Corporal 'Lige's Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga

These words sounded in Isaac’s ears like the thunder of cannon, and even while he questioned to himself if it were possible this handful of men had really captured the fortress, Ticonderoga was surrendered.

CHAPTER VIII. AN INTERRUPTION

Nathan, who had looked upon the men under Colonel Allen much as he had Corporal ’Lige, was literally amazed by this ready submission of the king’s troops, standing silent and motionless by the side of Isaac as the garrison was paraded without arms, and the surrender made in due form.

Some days afterward Isaac learned that the spoils of war at this place were one hundred and twenty iron cannon, fifty swivels, two ten-inch mortars, one howitzer, one cohorn, ten tons musket-balls, three cartloads flints, thirty gun-carriages, a quantity of shells, a large amount of material for boat building, one hundred stand of small arms, ten casks of powder, two brass cannon, thirty barrels of flour and eighteen barrels of pork.

Forty-eight soldiers were surrendered and preparations were at once begun to send these, together with the women and children, to Hartford.

Hardly was the surrender made complete when such of the troops as had been left on the opposite shore under Seth Warner, arrived in a schooner, much to the surprise of all, until it was learned that Captain Herrick, who had been sent to Skenesborough to seize the son of the governor, had succeeded in his mission without bloodshed.

He took not only the young major, but twelve negroes and attendants, seized the schooner owned by the elder Skene, and had come down the lake in the early morning with the hope of aiding in the capture of Ticonderoga.

Isaac had supposed this victory would end the adventure, and was saying to himself that his experience had been rather pleasing than otherwise, so much so in fact that he almost regretted the time was near at hand for him to return home, when he saw, much to his surprise, a portion of the troops being formed in line as if to leave Ticonderoga.

Corporal ’Lige had been assigned to the task of overhauling the goods in the warehouse for the purpose of making out a list of the same, and it was to him that Isaac, followed by Nathan, went for information.

“Forming in line, eh?” the old man asked as, wiping the perspiration from his face, he went outside to have a look around, and instantly he noted the preparations which were making, turned back to his work as if it was of but little concern.

“What is the meaning of that, corporal?” Isaac suggested. “Are we going back without having stayed here a single day?”

“There will be no turnin’ back, lad, until the work is finished, and the fort at Crown Point yet remains to be taken. I allow Seth Warner is goin’ to tackle that job, which won’t be a difficult one, since it is said there are not above a dozen men in the garrison.”

“Suppose you an’ I go with ’em?” Nathan suggested, now no longer eager to demand money for his services; but, fired by what he had seen, and burning to participate in new conquests.

“What do you say, corporal?” Isaac asked, feeling that it was necessary to gain the old man’s permission before he could join in the adventure.

Again Corporal ’Lige went to the door of the warehouse, looking about him with the air of a weather-prophet, after which he replied in a careless tone:

“I don’t reckon it makes any difference whether you lads are here or sailin’ ’round the lake, therefore if Seth Warner gives his permission, you may go so far as I am concerned; but it’ll be only a question of whifflin’ from one point to another, for while the wind holds in this direction I’m allowin’ none of the force will reach Crown Point.”

“The wind is likely to haul ’round after sunset, so let us take our chances,” Nathan whispered, and Isaac was not loth to embark.

Therefore the two started across the parade-ground for the purpose of speaking with the old hunter – Seth Warner – when Captain Herrick, who had just made his report of the night’s work at Skenesborough, halted the boys by saying:

“I reckon you two lads are the ones Colonel Allen would speak with at once? You will find him in the commandant’s quarters.”

“He is most likely thinkin’ of payin’ me for comin’ over last night,” Nathan said as the two turned to obey the command, “and I have made up my mind not to take money for the service.”

Isaac looked at his companion in surprise, and the latter added almost shame-facedly:

“I reckon father was right when he said every one in the colonies should do all he could in this cause, and, besides, it looks to me as if the king’s troops would speedily get the worst of it.”

Young Beman was not unlike many in the neighborhood who in after-days were royalists or patriots as the cause of freedom grew weak or strong.

However, Nathan had no opportunity to refuse a payment of money for his services, for when the lads stood before Colonel Allen, the latter said in a tone of command, and yet with the air of one asking a favor:

“I want to send a messenger to Sudbury. Do you think you can find the place, Isaac Rice?”

“I will show him the way, sir,” Nathan said promptly, and the colonel favored him with a glance of surprise, but took no further heed of his sudden complaisance.

“At that settlement you will find one Captain Remember Baker; tell him what has been done at this point, and say it is my wish he join me here without delay. Select the lightest boat you can find for crossing the lake, and make all haste.”

Then the colonel turned away, intent upon the work of preparing a list of the garrison which had surrendered, and some of his officers entering for further instructions prevented the boys from making any inquiries concerning the mission.

On leaving the quarters, Nathan, eager to serve this new commander of the fort with all possible celerity, would have hastened at once to the shore in order to set out, but that Isaac insisted upon giving Corporal ’Lige due information as to their proposed movements, much to the displeasure of young Beman, who claimed that the old soldier was of no account when the colonel had given orders.

“Well, this one is,” Isaac said stoutly. “He’s a good friend of mine, and I wouldn’t think of leavin’ without first tellin’ him, no matter whose orders I was obeying.”

“Well, I s’pose you must have your own way, but the time will come when you won’t think so much of that pig-headed old man as you do now.”

To this ill-natured remark the lad did not reply, but on presenting himself to Corporal ’Lige and explaining what he was about to do, the latter, still busy with his work of taking account of the stores, made very much the same remark as had Nathan.

“Don’t consider, lad, that you are to report to me when ordered on duty. Be careful of yourself; do not run into danger needlessly, and get you gone without delay, for Colonel Allen is a man who doesn’t take kindly to loiterers.”

Nathan showed himself to be one who could perform a task promptly and in good order when it suited his pleasure so to do.

He it was who selected the boat in which they were to cross the lake; borrowed a musket from one of the men that he might not be forced to make the journey weaponless, and succeeding in begging such an amount of provisions as would serve them for dinner.

While these few preparations were being made, Warner, with a detachment of twenty five men from Colonel Allen’s regiment, put off on his journey to Crown Point, and after watching them a moment Nathan Beman said in a tone of one who is satisfied with himself:

“It’s jest as well we didn’t have a chance to go with that crowd, for they won’t get anywhere near there until the wind changes, and it seems as though whoever is in charge of the job, ought to know it.”

“I suppose the plan is to take the fort by surprise, as was this one, and unless our people get there soon, it will be a failure, because the news of what has been done here must fly over the country quickly.”

“While the wind blows this way, and so strong, no one will get up the lake, therefore the garrison won’t learn of the surrender of Ticonderoga unless some one goes across the country. However, we needn’t bother, seein’s our work is all cut an’ dried, and we had better not waste too much time here.”

Isaac was beginning to entertain a very friendly feeling toward this lad now that he had changed his views so entirely regarding the value of his services, and, as a matter of course, Nathan could be a most pleasing traveling companion when it suited his purpose, as it did at present.

The journey to Sudbury proved to be a longer one than was anticipated.

A strong wind which blew directly down the lake, carried the boys fully two miles below the point at which they should have landed, and Nathan was much averse to following back along the shore in order to gain the trail which led to Sudbury.

“It will be just that much useless labor,” he said emphatically, “and I am not given to walking more than may be necessary.”

“But there’s a chance of going astray if we strike across from here,” Isaac suggested, for, as has already been shown, he knew little of woodcraft, and this traveling blindly around a section of the country where there was every reason to believe enemies might be found was not to his liking.

“I’d be a mighty poor sort of a guide if I couldn’t go across from here without straying from the course so much as a dozen yards,” Master Beman said decidedly. “To walk up the shore two miles or more only for the purpose of striking the trail, is foolishness.”

“But the thicket is so dense here,” Isaac suggested timidly, almost fearing to venture an opinion lest he should provoke the mirth of his companion. “It will be harder to make our way through than to go around.”

Nathan made no reply.

He bestowed upon Corporal ’Lige’s recruit a glance as of pity, and then, without further words, plunged into the underbrush.

Master Rice could do no less than follow.

Before the boys had traveled half an hour on the direct course to Sudbury, it is more than probable young Beman repented of having attempted to make a “short cut,” for the advance was indeed difficult.