SENT TO HAMPTON WITH FLAG OF TRUCE.--VISIT MY FRIENDS.--
DISAPPOINTMENT.--A FORAGING EXPEDITION, IN WHICH I OBTAIN A PRONG IN THE
LEG INSTEAD OF HONOUR.--A DISASTROUS ONE MADE BY MY SHIPMATES.--A SECOND
TRIP TO HAMPTON.--ATTEMPTS ON MY LOYALTY.--EXPEDITION PROPOSED UNDER
ARNOLD.--O'DRISCOLL ACCOMPANIES ME ON A TRIP UP THE RIVER TO WARN
MADELINE.--MEET COLONEL CARLYON.--NARROW ESCAPE ON OUR RETURN.
I was to have, I found, very little time for rest or reflection. This,
I dare say, was the better for me. Scarcely had I breakfasted when I
was again sent for to be despatched, as I was told, on special service.
My satisfaction, however, was great indeed when I found that I was to be
the bearer of a flag of truce to Hampton, with a letter to the patriot,
or, as we called him, the rebel general commanding the district.
I was quickly ready to start. I should now be able to send a message to
Madeline, to assure her of my safety, and perhaps to make arrangements
to keep up a regular communication with her. On one point only was I
somewhat puzzled. How could I speak of her without allowing it to be
suspected that she had given me the warning by which I had escaped from
the trap laid to catch me? I had heard of the stern treatment any of
the rebels had received who had been found guilty of treachery towards
their party, even from General Washington himself, and I knew not what
construction might be put on Madeline's conduct should it be discovered.
I determined, therefore, at all events to be very cautious how I spoke
of having met her. These thoughts occupied my mind till I landed. I
then hired a horse and a guide, and proceeded with Tom Rockets only as
my companion, mounted on rather a sorry jade, towards Hampton. There
were not many white men to be seen on the road. The negroes doffed
their hats and always addressed me in a civil and friendly way.
Without any adventure I reached Hampton. Having then delivered my
despatches I sought out the house of my new friends, the Langtons, where
I hoped that I should be able to wait till the reply was ready. As soon
as I entered the house I was shown into the drawing-room, where the
ladies received me with the greatest kindness. Mrs Langton assured me
that, from the way I had treated the inhabitants of Hampton the other
night, I should always be received there as a friend. They insisted on
having dinner got ready at once for me, and I found that they were
collecting all sorts of eatables sufficient to load my horse as well as
Rockets and our guides, which they thought might prove useful.
They had heard, I found, nothing of my expedition up the Nansimond
river, and as no one could know that I was one of those engaged in it, I
considered it prudent to say nothing about the matter, and I trusted
that Madeline would remember that, unless she betrayed her secret, none
of her friends were likely to discover it. In the course of
conversation her cousins spoke frequently of her, and I sent her several
messages. I hoped by their tenor that she would understand that I had
not mentioned our having met. My great hope was that Mrs Langton,
guessing how things stood, would invite her to come to Hampton, and that
I might thus have the opportunity of meeting her, should I again be sent
on shore with a flag of truce. None but those who have been knocking
about for months and years together at sea among rough uncivilised men
can fully appreciate the satisfaction which a sailor feels in spending a
few brief hours under the soothing influence of refined female society.
It was with a feeling of undisguised annoyance that at last I received
my despatches and had to mount my horse to return. No one would have
supposed, as my friends bade me farewell, that I was serving on the side
of their enemies, and yet I am certain that no more sincere patriots
were to be found in America, only they had the sense not to confound the
individual with the cause with which circumstances compelled him to
side.
The army, with their guns, ammunition, and stores, had now safely
disembarked, and were on their march up the banks of James river. The
first lieutenant of the Charon, with a detachment of our men, had
accompanied them. I was therefore selected in his place to take command
of a party consisting of a hundred seamen and marines from the different
ships of war, and to go on shore and forage for the squadron. The
marines were commanded by a Lieutenant Brown, and I had two navy
lieutenants besides under me. No duty I could have been ordered to
perform would have been more distasteful, yet I had no choice but to
obey and carry it out to the best of my ability. Having landed at
Newportneuse, we began our march at eight o'clock in the morning into
Elizabeth County. Not having been brought up like some of my Highland
friends in the art of levying black mail on my lowland neighbours, I
could not help feeling as if I had suddenly turned into a robber when I
found myself entering a farm-yard, and, without a word of explanation,
quietly collecting the cattle and pigs, or sheep or poultry, and driving
them off. We marched about ten miles inland as rapidly as we could, and
then, facing about, swept the country before us. On espying a farm we
surrounded it, and then, rushing in, we took prisoners all the negroes
we could find, and made them drive out the cattle and sheep. The pigs
and poultry we killed and placed them in some carts, which, with the
horses, we carried off. Having possessed ourselves of everything of
value in the farm, notwithstanding the indignant protestations of the
farmer's wife, for the farmer himself was away with the army, I suspect,
we proceeded onto the next farm. This was owned by an old man with
several sons, we were informed by one of the negroes. The sons were all
fine young men, and were either in the militia or belonging to some
irregular troops. We expected to find only the old man at home, but as
we drew near the outbuildings a fire was opened on us from some
loop-holes in the walls. As I had no fancy to have my men shot down I
led them rapidly round to the front and charged into the farm-yard, over
some slight barricades which had been hastily thrown up. At the same
moment a dozen to twenty men rushed out of some sheds on one side and
attempted to drive off a herd of cattle from a pen near at hand. I,
with Rockets and some of my people, followed them so closely that they
were compelled to leave the cattle to defend themselves. Most of them
seemed inclined to continue their flight, but an old man, whom I took to
be the owner of the farm, exerted himself to rally them, and shouting,
"On, friends, on! Drive back the robbers!" charged up towards us. I
was rather ahead of my men. Some of his people fired. I suspect the
muskets of the rest were not loaded. Before I had time to defend myself
the old man had his bayonet through my leg, and had I not used my
cutlass pretty smartly the rest would have finished me or carried me off
prisoner before my men could come to my rescue. When they did come up,
they quickly put the rebels to flight, and I was not sorry to find that
his friends had dragged off the brave old man without his receiving any
injury. We were taught a lesson by this, to be more cautious in future
when plundering the farms, lest they might be found fortified and
prepared to receive us. My wound was bad enough to prevent me from
walking. Hunting about, we found a horse and a saddle fitted to him, by
which means I was able to continue my progress. On arriving at several
farms we found that, although no attempt was made to defend them, all
the cattle had been driven off and the pigs and poultry concealed. Now
and then the grunting of a pig or the cackling of a hen betrayed the
dust-hole or cellar in which they were imprisoned. The men were, in
most instances, absent, but the women seldom failed to abuse us in no
measured terms for our behaviour, nor could I help feeling that we
deserved everything, that was said against us. My men, I must say,
behaved very well. In no instance did they offer any violence to the
villagers, and when they were abused they only laughed and retaliated
with jokes, which, if not refined, were harmless.
We continued our foraging labours, (some people might have called them
our depredations), till about three o'clock in the afternoon, when I
judged that it was necessary to commence our retreat. From the
experience I had gained I felt pretty certain that we should be harassed
on our march by the enemy. I therefore formed my people in the best
order I could for defence. Our six butchers, with their axes, saws, and
knives, marched ahead as an advanced guard. We had collected in all
fifty-seven head of cattle and forty-two sheep. These were driven by
thirty negroes and closely surrounded by the seamen, who formed the
centre. In the rear came the marines to cover our retreat, while on
each flank I placed four marines, who were occasionally relieved from
the rear. Brown laughed at my precautions, and said that they were
absurd and useless, and so I found did my lieutenants, but I knew that I
was right, and kept to my plan.
Had the country been open our progress would have been easy, but instead
of that it was thickly wooded, so that our order of march was constantly
broken. I kept riding about, doing all I could to keep the people and
the cattle together; but every now and then where the wood was thickest
I could see an ox, or a cow, and a couple of sheep, slyly impelled by a
cunning negro, stealing away between the trees; and perhaps, while I
sent some of the seamen in pursuit of them, others would break away in
an opposite direction. Of course, when the negroes were overtaken, they
always pretended to be endeavouring by lusty strokes to drive the
animals back to us, and there was little use in attempting to punish
them. Besides this inconvenience, every now and then, whenever we had
to pass any hilly or broken ground behind which an enemy could find
shelter, we were certain to be saluted with a shower of rifle-balls. At
first I attempted to retaliate by sending some of the marines in
pursuit, but by the time they got up to the spot from whence the shots
were fired no enemy was to be seen, and I was only too glad to get them
back without having them cut off. This showed me that our enemies,
though persevering, were not numerous.
Considering all the difficulties I had to encounter, it is not
surprising that when we arrived at the place of embarkation our stock
had been reduced to forty-three head of cattle, with a proportionate
diminution in our sheep, though our two carts with the pigs and poultry
arrived all safe. We embarked at seven o'clock in the evening on board
some vessels sent to carry us and the result of our foraging expedition,
to our respective ships. I had not lost a man, and with the exception
of my own hurt, no one was wounded. I felt sure that my success was
attributable to the dispositions I had made, and the careful way I had
effected my retreat, and that seeing me so well prepared to receive them
had prevented the enemy from attacking me. I expressed myself to this
effect when I returned on board, but was only laughed at for my pains,
and asked what I had to fear from a few despicable rebel boors, whom a
volley would in an instant put to flight.
"Very well," said I. "If any of you have to perform the same work, and
do not take similar precautions, depend on it you will have to rue your
neglect."
"Oh, nonsense," was the answer. "We know what the fellows are made of.
They are not worth powder and shot."
Greatly to my annoyance, the very next day I was again directed to land
with the same number of men for the same object. It was satisfactory to
know that the way I conducted the expedition was approved of, but yet I
would gladly have got off the duty. Just then, finding that a flag of
truce was to be sent to Hampton, I solicited the commodore to allow me
to go on that service.
"Yes," he replied. "The inhabitants are acquainted with you; and when
you make your appearance they will understand our dispositions are
friendly."
I was much flattered by this compliment, and still more pleased to gain
the object I had in view. The commodore told me to direct Lieutenant
Fallock, second lieutenant of the Iris, to take charge of the foraging
party in my place. I earnestly advised him to use the same precautions
I had on the previous day, assuring him, from the experience I had had
in the numerous expeditions I had commanded in America, that the people
would never attack a force if well prepared for resistance, and that the
wise principle the people adopted was only to fight when they could
obtain some material advantage. Fallock smiled scornfully. I found
that Lieutenant Brown of the marines had been talking to him and telling
him of my over-cautious and tedious way of retreating, as he called it.
I found afterwards that Brown had advised him to take only forty marines
as amply sufficient to defeat any number of the enemy likely to assemble
to attack them. The officers who had accompanied me had also told him
that, as we had not seen more than twenty rebels in arms at a time, he
was not at all likely to encounter more than that number, though it was
improbable that any would venture to attack him. Having urged the point
as strongly as I could, I proceeded on my mission while Fallock and his
party prepared for their expedition.
"Don't be afraid, Hurry," said Brown, whom I met as I went down the
side, "we shall return in whole skins, and bring you back a good supply
of beef and mutton."
I hired a horse and proceeded as before, without any particular
adventure, to Hampton. Having delivered my message to the proper
authorities I went to the Langtons.
I own that as I approached the house my heart beat many times quicker
than usual, for I could not help persuading myself that Madeline might
have gone there. When the door was opened by the black servant I tried
to discover by his countenance whether my hopes were likely to be
realised.
"Is there anybody here?" I asked with a trembling voice.
"Oh, yes; dere be all do young ladies and Madame Langton all at home.
Glad see you, sare," was the answer I got.
I did not venture to ask more. The drawing-room door was opened. I
held my breath. Her likeness was there, but she was not. I dared not
ask for her, and I too soon found that my hopes were vain.
I found myself, however, received by the family as an old friend. They
had heard from Madeline. She had, with the wisdom which I felt sure
belonged to her, not mentioned having seen me. They had, however, from
other sources heard of the expedition up the Nansimond river, and of the
courteous way, as they expressed it, in which the English had behaved
while in possession of Mrs Elbank's house. It was reported, however,
naturally enough, that though the boats had got off, nearly all the
people in them had been killed or wounded. I assured my friends that on
this point they were under a mistake; but as I did not like to dwell on
the subject for fear of betraying myself, I left them still unconvinced
that they were in error.
As I was wishing my friends good-bye, a gentleman came in to whom I was
introduced. When he heard who I was, he begged that I would delay my
departure for a few minutes, saying that he would have the pleasure of
accompanying me part of the way. Having delivered a message to the
Langtons he left the house, requesting that I would remain till his
return. His name, my friends told me, was Sutton, and they added that
he was a friend of Colonel Carlyon's. When I heard this, all sorts of
ideas rushed into my head, and I could not help hoping that the meeting
would be productive of some important consequence, yet how that was to
be I could not tell. Mr Sutton soon returned booted and spurred for a
journey.
"Perhaps I may go farther than I at first proposed," he observed, as we
mounted and rode out of the town. "I am glad to meet you, Mr Hurry,
for I have heard of you for some time past, and you have won the regard
of many patriots by the way in which you have on several occasions
behaved towards those who have fallen into your power. I, with the
sentiments I entertain, can only wish that you served a better cause, at
the same time that I would not seek to induce you, as an officer bearing
his Majesty's commission, to swerve from the allegiance you owe him."
When Mr Sutton said this I could not help feeling that he wished to try
me, so I considered some time before I replied. I then said--
"This barbarous war must some day be brought to an end, and then without
any sacrifice of principle I may be able not only to express the
feelings I entertain for the people of America, but to act according to
them."
"Well said, sir," he answered; "we must all eagerly look forward to that
time, and, from the way you speak, I feel sure that no temptations would
induce you to quit the cause you serve, however much you may sympathise
with those opposed to it."
"I trust not, sir," said I firmly. "The path of honour is a very clear
one; I have always endeavoured to walk in it."
"I know you have, and perhaps you may wonder why I just now volunteered
to accompany you. Thus far I will tell you: I wished to make your
acquaintance, and I also considered that I might be of some service to
you. Although you bear a flag of truce, so great is the exasperation
against all those serving in arms under the traitor Arnold, that I
thought it possible you might be insulted, if not injured, by some of
the more ignorant country people."
I thanked Mr Sutton for his kindness, though I suspected that he had
other reasons for wishing to accompany me which he did not explain. Of
course I could not ask them. He did not mention the names of either
Colonel Carlyon or his daughter, and, much as I longed to do so, I could
not bring myself to speak of them to one who to me, at all events, was a
perfect stranger. He soon also began to talk of affairs in general, and
proved himself a very well-informed man and an entertaining companion.
I could not help fancying at times that he was endeavouring to draw me
out, and to assure himself of what my sentiments really were. We passed
several parties of armed men, but when they saw him they doffed their
hats, or saluted him in military style, with every mark of respect.
When within about a mile of our usual landing-place he reined in his
horse.
"I can go no farther with you," he said; "I have no wish to fall into
the power of any of Arnold's followers. Farewell, Mr Hurry. We may
meet again, perhaps, before long, and when we meet I trust that it will
be as we now part--as friends."
I made a suitable reply; and then, turning his horse's head, he put the
animal into a full gallop, and was soon out of sight. It was late when
I got on board. A gloom, such as is always felt after a disaster has
occurred hung over the ship. The foraging party, or rather a remnant of
them, had just returned. They had a melancholy tale to tell. Mr
Fallock had taken the same road I had gone on my expedition, and had
succeeded in collecting a considerable number of cattle, sheep, pigs and
poultry--indeed, forage of all sorts. All went successfully with him
and his party till they commenced their return. Instead, however, of
marching in the proper order I had proceeded, the cattle were not kept
well together, and the men were allowed to scatter about, and, when any
of the animals strayed, to follow them to a considerable distance from
the main body. The seamen and marines thought it very good fun, and
went shouting and laughing along, the officers totally forgetting that
they were in an enemy's country. They had proceeded some few miles
without being molested, and were congratulating themselves on their own
wisdom, and on my folly in having taken so many unnecessary precautions,
when suddenly the crack of a rifle was heard--then another and another--
and a band of horsemen were seen galloping up and cutting down the
stragglers, who in vain attempted to make a successful resistance.
Lieutenant Brown, calling to the men near him, charged the enemy, but
the horsemen, wheeling about, left the ground clear for a body of
footmen, who, as he advanced, opened a heavy fire on him. He was seen
to fall, as were many of those with him; the rest attempted to fly, but
the horsemen were upon them, and, with the exception of one man who got
back to the main body, they were all cut down, or compelled to yield
themselves prisoners. Another small party had, in the meantime,
attacked the rest of the stragglers, and had prevented them from falling
back on the main body, while the greater part of the cattle were
dispersed and driven off. Lieutenant Fallock had, while this was going
forward, called in all the remaining seamen and marines round him, and
presented as bold a front as he could to the enemy. In spite of his
diminished numbers, and the feeling that he had been, in consequence of
his own want of forethought and foolhardiness, surprised by an enemy he
despised, he fought with the greatest coolness and bravery. Even in
numbers he saw that the Americans were inferior to what his party had
been at the commencement of the attack, but now he had lost several of
the seamen and the greater part of the marines, and the people with him
were falling thickly from the bullets of the concealed riflemen. His
only chance of escape was to retreat in close order, and as rapidly as
he could till he got out of the wood. This he did, facing about, and
delivering his fire whenever an enemy appeared. Outside the wood he
made a bold stand, and drove back his foes, keeping up a hot fire on
them till he found that his ammunition was almost expended. Then once
more he retreated. He had escaped without a hurt, though several shots
had passed through his clothes, and many of his people were wounded.
With the remnant he at last succeeded in reaching the landing-place,
where the boats were in waiting for him.
The next day, when I went on shore to inquire for Brown, I found that he
had just died of his wounds. Nine marines were killed, eleven were
taken prisoners unhurt, and several more were found on the ground
wounded, while of those who got off very few escaped unhurt. Such was
the termination of this foraging expedition--the disaster arising
entirely from the folly of the officers, who would persist, as many had
before done, in despising their enemy, and refusing to take the proper
precautions to guard against surprise. This is only one of many
instances of a similar folly which I observed throughout the American
war. I speak of military officers especially. There is something in
the character of Englishmen which makes them over-confident and
foolhardy, and they will require to be taught by some very severe
lessons before they learn the importance of caution. This want of
caution in an officer, when entrusted with the lives of brave men, is a
very great fault, and shows great folly and an unfitness for command.
The vice, I am happy to say, is not so prevalent generally in the navy.
Most spirited and dashing enterprises are undertaken, and are
successful, for the very reason that forethought is employed and proper
precautions are taken to ensure success. Young officers are too apt to
mistake want of caution for spirit and bravery, and to despise those who
are careful and anxious for the lives as well as for the health of those
entrusted to their care. I am now an old man, but I find these
sentiments penned in my journal, written at the time of the occurrence I
have described, and they have been still more and more impressed by the
experience of fifty years. Since then a long, long catalogue of
melancholy disasters might be chronicled, all contributing to sully the
glory of the British arms, which have arisen from those two causes--the
neglect of proper precaution, and a foolish conceited contempt of the
enemy.
Where a subject is matter of history I need but briefly touch on it and
I have therefore often skimmed over subjects of far more importance than
those I have described. I will now give a sketch of the proceedings of
the troops under General Arnold, and the mode in which the ships of war
were employed in assisting them. Having marched up James river,
supported by some small ships of war, as I have before mentioned, the
general reached Burds Landing on the 6th of January, and from thence,
with only fifteen hundred men, pushed on to Richmond, the capital of
Virginia--a distance of no less than one hundred and forty miles from
the Capes of Virginia. He defeated all the forces sent against him, and
arriving in that city, destroyed or brought off large quantities of
stores, provisions, ammunition and some guns and stand of arms,
returning to Burds Landing with the loss only of three killed and
fifteen wounded. This was one of the most important expeditions
undertaken into the interior of the country, for all the stores I have
mentioned were destined for the supply of the southern army of the
rebels opposing Lord Cornwallis in the Carolinas. It was followed up on
the 12th by an expedition headed by Colonel Simcoe, who with his own
corps surprised two hundred rebel militia and killed or took prisoners
about fifty of them. On the 14th the troops moved to the town of
Smithfield, where they captured forty hogs-heads of tobacco. On the
15th the troops evacuated Smithfield, and the squadron moved down to
Newportneuse. On the following day that very active officer, Colonel
Simcoe, was engaged in a skirmish with the rebels, the result of which
was that he made prisoners of an officer and fifteen privates of a
militia regiment. The occupation of Portsmouth had now, I found, been
determined on. It stands on a southern branch of that estuary called
Hampton Roads, into which James river empties itself. Between it and
Smithfield is the Nansimond river with Mackey's Mills situated on its
bank, about half-way up, while higher still on the West Branch was the
house belonging to Mr Elbank, where I found Miss Carlyon on the night I
and my party so narrowly escaped being cut off. The moment the above
information reached me, and I ascertained the direction the army was to
march, I became alarmed lest they should pass near Mr Elbank's house
and take possession of it. I knew too well what had occurred on former
occasions, and if it was known to have been occupied by Colonel Carlyon,
it would too probably be destroyed, and the inmates alarmed and
inconvenienced, if not insulted and injured. I had every reason to
believe that Miss Carlyon was still there with her friends, unless our
visit to the place had been a warning to them to quit it. What could I
do to save her? I thought rapidly over the subject. I was not long in
coming to a resolution. I must find some means of communicating with
her. Could I trust any one with the message? No--at every risk I must
go myself. Any personal danger was of course not to be taken into
consideration, and I reflected that the cause I served could, not be
injured by any information I could give her. Besides this, in a public
point of view, I and those under my command, in our late expedition up
the Nansimond, owed her a debt of gratitude for the warning she had
given us, which we, to the best of our power, were bound to repay.
Sometimes I thought that I would go openly to the commodore and ask his
leave to go up the river to Mr Elbank's, and then again I was afraid
that by some means or other Miss Carlyon's name might become known, and
that her party might hear that she had given the information by which my
companions and I had been preserved from the ambush laid for us. That
would expose her to an annoyance to which I would on no account subject
her. I easily persuaded myself that I alone could properly go. Perhaps
the prospect of seeing her biassed me. I knew that I could depend on
assistance. Although O'Driscoll had been less cordial with me since the
night of our expedition, in consequence of the way I had spoken to him,
I knew that he would be delighted to accompany me if I asked him; so of
course would Tom Rockets. We had picked up, some time before, a light,
fast-pulling canoe, which a couple of hands could send along at a great
rate. The use of this I could command. How to get leave to quit the
ship for a night was the difficulty. Without leave I could not go.
Neither would I tell a falsehood to obtain leave. I resolved,
therefore, to go frankly to Captain Symonds, to plead my constant good
conduct, and to beg that he would trust me and O'Driscoll and one man
away from the ship to carry out a matter of importance. I went to him
accordingly. He hesitated a good deal, as I knew he would. He asked to
have the matter more fully explained to him. I told him that I would
rather not explain it--that should it fail, no blame might be attached
to him.
"There must be blame if I allow you to leave the ship ignorant of where
you are going, and any ill results from your expedition," he answered.