The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1Roger, Charles
History
The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1
Roger, Charles
Canada -- History
as he thought upon the astonished countenances of the United States'
officers, who were charged with the sale of the goods, when they should
have ascertained their unlooked for disappearance. The inhabitants
were, of course, not molested, and indeed living but a few hundred
yards from the British shore, were only very moderate Americans.
There was also, during the winter, a skirmish at Longwood, in which the
British, who were the assailants, retired with a loss of two officers
and twelve men killed.
The campaign opened with the opening of the navigation, in May. Sir
James Yeo, with the co-operation of that talented, skilful, and
excellent officer, General Drummond, planned an attack upon Oswego,
with the view of destroying the naval stores, sent by way of that town
for the equipment of the American fleet in Sackett's Harbour. The
British fleet having been strengthened by two additional ships, the
_Prince Regent_ and the _Princess Charlotte_, General Drummond sent on
board of it six companies of DeWatteville's regiment, the light
companies of the Glengary militia, and the second battalion of the
Royal Marines, with a detachment of Royal Artillery, and two field
pieces, a detachment of a rocket company, and some sappers and miners.
This expedition left Kingston on the 4th of May, and arrived off Oswego
about noon on the day following. It was then however, blowing a gale of
wind, from the northwest, and it was considered expedient to keep off
and on the port, until the weather calmed. It was the morning of the
6th, before a landing could be effected, when about one hundred and
forty men, under Colonel Fischer, and two hundred seamen, under Captain
Mulcaster, Royal Navy, were sent ashore, in the face of a heavy fire of
grape and round shot from the enemies' batteries, and of musketry from
a detachment of the American army, posted on the brow of a hill and
partially sheltered by an adjoining wood. The British, nevertheless,
charged the battery and captured it, the enemy leaving about sixty
wounded men behind them, in their hurried retreat. The stores in the
fort were taken possession of, the fort itself dismantled, and the
barracks were destroyed. In this successful assault, Captain Holtaway,
of the Marines, was killed, Captain Mulcaster was severely and
dangerously wounded in the head, and Captain Popham was wounded
severely, two officers of the line and two other naval officers were
wounded. Eighteen rank and file of the army and marines were killed,
and sixty wounded, and three sailors were killed and seven wounded. The
naval stores, however, were not captured, as they had been deposited at
the Falls of the Onondago, some miles above Oswego. The troops were
re-embarked and the fleet sailed for Kingston on the 7th of May.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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