Stranica 63 [63]
e. At g o'clock the United States left the port of
which had grounded on the bar, but finding her
chain too short, she returned for another. On
ae coming out again and entering the British waters,
: 7 ‘4 the little “xferiment met her in a most dauntless
, ae :
oe manner, and gave her a shot from each of her guns.
i a The Safes finding herself thus vigorously attacked,
es abandoned the schooner on the bar, and steered
toward the Windmill Point, with the other schooner,
the ALnperiment, still firing upon her, and sending
into her two shots, one in the hull, the other in the
4 upper works. However, the men on board those
Ne vessels (between 200 and 300), with three pieces of
> artillery, succeeded in landing, occupied the Wind¬
mill Point (a stone tower of considerable strength),
and the stone buildings in the vicinity, threw up a
breast-work on the brow of the hill, and placed two
guns to command the road from Prescott, and
another facing the river St. Lawrence. Lieutenant
Farrell did not think it prudent to allow himself to
be drawn too far down, lest the town should be at¬
tacked by the otherschooner. He therefore put the
Laperiment about, and stood up the river at the
moment the American steamer Paul Pry succeeded
in getting the schooner off the bar, when observing
them standing into British waters, he fired a charge
of grape at the latter, and one of canister at the
Paul Pry, the former of which took full effect, the
wretches on board the schooner prostrating them¬
| | selves on the deck and crying out for mercy. At
this moment the Szafes moving up, and the schooner’s
gib filling, the latter fired his guns at the Exfert¬
ment, the shots falling in the town, and stood within
fe the American channel. The Séates then appeared
i under a heavy press of steam, intending to run the
little Axperzment down before she could reach a
shoal water ; but the latter being put about, sent a
lucky shot Raa her wheel house, and took off
the pilot's head, waich so discomfited the brigands,
(there being no person on board acquainted with
the bar) that the boat stood towards the light house,
and dropped anchor close to Ogdensburg. The
be scene during this period was awful in the extreme
* to the inhabitants, who saw their town threatened at
| ae forr a Sere points by at least 600 lawless foreigners, deter¬
a | mined, no doubt, on massacre and plunder. The
plan was well laid; the enemy must have been well
ie ‘aware of the fibgbssibility of Colonel Young at¬
& E. ; im A to oppose their landing at the mill with
Brg. ws | | , SO long as the town was menaced with an
50 from the force i inhis front, All he could
wet a,
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and jrockville, the. BRANES,
on fare
of his small force remaining formed in the main
street, ready to move at a moment on: any: point. _
Little could the enemy have calculated on the re¬
sistance they had to encounter from the Lxferiment;
This boat appeared no larger than a ship’s launch,
in comparison to her Opponent; but she was so
skilfully manceuvred, and so gallantly fought, that
the American could not gain the least advantage
of her for one moment, although the most strenuous
efforts were made. The cool and determined con¬
duct of Lieutenant. Fowell, and his brave crew,
excited the admiration of all who witnessed’ this
| animated and momentous affair. ni ű
Being tolerably secure from any further attempt
irom the American steamboats, attention was chiefly
directed to the force which had effected a landing at
Windmill Point, than which no position in the neigh¬
| borhood could be better calculated for their purpose.
The bridge over Honeywell's Creek, one mile from
Prescott, on the road to Brockville, having been
taken up, and two dragoons going with despatches
to that town, and a small piquet stationed at the
bridge made prisoners and carried off by persons
who landed there at daylight from two large boats,
| Mr. Stephen Jones offered to take a circuitous route,
and procure such reinforcement as could be spared
consistently with the safety of Brockville. Accord¬
ingly, Lieut.-Col. Gowan arrived. at dark with the
men he had enlisted for the Ninth Battalion Incor¬
porated Militia, commanded by Captain Edmondson,
with a few he had enlisted for an independent
company; and they immediately, notwithstanding
the fatigue of a long march and the inclemency of
the weather, took up their position in front of and
on the ruins of Fort Wellington, nearly the whole
of the militia being, at the same time, posted to
watch the enemy, and protect the town of Prescott.
| About midnight, Captain Sandom, R.N., command¬
ing on the lakes, came down from Kingston in the
armed steamer Victoria, accompanied by the Cobourg,
| with two officers and seventy-four men of the 83rd
‘Regiment and Royal Marines on board, and. having
placed these detachments at Colonel Young's dis¬
posal, a combined attack on the position occupied ©
by the enemy at the mill was decided upon. The
| probable line of defence to be adopted by the
brigands (who had been considerably reinforced bs
from the American shore during the early part of
the night) being ascertained, Colonel Young made
arrangements to move off his ground soon after
daylight, in two columns—one composed of thirty
‘men of the Royal Marines, under Lieutenant
Parker, of that corps, Captain: George = N acc d önnel s;
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