168 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Harbour on parole, told him that Chauncey had openly boasted of 
his power to do this.! 
Gray then boldly proposed an attack upon Sackett’s Harbour 
while the lake was frozen. As far as he could learn no sufficient 
precautions had been taken for its defence and the garrison did not 
exceed a thousand militia, wretchedly armed, sickly and discontented, 
in addition to a single company of regular artillery, the seamen, 
and shipwrights employed in the navy yard. The length of march 
from Kingston was forty-five miles. At Gravelly Point, fourteen 
miles away, the enemy had established an advanced post of two 
hundred militia in a log blockhouse which must first be taken. Thence 
for the rest of the way the road led through dense woods only broken 
_ occasionally by small clearings and isolated settlements. 
“The force requisite for this service,” he said, ‘‘need not be very 
great. I should imagine one good regiment, exclusive of what may 
be collected here would be sufficient. If your Excellency approves of 
the suggestion I have taken the liberty of submitting, the preparation 
may be made below and the men destined for this service provided 
with snowshoes and trained in the use of them. I am aware that this 
enterprise is not without risk; there is, however, every prospect of 
success as this post is very distant from succour. I believe Albany 
is the nearest point from whence they could be reinforced with effect, 
which is as far distant from Sackett’s Harbour as Montreal is from 
hence. If the troops from the Lower Province are put in motion about 
the latter end of January they should reach this in good season for 
making the attack. They should not be more than ten days in reach- 
ing this in light marching order. 
“They need not be above a month absent from Montreal. Either 
the King’s Regiment (with its flank companies) or the flank battalion 
would be sufficient for this purpose. The principal thing to be appre- 
hended would be the intelligence of our movements reaching the enemy. 
But if the enterprise is conducted with despatch, the blow would be 
struck before he could avail himself of any information he might 
receive. We would require three or four pieces of artillery on sleighs 
to destroy any blockhouse or temporary works he may in the mean- 
time run up.’”” 
After his arrival at York he renewed this proposal. 
“The more I reflect upon that subject the more I see grounds for 
hope as well as fear. What I apprehend is the probability of the ene- 
my’s strengthening his post by temporary means which he has so 
much at his command, such as abatis and barricades of wood of which 

| Gray to Prevost, Kingston, Dec. 3; Gray to Prevost, York, Dec. 11. 
*Gray to Prevost, Kingston, Dec. 3. 
