64 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



whether the American fleet was still in port, and in this mission the 

 officer in charge was entirely successful. 1 



Next day an American seaman who had escaped from his guard 

 near Ernestown, came in and reported that he had seen the Governor- 

 General, attended by a single staff officer and a small mounted escort, 

 five days before, riding from York toward Niagara, and that during 

 his flight, he had observed a detachment of regular troops moving up 

 the Bay of Quinte in boats. 



Suspecting from this that an attack was meditated upon Fort Nia- 

 gara and the batteries and magazines on that side of the river, a messen- 

 ger was despatched in all haste to warn Boyd to be on his guard "as 

 their loss would disgrace our arms, blast your cause, and ruin the 

 campaign." 



Wilkinson remained at Sackett's Harbour until August 30, busily 

 employed in inspections of the troops and fortifications and in making 

 arrangements for the transportation across the lake of at least seven 

 thousand men, with forty pieces of field artillery and twenty siege 

 guns, amply provided with ammunition, camp equipage, provisions 

 and other supplies for a campaign lasting two months. He proposed 

 that five thousand men should embark at Niagara about September 

 10 and the remainder at Sackett's Harbour on the 15th and form a 

 junction at some point below Kingston. A council of war was then 

 assembled, composed of Commodore Chauncey and three general 

 officers, Lewis, Brown, and Swartwout, the latter being the quarter- 

 master-general for the military district. Four questions were submit- 

 ted for their consideration in reply to which they unanimously 

 stated their opinion in writing that it was unnecessary to await the 

 result of a decisive action between the opposing squadrons on Lake 

 Ontario and inadvisable to undertake further offensive operations in 

 the vicinity of Fort George and approved of the proposed movement 

 down the St. Lawrence for an attack upon Montreal in conjunction 

 with General Hampton. "The object appears feasible," they re- 

 marked, "and, if accomplished, the upper country must fall of course, 

 being incapable of subsisting the enemy's force for any length of time 

 and the possession of Montreal will certainly destroy the enemy's 

 line of communication between the upper and the lower province." 2 



Chauncey readily promised to take the lake as soon as his new 

 ship was equipped with the intention of seeking a decisive engage- 

 ment. Hampton, however, had ignored all letters addressed to him, 



1 Yeo to Prévost, Aug. 22; Wilkinson to Boyd, Aug. 23; Boyd's Documents 

 and Facts, p, 15. 



2 Wilkinson to Swartwout, Aug. 25; Wilkinson to Armstrong, Aug. 26; Minutes 

 of Council ôf War, Aug. 26; Wilkinson to Armstrong, Aug. 26. 



