[Sidenote:  Effect of these victories.]

265.  The Wasp and the Frolic, 1812.—­At almost the same time the American ship Wasp captured the British brig Frolic.  The Wasp had three masts, and the Frolic had only two masts.  But the two vessels were really of about the same size, as the American ship was only five feet longer than her enemy, and had the lighter guns.  In a few minutes after the beginning of the fight the Frolic was a shattered hulk, with only one sound man on her deck.  Soon after the conflict a British battleship came up and captured both the Wasp and her prize.  The effect of these victories of the Constitution and the Wasp was tremendous.  Before the war British naval officers had called the Constitution “a bundle of sticks.”  Now it was thought to be no longer safe for British frigates to sail the seas alone.  They must go in pairs to protect each other from “Old Ironsides.”  Before long the Constitution, now commanded by Captain Bainbridge, had captured the British frigate Java, and the frigate United States, Captain Decatur, had taken the British ship Macedonian.  On the other hand, the Chesapeake was captured by the Shannon.  This victory gave great satisfaction to the British.  But Captain Lawrence’s last words, “Don’t give up the ship,” have always been a glorious inspiration to American sailors.

[Sidenote:  Plan of campaign, 1814.]

[Sidenote:  Battle of Lundy’s Lane, 1814.]

266.  Brown’s Invasion of Canada, 1814.—­In the first two years of the war the American armies in New York had done nothing.  But abler men were now in command.  Of these, General Jacob Brown, General Macomb, Colonel Winfield Scott, and Colonel Ripley deserve to be remembered.  The American plan of campaign was that Brown, with Scott and Ripley, should cross the Niagara River and invade Canada.  General Macomb, with a naval force under McDonough, was to hold the line of Lake Champlain.  The British plan was to invade New York by way of Lake Champlain.  Brown crossed the Niagara River and fought two brilliant battles at Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane.  The latter battle was especially glorious because the Americans captured British guns and held them against repeated attacks by British veterans.  In the end, however, Brown was obliged to retire.

[Sidenote:  Invasion of New York.]

[Sidenote:  Battle of Plattsburg, 1814.]

267.  McDonough’s Victory at Plattsburg, 1814.—­General Prevost, with a fine army of veterans, marched southward from Canada, while a fleet sailed up Lake Champlain.  At Plattsburg, on the western side of the lake, was General Macomb with a force of American soldiers.  Anchored before the town was McDonough’s fleet.  Prevost attacked Macomb’s army and was driven back.  The British fleet attacked McDonough’s vessels and was destroyed.  That put an end to Prevost’s invasion.  He retreated back to Canada as fast as he could go.