recount the incidents of the campaign.  At Beaver Dam, only a dozen miles or so from Fort George, Lieutenant Fitzgibbon of Nairne’s regiment, the 49th, entrapped an advancing party of Americans and, by the clever use of 200 Indian allies, filled them with such dread of being surrounded and massacred by the savages that nearly 600 Americans surrendered to little more than one-third of their number.  These same wild Indians in their war paint were enough, Nairne thought, “to frighten the Black Deil himsel’,” and their proximity in the campaign is one of many causes for which he thanks Heaven that the plague of war is so far removed from Murray Bay; even if it lasted for years, it would still not reach that remote haven, he says.  Meanwhile Murray Bay can help him.  Two pairs of socks, one flannel and one linen shirt, have been the modest increases to his wardrobe since the hasty exit from Fort George many weeks before.  He begs his sisters to make him some shirts and socks, but not many, since on the marches, usually made at night, he has to carry all his belongings on his own back.  The charge of a too elaborate transport service sometimes brought against the British army in modern campaigns seems to have no place in the War of 1812.  The British, few in number and defending an immense area, had to do killing work.  Nairne says that his men were able only rarely even to take off their accoutrements.

With the arrival of Yeo’s squadron the war was again half military, half naval.  Yeo was a brilliant young officer and the remote waters of Lake Ontario witnessed some clever naval tactics.  The small fleets were evenly matched.  Chauncey, the American commander, was very cautious and would not fight unless he could get the advantage of his longer range of guns, while Yeo, if he fought at all, preferred to fight at close quarters; so they manoeuvred for position, each declaring that the other could not be brought to bay.  On August 3rd, 1813, Nairne wrote from Burlington Heights to Malcolm Fraser.  In an earlier letter that veteran had expressed the desire of dancing at Tom’s wedding and Tom had told him, with the prophetic saving clause “should I outlive this war,” that to see his friend of eighty years dancing would be a considerable inducement to marry.  He hopes that they may soon discuss the war “over a good bottle of your Madeira at Mount Murray.”

He calls Burlington Heights the stronghold of Upper Canada.  “The situation we have chosen is by nature a strong position being bounded on the east by Burlington bay, on the south by a commanding battery, ditch and parapet, this being the only side bounded by the mainland; on the west by a morass and creek; on the north by the continuation of this same creek, which here discharges itself into Burlington bay.  The height of the land above the level of the water all round is upwards of 100 feet and the only side therefore necessary to fortify is the south, which I assure you is pretty strongly so.”  Here