Oldal 63 [63]
OCR
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 Windmill 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 attacked 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 Exfertment, 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, detera | 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, kő ; i — ön. a w n ye : dl 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 resistance 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 conduct 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. Accordingly, Lieut.-Col. Gowan arrived. at dark with the men he had enlisted for the Ninth Battalion Incorporated 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., commanding 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 disposal, 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; A. ae Hi | | conipany: pilagiroeest ge} ey: Ly i |
