He
sent Quonab back with the sled, instructing him to go to a
certain place two miles off, there camp out of sight and wait.
Then he went in alone. Again and again he was stung by the
thought, "If I had come sooner they might have held out."
A number of teams gathered at the largest of a group of houses on
the bank suggested a tavern. He went in and found many men
sitting down to breakfast. He had no need to ask questions. It
was the talk of the table. Ogdensburg had been captured the day
before. The story is well known. Colonel MacDonnell with his
Glengarry Highlanders at Prescott went to drill daily on the ice
of the St. Lawrence opposite Ogdensburg. Sometimes they marched
past just out of range, sometimes they charged and wheeled before
coming too near. The few Americans that held the place watched
these harmless exercises and often cheered some clever manceuvre.
They felt quite safe behind their fortification. By an unwritten
agreement both parties refrained from firing random shots at each
other. There was little to suggest enemies entrenched; indeed,
many men in each party had friends in the other, and the British
had several times trotted past within easy range, without
provoking a shot.
Pages:
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389