Captain Ogilvie, making the latter's force ' three hundred and twenty regulars, supported by a few militia and volunteers,' or, in the whole, full five hundred men. Colonel M'Donell and his one hundred and ninety men, — more than two-thirds Canadian militia, — rushed boldly up the hill, in defiance of the continued stream of musketry pouring down upon them ; compelled the Americans to spike the eighteen pounder ; and would have again driven them to the rocks, had not the colonel and Captain Williams been wounded, almost at the same instant, — the former mortally. The loss of their commanders created confusion among the men, and they again retreated. Hearing of the fall of General Brock, Captain Dennis proceeded from the valley towards the foot of the heights, and, mounting the general's horse, rode up, and tried to rally the troops. He succeeded in forming a few ; but the number was so inconsiderable that, to persist in a contest, would have been mad- ness. A retreat was accordingly ordered, by the ground in the rear of the town ; and the men of the 49th, accompanied by many of the militia, formed in front of Vromont's battery, there to await the expected reinforcement from Fort George.
" While we had, at this period, not above two hundred unwounded men at Queen stown, the Americans, by their own account, had upwards of eight hundred, and General Van Rensselaer tells us, that ' a number of boats now crossed over unannoyed, except by the one unsilenced gun,' or that at Vromont's battery ; conse- quently, more troops were hourly arriving. Brigadier-General Wadsworth was left as commanding officer of the Americans on the Queenstown hill ; and General Van Rensselaer, considering the victory as complete, had himself crossed over, in order to give directions about fortifying the camp which he intended to occupy on the British territory. — Ibid, pp. 86 to 91.
" When General Wilkinson complains that the executive has not rendered ' common justice to the principal actors in this gallant scene,' — not exhibited it to the country ' in its true light, and shewn what deeds Americans are still capable of performing,'* — who among us can retain his gravity ? ' It is true,' says the general, ' complete success did not ultimately crown this enterprise ; but two great ends were obtained for the country : it re-established the character of the American arms;' — it did indeed ! — ' and deprived the enemy, by the death of General Brock, of the best officer that
- From an American work, — Major-General James Wilkinson's "Memoirs
of my own Time," published in 1816.
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