The Ambush
I am willing to confess that I grew more and more frightened as we neared
the ravine, and but for the disgraceful scenes of insubordination which
occurred earlier in the morning, I would have cried out against the folly
of thus going blindly into such trap as Thayendanega's murderers had
probably prepared for us.
As it was, however, I would not let these mutinous men who called
themselves soldiers see that we from Cherry Valley would question a
commander's orders, whatever might be the situation, and I held my peace,
but with much effort and inward fear.
There was little attempt made by these representatives of the Tryon County
militia to hold in military formation during the march, each man trying to
outstrip his neighbor, as if this advance upon a foe of superior strength
could have no more serious consequences than that some might be left
behind, and when one of the company came up to my side with words of
complaint because the general would not move faster than a walk, I said,
angrily:
"It can make but little difference if you are not killed at the first
volley, for the savages will have ample time to finish us all off after we
have walked into their trap."
"So you are one of the weak-kneed, eh?" the man cried, with a sneer, and
my anger was too great to permit of my making reply; but Sergeant Corney,
who had heard the insulting words, said, sharply:
"You may talk to that lad about bein' weak-kneed after you have shown the
courage he has within the past four an' twenty hours. You an' your
mutinous comrades prate loudly of bravery when there is no enemy in sight;
but I'll lay odds that not one out of an hundred like you would dare go
alone from here to the fort!"
"Oh, you are the messengers who claim that Colonel Gansevoort asked us to
remain idle until he should give the signal, eh?" the fellow said, in an
offensive tone, and Sergeant Corney raised his rifle clubwise, as if to
strike him down, but held his hand as he said, slowly, and in a tone which
was full of menace:
"But that you are already so near your death at the hands of the enemy, I
would make certain you never again questioned my word! We did go to the
fort, while you were engaged in the manly sport of badgerin' your
commander, an old soldier who knows his business, an' had you been with us
it is certain you'd never made the attempt to get back. Go on to your
death, you fool, an' I'll hope it don't come so soon but that you'll have
time to realize you did all in your power to bring it about the more
speedily."
By this time we were well within the ravine which has already been
described, and the old soldier had hardly ceased speaking when from amid
the foliage ahead and on every side came a circle of fire like unto the
lightning's flash, followed by the crackling of firearms, which served to
drown the death-cries from every portion of our lines.
We had marched like children into the ambush, and on the instant a blind
rage took possession of me because I had followed the mutineers when I
knew full well to what they were hastening.
Even as the flashes of light sprang out from among the leaves, I saw
Colonel Cox, he who was responsible for all that flood of death, leap high
in the air, only to fall back dead, and at the same moment General
Herkimer's horse reared and screamed in a death-agony.
It was as if every second man of the command fell before that withering
fire, and in the midst of the tumult of groans, screams, and savage
war-whoops could be heard shouts behind us, telling that the rear-guard,
who a few moments previous were prating of their bravery, had turned and
fled like cowards that they were.
More than the rear-guard would have beat a retreat at that moment, but for
the fact that the baggage-wagons hemmed us in so that flight was
well-nigh impossible.
It seemed as if I lived a full hour during the terrible ten seconds that
elapsed after the first volley was fired by the hidden foe, and then I
heard Sergeant Corney crying in my ear, his voice sounding as if afar off:
"It is for you an' I, lad, to look after the general! He is wounded!"
Then it was that I realized the commander was pinned to the earth by his
dead horse, and, without being really conscious of my movements, I ran to
his side.
The old soldier and I had no more than bent over General Herkimer to learn
how we could best release him from his dangerous position, when a second
volley came from amid the foliage, and those alleged soldiers of the
command who were yet alive ran wildly to and fro like frightened chickens,
seeking some way of escape, rather than standing up like men to battle for
their own lives.
Without really seeing it, I was conscious that all this was taking place
around us, and then I heard Sergeant Corney say to the general, in a
matter-of-fact tone:
"That's a bad wound in your knee, sir."
"Ay, but there's no time to think of ourselves just now. The cowards must
be brought to their senses, or every one of them will be shot down," was
the reply of the man whom his own soldiers had taunted with cowardice not
an hour previous.
Acting under Sergeant Corney's commands, for the old man was as cool as if
he had been born amid just such scenes of carnage, I helped raise the body
of the horse until it was possible for General Herkimer to roll himself
out from beneath the dead animal, and, while we worked to aid him, the
commander was crying to his men to stand firm if they would save their own
lives.
"Rally, there!" he shouted, yet lying, unable to move, upon the ground.
"Stand firm, and we yet have a good chance of holding our own!"
All the while Sergeant Corney and I worked over him he continued to cheer
the frightened men, until, by the time we had dragged him to where he
could sit upright with his back against a huge tree, placing his saddle
beneath him to serve as a prop, the men were beginning to understand that
the only chance for life was to fight desperately.
The wagons in the rear, and the horde of savages which had closed in upon
us, prevented any save those who had first fled, from retreating, and by
the time a full third of the command had been killed or disabled, the
remainder understood that it would be well to turn to the man they had so
lately reviled, for possible safety.
Sergeant Corney and I gave no heed to what was going on around us until we
had bound up the general's knee in such a manner that there was no longer
danger he would bleed to death, and when this had been done I noted that
our people had taken shelter behind the trees, where they could strike a
blow in their own defence.
The Indians, understanding that the first daze of terror had passed away,
leaving their intended victims in condition to do considerable execution,
fell back a short distance to where they could find shelter, and thus,
thanks to General Herkimer, it was no longer a massacre, but a battle.
When Sergeant Corney and I had done all we could to render the commander
more comfortable, we took our share in the fight, remaining close beside
General Herkimer meanwhile, lest the Indians make an attempt to take him
prisoner.
Within half an hour from the time the first volley had been fired, our
people were doing good execution, and yet the enemy's line was closing in
upon us slowly but surely.
"Tire 'em out, lads!" the general shouted, encouragingly. "You never yet
saw a painted snake who could take much punishment, an' it's only a
question of holding your own awhile longer. Make every bullet count, for,
although we have ammunition in plenty, there is no good reason why we
should waste any."
Then the commander, most likely in order to set his men an example of
coolness, rather than because he needed the fumes of tobacco, quietly
lighted his pipe, and, seeing this, our people cheered at the same time
they shot down every feather-bedecked form that was exposed to view.
[Illustration: "'Tire 'em out, lads!' the General shouted"]
A few moments later General Herkimer gave the word that our force form a
circle, in order to meet the foe at every point, and after this had been
done the enemy were the better held in check.
Even at the moment I was surprised when I found myself thinking of the
danger to which Jacob must be exposed, rather than of my own desperate
plight. While on the alert for a living target, I speculated whether he
was yet free, and if he had discovered the whereabouts of his father.
I had no idea as to the flight of time, and could not have told whether we
had spent ten minutes or sixty in that struggle for life, when, without
warning, the floodgates of heaven were opened. The rain came down
literally in torrents; it seemed as if the water descended in solid sheets
rather than drops, and, no matter how bloodthirsty a man might have been,
he could no more have continued the battle than if he had been neck-deep
in the river.
Savages as well as white men were forced to cease their efforts to kill,
and for a time we crouched beneath such poor shelter as the trees
afforded, but drenched to the skin in a twinkling.
General Herkimer was in no better plight than those who were the most
exposed. The fire in his pipe was drowned out; but he continued to hold it
between his teeth as he said, in a low tone, to Sergeant Corney:
"Pass the word quietly for our people to close in where it will be
possible to hear what I say. Thus far I've noted that the savages have
watched until a rifle has been discharged, when they rush up and use their
hatchets. We can put an end to that kind of butchery."
The old soldier did as he had been bidden, moving to and fro without fear
of exposing himself, for the downpour was so great that no man could have
loaded a musket with dry powder, and even while the storm continued the
circle was contracted until the commander was enclosed by a living hedge.
Then it was that orders were given for the men to take their stations in
couples, and, when one had discharged his rifle, the other was to wait
until the Indians came up to kill the supposedly defenceless soldier, when
a second bullet would be ready for them.
Much to my surprise, I heard General Herkimer say that a full hour had
elapsed from the time the first volley had been fired, and it stiffened
the courage of all to learn that we had been able to hold the foe in check
so long.
Immediately the summer storm had so far sub-sided that the weapons could
be loaded, the battle was continued, raging with even more fury than
before, as the enemy tried to overwhelm us by a sudden rush, and in a very
few seconds the painted fiends came to understand that it was no longer an
easy matter to tomahawk a man immediately after he had fired a shot.
When the savages found that their tactics were guarded against, it seemed
as if they lost courage, and gradually fell back a little, having had
quite as much of Whig marksmanship as was pleasing.
Because we could no longer see as many targets before us, the fire was
slackened considerably, and then some one on the outer lines of our
defensive circle shouted:
"They are bringin' up the Tories! Here come the Johnson Greens!"
Although I was standing well in the centre of our force, it was possible
to see the uniforms of that band of renegades which Sir John had armed and
equipped that they might kill their neighbors, as the men came up to take
the place of the retreating redskins, and, if anything had been needed to
stiffen the backs of our people, surely they got it when seeing those whom
they had once called friends, moving into line to compass their death.
I had thought that the men under General Herkimer's command fought bravely
after the cowards were weeded out, and those who were left understood
that, but for the mutiny in camp, the ambush would not have been
successful; but now they seemed like veritable tigers as the Tories came
into the battle.
There was no longer any thought of fighting from behind trees, but each
man pushed forward intent only on vanquishing the renegades, until none
save Sergeant Corney and I were left to guard our wounded commander.
I will set down here that account of the battle from this point, which I
found some time since in a book containing the story of the fight in the
ravine, sometimes called the Battle of Oriskany:
"Major Watts came up with a detachment of Johnson's Greens to support them
(the savages), but the presence of these men, mostly refugees from the
Mohawk, made the patriots more furious, and mutual resentments, as the
parties faced and recognized each other, seemed to give new strength to
their arms. They leaped upon each other with the fierceness of tigers, and
fought hand to hand and foot to foot with bayonets and knives."
While this portion of the battle was at its height, we suddenly heard the
reports of firearms from the direction of the fort, and my heart leaped
into my throat, for I understood that Colonel Gansevoort was making the
sortie for which we should have waited.
Nor was I the only one who thus realized that the Britishers and their
painted allies were at the end of their rope, so far as this fight in the
ravine was concerned, for our people pressed the foe yet more hotly, and
in a short time the savages raised the cry of "Oonah! Oonah!" which told
that they had had enough of the battle.
So far as my experience goes, and I have had considerable from first to
last, Indians are only brave when they have the advantage; but, let the
tide turn against them, and they are veriest cowards.
Hemmed in as we were, our ranks thinned by death and the desertion of the
rear-guard, it should have been possible for the enemy to cut us down to a
man, and yet the retreating cry of the savages sufficed to send all that
force back to the encampment, leaving us in possession of the field, even
though we might not rightly be called victors.
Some of our people, upon whom the fever of battle had fastened more
firmly, would have pursued the cowards, even though it might have been to
come directly upon the main army, who were then, doubtless, engaged in
checking the sortie from the fort; but General Herkimer sent a squad of
the cooler soldiers after them, with the result that the valiant Johnson
Greens were allowed to continue their retreat unmolested.
And it was high time we had a breathing-spell. More than two hundred of
General Herkimer's force lay dead among the trees, while even a larger
number were so seriously wounded as to be unable to defend themselves,
therefore it was impossible for us to act in concert with those who were
making the sortie, and the commander issued orders to fall back.
The contents of the baggage-wagons were thrown out to make room for our
wounded, and, while the uproar of the battle near the fort rang in our
ears, we retreated from that valley of death.
Now those who had raised their voices against the general, accusing him of
cowardice, did all within their power to make atonement by their care of
him, and willing hands bore him on a litter that he might be spared the
pain of transportation in the lumbering wagons.
It was a sorry train that left the ravine, not stopping to bury the dead
because of the certainty that St. Leger's army would come to finish the
bloody work as soon as the force from the fort had been driven back, and
when it was in motion Sergeant Corney gripped me by the arm, as he said:
"Our road is not in that direction, lad. Yonder men may take the repose
which they do not deserve after havin' brought about all this disaster;
but we must face danger once more, an' perhaps for the last time."
"Meanin' that we're to go back in search of Jacob?" I asked, feeling for
the moment as if it would be impossible for me to voluntarily turn my face
in the direction of the enemy, now that I was no longer animated by the
fever of battle.
"Ay, lad, our duty is now toward him, havin' done all we may under General
Herkimer's command. As I figger it, we're free to do as we choose, for we
can no longer aid those who are goin' back when, but for rankest mutiny,
they might have entered the fort amid the cheers of victory. If Colonel
Gansevoort is forced to surrender, it can all be set down to the credit
of those who howled so loudly this mornin' that they could march straight
through the enemy's lines."
"There is little hope we can find Jacob after so long a time has passed,"
I said, thinking of the perils that must necessarily await us while we
tried to make our way through Thayendanega's camp.
"I grant you that, lad, an' yet we are bound to make the venture, or let
it be said that we deserted a comrade when he needed us."
"We did that same when we pressed on toward the fort," I suggested,
feebly.
"Ay, an' because we were in duty bound to carry the general's message. Now
that work has been done, we are free."
I could not well say anything more against his plan without laying myself
open to a charge of cowardice,--and at that moment I really was a
coward,--therefore I stood ready to follow him.
There were provisions in plenty strewn on the ground, having been thrown
out of the wagons to make room for the wounded, and from such store
Sergeant Corney gathered up as much as would serve us during four and
twenty hours.
This we stuffed into the pockets of our shirts; filled our powder-horns
and bullet-pouches from the ammunition on the dead bodies, and then we
were ready to leave that valley of death.
All this while it was possible to hear the din of that battle which was
being fought near the fort; but as we advanced it became evident that the
conflict was subsiding.
It would have been folly for the besieged to do other than beat a retreat,
when it could be seen that General Herkimer's men were not in a position
to take advantage of the sortie, and as soon as might be the brave fellows
sought the shelter of the fort once more, leaving twenty of their comrades
between the lines as victims of the mutiny among the Tryon County
militiamen.
Much to my surprise, Sergeant Corney appeared sadly disappointed when the
tumult of battle died away, and I asked if he believed that the people
from the fort should have made an attempt to inflict more punishment upon
the enemy.
"Not a bit of it, lad," the old soldier replied, promptly. "They have
already done more than could have been expected; but yet I had a hope that
the scrimmage would have lasted a bit longer."
"Why?" I asked, in surprise.
"Because we stand a better chance of circlin' around to where we left
Jacob, while the villains have somethin' to keep 'em busy. Now there's no
longer any need to fight, they'll likely keep sharper watch. Yet I count
that Peter Sitz, if they haven't killed him already, has a bigger show of
livin' a spell longer than he had last night."
"Why?"
"Because it stands to reason that Thayendanega's beauties have taken more
than one prisoner, an' will have a better supply of livin' material for
the stake than before. Peter may be lucky enough to keep his hair a spell
longer; but there'll be many a poor wretch who'll taste of torture this
night."
"An' perhaps Jacob may be one of them!" I cried, in an agony of
apprehension, and from that moment it was not necessary the old soldier
urge me forward, for I burned with the desire to do all I might to find
our comrade before it should be too late.
When we left the ravine in search of the lad, it was necessary we advance
over much the same course as when we carried General Herkimer's message,
and it was slightly in our favor that we knew fairly well at how great a
distance from the general encampment of the enemy we must keep in order to
avoid running into the Indians.
Then, again, it seemed probable we had a better chance of making our way
around this circle than when we first traversed it, because just at this
time Thayendanega's villains had received such a drubbing at the hands of
the patriots as would most likely prevent them from having any keen desire
to come upon more white men.
It was also probable, as Sergeant Corney had suggested, that they had
taken a number of prisoners during the fight with the garrison of the
fort, as well as at the ravine, and the murderous scoundrels would be so
occupied with making preparations for torturing such poor unfortunates as
to neglect their duties as St. Leger's allies.
When I had thus viewed the situation, it did not appear such a difficult
matter for us to gain a station to the southward of Thayendanega's
encampment; but coming across Jacob was quite a different proposition.
Finding a needle in a hay-stack seemed much more simple than running upon
a lad who was doing his best to remain hidden from view, unless,
perchance, he had already been captured.
"It ain't any easy job, figger as you will," Sergeant Corney said, when I
had put the situation before him from my point of view. "But I'm reckonin'
that we're goin' to come somewhere near succeedin'. We can count on doin'
pretty much as we please from now till to-morrow mornin', providin' we
don't stick our noses into the camps of the Britishers or Tories, for you
can set it down as a fact that every red-faced wretch will have
considerable on hand this night. The only trouble will be that we may have
to keep within cover while they're torturin' some poor fellow under our
very shadows. You'll have to keep in mind that Peter an' Jacob Sitz are
the only white men we're after, an' shut both eyes an' ears to every one
else."
"Suppose Jacob has been made prisoner? Would you risk your life to save
him?"
The old man made no reply until I had repeated the question, and then he
said, slowly:
"If there was any show of bein' able to work the trick, you could count
on me to the end; but if he _has_ fallen into their clutches, unless some
wonderfully big turn of affairs comes in our path, we would be only
throwin' away the lives of both without chance of helpin' him. I've heard
long-tongued boasters tellin' how they'd rescued a prisoner from an Indian
camp, but I never believed anything of the kind, for it ain't to be done
more'n one time in a thousand, an' then you'd have to find a lot of
red-skinned idjuts to work on."
Sergeant Corney had used a good many words in replying to my short
question, and I believed he had done so to the end that I might not fully
understand what he meant.
As I made it out, however, he would turn his back on poor Jacob in case
the savages had him in their power, and I asked myself again and again
what course I should pursue in such a situation.
We made a long détour around the battle-field in order to avoid as much as
possible the danger of stumbling upon the enemy's scouts, and, when the
afternoon was half-spent, had come, as nearly as we could guess, to a
point due south from Thayendanega's camp.
"How far do you reckon we are from St. Leger's force?" I asked, when
Sergeant Corney threw himself on the ground within shelter of a clump of
bushes, as if for a long halt.
"Three miles or more from their lines of sentinels, if they've got any
out, an' we're none too far away, 'cordin' to my figgerin'. After sunset
we'll work in toward 'em; but there needn't be any hurry, for I'm
reckonin' that we don't want to do much work till after midnight. If Jacob
is still free to do as he pleases, there's little danger he'll come to
grief 'twixt now an' mornin'."
"Unless he should see them torturin' his father, an' then it's certain
he'd make a fight, no matter how great the odds against him," I suggested,
thinking of what I would be tempted to do under similar circumstances.
"In that case we're better off where we are. I don't allow that a lad has
any right to deliberately throw away his own life, an' that's what Jacob
would be doin' if he showed himself when the villains had his father at
the stake."
"He couldn't stand still an' see it done."
"True for you; but, no matter how he might feel, it's his duty to think of
his mother, an' surely she would say that it was better one came home,
than for both to be killed."
"It's a mighty hard outlook," I said, with a sigh.
"You're right, an' at the same time you ain't makin' matters any better by
chewin' it over. A man don't fit himself for a fight by figgerin' out all
the possible horrors."
"An' you think we'll have a fight before this venture is ended?"
"I'll leave it to you if somethin' of the kind don't seem reasonable,"
the old man replied, grimly, and then he set about making a dinner from
the supply of provisions we had found in the ravine.
After that I made no more effort to keep up a conversation, and tried very
hard to force from my mind any speculations regarding Jacob and his
father, but with poor success. It seemed as if every subject had some
bearing upon the matter, and so disagreeable was the constant harking back
to what was beyond my control, that I really felt glad when the shadows of
night began to lengthen, for almost any kind of action was better than
remaining there in hiding, eating one's heart out.
Sergeant Corney gave no sign that he realized night had come, until I
called his attention to the fact, and then he said:
"Ay, lad, the time is drawin' nigh; but I reckon that we'll be wise to
hold on as we are a spell longer."
Then he lay back as if bent on going to sleep, and I held my peace,
determined to say no more even though he remained there until sunrise.
It must have been ten o'clock before he showed signs of life, and then he
rose to his feet as he said:
"I allow that we'd better be movin', though there ain't any great need of
hurryin'. We'll be able to cover three miles in an hour, an' even then be
a bit early for good work."
"How will you set about findin' Jacob?" I asked, giving words to the
question which had been in my mind ever since we came to a halt.
"Our only chance is to keep movin' nearabout Thayendanega's camp, an'
trustin' to accident for comin' across him."
Sergeant Corney strapped his rifle on his back, as if believing he would
have no use for it; but he made certain his knife was loose in its sheath,
and I understood that if we had trouble it would be at close quarters.
At last we were ready, and this time the sergeant did not propose that I
lead the way.
He strode off in advance, with never a glance backward to see if I was
following, and in silence we went on toward the danger-point at a swift
pace, until the old man halted to say, in a whisper:
"There should be sentinels nearabout, unless Thayendanega believes he has
killed all the decent men in the Mohawk Valley; so have your wits about
you, lad, for a mistake now will cost us dearly."