James Otis

“ Their object is, no doubt, either to blockade or attack us, or to carry provisions or reënforcements to Malden. Should it be to attack us, we are ready to meet them. I am constantly looking to the seaward; every mail and every traveller from that quarter is looked to as the harbinger of the glad tidings of our men being on the way. Give me men, sir, and I will acquire both for you and myself honor and glory on this lake, or perish in the attempt. Conceive my feelings: the enemy within striking distance, my vessels ready, and not men enough to man them. ”

“ If Alec and I had expected to be made much of on our arrival we were disappointed.
Those who acted as sentinels guarding the channel of the harbor gave but little heed to us, once having made certain we had a right to enter, and on landing it was as if all the people were panic-stricken.
Everywhere could we see the inhabitants moving their household goods toward the interior. Surely the town was being evacuated! Women, children, and even men, ran here and there frantically, and one would have said a sudden fear of death had come upon all. ”

“ Old Silas cast off the painter, giving the light skiff a vigorous push which sent her far away from the brig’s side, and when we were swallowed up by the gloom Alec and I plied the oars.
“Where shall we land?” my comrade asked, when we were midway between the brig and the shore.
“It makes little difference,” Master Boyd replied sulkily, as if angry with himself because of having taken part in such business. “So that we gain the mainland, one place is as good as another.” ”

“ Even to Alec and I, who were ignorant regarding what is called the “art” of warfare, it seemed as if the schooners were not discharging their guns as rapidly as possible, while the Britishers ashore were pouring a hot fire into our men.
Without being really conscious of the fact, we set up a shout of exultation when we saw Captain Perry push off in a boat alone, regardless of the bullets which were falling into the water in every direction, and row toward the nearest schooner. ”

“ I had been eager to accompany the commander, and yet when I took my station in the boat, and had a better view of that stretch of water whereon it seemed that every square inch was covered by bullet or ball, the chance of escaping with life seemed less than when we stood on the deck of the Lawrence exposed to the fire of the Britishers’ heaviest guns. ”

“ Alec cried in glee, clapping his blood-stained hands childishly. “Commodore Barclay’s ship has given up the fight, and now we shall see if he has pluck enough to transfer his flag in the heat of battle, as did my brother!”
At that instant, and when the crew of every gun was working with feverish haste to reload that they might take advantage of this first sign of submission, there came from the quarterdeck the command, loud, triumphant, and cheery:—
“Hold your fire, lads! The enemy is whipped!” ”

“ Go now; keep your ears open for any information which may be of importance to our purpose. After what you have suffered, the king’s soldiers can be no friends of yours. Then, when your mother believes it is safe to venture out, come with what will be cheerful tidings.”
Leon clasped each of us by the hand, and then, as if fearing to trust himself to further speech, walked rapidly away, and we were alone in hiding; with no friends on all the North Foreland save the French lad and his mother. ”

“ The men cheered loudly when the roll of the drums ceased, and from the other gunboats we could hear the same token of satisfaction that we were at last bearing down upon the Britishers who had threatened us so long.
“There is no need to ask that every man will do his duty,” my father said, as he advanced so far forward that all might see him. “We shall meet the enemy in whatever force he may come, and I do not fear any on board the Tigress will show the white feather!” ”

“ No other word was spoken until the skiff’s bow grated upon the sand, and our prisoner arose to his feet. Then he said in a low tone, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion:—
“I shall never forget what has been done this night. The word of one like me is not counted for much by those who hold true to their country, yet I ask you to believe it. I have come to realize fully the enormity of my crime, although until taken prisoner I believed myself justified in the course pursued. From this moment it shall be my earnest endeavor to repair the wrongs committed against my countrymen.” ”

“ Alec cried, speaking so loudly that I covered his mouth with my hand, lest in his joyous excitement he work us the greatest mischief which could come upon two lads in our situation.
It can well be imagined that not a second was lost in fastening on our skates, and when we stood erect, shod with those thin plates of steel which would enable us to glide over the surface of the ice with the speed of a race-horse, it was with difficulty that I could repress a shout of triumph. ”

“ It seems fitting that Commodore Perry’s deeds should be related from the standpoint of that younger brother who shared his troubles as he did his triumphs, whether the same be set forth as reading for adults, or young people; because it must be admitted that he who won such a glorious victory on Lake Erie was hardly more [Pg 6] than a boy. Very young people look upon one who has seen twenty-seven years of this world’s battle as an elderly person; but those who have passed the noon of life are prone to speak of such as “lads,” and therefore is this essentially a story of young people. ”

“ We were yet a full mile and a half away, and it was close to noon when a bugle sounded on the deck of the Detroit, the bands on the several Britishers struck up the tune of “Rule Britannia,” and a ball from the enemy’s flag-ship came directly toward the Lawrence, but fell far short of its mark.
The first shot of the battle had been fired, and, seeing the iron missile cleaving the air in a direct line for us, I involuntarily shrank behind Alec, whereupon old Silas shouted:—
“None of that, lad! None of that! A shipmate’s body is no protection, and you should be willin’ to take your full dose!” ”

“ Save for Alec Perry’s foolhardiness in continuing on toward the Canadian shore, we would never have known of that gathering of soldiery at the North Foreland, and the people of Presque Isle, lulled into a sense of security, might have fallen easy victims to the first assault of the redcoats.
“It has been a good day’s work, Alec, boy!” I said, when we were a mile or more from the shore, and escape was absolutely certain unless we lost our lives in the whirl of snow, for no man in that camp could overtake me on skates. ”

“ Here and there men fell, pierced by a musket-shot, or literally cut asunder by the heavy cannon-balls; but it was not as we had known it on the deck of the Lawrence, when nearly four-fifths of our people were disabled.
The din was fearful. One ceased to think of the loss of life, because in that terrific uproar it seemed only natural men must die. ”

“ The breeze which had been predicted sprang up, but not with such strength as filled our sails; and after waiting anxiously fifteen minutes or more in the hope that it might be increased, Lieutenant Forrest gave the command which all hands were expecting:—
“Boats’ crews to their stations! Clear away, and let fall! Work lively, lads, and we’ll see what effect a white-ash breeze will have on the brigs! Move with a will, for the flag-ship must be the first to tackle yonder enemy!” ”

“ Such weapons as we had were distributed among those on the small boats as well as the vessels, and from that time until we were come safely within the sheltering arms of Presque Isle bay each man remained on the alert, even the most cowardly excited to bravery by the bold spirit which our young captain displayed. ”

“ Old Silas was the only man among the crew, with the exception of the officers, who had ever smelled burning powder in a fight on shipboard, and this night his opinion was eagerly sought for and implicitly relied upon.
“From what our commodore did at the taking of Fort George, I hold to it we shan’t work at long range many minutes, if it so be the wind serves us properly,” he said to the group of men around him, among which were Alec and I, and my comrade interrupted by saying proudly:—
“You may be certain of that! Oliver isn’t one who will hang off when an enemy is within striking distance!” ”

“ It seemed as if the lad lost sight of himself in the great love he bore this brother who was our commander, and, realizing that a trifling accident might change the fortunes of war, I said, with the idea of lessening his disappointment in case it chanced that the British won the victory:—
“We are the weaker in both guns and men, Alec, and old Silas argues idly when he claims that our people can fight better than the enemy.”
“Commodore Barclay is not as good an officer as Oliver.” ”

“ I cried in alarm, thinking of the lad’s mother, whose only support he was. “You can contrive to gain home secretly, knowing the country as you do, and in the morning no one will be able to say you were with us. Go, Leon! You must not sacrifice yourself!”
“That is what I should be doing if I deserted a friend. We will remain here, and it may be the soldiers will fail to find us.” ”

“ There were men of eighty years, and lads younger than Alec, among the party who called themselves the “garrison,” and all of them were known to me; therefore it was much like being among kinsfolk to be quartered with them.
During the first two days Alec and I had plenty of company when we glided over the smooth ice, up the lake in the direction of Niagara River, on what we were pleased to call scouting expeditions; and but for the fact that young Perry insisted upon considering himself in the backwoods, we should have gotten on famously with the young members of the garrison. ”

“ When, on the morning of the fourth day, work was begun upon the Lawrence and Niagara, every man and boy among us was in a state of the greatest possible excitement. We understood full well how deplorable would be our plight if the enemy should appear just after the guns had been taken from the brigs, for then the two vessels on which we placed the greatest reliance could have had no part in the battle that must have ensued. ”

“ The soldiers argued one with another, in the meanwhile moving nearer the point from which Leon was calling, and each second of time seemed to lessen our peril.
“Now has come the moment when we must make a move of some kind!” Alec said, clutching me by the arm fiercely to be certain I gave due weight to his words. “Leon can delay them only a few moments, and once they return to the search we are lost! It is better to make a venturesome move than be caught here like rats in a trap.” ”

“ These gallant young officers had exchanged signals to board the Detroit when they saw the Niagara with the commodore’s pennant bearing down to break the British line. Turner followed closely with the Caledonia; but the freshening breeze having brought up the Somers under Mr. Almy, the Tigress, under Lieutenant Concklin, and the Porcupine, under Acting-Master Senat, the whole American squadron, excepting the Lawrence, was for the first time engaged in the conflict. The fight was terrible for a few minutes, and the combatants were completely enveloped in smoke. ”

“ I asked, in dismay, when the Tigress’s head was turned toward the shore. “We have only to give them a few more shots in order to sink the whole fleet!”
“The smell of burnin’ powder is gettin’ into your head, lad,” old Silas said, in a tone of reproof. “Don’t run away with the idee that the Britishers won’t, or can’t, fight. We shall have proof of that later, and he would be a fool who should try to gain any more of an advantage than we’ve already got by sheer luck.” ”

“ He who should have welcomed death as a means of hiding him from view of those who had trusted him, begged piteously for life, knowing full well the people of Presque Isle would take the law in their own hands once his perfidy was known. ”

“ I understood only a portion of this at the time; but [Pg 90] that little was enough to prevent me from saying anything more, and obeying Alec’s gestures I turned about to go over the rail into the small boat.
My father stopped me with a touch on the shoulder, and as I turned, he said, looking affectionately into my eyes:—
“Be careful, Richard. Go so far as an American should, regarding not your own life when there is need that it should be sacrificed; but having a heed to your steps when nothing can be accomplished by venturing.” ”

“ It was Captain Elliott himself who met Commodore Perry at the Niagara’s gangway, and he stared as if facing a ghost, when our commander saluted him ceremoniously, for he believed him dead.
“How is the day going, sir?” Elliott asked, as soon as he could control his voice sufficiently to speak.
“Badly, Mr. Elliott, badly. I have lost nearly all my men; the Lawrence is a wreck, and I am transferring [Pg 292] my flag and the banner to this ship. What are the gunboats doing so far astern? Why do they not bear their full share of the burden?” ”

“ I said, bolder grown since we were free from the pen. “To leave this path would be to flounder about in the snow or the bushes, where we must necessarily make so much noise that any sentinel, however dull, could not fail to hear us. There is no other course than to push ahead and trust to chances, Alec, lad. Besides, the danger in advance is less than that behind, and if we come upon a soldier near-by the edge of the ice, surely the two of us ought to be more than a match for him, half stupefied by the cold as any man must be who has remained long outside on this night.” ”

“ Taken prisoners now, it was reasonable to suppose some one might recognize us as the lads who had been captured three months before, and there could no longer be any question but that we were spies.
It would be almost certain death to yield, and the position of affairs could not be rendered worse by resistance.
“We must never be taken!” I said half to myself, and for an instant it was as if I had in my arms the strength of a dozen men. ”