war Hornet, of 16 guns--return of the Chesapeake from a cruise.

THE deeds of the renowned warriors, the patriots, and the valiant men of Columbia, have prepared a path for the scribe, which he is compelled to follow : 2 But, as the soaring eagle moves to its craggy nest, or the cooing dove to its tender mate, so is the compulsion of his heart. 3 If the wickedness of Britain hath made manifest her folly : if her sons have sat down in sackcloth and ashes, the scribe looketh down upon her with pity. 4 It is written that, He who prideth himself in his strength shall be humbled ; and the haughty shall be brought low. 5 And, if the Lord hath smiled upon the arms of Columbia, let no man frown. 6 Now it came to pass, in the eighteen hundred and thirteenth year of the Christian era, on the twenty-fourth day of the second month, 7 That one of the righting vessels of Columbia, called the Hornet, which signifieth, in the vernacular tongue a fly whose sting is poison, 8 Moved upon the waters of the great deep, far to the south, near unto a place which is called Demarara. 9 Moreover, the captain of the Hornet " T as a valiant man. and his same was Lawrence. 10 And it was towards the setting of the sun, when he came nigh unto one of the strong ships of the king called the Peacock, after, the bird whose feathers are beautiful to behold ; 11 And the captain thereof was sir-named Peake. 12 Now began the roaring noises of the engines of destruction, that opened their mouths against one an- other; and dreadful was the slaughter of that day. 13 Nevertheless, in the space of about the fourth part of an hour, the vessel ©f the king was captured by the people of Columbia. 14 And. they found therein some of the mariners of the United States, who had begged that they might go down into the hold of the ship, and not raise their hands against the blood of their own brethren : 15 But Peake, the commander, suffered them not, but compelled them to fight against their own kinsmen : and one of them was slain in battle. 16 And the killed and maimed of the people of Britain, were about two score and two : and Peake the captain, was also slain : and the loss of Columbia was about five souls ! 17 Moreover, the Peacock sunk down into the yawning deep, before they could get all the men of Britain out of her ; and three of the people of Columbia were buried with her, whilst in the humane act of endeavouring to preserve the lives of the enemy, 18 Now this was the fifth fighting vessel of the king . which had been humbled, since the decree of the great Sanhedrin, before the destroying engines of the people of Columbia. 19 And Lawrence, and the brave men that fought with him, had honor and praise poured out upon them abundantly. 20 Moreover, the people of New- York gave unto Lawrence vessels of silver, with curious devices ; and they made a feast for the men who fought in the Hornet. 21 And air the people were exceedingly rejoiced at the, valiant acts of Lawrence, and his fame extended throughout the land of Columbia ; the sound of his name was the joy of every heart. 2 2 But when the news thereof reached the ears of the wise men of Britain, they said, Lo ! these men are giants; neither are they like unto the warriors of the 23 And their witchcraft and their cunning are darkness unto us; even as when a man putteth a candle under a bushel. 24 Behold ! five times hath the striped bunting' of Columbia, triumphed, over the royal cross of Britain, 25 Now the great Sanhedrim, who were assembled together, forgat not the valiant deeds of the mariners of Columbia. 26 For they divided amongst them more than seventy thousand pieces o{ silver. 27 And it came to pass, on the tenth day of the fourth month, in the same year, that the Chesapeake, a strong vessel of the United States, arrived in the haven of Boston. 28 She had. sailed upon the face of the rough waters more than an hundred days, after she departed from the land of Columbia, and passed a great way to the south : 29 And went hard by the island of Barbadoes, and those places, in the great sea which encompasseth the world, from whence they bring poisoned waters, which open the womb of the earth to receive the unwary song of men. 30 Moreover, in returning, she came nigh unto the Capes of Virginia, where the sweet-scented plant groweth in abundance. 31 And while she was on the ocean she captured a number of the vessels of the people of Britain, which were laden with rich merchandise.



CHAP. XIX.

Capture, of little York, in Upper Canada--the destruction of the whole American army prevented by the precaution of Gen. Pike--his death.

NOW, whilst these things happened in the south, and the evils of war destroyed the life of man, and the smiles of heaven strengthened the arms, and lifted up the glory of Columbia. ; 2. Behold, preparations of warfare were making on the borders of the great lakes of the north. 3 And the vessels of war of Columbia that were tip- on the waters of the lake called Ontario, were commanded by a brave man, whose name was Chauncey. 4 Now on the twenty fifth day of the fourth month, the army of Columbia, who were gathered on the shore of the lake, went down into the strong vessels of Chauncey. 5 And the number that went into the vessels was about two thousand. 6 And Henry and Zebulon, whose sir-name was Pike, were the chief captains of the host of Columbia. 7 On the same day the sails of the vessels were spread to the winds of heaven, and they moved towards 8 Howbeit, the winds were adverse and blew with great violence from the east. 9 Nevertheless, on the morning of the twenty-seventh day of the same mouth, the army of Columbia, commanded by Pike, the chief captain, moved out of the strong ships of the United States. 10 But Henry remained on board the vessel of' Chauncey, neither came he to the water's edge. 11 And the place where the host of Columbia landed was to the west of the town, about twenty and four furlongs, and from the strong hold of the king about ten furlongs. 12 The gallant Forsyth, who led a band of brave men, who fought not for filthy lucre's sake, went before the host. 13 And their weapons of war were of curious workmanship, and they sent forth balls it lead ; such as were unknown to Pharaoh when he followed the Children of Israel down into the red sea 14 Now Zebulon, with a thousand chosen men, followed close after Forsyth, the warrior. 15 About this time the savages and the servants of the king, even a great multitude, opened their engines of destruction without mercy. 16 And from the forest, and the secret places, their balls were showered like unto hail-stones, and the sound' thereof was as sharp thunder. 17.And a man, whose name was Sheaffe, was the chief captain of the host of Britain. 1 8 Now the destroying engines of the stronghold of the king issued fire and smoke with a mighty noise and shot at the vessels of the United States. 19 But Chauncey returned unto them four-fold ; and and the battle waxed hot, both on the land and on the water. 20 And the men of Columbia rushed forward with terseness, and drove the men of Britain from their strong hold. 21 So they fled towards the town for safety, for they were overcome ; and the savages were smitten with fear, their loud yellings ceased, and their feet were light, as the wild roe ; 22 Nevertheless, the men of Columbia shouted aloud, and sounded their trumpets, their cymbals, and their noisy drums, which were contrived since the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel. 23 And Zebulon, the valiant warrior, followed hard after them ; and they found no rest ; for they were sore pushed, and the phantom of their imaginations pictured at new evils. 24 So when they found they were nigh being made captive, they departed in haste from the town and from the strong hold thereof, save about two score! 25 Now when the army of Britain was overthrown ; when they were compelled to flee from the stronghold, the wickedness of Satan entered into their hearts. 26 And they gathered together abundance of the black dust and fixed it in the lowermost part of the fort, below the walls of stone. 2f After which they put a lighted match nigh to it, so that when the whole army of Columbia got into the hold, they might be destroyed. 28 But the Lord, who is good, even he who governeth the destinies of man, permitted it not. 29 Now when Zebulon and his army came out of the thick woods, in battle array, to go forth against the strong hold, 30 Lo ! they saw not the host of Britain ; but the eye of Zebulon was as the eye of an eagle, his strength as the lion, and his judgment as the wise : 31 So he stayed his men of war from rushing for- ward towards the place, lest they might be entrapped : and he caused them to move along the wood to the right hand and to the left. 32 About this time, a stripling from the south, with his weapon of war in his hand, ran up to Zebulon, and spake unto him, saying, S3 Behold ! a man of Britain appeared in the fort; suffer me, I pray thee, to slay him, for he is busied with the destroying engines : 34 But Zebulon said, nay ; we are yet a great way off. 35 And the young man entreated him a second time, saying, i beseech thee, let me step out before the host and slay him, lest the engine be let loose upon us ; then Zebulon said unto him, Go. 36 So he ran out before the army and shot the man, and he fell to the earth ; and it was about a furlong off, and the weight of the ball was about the weight of a shekel. 37 But as the young man returned to where the array stayed, behold ! the black dust in the hold caught fire, and it rent the air with the noise of a thousand' thunders : 38 And the whole army fell down upon their faces* to the earth ; and the stones, and the fragments of rocks, were lifted high ; and the falling thereof was terrible even unto deaths 39 Yea, it was dreadful as the mighty earthquake,which overturneth cities. 40 And the whole face of the earth round about, and the army of Zebulon, were overshadowed with black smoke ; so that, for a time, one man saw not another : 41 But when the heavy clouds of smoke passed away towards the west, behold the earth was covered with the killed and the wounded. 42 Alas: the sight was shocking to behold ; as the deed was ignoble,, 43 About two hundred' men rose not : the stones had; bruised them ; the sharp rocks had fallen upon them.. 44 They were wedged into the earth : their weapons4 of war were bent down into the ground with them ; their feet were turned towards heaven; their limbs were lopped off. 45 but when those who escaped unhurt arose and looked around, they beheld not their chieftain; he had fallen to the earth. 40 A huge stone smote him upon the back, and two of his officers, (one of whom was the gallant Fraser,) raised him up and led him forth from the field of murder ; the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. 47 And as they led him away he turned his head around to his brave warriors, and said unto them, Go on ; 1 will be with you soon ! I am not slain. 43 The magic of his words gave joy to their hearts; for they loved him as they loved their own father. 49 And with resistless force his noble band rushed on, at the trumpet's sound, over the heaps of slain and wounded, to glory, and to -triumph ! 50 And a swift messenger ran down unto Henry, with these words in his mouth, Lo ! the right hand of our army is slain ! its pride is gone ! Zebulon has fallen ? 51 Immediately Henry departed from the fleet, and came to the shore, and went up and led the host of Columbia to the town and took it. 52 Now the slain, the maimed and the captives of the host of Britain that day, were about a thousand fighting men : 53 And the loss of the men of Columbia was about three hundred slain and wounded. 54 And Henry, the chief captain, gave great honor to the captains under him, ever, Ripley, Forsyth and Eustis, and all the brave men that fought that day. 55 Nevertheless, Sheaffe, the captain of the king, escaped with a handful of men, and the swift-footed savages : leaving behind him the insignia of British mercy !--a human scalp ! 56 But the rejoicings of the people were mingled with deep sorrow ; for the brave were slain in battle. 57 Oh ! earth, how long shall thy inhabitants delight in warfare ? when shall the old men cease to weep for their children ? 58 Behold yon lonely widows ; they weep for their husbands and their children ; but they shall see their faces no more ! 59 The, fair daughters of Columbia sigh for the return of their beloved. 60 Seest thou those little ones ? they fly to their disconsolate mother, they leap with joy at the name of father ! but he shall never return ! 61 Oh ! that they had cast the black dust into the sea! t' en might not the children of men weep and wail. 62 Now on the next day, when the army of Zebulon gat the tidings that their captain was slain, the tears started in their eyes; the}' were mute, their hearts failed them ; and they became as weak women. 63 Moreover, the United States made great lamentations over him ; and the remembrance of his name shall live in the hearts of the people. 64 The eagle of Columbia dropt a feather from her wing, which the angel of lightness caught ere it fell to the earth, ascended to heaven, and recorded the name of Pike.



CHAP. XX.

Sketches of the History of America.

THE the voice of many years shall drop upon the children of men ; and our children's children shall hearten unto it in the days to come. 2 The country of Columbia is a wide extended land, which reacheth from the north to the south, more than eight thousand miles ; and the breadth thereof is about three thousand. 3 Moreover the name of the country was called after the name of a great man, who was born in a place called Genoa ; being in Italia, on the sea-coast. 4 His name was Christopher, sir-named Columbus 5 As the righteous man struggleth against wickedness, so did he against ignorance and stupidity. 6 Nevertheless, it came to pass, hi the fourteen hundred and ninety second year of the Christian era, that he crossed the waters of the mighty deep, a thing that had never been known among the sons of men. 7 And the place where he landed was an island in the sea, nigh unto the continent of Columbia, called San Salvador ; which, being interpreted, signifieth a place of safety. 8 And the place was inhabited by wild savages, and they were naked. 9 Now when the people heard that Columbus had found a new land, they were astonished beyond measure, for it was many thousand miles off; moreover, some of them strove to rob him of the honour, and he was treated wrongfully. 10 But his name was lifted up above his enemies, and it shall not be lost. 11 Now the land of Columbia is a most plentiful land, yielding gold and silver, and brass and iron abundantly. 12 Likewise, all manner of creatures which are used for food, and herbs and fruits of the earth : 13 From the red cherry, and the rosy peach of the north, to the lemon, and the golden orange of the south. 14 And from the small insect, that cheateth the microscopic eye, to the huge mammoth that once moved on the borders of the river Hudson ; on the great river Ohio ; and even down to the country of Patagonia in the south. 15 Now the heighth of a mammoth is about seven cubits and a half, and the length thereof fourteen cubits ; and the bones thereof being weighed are more than thirty thousand shekels ; and the length of the tusks is more than six cubits. 16 It is more wonderful than the elephant ; and the history thereof, is it not recorded in the book of Jefferson, the scribe ? 17 The fierce tyger and the spotted leopard dwell in the dark forests ; and the swift -footed deer upon the mountains and high places. 18 Now the number of inhabitants that are spread over the whole continent, is more than an hundred million. 19 And the people of Columbia, who are independent of the tyrants of the earth, and who dwell between the great river which is called Mississippi, in the south, and the province of Canada in the north, being numbered, are about ten thousand times ten thousand souls. 20 The men are comely and noble, and cowardice hath forgot to light upon them : neither are they a superstitious people;. they are peace-makers, they love the God of Israel, and worship him ; and there are no idolaters amongst them. 21 The women are passing beautiful ; they are like unto fresh lilies ; their cheeks are like wild roses ; their lips as a thread of scarlet; nature hath gifted them with Roman virtue and patriotism ; and they have spread goodness with a plentiful hand. 22 Now it had happened in times past that the king of .Britain had made war upon the people of Columbia, even forty years ago. 23 For the riches and prosperity of Columbia had become great, and the king coveted them. 24 And the war raged with the might of Britain, even in the heart of the land of Columbia, for about the space of seven years, when the army of Columbia be came triumphant ; neither could the power of Britain conquer the sons of liberty. 25 Accordingly a part of those who remained of the armies of Britain returned home to the king, their master ; but a great number refused to return, preferring a country whose mild laws are equally and righteously dispensed, and where the hard earnings of industry are not taken away by the tax-gatherer : 26 So there was peace throughout the United States, and a covenant made between the nations. 27 But the names of the wise men of the great Sanhedrim in those days, and the names of those who fought hard in battle, and spilt their blood in the cause of liberty, are they not written in the books of the chronicles of those days ? 28 Now the fatness of the land of Columbia bringeth people from all nations to dwell therein. 29 The people of Columbia use no persuasion, the sacred cause of Liberty is the star of attraction ; and the time shall come when the eyes of all men :shall be opened, and the earth shall rejoice. 30 Their laws are wholesome, for the people are the lawgivers, even as it was in the days of Cesar ; but they know no kings.



CHAP. XXI

Depredations in the Chesapeake--Hayre-de-Grace burnt by the British under Adm. Cockburn--attack on Crany Island--Hampton taken by the British--outrages .

NOW it came to pass, that the mighty fleet of Britain, which was moving round about the great Bay of Chesapeake, committed much .evil upon the shores thereof. 2 And they robbed those who were defenceless, and carried away their fatted cattle, their sheep, and all those things which they found, and put them into the strong ships of the king. 3 Moreover, they burnt the dwellings of the helpless with fire, and they accounted it sport. 4 And the old men, the little children, and the women, yea, the fair daughters of Columbia, were compelled to fly from the wickedness of barbarians. 5 Even the small villages that rose beautifully on the river side, became a prey unto them, and were consumed by men who called themselves the mighty conquerors of Europe. 6 They were like hungry wolves that are never satisfied; destruction and devastation marked their footsteps 7 Now the ships of the king were commanded by a man whose name was Cockburn, 8 And it was so, that on the third day of the fifth month, in the thirty and seventh year of the independence of the people of Columbia, 9 Cockburn, sir-named the wicked, led forth a host -of the savage men of Britain, against a pleasant village, called Havre-do~Grace, which lieth on the borders of .the Susquehanna, a noble river ; being in the state of Maryland. 10 Now there was none to defend the place, save one man, whose sir-name was O'Neil, who came from the land of Hibernia, and him they made captive. 11 And they came as the barbarians of the wilderness: fierceness was in their looks, cruelty was in their hearts. 12 To the dwelling houses they put the burning brand, and plundered the poor and needy without pity such wickedness was not done even among the Philistines. 13 The women and children cried aloud, and fell down at the feet of the chief captain of the king: but, alas ! his heart was like unto the heart of Pharaoh ; he heard them not. 14 However, it came to pass, the next day, when the pitiless Cockburn had collected his booty, and glutted his savage disposition, he departed. 15 And on the sixth day of the same month he went against other unprotected villages, which lie on the river Sassafras, called Frederickstown and Georgetown, and burnt them also. 16 So did he return to his wickedness as a dog returneth to his vomit. 17 Now about this time the number of the strong ship of Britain was increased, and great multitudes of the soldiers of the king came with them to the waters of the Chesapeake. 18 And it came to pass, on the twenty-second day of the next month, that Cockburn, the chief captain of the ships of Britain, essayed to go against a small island, nigh unto Norfolk in the state of Virginia, called in the vernacular tongue, Crany Island. 19 And the number of the men of Britain that went against the island was about five thousand ; and they began to get upon the shore at the dawning of the day. 20 Near unto this place a few vessels of Columbia, commanded fry the gallant Casein, were hemmed in by about a score of the mighty ships of the king. 21 Now the fighting vessels under Cassin were mostly small, and were called gain boats, and they were little more than half a score in number. 22 Howbeit, but a few days before, they went against the Juno, a strong ship of Britain, and compelled her to depart from before the mouths of the destroying engines. 23 But this island was defenseless ; and there came to protect it an hundred brave seamen from the gun- boats, and an hundred and fifty valiant men from the Constellation, a lighting ship of the United States. 24 And they brought the destroying engines with them, and they let them loose upon the vessels of the king, and upon the men who were landing upon the 25 And the thundering noise thereof astonished the servants of the king: for they knew there was but a handful of men upon the island. 26 Moreover, Britain in her folly had introduced a new instrument of destruction, called Congreve Rockets, in honour of their inventor; and these were used in great abundance. 27 But they were harmless as turtle doves, for they killed not a man. 23 Now the men of Columbia, with their handicraft, shot the balls of iron strait as an arrow from a bow, and ; thereby did much damage to the servants of the king. 29 Inasmuch as they slew about two hundred of the men of Britain that day; and drove the host of them from the island. 30 So the mighty army of Britain fled in haste to the strong ships of the king for safety. 31 Now on the twenty-fifth day of the same month the army of Britain went against a village called Hampton, which lieth in the state of Virginia, and took it. 32 Howbeit, the little band of Columbia, commanded by Crutchfleld, fought hard against them. 33 Nevertheless, they prevailed over him, and slew seven of his men, and wounded others, upon which he fled ; for the men of Britain were like unto a swarm of locusts. 34 But the blood of two hundred royal invaders became a sacrifice to the wickedness of their leaders. 35, Oh ! England ! that a veil might be cast over thy transgressions of that day : but it cannot be. 36 Thy wickedness shall be written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. 37 It was here, even in Hampton, that thy strength and thy majesty rose up against the poor, the sick, and the needy. 38 Instead of protecting the tender women, the fairest work of God, the life of the world ; behold ! what hast thou done ? 39 See ! the shrieking matron cast herself into the waters that she may escape thy brutal violence : but all in vain ; her garments are torn from her ; she becomes a prey to thy savage lust. 40 Not she alone, but her daughter, and her fair sisters, have fallen into thy unhallowed hands, and been defiled ! 41 Oh, Britain ! the voice of violated chastity riseth up against thee ; the mark of the beast is indelibly printed in thy forehead : 42 Even the old and weak men became victims of thy barbarity ; thy servants stripped the aged Hope, and buffeted him; with the point of their swords did they torment him. 43 Do the groans of the murdered Kirby creep into thine ears ? go thou and repent of thine evil, and do so no more : the Lord God of Hosts shall be thy judge ; 44 The generous people of Columbia may possibly forgive thy crimes against them ; but the remembrance thereof shall live to the end of time ; neither shall they forget the name of Cockburn.



CHAP. XXII.

Russian mediation--Bayard and Gallatin sail for St. Petersburgh--the British compelled to abandon the siege of Fart Meigs.

THE lofty eagle cutteth the air with his wings, and moveth rapidly along ; the fish of the deep glide swiftly through the waters ; the timid deer bounds through the thick forests with wonderful speed : 2 But imagination surpasseth them all ; she rideth on the fleet winds ; she holdeth a stream of lightning in her hand. 3 In an instant she flieth from the frozen mountains of Zembla, in the regions of the north, to the burning sands of Africa in the torrid zone. 4 Now the sons of Columbia were peace-makers ; neither did their footsteps follow after warfare. 5 And, it is written in the holy scriptures, Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. 6 So the great Sanhedrim of the people sent two of the wise men of Columbia, the one named Gallatin and the other Bayard, into a distant country : 7 Even unto the extensive country of Russia, that there they might meet the wise men of Britain, and heal the wounds of the nations, and make peace with one another. 8 But the people of Britain yielded not to the entreaties of the great Sanhedrim ; therefore the war continued to rage. 9 So it came to pass, on the fifth day of the fifth month, in the pleasant season of the year ; when the trees put forth their leaves and the air is perfumed with the sweet scent of flowers, and the blue violets bespread the green hillocks ; 10 That Harrison, the chief captain, from the west the brave warrior, who had entrenched himself In the strong hold of Meigs, nigh unto the river Miami, sallied forth against the savages and the men of Britain, that hemmed him in. 11 Now there were about a thousand soldiers of the king, and a thousand savages that had besieged the fort many days ; and threw therein the balls of destruction, and strove to make captive the army of Columbia. 12 Nevertheless, Harrison, and his gallant little band, fought hard against them, and drove them from before the strong hold with great slaughter. 13 Likewise, the slain of Columbia was about four score, besides the wounded. 14 Moreover, the chief captain gave great honour to Miller and all the captains and soldiers under him ; even those called militia. 15 And the names of the states of Ohio and Kentucky were raised high, by the valiant acts of their sons that day



CHAP. XXIIL

Surrender of F&rt George and Fort Erie to the Americans--Gen Brown drives the British from before Sacketts Harbour with great loss--Gens. Winder and Chandler made prisoners at Forty-mile Creek.

NOW, on the twenty-seventh day of the same month, being thirty days after Zebulon had gone lo sleep with his fathers, 2 Henry, whose sir-name was Dearborn, and Lewis, the chief captains of the army of Columbia, and Chauncey the commander of the fleet of the United States, that moved on the waters of the great lake Ontario, essayed to go against Fort George and Fort Erie, in the province of the king 3 For they had previously concerted their plan and matured it ; and taken on board the ships, the army of Columbia, and a number of the destroying engines. 4 And when the vessels of Chauncey came nigh unto the place, they let the engines loose upon the fort, with a roaring noise. 5 In the meantime the army landed upon the shore, and went against the servants of the king. 6 And the men of Britain were frightened at the sound of the warring instruments that reached their camp, and they fled in dismay, towards the strong hold of Queenstown. 7 And they destroyed their tents, and their store- houses, and put a match to the black dust of their magazines, and blew them up into the air : this they did even from Chippewa to Albino. 8 Moreover, the slain and wounded of the king were two hundred two score and ten ; of the men of Columbia about three score were slain and maimed. 9 So the forts of George and Erie were captured by the army and navy of the United States. 10 And Henry and Isaac, whose sir-name was Chauncey, spake well of all the captains and men that fought with them. 11 The gallant captains Scott and Forsyth fought .bravely ; neither were they afraid. 12 Boyd, and M'Comb, and Winder, and Chandler, and Porter, and a host of heroes, turned not aside from the heat of the battle. 13 And here the noble spirit of the youthful Perry burst forth into view; a man made to astonish the world, and shower down glory upon the arms. of Columbia. 14 Now it happened about the same time, that the strong ships of Britain moved towards the other end of the lake, to the east thereof, and went against a place called Sackett's Harbor. 15 The fleet of the king was commanded by a chief captain whose name was Yeo ; and, Prevost, the governor of Canada, commanded the army. 16 And on the morning of the twenty-ninth day of the month, they landed more than a thousand men oh the shores of Columbia, 17 Howbeit, a certain valiant man, even Jacob, whose sir-name was Brown, commanded the host of Columbia that went against them : 18 And Jacob, albeit a man of peace, drove the men of Britain, and compelled them to flee rapidly from the shore, and get them into their vessels. 19 So Prevost and Yeo returned to the strong hold of Kingston. 20 And the skill of Jacob, in driving away the soldiers of the king, pleased the people, and they honoured him greatly. 21 Not many days after these things, there was a sore battle fought, near to a place called Forty-mile "Greek. 22 And it was so that Winder and Chandler, two brave captains of the United States, and about four score men, were coma upon unawares in the darkness of the night, and made captive by the servants of the king. 23 After which they were conveyed to the strong hold of Montreal, which lieth in the province of Canada, on the river St. Lawrence . 24 The officers and soldiers of Columbia fought bravely, and there were many slain and wounded on both sides : 25 Nevertheless, the army of the United States seated nigh unto the place.

CHAP. XXIV.

Capture of the Chesapeake--Commodore Decatur blockaded in New-London.

IN these days the pride of Britain was sorely wounded : for she had been discomfited upon the waters of the great deep ; and disappointment bad sharpened her anger. 2 The people of Columbia had triumphed over her ships ; and her mighty armies had gained no honors. 3 Notwithstanding she had made peace with the nations of Europe, and her whole strength was turned against the people of Columbia. 4 The prosperity of many hundred years had flatter- ed her, and she was puffed up with the vanity thereof-; yea, she had forgotten herself. 5 So it came to pass, on the first day of the sixth month, that a certain strong ship of the king, called the Shannon, appeared before the haven of Boston, which lieth to the east. 6 And she bade defiance to the vessels of Columbia} for she had prepared herself for the event. 7 Now the Chesapeake, a fighting ship of the United States, was nigh unto the place ; and she was command- ed by the brave Lawrence, who had gained much honor in the sight of the people ; neither was he afraid 8 And he went forth to battle against the vessel of the king, which was commanded by Broke, a valiant .man. 9 Moreover, the mischievous engines that were in the ship of Britain were more, and the number of their men greater than those of the vessel of the United States. 10 For Broke had gotten about two hundred men, and secreted them ; so that when the hour of danger arrived they might assist his men, and fall unawares upon the men of Lawrence. 1 1 Nevertheless, towards the going down of the sun , the vessels drew nigh to each other. 12 And Lawrence spake unto his officers and his mariners, saying : 13 Now shall we set our engines at the work of destruction ; let the fire issue out of their mouths, as it were like unto fiery dragons. 14 And although their numbers be greater than ours, .yet we may be conquerors ; for he who is little of spirit gaineth nothing. 15 But if, peradventure, we should be overcome, even then shall not the sacred cause of Liberty perish, neither shall the people of Columbia be disheartened. 16 Also, your names shall be recorded as the champions of freedom. 17 And the nations of the earth shall learn with astonishment, how dearly you prize the inheritance of your fathers. 18 Now when Lawrence had made an end of speaking, they sat the destroying engines to work, and rushed one upon another like fierce tygers. 19 The fire and smoke were abundant, and tremendous was the noise that rent the air and floated upon the waters . 20 And the Chesapeake fell close upon the Shannon, swords clashed with swords, and pikes with pikes ; and dreadful was the conflict thereof. 21 But the men of Broke were more numerous than the men of Lawrence, and overpowered them, by the means of their numbers. 22 Already had the valiant Lawrence fallen ; his life- blood flowed fast ; still he cryed out to his brave companions, saying unto them, Don't give up the ship; his noble spirit fled, but his name shall not perish. 23 Moreover, about this time all the officers of the ship of the United States were either slain or sorely wounded; so she was captured by the vessel of the king. 24 And Satan rose up in the hearts of the conquerors, and they shot the balls of death down into the hold of the vessel of the United States, even against the halt and maimed who had surrendered themselves. 25 And when the tidings thereof reached the kingdom of Great Britain, the lords, the princes, the rulers, yea, all the people were rejoiced beyond measure. 26 And they bade their roaring engines utter their voices in London, their chief city, that had been silent many years, even those in the great tower, which was built by William the Bastard, more than seven hundred years ago. 27 Their joy was unbounded, for they had overcome one of the strong ships of Columbia. 28 Now the slain and the wounded on board the Chesapeake, were an hundred two score and four ; and there fell of the servants of the king about two hundred. 29 Amongst the slain of Columbia were also Augustus, whose sir-name was Ludlow, and another brave officer whose name was White. 30 And when the people of Columbia heard of a truth that Lawrence was slain, they mourned for him many days. 31 His body was conveyed to a place called Halifax,, in the province of the king, where they honoured his memory, and buried him for a while. 32 But in a short time thereafter his body was taken out of the earth, with the body of Ludlow, and convey- ed to the city of New- York, for interment. 33 And the captain's name who volunteered his services in this act of patriotism, and who brought the bodies away from Halifax, was Crowningshield, of Salem, in the state of Massachusetts. 34 So Lawrence was buried in the burial-place of his fathers, in his own land : and a great multitude of people went out to behold the funeral as it passed through the city. 35 And his valiant deeds shall live forever in the remembrance of the people. 36 About this time, on the fourth day of the month, the brave Decatur essayed to go forth with his vessel upon the waters of the mighty deep. 37 And the vessels that were with him were called the United States, the Hornet, and the Macedonian ; the latter a strong ship which he had captured from the king. 38 But it was so, that some large vessels of Britain, carrying each of them more than seventy of the destroying engines, suffered him not to go forth. 39 Moreover, they wished to retake the Macedonian, that they might retrieve the shame of the capture thereof. 40 So the ships of Britain blockaded Decatur and his ships in the haven of New-London, which lieth in the state of Connecticut, nigh unto a place called Stonington and they rema