wer Canada. This was the pet plan of Armstrong when he
became Secretary of War, and as soon as was possible he set the military
machinery in motion. In February, 1813, Armstrong told Dearborn to
assemble four thousand men at Sackett's Harbor, on Lake Ontario, and
three thousand at Buffalo. The larger force was to cross the lake in the
spring, protected by Chauncey's fleet, capture the important naval
station of Kingston, then attack York (Toronto), and finally join the
corps at Buffalo for another operation against the British on the
Niagara River. But Dearborn was not eager for the enterprise. He
explained that he lacked sufficient strength for an operation against
Kingston. With the support of Commodore Chauncey he proposed a different
offensive which should be aimed first against York, then against
Niagara, and finally against Kingston. This proposal reversed
Armstrong's programme, and he permitted it to sway his decision. Thus
the war turned westward from the St. Lawrence.

The only apparent success in this campaign occurred at York, the capital
of Upper Canada, where on the 27th of April one ship under construction
was burned and another captured after the small British garrison had
been driven inland. The public buildings were also destroyed by fire,
though Dearborn protested that this was done against his orders. In the
next year, however, the enemy retaliated by burning the Capitol at
Washington. The fighting at York was bloody, and the American forces
counted a fifth killed or wounded. They remained on the Canadian side
only ten days and then returned to disembark at Niagara. Here Dearborn
fell ill, and his chief of staff, Colonel Winfield Scott, was left in
virtual control of the army.

In May, 1813, most of the troops at Plattsburg and Sackett's Harbor
were moved to the Niagara region for the purpose of a grand movement to
take Fort George, at the mouth of that river, from the rear and thus
redeem the failure of the preceding campaign. Commodore Chauncey with
his Ontario fleet was prepared to cooperate and to transport the troops.
Three American brigadiers, Boyd, Winder, and Chandler, effected a
landing in handsome fashion, while Winfield Scott led an advance
division. Under cover of the ships they proceeded along the beach and
turned the right flank of the British defenses. Fort George was
evacuated, but most of the force escaped and made their way to
Queenston, whence they continued to retreat westward alo