Rolf In The Woods

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It was evening as he drew near and after long, attentive
listening he gave the cry of the barred owl:

The answer came: a repetition of the last line, and a minute
later the two scouts were together.

As they stood, they were startled by a new, sudden answer, an
exact repetition of the first call. Rolf had recovered his rifle
from its hiding place and instantly both made ready for some
hostile prowler; then after a long silence he gave the final wail
line "hoooo-aw" and that in the woods means, "Who are you?"

Promptly the reply came:

"Wa wah wa wah Wa wah wa hoooo-aw."

But this was the wrong reply. It should have been only the last
half. The imitation was perfect, except, perhaps, on the last
note, which was a trifle too human. But the signal was well done;
it was an expert calling, either an Indian or some thoroughly
seasoned scout; yet Quonab was not deceived into thinking it an
owl. He touched his cheek and his coat, which, in the scout sign
language, means "red coat," i. e., Britisher.

Rolf and his partner got silently out of sight, each with his
rlile cocked and ready to make a hole in any red uniform or badge
that might show itself. Then commenced a very peculiar duel, for
evidently the enemy was as clever as themselves and equally
anxious to draw them out of cover.

Wa-wah-wa hooo-aw called the stranger, giving the right answer in
the wrong place. He was barely a hundred yards off, and, as the
two strained their senses to locate him, they heard a faint click
that told of his approach.

Rolf turned his head and behind a tree uttered again the Wa-wah
-a - hoo which muffled by his position would convince the foe
that he was retreating. The answer came promptly and much nearer:

Wa - wah - wa - hoooo-aw.

Good! the medicine was working. So Rolf softened his voice still
more, while Quonab got ready to shoot.

The Wa - wa - hooo-aw that came in answer this time was
startlingly clear and loud and nearly perfect in intonation, but
again betrayed by the human timbre of the aw. A minute or two
more and they would reach a climax.

After another wait, Rolf muffled his voice and gave the single
hooo-aw, and a great broad-winged owl came swooping through the
forest, alighted on a tree overhead, peered about, then thrilled
them with his weird:

Wa - hoo - wa - boo

Wa - hoo -wa - hooooooooo-aw, the last note with the singular
human quality that had so completely set them astray.
Why Plattsburg Was Raided

The owl's hull reputation for wisdom is built up on lookin' wise
and keepin' mum. -- Sayings of St Sylvanne

THE owl incident was one of the comedies of their life, now they
had business on hand. The scraps of news brought by Quonab pieced
out with those secured by Rolf, spelt clearly this: that Colonel
Murray with about a thousand men was planning a raid on
Plattsburg.

Their duty was to notify General Hampton without delay.

Burlington, forty miles away, was headquarters. Plattsburg,
twenty miles away, was marked for spoil.

One more item they must add: Was the raid to baby land or water?
If the latter, then they must know what preparations were being
made at the British naval station, Isle au Noix. They travelled
all night through the dark woods, to get there, though it was but
seven miles away, and in the first full light they saw the
gallant array of two warships, three gunboats, and about fifty
long boats, all ready, undoubtedly waiting only for a change in
the wind, which at this season blew on Champlain almost steadily
form the south.

A three-hour, ten-mile tramp through ways now familiar brought
Rolf and his partner to the north of the Big Chazy where the
canoe was hidden, and without loss of time they pushed off for
Burlington, thirty miles away. The wind was head on, and when
four hours later they stopped for noon, they had made not more
than a dozen miles.

All that afternoon they had to fight a heavy sea; this meant they
must keep near shore in case of an upset, and so lengthened the
course; but it also meant that the enemy would not move so long
as this wind kept up.

It was six at night before the scouts ran into Burlington Harbour
and made for Hampton's headquarters.

His aide received them and, after learning that they had news,
went in to the general. From the inner room now they heard in
unnecessarily loud tones the great man's orders to, "Bring them
in, sah."

The bottles on the table, his purple visage, and thick tongued
speech told how well-founded were the current whispers.

"Raid on Plattsburg? Ha! I hope so. I only hope so. Gentlemen,"
and he turned to his staff, "all I ask is a chance to get at them
-- Ha, Ha! Here, help yourself, Macomb," and the general pushed
the decanter to a grave young officer who was standing by.

"No, thank you, sir," was the only reply.

The general waved his hand, the scouts went out, puzzled and
ashamed. Was this the brains of the army? No wonder our men are
slaughtered.

Now Macomb ventured to suggest: "Have you any orders, sir? These
scouts are considered quite reliable. I understand from them that
the British await only a change of wind. They have between one
thousand and two thousand men."

"Plenty of time in the morning, sah. Plattsburg will be the bait
of my trap, not one of them shall return alive," and the general
dismissed his staff that he might fortify himself against a
threatened cold.

Another young man, Lieut. Thomas MacDonough, the naval
commandant, now endeavoured to stir him by a sense of danger.
First he announced that his long boats, and gunboats were ready
and in six hours he could transfer three thousand troops from
Burlington to Plattsburg. Then he ventured to urge the necessity
for action.

Champlain is a lake of two winds. It had brown from the south for
two weeks; now a north wind was likely to begin any day.
MacDonough urged this point, but all in vain, and, shocked and
humiliated, the young man obeyed the order "to wait till his
advice was asked."

The next day Hampton ordered a review, not an embarkation, and
was not well enough to appear in person.

The whole army knew now of the situation of affairs, and the
militia in particular were not backward in expressing their minds.

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.

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-consciousness, more calm poise. He is not troubled
about what to do with his feet and hands, and is more convinced
of his native dignity and claims to respect. In the drawin-room
Rolf was a hunter: the leading inhabitants of the region around
received him gladly and honoured him. He was guest at Judge
Hubbell's in Chazy, in September of 1814. Every day he scouted in
the neighbourhood and at night returned to the hospitable home of
the judge.

On the 12th of September, from the top of a tall tree on a
distant wooded hill, he estimated the force at Champlain to be
10,000 to 15,000 men. Already their bodyguard was advancing on
Chazy.

Judge Hubbell and anxious neighbours hastily assembled now,
discussed with Rolf the situation and above all, "What shall we
do with our families?" One man broke into a storm of hate and
vituperation against the British. "Remember the burning of
Washington and the way they treated the women at Bladensburg."

"All of which about the women was utterly disproved, except in
one case, and in that the criminal was shot by order of his own
commander," retorted Hubbell.

At Plattsburg others maintained that the British had harmed no
one. Colonel Murray had given strict orders that all private
property be absolutely respected. Nothing but government property
was destroyed and only that which could be construed into war
stores and buildings. What further damage was done was the result
of accident or error. Officers were indeed quartered on the
inhabitants, but they paid for what they got, and even a carpet
destroyed by accident was replaced months afterward by a British
officer who had not the means at the time.

So it was agreed that Hubbell with Rolf and the village fathers
and brothers should join their country's army, leaving wives and
children behind.

There were wet bearded cheeks among the strong, rugged men as
they kissed their wives and little ones and prepared to go, then
stopped, as horrible misgivings rose within. "This was war, and
yet again, 'We have had proofs that the British harmed no woman
or child'." So they dashed away the tears, suppressed the choking
in their throats, shouldered their guns, and marched away to the
front, commending their dear ones to the mercy of God and the
British invaders.

None had any cause to regret this trust. Under pain of death, Sir
George Prevost enforced his order that the persons of women and
children and all private property be held inviolate. As on the
previous raid, no damage was done to non-combatants, and the only
hardships endured were by the few who, knowing nothing, feared
much, and sought the precarious safety of life among the hills.

Sir George Prevost and his staff of ten officers were quartered
in Judge Hubbell's house. Mrs. Hubbell was hard put to furnish
them with meals, but they treated her with perfect respect, and
every night, not knowing how long they might stay, they left on
the table the price of their board and lodging.

For three days they waited, then all was ready for the advance.

"Now for Plattsburg this week and Albany next, so good-bye,
madam" they said politely, and turned to ride away. a gay and
splendid group.

"Good-bye, sirs, for a very little while, but I know you'll soon
be back and hanging your heads as you come," was the retort.

Sir George replied: "If a man had said that, I would call him
out; but since it is a fair lady that has been our charming
hostess, I reply that when your prophecy comes true, every
officer here shall throw his purse on your door step as he
passes."

So they rode away, 13,000 trained men with nothing between them
and Albany but 2000 troops, double as many raw militia, and --
MacDonough of the Lake.

Ten times did Rolf cover that highway north of Plattsburg in the
week that followed, and each day his tidings were the same -- the
British steadily advance.

McGlassin's Exploit

There was a wonderful spirit on everything in Plattsburg, and the
earthly tabernacle in which it dwelt, was the tall, grave young
man who had protested against Hampton's behaviour at Burlington
-- Captain, now General Macomb. Nothing was neglected, every
emergency was planned for, every available man was under arms.
Personally tireless, he was ever alert and seemed to know every
man in his command and every man of it had implicit confidence in
the leader. We have heard of soldiers escaping from a besieged
fortress by night; but such was the inspiring power of this
commander that there was a steady leaking in of men from the
hills, undrilled and raw, but of superb physique and dead shots
with the ride.

A typical case was that of a sturdy old farmer who was marching
through the woods that morning to take his place with those who
manned the breastworks and was overheard to address his visibly
trembling legs: "Shake, damn you, shake; and if ye knew where I
was leading you, you'd be ten times worse."

His mind was more valiant than his body, and his mind kept
control -- this is true courage.

No one had a better comprehension of all this than Macomb. He
knew that all these men needed was a little training to make of
them the best soldiers on earth. To supply that training he mixed
them with veterans, and arranged a series of unimportant
skirmishes as coolly and easily as though he were laying out a
programme for an evening's entertainment.

The first of these was at Culver's Hill. Here a barricade was
thrown up along the highway, a gun was mounted, and several
hundred riflemen were posted under leaders skilled in the arts of
harrying a foe and giving him no chance to strike back.

Among the men appointed for the barricade's defence was Rolf and
near him Quonab. The latter had been seasoned in the Revolution,
but it was the former's first experience at the battle front, and
he felt as most men do when the enemy in brave array comes
marching up. As soon as they were within long range, his leader
gave the order "Fire!" The rifles rattled and the return fire
came at once. Balls pattered on the barricade or whistled above.
The man next to him was struck and dropped with a groan; another
fell back dead. The horror and roar were overmuch. Rolf was
nervous enough when he entered the fight. Now he was unstrung,
almost stunned, his hands and knees were shaking, he was nearly
panic-stricken and could not resist the temptation to duck, as
the balls hissed murder over his head. He was blazing away,
without aiming, when an old soldier, noting his white face and
shaking form, laid a hand on his shoulder and, in kindly tones,
said: "Steady, boy, steady; yer losing yer head; see, this is
how," and he calmly took aim, then, without firing, moved the gun
again and put a little stick to raise the muzzle and make a
better rest, then fired as though at target practice. "Now rest
for a minute. Look at Quonab there; you can see he's been through
it before. He is making a hit with every shot."

Rolf did as he was told, and in a few minutes his colour came
back, his hand was steady, and thenceforth he began to forget the
danger and thought only of doing his work.

When at length it was seen that the British were preparing to
charge, the Americans withdrew quickly and safely to Halsey's
Corner, where was another barricade and a fresh lot of recruits
awaiting to receive their baptism of fire. And the scene was
repeated. Little damage was done to the foe but enormous benefit
was gained by the Americans, because it took only one or two of
these skirmishes to turn a lot of shaky-kneed volunteers into a
band of steady soldiers -- for they had it all inside. Thus their
powder terror died.

That night the British occupied the part of the town that was
north of the Saranac, and began a desultory bombardment of the
fortification opposite. Not a very serious one, for they
considered they could take the town at any time, but preferred to
await the arrival of their fleet under Downie.

The fight for the northern half of the town was not serious,
merely part of Macomb's prearranged training course; but when the
Americans retired across the Saranac, the planks of the bridges
were torn up, loop-holed barricades were built along the southern
bank, and no effort spared to prepare for a desperate resistance.

Every man that could hold up a gun was posted on the lines of
Plattsburg. The school-boys, even, to the number of five hundred
formed a brigade, and were assigned to places where their
squirrel-hunting experiences could be made of service to their
country.

Meanwhile the British had established a battery opposite Fort
Brown. It was in a position to do some material and enormous
moral damage. On the ninth it was nearly ready for bloody work,
and would probably begin next morning. That night, however, an
extraordinary event took place, and showed how far from
terror-palsy were the motley troops in Plattsburg. A sturdy
Vermonter, named Captain McGlassin, got permission of Ma. comb to
attempt a very Spartan sortie.

He called for fifty volunteers to go on a most hazardous
enterprise. He got one thousand at once. Then he ordered all over
twenty-five and under eighteen to retire. This reduced the number
to three hundred. Then, all married men were retired, and thus
again they were halved. Next he ordered away all who smoked --
Ah, deep philosopher that he was! -- and from the remnant he
selected his fifty. Among them was Rolf. Then he divulged his
plan. It was nothing less than a dash on the new-made fort to
spike those awful guns -- fifty men to dash into a camp of
thirteen thousand.

Again he announced, "Any who wish to withdraw now may do so." Not
a man stirred.

Twenty of those known to be expert with tools were provided with
hammers and spikes for the guns, and Rolf was proud to be one of
them.

In a night of storm and blackness they crossed the Saranac;
dividing in two bodies they crawled unseen, one on each side of
the battery. Three hundred British soldiers were sleeping near,
only the sentries peered into the storm-sleet.

All was ready when McGlassin's tremendous voice was heard,
"Charge front and rear!" Yelling, pounding, making all the noise
they could, the American boys rushed forth. The British were
completely surprised, the sentries were struck down, and the rest
assured that Macomb's army was on them recoiled for a few
minutes. The sharp click, click, click of the hammers was heard.
An iron spike was driven into every touch hole; the guns were
made harmless as logs and quickly wheeling, to avoid the return
attack, these bold Yankee boys leaped from the muzzled redoubt
and reached their own camp without losing one of their number.
The Bloody Saranac

Sir george Prevost had had no intention of taking Plattsburg,
till Plattsburg's navy was captured. But the moral effect of
McGlassin's exploit must be offset at once. He decided to carry
the city by storm -- a matter probably of three hours' work.

He apportioned a regiment to each bridge, another to each ford
near the town, another to cross the river at Pike's Cantonment,
and yet another to cross twenty miles above, where they were to
harry the fragments of the American as it fled.

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