134. ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



general sir George Prevost, Bart, 

 governor-general and commander- 

 in-chief of the forces in North 

 America : — 



Head-quarters, Chambly, 



Nov. 21, 1812. 

 My lord, — I have the honour to 

 acquaint your lordship, that the 

 efforts of the enemy at Sackett's 

 harbour, on Lake Ontario, en- 

 abled them to send out, on the 

 10th instant, seven sail of armed 

 vessels, manned by the crew of 

 one of the American frigates, and 

 commanded by some of their na- 

 val officers, having on board a 

 considerable detachment of troops, 

 for the purpose of carrying the 

 port of Kingston by surprise, and 

 of destroying his majesty's ship 

 Royal George, then lying there. I 

 have much satisfaction in reporting 

 to your lordship, that the vigilance 

 and military skill of colonel Vin- 

 cent, who is in command at King- 

 ston, frustrated their designs : and 

 aller many hours of ineffectual 

 cannonade, the American flotilla 

 hauled off, and on the following 

 day returned into port. I have 

 also the honour to report to your 

 lordship, that, having received in- 

 formation of the advance of the 

 enemy with their whole force of 

 regulars and militia encamped at 

 Plattsburgh, from that place to 

 the village at Champlain, about six 

 miles from the province line, with 

 the avowed purpose of penetrating 

 into this frontier, I directed the 

 brigade of troops at Montreal, con- 

 sisting of two companies of the 

 Royals, seven compiniesof theSth 

 or King's, 4 companies of the Mon- 

 treal volunteer militia, and the 5th 

 battalion of the embodiedCanadian 

 pnilitia, with one troop of volun- 

 teer cavalry, and a brigade of light 



artillery, the whole under the 

 command of colonel Baynes, to 

 cross the St. Lawrence and ad- 

 vance to the support of major-gen- 

 eral De Rottenburgh, whose front 

 was threatened by this movement 

 of the enemy : the troops crossed 

 with uncommon expedition on the 

 evening of Thursday last, the 19th 

 inst. and reached La Prairie that 

 night. 



I am happy to inform your lord- 

 ship, that immediately upon the 

 alarm being given that the enemy 

 were advancing, the sedentary 

 militia flocked in from all quarters 

 with a zeal and alacrity which I 

 cannot too much praise, and which 

 assures me that I shall derive 

 essential assistance from them when 

 the occasion shall require it. The 

 enemy, since the advance to Cham- 

 plain, have made several recon- 

 noissances beyond the lines into the 

 province; one in particular, on 

 the night of the 19th, with a de- 

 tachment of cavalry, and a body 

 of about 1000 of their regular in- 

 fantry, the whole under the com- 

 mand of lieut.-col. Pike, who is 

 esteemed in the United States an 

 able officer; but falling in un- 

 expectedly with a small party of 

 Voyageurs and Indians, one of our 

 advanced picquets, by whom they 

 were fired upon, they were thrown 

 into the greatest confusion, and 

 commenced a fire upon each other, 

 which was attended with a loss of 

 about 50 of their men in killed and 

 wounded, when they dispersed. 

 Our picquet made good thei r ret reat 

 unmolested, and without a man 

 being hurt ; by several deserters 

 who have since come in to us, 

 and some of whom were of the 

 reconnoitering party, we have as- 

 certained their loss, and that but 



