[CRUIKSHANK] COMMAND OF LAKE ONTARIO, 1812-1813 219 
ment at length became practicable, Mulcaster made sail for French 
Creek. A detachment of riflemen posted on a high bluff near the 
mouth of the creek was driven off and fire opened upon the camp 
which was briskly returned by some field guns. This action was con- 
tinued until it grew so dark that the American position, which was to 
some extent sheltered by thick woods, could no longer be distinctly 
seen. The vessels then drew off for the night having received several 
round shot in their sides, none of which did any material damage. 
During the night the wind rose and prevented the gunboats from 
renewing the attack as had been contemplated. At break of day 
the brigs and schooners again ran in when it was found that a battery 
armed with three long eighteen pounders and a furnace for heating 
shot had been constructed. Several hot shot struck them and they 
soon discontinued the fight, having lost one seaman killed and an officer 
and four seamen wounded. The American commander reported a 
loss of only ten men killed and wounded. One small schooner was 
driven ashore.! 
On October 29, Chauncey had visited Wilkinson on Grenadier 
Island and learned with great surprise and discontent that he had 
abandoned all intention of co-operating in an attack upon Kingston if, 
indeed, he had ever seriously entertained it. 
“T was much disappointed and mortified to find that the General 
had taken his determination to descend the St. Lawrence and attack 
Montreal in. preference to Kingston; disappointed because in all 
consultations upon this subject for the last four weeks, Kingston was 
fixed upon as the point to be first attacked, and when I parted with 
the Secretary of War on the 16th, I understood that it was his decided 
opinion that Kingston should be first reduced; mortified to find that the 
navy had been used as a mere attendant upon the army for the purpose 
of transport and protection, and when it could no longer be used for 
those purposes and the season too far advanced to cruise on the lake 
with safety, it is left to protect itself in the best manner it can without 
the possibility of participating in any enterprise against the enemy 
HÉMSSCHSONE TL yd Da ee eGR te It exposes the fleet and 
stores to certain and total destruction the ensuing winter; for if the 
enemy collects the whole of his force from the different points of the 
upper province at Kingston, he will have, from the best information, 
between four and five thousand regular soldiers; with this force he 
can, (after the first of January), cross on the ice to Sackett’s Harbour 
in one day, burn the fleet and town, and return to Kingston without 
difficulty; in fact, I should not be astonished if Sir James should take 
1 Mulcaster to Yeo, Nov. 2; Major-General Jacob Brown to Colonel Dennis 
French Creek, Nov. 2. 
