THE BATTLE NEAR THE FALLS
"We are certainly in for a fight now, Henry!"
It was Dave who spoke, as he examined the priming of his new gun, to
make sure that the weapon was ready for use. "That little brush day
before yesterday woke the French up, and they will sail into us
heavily--if they can," he added.
"Well, we came to fight," returned Henry, as he, too, looked his weapon
over. "And I guess we can be thankful, all things considered, that we
are here to do them battle and not killed, or laid up as Sam Barringford
is."
"I hope Sam pulls through and that quickly."
"The surgeon said he would--if he'll keep quiet for a while. But it's
like putting a torch to gun-powder to keep him quiet when there's a
scrimmage in sight,--he's such a born fighter."
The two young soldiers were standing behind a breastworks which had been
thrown up early that morning. The first works thrown up by the English
engineering corps had proved untenable and the French had fired on them
with disastrous effect. But now they were comparatively safe; and the
English gunners were serving their various cannon steadily and
effectively, knocking the logs of the fort into bits with almost every
discharge.
The fort had been under bombardment for several days, and the young
soldiers had been out on the firing line three times. But only one of
these times had been of any consequence and that was when a French
cannon ball, hitting some loose stones, had sent the latter in their
faces, scratching them both on each cheek and blinding a soldier
standing between them.
The bombardment had been opened at rather long range, for General
Prideaux had not known the exact strength of the French garrison. Now
the worthy English general was dead, having been killed on the second
day by the unexpected explosion of a shell as it was being fired by some
English gunners from a small bronze mortar, generally called a coe-horn.
The killing of General Prideaux placed the command of the expedition in
the hands of Sir William Johnson, who up to this time had been giving
all of his attention to the Indians who had volunteered to aid their
English brothers. Johnson was as quick to act as he was brave, and
having stationed his Indians where he could call upon them at a moment's
notice, had the English make another advance on the next day, which
brought the cannon to bear directly on the most vital parts of the fort.
Captain Pouchot was now thoroughly alarmed, and under cover of darkness,
sent out messengers in various directions, to bring up the soldiers,
traders, and friendly Indians from Venango, Presqu'ile, Detroit, and
other points. These different forces were to join together at some point
near Lake Erie and then sail down the Niagara River to the vicinity of
the Falls, where they were to disembark and then march forward with the
idea of attacking the English from the rear.
Having sent forth his messengers the French commander now undertook to
do his best until the reinforcements should arrive. The English attack
was answered with spirit, so that day after day the air was filled with
shot and shell, hurled either into the fort or from it.
The attack Dave had mentioned came late that afternoon and was followed
by another on the next day and still another two days later.
It was hot work, for the July sun blazed down with unmitigating vigor,
and had the young soldiers not been toughened to a life in the open they
would have done as many of the English grenadiers did, fallen down in
the entrenchments exhausted. There was a continual demand for water and
it was fortunate for all that a good supply was close at hand. This same
supply more than once saved the fort from burning down.
Both Dave and Henry had hoped to gain permission from General Johnson to
go off in search of little Nell, taking several friends with them. But
when they broached the subject the brave-hearted Irish commander shook
his head.
"It will do you no good, young men," he said, kindly. "Stay with me, and
if we win out--as we must--I will do all possible to rescue the
children."
The general was sure of a victory and his spirit proved contagious to
all under him. As the days went by the bombardment of the fort
continued, until Captain Pouchot had lost fully half a hundred of his
garrison. Impatiently he awaited the reinforcements from up the river.
But if he had expected to catch Sir William Johnson napping he was sadly
mistaken. The commander of the English forces was thoroughly wide-awake,
and had his scouts out in all directions, and these included a dozen old
backwoodsmen and fully a score of Indians who could be depended upon to
do their best, no matter what the risk. It may be as well to mention
that among these scouts was White Buffalo, who had followed from Oswego
to Fort Niagara, not alone to aid Sir William Johnson but also to assist
the Morrises to find little Nell.
The attack on the fort had begun on the seventh of July. On the
twenty-fourth word came in through the spies that a force of French and
Indians were coming down the river from Lake Erie. This body of
soldiers, traders and Indians was twelve hundred strong, and was
commanded by several French officers of note. The traders were of the
most savage and lawless kind and many of them were in the habit of
dressing like the Indians and smearing their faces with the same
war-paint.
The word concerning this body came in late in the day and that night
General Johnson ordered forward a large part of his force, including
some grenadiers, some rangers and his Indians. The troops were cautioned
to move forward without making unnecessary noise, and to be certain of
what was taking place before opening fire.
"Now for some real fighting!" cried Dave. "This won't be any such play
as besieging the fort."
"Well, that hasn't been play to my notion," answered Henry. "At least it
wasn't play when that cannon ball came and blinded poor Campbell."
"Well, I'm with ye, lads!" came a voice from behind them, and turning
swiftly they beheld Sam Barringford standing there, rifle in hand, and
with his throat done up in a bandage.
"Where in the world did you come from?" ejaculated Henry. "Why, you
ought to be in the hospital!"
"Not by a jugful, Henry! I'm well enough ag'in, I can tell ye--though I
allow as how my neck's a bit stiff."
"How did you get here?"
"Came up on a boat that brought some ammunition. Reckon I'm jest in
time, too, eh?"
"You ought to take it easy, Sam," said Dave. "You've done enough--"
"Cut it short, lad; I can't sit still when thar's a scrimmage on--no two
ways about it. Besides, I promised your folks to stay with ye, remember
thet,--an' I'm bound to keep my promise. Come along, an' tell me what
ye've been up to sence we parted company."
As they trudged forward, along the Indian trail which led along the
bluff on the east side of the Niagara River, the youths related their
various adventures. Barringford was astonished to learn how Dave had
been nearly drowned and starved and how Henry and others had come up
just in the nick of time.
"It's the work of an all-wise an' all-powerful Providence, thet's what
it is, lads," he said, reverently. "When we can't help ourselves it does
seem jest like an arm reached down out o' the clouds to give us a lift."
On and still on went the soldiers, some keeping to the trail and others
skirting the river and the thick forest beyond. To those who had been on
guard duty during the day it was a tiresome tramp, but the life of the
soldier, as I have had occasion to say before, is not all glory, but is
usually a mixture of one-tenth glory and nine-tenths work and
duty-doing.
At last came the welcome command to halt. The soldiers were now less
than a mile away from the falls and in the stillness of the early
morning the great body of falling waters could be distinctly heard--a
muffled roar which keeps on day and night now just as it did in those
days and just as it has done probably for centuries upon centuries.
The rangers to which our friends belonged came to a halt in a little
grove of trees and both Dave and Henry were glad that they were not
called upon to do picket duty. They sank down to rest, and despite the
undertone of excitement observable on every hand, fell into a light
slumber, from which Barringford did not arouse them until it was
absolutely necessary.
When they awoke there was a fierce yelling in the distance, followed by
a number of scattering shots. The fight had opened between the Mohawks
on one side and the Iroquois on the other. Soon the French traders
leaped into the fray, and then the soldiers on both sides followed.
The French and their allies had come around the falls by the portage
trail and the battle began at some little distance below the falls. The
Indians fought like so many demons, both sides taking as many scalps as
possible. Soon the forest and the open space were filled with gun-smoke.
"Forward!" came the cry. "Forward! We must drive them back! They must
never reach the fort!" And forward went our friends, and in a moment
more Dave, Henry, and Barringford found themselves in the very thickest
of the fray.
Dirty looking traders confronted them, several Dave had seen before, on
the Kinotah, and some of these tried their best to bring down the son of
the English trader they so hated. But Dave was un-touched, although one
bullet did pierce his jacket. The rush of the English rangers was
successful and soon the Frenchmen scattered to the right and the left.
But now a body of French soldiery was coming forward on the
double-quick. The rangers had no time to reload their weapons, and so
leaped forward for a hand-to-hand contest, such as soldiers of to-day
know little or nothing about, where bayonet met clubbed musket and sword
the long and equally dangerous hunting knife of the pioneer, and where
many a contest was settled in short order with the naked fist, if no
better weapon was handy. It was a time to bring out "real grit" in the
best meaning of that term.
Henry had discharged his gun and was now trying to club off two French
soldiers who had attacked him with their bayonets. He struck one of the
enemy on the head, sending him reeling, but the force of the blow made
him lose his balance and he too fell, but only upon his knees.
"Ha! now we have you!" cried another French soldier, close by, as he saw
Henry slip, and lowering his bayonet he charged on the youth, intending
to run him through on the spot!