Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-07-08

tied IN various garments Of shapes and makes
almost antedcluNian. No TWO mcu Were dres-
sed alike. No two men were armed with the
Ike weapons. Certainly they had all firearms;
bnt they were not fashioned in the same style.
Inc discipline of these troops was as curious
az uielr costume and equipments. But 1T they
displayed am awkward front to the warlikc
eye, they also exhibited Sagacity and courage
Two qualities quite as much needed as a
pretty uniform and good tactics. The enemy
watched the on-shore proceedings with con
siderable interest. They behold, as they sup
posed, numerous bodies of militia marching
10 headquarters, and preparing To give them IA
warm reception. To deceive the English the
lorty men marched and conference.-the i'm
~cessantly through the woods, from point To
poiht, ii such manner. az TO convince the sol
diers inthe vessels tina the whole country was
aroused and preparing for action. The Eng
lish Thought 1t Was high time to b. cautious,
amt therefore sent am officer witha flag of truce
To the shore. One al the militia captains. with
ten oi the best looking and most soldier-likc
men, were sent to- meet tile officer. The men
carried their arms as upright as might be con-
slstent with their placn of being ready for &C.
ton. by keeping hold of the triggers.
The British officer was astonishcd. lie
looked all kinds of things, utterabIe and un-
utterable, and with a swelling crest said
or do you receive a lagoi truce, under
arms and with cooked .~triggersi
Excuse me | beg, said the American cap
tam, "wc are not soldiers. only backwoods-
men and know more about telling timber and
BORROWING the plough than OF military t~actics;'
saying "tlch tic American To rcctify his first
error, ordered his men To ground ar6lSi
This, OF course still more astonished The
Dlltnn. lilo lnnLRl t,l..... H.
cious-then a little terriiicd-and at last de-.
hvered a brief message in haste, and incon-
tinently sought the fleet again. lie declared
mat the ignorance ot tactics was feincd tn
draw the commodore into some snare, and i'm.
formed those who sent him that some "Yap-
kee trick was under process of develope-
ment.
Tie British wanted the spoils. but were too
suspicious to attempt Il landing, if by makinq
a compromise, they would secure a part oi
them. Accordingly another officer. with a
notler faS oil truce, was sent to parley. Can't
Francis Brown was this time deputcd to re-
him.
The British officer looked very suspiciously
upon Brown and upon the guard. He CON.
versed with tho utmost caution, and walked
as though I've expected either to find a tran
door, or a springing mine, beneath his feet
Fhter spending a short time in conversation
the officer suddenly discovered that the width
and clumsy aspect of Captain Browns gar.
ments betokened something not exactly RIGHT.
lie thought that Brown was a regular officer
OF the American army, and that his regiment
ais were masked, for stratagem, bv clumsy
ana hastily made o~ycr-clothcs. Impressed
W'h tms idea, the Briton suddenly grasped
Browns paDtalools by the knee. exciaimino
hall j~ocoscly, while he handled the cloth mosi
frmly. "What II pity such excellent cloth
should be spoiled by a ~bungling tailor.
Drown smelt out the object of the officers
movement, and quick-witted, he carclcssly re-
: piled.
on was this morning prevented from
dressing iashionably by my haste to meet and
salute distinguished v%isiters.
lhe oiicer then made a proposition that if
the provisions and stores which might be i'm
and abont Rochester, we've delivered up, Sir
around. vs."
Will you accept and comply With this of.
icrf inquired the bearer of the flag of truce.
blood kHec deep first" replied Francis
Brown, with startling emphasis.
While all this parlcy; lhe.last clause orwbich
was enough to alright The oldest and toughest
soldicr-an American officer with his staff.
returning from the Niagara frontier. was acct
ochtiN sccn passing rom one wooded pOint TO
another. This with other very curious cir.
cumstanccs, confirmed the Britons in the be-
lief that a large American army was collected
and that the Yankee officer slammed ipnorancc
Tor the purpose of cnticing them Oh shore to
be slaughtered and amihilatcd. They had no,
proofs exactly as strong as holy writ, but they
were iresolutc, undecided, and heightened
and were thus half conquered. No sooner
had the flag oil truce got back to the fleet,
than a shower OF bombs and balls was sent
from each vessel. The attack was immediate.
~ acknowledged with great spirit. How
why arusty old six FOUNDER had been mount
ed on log and secured up for the occasion.
ana as soon as 1t could be charged at was "lct
oil ON the thirteen English vessels. A few
hours were spent i'll this manner. and Sir Jas
zoe, assured that he could not BE- in safety in
that vicinity, and with one of his vessels had
y shattered by the aforesaid six ponnder. RIM
down TO Poultneyville, about twenty miles
eastward OF GeneSec river. There they learn
ed how thirty-cight or forty green militia men
had beaten off and prevented a large British
trick.
AS soon as the keen edge Of modification
was worn oil. Sir James and all his people
laughed heartily nt tho 4 y ,u. '