Oldal 90 [90]
was shot by one of our sentries. After a few days
and nights of this kind of warfare, our Glengarry
Regiment arrived at Twelve Mile Creek, near the
present City of St. Catharines, and our regiment
marched at dusk to join them, reaching there about
8 o'clock A. M., when the two regiments were formed
into a light brigade, under Colonel Pierson (after¬
wards General Sir Thomas Pierson.)
We remained there until the evening of the 24th
of July, when word was received that the enemy had
left McFarland’s, not daring to attack Fort George
and Niagara, and was retiring towards Fort Erie.
Our encampment was immediately broken up, the
brigade marching all night through the country
towards the Falls, passing St. David’s, which had
been burned the day before by the Americans,
arriving at Lundy’s Lane early in the morning of
the 25th of July, 1814, where the greatest and most
When
we arrived there we learned that the American army
were encamped at Chippewa, about two miles above
us. Not desiring to attack so large a force with our
light brigade, scarcely one thousand strong, we
rested them, spending most of the day in sleep and
important battle during the war was fought.
eating until six P. M., when our dragoons, posted
about a mile in front, came hurridly back with the
intelligence that the whole American army were
marching down upon us.
Our brigade, with two or three pieces of artillery,
which had arrived during the day, and a consider¬
able number of Indians, were at once formed in order,
when fortunately General Drummond, the com¬
mander-in-chief, arrived with the 85th Regiment,
one and part of a second company of regulars from
Fort George, with two pieces more of artillery,
making our force about fifteen hundred and fifty
rank and file. All were formed in order, except the
Indians, who carefully kept a safe distance in rear.
Our regiment was on the left of the line from the
main road towards the river, which was skirted by a
strip of woods along the bank of the Niagara. About
three quarters of a mile below the Falls, the Glen¬
garry 85th Regiment and detachments were formed
from the main road on the right, up Lundy’s Lane,
where also our artillery was posted, the ground
rising in that direction. <A strip of woods crossed
the road above us towards the Falls, and as soon as
the American army came in range of our heavy guns,
they opened fire on them, although covered partly
by the woods except the width of the main road over
. which they were coming. Before, however, they had
passed through the intervening woods, they deployed
or extended to the right and left, outflanking us in
each direction. As soon as they came in range,
although behind a rail fence, along the edge of the
woods, we opened fire on them, our men standing
exposed in the open field to their fire until the
approaching darkness and smoke hid them from
view, except what could be seen by the fire from
their muskets, In this position, our men falling fast
around us, we stood until some time after darkness
had come on ; how it was on our right I could not
see. Our artillery in the centre kept up a continued
roar, nearly drowning the sound of musketry except
at short intervals, Before too dark our line had
advanced nearer the woods in front, and I could fre¬
quently see the enemy moving to the right, appar¬
ently for the purpose of outflanking us and getting
to our rear—nor was I mistaken. Some time after
dark, Lieutenant McDougall, of the Grenadier
Company, which was on the right of our company
and nearer the main road, came to me saying that I
was too far in advance, that our men on the right
had fallen back some distance and were likely to
fire into us from behind. I told him what I sus¬
pected, that they were trying to outflank us and get
in our rear. He at once proposed to extend our line
towards the river, and, at the same time, falling back
to regain our line on the right. While doing so, I
came directly on a company of Americans formed
two deep, the front rank with bayonets charged and
I was
within twenty feet of them when discovered. The
officer at the head of the company demanded a sur¬
render. I hesitated for a short time, but seeing no
possibility of escape, I told the men near me to
throw down their muskets. Three or four others
that were much farther from them than we were at¬
tempted to escape, also Lieutenant McDougall.
They were shot down and probably killed, except
Lieutenant McDougall, who was reported in the
General’s order of next day as being mortally
wounded with six buckshot. He recovered, how¬
ever, and lived many years after. After I had, with
five or six men, surrendered, the lieutenant in com¬
mand of the company of about sixty men, formed
his men in a hollow square, placed his prisoners
within it, marched us round near the river and up
by the Falls in rear of their army, and beyond the .
reach of a shot from either side, placed me under a
strong guard in charge of his junior officer, and with
the balance of his company returned back to the
battle field. I was soon after taken with my men,
under the guard, to their encampment beyond the
Chippewa bridge, put in a tent alone, sentry being
the rear rank arms presented ready to fire.
posted at each end, and my men put in another tent
with a like guard. I had not been long in the tent
when a British officer was brought in, who, I could
see at once, belonged to the staff. I soon learned
that he was Major Loring, aid to General Drummond,