ordered on the 1st of this month to advance into Lake Champlain, for the purpose of molesting General Hampton’s division, succeeded in burning an extensive building lately erected near Plattsburg, as a depôt magazine; some batteaux, together with the ammunition, provisions, and stores found in it, were either brought away or destroyed.
“The severity of the weather obliged Captain Pring, of the royal navy, under whose command I had placed the expedition, to return to Isle-auxNoirs on the 5th; in effecting which, he was obliged to cut a channel for his boats through several miles of ice. The enemy’s troops were in considerable number in the vicinity of Plattshurg, but no attempt was made to annoy our force employed on this occasion.”
In Feb. 1814, the American General Wilkinson concentrated a considerable force at Plattsburg, for the invasion of Lower Canada.
On the 30th March, his light troops entered Odell town, drove in the British piquets on the road leading from thence to Burton Ville, and commenced an attack on the latter position; but were so well received by the king’s troops and Canadian fencibles, that it was not persevered in. Three brigades of American infantry were then directed upon the post at La Cole Mill, which was most gallantly and successfully defended by Major Handcock, of the 13th regiment, who acknowledges himself highly indebted to Captain Pring, “for his ready and prompt assistance,” in moving up the flotilla from Isle-aux-Noirs to the entrance of the La Cole river, where he opened and maintained a very destructive fire. On this occasion, Lieutenants Creswick and Hicks, R.N. were most actively zealous in landing two guns, and forwarding them, with a quantity of stores, to the mill. In this affair, the British sustained a loss of 12 men killed, 48 including 2 officers, wounded, and 4 missing.
The subsequent capture of Oswego has been officially described at p. 215 et seq. of Suppl. Part II. The principal object in attacking that place being to retard the equipment of the enemy’s new ships at Sackett’s harbour (their guns and stores of every description being drawn from Oswego), and thus to delay, if not altogether to prevent, the sailing of their fleet; Sir George Prevost determined to pursue the same policy on Lake Champlain, and therefore directed Captain Pring to proceed with his division of flotilla, towards
