Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-19
CHAPTER VI.

We had been four months in OgdeDs-
burg, waiting vainly for some provo
cation to fight. Oar own drilling was
the only sign of war we could see on
either side of the river. At first many
moved out of the village, but the mill
was kept running, aRl after a little
while they began to come back. The
farms on each side of the river looked
as peaceful as they ever looked. The
command had grown rapidly. Thurst
Miles of my own neighborhood had
come to enlist shortly after Dri and |
enlisted. and was now in my company.
In September, Gen. Brown was
ordered to the western frontier, and
Capt. Forsyth came to command us.
Early in the morning of October 2, a
man came gallOping up the shore with
warning, saying that the river was
black with boats a little way down.
Some of us climbed to the barracks
roof, from which we could see and
count them. There were 40, with two
gunboats. Cannonading began before
the town was fairly awake. First a
big ball went over the house-tops,
hitting cupola on a church roof and
sending bell and timbers with a crash
into somebody's dooryard. Then all
over the village hens began to cackle
and children to wall. People came run.
ming out of doors half dressed. A
woman, gathering chips in her door
yard, dropped them, lifted her dress
above her head, and ran for the house
Unable to see her way, she went around
in a wide circle for a minute or two,
while the soldiers were laughing
Another ball hit a big water-tank on
top of the lead works. 1t hurled broll-
en- slaves and big slop of water upon
the house-tOps, and rolled a great
iron hoop over roofs into the street be-
low, where it rolled on, chasing a group
Of men, who ran for their lives before
it. The attack was an odd sort of a
comedy all through, for nobody was
hurt, and all were frightened save those
Of us who were amused. Our cannon
gave quick reply, and soon the British
stopped firing and drew near. We
knew that they would try to force a
landing, and were ready for them.
We drove them back, when they put
off. and that was the end of it.
Next came the fight on the ice in
February-a thing not highly credit
able to us, albeit we were then but
handful and they were many. But
D'ri and | had no cause for shame of
our part in it. We wallowed to our
waists in the snow, and it was red
enough in front of us. But the others
gave way there on the edge of the
river, and we had to follow. We knew
when it was time to run; we We're
never in the rear rank even then. We
made off with the others, although
saber's point had raked me in the tenn
pie, and the blood had frozen on me,
and | was a sight to scare a trooper.
Everybody ran that day, and the Brit
ish took the village, holding it only 81
hours. For our part in it Dri got the
rank of corporal and | was raised
from lieutenant to captain. We made
our way to Sackett's harboA where |
went into the hospital for month.
Then came calling time oS idleness.
In June we went with Gen. Brown
-D'ri and | and Thurst Miles and
Seth Alexander and q half dozen
otherS-dOwn the river to the scene of
our first fighting at Ogdensbnrg, camp
ing well back in the woods 1t was the
evening of the 9th of June that the
general sent for me. He was at the
mansion Of Mr.. Parish, where lie had
been dining. He was sitting in his