On the Lakes 1 1 1 



It was like Lieut. Elliott's capture of the Detroit and 

 Caledonia. 



Meanwhile a still more daring cutting-out expe 

 dition had taken place at the foot of Lake Erie. The 

 three American schooners, Ohio, Somers, and Por 

 cupine, each with 30 men, under Lieut. Conkling, 

 were anchored just at the outlet of the lake, to cover 

 the flank of the works at Fort Erie. On the night 

 of August 1 2th, Capt. Dobbs, of the C Harwell, and 

 Lieut. Radcliffe, of the Netty, with 75 seamen and 

 marines from their two vessels, which were lying 

 off Fort Erie, resolved to attempt the capture of the 

 schooners. The seamen carried the captain's gig 

 upon their shoulders from Queenstown to French 

 man's Creek, a distance of 20 miles; thence, by the 

 aid of some militia, 5 batteaux as well as the gig 

 were carried 8 miles across the woods to Lake Erie, 

 and the party (whether with or without the militia 

 I do not know) embarked in them. Between n and 

 12 the boats were discovered a short distance ahead 

 of the Somers and hailed. They answered "provis 

 ion boats," which deceived the officer on deck, as 

 such boats had been in the habit of passing and re- 

 passing continually during the night. Before he dis 

 covered his mistake the boats drifted across his 

 hawse, cut his cables, and ran him aboard with a 

 volley of musketry, which wounded two of his men, 

 and before the others could get on deck the schooner 



