The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-12-12
Judge James L. Gillis.
SOME INCIDENTS OF HIS LIFE.

lie, which are eSpeclally interesting.
Meeting him last Thursday, he gave
us All outline Of his experience, which
we jotted for the Journal.
At the breaking out of the war of
1912 Mr.. Gillis, then quite young
man, Joined a company of New York
cavalry, and was attached to Colonel
Harris regiment of regular dragons.
Soon after the battle of Lundy's Lane,
he was out with a foraging party, and
when three miles from Fort Erie, Wiis
captured by some of His Majesty's red
coats. This was on the 7th of August,
1914. He was paroled at a place called
BEAUFORT, below Quebec, between the
mouths of the rivers st. Charles and
Montmorency, his parole limiting him
to space extending three miles from
the river. November IA, 1914, (sixty-
four years ago last Thursday he was
with twenty-five other prisoners, taken
from his parole and put on board the
transport ship Stately" about to sail
of-war. Not relishing voyage across
the Atlantic, undersuch circumstances,
Lieutenant Gillis, with five others,
concluded to make an effort to regain
their liberty. And while their fellow
prisoners INDUCED in loud songs and
revelry, himself, Captain Hunt, Lieu
tenant Clark, Lieutenant Fontaine,
of Richmond, Va, ard a captain from
New York State, escaped from the
ship, climbing down The vessels side
on "raddle," or rope ladder, into the
long boat, taking with them for ra-
tions, one bottle of rum and one loaf
of bread
Lieutenant Gillis had first passed
out at cabin window, cut the rope
holding the long boat, returned into
the cabin holding on to the rope, draw
ing the boat close under the ships
stern, when, after the party got down
into the boat they drifted on to the
chain of frigate and were hailed by
its watchman. but the night being
dark they escaped. his detection, and
drifted away, landing two miles below
Point Levi, onsthe opposite side of the
st. Lawrence. Leaving the boat, they
climbed the precipitous banks, sat
down, ate their loaf, drank their rum
and started, for home, going towards
the river Sandeia, which empties into
the st. Lawrence above Quebec.
Striking the river at daylight, eleven
miles from Quebec, they took to the
woods, going up that river, as they
thought.
Travelling all that day in the woods
they kept the woods throughout the
following night-the second out-and
on the morning of the second day az
rived at Frenchman's cabin, he tell
ing them that they were not on the
Sandeia river, but branch of it. He
gave them breakfast of oatmeal cakes
and cooked onions, which, in their
condition, were very palatable. Their
host gave them three bitter oatmeal
cakes, and put them on short line to
the Sandeia river. After wandering
for three days through spruce and
brush, Oh the third dGy they reached
beech tree ridge and feasted or the
nuts of that tree, Lieutenant Fontaine
eating shell and all, which gave him
the collie. Soon afterwards striking q
road, they came to the cabin of another
French settler, and no one being at
home, they consulted as to whether
they should go in, help themselves to
food and leave money to pay for it, or
20 on. Concluding to leave the cabin
unmolested, they pursued their weary
march, and soon after met the owner
of the cabin, who, with his family,
were returning from st. Mary's. The
Frenchman informed them that bills
were up at st. Nfary's, offering SlVC
reward and the Kings bounty--a
guinea-for the capture of each one OF
the refugees.
They returned to the Frenchman'
cabin, who gave them food and agreed
to pilot them through st. Mary's as
far as st. Francis, stating that he had
brother at the former place, who
would assist.
After nightfall, with their friendly(?
guide, they set out for st. Mary's, ar
irving there at late hour, and rousinG
their guides brother, were taken IN
Bedding was put up at the windows
| to conceal their presence, and the!
were told that they could not cross thu
river until the lights were put out IL
| the buildings situated on the opposit
side of the stream. The brothers then
on preteXt of going for boat, went t.
the guardhouse and reported the pres
ence of the Americans ! the guard wa
ordered out, the house surrounded, ant
about thirty militia, armed with pitch
forks, clubs, shotguns, etc., marches
in, the captain carrying a long sword
shouting, at the top of his voice, t
the boys, Surrender" more fright
ened than We're the unarmed Amer
cans, who, tired and footsore, had bee
endeavoring to get some rest. Captal
Hunt, who was something of was
seeing the militia captain with h
long sword, raised himself up frol
the floor where he had been sleepin!
and asked the stalwart captain
"What in h are you going to do wit
.l,ot toad s.,,aaroi1 Tha hoxrs, i1;, =,