Kingston Gazette, Aug. 17, 1813

p.1 Head Quarters, Kingston,

14th August, 1813.

By accounts received by His Excellency the Governor in Chief and Commander of the Forces, from Commodore Sir James Yeo, dated off York, at half past 1 P.M. on the 11th inst. the following particulars have been transmitted of the capture and loss of four of the Enemy's Armed Schooners.

"On Tuesday Evening last the 10th inst. the Enemy's Squadron under Commodore Chauncy, got under weigh from their anchorage off the mouth of the Niagara River, and with a fine breeze from the Eastward stood towards our fleet, which was becalmed off the Post at twelve mile Creek. At sun-set a breeze coming off the land, gave us the wind of the Enemy, when our Squadron stood for them, on which they immediately bore away from us under as much sail as their Schooners could carry to keep up with their larger vessels. The Enemy's fleet formed a long line, the Pike, Madison, Oneida and six Schooners, two Schooners being placed to windward for the purpose of raking the masts of our Squadron as it should come up. At eleven the Squadron got within gun shot of the Schooners, when they opened a brisk fire, and from their going so fast it was more than an hour before the Wolfe, our headmost ship, could pass them.

At this time the rest of the Squadron was two and three miles astern of the Wolfe, and on her coming up with the Madison and Pike, they put before the wind and made sail, firing their stern chase guns. Sir James Yeo finding it impossible to get the Squadron up with the Enemy, as the Wolfe was the only Ship which could keep up with them, made sail between them and the two Schooners to windward, which he captured, and which proved to be the Julia and Growler, each mounting one long 32 and one long 12 pounder, with a compliment of forty men. Two of the enemy's largest Schooners, the Scourge of ten and the Hamilton of nine guns, upset on the night of the 9th in carrying sail to keep from our Squadron, and all on board perished, in numbers about one hundred. By this loss and the capture of the two Schooners, the enemy's squadron has been reduced to ten vessels, and ours increased to eight. - It is ascertained that the Pike mounts 28 long 24 pounders, and has a compliment of four hundred and twenty men, and that the Madison mounts 22 32 pound Carronades, with three hundred and forty men. Nine boat loads of troops were taken on board their Squadron on Monday for the purpose it is supposed of repelling boarders. The Wolfe has not received any material damage, and not a person was hurt on board. The prisoners were landing from her on the 11th, and the damages of the Growler were repairing - She had lost her Bowsprit and was otherwise much cut up. - Nothing could exceed the eagerness and enthusiasm manifested by the Officers and men serving on board of our Squadron, for a close engagement with the enemy, and the only apprehension and regret expressed by all were that their opponents, tho' so superior in guns, weight of metal and men, would be too wary to afford them the opportunity of terminating by a decisive action, the contest for the ascendency on the Lake.