Smyth, who had succeeded Van Rensselaer, assembled a force five thousand strong, for the conquest of Canada. At the expiration of the armistice, he issued a Napoleonic proclam

erable British force had rallied from Fort Erie and Chippewa. In silence they awaited the approach of the American flotilla. As it came within range, a ringing cheer burst forth, and a deadly volley o

tempt was abandoned, and the army went into winter quarters. Smyth, an empty gasconader, was regarded, even by his own troops, with contempt, and had to fly from the camp to

on the British out-post at Lacolle, near Rouse's Point; but the guard, keeping up a sharp fire, withdrew, and the Americans, in the darkness and confusion, fired into each other's ranks, and fell back in disastrous and headlong retreat. The discomfited general, despairing of a successful attack on Montreal, so great was the vigilance and va

pped a strong fleet, which drove the Canadian shipping for protection under the guns of Niagara, York,

k of mutual slaughter. The vessels reeked with blood like a shambles, and, if not

uest American patriots. Mr. Quincy, of Massachusetts, characterized it as the "most disgraceful in history sinc

had repulsed large armies of invaders, and not only maintained the inviolable integrity of their soil, but had also conquered a

ts white banners of snow proclaimed a truce-the trace of God-through all the land. Apprehensions of a sterner conflict during the coming y

d been tested, and what sacrifices he had made for his adopted country. By a few religious and political bigots, however, his American origin was a cause of unjust suspicion and aspersion, which stung to the quick his sensit

ch the truths of the Christian religion to those devotees of pagan superstition. He found several young braves assembled at a sort of cou

long-knives.' The day of fight at Big Rapids him strike up my arm as

e him helping wounded 'long-k

o had seen his impartial ministration to the wounded of both

scowled in anger, as he sought the wandering children of the forest for their soul's salvation. But their half-unconscious fear of the imagined power of the pale-face

een flush overspread the landscape. The skies became soft and tender, with glorious sunsets. The delicate-veined white triliums and May-apples

ith the constant marching and counter-marching of red-coats, and the air was vocal with the shrill bugle-call or the frequent roll of the drums. Drill, parade, and inspection, artillery and musket practice

. Rude bunks were ranged along one side, like berths in a ship, for the men to sleep in. The great square, naked timbers of the low ceiling were embrowned with smoke, as was also the mantel of the huge open fire-place at the end of the room. The rudely-carved names and initials on the wall betrayed

apes in the immin

during Arnold's siege of Quebec,

-skin and hideous war-paint of the Indian scout, quartered for the night in the barracks. In one corner is heard the crooning of the Scottish pipes, where old Allan Macpherson is playing softly the sad, sweet airs of "Annie Laurie," "Auld Lang Syne," and "B

lexander and so

nder, and such gre

the world's

none that

row-row-row

itish Gre

im were shuffling a greasy pack of cards, and filling the air with reeking tobacco-smoke and strange soldiers' oaths. When a te

of Chris

your a

strength whi

His eter

n against

and fir

f wily fi

ut the e

ally assailed a soldier's life. "Above all," he said, "beware of the drink-fiend-the worst enemy King George has got. He kills more of the King's troops than all his other foes together." Then, with a yearning tenderness in his voice, he exhorted them to "ground the

appreciation of his meaning, and muttered assent between the whiffs of tobacco-smoke from his carved-stone, feather-decked pipe. The moral elevation which Christian-living and Bible-reading will always give, co

ned to the commanding major that "the Methody preacher took the work out of the hands of their own chaplain,

arson won't complain; and some of you fellows would be none the worse for converting, as he calls it. If you were to ta

, as he was nick-named, because he so often contrived to get twice th

y on the quadrangle of the fort. The clang of the chains of the sally-port rattled, the draw-bridge fell, the heavy iron-studded gates swung back, and three prisoners were brought in who were expostulating warmly with the guard, and demanding to be led to the officer for the night. When they were brought to the light which poured from the open door of

the enemy," said one of the sold

on the scene to inquire into

ficer; when the adjutant promptly requested him to proceed to his quarters, an

fallen the left wing of the regiment, quartered at the town of York. In a few brief words they learned with dismay that the capital of the country was

they were subject to a cross-fire of eager questions from every side, which they answered as best they could, while busy plyi

Shenston, the elder of the two men. "Chauncey and D

the maze of questions and answers in which i

he British outposts, which stoutly contested every foot of ground, and made a dash for the dilapidated fort, which the fleet meanwhile heavily bombarded. Continual re-enforcements enabled them to fight their way through the scrub oak woods to within two hundred yards of the earthen ramparts, when the defensive fire ceased. General Pike halted his troops, thinking the fort about to surrender. Suddenly, with a shock like an earthquake, the magazine blew up, and hurled into the air two hundred of the att

el Chewett and three hundred militiamen were taken prisoners, the public buildings burned, and the military and naval stores, which escaped destruction, were carrie

oral, when the narrative was concluded, pointing to the

nt and bold. I was a-feared I would be nabbed as a prisoner, and sent to eat Uncle Sam's hard-tack in the hulks at Sackett's Harbour, when, all of a sudden, the ground trembled like the earthquakes I have felt in the West Indies; then a volcano of fire burst up to the sky, and, in a minute, the air seemed raining fire an

cident?" asked old Allan McPherson, the Highland p

e the enemy should lose more than they would gain by taking the fort, laid and fired t

's no war ava- it's rank murder. I can thole a fair

lying stark and scaring like slaughtered sheep. I doubt na it was a gran' blunder as weel as a gran' crime. Forbye killing some o' oo

the stars and stripes, to the flag-ship; and Chauncey carried off all the public property, even to the mace and Speaker's wig from the Parliament House, and the fire-e

onas Evans. "I should think Chauncey would try to t

hes for Fort George; and, in case they should be captured, Lieutenant Foster undertook to convey them by water, and we volunteered to accompany him. We got a fisherman's boat at Frenchman's Bay. It was a long, tough pull across the lake, I tell you. At night the wind rose, and we were drenched w

ong the river front. The entire garrison was on the qui vive against a surprise. The next day Captain Villiers, with his companion, reached the fort, fagged out with their hundred miles' ride in two days-they had been compelled to make a wide detour to avoid capture. The whole garrison was in a ferment of excitement and hard