Sir, I have the honor to report to your excellency that in conformity to an arranged plan of operations with Commodore Sir James Yeo, the fleet of boats assembled astern of his ship, at ten o’clock on the night of 28th Instant, with the troops placed under my command; and led by a gun boat under the direction of Captain Mulcaster Royal Navy, proceeded towards Sacketts Harbour in the order prescribed to the troops, viz. the Grenadier Company of the 100th with one section of the Royal Scots, two companies of the 8th (or Kings), 4 of the 104th and 2 of the Canadian Voltigeurs, two six-pounders with their gunners, and a company of the Glengary Light Infantry were embarked on board a light schooner, which was proposed to be towed under direction of officers of the navy, so as to ensure the guns being landed in time, to support the advance of the troops. Although the night was dark with rain, the boats assembled in the vicinity of Sackett’s Harbour by one o’clock, in compact and regular order, and in this position, it was intended to remain until the day broke, in the hope of effecting a landing before the enemy could be prepared to line the woods with troops, which surrounded the coast, but unfortunately a strong current drifted the boats considerably, while the darkness of the night and ignorance of the coast prevented them from recovering the proper station, while the day dawned, when the whole pulled for the point of debarkation. It was my intention to have landed in the cove formed by Horse Island, but on approaching it, we discovered that the enemy were fully prepared, by a very heavy fire of musketry, from the surrounding woods, which were filled with infantry, supported with a field piece. I directed the boats to pull round to the other side of the island where a landing was effected, in good order and with little loss altho executed, in the face of a corps formed with a field piece in the wood, and under the enfilade fire of a heavy gun of the enemy’s principal battery. The advance was led by the grenadiers of the 100th regiment with undaunted gallantry, which no obstacle could arrest, a narrow causeway, in many places under water, not more than four feet wide and about four hundred paces in length, which connected the island with the main land, was occupied by the enemy in great force with a six pounder, it was forced and carried in the most spirited manner, and the gun taken, before a second discharge could be made from it a tumbril with a few rounds of ammunition was found but unfortunately the artillery men were still behind, the schooner not having been able to get up in time, and the troops were exposed to so heavy and galling a fire from a numerous but almost invisible foe, as to render it impossible to halt, for the artillery to come up, at this spot two paths led in opposite directions around the hill. I directed Colonel Young of the Kings regiment with half the detachment to penetrate by the left, and Major Drummond of the 104th to force the path by the right, which proved to be more open, and was less occupied by the enemy. On the left of the wood was very thick and most obstinately maintained. The gun boats which had covered our landing afforded material aid by firing into the woods but the American soldier secure behind a tree, was only to be dislodged by the bayonet. The spirited advance of a section produced the flight of hundreds. From this observation, all firing was directed [to] cease. And the detachment being formed in as regular order as the nature of the ground would admit, pushed forward through the wood upon the enemy, who although greatly superior in numbers and supported by field pieces and a heavy fire from their fort, fled with precipitation to their block house and fort, abandoning one of their guns. The division under Colonel Young was joined in the charge by that under Major Drummond, which was executed with such spirit and promptness that many of the enemy fell within their enclosed barracks, which were set on fire by our troops. At this point, the further energies of the troops became unavailing. Their block house and stockaded battery could not be carried by assault, nor reduced by field pieces had we been provided with them. The fire of the gun boats had proved inefficient, light and adverse wind continued, and all our larger vessels were still far off. The enemy turned the heavy ordnance of the battery to the interior defence of his post and had set fire to the houses in the vicinity of the fort. Seeing no object within our reach to attain that could compensate for the loss we were momentarily sustaining from the heavy fire of the enemy's cannon, I directed the troops to take up position on the crest of the hill, we had last charged. From this position we were ordered to reembark, which was performed at our leisure and in perfect order, the enemy not presuming to show a single soldier without the limits of his fortress. Your excellency having been a witness of the zeal and ardent courage of every soldier on the field, it is unnecessary in me to assure your excellency, that but one sentiment animated every breast, that of discharging to the utmost of their power, their duty to their King and Country, but one sentiment of regret, and mortification prevailed on being obliged to quit a beaten enemy, whom a small band of British soldiers had driven before them for three hours, through a country abounding in strong positions of defence, but not offering a single spot of cleared ground, favorable to the operations of disciplined troops, without having fully accomplished the duty we were ordered to perform. The two divisions of the detachment were ably commanded by Colonel Young of the Kings and Major Drummond of the 104th. The detachments of the Kings under Major Evans nobly sustained the high established character of that distinguished corps. And Captain Burke availed himself of the ample field afforded him in leading the advance to display the intrepidity of British Grenadiers. The detachment of the 104th Regiment under Major Moodie, Captain McPherson's company of the Glengary Light Infantry and two companies of Canadian Voltigeurs commanded by Captain Heriot, all of them levies of the British provinces of North America, evinced a most striking proof of their loyalty, steadiness, and courage. The detachment of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment behaved with great gallantry. [Colonel Baynes goes on to single out individual contributions.] I have the honor to be with respect, Your Excellency's most obedient servant. Edward Baynes Colonel, Glengary Light Infantry Back to Table of Contents -- War of 1812 #2 Back to War of 1812 List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Rich Barbuto. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com