ned by the
sounds of battle, and when called upon to cross refused to do so, on the
cowardly plea that they had enlisted to defend only their State.
Lieutenant-Colonel Winfield Scott had taken command of the brigade and
was engaged in intrenching, when the enemy, again reinforced, drove his
troops, after two attacks, to the river, where they were hemmed in and
compelled to surrender. The American loss in killed and wounded was
fully a thousand. General Van Rensselaer was so disgusted with the
conduct of his militia that he resigned his command, and was succeeded
by General Alexander Smyth, of Virginia, whose conduct led to the
general conviction that he was mentally about as near to being an idiot
as it is possible for a man to be and still retain a little ground for
being thought otherwise.

The first thing General Smyth did was to issue a proclamation of so
bombastic a character that his friends were humiliated. He made several
starts toward Canada, but in each instance recalled his troops, and
acted so inexplicably that the militia were on the point of revolting,
when he was deprived of his command. This closed the military operations
for the year 1812, and the story is enough to crimson the cheek of every
American with shame.

BRILLIANT WORK OF THE AMERICAN NAVY.

On the ocean, however, the record was brilliant and as astonishing to
friends as to enemies. Hardly had the news of the declaration of war
reached New York, when Commodore John Rodgers put to sea in the
_President_, the same vessel that had taught the _Little Belt_ her
severe lesson. Some time later Rodgers sighted the frigate _Belvidera_
and gave chase. He killed a number of the crew, but the vessel managed
to escape. Continuing his cruise, he captured a number of merchantmen
and retook an American prize. The luckiest ship in the American navy was
said to be the _Constitution_, afterward popularly known as "Old
Ironsides." Under command of Captain Isaac Hull, nephew of the disgraced
general of Detroit, she engaged the sloop-of-war _Guerriere_ off the
coast of Massachusetts. The battle was a desperate one, but
extraordinary marksmanship prevailed, and the enemy were compelled to
strike their flag after a loss of 79 killed and wounded, while that of
the Americans was 7 killed and 7 wounded.

The victory caused deep chagrin in England and corresponding rejoicing
in the United States. Congress gave Captain Hull a gold medal and
distributed $50,000 amon