University of Virginia Library

60. CHAPTER LX.
THE JOURNAL CONTINUED.[1]

On the fourth day of July, one thousand eight
hundred and thirteen, the anniversary of American
independence was celebrated, as usual,
throughout the United States. It was also celebrated
by a little guard of twelve Americans,
who occupied Fort Schlosser, near Niagara falls,
whose festive rites were unfortunately interrupted

by a nocturnal visit from the enemy, who completely
surprised the guard, made them all prisoners,
and conveyed them across the river, together
with one brass six-pounder, fifty-seven
stand of arms, a quantity of ammunition, salt, tobacco,
pork and whiskey.

July 11. The enemy crossed the river, and
made an attack on Black Rock, set fire to the barracks,
block-house, and other buildings, spiked
several pieces of cannon, and took off a quantity
of provisions. Whilst carying the property to
their boats, they were attacked by a force of regulars,
militia, and a few Indians, who poured upon
them a very destructive fire, and compelled
them to take to their boats, with the loss of more
than fifty killed and wounded. General Porter
and major King were very active on this occasion.

July 21. Lieutenant Colonel Christie, of New-York,
who signalized himself at the battle of
Queenston, died at Fort George.

August 2. Fort Stephenson besieged, and gallantly
defended by major Croghan, &c.

August 4. The privateer Decatur, captain
Diron, captured the British armed schooner Dominico,
captain Barrette, after the most obstinate
and bloody battle ever recorded in the annals
of naval warfare.

August 14. The United States brig Argus,
captain Allen, captured by the English sloop of
war Pelican, captain Maples, after a desperate
action of forty-five minutes, in the commencement
of which captain Allen received a mortal wound,
and expired on the fourth day after the battle. On
board the Argus there were six killed and seventeen
wounded—five of the latter died soon after

the engagement. The loss of the Pelican was
only three killed and five wounded. In recording
the death of this gallant young officer, the journalist
feels the tenderest sympathies of his nature
awakened. The deceased was his friend, and both
affection and patriotism prompt him to pay a tribute
to his memory. He was a hero—for the man
who bravely contends with a superior force, until
(finding defeat inevitable) he sacrifices his life for
his country, deserves all the plaudits to which
the more successful victor is entitled. Allen signalized
himself in the action between the United
States and Macedonian, and was soon afterwards
appointed to command the Argus, and conduct
the American minister to France; from
France he was to proceed to the Irish channel,
and there cruise for the enemy's merchant vessels.
This was a very perilous, and, at the same
time, a very invidious service to a young officer
thirsting for glory. His orders were to burn, sink,
and destroy the enemy's property; but in performing
this duty, (to the amount of two millions
pounds sterling) he was careful to distinguish his
character from those who depredated for selfish
purposes only. The property of the passengers
was always held sacred as their persons. For
more than two months he continued in this service,
and while his enemies lamented their losses
through his vigilance, they all united in paying
the tribute due to the generosity, humanity, and
delicacy, which he exercised to all who fell into
his power. At length the Pelican was fitted out
expressly to capture him; she succeeded, and
took her prize into Plymouth. Allen had been
wounded in the leg, and had submitted to amputation
above the knee, at sea; but the shattered
state of his thigh precluded all surgical aid. When
he was removed from the Argus to the hospital at
Plymouth, he cast his languid eyes on his faithful
comrades, and feelingly exclaimed—“God bless
you, my lads!—we shall never meet again.”
He was sensible, at intervals, till within ten minutes
of his dissolution, when he sunk exhausted,
and expired without a struggle. His lucid intervals
were very cheerful; and he was satisfied and
fully sensible that no advice or assistance could
save his life. On Saturday, the twenty-first, he
was interred with the usual honors of war, at Plymouth,
together with midshipman Delphy, (who
had both legs shot from his body at the same
instant) and midshipman Edwards. This article
shall be closed with the following extract from
his last letter, addressed to his sister—“When
“you shall hear that I have ended my earthly ca
“reer, that I only exist in the kind remembrance of
“my friends, you will forget my follies, forgive
“my faults, call to mind some little instances dear
“to reflection, to excuse your love for me—and
“shed one tear to the memory of Henry.”

August 30. Fort Mims, at Tensaw, in West-Florida,
surprised by the Creek Indians, who
then perpetrated one of the most horrid massacres
ever recorded in the annals of savage warfare—
nearly two hundred men, women and children,
falling beneath their hatchets and knives.

September 5. The American Enterprise captured
the British Boxer, &c.

September 10. Commodore Perry's victory
on Lake Erie, &c.

September 16. The bodies of Lawrence and
Ludlow, finally and publicly interred in New-York.

September 27. Harrison enters Malden, &c.

September 28. Privateer Saratoga, captain
Adderton, captured the English packet Morgiana,
captain Cunningham, after a desperate action of
one hour and five minutes.

October 5. Harrison defeats Proctor, on the
river Thames, &c.

October 12. General Hampton despatched
colonel Clarke to Michiscoui Bay, with a detachment
of riflemen, to attack a small British force
at St. Armand; who, after a contest of ten minutes,
laid down their arms and surrendered themselves
prisoners of war. Captain Finch distinguished
himself on this occasion.

October 25. Hampton's army was attacked on
its march down the Chateaugay; and, after losing
about fifty men, in various skirmishes, retreated
to a place called the Four Corners. In
these skirmishes general Izard, colonel Purdy,
major Snelling and major Wood, were particularly
distinguished.

November 2. General Coffee obtained a complete
victory over the Creek Indians, at a place
called Tallushatches, during which the following
officers were conspicuous for their courage and
good conduct—colonels Allcorn and Cannon;
captains Smith, Bradley, Winton, and Hammond;
and lieutenant Patterson.

November 9. General Jackson obtained a decisive
victory over the Creeks, at a place called
Talledega, in which colonels Carroll, Lauderdale,
M`Crory, Pillow, and Dyer, distinguished themselves;
as did, also, major Boyd, and captains
Dederick, Coperton, and Bledsoe.

November 11. Battle of Chrystler's Field, &c.

November 18. A victory was obtained over

the Creeks, at the Hillibee towns, by general
White, assisted by colonels Morgan and Brush,
major Porter, and many other gallant officers.

November 29. The battle of Autosse, being
the fourth victory over the Creeks, was fought on
this day, in which the following officers were distinguished
by their gallantry, zeal, and activity:
General Floyd, commander in chief, who was
badly wounded; brigadier-general Shackleford,
adjutant-general Newman, and quarter-master
Fennell; majors Booth, Watson, Crawford, Pace,
Freeman, and Montgomery; captains Adams,
Thomas, Irwin, Steele, Barton, Myrick, Little,
King, Broadnax, Cleveland, Cunningham, Lee,
and Patterson; lieutenants Hendon and Strong.

December 10. Newark burnt, and Fort George
evacuated.

December 17. The act for laying an embargo
on all unarmed ships and vessels in the ports and
harbors of the United States, was approved by
the President and became a law.

December 19. Fort Niagara surprised by the
enemy, and about eighty of the garrison massacred
in cool blood.

December 23. The fifth victory over the
Creeks, achieved by brigadier-general Claiborne,
at a place called Eccanachaea, or Holy Ground.
The following officers were engaged in this brilliant
affair, and acquired much honor by their
conduct—Colonel Carson and lieutenant-colonel
Russell; majors Smoot and Kennedy; captains
Leister, Wells, and West; lieutenants Calvit and
Calber.

December 30. The British landed two thousand
men at Black Rock, and burnt that village, together

with Buffalo, after an obstinate resistance
made by a few militia.

January 5, 1814. A Court Martial assembled at
Albany for the trial of brigadier-general Hull, on
the charges of treason, cowardice, and unofficer-like
conduct, in surrendering Detroit, &c. Dearborn
was president of this court, which consisted of
colonels Fenwick, Carberry, Little, and Irvine;
lieutenant-colonels Dennis, Conner, Davis, Scott,
and Stewart.

January 17. Decatur's squadron being still
blockaded in the harbor of New-London, the commodore
sent a challenge to the commanders of
two of the blockading frigates, (the Endymion
and Statira) to meet the United States and Macedonian
in the Sound, unmolested by any other
vessel, and try their fortune in a fair engagement.
The challenge was declined.

January 19. The Senate of the United States
confirmed the nomination of Messrs. Adams, Bayard,
Clay, and Russell as ministers plenipotentiary,
to treat for peace with the British commissioners
at Gottenburg.

January 21. General Jackson made a daring
incursion among the Creeks, to the bend of the
Tallapoosa, and obtained three complete victories,
in as many days, after some very gallant fighting,
in which he lost twenty killed and seventy-five
wounded, while above two hundred of the enemy
were left dead on the field. In these several engagements,
the following officers were particularly
distinguished—general Coffee, colonels Sitler,
Carroll, and Higgins; captains Ferril, Russell,
Bradford, M`Govock, Gordon, Elliott, Pipkins,
Hamilton, and Quarles, the two last of whom

were slain; also lieutenant Armstrong, and gunners
Perkins and Jackson, of the artillery.

January 27. The Creeks attacked general
Floyd in his encampment, forty-eight miles west
of Chatahouchee, and were repulsed with great
loss. The Americans had twenty killed and one
hundred and fifty-seven wounded; among the latter
was the gallant colonel Newman. General
Lee, and adjutant-general Hardin, were particularly
active on this occasion, while majors Watson,
Freeman, Booth, Cleveland, Merriwether,
Ford and Pace, conducted with their characteristic
bravery. Captains Thomas, Adams, Broadnax
and Hamilton, displayed their customary ardor,
courage, and activity.

January 29. The United States schooner Alligator,
lieutenant Basset, attacked by six British
barges, and after an action of thirty minutes,
compelled them to retire.

February 13. The Northern army broke up
their encampment at French Mills, and two thousand
of them repaired to Sacket's Harbor under
general Brown, while the remainder fell back and
encamped at Plattsburgh.

February 25. Messrs. Clay and Russell sailed
from New-York, in the frigate John Adams, for
Gottenburg.

March 4. Captain Holmes, with one hundred
and sixty Americans, defeated two hundred and
forty British, at Eighteen mile Creek, on the river
de Trench, near Detroit. In this action, captains
Lee and Gill, lieutenants Knox, Kouns, Henry,
Jackson, and Potter, and ensign Heard, distinguished
themselves by their courage and good
conduct.

March 27. A grand and final battle with the
Creeks, was this day fought by general Jackson,
who completely defeated them, after an action of
five hours, in which he had twenty-five killed and
one hundred and five wounded. The Creeks lost
seven hundred and fifty warriors killed, and two
hundred and fifty women and children made prisoners.
In this brilliant affair, the following officers
were signalized by their heroic conduct—
the ever gallant Coffee, Dougherty, and Johnson;
colonels Brown, Morgan, Williams, Sisler, and
Carroll; majors Walker and Montgomery, the
latter of whom was slain; captains Russell, Gordon,
M`Murry, Hammond, Parish, Bradford, and
Keer; lieutenants Bean, Allen, and Ridley, the
two last of whom were severely wounded; lieutenants
Sommerville and Moulton were among
the killed.

March 28. General Hull was found guilty by
a court martial, at Albany, and condemned to be
shot.

March 30. A battle was fought at La Cole
Mills, by the army under general Wilkinson, who
after three hours of hard fighting, retreated to
Odelltown, with the loss of many brave men killed
and wounded: among the latter, were captain
M`Pherson, lieutenants Green, Parker, Larribee,
and Kerr. The conduct of these officers, together
with that of lieutenant Sheldon, and major Forsyth,
was so conspicuously gallant as to attract
the admiration of their brethren in arms. General
Wilkinson, Smith, Bissell, and M`Comb, displayed
their usual firmness and intrepidity in the
hour of peril; and colonels Miller and Clark,
were, as usual, brave, active, and ardent.

April 14. Embargo and non-importation laws
were this day repealed.

April 21. The United States sloop of war Frolic
was this day captured by the English frigate
Orpheus, after a chase of six hours.

April 25. The president of the United States
approved the sentence which the court martial
passed upon Hull, but remitted the punishment
of death.

April 29. The United States sloop of war
Peacock, captain Warrington, captured the English
sloop of war L'Epervier, of equal force, after
an action of forty-two minutes, in which the latter
had eight killed and fifteen wounded, while the
Americans had none killed, and only two wounded.

May 6. Fort Oswego captured by eighteen
hundred British, after a gallant resistance for two
days, by three hundred Americans, under lieutenant-colonel
Mitchell. The British lost nineteen
killed and seventy-five wounded; the American
loss was six killed, thirty-eight wounded,
and twenty-six missing. Lieutenant Blaney, a
young man of much promise, and whose conduct
through the action was highly meritorious, was
among the slain. Captains Pierce, Boyle, Romayne,
Melvin, M`Intire, and Woolsey, together
with lieutenants Pearce and Legate, received
their commander's warmest encomiums for their
gallantry and good conduct; as did, also, the
subalterns M`Comb, Ansart, Ring, Robb, Earl,
M`Clintock, and Newkirk.

May 30. Major Appling, with one hundred and
twenty riflemen, and a few Indians, proceeded to
Sandy Creek, on the British shore of Lake Ontario,
and after a smart action captured two gunboats
and five barges, with one hundred and

seventy-five British, who lost fourteen killed and
twenty-eight wounded, while the Americans had
only one wounded. For this gallant achievement
Appling was brevetted a lieutenant-colonel, and
his officers, lieutenants M`Intosh, Calhoun, M`Farland,
Armstrong, and Smith, and ensign Austin,
were publicly thanked by the commanding general
officer at Sacket's Harbor. Captain Woolsey,
of the Navy, and his officers, lieutenant
Pearce, sailing-master Vaughan, and midshipmen
Mackey, Hart, and Caton, acquitted themselves
in a courageous and masterly manner.

June 1. Lieutenant-colonel Pearson, with two
hundred and fifty North-Carolina militia, and
seventy Indians, scoured the banks of the Alabama,
and made six hundred and twenty-two
Indian prisoners, consisting of men, women, and
children.

June 9. The French government brig Olivier,
arrived at New-York, under the white flag, with
official accounts of the downfall of Bonaparte,
and the restoration of Louis XVIII.

June 11. The barges belonging to the British
squadron in Massachusetts Bay, entered Scituate
Harbor, and set fire to all the vessels lying
there, except two or three which they took away
as prizes. Those which they destroyed were the
property of ensign Otis, captain John Manson,
Messrs. Elms and Curtis, and Jesse Dunbar.
Captain Dunbar was compelled to pilot one of
the vessels out of the harbor, but was afterwards
liberated and treated very civilly. About this
time, they also entered Wareham, under cover of
a flag of truce, and fired the stores and shipping
in that place.

June 19. Lieutenant Gregory, a very brave
and accomplished officer, belonging to Chauncey's
squadron, had been ordered by his commodore
to proceed down the St. Lawrence, with a
small party, in three gigs, secret himself in some
of the islands, and watch a favorable opportunity
to surprise a brigade of store-boats belonging to
the enemy, and either bring them off, or destroy
them. The enemy, however, discovered him,
and sent a gun-boat in pursuit, when he instantly
formed the bold design to board her, which he
did, and carried her without losing a man, one
of the enemy being badly wounded. She proved
to be a fine gun-boat, manned with eighteen men,
chiefly chiefly royal marines. Gregory manned his
prize, and proceeded up the river, but was pursued
by another large gun-boat, which over-hauled
him fast. He kept possession of his prize
until the enemy threw their shot over him; he
then very reluctantly took out his prisoners, scuttled
her, and effected his escape with all his prisoners.

June 19. The new frigate Guerriere was
launched at Philadelphia.

June 22. The Independence, 74, launched at
Boston.

June 28. The gallant lieutenant-colonel Forsyth,
made an incursion into Canada as far
as Odelltown, where an affair took place with
a detachment of the enemy, from the post of La
Cole. The colonel made an attack, retreated,
and attempted to draw the enemy into an ambuscade;
but, in his zeal, discovered himself and
his party too soon, and an action commenced before
the British were ensnared. After killing
seventeen of their number, Forsyth received a

wound in the neck, of which he died in a few
days after, and was buried with military honors
at Champlain. Thus ended the career of glory
in which this enterprising officer was engaged.
He had lived the terror of his enemies, and he
died deeply lamented by his friends. A braver
officer the army never lost.

June 28. The United States sloop of war
Wasp, captain Blakely, captured and destroyed
the English sloop of war Reindeer, captain Manners,
after an action of nineteen minutes, in which
the enemy lost twenty-five killed and forty-two
wounded; while the American loss was only five
killed and twenty-one wounded.

June 30. Lieutenant Gregory surprised the
British at Presque'Isle, on Lake Ontario, and
burnt a large schooner which was building there.

The foregoing is a brief sketch of the journal
kept by captain Willoughby, for one year. It is
probable that I may hereafter furnish my readers
with another extract from the same manuscript;
but at present I must request the favor of their
company to Ithaca, where the lovely, disconsolate
Catharine demands our attendance; and as I
shall convey them thither without the least trouble
or expense, I trust that they will have no cause
to regret the journey.