University of Virginia Library

58. CHAPTER LVIII.
THE GRAND EXPEDITION.

When De Rottenberg withdrew so suddenly
from the peninsula, he led his army by forced
marches to Kingston, under the impression that
Wilkinson's movements were directed against
that place. To keep this impression alive, and
thereby confine the enemy's operations to the
protection of that place only, Wilkinson chose
French Creek for his next rendezvous, as being
directly opposite the point at which the British
might reasonably suppose he would land. The
van of the army, under Brown, had already reached
this rendezvous, after a very boisterous passage
from Grenadier Island, during which many of
the boats were driven on shore, and much provisions
and clothing lost.

The vigilant enemy had observed this movement,
and determined, while the army was thus
divided, to attack the van. They accordingly
approached French Creek, on Monday, the first
day of November, with a squadron of two brigs,
two schooners, and a number of boats loaded with
infantry; and, about sunset, commenced a furious
attack on Brown's detachment. Such, however,
was the judicious arrangement and heroic conduct
of that leader, assisted by the artillery of
M'Pherson and Fanning, that the assailants were
compelled to retire; and, on renewing the attack
the next morning, were completely repulsed. In

a few hours afterwards Chauncey's squadron entered
the St. Lawrence, and took a position to
command the north and south channels, so that
during the following day, the rear of the army
reached the general rendezvous in safety. But
the commander in chief was now so severely indisposed,
that he was obliged to be carried on
shore, and lodged in a tent; while the further
advance of the army was suspended for four-and-twenty
hours, in order to effect the necessary arrangements.

On Friday morning they again moved forward.
The storm had subsided, the river was placid,
the day delightful, and the health of the general
improved. More than three hundred boats,
crowded with troops, and arranged in martial
order, moved gracefully down the stream, propelled
along by the current and a gentle breeze.
They proceeded unmolested, although their motions
were closely watched by the enemy during
the whole day. The sun was setting as the rear
of the flotilla passed Elizabethtown, an English
village in the county of Leeds, on the left bank of
the river. Our hero's attention was directed to
the spot by Cummins.

“We are now,” observed the latter, “opposite
the scene of Forsyth's successful gallantry;
the field where he plucked the first sprig of those
laurels with which he has since so profusely decked
his brows.”

“You allude to his affair at Gananoque?”[1]

“Not to that alone,” replied Cummins. “About
four months after that affair, he honored Elizabethtown
with a similar visit, (which is situated in

the same county.)—It was on the sixth of February
last, previous to his promotion, while he was
commandant at Ogdensburg—Brown being in
winter-quarters with his family. He left Ogdensburgh
with about two hundred volunteers, part
from his own company, part from captain Lydle's
volunteers, and the remainder citizens, among
whom was colonel Benedict, besides several other
gentlemen of distinction. The detachment proceeded
in sleighs up the river to Morristown,
here on our right, where they formed, and at
three o'clock in the morning crossed over to Elizabethtown,
surprised the guard, took fifty-two
prisoners, among whom were major Carley, three
captains and two lieutenants; also one hundred
and twenty muskets, twenty rifles, two casks fixed
ammunition, &c. but no private property was
either taken or destroyed. All was effected without
the loss of a single man.”

“I now recollect the circumstance,” answered
George. “He was led to the measure in retaliation
of the repeated aggressions of the British,
who had been in the habit of crossing the river
and taking deserters, sixteen of whom they had
confined in the jail at Elizabethtown, whom they
threatened to shoot. Forsyth succeeded in liberating
them.”

“And that part of his success I lament,” rejoined
Cummins.

“Why so?”

“Because, so long as wars are necessary, the
crimes of desertion and treachery must be capitally
punished; and did belligerents refuse countenance
to such crimes in their enemies, they would
soon cease to exist.”

“I have long been of the same opinion,” replied
Willoughby; “and have frequently wished
that it were established as a law of nations, to
profit by the treachery, but to hang the traitor.
The remedy may seem to be the greater evil;
but, be assured, it would soon work its own
cure.”

“There can be no doubt of it,” answered Cummins;
“and had this been the case, you would,
before this time, have heard that your boy Reuben
had danced in the air.”

Our hero was visibly embarrassed; but, after
a moment's hesitation replied—“No, sir; had
such been the law of nations, Reuben had never
deserted; for then it would have been to seek
certain destruction.”

“And De Rottenberg would still have remained
idle on the peninsula, instead of hanging here
on our rear.”

“Perhaps not idle,” returned George. “If
your conjectures are correct, and he really learned
our destination from Reuben, that lad's
treachery may have been instrumental in saving
Fort George; for De Rottenberg would certainly
have attacked Scott after our departure, had
not his attention been drawn another way. But,
understand me—whatever good may result from
intended evil, it does not in the least tend to
palliate the crime of the perpetrator.”

“Whatever good may have been produced on
the peninsula,” observed Cummins, “it is, I
think, pretty evident, that it will not extend to the
St. Lawrence; and I shall not be surprised if we
meet both De Rottenberg and Prevost at Montreal.”

“Then let us meet them,” answered George.
“But recollect, my friend, that we are first to
meet Hampton, with all his army; and it will go
hard, indeed, if our united forces are not a match
for theirs.”

“Where is this junction to take place?” asked
Cummins.

“That is more than we subordinates can pretend
to know. But, being by birth a yankee, I
have a right to guess.”

“Well, as you guess.”

“At the mouth of the Chataugay river, which
empties into the St. Lawrence not many miles
this side of Montreal: for so Hampton's recent
movements certainly indicate.”

“His troops I understand are generally raw
and undisciplined,” observed Cummins.

“Yes—but they are commanded by officers of
tried and approved courage and talents. Besides
Izard, he has colonel Clark, who, for partizan
warfare, is another Forsyth. Then there is Snelling,
whose metal was tried on the banks of
the Wabash, and at Maguaga; Wool, who distinguished
himself at Queenston; King, the hero
of Black Rock, who was also conspicuous for
his bravery at Little York; Purdy, Parker, Finch,
Hamilton, Nash, and many others whom I cannot
at present recollect.”

During this conversation, the shades of evening
had fell upon the surrounding landscapes; the
moon (now nearly at her full) slowly ascended,
like a silver target, in their front; and the cold
breath of expiring autumn sighed sadly as it passed.
The American village of Morrisville had
just faded from their view in the rear, when the
preconcerted signal-gun was heard from the van,

and the flotilla approached the American shore,
where the troops landed and encamped for the
night.

On the following morning, the commander in
chief had so far surmounted his malady, as to advance
down the river in his gig, to reconnoitre;
and, on his return, ordered every man to be landed,
(except a sufficient number to navigate the
boats) and on the approach of evening to commence
their march by land, in order that they
might pass the batteries at Prescott under cover
of the night. The flotilla were to proceed at the
same time, under the superintendance of Brown,
who was the general officer of the day, with orders
to receive the troops at an appointed rendezvous
two miles below Prescott.

The commander in chief now wrote an order
to general Hampton to form a junction with
the army, at St. Regis or its vicinity. This
order was to have been dispatched the next
day by express, but as it was preparing, colonel
King, (Hampton's adjutant-general) fortunately
arrived at the rendezvous, and immediately departed
with the same. At about eight o'clock in
the evening, the river was enveloped in so heavy
a fog, that it was thought the flotilla might pass
the enemy's batteries unperceived; and accordingly
orders were given for the troops to march
and the flotilla to advance at the same moment.
But before they reached Prescott, the wind freshened,
the fog dispersed, the moon broke forth, and
they were in full view of the enemy. The general,
in his gig, proceeded ahead, followed by his
passage boat and staff, and succeeded in order
by the whole flotilla.

No sooner were they espied by their vigilant
enemy, than a heavy fire was opened upon them
from the batteries, and a great number of shot and
shells were thrown at the marching column, who
were discovered by their gleaming arms, which
reflected the moon-beams. But not a single shot
took effect, nor did the Americans sustain the
slightest injury. The batteries were passed by
the whole flotilla, except two schooners, loaded
with provisions, which sought for safety in the
river near Ogdensburgh, but were extricated the
next day. By ten o'clock, on Sunday morning,
every one had safely arrived at the appointed
rendezvous.

In the mean time, Scott was on his way from
Fort George to join the expedition; and after
a forced march of nineteen days, through rain
and mud, (during the whole of which time the
sun was not visible for twelve hours) he learned,
to his great mortification, upon his arrival in
the neighborhood of Sacket's Harbor, that the
expedition had already taken its departure. He
therefore left his column, and by a forced effort
of two days and one night, came up with the army
and joined it the day before it passed Prescott
and Ogdensburgh. He was immediately assigned
to the command of a handsome battalion
in the van, under colonel M`Comb.

For the four succeeding days, as the army continued
to descend the river, its rear was almost
incessantly harrassed by the artillery and gunboats
of the enemy, who had followed it from
Kingston to Prescott, and from Prescott still continued
the pursuit. Several times was it found
necessary to halt, land, and chastise this insolence;
till at length, on Thursday, the eleventh

day of the month, this skirmishing changed to the
form of a regular and well-fought battle, between
the gallant Boyd's division, of thirteen
hundred men, and a detachment of the British army,
of two thousand five hundred men, under
lieutenant-colonel Morrison, aided by nine gunboats,
and seven pieces of artillery. The main
body of the American army, with all their gunboats,
were far in advance of the field of action,
which was on Chrystler's farm, in Williamsburg,
on the Canadian shore.

Wilkinson and Lewis were both too much indisposed,
during this affair, to leave their cabins,
and therefore the command devolved on
Boyd alone, who advanced upon the enemy in a
most gallant manner, with his detachment formed
in three columns. The brave Ripley was sent
forward to bring the enemy to action; and with
his undaunted regiment, he twice charged the enemy's
advance, consisting of two regiments united,
(either of them more than equal to his own)
and succeeded in driving them over the ravines
and fences which intersected the field of battle,
now celebrated by the name of Chrystler's field.

Meanwhile, Covington, at the head of his brigade,
had advanced upon the enemy's right in a
style of such conspicuous gallantry, that he attracted
the attention of a party of sharp shooters
stationed in Chrystler's house, one of whom too
fatally levelled his piece and shot the brave leader
from his horse.

For some time after losing their valiant leader,
this brigade continued to advance in the most determined
manner, until the fire of the enemy's
artillery at length succeeded in breaking and
dispersing them. The battle, however, continued
with obstinate resolution on both sides for
more than two hours, when the grand object of
the Americans was obtained, which was to embark
and proceed down the river unmolested.
The enemy felt too sore to pursue them.

Many officers distinguished themselves on this
occasion, both previous and subsequent to the
fall of the immortal Covington. Preston was severely
wounded, while nobly fighting at the head
of his regiment. The brave Cummins met with
a similar fate, while leading to a charge, and undiscouraged
by the wound, continued to advance
until loss of blood obliged him to retire. His
friend Willoughby, who had volunteered his services
as aid to Boyd, received a wound in the
foot as he was bearing his commander's orders
across the field. General Swartwout; colonel
Preston; majors Chambers and Noon; captains
Foster, Townsend, Myers, Campbell, and Murdock;
lieutenants Heaton, Williams, Lynch,
Brown and Crary, will all carry to their graves
honorable marks of their bravery on this occasion—many
of their wounds were very severe.
Lieutenants Smith, Hunter, and Olmstead, fell
gloriously on the field, martyrs to the cause in
which they were engaged. Colonels Coles,
Pearce, Gaines, Ripley, Swift, Upham, Walback,
Johnson, and Aspinwall; majors Woodford, Malcom,
Morgan, Grafton, Gardner, and Bebee;
captain Irvin; lieutenants Whiting and Worth,
and many of the platoon officers, acquitted themselves
with great honor on this occasion. The
total loss of the Americans was one hundred and

two killed, and two hundred and thirty-seven
wounded.

Early on Friday morning the American army
proceeded on its route, and, in the course of the
forenoon, reached Barnhart, near Cornwall,
where Wilkinson received a letter from Hampton,
informing him that many unfortunate circumstances
would prevent his meeting him at St. Regis,
and that the only way in which he could effectually
co-operate with Wilkinson, would be to meet him
before Montreal, for which place Hampton would
immediately march by the way of Plattsburgh.
On receipt of this letter, Wilkinson consulted his
principal officers on the question of proceeding,
who determined that the expedition should be
immediately abandoned and the army quit the
Canadian side of the St. Lawrence, and go into
winter-quarters at French Mills, on Salmon river,
which it accordingly did on the thirteenth of
November, and thus closed the second campaign
of the northern army. The village of French
Mills is situated at the head of navigation of Salmon
creek, in the township of Constable, county
of Franklin, state of New-York, about two hundred
and thirty miles from Albany. Hampton's
army went into winter quarters about the same
time, and the command was resigned to general
Izard.