continue it until they were absolutely
silenced. This attack was forestalled by the enemy, who, as soon as they
perceived the columns of troops marching out on the road to Queenston,
turned the whole of their artillery upon Fort George and the neighboring
village, with such a disastrous effect, that in a few minutes the Jail
and Court House and fifteen or sixteen other buildings were set in a
blaze by their red hot shot. Major Evans had at his command not more
than twenty regular soldiers who composed the main guard for the day.
The whole of the small detachment of Royal Artillery usually stationed
in the Fort, had accompanied the field guns to repel the attack upon
Queenston. Colonel Claus, with a few men of the 1st Lincoln Regiment,
and Capt. Powell and Cameron with a small detachment of militia
artillery, alone remained to man the guns of the fort and batteries. The
gravity of the situation was greatly increased by the fact, that upwards
of three hundred prisoners were confined in the jail and guardhouse
which was now menaced with destruction. However, while the guards and
the greater part of the militia were vigorously engaged in fighting the
flames, amid an incessant cannonade, under the personal direction of
Major Evans and Captain Vigoreux of the Royal Engineers, the batteries
were served by the militia artillery men, assisted by two
non-commissioned officers of the 41st Regiment, with such energy and
success that in the course of an hour the American guns were totally
silenced. By that time the Court House and some other buildings had been
totally consumed, and the disheartening news arrived that Gen. Brock and
Colonel McDonell had been killed, and their men repulsed by the enemy
who were landing in great force at Queenston, and had obtained
possession of the heights. Evans rode off at once to send forward every
man that could be spared from the stations along the river. He had just
marched off a small party from Young's battery, when the American
batteries resumed firing, and obliged him to return at full speed to his
post. As he reached the main gate at Fort George, he encountered a party
of panic-stricken soldiers flying from the place, who informed him that
the roof of the magazine which was known to contain eight hundred
barrels of powder was on fire. Captain Vigoreux climbed upon the burning
building without an instant's hesitation, and his gallant example being
quickly followed by several others, the metal