[cornE | THE TALBOT PAPERS 191 
Lt. Col. Burwell to Talbot. 
My Dear Colonel. Port Talbot 21st May 1813. 
Yours of the 19th inst. I have just recd.— Lt. Col. Bostwick had 
informed me of Genl. Proctor’s success, on his way down. I regret 
that the victory was not more complete— I did hope that that expedi- 
tion would have finished the Western Campaign for this year— Then 
we might have sent the Regulars below again— I had not heard before 
that Sir Roger retreated to Kingston— A report was circulated here 
which I was inclined to believe, that he only retreated to the river 
Don— I lament the death of poor Donald McLean— I think he was 
a good person— I fear many more of the good people of York are 
gone also, but I am happy to learn that the Provincial Papers are not 
destroyed—As that excited considerable of alarm in me— Our loss 
must have been great but I hope the enemy will not be much benefited 
by it— We must have had considerable stores of Provisions there, but 
I shall be content if Sir Roger had them all destroyed previous to 
his retreat— What a wanton, ferocious & savage proceeding, that was 
to burn the Govt. House at the Beech—A House they must have known 
purely for the accommodation of travellers— I am glad to hear that 
Sir George Prevost is a little aroused for the security of this Province— 
If the arrival of the reinforcements should be pretty prompt & that 
account of the Seamen arrived, and preparations making at Kingston 
true—we may still prevent them from destroying our settlements about 
Lake Ontario— Their thinking that they have such a complete mastery 
of the Lake may lull them into such a confidence of their superiority 
that I should not be at all surprised to hear that our Vessels have 
lessened their Flotilla— The Inhabitants are now in the midst of 
their planting, & it will be like drawing their eye teeth to call them 
out until they have done— I hope to see you here in a day or two— 
Tomorrow according to Agreement I am going to survey the Road to 
Treland— You have 193 Bbls. Flour Packed—100 Bushels of Wheat to 
grind yet—& Chase has not brought down your share of his Wheat 
yet— The Water has failed all at once so that we cannot get a morsel 
ground— Many of the settlers have no Flour at all— The weather 
was so wet only a few days ago, that nobody thought of a scarcity of 
Water— Indeed if they had come to Mill Walter could not have ground 
for them until yours was finished— I however hope that there will 
be rain soon— The Water got so low that they could not grind any 
& they took it into their heads to draw it entirely off & stop all leakage 
which was but trifling— Your Cornfield is Ploughed— You had only 
6 Bushels Pease, which are sowed— Barley is sowed— Barbers Pota- 
toes are rotten— Kerr does not know where to get more for seed— 
