PART II.
TAKING OF PRAIRIE DU CHIEN—DEFENCE OF MACKINAC—SUCCESS IN THE MARITIME PROVINCES.
Before noticing the military campaign of Upper Canada, we will complete the summary view of those which relate to the Maritime Provinces and Lower Canada.
During the occurrences of the taking of the post of Prairie du Chién, on the Mississippi, and the triumphant defence of Michilimackinac, Lieutenant-General Sir John C. Sherbrook, the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, was successful in reducing a very populous and extensive portion of the enemy's territories adjacent to the Provinces of New Brunswick. He detached a small force from Halifax under Colonel Pilkington, while the Ramilies, commanded by Sir Thomas Hardie, took possession, on the 10th of July, of Mosé Island, in Passamaquoddy Bay; the garrison at Fort Sullivan, consisting of six officers and eighty men, under the command of Major Putman, surrendering themselves prisoners of war.
On the 26th of August, Sir John C. Sherbrook, having embarked at Halifax the whole of his disposable forces on board of ten transports, set sail, accompanied by a small squadron under Rear-Admiral Griffith, for Castine, on the Penobscot river, where he arrived on the 1st of September, and took possession of the batteries at that place; the enemy finding it impossible to retain the post—having previously blown up the magazine, and retreated with the field-pieces.
The United States frigate Adams had, some days previous to the arrival of the British at Castine, run into the Penobscot river, and for security had gone up as far as Hampden, where her guns had been landed and a position taken, with a view of protecting her. Captain Barrie, of the Dragon, with a suitable naval force, and 600 picked men under the command of Colonel John, of the 6th Regiment, were detached up the river for the purpose of possessing or destroying the Adams. The enemy, who at first offered a spirited resistance, after setting fire to the frigate, fled in all directions, upon finding the British resolutely advancing against their positions. Several pieces of ordnance and three stands of colours fell into the hands of the British, whose loss amounted to no more than one man killed, and one officer and seven men wounded.
After the capture of Castine, Lieutenant-Colonel Pilkington was despatched with a brigade of troops for Madrias, which was taken possession of on the 11th of September by that officer—the detachment in Fort O'Brien having, on the approach of the British, precipitately retreated from the fort, leaving twenty-six pieces of ordnance, with a quantity of small arms and ammunition.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pilkington was on the point of marching into the interior of the country when he received a communication from Lieutenant-General Brewer, commander of the district, engaging that the militia forces within the County of Washington should not bear arms, or serve against his Britannic Majesty during the war. This, with a similar offer made by the civil officers and principal inhabitants of the county, brought on a cessation of arms.
By these judicious measures a populous extent of territory, stretching one hundred miles along the sea coast, including a valuable tract of country partly separating New Brunswick from Lower Canada, passed under the dominion of the British arms, without effusion of blood or the least waste of treasure.
PART III.