Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/375

1814] Battle of Lundys Lane. 343 The opening of 1814 was marked by more strenuous efforts on the part of Great Britain to bring her antagonist to reason ; and powerful reinforcements were despatched from the Peninsular army to Canada and the littoral of the United States. But, even now, British resources were not intelligently employed; and the importance of commanding the Canadian lakes does not seem to have been grasped. The hetero- geneous American land forces were acquiring some degree of discipline, and were becoming more formidable than they had been ; and in the course of the year they were to vindicate their ability to encounter the finest troops that England possessed troops who had proved their worth upon the battle-fields of Spain. In March, at La Colle Mill, near Lake Champlain, a considerable American force under General Wilkinson was repulsed by a small British detachment ; but against this were to be set two British failures, in attacks upon Oswego and Sackett's Harbour. In July the Americans assumed the offensive on the Niagara line, and with 4780 men entered Canada. On July 5 they encountered the British Major- General Riall at Chippewa, with a force equal to his own, and defeated his regulars after a sharp engagement, in which they inflicted upon him considerable loss. On July 25 the most hotly-contested action of the war was fought at Lundy's Lane. The British numbered 3000 ; the American force present for duty was 2644 ; so that the odds were slightly in favour of the British. Both armies fought with great determination and bravery ; nothing could surpass the spirit with which Ripley's American brigade charged the British guns and captured them, bayonetting the gunners. But, though forced back, the British regulars rallied, three times returning to the battle ; and in the end their stub- bornness was rewarded by the recovery of the guns. The loss on each side was about equal ; the British had 878 men hors de combat, and the Americans 853. Each side claimed the victory ; but the truth is that the action was an indecisive one and had no strategic result. The Americans, on the arrival of British reinforcements, were compelled to retire to the line of the Niagara ; while the British advanced, laid siege to Fort Erie, which was evacuated by the Americans on November 5, and unsuccessfully attacked Buffalo. The general results of the campaign in this quarter were thus not unfavourable to the British, who at least held their own, while in the Far West they repulsed an attack upon Mackinaw. Towards the close of the year the Americans withdrew from Upper Canada, in part, no doubt, because of the pressure which the British expeditions were bring- ing to bear on the American seaboard. In September Prevost led 10,000 men, supported by a small flotilla on Lake Champlain, into the State of New York, with the object of conquering the territory adjacent to Lower Canada. He was not successful in his expedition. On Sep- tember 11 the Americans completely defeated his flotilla, whereupon he precipitately retired, not venturing without naval support to assault CH. X.