1814.

ATTEMPT TO TAKE MACKINAC.

91T

hundred men, women and children prisoners, and sent them to their nation, on the "Wabash."

As before told, the battle of the Thames practically closed the 1814.] war in the North-West. The nominal operations of this year were as follows :

First, was undertaken an expedition into Canada, in February, by Captain Holmes, a gallant young officer, whose career closed soon after. Iu the previous month the enemy had taken post again upon the Thames, not far above the field of Proctor's defeat. Holmes directed his movements against this point.

Before he reached it, however, he learned that a much stronger force than his own was advancing to meet him, and taking up an eligible position upon a hill, he proceeded to fortify his camp, and waited their approach. They surrounded and attacked his entrenchments with great spirit, but being met with an obstinacy and courage equal to their own, and losing very largely from the well directed fire of the unexposed Americans, the British were forced to retreat again, without any result of consequence to either party.*

Second, a fruitless attempt was made by the Americans to retake Mackinac. It had been proposed to do this in the autumn of 1813, after the battle of the Thames, but one of the storms, which at that season are so often met with upon the lakes   by obliging the vessels that were bringing stores from below to throw over the baggage and provisions, defeated the undertaking. Early in the following April, the expedition up Lake Huron was once more talked of; the purpose being twofold, to capture Mackinac, and to destroy certain vessels which it was said the English were building in Gloucester bay, at the south-east extremity of the lake. This plan, however, was also abandoned; in part, from the want of men; in part, from a belief that Great Britain did not, as had been supposed, intend to make an effort to regain the command of the upper lakes; and also, in part, from a misunderstanding between General Harrison and Colonel Croghan, who commanded at Detroit, on the one hand, and the Secretary of War on the other.

General Armstrong had seen fit to pass by both the officers named, and to direct his communications to Major Holmes, their junior, a breach of military etiquette that offended them both, aud in connection with other matters of a similar kind, led General

*M'Afee, 4-11 to 444.   Holmes' own account is in Nilos' Register, vi. 115.