therefore avoid or come to an
engagement as he thought proper. It being a matter all-important to the
British, to prevent the Americans from becoming masters of the lake, Sir
James prudently avoided a general action; while, on the other hand, to
bring him to action was the great object of Commodore Chauncey. On the
7th of August the two fleets came in sight of each other. Commodore
Chauncey manoeuvred to gain the wind. Having passed to the leeward of
the enemy's line, and being abreast of his warship, the _Wolfe_, he
fired a few guns to ascertain whether he could reach the hostile fleet.
The shot falling short, he wore, and hauled upon a wind to the starboard
tack; the rear of his schooners being six miles astern. Sir James wore
also, and hauled upon a wind on the same tack; but observing that the
American fleet would be able to weather him in the next tack, he tacked
again and made sail to the northward. Commodore Chauncey pursued him. He
continued the chase until night; but the schooners not being able to
keep up, a signal was made to relinquish the pursuit, and to form in
close order. The wind now blew heavily; and at midnight two of the
schooners, the _Scourge_ and the _Hamilton_, were found to have upset in
the squall. Lieutenants Winter and Osgood, two valuable officers, were
lost, and only sixteen men of the crews saved [picked up by the
British]. The next morning, the enemy discovering this misfortune, and
having now the superiority, manifested a disposition to engage the
Americans, and bore up for the purpose. Two schooners were ordered to
engage him; but when they were within a mile and a-half of him, he
attempted to cut them off. Failing in this, he hauled his wind, and hove
to. A squall coming on, Commodore Chauncey was fearful of being
separated from his dull sailing schooners, and ran in towards Niagara
and anchored. Here he received on board, from Fort George, 150 men to
act as marines, and distributed them through his fleet. On the morning
of the 9th he again sailed. At eleven o'clock, after much manoeuvring
on both sides, the rear of the enemy's line opened its fire; and in
fifteen minutes the action became general on both sides. At half-past
eleven, the American weather line bore up and passed to the leeward, the
_Growler_ and _Julia_ excepted, which soon after tacking to the
southward, brought the British between them and the remainder of the
American fleet. Sir James, after exchanging a few shots with