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
The attention of the group where this unpleasant scene
had occurred, and indeed of all parties, was now diverted
by the sudden appearance of the American boat, as, shooting
past the head of the Island, which had hitherto concealed
her from the view of the assembled crowds, her spars and
white sails became visible in the far distance. A slight
and favorable breeze, blowing off the shore which she
still closely hugged, had now apparently sprung up, and,
spreading all her canvass, she was evidently making every
effort to get beyond the reach of the battery, (whither
Lieutenant Raymond had returned) under whose range she
was unavoidably impelled by the very wind that favored
her advance. Owing to some temporary difficulty, the gun
boat, just ordered by the Commodore to follow in pursuit,
was longer than suited the emergency in getting under
way, and when she had succeeded in so doing, nearly half
an hour elapsed, before, owing to the utter absence of
wind (which was partial and wholly confined to the opposite
shore) as well as the rapidity of the current, she could
be brought by the aid of her long and cumbrous sweeps to
clear the head of the Island. The American, now discovered
to be full of troops, had by this time succeeded in
getting out of the range of a fire, which although well
directed had proved harmless, and, using every exertion
of oar and sail, bade fair, favored as she was by the
breeze which reached not the canvass of her enemy, to
effect her escape.
Concern sat on every brow, and was variously expressed--
loud yells marking the fierce disappointment of the
Indians, and undisguised murmurs that of the more
disciplined troops. Coupled with this feeling, among
the officers at least, naturally arose the recollection
of him to whose apparent neglect this escape of the enemy
was to be attributed, until at length the conduct of
Lieutenant Grantham was canvassed generally, and with a
freedom little inferior to that which, falling from the
lips of Captain Molineux, had so pained his sensitive
brother; with this difference, however, that, in this
instance they were the candidly expressed opinions of
men arraigning the conduct of one of their fellows
apparently guilty of a gross dereliction from duty, and
not, as in the former they had seemed to be, with any
ungenerous allusion to his fidelity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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