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49

His Excellency considers it an act of justice to exonerate most honorably from this censure the brave Soldiers of the Right Division who were serving as Marines on board the Squadron on Lake Erie.

The Commander of the Forces having received the Official reports of Captain Barclay of the Action which took place on Lake Erie on the 10th. September when that Gallant Officer, from circumstances of imperious necessity was compeled to seek the superior Force of the Enemy, and to maintain an arduous and long contested Action under circumstances of accumulating ill fortune.

Captain Barclay represents that the Wind which was favourable early in the day suddenly changed giving the Enemy the Weather-gage, and that this important advantage was shortly after the commencement of the En- gagement, heightened by the fall of Captain Finnis, the Commander of the Queen Charlotte in the Death of that intrepid and zealous Officer, Captain Barclay laments the loss of his main support -- The fall of Captain Finnis was soon followed by that of Lieutenant Stokoe, whose Country was de- prived of his Services at this very critical period, leaving the Command of the Queen Charlotte to Provincial Lieutenant Irvine, who conducted himself with great courage, but was too limitted in experience to supply the place of such an Officer as Captain Finnis, and in consequence this Vessel proved of far less assistance than might be expected.

The Action commenced about a quarter before twelve O'Clock and con- tinued with great fury until half past two, when the American Commodore quitted his Ship which struck shortly after to that Commanded by Captain Barclay (the Detroit -- hitherto the determined Valor displayed by the British Squadron had surmounted every disadvantage, and the day was in her favor, but the contest had arrived at that period when Valor alone was unavailing -- the Detroit and Queen Charlotte were perfect Wrecks and re- quired the utmost skill of Seamanship, while the Commanders and Second officers of every Vessel were either Killed or Wounded and not more than Fifty British Seamen were dispersed in the Crews of the Squadron, and of these a great proportion had fallen in the conflict.

The American Commodore made a gallant and but too successful effort to regain the day -- His second largest Vessel the Niagara had suffered little and his numerous Gun-boats, which had proved the greatest source of annoyance during the Action were all uninjured -

Lieutenant Garland First Lieutenant of the Detroit being mortally wounded previous to the Wounds of Captain Barclay obliging him to quit the Dock, it fell to the lot of Lieutenant Inglis to whose intrepidity and conduct the highest praise is given to surrender His Majesty's Ship when all further resistance had become unavailing.

The Enemy by having the Weather-gage were enabled to choose their distance and thereby avail themselves of the great advantage they derived in a superiority of heavy long use; but Captain Barclay attributes the fatal result of the day to the unprecedented fall of every Commander and