put in a fresh cask. I am ashamed to say, that some of our men were
inclined to drink the old rum.

We burned a large corvette, that was nearly ready for launching, and
otherwise did the enemy a good deal of harm. The inhabitants that returned
were very submissive, and thankful for what they received. As for the man
of the red store, I never saw him after the night he was plundered, nor
was anything ever said of the scrape.

Our troops had lost near three hundred men in the attack, the wounded
included; and as a great many of these green soldiers were now sick from
exposure, the army was much reduced in force. We took the troops on board
on the 1st of May, but could not sail, on account of a gale, until the
8th, which made the matter worse. Then we got under way, and crossed the
lake, landing the soldiers a few miles to the eastward of Fort Niagara.
Our schooner now went to the Harbour, along with the commodore, though
some of the craft remained near the head of the lake. Here we took in
another lot of soldiers, placed two more large batteaux in tow, and sailed
for the army again. We had good passages both ways, and this duty was done
within a few days. While at the Harbour, I got a message to go and visit
Bill Swett, but the poor fellow died without my being able to see him. I
heard he was hurt at York, but never could come at the truth.

On the 27th May, the army got into the batteaux, formed in two divisions,
and commenced pulling towards the mouth of the Niagara. The morning was
foggy, with a light wind, and the vessels getting under way, kept company
with the boats, a little outside of them. The schooners were closest in,
and some of them opened on Fort George, while others kept along the coast,
scouring the shore with grape and canister as they moved ahead. The
Scourge came to an anchor a short distance above the place selected for