Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/184

164 than 300 vessels. The campaign of 1813 was marked by alternate successes and reverses. In January a detachment of 900 men from the western army, under Gen. Winchester, was defeated and captured at the river Raisin, and many of the prisoners massacred by the Indian allies of the English. In April Gen. Pike with 1,600 Americans captured York (now Toronto), which was defended by 800 men, but was himself killed by the explosion of a magazine, by which 200 of his men were killed or wounded. In May an attack on Sackett's Harbor by the British under Gen. Prevost was repulsed by Gen. Brown, and Fort George in Canada was taken by the Americans. In October Gen. Harrison defeated the British, who had abandoned Detroit, near the Thames river in Canada, with severe loss, the Indian chief Tecumseh being among the slain. Attempts at an invasion of Canada from Lakes Ontario and Champlain, with a view to the capture of Montreal, came to nothing, partly through disagreement between Gens. Wilkinson and Hampton. The navy as usual was more successful than the army. On Lake Erie, Sept. 10, a British fleet of six vessels was captured after a severe contest by Commodore O. H. Perry, which rendered the Americans masters of the lake. On the ocean, the Hornet, Capt. Lawrence, captured the Peacock, Feb. 24; and the Enterprise, Lieut. Burroughs, captured the Boxer, Sept. 5. On the other hand, the frigate Chesapeake, commanded by Capt. Lawrence, was on June 1 captured by the British frigate Shannon, Capt. Broke. The campaign of 1814 was conducted with more vigor on both sides, and was marked by obstinate and sanguinary engagements on the Niagara frontier. On July 5 the British were defeated at Chippewa by Gen. Brown, and on the 25th at Bridgewater or Lundy's Lane by Gens. Brown and Winfield Scott, the latter of whom had also distinguished himself at Chippewa. The war in Europe having closed, large reënforcements, consisting of troops who had served under Wellington in Spain, were sent to Canada by the British government; and Sir George Prevost, at the head of 12,000 men, invaded New York on the northern frontier and laid siege to Plattsburgh, defended by Gen. Macomb. The army was supported by a powerful fleet on Lake Champlain, commanded by Commodore Downie. On Sept. 11 the United States fleet, under Commodore Macdonough, totally defeated the English fleet, and on the same day the British army retreated in disorder to Canada. In August a British fleet arrived in the Chesapeake with an army of 5,000 men commanded by Gen. Ross, who landed in the Patuxent and marched on Washington, and, after putting to flight the militia at Bladensburg, took possession of the federal city on the 24th, and burned the capitol, the president's house, and other public buildings. On the day after this barbarous exploit the British retired to their

ships, and on Sept. 12-13 made an attack on Baltimore, where they were repulsed by the citizens, and Gen. Ross was killed. On the ocean during this year and the beginning of 1815 the British vessels of war Epervier, Avon, Reindeer, Cyane, Levant, Penguin, and Nautilus were taken by the Americans, who on their part lost the frigates Essex and President, both captured by greatly superior forces, besides two or three smaller vessels. After protracted negotiations a treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. Dec. 24, 1814, on the part of the United States, by Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, Jonathan Russell, James A. Bayard, and Albert Gallatin. The treaty provided for the mutual restoration of all territory taken during the war, and for the mutual appointment of commissioners to determine the northern boundary of the United States. Nothing was said of the impressment of American seamen, one of the main causes of the war, but the practice was discontinued. Before the news of peace could cross the Atlantic, a British army 12,000 strong, led by Gens. Pakenham, Gibbs, Keene, and Lambert, landed on the coast of Louisiana and made an attack on New Orleans, which was defended by Gen. Andrew Jackson with less than 5,000 men, chiefly militia from Tennessee and Kentucky. The attack was repelled, Jan. 8, 1815, with a loss to the British of 2,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners, while the Americans lost only a few men. The war from its beginning had been distasteful to the majority of the people of New England, who, being mostly federalists, regarded it not only as unnecessary and impolitic, but as waged chiefly to gratify democratic prejudice against England and partiality for France. They suffered from it immense losses by the destruction of their commerce and their fisheries, and the federal government did little or nothing for their protection from the enemy. To remedy these evils the celebrated Hartford convention was held. (See .) For many years the democrats continued to impute treasonable designs to that convention, and it was one of the causes which led to the decay and extinction of the federal party. In the latter part of 1813 and the beginning of 1814 the country of the Creek Indians, within the present limits of Alabama, was invaded by four columns, one under Gen. Jackson, and that tribe was severely defeated and compelled to cede the greater part of its lands. During the war the Algerines had resumed their old practice of piracy, had seized several American vessels, and had insulted and plundered the American consul. Immediately after the conclusion of peace with Great Britain a naval force commanded by Decatur was sent to the Mediterranean, which captured several Algerine cruisers, and in a few weeks compelled the rulers of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli to make indemnity for their outrages, and to agree to abstain from depredations on American commerce.