Fort Erie, so
that he had to run away and retire from the army to escape popular
indignation and disgrace. It is not for me to dwell upon the incidents
and progress of the war; raids were made into our country, many battles
were fought, and much property destroyed and much suffering inflicted;
but those raids were severely retaliated, and at the end of three years
not a foot of Canadian territory was in possession of the invader, while
the key of the North-west, Fort Mackinaw, was in the hands of the
British.

"Of all the battles fought during the war, the most sanguinary and
obstinate was that of Lundy's Lane--the battle, the anniversary of which
we are this day assembled to commemorate--the battle fought the last few
months of the war, the 25th of July, 1814. It was the most formidable
and final effort of the American General Brown to get permanent footing
in Canada. The smallest number of American soldiers engaged in the
battle, according to General Brown's report, was upwards of 5,000; and
the largest number of British soldiers and Canadian militia engaged,
according to the British General Drummond's report, was 2,800, although
the greater part of the battle was fought with a force not exceeding
1,600. I shall not attempt to describe the order, or narrate the
incidents of the battle; I will only say, that the high ground, near the
east end of Lundy's Lane, was the centre of interest, and the position
contended for by both parties in deadly strife for several hours. In no
battle during the war did the Americans fight with such heroism and
obstinacy; and in no battle was the courage, steadiness and perseverance
of the British soldiers and Canadian volunteers put to so severe a test.
The enemy was drawn up in order of battle within 600 yards of the
coveted eminence, when General Drummond arrived on the ground, and he
had barely time to plant his artillery on the brow of the hill, when the
enemy concentrated all his power and efforts to obtain the key of the
battle-field. An eye-witness says: 'Columns of the enemy, not unlike the
surge of the adjacent cataract, rushed to the charge in close and
impetuous succession.' The curtain of night soon enveloped the scene,
now drenched with blood; but the darkness seemed to intensify the fury
of the combatants, and the rage of the battle increased as the night
advanced. An eye-witness truly observes, that 'nothing could have been
more awful than this midnight contest. The desper