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Файл:Satanstoe; or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
death came whistling in among us like a hurricane. The Scotsmen were staggered by that shock; but they recovered instantly
and pressed forward. The –th did not escape harmless, by any
means; while the din told us that the confl ict extended along
the whole of the breastwork, towards the lake-shore. How
many were shot down in our column, by that fi rst discharge,
I never knew; but the slaughter was dreadful, and among
those who fell was the veteran Graham, himself. I can safely
say, however, that the plan of attack was completely deranged
from this fi rst onset; the columns displaying and commencing their fi re as soon as possible. No men could have behaved
better than all that I could see; the whole of us pushing on
for the breastwork, until we encountered fallen trees; which
were made to serve the purpose of chevaux-de-frise. These
trees had been felled along the front of the breastwork, while
their branches were cut, and pointed like stakes. It was impossible to pass in any order, and the troops halted when they
reached them, and continued to fi re by platoons, with as much
regularity as on parade. A few minutes of this work, however,
compelled different corps to fall back, and the vain confl ict
was continued for four hours, on our part almost entirely by
a smart but ineffective fi re of musketry; while the French sent
their grape into our ranks almost with as much impunity as if
they had been on parade. It had been far better for our men
had they been less disciplined, and less under the control of
their offi cers; for the sole effect of steadiness, under such circumstances, is to leave the gallant and devoted troops, who
refuse to fall back, while they are unable to advance, only so
much the longer in jeopardy.
471
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
Guert had shouted with the rest; and I soon found that by
following him for a leader, we should quickly be in the midst of
the fray. He actually led us up to the fallen trees, and, fi nding
something like a cover there, we three established ourselves
among them as rifl emen, doing fully out share of service.
When the troops fell back, however, we were left in a manner
alone, and it was rather dangerous work to retire; and fi nding
ourselves out of the line of fi re from our own men, no immaterial point in such a fray, we maintained our post to the last. Admonished, after a long time, of the necessity of retreating, by
the manner in which the fi re of our own line lessened, we got
off with sound skins, though Guert retired the whole distance
with his face to the enemy, fi ring as he withdrew. We all did
the last, indeed, using the trees for covers. Towards the close
we attracted especial attention; and there were two or three
minutes during which the fl ight of bullets around us might
truly, without much exaggeration, be likened to a storm of hail!
Jaap was not with us in this sally, and I went into
the swamp to look for him. The search was not long, for I found
my fellow retreating also, and bringing in with him a stout
Canadian Indian as a prisoner. He was making his captive
carry three discharged rifl es, and blankets; one of which had
been his own property once, and the others that of two of his
tribe, whom the negro had left lying in the swamp as bloody
trophies of his exploits. I cannot explain the philosophy of
the thing, but that negro ever appeared to me to fi ght as if he
enjoyed the occupation as an amusement.
These facts were scarcely ascertained, when we learned
the important intelligence that a general retreat was or-
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
dered. Our proud and powerful army was beaten, and that,
too, by a force two-thirds less than its own! It is not easy to describe the miserable scene that followed. The transporting of
the wounded to the rear had been going on the whole time,
and, as usually happens, when it is permitted, it had contributed largely to thin the ranks. These unfortunate men were
put into the batteaux in hundreds, while most of the dead
were left where they lay. So completely were our hopes frustrated, and our spirits lowered, that most of the boats pulled
off that night, and all the remainder quitted the foot of
the lake early next day.
Thus terminated the dire expedition of 1758 against Ticonderoga, and with it our expectations of seeing Montreal,
or Quebec, that season. I dare say, we had fully ten thousand
bayonets in the fi eld that bloody day, and quite fi ve thousand
men closely engaged. The mistake was in attempting to carry
a post that was so nearly impregnable, by assault; and this,
too, without the cover of artillery. The enemy was said to have
four or fi ve thousand men present, and this may be true, as
applied to all within the defences; though I question if more
than half that number pulled triggers on us, in the miserable
affair. There is always much of exaggeration in both the boasting and the apologies of war.
Our own loss, on this sad occasion, was reported at 548
slain, and 1356 wounded. This was probably within the truth;
though the missing were said to be surprisingly few, some
thirty or forty, in all; the men having no place to repair to
but the boats. Of the Highlanders, it was said that nearly half
the common men, and twenty-fi ve, or nearly all the offi cers,
473
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
were either killed or wounded! One account, indeed, said
that every offi cer of that corps, who was on the ground, suffered. The 55th, also, was dreadfully cut up. Ten of its offi cers
were slain outright, and many were wounded. As for the –th,
it fared a little better, not heading a column; but its loss was
fearful. Bulstrode was seriously wounded, early in the attack,
though his hurt was never supposed to be dangerous. Billings
was left dead on the fi eld, and Harris got a scratch that served
him to talk of in after life.
The confusion was tremendous after such a confl ict and
such a defeat. The troops re-embarked without much regard to
corps or regularity of movement; and the boats moved away
as fast as they received their melancholy cargoes. An immense
amount of property was lost; though I believe all the customary
military trophies were preserved. As the provincials had been
the least engaged, and had suffered much the least, in proportion to numbers, a large body of them was kept as a rear-guard,
while the regular corps removed their wounded and matériel.
As for us three or four, including Jaap, who stuck by his
prisoner, we scarcely knew what to do with ourselves. Everybody who felt any interest in us, was either killed or wounded.
Bulstrode we could not see; nor could we even fi nd the regiment. Should we succeed in the attempt at the last, very few
now remained in it who would have taken much, or indeed
any concern in us. Under the circumstances, therefore, we
held a consultation on the lake-shore, uncertain whether to
ask admission into one of the departing boats, or to remain
until morning, that our retreat might have a more manly aspect.
474
SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
«I’ll tell you what it is, Corny», said Guert Ten Eyck, in
a somewhat positive manner, «the less we say about this campaign, and of our share in it, the petter. We are not soldiers, in
the regular way, and if we keep quiet, nobody will know what
a t’rashing we t’ree, in particular, haf receivet. My advice is, t’at
we get out of this army as we got into it – t’at is, py a one-sided
movement, and for ever after-holt our tongues about our having had anyt’ing to do with it. I never knew a worsted man any
the more respected for his mishap; and I will own, that I set
down fl ogging as a very material part of a fi ght».
«I am quite sure, Guert, I am as little disposed to brag of
my share in this affair, as you or any one can possibly be; but
it is much easier to talk about getting away from this confused
crowd than really to do the thing. I doubt if any of these boats
will take us in; for an Englishman, fl ogged, is not apt to be
very good-natured; and all our friends seem to be killed or
wounded».
«You want go?» asked a low Indian voice at my elbow. «Got
‘nough, eh?»
Turning, I saw Susquesus standing within two feet of me.
Our consultation was necessarily in the midst of a moving
throng; and the Onondago must have approached us, unnoticed, at the commencement of our conference. There he
was, however, though whence he came or how he got there,
I could not imagine, at the time, and have never been able to
learn since.
«Can you help us to get away, Susquesus?» was my answer.
«Do you know of any means of crossing the lake?»
«Got canoe. That good. Canoe go, though Yengeese run».
475
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«That in which we came off to the army, do you mean?»
The Indian nodded his head, and made a sign for us to follow. Little persuasion was necessary, and we proceeded at his
heels, in a body, in the direction he led. I will confess, that
when I saw our guide proceeding eastward, along the lakeshore, I had some misgivings on the subject of his good faith.
That was the direction which took us towards, instead of from
the enemy; and there was something so mysterious in the conduct of this man, that it gave me uneasiness. Here he was, in
the midst of the English army in the height of its confusion,
though he had declined joining it previously to the battle.
Nothing was easier than to enter the throng, in its present
confused state, and move about undetected for hours, if one
had the nerve necessary for the service; and, in that property, I felt certain the Onondago was not defi cient. There was
a coolness in the manner of the man, a quiet observation, both
blended with the seeming apathy of a red-skin, that gave every
assurance of his fi tness for the duty.
Nevertheless, there was no remedy but to follow, or to
break with our guide on the spot. We did not like to do the last,
although we conferred together on the subject, but followed,
keeping our hands on the locks of our rifl es, in readiness for
a brush, should we be led into danger. Susquesus had no such
treacherous intentions, however, while he had disposed of his
canoe in a place that denoted his judgment. We had to walk
quite a mile ere we reached the little bush-fringed creek in
which he had concealed it. I have always thought we ran
a grave risk, in advancing so far in that direction, since the enemy’s Indians would certainly be hanging around the skirts of
476
SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
our army, in quest of scalps; but I afterwards learned the secret of the Onondago’s confi dence, who fi rst spoke on the subject after we had left the shore, and then only in an answer to
a remark of Guert’s.
«No danger», he said; «red-man gettin’ Yengeese scalps, on
the war-path. Too much kill, now, to want more».
As both governments pursued the culpable policy of paying for human scalps, this suggestion probably contained
the whole truth.
Previously to quitting the creek, however, there was a diffi culty to dispose of. Jaap had brought his Huron prisoner
with him; and the Onondago declared that the canoe could
not carry six. This we knew from experience, indeed, though
fi ve went in it very comfortably.
«No room», said Susquesus, «for red-man. Five good –
six bad».
«What shall we do with the fellow, Corny?» asked Guert,
with a little interest. «Jaap says he is a proper devil, by daylight, and that he had a world of trouble in taking him, and in
bringing him in. For fi ve minutes, it was heads or tails which
was to give in; and the nigger only got the best of it, by his own
account of the battle, because the red-skin had the unaccountable folly to try to beat in Jaap’s brains. He might as well have
battered the Rock of Gibraltar, you know, as to attempt to
break a nigger’s skull, and so your fellow got the best of it.
What shall we do with the rascal?»
«Take scalp», said the Onondago, sententiously; «got good
scalp – war-lock ready – paint, war-paint – capital scalp».
477
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«Ay, that may do better for you, Master Succetush» – so
Guert always called our guide, «than it will do for us Christians. I am afraid we shall have to let the ravenous devil go,
after disarming him».
«Disarmed he is already; but he cannot be long without
a musket, on this battle-ground. I am of your opinion, Guert;
so, Jaap, release your prisoner at once, that we may return to
Ravensnest, as fast as possible».
«Dat berry hard, Masser Corny, sah!» exclaimed Jaap, who
did not half like the orders he received.
«No words about it, sir, but cut his fastenings» – Jaap had
tied the Indian’s arms behind him, with a rope, as an easy
mode of leading him along. «Do you know the man’s name?»
«Yes, sah – he say he name be Muss» – probably Jaap’s defective manner of repeating some Indian sound; «and a proper muss he get in, Masser Corny, when he try to cotch Jaap by
he wool!»
Here I was obliged to clap my hand suddenly on the black’s
mouth, for the fellow was so delighted with the recollection of the manner in which he had got the better of his red
adversary, that he broke out into one of the uncontrollable
fi ts of noisy laughter, that are so common to his race. I repeated the order, somewhat sternly, for Jaap to cut the cords,
and then to follow us to the canoe, in which the Onondago
and my two friends had already taken their places. My own
foot was raised to enter the canoe, when I heard heavy stripes
infl icted on the back of some one. Rushing back to the spot
where I had left Jaap and his captive, Muss, I found the former infl icting a severe punishment, on the naked back of
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
the other, with the end of the cord that still bound his arms.
Muss, as Jaap called him, neither fl inched nor cried. The pine
stands not more erect or unyielding, in a summer’s noontide,
than he bore up under the pain. Indignantly I thrust the negro away, cut the fellow’s bonds with my own hands, and
drove my slave before me to the canoe.
CHAPTER XXIV
“Pale set the sun—the shades of evening fell,
The mournful night-wind sung their funeral knell;
And the same day beheld their warriors dead,
Their sovereign captive and their glory fl ed!”
MRS. HEMANS.
I shall never forget the journey of that fearful night.
Susquesus paddled the canoe, unaided by us, who were too
much fatigued with the toil of the day, to labour much, as soon
as we found ourselves in a place of safety. Even Jaap lay down
and slept for several hours, the sleep of the weary. I do not
think any of us, however, actually slept for the fi rst hour or
two, the scenes through which we had just passed, and that,
indeed, through which we were then passing, acting as preventives to such an indulgence.
It must have been about nine in the evening, when our
canoe quitted the ill-fated shore at the south end of Lake
George, moving steadily and silently along the eastern margin of the sheet. By that time, fully fi ve hundred boats had departed for the head of the lake, the retreat having commenced
long before sunset. No order was observed in this melancholy
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