218 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



two months afterwards ; as, had 

 this reinforcement arrived a few 

 weeks earlier, it might have avert- 

 ed the melancholy fate which has 

 attended our squadron on Lake 

 Erie. A full confirmation of this 

 disaster has reached me, through 

 the medium of theAraerican prints, 

 which contain commodore Perry's 

 official account of the action, the 

 only one which I have as yet re- 

 ceived, or which I can expect to re- 

 ceive of it for a great length of time, 

 in consequence of the dangerous 

 situation of captain Barclay, and 

 of the death, wounds, or captivity 

 of all the officers serving under 

 him. 



Under this misfortune, it is mat- 

 ter of great consolation to discover, 

 even from the confession of the 

 enem.y, that the victory was at one 

 period our own, and was only 

 wrested from us by the unfortu- 

 nate loss of the services of captain 

 Barclay, and of almost every other 

 officer of the squadron ; leaving a 

 crew without competent control 

 or command, totally unable to ex- 

 tricate themselves from the diffi- 

 culties by which they were sur- 

 rounded. On the 23rd ult. the 

 date of the last letter from major- 

 general Proctor, he was still at 

 Sandwich, but he will be obliged 

 to retire towards the head of Lake 

 Ontario. I trust he will be enabled 

 to make the enemy pay dearly for 

 any attempt to press upon him, in 

 his retreat to that position. 



Commodore sir James Yeo sail- 

 ed with his squadron from Kings- 

 ton, on the 19th ultimo, convoy- 

 ing transports with stores, provi- 

 sions, ordnance, &c. for the centre 

 division of the army ; and arrived 

 with them at the head of the lake, 

 on the 25th. The enemy's fleet 



on the 28th, under commodore 

 Chauncey, made their appearance, 

 when sir James Yeo endeavoured 

 to bring them to a general action ; 

 but having the advantage of the 

 wind, they were enabled to choose 

 their own distance, and to prevei>t 

 our ships from closing with them ; 

 the consequence was, that about 

 fifteen minutes after the engage- 

 ment began, the Wolfe lost her 

 main and mizen top-masts, which 

 rendered her so perfectly unma- 

 nageable on the wind, that after 

 continuing the action for upwards 

 of three hours, sir James was 

 obliged to put away before the 

 severe gale then blowing, and get to 

 anchorage off Burlington Heights, 

 whither the enemy, notwithstand- 

 ing the advantage they had thus 

 gained, did not think fit to follow 

 him. The fore-top-mast of the 

 Royal George went over as the 

 squadron anchored, but none of 

 the other vessels were in any re- 

 spect materially injured ; and our 

 loss in men must have been trifling, 

 as sir James, in his letter to me, 

 does not mention it. The enemy's 

 squadron appeared to have suffered 

 in their sailsand rigging, although 

 they kept on the lake, in the two 

 following days, whilst our fleet 

 was refitting. 



I have just learned that com- 

 modore Chauncey sailed on the 1st 

 instant from Niagara, having under 

 convoy a flotilla of small craft and 

 batteaux, filled with a proportion 

 of the regular regiments from Fort 

 George, where they have been re- 

 lieved by militia, the whole being 

 evidently destined for Sackett's 

 Harbour. Early on the following 

 day, sir James Yeo was apprized 

 of this movement, and his ships 

 being refitted, our squadron imme- 



