APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



149 



where I understand tliey landed, 

 on the American side of the lai<e, 

 1,200 men, under general Dear- 

 born, for the purpose of strength- 

 ening their army on that line, and 

 probably with a view to make a 

 further attempt on Fort Erie or 

 Fort George. The flotilla after., 

 wards returned to Sackett's Har- 

 bour, where I find, from a flag of 

 truce which came over the day 

 before yesterday, they remained on 

 the 14th. 



From the information I have re- 

 ceived from an officer of the lake 

 marine taken at York, and sent 

 over in the flag of truce, J find the 

 enemy's force at Sackett's harbour 

 amounts to near 5,000 men, and 

 that they were making prepara- 

 tions for another expedition, but 

 to what point the attack was to be 

 directed, I have not been able to 

 ascertain. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 

 George Prevost. 



Earl Bathurst, &c. 



Kingston, May 5, 1813. 



Sir; — I did myself the honour of 

 writing to your excellency, on my 

 route from York, to communicate 

 the mortifying intelligence that the 

 enemy had obtained possession of 

 that place on the 27tli of April. I 

 shall now give your excellency a 

 further detail of that event. 



In the evening of the 26th, in- 

 formation was received that many 

 vessels had been seen to the east- 

 ward. Very early the next morn- 

 ing they were discovered lying-to, 

 not far from the harbour ; after 

 Bome time had elapsed they made 

 sail, and to the number of sixteen, 

 of various descriptions, anchored 

 off the shore, some distance to the 

 westward. Boats full of troops 



were immediately seen assembling 

 near their commodore's ship, under 

 cover of whose fire, and that of 

 other vessels, and aided by the 

 wind, they soon effected a landing, 

 in spite of a spirited opposition 

 from major Givens and about forty 

 Indians. A company of Glengarry 

 light infantry, which had been 

 ordered to support them, was, by 

 some mistake (not in the smallest 

 degree imputable to its comman- 

 der) led in another direction, and 

 came late into action. The other 

 troops, consisting of two companies 

 of the 8th, or king's regiment, and 

 about a company of the royal New- 

 foundland regiment, with some 

 militia, encountered the enemy in 

 a thick wood. Captain M'Neal, 

 of the king's regiment, was killed 

 while gallantly leading his com- 

 pany, which suffered severely. The 

 troops at length fell back ; they 

 rallied several times, but could not 

 maintain the contest against the 

 greatly superior and increasing 

 numbers of the enemy. They re- 

 tired under cover of our batteries, 

 which were engaged with some of 

 the enemy's vessels that had moved 

 nigher to the harbour. By some 

 unfortunate accident the magazine 

 at the western battery blew up, 

 and killed and wounded a consi- 

 derable number of men, and crip- 

 pled the battery. 



It became too evident that our 

 numbers and means of defence 

 were inadequate to the task of 

 maintaining possession of York 

 against the vast superiority offeree 

 brought against it. The troops 

 were withdrawn towards the town, 

 and were finally ordered to retreat 

 on the road to Kingston : the pow- 

 der magazine was blown up, and 

 the new ship and the naval stores 



