280 Naval War of 1812 



British evacuating the whole Niagara frontier, and 

 leaving the river in complete possession of the Amer- 

 icans for the time being. This offered the opportu- 

 nity for despatching Captain Perry up above the 

 falls to take out one captured brig (the Caledonia) 

 and four purchased schooners, which had been lying 

 in the river unable to get past the British batteries 

 into Lake Erie. These five vessels were now carried 

 into that lake, being tracked up against the current 

 by oxen, to become a most important addition to the 

 American force upon it. 



While Chauncy's squadron was thus absent at 

 the west end of the lake the Wolfe, 24, was launched 

 and equipped at Kingston, making the British force 

 on the lake superior to that of the Americans. Im- 

 mediately Sir George Prevost and Sir James Lucas 

 Yeo, the commanders-in-chief of the land and water 

 forces in the Canadas, decided to strike a blow at 

 Sackett's Harbor and destroy the General Pike, 28, 

 thus securing to themselves the superiority for the 

 rest of the season. Accordingly, they embarked 

 on May 2/th, in the Wolfe, Royal George, Moira, 

 Prince Regent, Simcoe, and Seneca, with a large 

 number of gunboats, barges, and batteaux; and on 

 the next day saw and attacked a brigade of 19 

 boats transporting troops to Sackett's Harbor, un- 

 der command of Lieutenant Aspinwall. Twelve 

 boats were driven ashore, and 70 of the men in 

 them captured; but Lieutenant Aspinwall and 100 

 men succeeded in reaching the Harbor, bringing 

 up the total number of regulars there to 500 men, 



