Colonel Brooks' regiment, at Saratoga, and we were in the battle of
Stillwater, fought on the nineteenth of September. I'm not going to
'spin a yarn,' as the sailors say, in the way of an account of that
battle, for that has been said and sung often enough. It is sufficient
for me to say, that it was the hardest fought, and the bloodiest battle
that ever I saw, and Hans n and I were in the thickest of it, where the
bullets were hailing. Our regiment suffered a good deal in the way of
losing men, and I saw many an old friend fall near me. But at dusk, when
most of the Americans were ordered to camp, I and Hanson were unhurt.
Colonel Brooks kept the field when the other officers retired with their
forces. Some of the men of his regiment were tired and grumbled, but he
wanted to show the enemy that they had gained no advantage over us, and
that our spirits were as strong as when the day's work commenced. This
conduct you might have expected from what you have heard of Brooks'
character. He was all game--Brooks was. One of those whip or die men,
that are not to be found everywhere. Well, as I said, our regiment
remained on the field, and finally got into a skirmish with some of the
German riflemen. We knew they were German riflemen by the brass
match-cases on their breasts. In this skirmish, a ball struck me on the
hand, went through it, and knocked my fife clear away beyond our flank.
Well, I couldn't part with my Yankee Doodle pipe in that way, without
trying to get hold of it again. So I told Hanson, and he put down his
drum, and proposed that we should go and get it; and we did go out
together, while the balls were whizzing round our ears, and got the
pipe."
"Hold on, Brown," interrupted Kinnison. "Wasn't it a dark night?"
"Yes," replied Brown; "but we saw where the fife lay, by the quick
flashes of the guns. Didn't we, Hanson?"
"Yes; it's a fact," replied the drummer; "and when we returned, I found
a couple of balls had passed through the heads of my drum."
"I told you I thought you wouldn't swallow it," observed Brown; "but
here's the fife, and here's the mark where the ball passed through my
hand." Brown exhibited the scar, and doubt seemed to be set at rest.
Kinnison, however, shook his head, as if unsatisfied.
"There wasn't a great deal in the mere going after the fife at such a
time," continued the fifer, "but I thought I'd mention it, to give you
an idea of Hanson's spirit."
"Very well," remarked Hand, "we are satisfied now that both Mr. Brown
and Mr. Hanson are really men of spirit."
ARNOLD'S EXPEDITION.
"Mr. Davenport," said one of the young men, "won't you entertain us with
an account of something you saw or joined in, or did yourself, during
the war?"
"Were any of you at Quebec, with Arnold and Montgomery?" inquired one of
the veterans who had been an attentive and silent listener to the
preceding narratives.
"I accompanied Colonel Arnold on the expedition up the Kennebec,"
replied Davenport.
"Then tell us about it, won't you?" eagerly exclaimed one of the young
men.
"Ay, Davenport, tell us about it," added Kinnison. "I've never heard
anything I could depend on about that march through the wilderness. Old
Joe Weston tried to give me an account of it; but his memory was very
weak, and he hadn't the knack of talking so that a person could
understand him."
"Well, you see," began Davenport, "I was livin' up here on the Lexington
road, when I hear that General Washington had planned an expedition to
Canada by way of the Kennebec and the wilderness north of it, and that
Colonel Arnold had been appointed to command the troops who were to
undertake it. I was preparing to join the army at Cambridge; but I
thought that Arnold's expedition would suit me better than staying in
camp around Boston. So I furnished myself with many little knick-nacks,
shouldered my musket, and started off to offer my services. They placed
me in one of the companies of Major Bigelow's battalion. I believe there
was about eleven hundred men, in all, under Arnold's command, who
marched from Cambridge to Newburyport. There we embarked on board of
eleven transports, and, on the nineteenth of September, sailed for the
Kennebec. I must confess, I didn't like the idea of starting so late in
the year, because I knew we'd meet with some of the coldest kind of
weather before we reached Canada; but I had to be satisfied. At the end
of two days, we had entered the Kennebec and reached the town of
Gardiner. The only accident we had met with was the grounding of two of
our transports; but we got them off without much difficulty. I forgot to
mention, however, that two hundred carpenters had been sent up the
river, before we started from Cambridge, with orders to build two
hundred batteaux at Pittston, opposite Gardiner. Well, when we arrived
at that place, we found the batteaux ready, and immediately transferred
our baggage and provisions to them, and pushed up the river to Fort
Western. At that place our real work was to commence. Colonel Arnold
knew a great deal about the route, and he had undertaken it because he
knew what he had to encounter, and how much glory he would win if he
succeeded; but we men, who were to work and suffer most, knew nothing
about the route; except that it was through a wilderness where few white
men had set foot. Before the army started from Fort Western, two small
parties were sent forward to survey and reconnoitre the route as far as
Lake Megantic and the Dead River. Next, the army began to move in four
divisions. Morgan and his riflemen went first; next day, Green and
Bigelow, with three companies; next day, Meigs, with four companies; and
the next day, Colonel Enos, with the three other companies. You see, the
divisions started a day apart, so as to prevent any difficulty in
passing rapids and falls. Colonel Arnold waited to see all the troops
embarked, and then passed the whole line till he overtook Morgan. On the
fourth day after our party--that is, Green and Bigelow's--started from
Fort Western, we arrived at Norridgewock Falls. You may recollect, there
used to be a tribe of Indians called the Norridgewocks, who had a
village near these falls. I saw the plain where the village stood, and
the ruins of the church which was destroyed by Captain Moulton during
the war with the tribe. At the falls, all the batteaux had to be taken
out of the river and transported a mile and a quarter by land. You may
suppose, there was some work about that part of the journey. The banks
on each side of the river were very rugged and rocky; and we had to
carry the greater part of our baggage on our backs. One half of the
party helped the oxen to draw the boats up to the place where they were
to be put into the water again. We found some of the boats were leaky,
and a great deal of the provisions damaged, which was a matter of
importance, as you will see when I get farther on in my story. We were
seven days in passing round that fall and repairing our boats. During
those seven days, we worked as I had never seen men work before; and,
strangely enough, there were very few grumblers in our party. We joked
and sang lively songs, even during the hardest labor; and I got into a
much better humor than I was in when I started. We had an Irishman,
named Jim O'Brien, in our mess, who was one of the best hearted and
quickest-witted chaps I ever encountered; and we had a friend of his,
named Murtough Johnson, who was as dull and blundering as O'Brien was
keen and ready. So, you see, with O'Brien's jokes and Johnson's blunders
we had something to amuse us. I recollect, at one time, we were pushing
our boat up on the bank clear of the water, and Johnson handled his pole
so clumsily that he fell into the river. O'Brien hauled him out after he
had a severe ducking in rather cold water. The officers worked as hard
as the men. Every sinew and muscle was brought into use. Colonel Arnold
seemed to be ever active, cheering on the men, and often lending his
hand to aid them."
"What sort of a looking man was Arnold at that time?" inquired Hand.
"He was then about thirty-five years old," replied Davenport; "of the
middle size, and rather stout, his face was rather handsome; but there
was an iron look about his mouth that many a man would not like; his
eyes were of a dark grey, and full of fire and restlessness. He seemed
never to be satisfied unless he was moving about and doing something."
"Exactly as I knew him," remarked Kinnison.
"Well," said Davenport, "I'll return to my story. At the end of seven
days we were ready to move on; and we soon arrived at the Carratunc
Falls, where there was another portage. We got round that, however,
without much difficulty. The banks were more level and the road not so
long; but the work afterwards was tough. The stream was so rapid that
the men were compelled to wade and push the batteaux against the
current. There was a little grumbling among us, and quite a number of
the men deserted. Two days after reaching the Carratunc Falls, we came
to the Great Carrying Place. There work was to begin to which all our
other work was play. The Great Carrying Place extended from the Kennebec
to the Dead River, about fifteen miles, and on the road were three small
ponds. Before we took our batteaux out of the water of the Kennebec, we
built a block-house on its banks, as a depository for provisions, so as
to secure a supply in case of retreat."
"I thought you said you had no extra quantity of provisions," said
Pitts.
"I did," replied Davenport. "We did not intend to leave any of our
provisions at the block-house. It was built as a repository for
supplies ordered up from Norridgewock. Well, we took the boats out of
the water, and took most of the baggage and provisions out of the boats,
and toiled up a steep, rocky road for more than three miles to the first
pond. There the boats were put into the water, and we had a short rest.
We caught plenty of fresh salmon-trout in the pond, and Colonel Arnold
ordered two oxen to be killed and divided among us, as a sort of treat.
At the second portage we built another block-house for the sick. At that
time I felt sick and worn out myself, but I couldn't think of stopping,
so I kept my sufferings hidden as much as I could from everybody but
O'Brien, who did all he could to help me. After crossing the last pond,
we had several marshes and deep ravines to cross. Sometimes we had to
wade up to the knees in mud and water, carrying heavy bundles of baggage
on our shoulders, and in constant danger of sinking into deep mud holes.
Ha! ha! I recollect, O'Brien, Johnson and myself were toiling along
through one of the marshes, Johnson a short distance behind, when
O'Brien and I heard a yell and a cry of 'Och, murther!' The yell, I
thought might have come from a savage, but the 'Och, murther!' I knew
never could. O'Brien's quick eye soon discovered what was the cause of
it, and I followed him back. There we found Johnson, up to his neck in
mud and water, yelling for help to get out of the bloody dirt. I was the
first to grasp his hand, but in pulling, my foot slipped, and I fell in
alongside of Johnson. O'Brien was more careful; he got on the baggage
that Johnson and I had thrown down, and by great exertions, dragged us
both out; but in such a condition--covered with mud from head to foot.
Of course, O'Brien and I laid it all on Johnson's blundering. O'Brien
said he believed Johnson's birth was a blunder of nature, she had
regretted ever since; and that if he fell into a mudhole again, he
should stick there. Johnson admitted that he was thinking of home when
he fell into the dirty place; he was just kissing his darlin' Mary when
his foot slipped. Well, we shouldered our wet baggage, and waded on to
the rest of the party, and soon after, we reached Dead River. This river
seemed to have a smooth current, broken by two or three little falls,
and we thought we could have quite an easy progress. The boats were
easily pushed along, and the men got the rest they wanted. As we were
going slowly along the river, we discovered a high mountain, the summit
of which appeared to be whitened with snow. Near the base of the
mountain we found Arnold, with the two first divisions, encamped. We
were all very glad to see a camp once more and enjoyed it, I tell you,
as much as a good meal after a hard day's work. On the day after the
arrival of our party, Colonel Arnold raised the pine-tree flag over his
tent, the men firing a salute and giving three cheers, as soon as it was
raised. On the same day, Major Bigelow went up to the top of the
mountain, expecting to see the spires of Quebec. But he weren't a Moses;
he didn't see the promised land. After that, I believe the people gave
the Major's name to the mountain. Ninety men were sent back to the rear
for provisions which now began to grow scarce. It began to rain before
we left the encampment, and it rained the best part of three days; every
man and all the baggage were drenched with water. Morgan and Arnold,
with the first and second divisions had gone ahead, and we followed. One
night, we landed at a rather late hour, and were trying to get a little
rest, when we were awaked by the freshet, which came down upon us in a
torrent; O'Brien waked Johnson and myself just in time to allow us to
get out of the way. The water arose to a great height, covering the low
grounds on each side of the river, and the current became very rapid. As
the batteaux moved on they would get entangled among the drift wood and
bushes. Sometimes we wandered from the main stream into the branches,
and then we would have to fall back into the proper course. The number
of falls seemed to increase as we advanced, and of course, there was a
portage at every one. I was almost worn out with toil and sickness, yet
I was sustained by the hope of succeeding in the expedition, and of
doing some injury to the enemy before I died. You know how an excited
spirit will overcome weakness of body. At length a disaster happened to
our party which almost checked the expedition. By some bad management,
and partly by accident, seven of our batteaux were overset; O'Brien,
Johnson and myself were among the men thrown into the water, and we had
a terrible time of it, clinging to the bottom of the batteaux. We pushed
the boats ashore, and not a single man was drowned; but all the baggage
and provisions in the boats were lost. That made such a breach in our
provisions, that the boldest hearts began to be seized with despair. We
were then thirty miles from the head of Chaudière river, and we had
provisions for twelve days at the farthest. A council of war was held,
and it was decided to send the sick and feeble men back, and press
forward with the others. Colonel Arnold wrote to Colonel Greene and
Colonel Enos, who were in the rear, to select such a number of their
strongest men that could supply themselves with fifteen days'
provisions, and to come on with them, leaving the others to return to
Norridgewock. You know how Colonel Enos acted upon that order; he
marched back to Cambridge, while Colonel Greene obeyed Colonel Arnold's
instructions."
"People have different opinions of that man's conduct," said Kinnison.
"For my part, I think he was a poor-spirited man, if not a coward."
"I think so too," said Davenport. "Although his court-martial acquitted
him, General Washington, and other officers showed such dissatisfaction,
that he resigned his commission."
"Never mind the shirk," said Pitts: "tell us how the men of the right
grit made out."
"Well," said Davenport, "after Colonel Arnold had arranged his plans, he
hurried forwards with sixty men, intending to proceed as soon as
possible to the inhabitants on the Chaudière and send back provisions to
the main body. When we started again, the rain had changed to snow,
which fell two inches deep. Ice formed on the surface of the water
through which we were forced to wade and drag the boats. You may talk
about suffering at Valley Forge, but I tell you it was no kind of
circumstance to what we men endured. We were cold, hungry and tired all
the time, and yet we couldn't rest, for fear of starvation in the
wilderness. I always think my living through it all was owing to
O'Brien's care and his trying to keep me in good spirits. Poor fellow!
he met his death at Quebec. I'll never forget him. The man who could
forget such service at such a time would be a blot upon the name of
humanity." Davenport paused, as if indulging mournful memory, and then
proceeded. "Near the source of the Dead River, we had to pass through a
string of small lakes, choked with drift-wood and rocks. So it seemed as
if we met greater difficulty at every step of our advance. At last we
reached the four-mile carrying place, from the Dead River to the stream
that leads into Lake Megantic. We took the batteaux out of the water and
dragged and carried them over the highlands till we reached the little
stream, which conducted us by a very crooked course into Lake Megantic.
I began to think our toils and dangers would soon be over, and of course
worked with a light heart. At the Lake, we found Lieutenant Steel and
the exploring party which had been sent forward to explore and clear the
path at the portages. The night after our party entered the Lake, we
encamped on the eastern shore, where a large Indian wigwam that appeared
as if it had been used for a council, served to shelter us from the cold
winds. Colonel Arnold ordered Hanchet and fifty men to march by land
along the shore of Chaudière River, and he, himself, embarked with
Captain Oswald, Lieutenants Steel and Church and thirteen men,
determined to proceed as soon as possible to the French inhabitants, and
send back provisions to the army. This was the only plan to save the men
from starvation. You see the Chaudière is a rough rapid river, the water
in some places boiling and foaming over a rocky bottom. The baggage had
to be lashed to the boats. Arnold's party fell among the rapids. Three
of the boats were overset, dashed to pieces against the rocks and their
contents swallowed up by the waves. Six men struggled for some time in
the water, but were saved. That accident turned out to be a lucky one,
for no sooner had the men dried their clothes and re-embarked, than one
of them, who had gone forward, cried out 'a fall ahead,' and thus the
whole party was saved from destruction. Soon after we entered the
Chaudière we worked round several falls and kept clear of the rapids for
a while; but it couldn't last. We lost boats here and there, till we
hadn't enough to carry the men and what baggage we had with us, and so
we took to the land, and began our march through the woods along the
banks of the river. Now a kind of suffering began, which we hadn't
dreamed of when we started, but which we had been expecting before we
lost our boats. We had to drag ourselves along, over rocks and ravines
and through thick underwood, with starvation staring us in the face. I
had never been a hearty feeder, and could bear the want of provisions
better than those in good health and who had accustomed themselves to
cramming. But poor Johnson fainted several times on the march, and
O'Brien suffered more than he would tell. Every thing eatable was at
length entirely used. Several dogs, generally favourites of their
owners, had been killed and entirely devoured, even to the entrails.
O'Brien, Johnson and myself boiled our moccasins, to see if any
nourishment could be drawn from the deer-skin. But the skins were dry.
It seemed as if we were doomed to starvation. No game of any kind
appeared, and even the eatable roots were not to be found. I remember
seeing a party of men, Johnson among them, discover a well-known root in
the sand and rush for it as if it had been a diamond. The man who got it
devoured it instantly, though at any other time it would have made him
sick."
"I wonder how those men would have acted if they had met such a loaded
table as this in the woods," said Hand.
"Acted!" said Davenport. "Like wolves, whose bellies had been pinched
with hunger for a week. You may judge from what I tell you. As we were
marching slowly through the woods, a set of ragged skeletons, the
foremost of the party caught sight of some Canadians and Indians coming
towards us, with great packages and bundles which we knew were the
provisions sent by Colonel Arnold. There was a perfect yell of joy, and
the whole party rushed towards them. But Major Bigelow and his officers
kept the men off from the food, at the sword's point. The food was then
distributed in very small quantities to each man. How it disappeared! I
venture to say that ten minutes after the men received their shares,
they had devoured them all. The Canadians and Indians were ordered to
keep enough provisions for the other troops, who were fed as they came
up. At last we caught sight of the French settlement of Sertigan, where
Colonel Arnold had arrived some days before. The people came out to
receive us; but they wondered at us as if we were more than men. They
offered us plenty of food and clothing, and took care of the sick.
Within four or five days, the whole army was collected by small parties
at Sertigan."
"What was the number of the troops who arrived safe?" enquired Pitts.
"About five hundred and fifty men, I suppose," replied Davenport. "The
rest had either gone back with Enos, deserted, or been left at the
block-house, sick."
"How long did the expedition occupy?" enquired Hand.
"About two months," replied Davenport. "For thirty-two days we traversed
a dreary wilderness without meeting a human being."
"It was a great feat, and the men who performed it are entitled to high
renown," said Hand.
"Many of them afterwards became distinguished," said Davenport. "Morgan,
Dearborn, Meigs, Febiger, Greene and others were known to the enemy in
after years."
Mr. Hand now proposed three cheers for the men of Arnold's expedition
and three more for Mr. Davenport, both of which propositions were acted
upon in the heartiest manner by the young men. Mr. Hand then said he had
a song to sing to the tune of "Ye Mariners of England." It was not his
own composition; he had found it in print, and knowing the music,
thought it would be acceptable. Being pressed to sing, he complied,
singing the following words:--
Ye freemen of Columbia,
Who guard our native coast,
Whose fathers won your liberty,
Your country's pride and boast;
Your glorious standard rear again,
To match your ancient foe,
As she roars on your shores,
Where the stormy tempests blow;
As she prowls for prey on every shore,
Where the stormy tempests blow.
The spirits of your fathers
Shall hover o'er each plain,
Where in their injured country's cause
The immortal brave were slain!
Where bold Montgomery fearless fell,
Where carnage strew'd the field,
In your might shall you fight,
And force the foe to yield;
And on the heights of Abraham
Your country's vengeance wield.
Columbia fears no enemy
That ploughs the briny main;
Her home a mighty continent,
Its soil her rich domain!
To avenge our much-loved country's wrongs,
To the field her sons shall fly,
While alarms sound to arms,
We'll conquer or we'll die.
When Britain's tears may flow in vain,
As low her legions lie!
Columbia's eagle standard
Triumphant then shall tower,
Till from the land the foe depart,
Driven by its gallant power.
Then, then, ye patriot warriors!
Our song and feast shall flow,
And no more, on our shore,
Shall war's dread tempests blow;
But the breeze of peace shall gently breathe,
Like the winds that murmur low.
The song was well received by the company, who were not disposed to be
critical. The drum and fife were then brought into play, Brown and
Hanson, without entreaty, striking up, "Come out, ye Continentallers."
This rollicking tune called up such laughable associations, that one of
the young men proposed that it should be sung. No one knew it entire,
except Brown, the fifer, who had been the musician of his mess as well
as of the company, and Brown complied with the repeated entreaties of
the young men, singing the following ludicrous words in a cracked and
weak remnant of a voice.
Come out, ye continentallers!
We're going for to go
To fight the red-coat enemy,
Who're plaguy "cute," you know.
Now, shoulder whoop!--eyes right and dress--
Front!--Davis, wipe your nose--
Port whoop!--that's slick--now, carry whoop!
Mike Jones, turn out your toes.
Charge bagnet!--that's your sort, my boys:
Now, quick time!--march!--that's right;
Just so we'd poke the enemy,
If they were but in sight.
Halt!--shoulder whoop!--stop laughing, Nick--
By platoons, wheel!--halt--dress!
Hold up your muzzles on the left;
No talking, more or less.
Bill Sneezer, keep your canteen down,
We're going for to travel;
"Captain, I wants to halt a bit,
My shoe is full of gravel."
Ho--strike up music--for'ard march!
Now point your toes, Bob Rogers;
See! yonder are the red-coat men--
Let fly upon 'em, sogers.