led.

"The American army was again ordered to cross the line and take up their
winter quarters in their own territory, after repeatedly suffering
themselves to be defeated under the most mortifying and humiliating
circumstances; with the blame of which the commander-in-chief (General
Wilkinson) charged General Hampton, in consequence of his disobedience
of orders, but with which the American Secretary of War more properly
charged both. However, it had the effect of checking the military zeal
which appeared to manifest itself in the American ranks at a distance
from the theatre of hostile operations, and completely to extinguish the
ardour of the American troops on the lines." (Thompson, Chap. xxvii., p.
215.)]

[Footnote 218: The foregoing account of the transactions in Lower Canada
is chiefly extracted from Mr. Christie's History of the War of 1812, and
mostly in his words. What follows is mostly taken from Thompson's War of
1812.]

[Footnote 219: The barbarous act of General McClure in burning Niagara
is ascribed to directions from the American Secretary at War; but the
many nefarious acts committed by McClure could hardly be owing to
directions from Washington. Mr. Christie says that McClure "having,
pursuant to the directions of the American Secretary at War, most
inhumanly, on the 10th of December, set fire to the flourishing village
of Newark, containing about 150 houses, which Were reduced to ashes,
leaving the wretched and forlorn inhabitants, with upwards of 400 women
and children, exposed to the accumulated horrors of famine and the
inclemency of a Canadian winter."

The British, under the command of Colonel Murray, scarcely amounting to
500 men, including Indians and militia, immediately occupied Fort
George. The barbarous policy of the American Government in destroying
Newark, exasperated the army as well as the inhabitants on the frontier,
of whose impatience for retaliation General Drummond promptly availed
himself after the occupation of Fort George, by adopting the resolution
of carrying the American Fort Niagara by surprise. (Chap. vii., p.
156.)

Mr. Thompson remarks on the conduct of McClure and his soldiers, even
before the burning of the town of Newark: "The American army had no
sooner taken up a position in front of Fort George, than the foraging
parties, or rather marauders, commenced a systematic course of plunder
upon the defenceless inhabitants within the vicinity of their camp, most
of