AT WASHINGTON.
The first thought in my mind, on being aroused from deep slumber by a
heavy blow on my feet, was that the enemy had come upon us, and a
battle had been begun while I remained unconscious.
Springing up quickly, my eyes hardly half-open, I made ready to defend
myself with no other weapons than those provided by nature, but
nothing more formidable confronted me than Darius Thorpe, whose mouth
was stretched wide in a grin, as if he saw something exceeding comical
in thus disturbing a fellow's slumbers.
"This is no time for horse-play!" I cried indignantly. "Having but two
hours for rest, it would seem that such jokes might be dispensed
with."
"I don't allow that I'm jokin'," the old man replied gravely, the
smile disappearing from his face as he understood that I was
thoroughly angry. "You have used up your allowance of time in
sleepin', an' now it's a case of gettin' into line."
"I haven't had a five-minutes nap!" I cried, firmly believing that I
spoke the truth.
"It's a good two hours since we came to a halt, but even though the
time wasn't up, we'd have to get into motion, for another messenger
has arrived from the commodore, an' there won't be any more loafin'
'twixt here an' Washington."
"What is the news?" I asked, beginning to be ashamed of myself because
of having lost my temper.
"General Ross, commandin' the British forces on land, has arrived at
the Wood Yard, an' the chances are that, with troops accustomed to
long marches, he will push on without much of a halt. Even if we were
not needed in Washington, it would stand us in hand to move mighty
quick."
Then Darius continued his task of awakening the sleepers, and I made
ready for another march when it seemed as if the word to halt had but
just been given.
When we set out again all of us from the Avenger were side by side,
and, although it may seem childish to say so, the fact that I had
friends at either hand gave me renewed strength of body as well as of
mind.
It is not well that I make any further attempt at following step by
step what was supposed to be a hurried movement to reinforce our
comrades of the flotilla, but which in reality was neither more nor
less than a hasty retreat. It is enough if I say that late in the
night following the day when Commodore Barney's fleet was destroyed,
we arrived at the marine barracks in Washington, where was the force
which had accompanied our commander.
Just then we were too tired and foot-sore to give any heed to our
friends who had been impatiently awaiting the arrival of us who had
been left behind on a dangerous duty. We only asked permission to lie
down anywhere in order to rest our aching limbs, and this we were able
to do, as a matter of course.
When morning came, however, and we were awakened by the bustle and
confusion which would naturally arise when five or six hundred men are
quartered in four buildings forming a square, we gave little heed to
the stiffness of joints and blistered feet which remained as mementoes
of that long march, as we greeted those for whom we had greater or
less affection.
The first person whom I saw was Bill Jepson. He had been searching
through the barracks for Jerry and me, and I really believe the old
fellow was heartily pleased at seeing us once more.
"Well, my bullies, how about that famous ship Avenger, Amos Grout
commander, and Darius Thorpe general supercargo?" Bill cried in a
voice of thunder as he shook hands with each of us in turn, beginning
with me, and ending with Dody Wardwell.
"What there is left of her might be found at the bottom of the
Patuxent, if you hunted long enough," I replied, feeling a bit
saddened by the loss of the pungy, and not having had time before to
think very much about her fate.
"The whole fleet went up, eh? Tell me about it," and Bill seated
himself on the edge of a bunk as if expecting to hear a long yarn.
There wasn't much to be told, as is known by any one who has had the
patience to read what has been set down here; but I gave him a full
account of all we had done, and wound up by complaining of the long
march we had been forced to take.
"Don't let a little thing like that distress you, matey, for unless
the Britishers whip us out of our boots here in Washington, I'm
thinkin' we'll have to scratch gravel a good many times before this
'ere war is ended. Where's Darius?"
We could give him no information concerning the old man, save to say
that he was with us when we went to sleep the night previous,
whereupon Bill said with a laugh:
"I reckon he's tellin' the commodore how this little business should
be carried on, though he claims that the man never lived who could
give Joshua Barney points."
I had no particular desire to hear about the commodore or Darius,
therefore I asked if he knew anything concerning Elias Macomber, and
as I mentioned the name Bill burst into a hearty laugh.
"Know anythin' about him, lad? I reckon I do, seein's I helped lodge
him in jail, an' how the hound whined for a chance to escape! He
promised me more dollars than I could carry in my hat, if I'd give him
five minutes the start; but so long's he didn't let on where he'd get
the coin, or how it might be passed over to me, I couldn't make any
dicker."
"Then there's no need to worry any more about his getting away," I
said to myself, whereat Bill Jepson looked grave, and I made haste to
say:
"One might think from the look on your face that you believed his
chances for escape were good?"
"He'll stay where he is while we hold possession of the city, an' of
that you may be certain, lad; but in case the British----"
"You are not thinking that the enemy can take Washington?" Jerry cried
in amazement.
"Ay, lad, an' if the truth was known, I'm not the only one who is
believin' much the same thing."
"But all the people in this country would come here to defend the
city!" I exclaimed, thinking for the moment that Bill Jepson was
trying to play upon our fears.
"They haven't done it so far," and the sailor looked grave again. "As
near as I can hear we've got about seven thousand men near about, an'
more'n three-quarters of 'em are so green that it would be dangerous
to let the cows have a whack at 'em."
"Have the Britishers a larger force?" Jim Freeman asked.
"No, lad, not quite so many when you come to number 'em up; but they
are all trained soldiers, every one the match for three of ours in a
reg'lar battle, no matter how well the Americans can fight. Then
again, what with the President an' all the big bugs takin' a hand,
we've got too many commanders. Leave the whole business to one
man--say Joshua Barney, for example--, an' I believe we could hold our
own."
To us youngsters who had come expecting to aid in a successful defense
of the city, this kind of talk was not particularly cheerful, and I
would have welcomed any change in the conversation; but Bill Jepson
had used his eyes to good advantage during the short stay in
Washington, and was determined that we should receive the benefit of
what he had seen and heard.
"Last night Mr. Monroe, the secretary of state, sent a despatch to the
President, an' I saw a copy of it while on duty at the commodore's
quarters. It read like this: 'The enemy are advanced six miles on the
road to the Wood Yard, and our troops are retiring. Our troops were on
the march to meet them, but in too small a body to engage. General
Winder proposes to retire till he can collect them in a body. The
enemy are in full march to Washington. Have the materials prepared to
destroy the bridges.' That was signed with Mr. Monroe's name, lads,
an' after so much, he wrote, 'You had better remove the records.' Now
do you think I'm so far out of the way in sayin' that there's a good
chance of our gettin' the worst of it?"
Just at that moment, to my great relief of mind, my father appeared in
the doorway of the barracks, and I sprang to meet him.
How good it was to see his dear face once more! What a sense of relief
came over me because he was near! I was yet so young as to believe
that no harm could come to a fellow while his father was near, and on
the moment all the fears which had been aroused by Bill Jepson passed
out of mind.
It is not necessary for me to set down that conversation between my
father and me while it related to the dear ones at home, or our own
two selves; but when we had spoken our fill on such matters it was but
natural we should come back to the situation in which our troops were
placed, and, greatly to my surprise, I found that my father despaired
of success in much the same measure as did Bill Jepson.
"We can only do our best, lad, and for your mother's sake we'll pray
that both of us may go back to Benedict; but if only one, then it
should be you, who have promise of so many more years of life than I."
We were yet speaking of matters much too private to be set down in a
story like this, when the command came for all the men of Commodore
Barney's force to fall into line, and on the instant we understood
that we were to join the small army led by General Winder.
I know not how it was we were so confident as to our destination,
except that the general and our commander had been long in
consultation before this day; but certain it is we felt positive all
of us were about to retrace our steps.
And now, while our men are scurrying to and fro making ready for
another march before having recovered from the one just ended, let me
set down here what I afterward read in print, for it will serve to
explain why we did not do that which the country expected, and even
demanded:
"Winder's situation was an unenviable one.[A] With a comparatively
strong foe on his front, ready to fall upon him or the capital he was
expected to defend, he had only about twenty-five hundred armed and
effective men in camp, and many of these had been from their homes
only three or four days. They were undisciplined and untried, and
surrounded and influenced by a crowd of excited civilians, to whose
officious but well-intended information and advice the general was
compelled to listen. In addition to this intrusion and interference of
common men, he was embarrassed by the presence and suggestions of the
President and his Cabinet ministers, the most of them utterly ignorant
of military affairs. Better would it have been for Winder and the
country if these civilians, from the President down, had kept away
from the camp and the field, and prudently preserved silence."
[A] Lossing's "War of 1812."
As a matter of course, we of the rank and file knew very little
concerning the trials of the officer who was charged with the defense
of the city; but we did understand that our force was not sufficient
in either discipline or numbers to cope with that which we must meet,
yet I did not hear a word of grumbling or fear as we made ready for
the march.
It was as if a full knowledge of the danger served to inspire us with
courage.
We set out within ten minutes after the order had been received; but I
did not see Commodore Barney until we had retraced our steps to Long
Old Fields, and there we found the small army throwing up a slight
breastwork, as if believing that an attack was imminent.
"This looks as if you an' I might see more of war than may be
pleasant," Jerry whispered to me as we stood in line waiting to be
dismissed. "It is all very well to fight when you're on board a good
vessel; but runnin' around on shore, marchin' here till you can do no
more than move, an' then marchin' back again, is a little better than
I hanker after."
"It's too late to talk like that," I replied, smiling as I remembered
how eager my partner had been to go as a soldier when I was hanging
back. "We're like to see an hundred times worse than this before we're
many hours older."
"Ay, an' there's never one here, save you, Amos, who shall have an
inklin' of the fact that I'm growin' mighty sick of my bargain."
Then we were dismissed, to find such tents and rations as General
Winder's force could spare us, for our baggage-train was yet on the
road, and while we were thus engaged Jim Freeman shouted to us.
"Darius has got a tent for our crowd; it's close by the commodore's,
an', what's better, the old sailor has been rummagin' 'round till he's
got all the grub we'll need for some time to come."
"Where are Dody and Josiah?" I asked.
"Holdin' down the tent till we can take possession; there's so much
pullin' an' haulin' after rations an' quarters, that it ain't safe to
leave anything alone."
I supposed that we would be ordered to aid in throwing up the
breastworks, therefore it stood us in hand to learn where we belonged,
before the labor was begun, and without delay we followed Jim.
Indeed we had been fortunate in having Darius to care for us, since,
thanks to him, none at Long Old Fields, save the officers, were
quartered as well as we.
In a few moments the canvas tent, strewn with our belongings, had
quite a home air, and we lost no time in making an attack on the store
of provisions which the old sailor had gathered for us.
We were eating hurriedly, lest we should be ordered to take up the
picks and shovels before our hunger could be satisfied, when Darius
came in looking thoroughly fagged and worn out.
"But for you we'd been without a shelter to-night," I said as he threw
himself on the ground near me.
"An' that would have made little difference, lad, for the open air in
a summer's night is ahead of any canvas house. Howsomever, the tent
serves as a place where we can keep our belongings without fear some
of these clodhoppin' imitations of soldiers will get away with 'em."
"I suppose we shall be called upon to take a hand in throwing up
breastworks?" I suggested, and a more cheerful look came over the old
man's face than I had seen since word was given to fire the fleet.
"We who have just come in will be allowed to take it easy, if the
Britishers don't interfere, till mornin', when, if there's time left
us, we'll turn to at throwin' dirt."
All of us lads settled back with a certain sense of comfort and
satisfaction difficult to describe. There were many in that small army
who were hungry, because of the delay and confusion in sending out
supplies, and yet more who would lie down with nothing to shelter them
from the heavy dew, while we were well protected, and with a goodly
food supply, all of which spoke well for the forethought and ability
of Darius Thorpe.
"I'm goin' to turn in, if so be we've got nothin' to do till mornin',"
Jim Freeman said as he suited the action to the words, and Josiah and
Dody followed his example.
I was not minded to close my eyes in slumber until after having heard
from the old sailor all he could tell, although it goes without saying
that I was tired enough to be able to sleep standing up.
"Have you heard anything new since we arrived?" I asked, and Darius
replied in a low tone, as if afraid his words might be overheard by
some one on the outside:
"The commodore says we shall have a battle within eight an' forty
hours, an' you know how well he can smell out such things. It seems
certain we can't meet the enemy here, unless more men are sent, an',
as I take it, we shall march hither an' yon till we come to the fight
fit for nothin' but to turn in."
"Where are the British now?"
"The main body is at Upper Marlboro; but there are a couple of columns
movin' about in a way that betokens mischief for some of us 'twixt now
an' mornin'."
"What have you been doing? I didn't see anything of you after we
started back for this place."
"I came on ahead, ridin' part of the way, with the commodore, an'
we've been on the move pretty much ever since. General Stansbury is at
Bladensburg, an' General Winder counts on goin' there to-morrow for a
conference, leavin' our commodore in command here."
"But what have you been doing to tire you so thoroughly?" I persisted.
"Nothin' exceptin' tag around at Joshua Barney's heels, an' he's a
reg'lar tiger at walkin', whereas it puts me in bad shape."
"Why not lie down while you may, and get some sleep?" I asked.
"Because I'm under orders to go back to the commodore. You lads turn
in, an' I'll creep under cover whenever it's possible."
Having thus evaded my question as to what he had been doing, the old
man went out of the tent, leaving Jerry and I gazing at each other,
but not daring to speak the thoughts which were in our mind.
If Commodore Barney and Darius Thorpe were so anxious as to what might
be the result of our meeting with the enemy, surely we two lads,
ignorant of everything pertaining to warfare, save marching, had cause
for alarm.
We sat facing each other a full ten minutes without speaking. It was
possible to hear the laborers as they threw up the slight breastwork
which could be of but little service save to mark our position, or the
hum of conversation as the idlers paced to and fro near the tent, and
all these sounds was token that we were a tiny part of the living
machine with which nations waged war.
"There's no sense in sittin' here like a couple of dummies," Jerry
finally said. "We'd best be gettin' all the sleep we can, an' then
we'll be the better prepared for what is before us."
It would have pleased me well to find my father and have a talk with
him; but I did not feel warranted in leaving my comrades at such a
time, therefore I acted at once upon Jerry's suggestion.
It was not a difficult matter to fall asleep, after the long march,
and until late in the night I enjoyed a most refreshing slumber, when
the entrance of Darius awakened me.
"What is the time?" I asked.
"Near to midnight."
"Have you been working all this while?"
"Movin' around with the commodore, that's all," Darius replied, as he
laid down beside me, and a moment later his heavy breathing told that
the weary old man was resting after nearly twenty hours of labor.
Try as I might, it was impossible to close my eyes in sleep
immediately. My thoughts would stray back to Benedict, and the more my
mind dwelt upon mother and the children the less inclined did I feel
for slumber.
I twisted and turned while my tent-mates slept more or less noisily,
until by the cries of the sentinels I knew it was two o'clock in the
morning, and then the idea that in a few hours I must be at work with
no chance for rest, caused me to feel drowsy.
Save for the measured tread of the sentinels, and their calls from
time to time, the silence of the encampment was profound, and I was
idly saying to myself that it seemed difficult to fancy one was in the
midst of more than two thousand men, when suddenly came a sharp cry
from a distance, followed by another and another until the long roll
of the drums rang out on the night air like distant thunder.
"What is it?" I cried, as Darius sprang to his feet.
"The call for all hands," the old man said as he groped around for his
musket and ammunition. "The Britishers have shown themselves, hopin'
to take us by surprise, most like. Move lively, lads, for Joshua
Barney's followin' must be the first in line."
How we contrived to arm ourselves and get out of the tent into the
midst of a throng of apparently bewildered men, I know not; but
certain it is we found ourselves there following Darius, who was the
only one I saw that evidently had his wits about him. Left to
ourselves we would have wandered aimlessly around the encampment, as
did many hundred of the men; but the old sailor, who surely should
have been born a soldier, led us to the proper place as if he had
always served his country on land instead of water.
We found our people from the flotilla in fairly good formation, ready
to repel an attack, while the raw militia were scurrying to and fro
like frightened sheep, and such fact made me feel proud that I was a
member of "Barney's seamen."
"You've done well, lads," the commodore said approvingly, while he
moved to and fro in front of us to make certain that we were all
there. "We'll show these landsmen before this little scrimmage is
over, that we old shell-backs are not web-footed when it comes to
obeying orders."
Then it was that I began to understand why those who served under
Joshua Barney were so proud of, and had such confidence in, him.
There was in the ring of his voice, in his way of looking at a
fellow, and his every movement, something which bespoke him a friend,
and from that moment, I became as ardent an admirer of the fighting
captain as ever was Darius Thorpe.
Of a verity I believe a full fifteen minutes elapsed before all our
people were in line of battle, which spoke badly for what might happen
in case the enemy planned a surprise, and then we learned that the
alarm was a false one.
"Some weak-kneed sentinel was frightened at his own shadow," the
commodore said, speaking quietly to his men. "But it hasn't done us
any harm to be routed out in short order, for now we can see how
necessary it may be to know our stations. Turn in, my hearties, and
get what rest you can before we stand up in front of the red-coats to
give them a lesson which they're needing."
Then we went back to our tent; but not to sleep. There is a mighty lot
of excitement in turning out at night to be shot at, and Darius was
the only member of our party who felt inclined to lie down.
We sat under the canvas talking in whispers, lest we disturb those
near at hand, and the old sailor was soon giving good proof that he
had sailed over into dreamland.
Of what did we talk? I can't really tell; but you might put yourself
in our places, and say if you would not naturally speak of those most
dear when you knew beyond a peradventure that within a few hours at
the most you would be standing face to face with death.
When the day broke we stole softly out of the tent that Darius might
get all the sleep possible, and, building a small fire, toasted the
strips of bacon which made up the greater portion of our rations.
Then all hands sat around the tent to prevent any one from awakening
the old man without good and sufficient cause, until sunrise, when
word was passed from one to another that orders had been given to load
all tents on the baggage-wagons, for the army was to move within an
hour.
Then it was that we felt obliged to call Darius, and he came up on his
feet at the first word, having all his wits about him at the moment of
awakening, as is the habit of sailormen.
"Goin' to move, eh?" he said, when we told him of the order. "Then I'm
thinkin' the next halt will be at whatsoever place General Winder has
picked out for a battle-field. Look after the tent, lads, while I get
a word with the commodore."
He marched off in the direction of headquarters, and we set about the
task, I observing while passing among the militia, that the men as a
rule were looking mighty glum, which augured ill for their
performances if indeed a battle was near at hand.