FUNDAMENTAL
DOCUMENTS

ARCHIVES/
LIBRARY

ONLINE
RESEARCH
TOOLS

ONLINE
DOCUMENTS

ONLINE
SERVICES

34

infinately Superior to the one under his Command will satisfy Captain Barclay that he has only to dare and the Enemy is discomfited -

(signed) George Prevost
Commander of the Forces

PREVOST TO BATHURST

Extract of a letter from Lieutt. General Sir George Prevost Bt. to Earl Bathurst dated Head Quarters St. Davids Niagara Frontier 25th. Aug. 1813. No. 88

The great danger to which the Detroit Frontier was exposed in con- sequence of the Naval Superiority acquired by the enemy on Lake Erie, from my Inability to obtain officers and seamen to man the Vessels I had prepared on it, induced me to move forward to the Center Division under M. General Do Rottenburg to enable me from thence to second M. General Procters undiminished ardor in maintaining an unequal Contest. That Officer is contending not only against a great Superiority in Numbers but also with extraordinary difficulties in providing Provisions and Supplies for his Regular Force and Indians Warriors notwithstanding the incessant Exertions which are daily made by every department of this Army to diminish them: - but a distance of more than 800 Miles from Quebec, in a new Country, prevents great Obstacles to the transport Service, some of them almost unsurmountable until the Superiority on the Lakes is obtained by us.

Major General Proctor having given way to the Clamor of our Indian Allies to act offensively moved forward on the 20th. Ultimo, with about 350 of the 31st. Regt. and between three and four thousand Indians; and on the 2d. Instant attempted to carry by assault the Block houses and works at Sandusky, where the Enemy had concentrated a considerable Force. The Indians however previous to the assault, withdrew themselves from out of reach of the Enemys fire --

The handful of His Majestys Troops employed on this occasion display- ed the greatest bravery nearly the whole of them having reached the Fort and made every effort to enter it but a galling & destructive fire being kept up by the Enemy within the Blockhouses, and from behind the pickett- ing which completely protected them and which we had not the means to force the Major General thought it most prudent not to continue longer so unavailing a Contest. He accordingly drew off the Assailants and returned to Sandwich with the loss of 25 killed as many missing and about 40 wounded. Amongst the former are Brevt. Lieutt. Coll. Short, and Lt. J.G. Gordon of the 31st. Regt.

By subsequent Accounts from the Major General dated the 22d. Instant I find the Enemy had not attempted to advance at that period and that Captain Barclay who commands on Lake Erie was only waiting the arrival of the Officers and Seamen (about 50) which I obtained for that Service from His Majestys Ship Dover, and which I trust are now with him -- tho' a very insufficient proportion still their arrival may enable his Squadron to