BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

The assaults on Plattsburgh and on the American fleet by the British were simultaneously made by land and water, on the 11th of September. At eight o'clock in the morning, the British fileet was seen approaching ; and, in an hour, the action became general. It is thus described by Macdonough, in his official letter :

“At nine,” he says, " the enemy anchored in a line ahead, at about three hundred yards distant from my line ; his ship opposed to the Saratoga ; his brig to the Eagle, Captain Robert Henley ; his galleys-thirteen in number—to the schooner, sloop and a division of our galleys ; one of his sloops assisting their ship and brig; the other assisting their galleys; our remaining galleys were with the Saratoga and Eagle.

“In this situation, the whole force on both sides became engaged ; the Saratoga suffering much from the heavy fire of the Confiance. I could perceive, at the same time, however, that our fire was very destructive to her. The Ticonderoga, Lieutenant Commandant Cassin, gallantly sustained her full share of the action. At half-past ten, the Eagle, not being able to bring her guns to bear, cut her cable, and anchored in a more eligible position, between my ship and the Ticonderoga, where she very much annoyed the enemy, but unfortunately, leaving me much exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's brig.

"Our guns on the starboard side being nearly all dismounted or unmanageable, a stern anchor was let go, the bower cable cut, and the ship winded, with a fresh broadside on the enemy's ship, which soon after surrendered. Our broadside was then sprung to bear on the sloop, which surrendered about fifteen minutes afterward. The sloop which was opposed to the Eagle had struck some time before, and drifted down the line. The sloop that was with their galleys had also struck. Our galleys were about obeying with alacrity the signal to follow them, when all the vessels were reported to me to be in a sinking state. It then became necessary to annul the signal to the galleys, and order their men to the pumps. I could only look at the enemy's galleys going off in a shattered condition, for there was not a mast in either squadron that could stand to make sail on. The lower rigging being nearly shot away, hung down as though it had just been placed over the mast-heads.

“The Saratoga had fifty-five round shot in her hull; the Confiance, 105. The enemy's shot passed principally over our beads, as there were not twenty whole hammocks in the nettings, at the close of the action, which lasted without intermission two hours and twenty minutes.

NEW ENGLAND'S DEAD.

BY I. M'LELLAN, JR.

New ENGLAND'S DEAD ! New England's dead !

On every hill they lie ;
On every field of strife, made red

By bloody victory.
Each valley, where the battle pour'd

Its red and awful tide,
Beheld the brave New England sword

With slaughter deeply dyed.
Their bones are on the northern hill,

And on the southern plain,
By brook and river, lake and rill,

And by the roaring main.

The land is holy where they fought,

And holy where they fell ;
For by their blood that land was bought,

The land they loved so well.
Then glory to that valiant band,
The honor'd saviours of the land !

O, few and weak their numbers were

A handful of brave men ;
But to their God they gave

their
And rush'd to battle then.
The God of battles heard their cry,
And sent to them the victory.

prayer,

They left the ploughshare in the mould,
Their flocks and herds without a fold,
The sickle in the unshorn grain,
The corn half-garner'd, on the plain,
And muster'd, in their simple dress,
For wrongs to seek a stern redress,
To right those wrongs, come weal, come wo,
To perish, or o'ercome their foe.

And where are ye, O fearless men ?

And where are ye to-day?
I call :—the hills reply again

That ye have pass'd away;
That on old Bunker's lonely height,

In Trenton, and in Monmouth ground, The grass grows green, the harvest bright

Above each soldier's mound.
The bugle's wild and warlike blast

Shall muster them no more ;
An army now might thunder past,

And they heed not its roar.

The starry flag, 'neath which they fought,

In many a bloody day,
From their old graves shall rouse them not,

For they have pass’d away.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A STATE.

What constitutes a State?
Not high-rais'd battlements or labord mound,

Thick wall or moated gate;
Not cities proud, with spires and turrets crown'd;

Not bays and broad-armed hosts,
Where, laughing at the storm, rich navies ride;

Not starr'd and spangled courts,
Where low-bow'd baseness wafts perfume to pride.

No :-men, high-minded men,
With power as far above dull brutes endued,

In forest, wake, or den,
As beasts excel cold rocks and hamlets rude!

Men who their duties know,
But know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain,

Prevent the long-aim'd blow,
And crush the tyrant while they rend the chain :

These constitute a State.