[cruikshank] from ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 155 



Sergeant McGillivray and six men were killed, and Lieut. William 

 Hall and several privates were wounded before they could seize their 

 arms. Not a shot was fired in reply. The two surviving officers and 

 thirty-seven men with the Indian agent, M. Louvigny de Montigny, 

 were made prisoners. A flag belonging to the agent, was carried off as a 

 trophy and falsely described in the officials report as a stand of colours.* 



These trifling successes were as usual considerably exaggerated 

 by the American newspapers and had an inspiring influence on their 

 troops along the whole frontier. 



Having deliberately decided to reject the proposals for an armis- 

 tice, the American cabinet at the same time determined to under- 

 take the most energetic measures to obtain command of Lakes On- 

 tario and Champlain. On the last day of August the Secretary of 

 the Navy addressed a letter to Captain Isaac Chauncey, directing 

 him "to assume command of the naval forces on Lakes Erie and On- 

 tario, and to use every exertion to obtain control of them this fall." * 

 As Chauncey had been in charge of the navy yard at New York for 

 the preceding four years he had a perfect knowledge of the resources 

 of the main depot from which he would be obliged to draw his sup- 

 plies. He was then forty years of age, in robust health, a practical 

 seaman of much experience, and particularly well versed in the art of 

 ship building. He was vested with great authority and instructed 

 "to use all the means which he might judge essential to accomplish 

 the wishes of the government." The crew of the frigate John Adams, 

 which had been condemned as unfit for service, was placed under his 

 command, and he was authorized to enlist volunteers both at New 

 York and Boston, f 



Nearly a month later, Lieut. Thomas Macdonough was appointed 

 to the command of the naval force on Lake Champlain, and Chauncey 

 was directed to supply him with seamen. As a midshipman, Mac- 

 donough had proved his worth in the Tripolitan war, and had been 

 in charge of the navy yard at Portland for some time. 



Chauncey entered upon the execution of his oiders with much 

 zeal and activity. Within thiee weeks he was able to report that he 

 had despatched to Lake Ontario, 140 ship carpenters, 700 seamen 

 and marines, and more than one hundred pieces of cannon, chiefly 

 of large calibre, besides a great quantity of naval stoies. Unfortunately 

 for him, these facts were also announced with commendable accuracy 

 in the principal newspapers. { 



*Young to Bloomfield, Oct. 24; Jacques Viger, Prise de St. Regis, Recherches 

 Historiques, V. 141; Christie, Mil. Oper. 83. 

 fHarnilton to Chauncey, August 31. 

 JChauncey to Hamilton, Sept. 26; Nilcs's Weekly Register, V. 127 and 142-3. 



