The Minute Boys of York Town Part 30

"It is painful waiting even for a short time, when one's empty stomach reproaches him," little Frenchie said with a shrug of his shoulders, and the man stood irresolute while I might have counted ten, after which he wheeled about suddenly, and entered the house saying as he did so:

"Wait until I come."

You may be certain we waited, although I had many misgivings as to whether the return would be to our advantage or to our sorrow, for there was a possibility he might hold us until he could send word to some of the Britishers telling them who we were and much of this fear I whispered in Pierre's ear, whereupon he said cheerily, shrugging his shoulders and waving his hands:

"I cannot believe any in this village would be so unwise, just at this time, as to take advantage of our helplessness, save it might be such cattle as Abel Hunt, for even the dullest must understand that our friends are like to have the upper hands before this affair is finished, and he who sent two lads to their death might himself suffer in like fas.h.i.+on when the Americans held possession of this town of York, as they are certain to do before many days have pa.s.sed."

Whether the man to whom we had appealed was at heart a friend to the colonies, or if he was prompted as Pierre had suggested, I cannot say; but this much I do know, that he brought us in a bag near to half a bushel of corn meal, and with it a large ham, saying as he laid the provisions on the threshold:

"To these you are welcome, lad, whether you be for the colonies or for the king; but I am asking that you do not come to me again with stories of your hunger, for my larder is not so well filled that I can share it with any outside my own family, lest we ourselves come to want before it is settled as to who shall be master in the village."

Pierre thanked the man in a manner which would have been impossible for me, tongue-tied as I always am at such a time, and then gathering up the bag and the ham hastily we went with all speed toward old Mary's cabin, mentally hugging ourselves because we had succeeded so well when there seemed little possibility aught of good would come from our foraging.

No sooner had we opened the door of the hovel and spoken to Uncle 'Rasmus, when Saul cried impatiently from the scuttle above:

"There is no good reason why you should loiter around the encampment when I alone am left in charge of the prisoners. Could you not understand that I ought to be relieved after so long a watch?"

"We understand nothing save that it was necessary we bring back food,"

Pierre said laughingly, giving no further heed to Saul's impatience.

The lad would have set about building a fire that we might cook the meat; but Uncle 'Rasmus eagerly prevented him from so doing, declaring that such task belonged to him, and Pierre, with a laugh which had in it much of content, gave way before the old negro and at once took up the bucket, running out of the cabin to get a supply of water.

"Heard you aught of the Jerseyman?" Saul cried from above, and I replied that there was little chance we could have had word concerning him.

If Morgan had been able to slip through the lines, then would there have come to us no token whatsoever, and if peradventure the enemy shot him while he was trying to make his escape, then again must we have remained in ignorance, for at such a time when many thousand men were facing each other, striving their utmost to kill or wound, the life of one, be he soldier or spy, would appear of but little importance.

"I'se boun' to believe, honey, dat he got trou all right," Uncle 'Rasmus said as he busied himself with preparations for the supper which we needed so sorely. "Dat 'ere Jerseyman is mighty spry, I'se tellin' you, an' ef he could hang 'roun' here wid de Britishers, keepin' his eye open ebery time dey jumped, I'se 'lowin' he's gwine to make a small job ob gettin' out ob dis yere place."

"If it's such a simple matter, why don't we try it ourselves?" Saul cried and started with surprise, for that very thought had been in my mind during the last five minutes.

So far as our being able to work benefit to the Cause was concerned, we might as well have been on the Hamilton plantation, and there I most ardently wished we were. It would be impossible, and most like unnecessary, for us to get word of importance to our people, no matter how many risks we ran, and I was of the mind that it was useless to take any chances, for surely the Americans, being so near, could keep themselves well informed of all that went forward in the encampment.

Pierre came back with the water; Uncle 'Rasmus made a pudding of the corn meal, and toasted slices of the ham before the fire. Saul came down from the loft, leaving the prisoners alone when the food was thus prepared, and we three lads and the old negro enjoyed that meal, surrounded though we were by enemies, more keenly than I ever remember of pleasuring myself in a like fas.h.i.+on.

When our own hunger had been appeased we set about feeding the prisoners, and this task in case of Horry Sims was a simple one, for we dared set his hands free that he might wait upon himself; but when it came to Abel Hunt it was a horse of an entirely different color.

We ran no little risk even in removing the gag from his mouth, and I firmly believe but for the fact of Pierre's standing over him with the loaded pistol which the Jerseyman had left for our use, threatening to shoot with intent to kill if he uttered the slightest sound, the fellow would have striven to give an alarm.

It was some minutes before he could work his jaws, so cramped were they from being held fixed in one position since we had made him prisoner, and then instead of eating, although I knew full well he must be hungry, he set about threatening us with what he would do when he was at liberty, striving to impress upon us that we could not hold him in the loft many days without attracting some attention from the Britishers.

"I am well known inside these lines," he snarled, "and had been intrusted with important business, so that if I fail to present myself at headquarters within a reasonable time, search will be made for me.

You can guess what must be your plight once a squad of soldiers enters this cabin to set me free."

"I'm thinking, Abel Hunt," Pierre replied softly, "that the Britishers have got as much on their heads as can well be attended to just now, without troubling their minds regarding you. Don't expect a squad of red-coats to come here on your behalf very soon, and, in fact, I would advise you to give over thinking of such a thing, for there is every indication my Lord Cornwallis will be too deeply occupied with the American army to give heed to Tories, however important they may believe their business to be."

Abel continued to threaten, declaring he would send us to the gallows before many days had pa.s.sed, if we failed to release him, and he went on in such strain until even Pierre lost his temper, and roughly told him that unless he made ready for eating he would get no food until next morning, whereupon the fellow opened his mouth obediently, much like a calf.

Mine was the disagreeable task to feed him, and it may be I thrust the pudding into his mouth with unnecessary force; but certain it is I was in no wise tender with the scoundrel, for I knew to a certainty that if the tables were turned, and we in his power, we might hold ourselves fortunate indeed if we were given the slightest morsel to eat.

That night we lads took turns standing guard in the loft, each remaining on duty two hours, although as Saul said, if we had been willing to cause Horry Sims suffering, all of us might, by gagging him, have taken the rest which we needed. I am not sorry that we failed of following my cousin's suggestion, for since that day I have come to know from painful experience how much suffering may be caused by a gag firmly fixed between one's jaws.

There is no good reason why I should strive to set down all the doings of each day while it seemed to me much as if our people were making slow progress in this work of capturing my Lord Cornwallis.

Having been so successful in our first attempt at foraging, we went almost boldly around the village when our store of provisions ran low, begging at this house or at that without questioning whether the occupants might be for the king or for the colony, receiving sometimes with a generous hand, and then again in n.i.g.g.ardly manner, at least enough of food to keep us alive, although I am free to confess that never once from the day the Jerseyman left us until I was home again on the plantation, did I feel as though my stomach was well filled.

Instead of striving to tell what we lads did, which is of little consequence compared with what was going on around us, I had best hold this poor apology for a story to the movements of those brave fellows who had come down from the North to rid our colony of Virginia from red-coated invaders.

During all the while, whether by day or by night, one of us three lads remained in the loft doing guard duty, while the other two, if by any fortunate chance we had a small store of provisions on hand, were at liberty to watch our people. It can well be understood how greedily we gazed out upon that army which we counted friendly, watching for the least change of position, and even questioning with impatience how long it would be before the end came.

It was as if the Britishers gave no heed whatsoever to anything save their own defense, and I question whether we lads might not have boldly presented ourselves to the quartermaster begging for food and receiving it, instead of striving as we did to keep ourselves from their particular notice.

We could see day after day our people bringing up heavy guns, digging ditches which Pierre called parallels, meaning embankments thrown up to protect the advance of a besieging army, and otherwise seemingly making preparations to fall upon the enemy in overwhelming force.

I remember well on going out early one morning, after it seemed to me that we had been shut up in this town of York weeks and weeks instead of only a few days, and seeing much to my surprise a parallel, or embankment, not more than five or six hundred yards from the outermost of the British works, which had been completed during the hours of darkness. With a great joy in my heart I ran into the cabin to make known the welcome news, for surely did it seem as if the American army had taken their first step toward entering the village.

We expected each moment to hear sounds of conflict; those who were not on duty in the loft remained out of doors watching the soldiers in the distance, and greatly disappointed were we when night came and nothing decisive, so far as we could see, had been done.

Next day Pierre pointed out to me as he and I stood overlooking the American lines, that two or three redoubts were being thrown up, and batteries placed in position. Then came that for which we had been hoping and praying--the sounds of conflict.

It was in the afternoon that our people opened fire upon the enemy with great vigor, and until the end came the earth trembled continuously beneath the heavy detonations, while the smoke of the burning powder hung over us until our throats were parched and smarting.

It is impossible for me to set down of my own knowledge all that was done during this seemingly long time by the Britishers, for I saw only a portion of the movements. Often the clouds of smoke prevented me from seeing friend or foe, and again, when came this change of position, or that counter-marching, I failed to understand the meaning, therefore it is that again shall I make my story more plain by setting down the words of another, which I have seen on a printed sheet:

[Ill.u.s.tration: "A GENERAL DISCHARGE ... WAS COMMENCED BY THE AMERICANS."]

"The evening of the sixth was very dark and stormy, and under cover of the gloom, the first parallel was commenced within six hundred yards of Cornwallis's works. (Parallel is a technical term applied to trenches and embankments dug and thrown up as a protection to besiegers against the guns of a fort. In this way the a.s.sailants may approach a fortification, and construct batteries within short gun-shot of the works of the beleaguered, and be well protected in their labors.)

"General Lincoln commanded the troops detailed for this service. So silently and so earnestly did they labor that they were not discerned by the British sentinels, and before daylight the trenches were sufficiently complete to s.h.i.+eld the laborers from the guns of the enemy.

On the afternoon of the ninth several batteries and redoubts were completed, and a general discharge of twenty-four and eighteen-pounders was commenced by the Americans on the right.

"This cannonade was kept up without intermission during the night, and early next morning the French opened their batteries upon the enemy. For nearly eight hours there was an incessant roar of cannon and mortars, and hundreds of bombs and round shot were poured upon the British works.

So tremendous was the bombardment that the besieged soon withdrew their cannon from the embrasures, and fired very few shots in return. At evening red-hot cannon b.a.l.l.s were hurled from the French battery on the extreme left, at the _Guadaloupe_ and _Charon_.

"The _Guadaloupe_ was driven from her post, while the _Charon_ and three large transports were burned.

"The night was starry and mild, and invited to repose; but the besiegers rested not, and York Town presented a scene of terrible grandeur such as is seldom witnessed by the eye of man.

"From the bank of the river I had a fine view of the splendid conflagration. The s.h.i.+ps were enwrapped in a torrent of fire which spread with vivid brightness among the combustible rigging, and ran with amazing rapidity to the tops of the several masts, while all around was thunder and lightning from our numerous cannon and mortars, and in the darkness presented one of the most sublime and magnificent spectacles that can be imagined.

"Some of our sh.e.l.ls, over-reaching the town, were seen to fall in the river, and, bursting, threw up a column of water like the spouting of a monster of the deep. All night long the allies kept up a cannonade, and early the next morning another British transport was set in flames by a fiery ball, and consumed.

"During the night of the eleventh the besiegers commenced a second parallel, between two and three hundred yards from the British works.

The three succeeding days were devoted to the completion of this line of trenches, during which time the enemy opened new embrasures in positions from which their fire was far more effective than at first.

"Two redoubts on the left of the besieged, and advanced three hundred yards in front of the British works, flanked the second parallel and greatly annoyed the men in the trenches. Preparations were made on the fourteenth to carry them both by storm.

"To excite a spirit of emulation the reduction of one was committed to the American light infantry under Lafayette; the other to a detachment of French grenadiers and cha.s.seurs commanded by the Baron de Viomenil, a brave and experienced officer.