ENGLAND, FREE FROM THE EUROPEAN WAR, DETERMINES TO PUNISH THE UNITED STATES FOR THEIR JUNCTION WITH NAPOLEON AND INVASION OF CANADA—SWEEPS THE AMERICAN COASTS WITH HER FLEET, AND SENDS REINFORCEMENTS OF 16,000 MEN TO CANADA—FAILURE OF SIR GEORGE PREVOST'S ATTACK ON PLATTSBURG—HIS RECALL, AND SUMMONED TO BE TRIED BY COURT-MARTIAL—DIES BEFORE THE APPOINTED DAY OF TRIAL—ESTIMATE OF HIS CHARACTER.
Hitherto, for more than two years, the colonies had been thrown almost entirely upon their own prowess and resources, with the assistance of a few British soldiers, for their own defence against an invading enemy fifty times more populous than themselves. Up to this time England had been struggling against Napoleon for the liberties of Europe; but now the Corsican tiger was chained up in Elba; peace once more reigned in Europe, and England was now free to throw the whole weight of her victorious armies and unconquerable navy against the United States, whose treasury was bankrupt, whose people were disheartened at the reverses inflicted on their armies by handfuls of British and Canadians opposed to them, and whose loudest cry now was for peace; but the United States had refused peace when she could have had it, and Great Britain was now determined to punish her for her attacks on a peaceful colony, when the mother country was so thoroughly engaged elsewhere as to be almost forced to leave it to its own resources. Of the vigorous blockade of the American seaports, of the capture of Washington and burning of the capitol, etc., it is not necessary to speak in this place; we have only to do at present with the operations which took place in Canada during the summer of 1814.
During the summer about 16,000 British troops arrived at Quebec; but only 4,000 were sent to Upper Canada, under the command of General Kempt; and the Governor-General, Prevost, concentrated nearly the whole of the remainder of the reinforcements in the Richelieu district, with a view to a descent on the State of New York by way of Lake Champlain, at Plattsburg. In order to do this, the co-operation of the flotilla on the lake was considered necessary, and orders were given to put it in an efficient condition; but the flotilla was defeated and its vessels taken by the enemy; and the land forces, though they could have easily taken Plattsburg, did nothing, and were ordered to retreat within the British lines. The conduct of Sir George Prevost in this affair—undertaken for his own ambition, and without any public necessity—lost him all his military prestige; both officers and men felt the disgrace of retreating before an inferior force of militia; the valiant Colonel Murray and other officers protested against the retreat, and some of them indignantly broke their swords, declaring that they would never serve under him again. He was recalled to England, and under charges by Commodore Sir James Yeo, was arraigned before a court-martial, but died a week before the day appointed for his trial. Though Sir George Prevost was unsuccessful as a military commander—having disgracefully failed in the only two expeditions which he planned and personally superintended—the one against Sackett's Harbour and the other against Plattsburg—he was an excellent civil governor for Lower Canada, and an amiable and upright man.
It is alleged, however, that the Duke of Wellington and other high authorities approved of his conduct, and the Prince Regent showed marks of kindness to his family after his death. His health, which was never strong, suffered much, not only from mortification and mental anxiety in regard to his approaching trial (which he demanded at the earliest possible period), but by a winter's journey across the open country between the St. Lawrence and St. John, on his way home, that he died on the 5th of January, 1816, just one week before the court-martial appointed to examine into his conduct was to have been convened.
Mr. Christie, who was an English member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, and the author of an elaborate History of Canada, in six volumes, beside his excellent "History of the War of 1812," gives the following estimate of the character and Administration of Sir George Prevost:
"A warm and unswerving friend of the Canadian population, of French origin, he confided in and liberally patronized them from the commencement to the close of his administration; and they, it must be acknowledged, as generously responded to his confidence in them. No country or people ever exhibited greater unanimity or patriotism than did the people of Lower Canada of both origins, in the war of 1812 by the United States against Great Britain—a stand the more to be remembered by her Government, as these colonies, almost destitute of troops, wholly so of money, and scarcely possessing even a sufficiency of arms and other munitions of defence, owing to the more imperious calls from other quarters upon the Home Government, were, at the outset of the war, in a manner left to their own action and resources, and which they nobly exemplified, single-handed, as it were, throughout the first two campaigns. The principles of loyalty and duty, no doubt, were deeply implanted in the bosom of the people; but he it was who exalted them into enthusiasm and inspired the mass with a confidence in their own exertions and a reliance upon his wisdom, fitting them for the emergency, and that bore them successfully through the contest. Whatever may be the opinion now established of his talents, by the military world, the impression which the inhabitants of French origin in Lower Canada universally retain of him, is that of a conciliatory, wise, and able civil governor, and in all the relations of private life, an amiable and estimable man."[220]
PART IV.
UPPER CANADA—PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN—THE BRITISH FLEET INFERIOR ON LAKE ONTARIO—SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION AGAINST OSWEGO—DESTRUCTION OF FORTIFICATIONS AND SEIZURE OF MUNITIONS OF WAR—BLOCKADES SACKETT'S HARBOUR—UNSUCCESSFUL ASCENT OF SANDY CREEK.
In Upper Canada the occurrences during the winter of 1814 were principally confined to incursions reciprocally practised by troops in advance along the frontiers with various successes, but with no important results on either side. After the winter's preparations, the campaign was opened in Upper Canada by Sir Gordon Drummond and Sir James L. Yeo, under most cheering circumstances. The American forces along the Lake Champlain, after leaving small garrisons at Plattsburg, Burlington, and Vergennes, moved early in the spring towards Lake Ontario and the Niagara frontier, with a view of assuming offensive operations against Upper Canada, as soon as the fleet in Sackett's Harbour (considerably augmented during the winter) should be in a state to co-operate with the land forces. The principal naval stores for the equipment of the fleet were forwarded to Sackett's Harbour by the way of Oswego; and as the British naval force at Kingston, strengthened by two additional ships, the Prince Regent and the Princess Charlotte, were ready to appear on the lake early in the season, it became an object of importance to intercept the enemy's supplies, and by that means retard his preparations for invasion. An expedition against Oswego was therefore determined upon, and General Drummond having embarked a considerable force, consisting of six companies of De Watteville's Regiment, the Light Company of Glengarries, the 2nd Battalion of Royal Marines, with a detachment of Royal Artillery, and two field-pieces, a detachment of the Rocket Company, with a few Sappers and Miners, set sail from Kingston the 4th of May, and at noon on the following day made the port of Oswego, when a heavy gale from the north-west sprung up and obliged the squadron to gain the offing. On the morning of the 6th, a landing was effected by about 140 of the troops, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fisher, and 200 seamen, armed with pikes, under the command of Captain Mulcaster, R.N., in front of a heavy discharge of round and grape from the battery, and of musketry from a detachment of about 300 men of the American army, posted on the brow of the hill, and in the skirts of the neighbouring wood. The British, on landing, pressed up the hill towards the enemy's battery, which the Americans (upon finding the British determined to carry it by storm) relinquished, leaving about sixty men, principally wounded.
The land and naval commanders having taken possession of the stores found in the fort and its neighbourhood, and having dismantled the fortifications and destroyed the barracks, re-embarked on the 7th of May, and returned to Kingston.