GENERAL HISTORY. 



[181 



of the fortress of Mobile in West 

 Florida. This place, alleged to 

 be within the limits of the pur- 

 chase of Louisiana by the United 

 States, having been hitherto retain- 

 ed on various pretexts, a detach- 

 ment of general Harrison's army 

 was sent against it, which made a 

 landing on April 12th. The com- 

 mander advancing to the fort with 

 scaling ladders prepared for an as- 

 sault, summoned the Spanish gar- 

 rison to evacuate the place, with 

 which requisition they complied 

 and were embarked fcr Pensacola. 

 A numerous artillery and a consi- 

 derable quantity of ammunition 

 were found in the fortress. 



In this month the British block- 

 ading squadron in the Chesapeake 

 sent some expeditions up the rivers 

 of that inlet, the results of which 

 are reported in our chapter of na- 

 val transactions. They were of no 

 other moment than as they might 

 impress the minds of the people in 

 those parts with a desire for the 

 termination of hostilities of which 

 they were in danger of becoming 

 the victims. 



On May 25th, a message was 

 received by the assembled Congress 

 from the president of the United 

 States. It began with informing 

 them, that in consequence of an 

 offer made by the emperor of Rus- 

 sia to mediate between the United 

 States and Great Britain, three 

 eminent citizens had been com- 

 missioned with the requisite pow- 

 ers for concluding a treaty of peace, 

 on the presumption that the Bri- 

 tish cabinet would not refuse the 

 acceptance of such a Tnediation. 

 The envoys were also said to be 

 authorised to conclude a treaty of 

 commerce with Russia. It then 



adverted to the question of im- 

 pressment, and complained of the 

 continued emploj'ment of savages 

 in the war, and of the late expedi- 

 tions for plunder and conflagration 

 in another quarter. After touching 

 upon the naval and military suc- 

 cesses of the United States, it pro- 

 ceeded to a statement of financial 

 matters; and having remarked that 

 the late loan of 16 millions of dol- 

 lars was contracted for at no less 

 interest than 7| percent, it strong- 

 ly recommended to the legislature 

 raising additional taxes in order to 

 abridge the necessity of recurring 

 to loans. On the whole it appear- 

 ed from the tenor of the message, 

 that peace was looked to as the 

 most desirable object, though the 

 exacerbationof mind towards Great 

 Britain had not subsided. 



The lakes were now the most 

 active scene of American warfare, 

 andvarious spirited conflictSjthough 

 on a small scale, occurred on their 

 coasts and waters. A party of the 

 American army having taken post 

 near the foot of the rapids of the 

 Miami, a river flowing into Lake 

 Erie, col. Proctor, on April 23rd, 

 embarked with a force of regulars 

 and militia, consisting of between 

 eight and nine hundred, to whom 

 were joined about twelve hundred 

 Indians ; and sailed for the Miami. 

 In consequence of heavy rains he 

 was not able to open his batteries 

 till May 1st, at which time the ene- 

 my had so well secured himself by 

 blockhouses and batteries, that no 

 impression could be made on him. 

 Whilst col. Proctor was still lying 

 there, a reinforcement of Ameri- 

 can troops, to the number of 1,300, 

 under the command of brigadier- 

 general Clay, descending the river, 



