Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Exmouth, Edward Pellew, Viscount, 1757-1833
Sir Guy Carleton remained at Crown Point as long as the season would
permit. He employed Mr. Pellew on the narrow inlet, which extends from
Crown Point to Ticonderoga, along which his proposed operations were to
be conducted; and Mr. Pellew attended to his charge with unceasing
vigilance and activity. On one occasion, the American Commander-in
Chief, Arnold, most narrowly escaped becoming his prisoner. Having
ventured upon the Lake in a boat, he was observed, and chased so closely
by Mr. Pellew, that when he reached the shore and ran off, he left his
stock and buckle in the boat behind him. This was preserved as long as
he lived by Mr. Pellew's elder brother, to whom Arnold's son, not many
years ago, confirmed the particulars of his father's escape. The
General, seeing that his men were panic-struck when they found
themselves chased, encouraged them to exertion by the assurance that the
pursuers were not enemies, but only a boat endeavouring to outrow them.
Pulling off his stock, and seizing an oar, he promised them a bottle of
rum each, if they gained the shore first. Well had it been for Arnold;
happy for the gallant young officer, who was the victim of his conduct;
and perhaps, on so small a contingency may the fate of a campaign
depend, happy for the British army, to whose misfortunes in the
following year his skill and courage so materially contributed, had the
fortune of the chase been different.
Mr. Pellew had a scarcely less narrow escape. He was invited with a
party of officers to spend an afternoon with some young ladies in the
neighbourhood, and they were on the way to keep their engagement, when
Mr. Pellew stopped, and said to his companions, "We are doing a very
foolish thing: I shall turn back, and I advise you all to do the same."
They hesitated, but at length returned with him; and afterwards learnt
that their Delilahs had posted a party of soldiers to make them
prisoners.
At length Sir Guy Carleton, having satisfied himself that Ticonderoga
was too strong to be attacked with his present force at that advanced
season, re-embarked the troops, and returned to Canada. He there exerted
himself through the winter, in making preparations for the ensuing
campaign, and had almost completed them, when the command of the army
was taken from him, and given to officers who had been serving under his
orders. Though his success had surpassed the utmost hopes of his
country, and his great local knowledge and experience claimed the
confidence of the British Government, he was not even consulted on the
expedition they had planned, and of which the very details were so far
settled in the cabinet, that little was left to the unfortunate General
who was to conduct it. He felt like an officer on the occasion, and
resigned the government of Canada; but he acted like an Englishman, and
though he disapproved materially of some parts of the plan, he omitted
no exertion which might contribute to its success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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