1898-99. | THE CONTEST FOR THE COMMAND OF LAKE ERIF IN 1812-13. 367 
Hunter, Chippewa, the new gunboats Aliza and Colonel Myers, and 
transports Wary, Nancy, and Mzamzs, under the command of Captain 
Hall, conveyed General Procter’s division to the mouth of the Miami 
river where the troops were landed. The gunboats ascended the river 
until within easy range of Fort Meigs. Part of the seamen were landed 
to assist in manning the siege batteries, and were said by Procter to 
have rendered the most essential service, although they suffered no loss 
in action. 
After the siege was raised, the //unzer was despatched with provisions 
and stores to Mackinac where the garrison was almost starving, and the 
Queen Charlotte was sent for supplies to Fort Erie as Procter’s whole 
division was then in great distress for lack of both food and clothing. 
The want of seamen absolutely prohibited any offensive operation. 
“Our gunboats are now idle,” Procter wrote on May 23rd, “for want 
of hands. Weare endeavouring to man.one. They might have been 
made good use of if we had had sailors since we left Miami in intercep- 
ting supplies for Mr. Harrison, which, as Colonel Nichol observes, he can 
now receive by the lake only.” 
Rumours that ships of war were being built at Erie had reached him 
some time before and rendered him so uneasy that he attempted to 
secure information by sending spies down the south shore of the lake. 
Sir John Warren had responded to the Governor-General’s appeal for 
officers by sending him Captains Robert Heriot Barclay, Robert Finnis, 
and Daniel Pring and four lieutenants of the Royal Navy. Captain 
Barclay was thirty-two years of age and had lost his left arm in the 
service but had not particularly distinguished himself, although un- 
doubtedly brave and skilful. None of the other officers were in any 
way known tofame. Barclay arrived at Kingston early in May and took 
charge of the ships lying there without crews. A few days later he was 
superseded by Sir James Lucas Yeo who came directly from England 
with thirty-six officers and 450 seamen to assume the command on both 
lakes. Yeo offered the command of the Lake Erie squadron to Captain 
William Howe Mulcaster, with whom he had been closely associated for 
many years. Mulcaster declined, chiefly, it is hinted, in consequence of 
the miserable equipment of the vessels and deficiency of seamen. It 
was then tendered to Barclay who accepted without hesitation, possibly 
from reluctance to serve under Yeo who was several years younger than 
himself. 
The American fleet was in possession of Lake Ontario, and as it was 
