The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-04
From the Wyoming Timss.-Psb. 20, 1855.

From the wyoming Itmoo.-Fob. 30 1906.
In the latter part Of August 1914, while lv-
ing q r:'% T N the A state the nihtis SON
gethee TO stand . draft for the purpose Of
forming large detachment Of militia that IVES
needed 70 relieve General Brown, who with Q
large amount OF properly, was kept in Fort
Enc by General Drummond. We were ordered
purpose OF organizing into companies and
regiments. We were there three days before
We drew rations and / had been obliged to
spend W OF my money. We were then furn-
! ished with rAtions and camp equipage, and
marched to Buffalo, Here the condition OF |
Gen. Brown ct Fort Erie was made known to
US, and volunteers were called for. BY means
or free whiskey barrels, and the parade Of q
regiment or Silver Greys-old Revolutionary
sodiers-a sufficient number for the expedition
was raised. Fort Erie lay opposite Buffalo
about mile and half. was one Of the four
sergeants belonging to my company, and was
drafsed into the regiment OF Col. Hopkins
we were ordered to embark at O'Clock in the
evening TO avoid the notice OF the enemy, and
were all prompt at the time. But setting out
| IN our boats IN . line close together, the swells
which ran very high, drove US one upon anoth-
or, producing horrible collision OF the boats
ana broken oars and lost equipments, and
hard swearing were sufficiently abundant.
When our boat was extricated from the col
lision, II stood up the lake, but soon put out
for the Fort. Major Burr, who WAS on board
with US, fearing to be landed too low down, or
dered the boat farther up. The man at the
helm paid no attention to the order until 1t
was savagely repeated, and. probably angry at
the interference, he put the boat up the lake,
and drove her on the shore above the lines,
where she struck upon q rock, and stove hole
through the bottom. We were ordered to put
on our knapsacks and leave the boat, which We
did. The water WAS up to our waists, and the
surf shaping US to our shoulders. We carried
our muskets with the breech upward twelve or
fifteen rods to shore
AS soon as we had reached the shore, we
we're hailed and ordered to Stand until the
officer could advance TO give the countersign.
Major Burr had none. The gaurd had no right
to let any one pass without 1t. The sergeant
OF the guard soon came but would not acknow-
ledge US ~ Americans. lie declared we were
British, and were trying to go round the guard.
Major Burr took musket from one OF the
soldiers and shot the sergeant dead. The rest
OF the guard dared not make any further re-
slstance, and We passed on to the Fort, where
we had to lie down on the wet ground, in the
rain, under the poor shelter OF the low walls
without board over or under US. Our clothes
had been soaked IN the lake, and the ground
was soaked with the rain. All our camp equi-
page was left behind, and il was a terrible
night Of storm and wind. No boat could cross
the lake in two days. We had no provisions,
but about noon we received little pork, one
sea biscuit, (about as eatable as granite boul-
der, and one gill Of whskey, which were our
rations for day, Our sea biscuit we softened
by putting it into cold water, where, like stone
lime, it would boil and fzzle, and then shaking
out the worms we could humble the rest.
We we're In this condition three days. The
ground inside the Fort was poached clay, and
many Of us, therefore, took up our lodging
on the gravel OF the lake shore. There was
no wood nor fire, and we had not been dry
since we landed. As during the storm the
bombshells were seldom thrown, l felt safe to
wrap up in my blanket and lie on the stones
until walked by the morning gun.
We managed at length to build hre, and
borrowed a camp kettle and boiled some meat
On the fourth day the storm ceased, 80 that
our camp equipage and some fresh beef came
over. We now put up our tents and began to
keep house and felt ourselves well OFT, though
the wet earth was our only bed, and the cart
ridge box our best pillow.
Nothing special occurred until the 18th
which was the day of the battle. The arm }
Of the enemy was divided, one part being o O
! cupied IN making trenches and building bate r
les on the north side Of the Fort, and the
larger part remaining with Gen Drummon Q
about . mile further north. The entrench-
ment and batteries OF the enemy were only 81
or 80 rods from the Fort. The design OF our
comm ander was to destroy the batteries and
get back to the Fort, without coming IN con-
tact with the main army Of the enemy. To dc
this we were marched up the lake short dis
lance, and then turned to come in north, or IN
rear OF the batteries. But our commanding
officer, Gen, Davis, was killed by the picket
guard, which made great confusion and delay.
The front bataions fell back IN disorder upon
our regiment, and were only arrested by the
point of our bayonets. Returning to the
charge, the batteries were carried aud destroyed
IN very short time.
But in the meanwhile, reinforcements from
Gen. Drummond had arrived and III executing
some movement, about twenty or our regiment
under lieutenant, we're brought face 10 face
with them. Our officer surrendered and most
Of the men. | tn rned to the corporal and tolC
him | should not, and We, and one other mar
turned to escape, when We were tired upon by
a whole platoon My two companions fell
and never saw them more. l escaped unhurt
Gen. Ripley fell, MORALLY wounded in the as
SAUL. Ny captain beng that day officer Of
the Fort, did not go out, and he was the only
commanding officer to command his company
the next day. Not one commanding office
ever returned to the Fort, and not half OF the
soldiers. l assisted to bury many of them
but there was not scalp on one or them =
The scapng knife had done its work.
We remained in Canada till the latter part Of
October, when the property was removed from
the Fort to Buffalo, and the Fort vacated
The next day we crossed at Black Rock, ant
were ordered to Batavia TO receive our pay ant
be discharged. But the Army Contractor, anC
the good citizens Of Buffalo. to testify thei
sense of our bravery and good service, de
r tanned us to a feast which TN a. nrapared TIL