ON THE
INHABITANTS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF FORT GEORGE--McCLURE'S BARBAROUS
BURNING OF THE TOWN OF NEWARK (NIAGARA), EXPOSING 400 WOMEN AND CHILDREN
TO THE INTENSE COLD OF THE 10TH OF DECEMBER--McCLURE'S FLIGHT TO FORT
NIAGARA ON THE AMERICAN SIDE OF THE RIVER--COLONEL MURRAY, BY SURPRISING
FORT NIAGARA, TAKES THE WHOLE GARRISON PRISONERS, AND SEIZES LARGE
QUANTITIES OF MILITARY STORES--GENERAL RIALL RETALIATES IN THE SAME WAY,
IN REGARD TO LEWISTON, BLACK ROCK, AND BUFFALO--GENERAL DRUMMOND ISSUES
A PROCLAMATION DEPRECATING SUCH SAVAGE POLICY AS INITIALED BY THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

Early in December, Major General De Rottenburgh was relieved in the
command of Upper Canada by Lieutenant-General Drummond, who proceeded
from Kingston to York, and from thence to the head of the lake, where
the army again resumed an offensive position. The country along the St.
Lawrence, being freed from the incursions of the enemy, Colonel Murray,
of the 100th Regiment, was ordered to advance from Burlington Heights
towards Fort George, with a view at that time to prevent predatory
incursions of the enemy under General McClure (then in possession of
that fort) on the defenceless inhabitants of the surrounding country.
But General McClure, having heard of the disasters which had befallen
the army destined for Montreal, and conscious that a like fate might
probably await him and his army, with that dastardly cowardice peculiar
to himself and a few of his compatriots and traitors who joined
themselves to his train, and against the very spirit of the law of
nations and of civilized warfare, immersed the flourishing town of
Newark (Niagara) in one continued sheet of flame, and ignobly fled with
his followers into his territory. The historian laments that it is not
in his power to record one magnanimous act of that recreant General, to
rescue his name from that gulf of infamy to which his nefarious conduct
has forever doomed it.[219]

But retaliation was only delayed a week. On the evening of the 18th of
December, preparations were made for taking Fort Niagara from the enemy,
for which service Colonel Murray, of the 100th Regiment, was selected to
take the command; and long before daylight next morning this gallant
officer, at the head of the grenadier company of the Royal Scots, the
grenadier and light companies of the 41st Regiment, and a detachment of
his own corps, crossed the river about two miles above the fort, upon
which they immedia