t George; the
commander of the British wished to ascertain the extent of the enemy's
works and his means of defence, and to draw him into an open field of
battle, and therefore, on the 24th of August, made a demonstration as if
to assault the fort, drove in the picquets; took several of them,
advanced to within a few hundred yards of the enemy, who, though
supported by the fire upon the British from their batteries on the
American side of the river, could not be induced to leave their
entrenchments and venture in the open field, although the force of the
British did not exceed 2,000, while the American force exceeded 4,000,
but wholly depending upon resources from the American side for their
subsistence, and compelled to act solely on the defensive, from the
hostile front assumed by the British in the neighbourhood. The American
army of 4,000 men, being cooped up within the limits of the fort,
depending for their supplies from the United States, and not daring to
go out of their fortifications, could do little harm and be of little
use to the American cause, the British commander did not think it
advisable to incur the loss and risk of an assault upon the fort.

PART VIII.

WAR IN THE WEST--GENERAL PROCTOR'S UNSUCCESSFUL SIEGE OF LOWER SANDUSKY.

In the meantime General Harrison was on the Sandusky river, making
preparations to prosecute the war with vigour, in order to recover the
Michigan territory, as soon as the fleet fitting out at Erie (Presqu'
Isle), under Captain Perry, who had been dispatched thither by Commodore
Chauncey towards the end of May, should be sufficiently strong to
co-operate with the land forces. General Proctor resolved to make
another effort to defeat General Harrison's purpose to recover Michigan,
and immediately besieged the American fort at Lower Sandusky; but in
consequence of the withdrawment of the Indians out of the reach of the
enemy's guns, and disinclined to the delay of a siege, and General
Harrison with a respectable force at no great distance, General Proctor
thought proper to raise the siege and retire to Amherstburg.

PART IX.

FAILURE OF THE EXPEDITION OF SIR GEORGE PREVOST AND COMMODORE SIR JAMES
YEO AGAINST SACKETT'S HARBOUR.

During the absence of Commodore Chauncey and his fleet from Sackett's
Harbour, engaged in operations on the Niagara frontier, an expedition
was planned and fitted out at Kingston against that chief depot of
American naval supplies on Ontario. S