ir fort
and block-houses, whither they were pursued by the British, who set fire
to their barracks.

At this juncture it was thought by the commanding officer, Colonel
Baynes, that the enemy's block-houses and stockaded battery could not be
carried by assault, even with the assistance of the field-pieces, had
they been landed. The fleet were still too far out of reach to aid in
battering them, while the men were exposed to the fire of the enemy,
secure within the works. The _signal of retreat_ was therefore given to
the indignant assailants, and the enterprise was abandoned at a moment
when the enemy had so far calculated upon a victory on the part of the
British as to set fire to their naval stores, hospital, and marine
barracks, by which all the booty previously taken at York, and the
stores for their new ship, were consumed. They had also set fire to a
frigate on the stocks; but on discovering the retreat of the British,
they succeeded in suppressing the fire, and saved her. The troops were
immediately re-embarked, and returned to Kingston, after having
sustained a loss of 259 in killed, wounded, and missing, while the loss
of the enemy must have been double that number.

Thus terminated this expedition, to the disappointment of the public,
who, from the presence and co-operation of the two commanders-in-chief,
fondly flattered themselves with a far more brilliant result. This
miscarriage, with other reverses at the commencement of the present
campaign, destroyed in the opinion of the enemy the invincibility our
arms had acquired the preceding autumn.[212]

PART X.

OCCURRENCES ON LAKE ONTARIO--NAVAL MANOEUVRES AND BATTLES.

On Lake Ontario the two naval commanders strove with indefatigable
emulation for the dominion of the lake. Chauncey, after the capture of
Fort George, returned to Sackett's Harbour to await the equipment of his
new ship, the _Pike_; while his adversary, Sir James Yeo, scoured the
lake, and supplied the British army in the neighbourhood of Fort George
with abundance of stores. In the early part of July, Sir James fitted
out an expedition of boats for Sackett's Harbour, with a view of cutting
out their new ship, then almost rigged and ready to appear on the lake.
He arrived unobserved in the vicinity of that port, and would probably
have effected his purpose had not the escape of two deserters from his
party, which had landed for refreshments, and in order to remain
concealed until night sh