1813	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	252

referring again to our contemporary's account, we feel satisfied that little harm will arise ; for, should the evident partiality that is shown to Sir George Prevost miss being seen, the statement, that " both the Detroit and Queen-Charlotte struck to the United States' ship St.-Lawrence, Commodore Captain Perry," will satisfy the American reader, that Captain Brenton knew very little about the action he was attempting to describe.

On the 16th of September, 1814, Captain Barclay, and his surviving officers and men, were tried by a court-martial on board the Gladiator at Portsmouth, for the loss of the late Erie flotilla, and the following was the sentence pronounced : " That the capture of his majesty's late squadron was caused by the very defective means Captain Barclay possessed to equip them on Lake Erie ; the want of a sufficient number of able seamen, whom he had repeatedly and earnestly requested of Sir James Yeo to be sent to him ; the very great superiority of the enemy to the British squadron ; and the unfortunate early fall of the superior officers in the action. That it appeared, that the greatest exertions had been made by Captain Barclay, in equipping and getting into order the vessels under his command ; that he was fully justified, under the existing circumstances, in bringing the enemy to action ; that the judgment and gallantry of Captain Barclay in taking his squadron into action, and during the contest, were highly conspicuous, and entitled him to the highest praise ; and that the whole of the other officers and men of his majesty's late squadron conducted themselves in the most gallant manner ; and did adjudge the said Captain Robert Heriot Barclay, his surviving officers and men to be most fully and Honourably acquitted." Rear-admiral Edward James Foote, president.

Notwithstanding this flattering testimonial, notwithstanding the severity of his wounds, wounds by one of which his right arm had been entirely lost, many years before the Lake Erie defeat, and by two others, received in that action, his remaining arm had been rendered permanently motionless, or nearly so, and a part of his thigh cut away, Captain Barclay was not confirmed as a commander until the 19th of November, 1813 ; and was only promoted to post rank in 1824.

The first naval event of the late war upon Lake Champlain, a lake, all, except about one-twentieth part, within the boundaries of the United States, occurred on the 3d of June, 1813. Two American armed sloops appeared in sight of the British garrison at Isle-aux-noix. Three gun-boats immediately got under way to attack them ; and the crews of two batteaux and of two row-boats were landed, to annoy the enemy in the rear, the channel being very narrow. After a contest of three hours and a half, the two sloops surrendered. They proved to be the Growler and Eagle, mounting 11 guns, and having a complement of 50 men, each ; both under the command of Lieutenant

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