GENERAL HISTORY. 



[177 



of arms, and store-houses full of 

 clothing, and camp equipage were 

 the iarther prize of the victors. 



After this affair, the American 

 general Hull arrived at the town 

 of Buffalo, and collecting all the 

 troops in the vicinity, amounting 

 to more than 2,000 men, took post 

 at Black-rook to check the fur- 

 ther advance of the British. He 

 was not, however, long suffered to 

 remain there unmolested. Major- 

 gen. Rial assembling a force of 

 about 950 regulars and 60 militia, 

 with 400 Indians, crossed the 

 Niagara river on the night of 

 Dec. 29th, and at day-break on 

 the 30th, moved on to attack the 

 enemy, who was strongly posted. 

 After a vigorous resistance, the 

 impetuosity of the assailants forced 

 the Americans to give waj', and 

 they were driven through their 

 batteries to the town of Buffalo, 

 about two miles distant. There a 

 further resistance was made ; but 

 in a short time the American 

 troops fled in all directions, and 

 took to the woods, leaving behind 

 them three pieces of cannon. Their 

 loss was not know-n, but 130 pri- 

 soners were made, the rapidity of 

 their flight preventing a larger 

 capture. The British loss in this 

 spirited action amounted to 112, 

 in killed, wounded, and missing. 

 Among the wounded was lieut.- 

 col. Ogilvy, as he was gallantly 

 leading the attack. After the en- 

 gagement, an officer was sent with 

 a detachment to destroy two 

 schooners and a sloop, part of the 

 enemy's lake squadron, that were 

 on shore below the town of 

 Buffalo, which service was effec- 

 tually performed. The town itself, 

 the inhabitants having quitted it, 

 was then committed to the £ames, 



Voi,. LV], 



with the whole of the public stores, 

 and the village of Black-rock was 

 likewise burnt. A force was then 

 directed to move down the river 

 to fort Niagara to destroy all the 

 remaining cover of the enemy 

 upon this I'rontier, which being 

 effected, the whole frontier was 

 left clear and naked. 



The destruction of the Ame- 

 rican villages on this occasion was 

 represented in a proclamation 

 issued by Sir George Prevost, as a 

 measure of retaliation for the acts 

 of plunder and conflagration com- 

 mitted by the Americans iri their 

 invasion of Upper Canada, and 

 particularly the burning of the 

 village of Newark, consisting of 

 150 houses, the inhabitants of 

 which were driven out to en- 

 counter, without covering or shelter, 

 the inclemency of a Canadian 

 winter. His Excellency gives se- 

 veral instances of the moderation 

 and regard to private property 

 shewn by the British, and inti- 

 mates that retaliation shall be car- 

 ried no farther, unless fresh pro- 

 vocation be given. 



On Jan, 7th, the President of 

 the United States communicated 

 to both houses of Congress, copies 

 of a letter from the British secre- 

 tary of state, lord Castlereagh, 

 to the American secretary Mr. 

 Monroe, with the answer of the 

 latter, the subject of which was 

 the proposed negotiations for 

 peace. Lord. Castlereagh's letter 

 incloses a note from lord Cath- 

 cart, British ambassador to the 

 emperor of Russia, addressed to 

 the count de Nesselrode, in which 

 he mentions that the Prince Re- 

 gent had been informed of the 

 arrival of the American commis- 

 sioners in Russia, and though he 



[N] 



