Oldal 54 [54]
OCR
from the proprietors of the iron furnace, then building at that place, that no munitions of war should be cast there, and returned with his command to the Canadian side. A plan was formed to attack the party, when passing down the river to Black Lake, but, from fear of exciting retaliation, it Was not carried out. Major Lemon, of Maitland, relates the following: In 1811, a young man named Underhill came from the United States, and se@iired a situation as school teacher, at Halleck’s school house, above Brockville. It was soon ascertained that Underhill was a deserter from the United States army. A Canadian named Montgomery, who owned a small schooner, lent it to a kidnapping party of Americans, who One day the vessel dropped down the river, until opposite Fulwere anxious to arrest the deserter. ford’s, the party proceeding through the woods to the school house, where they seized Underhill. The prisoner was gagged, and dragged away in the direction of the river. Underhill, seizing a good opportunity, broke away from his captors, and ran for the settlement. He was immediately shot dead, and left in the woods. By this time, the children had given the alarm, and the Canadians started in pursuit of the murderers, but were, unfortunately, too late, the Americans making their escape in the Schooner. The event created great excitement at the time, and contributed in no small degree to the bitter feeling which subsequently existed along the frontier. Among the most active of the Loyalists during the war, were the Grant brothers. One of them, Lieutenant Grant, and Captain Reuben Sherwood, were employed along the frontier in the Secret Service. On one occasion, Grant and Sherwood were up among the Thousand Islands prospecting, having with them a force of nine men, when they ascertained that the Americans were building a block house at Gravelly Point. Leaving their men on an island, they proceeded in a small boat, and landed a short distance below the point, in the woods. Sherwood proposed to Grant, that they should take the entire party prisoners. Proceeding through the woods, they came suddenly upon the militiamen who, with muskets lying on the ground, were preparing the timber for the block house. .The Americans were astonished at the appearance of two British officers in full uniform. Sherwood, in a loud voice, called out, “what are you doing here,” and in the same breath demanded to be shown to Turning at the same time to Grant, he said, “consider these men prisoners, and if one of them attempts to pick up a musket, give the signal to the Indians, but don’t do so unless absoheadquarters, ry lutely necessary." Sherwood then proceeded to the Majors headguarters, near at hand, and demanded his sword, which was promptly surrendered, that officer laboring under the belief that he was surrounded by a band of Indians, who only waited for a signal to rush upon and scalp every Yankee. Sherwood then proceeded to parole the men one by one, for the remainder of the war, despatching them by a circuitous route for their homes. The Major was marched down to the boat, where great was his Surprise to find that he had been outwitted by shrewd Canadians, and that only two officers were necessary to capture a score of armed Americans. exchanged for Colonel Carley, who had been taken prisoner in their midnight raid upon Brockville. From the declaration of war, until the close of hostilities, the Americans were forced to suffer the most humiliating and mortifying defeats and reThe British regulars and Canadian militia formed a solid phalanx, which invariably” hurled verses. back the invaders, though, in some. instances, their numbers were considered overpowering. Along the frontier, the tide of battle turned against the foe, who at first looked upon the conquest of the country A poor and sparsely settled province proved more than a match for the boasted Republic, and well may our citizens be as a foregone conclusion. (c Who scorned to bend a knee ” to the flag of hostile democracy. CHAPTER sent, VETERANS OF 1812-15. SUMMERS came and winters departed ; the middleaged dropped, one by one, into the grave; the boys and young men found their heads whitened by decades of toil and trouble ; political parties wrangled for the seats of office; demagogues and patriots contended for popular favor; parliaments assembled with glittering promises, and sank amid execrations into oblivion: yet, among the long list of petitions and pledges, there was not one which read, “Do Mindful only of the present, the hardy sires who saved Canada were permitted to recline in the ingle nook, and only, on some wintry night, recount to youth and maiden, the story of the struggle of long ago. In its infancy, Canada was assailed by a powerful neighbor, bent on victory. On lake, on river, and on land, the arm of conquest was thrust out, ready honor to the heroes and veterans of 1812":
