639 



his own shores/and soon afterwards quitted the 

 command of an army he had so unsuccessfully 

 conducted. The year 1813 closed with two 

 other defeats of the enemy, and both on his 

 own territory : the first took place on the j 9th 

 December, when Fort Niagara was carried by 

 the brilliant assault of a body of troops under 

 Colonel Murray ; and the second on the 30th 

 of the same month, by detachments from the 

 Royal Scots, the 8th, 41st, 89th, and 100th regi- 

 ments, amounting to 1000 men, under the com- 

 mand of General Riall. The American general'^ 

 force, upwards of 2000, was strongly posted at 

 Black Rock ; but after a sharp attack he was 

 driven to Buffalo, where, in another good posi- 

 tion, he endeavoured to retrieve his fortune, but 

 with no better success, and after a short resist- 

 ance fell back to Eleven Mile Creek on Lake 

 Erie: the result of this enterprise was seven field 

 pieces, four sloops and schooners, a considerable 

 quantity of ordnance and other valuable stores, 

 and 70 prisoners ; the forts at Black Rock and 

 Buffalo, with all the public buildings, and the 

 four vessels, were burnt; after which the detach- 

 ment withdrew, without interruption, to the 

 Canadian shore. The events of the campaign 

 of 1814 were not so numerous, but they evi* 

 dently proved that the British troops must look 

 forward to contend against opponents who had 

 greatly profited by the experience of the two 



