Satanstoe; Or, the Littlepage Manuscripts. A Tale of the ColonyCooper, James Fenimore
General
Satanstoe; Or, the Littlepage Manuscripts. A Tale of the Colony
Cooper, James Fenimore
Antirent War, N.Y., 1839-1846 -- Fiction
It was necessary to await the arrival of the stores, ammunition and
artillery. As the bringing up these materials, through a country that was
little else than a virgin forest, was no easy task, it occupied us quite
two days. Melancholy days they were, too; the death of Lord Howe acting
on the whole army much as if it had been a defeat. He was the idol of the
King's troops, and he had rendered himself as popular with us Americans, as
with his own countrymen. A sort of ominous sadness prevailed among us each
common man appearing to feel his loss as he might have felt that of a
brother.
We looked up the ----th, and joined Bulstrode, as soon as we reached the
ground chosen for the new encampment. Our reception was friendly, and even
kind; and it became warmer still, as soon as it was understood that we
composed the little party that had skirmished so freely on the flank of the
right centre column, and which was known to have gone farther in advance
than any one else, in that part of the field. Thus we joined our corps with
some _éclat_, at the very outset, everybody welcoming us cordially, and
with seeming sincerity.
Nevertheless, the general sadness existed in the ----th, as well as in all
the other corps. Lord Howe was as much beloved in that regiment, as in
any other; and our meeting and subsequent intercourse could not be called
joyful. Bulstrode had an extensive and important command, for his rank and
years, and he certainly was proud of his position; but I could see that
even his elastic and usually gay temperament was much affected by what had
occurred. That night we walked together, apart from our companions, when he
spoke on the subject of our loss.
“It may appear strange to you, Corny,” he said, “to find so much depression
in camp, after a debarkation that has certainly been successful, and a
little affair that has given us, as they assure me, a couple of hundred
prisoners. I tell you, however, my friend, it were better for this army to
have seen its best corps annihilated, than to have lost the man it has.
Howe was literally the soul of this entire force. He was a soldier by
nature, and made all around him soldiers. As for the Commander-In-Chief, he
does not understand you Americans, and will not use you as he ought; then
he does not understand the nature of the warfare of this continent, and
will be very likely to make a blunder. I'll tell you how it is, Corny; Howe
had as much influence with Abercrombie, as he had with every one else; and
an attempt will be made to introduce his mode of fighting; but such a man
as Lord Howe requires another Lord Howe to carry out his own conceptions.
That is the point on which, I fear, we shall fail.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account