rolf in the woods-第65章

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Next　day；　July　30th；　the　wind　changed。　Hampton　did　nothing。　On

the　morning　of　July　3Ist　they　heard　the　booming　of　guns　in　the

north；　and　at　night　their　scouts　came　with　the　news　that　the　raid

was　on。　Plattsburg　was　taken　and　pillaged　by　a　force　less　than

one　third　of　those　held　at　Burlington。



There　were　bitter；　burning　words　on　the　lips　of　the　rank　and

file；　and　perfunctory　rebukes　on　the　lips　of　the　young　officers

when　they　chanced　to　overhear。　The　law　was　surely　working　out　as

set　forth　by　Si　Sylvanne：　〃The　fools　in　command；　the　leaders　in

the　ranks。〃



And　now　came　news　of　fresh　disasters　　the　battles　of　Beaverdam；

Stony　Creek；　and　Niagara　River。　It　was　the　same　story　in　nearly

every　case　　brave　fighting　men；　ill…drilled；　but　dead　shots；

led　into　traps　by　incompetent　commanders。



In　September　Lieutenant　Macomb　was　appointed　to　command　at

Plattsburg。　This　proved　as　happy　an　omen　as　it　was　a　wise　move。

Immediately　after；　in　all　this　gloom；　came　the　news　of　Perry's

famous　victory　on　Lake　Erie；　marking　a　new　era　for　the　American

cause；　followed　by　the　destruction　of　Moraviantown　and　the

British　army　which　held　it。



Stirred　at　last　to　action　General　Wilkinson　sent　despatches　to

Hampton　to　arrange　an　attack　on　Montreal。　There　was　no

possibility　of　failure；　he　said；　for　the　sole　defence　of　Montreal

was　600　marines。　His　army　consisted　of　8000　men。　Hampton's

consisted　of　4000。　By　a　union　of　these　at　the　mouth　of　Chateaugay

River；　they　would　form　an　invincible　array。



So　it　seemed。　Rolf　had　not　yet　seen　any　actual　fighting　and　began

to　long　for　the　front。　But　his　powers　as　a　courier　kept　him　ever

busy　bearing　despatches。　The　road　to　Sackett's　Harbour　and　thence

to　Ogdensburg　and　Covington；　and　back　to　Plattsburg　he　knew

thoroughly；　and　in　his　canoe　he　had　visited　every　port　on　Lakes

Champlain　and　George。



He　was　absent　at　Albany　in　the　latter　half　of　October　and　first

of　November；　but　the　ill　news　travelled　fast。　Hampton　requested

MacDonough　to　〃swoop　down　on　Isle　au　Noix〃　　an　insane　request；

compliance　with　which　would　have　meant　certain　destruction　to　the

American　fleet。　MacDonough's　general　instructions　were：

〃Cooperate　with　the　army；　but　at　any　price　retain　supremacy　of

the　lake；〃　and　he　declined　to　receive　Hampton's　order。



Threatening　court…martials　and　vengeance　on　his　return；　Hampton

now　set　out　by　land；　but　at　Chateaugay　he　was　met　by　a　much

smaller　force　of　Canadians　who　resisted　him　so　successfully　that

he　ordered　a　retreat　and　his　army　retired　to　Plattsburg。



Meanwhile　General　Wilkinson　had　done　even　worse。　His　army

numbered　8000。　Of　these　the　rear　guard　were　2500。　A　body　of　800

Canadians　harassed　their　line　of　march。　Turning　to　brush　away

this　annoyance；　the　Americans　were　wholly　defeated　at　Chrystler's

farm　and；　giving　up　the　attack　on　Montreal；　Wilkinson　crossed　the

St。　Lawrence　and　settled　for　the　winter　at　Chateaugay。



In　December；　America　scored　an　important　advance　by　relieving

Hampton　of　his　command。



As　the　spring　drew　near；　it　was　clearly　Wilkinson's　first　play　to

capture　La　Colle　Mill；　which　had　been　turned　into　a　fortress　of

considerable　strength　and　a　base　for　attack　on　the　American

border；　some　five　miles　away。



Of　all　the　scouts　Rolf　best　knew　that　region；　yet　he　was　the　one

left　out　of　consideration　and　despatched　with　papers　to

Plattsburg。　The　attack　was　bungled　from　first　to　last；　and　when

Wilkinson　was　finally　repulsed；　it　was　due　to　Macomb　that　the

retreat　was　not　a　rout。



But　good　came　out　of　this　evil；　for　Wilkinson　was　recalled　and

the　law　was　nearly　fulfilled　　the　incompetents　were　gone。

General　Macomb　was　in　command　of　the　land　force　and　MacDonough　of

the　Lake。







Chapter　78。　Rumours　and　Papers



MacDonough's　orders　were　to　hold　control　of　the　Lake。　How　he　did

it　will　be　seen。　The　British　fleet　at　Isle　au　Noix　was　slightly

stronger　than　his　own；　therefore　he　established　a　navy　yard　at

Vergennes；　in　Vermont；　seven　miles　up　the　Otter　River；　and　at　the

mouth　erected　earthworks　and　batteries。　He　sent　for　Brown　（of　the

firm　of　Adam　and　Noah　Brown）　a　famous　New　York　shipbuilder。　Brown

agreed　to　launch　a　ship　of　twenty…four　guns　in　sixty　days。　The

trees　were　standing　in　the　forest　on　March　2d　the　keel　was　laid

March　7th；　and　on　April　11th　the　Saratoga　was　launched　　forty

days　after　the　timbers　were　green　standing　trees　on　the　hills。



Other　vessels　were　begun　and　pushed　as　expeditiously。　And　now

MacDonough's　wisdom　in　choice　of　the　navy　yard　was　seen；　for　a

British　squadron　was　sent　to　destroy　his　infant　fleet；　or　at

least　sink　stone…boats　across　the　exit　so　as　to　bottle　it　up。



But　their　attempts　were　baffled　by　the　batteries　which　the

far…seeing　American　had　placed　at　the　river's　mouth。



The　American　victory　at　Chippewa　was　followed　by　the　defeat　at

Lundy's　Lane；　and　on　August　25th　the　city　of　Washington　was

captured　by　the　British　and　its　public　buildings　destroyed。　These

calamities；　instead　of　dampening　the　spirits　of　the　army；　roused

the　whole　nation　at　last　to　a　realization　of　the　fact　that　they

were　at　war。　Fresh　troops　and　plentiful　supplies　were　voted；　the

deadwood　commanders　were　retired；　and　the　real　men　revealed　by

the　two　campaigns　were　given　place　and　power。



At　the　same　time；　Great　Britain；　having　crushed　Napoleon；　was　in

a　position　to　greatly　reinforce　her　American　army；　and　troops

seasoned　in　Continental　campaigns　were　poured　into　Canada。



All　summer　Rolf　was　busied　bearing　despatches。　During　the　winter

he　and　Quonab　had　built　a　birch　canoe　on　special　lines　for　speed；

it　would　carry　two　men　but　no　baggage。



With　this　he　could　make　fully　six　miles　an　hour　for　a　short　time；

and　average　five　on　smooth　water。　In　this　he　had　crossed　and

recrossed　Champlain；　and　paddled　its　length；　till　he　knew　every

bay　and　headland。　The　overland　way　to　Sackett's　Harbour　he　had

traversed　several　times；　the　trail　from　Plattsburg　to　Covington

he　knew　in　all　weathers；　and　had　repeatedly　covered　its　sixty

miles　in　less　than　twenty…four　hours　on　foot。　　The　route　he

picked　and　followed　was　in　later　years　the　line　selected　for　the

military　highway　between　these　two　camps。



But　the　chief　scene　of　his　activities　was　the　Canadian　wilderness

at　the　north　end　of　Lake　Champlain。　Chazy；　Champlain；　Odelltown；

La　Colle　Mill；　Isle　au　Noix；　and　Richelieu　River　he　knew

intimately　and　had　also　acquired　a　good　deal　of　French　in

learning　their　country。



It　was　characteristic　of　General　Wilkinson　to　ignore　the　scout

who　knew　and　equally　characteristic　of　his　successors；　Izard　and

Macomb；　to　seek　and　rely　on　the　best　man。



The　news　that　he　brought　in　many　different　forms　was　that　the

British　were　again　concentrating　an　army　to　strike　at　Plattsburg

and　Albany。



Izard　on　the　land　at　Plattsburg　and　Champlain；　and　Macomb　at

Burlington　strained　all　their　resources　to　meet　the　invader　at

fair　terms。　Izard　had　4000　men　assembled；　when　an　extraordinary

and　devastating　order　from　Washington　compelled　him　to　abandon

the　battle　front　at　Champlain　and　lead　his　troops　to　Sackett's

Harbour　where　all　was　peace。　He　protested　like　a　statesman；　then

obeyed　like　a　soldier；　leaving　Macomb　in　command　of　the　land

forces　of　Lake　Champlain；　with；　all　told；　some　3400　men。　　On　the

day　that　Izard　left　Champlain；　the　British　troops；　under

Brisbane；　advanced　and　occupied　his　camp。



As　soon　as　Rolf　had　seen　them　arrive；　and　had　gauged　their

number；　he　sent　Quonab　back　to　report；　and　later　retired　by　night

ten　miles　up　the　road　to　Chazy。　He　was　well　known　to　many　of　the

settlers　and　was　welcome　where　ever　known；　not　only　because　he

was　a　patriot　fighting　his　country's　battles；　but　for　his　own

sake；　for　he　was　developing　into　a　handsome；　alert；　rather　silent

youth。　It　is　notorious　that　in　the　drawing…room；　given　equal

opportunity；　the　hunter　has　the　advantage　over　the　farmer。　He　has

less　self…cons