HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1892-8-12, Page 2A
TELE BRUSSELS POST.
AJJUUST 1t, 184.
THE FIGHT IN THE BEECH WOODS
During the course of the next day Duel
%MO Went with tweety.five warders
peeMenoltre the Niagara, end adeleeei"
Within Sight of Fort George he surprised
eety of A.meriean soldiers be a bwer
Wing foer anti =twig seVen prisoner
,Although hotly pursued by cavalry he email
effeeted hs sea e by plunging into
WOOde, with the bosa of but it single warrl
VIM lagged behind to bring off some home
Wile Brune afternoon another party attacke
beat in the river near Queenston, killin
two persons and eapturing six.
Annoyed beyond endurance by the audit
ey of an adversary numerieally no mu.:
weaker in thus continually annoying h
reutposts, General Dearborn determined t
etrike a vigorous blow at Vinnezite advance.
guard in return. Having been informed
on the 23rd that Fitzgibbon hed °coupled
DeCew's house with a single company of
regular troopa, and between sixty and a
bmidred Indians, (a very Mose estitnate of
his aetual strength, and was said to be for-
tifying it and collecting suppliea there, he
was easily persuaded to consent to an ex•
edition for the purpose of dislodging him,
lend overawing the inhabitants in that quar•
ter. A column of 600 men woe deemed
omply sufficient for the performance of this
service, and Colonel Charles G. Boerstler,
of the 141h IT. S. Infantry, or Maryland
regiment, was selected for the ammand.
This officer had already distinguished
himself by gallant conduct in leading the
stight attack on the batterlea below Fort
Brie in November, 1510. During the winter
bis compleints of the inactivityof his super.
tors had been frequent and. hitter. By
(common consent he was regarded as
one ot the bravest end most en-
terprising officers in ehe American army.
1The whole of lus own regiment, one am
pay of the 6th, another of the Oard, a
troop of the find Light Deepens, command
ed by Cornet }Med, a company of light ar
tillery, with one 6 -pound and one 12.pound
fieldpiece under Captain Andrew Mc-
Dowell, and Chapin's corps of mounted in.
fantry, were detailed for the purpose, the
entire force exceeding six hundred rank and
The distance from the American camp
at Fort George by way of Queenston, the
route selected for the advance for the ex-
pedttton, was estnnated at rather less than
eighteen miles. To Bishopp's headquarters,
by way of the lake road, it was nearly as
far, while De Haven's outpost at the mouth
of the "Ten" was not Quite ten miles away.
Cam three principal advanced posts of the
Iiritish were thus establithed at the angles
of an equilateral triangle, each side of
which was about seven miles in length. A
chain of outposts stretching along its base
maintained communication between De
Reran on the edge of the lake, and ketsgib•
bon ou the *rest -heights above. Bishoppes
position, near the junction of two reals,
would enable him to support either
of these officers, when neoesaary, with
equal facility. At the game time the Amer.
tan line of outposts did not extend more
than two miles ut advance of Fort George
in any direction.
Besides the main road to Burlington, fol.
lowing the shore of the lake, another, some-
times known as the 131ack Swamp road, led
almost in a direct line from Niagara to
• Paul Shipman's tavern at the crossing of
the !evolve Mile Creek on the site of the
present city of St. Catharine's. From
Queenston, a much frequented road wolind
along the base of the heights to the small
village of St, Devid's, where it divided, one
branch. running nortleweetward to Ship -
man's, while the other ascended the plateau,
and following the summit reached the
(Twelve Mile creek near the falls, Thera were
besides a number of woodland paths and bye.
roads, leading inland in various directions,
'with which the Inhabitants were familiar,
but then were the only routes at all prac-
ticable for the passage of artillery and
beavy wagons.
i. The midden ori ivel of to large a body of
to troops by night, and the unusual care taken
g to conceal their advent)°, et once led them
N to seeped that the blow wee aimed et Fitz -
n, gibbon, scree of whoa men hail been In the
a, village during tee day, and they enxtous
y begau to meditate meaes of writhing him
le the iinponding danger. Since it was clear
or impossible for heard himself to accompli
0, the neeessary journey, his wife prompt
• determined to undertake the perilous tea
g herself. She was a elight and delicate w
I man, already in her thirty-eighth:year an
c. the mother of five children, The roads i
h ; many places wore ankle-deep in mud, th
is country was sparsely settled end the wood
o were known to be haunted by bands of It
duxes and white maraudera, who hung
upon tho skirts of the armies, yet she never
faltered in her resolution. Leaving the house
at the &se Bush of dawn, with a pail upon
her arm, she euecooded in passing the uear.
est sentinel under pretence of milking a OW
in the fields beyond. It was then no difficult
matter to guide the auimal behind a con-
venient thicket, and once fairly out of sioht,
she threw the pail aside and began her toil-
some walk. Fearing that her purpose
might be suspected when her prolonged ab-
sence was discovered, and a pursuit begun,
she carefully avoided the main road and
struck into a by-path leading through the
fields and woods. The brilliancy of the
moon favored her flight. Oecasionally the
distant howl of it wolf smote upon her,
ear, and more than ones a rattlesnake glided
froin the path and disappeared in the rank
grass. But these were not unfamiliar sights
and sounds to the dwellers in the woods, and
she pushed bravely on without e pause till
she reached the village of St. Davids.
After resting for an inatant at the house
• of a relative, she resumed hor journey, still
avoiding the highway and selecting a eir•
• cuitous and lonely route which led her many
• miles out of the way. Finally, having walk•
ed as ehe imagined, some nineteen miles
since leaving home, she arrived at a branch
of the Twelve Mile Creek shortly after sun.
rise, and finding it much swollen by the is.
cent rains and the bridge removed, she was
Icompelled to cross it upon the trunk of a
fallen tree. Toiling up the steep banIc beyond
she stumbled into the midst ot a group of
sleeping Indians who sprang hastily to their
feet with piercing yells. It Was with groat
difficulty elle made her object understood
by their chief, who understood
but a few words of English, and some delay
ensued before she was conducted to Fitz-
gibbon, to whom she told her story de-
• scribing the composition of the column ad•
vancing against: him, and estimating its
strength at nearly a thousand men.
It being contrary to the custom of the
Indians to act atnighe, they had withdrawn
to their respective enciampments and Duch -
arms had not more then eighty warriors
with hirn. Scarcely had Mrs. Secord con-
cluded her narrative when his saute mime
shrieking the death -cry. They had en-
countered the advence.guard of the enemy
near St. Davide, and one of their number
had been killed. Decker= immediately
requested pertniesion to advance and way-
lay the column at a spot which had fixed
his attention the day before, as being favor-
' able for an ambush. Fitzgibbon readily
gave his assent, and the entire body of In.
diens set off at a run.
Meanwhile Bierstier had seized an inhab-
itant whom he forced to act as guide, and
shortly after daybreak resumed his nutreh.
As his advance -guard entered St. Davids
two British officers wore seen riding
away in the direction of the Cross -toads,
now limner Village, and presently they
heard alarm -guns and bugles sounding in
the distance. Chapin remarked that they
would probably soon hear from Fitzgibbon,
and Bums:der replied that they would doubt-
less have to fight there on their return.
The cola= continued to move forward
with great caution, having a party of Chap-
in's inounted riflemen well in front with
light infantt•y in extended order on either
flank, followed by the 14th U. o. Infantry,
the artillery and wagons, then the com-
panies of the 6th and 23rd, while the troop
of dragoons covered the rear, Inline order
they passed the point where the road di-
verged to Shipman's and ascended the
heights. From time to time Indians were
observed gliding stealthily through the
woods, hut as yet they made no attempt to
molest their march,
Since tlte dace of the earliest exploration,
much of the present township of Stamford
was scantily wooded, but in its north.west
angle and stretching into the adjacent town-
ship of Thorold there was a compact and
extensive tract of well -timbered land, tom.
timely known as the Beechwoods. Here the
road by which Bcerateer was advancing be-
came it mere narrow wheel -track, intersect-
ed in many places by deep gullies, and close-
ly bounded on either side by an almost con-
tinuous wall of trees and underbrusle
Choosing a spot where one of the widest
and deepeat of these ravines crossed the
road, Ducharme stationed his warriors,
Lleutenante De Lorimier and Le Blair, with
twenty.five Laughnewagas, on the right;
Captain William Johnson Kerr end Lieu -
tamale John Brant, with sixteen Mohe.wks,
it the left, while he retwined the Temaincler
under his own commend on the further
lope, to ohock the advanoe of the enemy,
nd force them back into tbe hollow.
Already the heat of the gun had become
ntense, and many of the heavily•burdened
nfantry soldiere had begun to lug atd droop
with fatigue. Bettveon eight and niue
'cloak their advance -guard, consisting of
bout twenty mounted riflemen, rode into
he hollow and beget) the ascent of the op.
°site slope, A single volley from the
hickets emptied every saddle but one, and
everal warriors immediately sprang for.
•ard to strip and scalp their fallen enemies
Dui:harem sharply interposed, and ordered
them back to coverts to await the approach
of the infantry, alveady doe at hand. The
head of the column was greeted with a
shower of bulletts. The leading companies
attempted to deploy, and the artillery and
mounted men were ordered to the rear.
Much disorder ensued, and, at this oppor•
tune moment, the detachment's of Lorimier
and Kerr began the attack on the flanksiand
presently attother small party appeared in
the rear amd killed aeveral Men there. The
foremen motion retired precipitately upon
the centre, and finally formed in an open.
g in the vvoods on the right of the
mid, whither they were followed and
gain aterteked. The artillee was then
voughe forward and irected to
Cat the thieltote with grape. The first
isoharge pessee harmlessly overhead, and
e Wary leader of the Indians ordered them
retire to the wood* before the cannon
ukl again bo loaded. In acoomplishing
bis, however, several of their number, hale.
g ventured too far forwerd, wore killed or
°untied in erasing an open epace,. and
oat el the Mohawks become panimstmoken
CI loft the field.
Hastily conoludieg that he had to contend
Rh superior numbera, Throatier despatehed
ly
of regiment in stogie reek, with it company it
1. each wing, throsen back to cover the Ilan
of his Inc and led it abit quhAcetep into the
wait for relator:cements. Bat soon cheery
ing that their fire had begun to slacken, h
determined to make a ylgoroue effort to bruit
Beide his assailants and oontieue his maroh
Leaving his artillery behind, protector
by ttles drageous mid the tWO Llettlalle
companies of iufantry tinder Majo
Taylor, second In command, whoa
bora had beeu at the fire
fire, be formed the whole of his owi
• force& A subaltern was detailed for
e purpose, hub when they reached it bend
It the road, where some of the rangers w
, stationed, they wore met by tiaptain H
1 in the character of De Harem who foig
to be much mimed at the delay, and
✓ Mitring that this request on the port
e enemy was too humiliating to be endue
he ordered the American Weer to return
1 01105 to his own lima.
n A section of Fitzgibbon's company
k eat direeted to run across the open grou
and join the Indians in rear of tho one
to impress them still farther with a bel
in the superiority of the British fore
This movement was rapidly executed wl
out lose under fire of their artillery, end
ing on loch skies was briskly reciommene
'fhe confident ettitude of hie mondial
bad convinced Colonel Therstier ul
his situation was extremely critical, a
he Siniii»Oned a meeting ef his officious
obtain their views. Hie niell had malt
almost ten miles that morning. They h
been under arras for six hours and had be
fighting for the last throe. Thestrength of t
column had been considerably diminish
by killed, wounded, end skullcors, and tho
still in the mike were emelt exhausted
heat and fatigue, Their supply of atm
nition was greatly reduced, only thr
charges of grape remaining for alkali of t
guns. Under these circumstances it is n
surprising that most of his eubordinat
were inclined to take a gloomy view of the
position. Having still &teen miles to r
treat along a road bordered in many plao
by woods, they candidly expreseed the
doubts whether it quarter of their numb
would be able to escape. When the r
minder of their cartridges were expencle
the Indians, they said, would be able
shoot them down at pleasure. Bieratler a
qui:need in the main with these opinion
and stating thee he would assume all r
sponsibitity for the surrender, ,lespatch
Captain McDowell with instructions to o
Min the best terms possible.
It was with great diflieulty that the I
diens could be induced to oease firing, whe
it was announced that the Americans we
finally prepared to surrender. Ducharm
could speak but little English, and roadi
consented that Fitzgibbon should frame ti
at -dales of capitulation, stipulating only ti,
his followers should be allowed to divide tl
plunder. A brief document, consisting
but four ahort clauses, WAS then signed b
Captaiu elcDowell, by which it was agree
that Colonel Brerstler's entire comma
should become prisoners ot war, the office
being allowed to retain their arms, hors
and private baggage, and the militia an
volunteersto return to their homes on parol
While the negotiations were in progres
Chapin made a resolute and perfidious a
tempt to escape with his command. Placin
his evounded men, about filteee numbe
in the centre of his troop, he began to rid
rapidly down therm& But this movemen
was frustrated by the. alertness of the Ix
diens, who immediately barred the way 1
great tiumbers, and eventually not
mau escaped but the orderly
who had been despatched for arisia
tance when the attack began. Twenie
three °theses and 487 non -pow -lie
shined officers and men of the regula
army and thirty militia laid down thel
arms. About thirty of all ranks ware sup
posed to have been killed and sixty o
oventy wounded. The colors of the 14t
United States Itfautry, two field pieces
two baggage-wegons and live hundredstand
of arms wore the princips.1 trophies of th
viotory,
Fortunately for all parties klajor Do
Heron, who, for some time had obstinately
refused to believe thee any formidable
movement was directed against the right
flank of his position, came up with 200 men
of the tibli and 104th in time to take charge
of the prisoners, for, when it became known
that their personal baggaeo was protected
by the terms of capitate:ion, the Indians
grew very indignant at what they
considered a deliberate plot to
deprive them of booty to which
they were justly entitled, and their cl lean
tent subsequently increased to such it height
that many of them returned to their vil-
ages a few weeks later.
This signal sucaeSS was obtained at the
xpense of very trifling loss. Fitzgibbon's
=laity was but slightly engaged, and did
tot have a tingle man injured. At the time,
even Indians were reported to have been
cilled and sixteen wounded, but Duchene°
abacquently estimated their entire lose at
fteen killed and twenty.five wounded.
The consequences of the victory proved
or more important than °cold have been
easonably anticipated at the time. The
eth United States bleary and a detach.
ent of riflemen had been despatched to
ittretler's aupport, and had already
dvanoecl as far as Queenston, but, being
nens.ced by a small party of Indiaes,
:aired precipitately to their camps.
laity were of the opinion that the army
hould at once retire from Canada, but a
ouncil of war, composed of the chief officers,
•as held, at which it wee ultimately decided
L
remain, Every exertion was made to
rtify and stragthen their position at Fort
aorge. Thenceforward for three months,
tey vrere restricted by their fears to the
rotted within range of their onmnon. During
te first week they did not venture to Send
von a patrols further than a mile outside
sir entrenchments. The prinalpal division
the Invading army was virtually paralyzed
'ring the ammo of the year moat favorable
r military operations, and remained pent
within the limits of a few acres by a
roe of lees than half its numbers. Night
ter night their sentries and outposts were
mated by feigned attacks, whioh kept the
tire camp in a feverish condition of °term,
d subjected officers and men to excessive
tiguo. During the hottest months of the
or one-third of the divieion was prostrated
disease, and though the hospital was re-
eved to Lewiston, the proportion of deatha
came frightfully large. Although repeat.
ly reinforced, their numbers °namely
/Welshed, and they were constrained
relinquish active operations altogether
01 the storms of autumn rendered them
ffioulb and hazardoua. The chief medical
ea of the United Statse Army, then at.
bit.
to General Dearborn'e division, was
ceci to make this filmic admission
Veben an enemy exhibits great military
ility we are dieposed to allow him all the
dib due him, even when by artful deeep•
a and judicious wiene.gement with it
as iaferior, he was enabled to apperently
oak our army, and compel it to plaoo itself
a position entirely defensive,"
The effect produced by limrstler's defeat
Weshington was quite as remarkable.
modes wae sitting when iefotmetion of
stivrender arrived. Mr. Ingersoll, ono
the leaders of the domitrailt party in the
nae of Represehtativeg, crated that it
s regeeded res leveling " the climax
eon tinthd tidings of mismanegernent
d misfortune, . On the Oth of July,
reform after it abort eaidental am-
nion of regret and impatienee in bhe
by With the epenker, (Henry Clay,) and
Toad 'Ringgold, of klarylend, I Was dep.
d vaunt:me to wait on the rtegicient,
I request General Dearborn't removal
in 0. commend whiali so Inc had promise
orientate. '' Conearaently & despoteh
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le woods on the right of the road, w.th the
Intentiou of theme the Indians Into the
it. fl,elds beSolld, He had alienist penetrate:I
d fairough the woods, without encountering
o much opposition, when a violent attack tVa$
O commenced on hex Helm flank, Wheeling
s in that direction, the advance was continued
e for a oonsiderable distance in the face ni an
incessant fire from an almost invisible
enemy. Then, finding that the mon were
losing heavily and becoming fetigued,
wtbLi-
oub gaining any substantial advantage,
13trratler threw club a liue of skirtnishora to
hold the enemy in chock, end directed a
general retreat upon the artillery. The
Indians pressed their advantege with exult•
iug shouts, and finally the Americans fell
back in oonsiderable confaion into a hollow
where they were partially sheltered from
their fire.
Ducharme then promptly directed Lieu-
tenants Camber Gamelin and Langlade
with their respeetivedetachments to make a
circuit through the woods and gain their
Bank and roar. This was soon aecompiish-
ed, and bullets from the overhanging thick-
ets again began to drop with fatal afoot
amoug Boaratler's men, now quite daxed and
dispirited, Althotigh slightly wounded in the
very beginning of the action, Brerstler had
remained on horseback constantly encourag-
ing his soldiers, aud aa he .galloped along
the line, affording a conspicuous meek to
the enemy. Another shot then struck him
in the thigh, Laic:Meg a scythe fieshwound.
Captaias Cummings and McChesney and
Lieutenants Mavechal and Raudall wore
disabled nearly at the same moment, and
the fall ot so many officers had naturally a
most disastrous effect.
While the tido of beetle swayed to and
fro in the woods, small parties of Indians
tvere constantly coming up and swelling the
numbers of the asaallants. Next, Captain
Hall of the Pro vincial Cavalry, appeared
upon the scene, and after surveying the con-
flict for a few minutes, galloped oft to make
a report to De Harm. Then, after the
antion had lasted almost an hour, Fitzgib-
bon rode up, accompanied by his only subal-
tern, Lieutenant Winder. 'Observing that
the Americans were already thrown on the
defensive, almost surrounded, and appar-
ently undetermined whether to continue
their advance or attempt a retreat, he sent
away. his companion to bring forward the
remainder of his company, consisting of a
single sergeant and forty-five rank and file,
and remained to watch the fortunes of the
fight Finally,the three brothers Kelly,mili•
tiamen who had been permitted to return
to their home on an adjacent, farm to assiat
in haymaking, attracted by the sounds of
strife, seized their arnis and joined in the
attack.
Order having been to some extent. rester.
ed in their ranks, the American infantry
formed behind a fence and such other cover
aa they could find, and opened a brisk fire
in reply. Some of the boldest of their rifle.
men even advanced a considerable distance
up the ravine, and dislodged a party. of
Inclines posted there. In accomplishing
this three of their utunber were shot dead
by a single Inclie,n, who was, however, dia.
coveree as he attempted to escape from his
lurking -place and killed. The skirmish
continued with great animation until the
Americans had exhausted twenty-six rounds
of ammunition to very little purpose, as
they.were rarely able to detect the form of
any Individual assaelatit even for an instant
and could merely fire ab random inte the
surrowling woods. A deuse volume of
woke settled down into the opening, and
hung steadily over their head& Meanwhile
they were prdied about by n circle of fire.
Every tree and rook and tuft of tall grass
seemed to emit its en:5MM job of flame, 1
The company of engem having arrived,
they were posted by their commander on e
the high ground on the right of the reed, c
and he then directed the greater part of the
Indians to occupy the woods on both sides
of the road in rear of the Atnericans, with 1.
O view of retardiug their retreat until other s
reinforcements could Dome up.
Noticin.g the glow of scarlet in front and
harassed in flank and rear by an indefinite f
and apparently ever-increasing number of r
whoopmg Indians and militia on, 13teratler 1
reluctantly determined to begin his retreat m
towards Queenston. With this intention, B
the wounded were collected and placed in a
wagons, and the artillery, under protection
of it company. of infantry, were sent to r
occupy it clearing on the right of the road 1‘
in lot 45 of the township of Thorold, upon the s
summit of die ridge. The remainder of the e
infantry were next retired to the same posi-
tion and formed in close column. By retreat. t
ing thence across a long stretch of cultivated fo
land, it would be possible to avoid the woods 0
ocampied by the Indians and regain the road tl
beyond, where ib passed mainly through an g
open country. The prospect of escape now ti
appeared so fair that Fitzgibbon determined e
to parley, chiefly, it is probable with a view th
fdetainingthem, Amordiegly:heapproach. of
e°c1 their positiou with a flag of truce, and d
being met by Captain McDowell, he boldly fo
informed burn that they were surrounded by up
superior numbers and could nob possibly es. fit
cape. He added thee mnny of the Indians al
under hiscomir and had jot arrivedfrom the st
North-West, and were of the moat feroeious en
disposition, They had already met wieh se. an
verelosses, and were muoli exasperated and fa
be feared if the &aim was continued much
longer they would become unmanageable by
andbeginan indiscriminate massacre. He m
desired- to preemie unnecessary wane of be
Otto, and therefore demanded their immedi. ed
ate summons, whioh had proved go potent di
at Mackinac, Detrole, and other places, to
and MoDowell frankly expressed his dia. un
belief of the assertion thee their situation di
was hopeless, and desh ed time for consid-
oration, and both offieers returned to their a
lines. Opportunely for the success of Ma. for
gibbon's stably, Captein Hall galloped up "
at that moment, accompanied by seVeral ab
troopers of the Provincial Cavalry, arid ore
readily consented to personate Major De tie
Heron in the event of the America& oom. for
rnandant pressing a demand to be permit- eh
ted eeo the forces opposed to him, in
Approaching the American positioit a
second time, Fitzgibbon Wee admitted into itt
Colonel 13cerstler's preeenee and tound him Co
agitated and unnerved by loss of blood and the
the pails of his wounds. The narratives of of
the (slaughter at the River Raisin and Fore Ho
Ittelgs purposely exaggerated and invested wa
with inhumeable blood-ourdlleg debells by to
the newepapers of the adminietration, were an
fresh in his mind, and a judicions allusioh the
to the diflioulty experienced in restraining nut
the Battens; caused him to exeleim, "For bob
Ged's Sake, keep the Imbene fain us!" Get
Fitzgibbon peomptly replied that, he wet ute
decide at MICe, for this Was not it matter mu
to be dallied with, and °enraged Ids will. fro
ingnese to permit cm 'officer to view his unf
While this column of troops advanced
ageinstritzgibbon, as imultaneoua ovemen
'was desigued a Must De Haven peket 01
the mouth of t e " Ton," with the object
of occupying his attention and preyenting
him front rendering any assistance to the
termer, but for some ream it was never
executed. Boerstler's iestructions directed
bit to advance as rapidly as possible upon.
Fitzgibboe's post ; a -ed, if necessary, batter
down the house and capture or disperse the
garriamt. Chapin, vain, boastful, muinever
very particular as to the accuracy of his
etatements, boldly asserted that he bad
penetrated into the hilly region beyond
DeCeive a few days before, although it sub-
eequently appeared thee he had non ap.
preached within several miles of the place,
and was in consequence selected as pilot for
the expedition, But at the hist moment it
was discovered that it, detachment of rifle.
men detailed for this service had been al.
ready placed on guard, and could not be
relieved. This oversight deprived Boerstler
of a portiou of his most effective troops, and
obliged him to march without, them.
The departure or the column from camp
,evas purposely delayed until evening to ,
evoid observation. At the outlaying plokee
the mein body halted, and the mounted men ' o
kode rs.pldly forward to Queenaton to saws
the inhabitants and prevent them from a
giving the alarm. Silence was strictly en- 0,
joined during the march, and polrolee and
pickets were at once thrown out on all the i
t•oticis leading away from that village.
It was commonly said that there had not
been such a rainy season for a quarter of a o
tembury. Showers of greater or less meg. I 0,
nitude had fallen nearly every day t
km several weeks. The roads were p
thoroughly eeturated, and the ordinary ) t
member of horses could sesecoly dreg the ' s
Daimon. Accordingly it was almost l
midnight before the remainder of the de.
tachment arrived and halted for the night.
No lights or fires were allowed, end the
men lay on their firma, but hotwithstanding
the thoroughneas Of these precautions to
tante :moray, infOrmation of theie &p-
ewee's was soon speeding toward the Bra-
ids. outposts as swiftly as a woman'a feet
»mid carry le Among the remaining in.
lahltants of Qtteenstort, was Jantelf Sectord,
ormerly offieer in the Lincto/ft
old elmost helpless from wounds re-
tived in the battle of the 13th October.
0huity-six years before, when a child only
heed years old, he had aecompanied his in
natter in her flight through the wilderness r
eith four other homeless women and many
hildren to am e the fury of it band of b
uffiene, who ea led themselves " Sots of el
ebtay." After enduring frightful hard- d
hips for nearly a month they finally arriv- th
at Vat Niegare alma naked and to
tarving, Subsegtently hie father ahd sev- co
tel habitue he 1 enlisted irt Butler% Hang14
-
ta, and forfeited their lands by their toy. le
ley. The memory of the wrongs and suf. w
seine of his family aill rankled in his re
retest and mused him to regard the people en
1 the United States literally as personal
neeties, The parents Of his wife lied like. w
oaa been refugee leyallets, and she wee a mounted orderly to Vert floorge to an.
pally warm and Weltering in herpe,triot nounoe that he had been ateaked end hart
fallen hack to a clear. g, Whore he would
was framed the same (My, Mr:treating Gon.
Dearborn to retire from thn command,
" until his health should be re-catablishod,"
and his immediate suceessor, Generel Boyd,
was pro tad from attempting any often,
aive operatione until their equedron regain,
ed °patrol of the lake,
Two of the principal aetors in 111000
events, James Fitzgibbon aml Lamm Seared
attained an extreme old age, and innst, be
remembered by innny persons Mill living.
Fitzgibbon re:sided in Canada for more
than forty years, and took an active pert
in the suppression of the rebellion of 1837.
Some years after he Wee nominated it Mili-
tary lenight 14 IVintleor where he was
sibhl l‘ving in 1807, ob the ago of eighty.flve,
Mrs. Secottil died In 1868, et the advanc-
ed age of 03, and is buried in the grave.
yard at Drummond Hill, on the Insetle.field
of feultily'ri Lane. It is to be hoped that
not meny years will be allowed to pass way
ere her final resting place is maelced by it
!Being memovial of one of the bravest and
most loyal of Canadian women,
TILE' 000).
CHOLERA DOCTORS ATTACKED
Meters In Astrakbau Dirlim off °Metals
mid Phyalt•Lene.
The official Gautte gives amounts of the
oholera riots at Astrakhan, where a state
of siege has been declared in censequence.
The working classes and the lower orders
even went so far as to drag the dead bodies
out of the hospital. The Governor's house
Was attacked, and the troope had to fire
upon the rioters.
ehe ebief cause of the rising w•aa, no
doubt, the use of guickliMa itt bulling
cholera victims. The popular report was
that patients were placed in them offins
while still env°, and that lime was sprinkl-
ed over them, The ignorant masses refus-
ed to believe in cholera, and regarded the
compulsory removal of the sick to the hos-
pital and sanitary regulations generally as
a kind of conspiracy on the part of the
doctors and officials. Order was only re-
stored on the arrival of two battalions of
infantry from Saratoff and the discharge of
a volley into the midst of the melt.
The daily reports of deaths are so much
alike, both in regard to numbers and
places, that it seems herdly worth while to
repeat the slightly varying fgures every
clay, unless they refer to any very sensible
increase of mortality or to fresh places.
Withio the last few days the epidemic has
also shown itself along the line of the
Vladikavkaz•Rostoff Railway and at Stave
repot, half way betvveon the CDROM= and
Rostoff on the leen. It thus appears to be
advanoing in two lines—namely,up the Vol-
ga, and from a more southerly direction
through the Cossack, territories toward the
north of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azof.
Most eleborate regulations are being
taken by the Minister oi Communications
to prevent a rapid spread of the disease
along the railways. Each railwey is to
have a sanitary committee, each train an
ambulance truck converted from a geode
wagon and furnished with every necessary
appliance, all stations and carriages aro to
be disinfected, doctors and medicines are
to be in readiness at all points, and rules
are to be everywhere posted up giving most
minute aevice and instructions sato diet,
clothing, and treatine_nt,
Extraorflinge7 Trial in laarMany.
At Xanten, in the Pruseian province of
Cleves, on Monday, a Wel waa begun
which will be of wide intereet, as the anti-
Semites are asserting that another Jewish
ritual murder has been committed. The
facts are as follows :—Un the 20111 oE Juno
last year a servaut girl clisuovered in a barn
belonging to Aldermen Keepers of Xauten
the body of a little boy. The oorpse was
partly covered with chaff, but was lying in
O pool of blood. In the handle which were
tightly cloned, were chaff and poppy hada,
the latter being strewn all over the barn.
On the girl calling some people it was seen
that the °MN had e gash in its throat,
reaching almost to the spinal cord, and this
the electors found to be the came of death
The murdered child was soon recognised
as the son of a joimer of the town
named Etegteaun, He was between five and
six years of ego. He had been eeen in the
morning playing ha front of the barn, and
inquiries led to the supposition that ib was
in the barn that the murder took place. At
fiat every one was completely at a loss to
amount for the mime. Soon, however,
suspicion rested on a man named Buschhoff,
the butcher and clerk of the Jewish cone
munity, Several children, and even grown-
up persons, pretended to have nen the
murdered child on the morning of the 20bh
June being dragged to the slaughter house,
which is close to the barn, by Buschhoff's
wife and daughter. Others say, again, that
on that day the murdered boy with Bosch -
hog in the slaughter-liottee. All manner of
suspicions were soon rife, and the mob
ended by demolishieg Buschhoffe property,
and writing Ids house " Murderer's house,"
end damaging the shops ot other Jews in
the town. The Jewish community having
at length begged the Minister of the Interior
to send, at their expense, a detective to
Xanten to discover the murderer, one was
sent and he arrested Busohhoff and his wife
TB.E TORONTO DROWNIV 0 CASE.
—a --
The Pittehm Story or tho Slrlignie On the
0 ell Limed Beet 1 old by Um Survivor:.
The inelentholy catastrophe ab Pot b
Union, near Torouto last weelc, in which eho
unfortunate yotmg men hrougball and kia
Maar lost their lives, cast a. gloom over To.
routo society, which is deepetted now the
true etory of that dreadful struggle for life
ie timo hunin waters of the hike is more
widely known, The only aerie mita of the
disaster hitherto published Ivere necessarily
hwerePleho, no the servivors, Messrs.
Ricketts oou,b 0. 5 Kirkpatriek, were in a
too exhausted condition to give more than a
few rambling eittetioulate of their own ex.
perienoee ou that fatal afternoon and of the
eruel iitte of their companimis. Mr. Rick.
ette, atthough severely bruised and battered
and suffering much from his long exposure
to the iomoold water, is now making good
progress to recovery, and yesterday slept a
good deal, So far, however, his medical ed.
visas will uot permit him to receive callers.
Mr. Kirkpatrick is elso progressing favor.
ably, euffering chiefly from the long expos.
ere, but escaping with less bruises than his
•
The story of the cataatropite, as related
by young 'Kirkpatrick effeetually disposes
of the theory euggested by some that the
oentre•board of the boat; struck on a rock
and capsized it. He says theta heavy squall
amok Wenn so suddenly as to preclude any
avoidaneo of it and that the boat capsizing
with all sail set made it impossible to right
her without eutting away the shrouds and
relieving her of her canvas and spars. Had
there only been a knite among the party
this could easily have been done, but the
knots on soaking ropes were too hard for
their numbed fingers to loosen and despite
their frantic eflbrts to right her by swaying
unitedly on one side, she resisted every ef-
fort, and as
VIE CRUEL 001.0
of the enter numbed mid stiffened fingers
and limbs, they had to relinquish every
ellen% in that direction and husband their
strength to hold on to the rolling, umturned
bora, over: which the waves swept every
moment, in the faint hope of surviving long
enough to be rescued by some unexpected
boat in these unfrequented waters.
As near ae tile survivors can judge, the
squall struck the boat soon after 12 o'clock
after they had been some three and a half
hours out from Port Union. They had made
but little progress, there being a strong
head wind, and pursued their way by short,
almost unprofitable, tacks. When the
equal'. 'struck the boat she at once capsized,
throwing all four occupants into the water.
The heavy sails drew the forepart of the
boat beneath the water, and all the lads had
to elin,g to was a short portion of the keel
near the stern still above teeter. So small
wits the space that all four lay close to-
gether encouraging one another to keep
their hold. A more eiitable, heartbreaking
position it is bard to conceive. Some four
miles from shore, the angry soa breaking
over than every moment, the almosb sunk-
en boat rolling violently in the trough of
the sea and threetening every moment to
loosen their despairing hold, the poor fellows
clung together, every moment the chill of
tbe lee cold water creeping further over
their seemed bodies, every MOment hope
fading and death iso near at hand. An hour
pissed and stx11 the grhn fight waged, bub
the bitter cold had now rendered the stiff-
ened hands almost powerless and oonscioes.
nese teas almost gone in two of thine. An-
other half hour passed, with hardly a word
between thein. Poor MeNider and Brough -
all seemed now quite unconscious, but still
(Anna on mechanically.
Saddenly, without a word or sigh, Me -
Hitler's hands relaxed their grasp and he
sank without a struggle. Broughall sank
almost simultaneously. Kirkpatriek and
Ricketts, almost dead themselves and
powerless to help, olutched desperately me
their. clying !deeds as they roes almost be-
tween them, but their deadened hands wcre
powerless, and without word or sound
TUE DUANE 0,8)0 50000 FOREVER.
Death now seemed very near—death in
ite cruelest form. Alone out on the
stormy waters, no sight, no Round to Omer
them ; above nothing but cheerless leaden
clouds ; amend them dark waters, each
moment threatening to engulf them, and
their friends now gone forever.
Time wore on, hour efter hour, almost
unconsciously. Then Rieketts cried,
"Good-bye, Kirk, I can't hold on any long-
er ; 1 teat go."
"Oh, don't leave one, old man ; for God's
sake don't leave nie here alone," was the
appealing answer.
" One more try," said Ricketts, and he
made one las °fleet and clambered higher
on the boat. Whether that last effort, or
the roll of it wave, directed in their last ex-
tremity by Hini who holda the seas in the
hollow of His hands, who an say? bub the
beat slowly righted, and Kirkpatrick and
Ricketts hauled themselves, their strength
nigh spent, into the boot. Although now
secured from danger of being washed off,
the survivors ware gill in desperate plight,
The boat Was only partially righted, the
heavy mast and sails keeping one side conk-
pletely submerged and the other gunwale
deep. After lying completely exhausted for
some time Kirkpatrick managed to geb out
oar and commenced the long and dsspor.e journey to the shore. He aays himself
that the whole four miles was accomplished
witli one oar, first rowing a little on one
aide and then on the other. What a fear-
ful task this was can hardly be realized, the
dead weight of the su»ken wile making
progress almost impercepeible and the labor
incredible. Ricketts sat aimed to the neck
in Water, Kirkpatrick to the -waist. The
last thing either remembers Metal draining
at the oar, quite olose to land. How they
landed neither Mu tell, leirkpabrick only
remembers aevitkoning on the shore, Rick-
etts plucking at his arrn. How long they
had lain there they armee tell. No house
was in sight ; neither know where he was,
and night was settling down, Above them
rose what seemed
AN IMPASSABLE CUPP,
their reeling senses, but which was really
steep embankment of the railway. They
and &tighter, who, however, when tried 1"
were acquitted. Subsequently, fresh'
suspicion arose, and in the beginning of
February the three were ;wain arrested,
thoughBusehhoff alone remained in custody.
Ile la now aharged with the wilful murder
of the boy Johann Ifegmenn. It is not
only in the east that rieual murders are
believed in. Even civilized Germany Con-
tains people who lend themselves to such
superstitious nonsense,
Nothing p'eaaes a man so well se to be
reeked if his oldeat &bugbear isn't his wife.
Ethel—" What. would you advise me to
do with my voice ?" Maud—" I shouldn't
waste much time ou it just now. When
the music man coma around you might
hem it tuned,"
Ib is a pity that flue simple matter of
turning from wrong to right should get to
mixed up with cloarmal di/Houle/ea. Your the
theology and este° may or may not be true;
and, because such questions are diffionit, we
cat afford to go slow and wait for lighL But
the moral question refuses to wait, It de.
mends iinMediate tend decisive answer.
'Beery turn of life is a aids in whioh the
Spirit wifely says : " Thia is the way; walk
ye in it." And at every turn we obey or
disobey. But, when mice we enter on the
good path, wet find ottreelves beckoned
toward endless progress. At first, it may
he, duty be uncomfmtable, 11 does notenit
tsalf to our old attitudes end movements*
and ib pinches. It seems like something
put, on, something ita eatural--lie if We
lad been called to tubittie to am eutitority
aside the minci, God is up there; XIs
=mantis ; wo muse obey or do Warta'. Put
I white clay come When we discover that
lie low and the kingdom are really svi thin ;
bat, tlie valeta Which seemed 10 None from
far really speaks be ream and oohrielacre Tee Britiah Bollertnekere and /roe Ship
hat it is our own deoput nature oweltening bell are' Union has about thirty-seven
ud (draining its blessed rights, the laud members
0
a
a,
m
oceneheed the ascent, and after greet ex.
ertion succeeded in gaming the tep, only to
lose ooneciousness once more. How long
they renmined In this poaition neither now
can tell. When oonamousness returned the
lads found themselves lying almost on the
rails, hardly discernible ie the darkness.
Seaggering to their feet, they painfully
made their way along the embankment,
hoping taloa long to come aores.s some liouse
or shelter. In this way, now halting, now
aumbling, nernat unconscious they made
their way some two miles clown the task,
mid then finally reached the old fisherman's
cottage, where they were lying when teal.
limo of the dieater readied Torento.
Such is the dory of the tWo sureivore. What
they and their two companions endured that
afternoon Call neVet iIO knOWIT.
1