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Engraved for the Fort Folio.published by Harrison Hall. 1383 Chesnut Street Philadelphia.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

In conducting this Journal, it has been the chief aim of t ditor, to pursue, as nearly as he could, the plan devised by Mr. DENNIE-That plan, with the exception of the political violence, and religious intolerance which were sometimes displayed, was approved by the best scholars in the country, and it enabled the Editor to rank in the number of his correspondents many of our most eminent men. The highest officer m the government has instructed or amused in the same columns, with one of his ambassadors; and senators who had deliberated on the welfare of states have frequently shown, in our pages that they were not unmindful of the concerns of literature. Many who are now taking the stations from which their fathers are silently retiring, will recognize in these volumes, some of their earliest efforts. Politicians may open the Port Folio when they would consult the wisdom of Hamilton, or admire the splendour of Morris; piety may acquire new fervour from the eloquent exhortations of many of our divines who are still trimming their lamps; and they who seek the Columbian Muse, mav trace some of her sweetest inspirations in the effusions of Clifford, Alsop, Payne, and Shaw.

The Editor is now emploved in earnest endeavours to promote the best interests of American Literature, and he appeals not only to the learned, but to the affluent, to contribute their aid in the support of a Journal which has been so long and so advantageously connected with the history of letters in the United States.

Having submitted three volumes to the approbation of the patrons of this Journal; the Editor is fairly before the public. To that public he earnestly appeals in behalf of the literature of the country. If the sunshine of patronage be obscured by negligence or withdrawn by dishonesty, how can it be expected that periodical publications-the pioneers of literature-should flourish? The holder of a fortunate lottery ticket who complained of the ruinous deduction of 15 per cent was in Paradise compared with publishers of American Magazines, who must vend their publications at an abatement of one-third; wait whole years for the balance, and probably find it only in the schedule of a bankrupt.

Complaints have been made, of the condition prescribed at our publication office, that the subscription should be paid in advance. When we inform the reader that the sum expended on this work in one year, would defray the expense of printing ten volumes of the Law Journal,-the price of which is five dollars for each volume-that the cost of the engravings alone, is equal to that of some cotemporary journals, which have no embellishments-be will not be surprized that the proprietors should wish to secure some indemnity against risk, and some reward for labour. Literary men have no access to Banks; no matter, how successfully they may develop the strength of the country, polish its manners, refine its taste, or illustrate its glory. If Burke himself were to petition for a loan to enable him to publish an American Register; he would not find so much favour at the Board, as a trader to St. Domingo, or a South-American pirate.

It cannot be denied that more information is conveyed through the community by means of periodical journals, than by any other medium; and yet the negligence or dishonesty of subscribers is the universal complaint of those who employ their fouds and their talents in the humble and thankless labours of editorship. In the short space of eighteen months, our subscription list exhibits bona fide claims to the amount of ten thousand dollars. To those whose delinquency produces so enormous a deficiency we would use the language of the prophet: Come now und let us reason together-will not the whole head be sick, and the heart faint, if ye do not LEARN TO DO WELL!

VOL. IV.

THE PORT FOLIO.

FOURTH SERIES.

CONDUCTED BY OLIVER OLDSCHOOL, ESQ.

Various; that the mind

Of desultory man, studions of change

And pleased with novelty, may be indulged.-CowPER.

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FOR THE PORT FOLIO.-MILITARY CHRONICLE.

CAPTURE OF FORT GEORGE.

THE capture of York, in Upper Canada, opened the campaign of 1813. The troops which had been engaged in this expedition, joined the army collected in the neighbourhood of Fort Niagara, about the middle of May. Preparations for an attack on Fort George, situated on the opposite side of the strait, had already far advanced under major-general Lewis, and were continued by the commander-in-chief, General Dearborn, with increased diligence. Batteries were erected, subsidiary to the fort, commanding the enemy's works; and boats were collected or constructed for the transportation of the troops. While these exertions for an attack were making on our part, the British were not inactive in providing means for defence; but both sides were permitted to pursue their respective labours unmolested. Those petty hostilities which disgraced the first year, and many subsequent periods, of the war, here gave place to a seemingly chival- \

rous forbearance. A slight incident interrupted this truce, and renewed all the horrors of warfare. Some boats, which had been built a few miles up the strait, were lanched and conducted down under the English batteries, with provoking indifference. The enemy, determined to punish this temerity, opened upon them a desultory and ineffectual fire. This occurred on the night of the

instant. It was probably the intention of the commanderin-chief to have reserved the fire of our batteries, until a simultaneous attack could be made in another quarter by the troops; but the fire, once communicated, could not be controlled, and kindled into flame all our artillery. Under the direction of colonel Porter, assisted by major Totten of the engineers, and captain Archer of the artillery, they poured red-hot shot into the enemy's combustible works, with such skilful efficacy, that, ere the dawn of morning, they were a levelled mass of smoking ruins. The prematurity of this attack somewhat diminished the satisfaction which was felt at its complete success. The army was not ready to take advantage of the discouragement and panic which the sight of his eviscerated fortress must have produced on the enemy. He had time to recover from his dejection, and renew his defences.

At length, on the 26th of May, our preparations were deemed sufficient, if not complete, and the army was directed to embark the next morning at two o'clock. The fleet under commodore Chauncey, which had arrived the night before, was at anchor off the creek (about four miles down the lake from Fort Niagara), where the army lay encamped. The following distribution of commands had previously been settled: viz. colonel Scott commanded the advance, amounting to about six hundred men, consisting of a detachment of the twenty-second regiment, Forsyth's corps of riflemen, two companies of his own regiment, the second artillery, one company of the third artillery, and a company of dismounted dragoons. The rest of the troops, exclusive of the light artillery, were divided into three brigades, amounting to about fourteen hundred men each-the first consisting of de

* It is believed that this was the 24th or 25th. Captain Vandevenfer, of the quarter-master's department, conducted the boats

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