Chapter 7

THE NIAGARA CAMPAIGN, AND EVENTS ON THE GREAT LAKES, IN 1814

British advantages of position on the Niagara line 274

Unusual mildness of winter 1813-1814 276

Effect on operations 276

British project against the vessels in Put-in Bay 277

Difficulty of maintaining British garrison at Mackinac 278

American army abandons cantonments at French Mills 278

Part goes to Lake Champlain, part to Sackett's Harbor 278

American project against Kingston 279

General Brown's mistake as to the Government's purpose 280

Carries his army to the Niagara frontier 281

Chauncey's fears for Sackett's Harbor 281

Wilkinson's expedition to La Colle. Failure 282

Wilkinson superseded by General Izard 283

Yeo obtains momentary superiority on Ontario 283

Importance of Oswego 284

British capture Oswego, and destroy depots 284

Yeo blockades Sackett's Harbor 285

Difficulty of American situation on Ontario 285

British naval disaster in attempting to intercept convoy from Oswego to Sackett's Harbor 286

Yeo abandons blockade of Sackett's Harbor 290

American plan of operations on northern frontier 291

Brown crosses the Niagara. Surrender of Fort Erie 294

Advance towards Fort George 294

Battle of Chippewa 295

Brown advances to Queenston 298

Chauncey's failure to co-operate 298

Consequent anxiety of the Government 299

Decatur ordered to relieve Chauncey 300

Chauncey's defence of his conduct 300

Discussion of his argument 301

British advantage through his inaction 304

Leads to the battle of Lundy's Lane 306

Battle of Lundy's Lane 309

Value to Americans of the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane 311

Improvement in the militia through association with Brown's army 312

Brown unable longer to keep the field. Retires to Fort Erie 314

British assault upon Fort Erie. Disastrous repulse 314

British now embarrassed by Chauncey's blockade 315

American successful sortie from Fort Erie 316

Drummond abandons the siege, and retires to the Chippewa 317

Brown unable to follow him 317

Izard ordered from Lake Champlain to Brown's aid 318

His march 320

His corps arrives at the Niagara frontier 321

Strength of the British position on the Chippewa 322

Izard's hopelessness 322

Blows up Fort Erie and retires across the Niagara 323

Naval and military expedition against Mackinac 324

Unsuccessful, except in destroying British transports 324

British capture the American naval schooners "Tigress" and "Scorpion" 325

American schooners "Ohio" and "Somers" also captured, off Fort Erie 327

Loss of the "Caledonia" and "Ariel" 327

The Erie fleet lays up for the winter, after the British abandon the siege of Fort Erie 328