[cruikshank] from ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 165 



been built in the remarkably short period of forty-five days out of green 

 timber freshly cut in the neighboring woods.* 



The fact that he had gained command of the lake, even for a few 

 weeks, was sufficient to excite the most serious apprehensions for the 

 future in Upper Canada where there was already a considerable scarcity 

 of such necessary articles as flour and salt. The Executive Council 

 of the province met at York on November 17 and unanimously adopted 

 an address to General Sheaffe, stating their fears and expressing 

 the opinion that it was absolutely necessary for the defence and pre- 

 servation of the country to regain the naval superiority. Sheaffe 

 assured them that every effort would be made that his local resources 

 would afford and informed Prévost that "it would require exertions 

 of the most energetic kind to contend with the enemy for the ascendency 

 on the lakes. " f 



The attack on Kingston became known to Prévost at Quebec on 

 November 14. Captain Gray was at once ordered to proceed to that 

 post in charge of a brigade of boats laden with artillery stores, ac- 

 companied by an escort composed of one company of the Glengarry 

 Light Infantry and small detachments, not exceeding altogether one 

 hundred of all ranks, as a meagre reinforcement for the garrison. 

 Two other companies of the Glengarry corps, which had been under 

 orders to march to Upper Canada for some time, were unavoidably 

 detained at Montreal owing to the very threatening attitude of the 

 American forces on the Champlain frontier. | 



Gray was directed to relieve Lieut. Colonel Myers in charge of 

 the Provincial Marine in Upper Canada and begin the construction 

 of two ships at once. 



Prévost took advantage of this event to reiterate and emphasize 

 his demand for officers and men from the Royal Navy in a letter to 

 the Secretary of War, whom he informed that he had already 

 given orders for building two vessels during the winter for service on 

 Lake Ontario, at the same time quoting that part of the President's 

 message referring to the efforts he was making to gain command of 

 the lakes. It was next to impossible to find a military officer quali- 

 fied to superintend the construction of ships of war and to direct naval 

 operations with success and he recommended that the Provincial 

 Marine should be converted into a naval establishment controlled by 

 the Navy Board and supplied with properly qualified officers. 

 "Until this measure is adopted," he concluded, "I fear no exertions 

 which I can make will render that part of the force under my command 



*Chauncey to the Secretary of the Navy, Nov. 26; Gray to Prévost, Dec. 3. 

 fSheaffe to Prévost, Nov. 23; Sheaffe to the Executive Council, Nov. 24. 

 JPrevost to Sheaffe, Nov. 15; Prévost to Bathurst, Nov. 21. 



