A PRISONER.
Three days later Allen received another command to penetrate into
Canada and seek to interest the Canadians, especially the French, in
the colonial cause.
The Green Mountain Boy would have preferred to stay with the army and
participate in the siege of St. John, but he was a soldier, and a
soldier's first duty is obedience.
He addressed the people in every town and village, and the result was
far beyond his expectations.
In a week he had traversed the country as far as St. Ours, twelve miles
south of Sorel, and had enlisted two hundred and fifty Canadians and
had armed them.
He wrote to Montgomery, telling him of his success, and adding that he
hoped to be with him in three days to take part in the assault on St.
John.
The return march was commenced, and on the second day the advance guard
encountered a regiment of Americans under command of Maj. Brown.
Allen was delighted to meet a brother officer, and regretted that he
had sent half his men forward under command of Remember Baker.
Brown was sanguine and saw a chance of striking a great blow at the
English power.
"Montreal," he said, "is defenseless, and, with your forces united to
mine, we can capture it."
Allen fell in with the suggestion, and a plan was discussed.
The men had met on the east bank of the St. Lawrence, between Longueuil
and Laprairie, and it was arranged that Allen was to cross the river in
canoes a little north of the city, while Brown and the men under his
command were to cross to the south, and, advancing from different
directions, make themselves masters of the works and the garrison.
The difficulty of obtaining canoes delayed Allen.
He sent up and down the river to get boats, either by purchase or by
force, but only succeeded in getting a very few.
He had to cross and recross three times before he landed his little
party on the opposite side.
The night was squally. The wind blew in fearful gusts, and often the
frail boats were in danger of being wrecked.
Allen cheered his men and promised them a glorious victory.
It was sunrise before all had crossed, and then the little party
awaited the signal from Maj. Brown.
An hour passed and no signal was heard.
Half an hour more, and then Allen knew that Brown had not crossed.
His position was critical.
He would have retreated had it been possible, but he would be seen by
the enemy, and a fire opened on the canoes would speedily sink them.
"Men, we are lost. Brown has failed to cross the river. If we could
retreat we would, but that would mean death without glory. We must
stand our ground and die with glory. Our country must never say we
were cowards."
There was a suppressed cheer, and Allen knew that his few men were
ready to make a determined stand.
Very soon they were to be put to the test.
The gates of the city were opened and a body of red-coated British
regulars was seen to emerge; after them came two hundred Canadians, and
an equal number of Indians.
The Americans saw they were outnumbered five to one.
"We will resist to the death!" Allen said to one of his officers, and
the men heard the words and got ready to fight like brave heroes.
Although the British outnumbered the Americans five to one, they acted
with the greatest caution, sheltering themselves behind woodpiles,
houses and in ditches.
Allen's men returned the fire with vigor, and for two hours prevented
the enemy from emerging into the open.
The British regulars began to be irritated at the stubborn resistance
of the few Americans, and made a move which Allen knew was to be an
attempt to flank him.
He called Capt. Lossier and bade him take fifty men and advance to the
right and post himself in an advantageous ditch and to maintain his
position there.
Lossier and his men advanced, but as soon as they came in sight of the
redcoats they made a wild rush for the woods and scattered in all
directions.
To make Allen's position worse, a small detachment on the left, under
the command of Lieut. Young, a Canadian volunteer, also broke rank and
fled, giving the enemy a chance to take up several strong positions.
Allen now found himself with only forty-five men, including the brave
young Eben Pike.
They poured in their volleys as fast as they could load and fire.
In order to do more effective work five men were told off to load, and
as the men who had run away had thrown down their muskets, there was a
good chance to keep the guns cool.
But what could forty-five do against five hundred?
Allen saw that unless he retreated while his rear was open, he would be
surrounded and all his men slaughtered, for he knew the command had
gone out to butcher all found with arms in their hands.
With great reluctance he gave the order to retreat. The Indians were
rapidly gaining in the direction of the rear, and only fleet feet would
give the Americans a chance.
Although the Americans could run, they were no match for the Indians,
and Allen found himself surrounded.
He had only twenty-eight men left, and yet he would not surrender.
With fixed bayonets the little band waited the onslaught of the
British, who were only a few yards away on all sides.
An English captain, mad at the way in which his men had been kept at
bay, snatched a musket from the hands of one of his men and fired at
Allen.
Although only a few yards distant, the ball missed, and Allen, not to
be thought wanting in reciprocal feelings, fired at the captain, but
both were too much blown to take aim, so the shots were wasted.
"Coward!" shouted Allen--"cowards all! To think that it took five
hundred men to capture twoscore patriots!"
The captain answered back and demanded surrender.
"As prisoners of war?" asked Allen.
"No. As rebels."
"Then, by the great Jehovah, I will die fighting! Men, let us resist
to the death!"
To the surprise of the English, a volley was fired into their ranks,
and the Americans prepared to load again.
Seven more of Allen's men had fallen wounded, while twelve of the
English had been made to bite the dust.
"On what terms will you surrender?" asked the captain.
"That we shall all be recognized as prisoners of war and receive
honorable treatment."
"On the word of a British officer, your terms shall be accepted."
The Americans threw down their arms.
As Allen presented his sword to the officer a naked savage, with
hellish visage, made still more repulsive by the fact that half his
head was shaved and the other half adorned with feathers, rushed at
Allen and placed his musket at his head.
Allen caught the English captain and swung him between the Indian and
himself, but the savage flew round with incredible swiftness and great
fury, trying to kill the brave mountaineer without injuring the officer.
Allen succeeded in keeping the Englishman between him and the savage,
but another Indian came rushing up and Allen gave all up as lost.
"Arrah, be jabers, if I can shtand that same!" shouted an Irishman in
the service of England.
He rushed forward with fixed bayonet, risking punishment for breaking
rank, and swearing by his forefathers that he would kill the "haythen,"
rescued Allen.
Thus, while Montgomery was waiting for him at St. John, Ethan Allen was
a prisoner in the hands of the English and being marched into Montreal
a captive.
In the barrack yard Gen. Prescott confronted him.
"Are you the Col. Allen who captured Ticonderoga?" he asked.
"I am."
A long string of expletives poured from the general's lips, and he
swore that Allen should be shot.
He raised his cane to strike Allen across the face, but the Green
Mountain Boy placed himself in fighting attitude.
"I am unarmed, you coward, but strike me and I will show you that my
fists can smash your dastardly head."
An officer pulled the English general away, and Allen had no
opportunity to avenge himself at that time.
"By Jove! I'll hang every one of you," shouted Gen. Prescott.
"Colonel, see that thirteen of these d--d rebels are hanged within an
hour; take the first thirteen--quick--there shall be no delay."
"If you dare to do it, I swear that you shall die within an hour
after," shouted Allen, defiantly.
It was a strange threat for an unarmed prisoner to make.