design was by no means renounced. A considerable force was assembled in the neighbourhood of Niagara, and on October 13, the American General Wadsworth with 13 or 1400 men made an attack on the British position of Queenstown, on the Niagara river. On receiving the intelligence, Major-General Brock hastened to the spot, and led on a few troops for its defence. He had previously sent orders to Brigade-Major Evans, who commanded at Fort George, to batter the opposite American Fort Niagara, which was done so effectually that the garrison was forced to abandon it. General Brock was unfortunately killed while cheering on his men, and the position was for a time taken by the enemy. Reinforcements, however, being brought up by Major-General Sheaffe, the next in command, the Americans were attacked; and after a short but sharp conflict, in which they sustained a considerable loss in killed and wounded, General Wadsworth surrendered himself prisoner on the field, with upwards of 900 men and many officers, the troops to which they yielded being about the same number. The loss on the part of the British was small, with the exception of General Brock, in whom his country was deprived of an officer of distinguished courage and ability. An account given of this affair to the American government by General Van Rensselaer, contains some singular instances of want of concert and subordination, which prove how far the military establishment of the United States was at this period from the organization necessary for success against a

skilful and well-appointed adversary.

On November 4, Congress assembled after its adjournment, when a message from the president was communicated to both houses. Its leading topic was the state of the war in which the country was engaged, and a summary of its principal occurrences. In adverting to the failure of the attempts upon Canada, heavy complaints were made of the employment of savage auxiliaries by the British government, and inciting them to hostilities, for which, it was said, no pretext had been given by the example of the American government. The effect, however, was stated to have been that of rousing to arms the citizens on the frontier, of whom. an ample force, with the addition of a few regulars, was proceeding towards the Michigan territory. A complaint was then made of a refusal on the part of the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut to furnish the required detachments of militia towards the defence of the maritime frontier, in consequence of a novel exposition of the provisions of the constitution relative to the militia; and the bad effects of such a want of concurrence was pointed out. With respect to the overtures for an amicable termination of the differences with Great Britain, the president informed Congress of the terms on which their chargé d'affaires at London was authorised to agree to an armistice. These were, that the orders in council should be repealed as they affected the United States, without a revival of the blockades violating acknowledged

rules;

rules; that there should be au immediate discharge of American seamen from British ships, and a stop to impressments from American ships, with an understanding that an exclusion of the seamen of each nation from the ships of the other should be stipulated, and that the armistice should be inproved into a final adjustment of all depending controversies. This advance, the president says, was declined, from an avowed repugnance to suspending the practice of impressing during the armistice, and without any intimation that the arrangement proposed respecting seamen would be accepted. With respect to France, he complains of the continued procrastination in finishing the discussions between the nations; and in noticing the French decree, " purporting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees," he says, that although made the ground of the repeal of the British orders in council, it is rendered, by the time and manner of it, liable to many objections. He concludes with recommending proper measures for a vigorous prosecution of the war, and with a solemn assertion of the justice of the cause for which it was undertaken.

The correspondence between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Russell, and between Admiral Warren and Mr. Monroe, respecting an armistice and negociation, was laid before Congress, and afterwards printed in the American papers.

The balance of success in the naval war continued to preponderate on the side of the Americans. Besides the numerous captures made by their privateers, actions took place between ships of

war which tended to augment their confidence. On the 18th of October, his Majesty's armed brig Frolic, convoying the homewardbound trade from the bay of Honduras, while in the act of repairing damages to her masts and sails received in a violent gale on the preceding night, descried a vessel which gave chace to the convoy. She proved to be the United States sloop of war Wasp, which the Frolic gallantly brought to action, though in her crippled state, in order to save her convoy. She soon, however, became so unmanageable, that the Wasp was enabled to take a raking position, whilst the Frolic could not get a gun to bear. The result was, that every individual officer being wounded, and not more than 20 of the crew remaining unhurt, the enemy boarded, and made prize of the brig. On the same afternoon, however, his Majesty's ship Poictiers recaptured the Frolic, and took the Wasp. The respective force of the two vessels is not mentioned, but Capt. Whinyates of the Frolic represents his fire as superior, in the beginning, and attributes his misfortune solely to the injury done to his vessel by the

force so much superior, that he had no chance for success, except from some fortunate accident. He bravely continued the action to two hours and ten minutes, when the injuries his ship sustained from the enemy's fire having rendered her a perfect wreck, lying like a log upon the water, whilst his opponent was still in good condition, and a heavy loss being incurred in killed and wounded, he submitted, however unwillingly, to surrender rather than make still greater sacrifices. On being taken on board the enemy's ship, the United States, Commodore Decatur, he ceased to wonder at the event of the battle. She was of the scantling of a 74 gun ship, mounted thirty 24-pounders on her main-deck, 22 carronades 42pounders, two 24-pounders on her quarter-deck and forecastle, and had a complement of 478 picked men. Of Captain Carden's crew there were 104 killed and wounded. In these several defeats sustained by the British navy no honour was lost, since every thing was done in

defence that could be effected by courage and conduct against superior force; but the unusual circumstance of English striking to foreign ships of a similar class, produced as much mortification on one side, as triumph on the other, and both beyond the occasion.

The American government seems, twithstanding its failures by land, to have persisted in its purpose of invading Canada. Gen. Dearborn, on November 16, broke up his camp from Plattsburg, and marched to Champlain, on the Canada line, the nearest point to Montreal. No operations of consequence, however, were undertaken during the remainder of the year.

In England, more active measures by sea against a foe now regarded as worthy of serious attention, were contemplated, and a public notice was issued by the Prince Regent, on December 26, that the ports and harbours of the Chesapeak and Delaware were placed in a state of blockade.

CHAPTER

TH

HE provinces of Spanish America were still the theatre of a sanguinary civil war between the two parties of independents and loyalists, and the mother country remained in great measure deprived of the aids which she had been accustomed to receive from these rich possessions.

The negociations mentioned in the history of the last year as having been commenced in the month of October between the Viceroy Elio and the Junta of Buenos Ayres, were concluded by a treaty of pacification dated the 21st. The articles begin with the resolution of both parties to acknowledge no other sovereign than Ferdinand VII. The Junta then, though considering itself at present without the necessary powers for recognizing the authority of the Cortes, yet makes a declaration of the indivisible unity of the Spanish nation, of which the provinces of the River Plate form an integral part. It also consents to remit to Spain all the pecuniary succours it is able to contribute, for the sup port of the war in which she is engaged against the usurper of Europe. Another article defines the districts which are severally to remain subject to the Junta and

the Viceroy, and the latter pledges himself for the withdrawment of the Portuguese troops from the Spanish territory. Correspondence and commerce are to be restored between Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, and foreign ships may enter the ports of both territories. The Viceroy declares that no change shall take place in the system established by this treaty, till the Cortes make known their pleasure, which shall be communicated to the government of Buenos Ayres.

From the terms of this convention, so favourable to the interests of the mother country, it may be conjectured that the Junta of Buenos Ayres found themselves under difficulties in maintaining sufficient authority to enable them to support the cause of independence; and some subsequent events proved, that even in the capital, dissentions prevailed among those engaged in the same cause. On December 7, the patrician body of troops, discontented at the appointment of a new colonel without consulting them, turned out the whole of their officers from the barracks. The other regiments were immediately called to arms, and cannon were planted in the strects. An action ensued, in

which, after considerable bloodshed, the patricians were obliged to surrender, and the ringleaders were tried and condemned, some to be shot and others to imprisonment. The old Junta had been deposed in the preceding month, and a new one established, consisting of only four members. The Cabildo interfered with them in the management of public affairs, and party contests were extremely prevalent in the city. In the meantime their authority in the provinces was diminished, and that of Cordova threw off its depend ance on the capital, and set up a government of its own, To these evils was added a quarrel with the Portuguese, whose troops sent in aid of the Montevideans refused to return home according to the stipulation in the late treaty, and took possession of Maldonado. A corps under General Artigas was sent from Buenos Ayres to dislodge them, which entered the territory of Montevideo, contrary to agreement, and made an attack upon a body of Portuguese, but without success. The Montevideans were irritated with this breach of treaty, and fitted out a naval force to prevent the troops of Buenos Ayres from passing to their side of the river; whilst the government of Buenos Ayres, in order to provide supplies for a war, had laid an embargo on all property belonging to Spaniards in Europe, Lima, Montevideo, and the Peruvian provinces oocupied by the adverse party. In this state were affairs about the middle of February. -Advices in March stated that the blockade of Buenos Ayres was resumed by the Montevidean squadron, and that the property of

Spaniards was still under sequestration at that city, but had not been confiscated.

Further advices received from Buenos Ayres, up to May 20, gave some particulars of the hostility subsisting betwen the Junta of that city, and the viceroy (now Vigodet) at Montevideo. The occurrences were of no great importance; but the papers on each side displayed a high degree of animosity. The Portuguese, whom the Montevideans denominated "their generous allies," were encamped on the rivulet of St. Francisco, 18 leagues from Salto, where Artigas was posted with the troops of Buenos Ayres. At this last city had arrived two ships from Philadelphia laden with arms and military stores.

Not long after, Buenos Ayres was on the brink of experiencing a counter-revolution from conspiracy in its bosom, which, had it been carried into effect, would probably have rendered the whole city a scene of bloodshed and rapine. A Spaniard, named Martin Alzaga, represented as a man of a daring and turbulent disposition, associated a considerable number of his countrymen, under an oath of secrecy, in a plot, the purpose of which was to take possession by surprise of all the strong posts of the city, disarm the Americans, and restore the ascendancy of the Spaniards. With this was connected the assassination of the members of government and magistrates, and doubtless many other persons of consequence were marked as victims. The discovery of the design was owing to the incautious language held by one of the conspirators in the presence of a slave, who re

ported