TO BURLINGTON HEIGHTS--BATTLE OF STONY CREEK--DEFEAT
OF THE AMERICANS, AND THEIR DISORDERLY RETREAT TO FORT GEORGE.

"General Vincent, on the ensuing day, having collected all the forces
from Chippewa and Fort Erie, and destroyed or rendered useless the posts
and stores along the frontier, commenced his retreat towards Burlington
Heights, at the head of Lake Ontario." (Christie.)

"General Vincent continued his retreat as far as Burlington Heights; and
on the 1st day of June was followed by an American army of 3,500
infantry, and about 300 cavalry, commanded by Generals Chandler and
Winder, for the purpose, as was vainly boasted, of making prisoners of
the whole British army, and thus terminate the contest of the
north-western frontier."

This expected conquest of the whole British army was commenced by the
affair of Stony Creek, when both of the American generals themselves
were taken prisoners.

On the evening of the 5th of June, the American forces encamped at the
village of Stony Creek, about nine miles from the British camp at
Burlington Heights, with the purpose of attacking and taking the British
position next day. But General Vincent was on the alert to obtain
information as to the enemy's strength and movements, and dispatched
Colonel (afterwards Major-General) Harvey, with two companies, to
reconnoitre their camp at Stony Creek, and, from the report received,
determined to attack them that very night.

"All the troops, both regulars and militia, that could possibly be
spared from the garrison at Burlington Heights, together with those who
had retreated from Fort George, amounting in all to 700, were ordered to
be in readiness for a movement. Immediately after dark they commenced an
advance towards Stony Creek, where, after several halts in order to
reconnoitre the country through which they were marching, they arrived
between one and two o'clock on the morning of the 6th of June.
Immediately the quarter guard of the enemy was surprised and taken, and
the assailants rushed into the camp, where all was in apparent security.
But such a scene of carnage commenced--the huzzas of the besiegers; the
yells of the Indians, led on by Captain Brant; the clashing of bayonets,
and, above all, the thunder of the cannon and musketry, rendered it
truly appalling. A column of the enemy was at length formed into some
kind of order, but to no purpose; they were by this time completely
unnerved and dispirited, which, togethe