216 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
“It has been my constant study since my arrival to cultivate 
‘a good and perfect understanding between the two services in order 
that the honor and advantage of our country might be promoted by 
their joint exertions. Your appeal therefore appears to be unnecessary 
and I have no desire to censure your conduct. My only complaint 
is that you do not view as I could wish you to do the consequences of 
. leaving in critical positions our troops exposed to the joint operations 
of the American fleet and army, thereby exposing them to disgrace and 
a precipitate retreat. To prevent a measure of that nature which 
might greatly affect the honor of our arms and the safety of our coun- 
try, something should be hazarded and the consequences which would 
result to the army from the want of your support should equally 
weigh with you with that which might follow from any attempt to 
prevent the joint co-operation of the enemy’s land and sea forces.’”! 
Four days later Prevost wrote to him: 
“The precautionary measures which you appear to have taken 
in conjunction with Major-General Darroch for the security of Kings- 
ton will, I think, prove sufficient to deter the enemy from attacking 
that place at the present moment, but as the large force now collected 
at Sackett’s Harbour cannot be kept a day inactive whilst so short a 
period remains for carrying on offensive operations, it is possible 
General Wilkinson may look to more vulnerable points and attempt 
forcing his way to Montreal by the St. Lawrence while General Hamp- 
ton penetrates into Lower Canada by the Chateauguay River, or else 
attempt carrying Prescott by a coup-de-main. In short any movement 
the enemy may attempt in the narrow waters will afford you a good 
opportunity of using your vessels and gunboats to the greatest advan- 
tage and enable you to defeat and distress either of these operations 
beyond measure. I am glad to find you will have established a good 
lookout on the enemy’s motions in Sackett’s Harbour and I hope you 
are well prepared to avail yourself of any favorable opportunity 
which may offer for the destruction of the small craft and bateaux 
they may have collected.’ 
Before these instructions were received, General de Rottenburg 
had arrived at Kingston and assumed command. He directed Yeo 
to proceed at once to the head of the lake to assist the Centre Division 
in its retreat, sending the schooner Vincent and all the gunboats to 
the eastern end of Wolfe Island to oppose the passage of the American 
flotilla into the St. Lawrence. The squadron accordingly sailed at 
daylight on October 15 with a fair wind which, however, changed 
before the harbour was cleared and obliged it to return. A flag of 
1 Prevost to Yeo, Montreal, Oct. 6. 
? Prevost to Yeo, Montreal, Oct. 12. 
