[CRUIKSHANK] COMMAND OF LAKE ONTARIO, 1812-1813 163 
and many of these are totally unfit for active service. And the nature 
of the ground is so peculiarly circumstanced that the garrison and dock- 
yard are separated from each other by the strait which forms the har- 
bour of Kingston. The high ground from which alone the dockyard 
_can be defended is also separated from it by the inlet called Navy 
Bay. Thus the garrison occupies one situation, the dockyard another, 
and the ground commanding it remains unoccupied.’’! 
As York was the seat of government and the headquarters of 
the commanding officer, the removal of the naval station would 
facilitate supervision. The harbour was larger, naturally more secure 
from surprise, and could be more easily fortified. Timber for ship 
building could be readily obtained from the neighbouring forests. 
The main disadvantage was the great distance from Montreal, the 
advanced base of supply and this fact ultimately prevailed over all 
other considerations and kept the naval station at Kingston through- 
out the war. 
When the declaration of war became known, some batteries for 
the defence of the harbour were hastily constructed and armed with 
any guns which happened to be at hand. These fortifications were 
gradually strengthened and their armament increased. Semaphore 
telegraph stations were established for communication, and furnaces 
built for heating shot. A considerable force of militia was assembled 
from the adjacent country and kept in service until relieved by 
regular troops from Montreal. | 
The merchant shipping on the lake consisted of about thirty 
small sloops and schooners. Only about one third of these flew the 
British flag, the largest being the Governor Simcoe, a schooner of 130 
tons. The remainder varied in size from twenty to ninety tons. 
Sackett’s Harbour had been selected as the American naval 
base. The roadstead there was commodious, safe and easily fortified. 
All kinds of timber were abundant in the vicinity. The town was 
small but the country near by was well settled. The brig Oneida, 
of 250 tons, and armed with sixteen twenty-four pounder carronades, 
was the only ship of war maintained by the United States government 
with the exception of several small craft employed as revenue cutters. 
She was a dull sailer of very light draught. An energetic effort had 
been made just before the opening of navigation to augment her 
crew, recruiting officers having even been sent into Canada for that 
purpose. Early in June, her commander, Captain Woolsey, began 
a vigorous campaign against smuggling and other alleged infractions 
of the customs and navigation laws. Three British schooners, the 
1 Report, March 9, 1812. 
