Stranica 62 [62]
was seen proceeding down the river, and all chance
of passing between the mill and the American shore
was cut off.
On the morning of the 16th, the British, having
received ordinance sufficient for the reduction of
the place, set themselves at work systematically for
that purpose. During the forenoon, an uncon¬
ditional surrender was made, the prisoners being
marched out between files of regulars, and con¬
ducted to Fort Wellington.
The following account cf the battle is from a
summary given by a British officer who was present,
and also the official reports :—
Early in November, 1838, rumours had been
very generally circulated, of an intended descent
upon some part of the frontier of the Johnstown
District, by brigands, who, it was well known, had
been organizing on the American shore, for that
purpose ; but, from the secrecy of their proceedings
and the extent of line (65 miles) to superintend,
it was impossible to form a correct opinion as to
"the exact spot. Circumstances, however, induced
Colonel Young, commanding the District, to imagine
that Brockville or Prescott would be the point of
descent ; he accordingly took every precautionary
measure of which his resourses would admit.
Towards the gth of the month, the reports on the
subject gained still more credence, and scarcely a
doubt remained that the period of invasion was not
far distant. At this time, the whole force at Pres¬
men, of the Lancaster (Glengarry) Highlanders,
under Captain George Macdonnell; four weak
companies, 1st and znd Battalions of Grenville
Militia, hastily collected, under Captains Dunham
Jones, Fraser, Henderson, and Thomas; a few men
of an independent company, which Captain Jessup
had just been authorized to form; and fifty of the
townsmen, under Captain McMillan, amounting
altogether, to about 150 rank and file. This small
and, for the greater part, undisciplined band, was
nightly “under arms, either as piquets, or ready to
move in a moment on any point. About 2 o’clock
on the morning of Monday, the 12th, a suspicious
sail was descried coming down the river, unusually
close to shore, by the double sentries posted on the
most prominent wharf, one of whom ran in imme¬
diately to apprise the commanding officer, who had
left the spot but a few minutes before. The night
being extremely dark, and it blowing hard, Colonel
Young, supposing she would by that time be abreast
of the town, ran down to Fraser’s wharf, not far
distant, and reached it just in time to assist in
frustrating the efforts of the schooners (two being
hailed without receiving an answer, and, perceiving
the intention of the schooners to drop down to
McMillan’s wharf (distant about 150 yards), he
hastened thither, closely followed by a few strag¬
gling townsmen, with arms, who were on the alert,
and found them rapidly approaching, he, as well as
Mr. Stephen Jones, hailing again to no purpose,
although the schooners were so near that a person
could have jumped on board. Colonel Young
threatened to fire into them, when a man cried out,
Charlotte of Toronto ; George, Master,” at the same
time, putting the helm down, and standing across
the river, towards the American shore. The vessels
separating immediately afterwards, and the night
being very dark, they were soon out of sight. Ina
short time after, the American steamboat United
States came down, and went into the port of
Ogdensburg, immediately opposite Prescott; and
about an hour before daylight, the small British
steamer L.xperiment, with one 18-lb. cannonade, and
one 3-lb. carriage-gun, commanded by Lieutenant
Fowell, of the Royal Navy, arrived from Brockville,
with Colonel Duncan Fraser and the volunteers on
board, and, having ascertained that the schooners
were in the American waters, returned, and remained
in front of the town for its protection. The alarm
spreading rapidly through the town, the inhabitants
of every class turned out to join the troops, and the
intense anxiety for daylight is not to be described.
Every eye was on the strain, and, at the first dawn,
two large schooners (one aground), their decks
covered with men, were seen at anchor in the
American waters, near Ogdensburg, and about
three-quarters of a mile from Prescott. The
proximity of a formidable enemy was no longer
doubtful. Soon after sunrise, numerous boats,
crowded with men, passed frequently between the
American shore and the vessels, and an immediate
attack upon the town was naturally expected.
PRetween 7 and 8 a. M,, the United States’ was
observed getting up her steam, and, shortly after¬
wards, three gentlemen, of Prescott, returned from
Ogdensburg, where they had gone to ascertain the
real state of things, informed us that the United
States was in possession of the Patriots, that the
mob had overpowered the authorities, and that
they had taken possession of two guns (6 and
8-pounders) in charge of the Volunteer Artillery
there. At the same time, a person came over,
and stated that his brother, assistant engineer of
the vessel, was obliged to superintend one of the
engines, two men standing over him with pistols,
and that the best men in Ogdensburg were putting
wood on board, to enable her to cross over and take
Prescott.