as officially stated at 150, of
whom thirty-nine were killed. The only officer killed was Lieut. Henry
Hobart, a grandson of General Dearborn. Covered as their landing was by
the fire of so many cannon, it is, perhaps, remarkable that their loss
was so great. As a proof, however, of the severity of the short struggle
on the plain. Dr. Mann, the American army surgeon, who was present,
remarked that he found 27 dead and 87 severely wounded on the field when
he landed and that nearly 400 of both armies lay stretched on a plot of
ground not more than 200 yards in length and fifteen in breadth.

On the 28th, the whole of the militia except Merritt's troop of
Provincial Cavalry, Runchey's company of negroes, and about sixty picked
men of other corps who were determined to follow the fortunes of the
army, were disbanded, and Vincent continued his retreat to Grimsby and
finally to Burlington Heights where he arrived on the 2nd June with
eleven field guns and 1800 seasoned soldiers, who, in spite of their
recent reverse were in high spirits and eager to meet the enemy again on
more equal terms. The brilliant result of the action at Stoney Creek
three days later amply atoned for a defeat by which they had lost no
credit.

The Americans were justly disappointed by the incompleteness of their
success. For nearly two days they appear to have absolutely lost all
track of their enemy. "When we marched for Queenston on the 28th," wrote
an officer in the United States army whose letter was published at the
time in the _Baltimore Whig_, "we found the British far advanced on
their retreat by the back road toward the lower part of the Province.
They collected their force very actively. Our friends hereabouts are
greatly relieved by our visit. They had been terribly persecuted by the
Scotch myrmidons of England. Their present joy is equal to their past
misery. This is a charming country but its uncertain destiny together
with the vexations the farmers endured by being dragged out in the
militia left the fields in a great degree uncultivated. The British
Indians are not of much use to them. They run as soon as the battle
grows hot. I saw but one Indian and one Negro with the Glengarry uniform
on, dead on the field. Their Eighth fought very resolutely and suffered
severely."

Many American historians have condemned General Dearborn for not having
accomplished more with the means at his disposal but they have made
little or no allowance for