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By September 4, Prevost had begun
his march south. The forces were divided into two groups- the right flank would
advance south through Chazy, while the left would take a route closer to the
lake. The heavy artillery and a reserve stayed behind at Champlain. At Chazy,
the right flank was met with its first real opposition of the campaign. Early in
the invasion, Macomb had sent advance units to effect delaying actions while the
series of forts under construction in Plattsburg were completed. Among these
units were Lt. Colonel Daniel Appling's group of 110 riflemen, and a troop of
New York Cavalry under the command of Capt. Hiram Stafford and Lieutenant M.
Standish. Appling's force, upon approach by some 8,200 British, fell back
towards Plattsburg. Before doing so, however, he and his small force had set
up one obstacle after another along the Chazy road. Bridges were taken out, and
one abattis after another was set up. Time was of the essence to Macomb and his
tiny force at Plattsburg- with each day this huge army could be delayed, the
village and the south could be more effectively defended.
Meanwhile on the lake Macdonough and his fleet prepared
for the action they knew would come. Drawing up in a line of battle, they took
advantage of the time on hand to practice gunnery and maneuvers. Preceding the
British naval fleet down the lake had been a number of gunboats under the
command of Captain Daniel Pring. At Isle la Motte, Pring erected a battery of
three 18-pounders to protect the landing of supplies at Chazy Landing. This
landing put the British on Vermont territory, effectively galvanizing the
Vermont volunteers into action. Even the most die-hard of Federalists could no
longer sit back unaffected. Vermonters swarmed across the lake to assist in the
defense of Plattsburg and the nation.
At Plattsburg, work continued at a feverish pace.
Macomb's plan of defense consisted of using a line of forts, blockhouses and
batteries to slow the advance. He would attempt to deceive Prevost into thinking
he had much larger forces at his disposal, and he would wait and hope for
victory on the lake in Cumberland Bay...
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