was fairly puzzled, and altogether wanting in that
energy and decision so necessary for success in war. He called a
council of his officers and communicated to them his fears. It was
unanimously resolved that, for the present season, the attack on
Montreal should be abandoned and that the army should cross the river
to the American side and go into winter quarters. And accordingly the
attack was abandoned. The Americans embarked again, and were taken to
Salmon River. The boats and batteaux were immediately scuttled; the
troops were made comfortable in long log huts or barracks, with
astonishing celerity, and the camp, at French Mills, was as speedily as
possible entrenched. Thus ended a campaign for which the Americans had
made extraordinary preparations, and of the success of which high
expectations had consequently been formed. The failures of Hampton and
Wilkinson were indeed so disgraceful and so humiliating to the
Americans that they were only compensated for, in kind, by the no less
stupid, disgraceful, and humiliating failures of the British at
Plattsburgh and New Orleans, with which the American war was, for both
Americans and British, unfortunately concluded. All chance of invasion,
on a grand scale, being now completely gone, the Canadian militia were
disbanded for the winter.

In December, Lieutenant-General Drummond assumed the command of Upper
Canada. He at once proceeded to the head of Ontario, with the view of
regaining possession of Fort George. He ordered Colonel Murray to
advance, which the gallant colonel did, and the American General,
McClure, prepared to evacuate the fort. McClure set the village of
Newark, the ancient capital of Upper Canada, on fire, agreeably to his
instructions from the American Secretary at War, with the view of
depriving the British army of comfortable winter quarters. He was
indeed ordered to lay waste the country as he retreated, if retreat
became necessary. It was on the 10th of December, a bleak, cold winter
day, that McClure fulfilled his instructions. One hundred and fifty
houses, composing the flourishing village of Newark, were reduced to
ashes, and four hundred women and children were left to wander in the
snow or seek the temporary shelter of some Indian wigwam in the woods.
On the 12th of December, the British troops occupied Fort George, there
being only five hundred men in all, militia and Indians, and not long
afterwards the gratification of revenge presented it