[CRUIKSHANK] COMMAND OF LAKE ONTARIO, 1812-1813 221 
up a station off Gravelly Point which he kept until the appearance of 
the sky induced him to run for shelter to Sackett’s Harbour, where he 
arrived on the morning of the 11th, barely in time to escape a heavy 
gale from the west accompanied by snow.! 
Urgent orders were then received from the Secretary of War 
directing him to supply transportation for a brigade of infantry from 
Niagara to Sackett’s Harbour for the protection of that port, which 
had been nearly denuded of its garrison and was presumed to be in 
some danger of attack. Sailing thence with a fair wind he arrived off 
Niagara on the evening of the 14th and sent all his squadron except 
his flagship into the river to facilitate the embarkation of troops and 
stores. This was accomplished before night on the 16th and the whole 
got away on the return voyage. The wind soon increased to a gale 
blowing strong from the east with heavy rain and snow. The squadron 
was dispersed and driven toward the head of the lake. Most of the 
schooners made for the mouth of the river again. One got in safely, 
another carried away her rudder in crossing the bar, a third was 
driven ashore and some of her crew perished. Others were tossed about 
at the mercy of the waves and fired guns of distress all night. The 
Julia succeeded in coming to anchor close to the entrance of Burlington 
Bay where she succeeded in riding out the storm. Large fires were 
kept burning near the forts for the guidance of the pilots. The Madi- 
son and Oneida ran for shelter toward Toronto Bay but to their sur- 
prise found the entrance strongly fortified and beat back to the mouth 
of the Niagara where they arrived on the morning of the 20th. Several 
seamen had been swept overboard and lost but the vessels sustained 
little injury. At midnight the wind suddenly changed to westward 
and the Pike and Sylph ran at once for Sackett’s Harbour arriving 
there on the evening of the 30th. Next day the Oneida and four of the 
schooners which had taken refuge in the Niagara came in. 
“The troops and seamen suffered extremely,’’ Chauncey wrote, 
“as they were wet from the commencement of the gale until their 
arrival here. The water was so deep on the berth deck that we were 
obliged to scuttle it to let the water off, yet the men arrived in better 
health than could have been expected.’”” 
The smaller vessels were immediately laid up and arrangements 
made for quartering the seamen on shore. The army had then gone 
into winter quarters and all expectations of anadvance upon Montreal 
apparently abandoned. 

1 Chauncey to the Secretary of the Navy, Nov. 11. 
? John F. Bacon to Governor Tompkins, Fort George, Nov. 21; Chauncey to 
the Secretary of the Navy, Sackett’s Harbour, Nov. 21. 
