98 Naval War of 1812 



of shot. The former were thus superior by about 

 15 per cent, and Sir James Yeo very properly de 

 clined to fight with the odds against him although 

 it was a nicer calculation than British commanders 

 had been accustomed to enter into. 



Major-General Brown had written to Commo 

 dore Chauncy on July i3th: "I do not doubt my 

 ability to meet the enemy in the field and to march 

 in any direction over his country, your fleet carrying 

 for me the necessary supplies. We can threaten 

 Forts George and Niagara, and carry Burlington 

 Heights and York, and proceed direct to Kingston 

 and carry that place. For God's sake let me see 

 you : Sir James will not fight." To which Chauncy 

 replied : "I shall afford every assistance in my power 

 to co-operate with the army whenever it can be 

 done without losing sight of the great object for the 

 attainment of which this fleet has been created, 

 the capture or destruction of the enemy's fleet. But 

 that I consider the primary object. . . . We are in 

 tended to seek and fight the enemy's fleet, and I 

 shall not be diverted from my efforts to effectuate 

 it by any sinister attempt to render us subordinate 

 to, or an appendage of, the army." That is, by any 

 "sinister attempt" to make him co-operate intelli 

 gently in a really well-concerted scheme of inva 

 sion. In further support of these noble and inde 

 pendent sentiments, he writes to the Secretary of the 



