rge your interposition in the matter. Sufficient time
has not yet elapsed to admit of his return. Soon after his departure
this band of outlaws on Navy Island, acting in defiance of the laws and
Government of both countries, opened a fire from several pieces of
ordnance upon the Canadian shore, which in this part is thickly settled,
the distance from the island being about 600 yards and within sight of
the populous village of Chippewa. They put several balls (6-pound shot)
through a house in which a party of militiamen were quartered and which
is the dwelling house of Captain Usher, a respectable inhabitant. They
killed a horse on which a man at the time was riding, but happily did
no further mischief, though they fired also repeatedly with cannon and
musketry upon our boats.

They continued daily to render their position more formidable, receiving
constant supplies of men and warlike stores from the State of New York,
which were chiefly embarked at a landing place on the American main
shore, called Fort Schlosser, nearly opposite to Navy Island. This place
was once, I believe, a military position, before the conquest of Canada
from the French, but there is now neither fort nor village there, but
merely a single house occupied as a tavern, and a wharf in front of it,
to which boats and vessels are moored. The tavern had been during these
lawless proceedings a rendezvous for the band (who can not be called
by any name more appropriate than pirates), and was in fact openly and
notoriously resorted to as their headquarters on the mainland, and is
so to this time. On the 28th December positive information was given to
Colonel McNab by persons from Buffalo that a small steamboat called the
_Caroline_, of about 50 tons burthen, had been hired by the pirates, who
called themselves "patriots," and was to be employed in carrying down
cannon and other stores and in transporting men and anything else that
might be required between Fort Schlosser and Navy Island.

He resolved if she came down and engaged in this service to take or
destroy her. She did come down agreeably to the information he received.
She transported a piece of artillery and other stores to the island, and
made repeated passages during the day between the island and the main
shore.

In the night he sent a party of militia in boats, with orders to take
or destroy her. They proceeded to execute the order. They found the
_Caroline_ moored to the wharf opposite to t