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HART, CI lESNUT STREET. BALTIMOHi: CAREY, HART & CO. i"833.' %*-. t*. *:• MATTHEWS, PRI.\TKR. -* ,., -»•. COIVTEIVTS. Landing on the Banks op the Chesapeake, Advance of the British Army, Skirmish with the Enemy, continued continued Action AT Bladensburo, - . . . Destruction OP Washington, Retreat from WASHiNTON,-RESHiPMENi oft^e 1 ROOFS, Arrival in the Potomac, ... * Disembarkation in Marvland,-m1rch upon Baltimore,— And Death of General Ross, Action with the Americans, Defences for the Protection of Baltimore t'REPARATIONS FOR ATTACKING THE AMERICAN Entrenchments,-SuddenRetreat,-And Ke-embarkation, continued ... Voyage from the Chesapeake to JamIica,* Voyage TO New Orleans, ... continued . . _ continued . . , Arrival of General Packenham, ' . continued Battle of New Orleans, Page . 5 17 29 39 ul 61 78 90 99 111 125 138 141 164 177 190 203 217 221 245 259 45874 ■'^^.^ re] So an ho ma if 1 pro the I'ect fact latk mys tion theij to h A SrBALTERIV 11% AlflERICA. CHAPTER I. yi v: LANDING ON t1^' BANKS OP THK CHESAPEAKE. North, that I s,t down to comply with your frcnuemlv repeated roquos.. The details of the late 17^T1 Southern States of North America have been srvvidiv and correctly g.ven by your friend the Subaltern h« !«= who ventures to tread upon the same ground m'! mko up h,s mind ,0 endure the reproach of rlshZ ■fnot of presumption. Nevertheless, as mytu^nl' efesses not to enter in any degree into the ^ te different campaigus, farther than as these pL" „P - ed my own individual person ; and as, i„ 'I o ion 7Z "'T' '° «'" ""^*'"=" ■"»- *- ^ - .yself fr' ,r '"'' ""'' "^'•^"oes which befell thcir fi„r.l u '"'"l*'''''^' <'°™ <» 'he period of S"'" by your wishes; not in the spirit of a rival 6 A SUBALTERN IN AMEHICA. or adversary towards my brother Suhaltorn, hcavrn knows, but as an humble imitator, whose hyhter skctch- ns and more private narration may, perhaps, give an additional interest to tliose grave and scientific details with which he has already favoured the public. In the " Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans,"* you will find a sufficiently elaborate account of the embarkation of the troops in the Garonne, and the passage from thence to the mouth of the Patuxent. Of that account I shall say no more, than that to the minutest tittle, (as far at least as I am a judge) it is correctly given. All ■went on as the Subaltern has told us; St. Michael's and Bermuda were both visited, the Chesapeake was enter- ed on the 1.5th of August, 1814, and on the 18th the fleet began to ascend the Patuxent. It was my fortune, during the progress of this voyage, to be embarked on board of a light, though very comfortable transport. The consequence was, that when the ships of war, and other heavy vessels took the ground, we continued to hold our course, till, having approached within eight miles of St. Benedicts, our master deemed it prudent to cast anchor. We had, however, got so far a-head of the rest, that but a very short space of time elapsed, ere boat after boat, loaded with troops, drew up along- side of us ; and in a couple of hours our deck, cabin, and hold, were literally jammed with men and officers, making a sort of half-way house of number 375 be- tween their own vessels and the shore. • Murray, London, 1826. ',jf^ — ^> A SUBALTERN ;n AMEHICA. 7 Day had bnrdy dawi.ed on the nineteenth, when the r^-port oi a cannon from one of the frigates lower down ,:,'avc notice that all the boats should be hoisted out, and |l.c troops conveyed to land. How it camo about I know not, but in my eagerness to reach terra firma, I sprang, with five dozen men, and one brother oiTicer !»to a broad-bowed punt, which, being supplied with no more than a couple of oars, moved against the stream <|t the rate of half a-mile per hour. The point of ren- dczvous had, however, been named ; it was St. Bene diets, a village distant, as I have already stated, eight long miles from our place of anchorage. VV'c had therefore, but a gloomy prospect before us.—that of I sixteen hours' voyage under a broiling sun ; and the prospect, at one period, seemed not unlikely to be re- ahzed. Boat after boat, and barge after barge, passed us by, without bestowing upon us any other notice than a volley of jokes, or repeated peals of laughter; till at last a worthy midshipman took pity upon us, and threw us a line. Under his towage we made way at a toler- ably rapid rate ; and having quitted the ship at six clock, found ourselves snugly on shore, and in full «»arch towards the bivouac, about Half an hour before noon. St. Benedicts, like most of the villages on the banks 01 the Chesapeake rivers, is a small straggling place; the houses of which stand far apart from each other, and are surrounded by neat gardens, and apparently productive orchards. When we landed it was totally deserted by its inhabitants. The furniture however, had not been removed,-at least not wholly, -from any 3 A Sl'BALTEKX I> AMliUK a. of the house?, and not a few of tlio dairies uerc gar. lushed with dishes of exquisite milk, and delicate new cheeses. I state this fact, because I perfectly recollect the degree of hesitation which was generally experi- enced, before any one would v.-nture to partake of thes(^ luxuries, fn order, [ presume, to deter the men Iroi.i plundering, and to keep thcni from being guilty of those acts of insubordination which the habit of plundering never fails to produce, a report had been industriously circulated through the /Icet, that il.c Americans had poi- soned both wines and provisions, which were purposely lelt in our wa>-. Though I was never much disposed to place reliance in this report, it must be confessed, tliat the idea hindered, not only a ihw privates, who foN lowed me mto a dairy, but myself also, for several mi- nutes, from applying our lips to a pig of delicious cream, which occupied one of the shelves. Inclination, how- ever, at length prevailed over apprehension. 1 drank ireely of the perilous liquor; my men followed my ev- ample; and none of us suficred the slightest inconveni- ence Irom this act of temerity of which we had been gudty. I have said, that the little detachment of which I wa>. in charge, njade good its landing about an hour before noon. Nothing could exceed the degree of exhilaration which was exhibited by persons of all ranks on the pre- sent occasion. Of the privates, few h.d planted foot on hrm ground for the space of three months, and of the officers there were several, the low state of whose linance^ had not permitted them to indulge very fro- quently in visits to the towns or ports at which we Jiad 3s wltc gm- dclicatu new ctly recollect •rally oxperi- ■tnkc ol' these le men Iroiu iiilty of those i" j)lundering industriously ;ans had poi- re purposely icli disposed »c confessed, ites, who fol- ' several nii- :ious cream, lation, how- II. 1 drank wed my ex- t inconvcni- 3 liad been vhich I was lour before exhilaration on the pre- lanted loot iths, and of ■ of whose e very fre- ich we had :4 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 9 (uuched during our passage. To them the prospect of a ^t before me. On my right flank, that istosay, 10 A SUBALTKRN IN AMERICA. n «lung ov?r my left shoulder, lay a black leathern ha- versack, containing a spare shirt, a pair of stockings, dressing utensils, a foraging cap, three pounds of boikvl pork, and two pounds and a half of sea-biscuit. On my left breast, again, rested a horn, fdlcd with rum, such as pursers usually serve out, whilst a wooden keg, for the conveyance of water, hung over my neck, on the very middle of my back. All these things, the reader will be pleased to observe, were necessary ; yet they by no means added to the agreeable nature of our feelings in the mean time ; whilst they certainly took away very largely from the persona), elegance of such as were laid under the necessity of carrying them. On the present occasion, however, no one regarded appear- ances. We looked only to such arrangements as might promise to add a little to our comforts ; and as all were equally loaded, no man had an opportunity of quizzing or deriding his comrade. We reached our ground, as I have already informed you, about half an hour before noon; and seldom have I looked upon a more spirit-stirring spectacle than the position presented. Just under the ridge of a gentle eminence, extending, perhaps, about three or four^hun- dred yards from one extremity to the other, were piled ni order of open columns the arms of the different re- giments, whilst the men to whom these arms belontred were scattered here and there in groups of twemy, thirty, and fifty, over the whole slope. Some were ly- ing at full length upon the grass, basking in the beams of a sultry sun, and apparently made happy by the very ?^\mg of the green sod under them. Others were I ■•■^ leathern lia- of stockings, unds of boiled i-biscuit. On cd with rum, I wooden kefj, ' my neck, on so things, tho 3cessary; yet nature of our certainly took janco of such ig them. On H'dcd appenr- cnts as might id as all were y of quizzing ady informed seldom iiavn clo than the 5 of a gentle or four hun- r, were piled different re- us belonged 3 of twenty, me were ly. n the beams '■ by the very Others were A SUBALTBRN IN AMERICA. H nmnng and leaping about, giving exercise to the limbs which had so long been cramped and confined on board 01 ship. Whilst, in the immediate rear of the musket, numerous fires were blazing, upon which camp kettlJs' and other culinary utensils were placed, and beside which the cooks of the diff^erent companies were mov- ing in all the dignity of office. A little apart from the men again, and surrounding each coterie its own smai' i^ direction m which the advanced sentinels extended, 14 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. WG were proposing to accomplish our original design, and to pursue the path on the right, when the arrival of a brother officer out of breath, and in great haste, deterred us. He had ventured along that road, and ha- ving penetrated about a couple of miles, arrived at a farm-house of some size. Taking it for granted that this, like the houses in St. Benedicts, must be deserted, he had rashly entered, and escaped being made prisoner by three or four scout Yankees, only through their ap- prehension that he was not alone. He purchased a fowl from these worthies, and, being permitted to retire, lost no time, as soon as the trees concealed him from' observation, in hurrying to the camp. With the ac count which he gave of matters, we were, at least for the present, perfectly satisfied; so, returning to our place of abode under the tree, we passed the rest of the day in quiet. As the evening closed in, all the arrangements, cus- ternary in bivouacs, were etfected. The troops, assemb- hng near their arms, trimmed and enlarged their fires, and sat down by companies and sections on the ground beside them. Their great-coats were all put on, and their accoutrements buckled over them. The knap- sacks, likewise, packed and strapped up, were so ar- ranged as that each might be slung across its owner's shoulders at a moment's warning; or, should no alarm occur, supply him with a comfortable pillow for the night. Arrangements not dissimilar were also c^ono into by the officers. Charlton and myself, for exam- pie, having suspended our sabres from a branch, laid our haversacks and pistols within reach, and, wrappin- :cA. r original design, when the arrival I in great haste, Imt road, and ha- les, arrived at a for granted that nust be deserted, ig made prisoner hroiigh their ap- Mc purchased a rniitted to retire, cealed him from With the ac- ere, at least for eturning to our d the rest of the angements, cus- i troops, assemb- rged their fires, is on the ground all put on, and m. The knap- ip, were so ar- oss its owner's should no alarm ! pillow for the were also gone ^self, for exain- a branch, laid , and, wrapping I A SUBALTERN tX AMERICA. jg I our cloaks round us seated ourselves, with our feet I towards the fire, and addressed ourselves, con amore ■ to the fragments which remained from our noon-day re- past. We were neither of us much disposed to sleep ; nor, indeed, had the case been otherwise, should we have found 11 an easy matter to drop at once into a state of forgetfulness. The sun had hardly set, when every leaf of our tree became alive with insects, which sent lorth a ceaseless chattering, not perhaps loud enoucr}, to break the repose of a sound sleeper, but sufficiently au- dible to drive sleep from the eyes of persons totally unaccustomed to it, and neither infirm nor weary. It was, however, upon the whole, an extremely pleas- ant sound; and it was not the only sound which gave us pleasure. Stores continued to be carried from the ships to the shore long after nightfall, and the cry of the seamen on the decks, the splash of oars in the wa- ter, and the heavy noise of casks and carriages, as they were rolled into the bivouac, all had an effect in keeping alive the excitement, which men ever experi once on first taking the field, after a long interval of quiet. Ihen there was the hum of conversation from the bivouac itself; a song, or part of a song, heard from time to time; and as these died away, the mur- niur of the river rolling its large and sluggish body of water towards the sea, and breaking as well upon its own banks as upon the bows of the ships, now at an- chor in its tide. Each and all of these made a music to the ear, which the ear could not refuse to take in • whilst, for the sense of sight, the fire-flies furnished ample occupation, as in numerous clusters they pitched 16 '" ^^^'"■^I'TEIl.N- IN AMERICA. grave and serious, thc<.n ci„i., j ^"^ ^ .'.e.n pc^c, „„;,:t, :;f r s,:;-*;, ::r r which \vc harl nPl-^f^ i """-rent Jrom those to llie onlhusiasm even of solZr ,f ™"^*''- ""' ;™otae„,.,„rd;.:'„::t"^r;«,r'V"- '"'"•■"> labour and human voice. I dualV I r* "' -those produced by u,secraLf H '^ '""'^'' ••""feed and blend J wtr V TT '^""^ lii-'MIy became more .,11'° ^P'^do'"' of the ■md ourei.ars ev, cnd^ "' ' "" «'°S wa« drunk cm, ■.pon.he;ra,;:nt:;it;i:;"-^''''-^''' ■I 1: "*«"—— dred armed nr- undrcd bayonets, jrnton. The sc- liich was Colonel rcgimnnts; whilst , was made up of )f marines. Tiie lO more than three :s ; and it was ren- abscnce of horses, lunition-waggons, rs and drivers fol- ;h they made was ) of the roads au- kcn their stations, le word to march, ion, General Ross, id stafl*, rode up. riged, nor had the irt of the officers ; iras hailed by loud The thing was to cause the grati- oduce. The Ge- bowed to his sol- to the officer in )ad on. Another Df this order, and I effected has been A SUBALTERN IN AMRRlrA. 28 •SO accurately described elsewhere, that I deem it quite unnecessary to enter here at any length into the detail; The advanced guard, under the command of Major Hrown ot the 85th regin,cnt, ,od the way. It consist'ecl of throe companies of light infantry ; two of which moved m column along the road, whilst the third ex- After tins body, at a coHain interval, . ame the light brigade, wluch also furnished a -ompany or two, to ■scour the woods. I fpon the heels of the light, followed 01 a 1 the th.rd brigade, which furnished the rear-^ruard .Such were the arrangements n.ade by our genemi al once to Inndersurpriscand guard agaLt am'busrade: lor a ha|^,y application of which the nature of the country ufFordod every facility. The reader must no v -ar m rmnd that we were now about to penetrate hrou,h immense forests, scantily chequered here and -re with spots of cultivated ground. Though to us these forests seemed pathless, it was hardly to be ev- pected, that there M.re not many lanes and roads e t here and there by the inhabitants, along which, if any en crpnse or talent guided their counsels, bodies of re- gular troops might be moved; whilst the well-known confidence of the Americans In their rifles, and their leZthr^" -ti^tion of their own skill as marksmen, led to the supposition that we should not proceed far without faUing in with one or more partie'sof "olu t tighting. To-day, however, nothing of the kind oc curred. Neither the leading files nofthe flank patroles' f I 24 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. saw an enemy, and the column pressed forward, not only unmolested, but without having its spirits onceele- vated by the sound of firing. And, in truth, it was well for us that we were not, on the present occasion, either brought into action, or or harassed by any needless formations. For never, perhaps, did an army exhibit such symptoms of defi- ciency, not in courage, but in bodily strength, as we all exhibited this day. Nor is that a circumstance hard to be accounted for. In the first place, the soldiers, unaccustomed during three months to the weight of their arms and baggage, found the burden, at present imposed upon them, too great for their enervated con- dition to endure. Even the oldest and best of our vete- rans complained ; whilst the younger men, and those who had lately joined from England, soon sank under it. In the next place, we, unfortunately, began our jour- ney at the very hour when, in a climate like that of Vir- ginia, the ordinary traveller thinks of resting. The heat was more intolerable than I have any language to describe. There was not a breath of air in motion ; the sun was bright, and the sky perfectly cloudless ; whilst the deep fine sand, of which the roar! was com- posed, not only gave way beneath our tread, but rose in masses about us, filling our eyes, and even obstruct- ing our respiration. It so happened that to-day I was not employed with either the advanced guard or the flankers. My station was with the column ; and it was really painful to see those whom I knew to be among the bravest and best soldiers in the army, dropping, on(^ after another, upon the banks by the wav side. W'c -^ .^ „.,i^..- CA. sed forward, not s spirits once cle- at we were not, it into action, or ns. For never, mptoms of defi- rength, as we all cumstance hard ice, the soldiers, o the weight of rden, at present 1' enervated con- best of our vete- men, and those Don sank under , began our jour- like that of Vir- f resting. The any language to ' air in motion ; ectly cloudless ; roarl was com- tread, but rose i even obstruct- lat to-day I was 'd guard nr the min ; and it was 3w to be anion" ^', dropping, one way side. W'c Si A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 25 passed, in our march, more than one stream of water , As may be imagined, there was no keeping the men in .on- ranks on tliese occasions; and, indeed, to speak fho truth, became myself, at last, so completely over- powered, that I not only ceased to forbid Iheir haltin. The sun had set, and, as is the case, in this quarter o/ the u-or d, darkness was fast following his departure, when, to the inexpressible satisfaction of every officer and man in the army, the halt was sounded. ^Vc had reached a space of ground more open than usual, and ..us sufficiently elevated to give to us, in case of an .at- tack the advantage of a rising ground. On the slope ol this and among a [ow stubble-fields, the different corps drew up. The guns were then, as usual, dra.gc d to the summit, the arms were piled, fires were lig&ed and the ordmary preparations for a bivouac gone through • u ,n these, and in the rest which was to^follow then .fell not to the lot of my friend or myself to take p r t.' As soon as the column halted, we were called upon to muster our company, and moved off towards the front whc^th^chargeofoneoftheout-picquetswa^ a I!lofT!u ^"''*^''' ''"' ^''^^"* ^^°"' ^ q^^rter of near h! "/ T'' '' "'^ ^ ^^^"^■'-"-' -'"^^^^ build n! 'Tf- r '''''''' ""y """"^-"^ l^--- -nd seiST'-r "'"''' '^""^"^ '' ''y^ '-^ '-^ been de- seited by its inmates. Of these, however,-at least of the fema,es,~we saw nothing,- the father an old, w I ther-beaten, rough-spoken personage, alon mak g hi r 26 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. appearance. He was a keen democrat, a thorouch Yankee, and abhorred the English with all his heart ; a feeling which he took no care to conceal, and which we, of course, resented only by turning it into ridicule. He spoke much of the iniquity of our invasion ; but comforted himself by anticipating the utter destruction of those engaged in it, who would, a.s he asserted, be opposed by the bravest men, and the most expert shots, which the whole world could produce. His two sons, he informed us, had gone off only this morning to join the army, and his principal source of regret appeared to be, that his own age and infirmities hindered him from joining in it also. The reader will easily believe, that we enjoyed the old man's conversation a great deal more, than if he had pretended to sentiments which he could hardly experience, or put on a manner which was not natural to him. Nor, to say the truth, was he moro hostile in his language, than he jjvoved himself friendly in his behaviour as a landlord. He produced his bread and cheese and peach-whisky, liberally and freely ; and though he drank to our speedy defeat, we willingly joined him, if not in his sentiment, at all events in his potations. The greater part of our time was, however, spent out of doors. Though there was no enemy in sight, nor, as far as we could learn, any force collected within a day's march of us, we were not on that account the less careful to see that the sentries occupied proper posts, and were attentive to their duty. On the contrary, the circumstance that we knew not where to look for dan- ger,'induced us the more cautiously to guard against it; I ERICA. nocrat, a thorough with all his heart; conceal, and which ning it into ridicule, f our invasion ; but he utter destruction i, a.s he asserted, be B most expert shots, ice. His two sons, this morning to join )f regret appeared to 1 hindered him from easily believe, that ■sation a great deal lentiments which he manner which was 3 truth, was he moro ved himself friendly produced his bread illy and freely ; and Icfeat, we willingly at all events in his I'as, however, spent no enemy in sight, irce collected within m that account the cupied proper posts, >n the contrary, th(^ 3re to look for dan- to guard against it : A SUBALTERN IJV A3IERICA. 37 .•uul as it might come upon us from either flank, or from the rear, just as readily as from the front, the whole en- -mpment was girdled in by a circle of watchmen. These took the,r ground at the distance of perhaps half musket ^,ot from the different picqucts which furnished 'horn, fhcy stood not more than forty or fifty yards i'part from one another, and except upon tl,e great road n.ey stood .ngly. On the road, again, tlJe were a -up le planted together, in order that one might from time to t.me patrol onwards to ascertain whethcT all was safe, whilst the other remained stationary. It was our _ busmess to see that these respectively fulfilled the trusts -posed m them ; and the busmess was one which couW o be otherwise accomplished except by constantly tra- ^o.su.g from one extremity of the chain to tho other. For several hours, no other inconvenience attended /citigue, for which the toilsome march of the day had amp'yP;-PYed us; but towards midnight the case was I'fferent. A mass of black clouds suddenly collected together and the stars, which but a moment ago W :: rej*^"?;" ^ r ^'-^ -'^^ ^^^^ compiftei; r ^cured. A tremendous storm of thunder, lightning and ram ensued. There was not a breath of lindk Trcr^ut^sr r' ^ '- ^^^^ ^'^ ^^^- « down ll . ." "'' ''"'"' '"^ '^' ^^^" ^"^hed eZ r u '^"' '" perpendicular streams. The effect of such a storm, echoed back as it was from the uck woods around, was awful in no ordinary de^r : "f every flash of lightning gave to the eye a ml' mentary ghmpse of scenery, such as no powers of L. i 28 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. guage are adequate to describe. The pathless forests, which on every side formed the back-ground, the few cultivated fields which intervened between them and the house, the very palings and hedges which intersected them, with the curved line of sentinels, standing mo- tionless r.t their posts — all these, as well as the sweep of the road, were seen for an instant as distinctly as at noonday ; and then a darkness, thicker and more im- penetrable than before, enshrouded them. No doubt there was much to admire in all this, perhaps sufficient, or more than sufficient, to compensate for the inconve- nience of a sound ducking, where a change of habili- ments was to be procured; but, on the present occasion, it must be confessed, that we would have willingly dis- pensed with all that was sublime in the occurrence, in exchange for a little dry weather, no matter how tame or monotonous. It was not, however, for us to choose. The storm took its course, and having continued with unabated violence during two hours, gradually died away. The rain ceased to fall, the clouds dispersed themselves, and the little stPcrs shone forth again, like the eyes of a Ixiauty whose tears have ceased to flow ; and the rest of the night, accordingly, was spent in as much of quiet and comfort as it usually falls to the lot of soldiers upon an outpost duty to enjoy. •I I ICA. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 20 i pathless forests, [■ground, the few vecn them and the which intersected els, standing mo- r'ell as the sweep as distinctly as at or and more im- hem. No doubt icrhaps sufficient, ! for the inconve- "hange of habili- present occasion, ave willingly dis- le occurrence, in matter how tame Dse. The storm ;d with unabated lied awa3\ The \ themselves, and e the eyes of a ow ; and the rest as much of quiet t of soldiers upon CHAPTER III. «KIRMISII WITH THE ENEMV. In obedience to the customs of war in like cases, our |)icqucl got under arms, and was drawn up in front of I lie house, two hours before sunrise. No enemy, how- ever, made his appearance, nor did any rumour of an enomy come in to put us more than previously on tlie alert; but we continued to preserve our ranks as if an army were in our front, till directions readied us from rnding division of the advanced guanl. It was yet but tlie grey of the morning, when Major Brown made his appearance, and wc began ourmarcii. The road, like that of yesterday, was deep and sandy ; but our men appeared refreshed to a degree which could have hardly been expected, and kept up, as they had been accustomed to keep up, when marches were to them events of every day's occurrence. All, too, both officers and ])rivates, seemed to catch additional energy 30 A SrBALTERN IN AMERICA. 4 from the recollection that there was nothing friendly in front of them. It was truly fi journey of adventure and discovery ; but ns the reader may not be aware of the kind of order which tljc advanced companies of an army preserve, and the species of feeling which ani- mates the individuals who compose these comjianies may be strange to him, I shall not, perliaps, run any liazard of wearying liis patience, if 1 endeavour to make liim accjuainted here with both the one and the other. Charlton's company, that to which I was attached, consisted of a captain, two subalterns, tliree sergeants, and fifty rank and iWc. It was thus distributed :— Along the high road moved lirst of all two fdes of men and a serg(.ant, one file about tw(^nty paces ahead of the other. Parallel with the most forward lile, twenty men spread themselves, by pairs, or files, each pair or file keeping about ten paces apart from the others, on each side o} the way; by which means the woods or fields were swept on both flanks to the extent of two hundred paces. In rear of the last of the two files, but full twenty paces behind, moved the remainder of the company. About twenty paces, again, behind that small section, the two remaining companies advanced, coming on in compart array, unless, indeed, some alarr.i chanced to be given, when they, too, instantly extended through the fields' Thus our movement resembled rather that of sports- men, when, in large bodies, they surround a wood or draw a preserve, than that of soldiers, at least soldiers "pon a parade; and perhaps, if the truth be spoken, our feelings were as much akin to those of the first named class of persons as to those of the last. For i RICA. nothing friendly in rnoy of adventure ly not be aware of d companies of an feeling which ani- 3 these comjianics perliaps, run any jndeavourtoniakc ic and the other, h I was attached, 3, three sergeants, stributcd : — Along files of men and a ihead of the other, tventy men spread lir or fde keeping , on each side of ds or fields were w hundred paces. t full twenty paces :ompany. About II section, the two (ig on in compart meed to be givon, rough the [ields. or that of sports- round a wood or , at least soldiers truth be spoken, those of the first of the last. For A SUBALTKRN IN A>IERICA. 31 myself, I freely confess, that I brushed through the un- derwood, and traversed the enclosures, more in the spi- rit of one beating for game than looking out for oppo- nents; and if a:./ judgment may be formed from the merry chat and rude repartees of those about, a similar spirit animated the men. But though our occupation was productive of much merriment and very considerable excitement, it must be confessed, that the fatigue which accompanied it began, l)elbre many hours liad expired, to counterbalance in no slight degree both the one and the other of these advan- l;ig(\s. The woods, be it remembered, were thick and tangled, and the grass that grew under the taller trees seldom reached lower than our hips, and often passed 'iiir middles. Besides, uo enemy appeared to interrupt our progress; and there was a sameness in searching euiitinually to no purpose, and in expecting for ever, without having the expectation gratified. Under these i^ircumstances, we were by no means displeased, when, towards noon, our bugles sounded the halt. At this particular moment, I and my section were extended on I he right of the road, and occupied part of a wood, which presented every appearance of having continued unmolested since the days ol" Noah. But as the blast ilid not call us in, we were at no loss to discover that the halt was merely temporary, and that the ground of encampment for the night could not yet bo in view. We lay down, however, where we were, well pleased that an opportunity of resting our weary limbs was af- forded, and, unbuckling our haversacks, addressed our- 33 I 1 i A SUUALTERN I.N AMERICA. selves with extreme; good will to tlic remnants of sucii provisions as could still be found there. It chanced, that in scouring these forests, we had put np, among other aninuiLs, a leveret, which a jjoodle dog, flic property of my friend Charlton, chased and caught. 'I'hc reader will easily believe that poor puss was not ;\ little baffled and confused by the shouts and cries with which our men animated the piu-.sucr, and thai nothing like fair play vas granted to her in her ellorts to e.s- capo. Taking advantage ol' this pause, a few of the soldiers set to work, skinned and cut up (he hare, light- ed a fire, and were preparing to dress it, when adr- cumstancc occurred, which in nn instant called off our attention to dthcr ;inil more important mattrrs. " \\'hat IS that?" said a corporal, who stood beside me, whilst I was watching tlie progress of dissecting the leveret. "Do you not see something, sir, moving through thos(> iHishes to the right ?" I looked instantly in tlie direc- tion towards which the soldier pointed, and' beheld plamly enough a flash, like that m hich the sudden fulling of "a sun-beam on bright arms produces. There was no room to doubt from what source that flash proceeded. My bugle sounded the alarm, the men stood to their arms, and Me dashed forward to the copse. It was as 1 anticipated. A body of the enemy, perhaps an hun- dred and fifty in number, were there. Perceiving by our movement that they were discovered, they instantly opened their hre, and a very pretty and interesting sk.'r- mish began. It was not, however, of long continuance. M rushed on, the men firing as an opportunity offered, i 4 ERICA. ^ remnants of such (.TO. I forests, \\Q IkuI put Avhicli a jjoodle dog, clicised and cauylit. )oor puss was not n outs and cries m itli ■r, and that notliinji- n lier cllorts to es- pauso, a Ccw of tlic t up the hare, li 34 A Sl'BALTERX IN AMERirA. huntsmen about a fox-cover, — the ofTicor must be phle^'- niatic indeed, whoso energies are not wrouglit up to a degree of enthusiasm wiiieh causes all appreliension of personid risk to be forgotten, and directs his whole thoughts into one channel— niiniely, how he is most .successfully to discharge his duty when the moment of trial shall arrive. I am not one of those who, writing in my own study, pretend to say, tiiat I .-Jiould prefer a bloody battle to a snug dinner with my friends, and a social glass of wine after it; but I coniess, that dur- ing the remainder of our progress, one wish, and one only, rose into my mind; and that wa.s, that the Ame- ricans would aOord me an opportunity, v'iih the twenty brave men whom 1 commanded, to make what impres- sion I could upon any of their ambuscades, however numerous, or however judiciously disposed. All my eager aspirations after renown were, huuev- er, doomed to sufl'cr di-^cippointment. The Americaj).s would not make a stand. We saw them, indeed, again, just as we reached the skirl of the forest, and, falling in once more with the river, wheeled up towards the open country around Notlingliam ; but it was in full /light, and already at the farther extremity of the town. We saw, likewise, that a few of our mounlcd officers, Colonel Thornton, Major Brown, and, if I mistake nut. the General himself, attempted, in the most dashing and gallant style, to charge tluir rear, and cut off theii .stragglers; but the charge of three or four horsemen was easily repulsed, and flic stragglers, striking oiT to- wards the plantations on either /lank, were soon saft from farther molestation. Somewhat vexed tliat tliey , ,4 ^ f 4 i I rcA. ccr must be* plilci,'- t wrought up to u 11 apprelionsion of lirccts his whole hou- he is most L'li the moment ol" lose who, writing U 1 hiiould preil'r 1 my friends, and ■on less, that dur- 10 wish, and one IS, that the Amc- ', villi the twenty •xko what impres- jscadcs, however )oscd. wn were, huwev- Tlic Amcricajis m, indeed, again, )rcst, and, falling d up towards the It it was in full inity of the town. noun:ed ofliccrs, if I mistake not. nost dashing and nd cut off their •r four horsemen I, striking ofl' to- were soon saft vexed tliat they . A SIBAJ.TERN IN AMERICA. »:> i sheuld have thus escaped us, we were accordingly obliged to halt, where we had been ordiicd to halt, in the village; and hero the rest of the army joining us, dispositions were made to pass the night. The picquets were planted without delay ; the dillerent brigades took lip their respective grounds; and Charlton, William^, and [, not a little weary with our excursion, ensconced ourselves under the shade of a large barn, plentifully stored with tobacco. The reader must be already well aware, that if the purport of the present debarkation really was to seize ('oiiimodore Durny's Hotilla of gun-boats, it completely failed of success. The boats were all gone. They set sail, as one of the few remaining inhabitants inform- 'd MS, at an early hour this morning, and were now many miles nearer to the source of the I'atuxent than we. But this circumstance, whatever eflect it might Jiavc upon t!ie minds of those at the head of affairs, was the cause of no annoyance whatever to us. \A'i) M-cre, on the whole, very well pleased with all which bad yet befallen us. We were particularly satisfied in liuding ourselves so snugly housed for the night; and it added not a little to our gratification, when we disco- vered that our Portuguese servants had not been remiss 111 providing the requisites for a sumptuous evening re- past. Turkeys and geese had by some chance or an- other flown into their hands as they proceeded ; and these they now made ready, for their own, and their masters' suppers. And then, with respect to tobacco, that principal delicacy of soldiers upon active service, there was no reasonable cause cither for scarcity or f 1 1' 36 A SUBALTEHN IN AMERICA. complaint. The house wliich sheltered us was full of it ; and though the broad arrow had been impressed upon the doors, wc scrupled not to appropriate to our own use, not only as much as we required at the mo- ment, but a stock sufficient, as v/c guessed, to supply pur wants for sevcro.l days to come. To sum up all, the quarter-master arriving soon after the halt, with stores of bread and rum, an additional allowance ol' both was served out, r.s well to the men as to the offi- cers. On the whole, therefore, a thousand situations may be conceived inany degrees less enviable than ours ; when, with a fire blazing before us, and the remains of our supper taken away, wc reclined, pipe in hand, and drinking oup hard by, within the porch of the hospitable ltarn,cliatting over the occurrences of the morning, and calculating what might be the issue of to-morrow's operations. Of the disposition of the army in general, it falls not in with the plan of my present story to say mucli. Let it suffice to observe, that Nottingham, a small town, or rather an overgrown village upon the Patuxcnt, was or- oupied by the light and second brigades; the third bri- gade taking post among the out-huildings of a few farm- houses on the left of the road. The picquets, again, extended across the whole front, round the left flank, and so back to the rear; whilst on the right the river, already covered with launches and boats from the fleet, was considered protection enough. Thus were we amply secured against all attempts at surprisal, had it accorded with the military policy of the United States to make them ; and as no man thought of undressing. BRICA. .V srnvLTEnx i\ amerk \. X cred us was full of had been impressed ) appropriate to our oquircd at the mo- ! guessed, to supply To sum up all, after the halt, with ional allowance ol' ! men as to the ofli- housand situations enviable than ours; and the remains of , pipe in hand, and ch of the hospitable )f the morning, and ue of to-morrow's general, it falls not to say much. Let n, a small town, or 2 Patuxent, was or- des; the third bri- lingsof afcwfarm- le picquets, again, nd the left flank, he right the river, oats from the fleet, Thus were we at surprisal, had it the United States ;ht of undressing. iirevcn lajing aside his accout.'ements, wo needed only fn !.(• warned of the approach of an enemy, in order to l-e in readiness to meet and repel him. In the short course of this narrative, T have mor(> than once had oceasion to nienticjn the name of my bro- tin r .Subaltern, Williams. There are eircumstanee.s cniuicctcd with iiis destiny which induce nv iiere to let my reader a little inure into the history of his military lili- than 1 iiiiiiht perhaps have been otherwise disposed to ilo. W'iliiains was the son of an ollieer; of a vete- ran oHicer, w ho, by dint of long and arduous service, rose to the rank of a maj.ir. He was not, i believe, his tiither's only son ; but if it were fair to draw an infe- rence from the bf)y's conversation, he was at all events the favourite, ^^'illi^ms was gazetted into the re- iiinient of foot, v. hen he had barely completed his six- teciith year; and he joined us in the south of France, • too late to take part in the war, before he had attained ' to iiis seventeenth. He was a fine, spirited, generous- hearted youth, ignorant, of course, of what a soldier's ^luly in the field really is, but anxious, if ever young man w as anxious, to become practically acquainted with his prolession. IJeing appointed t< our company, he chose to attach himself very warmly to me; and seeino- a great deal in the lad worthy of any man's tiffections, 1 readily and willingly rnet his advances. We were together during the morning, and his gallant and cool bearing throughout the trifling aflair in which we had l)een engaged, certainly tended to strengthen the tie of P'Tsonal regard by which I already felt myself bound to him. To-niglit he appeared to be in peculiarly high **ni I « 33 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. * 11 11 spirits ; indeed I have never seen a lad exhibit more striking symptoms of happiness than when I mentioned his conduct in the terms which I felt it to merit, to our commou friend Charlton. So gratified was the youth by my praises, that he actually shed tears, though, as he himself assured us, they were the sweetest tears that ever wet his cheeks. " Oh, my poor father !" said he to me, as we were arranging our cloaks, and preparing tn lie down, " how delighted would he be to have heard you say what you said to-night !" I could not answci- the boy ; his little speech aifected me so deeply; but I loved him from my heart for his fine feelings, and I de- termined to be his friend during the remainder of his military life. The night could not be farther advanced than eight or nine o'clock, when a consciousness of bodily languor overcoming every other sensation, wc made ready to resign ourselves to sleep. As the smell of the tobacco was not ofiensive, and the plant itself was made up into large sheaves, we unrolled a few of these, and scattered them upon the floor of the barn for our bed. Upon the mattress thus formed, we spread one of our cloaks, and reserving the uther two to supply the place of blankets, Ave lay down, all three together. A little more of the tobacco, raised into aheap, served us for a pillow. Our sabres were within reach, our haversacks and pistols at our heads ; the only articles of dress which we laid aside were our boots, and our sashes we untied. Then directing the servants to heap up the fire, so as that it should continue to blaze till the morning, we bade each other good night, and slept, as men generally sleep, M '1 ICA. lad exhibit more when I mentioned it to merit, to our 3d was the youth tears, though, as wectest tears that father !" said he ks, and preparing ! be to have heard could not answer so deeply; but [ feelings, tmd I de- remainder of his anccd than ciiflit of bodily languor c made ready to ell of the tobacco was made up into ese, and scattered r bed. Upon the 3f our cloaks, and place of blankets, little more of the or a pillow. Our .cks and pistols at 5 which we laid ve untied. Then lire, so as that it ing, we bade each generally sleep, A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 39 whose minds and bodies have been in full exercise for four-and-twenty hours on a stretch. CHAPTER IV. The reader may be informed here, once for all, that r.eneral Ross's army, like all other armies in the im- mediate presence of an enemy, drew up in close co- ^ lumns of battalions, every morning an hour before dawn. In this position we remained, on the mornin-r of the 22d, till daylight had fully broken, when, instead of fihng off towards the road, and prosecuting our jour- ney, we were permitted to quit our ranks and return to our kurs. Ignorant of any reasonable cause for this measure, and anxious, as British troops ever are to press on, we betook ourselves to our respective restin.r. places a little out of humour; but we soon acquired i^lHlosophy enough to believe that all must be for the l|Ost, and comforted ourselves with the expectation that the much-desu-ed advance, though delayed for some pur- pose or another, could not but take place before lon^. Nor were we disappointed. ° We had just time enough allowed to ascertain that Ao tmgham consisted of four streets, running at right angles through one another, and that it presented every appearance of having been abandoned by its inhabit- ants only a few moments previous to the arrival of our army, when the well-known bugle-call summoned us to 40 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. our ranks, and in five minutes after we were in march- ing order. Tlic same dispositions which had covered our advance on the previous day, were again made. The flankers swept tlie woods and fiekls, whilst the lead- ing files marched cautiously along the high-road; but it fell not to our lot to occupy one or other of these im- portant posts. We formed part to-day of the columns, and like our comrades moved on ; ready, indeed, to act, should an opportunity be afforded, but less sanguine; than wo should have been, had the oHicc of protecting the movement been intrusted to us. The country through which we travelled presented fewer traces of cultivation than a.iy which we had hi- therto traversed. Tiie road, indeed, diverging from the river, struck inwards, so as to cut oil' an angle ibrmed by its course ; and, as every body knows, it is entirely upon the banks of its navigable streams that America can, even now, be said to be inhabited. A few fields there doubtless were, with a house or two here ami there, throughout the whole line of march ; but after leaving Nottingham decidedly behind, they were rare indeed. One mighty forest was Ijcfore us and around us, which, if it served no other purpose, at all events .screened us from the rays of a sultry sun, which would have otherwise proved in the highest degree inconve- nicnt. We quitted our ground at seven o'clock, and went on for about a couple of hours, without any circumstance occurring calculated to attract attention, or deserving ol' i.jtice. A few pigs and turkeys, indeed, which hap- pened to be at large near a farm-house by the way-side, H K.t. e were in march- lich had covered vcxe again made. is, whilst tlie lead- c higli-road; but otlier of these im- ,y oftlie columns, ,dy, indeed, to act, )ut less sanguine (lice of protecting ravelled presented ivhich we had lu- Jivcriiin" from the " an ana:lc ibrmed lows, it is entirely ,ms that America ed. A few fields or two here and march ; but after d, thev were ran; ire us and arountl )ose, at all events ' sun, which would St degree inconvc- :;lock, and ^\■ent on any circumstancf on, or deserving ol' ;ideed, which hap- 5C by the way-sidc, A'SrBALTERN IN AMERICA. 41 .sunbred, it is true, the fate incident to mortality ; and much laughter was heard from front to rear of the co- lunin^as dogs and men either failed or succeeded in the I'hase. But of the enemy no traces were discovered, though our guide assured us that several numerous bo- dies liad passed the night in this neighbourhood. About noon, however, we were put a little upon our mettle, ind an adventure took place which I record, chie/ly for tlie purpose of showing tlie temper and disposition of 'ho men with whom we were now embroiled. The advanced parties having arrived at the more open ' ountry which surrounds iMarlborough, found themselves siuldcnly in the presence of two squadrons of well- niountcd, and handsomely-appointed cavalry. They Nvore composed, as we afterwards learned, of gentlemen volunteers in the service of their country. To do tliom .justice, the troopers no sooner saw our men, than they made a spirited effort to cut down one or two fdes, whicli appeared to h> separated from their companions, and at a distance from the wood. But a single discharge irom another party which they had not observed, instantly checked them ; and they gallopped off. Almost at the same moment when this little affair was going on, some eight or ten rifh^men being disco- vered in the wood on the right of the road, were pur- sued by Colonel Thornton, and one of them overtaken. When I say that the fellow was overtaken, I mean that he halted of his own accord, and made signs that he gave himself up. The Colonel, satisfied with this, was directing a file of his men to go forward and secure the prisoner, when the American, with the utmost delibera- 43 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ill ci il tion, levelled his piece and fired. Happily he misKcd his mark ; but that circumstance would have availed him little had he fallen into the hands of our people. Fleet of foot, however, and well acquainted with the country, he soon managed to baflle his pursuers, who, after having Avasted a few rounds at him, were com- pelled to abandon the cimsc and return to their ranks. It has been already stated, that our corps experienced very great inconvenience, and was sorely crippled in one of its most important arms, through the want ot' horses. We had no artillery ; three of the smallest pieces ever used, hardly deserve to be termed such ; we were without cavalry, and even our stafT was miserably provided. The General felt this, and he did his best to remedy the evil, by causing every horse which was found in the fields or stables near, to be seized and brought in. By this means we were enabled to muster, at the close of the third day, a troop of about forty horsemen ; but such horsemen ! The men, indeed, wem like other British soldiers; they were artillery drivers, and they were commanded by an officer of artillery ; but the horses were, for the most part indifferent enough, whilst the appointments of the troopers proved, in many instances, a source of merriment, not only to us but to themselves. It was not always that saddles could be found for the horses ; and when such were totally wanting, recourse was had to blankets, doubled repeatedly, and strapped on the animals' backs. On other occasions, the absence of a bridle was compen- sated by a halter ; very many of the men made stir- rups for themselves out of pieces of rope, and a kw ^ ICA. appily he missed )u[(J have avuiled ids of our people. [Uaintcd with tlic is pursuers, who, t him, were com- n to their ranks, corps experienced sorely crippled in ugh the want ol' 3 of the smallest termed such; we affwas miserably he did his best to liorse which was to bo seized and mablcd to muster, ip of about forty men, indeed, were artillery drivers, (iiccr of artillery ; t part indiflerent e troopers proved, iment, not only to vays that saddles when such were blankets, doubled mals' backs. On die was compen- } men made stir- rope, and a kw A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 43 rode bare-backed. Nor were their weapons more Uni- term or more graceful than their horse equipage. A li'w only carried their own sabres ; the rest were sup- plied with the cutlasses which belonged to the seamen w ho dragged the guns. Yet this irregular and wretch- • ■(lly-equipped cavalry proved repeatedly of the most I'ssontial service to the expedition. It was one o'clock, when the neat houses, and pretty gard(?ns of Marlborough, presented themselves to our vi(.'w. I know not whether the scene would strike me now, as it struck me then, were I again to visit it ; but Jit that moment I imagined that I had never looked upon a landscape more pleasing, or more beautiful. The gentle green hills which on either hand inclosed the vil- lage, tufted here and there with magnificent trees, — the village itself, straggling and wide, each cottage being far apart from its neighbours, and each ornamented with flower-beds, and shrubberies ,• these, with a lovely stream that wound through the valley, formed, as far as my memory may be trusted, one of the most exquisite pa- noramas, on which it has ever been my good fortune to gaze. Though no lover of the American character and nation then, (whatever may be the case now,) I could not behold this peaceful scene without experienc- ing sincere regret that it should suffer profanation from the presence of a hostile force ; and I determined that no exertion on my own part should be wanting to hinder the orders already issued against plunder and rapine, from being neglected. To say the truth, however, it was an easy matter to keep our men within the bounds of tolerable subordination and discipline. The attacks '■0' M 44 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. » which tlioy i'rom tinu; to time mode upon farm-yards find pig-stics, were, to a certain deforce at least, allow- able enough. It would liave been unreasonable to ex- pect, that hungry soldiers, in an enemy's country, would sit down to digest their hunger, whilst flocks of poultry and herds oC swine wen; within their reach. But not a single act of wanton mischief was perpetrated; and when we inarched out on the (oUowing day, we left Marlborough, not perhaps so rich in live stock, but (|uilc as pictures(iiic and rural, as when we entered it. In lliis |)lace we learned, that Commodore liarny, aware of our flesign, and unable any longer to elude it, had blown u|) the gun-boats of which we were in pur- suit. This piece of intelligence sufllciently accounted lor the many explosions which we had heard whilst on the march ; but though it might lijive caused some dis- a|)|)ointnient to the heads of departments, by us it was tretitcU as a very dull and uninteresting ])icce of news. The lirst matter about which soldiers interest them- selves on arriving at the ground where they are to hall for the night, is to secure as comfortable a sleeping- place as circumstances will allow ; and then to provide materials for their supper. Leaving Charlton to select a ilormitory, Williams and I, as soon as we had seen to the comforts of our men, sallied Ibrth upon the old quest, in search of provisions. We entered several houses, but found them all unoccuj)ied ; and what was far less satisfactory, very many of them already light- ened of their viands. By the helj) of my Portuguese boy, however, (one of the ablest foragers, by tlie way, that ever follo'ved a camp,) we succeeded at last in mak- «t 4 ^ JICA. : upon farm-yards ^c at least, allow - ireasonable to I'x- y^'s country, would t flocks of poultry ' reach. But iioi perpetrated; and 'uiiig day, we left vc stock, but (|ui[e entered it. nimodore I3arny, longer to elude it. I uc were in piir- ciently accounted d heard whilst on caused some dis- :'nts, hy us' it was ig piece of news, rs interest theni- ■e they are to hall I'tablo a slccping- d then to providi- Uharlton to selecl as we had seen rth upon the old ? entered several I; and what was em already light- f my Portuguese ^crs, by tlie way, led at last in mak- A SITBALTERN IN AMERICA. 4.3 mg ourselves masters of five fowls ; with which, and a loaf of bread, a sack of flour, and a bottle of peach- whisky, we prepared to rejoin our friend. We found him very snugly settled; not in the house, for the posi- tion of the corps was in advance of the village, but under a clump of leafy trees, which furnished a tolera- ble shelter against the sun, and promised to be equally serviceable against the dews. There our dinner was dressed and eaten ; and here, upon a few trusses of hay, brought frcm a neighbouring barn-yard for the purpose, we sle])t soundly and contentedly. Fresh, and in excellent spirits, we rose next morning ; and having stood the usuf '. time with our men, began to consider how we should most profitably and agre°ea- ably spend the day. Of farther movements, nothing was said : the troops, indeed, had been dismissed as soon as dawn appeared,— we wore therefore prepared to treat this as a day of leisure and repose. Nevertheless, as we were quite ignorant of the situation of the enemy, we deemed it by no means prudent to venture far from the cam]); but contented ourselves with strolling back into the village, and instituting a renewed and more ac- • •uratc search after people, and other living creatures. The only inhabitants whom we found abiding in his house was a Doctor Bean, a medical practitioner, and the proprietor of a valuable farm in the neighbourhood. 'Fhe Doctor was, in point of fact, a Scotchman ; that IS to say, he had migrated about twenty years ago from some district of North Britain, and still retained his na- tive dialect in all its doric richness. He professed, moreover, to retain the feelings as well as the lant^uaoe =t 46 A tiUBALTEKN IS AMERICA- I it, of his boyish days. He was a Federalist — in other words, lie was hostile to the war with England, which he still persisted in regarding as his mother country. Such, at least, were the statements with which he fa- voured us, and we believed him the more readily, that he seemed really disposed to treat us as friends. There was nothing about his house or farm to which he made us not heartily welcome; and the wily emigrant was no loser by his civility. VVc took, indeed, whatever wo stood m need of, provisions, forage, and even horses ; but our commissary paid this man of professions the lull value of his commodities. From Doctor Bean, ( however scrupled not to accept a present. He oflererl me all that his house contained ; I took only a little tea, some sugar, and a bottle of milk ; and did not insult hun by alluding to a remuneration. ^Ve were thus situated, when towards noon the (Jo- neral suddenly appeared in the bivouac, and the troops Mere ordin-ed to fall in. The scruples which had, for a tunc, alfected him, were now overcome, and a push, it was understood, was about to be made against the city of Washington. From various quarters we had learned of the excesses committed by the American army upon the frontier towns of Canada, and the Gc- neral and Admiral determined, by insulting the capital itself, to convince the Government of the United States that such proceedings were not more barbarous than impolitic. This, at least, was the rumour of the mo- ment ; but concerning the causes of their movements, the inferior officers and soldiers of an army seldom' trouble themselves by inquiring. It was sufficient for ♦ A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 47 US to know that an enterprise was before us, worthy of our leaders and our own reputation ; we cared not from what motive it sprung, — our only thought was to ef- fect it. In less than a quarter of an hour from the first alarm, the column was in motion. Charlton's company had again the good fortune to form the advance ; and it was not long before my young friend Williams was again enal)led to exhibit his coolness and courage under fire. Wo had proceeded about four miles, sweeping and scour- ing the country as before, when, on arriving at the base of a low green hill, we were saluted by a volley of musketry, from a body of troops which filled a wood upon its summit. It happened that the General was at this moment among us. Me had seen the rising ground from a distance, and, anxious to take a survey of the surrounding country, had ridde-^. forward, with the in- tention of ascending it. It will be easily imagined, that the presence of our leader acted as no clog upon our courage or resolution. We rushed up the height at double-quick time, and, receiving one other volley just as we gained the ridge, dashed into the thicket. Tln-eo of our men were wounded, and as yet we saw not the hands which struck the blow ; but now they were visi- ble enough. It was the rear-guard of a corps of ob- servation which had bivouacked last night within gun- shot of our picqucts, and which, finding that we were in full march towards them, were retreating. We drove their skirmishers through the wood in gallant style, scarcely allowing them time to load as they retreated ; till at last they fairly took to their heels and escaped. i h 48 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ii 'i ) In the meanwhile the rest of the advanced guard pushing steadily along the road, caused the section whicli was meant to support the skirmishers with whom we were engaged, to disperse and fly in all directions. To the fugitives, it is true, the country was familiar ; they therefore easily escaped ; but by their flight they en- abled us to obtain a view of the column, which it was their business to have marked, and we were conse- quently made aware that about twelve or fifteen hundred infantry, with several pieces of cannon, were in full n- treat l)efore us. The enemy observed us, probably at the same moment that wc beheld them, for on our ap- proach they halted, and drew up upon some heights about a mile distant. Of this matter the General was soon informed, anu one hundred and fifty additional men arriving to our assistance, we made ready, about two hundred in all, to dislodge them. With this design one company extended itself in skir- mishing array, whilst the rest advanced in column ; but Jonathan was too timorous, or too wary, to abide this shock. Their artillery, indeed, opened as soon as wc arrived within point-blank range; and to say the truth, the shots were well directed; but we were yet a grcjit way off from the bottom of the rising ground which they occupied, when the infantry broke once more into marching order, and retired. Notwithstanding this, « <■ continued to press on, fill we had crowned the heights, when Major Brown, who directed the movement, in- formed us, that it was not intended that we should ad- vance any farther in this direction. A halt being accordingly commanded, we lay down RICA. A SrBALTEKN IN AMKRICA. 49 le advanced guard d the section whicli ers with whom wv all directions. To vas familiar ; they eir flight they en- imn, which it was I we were const-- j or fifteen hundred on, were in full re- ed us, probably at em, for on our ap- pon some heights r the General was nd fifty additional Tiade ready, about snded itself in skir- ed in column; but ary, to abide this ed as soon as we i to say the truth, were yet a grc.'if ng ground whieji ce once more into hstandingthis,wf wned the heights, le movement, in- at we should ad- ed, we lay down upon the grass, and looked about, for the purpose of as- it-rfaining iiow lur we had outstri|)pcd the column, and ui what inaiuier the culunin was occupied. Our sur- |Mist; may be guessed at, uhen not a soldier appeared .11 view. A cloud of dust rising at the back of a copse, ubicli nui parallel with the heights above, served to |H.iut out the direction which the army had taken ; and iven that was so wavering and uncertain in its aspect, as to create some doubts in our minds, whether a retreat were not begun. A short time, however, sufficed to set our minds at rest on this important subject. We had .; kept our ground perliaps something less than an hour, I wlieii Li(;utenant Evans, Assistant Quarter-master Cm. I neral, arrived with an order, that we should abandon # the post, and keeping so far under the ridge as to screen the movement, defile to our right. The army, it seemed, iuul taken the road to Alexandria; we were to follow it ; and if we did not overtake it before, we should cer- tainly find it bivouacked at a place called Wood-yard, about four miles distant. Such were the directions given to us, and these we prepared to follow. J The evening was closing in when we began to de- scend the hill, and it was something more than dusk ere u<; regained the road ; but even then, our only guide was the track of those who had preceded us, for Mr. Mvans could not, and did not wait to conduct us. Ne- vertheless, we were not afraid to trust to it, and it did not deceive us. Darkness came on, indeed, whilst we were yet far from the camp, and we could not but feel that had the enemy been as enterprising and active as he ought to have been, perhaps we might not have 50 \ SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. I , I reached it at all. But we did rcacl) it in safety ; though, us far as Charlton and myself were concerned, it was only to be employed upon a duty as haraesing and dis- agreeable for the time, as any I recollect ever to have performed. About a mile, or a mile and a half from the situation of the camp, and considerably out of the line even nf the picquets, stood a large house, built after the fashiiMi of a chateau. It was the residence of a gentleman of extensive fortune, who, probably not anticipating that he ran any risk of a visit from the invaders, had not removed either his family or effects from his house ; and now entreated that General Ross would station an oiTi- cer's guard there, for the purpose of protecting him and them from violence. The General readily acceded to his wishes ; and it fell to the lot of my friend and my- self to be appointed to this service. As the events aris- ing out of our leader's generosity were to us, at least at the moment, replete with interest, it may be well, in- stead of entering upon them imperfectly here, to reserve my relation of them for a fresh chapter. '. ?(■■ I ICA. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 01 in safety ; though, concerned, it wns laraesing and dis- llcct ever to have from the situation the hne even (»l' t after the fashioji )f a gentleman of anticipating that invaders, had nut irn his house; and lid station an oiTi- >rotecting him and eadily acceded to ly friend and my- \.s the events aris- 3re to us, at least t may be well, in- ly here, to reserve !er. CHAPTER V. ■ii* I HAVK said that the chateau (for the protection of which my friend and myself were made answerable) vas distant a full mile and a half from the ground of tlie encampment, and separated by rather more than half that space from the most advanced of the outposts. The orders which we received, were, to keep upacom- iiuinication by patrols and sentinels with the nearest picquet— not to permit any violence to be done to the house or furniture— to guard ourselves against surprisal I Vom the enemy— and to join the main body as soon as •l.iyi.ght should appear. To say the truth, we were far Irom being delighted with the honour conferred upon 'IS ; for we could not but regard ourselves as exposed to a most unnecessary degree of peril, for the attainment ol an object hardly worth the risk which was run in .seeking to attain it. The first and greatest lesson which a soldier is re- quired to learn, is obedience. Whatever may be the extent of personal hazard or personal inconvenience to which it promises to subject him, an order once received must be carried into execution ; and both Charlton and I were too well acquainted with the customs of the ser- vice to hesitate, on the present occasion, as to our course =SIESf*'*titfei .#*-cit«Bj ry2 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. • of proceeding. Taking with us the allotted guard, — thirty men, — we set out without a moment's delay, and reached our station just as a great clock in the hall was striking the hour of nine. The mansion, built after the French fashion, was fronted by an extensive court, fenced in on all sides by a brick wall of some ten or twelve feet in height. Ha- ving traversed this, we arrived at the main entrance, where we were received, with every demonstration of politeness and hospitality, by the owner; a very gen- tlemanly, well-dressed person, apparently about forty years of age. He overwhelmed us with apologies for the inconvenience which he doubted not that he had oc- casioned ; and assured us, in the same breath, that no efforts would be wanting on his part to render our so- journ with him as little irksome as possible. It struck me, at the moment, that there was rather too much of civility in this, considering the relation in which we really stood towards each other; and I confess, that so far from feeling my uneasiness lessened, it became more powerful than before, through a vague appn hension of treachery, for which I could not satisfactorily account. [ resolved, however, to be peculiarly on my guard ; and perhaps it was well for our little party that my suspi- cions chanced to be thus easily excited. Having established our men in one of the out-build- ings, (as many of them, at least, as were not required to keep up the communication between t' o chateau and the nearest picquet,) wc inquired, before entering the house, how many servants there might be about the place, and in what manner they were disposed of. It > j ICA. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 5a allotted guard, — mient's delay, and jk in the hall was nch fashion, was in on all sides by !t in height. Ha- c main entrance, demonstration of 'ner ; a very gen- sntly about forty vith apologies for lot that he had oc- le breath, that no to render our so- )ssible. It struck ther too much of ion in which we I confess, that so id, it became more e apprrhension of ifactorily account. )n my guard ; and •ty that my suspi- d. of the out-build- vere not required n ti chateau and fore entering the ght be about the disposed of. It appeared, that, independently of domestics, no fewer than thirty male slaves, besides women and children, dwelt in the huts adjoining. Now, though we were not ufraid of these poor creatures themselves, the thought occurred to us, that were their master dis[iosed to play the traitor, he might make of any or all of them, very i-(;ady instruments. We therefore, though with a thou- sand declarations of regret for the necessity under which we lay, insisted upon lodging the whole body, for this night, under one roof; and planted sentinels so as to hinder them from holding any secret intercourse with ic family. Besides this, we mustered all the domestic -rrvants, placed soldiers in the kitchen beside them, and look every other precaution which the singularly ex- posed nature of our situation seemed to require. This done, we followed our host, who conducted us through a spacious and well-lighted hall, up a winding oaken staircase, and introduced us into a drawing-room, lifted up and furnished with considerable taste and ele- gance. There we found the rest of the family assem- liled ; it consisted of an old lady, whom he introduced !o us as his mother — a young lady, whom he named as liis daughter — and a middle-aged person in black, who, we were given to understand, was the family priest, or confessor. Our acquaintance, it appeared, was a rigid Catholic; and there being no Romish place of worship in his neighbourhood, he afforded a home and a main- tenance to a domestic chaplain. They were all, espe* cially the master of the house and his chaplain, well- l)red people. The old lady was frank and loquacious ; the young one, without being either shy or forward, 6 r'li 54 A SUBALTERN IN AMEKICA. maintained her own share in the conversation ; and botfi tlie priest and his patron had seen the world, and sei-n if to advantage. Nor was it by tlieir conversation alone that they sought to amuse us. Tea, or rather a s(tit oi compound between tea and dinner, was ordered in. C>n the same table were arranged cups and saucers, several flishes of cold meat, a few bottles of different kinds ol wine, and fruit in plentiful variety. Of all of these wc were hospitably invited to partake; and, as the reader will easily believe, it required uo violent pressing on the jiart of our entertainers to urge us to a compliance . All this was satisfactory enough, nor had we any l)etler reason to complain either of the beds or lodgin^^- apartments which were oflered for our accommodatit>n. Our meal being concluded, and as much claret con- sumed as we felt di&^osed to indulge in, the master ol the house led us up stairs, and ushered us into a large, well-furnished chamber, from which a door opened into a smaller apartment beyond. In the former stood a ca- pacious four-post bed; in the latter, a neat French coucli was erected. These conveniences he pointed out, anc! leaving us to decide by whom they should respective! \ l)C occupied, he wished us good night, and withdrew. My companion happened to be, at this time, in a de- licate state of heahh, — the fatigues of the two last days overcame him, and he readily and gladly threw himself upon the bed. It was not so with me. If not robust. 1 was at ail events capable of enduring my full share oi privations; and I felt myself, under existing circum- stances, called upon to exert my powers of vigilance to the utmost. I did exert them. Instead of lying J ICA. grsation ; and botfi } world, and set-n conversation alone or rather a s(tit oi ,s ordered in. C)n id saucers, several different kinds of Of all of these we md, as the reader int pressing on flu, • a complianec . nor had we any e beds or lodgin^r- ir accommodatic'n. much claret cc)n- 3 in, the master ol ed us into a large, a door opened intc former stood a cm- neat French coucli e pointed out, and lould respectively :, and withdrew, this time, in a de- r the two last days idly threw himself e. If not robust, ig my full share oi ' existing circum- )wers of vigilance Instead of lying A SUBALTERN IX AMERICA. 55 'lowu, I wrap[)ed my cloak about me, and descending quietly to the court-yard, walked about in the cool night ■lir; sometimes looking in upon the men to see that they were in a state of preparation, and at other times trudg- ing from post to post, in order to keep the sentinels on the alert. I was setting out, a little after midnight, to perform flu: lust mentioned of these duties, when the appearance of Williiuns, who advanced through the court with ra- pid strides, greatly surprised me. I had heard several of the sentinels challenge; but neither tumult nor the report of fire-arms following their challenges, I paid little heed to either. As may be imagined, I eagerly inquired into the cause of his visit ; and my conster- nation may be guessed at, when he informed me that an American straggler had fallen into the hands of his pic- quet, from whom information was obtained that an at- tempt was about to be made to cut off the party at the chateau. This, he alleged, was to be done by the con- nivance, and under the directions of the master of the house ; for whom, or for a messenger from whom, who might act as a guide, the corps intended for the enter- prise now waited. The reader will easily believe, that I listened to the preceding intelligence in no very enviable state of mind. Our numbers, as I well knew, were not equal to a suc- cessful resistance, provided the assailants chose to do their duty, and there was not a point on which we might not be assailed to advantage. The house stood in a sort oi' corner, between two roads; the one, that by which 'ur column had advanced in the morning; the other a ■■ ^:»- tw— -lu i 56 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. (!ross road, which came in upon it at right angles. Along either of them, not infantry only, but cavalry, and even artillery, might march; whilst the broken na- ture of the ground in our rear, afforded a thousand fa- cilities for the approach of troops, who might collect, unnoticed by our sentinels, within a few yards of their posts. There was no room for hesitation as to how it behoved us to act. Hurrying to the hut where the body of the picquet was housed, I ordered the troops under arms without delay; and, planting sentinels over t lie different entrances to the house, I took with me a fileol' men, and proceeded, without any scruple, to secure the person of our host. But the bird had already flown. How, or when he escaped, no one could tell ; but that he had escaped was certain. By this time Charlton, roused from his sleep, had joined us, and learning in what predicament we stood, proceeded to make the best dispositions, which circum- stances would allow, to meet the threatened danger. It was from the two roads, principally, that we had rea- son to apprehend an attack. That which joined thf road to Alexandria, of which I have already spoken as a by-path, fell in between our mansion and the camp ; from it, therefore, we concluded that the principal etFort would be made. Patrols were accordingly directed Ui proceed along that road every quarter of an hour, ami, by way of making certainty douMy sure, he and I took it by turns to accompany them. But whilst we thus carefully watched that quarter, we were not neglectful of others. One-half of the men were ordered out on sentry ; and the other half stood during the remaindtr T i I ICA. at right angles, ily, but cavalry, st the broken nu- 3d a thousand fa- 10 might collect, 3W yards of their ition as to how it ut where the body [ the troops under ;entinels over tin.' : with me a file of iple, to secure the id already flown, .lid tell; but that m his sleep, had ;ament we stooti, IS, which circum- ireatened danger. ', that we had rcu- which joined th»' already spoken as n and the camp ; he principal effort Singly directed to | I' of an hour, and, ure, he and I took t whilst we thus 3re not neglectful e ordered out on iig the remainder A SUBALTERN IN A3IERICA. .57 of the night with their arms in their hands in the court- yard. The house-clock had struck one ; and as yet no noise had teen heard, nor any circumstances taken place, cal- '■ulated, in an extraordinary degree, to excite alarm. VVc were beginning, indeed, to persuade ourselves that the enemy, daunted by the absence of the straggler ^Villiams had taken, or apprehensive, from some other iMUse, that their plans were discovered, had laid asidt; their intention ; when suddenly a sentry on the right ol' the court challenged. This was not the quarter from whence we looked for an attack — the man who save the alarm stood upon the Alexandrian road, not upon the cross road ; yet an enemy might be there also; so, leaving me to watch beside the by-path, Charlton hur- ried off in the opposite direction. The sentinel chal- lenged again ; a third time we heard the cry, " AVho ^foes there .'" but in a more abrupt tone ; and then Charl- ton himself exclaimed, "Fire, if they will not answer." The tread of many feet was now audible, followed by 111 indistinct hum of voices; but just as our anxiety re- specting the issue had attained its height, our attention w as called away to o' ler objects, by one of our own senitries, who likewise challenged. There could not bo I doubt, that if any persons were moving in his front, thoy must be Americans, for this sentinel stood upon the cross road. I hastened forward, a sergeant and three men following me, and reached him just as he had I'hallenged for the second time. The soldier was per- tectly justified in so doing. Not only could we even hear, distinctly enough, the tramp of people marching, 6* ! -4' 58 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ft i: but their very forms were distinguishable in the star- light. Without a moment's hesitation I commanded the men to fire. The enemy halted, seemed to hesitate, and then, without so much as returning the salute, melted away. All this was a matter of extreme mys- tery to me; but in a few minutes it was cleared up very satisfactorily. The sound of our firing drew Charlton, with the rest of the picquet, to the spot immediately; and from them we learned, that the troops, whose advance in an oppo- site direction had first alarmed us, proved to be an es- cort of our own people conveying ammunition and pro- visions from the ileet. This intelligence at once ac- counted for the precipitate retreat of the American.^. They had doubtless obtained information of the coming up o( this detachment, and supposing that its oljject was to reinforce us, they not unnaturally concluded that their intentions were known, and their plot defeated. Such, at least, was the opinion which I formed at the moment; and though I profess not to speak upon any grouml more sure than my own surmises, I sec no reason to suppose that it was incorrect. Be this, however, as ii may, one thing is certain, that the force which but ,i moment ago had threatened us disappeared, and tha; neither it, nor any other, gave us the slightest annoy, ance during the remainder of our watch. T am quite aware, that the preceding account will convey to the mind of the reader but a very inadequati' idea of the state of painful and feverish cxcitcmen; which aftected us during the greater part of the nighi. From the instant that wc became acquainted with the •t. ^- "ip A STJBALTERX IN AMERICA. 59 attempt which was about to be made against us, we na- turally looked for its commencement ; and hence every noise, the sighing of the wind through the trees, the waving of the branches, the creaking of a gate or door u])on its hinges, one and all of these, as often as they occurred, were construed into the sound of an advanc- ing enemy. Nor was this feeling of anxiety less in- tensely experienced by the sentinels than by us. All their senses may truly be said to have been upon tlie stretch ; and as there was no moon, nor any other light except that which the stars alForded, it is not to bo won- dered at if the sense of sight repeatedly deceived them. Many a busli and stake was pointed out as the leading file of a column of troops ; more than one musket was levelled at such imaginary foes ; and but that most of thorn were old soldiers, well trained to coolness and \ caution, the worst consequences might have followed. Our situation, be it remembered, was totally ditrercnt from that of an ordinary out-post. In the latter case, 3'our cjetachment forms but one link of a connected i;linin, any ciYovt to break in upon which must be made at the hazard of alarming the whole army; and if you be forced, your retreat is always direct and sure upon the main body. Wo at this moment stood pecfectly alone; and though a ihw sentinels doubtless communi- cated from us to the picquets, 5000 men might have thrown themselves between us and the camp, without our being able, by any exertions, to know it. Tliere IS not a doubt that we owed our safety altogetlier to the opportune arrival of the convoy; though even that, which consisted of no more than 130 men, might have J 60 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. been cut off as well as we, had the Americans been somewhat less cautious of risking their persons. I have said, that after the retreat of the corps which threatened us from the cross road, we neither saw nor heard anything more of the enemy that night. The Alexandrian road continued, indeed, to the last to fur- nish occupation for the vigilance of our sentries ; for there was no end to the stragglers, sailors, companies, and troops, which moved along it. But this circum- stance, though abundantly harassing at the moment, tended not a little to increase our security, inasmuch as it gave intimation to the Americana, if any lay near, that our people were awake. At length, however, the moment of our departure drew on, and we waited its arrival with the most unfeigned satisfaction. The first streaks of dawn were barely visible, when, calling in the more remote sentinels, we began our march towards the camp; and, gathering up the rest as we proceeded, reached Woodyard just as the army was making ready to prosecute its advance. li •11 A SIBALTERN I^ AMERICA. 61 Americans been CHAPTER VI. ACTIOX AT iJLAUENSHURi;. The sun had not yet risen, when, under the guidance ol" t\\ o natives, whom our Quarter-Master-Gencral had imjircssed into the service, the column began to move. Notwithstanding the excessive fatigues of last night, Miarlton and I were far from being displeased at find- ing that an increase to the strength of the advancetl u'uard was necessary, and that it fell to our lot to fill rhat important situation. Our men, likewise, were ma- nifestly delighted with the post assigned to them, for the iJ'w hints which had been dropped as we pursued our way Irom the chateau, as to the desirableness of a little r.'pose, after so many hours of watching, were heard no more. We cheerfully took our ground as one of the live companies committed to the direction of Major J^rown, and marched otf in the same excellent spirits which had animated us during the operations of yes- terday. We soon cleared the few open fields which surround- ed the place of last night's bivouac, and struck into a wood, more dense and more tangled than any which we (I i 63 A SUBALTEBN IN AMERICA. n * had yet traversed. The path was so narrow, that four nicii could with dilFiculty move abreast ; and the thick- ets M'cre so close and rough on either side, that the flank patrols could make their way through only by dint of painful exertions, and at a very leisurely pace. Yet of ono comfort we were all very sensible. The boughs meeting overhead, completely sheltered us from the rays of the sun ; and notwithstanding the gloom which so l)road a canopy cast around us, we saw, from the co- louring wliich fell upon the grass, that to be so shelter- ed from such a sun, was a source of no slender self- congratulation. We were now, it appeared, crossing the country, by a way little used except for sportsmen, and hastening back into the great road to Washington, which had yesterday been abandoned. Not a single event fell out worthy of repetition, dur- ing the four hours which were expended in traversing this forest. No ambuscades lay in our way, nor did any skirmishers attempt to harass our movement. Ex- treme bodily weakness, and the almost impervious na- ture of the thicket, alone served to make our progress tardy. But at lusi ihe wood began to assume a more open appearance ; spaces occurred here and there, which gave proof of attempts made to clear it away ; and tin. path became wider, more firm, and more like a roatl adapted to the common traffic of a civilized country. In a word, about nine o'clock in the morning, we fr>unil ourselves within view of the point to which our sieps were directed ; and in half an hour after, the by-path was abandoned, and we were once more in full march towards the capital. A SUflALTEHN IN AMEHICA. fi'.i iVothing can be imagined more striking than the change which became immediately perceptible in all the outward appearances of nature. Instead of trackless wilds, we found ourselves marching through a country sufficiently open to convey the idea of its being well IKiopled, and yet so far feathered with groves and plan- tations, as to give to it a degree of beauty, of which a state of over-population will doubtless some day def)rive It. Green meadows and corn fields were separated from one another by patches of the ancient forest, which .seemed to have been left standing, not so much for the purposes of use as for ornament; whilst here and there ^ gentle hill would swell up, cultivated to, perhaps, the half of its ascent, and crowned with wood. Nor were villages and solitary dwellings wanting. Within the space of three miles, we passed two hamlets, built each in a single row, by the wayside; while numerous farm- houses, steadings, and larger structures rising from time to time on either hand, indicated that we had at last at- tained to a region of something like refinement. We \\cre all, both officers and men, conscious that a pow- ' rful revulsion in our feelings was effected by this chang.. in our circumstances. Numbers who had begun to lag behind, acquired new vigour from the con) nplation of so many signs of life ; and conversation, w' ch for some lime past had almost entirely ceased, w ;enewed in every rank with fresh volubility. To ad. .^ the gene- ral spirit of exhilaration, the bugles of the light corps sounded a lively march, and the troops moved on, in spite of heat and weakness, merrily, gay ly, and rapidly. But It was not alone because we beheld houses and ^ 64 A SUBALTKHN IN A.MKRICA. barns nbundantly uround us, that our spirits returned to us on th(! present occasion. There were other oh- jects discernible, not less capable than these of puttinj; soldiers upon their mettle. The road by which we tra- veiled was deeply indented with the track of men's feet and horses' hooves, and by and by a few green fields on each side presented manifestations of a recent en- campment. The ashes of fires not long extinguisheH were still smoking. Morsels of provision, bits of cloth- iiig, a firelock hero and there, and numerous bundles of stmw, all told a tale of troops having spent the night here; whilst palings, torn down in large quantities, seemed to imply, that of the force whose route we wer. following, no inconsiderable portion was composeil ot cavalry. The expectation of being momentarily charged, f-oiild not, under these circumstances, fail to arise in the minds of all ; and as we had no horses of our own com- petent to protect the infantry even from the attack of a single squadron, the infantry made ready to form info sqiuircs at a moment's notice, and protect themselves. It was at this juncture that the mounted drivers proved f)f the most essential service to the e'lpedition. Beini' attached to the advanced guard, they were placed, lik< us, under the general orders of Major Brown, and, di- rected by their own officer, (Captain Lempriere of tlu artillery,) they were most active, and most daring, in their efforts to hinder a surprisal. They rode, some- times as far as musket-shot, a-head of the light infant- ry, and posted themselves, in sections of three or four. at the corners of every grove, round which they found it either unsafe or impracticable to attempt a circuit. Sip-'sf*-^* «--«?*!«sf»! ICA. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 66 r spirits returned e wore other oV>- I these of puttinj; by which we tra- rack of men's feet few green fields IS of a recent en- ong extinguished ision, bits of cloth- Tie rous bundles of g spent the night largo quantities. )se route we wen was composed ot nentarily charged, fail to arise in thf s of our own com- )m the attack of a 3ady to form info otect themselves, itcd drivers proved 'ipedition. Beini' were placed, lik« )r Brown, and, di- Lempriere of tlu d most daring, in They rode, some- if the light infant- s of three or four. which they found attempt a circuit- The infantry of the advance, too, was particularly nc tivc; not a single hiding-place was loft unexplored; by which means, though prudently on the alert, the inain body was enabled to move on, under the full a.ssurance that no enemy could reach them without time enough being allowed for the assumption of any order which might be necessary. Things continued thus, no enemy making his appear- ance, till about ten o'clock, when the worn-out condition of his troops compelled the general to halt. Wo had traversed a distance of not less than twelve miles, and had journeyed for the last hour under a sun, than which it were hard to conceive any more scorching. There was not a breath of air to fan our cheeks, and the du.st and fine sand were not less annoying to our eyesight and respiration, than they had been on the afternoon when our inroad began. Numbers of our best men had already fallen by the way-side, and numbers more were prepared to imitate their example. It was, therefore, with a degree of satisfaction, of which the very memory has doubtless departed from those who experienced it, that we listened to tlic notes which directed us to rest. We threw ourselves down upon the grass, and in tivc minutes the mass of the army was asleep. For myself, the exertions of to-day, superadded to the toil and anx- iety of last night, completely overpowered me. Tliough the loss of life had been the consequence, I question whether I should have been able to resist the drowsi- ness which overwhelmed me. My eyes were closed before my head reached the ground, and I continued ri?' 66 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. perfectly ignorant of all that was passing, for a full hour and a half. It was not without some difficulty, as he himself in- formed me, that at the close of that period my young friend Williams contrived to shake me into a state of renewed consciousness. At length, however, by dint of violent exertions on his part, I was enabled to open my eyes, and to sec that the corps to which I was at- tached had already begun its march, and that the others were preparing to follow. Hurrying >er it, we soon overtook our division ; and the same ine of scour- ing fields, scampering through thickets, and feeling our way over defiles and hollows, was repeated, with .hb •same results us before. We had proceeded about a couple of miles from the halting-place, and the hour of noon was past, when our attention was suddenly drawn to the left, by several heavy clouds of dust which rose in that direction. Though wc could not doubt from what source the dust proceeded, the intervention of a considerable copse be- tween us and it, hindered us from saying with certainty that the enemy was in the position. The screen thus interposed was, however, speedily withdrawn. A far- ther advance of some hundred and fifty yards brought us clear of the plantation, and the American army be- came visible. Williams and I were walking together at that instant. "Are these Yankees .'" said he, with all the naivete imaginable ; " or are they our own sea- men got somehow ahead of us?" I could not repress a smile at the question, though, Tr^ fttS A StnALTERN IN AMERICA. 67 IS he himself in- period my young Tie into a state of fiowever, by dint enabled to open < which I was at- ^d that the others "^cr it, we soon ;ine of scour- !, and feeling our ipeated, with .hb f miles from the IS past, when our J left, by severe! 1 that direction, t source the dust Jerable copse bc- ig with certainty rhe screen thus hdrawn. A iar- y yards brought lerican army be- walking together 3?" said he, with ey our own sea- question, though, to say the truth, an older soldier than Williams might have easily mistaken the force opposed to us for any- thing rather than the army, on whose valour the safety of a great capital depen(k3d. The corps which occupied the heights above Bladens- burg, was composed chiefly of militia; and as the Am- erican militia are not dressed in uniform, it exhibited to our eyes a very singular and a very awkward appear- oe. Sufficiently armed, but wretchedly equipped, clothed part in black coals, others in blue, others in or- dinary sliooting-iackets, and some in round frocks, the three motley linos of infantry, but that their order was tolerably regular, might have passed off very well for a crowd of spectators, coine out to vic\.' the approach of the army which was to occupy Washington. A few companies only, perhaps two, or at the most three bat- talions, wearing the blue jacket, which the Americans liavc borrowed from the French, presented some appear- ance of regular troops. The rest, as I have just men- tioned, seemed country people, who would have been much more appropriately employed in attending to their agiicultural occupations, tiian in standing, with muskets in their hands, on thu brow of a bare green hill. There were, however, upon the right, some squadrons of horse, whose bearing was sufficiently warlike, whilst about twenty pieces of cannon, arranged at different points along the ridge, spoke of another and more serious af- fair, than a mere triumphal march through the middle of tliis levy. I have seldom boe.i more forcibly struck with any, thing than with the contrast, which a glance to the rear liflltmt»iKtt ^Ff- - ' w m. mi ^'m * " 68 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. afforded at tliis moment, with the spectacle which was before me. A column of four thousand British sol- diers^ moving in sections of six abreast, and covering an extent of road greater than its windings would per- mit the eye to take in, met my gaze in that quarter. The dress, the perfect regularity of their step, the good order which they preserved, and, above all, the internal conviction, that they were only advancing to victory, excited in me feelings for which I have no words, and which he only can conceive who has stood in a similar situation. Nor was it the sense of sight alone, which, on the present occasion, was forced into a powerful comparison. The Americans, from the instant that our advanced guard came in view, continued to rend the air with shouts. Our men marched on, silent as the jrrave, and orderly as people at a funeral. Not a word was spoken, scarcely a whisper passed from man to man, but each held his breath, and mustered up his best cou- I'age for the shock. The head of the column had just turned the corner of the wood, when it halted, and an aide-de-camp riding up to Major Brown, desired that he would proceed with the advanced guard, ascertain the state of the village of Bladensburg, and, in case it should be occupied, dis- lodge its garrison. This order the Major prepared to obey, and, calling in all his skirmishers, except about half a company, he formed h"s men into one little co- lumn for the assault. I have said, that the Americans, in three lines, occu- pied certain green hills, about a couple of miles to fho left of the point from whence we now beheld them, 5!i States was distinguished. Of the h ! ' . f 84 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ••: s ^fl L- ^.^^ arsenal, public rope-works, armoury, bridge and palace, we accordingly saw nothing, except the smoke and flame which marked their destruction. Neither was an op- portunity aflbrded of making ourselves very intimately acquainted with the general appearance of the ruin. Having procured a horse, I rode indeed through a few of what were called streets; that is to say, along ex- tensive lanes, paved only in part, and boasting, in nu- merous instances, of no more than five or six houses on each side of the way, planted at the distance of some eighth part of a mile from one another. But with such opportunities of gathering information, it would ill be- come me to speak at large of a place, which has doubt- less changed its aspect greatly in the course of twelve yeaij, and may be, for aughi I know to the contrary, as it might have been then, possessed of a thousand se- cret attractions, known only to its own denizens. The feature, in its general aspect, which remains most pro- minently in my recollection is, however, not quite in accordance with our notions of a great capital. I per- fectly recollect, that in the line of several of its public thoroughfares, as well as throughout the range of it.s more fashionable quarters, remnants, and no inconsid- erable remnarits, of the ancient forest were left standing. Noon had passed, when heavy columns of dust, ris- ing from certain high grounds on the opposite bank of the Patomac, attracted our notice. We were not left long in doubt as to the cause from whence they pro- ceeded ; for the glittering of arms became instantly vi- sible, and a large American force showed itself. It took up a position immediately before us, and pushed A SUBALTERN IN AMEItlCA. 65 r, not quite in Ibrward a patrol of cavalry as far as the suburbs of Georgetown. There was not an individual in the army to whom tiiese circumstances communicated a feeling at all akin to surprise. We had been led to expect an attack, from the hour of our advance into Washington, and we were both ready and willing to meet it, let it happen when it might. But the elements interfered to frustrate the design of the enemy, — if indeed they se- riously entertained such a design— of driving us from our positions ; for just at this moment the heavens be- came black with clouds, and a hurricane, such as I never witnessed before, and shall probably never wit- ness again, began. I know not anj'thing in art or na- ture to which the noise of the wind may be aptly com- pared. It differed essentially from thunder; yet I never listened to thunder more deafening, and its force was such as to throw down houses, tear up trees, and carry stones, beams of timber, and whole masses of brick- work, like feathers into the air. Both armies were scattered by it, as if a great battle had been fought and won ; and as it lasted without any intermission for up- wards of three hours, neither party, at its close, was in a fit condition to offer the slightest annoyance to its ad- versary. For our parts, it was not without some diffi- culty that we succeeded iu bringing our stragglers to- gether, whilst daylight lasted ,- and if its effects upon a regular and victorious army were so great, there can- not be a doubt that it was at least equally great upon an undisciplined and intimidated levy. In the meanwhile, the officers of the different corps had been directed in a whisper to make ready for fall- m l!; f 86 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ing back as soon as darkness should set in. From the men, however, the thing was kept profoundly secret. They were given, indeed, to understand, that un import- ant manoeuvre would be effected before to-morrow morn- ing; but the hints thrown out tended to induce an ex- pectation of a farther advance, rather than of a retreat. A similar rumour was permitted quietly to circulate among the inhabitants, with the view, doubtless, of its making its way into the American camp; whilst all persons were required, on pain of death, to keep within doors from sunset to sunrise. This done, as many horses as could be got together, were put in requisition for the transport of the artillery. Even the few wound- ed officers who had accompanied the column were re- quired to resign theirs ; and mine, among the number, was taken away. But the precaution was a very just and proper one. Not only were the guns by this mean» rendered more portable, but the danger of a betrayal from a neigh, or the trampling of hooves along the paved streets, was provided against; and though indivi- duals might and did suffer, their sufferings were not to be put into the scale against the public good. It was about eight o'clock at night, when a staff-offi- cer, arriving upon the ground, gave directions for the corps to form in marching order. Preparatory to this step, large quantities of fresh fuel wore heaped upon the fires, whilst from every company a few men were se- lected, who should remain beside them till the picquets withdrew, and move from time to time about, so as that their figures might be seen by the light of the blaze. After tliis the troops stole to the rear of the fires by ^ ^ A SUBALTERN TN AMERICA. 87 •wos a* • threes; when far enough vemoved to p.oid obp' rvati.'O, they took their places, and, in profound si- ' -nee, 'i-c ceal their chagrin on the occasion. One of these, a sergeant of my own company, who iiad received a ball through both thighs, actually shed tears as he wished me farewell, regretting that he had not shared the fate of Mr. Williams. It was in vain that I reminded him that he was not singular ; that Colonel Thornton, Colonel Wood, and Major Brown, besides others of less note, were doomed to be his companions in captivity ; neither that consideration, nor the assurances of a speedy ex- change, at all served to make him satisfied with his des- tiny. Yet no apprehensions could be more unfounded than those of that man ; for however unlike civilized nations they may be in other respects, in the humanity of their conduct towards such English soldiers as fell into their hands, the Americans can be surpassed by no people whatever. To this the wounded whom we were compelled to abandon to-night bore, after their release, ample testimony ; and they cold a tale which hundreds Ijosides have corroborated. I n 1 I I 90 A 81'1«ALTEI{\ IN AMRKir.4, CIIAPTKU viir. I'lt! KKTRKAT FKO.M \VA^HINt.T(t\. Rr.SJIIPMr.NT OF THE TKOdl'H. Mavin(; sliakcn tliis sergeant, witli such of the pri- vates as lay near liim, by the hand, I proceeded to the ward occupied by tlie olFicers; l)iit had barely time to express my commiseration of tlieir case, vIkmi notice was given that the column was afjain ready to move. I joined it without delay. The soldiers, if they had not recovered each man his own, were, at all events, in pos- session of a sudicitMit nnmher of knapsacks ; and we renewed our retreat in as p,ood order as had hitherto distinguisheil it. (,)f that order it mny not be out of place to give here a brief account. Reversing the arrangements which had held good during the advance, the third brigade this night led the way ; it was followed by the artillery, now supplied with horses, which again was succeeded by the second bri- gade. In rear of this came the light troops, of whom three companies, which had furnished the picquets dur- ing the day, did the duty of a rear guard. Last of all moved the mounted drivers, supported by scattered files II A SIBALTERN 1\ \MKKICA. 01 r-NT OF THE of mfantryon cuch side of the way, whilst Haifa troop of rockot-men marched between the head of the n.-ar- ' 4c^ \\ ^vN >\>, 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^<^\ 4f!S rip ri;>^ 4^ &?r f/i \ 6^" ^ 92 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. • i I ; ' be afTorded of lying down to rest. About midnight, in- deed, and for six hours after it, these feelings began to operate very powerfully. The men strayed from their ranks j the officers found great difficulty in urging them on; some dozed upon their legs, and fell under the feet of their comrades; others threw themselves by the way- side, refusing to proceed farther. In a word, by sever o^clock in the following morning, it was perfectly ma- nifest that an hour's rest must be taken, otherwise one half of the troops would be in danger of falling into the liands of the enemy. We had accomplished a journey of some eighteen or twenty miles, when to the unspeakable joy of every man in the army, the General, finding himself arrived at a convenient spot, commanded a halt. I candidly confess, that I know nothing of the nature of the ground on which the halt occurred, nor of the dispositions which were made to render it secure, for my men were hardly stretched upon the grass when I followed their example. The only precaution which I took, was to seek out a shady tree whose branches might shelter me from the sun; there, from seven o'clock till a little before noon, I slept as soundly as ever weary traveller has slept, or could desire to sleep. At that period I was awoke to breakfast; and in half an hour after, the column was again in motion. The sun had set, and twilight was rapidly closing in, when we found ourselves once more in the vicinity of Marlborough. There it was resolved to pass the night ; and as the same position was taken up which we had occupied during the advance, every man felt himself in A Sb'BALTKKN IN AMEKXCA. 93 some degree at home. For ourselves, CImrlloii and I, uilling, if possible, to find shelter under a roof, wan- dered away to a hoi-se about a stone's throw apart fiom the corps; but it would have been better perhaps, that we had remained in the open air. The house in ques- tion was tilled with such of the wounded, as it had been found practicable to remove on horseback, and in the clumsy waggons which our troopers succeeded in cap- turing. There were, il' I recollect right, five or six oOicers in one room ; among whom we were persuaded to lie down. But the groa^iS, and querulous complaints oi" some of these brave men, — complaints which every one who has filled their situation will understand, and for which few will hesitate to make allowance, effectu- ally broke in upon our repose. We could not go to slotip under such circumstances; and hence the greater [)art of that night was spent in vain endeavours to lie- stow comfort upon those, whom bodily suffering ren- dered perfectly dead to every consideration except the desire of ease. We were glad to retire about two in the morning, and to snatch a few hours of broken rest under a shed hard by. The dawn had not yet appeared, when the well know n sound of troops mustering upon their ground, awoke us. Wc took our places as usual, with the men ; and having waited till there was light enough to direct our steps, once more began our march. There was noth- ing in to-day's operations at all worthy of notice. The country we had already traversed, and it exhibited, of (•0L,rs(!, an appearance exactly similar to that which it exhibited before; whilst the absence of everv thin^^ like 9* . c i^gM ■Sk. 94 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. .■'i annoyance on the part of the Americans rendered our whole progress more dull and monotonous than would have been wished. We were, accordingly, very well pleased at beholding the houses in Nottingham again rise in view; and our satisfaction suffered no decrease when informed, that here, as formerly, the night shouL be passed. It so happened, that Charlton and I fixed ourselves in the identical barn which had sheltered us before, and the reader will not be surprised to learn, that that ap- parently unimportant occurrence affected us more deep- ly, than any which had taken place during the whole course of the inroad. It was impossible to lie down upon the tobacco without thinking of the gallant youth who had lain tnere beside us, only seven days ago. True, he had been but a short time our comrade ; we had enjoyed few opportunities of judging as to his tem- per, disposition, and general character, and we, neither of us, felt for him; what we felt for one another. But the little which we had seen of him, had all been fa- vourable; and his unaffected and noble behaviour in this very barn, forcibly occurred to us. I am not ashamed to confess that we shed some tears to his memory ; and that ho constituted almost the only subject of our con- versation whilst we remained awake. After a night of sound and refreshing sleep, we rose in confident expectation of continuing the retreat, and, perhaps, reaching the boats that day. But we were mistaken. General Ross was satisfied that no pursuit would take place, and if it did, he was equally satisfied that the pursuers would gain nothing by their exertions. ''wS^r.;. A SUBALTERN IN AUERICA. 95 Thus regarding matters, he resolved to rest his army during the 28th, and, at the same time, to secure as much of the property of v/hich it had taken possession, as was contained in the barns and storehouses of Not* tingham. Nor was there any difficulty in effecting the last of these purposes. The river was now crowded with gun-boats, barges, and other small vessels, into which the flour and tobacco were removed; and the v/ounded being also disposed of in the same way, there remained neither impediinent to retard our future move, ments, nor sources of anxiety to distract our plans. In ibis manner the whole of the 28th was passed ; the soldiers, for the most part, keeping quiet, whilst the crews of the boats removed the plunder. It fell, how. ever, to my lot, to be placed, towards evening, in charge of one of the outposts. There always is, and indeed must be, some anxiety attending this duty, because the very consciousness of responsibility can hardly fail to create it ; but on no occasion have I kept watch so peace., fully, and so much at my ease, as to-night. Not so much as once was an alarm given. The sky was clear, the air mild, and the position commanding ; in a word, all passed off as if I had been on duty in some military station at home, instead of in the heart of an enemy's country. Having spent the night thus cortifortably» we were in good condition for the march that was before us, — and it was a trying one. A push was to be made for St.. Benedict's at once. Formerly we had divided the dis.. tance, now we were to compass it in one day ; nor did we fail in performing our task, though many a good t^ataBHs^aEMMfc m i 06 A SUBALTERN IK AMERICA. V soldier found himself sore pressed to keep his station. It was a journey of seven long leagues ; and came not to a close till after darkness had set m. But like the march of yesterday, it was productive of no interesting event, and it led to the very same arrangements and dis- positions in which that had ended. We bivouacked under the ridge of the hill, in the identical spots which we had occupied on the 19th, and slept as soundly, and as uninterruptedly, as we had done on the night of our landing. The first campaign of General Ross in America, if a sudden incursion like that above described, deserves to be so styled, was thus brought to a conclusion. With a mere handful of troops, not exceeding four thou- sand fighting men at the utmost, he penetrated upwards of sixty miles into an enemy's country, defeated him in a pitched battle, insulted his capital, and returned in safety to the shore. It remained now only to reimbark the army, and then his triumph would be complete. Nor was the shadow of a difiiculty experienced in ef- fecting this last, and not least perilous enterprise. In- timidated by his overthrow, the American leader dream- ed not at any moment of harassing his conqueror, or impeding his progress; as we ailerwards learned, iii- deed, two full days elapsed, ere he ventured to ascertain that Washington was aban .ned. Though, therefore, the most judicious precautions were taken, to cover the re-shipment against danger, no opportunity was afford- ed of proving them ; for the troops betook themselves corps after corps to the boats, and were corps after corps carried to their respective ships. The only tumult to A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 97 U. which they listened, was produced by the shouts of the sailors, who welcomed them back with reiterated cheers, and who received them with as much cordiality as if they had been— not soldiers, but brother-seamen. I cannot pretend to pourtray the nature of my own feelings, when I find myself once more treading the quarter-deck of a transport, and relieved, as it were, at once, from all military occupation and responsibility. That I enjoyed the change heartily, for the moment, cannot be denied. Our fatigue had been excessive; and the prospect of a few days of unbroken rest was certainly more pleasing than almost any other which could have been, under existing circumstances, held out to me. Yet there was a consciousness went along with It, that perfect repose is not a state of existence for which a soldier is adapted, whilst the suddenness of the change was of itself sufficient to take away much of what would have been otherwise highly agreeable in it. It was not now with us, as it is with troop? who at the close of a serious campaign retire into winter-quarters. In the latter case, men are gradually prepared for it; a series of bad weather, for the most part, keeps them in- active in the field, before they quit it. At present, we were hurried, in the very middle of summer, from the scene of a brisk, if not of an important war, and placed, not in a position still liable to be assailed, and so calcu- lated to keep us in remembrance of our uses,— but on board of ship, where o:ir time could alone be occupied in eating, drinking, sleeping, playing chess, and walk- ing from one end of a plank to the other. I have said, that at the instant we certainly did enjoy the prospect 98 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. which was before us; but the first day of our re-eni- barkation passed not away without occasioning somo alteration in our sentiments, and long before sun-set on the second, we were again panting for employment. So perfectly inconsistent is the human mind with itself, as often as the temperament of tho body, or the state oi' the animal spirits, may chance to undergo a change. of our re-eni. :asioning some fore sun-set on r employment, lincl with itself, ly, or the state ergo a change. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 09 CHAPTER IX. ARRIVAL IN THE POTOMAC. I Little occurred worthy of particular notice, from liic morning of the first till the evening of the eleventh ofSeptembcr. Duringthe first five days of the month, fhe fleet remained stationary; those at the head of af- lairs being occupied in preparing their dispatches, whilst I and my companions killed time, by having recourse to as many expedients as our situation enabled us to adopt. We walked the deck ; we read the Cew volumes tliat were within our reach, till we had almost learned them by heart;— we bathed in the river, rowed about from ship to ship, and occasionally ventured to put foot "pon its banks, and even to penetra; a little way be- yond them. Our sportsmen, moreover, myself among fhe number, brought their guns and fishing-tackle into requisition; with both of which they succeeded in ob- taming considerable amusement. The Patuxent abounded with fish,~we took in our nets, not unfre- quently, as many as five or six dozen of different kinds in a morning; and the woods proving to be full of par- fridges, quails, and hares, and above all, of wild tur- • . * . . « ... 11 ■J « « ^P"IB 100 A SUBALTEHN IN AMERICA. •• ' keys, there was no lack of game to reward our labours on shore. Two of the latter I was one day fortunate enough to kill, and they proved a very acceptable ad- dition to our mess. In the meanwhile the wounded were divided into three classes, according to the nature and severity of their hurts. Such as, like myself, had received mere scratch- es, being placed upon the list of convalescents, were re- garded as fit for duty, and left in their respective trans- ports. Such as had been more severely, and yet not very seriously injured, were removed to the Majestic, for the purpose of being carried to Halifax ; whilst the dangerously wounded men, whose ultimate recovery, if they recovered at all, promised not to occur for many months to come, were lodged on board of the Iphigenia, already appointed to bear the news of our victory to England. Every exertion was, moreover, made, to re- store to the little army that perfect discipline and order, which the progress of a dashing campaign had unavoid- ably weakened. His own knapsack, for example, was, as far as could bo, returned to each of the men, and the necessaries of as many as had suflercd a loss in the late operations, were made good. The clothing, accoutre- ments, and arms of all were carefully cleaned and re- paired ; in a word, every advantage was taken of tho breathing time, to place, as perfectly as circumstances would allow, the armament in a state of renewed effi- ciency. Besides these more important transactions, other little affairs occurred, which again brought our finer feelings somewhat forcibly into play. The effects of our de- ■»"• •d our labours day fortunate icccptable ad- ided into three i^erity of their mere scratch- ;ents, were re- jpective trans- , and yet not the Majestic, IX ; whilst the ,te recovery, if ^cur for many the Iphigenia, our victory to r, made, to re- line and order, a had unavoid- example, was, 3 men, and the loss in the late ling, accoutre- 2aned and re- taken of the circumstances ' renewed effi- 5ns, other little r finer feelings cts of our de- A SimAlTSBir IK AMBXICA. 101 ceased comrades were put up to sale f and subwinptioiw arere entered inio for one or two widows, who had really loved their husbands, and being deprived of them, de- sired to return home. Soldiers, of aU ranks, are, dur- mg a state of warfare, made up of singularly ^acotd- ant materials. Wo all, for example, felt sincerely for these poor creatures, and readUy contributed our respec- five mites, to render their homeward passage as com- fortable as their frame of mind would allow. There was not a man amongst us, too, who lamented not the fall of the individual, for part of whose wardrobe he was bidding. Yet a passing observer would have scarcely discovered this; so Utile in accordance with the sentiments of our hearts, were our outward manner and c-.nversation. Let me not, however, be misundw* stood. Nothing was said or done on these occasions calculated to give pain to the nearest relative of the de- ceased, had he stood byj on the contrary, every man felt that the drama in which he now took apart, might, before long, be represented again in consequence of hi^/ own dissolution; and with this feeling upon his roin^ it was not possible for him to act otherwise than, he should desire his comrades to act, were that event to take place on the morrow. Matters continued thustill an early hour on the morn- ing of the dth, when a signal was made to weigh an- chor; the whole fleet got under sail, and, guided by a^i gentle breeze in their sterns, stood majestically towards the bay. I do not know that I ever beheld a more strik- ing marine spectacle than this general movement jwe- ■ented. At aK.earancc of life land bustle, such as it has probably ne- ver exhibited before, and will not speedily exhibit again. Nor wpa it by looiting to the ships alone that we idlers found an ample fund of interest and amusement. The sun began, before long, to shine brightly upon the banks, and a shifting panorama of the mcst exquisite beauty presented itself, piecemeal, as it were, to our observa- tion. I have hitherto abstained from sayincr anything of the extreme loveliness of this district, — partly be- cause'its i-Wt striking features have been described al- ready, and partly because I am quite conscious that no words 'could do it justice. But it may be permitted me to observe, that though I have visited many countries, and beheld almost every variety of national scenery, i have never beheld any more picturesque than that which the banks of the Patuxent displayed. There was no- thing grand, it is true; — no rocks, no mountains, no castles, convents, or even lordly seats, were in view ; but if sloping downs, studded with the modest houses of settlers, intersected by luxuriant corn fields, and closed in by forests, dark as night, and perfectly track- less, entitle the banks of a river to the appellation of beautiful, the appellation may surely be bestowed here. It was a scene of peace, and perhaps of humility ; but it was probably not the less attractive c^. that account, in the eyes of one, whose business was war. * I.. MMRWI msamsmsss^ K^ A ST7BAI.TRBIT IN AMBBICA. lOfl classes and Istead, which to the other ; heir canvass, I river an ap- probably ne- :>xhibit again, hat we idlers cmcnt. The on the banks, [uisite beauty- cur observa- ina anything , — partly be- described al- jcious that no permitted mo :ny countries, ml scenery, I an that which lere was no- nountains, no ere in view; lodest houses n fields, and U'fectly track- ippellation of estowed here, [lumility; but that account, I'ar. Wo -cached tho bay a little after noon, and were met by the Tonnant, which had sailed a day or two before, and seemed now to b^ returning. Whither we were going, or what the service on which w were about to Ije employed, no one appeared to know; but a feolhig ol' surprise became general amongst us, when, instead of taking advantage of a wind which blew directly up the Chesapeake, a signal was hung out for all ships to oast anchor. We had flattered ourselves that, now we had fairly Iwgun our observations, not an . hour would l)c wasted in carrying them on. Baltimore, Annapolis, and other towns, were all within our reach ; we confi- dently anticipated that each would, in its turn, receive a visit. But whatever our wishes might be, there re- mained but one course for us to follow. Wo obeyed the signal, and anchored immediately. No great while elapsed, however, before wo became satisfied that every thing had been done for the best. As soon as ho had got his fleet well about him, tho Ad- miral began to held a correspondence with the other ships of war, which, as wo chanced to be in possession of a signal-book, we were enabled to decipher. Each vessel vvas required to send in a return of iho number of seamen, independently of marines, which it could cTf- ford to land with small arms ; and it was farther order- ed, that no time should be lost in drilling them to tho use of their weapon. There was something exceeding, ly cheering in such a communication. Not only were we quite satisfied that Jack, however awkward he might be upon parade, would prove, in the hour of a trial, a most efficient ijlly; but we concluded, from the anxiety ■«!l.- 11 niXTil^ii.ii.jc^., -^ yHj JBll l ^O H" f' ■^ 104 ▲ SVB^LTEBK IN AKBBICA. displayed to increase the land force to the utmost, that some momentous scheme was in agitation. The rest of the day was accordingly spent in far better humour than had marked the passage of some days preceding, and we retired to rest, in the full expectation, that to- morrow, or at farthest, the next day, would see us once more employed in the field. Our hopes in this respect suffered no diminution, when, on ascending the deck on the following morning, we found that the fleet was again under iveigh, and moving towards the Potomac. The last circumstance, indeed, did puzzle us a little. What could be done there? Alexandria had been already visited by Captain Gordon; nor was there any other place of note along its course. Nevertheless, we took it for granted, that there must be some object ii. view, and, provided only they saw fit to bring us into play, we cared but little whither the heads of the expedition should lead us. In all this, however, we were doomed to endure the misery of hope deferred. Having stemmed the current during the whole of that day, and till dusk on the day follow- ing, the fleet once more cast anchor ; and we, as a mat- ter of coui'se, felt ourselves once more unable to guess for what purpose these repeated delays were permitted. I well recollect, that on the night of the 8th of Sep- tember, the Potomac was visited by one of those sub- lime thunder storms, of which I have already spoken as occurring so frequently in this hemisphere. During the whole of the day, there had been an oppressive closeness in the atmosphere; and as the sun drew to- wards his setting, many masses of clouds began to rise Wiaikm- ^ffiry jj i iMiU P A SUBALTEHN IN AMERICA. 105 at different points in the horizon. These gradually in- creased in quantity and blackness, till at last the whole face of the sky became over-spread with them. The thunder and lightning followed; thunder, which in the stillness of night made the far-off forests re-echo ; and lightning, which o,t every flash rendered the minutest object distinctly visible, both throughout the fleet and on the shore. Nor was rain long wanting; it came down, as it generally does under such circumstances, in tor- rents; and as there was no finding shelter against it anywhere, except in the cabin, I was reluctantly com- pelled to abandon the scat which 1 had taken on one of the guns for the purpose of watching the storm, and re- tire belov/. • An early hour on the morning of the 9th saw us again under weigh, and stemming the current at a slow' and majestic rate; but our progress was very limited. The Tonnant, shooting a-head, pushed on by herself; whilst the remainder of the ships, in defiance of as fair a wind as ever blew, beat backwards and forwards, from one side of the river to the other. What was to k; ilone, we could not surmise. That a landing would tuke place before long, every thing about us testified, but whether the port of debarkation had as yet been determined upon, seemed extremely problematical. Thus was it with us during the whole of the morninc ; hour after hour passed away in anxious suspense; till at last, when the sun was again approaching the west, our doubts and anxiety were put an end to. The Ton- nant, of which we had long lost sight, once more made her appearance ; all her canvass was set, and she wa.s 10* I i'S ;« ' ^^1, ."'-■'wteb... ^f "ill j«i»yiW i il i W- ' ) '< u ' I imin'ijWWW i :¥ 106 A SUBALTaBir IN AHEBXOA. ^ l'V followed by a numerous fleet of small craft, each of which bore an English ensign at its mast-head, with an American flag under. The vessels thus distinguished were prizes ; they soon joined us, and the whole squad- ron putting about, bore down in a body towards the bay. Finally, a signal was thrown out from the Admiral's ship, which directed us to steer towards the Patap3CO ; and it became immediately known, among all ranks, that the capture of Baltimore would be attempted. Now men's minds became to a certain degree tran- quil ; curiosity was set at rest ; and it remained for us only to make such preparations as each might think ne- cessary for taking the field. Nor were we tardy in any- thing about that matter, inasmuch as but little time seemed likely to be granted for the purpose ; for, as if Heaven had favoured our designs, the fleet scarcely reached the bay, when the wind, shifting a few points, blew directly towards the place of landing ,- and we stood on our course with a rapidity vv'hich promised to bring us, within a few hours, to the end of our voyage. This was, in itself, sufficiently agreeable; but there were other circumstances attending the passage, which gave to it a more than ordinary degree of interest. The breeze coming upon the larboard side, enabled us to stand in close to the shores of Maryland ; and seldom have I looked upon a more striking spectacle than these shores presented. It is well known that Maryland happens to be one of the most thickly inhabited and civilized States in the Union. Besides its two great cities of Anapolis and Baltimore, it can boast of several towns and villages of 'A A SOBALTEBN IN AMEmCA. 107 different sizes; while a countless number of hamlets, seats, and solitary farm-houses, are scattered in every direction over its extent. Of these very many, with Anapolis among the number, have been planted close to the water's edge; partly, perhaps, on account of the additional salubrity which the sea-breezes bring, and partly because the situation accorded well with the lead- ing habits of the people. But there were other erec- tions, besides towns and villages, which attracted our attention. Numerous watch-towers, forls, signal sta- tions, and places of arms, occupied the high grounds; whilst, nearer the beach, guard rooms for the accom- modation of cavalry patrols, open batteries for the cover of guns, with all the other edifices which a people in- vaded are apt to throw up, extended, in a regular chain, from one extremity of the State to the other. Of these we were enabled, by keeping close in shore, to obtain a distinct view. We saw horsemen mount at every station, as we approached it, and gallop with all haste towards the interior- Beacon after beacon burst into a blaze; guns were fired from every tower; and telegra- phic communication carried on M'ithout intermission. Then, again, as we drew near to a town or village, every house was seen to pour forth its inhabitants ; while carts, waggons, and carriages of all descriptions has- tened off, loaded, as we could distinctly perceive, with people and effects. In Anapolis, in particular, confu- sion and alarm appeared to prevail to an extraordinary excess. Being the capital of the State, and exposed, in a remarkable degree, to insult, its inmates doubtless anticipated nothing else than a hostile visitation ; and I I I I i> lod ▲ SUBALTKBN IN AMUrSICA. truly, if to destroy a neat, clean town, surrounded oil all sides by elegant villas, had been our object, no task could have been more easily performed. We passed it by, however, unharmed ; not, perhaps, quite satisfied that so fine a prize should be permitted to escape, but hugging ourselves in the idea that another, and no less valuable one, was before us. Whilst the transports and larger vessels of war swept up the Chesapeake in a body, the Sca-Horse frigate, with one or two lighter ships, dashed forward to ascer- tain tlie course or channel of the river. This measure was resorted to, because, though the Patapsco was known not to excel in depth, it was deemed highly de- sirable that some ^jart of the navy should, at all events, co-operate with the troops in the reduction of Baltimore. Captain Gordon was accordingly directed, not only to take soundings with all accurac)', but clapping a press of canvass upon his ship, to drive her, in case of any sudden obstruction, through the mud; and to break, at ail hazards, such booms, or other impediments, as might be laid a,cross the channel. That gallant ofiiccr failed not to execute his orders as far as it was possible to obey them. He actually sunk his frigate's keel some feet in the slime, and tore through banks, by which the progress of almost any other individual would have been arrested, — but all would not do. The frigate stuck fast in the end ; and it was only by lightening her of her main-deck guns, and most of her stores, that he succeeded in bringing her off. The day was drawing rapidly to a close, when the Sea-Horse, which lay at anchor off a sharp promontory '0f^ - ii-aawii m»mi» ■■■» ttm MH»W i 1 .%. A SUBALTCBN IK AUBRICA. 100 # I htening her of stores, that he ahead, gave notice that it would be necessary for us to bring up. We obeyed, and came to our moorings just where the Patapsco falls into the bay; by which, in- deed, on one side, and a sort of creek, or inlet of the sea, on the other, the promontory in question was form- ed. It was a beautiful evening. The sun went down in softened majesty, tinging the whole surface of the waters with his departing glory. The wind, falling with the sea, sunk into a perfect calm ; and the waves, which had never been boisterous, became gradually more and more quiet, till the Chesapeake presented at last the appearance of a placid lake. The reader must, doubtless, be aware, that in these regions the night ia but of short duration. The sun left us to-night with its usual abruptness, but its last feeble rays had not yet been extinguished, when a bright ftill moon arose. By her light, not the shipping alone, but the beach, the green fields beyond it, and the hoary forests in the back- ground, became again distinctly visible. Another wri- ter has spoken in terms of rapture of the effect of that moonlight; nor could I pursue the subject withwtquot- ing hif? very words; but this I must say, that at no mo- men* in my life have I felt the influence of a night- scene more forcibly than I felt it then. But no great while was granted for such indulgences. Orders had already been issued to prepare the troops for immediate disembarkation, and these it was the duty of every officer to exert himself in carrying into effect. Like my comrades, I accordingly devoted the greater portion of my waking hours to the inspection of arms, the arrangement of necessaries, and the handing out f i I i ♦ 1^ ' * i 110' ▲ snBALTEltN IN AMERIOA. 1 i I of accoutrements. On the present occasion, as the dis- tance between Baltimore and the beach could, it was calcolated, be traversed in twelve hours, the men were not encumbered as they had been encumbered during the :nroad upon Washington, with their full quantity of baggage. Three days' provisions were, indeed, put up in their '^aversacksj but as far as clothing is concerned, a knapsack, containing a spare shirt, with a blanket strapped over it, constituted the whole load that each was required to carry. In one respect, however, the burden was increased : — some inconvenience having been formerly experienced in bringing up ammunition, the stjre of powder and ball committed to our charge was, on ihe pres.eut occasion, greater than usual. A soldier's pouch, as any military man knows, is made to contain sixty rounds of cartridges ; to-night, twenty ad- ditional rounds, carefully wrapped up in stout paper, were assigned to each of the privates. This done, all, both officers and men, addressed them- selves to repose. We lay down, some in the bed-places, others upon the deck, clothed and accoutred for service ; and in a shorter space of time than might have been expected, the majority were fast asleep ; but I know not whence it came, I could not follow their example. It was in vain that I had recourse to the expedients cus- tomary in such cases, — closing my eyes, and counting hundreds and thousands, and tens of thousands. Sleep obstinately refused to come upon me ; till wearied at last with the fruitless effort, I rose and ascended the deck. The night was as clear and balmy as ever ; a heavy dew, indeed, fell, but its moisture, so far from being dis- -!% termmmt^ 'mWW a '"Iw iifci V ^ A SVBALTEBN IN AMERICA. Ill agreeable, served to refresh both Jiving and dead sub- stances, after the excessive heat of the day. There was not a sound to be heard, except the ripple of the water against the ship's side, the cry of sentinels ex. claiming, as every half hour came round. « All's well !" and the heavy breathing of those who preferred the cool deck to the suffocating atmosphere of the cabin. It was, take it all in all, as striking a night-scene as I re- collect at any time to have witnessed. What my own feelings were, however, I cannot pretend to state. That I looked forward to the morrow without something like uneasiness, it would be the height of folly to affirm ; no man can believe himself to stand on the brink, as it were, of eternity, without uneasiness; yet were all the anticipations of what that morrow might bring forth, inadequate to repress a consciousness of exquisite en- joyment, to which the sights and sounds about me gave birth. I walked the deck for some hours in a state bordering upon enthusiasm ;— nor did I quit it, till the bells of the different ships striking eight, warned me that midnight was passed. * * *■■;• t I i\ il % m ni A*«K«A» Ultt CHAPTER X. »I8BMBA^AT10N IN MAKYlANO ^MAECH UPON BALTI- MOKE. ^AND DEATH OF GENEKAI. BOSS. The moon had set^^and there was no light in the sky, excepi that which a rnuWtude of brilUant stars afFcrded, when a general stir throaghout the fleet gave nt^ce that the rabment of disembarkation was at hand. The ^1- dier^ rousing from their sleep, began to assemble tipon the decks in the order in which it had been previously agreed that they should step into the boats ; the seamen, ^applying seduldusly to theif tasks, hdisted out bar^^, launches, gigs, &c. with all dispatch; whilst the few stores deemed essential to the operations of the cam- paign were so arranged, as to be transported at onCe ^ -om the shipping to tHe beach- All, however, was Jone in profound silence. No conversation passed Trom rank to rank, and even the cries of the sailors were repressed; lest being overheard by the parties which, \/e could not doubt, were watching us from the shore, an alarm m^ht be communicated, and the people of Baltimore apprised of their danger* iPi^iM these things were doing in the other vessels, mtf A SUBALTERN Ilf AMEBICA. 113 UPON BALTI- lOSS' rt in the sky, arsaffcrded, e notice that J. The ^1- semble upon 1 previoui^y the seamen, 1 out barg^«, fiilstthe few of thecam- uted at orate iowever, was ation passed f the sailors ' the parties ; us from the ndthepeopto }ther vessels, B. light gun-brig, which had weighed anchor for the pur- pose about an hour before, ran in with the tide ; and took her station, broad-side on, within cable's length of the beach. There she lay ready, in case of need, to dweep the shore with her fire. Every gun was loaded to the muzzle with grape and cannon shot. But the event proved that no opposition to the landing was con- templated. The leading boat touched the strand in safety ; the soldiers contained in it sprang up the slope, and spreading themselves at extended order along the ridge, lay down. Others quickly followed, and in half an hour after the first movement had been made, a thou- sand men were in line, to cover the arrival of their com- rades. All this took place before the first blush of (lawn had shown itself in the eastern horizon. Nor was the remainder of the army tardy in reaching its destination. Exerting themselves to the utmost, our gallant tars, without any intermission of labour for se- veral hours, pulled backwards and forwards, and by seven o'clock, infantry, artillery, baggage, and horses, appeared to be all on shore. It so happened, that the transport in which I was em- barked lay very near the land, by which means our di- vision made good its debarkation among the first ; and I shall not readily forget the nature of the scene which was thus brought before me. When we gained the shore, only a single small boat, containing about twenty soldiers, had reached it. We leaped from the bow, one after another, and collecting close to the water's edge, proceeded, at a quick pace, to ascend a sloping sand- bank ; at the summit of which we found our compan* 11 m ,. if \ i t ii a i%\ I !.a 114 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ions. The officer in command of that small party alono stood upright ; the men weru flat upon their bellies ; but at our suggestion they rose, and advancing about forty yards farther inland, we all lay down again. Let the reader recollect, that we knew nothing of the prepara- tions which had been made for our reception : for aught we could tell, a whole army might be in position within a stone's throw of our ground; and he will not be sur- prised to learn, that we held our very breath, in anxious expectation of what the next instant might bring forth. Yet was the excitation very far from being disagreeable. True, we might be called upon to sustain the first shock of a force a great deal too numerous to be long opposed with success ; but we were aware, that succour would not be slow of arriving ; and we could not for a mo- ment ^ubt as to the final issue. Then there was much in our very position and attitude in the highest degree imposing. You could tell that troops were in line be- side you, only by an occasional rustle in the long grass among which they couched ; for all kept close to the earth, and not a man spoke, even in a whisper, to his nearest neighbour. As day dawned, however, it became abundant! ;_ ma- nifest that so much caution had been quite unnecessary ; not a living creature was in sight, nor could the small- est trace that even a picquet had kept guard here, be observed. Before us lay a few open green fields, mea- suring, perhaps, some three hundred yards across, and then their condition furnished proof enough that neither infantry nor cavalry had traversed them. The grass waved in the breez^, undefiled by horses' tread or hu- A SUBALTERN IX AMERICA. 115 1, in anxious man tramp ; no track of foragers intersected it ; and even upon the road, which ran a little to our right, the dust lay wholly undisturbed. In these fields the army accordingly mustered. The dilTerant regiments drew up according to their brigades ; the officers took their stations, and the word was given to advance. The fol- lowing is the order in which the column moved. Major Browne, the officer who led the advance in the inroad upon Washington, having been severely wound- ed and left behind at Bladensburg, General Ross saw fit to dissolve the little corps altogether. Whether this arose from a feeling that there was not, in the army, another man capable of guiding it \right, I know not. All that I do know is, that in Bro ne he reposed the most unbounded confidence — that Browne fully deserv- ed that confidence — and that if he changed his plan from the apprehension that there was no fit successor to him, his judgment was not very erroneous. When I say that this advance was dissolved, I mean not to af- firm, that the army began its march with a front en- tirely uncovered. Three companies were, as formerly, pushed forward ; but instead of forming a separate di- vision, placed permanently under the command of a distinct leader, they fell, for the moment, under the guid- ance of the officer who chanced to be senior in rank among those attached to them. It was to that unfor- tunate arrangement, without doubt, that the country owed the early death of our gallant leader. After the first day's march towards Washington, General Ross gave himself little or no concern about the advanced guard ; he saw that the individual to whom he had in» \- \ 1 ' f* 116 A SUBALTERN IW AMERICA. trusted it, understood his business perfectly; and to him the business was entirely left. It was not so now. Ig- norant of the talents of those on whose sagacity the welfare of the whole column so much depended, the General could not keep behind ; he would, in his own person, ,«ee that things were going on as he wished them to go on ; and lie (ell in the very first skirmish. In rear ol' the three companies, leaving, however, a sufficient interval between, came ti. light brigade, now under the command of Major Jones. Next to thut corps moved a brigade of seamen, armed with muskets, and amounting to nearly a thousand men ; then followed the artillery, of which eight pieces — six guns, and two how- itzers — were in the field ; and as a sufficient number of liorses to drag them had been p"ocured, they bid fair tu prove of marked utility in the enterprise. Immediately upon the artillery came the second brigade ; and imme- diately upon the second brigade came the third. Of the exact number of combatants thus brought together, I can liardly venture to offer an opinion. We had lost at Bladensburg about five hundred men in all ; but of these many were already so far convalescent as to take the field again ; and our reinforcements from the fleet were considerable. Balancing the one against the other, therefore, I should be disposed to say, that somewhere about five thousand, or five thousand five hundred men, moved from the water's edge this morning. It fell to the lot of my fri Jtd nnd myself, on this pre- sent occasion, to. form part of the i^ar.k patrol. Having cleared the open fields, we soon found ourselves in a country resembling, in many respects, that which, we A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 117 had traversed in our lute operations ; that is to say, thick woods hemmed us in on every side, and the spots of cultivated soil were few and of small compass. There was, however, one striking difference to be observed. Little lakes, or other large ponds, abounded here; they were equally plentiful on both sides of the way ; and t)eing in general deep enoug)i to hinder us from fording, they, for the most part, occasioned us no little trouble, and some fatigue, before wo succeeded in passing them. Small streams, likewise, landing in the heads of creeks, more than once interrupted our progress. In a word, the country presented a thousand defensible posts, even to a people so little accustomed as we were to examine a country with the eye of soldiers ; and it surprised us not a little to find, that no attempt was made to de- fend it. We had continued cur journey about an hour, when arriving suddenly at a space of open ground, three troopers, dressed in dark-green uniforms, were disco- vered. They occupied the summit of a gentle emi- nence, and appeared to be anxiously watching the move- ment of the column along the high road. Instantly the word was passed to be attentive ; and instantly we be- gan to steal round the height, keeping just within cover of the wood, for the purpose of surprising them. But scarlet is an inconvenient colour, in cases where con- cealment happens to be desirable ; — the Americans soon discovered us ; and clapping spurs to their horses, gal- loped off. Concluding, of course, that they must be well acquainted with the different roads which intersect- ed the forest, we very naturally gave them up as lost, 118 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 1 W % i and contiriued our journey, with the conviciion in our minds that more work would be cut out for us, ere many hours should pass by. Soon after this, the bugles of the array sounded a halt, and we, as well as the main body, prepared to obey it ; but just as we had fixed upon a convenient spot for the purpose, a soldier came running up with intelligence that the three horsemen were still in the thicket, about musket-shot from our right. Taking with me a dozen men, I instantly plunged into the wood; and here, sure enough, they sat upon the edge of one of the lakes, their horses being fastened by the bridles to a tree hard by. My party preserved a profound silence, and we closed gradually round them ; but the crashing of the boughs there was no stifling, and when we reached the spot they were gone. They had leaped into a canoe on the first alarm, and were now paddling, as fast as they could, to the opposite shore. There was no time to be lost. I called out to them to surrender, and by way of enforcing the summons, commanded the whole of my people to level their pieces. The spectacle was too alarming for raw recruits ; so they held up a white handkerchief in token of submission, and pulled back again. Immediately on landing, they were, as may be supposed, disarmed, and then, with their three beautiful chargers, conducted to head-quarters. On coming in with the prisoners, we found the army halted near a farm-house, around wliich were several cleared fields, well adapted, in case of need, for a rapid military formation. The General himself, attended by Admiral Cockburn, was sitting in the midst of his staff A SUBALTERN IN AHEKICA. 119 by the way side, and a few orderlies were leading their horses backwards and forwards. Of the soldiers, a few had strayed from their ranks ; but blue jackets might be seen in every direction, pursuing pigs, fowls, and other live stock, at full speed, and with much apparent satisfaction. Nor was it possible to refrain from laugh- ing at the singular behaviour of these men. All the. threats, orders, and entreaties, of their officers were set at defiance ; they knew nothing about discipline on shore, and they were not now going to learn it. At last, the very endeavour to bring them back was abandoned, and they continued to amuse themselves, as well as us, till the column again began to move. Nor did any one appear to enjoy the joke more than General Ross. He was laughing heartily, as were the Admiral and the rest of the group, when we appeared; and he with difficulty suppressed his mirth, even though the presence of the prisoners drew his attention to other graver matters. Having put a few questions to tlie young men, as to the duty on which they had been themselves employed, General Ross proceeded to catechise them respecting the number and position of iho force appointed for the defence of Baltimore. Their answers were neither very distinct nor very satisfactory. They spoke of a levy en masse — hinted that every male capable of bearing arms was enrolled — and calculated the strength of the whol'^, including three thousand regulars, at twenty thousand men. The cavalry, they said, consisted pria- cipally of volunteer troops, to one of which they had themselves belonged ; and most of it, as well as a large portion of the infantry, had met us in the field of Bia- 120 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. JM I „k&,i densburg. In artillery, again, thoy affirmed, that the strength of the America,. ^ was prodigious ; upwards of one hundred pieces of cannon were in battery ; and these being manned by seamen from the fleet, would, they observed to us, do their duty. The General heard all this with a countenance which never once varied in its expression; and then ordering them to the rear, in spite of many urgent entreaties that he would dismiss them on their parole, he commanded the bugle to sound, and the troops again stood to their arms. Whilst the column was making ready to prosecute Its more orderly advance, we stoutly plunged once more mto the thickets, and pressed on. For about half an hour we proceeded without the occurrence ot" any cir- cumstance calculated to excite in us a more than usual degree of alacrity. There were the same obstacles of brake and brier to overcome, and, from time to time, the same impediments of ponds and creeks to be sur. mounted; but still no enemy, nor any trace of an en- emy, could be descried. At length, however, the face of affairs underwent a change. A few figures suddenly showed themselves, stealing from tree to tree, and bus'h to bush ; they became more and more numerous as we went on ; and, finally, we beheld about four or five hun- dred riflemen scattered through the wood, and prepared to dispute with us our farther progress. Nor were many moments wasted in idly gazing at each other. Having warned the column, by the sound of our bugles, that an enemy was in sight; we rushed forward, and the forest echoed again to tlio report of ours and the Ame- ricans' muskets. A SUBALTKRN IN AMEHICA. 121 There is nothing in war more interesting, and, if it be conducted with any science, more entertaining, than a skirmish in the bosom of a deep wood. The cover is generally so abundant, and so excellent in kind, that fewer casualties take place, than one unaccustomed to such affairs might expect ; whilst, from- the very nature of the encounter, your thoughts are never for an instant unemployed, nor your body for an instant at rest. When advancing, you dart from tree to tree, passing with the rapidity of thought over the space between, as if you had singled out one or two individuals among the enemy, to overtake whom was the great object of your wishes. Then, again, there is the necessity im- posed upon you, of watching that your men keep well up; that they are careful not to expose themselves un- necessarily ; that they arc cool, take a good and deli- berate aim, and abstain from throwing their fire away for no purpose. As to preserving a regular line, that is seldom attempted ; men rarely carry into the field the niceties of the parade-ground ; it is enough if you see, that when the right is hard pressed, the left shall not push too far ahead of it ; nor, when the left hangs back, that the right pass it by. Above all, the ofiicer must, in such situations, be careful to show his men a becom- ing example. He ought not, indeed, to hurry too far before them, because by so doing, though he may lead some to follow, others taking advantage of the license which his blind impc'uosity grants, may keep out of the fire altogether; but still less ought ^d to lag behind. He is the best director of a skirmish who moves back- wards and forwards amon^ his troops ; cheers and jinis 122 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. -if ;% IM ' f mates them by his voice and gestures ; scruples not to expose himself occasionally more than may be exactly required, and appears to treat his enemies with con- tempt. The spirit which actuates him never fails to arise among his followers, and when once men despise their enemies, they seldom fail to beat them. Our skirmish to-day was for a while tolerably hot, and extremely animated. The Americans outnumber- ed us beyond calculation, whilst, as individuals, they were at least our equals in the skill with which they used their weapon ; yet, from the very commencement, it was on our part a contmual advance, on theirs a con- tinual retreat. We drove them from thicket to thicket, and tree to tree^ not, indeed, with any heavy loss, for they were no less expert in finding shelter than in tak- ing aim ; but occasionally bringing down an individual as he was running from one cover tc another. Our own loss, again, was very trifling. Two men killed, and about a dozen wounded, made up the sum of our casualties ; and it may with truth be asserted, that every- thing was going on as the General himself could have wished. But unhappily he was not satisfied of this. The firing struck him as being more heavy and more continued than it ought to be ; he was apprehensive that we had fallen into some serious ambuscade, and, un- willing to trifle with the safety even of a few companies, he rode forward for the purpose of satisfying himself that they were safe. How bitterly had the whole ex- pedition cause to lament that step ! He had scarcely entered the wood, when an American rifleman singled him out ; he fired, and the ball, true to its mark, pierced uples not to ^ be exactly s with con- lever fails to men despise n. )lerably hot, outnunf)ber- iduals, they which they mcncement, theirs a con- et to thicket, ivy loss, for than in tak- n individual 3ther. Our men killed, sum of our , that every- could have led of this. Y and more hensive that 3e, and, un- companies, ing himself e whole ex- xd scarcely tian singled ark, pierced 1 SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 123 his Side. When the General received his death-wound, chanced to be standing at no great distance from him \ saw that he was struck, for the reins dropped instant- iy fi-om h. hand, and he leaned forward upon the pom- mel of his saddle,- and though I would not suffer my. towarlT'''r.f' ''"' "'^ ^"^ ^^"^^^' I ^««^--d owards him, but I arrived too late. His horse making a movement forward, he lost his seat, and, but for the mtervention of his aid-de-camp's arm, must have fall- en to the ground. As it was, we could only lay him at length upon the grass, for his limbs could no longer perform their office-it was but too manifest that his race was run. No language can convey any adequate idea of the sensation which this melancholy event produced in the bosoms of all who were aware of it. It may with truth be asserted, that a general, young in command, has rarely obtained the confidence of his troops in the de! gree m which General Ross had obtained it, or held out more flattering assurances, that he would continue to possess and to deserve it to the last. As a colonel of a regiment, a general of brigade in Lord Wellington's army, his name had long stood highj and the brilliant success which attended his operations against Wash- ington, satisfied his own soldiers, at least, that his fame was not unmerited. It has been said, that in conduct- ing the inroad last alluded to, he exhibited more of he- sitation and diffidence in himself than belongs to a really great mmd. Perhaps he .night hesitate a little ; perhaps he did lose an hour or two in considering, whether, with a mere handful of men, it would be advisable to march 1J4 A StlBAITERM IN AMEBICA. „pon the capital of a great nation, more especially a^ h could notbu. fool, that little or no permanent advan- «>ge to the cause would accrue even from success. Bu this praise, at least, has never been den.ed h,n.; that I en on e his mind came to be made up, no man ever : rsued his object more steadily, or with greater vtgeur. f^tho present course of operations, this was consptcu- ously the case. He was in the act of pushmg on, cau- Tusly indeed, but with all the celerity of the school tn Zich he had been trained, when, through the absence If a few able supporters, he was led to throw h,s valu- oi a icvv au ' ' V . i^„ I ^ braver and able life away. Peace to ^'^ ^^^""^ ' ^ J] , better man the British army never P;^^"^^^ '^^^ ^^^^^ it lost an officer of brighter promise or higher character His aide-de-camp, (Captain M'Dougal,) havmg seen the general laid by the road side, left h.m to the care of Adm'i ral Cockburn, and gallopped back for assistance For myself, my duty called me elsewhere. The firing still went on in front; it was kept up by my own men, and I could not desert them ; so I too quitted the mourn- ful group, and once more plunged into action. 4|> A SUBALTERN IH AMERICA. 125 CHAPTER XI. ACTION WITH THE AMERICANS. When I overtook the skirmishers, they were in full pursuit of tlie Americans, now flying with all precipi- tation before them. The wood was accordingly emptied in a trice; but on reaching its skirts, we found what we had, to say the truth, expected to find, that the riflemen now dislodged were nothing more than the outposts, or rather advanced corps, of a regular army. At the op. posite extremity of a few open fields, about six or seven thousand men were drawn up in line. Their left rest- ing upon a lake, and their right extending to the mouth of a creek ; their ceiitre was protected by high palings, ond a row of lofty trees, whilst all before them was ex' posed and bare, to the distance of nearly half a mile. Of artillery, they appeared to have some six or eight pieces in the field. These were arranged, two upon the main road, which fell in towards the right of the posi. tion, three somewhat farther to the left, and the remain- der singly, and at different intervals between the corps of infantry. About half-musket shot in front of them, was a farm house, surrounded by numerous barns, sta- 126 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ^1 bles, and a stack-yard. AVhether or not they had filled it with troops, we had no means of ascertaining ; but it occurred to Charlton that it might be worth while to seize it, in case thoy should have neglected a measure to them of so much importance. With this view, we lost no time in rushing on. We sprung over the paling, and having received two discharges of grape from the guns upon the road, reached the house in question, with the loss of only three men. The enemy had not occu- pied it ; we took possession without delay ; and rejoicing sincerely in the error of which they had boon guilty, determined that no efforts should on our parts be want- ing to hinder them from retaking it. Established in this snug post, abundant leisure was granted for observing as well the dispositions made by the enemy to receive the attack, as the advance of our own ti'oops to make it; and a most animating spectacle both the one and the other presented. On the side of the Americans, mounted officers could be seen riding backwards and forwards, apparently encouraging their men to do their duty. Some companies moving from its rear, wheeled up into the line; others quilting the line, fell back towards the reserve. But the corps which attracted the chief share of our attention, consisted of the identical riflemen, whom we had so lately driven before us out of the wood. They continued for some time to drop in, by sections of eight, six, and ten, and taking post in rear of the line, resumed, as they best could, something like order. Nor were other manifes- tations of a resolution to keep their ground wanting. Several tumbrils and ammunition wagons arriving. Ml A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 127 were speedily emptied of their contents; and casks of cartridges, ranged at intervals behind the men, bore tes- timony to the zeal with which the store-keeper's depart- mcnt had been attended to. Such was the condition of affairs on the right. Away towards the left, again, a good deal of marching and counter-marching went on; but whether it arose from some mismanagement in flic' original disposition of the force, I cannot tell. It struck mc, however, as being highly injudicious, to render raw troops thus unsteady, at the very moment when they were about to come under fire; and I confess that I did not augur very favourably of the determination which, on that flank at least, the Americans would exhibit. Lastly, the heads of two columns appearing in theskirts of the more remote thicket, pointed out how the reserve was stationed, and aimost told of what numbers it con- sisted. How difTerent was the prospect to which a glance to- wards our rear introduced us ! We had taken posses- sion of the farm-house perhaps ten minutes or a quar- ter of an hour before the leading divisions of our own troops began to emerge from the forest. As soon, how- over, as they showed themselves, a flank movement to the right was made, and the 85th regiment, in beautiful regularity, spread itself at extended order, over the whole of the enemy's front. The seamen, who came next, marched straight forward along the road, till they had arrived within cannon shot of the American line, where they halted. The 4th Regiment arriving after them, wheeled off, as the 85th had done, to the right; but instead of e;cteiiding itself, filed along in column of M -^^^-.t&J S A A -^---',- ..^^itt^., . 128 A SVBALT£BN IN AMEBICA. f. i half companies, by the rear of the light troops, till it was lost to farther observation in a grove. A similar movement was made by the 44th, and a battalion of Marines, who, forming line in the open field, stood to support the skirmishera; whilst the 21st, taking up its ground on the road, came in on the rear of the column, of which the seamen constituted the front. All these formations were executed with as much coolness and precision as if the whole had been nothing more than a review ; and in the eyes of us, who watched it, the spec- tacle was in the highest degree interesting. In the meanwhile, neither the American artillery nor our own remained idle. The head of the column no sooner appeared, than the enemy's pieces which com- manded the road opened upon it, and though the range was somewhat long, did considerable execution. To check this, Captain Carmichael, by whom the British artillery was commanded, instantly ordered two guns and a howitzer to the front, and pushing them for- ward within point-blank distance of the Americans, .soon paid them back, with interest, in their own coin. I do not know that I ever saw shots more accurately thrown. At the first discharge, five American gunners were killed ; at the next, one of the pieces was disabled ; upon which, turning their attention to the infantry, our artillery-men mowed them down by whole sections. On this occasion, the missile principally used was the Shrapnel. It may, perhaps, be necessary to inform the unmilitary reader, that the Shrapnel is a hollow globe of iron, the cavity in which is filled up, not with powder only, but with a quantity of musket-balls. It is dis- f A SUBALTERN IN AMBRICA. 129 charged from a cannon exactly as a round shot is dis- charged; and being supplied with a fuse, more or less short, according to the disfance to be traversed ; it bursts just in front of its object, and throws the whole of its murderous contents forward. To-day it did fearful ha- voc. The Americans durst not stand before it, but shrunk away from each spot where a shell had fallen, as if there had been something deadly in the very soil. But it was not upon the road a'one that a smart can- nonading was kept up. The three guns, of which I have already spoken as being stationed in the fields to- wards the Americans' lefi, opened upon the 85th rcgi- mcnt as soon as thoy had taken their ground. The soldiers, however, paid little heed to the salutation. Being commanded to lie down, they did so, and rested for twenty minutes very composedly, in defiance of the showers of balls that fell thick and fast about them. At the expiration of that period, every necessary preparation appearing tu be complete, Colonel Brooke, on whom the chief command had devolved, was seen ' to ride along the rear of the line, followed by his staff. Halting about the centre of the field, the little group turned their glasses, for a faw moments, in the direction of the enemy's position, and then, as if satisfied that all things were in order, they began to disperse. An aid- de-camp gallopped ofi" to the right, Mr. Evans flew to- wards the left, and the orderly bugler sounding the charge, the whole army sprung into its ranks. The spirit-stirring notes were echoed back from all quarters, and the Une moved forward. I have said that our position all this while was amon^ 12* ° * !.j( i 130 A 8U0ALTEBN IN AMERICA. ^11 u number of houses and corn-stalks, situated about mid- way between the hostile armies. Nothing can be con- ceived more animated, or more imposing, than the spec- tacle which now met our gaze. The light troops, in extended order, stretcliing from one thicket to another, covered the entire 0|)cn space, and advanced, with the same coolness, and in the same ailmirable style, as if they had been marching upon a parade. In their rear, though far enough removed to be, in a great measure, secure against the fire of musketry, came a compact line, whose business it was, rather to give support wher- ever it should be needed, than to take any active part in the battle. On the road again, a dense column of blue-jackets pressed forward, with the alacrity and con- tempt of danger, which so eminently distinguish the British sailor; whilst a battalion, likewise in column, marched after it, ready to follow up with advantage whatever successes the i)rivileged, undisciplined valour of the seamen might obtain. On the side of the Americans, ngain, all was stillness and c.\pe=^tation. The corps which, up to this moment, had been continually changing their ground, now stood fast. The whole were in line, and, with shouldered arms, appeared to watch the progress of their enemies, like men who were determined not to bij beaten. I thought, indeed, that I could perceive a little wavering at one particular point. It was a spot towards their ex- treme left, which, in the course of the cannonade, had received more than its due proportion of salutations; but whether I was correct or not, it is impossible for me to say, inasmuch as the vision became almost instantly * •"■AlTEIl!, IN A»e»ICA. 13, n Iheir l,„o several piece, of cannon, from which no discharges had as yet ,„ke„ place. What ,h!ir oU^! was ,„ keeping them so Ion. idle I know , ', T^ 2 '-«;"«• .ha, their f,r= . "h^l'o";: r^Ct cdly, would produce a double efcl,_and on that „!■ count reserved it for the attack, k ,1 i' 2 TS of grape was poured upon thom from every gun in thi field; and the plunging of tails „,| „,„„„ .^/"^ eras ,ng of rails, trees, and other ohjects-struct.a^w^ "i. not u ft;" prostrations among the soldiers theniselve g-e^proof that the salutation was not leas seriourthal' Aa yet, it may he said, that I and my immediate fol ewers ranked nothing more than apectltorsof he 1 ' »ll. ,.ndeed,acann„n.shot passing through the window or the house, or lodging i„ „„, „,- ,^^ J °l nony , at the en-my were not wholly u„;indf:i f us, t e were already so far in advance, tha, to push on II the othora overtook ua, would have heen the .e,ght of absurdity. Now, however, we began ,0 fe, hat a state o q"iescence was no, e™c.lv°ha. wll, became us Mav.ng waited till a fo.y of the n.ost for ward o, the skinni.her, («gan to seek shelter ehtd our ftnn yard, we likewise aasumed the offensive and daahtng from our lurking.place, pressed onwards!' mmedtately in front of the farra-houae ran a hi.h ra,hng, s.mdar to those of which I have before had oc. eas,on ,0 speak, as intcraeeling almost every field or '; if '-^- 122 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. tr i open spot in this quarter of America. Wc were in the act of springing' over it, when the enemy, directing against us a couple of six-pounders, swept down five or six men out of the company. Among them there was one poor fellow, who received from that fire as horrible a wound as I recollect at any period to have seen. A round shot striking him in the shoulder, tore away the whole of the limb, and left his very lungs exposed to the view of the by-stander. The man was a bit of a favourite with his master. By birth a gypsy, he pos- sessed not only to a high degree the qualities of convi- viality and good humour, but he was acknowledged to be by far the most skilful maker of fires, and therefore one of the most useful individuals in the regiment. No rain, hqwever heavy, hindered him from striking a light, and from a light once struck, he never failed to pro- duce a blaze. The loss of such a personage could not but be deeply ami universally lamented. It may not be amiss to add here, that in spite of the severity of his wound, the poor fellow lingered many days ; he was even removed to the ship before he died. Might not the blowing out of a man's brains, under such circum- stances, be not only justifiable, but praiseworthy ? Up to this moment, not a. single musket had been discharged on either side, and the most perfect silence prevailed throughout the ranks of both armies. The British soldiers moved forward with their accustomed fearlessness, and the Americans, with much apparent coolness, stood to receive them. Now, however, when little more than an hundred paces divided the one lino from the other, both parties made ready to bring mat- 's u A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 133 lets more decidedly to a personal struggle. The Ame- ricans were the first to use their small arms. Havinrr rent the air with a shout, they fired a volley, begun upon the nght, and carried away regularly to the extreme left; and then loading again, kept up an unintermitted discharge, which soon in a great degree concealed them from our observation. Nor were we backward in returning the salute. A hearty British cheer gave no- tic of our willingness to meet them : and firing and running, we gradually closed upon them, with the de- sign of bringing the bayonet into play. I hardly know what language to employ for the pur- pose of conveying to the mind of a reader, who posses^ ses no practical acquaintance with the subject, some- thing like a clear idea of a battle, at that period in its progress at which we have now arrived. Volley upon volley having been given, we were now advanced within less than twenty yards of the American line ; yet such was the densencss of the smoke, that it was only when a passing breeze swept away the cloud for a moment, that either force became visible to the other. It was not, therefore, at men's persons that the fire of our soldiers was directed. The flashes of the enemy's muskets alone served as an object to aim at, as, without doubt, the flashes of our muskets alone guided the ene- my. At last, however, the wind suddenly sprung up. The obscurity in which both parties had been envefoped was cleared away ; and there, sure enough, stood our opponents, not, as they had stood an hour ago, in close and compact array, but confused by the murderous fire to which they had been exposed. Napoleon Buona. ! ■ * m 184 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. parte has affirmed, that he never witnessed anything more terrific than the fire of a British line of infantry. The cx-empcror was perfectly correct. In the armies of other nations, particularly iu those of America, many marksmen, more expert as individuals, may be found ; but we may search the world over before we shall dis- cover troops who, as a body, take aim with the same coolness, reserve their fire so well, or, as a necessary consequence, pour it in with such tremendous efltct as our own soldiers. Of this the Americans had to-day received the most appalling proofs; numbers lay dead among the feet of their comrades ; numbers more had retired maimed or wounded ; and those who still kept the field, were broken und confused. One thing alone was requiretl to complete the rout. Our gallant fellows, uttering a hearty cheer, threw in their last volley, and then rushed forward with the bayonet; but a shock, which the flower of European armies had never been able to withstand, the Americans ventured not to re- ceive. They lost in a moment all order, and fled, as every man best could, from the field. There was but one road along which horses or car- riages could move, and it became crowded to excess in a moment. Whilst the infantry, dashing into the forest, thought to conceal themselves among its mazes, the ca- valry, of which a few squadrons had been drawn up upon their right, scampered oflT by the main road ; and was immediately followed by guns, tumbrils, ammuni- tion waggons, and the whole materiel of the army. To arrest the progress of all, or some part of that force, became now our great object, •* Hurrah for the guns !" i/tct t A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. I35 was a word of command first uttered by Colonel Brooke • it was repeated, with loud laughter and tumultuous out-' cries, from one rank to another; and desperate and un- .ntermittmg were the efforts which we made to overtake and cut off such as were hindmost. But unhappily the absence of even the mounted troopers told sorely a/ainst us to-day. The truth of it is, the American ordn'ance drawn by fleet horses, readily escaped. And out of the whole party, only two guns, and one tumbril alone, fell into our hands. Of prisoners, however, we were for- tunate enough to secure a Cow. The fourth regiment wh.ch had made a detour for the purpose of turning thJ enemy s left, though it arrived not in time to take much share m the action, succeeded in cutting off about half of a battalion from the high road ; and this body, driven back „pon its pursuers, saved itself from annihilation by laying down its arms. Thus ended the affair of the 12th of September, after about an hour and a half of pretty severe fightincr. On our part, the loss sustained could not exceed tw^o .undred men in all; on the part of the Americans, at east double that number had fallen. The dead, indeed lay m clusters far more frequent, and fur more nume' reus, than anywhere I at least discovered on the field of Bladensburg ; and as the proportion between the killed and wounded in an army is usually as five to one, it was easy to collect that the whole amount of persons rendered hors-de-combat, must have been very consi- derable. Yet there was not amongst us one man who did not feel that the victory had been purchased at a i^ 186 A SUBALTERN IV AMERICA. » f -'i si •' i* terrible price, — it had cost the life of our General, and in so doing, had crippled all our resourcfs. The day being now considerably advanced, and the troops somewhat fatigued by their exertions, our new leader determined to halt for that night on the field which he had won. With this view, the bugles were directed to sound the recall; whilst the Quarter-Master General proceeded to fix upon a proper spot for the bivouac, anc to station the out-posts. Nor were the medical attend' ants of the army unmindful of their important charge There chanced to be, in the line of the late operations two houses of some size; these were of course occu pied, and tlie smaller and more incommodious being sc lected as head-quarters, the larger and better was dc voted to the accommodation of the wounded. Thithei all who had not been already dressed upon the field, an sent back to the boats, were conveyed ; nor was th smallest distinction made between the Americans an. the English. To say the truth, however, they were bu indifferently provided for. The owners having removec every piece of furniture out of the house, the poor sol diers could only be huddled together on the floors of the ililR'rcnt apartments; and as our medical officers wer< few in number, the delay in paying attention to thei wounds was in some cases very great. Yet few, eithe of the English or the Americans, complained. A groai or a shriek would, indeed, occasionally strike upon th( ear of the by-stander; and even a querulous exclama- tion, as the moving of another's leg or arm happened to bring it into contact with some unfortimate man's ' I A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 137 broken limb. But there were no murmurs ; no whin- ings because one or other was not immediately looked to. On the contrary, the instances were not rare in which one wounded man would entreat the surgeon to pass him by for the present, that the wound of another more seriously hurt might be dressed in the first place. It is a great mistake to imagine that war renders men necessarily selfish. In such campaigns as that of the French in Russia, where suffering may be said to have reached its height, the better feelings of human nature become, without doubt, entirely blunted ; but in ordinary cases, the inquirer will find as much of real generosity and noble-mindedness among soldiers in the field, as among any class of human society. The troops being checked, not without some difficulty, in the midst of their ardour, the different regiments col-' lected round their coloun^ and formed into close column. Fires were then, as usual, lighted ; and there, but a short space removed from the bodies of the slain, we prepared to pass the night. Ji 13 188 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. CHAPTER XII. DEFENCES FOR THE PROTECTION OP BALTIMORE. il ^ As there still remained some hours of daylight, my friend and myself having partaken of such slight pro- vision as our commissary could furnish, amused our- selves by wandering over the scene of the last contest, and examining, at our leisure, both the nature of the ground occupied by the Americans, and the dispositions made to dislodge them. We found the enemy's position not, indeed, so commanding, in many respects, as that which they had occupied above Bladensburg, but suffi- cicntly so, in all conscience, to have enabled troops bet- tor disciplined, and more habituated to danger, to keep their ground for many hours, even against superior num- bers. The left of the line, in particular, struck us as being more strongly posted than frequently falls to the lot of small armies. Not only was the lake which co- vered it perfectly unfordable, but its banks, steep, pre- cipitous, and woody, furnished the very best species of cover for light troops, by the use of which, an hundred resolute men might have checked the approach of a whole army for half a day. On the right, again, all A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 13U LTIMORE. It, again, all attempts at turning were rendered hopeless, by the in- tervention of the head of a creek, which in this direc- tion stretched considerably inland ; whilst a close and tangled thicket, intersected here and there by narrow- pathways, absolutely invited the American General to push forward u corps, which, making a circuit, might have fallen upon the rear of our army at any moment most convenient for themselves, and most injurious to us. Besides all which, the troops themselves s^ood at the summit of a gentle slope, and in the heart of a belt of oaks, regular as a row of palisades ; whilst the houses, now converted by us to the uses detailed above, were, from their situation, admirably adapted to cover the re- formation of almost any part of the line which might by accident have been broken. But all these advanta- ges wQre of no avail. There was wanting that, with- out whiekany other superiority will be found useless, a confidence in the troops themselves, which nothinfr, except repeated successes, and a long acquaintance with warfare, bestows. In passing from one extremity of the field to another, it unavoidably happened, that on more than one occa- sion we were compelled to pick our steps among the dead ; and it was then that the great disparity between the loss sustained by us, and that on the side of the enemy, struck us. On the main road, indeed, the num. ber of British bodies was considerable ; the seamen and 21st regiment, which occupied that post, had been ex- posed to a sweeping fire of artillery, and had suffered ; but in other directions, for one body clothed in a scarlet uniform, five corpses of slaughtered republicans might m 140 A SUBAITEKN IN AMEBICA. bo counted. Nor did it appear to us as being ihe , =ast remarkable feature in the ca^, that not one' a, , t .*.„ was s.r,p,K,d. They had lain already some hours exposed yet such was the paucity „f „ur camp.follow. ers or the.r unskilfulness in their vocation, that they still lay as they had fallen. '^ Having in ,hk manner gratified our curiosity, we re. turned to the spot which we had previously J^red as a eonventent one for passing the nigh,. llwasa ha" green mound, apart from the res, of the army a„^ sheltered by the branches of three spreading t^" wWch .surmounted it. There we found oLfire ^^^fy^^. mg> a httle straw got together, and a supper of boiled goose and greens ready to be served up. The .Tader ». 1 easily believe, that we addressed ourselves to the last w,th a satisfaction by no means the less lively that we had not anticipated anything of the kind. Ou; er vants. ,t appeared, inten,. as all good servants ough t be, upon their masters' comfort, had instituted a search ..every dtrecion after viands, and, in a shed neaT h hospital, had discovered a tiock of some sixteen or eigh- een geese. Of these they took care to secure a couple -fore any other individual was le, into the secret -bu .he birds soon betrayed themselves-their cackling was overheard by the surgeons' attendants, and in five li nutes al^er they all paid the deb. of nature. In,„ "e fate of the b.rds, however, we cared no. to inquire we were pleased with our own share, and having oved .h.s m ,he most satisfactory of all manners, we d mnk bSar;.^"- '"~'-«-ett • "•.:''■■' Jing the least ne of ali the 'some hours :amp.follo\v- n, that they 3sity, we re- ' selected as was a bare army, and trees which ightly blaz- sr of boiled rhe reader ves to the lively, that Our ser- ts ought to d a search d near the 3n or eigh- 3 a couple 3cretj but kling was 1 five mi- Into the juirej we ? proved ^e drank we were A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 141 For the first half of the night, our repose continued to be as sound and unbroken as we could possibly de- sire. The air was serene and mild; and the interven- tion of the boughs overhead, screened us pretty success- fully from the dews ; but towards midnight we were awakened by a visitation, to guard against which, even the dense foliage of our bower proved wholly insuffi- cient. The rain fell in torrents. There was no thun- der, it is true; but the fountains of the great deep seemed for the second time to be broken up, so tremen- dous was the rush of water upon oi;r lairs. We rose, as may be imagined, not in the best humour possible ; yet we soon found out that to repine would be useless ; so drawing our cloaks more closely around us, we crept a little nearer to the fire, and sat for half an hour list- ening to the storm. By and by, however, drowsiness began again to exert its influence. The ^\ater fell as profusely as ever; our garments were not proof against it; we were thoroughly saturated, but even in that state sleep was precious. We heaped on an additional quan- tity of fuel, and laying ourselves as close to the blaze as a regard to our personal safety would allow, we were very soon as ignorant of passing events, as we had been before the storm awoke us. If any judgment may be formed from the condition of our persons when the orderly sergeant roused us, the rain must have continued to fall, without any intermis- sion, from midnight up to the moment of the general muster. For myself, I can only aver, that I got up, absolutely heavy with the load of moisture which hung about me. To say that I was wet to the skin, would 13* 142 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. '^ i I Ih^ be to convey a very feeble picture of my predicament. My very skm was perforated,-! was wet to the bones and marrow. Yet I rose in the highest possible .spirits, and took post beside my men, every one of whom was as completely drenched as I, and I firmly believe, as merry and light-hearted. mentt.Il day-l.ght began to appear; after which we moved down, and took our stations on the high road, at the head of the column. There we found the other leTM';". ''"'''' ^^^^"^^^'"g' and I perfectly recol. lect to this moment, the degree of mirth which was ex- ced among us soldiers, when our gallant allies, the bluejackets, proceeded to take up their ground. Even the un«,,, r,^,^^ ^.^^ ^ understand, tha wh na ,,1 forms, the different companies of th battahon or brigade draw up, as nearly is may be at regular d.3.a„ces from each other. No men e've^'s:! th sa tT r:r"^^^ mos i L V^'"^ " 'PP^'"^ ^° ^^ ^ matter of the whit th ' f ''"'' ^'^^^ ""' ^'^^^^ they stood; ThH T ^Y'"''^^ '""''"^'^ ^" conceivable bounds ^<^g"'ar land force. In storming a batterv or m^l. ™, a .udden da.h for any purpose! he TXps t ' °n'=™'™s. ivhere patience no less than coura<.e and -gulanty no less than daring, are require he Fst" cent. He had done his duty, however, in the affair of I A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA., I43 yesterday, and done it nobly; and if we did smile a lit. tie at his Ignorance of tactics, there was not, in the feel- ing which produced it, the most remote assimilation to disrespect, or the most distant disposition to deny to him the full meed of praise which his gallantry had already merited, and, we were aware, would merit again. I know not whence it came about, but the company to which I was attached, had again the good fortune to be employed as a flank patrol. The column having formed in marching order, we. who stood at its head were ordered to cast off our blankets, and dash into the woods ; and we had hardly done so, when a bugle from the rear, sounding the advance, warned us to go on. We delayed not one moment in obeying the signal. The rain had ceased, but the branches of the trees, the underwood, and long grass, were all loaded with wlter. These, however, were circumstances which we never dreamed of taking into consideration— we pushed on Wet enou^rh we were already-every step that we took made us more so; for the grass reaching to our middles, had all the influence of a mire equally deep; yet we contrived to keep our arms dry, and doing that, we cared for httle besides. A brush of a few minutes put our blood in rapid circulation ; no leisure was granted, in which it could again become stagnant; and it was speed- ily apparent enough, that our minds would receive to the full as much employment in this excursion as our bodies. We had not proceeded a quarter of a mile be- fore we fell in with about twenty armed men. They were stragglers from yesterday's battle, and submitted immediately; but they informed us that the whole of 144 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. the wood was filled with riflemen ; and that our pro- gress, if we made any progress at all, would be cfiected by dint of hard fighting. It will be readily imagined, that, with such a prospect before us, wc pushed on eagerly and rapidly, but with extreme caution. The face of the country was even more wild than any which, on the present excursion at least, wc had yet passed. The high road wound for many miles through the centre of a dark forest; and the course of the flankers was rarely indeed diversified with any other prospect, besides that of an apparently interminable wilderness of trees. At last, however, a few open and onltlvntcd spots burst upon us. Sweep- ing along, at the distance of not less than a quarter of a mile from the column, the section which I command- ed arrived suddenly at a hamlet, completely embosom- ed in the woods, and to all appearance cut ofl" from in- tercourse with every other part of the world. It con- sisted, as far as my memory may be trusted, of five houses, each of which stood about a stone's throw apart from the rest, and was surrounded by a little enclosure, in the highest state of cultivation, and even of beauty. But the circumstance whiih delighted us most of all, was to find, that not one cottage out of the whole clus- ter was deserted by its inhabitants. There they were, males and females, young men and maidens, old men and children; and they scrupled not to assure us, that our own proclamations had kept them there, because they believed that British soldiers were incapable of vi- olating their promises. I need scarcely add, that both their persons and property were treated with the same f1uses in ad- may be ob- erman emi- r elsewhere, or to make ! four or five »'clock 147 the afternoon, however, the face of affairs underwent a change. We then began to perceive w a thousand palpable signs, that we lere r^w nTlar :^/aro:;r'^^^^^"^ -''-^ ^ ^" eventir:: IhTrh^^Tf^^ ' """'' P"P"^°"« district than any -h,ch we had yet passed. The woods suddenly ceTs J, we found ourselves in the midst of open cornfie and well-cleared meadows; hedgerows and Ion. , tj of pahng .mpeded our progress; and farm-hous"s, "th the r barns, steadings, stack-yards, and other mZ met us at almost every step. There was no room S -ubt, as to the cause of this change in the aspect of external nature ; Baltimo, • could not be far off,-irdeed had not proceeded above half a mile thr;ugh th ! ^f'stnct when our guides, pointing to a range of hi mmed,ately in our front, informed us, that bfhind the^ 'ay the c,ty devoted by us to destruction. . "ment^ -vey of these hills served, however, to con W that somethmg more than a mere continuance of ou Z1 T''.'^ ^'^^"^^-^ to make the prize our 'r The heights m question were occupied by an army o W,cans,- and such were their number's, as I ;! nd 12 : "^^"^^ ^' ''' J^-P-^^tions which they ad made for our reception, that the least skilful amongst s eeame mstantly aware, that some hard fighting,'! veil as jud,cious management, must be dispfaved be Tore we could hope to force this position. ' ' aciZ "f "'^' ''^'^"'' '^'" ^' ^S"°^^^"t that Baltimore a city contammg about forty thousand inhabitants s72 "Poa both banks of the Patapsco, about tw" from the pomt where that river falls into the Chesa'peak 148 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ■i *■« On the right bank of the stream, that by which we now approached, it is girdled in by a range of hills, which, beginning at the edge of the water, sweeps round almost in a circle about the town. To such, therefore, as ad- vance upon it in this direction, it is accordingly quite invisible, till they gain the summit of the heights ; and as we were not permitted to attain that eminence, it continued to us invisible to the last. Under such cir- cumstances it is of course impossible for me to attempt any description of its streets, squares, or public build- ings ; all of which are, I doubt not, worthy of the moijt minute delineation which the pen of a finished traveller could draw out ; but I can say something of the defen- ces, by means of which this greatest of all the ports of the Chesapeake was protected ; and as an account of these may prove not uninteresting to my readers, I pro- ceed to give it. The approach to Baltimore by water, is defended by two forts, one on each side of the river. The fort on the right bank, which mounts some twenty guns, formed, on the present occasion, the extreme left of the enemy's position, which extended along the face of the hills, di- rectly across the road, and ended at a redoubt, thrown up for the purpose, just where the hills bend back upon the town. In the centre, between these two covering redoubts, batteries, breast- works, /ecAcs, and traverses were thrown up; where time had not been granted for this, deep ditches were dug — and stakes and palisadoes completed the entrenchments, which mud-banks and parapets had begun. In the range of these works were mounted one hundred and twenty pieces of ordnance, t lich we now liills, which, •ound almost sfore, as ad- ■diogly quite leights; and eminence, it ler such cir- 16 to attempt public build- er of the moijt ihed traveller of the defen- l the ports of n account of eaders, I pro- 3 defended by The fort on guns, formed, f the enemy's f the hills, di- doubt, thrown nd back upon two covering and traverses m granted for md palisadoes ud-banks and se works were of ordnance, A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 149 mny Of them twenty-four and thirty.two pounders fltt ToTur^r:?'^ ''' ^'^'^^^^ -amen fro^'The fleet. To support this powerful artillery, some twenty thousand mfantry vere under arms, and of thete 2 greater numbers were, as might be expected, milirm but as far as we could learn, there were full five thou -sand troops of the line who had been called in bu Td amved too late for the defence of the capital. Out valry never happened to hear what force was be/bre e ves at Bladensburg were here, and perhaps they were remforced by some local troops; but I will not ven.u e a conjecture as to their number, because I posses, no ground upon which to frame it. I do not think, how! ever, that I shall err greatly from the truth, if I con- elude that two-and-twenty thousand men, with upwards of a hundred heavy cannon, now stood in a position naturally strong, and rendered doubly so by entrench' ments, to oppose the efforts of five thousand infantry with eight pieces of light artillery. The odds we J unquestionably tremendous; yet sure I am that I speak the sentiments of the whole army, when I aver that the order to halt, and take up ground for the night, whirh was issued almost as soon as the enemy became visible was received with one feeling, and one feeling onlv, that' of bitter, I had almost said indignant regret! ' The march of the column this day had been more dehbera e than usual. The enemy, by fellin. tre ' across the road at various points, had contrived to ret der the progress of the artillery somewhat difficult; and hence, though we began our journey as early as seven 150 ▲ SUBALTEBN IN AMERICA^ Fif- o'clock in the morning, it was found, at five in the af* ternoon, tha* little more than ten or twelve miles had been compassed. To us, however, who had forced our way through brake and brier, diverging, in a multitude of instances, from the straight direction, the march ap- peared sufficiently long; and seeing that we were not about to be led into action, no man regretted the order which consigned him to repose. But in the rest which was granted to our comrades, Charlton and I took no part. It again fell to our lot to be put in charge of a picquet ; and hence, we had no sooner rejoined the main body with our followers, than we were directed to move off towards the right, where our station for the night was assigned us. II 1) A SOBALTlRir IK AKSSICA. 161 CHAPTER Xlir. rHEPARATIONS FOB ATTACKING THE AMEHICAN EN- TRENCHMENTS SUDDEN RETREAT AND RE- EMBARKATION. We had hardly taken possession of the post allotted to us, when the rain, which during the whole of the day had ceased, began again to fall with renewed violence • .t unfortunately happened, too, that there was nothing wahm our reach which we could oppose to it. Our •^'tafon was at the edge of a belt of oaks, that cut off one porfon of a large field from another, and our ad- vanced sentinels were planted about half-musket-shot in front of us. But the branches of the trees were not sufficiently close to afford the slirhtest shelter nor was there a hovel or shed of any kind, under which we could retire. To add to our miseries, both the officers' cloaks and the men's blankets, having been kept behind, we «-ere denied the means of keeping ourselves ordinarily warm; whilst it was not without much difficulty that we succeeded in getting a fire to blaze. The wood within our reach was all green the rain of last night had completely soaked it and it more than once occur- --■■^-*^a*.-««i A r w .iii fli 152 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA, red that the sheets of water which poured down from the clouds, extinguished in a moment the spark which we had wasted a full quarter of an hour in coaxing into life. At last, however, our patience received its reward, and a couple of fires, roaring and crackling beneath the green wood, had the double effect of increasing our bo- dily ease, and elevating our spirits. About a couple of hundred yards in front of our vi- dettes, stood a mansion of considerable size, and gen- teel exterior, upon which we cast many a longing look, without venturing for some time to approach it. That a place so neat in all its arrangements, and so well sup- plied with out-houses of every description, could be wholly devoid of the necessaries and comforts of life, was a matter which we were very unwilling to believe. Withou^ doubt, the pens that stood at its western gable contained their due quantity of pigs,— the hen-roosts could not be all tenantless,~and the flights of pigeons, which went and came, gave decisive proof that the dove- cot had not been built for purposes of empty show. Neither was it nrobable that the larder would be abso- lutely cleared out, or the cellars totally empty. Our very mouths watered as these reflections occurred to us ; and at last it was determined that, at all hazards, the mansion in question should be examined. The charge of conducting the search fell, as it was proper that it should fall, upon me, as the junior,- and I set ofl; attended by four men, to eflfect it. Being as- sured by the sentries th^.i no Americans had shown themselves there since they assumed their posts, we pushed on without much apprehension, and our satis. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 153 faction was far from being slight when we found that the house was empty. But the satisfaction arising from that source, suffered a very considerable diminution when, on proceeding to look round for the viands, in quest of which we had come, nothing of the kind could be found. There was not a pig, fowl, or other livinff creature about the place. The pigeons alone, of all the stock upon the farm, remained, and thev were a great deal too wary not to baffle every effort which was made to surprise them. Disappointed and chagrined at an ^v-em so little anticipated, we were preparing to quit the ■nhosp.tabic domicile, when a whole crowd of stra^. glcrs, artillerymen, sappers, sailors, and soldiers of the Imo, rushed into the hall. In a moment the wall« of the building re-echoed with oaths and exclamations, and fables, chairs, windows, and even doors, were dashed to pieces, in revenge for the absence of food. By and by, however, a shout of joy was heard. Like tliosc about us, we ran in the direction of the sound and beheld, through a chasm in a brick wall under ground, the interior of a wine cellar, set round in mag- nificent array, with bottles of all shapes and dimensions. Die Wily Yankee to whom this house belonged, unable or unwilling to remove his wine, had adopted the com- mon precaution of fclocking up the entrance to his vaults with brick-work. But the absence of all uniformitv between the old and the new masonry failed not to strike one of our soldiers wh.> passed by it; and applying the but-end of his musket to the portion which seemed to l>ave been last thrown up, he easily forced a few bricks out of their places. An exclamation indicative of the 14* 154 A 80BALTBRN IN AMERICA. highest degree of pleasure, instantly gave notice that some great discovery had been effected ; it drew the whole of us to the spot, and in five minutes, the cellar was crowded with men, filling, in the first place^ their own haversacks and bosoms, and then handing out hot- ties, with the utmost liberality, to their comrades. In less than a quarter of an hour, not a single pint, either of wine or spirits, remained out of all this magnificent stock. Well pleased with the issue of our undertaking, wo retraced our steps to the picquet, where we were re- ceived with the cordiality which our burden was calcu- lated to produce. There the spirits were equally di- vided, and the men receiving their due proportion, there fell to the share of Charlton and myself a flask of ex- quisite cogniac, with two magnums of superior Bour- deaux. With the help of these, we contrived to make a very comfortable meal upon salt pork and biscuit, which alone remained to us, and then lighting our pipes, we sat down by the side of the fire, in a state of excessive moisture, it is true, but still of considerable enjoyment. By this time darkness began rapidly to set in, and the scene acquired every moment more and more of interest and sublimity.. The rain still fell, though not with so much violence as it had fallen a little while ago ; whilst the wind rising by fits and starts, waved over the flat, and whistled through the wood in violent gusts. The clouds rushed before it, and totally ob- scured, from time to time, a young moon, which seem- ed to struggle against their supremacy, and then di- A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 155 viding into their grey fleeces, suffered her for a mo mcnt to smile out upon the storm. But it was not in tlK. operations of nature alone that we found much to admire. Our outposts, extending in a sort of curve. permitted us, who occupied one of the extreme flanks to look at once upon the fires, both of the British and American armies, and the effect of these, in a dark and empestuous night like the present, was in the highest degree striking. Our troops lay all along the plain: in part among the wood which skirted the open coun' try, in part upon the open country itself; and their or- der probably through motives of policy, was as loose and scattered as a due regard to safety would permit. The consequence was, that their fires stretched out in a single line, presented an appearance far more impo. smg, than if they had been confined, as usual, to one or two spots. On the part of the Americans again here was no need for any artificial extension. Their fires ran along the whole face of the hill. Like our own they were arranged in a sort of semicircle, only the horns of their crescent, instead of advancing, fell back, on both sides from the centre. It was impossi- ble not to feel the contrast, which the dense arrange- ment of their bivouac presented, to the scattered and somewhat irregular disposition of ours. That they surpassed us in numbers, at least threefold, we had all along been aware; the very nature and extent of their works were, of themselves, sufficient to prove this; but I arn not sure that the knowledge of that superiority produced its full effect, till after the establishment of the two camps for the night had brought it completely 156 A tUBALTBBN IN AMEBIC A. f f /ii home to us. Yet there was not a man amongst us vv ho entertained a doubt as to the issue of the battle, let it begin when it might. We despised the Yankees from our hearta, and only longed for an opportunity to show them how easily they could be beaten. Nor was this eager desire to engage the mere off- spring of an impetuosity, which British soldiers always experience when in the presence of an enemy. It had been explained to us, that as soon as a communication could be opened between the army and the fleet, of which all the bombs, and many of the lighter frigates, were in the river, an attack upon the American linos would be made. This was to begin with a heavy fire on the right, for the purpose of drawing to that part the principal share of Jonathan's attack ; after which, the 85th regiment, and the seamen, supported by the 4th and 44th, were to penetrate the left silently, and with the bayonet. Having overcome all opposition, the column was to wheel up upon the summit of the ridge, to remain stationary till dawn; and then taking the whole of the works in flank, to carry them one by one in detail. But everything; it was understood, must de- pend upon the ability of the fleet to co-operate. There was, upon the extreme right of the American position, a strong post, well supplied with heavy ordnance. To pass it by unheeded, would be, our leaders conceived, to expose the attacking column, even should it succeed in the dark, to certain destruction, as soon as dayli^l.t enabled the artillery to play ; whilst to attempt it by escalade, was esteemed a project too hazardous. To the fleet it was accordingly left, which, by bombard- A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 167 ment, would, it was presumed, reduce it to ruins in a few liours; and the commencement of a serious can. nonade from the river, was to be the signal for a gen. era! movement in line. Thus instructed, the reader will easily believe, that as hour after hour stole on, we turned our gaze, with tevensh anxiety, towards the river. All, however continued as it had been before. No flash told that' the shippmg had taken their stations; the noise of finng was unheard, and the most serious apprehensions began to be entertained, that the plan had, for some cause or another, miscarried. At last, when midnight was close at hand, a solitary report, accompanied by the ascension of a small bright spark into the sky, gave notice that the bombardment had begun. Another and another followed in quick succession; and now every man instinctively sprung from the earth, and grasped his arms. The point to be passed was, we well knew, in our immediate front. We were aware, that m forcing it, our detachment would take the lead : and we listened, in breathless attention, for the coming up of the column which had been appointed to support us. Our ears, too, were on the stretch for the mus- ketry which ought soon to be heard in the opposite di, rection ; in a word, we stood in our ranks for a full hour, under the influence of that state of excitation, Avhich, while it locks up the faculty of speech, renders the senses, both of sight and hearing, acute to an al- most unnatural degree. Such was our situation, both of body and mind, from midnight, when the ships began to open their fire. I 158 A SUBALTERN IN AHEBICA. M v up to the hour of two. That all things went not pros- perously, was manifest enough. The precious time, at least, was escaping us ; and for that loss we all felt that nothing could make amends; but we were far from anticipating the total change of resolution which had occurred, and of which we were so soon to receive proofs the most decisive. At last, when murmurs, " not loud but deep," began to pass from man to man, an aid- de-camp arrived, and our sentries were ordered to be called in. This being effected, we prf^ceeded, under his guidance, towards the left; till, being arrived at the high road, we found the whole army in marching order, and, to our inexpressible astonishment, preparing to with- draw. The column was formed, as soldiers express themselves, left in front ; and the men's faces were then towards the shipping. It is impossible for me to convey any idea of the dis- appointment, or rather humiliation, experienced and ex- pressed by persons of all ranks, when it became ap- parent that a retreat was determined upon. It was no consolation to us to be told, that the frigates had been unable to force their way within cannon-shot of the ene- my's works, and that even the bombardment of which we had been spectators, proved all but harmless to those against whom it was directed. We could not beiievc that our success depended, in any essential degree, upon the operations of the navy. What were the American entrenchments to us? In the first place, the most un- practised eye could not fail to perceive, that of the field- works begun, not one had arrived at completion; and the most ignorant in the art of war is aware, that in A SUBALTERN IN AXfCRICAi 160 works only half defensible troops repose very little con. fidence. In the next place, no truth can be more ap. parent, than that, in all night-operations, a compact body of veterans, well-disciplined and orderly, arc at all times an overmatch for whole crowds of raw levies. Per- haps our leaders acted prudently in deferring the mo- ment of attack till after nightfall. By doing so, they at all events rendered the enemy's superiority in artil- lery of no avail; but why the plan of a night-attack should be given up, because a single redoubt escaped cannonading from the river, we could not divine. Our business, however, was a simple one; we had only to obey; not, indeed, wuli the same satisfaction which would have marked our obedience of other orders, but promptly, and in good spirits. It fell to the lot of the companies which had furnish, ed the picquets, to perform, on the present occasion, the office of a rear-guard. Among these our company took Its station ; and as we were commanded not to move till daylight began to break, we no sooner saw the column fairly set out, than we gathered round a large fire by the roud-side, and sat down. There still remained in our flask some portion of the cogniac, a few crumbs of biscuit lay about the recesses of our wallets; and upon them, early as it was, we proceeded to make our rude meal, lest an opportunity of so doing should not occur agam. At last, a few faint streaks of dawn showing them- selves in the eastern sky, our sentries were called in, our men took their stations, and the retreat began. To guard against surprisal, two file?, each at the distance I 160 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. I 1 M 'I 11 of thirty or forty paces from the other, were command- ed to move about fifty or sixty yards in rear of the com- pany. Six other files, three on each side of the way, swept the woods as a sort of flank patrol ; whilst the body of the company, amounting to exactly twenty- four men, proceeded in column. Of the rest of the army we saw nothing ; it had set out a full hour and a half before us; although it necessarily moved more slowly than us, we could hardly expect to overtake it till it should halt. But so little were we apprehensive of pursuit, that the idea of being cut off never once oc- curred to us ; and hence we were not altogether so care- ful in providing against such an accident as we ought to have been. We were, however, taught, before the day's journey came to a close, that things do occasion- ally happen which have not been anticipated. The storm of wind and rain having died away, our march became, before long, exceedingly agreeable. Of the country through which we now travelled, none of us during the advance had seen anything; the scenery accordingly possessed all the attractions which novelty bestows. The road, too, though sandy, was a good one, and the late moisture rendered it better than it had been before, by hardening it ; whilst the trees, bonding over from both sides, afforded an agreeable shelter from the sun's rays, which soon began to beat upon us some- what powerfully. With all these pleasant circumstan- ces about us, it was but natural that we should trudge on in excellent humour. But the carelessness to which, as our distance from the enemy's lines increased, we began to give way, suddenly received its chastisement, A SUBAITEBN IN AMERICA. Igj .nd our auontion was drawn from lighter topics to the iciportam business of our duty. It might be noon, or a little past it, and we were ap. proaclung the seene of the action of the IS.h, when a shou, from the Hies in the rear, followed by the dis! h rge a couple of muskets, attracted our attention. allowed for any regub- formation, ere a troop of some twenty or thu-ty horse dashed round an an.ie of the road, and, sword in h„.,j, g„||„,,ped towards us. "To «c could g,ve; the men understood it,- and spring, ome ,0 the r.ght, and ethers to the led of the way,°they throw themselves into the wood, where .he cavalry cm, M m reach them. Then was a fire opened, whieh Tn f nee brought men and horses to the ground, nj. airy paused ; one or twoattempted, with great bravery '" "^T ■■'■"; h-^es into the thickets, and two of oT people, who chanced to be more exposed than their com ndes, w:cre sabred. But the a-ann having spr ad To 1.0 man, body, now not far ahead of us, a b^vLcrtnd a lield.gun came at full speed to our assistance. The Amencans waited „o, for the guns to open. Instantly .at they appeared every man turned his head, and as «.ey rode for hfe and death our gunners had ^.ly an opportunity of firing tw^ shots. ^ Ignorant as we necessarily were, whether the corns guatd of the whole American army, or was a mere pa. ol, sent out to track our steps and ascertain our plans « broke net at once into rnarohing-order as soon ^ ;^ --rv 162 A StBALTEBN IN AMERICA. ! ! had disappeared. On the contrary, the whole force drew up in two lines ; the artillery took its station, and every arrangement was made for fighting a general ac- tion on the spot. But nothing farther being seen or heard of the assailants, all hope of bringing matters to that desirable issue was laid aside, and the brigades, one by one, took the road, as they had done before. A recognisance was, indeed, instituted ; that is to say, the rear-guard, supported by two pieces of cannon, and four additional companies of infantry, retraced its steps about a mile, for the purpose of ascertaining with accuracy how matters stood ; but they meeting with nothing to excite their interest, they too turned back, and fol- lowed their comrades unmolested. The rest of our journey was performed without the occtirrance of any remarkable incident. Wo passed, as we were necessiatcd to pass, our yesterday's position, where men and officers recovered the cloaks and blank- ets which had been left behind ; and we saw the dead lying as they lay on the evening of the action, still un- buricd. Many had, however, undergone the process of stripping, though by whom it was impossible for us to guess ; and all were beginning to emit an odour the reverse of acceptable to delicate organs; but we could not pause to give them sepulture ; and both the sight and smell were too familiar to affect us very deeply. We pushed on, and arriving about four o'clock in the afternoon at a convenient piece of ground, a halt M'as ordered. There all the customary arrangements of lighting fires, piling arms, and i)lanting outposts, were gone through ; and here, under the shelter of gipsy- A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 163 tents, composed of blankets and the ramrods of mu». kets, we passed the night. It is not necessary that I should continue the detail of our subsequent operations very minutely. Enough is done when I state, that on the following morning, as soon as broad daylight came in, the retreat was res'um. ed and that we arrived about nine o'clock A. M., at a position which promised to furnish every facility' for a safe re-embarkation. The boats were already on the beach in groat numbers ; a couple of gun-brigs were moored, as before, within cable's length of the shorej and the sailors, in crowds, were waiting to receive us, and to coiivcy us to our respective vessels. No liearty cheering, liowcvcr, gave notice this time of the satis- faction of these brave fellows with the results of the ex. pedition. On the contrary, a solemn silence prevailed among them; and even the congratulations, on tho safe return of their individual acquaintances, were ac- companicd by an expression of deep sorrow for the loss of General Ross, and the profitless issue of the inroad. In this humour they conducted us, regiment by regi. ment to the boats ; and the evening was as yet very little advanced, when ihe whole army, with all its ma- terial and stores, found itself again lodged on board of ship. > 'i mC /^m^mmmiis 164 ▲ SVBALTEKN IN AMERICA. CHAPTER XIV. ^ \ r. The feelings which took possession of us now were similar in their nature, though perhaps less vivid, than those which had come into pluy after the re-shipment of the expedition to Washington. At first, the change from constant excitement to absolute rest, was received as a positive boon ; by and by the sameness of the rest itself became a thousand degrees more irksome than its very opposite. During the remainder of the day which witnessed our return to the transport we were, upon, the whole, happy enough ; that is, we enjoyed the lux- ury of clean linen, a social dinner, and a cheerful glass of wine after it. But the day after rose somewhat heavily, and it became more and more heavy as it pro- ceeded on its course. There was nothing whatever to be done. The weather chanced to be singularly un- genial ; the rain fell in torrents and the cold — or rath- er the damp chill was excessively disagreeable. Of course, there was no such thing as walking the deck ; and our wretched library had long ago become an ob- ject of loathing to most of us. For my own part, as soon as I had finished my letters for England, and i^jirt-**. - w ij rt;* ^ ;^ ^^ A SUnALTEKN IN AMERICA. 16^5 IS now were I vivid, than re-shipment the change •as received s of the rest onie than its e day which ivcrc, upon, fed the lux- icerful glass : somewhat ^y as it pro- whatever to gularly un- J — or rath- ^cable. Of I the deck; )me an ob- ivn part, as igland, and ; played a game or two at chess, I went fairly to bed and slept or rather dozed confusedly till dinner was announced. In mercy to us, a fine breeze sprang up on the morn- ing of the 17th, and the rain ceasing, the weather again smiled upon us in all the luxuriance of the west- ern hemisphere. The dock was accordingly converted to its old uses ; and a regular promenade from the taf- frel to the mizen-mast, and from the mizen-mast to the tafFrcl, was cstablislied. A rumour, likewise, some- how or another got into circulation, that a large fleet, containing ten thousand fresh troops, with Sir Rowland, now Lord Hill, to command them, had been seen and spoken to off the entrance of the bay. It will bo.easily believed, that a piece of intelligence so desirable was received with every demonstration of extravagant joy. With such a force, and such a leader, we all felt, that there was nothing which we would not readily attempt, and hardly anything which we could not easily accom- plish and if a whimper of a complaint was heard at all, it rose only from the idea, that had the reinforce- ments come in but a week earlier, we should have been now in quarters in Baltimore, and the gallant Ross alive. Ncvorthclcss we were philosophers enough to rest satisfied, that an event in itself so fortunate would never occur out of due time ; and we soon brought our- selves to believe, that a day or two at the fiirthest would see us again on shore, and that Baltimore would not, after all, escape its visitation. We were in this ardent fmmc of mind when about eleven o'clock in tlic forenoon, the Admiral fired a sig- 15* 166 A SUBALTERN IN AMEEICA. nal •gun, and the fleet got under weigh. The breeze naa oy this time increased to a pretty strong gale ; but as it blew in the direction to which our prows were turned, no man, either soldier or sailor, com- plained of its violence. We flew like eagles down the bay ; but as we were approaching Kent Island the wind suddenly shifted, and we were compelled to cast anchor under its cliffs for the night. On the morrow, however, we were again steering our course ; and it soon became apparent, from the direction in which wo moved, that the Patuxent was again about to aflx}rd us a tcmpory roadstcd. In the course of to day's pas- sage we passed, as we had done before, within gun- shot of Annopolis, and of the villages, and hamlets in its vicinity. Almost the same spectacle which had previously arrested our attention rose to attract it now. Again the beacons were set on fire — again signal-guns were fired, horsemen mounted, and telegraphic com- munications were carried on at every station ; whilst the provincial capital, with all the inhabited places near it, again sent forth crowds of men, women, and chil- dren, flying in manifest confusion into the interior. I must confess, that though the course of some three years' campaigning had by this time pretty effectually blunted my finer feelings, I could not but pitty the ill- fated denizens of this devoted district, and then I re- garded our present proceedings with no very triumphant eye, inasmuch as they reminded me more of the opera- tions of the ancient Danes against Alfred and his sub- jects, than anything in the annals of modern and civil- ized warfare. Yet was there a great deal in this kind of A SUBALTERN IN AilEBICA. 167 life calculated, in an extraordinary degree, to interest and amuse. We came at last never to look upon a town or a village, without having, at least, the wish, that we might be allowed to pay to it a hostile visit; and though I am sure that the peaceful inhabitants would have suf- fercd no wrong at our hands, I am equally sure, that there wn lothinrr in the shape of public property, or public works, wiiich we did not regard as furnishing a legitimate source of plunder and out-age. Our vovagc continuing throughout the whole of the 18th, we irrived, at an early hour on the morning of the 19th, at our old anchorage in the Patuxcnt river. Here every ship in the fleet brought up; and here, as far as we could gather, it was more than probable that we should be condemned to remain, in a state of useless inactivity, for some time to come. A sort of rumour began about this time to get abroad among us, that the ultimate object of our transportation to America was not to be looked for here. A permanent conquest, it was whispered, would somewhere or another be at- tempted; but when, how, or in what direction, con- tinued a mystery. There were persons, indeed, who spoke of a descent upon New York. There were others who insinuated, that one of the southern states lay more open to an attack, and if subdued, might more easily be retained. All, however, confessed themselves ignorant of the real undertaking meditated, though all seemed to agree, that in this quarter of the United States our campaign was at an end ; that however lonfr we might continue here, would be in idleness and con- finement. With such rumours afloat, the reader will 168 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA* It 1 not be surprised to hear that we soon began to find that enemy of all unemployed persons, ennui, gaining ground rapidly upon us,- and that we looked forward to a move with the same impatience that a betrothed female experiences, when she is counting the hours which intervene between the first publication of the banns to the day of wedding. I will not attempt to record, in regular order, the methods which were adopted to kill time, from the 19th of September, the day on which we cast anchor, up to the 13th of October, when we finally quitted the Chesa- peake. It was, upon the whole, but a dull and unin- teresting period of our existence. We moved, indeed, from the Patuxent to the Potomac, and from the Poto- mac back again to the Patuxent. We landed, too, sometimes in small parties, sometimes in large, and twice in whole brigades. But the journal, were it recru- larly transcribed, with due attention to dates and cir- cumstances, would, I fear, prove as 'ittic interesting to the reader to peruse, as it would be irk.somc and dis- agreeable to the writer to detail it. It will be better to relate only such events as appear to myself most worthy of relation. In the first place, then, I recollect that whilst the fleet lay at anchor in the Patuxent, a signal was hoisted at the mast-head of the Royal Oak, requiring a certain number of ca_ lains and other naval ofiicers to come on board, for the purpose of holding a court-martial. Two seamen, captured in some of the late operations, had been re- cognized as deserters from one of his majesty's ships, and they were now about to bo tried. The court met, iMliiiilii ▲ SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 169 the prisoners were convicted, and they were sentenced to be hanged ; and at noon, on the 20th of September, the sentence was carried into execution. As the cir- cumstances attending the execution of a criminal on board of ship are rather solemn, I shall take the liberty of describing them somewhat at length. Having heard that such an event was about to occur, two or three others and myself, obeying the dictates of a curiosity not, perhaps, of the most refined nature, took boat, and went on board the Royal Oak, about an hour previous to the fatal moment. Whether any ceremo- nies were gone through previous to the general muster of the ship's company, and if they were, of what nature they consisted, I cannot speak, because, till all hands were piped upon decks, I sate with the lieutenants in the ward room. About ten minutes before twelve o'clock, however, the drum beat to quarters, and all, both officers and men, hurried to their stations. This done, the boatswain's whistle sounded, and all hands crowded the forecastle, quarter-deck, and poop, in a moment. There we stood, in profound silence, till eight bells were tolled ; and exactly as the last stroke ceased to reverberate, the captain made his appearance. All eyes were now turned in fearful expectation upon the fore-hatches ; nor was expectation long kept upon the stretch. A sergeant of marines, followed by a file of men, mounted the ladder ; then came two persons, dressed in blue jackets and trowsers, heavily ironed, and after them came another file of marines. They Ifnoved towards the quarter-deck, and having arrived k k^iMtl^g^^l i J li IS;"' 170 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. opposite the gang-way, stood still. In the meantime, it had not escaped our notice that a couple of nooses liung from the fore-yard, one on each side of the mast ; and that the ends of the ropes lay at length upon the forecastle, ready to be hurried aft by the ship's com- pany. Of course, we were all perfectly sensible to what uses these rope-ends were about to be turned; and though there was not one amongst us who felt disposed to deny the justice of a deserter's fate, there were few indeed who experienced no pity for the unhappy wretches about to sufier. No great while, however, was grant- ed for the indulgence of such thoughts. The captain unfolding a roll of paper which he held in his hand, read aloud the proceedings of the court martial, which sentenced the prisoners before him to suffer death ; and having stated, that the sentence in question received the approbation of the admiral on the station, he silently motioned to the culprits that their hour was come. I cannot pretend to convey to my reader any notion of the expression which passed across the poor men's coun- tenances, whilst these preliminaries went on. They were both deadly pale ; the limbs of one, too, appeared to tot- ter under him, but neither of them spoke a word, they seemed, indeed, especially one of them, to feel as men may be supposed to feel, if indeed they feel at all, on whose heads a heavy stunning blow has fallen,' for they suffered themselves to be led back towards the fatal noose without uttering one exclamation, or offerincr the slightest resistance. Their lips moved, however" though whether in prayer or execration, I cannot tell ; "^ w A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 171 and one raised his manacled hands with great apparent energy, to his breast. But the struggle was soon over. The chains were struck from their legs, which were bound about at the ancle and thigh with cords ; their hands, loosened from the handcuffs, were pinioned be- hind them, and a white night-cap being drawn over each of their faces, they were placed upright, with their fronts towards the mast. Then was the nooso silently cast on their necks, and a signal being given by the first lieutenant, about twenty stout fellows seized each of the ropes. One instant's, and only one in- ytant's pause occurred, for the boatswain piping " hoist away," the executioners ran with all speed towards the l)oop ; and the unfortunate culprits, hurried aloft with the rapidity of thought, died in an instant. I forced myself to gaze steadfastly upon the whole proceeding, and I can vouch, that not so much as a quiver, or mo- tion of the limb, gave evidence of suffering ; it seemed to me, to be the most humane execution which I had ever witnessed. And now all was over. The sailors returned to their berths, and we to our transport ; whilst the bodies of the deserters were left to swing in the air till sunset. I have said that whilst the fleet lay both in the Pa- tuxent and Potomac, it was a common practice among the officers to land and amuse themselves during the whole of the day, upon the banks of the rivers. Some- times these debarkations took place for the purpose of laying in fresh provisions ; on which occasions they were usually conducted with prudence, and protected by armed parties. At other times mere individual ca- * ¥ 172 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. price directed therr. ; and then they were, for the most part, as rash as the y were agreeable. I know not how it came about, but rarely indeed was a day permitted to pass by, without my spending some portion of it on shore; and to one of these casual excursions was I in- debted for my first acquaintance with the writings of an author now well known in this country, — I mean Washington Irving. I perfectly recollect that both the 21st and 22d of September were spent by a friend and myself on the right bank of the Patuxent. The air, though cooler than it had heretofore been, was mild, and even ener- vating; and the scenery partook just so much of a mix- turc of wilderness and cultivation, to be in the hifrhcst degree interesting and attractive. Not flir from the brink of the stream there stood a large chateau, from which, as may be imagined, the family had long ago retired. It was surrounded by grounds laid out with very considerable taste; and the furniture, and general arrangement of the interior, gave evidence, that its owner, whoever he might be, was not wanting either in aristocratic feeling, or elegant propensities. Strange to say, the chateau in question had escaped plundering; its very library was entire— though the only individuals left in charge of it were an old gray-hcadcd negro and his wife. In that library we found a work not long ago republished in this country— The Salmagundi; and though we could not enter into the local pleasantries interspersed through it, I remember that we read it with great grat-".:v;ation. To say the truth, our admiration of the talents of the author quite overcame our regard T- ■-\ ■■!■ A •irrALXl; :N in AMERICA. 173 to honestr ; for „ aot only read the volume on shore but brough' ' r.fr /ith us to our transport. We wcro 1. M ,wever, on every occasion, so inteN lectual in the ohu^eis of our search. Our fresh provis- ions being r .^, „-.d, it became a consideration of some moment witu us, how we might procure a second sup. ply, and for this purpose parties were more than once landed, and sent some \/ay up the country. Several of these I accompanied ; but as the adventures which befell •IS on one occasion, resembled very nearly those which befell on others, it will suffice if I select a single excur- sion, and give a narrative of it, as a fair specimen of the rest. On the 24th of September, a brother officer and my. self took with us twelve men well armed, and landing at a particular point, pushed off for the house of a gen! Jleman named Carrol, which stood at the distance of some two or three miles from the river. Mr. Carrol had already been visited by several parties from the ilcet, to whom he had sold, at considerable profit to him- self, sheep, geese, turkeys, and other live stock. The purport of our excursion to-day was to obtain from him a similar favour, and we found no difficulty in persuad- ing him to accept about twice its value, for any article that we coveted. To do him justice, however, Mr Car- rol was extremely hospitable; he made us heartily welcome to all that his larder and cellar would afford; and we became, as it was right that we should become,' the best friends imaginable. But our visit was not doomed io pass by wholly without accident. We had sat with him about half an hour, during which time our 16 li ) il 174 A SUBALTERN Ilf AMERICA. men had caught and brought in six sheep, two pigs, and a quantity of poultry, when a negro, rushing into the apartment, informed us, in a hurried tone, that two hun- dred horse had just arrived at a village about a mile distant, and that he entertained no doubt of their design to cut us off from the boats, and put us all to death. I know not whence it came about, but we had brought a bugler, bugle and all, on shore with us. Not doubting that our African friend was in the right, we instantly assembled our party ; and placing the live stock in the centre of half a dozen men, we caused the other half dozen to extend in covering order, and gave the bugler directions, on the first appearance of an enemy, to sound We had good reason to think, that the sound of a bugle would convey to the minds of these troopers the idea that a large force was on shoic; nor were we deceived. We had traversed about a mile, and were approach- ing the open country on the immediate margin of the stream, when a squadron of some twenty horse sudden- ly showed itself, close upon our rear. The bugler blew, as if it were intended to alarm a whole brigade, and our men flocking to the spot in ones and twos, doubtless impressed the Americans with a belief, that a large force was in front of them. They halted, wheeled round, and slowly rode away ; nor did we see anything more of them that morning. I need not add, that we made no delay in gaining our boat ; or that we half resolved not again to venture, so few in number, even as far from the fleet as Mr. Carrol's residence. Besides these private landings, as they may be term- ed, in the course of which, by the way, four ofiicers of f I UCA. ), two pigs, and ishing into the !, that two hun- 3 about a mile of their design dl to death. I had brought a Not doubting t, we instantly ve stock in the the other half ave the bugler icmy, to sound und of a bugle opers the idea e we deceived, rere approach- margin of the horse sudden- le bugler blew, } brigade, and twos, doubtless ', that a large .vheeled round, inything more that we made ! half resolved (^en as far from may be term- four officers of A SUBALTERN TS AMERICA. 175 the 85th regiment narrowly escaped being made pris- oners, two disembarkations of troops, under the com- mand of Colonel Brooke in person, took place. The first of these occurred on the occasion just referred to. A party of the 85th having incautiously exposed them- selves, and a report having reached the fleet that they were betrayed, the light corps landed for the purpose of chastising the traitor, and forcing a release of the prisoners. The first of these proceedings was not, they 'bund, required ; there had been no treachery, but much honour and good feeling displayed towards the English ; liie last, I believe, came to nothing. The officers hav- ing been concealed all day by an American farmer, ef- footed their own escape : the privates, who had fallen into the hands of some cavalry were instantly removed up the country. The light troops accordingly returned to the ships, without having effected anything. Nor was the second debarkation one whit more profitable. A rumour having come to Colonel Brooke's ears, that ten or twelve hundred Americans, with a park of six pieces of cannon, were encamped about five miles up the country, he determined to attempt their surpri&al. With this view, the 4th, 44th, and 21st regiments, as well as the battalion of marines and the corps of rock- 'tors, were landed, on the 4th of October, upon the left bank of the Potomac. The landing took place during the night ; and as the weather chanced to be stormy and moist, there was very little comfort whilst it went on. Nor, to speak the truth, did any man's enthusiasm rise sufficiently high to make him satisfied even under the petty grievance of a ducking. We could not but feel, 176 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. that the object in view was utterly worthless ; and we were far from being sanguine, that, worthless as it was, it would be obtained. We were not mistaken. Havin» marched all night under a soaking rain, we arrived about ten o'clock in the morning, at the site of the en- emy's bivouac, and found, as most of us expected to find, that it had been abandoned. The Americans were not quite so careless of themselves, as that two thou- sand mea could step on shore unobserved. Intelli- gence of our design reached them long before we began our inroad; and they returned leisurely into the into- rior. Under these circumstances, there remained for us but one course to pursue; we retraced our steps, and returned on board of ship, wet, weary, and empty- handed. y'- ' A SUBALTEBN IN AHEBICA. 177 CHAPTER XV. VOVAOE FROM THE CHESAPEAKE TO JAMAICA. But besides taking part with my comrades in these different pursuits, it was a common custom with me to spend whole days on shore, either seeking for game in the woods, or loitering about the beautiful banks of the river with my fishing-rod. No man who has not ex- perienced the irksomeness of a four months' confinement on board of ship, can at all comprehend the degree of gratification which these solitary excursions afforded. On such occasions, the air always appeared to blow with peculiar sweetness, and the noises produced by filings animate and inanimate about me were all m.ost musical. Every branch overhead was alive with birds, which made the forest ring with their clear and varied notes; whilst the rustling of the breeze through the Ibliagc, the murmur of the large stream, broken in upon and varied from time to time by the indistinct cries of the seamen, created altogether a harmony more exquisite than any other to which the human ear can listen. — Towards nightfall, in particular, these sounds came upon me vith peculiar force. Nor w re the bleating of sheep, 01 thr lowing of cattle, which met me as often as I ventured to any distance from the boats, thrown awav. 16* ■"■.»«Ni(ww."->-a -^:-vi^M f It- 178 A SUBALTERN IW AMEICA. I am not sure that I ever spent days more perfectly to my own satisfaction than those which were passed in solitude upon the banks of the Potomac. Things continued thus with us during several weeits, the boats rowing daily to the beach, and bringing off stores of fresh water from wells which had been dug there, and the horses and some part of the artillery l)oing landed on an island in the river. But at last a signal was made for all parties to repair to their respec- tive vessels ; and on the evening of the 6th of October, the whole expedition was again embarked. On the morning of the 7th, the anchors were raised, and a fair wind happening to blow, we stood in magnificent array towards the Chesapeake. Having fairly entered it, a pause was made for tl)c night ; but on the morrow wo were again under sail, with prows turned towards the capes, and before dusk we had the satisfaction to ob- serve the mouth of the James' river open on our star- board bow. Nor was this the only or the most agreea- ble event which befell us that day. A beautiful schoo- ner, carrying a white flag at her main-topmast head, shot after us from the Patuxcnt ; she overtook us just as we were preparing to bring up for the night, and groat was the joy of every man on board when it appeareii that she was the bearer of the majority of the men anil officers who had been left behind wounded at Bladens- burg. Among the individuals thus restored to the army wevp! Colonels Thornton and Wood, (Major Brown's hurts were too serious to admit of his removal,) and not a tew of the best non-commissioned officers and privates belonging to the light brigade. I need not add, 1^ I tTOH'-"- A STTBALTERN IN AMERICA. 179 that a reunion of friends, under such circumstances, was productive of the highest exultation on all sides; whilst the reflection, that two officers of experience had returned to their stations, gave universal satisfaction, on higher grounds than those of mere personal attachment. From the date last referred to, up to the evening of the 14th, the fleet either continued at anchor, or beat about the bay, as if the Admiral were in expectation of dispatches from home, or had not yet made up his own mind as to the course which it behoved him to follow. At last, however, though not before we soldiers had begun to give utterance to many and sore complaints, a signal to steer in a SSE. direction was displayed. All the transports, most of the line-of-battle ships, the bombs, brigs, and small craft, instantly obeyed ; and as the wind blew fine and fresh, we bounded over the water like eagles through the skies. Capes Charles and Henry both hove in sight before dusk. We rushed through between them, and the rising moon found us once again at sea in the Atlantic ocean. Of the circumstHnccs which attended our passage from the Chesapeake to Jamaica, it is not necessary that I should give here any minute account. The usual varieties of rough and calm, fair and foul weather, pre- sented themselves; and the customary formalities of shaving and administering oafhs on crossing the line were gone through. Sharks were fished for, dolphins harpooned, and fiying-fisb secured on the quarter-deck, whither they had leaped; and water-spouts, thunJer- storms, and other children of the tropics, came by turns to amuse and to alarm us. Yet was the period of our I I' ! 180 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. h ^ ji % i I S - I lives which extended from the 14th of October up to the 28th of November but a dull and monotonous one. The scenery, indeed, after we had fairly entered what is called the windward channel, became interesting and beautiful in no ordinary degree. It was delightful to behold the bold shores of St Domingo on the one hand, and the no less magnificent cliffs of Cuba on the other ; whilst the unvarying progress which we made under the influence of the trade-winds proved of itself a source ot" hearty congratulation. But in spite of these amelio- rating accompaniments, a six weeks' voyage is, after all, nothing more than a six weeks' imprisonment, where, as Dr. Johnson has observed, in addition to the loss of liberty, you run the risk of being drowned. It was, therefore, with feelings of unspeakable satisfaction, that WQ at length beheld the blue mountains of Jamaica cast their shadows upon the distant horizon ; and our satis- faction received tenfold greater force when the anchor was dropped in Port Royal bay. The reader will readi- ly believe that we lost no time in putting foot upon dry land; indeed, the vessel had not swung round to the tide, when every officer, except such as were absolutely required for duty, abandoned her. In spite of the excessive sultriness of the climate, I shall never cease to look back upon the period of my brief sojourn in Jamaica with sentiments of unqualified satisfaction. So many months had elapsed since an opportunity of mining at all in civilized English society was aflbrded, that though I can hardly venture to com- pare the society of Kingston and its vicinity to the pol- ished circles of Grosvenor Square or Portland Place, Wi A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 181 even it, with all its drawbacks, (and they were ne'^ner few nor trifling,) brought a charm along with %., su< '. as I cannot adequately describe. There was s- .^iQihUifi, in the very domestic arrangement of the \, -' houses, which men, so little accustomed of lat3 to the sight of such things, could not behold with indifference. True, the absence of well-bred and well-educated white women was severely felt. Not that there were none such in the island— nay, far from it, those with whom we did form an acquaintance were at least as polished as women of their own stations at home. But they were few in number; and where they existed not, their places were but indifferently supplied by the Mulatto and Musfce girls, who, in too many instances, presided at our entertainers' boards. Then the manners of the men, hearty and sincere, no doubt, were at the same time abundantly rough, uncultivated, boisterous, and dogmatical. To a stranger, too, the being waited upon by filthy blacks, male and female, proved disgusting in the extreme. In spite of all this, however, we enjoyed the change in the order of our existence amazingly The people were all, without any exception, frank and hospitable; they gave us dinners and balls, as well quality as not quality ; they did their best, in short, to make our visit a pleasant one, and it would ill become me, whom they entertained thus liberally, to speak of them in terms of disrespect. If I have appeared to err in this particular, I assure them that I do not feel what I may have unwarily written. I am not going to enter into any discussion of the Slave Question ; neither shall I waste my reader's time ^^^ _ ,j . J : ba-.:i ^Wi,,^^;)»itm*> '^^i^tXfW *'*ire«:**^**«^«*=. 4 V ■ 163 A SUBALTERN IN AMESfCA. by laying before him a minute description of Kingston, or the country round it. On the subject of slavery, it will be sufficient to observe, that I landed as strongly imbued with prejudice as most men, and that a little close inspection of the behaviour of both Whites and Blacks, served to convince me, that the first were not the monsters which they were so frequently represented to be, nor the last the objects of that mawkish compas- sion which it is the pleasure of a certain class of worthies to stir up in their favour. The domestic slave in Ja- maica, is, generally speaking, as well treated, and in every respect as happily situated, as a domestic servant in England ; and, from what I saw of the tasks impos- ed upon the field-negroes, I should certainly not say, that the slave in the sugar or coffee plantation, is much more heavily oppressed with toil, than the English ditcher or reaper. No doubt there are many respects in which the slave stands upon less enviable ground than the European labourer, though I cannot rank among them the mere fact of his being a bondsman ; because, to people so little advanced in the scale of civ- iiization, there is really no pain in a degradation, which, after all, is but ideal. But I do consider their liability to be separated at the will of their owner, from their nearest relatives, as a very grievous hardship. It is a sad sight, too, to behold both men and women walked backwards and forwards, as in this country we walk a horse through a cattle-market : yet the individuals them- selves seem not to regard the thing,— in all probability they do not feel it. Of the wanton cruelties so much talked of here, my own observation brought not before A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 183 me so much as a solitary example. They may some- times occur; wherever a multitude of persons possess absolute power, some will always abuse it ; but it is mere folly to speak of drivers and overseers as men who delight in the sound of the whip, and in the agon- ies of their fellow-creatures. There is yet another class of slaves, on whose condition a word or two may be hazarded. Many owners teach their negroes trades, and these negroes afterwards labour, not for the cxclu' sive benefit of their owners, but for their own. Men even hire themselves of their masters; that is, under- take to pay the masters so much per week, on condition that they shall be allowed to apply their earnings to their own uses; and the balance, as often as it proves to be against the master, is punctually made good. All these facts I deem it proper to state, not in the spirit of one who wishes to involve himself in the controversy which has so long raged between the planters and abo- litionists, but as the results of a pretty accurate investi- gation, set on foot with no design whatever to discover excellencies in a system which all Englishmen must constitutionally abhor. With respect to the general appearance of the island, again, I saw too little of it to authorize my entering upon minute details. Stoney Hill Barracks at the foo^t of the mountain, on the one hand, and Spanish-Town, with the Governor's residence, on the other, bounded ray tour in this quarter ; and even when the ships pro- ceeded to the place of assembly at Negril Bay, I never ventured ten miles from the beach, because' our stay was expected to be at most a brief one; the exact mo- » J 1^1 I 184 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. mcnt of its termination no one could tell ; it would have been as rash as impolitic, under such circumstances, to wander very far away from the shipping. Yet I saw enough, both in the bold outline of its mountainous coasts, and in the fertility and richness of its mid-land plains, to satisfy me, that few places more deserve the notice of a travel k-r, whose search is after natural beauty alone. It was on the 17th of November, just ns day began to break, that the little squadron of vessels which had rendezvoused at Port-Royal, weighed anchor. The rest of the fleet having steered direct for Ncgril Bay, and it being understood that a large reinforcement had been ordered to join the expedition in that roadstead, it was necessary for us also to direct our course thither, as soon as our stores of water and provisions should be complete. All things were in readiness for the move on the evening of the 16th, and on the following morn- ing we put to sea. Our short voyage, for it was accomplished in less than forty-eight hours, proved an exceedingly agreea- ble one. Keeping constantly within sight of land, we slid with the tide round the promontory, and moved along sometimes slowly, at other times with consider- able velocity, according as the light airs which wafted us, freshened or lulled. The scenery brought by this means into view, was as interesting as a constant suc- cession of rock and mountain, wood and glen, could render it ; and the rate of our going enabled us for the most part to enjoy every change to the utmost. To- wards evening, again, the smell became gratifying in a -, -» ' •.■«:s* A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 185 degree not less palpable than the sense of sight. It is probably needless for me to mention, that in this quar- ter of the world, the wind invariably changes with the rising and setting of the sun ; and that as it blows on shore, in every part of the island, during the day, so it blows off the land in all directions, during the night. By this means the most dcliciuus odours, from oranges, myrtles, and all tlic sweet-scented shrubs of a tropical climate, load the evening breezes ; and being to-night just within their influence, wc sat upon the deck long after it became dark, to inhale their fragrance. Then the morn arose in cloudless majesty, making rocks, woods, and sloping downs again visible, and casting over them a radiance a thousand times more beautiful than that of day, whilst the ripple of the sea, as the •ship cut her way across its smooth surface, and the small waves broke upon some cliff more precipitous than those about it, filled up the measure of our de- lights with the most exquisite harmony. On the whole, I do not recollect to have passed a similar space of time, especially on board of ship, with greater gratifi • cation, nor to have witnessed tlie termination of any water-journey with greater regret. Wo reached the entrance of the bay just after sun- set on the 18th; but as the breeze died wholly away before we could enter, we were necessiated to cast anchor till it should spring up again. It did spring up early in the morning of the 19th, when, having stood out to secure a good offing, we put our helms up, and bore majestically down upon our anchorage ; and sel- dom have I looked upon a spectacle more animating it « •s:n IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 M M M 1.8 U ill 1.6 V] ^ ^^ "^ r . ;^ .» ""?). /i ' O^/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 « ^ ^ 4? V ^q\ ^ :\ \ ^v *>i:^ Q> •o ■Zv .'"^ 'ugh the graceful forests, for the purpose of forming some ac- quaintance with the interior, or lounging about in idle- ■less by the sea-shore. But these employments were not sufficiently attractive to hinder us from feeling or expressing our utter distaste of a life of idleness'', or prating, till the subject grew stale, aboMt the folly of wasting our precious time in a friendly settlement. Though I profess not to be writing a regular history of these campaigns, it will not, perhaps, be deemed out of place, if I state here, that long before the expedition arrived at Jamaica, an error, the fatal effects of which were felt in all our future operations, had been commit- ted. Though the point of attack was kept a profound secret from the troops, there was hardly a coffee-house in Kingston in which the views of the English govern- ment were not openly discussed,—not as a subject of conjecture, but as a truth, of which no doubt could be entertained. How this matter first got abroad, various rumours have been in circulation; but I believe the truth to be as follows. The conquest of New Orleans was from the first the grand object, for the attainment 188 A. SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. n of which our expedition was fitted out> The capture of Burlington, and the landing at Baltimore, with the whole series of operations in the Chesapeake, were un- dertaken simply as blinds, to divert the attention of the American government from the district really threat- ened ; and so anxious were ministers to effect this, and that though a general rendezvous, at Jamaica, of the invading army, had been long planned out, not a hint of the matter was dropped to the naval officer com- manding there, till the forces, both from England and the Potomac, were ready to set sail. It unhappily oc- curred, however, that in the interval, the Admiral on the Jamaica station died, and the dispatches designed for him were necessarily put into ihe hands of the se- nior captain. That gentleman, with a singular absence of all common prudence, opened these dispatches in the presence of a Jew merchant ; and, like a perfect simpleton, informed him of their contents. An oppor- tunity so favourable of earning a rich reward, the sou of Israel could not permit to pass. He fitted out a fast sailing schooner without delay, and dispatched them to the enemy. Nor was he satisfied with this. The pro- jected inroad bccamc, through his instrumentality, a matter of universal discussion ; and the American gov^ ornor of Florida learned, from a thousand difierent quarters, that he was in danger. The information was not wasted upon him. He set himself instantly to work, raising men, planning out fortifications, laying in stores, and making other preparations to receive us ; and so diligent was he in the prosecution of his task, that the means of defence got together, were such as we found i! ■' A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 189 ourselves quite unable to overcome. The name of the naval officer to whose vi'omaniijh garrulity so much mis- chief is attributable, I do not choose to record ; but the fact itself is too ger 'orally known to make me at all scrupr' 1US about repeating it. But I will not break through my established rule, by entering, even slightly, into the politics of the war ; let mo rather go on at once with my own personal narrative. 17* 190 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. CHAPTER XVI. VOYAGE TO NEW ORLEANS. Breakfast being cndad, we were walking the deck on the morning of the 24th, to indulge, as usual, the spirit of grumbling which had of late sprung up among us, when a cry of "a fleet in the ofHng," puddcnly turned all our attention to other subjects. For a while little could be seen, except an indistinct line in the hori- zon, in which none of us were sufficiently imaginative to discover the smallest resemblance to a fleet. But the line began, by degrees, to change its appearance ; it became broken into detached spots ; by and by these spots began to assume distinct shapes ; and at last the masts and sails of vessels could be distinguished. We rent the air with shouts as soon as the truth burst fullv upon us ; and our joy exceeded all bounds, when, to- wards noon, a magnificent squadron of ships, of all classes and dimensions, steered into the y. They contained the long-looked for reinforcements, amount- ing in all to upwards of two thousand men ; and, above all, there accompanied them a new general to command us. Now, then, were hope and good hu- mour, once more renewed in all ranks ; and now we A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 101 looked forward with confidence to a speedy restoration of that active career, the abandonment of which had so long and so severely galled us. One day only, besides the evening of that on which Geneial Kcane arrived, having been devoted to the ad- justment of a few necessary preliminaries, the signal lor sailing was hung out ; and at an early hour on tho morning of tho 2Gth, the whole fleet put to sea. For some hours, our progress was but tardy. There was a dead calm from sun-rise till noon ; and from noon till two or three o'clock, the light breeze that blew was against us ; but towards evening, the land-winds began to exert their influence, and long before dark, all trace of Jamaica disappeared. Away, then, we bounded, with a blue and cloudless sky overhead, and one wide waste of ocean around us; and meeting with no acci- dent, nor any squalls or adverse gales to detain us, we soon began to feel, that our distance from the tropic was increasing. The climate became by degrees more and more temperate; we were enabled to keep the deck, unscreened by an awning, at mid-day ; and at last the shelter of a clonk, when exposed to the night- air, became highly agreeable. Our spirits rose with these changes in our circumstances. We resumed our former occupations of promenading, eating, drinking, and reading, with fresh spirit, and we introduced a mo- ral source of amusement before long into our little circle. My friend Charlton happened to be an ama- teur in music ; he had provided himself with a violin before the regiment quitted France ; and now, for the first time, was it brought into general use. Every / i 1 iir mtm 192 A SUBALTEHN IN AMERICA. '1 i evening, after coffee, the cnbin-floor was cleared, and about ten of us danced to his music waltzes and coun- try dances till midnight. Nor were the men less sensible than their superiors of the change for the better, as well in the temperature of the atmosphere, as in their own frame of mind. There were among them many who played the fife well ; these, talking a cue from their officers, produced their instruments, and the forepart of the ship soon re- sounded to the voice of piping and making merry. All on board, in short, from the officer commanding down to the cabin-boy, appeared to acquire additional viva- city as we proceeded farther and farther from the tro- pic ; insomuch, that I will tahe it upon me to aflirm, that a ship has rarely navigated the Gulf of Mexico, among the crew of which so much cood humour and genuine conviviality prevailed. Such was the order of our existence, from the 3d of December, when the romantic shores of Cuba were lost sight of, up to the 9th, when the low coast of the Flo- ridas first came into view. The wind had, generally speaking, been in our favour ; if a squall did occasion- ally occur, it never lasted above an hour or two, nor did the fleet the smallest damage. On the 8th, indeed, our master experienced no little uneasiness ; for, at a moment when we were proceeding under a press of sail, the horizon became suddenly overspread with clouds, and a violent hurricane seemed at hand. But our ship's company was a good one ; and the soldiers, brave by habit, had all acquired some knowledge of naval tactics ; we were accordingly enabled to take in our canvass in I ii ^1 A. SUBALTERN IN AMEBICA. 109 good time, and so averted the danger. The storm, however, left one disagreeable consequence behind it ; — the wind cliangcd ; and hence, instead of seeing land before dark that day, the evening of the next was ap- proaching before we were enabled to discovo/ it. 1 perfectly recollect that the 9th of December was an (exceedingly cold day. A sharp north-easterly wind drove into our faces a keen sleet ; and it was not with- out having recourse to cloaks and blankets, that wo were enabled to keep the deck. I shall not readily forget the effect produced by the first appearance of the land towards which our course was directed. The coast of America is, I believe, for the most part low, at least I never chanced to approach it in any quarter, where it presented a dillerent charac- ter ; and all along the compass of the Mexican Gulf, it is peculiarly so. When, therefore, the cry was uttered from the mast-head of " land on the weather-bow," it was in vain that we who stood upon the quarter-deck strained our sight in order to discover it. Wc saw nothing, and more than an hour elapsed ere any object rose upon the view, calculated to satisfy us that the look-out seaman had not reported falsely. At length, hov.'C'.'er, some dark specks, resembling the masts of ships lying at anchor, stood between us and the hori- zon. As the vessel held her course, these appeared gradually to assume the appearance of thick, or bushy substances ; and by and by it became manifest enough, that we were gazing upon the upper branches of a grove of fir-trees. As to the leaves and roots, how- ever, they were entirely hidden from us. The entire •nmmmiMm ;/ i ti T^ 104 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. i *. I picturn was as if a grove of cedars had been lopped ofT about twelve feet from the ground, as if the higher branches: had been suspended by some unseen rafter in the air, whilst the stumps being cleared away, the sea obtained free course where they had stood. So great was the refractive power of the atmosphere in these parts : and so very low the beach upon which this cedar wood was iirowinjx. It happened, that during the whole of the 10th and 11th, the winds proved baffling in an extraordinary degree. The consequence was, that we were not only compelled to cast anchor each evening after sunset, but throughout all the hours of daylight we could only beat off and on, without gaining one inch of way, or approaching one jot nearer to the point of debarkation. On the 11th, however, a clear, sharp, and bracing frost set in ; and the breeze getting slightly round, v e managed to hold our course so well that at noon the inhospitable beach of Chandeleur Island became con- spicuous from the poop. Never have I gazed upon a spot of earth more wofully barren and uninviting. A low red sand, just rising above the level of the tide, seemed to give nourishment to nothing more than a few miseiable cypress trees. There was not a house, hovel, or any other symptom of a human habitation to be noted ; no batteries, no beacons, no watch-towers, nor any other thing, capable of proving to the spectator, that the foot of man had ever trodden there. I need scarcely add, that the island in question lies at the en. traoce of Lake Borgue, and thftt it forms t||e most I i I If I It . A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 100 advanced district of West Florida, of which New Or- leans is the capital. Having come close in with this bleak coast, we hove to, but refrained from casting anchor during the night, and on the morrow made sail, with the earliest appear- nnce of dawn. The air was still, clear and frosty, and the fleet, steering in one compact body, under the ravs of a brilliant sun, produced one of the most striking marine panoramas which it has been my good fortun°c to be- hold. But its progress in this order was not of long continuance. The lake which we had entered soon Incoming shallow, the ships of war, at least the line of battle ships, to hinder themselves from running a shore, were obliged to anchor,- and then began a°sccne as stiring and uncomfonable as the imagination can very well conceive. The troops who had taken their pas- sage in them were all embarked in boats and trans- ported to the lighter vessels, which became, in conse- quence, crowded to excess. We escaped not the fate of our companions; instead often officers, the evening of the 12th saw full twenty huddled into one small cabin; yet we none of us abated one jot of our former good liumour; and Charlton's fiddle being, as usual, broufrht into play, we danced till a late hour in the morninfr. 'i'his was the last ball which we were enabled to get up, previous to the disembarkation ; it was the last in the strictest sense of the term, to more than one of those who took part in its merriment. On the 14th we still held our course, without any other event occurring, except that in the evening a squadron of boats which had ^een employed in the at- . .^1 I ■^■■m^^^i^^^A^ wmmm W •^^ I ! f 196 A BXTBALTERN IN AMERICA. tack of the enemy's flotilla, passed us. IIow they fuu^ht and conquered on that occasion it is unnecessary lor me to relate : but this I must state, that they were greeted as they rowed along, with loud and hearty cheers which their brave crews failed not to return. They had suffered severely ; but they had completely opened to us the navigation of the lakes, besides adding considerably to our means of transport by the reduction of six light cutters, which General Jackson hid sta- tioned here, to oppose our landing. Th(i same remarks may serve as a narrative of our proceedings ca the 15th. We sailed on, till at last even we took the ground ; and it became manifest that all further progress, other- wise than in boats, was impossible. It is hardly necessary tor -tic to state, that from the moment land became visible, I and my companions bcf^an to make such preparations as seemed necessary for our disembarkation. The usual supply of linen ; that is to say, a spare shirt and pair of stockings, were carefully laid aside by each of us for service-; three days' provisions were in like manner cooked, and packed up ; v. hilst as much of rum as we could either Sparc from our daily allowance, or prevail upon the Master to issue out, was put into a large horn. Simi- lar precautions had been taken by the men ; so that from the evening of the 10th we were ready, at a mo- ment's notice, to step upon shore. Not the slightest hurry or conPasion, therefore, ensued, when at an early hour in the morning of 16th, it was announced, that a flotilla of boats were approaching the vessel, and that the troops would be required to load them without de- ! KR A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 197 iW they fought necessary Iot at they were J and hearty not to return, id completely resides adding the reduction kson hid sta- samo remarks xlings en the ik the grountl ; •ogress, other- tliat from the ^ companions acd necessary ply of linen ; ockings, were service; three cooked, and c could either svail upon the horn. Simi- mcn ; so that lady, at a mo- t the slightest en at an early 3unced, that a ssel, and that m without de- lay. In an instant evory man buckled up his knap, sack and haversack, putting on his accoutrements, and grasped his musket ; and when the leading harge drew up alongside the gangway, the first division stood in order to step on board. In something less than half an hour, about two hundred men, with a competent supply of officers, quitted the deck of No. 375 ; and in a few minutes after, the squadron began its voyage. Wo were so far fortunate, that the day chanced to be a remarkably fine one. There was little wind, it is true, and the little that blew, blew against us, compel- ling us to make way entirely by rowing ; but there was no stream to bear up against, so that we proceeded at a tolerably rapid rate. As we went in, we had the satis- faction to discover, that other ships, besides ours, were pouring forth their inmates. Nearly one hundred boats of diiferent sizes covered the surface of the lake ; and as they were all crowded with soldiers, not less than two thousand infimtry moved together towards the land- ing place. It was a magnificent spectacle. What an enemy snugly stationed behind stone walls, and having a few pieces of heavy ordnance at their command, would have thought of it, I know not ; but it appeared to me, that no opposition could possibly hinder such a ibrce from gaining the shore ; and that having gained it, no army, at least of Americans, would have the hardihood to dispute with it its ground of encampment. Fror the naval oflicer who commanded our boat, we learned, that there was no intention of pushing for the main land to-day. About thirty miles from the shipping, and not less than twice that distance from the 18 1 I I i )\ 198 A SrBALTERW IN AMERICA. main, was a small desolate spot of earth, called Pine Island, upon which the General had determined to col- lect and arrange his army, previous to their entrance upon actual service. Of this place, the naval officer who, it appeared, had already visited it, gave us the most discouraging account. It was indeed a misera- ble swamp ; not only devoid of all human habitations, but bare even of trees and shrubs. A large pond or lake, shallow and reedy, occupied its centre ; and its edo-es consisted of nothing more than a circle of sand, slightly diversified, here and there, with a thin coat of herbage. There certainly was nothing in such an ac- count calculated to excite any overweening expecta- tions of comfort ; yet, to confess the truth, when :he island itself appeared, we were more than half disposed t6 accuse our pilot of dealing in misrepresentations ; so far did the reality exceed the description of this most melancholy bank of sand. The sun had set ere we reached the landing place, but there was still light enough lef\ to convince us, that we had indeed arrived where all hope of comfort, even in the limited sense in which soldiers are so often called upon to employ that phrase, had better be laid aside at once. Two stunted firs, with about half-a-dozen syca- mores, formed the only growth in the whole island ; and they grew out of a soil, which manifestly contained not moisture enough to nourish any other vegetable substance besides themselves. There was not a bank or hill to shelter us from the blast, nor a dell or green spot upon which to lie down ; and as to fuel, unless wf «ould get the sea-beaten plants to take fire, we must h.. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 109 h, called Pine rmined to col- their entrance 3 naval officer t, gave us the leed a misera- an habitations, large pond or cntre ; and its circle of sand, a thin coat of in such an ac- ening expccta- uth, when :he n half disposed jsentations ; so 1 of this most landing place, nvince us, that " comfort, even so often called )e laid aside at -a-dozen syca- whole island ; bstly contained )ther vegetable ■as not a bank I dell or green fuel, unless wr fire, we must d without say, that make up our minds to subsist as we best cou it. I have no wish to laud myself when I few men are, or rather were, in those days, less mind ful of luxuries, or more capable of enduring hardships, but I must confess, that I could not contemplate the prospect now before us, without experiencing a degree of alarm, such as I am not conscious of having felt on any similar occasion. I not only dreaded the sojourn, as it threatened to affect myself, but I trembled for the health of the troops, if it should be found necessary to keep them many days exposed on this horrible desert. Happily for us, the night of the 16th, though cold and frosty, proved fair. For myself, having seen my men arranged in as snug a situation as could be pro- cured for them, and supermtended the fall of one or 'wo of the trees, I returned to the sea-side — the boats, it appeared, had received orders to rest their crews dur- ing the night, and were not to set out for fresh troops till dawn; I gladly availed myself of the circumstance, by taking up my abode in one of them. We spread a sail over from gunwale to gunwale, and lying down under the seats, contrived to sleep as soundly, as a very cramped position, and no slight suffering from frost, would allow. It was still dark, when a general stir among the sailors warned me to quit my uneasy couch. I rose stiff and uncomfortable; and having broken my fast with a little hard biscuit, and a glass of rum, I proceed- ed to the ground where the men were bivouacked. I found them all up and employed ; not from any appre- hension of an attack, or because the had fallen insfinc- '» 200 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. lively into their old customs, but because they felt the necessity of motion to keep their blood in circula- tion, and were heartily tired of their uncomfortable lairs. Their fires, poor at the best, were all burned out ; and as there is no period of the day so severe as that which hnmediately precedes the dawn, they felt the absence of fires now very severely. Some accord- ingly set to work, for the purpose of renewing them, whilst others ran about to recover their limbs from a state of absolute torpitude. But as day dawned upon them, better humour, and better hopes, began to pre- vail ; and when the sun once more shone out in splen- dour, not a murmur could be heard, from one end of the encampment to the other. There was no difficulty in discovering that Pine Is- land, though uninhabited by rational creatures, was not entirely devoid of animal life. Wild fowl, of various descriptions, abounded here. Flocks of geese, duck, widgeon, and a species of wood-pigeon, careered over our heads continually, and seemed to challenge us to a pursuit. We had brought no fowling-pieces on shore ; we came with no idea that they would be wanted, or that an opportunity of using them would be furnished. But my friend and myself made a couple of muskets supply their place to-day, and set out at an early hour in quest of game. To say the truth, we were but clumsily equipped as sportsmen. Our powder, taken from his Majesty's stores, might have passed, in the eyes of a Norfolk game-keeper, for small shot; whilst in lieu of small shot, we carried, each of us a paper of slugs ; yet, even with these rude instruments, we Plftl i 1 i ktife. 1 ■ A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 201 use they felt id in circula- incomfortable •e all burned ' so severe as \vn, they felt Some accord- levving them, !inibs from a Pawned upon egan to pre- out in splen- 1 one end of that Pine Is- ures, was not •1, of various geese, duck, jareered over llenge us to a ;es on shore ; le wanted, or be furnished. 3 of muskets in early hour we v;ere but owder, taken assed, in the shot; whilst f us a paper trumeuts, we contrived before dark to bring down no trifling quantity of birds, for which, indeed, the stupidity of the birds themselves was much more to be thanked, than our skill. Of the wood-pigeon, we found immense covies ; which sitting down upon a few fir trees that grew at the other side of the island, permitted us to approach under the very branches, and even when we fired, would scarcely shift their quarters for a moment. — Those which were not killed, barely rose at the report, wheeled a icw times round their roosts, and actually came back again to the same spot. Had our shot been somewhat smaller, we might have killed game enough to furnish the whole regiment with a meal ; as it was, we brought back about three dozen of birds to the camp. But the satisfaction arising from the consciousness that we had thus amply provided against the cravings of hunger, was not sufficient to console us under the misery of a night of incessant and tremendous rain. It appeared to mc, whilst I was lying upc ; the sand, exposed to this pelting shower, that, till that moment, I had never known what rain, real genuine rain, was. My cloak atforded no protection against it ; in less than half an hour from the period of its commencement, I was as if I had been dragged at the stern of one of the boats, all across the lake. And then it was that the absence of all tolerable fires was most severely felt. What were a few half-kindled sticks, sputting and smouldering upon a bare heuch, under such circum- stances. We crept around them, it is true, and held our hands by turns over the feeble embers, till the points 18* 1 n\ \ i 1 ' 1 , .- ; i k \ i . , 202 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. of our fingers became half baked ; but the influence of the baking extended not beyond the fingers,— our bodies were chilled in perfection. In a word, I do not recol- lect, in the whole course of my military career, to have sufiered so much from cold or damp in any night, as I suffered in this night of the 18th of December. How the bulk of the unfortunate black troops, of whom two battalions had joined us at Ncgril Bay, stood it out, I know not. But this I do know, that the first rumour which reached us on the morning of the 19th was, that numbers of them had fallen asleep beside their fires, and expired. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 203 3 influence of ,— our bodies do not recol- ireer, to have ly night, as I mber. How of whom two ood it out, I first rumour 9th was, that de their fires. CHAPTER XVII. The progress of our shooting excursion having brought us into contact with a greater number of trees than were supposed to adorn this desolate spot of earth, an early hour on the morning of the 19th saw several working parties sally forth, bill-hook in hand, to fell them. The expedition was not undertaken in vain. In less than a couple of hours the whole of the south side of the island was rendered as bare and bleak as the side upon which we had landed, whilst the bivouac presented the appearance of a timber-merchant's yard, so numerous were the trees, bushes, and shrubs which were dragged into it. It is probably needless to add, that of the fuel thus procured, the greatest possible care was taken. Like the food and liquor, it was put under the charge of constituted authorities ; and logs and branches were regularly served out to every mess, proportionate in quantity to the numbers of the men who composed it. I know not whether the Commissary-General con- sidered himself indebted to our spirit of adventure for this very valuable accession to the resources of the army, but he either gave, or appeared to give, to my friend and myself, a larger portion of fire-wood, than, I S04 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ^4 J Strictly speaking, ought to have come to our share. Among the pieces issued out, there were, I recollect, some six or eight long pine stakes, not unlike the poles with which the Kentish farmers support their hops, and the Spanish vine-dressers their grapes. In the true spirit of veterans, we determined not to throw these away by burning them. On the contrary, we set our servants lO work, drove -he stakes into the ground, in bee-hive fashion, wtth the upper extremity inclining to- wards one another : and filling up the interstices with reeds brought from the swamp, we contrived to erect a hut, capable of affording shelter not only from the cold winds which occasionally blew, but from the rain. Of this we prepared to tal e possession towards sunset; but Dr. Baxter, the chief medical officer, happening to be an acquaintance of ours, very kindly offered us a corner in his hospital tent, and the offer was a great deal too valuable to be rejected. We resigned our own habitation to certain of our less fortunate comrades, and gladly followed our host. Let me give here some description of the domecile into which we were introduced. It was a large mar- quee, constructed of spars, oars, and sails of boats. The interior might measure about thirty or forty feet in length ; in breadth perhaps half that extent ; and in height something less than twelve feet. Being com- posed of double folds of canvass, it was extremely warm, and perfectly proof against the weather. Its furniture consisted of casks, pack-saddles, sacks filled with stores of different kinds, canteens, linen-chests, and cases of surgical instruments. There was no table, nor any A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 205 I our share. , I recollect, ike the poles air hops, and In the true throw these , we set our ic ground, in inclining to- erst ices with •ivcd to erect ily from the rom the rain. ,'ards sunset ; happening to offered us a was a great Tucd our own onirades, and the domecile a large mar- lils of boats. or forty feet xtent ; and in Being com- remcly warm, Its furniture led with stores I and cases ol' ible, nor any boards which might be substituted for a table ; but a quantity of dry reeds overspread the ground, and af- forded a very comfortable sofa for its inhabitants. As yet there were neither sick nor wounded to occupy it. On the contrary, as night closed in, numbers of hale and healthy persons, all of them claiming acquaintance with the Doctor, presenting themselves at the door, and our hospitable friend made no scruple about re- ceiving them all. Lamps being lighted, a cask of ex- cellent brandy was broaciied, and with the aid of pipes and cigars, and an ample flow of good humour, we passed several hours after a fashion which reminded us precisely of the many agreeable evenings which we had spent in winter-quarters upon the Douro and the Nivelle. Such was our condition from the evening of the 16th to the morning of the 21st of December. On the 20th, indeed, the whole army was reviewed, and a new dis- position of the troops so far effected, that, instead of three, it was divided into two brigades, and what was termed the permanent advance. On the 21st, there came into the camp four or five American officers, who had deserted from General Jackson's army, and pro- posed to follow our fortunes, whilst a few warriors, I believe from the tribes of the Cherokees and Chactaws, likewise appeared amongst us. With the former per- sonages I found an opportunity of holding some con- versation. When asked as to their motives for desert- ing, they made no hesitation in declaring that they had come over to the side which they believed to be the strongest, perfectly satisfied that there was no force in S06 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. V s- i-f Louisiana capable of ofiering to us any serious resist- ance. They spoke of Gen. Jackson as an able man ; but as one so hated on account of his tyranny and violence, that not an inhabitant of the State would adhere to his standard, after they beheld the British flag fairly un- furled. They gave us, in short, every reason to be- lieve that our difFiculties would all cease as soon as we reached the mainland. With such a prospect before us, the reader will not be surprised to learn, that one feeling, and one only, pervaded the whole armament. We longed for the moment which should see us fairly in the field, and our longings were soon gratified. Whilst the troops were thus amusing themselves in Pino Island, boats from every ship in the fleet, trans- ports as well as vessels of war, were assembling in large numbers along the beach. To protect the rear against annoyance, each launch, as well as some of the barges, was arr J with a twelve-pound carro- nade in the bows ; whilst the six cutters lately captured from the enemy, with all the tenders and small-craft brought from the Chesapeake, prepared to accompany them. In spite of the most strenuous exertions, how- ever, it was found that the means of transport were ex- tremely deficient. After every thing, even to the captain's gigs, had been put in requisition, it appeared that hardly one-third of the army could move at a time ; but even thus our leaders determined upon entering immediately upon the business. They were well aware, that no de- lay could possibly bring benefit to us, whilst every hour of respite would have enabled the enemy to mature hla plans for our reception. I ! i !l serious resist- , able man ; but y and violence, \ adbcro to his flag fairly un- reason to be- as soon as we irospect before learn, that one ole armament, d see us fairly [gratified. r themselves in he fleet, trans- assembling in rotect the rear M as some of >pound carro- lately captured md small-craft to accompany ixertions, how- isport were ex- to the captain's red that hardly time ; but even ig immediately ire, that no de- lilst every hour r to mature hla A SUBALTEBIf IN AMERICA. 207 At nine o'clock in the morning of the 22d, the ad- vance of the army, under the command of Colonel Thornton, stepped into the boats. It consisted in all of alx)ut fifteen hundred infantry, two pieces of light cannon, and a troop of rockets, and it wo- accompa- nied by General Kcane in person, the heads of tha engineer and commissariat departments, a cjmpetent number of medical oflicers, and the Indian chiefs. Two of the deserters were likewise put on board, to act as guides as soon as we should land ; and a moderate sup- ply of ammunition, under the care of a store-keeper, was appointed to follow. The morning was dark and cloudy, and a cold damp wind gave promise of a heavy rain I'cfon; many hours should pass. Nevertheless, we pushed off' in the highest possible spirits, and only re- pressed our cheering because silence had been strictly enjoined. The boat in which Charlton and myself were em- barked was a man-of-war's barge, rowed by six oars of a side, and commanded by a midshipman. Besides the seamen, there were crowded into it not fewer than sixty men and four officers, so that the full complement amounted to scvcnty-cight souls. Under these circum- stances the si)acc granted to each individual was not, as may be imagined, very commodious. It was, indeed, by no means an easy task to shift our postures after they had once been assumed, for we were as completely wedged together as were ever a child's bricks in their box, or a bundle of logs in what is called a cord of wood. As long, however as it continued dry overhead, tiie inconvenience thence arising was, comparative!/ \ 208 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. speaking, little felt ; but we had not proceeded more than a mile from the place of embarkation, when the black clouds suddenly opened, and the rain fell as if a liioi'.sand shower-baths had been all at once opened upon us. Then, indeed, our situation became comfort- less enough. In the difficulty of aJjusting ourselves at all, cloaks and greatcoats necessarily lost their clasps, and the neck and shoulders were left bare. There was no remedying the evil now ; and though water ran down our backs and shoulders like the sewers in Lud- gate Hill after a thunder-storm, yet was there much in the appearance of all about us calculated to carry our thoughts beyond the present moment, — at all events, to make us think lightly of present grievances. Not fewer than an hundred boats, of all shapes and sizes, were making way in regular column over the surface of the lake ; they were all filled, to repletion, with armed men, and not a sound issued from them, except that which the rowing occasioned, and an occasional word of com- mand uttered by those in authority. Every thing was conducted in the most orderly manner. The boats moved in lines of ten a-breast ; a little way a-head of them sailed a couple of cutters ; the like number pro- tected each of the flanks ; and the rear was covered by three traders. There were appointed officers to each division, who, placed in light gigs, flew back- wards and forwards as occasion required, — hurrying on those that lagged behind, and checking the progress of such as were too nimble ; whilst Sir Alexander Coch- rane, in a light schooner, kept just so far apart as to see at a glance how things were going, and to superintend A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 300 «he whole. I confess, that though I could have wished for (Ine weather, I could not help looking round with a feeling of the highest admiration. Troops advancing upon land present an imposing appearance no doul : ; but no land movement, in which I have been an indif. ierent spectator, ever struck me as I was struck by the spectacle now in view. We were well aware that the distance from Pine Island to the Bays do Cataline,--tho point towards which our course was directed,— fell not short of eighty miles, and hence that there was but slender probability of our setting foot on shore before the morrow. But the pro-. pcct of passing the night cramped and cooped up as w were, was certainly not hailed by any one with cithe. satisfaction or indifFerence. The rain bad lidlcn in such quantities, as not only to saturate the clutliiiig of every individual, but seriously to incommode us° by creating a pool ankle-deep in the bottom of the boat, while, on account of our crowded state, we could not succeed In baling it. It ceased, however, at last, and was succeeded by a keen frost, and a northerly wind as sharp and cutting as any mortal would desire to ' ce. I need not say, that the clfects of the change were perfectly felt by us. Wo bore it, however, with the best philosophy which we could muster; and if a complaint or murmur happened from time to time to break forth, it was instantly rendered harmless by some rude joke, or an ironical expression of pity. Such was the state of the weather, in our not very enviable condition, when a gig, passing along from liont to rear of the column, gave order that the rowing I «- -J i 210 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. should cease, and that awnings should be hoisted. Both commands were instantly obeyed ; and as it seemed probable that we were to remain stationary for the night, we easily persuaded our pilot to light a fire. I cannot describe the nature of our feelings, as the pan of charcoal gradually threw out its lieat on all sides. As we were thoroughly soaked, and our garments stiff with ice, 1 hardly know whether the sudden applica- tion of external heat to our benumbed limbs .,as pro- ductive of pleasure or the reverse. But of whatever nature our sensations might be, they were not permitted long to exert their influence. The fire was condemned to be extinguished ; and in little more than an hour after we had first dropped them, the grapplings wer^ raised, and the squadron was again under /eigh. ' As day dawned, a singularly wild and uninviting waste of country opened out before us. Wo were now within a stone's throw of the American shore, and ran along its edge in search of the mouth of the creek. It was a complete bog. A bank of black earth, or rather black mud, covered with tall reeds, constituted the sin- gle feature in (he landscape. Not a trace of human industry, not a tree or bush of any kind or description, not even a mound or hillock, served to break in upon the sameness of scene. One wide waste of reeds alone met the eye, except at the very edge of the water, \vhere the slime which nourished them lay slightly ex- posed. For some time this cheerless laii.i :^ j emended wholly upon one side of us ; the lakr which we were crossing, being as yet too wide to pernm a view of lioth shores at once ; but the waters became gradually be hoisted. Both ad as it seemed ationary for the ) light a fire. I ings, as the pan eat on all sides, ir garments stiff sudden applica- ] limbs .,as pro- But of whatever ere not permitted was condemned 3 than an hour ^rapplings wer^ ider /cigh. and uninviting Wo were now 1 shore, and ran )f the creek. It earth, or rather astituted the sin- trace of human id or description, :o break in upon te of reeds alone ;e of the water, I lay slightly ex- 1.1 a^/o PMiended which we were irnui a view of ecame gradually A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 211 more and more narrow, and long before the freshness of the morning hau passed away, land was visible in every direction. It was now manifest that our point of debarkation could not be very remote ; and all eyes were in consequence turned in search of the point near which wc considered it to be. At length the mouth of a creek or inlet, wide at first, l>ut rapidly narrowing, presented itself. Towards it the Admiral immediately directed his course; but the schooner in which he was embarked drew too mu'^h water, and in a few minutes went aground. Wc could not make any effort to relievo him from his awkward situation, for this was not a moment at which serious delay could be tolerated, and our boats were all too heavily laden already, to admit of their taking additional passengers on board. Onwards, therefore, we swept, the banks on either hand closing in upon us more and more as we proceeded, till first we were necessitated to contract our front, so as that five boats, then three, and finally that only cue boat should move a-brcast. Wo were now steering up a narrow cut, which measured, at its widest spot, not more than twenty feet across, and which, in some parts, became so exceedingly nar- row, that the rowers ceased to dip the oars in the water, and propelled us by punting alone. Yet it was an ad- mirable spot for the conduct of a secret expedition. As far as we could judge from the appearance of the soil, the bogs on either hand seemed quite impassable even for infantry. It was covered, as I have already stated, by reeds, so lofty as to obscure, in the most effectual degree, any object which could float in the canal. No ^\ .^^^ ff I' ''■ i 212 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. eye cou](l therefore watch our proceedings ; and tliough we, too, were shutout from beholding ,>'' thcr objects besides our own line of boats and the /;ue sky, there was not a man amongst us who entertained the slight- est apprelicrision that danger could be near. Having continued our progress thus, till the leading boats took the ground, preparations were made to land the troops as speedily as possible. With this view, a party of sailors were directed to leap on shore ; who soon returned with intelligence that the soil was suffi- ciently hrm,a?id that the debarkation might take place without any risk. The boats which were a-head lay so near to the bank, that the people who manned them, were enabled to step at once from the gun-wales to the bog ; those which came after them were not so conveniently situated. The men were, in consequence, directed to pass on from boat to boat, and so to reach the shore from one point only. This arrangement ne- cessarily occasioned both delay and confusion ; but, hapj)ily for us, there was no enemy near to avail him- self of either ; and the whole advance had itself safely in bivouac by ten o'clock on the morning of the 23d. Though sulTering still in no sliglit degree from the rain of yesterday and cold of last night, the lighting of lires was strictly prohibited. Concealment, it was un- derstood, vvas as yet the great object in view ; and with the attainment of it, ttie existence of fires every one felt to be incompatible. Yet was the attempt to con- ceal our landing almost immediately abandoned. The Admiral and General, luiving put themselves on board a jHg, came up some time after the men had formed ; and ;a. ^s ; am\ thougfr >! ' thcr objects /iuc sky, there ncd the slight- near. till the leading e made to land th this view, a in shore ; wlio ; soil was suffi- ight take place t'orc a-hcad lay ) manned them, ? gun-wales to n were not so n consequence, nd so to reach rrangcmcnt nc- onfusion ; but, ir to avail him- lad itself safely ng of the 23d. 'grcc from the , the lighting of lent, it was un- view ; and with fires every one ittcmpt to con- andoncd. The ?lves on board a ad formed ; and A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 213 ; sort of council of war was immediately held, as to the .lost eligible course which it behoved them to follow. A.S yet all had gone on well. We were actually estab- iished on land, an event which they had hardly expect- ■d to accomplish so easily and uninterruptedly. What was next to be done ? Wc were not long left irt doubt on this head. The troops, who had begun to scatter themselves a little through the morass, were recalled to their ranks, and a line of march was formed. The de- serters, placed in front, served as guides. — they were under charge of the advanced guard, and directed its movements, — and the little column set forward, quite indifferent as to the nature of the service in which it was about to be employed, and perfectly satisfied that success must attend its operations. I know not by the use of what terms I shall be best able to convey to the reader's mind, some notion of the nature and appearance of the country through which our first movement was made. The bog, though soft, gave not way, as wc had expected it would, beneath our tread, as long as we kept close to the margin of the creek, though any extended departure from that line of road brought us into a perfect quagmire. Yet were wo compelled to move slowly, in part, because the weeds formed an obstacle to our progress, which it re- quired a regular body of pioneers to remove, and in part, because there ran up from the canal, here and there, wide and deep ditches, across which rude bridges required to be thrown, before we were enabled to pass them. Of the scenery, again, all that can be said, is, that for the space of perhaps three or four miles, it never 19* 114 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA- J), n I i varied; reeds, and reeds ordy, were an-md us, broken in upon feebly by the waters of the canal. At length, however, the face of the country underwent a change. Wc were marching, be it observed, on the rig'iit bank of the creek : on the left a few miserably stunted cy- press trees began to show themselves. As we pro- ceeded onwards, these became more and more numer- ous ; and at last formed a tolerably close wood. On our side, however, notiiing of the kind occurred, till all at once the leading companies found themselves in front of some open fields, skirted by an orange planta- tion, and ornamented by two or three farm houses. These were the first symptoms of cultivation which had met us in this quarter of America; and it will be eaisily credited, that in our eyes they possessed a thou- sand beauties, which men more accustomed to them wovld not in all probability perceive. But they were soon passed by ; and then the entire neck of fine land on which New Orleans is built, became visible. Be- fore us ran the mighty Mississippi, not like an ordinary river, but like an inland sea, skirting on one side the narrow isthmus, which the marsh and lakes skirt on the other. Between these two boundaries the whole space covdd not measure above 800 or 1000 yards in width. It was perfectly level ; at least, the inequali- ties were so slight as not to catch the attention of a common observer. It appeared to be laid out every where in large fields of sugar-cane. I'liere were some half dozen houses scattered over it, one of which be- ing surrounded by a sort of village of huts, conveyed the idea that its owner must be a person of some con- A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 215 i \ i nd us, broken 1. At length, :ent a change, the rigiit bank ly stunted cy- As we pro- 1 more numer- ise wood. On I occurred, till themselves in orange planta- ! farm houses, tivation wliicli and it will be ssessed a thou- tomed to them But they were :k of fine land 3 visible. Bc- ike an ordinary n one side the I lakes skirt on iries the whole 1000 yards in t, the incquali- : attention of a Iciid out every here were some e of which be- huts, conveyed n of some con- sequence ; but the rest seemed to belong to substan- tial farmers, men who paid more regard to comfort than to ornament. On the whole, the contrast between this picture of industry and ?ife now around us, and the miserable swamp which we were leaving behind, prov- ed not more striking than it was agreeable. But the satisfaction which every one felt at being again introduced into an inhabited world, sutTered some diminution from the reflection, that in case anything like activity or enterprise should guide the councils of the enemy, we were exposing ourselves to a danger far greater than any which we had yet encountered. The head of the column no sooner showed itself in the open country, than horsemen were seen hurrying at their utmost speed along the o])])osite bank of the river, to- wards the town. Of the inhabitants on this side, too, several were known to have escaped ; and it became evident to all, that in less time than we had expended in proceeding thus far, the alarm of our landing would be circulated throughout the province. At this June- ture, to the honor of Colonel Thornton be it recorded, that he urgently pressed an immediate advance upon New Orleans. We were already less than ten miles distant from it; the troops were fresh, in excellent spirits, and full of confidence ; it required but a rapid journey to put them in undisputed possession. But to a plan so bold, our ("rcneral stoutly opposed himself. He feared to leave his supplies decidedly behind him; he was apprehensive that his little corps might be at- tacked, and cut oft' by overwhelming numbers, before reinforcements could reach it ; as if we were not already I \^ > !10 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. •ut off as efiectually as could be from our magazines, which were established on Pine Island, full eighty miles in our rear. Acting under this impression, he would not listen to the Brigadier's suggestion; but having led the division about half a mile towards the town, he ordered a bivouac to be be formed, and the troops to refresh themselves. This was done. The men's arms were piled, lines of fires were lighted ; and picquets being established, so as to protect the encamp- ment on every side, the main body regarded themselves as destined to pass the remainder of that day and night in quiet. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 217 ir magazines, 1, full eighty tiprcssion, he Tgestion ; but ! towards the med, and the done. The B lighted ; and ;t the encamp- ed themselves day and night CHAPTER XVIII. It loll to the lot of my friend and myself, to be em- ployed this day on outpost duty : our station was in an open field, upon the right front of the camp, and we communicated on the one hand with a party of rifles, and on the other, with a similar party of the 8oth re- giment. The rifles occupied and covered the main road, wliich, passing all along by the V)anks of the river, mns up from the extremity of the province to New Orleans ; we posted ourselves a little to the right of the chateau, of which I have already taken notice, whilst the detachment that arrived on the lino, faced the cypress wood, and bent back so as, in part, to shol- tor the rear of the encampment. As the weather chanced to be remarkably favourable, and as no traces of an enemy could be perceived, we very naturally looked forward to a peaceable and pleasant tour of duty ; and we made no scruple, as well ofwcers as men, to wander so far from the head quarters of our post, as the prospect of a few luxuries, in the way of eating ;ii l! 219 A. SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ' • ^ s 1^ r and drinking, invited. The sentinels being carefully planted, Charlton left me in charge of the guard, whilst, with a few followers, he hurried oft' to the cheatau, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of its cellars and larder. He was not long absent ; and when he did return, he returned not empty-handed. An ample supply of wine, with a cheese, a piece of bacon, and a turkey, fell to our share ; whilst the men were made happy with a moderate allowance of brandy, which served to wash down the less delicate rations of pork and biscuit. We were thus circumstanced, and evening was be- •jinning to api)roach, when there suddenly appeared, advancing along the high road, a corpse of some two or three hundred well mounted cavalry. Our picquets instantly stood to their arms, and the buglers, obeying the orders given to them, sounded the assembly, for the purpose of putting the division on its guard. The enemy's horse, nothing daunted by these preparations, moved on. One squadron, continuing to occupy the road, the rest spreading themselves over the fields ad- joining, came down at a brisk trot, apparently with the design of making an attack upon our post. The sen- tinels, having stood till they had arrived within point- blank range, gave them fire, and as the enemy still pressed on at a canter, they fell back. Instantly our people extended themselves, and darting forward to a dry ditch, which ran a little in front of their station, threw themselves into it, and made ready to dispute their ground with the cavalry. It appeared, however, that the reconnoitring party had either eflfected their purpose, or had done as much as they deemed it prudent A SUBALTERN IN AMEHICA. 219 eing carefully guard, whilst, ;heatau,forthc lars and larder, did return, he apply of wine, turkey, fell to happy with a jrved to wash d biscuit, ening was bc- :nly appeared, of some two or Our picquets glers, obeying assembly, for 3 guard. The 3 preparations, to occupy the ■ the fields ad- ently with the St. The sen- l within point- le enemy still Instantly our g forward to a their station, ady to dispute ared, however, effected their tned it prudent and safe to do ; for they ventured not within a hundred yards of us. We gave them, however, a few random shots ; upon which they pulled up, remained for a mi- nute or two stationary, and then wheeling about, as if by word of command, retired in the most perfect order. It was not so with those upon the high road. Whether the squadron which occupied it mistook their orders, or whether it was deemed a matter of consequence to get, in that direction, as near the camp as might be, I know not ; but the enemy not only drove in the senti- nels there, but charged, or rather endeavoured to charge, the body of the picquet itself. They were re- reived by the rifles with a close and well-directed vol- ley, which killed three men and two horses, besides wounding several others, and the rest not willing to abide another discharge, fell instantly into confusion. They galloped back with the same precipitation which had distinguised their approach, and in ten minutes after they had shown themselves, the whole body was out of sight. This was the very first occasion, during the course of our Transatlantic warfare, that the Americans had in any way ventured seriously to molest or threaten our posts, or shown the smallest disposition to act vigor- ously on the offensive. I cannot deny that it produced a curious effect upon us. Not that we experienced the smallest sensation of alarm. W^e held them in too much contempt to fear their attack ; I question whe- ther we did not wish that they would liazard one ; yet we spoke of the present boldness, and thought of it too, as a meeting on which we had no ways cal- >J ' ^ 8:20 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ! I culatcd, and for which wc could not possibly account. It had not, however, the eftcct of exciting an cxiKicta- tion, tha* tlie attenijjt would be renewed, at least in force ; and though we unquestionably looked upon our Ix)sition, from that moment, with a more cautious eye, we neither felt nor acted upon the supposition, that any serious dango- would be incurred, till we ourselves should seek it. Nothing occurred during the remain- ing hours of daylight, calculated to produce any change in these anticii)ations. The enemy made their appear- ance no more ; and liaving carefully ascertained that an unbroken chain of videttes was established ; having examined our men's arms, satisfied ourselves that they were in good order, and taken other necessary prccau • tions, wc trinnncd our fires, as darkness thickened, and drew near tlieni. Charlton and I were in the act of smoking our cigars, the men having laid themselves down about the blaze, when word was passed from sentry to sentry, and in- telligence communicated to us, that all was not right towards the river. We started instantly to our feet. The fire was hastily smothered up, and the men snatch- in" their arms, stood in line, ready to act as circum- stances might require. So dense, however, was the darkness, and so dazzling the effect of the glare from the bivouac, that it was not possible, standing where we stood, to form any reasonable guess as to the cause of this alarm. That an alarm had been excited, was in- deed perceptible enough. Instead of the deep silence which five minutes ago had prevailed in tne bivouac, a strange hubbub of shouts, and questions, and as many A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 221 sibly account, ig an cxiKicta- ;d, at least in aked upon our cautious eye, sition, that any wc ourselves ig the reniain- ice any change e their appear- scertained that lished; having selves that they ;essary precau^ thickened, and ing our cigars, bout the blaze, sentry, and in- was not right ly to our feet, he men snatch- act as circum- vever, was the the glare from ding where wc to the cause of jxcited, was in- ledeep silence I tne bivouac, a IS, and as many cries, rose up the night air; nor did many minutes elapse, ere first one musket, then three or four, then a whole platoon, were discharged. The reader will easily believe, that the latter circumstance startled us prodi- giously, ignorant as we were of the cause which pro- duced it, but it required no very painful exertion of patience to set us right on this head ; flash, flash, flash, came from the river; the roar of cannon followed, and the light of her own broadside displayed to us an ene- my's vessel at anchor near the opposite bank, and pouring a perfect shower of grape and round shot, into the camp. For one instant, and only for an in,stant, a scene of alarm and consternation overcame us ; and we almost instinctively addressed to each other the question, " What can all this mean ?" But the meaning was too palpable not to be understood at once. " The thin-- cannot end here," said we— "a night attack is com" mencing ;" and we made no delay in preparing to meet it. Whilst Charlton rcmaineJ with the jiicquct, in rca- diness to act as the events might demand, I came for- ward to the sentries, for the purpose of cautioning them against paying attention to what might pass \n their rear, and keeping them steadily engaged in watching their front. The men were fully alive to the peril oT (heir situation. They strained with their hearing and eyesight to the utmost limits ; but neither sound nor sight of an advancing column could be perceived. At last, however, an alarm was given. One of the rifles challenged— it was the sentinel on the high road ; the tcntinel who communicated with him challcnf^ed also • 20 — - V I I Vi }( ! ! ■1 ;i ? i f t^HH a "■■ 'i m 1 m .^1 1 1 522 A St'BALlTERff IN AUKUtCA* find tlio pry was taken up from man to man, til! otrf own most remote sentry caught it. I flew to his sta* tion ; and sure enough the tramp of many feet wa» most ilistinctiy audible. Having taken the precaution to carry an orderly forward with me, 1 caused him to liurry back to Charlton with intelligence of what was coming, and my earnest recommendation that he would lose no time in occupying the ditch. I had hardly done so, when the noise of a column deploying was distinctly heard. The tramp of horses, too, came min- gled with the tread of men ; in a word, it was quite evi- dent, that a large force, both of infantry and cavalry, was before us. There was a pause at this period of several moments, as if the enemy's line, having effected its formation, had Halted, till some other arrangement should be completed ; but it was quickly broke On they came, as far as we could judge from the sound, in steady array, till at length their line could be distinctly seen rising through tiie gloom. The sentinels with one consent gave their tire. They gav? it regularly, and etfcctively, beginning with the rifles ov their left, and going oft' towards the SAth on their right, and then, in obedience to their or- ders, fell bark. But they retired not unmolested. This straggling discharge on our part, seemed to be the signal to the Americans to begin the battle, and they [)Oured in such a volley, as must have proved, had any determinate objeft been opposed to it, absolutely mur- derous. But our scattered videttes almost wholly es- caped it ; whilst over the main body of the picquet, '■At man, til! ouf lew to his sta* lany feet was the precaution caused him to i of what was n that he would I had hardly deploying was too, came min- t was quite evi- ry and cavalry, vcral moments, 5 formation, had d be completed ; le, as far as we y array, till at 1 rising through isent gave their vely, beginning off towards the nee to their or- ot unmolested, leemed to be the )attle, and they irovcd, had any ibsolutely mur- lost wholly es- of the picquet, A SUBALTERN IN AMERM A. 223 sheltered as it was by the ditch, and considerably re- moved from its line, it passed entirely harmless. Having fired this volley, the enemy loaded again, and advanced. We saw them coming, and iiavmg waited till we judged that they were within excellent range, we opened our fire. It was returned in tenfold force, and now went on, for a full half hour, as iteavy and close a discharge of musketry as troops have perhaps over faced. Confident in their numbers, and led on, as it would appear, by brave officers, the Americans dashed forward till scarcely ten yards divided us; bur our po- sition was an admirable one, oiir men were steady and cool, and they penetrated no farther. On the contrary, we drove them back, more than once, with a loss which their own inordinate multitude tended only to render the more severe. The action might have continued in this state about two hours, when, to our horror and dismay, the ap. proaching fire upon our right flank and rear, gave tes- timony that the picquet of the 85th, which had been in communication with us, was forced. Unwilling to aban- don our ground, which we had hitherto held with such success, we clung for a while to the idea that the re- verse in that quarter might be only temporary, and that the arrival of fresh troops might yet enable us to con- tinue the battle in a position so eminently favourable to us. But we were speedily taught that our hopes were without foundation. The American war-cry was be- hind us. We rose from our lairs, and endeavoured, as we best could, to retire upon the right, but the effort was fruitless. There too the enemy had established If 224 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. themselves, and wc were surrounded. " Let us cut our way through," cried wc to the men. The brave fel- lows answered only with a shout; and collecting into a small compact lino, prepared to use their bayonets. In a moment we had ponetrafed the centre of an Ameri- can division ; but the numbers opposed to us were over- whelming; our close order was lost; and the contest became tliat of man to man. I have no language ad- equate to describe what followed. For myself, I did what I could, cutting and thrusting at the multitudes about me, till at last I found myself fairly hemmed in by a crowd, and my sword-arm mastered. One Ame- rican had grasped me round the waist, another, seizing my wrist, attempted to disarm me, whilst a third was prevented from plunging his bayonet into my body, only by the fear of stabbing one or other of his countrymen. I struggled hard, but they fairly bore me to the ground. The reader will well believe, that at this juncture I ex- pected nothing else than instant death ; but at the mo- ment when I fell, a blow upon the head with the butt- end of a musket dashed out the brains of the man who kept his hold upon my sword-arm, and it was freed. I saw a bayonet pointed to my breast, and I intuitively made a thrust at the man who wielded it. The thrust took effect, and he dr'^ppcd dead beside me. Delivered now from two of my enemies, I recovered my feet, and found that the hand which dealt the blow to which my preservation was owing, was that of Charlton. There were about ten men about him. The enemy in our front were broken, and we dashed through. But wo were ^gaiu hemmed ip, and again \t was fought han4 A SUBALTEBN IN AMERICA. ii'45 ' Ix!t US cut our The brave fcU oUecting into a bayonets. In 3 of an Ameri- us were ovcr- nd the contest ) language ad- r myself, I did the multitudes :ly hemmed in d. One Ame- mother, seizing list a third was my body, only is countrymen. ! to the ground. ; juncture I ex- but at the mo- with the butt- )f the man who id it was freed, nd I intuitively t. The thrust ne. Delivered ed my feet, and V to which my arlton. There enemy in our )ugh. But wo Ls fought hannsistcd entirely The barristers, 3 having formed apanied General id thc} were all, ners. It is pro- tance was pro- imongst us; and A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA* 22T to do them justice, the poor lawyers, as soon as they recovered from their first alarm, joined heartily in our laughter. This was the last operation in which we were en-, gaged to-night. The enemy, repulsed on all sides, re- treated with the utmost disorder, and the whole of the advance, collecting at the sound of the bugle, drew up, for the first time since the commencement of the affair, in a continuous line. We took our ground in front of the bivouac, having our right supported by the river, and our left covered by the chateau and village of huts. Among these latter the cannon were planted ; whilst the other divisions, as they cam.e rapidly up, took post beyond them. In this position we remained, eagerly desiring a renewal of the attack, till dawn began to appear, when, to avoid the fire of the vessel, the ad- vance once more took shelter behind the bank. The first brigade, on the contrary, and such portion of the ■second as had arrived, encamped upon the plain, so as to rest their right upon the wood ; and a chain of pic- quets being planted along the entire pathway, the day was passed in a state of inaction. I hardly recollect to have spent fourteen or fifteen hours with less comfort to myself than these. In the hurry and bustle of last night's engagement, my ser- vant, to whose care I had entrusted my cloak and hav- ersack, disappeared ; he returned not during the entire morning ; and as no provisions were issued out to us, nor any opportunity given to light fires, I was compel- led to endure, all that time, the extremes of hunger, weariness, and cold. As ill luck would have it, too, • i M ■I i !?1 ii I » '' .' S28 A SUBALTERN IN AMEBiCA' the day chanced to be remarkably severe. There wa» no rain, it is true, but the sky was covered with gray clouds ; the sun never once pierced them, and a frost, or rather a vile blight, hung upon the atmosphere from morning till night. Nor were the objects which occu- pied our senses of sight and hearing, quite such as we should have desired to occupy them. In other parts of the field, the troops, not shut up as we were, by the enemy's guns, employed themselves in burying the dead, and otherwise effacing the traces of warfare. The site of our encampment continued to be strewed with carcasses to the last; and so watchful were the crew of the tsehoout r, that every effort to convey them out of sight, brought u heavy fire upon the party engaged in ii. I must say, that the enemy's behaviour upon the present occasion, wae not such as did them honour. The liousc which General Kcan had originally occupied as head-quarters, being converted into an hospital, was filled at this time with wounded, both from the British and American ar- mies. To mark its uses, a yellow flag, the usual signal in such cases, was hoisted on the roof — yet did the Americans continue to hre at it, as often as a group of six or eight persons happened to show themselves at the door. Nay, so utterly regardless were they of the dictates of humanity, that even the parties which were in the act of conveying the wounded from place to place, escaped not without molestation. More than one such party was dispersed by grape-shot, and more than one poor maimed soldier was in consequence hurled out of the blanket in which he was borne. The reader will not doubt me when I sav, that seU '¥ A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 229 '1 , There wa» ed with gray I, and a frost, osphere from 5 which occu- e such as wo er parts of the y the enemy's the dead, and 7he site of our 1 carcasses to thetfchoouer, fht, brouglit u I must say, sent occasion, house which icad-quarters, ;d at this time American ar- e usual siirnal — yet did the as a group of themselves at re they of the IS whicli were roni place to More than lot, and more consequence 3 borne, sav, that sel- dom has the departure of daylight been more anxious- ly looked for by me, than we looked for it now. It is true, that the arrival of a little rum towards evening, served in some slight degree to elevate our spirits; but we could not help feeling, not vexation only, but posi- tive indignation, at the state of miserable inaction to which we were condemned. There was not a man amongst us who would have hesitated one moment, had the choice been submitted to him, whether he would advance or lie still. True, we might have suffered a little, because the guns of the schooner entirely com- manded us ; and in rushing out from our place of con- cealment, some casualties would have occurred ; but so irksome was our situation, that we would have readily run all risks to change it. It suited not the plans of our General, however, to indulge these wishes. To the bank we were enjoined to cHng; and we did cling to it, from the coming in of the first gray twilight of the moruing, till the last twilight of the evening had de- parted. As soon as it was well dark, the corps to which Charlton and myself were attached, received orders to file ofl:* to the right. We obeyed, and passing along the front of the hospital, we skirted to the rear of the village, and established ourselves in the field beyond. It was a positive blessing this restoration to something like personal freedom. The men set busily to work, lighting fires and cooking provisions ;— the officers Btrolli about, with no other apparent design than to give employment to their limbs, which had become stiff \yitli so protracted j^ state of inaction. For ourselves, I I i 'i i ■J^ i. I l\ 230 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. m we visited the wounded, said a few kind words to such as we recognized, and pitied, as they deserved to be pitied, the rest. Then retiring to our fire, we addressed ourselves with hearty good will to a frugal supper, and gladly composed ourselves to sleep. ,,. t Wit A SrSALTERN IN AMBKICA. 231 CHAPTER XIX. \'>i ABRIVAL OF GENERAL PACKENHAJC. n ^ An early hour in the morning of the 25th produced a change, both in the hopes and prospects of the army m gene.al, and in the situation of Charltoi., and myself, in particular. Sir Edward Packenham emd General Gibbs unexpectedly made their appearance in the camp, and the former immediately took upon himself the com- rnand of the expedition. His first measure was to alter, in a great degree, the distribution of the forces which General Kean had made. The advance was dissolved ; and the entire army was divided into two brigades or columns. This arrangement separated us from the light troops, with whom we had so long acted ; and we found ourselves appointed to compose part of the right column, whose line of operations lay beside the wood. During the 25th and 26th, nothing of importance occured, which has not been detailed with sufficient ac curacy elsewhere. Of the continual approaches and \ .1 *«.Ci„T>^.. 232 A StTBALTERN IN AMFRICA. hi incursions of the enemy's mounted riflemen, blowing up of the schooner, and the consequent retreat of the ships which had anchored near her, you cannot be ig- norant. I need not, thercrore, speak of them at length, especially as it was not my fortune to come into per- sonal contact with the one, or to be a very close ob- server of the other. On the 27th an event did take place, in which I was deeply interested. At an early hour on the morning of that day, the troops being ordered under arms, dispositions were made for an im- mediate advance. On this occasion our company form- ed part of a detached party, which being placed under the command of Colonel Ronnie of the 21st regiment, was appointed to cover the movement of the column ; and extended the skirmishing order, partly across the plain, and partly into the wood. ]\Iy own section hap- pened to be thrown among the trees, but taking post myself, chiefly on the most exposed flank, I enjoyed an ample opportunity of observing the whole course of the operations ; and of the spectacle, as it presented itself, I must endeavour to give you something like a distinct account. It was not the custom of the Americans, you must know, to protect the front of the army, either by day or night, by a regular chain of outposts. Every morn- ing, indeed, as soon as it was light, a corps of some five or six hundred mounted riflemen came down ; which, spreading themselves over the plain, watched our move- ments in a very irregular and unsoldier-like manner. The head-quarters of this corps invariably established itself in a house distant about long musket-shot from imui cmcn, blowing ; retreat of the 1 cannot be ig- thcm at length, come into per- ery close ob- event did take At an early ! troops being ide for an im- ompany form- l placed under d shells. It Id be thrown len out of our of the other, g before me, ;k, and it lite- )n the whole, ate, perhaps, impment, but deemed suf- e, we halted* I most every •broken flat, 5 of natural line, totally : with them ion of huts he greatest ouac. But soon began ity as weJi t. For all Ij so we di- that better strong de- iployed in A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. W7 bringing up a train of heavy ordnance from the boats, with ample supplies of powder and ball. It was not my fate to be employed on this service, so I can speak of it only from hearsay ; but the labour and difficulty of ac- complishing it, were, I am told, beyond all calculation. Nor was it the only irksome duty In which we were engaged. The picquets never mounted without suffer- ing, sooner or later, an attack. Sometimes the enemy contented themselves with cannonading the outposts, sometimes they advanced large corps in the day, who amused themselves and us, with long and unprofitable skirmishes. But their more usual system was to steal forward in sections after dark, and to harass us with a desultory and troublesome fire of musketry till morning. That you may the better understand how these affairs were conducted, I will detail to you, at length, the cir- cumstances which attended a tour of duty, in which I myself was engaged. It chanced that, on the morning of the .30th, I was put in command of a picquct. My post was abundant- ly exposed ; it was a shallow dry ditch, distant about halfway between our own and the enemy's lines. Ha- ving paraded my men an hour before dawn, I marched forward, and being conducted by the officer whom I was about to relievo and the sentinels, and instructed as far as he was able to instruct me, in the manner in which it behoved me to act, I set him at liberty, by as- suming the station which he abandoned. For some time, all remained quiet; the day gradually dawned, and, as its light exhibited no manifestations of hostile design on the part of the enemy, we began to flatter 21* m I r^ 286 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. ourselves that wo should escape with fewer dangers and hardships than had annoyed our predecessors. But we were speedily convinced that our calculations had been formed on erroneous grounds. As yet, neither I nor the men had ventured to light a fire; we found the party whom we came to relieve without one, and we so far followed their advice, as to act tor some hours by the pattern which they had set us. But the day was piercingly cold. tJl heavy shower fell from time to time, and the absolute discomfort of our situation proved toe much for the whispers of pru- dence. Two fires wore made to blaze up, one for the men, the other for myself and my companion. It seemed as if the American artillery-men had waited for some such object to direct their aim, for the smoke had hardly began to ascend, when there played upon us, from a battery of five guns, as perfect a storm of grape- shot as ever whistled past the ears of men so situated ; and in five minutes the fires were abandoned. But with this the enemy were not contented ; under cover of the can- nonade, a body of some two or three hundred infantry advanced, in extended order, from the lines. They came on with loud shouts, and even before they had ar- rived within anything like moderate range, commenced a running fire of musketry upon the sentries. The or- ders which I had received were peremptory, that not an ir-^h of ground should be given up, as long as I was in a condition to maintain it ; so, instead of desiring the videttes to fall back, I advanced with the body of the piquet to support them. At length, a most uninterest- iDg skirmish ensued. The Americans, it was perfectly A SrBALTERN IN AMBRICAt 989 dangers and cssors. But :ulations had red to light a le to relieve advice, as to they had set leavy shower discomfort of 3pers of pru- one for the ipanion. It id waited for ! smoke had ed upon us, rm of grape- lituated ; and But with this ' of the can- red infantry nes. They they had ar- commenced s. The or. •y, that not ng as I was desiring the •ody of the uninterest- is perfectly manlf<^3t, were raw troops ; they made no determined efforts, probably it was not intended they should make any efforts to drive us in ; but they pressed forward, from time to time, creeping along the ground, and run- ning from ditch to ditch, and retreating again, as soon as they had discharged their pieces. On our side, no movement whatever was made. The meii lay down as I directed, behind a row of bushes, which served, at least, to conceal them from their opponents, and each file regularly shifted its ground a pace or two to the right or the left as soon as it had fired. By this means many lives were saved, for the Americans regularly returned our fire, and they never failed to direct their aim towards the spots from whence our smoke ascended. The affair having lasted about four or five hours, the enemy at length saw fit to withdraw, and we returned to our ditch, with the trifling loss of only two men woun- ded. Nor did they renew their amusement during the remainder of the day. Their cannon, however, con- tinued to annoy us to the last, insomuch that the very sentinels were under the necessity of hiding themselves. Not another musket was fired, and we were content to put up with the one as being, at all events, less disa- greeable than the other. But as darkness set in, causes of disturbance multiplied upon us, of which not the least alarming arose from the culpable negligence of some of our own people. It was customary at this time to cover the army du- ring the day, with a line of posts, which were consider- ed too weak to guard it effectually at night. The con- sequence was, that just before dusk every evening, a J # I H II 1,1 "'fa'-»lil II 240 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. i f* reinforcement was sent up, which, instead of being scattered among Ihe different picquets already establish- ed, formed a distinct picquet of itself. The post at- tached to it lay between my party and a party of the light brigade, in other words, it was accustomed to oc- cupy the centre of a line, of which we formed the flanks. To-night, by some accident or other, the additional pic- quet was late of arriving. Our orders— I mean the or- ders of the out -posts on the right and left— were to con- tract their sentries at sun-set, that room might be left for the sentries from the assisting guard to plant them- selves. We obeyed them this evening, as usual. But the state of our feelings may be more easily imagined than described, when hour after hour stole on, and no force appeared to fill up the gap which we had made— How the officer in charge of the other post behaved, I know not; but for me, having waited as long as a sense of duty would allow, I set out, attendr jy my sergeant, to ascertain the cause of this unaccoi,atabIe delay. As I trudged along, a thousand uneasy thoughts rose into my mind. Sometimes I was apprehensive that the di- vision might have been cut ofl'; at other times the lia- zard which not wc only, but the entire army ran, of a surprisal, occurred to mc, and I could not, with such suspicions in my mind, quit the post of danger. On the contrary, I patrolled backwards and forwards, from the extreme left of our own line, to the extreme right of the other, listening from time to time, in the greatest anx- iety, and finally I made up my mind to throw out some extra sentries. But as I was preparing to carry the re- solution into practice, my attention was suddenly call- I '! id of being 3y establisb- 'he post at- >arty of the omed to oc- i the flanks, ditional pic- lean the or- ivere to con- ght be left plant them- isual. But Y imagined on, and no ad made. — behaved, I ; as a sense y sergeant, delay. As 5 rose into that the di- es the ha- r ran, of a with such r. On the 3, from the ightofthe latest anx- V out some rrythere- Jenly call- A SUBALTERN IN AMEEICA. 941 ed off to other objects. A heavy trampling of feet be- came audible. There was a sound, too, directly in front, as of horses galloping, and first one vidette, then another, challenged. I ran to the spof , and reach- ed it just as the men fired. The report was followed by a burst, as if a squadron of cavalry had broken, and was retreating. But whilst I was watching here, th« same sound of troops marching, caught my ear, and on hurrying back to the void space, it became every mo- ment more and more distinct, I called aloud, but no one answered. This was alarming enough, and what made it more so, was, that the corps, whatever it might be, seemed to approach in echellon, from the front. One man only was with me, but determined neither to suffer a surprise, nor needlessly to disturb the camp, I pushed forward, pistol in hand, towards the road. We challen- ged again and again — no one heeded us. My finger already pressed to the trigger, as a body of men Ije- came perceptible, and I refrained from firing only till I should have challenged the third time. It is well that I had been thus prudent, for the corps proved to be no Other than the long-looked for detachment, which had, by some means or another, contrived to lose its way, and was now wandering back from the very brink of the enemy's canal, to which it had proceeded. Relieved as I could not but feel, at this discovery, my indignation was nevertheless too great not to burst forth in words. I rated the unfortunate officer in command roundly, and leaving my sergeant to assist him in placing his senti- nels, returned to my own picquet. It was now about midnight, and the darkness had 1| r U 342 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. it .'/ become almost, without a metaphor, such as might be felt. Instead of a frost, a thick mist hung in the air, which not only annoyed by the cold moisture which it threw around us, but effectually hindered the stars from casting even their feeble glimmer over the scene. Worn out with fatigue, I had returned to the ditch,— not to seat myself beside a comfortable blaze,— for no fire was lighted, and it would have been madness to think of lighting one,— but to rest my limbs a little by lying down, and to smoke a cigar. I was thus employed, when a heavy rolling noise, like the movement of ar. tulery, caught my ear. It proceeded from the enemy's lines, and its direction was plainly enough towards our camp, though greatly to the left of my most remote sentmcls. I sprang to my feet, and once more hurried to the front. I had traversed about half the space which divided the picquet from the videttes, when the rolling sound ceased ; and the reader will not doubt, that I turn- ed my eyes anxiously to the spot where it did so. I paused, too, for a moment; and before I could resume my progress, three distinct flashes, followed by a simi- lar number of reports, sufficiently informed me of the cause of my disturbance. The enemy, finding ij.at their heavy artillery hardly reached our camp, had moved two field-pieccs and a mortar without their lines, and advancing them as near to the sentries as a regard to their own safety would allow, were now cannonad- ing, not the out-posts, but the main body of the British army. It was easy to perceive that the balls fell not short of their mark. Looking back towards the posi. tion, I saw that the fires were hastily covered up ; and I as might be ng in the air, ture which it he stars from icene. Worn tch, — not to -for no fire less to think ttle by lying s employed, ;ment of ar- the enemy's towards our nost remote lore hurried space which the rolling that I turn. did so. I uld resume i by a simi. me of the nding ihat camp, had their lines, as a regard cannonad- the British lis fell not s the posi* I up; and A SUBALTERN IN AMEEICA. S43 the murmur of voices which arose, gave testimony, that they were not thus stifled before it was necessary. No directions had been given to us how we should act, in case of such an emergency,- ^because, in truth, the emergency had never been contemplated ; yet both my companion and myself felt strongly tempted to try, whether or not we might, by a forward dash, make our' selves masters of their guns. We had even resolved upon hazarding the attempt, and were in the act of ar. rangmg our men for the purpose, when the firing tjud. denly ceased, and the sound of artillery retreating bc^ came audible. To have followed them in their retreat would have been madness— even when we thought of attacking, we hoped for success only by coming unex. pectedly upon them, for we were by no means strong enough, nor was it at all in accordance with our duty to hazard an action with the whole American army. We, therefore, permitted them to depart unmolested, and contented ourselves with patroling forward, about half an hour after, to see that all was right From that time, till towards morning" we were left, in a great measure, undisturbed. The enemy, it ap.' peared, satisfied with what they had done, gave them, selves up to repose, whilst we continued vigilant as before, though without meeting with any serious cause of alarm. About two hours before day-break, how- ever, a general stir took place in the American lines- It was their mustering time; they were then getting under arms— not for the purpose of attacking us, but to op- pose any attack which xve might hazard, and they did so to the sound of drums and trumpets, and other i 1i t 1 A H I I I li; ) 244 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. If martial instruments. The effect of this warlike tumult as it broke in all at once upon the silence of night, was remarkably fine. Nor did the matter end there. The reveille having ceased, and the different regiments hav- ing taken their ground, two or three tolerably full bands began to play, which continued to entertain both their own people and us till broad daylight came in. Being fond of music, — particularly of the music of r. military band, I crept forward beyond the sentries, for the pur- pose of listening to it. The airs which they played were some of them, spiritless enough, — the Yankees are not famous for their good taste in anything; — but one or two of the waltzes struck me as being peculiarly beau- tiful ; the tunc, however, which seemed to please them- selves the most, was their national air known among us by the title of " Yankee doodle ;" for they repeated it at least six times in the course of their practice. Dawn was beginning to appear, when the party des- tined to relieve us came up. Having communicated to the officer in command as much information as I myself possessed, I very gladly called in my sentinels, mus- tered ray people, and marched to the rear. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 245 varlike tumult of night, was I there. The cgiments hav- ibly full bands lin both their fie in. Being 5 of r. military 3, for the pur- sy played were .nkccs are not — but one or 3uliarly beau- 3 please them- iwn among us repeated it at tice. the party des- (imunicated to )n as I myself :;ntinels, mus- CHAPTER XX, Having hitherto said but little of the positions of iho liostile armies, or of the effect which a glance from the one to the other was calculated (o produce, I shall not, perhaps, be regarded as stepping greatly out of my way, if I endeavour here to make up for my former omissions. It has been already hinted, that the field of operations consisted of a narrow plain, hemmed in on one hand by the Mississippi, and on the other by the woody morass. The open space between these extremities could not exceed one thousand yards, whilst the distance of the British from the American camp may be calculat d at about two miles and a half. As there was nothing to interrupt the vision, the disposition (if our force coiUd us easily be noted from the enemy's lines, as their lines could be seen from our bivouac; but the point from which to obtain the most satisfactory view of both, was the line of on- advanced posts. He who stood there saw, in his front, a long parapet, composed entirely of earth, which was riveted with thin planks, and support- $ ■'il f, 246 A STBALTERN IN AMEBIC A. > . ed by stakes. About thirty or forty yards in advance of it, ran a bayou, or canal, measuring, to all appear- ance, from ten to fifteen feet in width. This, however, ended considerably to the left of the river ; indeed, it can hardly be said to have covered more than two-thirds of the entrenchment, whilst upon the high road, and somewhat out of the line, was again erected a flanking redoubt; there was a semicircular battery about the middle, and a third, called, in the language of the pro- fession, an inverted Ridau, protected the extremity which joined the wood. On the summit of the central work, a lofty llag-stafT wag erected, from which a large American ensign constantly waved ; whilst in rear of the breast-work, a crowd of white tents shewed them- selves, not a few of which bore flags at the top of their poles. The American camp, in short, exhibited at least, as much of the pomp and circumstance of war, as mo- dern camps iire accustomed to exhibit ; and the spirits of its inmate;? were kept continually in a state of exci- tation by the bands of martial music. How different was the spec de to which a glance towards the rear introduced the spectator, presenting exactly the sar/ie extent of front ; the British army lay there without tents, without works, without show, with- out parade, upon the ground. Throughout the whole line not more than a dozen huts were erected, and these, which consisted only of pieces of plank, torn from the houses and fences near, furnished but an inefficient protection against the inclemency bf V.v weather. Our men might accordingly be observed, some of them, walking backwards and forwards, collected in groups -ft A SUBALTERN IN AMKRICA. 847 Is in advance 3 all appear- liis, however, r ; indeed, it an two-thirds ?h road, and sd a flanking y about the ;e of the pro- le extremity f the central fhich a large st in rear of lewed them- ! top of their )ited at least, war, as mo- id the spirits itate of exci- ich a glance r, presenting sh army lay ; show, with- Jt the whole d, and these, orn from the in inefficient eather. Our ne of them, d in groups round their fires, others stretched at length in the sun- beams, apparently rejoicing in the warmth which they conveyed. No band played among them, nor did a bugle give its sound, except to warn the hearers of dan- ger, and put them on the alert; on the contrary, the routine of duty was conducted in as much silence as if there had been no musical instruments in the camp. It was impossible not to be struck with the contrast which the conditions, and apparent comforts, of the invading and defending hosts presented. But if there was so much to interest and excite dur- ing the day, at night the scene assumed a thousand de- grees of more excitement and attraction. Then an hundred fires, from the one encampment as well as from the other, threw up a broad red light into the air, round which groups could be seen, moving or sitting, in atti- tudes the most varied and picturesque. With the Amer- icans, indeed, the light falling strongly upon a thousand tall marquees, produced an effect as beautiful as can well be imagined ; while even the rude huts and blan- ket tents of the British troops, exhibited when begirt with flames, an appearance far more imposing than they ever assumed when the sun's rays smote°them. Then again, the few solitary fires which marked the stations of some of the outposts, were not without their effect in heightening the sublimity of the panorama; while a cannon or mortar discharged, from time to time, by the enemy, gave to the whole an appearance of war- like grandeur, than which nothing almost can be con- ceived more imposing. In short, in spite of all the drawbacks which attended the guidance of a picquet, I !£*j^a?sw!ir- A SUBALTEUN IN ABIERICA. am not sure that I spent any portion of my time in a state of higher enjoyment, than when, during the tiilence of the night, I was perambulating from sentry to sentry, and feasting my eyes on the different objects which I have here so inadequately succeedf^d in describing. I have said, that during the last three or four days, the troops were busily employed in bringing up heavy cannon, with large stores of ammunition, from the fleet. The object of this, as we afterwards learned, was to enable the artillery and engineer officers, to try the effect of a scheme which they had suggested. They proposed to the General, regularly to breach the enemy's lines, and they undertook, provided proper dispositions were made, to silence their batteries in the course of three hours. At an early hour on the 31st, about twenty long eightcens, and ten twenty-four pounders being ready, besides powder and ball enough for six hours continued cannonading, it was determined to throw up, in the course of the night, four redoubts, from behind which our gunners might take aim with increased security and effect. With this view, detach- ments from each brigade got under arms soon after dark, and moved to the front. Having advanced, in profound silence, about a couple of hundred yards be- yond the videttes, the working parties were command- ed to halt — and protected by the two battalions of the light infantry, the 85th and 95th rifle-corps, they pitch- ed their arms and began operations. All was conducted with the most perfect order. Not a man spoke, but digging sedulously at the spot pointed out to him, each strove to execute his task,, more steadily and more qui. ny time in a ig the ailence ry to sentry, ects which I scribing. )r four days, ng up heavy rom the fleet, rned, was to try the effect ley proposed icmy's lines, isitions were irse of three ibout twenty inders being gh for six itermined to nr redoubts, ic aim with iew, detach- 3 soon after idvanced, in d yards be- 3 command- ilions of the 3, they pitch- as conducted 1 spoke, but to him, each id more qui. A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 249 titiy than another. Nor were tlje officers backward ia affording them assistance. There were no idle hands here ; every one wielded a spade or pick-axe, and, knowing, as we all knew, that we worked for life and death, wielded at once cautiously and zealously. The consequence was, that long before the first streaks of dawn appeared, three solid demitoons were completed, and thirty pieces of heavy ordnance placed in readiness to open the fire, as soon as there should be light enough to direct it. Never was any failure more remarkable or unlocked lor than this. The infant ry, having accomplished their tasks, fell back ; and took ground some hundred yards or two in rear of the batteries. There we lay, anx^ iously expecting the sun to rise, and confidently anti^ cipated, that long before his setting, we should be snugly housed in the city of New Orleans. But the sun, as if ashamed to shine upon our disgrace, was slow of making his appearance ; a heavy mist obscured him; and the morning was far advanced before it cleared away. At last, however, the enemy's line^ were visible, and then began a fire from our batteries, so brisk, and so steadily kept up, that we, who were behind, made not the smallest doubt of its effect. It was answered for a while faintly, and with seeming difficulty. By and by, however, the enemy's salutat tion became more spirited, till it gradually surpassed our own, both in rapidity and precision. We were a good deal alarmed at this, and the more that a rumour soon got abroad, that our batteries were not proof against the amazing force of the American shot. We 23* il I I ■ i U p ju i w — •>■■ .■^.- 250 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 'V Imd, it may be stated, imprudently rolled into the para- I)et8 barrels filled with sugar, under the impression that sugar would prove as effectual as sand in checking the progress of cannon balls. But the event showed that we had been completely mistaken. The enemy's sl.ot penetrated these sugar-hogsheads as if they had been so many empty casks, dismounting our guns, and killing our artillery-men in the very centre of their works. There could be small doubt, as soon as these facts were established, how the cannonading would end. Our fire slackened every moment, that of the Ameri- cans became every moment more terrible, till at length, after not more than two hours and a half of firing, our batteries were all silenced. The American works, on . thfs other hand, remained as little injured as ever, and wo were completely foiled. Whilst our cannon continued to play, the enemy contented themselves by returning their salute ; but in proportion as the fire ceased, they began to direct their artillery, not at the batteries only, but at the infantry in rear. Our men were accordingly commanded to lie down ; but even thus, all the shot passed not harmless, and about twelve persons of every rank were killed or wounded. As soon as this became known, and it could no longer be concealed, that the promises of the engineer department were not likely to be fulfilled, the army were again commanded to fall back ; and it again took up its ground, foiled, irritated, and disheartened, in its former bivouac. I need hardly observe, that men who had of late un- dergone so much, and saw before them so little prospect !M ito the para- )ression that checking the showed that ;ncmy's s!:ot { had been so , and killing their works, these facts would end. ' the Ameri- till at length, jf firing, our in works, on as ever, and ^, the enemy lalute ; but in to direct their t the infantry manded to lie not harmless, tvere killed or 1, and it could )f the engineer he army were lin took up its , in its former lad of late un^ I little prospect A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 261 of success, began to feel both their zeal and spirit gra- dually subside. The truth, indeed, is, that we were all thoroughly worn out. Every man had been busy, in some way or another, during the past week ; not a few had been without sleep or a regular meal for sixty hours ; it is not to be wondered at, if these spoke and thought less of future glory, than of immediate suffering. Yet were our fatigues by no means at an end. The enemy having made no attempt to carry off our heavy guns, which wo abandoned to their fiite, it was judged advi- sable to bring them into the camp as soon as circum- stances would allow; and for this purpose, working parties were again sent out, as soon as the darkness screened them. It was my fortune to accompany them. The labour of dragging a number of huge ships' guns out of the soft soil into which they had sunk, crippled, too, as most of them were in their carriages, was more extreme by far tl*n any one expected to find it ; indeed, it was not till four o'clock in the morning that our task came to a conclusion, and even then it had been very imperfectly performed. Five guns were eventually left behind. These were rendered useless, it is true, by breaking their trunnions ; but it cannot be said that in the course of the late operations, the British army came off without the loss of some of its artillery. I do not recollect to have experienced at any period of my life, a degree of fatigue at all to be compared with that which now oppressed me. During three whole nights and days I had never closed an eye ,• my food, during that entire space, consisted of a small quantity of salt beef, a sea-buiscuit or two, and a little S Wi I ¥ 8A3 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. *' i . rum ; and even that I could hardly find time or leisure to consume. I was now so completely overcome, that had I been required to perform any duty at the moment, I question whether my bodily strength would have carried me through it. It was not without some diffi- culty tha* I contrived to drag my limbs back to the camp: and having done so, all the thoughts of further exertion was laid aside,— I threw myself down upon the ground, and in an instant I was asleep, and the evening was beginning to close iti, before that deep slumber left me. But it proved indeed, a refreshment for which I knew not how to be sufficiently thankful. I rose per- fectly restored to my natural vigor of body and mind, and perfectly willing to act or suffer whatever ou.- lea- ders might think fit to jequire. It has been said, that the bad qu&lity, and insufficient quantity of provisions issued out to the trocp^, in the course of these operations, was soreljfcfelt. The tiinh is, that the few supplies which the country at first fur- nished became exhausted in a day ; and we were, of necessity, reduced almost from, the first, to depend en- tirely upon the fleet for our subsistence. That the sailors exerted themselves strenuously to hinder us from experiencing any serious inconvenience on, that account, no one can deny,~they were at the oar con- tinually ; but sometimes the weather proved such as to retard their progress, and sometimes they neglected to set out till the Commissaries' store had become wellnigh emptied. On all such occasions, we were compelled to put up with half-allowance. Yet we managed to enjoy luxuries, too, such as they were. The country aboua- A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 253 3 or leisure ■come, that le moment, vould have some diffi- ick to the of further n upon the he evening I umber left )r which I I rose per- and mind, er oui' lea- insufficient cp^, in the The tiinh it first fur- e were, of lepend cn- That the hinder us e on, that e oar con- such as to sglected to 3 wellnigh mpelledto d to enjoy ry aboua- dcd in sugar—and here and there an orchard of Sevillo oranges adorned it. •" It was customary amongst us to substitute burned biscuits for cotlec, which there was no difficulty in rendering sweet ; and we made out of the oranges and sugar no indiffijrent marmalade. Nor was this the only use to which we turned the former of these articles. When pork and bread ran short, it was no uncommon thing for both officers and men to appease the cravings of hunger by eating the sugar ; not, indeed, as it was found in the casks, but after they had mould- ed it into cakes. I cannot say that any of us would have selected such food, had a choice been submitted to him ; but we were very thankful for it, and in no in- stance did it prove otherwise than wholesome and nu- tritious. In the meanwhile, neither the American general nor our own remained inactive, though, on our part, the con- fidence of success which once prevailed, had manifestly abated. Not only were fresh troops seen to pour daily into the enemy's camp, but a line of works was begun by them on the opposite side of the river, from which they contrived to enfilade our bivouac, with no fewer than eighteen pieces of cannon. On their main posi- tion, likewise, they laboured night and day. The par- apet, which, on the morning of the 27th, any tolerably active man would have overleaped with ease, was now heightened to an ordinary altitude ; whilst a ditch, measuring from ten to fifteen feet in width and from four to eight feet in depth, covered and protected it, from one flank to the other. It was understood too, that two additional lifles, in rear of that before us, 4 1 ii I S54 A SUBALTERN iNT AMERICA. If * f.; I., were in progress of completion, whilst rafts, boata and vessels of all sizes and dimensions, crowded the Mississippi, and commanded the whole flat. With respect to the British army again, its time was now powerfully occupied, in dig * . i " . 256 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. k./l i'.) 4: bearing the gabions and fascines ; the left colum com* posed of one company from the 43d regiment; one com- pany from the 7th, the 93d, and 7th West India regi- 95th re- giment, in extended order, shall keep up the communi- cation between the head of one colum and the head of the other, whilst the 7th and 43d shall remain in re- serve." The orders then went on to state, that a gene- ral assault would be made upon the enemy's lines ; that the commander of the forces placed the fullest reliance in the gallantry of his troops, and the skill of his offi- cers ; that arrangements were made so as to assure suc- cess, and that he. confidently trusted that to-morrow would add an additional laurel to the many which al- ready adorned the brows of his brave followers. The order was well expressed. We read it with intense in- terest, and wc determined, thijt, as far as we were con- cerned at least, no exertions should be spared to hin- der the general's hopes from, suffering a blight. When men are made aware, that at the expiration of a few hours, they will be brought into a situation which will require all their energies of mind and body to bear them honourably through, they almost unavoidably con- gregate together, and indulge in numerous surmises as to the results which are likely to ensue, and the means which to each appears best calculated to render these results favourable. On the present occasion, for ex- ample, not many minutes elapsed ere our hut became a place of assembly to the greater proportion of officers attached to the corps. It was then explained, that the measures to which General Packenham so confidently :h: V ; colum com* jnt; one com- 3t India regi- he communi* I the head of •emain in re- , that a gene- 's lines ; that llest reliance II of his ofli- o assure suc- it to-morrow ny which al- )wers. The :h intense in- ve were con- )ared to hin- light. expiration of nation which body to bear 'oidably con- 3 surmises as id the means render these iion, for ex- lut became a in of officers ned, that the confidently X SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 'J57 alluded, consisted in the pushing across of the 85th re giment,a body of marines and seamen, to the other bank of the river, by whom the guns mounted there would be turiieu, so as to take the American position in re- verse. Next came a variety of speculations as to the propriety of intrusting a regiment so miserably com- manded as the 44th, with the vitally important office of carrying the ladders and fascines ; whilst the chances of success or failure, the probability of individual escapes, and in the event of his escaping, the mode in which each proposed to spend his evening after he had estab- hshed himself in New Orleans,— these furnished to- pics of conversation for several hours. At last, how- ever, the petty council broKo up, and each betook him- self to the occupation which best suited him, in the full assurance that nothing short of extreme misconduct, or the most extraordinary mismanagement, could pos' sibly hinder our obtaining a signal victory on the mor- row. For my own part, I am not ashamed to confess, that I felt this evening more singularly oppressed, not with alarm, but with awe, than I recollect ever to have done under similar circumstances. The society of my brother officers was not agreeable to me, so I walk- ed away alone. Having striven in vain to divert my melancholy by an inspection of the canal, I turned my steps towards the river side, and sat down in a re- tired corner close to the margin of the stream. The day chanced to be remarkably mild ; the sun was bright and warm, and there was not a cloud in the sky to ob- scure or diminish his glory. I felt his power and ac 23 / i; 'I ) I 1 S68 A SUBALTERN IN AMEHICA. li ::l'^ knowlcdged it ; and I felt in my inmost soul, the influ- ence of that majestic torrent as it poured past me rapidly, but smoothly, and almost silently. 1 was not afraid of the morrow, for danger had been too long familiar with me not to have lost most of its terrors ; yet I question whether the idea of death ever came across my mind with greater solemnity than it did then. I thought, too, of my home, of my relations, and the friends of my youth, and I could not at the moment hinder a wish from passing over me, that I had been permitted to lay my bones in the grave of my fathers. But these were enervating images ; I knew that they were so, and I therefore determined to resist them ; I rose, therefore, from my seat, and hurrying back to the camp, spent the rest of the day in society. At an early hour, however, both Charlton and myself retired to rest ; and though our conversation partook for a mi- nute or two somewhat of the gloomy, we soon closed our eyes, and fell fast asleep. Lil, the influ- ed past me 1 was not 3en too long its terrors ; 1 ever came n it did then, ns, and the the moment it I had been my fathers. 3w that they sist them ; I 5 back to the At an early If retired to k for a mi- soon closed A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. CHAPTER XXI. 259 BATTLE OP NEW ORLEANS. The reader is probably aware, that, according to the plan originally chalked out, a detachment of some twelve or fourteen hundred men had received orders to embark m the Mississippi immediately after dark, on the even- ing of the 7th. That corps, under the command of Colonel Thornton, was destined to make good its land- mg, and to carry the enemy's batteries an hour before dawn on the 8th. On our side, again, nothing offen- sive was to be attempted till the sound of firing should give notice that our comrades were engaged — we were merely to take our ground as close to the American lines as circumstances would allow. Unhappily, however, a rauititude of unexpected disasters served to frustrate the most important of these arrangements. The banks of tiie canal gave way, the boats were slow in arriving, and the detachment was not in a condition to move till day had actually broken ; of these facts we were after- wards too fatally made aware. But at the moment we knew nothing of them ; and we arose, as we liad been directed, two hours before dawn, and took our stations Having been led to believe that the column, as soon* M iSi^niAjy' :ui f I ! IS* \ J S60 A SUBALTERN IN AMKRICA. na it was formed, would move forward, our surprise may be guessed at, when we found minute after minute stealing away without the advance being commanded. For some tin.o we regarded the delay ag accidental merely, but by and by a feeling of apprehension arose lest matters should have gone, in some important point, awry, and we should be doomed to a continuance of that system of vacillation and delay which we had so long endured, and which we all so keenly reprobated. At length, however, the word wag given to push on ; but it was given not till the eastern sky had begun to redden, and though we obeyed it immediately, we ar- rived not within musket-shot of the works till the day had dawned. The consequences were exactly such as night have been expected. The Americans saw us, and then opened upon us from right to left, a fire of musketry, grape, round-shot, and canister, than which I have certainly never witnessed any more murderous. Before I proceed to offer any description of this af- fair, it will be necessary to state, somewhat more mi- nutely than I have yet done, the manner in which it was proposed that it should be conducted. The main attack, on the present occasion, was di- reeled against the left of the American position. It was led on by Major-General Gibbs, to whose prudence the regiments alreadjfc, named, with one black corps, were entrusted. To enable the troops to pass the ditch, a number of fascines, gabions, and scaling-ladders had l)een constructed, which were all deposited in a sort of rude redoubt, thrown up on the right of our bivouac. These the 44th regiment was appointed to carry ; they 111 A SUBALXEBN IN AMERICA. 261 )ur surprise ifter minute ommanded. 1 accidental nsion arose )rtant point, itinuancc of we had so reprobated, to push on ; d begun to tcly, we ar- lill the day ctly such OH ns saw us, :f>, a fire of than which murderous. I of this a£^ t more mi- n which it on, was di- osition. It 50 prudence lack corps, IS theditch» ladders had n a sort of n bivouac, arry ; they were desired to pack them up whilst in the act of ad- vancing, and to form, thus armed, tlie head oi the storm- ing party. The 44th regiment disobeyed flie orders given to them. Tliey hd us, indeed, into the (ield, but they left all their implements behind them, as if no such implements had been needed. On our left acain, Ge- neral Kean, with his column, was commanded not so much to attempt anything serious, as to divert the at- tention of the enemy by demonstrations. In case, in- deed, any uiilooked for opi >irtuiiity should occu., he was expected to avail hinself of it; but the grent end which he was designed lo serve, was that of distracting the enemy's councils, and diverting part of their atten- tion from us. I have said, that long before we arrived within mus- ket-range, the tlay had begun to dawn upon us. Tlie .same light which exposed us to the view of the enemy, served to inform Sir Edward Pakcnham that one of his most important directions had been disregarded, and he instantly dispatched an aid-de-camp with orders to Co- lonel MuUins to lose no time in remedying the evil. But before the aid-de-camp came up, the enemy had opened their fire, and the 44th, broken and dispersed, had become completely unman;igcablc. Nothinc now remained but to. press forward at once, with the regi- ments which still preserved their order. M^e advanced at double quick time, under a fire which mowed us down by whole sections, and were approaching the ditch, when suddenly a regular lane was cut from front to rear of the column. There was a thirty-two pounder gun exactly in our front. This the enemy filled up to 23* Ii :^ i! m 963 A SVRALTBRN IN AMBRICA. the very muzzle with musket balls, and laid it with the nicest axjcuracy. One single discharge served to sweep the centre of the attacking force into eternity. In the whole course of my military career, I recollect no such instance of desperate and immediate slaughter as then. The aiat, which led the way, was broken at once ; the corps which followed were not in much better order ; but wo still pushed forward, and at lust, about two or three hundred of us gained the ditch. It was in vain that we ilid oUr bcsi to mount the parapet. The works were not, indeed, very high, nor the ditch deep, and had we been more numerous, without a doubt we should have passed tliom ; but the soft earth gave way with us, and as often as wo succeeded in arriving near the summit, we regularly slid down again. Satisricd at last, that till further support should arrive nothing could be done, -we sheltered ourselves as we were best able, and kept quiet. WhUst thus resting, as it were comparatively safe, I was enabled, by looking back, to obtain a tolerably cor- rect view of what was going on. Our column remain- ed whore it had at tirst been checked, and was now a mere maas of confusion. Between it and us, the ground was literally covered with dead ; they were so numer- ous, that to count thorn seemed impossible ; but what astonished me above all things, was to behold General Kean's brigade in full march across the plain, and hur- rying to the support of th'Mvhich had suifered so se- verely. General Kean is as brave an officer as any in the service ; and beyond all doubt, his zeal and bravery tempted him to take this step ; but never was any step A STTBALTER^ Ilf AMEBICA. 26J d it with the I'^ed to sweep ity. In the lect no such Iter as then. It once ; the etter order ; bout two or was in vain The works 1 deep, and )t we should ; way with tig near the sried at last, ng could be st able, and vcly safe, I lerably cor- nnn remain- was now a the ground so numer- ; but what Id General 1, and hur- red so se- r as any in nd bravery Ls any step taken more imprudently, or with less judgment. The advance of his own corps, consisting of the light com- panies of the 7th and 93d, with one company of the 43d, had already stormed and taken a six-gun battery upon the road. Had General Kean supported them, instead of seeking to support us, there cannot be a doubt that the American lines would have been forced in that quarter. But he did not support them ; and these brave men, after having maintained themselves in their conquest, till they had been almost cut to pieces, were compelled to retreat. His arrival, besides, in this part of the field, only added to the general confusion. A desperate attempt was, indeed, made to renew the charge —but Sir Edward Pakcnham having fallen. General Gibbs being borne mortally wounded to the rear, and General Kcan himself disabled, the attempt failed of success. Both columns wavered, retired, and at la&t fled. In the meanwhile, our little corps, with a few strag- gling fires of the riflemen, continued to occupy the ene- mies ditch. Not willing to surrender at once, we endeavoured, in conjunction with the advance of the column, to force our way within the lines; and about 70 men succeeded, I believe, in the attempt ,• but of the circumstances which attended their capture, for captured they all were, I know nothing. I had clambered to the top of the parapet, and was preparing to spring among the enemy, when a shot struck me in the head ; I fell back, and recollect nothing farther. How I was con- veyed from the ditch, and escaped utter destruction, I cannot tell ; for I became insensible on the instant ; bu I 264 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. 'tl , that my comrarlcs did not desert me was sufficiently proved by the p'ight in which I found myself when my senses returned. I was lying on a mattress, in a small room, surrounded by hrilf a dozen officers, all of whom were wounded, and a medical gentleman was in the act of removing a bandage from my brow. He was a stran- ger to me, and I lool ed at him with an expression of inquiry in my glance, which he did not misunderstand. But though the case was so, he refused to enter into any conversation with me, assuring me that my only chance of recovery lay in keeping quiet ; and we de- parted not from that system till a full week had expired. At the end of that time, however, I learned that some of my men, hoping that there might still be life in me, had carried me off on the failure of the last attack, and that I had continued in a state of stupor daring six-and- thirty hours after. From that period, up to the moment of my removal, I knew nothing of the movements or operations of the army, except from heresay. That it suffered terribly in the late actions, the multitudes of maimed aud mu- tilated creatures who tilled the hospital, abundantly tes- tified ; and that it continued to suffer hardships and privations as severe as it has often fallen to the lot of men to endure, all agreed in stating. For myself, I re- gained my strength slowly and painfully, and did so, only to witness the agonies of those who surrounded me. Of the six individuals whom I had seen on first awaking from my trance, two died within the week ; and a third, living by some extraordinary vigour of constitution one day beyond them, died also. Than i sufficiently self when my !S, in a small all of whom ms in the act was a stran- xpression of sundcrstand. to enter into lat my only and we de- had expired. ;d that some c Hfe in me, ; attack, and •ing six-and- ny removal, itions of the red terribly led aud mu- ndantly tes- rdships and o the lot of •nyself, I re- and did so, surrounded een on first the week ; { vigour of Iso. Than A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. S65 the condition of this last youth, none can be imagined mere shocking. A cannon ball having struck him in the hip, carried away the whole of the quarter, smash- >ng his left hand which rested upon it; yet in this plight, with his bowels fallen or falling out, and the whole system in a state of putrefaction, the poor boy existed eight days. The remaining three, like myself, recov- ered ; but wilh one, it was with the loss of both feet ; whilst another retained, and probably still retains, a musket ball in his groin. In this state I continued, being constantly visited by my friend Charlton, up to the morning of the 17th, when, in company with many others, I was carried down to the canal, and placed in a boat. A consider- able flotilla, loaded wilh stores, light guns, and wound- ed men, accompanied us ; and we set sail an hour or two before noon, for the fleet. It was a long tedious voyage, particularly to us, whose frames were so mi- serably shaken ; but at last we reached the anchorage, and were taken on board. There, every possible at- tantion wa? paid to us. Our food was of the lightest and best quality ; our nursing was as gentle as if our mothers or sisters had attended on us, and our strength came again with surprising rapidity; but mine was ne- ver such during the remainder of the war, as that I could either join my comrades in their proceedings, or keep an accurate journal of my own. Under these circumstances, I will not waste yours, or your readers' time, by attempting any narrative of events, which have teen already recorded, and of which • • • » « • I • . « • • . • . . . • 1 1 . I » « • » » . • • • . . ... I 266 A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA. I could speak only from the icport ol' others. It is enougii to remind you, that the army retreated on the 19th, that in the course of its retreat, it underwent in- numerable liardships ; that itreembarked its last diviaion on the yist; and once more put to sea on the 4th of March. Steering down the Lakes, the fleet made for the coast of Mobille, and on the 7th again landed the troops on Dauphin Island. In this landing I accom- panied them, not as a combatant, for I was still too weak to think of that ; but that I might enjoy the bless- ings of a free atmosphere, and larger space than could be aflbrded me on board of ship. There, then, I con- tinued, till the intelligence of the peace reached us ; and on the 27th, took shipping for old England. h THE END. \ thcrs. It is ■eated on the ndcrwcnt in- i last division 3n the 4th oC ct made for in landed the ing I accom- ras still too oy the bless- e than could then, I con- ched us ; and d. i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 8- IIIIIM (^ IIIIIM e m IIM 1.8 1.25 1.4 L6 < 6" ► V] <^ /2 /: !^. '/ y^ Photograpliic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 f^ ^V '6^^qiie d'S Valk'y'field. ' ; ' PAUL LAkbCgUE, eveque de*Silerbr6ote. " W I 62178 L • ••« • -• • It • » - * • • * L'Uni oitobre Ht- JciUi philiintl Gustave eonseil } Ilobillar L'iiiU lot'alc, s aux iiiei j se repan Quebec, siou. Ce bieii qu' repondii plus (le : Franc()-( provinei , viendi'a Al'in 1 qui avai' ' Mgr Bru cieur a a ^Haut P f veneres ( L'ONION FRflNCO-CflNflDIENNE NOTES PRELIMINAIRES L' Union Franco-Cunadienue fut fondee, a Montreal, le ler octobre 1894, par M. Tablte Ma uoviMubre 1897 : "Je ne saniais trop vdiis fi'licitei- (bi zMe eclaire que vou.s deployez, dans le l)ul pati'loticpie et religit'iix d'inciilquer a nos populations une f-age prt'voyance des be^oins dc I'avenir, par la praticpie de recononue qui produira, entre autres fruits si utiles a tons, indipeusables meine pourplusiours, ci>s epargnes que les families trouveront a lein-disposition dans les SDcietes nationales de l)ienfaisance, solidenieut etablies et fide- ment acbiiinistn'i's. Aussi, j'ai In avec un vif iuteivt voti'e elude. Kile repond a la fin que vons vous propose/ d'attebidre, et je suis d'avis que, repandue dans nos campagnos, elle y fora ibi bion. Suis doute, elle ne r^Missira pasadis-siper du prenuer coup tons le^ prt'jug'''s, ni a ])rodnire la conviction dans to. is les (.'Sprits ; mais die attirera i)artout Fattenlion sur la ^(jcietc de bien- faisancea taux fixes diti> /,' Vni'm Friiiic'i-C.iiKi'Heinii', que je reeonunautle de nouveaua la consideration (\v tons mes dioc;'sains. Dans ces disi)nsitions, je vous souliaile toutes sortes de biens, et je demeure, Monsieiii' k' Secretaire, Votre tout devoue sei'viteur en N'.-S. t Andre- Albert. V.\. de St-Germain de Rimouski. Moll juonsietii diciiue. 1 " MoN( les societe remercie ( a faire im " II est mouvoir h naturel, c( en tout Ic detourner I)arce qn' I les engage catboli(pu " .Maisj ])rudence et reconnn interets h\ leurs Intel " Voila, L'Uiuon 1 " An pii conipeten( sui\i dan;- conscienci " Aa /)' associatioi condition!' digue de 1 " Aussi, me i);iniit lie ii'diit i)aH icillU'lll (Ics itic pi'Dviiice llClil do IlliM 'conimisHciit issi, Hont-ils ju'i'tcH l)i('n ivis (loHiiitO- ioii lie votru t-Hyaciiithe. ucrivtiit au IS (It'plc )}•('/, ilatii)ii« 11110 ! IT'cononiiii >ahlort 1111*1110 f(liyp(»«itii)ii blios ot lido- l la fin que Ino dans nos asadissipor ill dans to. IS tc do bicn- ecoinniaiulo bions, et je i Rimouski. M()iis('i;^'iu'iir do (lliicordinii ocrit, a son tour, au iiioiik' iiioiisiour I,. (1. Ifoliillard, Sec. (u'n. do L'Unioii Fraiico-Cana- dicmio. lo L'S doceinhro 1S!)7: '• MiiN ciiKit MoNsiKTit : — J'ai rorn los cxoiiiplaircs do votic otiido siir los sdcioto." do bionfaisaiu'o, (pio vous iii'avo/ invsoiitos. .I(^ voiis on roiiiorcio (•(trdialonioiit. .I'ai In atti'iitivoiuoiU co travail ot lo crois pi'dpro ;'i faii'o nil t^raiid bioii. '■ II ost ooi'tain (pio, dans iiotro Hi''('l(>, lo poiipio dosiro proto^jor ot pro inuiivoir sos intorots, par dos associations do toiitos sortos. Cost son droit natiirol, coniino c'ost lo devoir dos ])astoiirs do lo dirijjor, en eela coinine on tout lo roslo. Lo Sonvorain Pontile roi'oiniiiando anx evofinos do detourner. avoc zMoet priidonoo, losoatlioliqnos dos associations nont res, parce qii' II los eonsidore coniine trop sonveiit xiispcdrx ti lUuHicniiHCK, et de los enj^ager, en nioiiio tcMiqjs, i\ s'aHilior aux associations I'ranclieniont catlioliipu's. " .Mais jo coiisidero cpio Ics ovoiiiios, jioiir s'arcpiittor do co dovoiravi'c ])rudoiico ot charito, doivont s'assuror si los sociotos (pTils onconragont et recoiiiiiiandoiit offront dosgaranties s;'rieiises, iioii-soiiloiiient ponr les intorots spirituols dos fidolos dont ils out la gardi'. niais encore ponr lours interots pnrenient toinporels. " Voila, dans inoii hiiiiiblo opinion, los garantios (pie troiivoront dans L'Union Franco-Canadioniie les catlioliqiios qni ilosiroront s'y atlilior. *' Ah puliit (If nie JiiKOicier, dos lioininos trafl'airos serionx et d'line coinpotonco incontestable, apros avoir soignoiisonient otndie lo systeine sni^i t/V»;-;— , .J'ui ileji'i doniK'- moil jii)i)n>l)utinii, a la suite dc .Moii.sci- giKMii rAichcvoqiic (k' Moiitn'al. u l/liiidii Fiiiiu-o-Cuiuulicnnt', vi y !^r/'cz, clier nionsienr, ri'xi)ressi(jn de ma haute consideration et et croyez-inoi votre bieii devout'', .1. I). (il'AV. Mairi di' ('liiroKliiiii iixiiiir: — fest avec ])laisir tpie je recoinmandc "L'l'iiion Fraiico- ('anadieiine" u tons nies amis. .le tU'sire en I'aire pai tie inoi-int^me, et je coinprends tjne cette societe, dont voiis t'tts le ."^^ecix'taire iu''iTd, est a p pe 1 L'e .\ I'aire un grand bieii dans la province de Quebec. .I'invitv' par- tionli.^'rement tons mes amis de la classe agricoic, ct snrtout cenx de la ,^ classe onvriC'iva en faire i)artie, car c'est speciuleinent aeux qu'elle sera 8 le plus profitable. V.ms soul.altant Ic plu« grand su -.cs possible je me souscris, luonsieur, votre servitenr. AKMAXI) TE8SIP:R, Redactenr du '• PUOTELTEUR DU SAGUEXA 1'." CiikmixSaixtk-Fovi.; i'kes Qiebkc, 25 aoit 1897. A M. L. G. Robillard, .Sec. (JeiiOral de L'Unicii Franco-Caiiadieiuie. Bien Cher Momieur.—XyiiiM pris connaissaiice du but de votre Societe q«i est de grouper et d'unir le. Canadiens-fran.;ais dans une organisation franchement catholique et pleii.en.entsoiuuiseu la direction de I'J-Vlise je me fais un plaisirde vous dire que je Tapprouve de tnuf c.eur et quc- ]e term tout en mon pouvoir pnur en fav..n,ser le developpJment. Votre tout devoue serviteur, J. r. tardivp:l, Directeur-Pi-oprUiaire de ''LA VERITE.'' CiiicoLTiMr, ]8 oc-roBKK 1897. A M. L. G. Robillard, Sec. Gen. de L' Union Franco-t'anadienne. 3/onc/terJ/o«8/e»/-.— Apres avoir prisconnaissance du svsteme d'as- surance de votre societe, je suis heureux de constater qu'elle est etablie mv des bases solides, parce qu'elle pnurvoit a former un certain fonds de reserve tant pour la caisse des maiades que pom- la caisse des deces et que le .aux des contributions, gradue suivant I'age des candidats' est rationel, juste et equitable. En vous assi.rant de mon appui, mon- s-eur, je vous pne de me croire, Votre tres humble, J. E. A. DUBUC, Gmuit dc lit Banqae Xatioaalc d Chlcoutimi. w Non Art. 1 dc i;UN Art. S lUrondus Art. 3 Ituelle ; el |vie, (^t^tcr })()ui'suite Art. 4 dans les 1 k Art. I ■ Dans Sucre-Ccei dessiii ;i[)[ Imitualite m-^^' jossible je me AGrEXAY." ^ 25 AoiT ]8n (le I'Eglise, ; c^vuv ct que 'inent. 'EL, 1 VERITE." JcroBKK 1897. iN'steine cl'as- le est etiiblie •tail) funds de e des tleces, "s raiididats, appui, mon- C, i Chicoutimi. L' Union Franco-Canadienne CHAPITRE I Nom et Constitution de I'Association, son sceau Art. 1 — Cette associution est coniiiic d designee sous le nom de i; UNION FRANCO-CANADIENNK Art. 2— Elle est forinee en vertu des articles oUUGdes Stututs Ilefondus de la Province de Qiu'hec. Art. 3— Cette association a, de jtar la loi, succession perpe- tuelle ; elje pent passer des contrats, poursuivre et etre poursui- vie, ester et citer en jugenient dans toutes sortes d'actions, poursuites, i)laintes. niatieres et causes (pie ce soit. Art. 4— F.e si^ge des affaires di' I'associatiou est et restera dans les liniites de hi cite de Montreal. ^^^' 5— Ll' sceau de cette association se compose d'uii dis(pie portaiit a I'interieur les mots : I L'Ua'ION FtiAXCO-CAXADlKNNE, MoNTKEAL. p Pour X(n'UE Foi et nos Foyers." Dans un couronneinent de feuilles d'erable se dessine le facre-CcKur de Jesus surmoute de la Croix. Dans le iiaut du Hessin apparait un castor, et, au I»as, la poiguee de main de hi tnutualite. 1 10 An. 6— LTiiion Fniiifo-Caiiadiouu' scinct sous I'c'gide du Sticre-Caair dc Jesus, qifelk' adoplc pour sou patron. CJIAI'ITIJl-: il But de I'Association Art. 7 — Cctte association a pour l)Ut : 1° De payer des secours aux lueujhrcs lua.lades, aux veuves et aux vieillards api)arteuant a la section des lioiuines, a cerlai- nes conditions iniposeeti ])ar les rcgleineuts ; •2° De j.ayer des benefices aux epoux et a.ux enfants de.s nieiiibres decedes appartenant a la section des feniines, a eertai- nes coiKliti(Mis ini])osees par les regienieuts • 3° Dedeveluppci-r education morale el intejlectuelle de se.s men lb res. 4° Knlin. de travaillcr A la propagation de la langue franyaise et a ];i consolidation de iios institutions civiles et religieuses. Art. 8— i; Union Franco-Canadienne se compose de deux sections tout a fait distinctes : la section des liommes et eelle des fenimes. Art. 9— Les membres du sexe masculin font partie de la section des liommes et out seuls le droit d'assister aux assem- blees des succursalesetdesechoisii des ivpresentants au'con- seil General, confornitMuent aux r:-lements de lassociation. I CIIAI'ITKK III Section des Hommes Art. 10— Poarctreadmisau nonihre des membres partici- pants de la section des bonimes de ctte association, il taut : 1° Etre ilge de IG ans an nioinset lic pasavoir atteint o.", ans • 2° Professer la religion <.,iboli.p,e .4 n'appartenir a aucuiie soeiete deiendue par Ti^glise eatlioli(pu' ; o° Piirler la langue fran^'ai.-e ; 4° F jouir d o° ]{ maladii niuet, ( dans le subsist; ()° N 7° N des six Les li les com qu(! les d'un a'i comite ] i ^''' liants : res ex pi l)ompiei les aigui service u fondeur.- eryant, 1 medecin 0(;rti(icat comite p indiscuti le eandi( la profes Un nu exercer i elation ; aux (Hind tion. Art. 1 cal. tel (| 11 '■"^ rt'gide (III oil. aiix \-eii\-('s Hf^, a cfilai- cnfaiit.s (Ic's )c\s, ;i ccrtai- •lelle d(; ses ;uo fi-aii(;aise ligic'Uscs. i^e (k; 'Icux iL'H c't ccUe •art it' (If ]a iiix a.'^seiu- ts au Coii- ciatioii. ■cs partici- ilfaut: iiit '")■") aii.s ; a aiicLinc -1° Ktre done ,ruiilH,ncaractcHV, avoir une bonne oonluitc joiui d'une bonne repntation morale et praticpier la sol)riete • ' o° Etre sain de corps ct 00 pour S2,000 ou S3.00 pour $8,000. Les candidats scmt seuls responsables de cette sonnne envers les niedecins-exandnateurs locaux. Art. 15— Les 'uedecins-examinateurs locaux doivent en- voyer leurs rai)ports directenient au Secretaire General de r association. Art. 16-Les droits d'eiitree sont de cinq piastres. Cette sonnne doit etrcdeposeeentre les mains du proposeur, lors de la signature de la carte demandant I'admission. Les candidats doivent de plus, payer direct^Muentaux niedecins-exaniinateurs locaux le i)rix de leur examen medical. ■ CHAPITKE 1\' Admission des Membres Art. 17-Toute personn.ie remplissant les conditions re(,ui- ses par les reglements de I'association pent faire une denmnde d adnnssion dans I'association en deposant, entre les mains du Secretan-e General ou d'u.i agent autorise, les sonnnes cd-dessus mentionnees pourcouvrirlest-aisdela revision de Texanien n^edical, les droits d'entree etc., ap.vs avoir prealahlement signe unede.m,n,led'adnnssiond'a,Mvs les fonuules exigees i>aMe Bureau de Direction. L'agent designe alors a I'aspirant le me- decindevant qui il doit subir rexamen nu'dical. ' Art. des me candid Art. sans dt est teiu (Iroits t Pei'vant sion de pa ye p plus, rt Art. vise en < ou Cais! Art. iii(/n Fri de sa 2)o' fcients re; la Caiss niemhre Tout 1 inemhre cretaireC toutcs les nadiennc il etre nv Art. S Canadien •dix-huit, sion dans de cinqi] i; 1 iissocuition on du Presi- association. 311 vent nom- ididat ([irils 5ral oil d'liii X ont droit :)irant tl im 1,000; $2.00, Xa sont sen Is saininateurs loivent on- Geiienil de .stres. Cette ?ur, lors de s candidats :aniiiiat('Ui-s ions re(iui- e deinande > mains dii s ei-dessus ! Tcxainen ment simile :ees par lo uit le me- Art. 18-Le coniite pour I'adnn'ssion et la ivintf'gration (lesinend)resal.>;)ouvoir absolu d.. refuser ou d'aceepter k-s .candidats. Art 19-Aucasderejet, le Secretaire General doit avertir Bans delai le candidat nialheureux, et leprojjoseur dece dernier est tenu de renil.ourser au dit candidat ce (ju'il a paye comme clroits d ent've, nioins la somnie de cinqiiante centins, laquelle servant a payer les del>ourses occasionnes i)our les frais de ivvi sion de I'exanien etc., n'est jamais remlx.ursal.le. Le montant pave par le candidat au na-decin-examinateur local, n'c-t non plus, remhoursable en aucun cas. ' Art. 20— La section des homines de cette association se di- vise en deux dei)artements bien distincts : Le Fonds de Secours ou Caisse des Malades et la Caisse de J^otation. CHAPITUE V Fonds de Secours Art. 21— Tout membre de la section des homines de L'U- iiuyn Franco-Canadienne i)eut augmenter ou diminuer le chiffre desa police, et ce, conforiiiement aux articles 44 et 45 de« j)re' ^ents reglements ; mais il ne pent al)and,mner completement hi Ca.sse de Dotation sans perdre tons ses droits comme niembre de I'association. Tout membre pent, cependant, donner sa demission comme membre agrege a la Caisse des Malades, en transmettant a,u Se- cretaire General un avis i)ar ecrit de son intention et en pavant toutcs les contributions (pfil pent devoir A L' Union FrancJ-Ca- naciienne,y c(mipris celles pour le mois durant leqiiel il demande a etre raye de la Caisse des Malades de I' association. Art. 22 -Tons les membres admis dans L' Union Franco- t:inad,cnneapresle(iuinzefevnermil huit cent quatre-vin.rt- ■d>x-huit, ages de moins de trente-cin.j ans, lors de leur adnils- Sion dans I'association, doivent payer une contribution mensuelle |e cmquante centins ; les membres ages de trente-cinq a u quarantc an., ci.„,uaMte-cin4 centins ; les nien.brc-s A^c^s de ages (le quarante-oinq a cmquante an., soixante-dix centu). et les mcMnbre.s ages de cinquante a cin,uante-c:in,, ans ..a, vingt-cniq centin.. Ces contributions coi vent etre m v'. ava.it le premier jour de rhaque n.oi.. ^ *' ''' ^' '"' Art. 23— TouH le.s nionibrcs adnii^ J-ins r,.u, • • avant le pnenn.. an-il ., ic ,„v,„i.. „ct.,l Jd. cha,,„e ,;;;•':: Art. 24-l.c.s co,Urib,„i,„,s ,1,. |„uto nature ,h„... -l ]■,..„ ciatH,,, s.,„t payee, an ,!,„,,,„ ,i„ .See.etaire Ge,„,,, i^Z bureau .le. pereepteurs ,lu,„eu. nenuufe par ,,ui ,,, „ ' U Seereta.re General ,l„it, ,lans t„„s les eas releni W "tiou. de t„ute esp^.e „„at V ..ie^ -^ i, '^^^^ Zr .■rfevai,le, ,,uel ,p,e .,i, le neeuaut ,le« beneHee.s payis u 1 malade, et. autaut ,ue p:.sil,le. au ,ue„t „u «„ t ,h J 1 ' tue le preuuer ver.sen.en, ,le .es l,e„eH,:e.«. (V ,.|,„t ,1 ,' dmt euM.ite payer lui-M,e,„e les e.M.tributi, , i t ' ' ' Jevie„„eutdue.,a Fa».oeia,i„„ ; i| n,;, '''"''"'''' JMUer,epre.entanieleeou.ue\u,e.,,,lU;i;;r ':;:,;;:: de reten.r «. eentnl.ut s dun.nt le ten.ps ,le L n,aladie Art 25-T„ut nien.bre inserita,, If.indx de See„ur. en rVIe pati^n p^uvant ini .ppo;ri::^;: :,^\:;r;;;;;i-i:7-"- »e devant pa, e.xcederdeu.e .en.aines ,a „n , ' '" .nen,ant a co.npter de la dale de la n,a'l,,d u v "e M'le :t-^::=':ti;:^':;;:t'r;::::;;:-:tr''- selou io cxs, de beu.liees re,,, e. la da.j de ll" .l^u'eU:'' • ^ niatio: Qw.i a colli lade.s, <|Uatri( <.;eiK'ie, L'iu Ji!)r.s Fans ni ('onnin' le mem tion ou l>ro(luir ces, ton niala•■ , ..'"'''"•'■'<•''<>'' llu (Win tcMlps lin.,„ -. .ou« les e<.,frieat, e.ige. par le .lit eou.ite; si ■ ' ^ cette o,.,lonuan,-e; «i, san.s avoir eonsnite sou n.etleeiu o .■■'«., exaurinateur loeal, ou eontrairen.ent ,"::'"-- !«.*, sans nOeessite a uue reehute ou a ,„, relan ,1 ,n''s •'•" ■^on; si. tlurant la n.aladie ou la ..ouv.,!, ■ "''■"" «a«"^'"- .uioilo pour aller se pron,..:; C it^^: ^^ 'i;^;:::? -' '■"- avoir obteiiu la oermissi,,,, ,1,, „, • i • ^'^'aiio-ere. ,sans -ioea,it,ia,,u:iie;™;;;:s /X™'';^;:'';;;;;"';'-"'""'^''''^ r.Ui(iee„arle eourit^. des Uuanees de ; IVf n wf "%''" ;-■. --'I '."- le u.enrbre ,uusse , putter si! r':';,':'';'!; traUer | ar toatL^ autre p.a-souu ■ o I'uo ,„' 1 ""'"'''.'=, '' -^-^fait .-u.e eette persoune siruite tj 1 S' 'n'i- """"' i^e eomite des fiuauees se reserve le .In.If 1 P..i.uent „es .,,ilees eu laai^ aut tl 1 ^^ 1 " ttJahulies lie peuveiit etre r,..i f.,f' i' ^ i^.He u.deei,;.ex.nin::':rXr ;r;:i:;r" :;:erf'" d..n. pour la loeali... or, reside.. ee» nudad:jVn;;;::.r:';i: I le chionique la dyspeiKsi,-, ]a convulehceiicc etc. Ce qui precede n'affeete nulle.nent Ics droit, des menihrcs aaniKs dan. 1 as.^ociati.)ii avant le 13 fevrier 1SU8 en ce (,ui concenie le montant de. benetir-s en nu.ladie et le n()nii,re de semanies pendant lesquelle.s ces benefices etaient pavables Lorsque la reserve accuumiee dan. le F.,nds de Seours „u taisse des Malades dc^pnssera 825.000, tont nienibre .nalado pendant plus de 12 se.naine. par annee aura droit au n.ontant de 83.00 par .enianie pendant douze autre, sen.aines j,ar annee et ce, tant que la reserve de la Caisse des Malades ne sera „as moindre que 825. 000. ^ Art. 26-Pour avoir droit aux benelloes de n^aladie, il faut aver irle Secretaire General, conforn.uneT.t aux presents nVle- ments et fournir tons les certiticats exiges par le connte des fi- nances. Les certificats doivent etre renouveles au moins tons les quinze jours, sous peine de decheance des droits du menibre a excedant des benefices. En ce qui concerne les n.embre du elerge n exergant plus lenr n.ini.tere pour cause de sante le co- rmte des finances doit s'entendre avec I'autorite ecclesiaitique s 11 en est requis par le societaire ou ses a vants droit Aucun societai^re n'e.t repute nialade/ aux ternies des sta- uts, ciue depu.s le jour oCl il a deposeau bureau de poste de son ofhciel de sa malad.e, et q.-.'il u rc-connnande ( fait enre<.istrer ) cettelettre. Le eertificat de r.nregistrenient,\l.b-gato ; d il 6tre soigneusement recueilli p.r k! societaire malade et , u exp^die au Secretaire General en inen>e tenq. q.u^ ] . Mions du mededn et du cure. Ce eertificat faiMega^n t i d^it t :t : f ^'"'^"^ '' '''^''''' ^' ''' ^•eguli^ren.;: .t Z\ fi ' '^"' '''^'' ^'*^"'« ^'^•'^"^••^ ^M'i-^'H cette date que les benefices de nniladie ..onnnencent a courir. s'il v a li! Quand un men.bre aura avert! le Secretaire General L m' ^.registrer.ilettre,iIne.erar,.putenKda.I...a.xt™^^^^^^ ^atu^,_qira .onq,ter du jour ou la dite l.ttre ^.ra parven u^ u Secretaire General. Mais, dans .. .as. 1. ..n. aeeorJ^ d^ux;" Art. '^ rlumiiitisiiu! s contribu- tions de toute nature imposees en vertu des n^lements de I'asso- nat.on ,lans h-sdenx mois apres leur echean<.e, est, sans avis P'-oalable. niye de la liste des membres. Neanmoins, le eonnte P'>:^^- 1 a Inuss.on et la reintegration des meml)res peut,lorsnu'il lo ju;^ utile et dans I'interet de Tassoc-iation. r-'inte^rer aux ;-'^-l't.ons <]u d jugera conformes aux interns de lasJcHdation les n.eml>res rayes en (pielque t.-mps et pour ,,uelque cause que ce soit, exc^epte pour le eas d'expulsion. ^ Art 29-Lors.iu'un membre admis au Fonds de Secours .want le 15 f.^vrier 1898. en r^gle avec I'association, vieiU a '"ourir, sa veuve, s'il etait marie, a droit a une sommedecin- < ^ ^ J^icguueiU a 1 uiic et a 1' autre Caisses • ^'i», utpa!s.-«ei la .sonnne de $;j,000. Art. 32— Les nieiubres annai-teii'inf ."i l.. n • i . pectif et rage au.uci ;!',™:r;j;:::;,':: " '*""■ ^^""^^^^ '■'- quinze fevrier. nil huit cent, nut vvn .^ :"^ "'^^^'?'^ '^^'^^^ ''^ montant ,a'ils devaieat pay d ^ r^T ■"' -""T' ''"' '^ elation. ' ^ ^' '"" admission dan.s Taaso. Dans certains cas narticnlir-iv i-, finance,,, a !e P .uvoird'adn,. „v ,h r ■ , T- ,'■""""■ ''"« deux c«,„ites ..urn; ;,t: :vL"r..rM r'"'''"" •""■ •■'■" 1 association. '^^'-^ mtcivts du =5 1 Tablea I l( i; M •J(l 2 1 ^fi l-M •Jo L'(i •27 2.S .14 Art. 1,1" I'liio ])ay('i'. ( Ic Fond Art. S(,'ini-;ni avril ct a,u:r('u'i''s huit cci niontau Art. Dotatioi $•■!,()<»(). scnts ivjj dcctMU' I Art. ; an Icr 1 J:}i 10 ' tV-vricr 1,S!),S, <-'!, ("11 plus, la itcroiitrecspe- uisscsen meiiie K piirtic (J lie de tlvoit cl' entree lo moiitaiitdii tieuts pen vent i»L' pc'uvent, e de Dotatioif "i^iii;.s lixees ;ei-tilicat res- Tableau des Contributions mensuelles pour la Caisse de Dotation Section des homtnes. ion avaiU le lient (juc Ic 1 dans ruaso- Klniission vt t-'oniite des ies niend)i-es )IIS (juc CCS iiiteivts de AiiHj $o(t() 'ijiKMH) mm mm *■ i l(i ;irn 17 ;5o 18 ;{o lit ;{.•) I'll ;{o 21 Ho '22 ;i5 •>'] ;!\ t>" _') ■ u •J(i ;!s •>■" , ,. . ~i .);* 28, 40 2i) 41 ;i(> |. 42^ •51 I 4;j i ;52 44 1 •>•> 1 .).) 1 45 ! .'54 i 47 I :{5 : 48 : -ViiH .i<:)()() $1000 5:..(H)o s;;(mm) :: ixi ;! I,-) ;! 24 ;! :!<) .! .-)4 :i 78 ;! iio 4 20 4 50 !4 80 10 'i (K) (iO 20 - 80 40 00 (iO 10 50 Art. 33- Tousles candidats proposes <..,uuu.. niembrew de J- I nion Franco-Canadienne. apnV le ^r, niai ISUS, d„ivent payer. .Ic plus, la soniine i\v vin-t-ein,, ....ntius par n.ois. pour le bonds (ieneral. Art. 34— Tons les nieml.res pai.-nt. en outre, nne retribution Senn-aiHuielledeein.pianteeeutins. exig-il)le Ic ,,u avant 1(. !,.,• avnl ct le l.-roctol.redeeha,pieaiHUM- ; e.-pcndant. les n.endnv^ «,unv,u-esa 1 une ou a Tautre Caisse, avant le ,|uinz,> fevrier mil huit <-..nt .piatre-vin-t-dix-liuit. ne paient. de ,•,. chef .pie le n.ontant .pi' iU devaient payer, lors ()()() ,,u $;M)0(). scion le chift'n- dc tel eertifieat. eonformenient aux pre- sents iv^lcnu-nts. ,ledu<-ti(.n faite de t.n.te sonnn. .p.c le mcn.hrc |eeede pent devoir a Tassoeiation. Art. 36— Les henetieiaires des memhres.pii dr.vdcront (Pici an ler tVvrier mil neuf cent cin.,, auront droit de nvevoir I 20 im (|Uiirt ilii iiioiitaiil ilii (•(■i'tilir;,t i\v i|iit;itii»njl!iiis Ics tmis moi.-; (lui si!i\i(mt lit proiliiclidii df.' pir^'s jiistilicativrs. iiii autre (|Uiirt nirmlires (pii (h'ceder.tut apres le pr( iiiici' tV'vriei' mil urul' (cnl ein<|. auront di'oit de reei-^'oir et reeevrout le montaut mtirr du ci-rtilieat. dans les ti'ente jours (pii suivn>nt la produetiun des pieces juslilieatives. sans pivju- diee. non |»lu^, aux droits ae.|uis |)ar les meinl)r('s admis avant le ler t't'vriiM' mit liuit <'ent i|uatre-vin,iit-dix-neut'. Art. 38 — Qiiand mi mcnil»re, appartenant a la section des hoinmes, a atteint Tii-ie de 70 aus, 11 est lil)Lre de Toltli' ition des (;ontril»utions a la Caisse des Malades ; d'auti'e part, il n(^ conserve aucuu (U'oit a reclamer des Ix'nelices de cette Caisse. Mais tout societaire aire de soixante-dix (70) ans continue de payer toutes ses autres eontiihution.-. rcLjulieres sauf les con- tributions a la Caisse de- malade.-. et il a Toplion, ou descfaire payer les h'netices gar.uitis dai\- sun eintilicit de Dotation, par dixienies, un ehaxjUe annee, a i>arlii' de ses soixante-dix ans acconiplis, moyemiant (pril aut irise Tassociation a rt'tenir, annuellement, sur ces versements, une sounne e^ale a Tinteret a 5%, d'avance, sur les montants ainsi recouvres pai- lui, ou bien de laisser le luontant inteiii-al de son cei'tilieat de Dotation a etre pave, apres sa mort, a s<'s hei-Jtiers ou ayants-di'oit. Cela, sans prejudice aux droits dv^ societaires de Fi'Tnion Kraiico-Cii- nadienne portanl des eertitieats anterieurs au quiiize l\vriei- uiil huit cent (luatre-vin^t-dix-luiit. Art. 39-->^i un memhre. (pii a dix anm'es de soeif'-tariat. de- sire se retirer de rassoeiatioii. il lui est remis mi certidcat ac(iuitte eu'al a la moitie du mniitant i\{'< contributions (|u'il a, vorsees a la Caisse de Dotation. S'il sc [•r\\vv aprcs vinu'tans dv societariat. il a droit a un certilicat acpiiiti' pi»ur tons les nion- tants (pril a paves a c( tie caisse. Art. ^ dotation I '• absoju sui'plus I att"int r les reiilei Tarticle ; Art. ^ Fran(U)-l St' 'UtiveS susdit. c spicial i| direction .xamcn caract.'-rc soil rapji crete all niois sui de dotal s );•': 't iir( selon le Cauadiei L" SO!' le IVarea l.i C usse biMielice- trois iiini.-i . nil iiuti-c list hi' a par- 's iiicmln'cs 1 l)uit cent <'iMnt apri's Ic I'cci-^'oir I'cntc jours 'alls pn'ju- liiiis avaiit ■('c a rappciant. Au^as on la decision dcs arl.ilrcs serait fa V(,ral,l,. ;, rapp,.|,.,nt, i;i'iHon Franco-Canadicmic est ol.li-ve dc paver les frais dcs arhitros en plus du montant du A lappciant'. Ic tout confor- lucnicnt anx reolcnuails dc i;Ci,ioii Frahco-( aiiadi.auu'. Art. dix ans, res. sauf aux droi fevrier n Art. . son ccrti 1° El ]e niontf 2° Ell .•;° En plus du 4° En dotati<)n. Art. * dotation cnntre ui 1° En 2° En l'ass(jciat ;5° En dotation, huit cent 4° En fin du UK de e,(;i-tidt ral, celu deinande. mois ou 1 cretaire (1 Art. 4 augniente meut aux ne i)i'ut al perili'c to I 23 lui cchcoir •al ct ivftUllS. ippelerdc la (Ml dMnvali- it'i-al. lc(jucl nil dt'pot uv '.se eiitrc Ics :)iiiiii(' alors )re appelant <»u noil d(> 11 PlV>id(Mll ni Ics so('i('- i"|i'*"tt'- qni 'lit dcSo.dO ival. II nc I,' ini'dccin, li' A Tappc- I'ait par cc la balance, I'appf'lant, ■ t'rais dcs tut ('(infof- uic. Art. 43— Ia's nu-nil)ivs invalides:, uge.s dv nioins desoixante- dix aiiis, sont obliges de payer toutes lei^ contributions ordinai- res. sunt' i^our le Fonds de Secours ; sans prejudice, toutefois, aux droits des nienibres adniisdans rassociation avant le quinze fevrier mil huit cent quatre-vingt-dix-huit. Art. 44-T()ut luenibre (pii desire augnieiiter le montant de son certiticat de dotation pent lefaire. aux conditions suivantes: 1° En signant nne nouvelle deniaude d'adnnssion speciHant le nioiiUmt du nouveau certiticat de dotation (ju'll desire ol)tenir. 2° En subissant un nouvel exanim medical ; ' '•5° En payant un nouveau droit d'entree de deux piastres en plus du prix de rexamen medical ; 4° En acceptant d'etre regi, pour ce nouveau certiticat de dotation, par les reglements en vigueur apres le Icr mars 1899. Art. 45— Un membre en regie, .pii deti(Mit un certiticat de dotation d-un chiffre superieur a SoOO pent en faire Tabandon contre un certificat moins el.'ve aux cnnditi.)ns suivantes ; 1° En produisant uiie demande a cet etfet ; 2° Eu remettant son errtificat au .Secretaire General de l'ass(jciation ; ;5° En acceptant d'etre regi. pour ce nouveau certiticat de dotation, par les reglements en vigueur apres le ler mars mil huit cent tiuatre-vingt-tlix-neuf : ^ 4*^ Eu payant toutes ses redcvaiices a Ta-soeiati.)!) jus(iu"a la fin du mois durant le.juel il produit sa -es pi:.c-e^ :u, Secretaire (Gene- ral, eelui-ci emet un imuveau certilieat. pour le montant demande. i/ancien certilieat rcste en vigueur jusqu'a la tin du mois ()u la demande du nouveau cerlitirat est produite au Se- cretaire (ieiieral de Tas-ociai ion. Art. 46— Tout membre inherit a la Caisse de Dotation j)eut augmenteroudiminuer le cliiirre de son certilieat, conforme- meut aux reglements de \/Vuu>n Fianco-Canadieime. mais il ne pent abandumier complelement la Caisse de Dotation sans jierdi'e Lous ses droits eomme membre de Tassoeiation. ■21 Art. 47 — IjOi'S(|iriiii nil lufiulirc ;i|)|i;irl(ii;iiit :~i l;i Cuissc (h; Dotation vicnt ;\ niourir. sa vciuc. s'il est inai'ii'. a droit cniitnr- nieiiicnt aiix iti't'sciils ivilciiiciils. an iiioiitaiit (in ccrtiticat do dotation aiors v\\ vimicnr. a iiioiii"^ ([nc Ic incnilirc dc'crdt' n'cn ait dispost'- [)ar tcstaiiirnt. S"il iTi'tait point inarit'. Ic P)iircan de direction a disciV'tion alisoinc dc di'tiTiiiincr a (jiii cv moiitant doit t'U'o pa_V(''. a iiioiiis (pu i* incmlu'c dt'ci'dr n'cn ait aussi dispose par tcstaiiieiit. Art. 48 — An eas dc discussion riitrc Ics rcclaniants. sur la valeur respective de leurs droits, {"association jicut retenir, en entier on en partie, le niontant i\r^ dits heiicticcs. ins(|u'a re- gleinent entre les interesst's on juscpra (h'cisioii tinale. Art. 49 — Les jjaienients fails dc honne foi j,ar I'association aiix ayants droit a])i)parents de tout on i)artie des i)eneiiees dus par la Caisse de Dotation, sont valaMes et les personnesipii se trouvent lesees n'ont rccours r- ificat do ■dr n'cn iirrup. (le iiioiitniit lit aiissi 25 .Ic la linte des mciubres ; ueaninoins, le coniite pour 1' admission L't la reintegration des niembres peat, lors(iu'il le juge utile et dans I'interet de r association, reintngrer, aux conditions qu'il jugera etre conformes aux interets de 1' association, les nienihres rayes en quelque temps et pour queb^ue cause que ce soit, ex- cei)te poui le cas d' expulsion. >. sur la ciiir, en qu'a re- :ociation benefices ines qui IV de la ion, (|ui 1 S( 'Civ- il ires le forniiilc re exact lion ; lualadie nt-iiccs ; ilnUions riltiition nil mot, s t'Cglc- d. fait CHAP IT RE \'II Dispositions Generales. Art. 53— Tout reglement concernant le Fonds de Secours et non incompatible avec ceux de la Caisse de Dotation, s' applique cgalement a cette derniere, et vice versa. Art. 54— Le Comite d' organisation et de legislation a discre- tion al.solue pour diminuer le taux des droits d' entree quand il le juge a propos. Art. 55— Tout Directeur (pii sera nomme, a Tavenir, devra etre agrege a la Caisse de Dotation. Art 56— Tout membre ad mis dans T association apres le quinz," tevrier mil liuit cent qu.itrc-vin,t-dix-huit a droit de re- cevoir, dans les trente jour> apr^s son admission : 1° Vn certiticat pour cIkuiuc caisse ; , r . ,t • •2° Unecopie de^ Constituti.>ns et ir-leiuouls de L Union Franco-Canadienne ; ;r Un liviet de ivcus ; 4° Fntin uuc med:iille d' Tassociation, m.d.dle qui dmt, autant que possible, Glre portee par le. me:u!>res, comme s.gne de ralliemeiit. Art. 57-Le societairc et scs ayants droit son! decbus du .^. :, ,,,,„ .Ks avantages pecunuures !,;iblis^K.r IcJtatn... lorsque la lualad.c. l-inUrmiteou lamort (lilt pour causi' : , i • • .• .. iv,. •^ niic n\e ou une cineiile, la 1^ La participation agre-M\ea mu n-x* I 26 1):! ticipation ;i dos jfux et cxiTciccs vi..leiils(Ui tlaiigcrciix, etc ; -° La d('l);uiclu' (HI I'iiitc ni|M'-r;ince ; .">° liC siiicicU', cxccptt' liirs(|u'il ivsiillc (run t'tnt (rali('iia- Uon iiifiitiilc ])\vn r.\Vi\v{vv'];crcus(^s. ct de nature a niettre la vie en danger, sans avoir ))rcalal)lenient obtcnu la jxTujission du Bureau de direction : o° J.a participation a un adc puni par les loisciviK's : 6°La pcrpc'tration (Tun fait condanmahlc (pii. a raison de sa gravite. rend le nieinhrc l.a^^.sible de rcxpulsion aux tcrnics des statuts et reglenients de I'association; ( " r. engagement du socictaire dans uncarniect'trangerc, sans Tautorisation expresse du Bureau de direction : S'^ Das voyages cntrepris par le soci('taire. sans la nienie sus- dite autorisatioii. en des contrecs aux diinats dangereux, aux perils trop multiplies, i>ar cxemplc le Klondyke, et les ' pays ot regnent les lievrh's <4 autre, maladies endemi(iUes, commc les regions equutoriules. Art. 58— Le socictaire on M)n ayant droit (pd cause volon- tairemcnt pn'judice a Tassoeiiition ou .pn n.-gliuv. sans excuse valable, pleinement justiliee. de comparaitre ,1 d,. d,'.p,,ser de bonne foi. connne temoin, lorsiprij ,1, esl rcpn's. en vcrtu dcs statuts, est dechu ipso facto du droit de partieipcr aux I.em'li.vs etablis par les statuts de LTnion Kranco-CaMadicnnc. Art. 59— Ladecheancencdonnc lieu a aucun r..nd.omve- ment des versemenls ciiVctucs amcri,,nem( i,t on post.'.rieure- menta I'accomplisscmcnt dcs artcs passiMcs de (.cite peine. Art. 60— Le Hurcau dedirvlion a le dmit d-t'.t;d)iir par tou^ouillejuge apropos, des .neenr>al,> de ..,.,((, assoeiati.'.n etde ratitier J'imposilion ,rm,e la.xe >uppl, n,.nt:,irc par ces suceursale., pom' leur emretien : n,ai> md m.-ndav n-e-t obli.,,'. d apparteuir a uncsuccursal,.. A moin> ,|uil n-aii si.n(' la n.nuMc dcmanda succursal Le Bui inents co Art. ( de contii admis. Les ca le ler jui indi(}ue Art. I nietta.it et en pa} Art. I le systeii dcs! le I: droit de pour un rinteret rection 1 Art. Une SO( rivrcssi sans po d('clar(' la cond; ionics r tcntc (I bi'neiici 27 (k'liiaudant au Bureau de dircctiun rt'ial)li?>rt(MU(,'Ut d'une lelle succiu'sale dans sa loealite. Le Bureau de direction prepare et amende lui-uierae les regle- inents concern ant la regie des succursales. Art. 61 — Les candidate adniis dani? 1" association n'ont pas de contribution a payer pour le luois durant lequel ils ont ete adinis. Les candidats proposes conuue nieuibres de 1' association apres lelerjuillet 1.S9S devront payer Iciirs contributions au taux indi(iue })Our I'age (piMls auront a leur ])roc.hain anniversaire. Art. 62 — Toutnienibre pent d(»niier sa demission, en trans- metta.it au Bureau de direction unavis i)ar ecritdeson intention et en [)ayant toutes ses redevances a T association. Art. 63— Quoique L' Union JManeo-Canadienne ait adopte le systeme de centralisation des Fonds \)nuv la C'aisse des Mala- des, le Bureau de direction, dans des cas extraordinaire^, a le droit de perniettre la decentralisation de ces fonds de secours pour une succursale })articulieri'. lorscju"]! croit (pril est dans I'interet del' association d' en a-ir ainsi. mais le Bureau de di- rection n'est, en aucun cas, Wim de donncr telle permission. CHAIMTUK VIII Expulsion des societaires Art. 64— ^'abandon dr la religion catliolifiue, rafiiliation a WW soci. te secivte. on toute autre condanint'e ])ar FEglise, rivressehabitucll.-. ralvmdon de sa IVunue et de ses enfants sans pourvoir a leurs bcsoins. le fait de ne pas avoir seienii irnt declare la veritedans son exanien iinUical. riinuioralite notoiiv. hM'ondanniation a une anien.le on a reniprisouneuKMit pour fe- lonies ou actescriminelseonsideresasse/ graves, le fait d'avoir trnte de frauder on cravo'.r frande rassoeiatiou en retirant des iKiieiices (jui n'etaient pasdus ou auireiiieiit. peuvent eiitrainer •js Uj.ivs Icur cnii.-tiitMlioii ollicicllr. rc\iml>iiiii (If r;is^.»(i;iti«»ii rait t<»i'iiicll (pii scraimt (Irlcriiiiiiccs par raiiloi'itt' (■(■(■li'sia-tit|Uc cniiipi'lciitc. Art. 65 -Ni'aiiiiKiiiis. si 1 rxpiilsioii .In sorit'tai'c coiipalilc t'tait i»ar('n' siir sou ivfcssc on siir raliaiidoii di' -a tciiime I't dc scs ("uiaiits, rcXik'Utioii dc la si'Utcncc pent ("'tic slis])cii(hu'. siir la proiucsse (pril tVrait i\v s'al»n- ciiivrantcs ou lie pDiirvoii' aux luoycns d'cx istciicc di' sa tcmiuc ci dv scs cn- t'ants. pniifvii. toutct'ois. (pic ri\Tcs-c lialiitiicilc n'ait jioint affccte sa saute, an point dc coiiiprotncttrc rintcivt dc Tassocia- tion. p]n cas (riiilidclitc a sa. proiucssc. cii (luclipic temps (piece soit api'cs le ju*i;cmeiit rendu, la sci;t"iicc dcviciit cxcciitoirc I't reyoit son j)lciii ct ciiticr clTct. snr decision du Uurcau dc difection. Art. 66 — T.a decision d(s nircctenrs. en maticrc ircxpulsion. apres enqucte, est linalc ct sans appel ; clle cnti'ainc. par Ic fait, pour I'cxpulsc. la pcM'tc dr tons scs d('l)i)ursi's ( a rexceii- tion deceux ([ui sc trouv/rai'Ut alors p:iy.''s en a\'aiit. ) ainsi que de tous hctiefices. taut pi>ur lui (pie pour scs ln'riticrs. Art. 67 — 'ics memlircs cxpulses nr pcuvent jamais plus faire parlic dc rassociatioii. Ait. 68 — A la Seance dn comitt' d'ciiquete a hcpiclle eon- nais.sancc est doinii'c Ar> t'aits repfoches. on prend les mcsui'cs necessaircs pour arriver a la d(Cou\-eHe de In xi'riti'. l)eu\ iiieinhres, dircctcurs ou mod. l■hoi^i- par le pri'sid: nt du d.jt comite d'ciKpietc, soiit alors autori-'sa proc'der a mieciKpiete, ])rt'nncnt tons les rcnieiLi-iiemcnts. interred.;- Mil lest nioin«. vi'ri- (iciU rcxaclitudc -les dispositions, eiilin enmniissciii dc tnus Ics I'aits pour s'as-^urcr de l,i \-.-rit(''. ('c]ieiidaiil. les coimnis-aircs- I'UqUctclirs pell Vent, s'ijs croielit avoii- des prelives sullisanles ell mains. s"c\c'iipter d'alic!' l',d/c I cH'piete stir place nuprcs dc riliculpe. lui-nirMue droit dc V lui. depu souiiues ( arrangeni Les ru] Uurcau ( voir s"il lucinlu'c Art. mcmbre nature d I'll prest est entei prelives exi)ulse Art. exiuniii dircctio deux ti dans le doiiucc (ieiu'r.i immed Art dc la a^i'cut les CO 1 3 •>'.) ,-i„,,,lpr. Auras. ..u un n.c.ulnv dv l^.ssoriation ivnomv .r lui-mrMuc a scs .In.its .Ic socirtaiiv. Ir cunit.' (U-.. tinanccs a Ic .l,,,it .1,- mulH>ursrr u,u- partie ou Ir tout du n.ontant pay. par l„i .U.puissou ..ntr^V dans rassoriation. .Ir.hu.t.on ta.tr ..s .o,u.u.S4U-ilp.ul avoir n.<;ucs m lu'.H-.rHH.s ... ...aladie. I .. an-an.H'U.rnt .le cn-ttc uatu.v ....'t f... a 1 r...ii..U". ^ l.;rupp(.rt8aescH.......issai.vs-.,.4U^tr,.,-s H,..t prosei.t.s an ,.,,,,u. .Ic direction .1 d^cisio.. .si p.'is. sur la ,,...st.o.. d. sa- voirs-ils.ra.lo..nesuit. a I ii.stru.tio.. de la cause, ou si Ic „„,,„l,n. est cxoncrc dc T ii.culpatio.i. Art 69-Au cas ou suite est douiuV a riuculpatiou. le HH.,..bre accuse est invite a se presenter deva..t leBmvau;^ la ,,,,,,, a. l^.cte .,u^.n lui .^T^-lH• lui est alo,.s co,.nnunuiuee, ,n presence du lU.reau, et .a d.fe..se. s ,1 <.. a u,.e a p.-ese..te, estU.due;Muin..3ou.-sluiso.Ua.co,-despou.-to..^^^ pveuves.et, s'ilneserendpasalappelMUihnc^t ta.t. .1 e.t exi)ulse par defaut. Art TO-M'iV'' av..ir .■nu-n.lu In .K-lrns.. ,!.■ rar.-us,'. ,.t , -non n^n'l sa aA.Wo.u-ri- ;-'""■"'■*;'?':■'' ^'" ';'"■''' '^^^^^ ,, u,.,-s a,.s nH.,»l..vM..vs,.,„s. ... ,-..t.. .l.,.|s,..„ ,.t .n,ns<.nu .r,vn.a,san,m,.s,lul>.un.u.U-.lin;.u,.,. .■opUM.n.^ ,;,,„.,,,,, ,„|„S,,.,vU>i,v.;.-.n:.»l,!,..x™ulHn,avh, a.u.H.uc.t iiuMirdiatc ct ii..ale. ™''' CilAlMTUK IX Section des femmes 1,1 ,.vr. l'.''ini.iii. pcut t'aire parf.e Ai-t 7i_Toutc pcrso.mc dii ^«'-\^ Ki'""" i ^'^^' '^ \ .. , .h. ,Ttt. asr-.-cialiou. lua.s eo..in.e ;;() iittfiul (jii;ir;iiil(j I'l uii ans : 2" ProtV'Sfi-er la rt'li«!;i()n catlioliciuc : 8° Etrc (loutMMruu l)()ii carac'i^iv. avoir unc honucconduiU', jouir (rune Im.iiiic ivputatioii ihoimIc ct i»rati(HKT la sobrieto. Art. 72— Les droits (renUvc s(jiit dv 85.00. Citte somme doit I'trt,' (U'posee eiitiT les mains dii proposrur. lors dc la signa- ture de la carte de deinaiided'adinissi ;ii; les aspirantes tloiveiit, de i)liis. payer directemeiit aux niedeeius-exaiuinateurs la som- nie de SI 00, pour un eertitieat de 8')00 ; de Sl.oO i)Our un certilieat de Sl.OOO. Les asi)irantes sont seuli's respousahles des sounnes dues aux uu'decins-exauiinateurs loeaux. Art. 73— Toute personue reinplissaut les conditions requires par les reglenients de Tas-^oeiation jx'Ut faire inie deinande d'adnnssion dans I'association en deposaut. entre les mains du SecrfHaire General ou d'un agent autorise. les soinmes ei-dessus nientionnees. pour couvrir les frais de la revision de rexanien niedical, les droits (reutree. etc.. a])res avoir jirealablenient si- irne une demande d'atlniission tl'nprrs les formules exijives par le Bureau de direction. L'aLient desiiiii'' alors a Taspirante le medecin devaut (pii elle doit suhir Texamen medical. Art. 74 -Leconiite pour railmi.s-ion et la reintegration des membres a le pouvoir ai»soiu de refuser ou d'accepter les aspirantes. Art. 75 — An ea- de rejet, le Secn'taire (leut'ral doit avertir sans delai le t-andidat mallieurmx. <■! le pi'oposeur de eette derniere est lenu de i-emlxmrser an ilit cmididat ee (prelle a pave cotnnu' droits ('" 'Utree. moiiis la soninie de ein(|uante eeiitins, laiiuelle. servant a payer les debourses oeea>ionnt's pour les fr;;is de re\'ision de rrxanieii. etc. . n"est jamais i'end)oursable. i.e montani l>aye par le eandidat an ne'ilrrin exauuiiateur local n'est. non plus, remboursable cu nui'un cas. Art. 76 — Les socieliiires :ipp;ii'ten;int a la section d( s t'ennues verseut mensuellemeiit. poiif In rnisseilc hotntion. les somiues fixees dans le tableau suivnut. iTaprrs le cliitlVt' dc Icui' certilieat rcspectif et I'aue au!|Ucl il Icur a r\v ociroyc. T.MU.K.VII '22 ; 2:) 24 2."> •2»i •J7 28 2U 31 Art. outre, \ Fonds Art. admise huit, nientii Art fennru confoi' oertitii decedi etuit ^ reglei ment' le Bu ce nu uit di Le aux ! :\\ vs Taiu.kau dks C.ntuuu-tions Mensuk.-lks roru i.ks Mkmhhks APl'AllTENANT A LA SECTION UE^ FEMMES. ! A 118 I -^ 24 25 2« 27 28 29 30 31 loOO 4-lc 44 45 45 ■17 48 4U 50 52 53 54 $1000 "^ 88c 88 8\) 00 03 05 OS I 00 1 03 1 o;) 08 Alls ^2 33 34 35 30 i 37 :')8 30 40 41 $500 $10(X) 00 57 59 liO {V2 M 07 f)8 70 75 1 10 1 13 1 17 1 20 1 24 1 28 1 33 1 .'>o 1 40 1 50 Art 77-I.c.. s..cietai.-.s iVR.VK,-* a cette section paient, en ,,,utlJe cnfibution cle vin,t-ein„ e.uth,. „.>■ n,o,s, pour le Foiuls Genenil. Art 78-Toutes les soeietaives de la section des fe.nraes, ''"^.'•"'^":^;nP:;:ti'aL i.:!:-"™"oa.^^^^ mentionnee dans 1 auic It -o i r, ^ Art 79-I."rs,u-unnun,l.re appa,tenant a ^^ .^'^"^^ ■ ',^,>nv •*"'.'"':'.';:::'.:,: udt^tennu.er a qui le liureat. de direction a disce.iou •■"-.„ j,^.,,^ „.,« ce n.ontant doit etre pave, a n,on,^ .pu U in' ait .lispose par "«';"';;»'; ,|,.^ ,.„„„„„ „,„, an... sounn.es i,cs nieud.res dc la sution '" aUK articles 3U et 37 dcs presots reslenant.. CHAIMTUE X Le Conseil General Art. 80-Le Conseil Gni^'n.! .v.ui.luce r.:isc-nil)lee geuerale, et est forme comnie suit : 10 Les inem\)res du Bureau do dircrtion ; 2° Les deux repr.^se,uants provinciaux du President Cene.al 30 Un representant du President General, pour ehaeun des dioceses de la province de Quebec, un seul pour tout le Manitoba etles Territoires du Nord Quest. CVpendant, cette regie ne s ap- pli.iue qu'aux dioceses dans lesquels L' Union Franco-Canadien- ne conipte un niininuun de -iOO nienibres en regie ; 40 Un representant .les nuMubres pourchacun des dioceses de la province de Quebec, un seul pour le Manitoba et les 1 erritoi- res du Xord Quest. Cep^'udant, cette regie ne s'apph.iue qu aux dioceses oil L' Union Franco-Can«dienne coini.te un nnninium de 200 nienibres en regie. Art 81— Les depenses de voyage, dunieiit constatecs et en. couruJs par les delegu6s an Conseil General .out reniboursables h ceux qui assistent avec exactitude aux seances des asseniblees du Conseil General ainsi .,u7i ceux .lui out et6 teinporaireinent absents, en vertu .lun conge du Presid-nt General Art. 82~Apartirdeceiour. les asseinblees regulieivs du Conseil General out lieu tons les deux ans, entre le ler mai et et le aOseptembre, a h. date et a lendioit fixes par le Bureau de direction, et dont avis est donne par lettre reconunandee a chacun des nienibres du dit Conseil General Les elections n'ont lieu ([u'aux asscniblees reuulieres. La seance est ouverte par le President General. Le Secretaire General fait un rapport de I'exercicc finissant au ler fevrier precedent, en ce qui conceriie 1' administration de la societe. Apres la lecture du rapport du Secretaire General et 1 expe- dition ihr^ autivs atTaires, on proct^de a l election des directeurs. • >•> • )•> 1,, lUircau .Ir -linrtion. on Ir .•..initr ,r..i-i.nisatioi. r\ .Ic l,'.nshiti,.n, a 1. .ln>it .Ir .•o..v.M,u..r .Ics srssiuu. siu-.-iulcs .lu Cnnscil (U'm-nil ausM ^..uvnt Mu'il Ir juov a prcpos Lc".avis(l('SSi'ssi..nssi..-ciaU"s, c.uvnqu.Vsi.ar Ir l.uivau (h- dinrtion ..u l.M.ou.it^ .ro.-anisation .t .1. llat'<;'> ;1<"V'>;» .,tt. rvunion ; aucun. autn- .,u.'stion ^u.; -lU. numt.o.uu.. aans U"s avis a., convoration n. lunit aiv aisc-ute.' aces nession. ;^|)rciaU'S. Art. 83-1."^ Pi^'nt- ,vj.-lH,...nis |.,uvH.t .'IR' .....m.I.-s ,,;,>■ ,,.^„li;.r,. ,lu Cuuscil l,;,vskmu.ntsao ru»s,K-iati..n, i«urvu. lo,U,-lu,s, ,,,»■ !.■ t,xU „■., cop™,l.„t, t,>m.,l,.|.,i.,"-ai-v;- ^'vo,r ,1,. rat.l..- p., urn Z;^^ ,u,;,,ui sniven, l-as...,>,l,l,V ,h, .onM.l (;,.n,.ral Dans , ,.. ulitions, I..S s,.,Hts a„„u,l.,n.;„t. p..uv,.„ . ■. !;;:;:,;;.«,., annuls Muu,,.sr,,. ,,.,,■ a,. a,..at ,.a,- U. UmnU. (I'oriianisition et dc legislation. C'llAlMTllK XI Le Bureau de Direction , • 1' ('..n.idi.nnf (St aauiinistivc par '"':*;»:r£:;,;:i'i;:::": -'It-;... --»..- SSI '(■ ■ ■n la citr ac M«>iitr> s„„l ....•inlavs parli.apants a.- I. I m..,i :U •2° I,,. .Irniii r .iiici.ii I'lV-i'h nt (i( m mi. h' ScciVtiiiiv (Irii.'riil nrtii.l ct Icdd-ni.T ^('^li '!.■ rliai-v. .|"' ^""' ""-' l>ii'''''''''"'^ (1.. .ln.it. ct luiit :intn> uicimItc:^ ('Irctilv h;i i-ivsciitiitioii (1(> (•:ili(li :m.\ poU- .Ifs ,lin rtriii^ rlrctifs c-t «lll ivssorl (lr> iiiciiiWrcs (111 Con-fil ( i''ii''i:il. H^ [.ruvriri dioisi-' (•<■> caiHlidats pariiii Irs iiiciiil.iv,- >U' ra^snrint'.on tai>aiit \K\v\\r on noii cil (li'iu'ral. Aussitut r.lcriinii t'niiiiK'c. li's Dir.-clcurs pnu'i'iU'iit an r\u)\K (l-:- oilicicis. ijiii -nut Ics suivants : uii I'lvsidt'iit (iHuTal. 1111 \rv Vic(-l'iv. Toutrfois. il est loisihlc aiix Dirci-tours df {'lioisir Ic Sccivtairc ( it'iuM-al. Ic Tn'soricr ( It'iu'raljc Mrd^'cin- cn-clict' ct Ic Icr Mfdccin-fxaiiiinatcui'. soil paniii Ics Dircctcurs elus, w(»it en dehors rlu iJurciiu ili' ilir^'ctioii ; dans cc dernier cas, ces otliciers ne font pas [)artic ilu IWircau dc direction, sauf le Secretaire (Jencral. A coini)ter dii niois dc tVvricr mil liiiit cent rah dc rassistant-Seerctaire (u'neral. (hi Mc(h'ein-cn-chcf ct thi h'r M ■■(h'cin-cxaiiiinat.'ur. lcs(|Ucls olli- eiers ix/uvcnt ctrc cnL;a^('s pour unc p('i'io(h' plus lon,u;ue <|Uc cclle lucntioniU'c ci-drssus. loisinie Ic lUircau dc direction eroit (pril est dans Tint '■i\M dc I'as,,) •utioii d"cn a;j,ir ainsi. Les dircctcurs rcstcnt en fonction> jus ju"a la session ri'milierc du C'onseil (M'lK'ral i|ui suit Icur noniiiiation. Ccpendant, si. par suite d"ai)S('iic" d'iiicapacitt' naturdle ct h'^ale, ou (h' refus d'au'ir. dc in iiivais ■ coiiduitc. ct pour toute autre cause ju^'ee suih-aiitc par le iiiircau dc direction, un direc- tc'ir ou un ollieicr ne rcmplit pas Ics dc\'oirs dc ,-a charge a la satisfaction du Hiireau dc direction, cc dernier pent lui iioninicr un reinpla(;ant. La nu'^nic chose .-e pratiipic cii tout tciiip.-. lors- (lu'un directcur ou un oili(.-ier doniic sa (h'liiission. \jv Ihuvi a.iseiuhlt'i et, a com (h- deux i.e Ihi niemhres' Lu Hti lion et (I charges ( pL'ction ( associati Ces in droit an d'organi Ccs if leur C'tn nisation tion. La c( plaisir i de diret Art. un (pio Art. du I'.u les ro,j;l (piestic cepend vote a( verser. taire C paieiin Caisse les chi Le ] :\ri \a' liurciiu .lu (linrtion.'st ciituTi-mnit rciiniivlr u la pici.iU'ir a^M-mh\vv. Vi'iiwWhre d\\ ("onsi-il (liMu-raKtcmu" !«■ 1i--;i,usa- tioii et de lejrislatu.u, a K- .Iroit .1.' nomiu-r .les msperteurs charges de faire, sous la .Unrtiou du Seen'taire General I ms- p.cti.>n des l)ureaux de perceptio)i et d.'S suceursales de la dite association. . . Ces iuspeeteurs pt'uvent el,v .:ii ir-.'s .1. r..r^anisation, .-t out droit aux L'nHdunieuts .pu^ 1.- Bureau .1.,' dire.'tion. ..u 1.' counte d'..r.^anisati..n et de legislali.M,, pent attril.uer a leurs toneti..n.. Ces insp.-eteurs reuipliss.nt aussi t..us l.'s .levoirs.pu peuvent leur etre assigues par le Bureau .le dir.-.ai.m, le e.,mite d orga- nisation et de legislati.>n. ..u le Secretaire Gen..ral de I as.oeia- ''' La e..nnnission des inspeet..urs est revoeahle suiv:mt le l.on phisir .lu e.,.nit6 d'..rgar.isation et .le legislation ou du bur.,-au de direction. Art. 85- Cin.i ni.>n>l.res .lu liureau de direction eonstituent un .pionun pour rexp.Mlitiou d.'s ali'aires. Art 86-Le I'lvsid.'ut Gen.-ral preside t.)utes les reunions au Uureau .le .lirection. n.ainti..nt le hon .mlreet fait observer lesre,lenientsderassociati.>n. C'est lui ,ui .leeide toutes les ,,uesti..ns d'ordre et .1' usag.- -lui sunt s.,ulevees: sa deeis...n ..t, oe,H.ndant,suietteaapp.l.l.-vantleBureu.. nrus >1 taut un ;X a.lve.e .les .leux tiers .les u.end>res presents pour h^ ren- verser L. President G^'ueral sign.-. c..njointe,n..ut ay.r le^ee,.- •ure General, tons le^ uKUulats sur leT.vsorier (-.neral. pour e Xnent d'aneun argent provenaut .lu Funds . .• ^ecou... d,. la S^.edeDotati.>nou.lulH>n.ls(u.u.a! lld..U=^s.^^ U.S cheques, c.njointe.uent avee ces .l.-ux d..rn.er. ..thcu>.>. I. ; esic cut general se fait representer aupres d.. n.end.es ;l(; p.ir il 'ux ri':>iv'-!"iit I'lts i);M\-In 'iaux ct. I'li outr,'. \k\v mi n'jtro- i^ciitaiit ])()ur chacuii ilcs (li():'rs<'s ilu Canada ti'ar.rais. Ocs oiHtiiers cxciXH'iit Icurs poiivoirs cii \'ciiu (ruiu' comini.- :oii du Pi'i'sidcnt (u'lu'i'al. rcvrtuc du sccaii dc i'association. Lcs rci)r('- scii+ants du Pivsident (ii'aK'ral, dans !<■> liinitcs d^' Icur tcn'itoii'c rcspt'ctit', sont Ics niandataii'i- du I'l'i sidcut (iiii('ral; ils sont Houinis a Tautoritt' du liui'cau iU- dii'cctidn ct du Piv'sidcnt (nan'ral ; ils survcillcnt ct |ir<'c(»niscnt activcniciit Ics intt'rctsdc rassDi'iation ; ils tout, dc dfoit. partic d\\ Consci! (Jcucval, jx'ndant tout Ic temps (pic Iciw ciumnission est cii forei ; eniin, ils ddivent r<'niplir tous Ics devoirs (pic Ics rc.;lcmcnls leur attriluicnl ct(|Uc Ic President (i(''neral ou le P>urcau dc diiXH^tion leur imiiosc. L i eoni;nission d • Rcpr('si'ntant du President (Je- ueral est toujours rev()cal)l(; suiv.mt le l)on {)laisir du President Cn'm'ral. I/i nomination des rei)resentants du Pi'('sident (ieUi'ml est ordinairenient faite par ee dernier, imtnt'diatement aj)res I'eleetion des oflieiers du lUireau dc direction. Le Pn'sident CJe- neral u'a, eependant. aueunc reiile a sui\ re a ee sujet. Art. 87 — Le ler Viec-Prcsident (it'neral. a (K'faut du Presi- dent (ienci'al, i>residc ct exercc. dans tons les eas, tons les pou\'oii's ct privil(''ges dc ee dci'nici'. Art. 88— Le'ind N'iec-I^n'sident (W'nrral. icmplit, en i'al)- sence du lei- \'iec-Pi'('-sidcnt (n'ncral. les devoirs du Pi'esidcnt Cien(.'ral dc la meim' manicr(> ct avec les m.'aucs p »uvoirs (jue U; ler Viee-l*i'csidcnt (leiieral. Art. 89 — liC Secri'taire (li'iui-al eur('ui>tre les dclilx'rations. aux asscinl)l('es du Pureau dc direction, il notilic les candidats dc leur admission on dc leur rejet. ct il em'(''iisti'c ('u-alcmcnt tons lt>ra[)ports prescnti's ci acccptt's : il wr )it t:)Us les deniers .dc Tassoeiation ct les I'cmct clia(pic jour an Tn'-oiMcr (iiau'ral. par «pii il se fait donner un rc(;u. 11 tieiit un compte complet ct exact des operations (inanei("'res transiuccs cntre I'association ct ses niemhres ; cnlin. il rcm|)lit tds autres devoir.- (pi'il plait au Pureau dc direction de lui dieter. 11 c,-i, dc droit, insiu'cteur ;j;cnt'ra! dc Tassoeiat ion. on le 87 11 (!■ it fi)uriiir Ic cuitiomuMiicnl dr iir rohtcntioii du cautionne- ineiit luentioniu- ci-haut. 11 doit niissi si.uniT, conjointeiuent avcc le Pre.sideiit General, les niaudats sur le Tresoricr Genenil ; ildoit, de plus, signer les chwiuc^s, eonjointenient avee Ic Presi- dent General et le Tresorier General. U doit t'aire un rapport annuel concernant radnnnistration et ce, d'apres les indications et au temps lixe par le Bureau de direction de I'association. II doit encore couserver dans les archives de I'association une copie de chacun des rapports annuels, et ce, a conii)ter du mois de tevrier mil liuit cent (juatre-vingt-seize. Le Secretaire Cieneral est, de droit, Secretaire du Comite d" organisation et de legislation et gretlier du Conseil General. Le slicretaircaieneral a le droit de se faire remi.lacer par un assi.stant-secretaire general choisi par lui; mais le clioix de rassistant-.secretaire doit etrc ratitie pi'r le Bureau de direction, i; assistant-secretaire general aiusi nonnne, a. en I'absence du Secretaire General, tons les pouvoirsconieres a ce dernier (pii est, vis-a-vis I'association, responsable d-s actes de I'assistant. i; assistant-secretaire genc'ral etant s.)us la responsabilite du Secretaire CJeneral, petit etre, en tout temps, destitue de ses fonctions par C'Mlernier, mais. la nomination du successeur de r assistant-secretaire general doit etre raliliee par le Bureau de direction. Art. 90— Be Tn'soricr ( leiu'ral a la charge de tons les deniers ,U. L'l'nion Franco-Canadimne. 11 doit lesj.lacer conformement uux instructions du liurcau .le direction ct du connte d'organi- sation et de leLrislation. scion les rc'glenu'Utsde cette a.ssociation. II uv pent se departir dv^ t'onds que sur un mandat signe ].ar le j'n'sident General, .'t, a defaut du Presi.lent (u'neral. par le ler on le -in.l vice-president general, conjointmicnt avec le Secre- tair." General, ou, en rahscnce de -.^ visitnus. nicdecins ou non, dont les fonctions -oni : p [)v visiter lc< nial.idcs d.uis le lc,-ritoirc d.'signe i)ar le Bureau de direction : ■)0 ;u) lele ible L'lllS lent IS a taut jlus teur Lcats it, a ition fixes itcur 1; il u da JOUfS 't (lu e (lu lU (le 'ivsi- iblei'S l>;U' line noil. i;ir IL' i ■)° l)i' faire, cIkuHU: h'(lccin-Exaniinatciir, (hi M('(lecin-en- •hef. et des Auditeurs, pcuvcnt (''trc Tolget d'une n d(^'terniiiK'e par le r)Ur(iai 1 dc (hrcctiou. ■niuneratiou hi Art. 98— l/<"''h'e (hi jour des asseniltlciis n'^ulirrcs ( Ihircau de (hrection eoniimrle (hahord lecture et adoption (hi nroccs verhal de la [ )rcec( lent c assenin It'e rciiuhvrc, amsi (pie des assenihlt'^es spcciales <\ Ics (pii out pu avoir lieu depuis lors ; di plus, lecture et adoption du pnutcs vei t('s ([ui out si('g ;l)al des seances des eoiui- t si(V= dei)uis la dernii'rc asscnil)l(:-e n'gulii'i Puis on (It'libere sur I'assoeiiition. Art. 99 - Lesasseiu toutes les autrcs alYaires intcr(,'ssant hlr'S n'liulii'res (hi Uurcau dc direction oat lieu au jour ( ,t a l"lie'ire ^U-' d'.'t-r.uiu • h' 1 Uireau ( le d irec- tion, niai.s Cci)eiuliiut, il u" V a (pi line asseiunuu iv,u-uueie par luoi le l>r(:-sident G(:-ueial a le dn>it d<' couvo-nier des assein hk'es spt'cialcsdu lUircau ( le direction aussi souvcnt (pi i 1 lejuge a pro) )OS. Art. 100— he l>ii'"'';» u I le direction a tartout ou 1 le droit dc noinnier, fair( 1 le,iu-va propos. des pereepleurs cliarues .le oereei* tion des droits il i ■nt; 't des contributions luensiielle La connnission accort S( )i il ecu h'c a CCS perc-ptcurs ne pent jaiuai t (4%. ) del s itelias- r ([uatre \ Cepeiidant. le liureau de direction a pereepteiirs. en ou soiuuie de sept c>'ntins \ leiirs rapports iucusik tre de la connuis-ion ci 1,. droit (Taccoider aux -ilessus iiieiitionncc, la )ar i iiois p )A\' iTais (renrc^-istrcincnt ih Outre la pin'cep tion des droits ircntrcc ei ( les CO ntrihutiou:- nicnsui lies, le Bureau ,1,. direction luait e,»n (•r- r a CCS pereep- teiirs certains poiivoirs (pi i 1 ju-c expedients ; il peut aussi •xiu'ci' d'cux un <'ai tionneinent vidahle I CHAIMTIJK XII Comites Art. 101— II <'st (liMlcvoirdu Huivini dc .liivction. ininu'- diatcnuM.t npivs ri'Urlioii drs (.llicirrs, ,1" iiistitucr trois c-on.ites, composes cl.acnu our radniissiou et la ivintegratiou des nu'Dibres ; •r\° Le coinite d'eiuiuetes. Art. 102— L<' coniite dcs tinauces est eluirge d' examiner tons les eomptes pivsentes, et. lorsiin'ily a, lieu, (ren autoriser lepaiement, aunom du Bureau de direetion. II s\)ecu[)e aussi de toute (iV-.-tion eoneernant ies tinanees de I'assoeiation. excep- te le Ponds d'oriranisation. (pii doit etre adnnnislre par un comite special appele ''Comite d'or-anisation et de legislation". Art. 103 1^1' eoniite pour radmission et la reintegration des inend)res est charge de ]»rendre en consideration. rhiu\\w semaine. le rai)port fait i ar le Medecin-en-chet'sur Ies deniandcs d'admissiondeseandidats ,4 res de I'assoeiation. II est aussi charge de prendre en eonsidrration tout rai)port .pii pent etre fait par leSecretain' (ieneral. an sujet de la reintegration des niemhres raves on suspeiidus, et (rautoris^r. s'il y a lieu, cette reintegration. . Art. 104 I.c comitr d"en(iU(Mes prend en consideration Ies questions (jui lid sont soumises. et decide s"il y a lieu de fairc faire des en(iuetes, conforineinent aux reglenients de cette assoeiiition. Com Art. : autres, v i.'gislati( Cv. Co l'^ M 2° 1) .>o 1) o 1 . 4° C 5° D G° L S^ 1 Cc n d'orgai Art ]) ' de 1°. Canad 2°. des ni .)0 .) . ral en tion; 4°. r.e d'aut gimis Le 41 lies CIlAriTllK XI 11 Comite Special d' Organisation et de Legislation Art 105-1/ l^>^i«»> Fmnco-Canaairnnr coininvn.l, vuivv aut.vs; un <-o,nit^ special, apicl^ -ConnU^ .U organisation .i Jc ijgislation." Ci' Comite se (•cnnposc coninir suit : lo y^yi (;U8TAVE I.AMOTlIlv avo.at. C U. Montmil ; 2° 1)1- J. I. DESllOtniES, Montival ; t>o p V AYOTTK, lil)vaiiv-('-, publicisU., M.Hitmil ; S^ Wr.]. (lAl'VUKAU, Uinuniski ; cjo V V MONDOU, N. R.StThouias.U lV;ivvilie. Cc noinlm. i>.ut etr. p >rt^ a aou.., a la .liscivtiou .lu Coniit^ a'or.-anisation rt de leiiislation. Art. 106-1- Co.nit.^ cV o.-anisatiou rt .1. legislation sNuvu- . pMlMoutrsU'S qurstionsronrrnia.it: ' 1 ^ f.nvi' (Ml avcur u<' i' i nioii i i.ono 1° La i)ropa,u-aiiil«' a tain (n mn* > ■ I ' • , , ,,,,l)li,.iu' rl ( Cs contcrcncc^ , ^^-r'';::;:;;::;:;;:;;;:;,;':..:':'::!;;::..; -■- - - ral en anu sa iviiic intcnir, y conipris 1* K. rhoix .Ic S'S olliririv. etc r droll or- '-:ri;,.::M,....i-.......:.va...--::;;;;.r;:;:i ?1 Usi..i'iiil.n'.-a.-«'<^>»"l' 42 (•()iiM'(iucimiicnt. vWr iviiipliuvs ([Uc dims Ics ens suivant> : 1° An ("i^ (!<■ il(''C('s ; 2° An ens dc radintioii d.- In listr dr^ lucniUri'S pour (iuclorganisati<>n et de legisla- tion, il siege regulieremeiit une fois tousles deux ans, immedia- tement apres la cloture de la session reguliere du Conseil (leiie- ral. Dans le cas (rassemblee s[)eciale du Conseil (u'neral, ce comite est aussi specialement convoiiue, pour sieger a la suite de toutcs telles assemblees. L' C.».ii eo;i\o pU' \jV sous bier niissi coMipeteli' Di&;:!OS Art. 1 mil buit de St'cou (rOrgani Art. : 1° To aiTrre'.lte vent etn eette Ca- des eont tnires p mai IS*! ■r 1. ;r (licune Art. Si'COUr; eette C; Art. r '1 ali'ert'ii .JO 1 ;r 1 dieiini 1 , r>.pt>' .rormnUUion rt .1.- l,'-Ulaliou ). ■ut auss, cUc ,,U,,,ussisouv..utMU.'r^'xi^^' 1' U'an^a.lion .l.s athuivs .Ic sa (■olllprU'lK'C. CliAnTUKXV Dis-oositions een.ralcs concernant les finances de r Association Art. 108-Toutl=n.,cM,tn.vua..i..a.o:ui>U.r.lu h. j^ulM do S(_'c<»ui's ou ( ai>M' (U'^ .Maia(u ^, i.i .rOiL^anisation ct !«' Fonds (u'lu'val. Art 109— 1a- FoihIs dr Scn.urs cominviul : .dT..HsU.s :m.4U- caiss. nuMUs Muin..-cvntu>s par UHM. quMl.^- ss.. avant 1.2^ n,ai 1S.S. H tout lar,.. pn.v.-nant ,d,..s ,n,,...V oHunu- nu.nhn. d. 1 a^.K..at,uu apu. U -. •>" 1,.. inU'.vtsarcu.uulrssurlr.ht l^-nd. , :;o 1,,, dons ,ui p.'uv.nt (■t.vfait. a I/lu.on I rann i)-("ana- all'riviitfs a (H'ttc caissr ; , ,. , i . ^" I.- '■"•-^'■^'-"■'■""'"'- ::;:■;;:'"';; rni,,,,F.n,.M.,,a. •;° Fes dous .pii pi'Uvrnt vUv tail, a ,li,,„„,,nfav.tirde la Cai.srd. Dotation. 4-1 Art. 112 -AuiMM ar,-' '11^ in' pi-tit T'tn' .listnit dii F,)ii Is dc l;i (y'lissc (Ic l))t;ili(>ii. sice n'cst poiu' iMicniitrcf Ics ohlijiatioiis CDiitrnctrM'S ]i;ii' ccttr Ciissc. Art. 113 — Nniii>l(>tanl cc (|iii rst d(' la Caissc dc Dotation nil niontant (|ni. ajouti' a tonics Ics somnics atT/'i'ditcs an Konds (n'ncral I'onnc niir soniiiic dc viiiLit-cin(| ccntins par, luois (levant cti'c |»:)i'tcc a ccttc dcrnici'c ciissc ponrchacnn dcs incin- l)rcs en rc,ulc avcc rassociation. i4 c'. pour Icnir lit-n {\(ii< nion- tant.s (|U(; \v^ ivgUnncnts antoi'isaicnt a dcdnirc untcricnrcincnl des contrihutions ])ayc(s pour la Caissc dc Dotation dans L' Union Fraiico-C'anadicnnc, avant Ic tjuin/c t't-vrier mil iiuit cent (luatrc-vintft-dix-liuit. Art. 114 — r.(! Fonds (roryanisation c()ini)rcnd : 1° Tout r argent ])!•() vena nt dcs retributions aiinncllcsct scnii- unnuelles payables ])ar les mcmlircs de ccttc association, (;onfornienient aux regicnicnts dc l/rnion Fianco-Canadieiine ; 2'' Tout Targciit provcnant dcs droits (rcntrce ; 3° Les interets accrus sur Ic dit for.ds ; 4° lies don.s (|ui jtcuvcnt etre faits a L'Cnion Fnmeo-Cana- diennc en faveur du Fonds d'organisation ; 0° Les fonds i)rovcnant dc-; contributions an Fonds de Seeours et, a la Caissc de Dotation, paw's par les incmhrcs pour les premiers mois de societariat, cont'ormement a Tartich; 120 des presents reglements. Art. 115 — Lc Comite d'oi'g.uiisation tt ein[)loy,\s, timhres-poste, etc. hiiit a^'so- ^ 45 V\vu\\: tnis.i.ril v a un rxc'.lant .lins \r f..n.ls d'oi-anisa- ti„n 1.' comity ,l'.,r Ir-islati.m a h- .Ir-.it .Ic trmsfurcr, a sa .liscretioii, au Foivls dr Sec-.,urs. a la Caisse .1.^ Dotation ouau Fayee, pour cett. caiss., par Us .uaul.r,.s d. la sectio.i ,les h .uunes iuscrits a la Caissede 1) .tati >u s.uk', du 15 !{^vnvr au lerjuUlot 1898; . ^,, . . 8- Uiios(.inau'd(".,uin/,('CL"iitiu^ par nuns deduite di's con- trihuti-.n. alTercaitcs au Fouds <1 ■ S.r.uis. pour I.s nieud>res inscrits a vvUv Caissc avant 1(> Icr juilld lSi)S ; 4° Uiu' ^)uiU"(UMliK .•^•utins par ni .is .pu" doivont payer nourcetto edsse les UK-iubrrs ins.rits au. d-aix Ciisses. d. la l)otati.>n et .hi Fon.ls dc S.cours. .MiLn- \v .piiu/.. tevn.r et le ler iuillet mil huitcuMit.iuatre-vin.^t-dix liuit; 50 S"il V a lieu, une soaune u.eusu.Ueai.ut deduite du tonds de la Cds^" de Dolatioa, e:)ut\.rni ■nuMit a I'article ll-J des l)reseuts reglemonts ; • ,.. (',- Enlin. unesnuim.de viugt-ciui cnaitms p.r mo.s. poui ^,,t ,,„lidat propos^' emnme meml.re de L' Union branco- Canadieiine apr.V le ler juillet lSt)S. Art 117- 1a' Foixls (leneral est employe a .lefrayer les a.H,vnses encourues par T administration. Cluuiue fois .pi d y a , ^.xeedant .lans ce fonds, sur le m mtant repus. le Bur..au .le Dhvetion a le pouv.)ir .le transferer, a sa .lise.vtmn a.. !•..>.< .1 Secours,auFonds.r.>r.ani.uion.>ualat::Usse.le D.>tat.on, tout le surplus .m une parti. s.a.Uam.nt de .a. surplus. Art. 118-l/ar...nt est .UlH.se dans nn.. on plusUairs l.an.pies i,,.,,,ore..s, .l..nt le .W est fait par le Bureau de duvetmn et le Coniite d' organisation et .U' legislation. -in I Art. 119 - L ■^ fn;i Is |M'liV('lit rtl-i' ivtiivs lies li;ilr(llcs ;l(ill (Ten f;iii'c uii phii'cii'Ml |»lus :iv.mt;ii:i'ux, soit cii pivt- aiix fa- lirii|ii('^. MUX (•■»:'|»')r itii>;i~ r 'liu-ir nrs, atix c )i-|)')iMt-*i')ii< muiiiri- l»alcs oil scolaii'cs. on <'ii achats (rohliualioiis ('inis'.'S p ii-cvs (•;)!■- ]»')rati(iiis; s(»it iliii- !«■ liut !ran|!i'i'ir (!('■« iinniviMi^s pKiirvu (jiic cil ciiiploi dr t'oiids ail t't;' in'ralaWlciuriit api»riircau df Direction lie soit autorisc a depasscr c(>tte soiuiiic, par till vote alliniiatii' lies dciix ti(a's des iiieiiilircs pre- sent- a line asseiiil)lee du Con-eii ( JtMn'ral. eoiivoiiuec (Tapres Ics r.^'iilciiieiits de rassociatioii. Xouolistaiit ee (|ui est dit ci-de-;si|s. Ic lUh'eiU di^ Direction a, lois((Ue la n'scrvi' dc laCaissede Dotation aura atteint an iiioins Ic I'liiltVe dc vin'j;t-cinii inille piastres. Ic di'oit d"a('lietMr {\i'^ inr.iicnlijcs jir-ipra conenrrciicc de viiiiit-cin(| pour cent dc la dite reserve. Art. 120 — Xonolistant ee (pii est dit dans les articles ei-des- siis. les ariceiits pa ves pour Ic Foiids de Secours. dnrant les trois prcniiers iiiois dc socii'tariat. et cetix pay>'s jiDur la Caisse de Dotation iluraiit les dou/c ju'ciniers niois. par cliaiam i\cf^ nieiii- hres adiiiis dans rassociatioii a|)res le ler jnillct ISDS vont au Fonds (roi'ii-anisatioii. Art. 121 — l.e Hnrean de direction a le droit ih' jiretcr an coiiiiti' d"oriraiiisation. sur l)illet siiiue par !e presid"iit. le secri'- taire et le t i('.-ori erde ee eoniitt'. uiiesoinnie lie ponvant. a eoiiip- ter lie cc jour, cxci'derdeux iiiillc piastres. i.e iMircau de direction a an^:--i le ilroit de transferer d"nne caisse a uiie autre nil iiiontant irexcedant pas deux niille pias- tres, si ic licsoiii s'eii fait seiitir. ])onr faire face a ccrtaiiics iiccessit('s d"urij,ence. Les I'loiitauts ainsi pret's oii ti-anferes d' nne caisse a uiie autre dcvr<»nt etre I'diiliourses ilans les ."> ans, avee interet dc •")%. ; Art. ] iui;nil)rei' cte adop ct rati fie: et de leg 47 CHAPITRE XVI Mise en force des r^glements Art 122-I.('H i.nsrnts ivgU'iucnts <,nt force de loi, pour U'S ,,,,„,l,rc«s ae L' Union Fntno-Canadi 'nn., aU8.Uut .lU lis ont a ulopt^s par l'assc.nl,l^...lu Cons.il O^nerul d. I'assocna.on ^t ratifil p.u- l'assen.bl6o sub.uqucnte du connte d' organisation et de logislatitm. Art. (I Art. Art. (I II r). — Benefices des agreges a la Caisse de Dotation. :>(». — Conditions de paieinent des benefices de dotation. :}".— I'aienient des benefices apres le ler fevrier 11105. IJS.— Privileges des societaires ayant atteint 70 ans. :V,). — Obtention de polices aetpiittees. 40. — Privileges des societaires devenut- invalides. 41. — De la declaration d'invalidite : des droits et obligations qu'elle confen' au societaire ipii en est I'objet. 42. — Appel, sur la declaration d'invalidite. 4;5. — Contributions aux(pielles restent teiius les invalides. 44. — Conditions d'augmeiitation du certilicat de dotation. 45. — Conditions de diminutiou du meuie certifieat. ! It AUT. pour 'ilai- ivant IS do iiient ! n'v iH. .ti()ii« 1( Akt. 40.-().. ne iH.ut aba.ulunn.r la (laiss. do Dotation «an. rononcor •I tons SI'S droits cijiniue societairos do L'L. J-.-C 47.-A qui sopt pajvs los bonolicos do dotation on ^^^^^^l^ dispositions tostauientairosdusocietaire docode . cdb dun honinio niarir ou d'un colibatairo. 4S.-Rotontion di'S bonoticos, on cas do discussion judicia.ro. 4.,._l>as do rocours cMitro I' Association, dans los cas do paio- inonts do bonno foi. 50.-Pro.:oduro a suivro pour .jbtonir los bonoticos do dotation. 51 -A quol temps faut-il payor ses contributions. 52 -Radiation pour non-paion.ont dos contnbutions, apros 1« dolai logal do doux niois ; conditions do romtograt.on. CH. VII. 5:5 -R:-glenieuts connnuns a la vC%\v dos doux Caissos. 54 -1)0 la diminution dans lo taux dos droits d'ontroo. 55 -Tout directeur doit otro inscrit u la Caisso do Dotation. 5(i.-t)bjotsotcortificatsauxquolsa droit tout sociota.re adnus dans L' Union Franco-Canadionno. 57.-Cas ou un sociotairo perd sos droits a tons los bonoticos do 58.-Cas oc/un sociotairo ou son ayant droit pout pordro sos titros aux bonoticos do L'U- F.-C 5>) -Ladoch(^anco no donno droit a aucun romboursemont. _ _ 00 -Do I'otablisson.ont facultatif dos succursalos ; do la position L sl^otairos a I'ogard do cos succursalos ot do lour rogio. (il -Pas do contributions a payor pov.r lo niois do I'adnnssion ; ■ contributions d'apros I'ago au procham annivorsairo. (i-> -Doniission d'un sociotairo ; procoduro a suivro. (iii^-Docontralisation faouitativo dos fonds de Secours, on cor- tains cas. CH. VIII. (i4 -Causes d'oxpulsion do r Association. . 05.-ConditionB dans losquollos la sontonco d'oxpuls.on pout otro . ,,.^;r':riina,dola..ntoncod^>xpulsioupronouc.op^ liuroan do direct ion ; si's offots. (( (( (( Aiir. A in'. 07.— L'expiilsi' iir pent plut^ ii-nliri' dans LT. V.V- (33,_l>roCL'diiiv a Hiiivrt' dans li-s cas d'cxpidHiuii. 09.-— CoinpariUi(»ii dv riiiciilp '■ dt-vaiit Ic P.uivaii .Ir diivrtioii. 70.— De la decision dn linrcaude diivction. I't de hi signilication de cettu decision an socit'laiiv coni)abU'. CH. IX. 71. —Conditions d'adniission dans la section des femnies de LT. r.-c. -Droits d'entive et aiitres pivliniinaires de raduiission. -Comnie rarticle 17. I'onvoirs du coniite d'adniission a Tej^ard des aspii'antes. Coniine rarlicle HI. Tanxdt'S conliilintions a la Caissi^ de Dotation, poin- la section des fenunes. Contributions si)i'ciales i)onr I'adniinistration, dans la SI f'tion des I'eniines. Retribution seini-unnnelle, pour la secti(Mi des feninies. Dnjits des h -riliers iles societaii'es de cette section. ■ 72.- 74. 7(). 77. 78. NO. SI. s;?. Art. S4. S5. S(l. CH. X Constitution dn Conseil (ieneral de L'U. K.-C. ; quorinn. Pait'nieut des i'rais de voyages des tlelegues au Conseil (ieneral. Assend)lei's bi-annnelles ilu Conseil (ieneral ; la prociklnre ; convocations et deliberations des asseniblees speciales ilu ilit Conseil. a Toccasion. Coninienl les reglenients penvent etre aniendes, ratifies, on desavones et annnles. CH. XI. Dn I'.m-ean de direction; sa composition: dnive des t'onc- tions des directenrs I't de cei'tains olliciers ; reinplacenient d'nn (lirecteur pai' le I'.nrean. Des niend)i'i'S honoraires. IH'S inspt'cteurs v{ de leni's devoirs, (^nornm dn Hni'i'an de direction. Droits et devoirs du I'lvsident General. I (I Aim-. AuT. Aur. i ST. i ss. i ,S1>. i i 111). ic S)\. ii wl. i ( sy:>. it <)4. 1 i Do I i ut) t . 1)7 All!'. Droits et devoirs clu ler Vicr-1'residcut. Dn.its ct devoirs du 2.ul Vice-Pre«ulent. Droits cl dev.m-s du SotMvtuirr H'nil. Le Secretaire est, de droit, Inspectenr (ie.ieral. Dr.. its et devoirs du :Medeciii-en-chef. Dn.its et devoirs du prenuer Medeciu-Exmnuutteur. Devoirs des Auditi'urs. Fonctions des Couuuissaires-Ordonnateurs. Nouunutions et fouctious des Medecius-Exaunnuteu... CJratuite des fouctious de directeurs ; exceptiou la.te eu faveur de certaius otHciers. Drdre du jour des asseu.blees reguheres du l.u.-eau de di recti ou. , ,. .. „ ,,.eu.blees regulieres .ueusuelles du Bureau de d.rectu.u. Asseuibleesspeciaies: leur regie. , Nouuuatiou des percepteurs ; leur couuuiss.ou ; leurs attn- butiouset leurs obligatious. CH. XII. 101. Dv'S couiites peruiaueuts. U)-' .Iuridictioudueo,nit:'desliuauces. ... • , „,it'. nour I'admissiou et la reuitegratiou 103 Juridictioudu count.' pout lauiui- «.)S. 1(H) des societaires. 101. Juridictiou du cou.ite d'eu(iuetes. CH. XIII. A 111'. Aiir, „„ .,„.i,licti„n cL- «• >= it;, i co.uHK.ut, il »• .«rua.. 101). Juridicti CH. IV. )U1 it^'s: sessious regulieres ou Aur. 07. .Vsseuiblees des divers c ^ipt'eiales. CH. XV. ... , , K.,nd>i>»'. Di; quoi ho composi^ le fonds ile la Caiase do Dotation. A quoi is'appliqnent less fonds dcct'tto CaisKo. Deduction u faiiv pour radniinistration. Do quo! se conipono le fonds d'organisation. A quoi s'uppliquo lo fonds d'organisation. Do quoi so conqxiso lo fonds gont'ral. A quoi s'appli(iUont los I'ossourcjs du Fonds GJ'u^'ra!. D/'pot dos fonds aux banquos. riaconieuts dotinitifs des funds, on prots ou achats d'iniineu- blos. Contributions resorvoes aii fonds d'cjrganisation. Ailorisation au Bureau do direction do transferer d'uno caissj .\ I'autre cortaines sonunos, et niodo de roniboursonient. CH. XVI. Aur. 122. Miso on force des roglonients. iineii- I'UIK' llt'Ut. I