“Head Quarters, Montreal,
“1st June, 1814.“Sir,—
“It is with sincere regret and disappointment that I perused the detail of illiberal and wanton devastation and unjustifiable outrage reported in your letter of the 27th ult., and Major-General Riall’s of the 19th, to have been committed in the vicinity of the village of Dover, and on its unoffending inhabitants, by the conflagration of their dwelling-houses and their mills.
“I cherished the hope that the severe, although just, retaliation inflicted for the destruction of the village of Newark would have deterred the enemy from similar acts of barbarity; under that impression, I issued a proclamation of the 4th January last, which has since been most scrupulously adhered to by the troops under my command, and it is with painful reluctance I now feel myself compelled to return to a system so abhorrent to those principles of humanity which have always animated and characterized Britons.
“But such horrors cannot be suffered to remain without notice or unrevenged; you must, therefore, transmit by a flag of truce to the officer commanding the American force nearest to you a statement of those atrocities, with information that you have my instructions to inflict a severe retribution for them; you may assure him that the same will be repeated for every act of such outrage committed on the defenceless and peaceable settlers of our frontier, and that the British fleet on the coast of America will be called upon to assist in the measure of just retaliation.
“I have, &c.,
“(Signed) GEORGE PREVOST,
“Commander of the Forces.“To Lieut.-Gen. Drummond, &c., &c.,
“Com. Upper Canada.”
“Tonnant, Halifax,
“5th Oct., 1814.“Sir,—
“I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency’s letter of the 3rd August, acquainting me of the repetition on the part of the enemy of the disgraceful outrages committed by him on the north shores of Lake Erie.
“I have therefore reiterated my order of retaliation of the 18th July, of which a copy was sent to your Excellency, and given further directions for the distressing him south of the Delaware, to the utmost of our power; from that river northward I have restrained the squadron from acting in full execution of its purport until I see what change the late events may produce in that quarter.
“I have the honour to be,
“Your Excellency’s most obedient humble servant,
“ALEXANDER COCHRANE,
“Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.“To his Excellency
“Lieut.-General Sir Geo. Prevost, Bt.,
“Commander of the Forces, &c., &c.”
“Head Quarters, Montreal,
“August 6, 1814.“My Lord,—
“I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship a copy of a letter I have addressed to Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir A. Cochrane, respecting the late wanton and disgraceful conduct of the enemy in the burning of the villages of Queen Town and St. David’s, on the Erie frontier.
“J. W.
“To Earl Bathurst.”
“Head Quarters, Montreal,
“30th Sept., 1814.“Sir,—
“I have the honour to acknowledge your three letters of the 19th inst., which have been laid before the Commander of the Forces, with regard to the miseries which the enemy have again made on Port Talbot; his Excellency is of opinion that it is the act of Westbrook, who is gratifying private animosities with a heartless band; he scarcely conceives it to have been authorized by the Government of the U.S., and requests to be informed who commanded the enemy’s force employed on this occasion. The Commander of the Forces hopes that precautionary measures have been taken to frustrate the design of the enemy upon Long Point, should the execution of it be attempted. If you consider it necessary to retaliate for the unjustifiable act of carrying off Colonel Burnell, you have his Excellency’s authority to do so, or else, if you prefer it, two respectable American citizens may be taken as hostages for him from Hamilton.
“To Lieut.-General Drummond.”
Witherby & Co., Printers, 325a, High Holborn, W.C.