ir George Prevost,
Commander-in-Chief, and the British Commodore, Sir James L. Yeo (just
arrived from England), were both at Kingston, and much was expected from
their joint counsels, and the arrival of some naval officers and sailors
from England. On the 27th of May a body of 800 or 1,000 men were
embarked on board the British flotilla at Kingston, consisting of
_Wolfe_, 24 guns; _Royal George_, 24; _Earl of Moira_, 18; and four
schooners, carrying from ten to twelve guns each, with a sufficient
number of batteaux; and at noon the following day they were off
Sackett's Harbour. The weather was propitious, and the troops were
transferred to the batteaux to make their landing under an escort of
two gun-boats, commanded by Captain Mulcaster--the whole under the
immediate direction of the land and naval commanders-in-chief. They had
not proceeded far when a convoy of American boats, loaded with troops,
was descried doubling Stanley Point, on their way from Oswego to
Sackett's Harbour. The Indians, who had previously landed on an island,
fired upon them as they passed, and threw them into confusion, while the
British boats and batteaux bore down and captured twelve of them, with
about 150 men; the remainder escaped to Sackett's Harbour.

The landing was deferred until next day, thus giving the Americans time
to spread the alarm throughout the country--to collect reinforcements
from all quarters--to collect and station their soldiers, with a
field-piece, in the surrounding woods, and make every possible
preparation for their defence. The fine day was followed by a dark,
rainy, and stormy night, which scattered the boats, so that the British
could not succeed in landing in the morning before the Americans had
lined the woods with their men. Nevertheless the British succeeded in
landing; the enemy retreated, but posting themselves securely behind
large trees, kept up a smart fire on the British.

The fleet in the meantime, as well as small vessels intended to have
been landed in time to support the advance of the troops, were, through
the light and adverse wind, a long way in the rear. Under these
circumstances, Colonel Baynes, the Adjutant-General of the Forces in
British North America, who was charged with this service, found it
impossible to bring up or wait for the arrival of the artillery, and
ordered his detachment to divide and scour the woods. The enemy,
dislodged from the woods at the point of the bayonet, fled to the