194 Naval War of 1812 



inferior in number and force. For the reason that 

 it was thus practically a contest of regulars against 

 militia, I shall not give numerical comparisons of 

 the skirmishes in the autumn of 1812, and shall 

 touch on them but slightly. They teach the old les 

 son that, whether by sea or land, a small, well- 

 officered, and well-trained force, can not, except 

 very rarely, be resisted by a greater number of mere 

 militia; and that in the end it is true economy to 

 have the regular force prepared beforehand, with 

 out waiting until we have been forced to prepare 

 it by the disasters happening to the irregulars. The 

 Canadian seamen behaved badly, but no worse than 

 the American land forces did at the same time; 

 later, under regular training, both nations retrieved 

 their reputations. 



Commodore Chauncy arrived at Sackett's Har 

 bor in October, and appeared on the lake on Novem 

 ber 8th, in the Oneida, Lieutenant Woolsey, with the 

 six schooners Conquest, Lieutenant Elliott; Ham 

 ilton, Lieutenant McPherson; Tompkins, Lieuten 

 ant Brown; Pert, Sailing-master Arundel; Julia, 

 Sailing-master Trant; Growler, Sailing-master Mix. 

 The Canadian vessels were engaged in conveying 

 supplies from the westward. Commodore Chauncy 

 discovered the Royal George off the False Duck 

 Islands, and chased her under the batteries of Kings 

 ton, on the Qth. Kingston was too well defended 

 to be taken by such a force as Chauncy's; but the 

 latter decided to make a reconnaissance, to discover 

 the enemy's means of defence and see if it was 



