the offensive in
Upper Canada. The American fleet, consisting of 14 vessels, equipped at
Sackett's Harbour, situated at the foot of the lake, and not very far
from Kingston, in a direct line across, sailed from the harbour under
Commodore Chancey, with seventeen hundred men, commanded by Generals
Dearborn and Pike, to attack York, (now Toronto.) In two days the fleet
was close in shore, a little to the westward of Gibraltar Strait. A
landing was soon effected at the French fort of Toronto, about three
miles below York, under cover of the guns of the fleet, but the enemy's
advance was afterwards stoutly opposed. Six hundred militia men
altogether, including the grenadiers of the 8th regiment of the line,
could not long withstand seventeen hundred trained troops. They
withdrew and the schooners of the fleet approaching close to the fort,
commenced a heavy cannonade, while General Pike pushed forward to the
main works, which he intended to carry by storm, through a little wood.
As General Sheaffe, in command of the British, retired, and as General
Pike, in command of the Americans, advanced, a powder magazine exploded
which blew two hundred of the Americans into the air, and killed Pike.
Of the British, fully one hundred men were killed, and the walls of the
fort were thrown down. The Commodore was now in the harbour. And
General Sheaffe seeing that not the remotest chance of saving the
capital of Upper Canada, now existed, most wisely determined to retreat
upon Kingston. He accordingly directed Colonel Chewett, of the militia,
to make arrangement for a capitulation, and set off with his four
hundred regulars for Kingston. By the capitulation, private property
was to be respected, and public property only surrendered. The gain was
not great, if the moral effect of victory be not considered. The
victors carried off three hundred prisoners, and the British, before
retreating, had considered it expedient to burn a large armed ship upon
the stocks, and extensive naval stores.

The Clerk of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada, a volunteer, fell
during the struggle. In all, the British loss was one hundred and
thirty killed and wounded.

It is said that General Sheaffe suffered severely in the public
estimation, because he retreated. The public had forgotten that he had
killed and destroyed more Americans than had fallen on the side of the
British. Nor did it occur to them that had their general not retreated,
and capitulat