1815     CAPTAIN LOCKYER AND AMERICAN GUN-BOATS     359

nall had his boat sunk alongside ; but, getting on board another, gallantly pushed on to the attack of the remaining four gun vessels. Upon these the guns of No. 156 were now turned ; and, in the course of five minutes, with the assistance of the second and third divisions of boats under Captains Montresor and Roberts, they were all secured.

The loss on the British side was extremely severe, occasioned, except in the instance of Captain Lockyer's boat, and those already named as supporting him in the attack upon No. 256, by the heavy fire opened upon the boats in their tedious advance against the current. Three midshipmen (Thomas W. Moore, John Mills, and Henry Symons), 13 seamen, and one private marine were killed, and one captain (Nicholas Lockyer), four lieutenants (William Gilbert Roberts, John Franklin, Henry Gladwell Etough, and George Pratt, the latter mortally), one lieutenant of marines (James Uniacke), three master's mates (Mark Pettel, James Hunter, and John Sudbury), seven midshipmen (John O'Reilly, Robert Uniacke, Peter Drummond, George Ward Cole, William Grove White, David M'Kenzie, and -------- Pilkington, the latter mortally), 50 seamen, and 11 private marines wounded ; total, 17 killed and 77 wounded. The loss on board the American flotilla was comparatively trifling, amounting to six men killed and 35 wounded, including among the latter Lieutenant Jones, the commanding officer, who conducted himself with great bravery. For the gallantry which they displayed on the occasion, Captains Lockyer, Montresor, and Roberts were deservedly made post ; and some of the lieutenants and midshipmen also received a step in rank.

The obstacle to a passage through the lakes being now removed, the disembarkation of the troops commenced. On the 16th the first division, consisting of the 85th regiment, landed at Isle-aux-Poix, a small swampy spot, at the mouth of the Pearl river, about 30 miles from the anchorage, and nearly the same distance from the bayou Catalan, or Bienvenu, intended as the point of disembarkation. Various causes delayed the arrival of the boats at the fishermen's village, near the entrance of the bayou, until midnight on the 22d ; at which time the advance, consisting in all of 1688 men, under the command of Colonel Thornton of the 85th regiment, commenced ascending the bayou Mazaut, or principal branch of the Bienvenu ; and, at 4 a.m. on the 23d, landed at the extremity of Villeré's canal, running from the Mazaut towards the Mississippi. We must not, however, trench upon the province of the military historian. We shall, therefore, merely state, that on the 8th of January, 1815, an unsuccessful attack was made by the British army, under Major-general Sir Edward Pakenham, upon the strongly fortified position of the American Major-general Jackson ; and that the loss on the part of the former, amounted to the enormous total, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, of nearly 2000 men, including among

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