Gaines had been expecting this, and was ready. Another terrible struggle ensued like that at Bridgewater or Lundy's Lane. The British fought like fiends, but they gained the works only at one point, and with the approach of morning they were blown out of that, and the whole force put to flight.

General Gaines was wounded, and retired to Buffalo, the command again falling to Ripley. This turn in affairs Brown greatly regretted, and although still suffering from his wounds went to Fort Erie, and took command himself.

General Porter, an able and skillful officer, and a man of great personal daring, had, in the mean time, gathered a considerable force of volunteers in New York, and Brown had continued to strengthen the fortifications.

General Izard with seven thousand men had on the 13th of September, arrived at Sackett's Harbor, pursuant to orders from the War Department, to prepare for the proposed attack on Kingston. To him Brown sent for re-enforcements. Izard though a trained officer, was incompetent, and during all the summer had been idle and dissatisfied with the provisions made for the army, and what he deemed its utter inefficiency to cope with the enemy, and was apparently unwilling to take notice of any thing but his own troubles. So Brown decided to take care of himself. The British had by this time erected some batteries and blockhouses, and other fortifications, and after nearly two months of hard labor, deemed themselves sure of the fort.

Commodore Chauncey had been ill all summer, and hence, had not been able to give the aid expected of

him, although his force was superior to that of Sir James Yeo. Still he had been able to keep the British fleet mainly quiet under the guns of Kingston. Chauncey was really an able commander, and a true patriot, and now hoping to render General Brown some assistance in time of need, although himself unfit for active service, he appeared with his fleet at the mouth of the Niagara.

The main part of the British army lay two miles from their siege-works, to escape the American guns. Brown now determined to make a sortie, and if possible capture and destroy the enemy's works before the main army could be brought to the rescue. His plans were laid before his officers, and were not favorably received, and especially did Ripley oppose them. Jessup, still disabled by his wounds, had volunteered his services, and to him Brown confided his determination to execute his project. He said to Jessup that as sure as there was a God in heaven the enemy should be attacked in his works, and beaten, too, as soon as all the volunteers shall have passed over."

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At noon on the 17th of September, after cannonading the British works for two hours, Brown moved his force in two columns out of the fortifications. Porter and Gibson with the volunteers, some regulars, and Indians, forming one division, was to advance through the woods and begin the attack, while Miller with the 1st Brigade should at the same moment storm the batteries. Ripley led the reserve, and the brave Jessup held the fort. Porter captured the pickets and began the assault at the right time. Miller was only too glad to hear the crack of Porter's guns, and was within the British works before they were aware of

his approach. The struggle was fierce, but short. All the enemy's works were soon in the hands of the Americans, and nearly a thousand of the British soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured. The works were demolished or blown up, the guns spiked, and Brown safely withdrawn into his fortifications before the British General could get up with his troops to behold nothing but the complete ruin of his hopes, and the works which he had spent nearly two months in constructing, strewn with the dead and wounded of his own army. Three hundred of the Americans were killed or wounded, among the former two brave young officers, Wood and Gibson, and among the latter Porter and Ripley. Ripley, when rushing forward with the reserve, to protect the men while engaged in demolishing the works, was shot in the neck and carried from the field. Ripley had military skill, and was a brave man, but he never seemed to know exactly his own purposes, or to be ready to accord with those of others of better executive ability.

Porter was wounded in a strange adventure with sixty British soldiers. While passing from one part of the field to another, he suddenly came upon these men drawn up in line. He rushed up to them in the most excited matter-of-course way, and cried out, "That's right, my good fellows, surrender and we will take care of you." Then suiting the action to the word, he seized their muskets, one after another, threw them to the ground, and pushed the unarmed soldiers. aside, until one Britain gaining his senses, presented his gun, and asked Porter to surrender. Others then rushed upon him, and in forcing him to the ground he received a saber-cut in the hand. But regaining his

feet, he told all these Britons who were now calling for his surrender, that they themselves must submit to him, and that if they fired a gun he would have them all put to the sword. At this juncture some of his riflemen came up, and either killed or captured the unreasonable Britons.

Drummond now abandoned the siege of Fort Erie, and withdrew to the Chippewa.

Early in October the slow and discontented Izard joined Brown, and took chief command, and on the 14th appeared with an army of six thousand men before the British camp. It was now expected that this part of the British army would be captured and a brilliant termination be given to affairs in that quarter. But, a week later, after accomplishing nothing, Izard actually withdrew to Black Rock, and went into winter-quarters.

CHAPTER XXIV.

WAR OF 1812-POLTROONERY-THE NATIONAL DISGRACEMCDONOUGH'S VICTORY-FATE OF THE WASP_

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.

HILE these things were transpiring on the north

WHILE

ern border, events were occurring on the Atlantic coast which were better calculated to strengthen the hands of the Administration, and for a time suppress the evils of partisan opposition.

England freed from her European complications by the downfall of Napoleon, was sending thousands of her veteran troops and her great naval force over to this side, with a view of crushing the whole of the American seaboard in a single campaign. New England was now driven to fight for self-protection; and from one end of the country to the other a more harmonious sentiment arose in favor of a vigorous warfare.

The enemy's attention was first mainly directed to the Chesapeake. Commodore Joshua Barney had command of a little fleet in this bay, and for a time was successful in keeping back the enemy. But he was finally compelled to destroy his boats, and with their crews take to the land service.

About the middle of August, several thousand troops under the Irish General, Ross, arrived in the Chesapeake from the West Indies. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Cochrane, and meeting little ob