The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — Volume 1Richardson, Major (John)
History
The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — Volume 1
Richardson, Major (John)
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction; War stories
Vying, each with the other, who should first gain the
land, the exertions of the several rowers increased, as
the distance to be traversed diminished, so that many
arrived simultaneously at the beach. Forming in close
column of sections as they landed, the regular troops
occupied the road, their right flank resting on the river,
while a strong body of Indians under Round-head, Split-log,
and Walk-in-the-Water, scouring the open country beyond,
completely guarded their left from surprise. Among the
first to reach the shore, was the gallant General, the
planner of the enterprise, who, with his personal staff,
crossed the river in the barge of the Commodore, steered
by that officer himself. During the short period that
the columns were delayed for the landing of the artillery,
necessarily slower in their movements, a short conference
among the leaders, to whom were added Tecumseh and Colonel
D'Egville, as to their final operations, took place.
Never did the noble Indian appear to greater advantage
than on this occasion. A neat hunting dress, of smoked
deer skin, handsomely ornamented, covered his fine and
athletic person, while the swarthiness of his cheek and
dazzling lustre of his eye, were admirably set off, not
only by the snow white linen which hung loose and open
about his throat, but by a full turban, in which waved
a splendid white Ostrich feather, the much prized gift,
as we have already observed, of Mrs. D'Egville. Firmly
seated, on his long tailed gray charger, which he managed
with a dexterity uncommon to his race, his warrior and
commanding air, might have called up the image of a
Tamerlane, or a Genghis Khan, were it not known, that to
the more savage qualities of these, he united others that
would lend lustre to the most civilized Potentates. There
was, however, that ardor of expression in his eye which
rumor had ascribed to him, whenever an appeal to arms
against the deadly foe of his country was about to be
made, that could not fail to endear him to the soldier
hearts of time who stood around, and to inspire them with
a veneration and esteem, not even surpassed by what they
entertained for their own immediate leader, who in his
turn, animated by the inspiriting scene, and confident
in his own powers, presented an appearance so anticipatory
of coining success, that the least sanguine could not
fail to be encouraged by it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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