And now for the chance to clear his name. At present communication with Kingston was almost impossible, and if he could win a name for bravery with Vincent, or with this column that was marching to his relief, it might influence the judges who had misjudged him so. There was plenty of excitement in their marching the next few days. The Americans had discovered the column by now, and knew that they were going to join Vincent, so the ships constantly landed parties who lay in ambush. The regiment never saw its enemies, there would be a quick spatter of shot from the green cover, a man or two would fall, but the angry bayonet charge that was the prompt answer of the British found nothing but leaves to use their steel upon; the woodsmen from Kentucky were too quick to be caught by these heavy footed new-comers to the world of lake and bush. So they came to the bay where to-day our city of Hamilton stands. Near by, in June, 1813, was the village of Stoney Creek, a straggling street, outlined by orchards. Beyond rose Burlington Heights, with the raw earthworks and log ramparts of Vincent's entrenchments, and the battle-frayed flag of England floating above them. Stoney Creek had a little Methodist church, the first Ferguson or Ned had seen in the new world. The needs of war had pressed it for a hospital, and from its doors a joyful crowd of bandaged men, Archy among them, greeted the relief force. "We're glad to see you all right," said Archy. "Though we wasn't in no hurry to get relieved. We beat the Yankees sure on June sixth, and fought some too. Them trees show that, I guess." The trees did, to the men who were now among the orchards--great branches broken and trunks scarred everywhere by bullets. On June sixth the enemy had located Vincent, and knowing he was without artillery and almost out of powder, they landed three thousand men, who camped that night in the orchards of Stoney Creek. In the morning they meant to attack, and with the help of their ship's guns, capture Vincent's army before the relief column with abundance of ammunition arrived. "Blamed foolish of them Yankees," said Archy. "They oughter have piled everything they've got on Kingston, and picked us up any old time. Chasing after us like they are, makes me think of a man trying to cut a tree down by taking an axe to its branches. Kingston's the trunk. If it fell it would mean Upper Canada was cut off totally." "We had fourteen hundred men," put in another man, "and Colonel Harvey who did some fighting in Egypt with Bonaparte--and learned to know how to do a few things too--wanted a night attack, as we had no powder. He led it, and it was hot and heavy while it lasted, but cold steel made the enemy glad to get back to their ships. They started banging away, but Harvey and his men were back on the Heights, and the enemy went back to get reinforcements."