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45

I enclose the List of Killed and Wounded and have the Honor to be Sir your most obedient humble Servant

(Signed) R. H. Barclay

Commander & late Senr. Officer

PREVOST TO BATHURST

Extract of a letter from Lieutt. Gen(ral Sir George Prevost Bt. to Earl Bathurst dated Head Quarters Kingston Upper Canada 15 Sept. 1813. No. 89.

I cannot bring before your Lordship my present Embarrassments in a more concise form than they will appear in the accompanying Copy of a letter very lately addressed by me to Commodore Sir James Yeo. I have on- dcavoured to impress on that Officers mind the fatal consequences of protracting the acquisition of the Command of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie until that period shall have arrived when the possession of the Naval Ascendancy would be of little avail, in consequence of the previous Necessity of withdrawing the Land Forces from some of those Posts and Positions where they are now daily wasting by a Series of hardships and Privations, Sickness and Desertion, but upon the protracted Retention of which the very existance of the Naval Force on Lake Erie depends.

I have at last obtained for Lake Erie the services of the Captain and Seamen belonging to His Majestys Troop Ship Dover, a proportion of them have reached their destination, the remainder proceed from hence today for Amherstburg.

BAYNES TO YEO [?] PROCTOR[?]

Head Quarters Kingston
18th September 1813 -

Sir

Should your situation become desperate you are recommended to adopt a Line of conduct suited to the exigency of the Case and as every thing must be Sacrificed by a retrograde movement you will exhaust every re- course and means within your power before you resort to that measure, this policy particularly applies to the Marine Force and you will there- fore impress upon Captain Barclay, (in whose Zeal, Talents and determined fortitude The Commander of the Forces has the most firm reliance) that the Squadron under his Command being inavitably involved in the common fate of the Military portion on Lake Erie is to be devoted to their pro- servation, and if necessary sacrificed to the last atom sooner than a vestage be left entire to swell the pride of an arrogant foe. -

(Signed) Edwd. Baynes
Adjutant Genl North America