Buckskin Pimpernel by Mary Beacock Fryer

Author:Mary Beacock Fryer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn

Chapter 12

The Loyal Rangers

While Justus was waiting for a message from Vermont advising him how to deliver Haldimand's proclamation, rumours spread that the British expeditionary force in Virginia might be in trouble. Lord Charles Cornwallis with 7,000 troops, many of them ill or wounded, was falling back towards the Yorktown Peninsula, aggressively pursued by Generals Washington and Rochambeault, with 16,000 men in the combined rebel-French force. Offshore cruised the French fleet under Admiral DeGrasse, which might prevent Sir Henry Clinton, en route from New York City, reinforcing Cornwallis.

This news did not alarm Justus. With the situation in the north so well in hand, a setback in the south was not serious. Canada, New York City or Florida could be used as bases from which a new expedition could be sent against the rebels. What he did not realize was that Britain, herself, was endangered. The Netherlands and Spain were also at war with the mother country, and no more troops were available for service against the rebelling colonists.

Before any message came from Vermont, Dr. Smyth received a letter dated October 5 from ‘Rocks near Brown Point’ at the south end of Lake Champlain. It was from the Reverend John Stuart, the Anglican missionary to the Mohawk Indians at Fort Hunter, in the Mohawk Valley, most of whose flock were refugees near Montreal or on Carleton Island. Stuart explained that he had reached this place with fifty souls — his slaves, wife and three small sons, the others mainly women and children. They were stranded until boats arrived from Canada, and in ‘a most disagreeable situation…encamped on Shore, exposed not only to the inclemency of the weather, but an easy Prey to the Vermont Scouts if they show'd visit us’.1

Smyth left with the bateaux for Stuart's party. Justus wanted to wait in the hope that Ira Allen's message would come. Hudibras was not conducting an exchange, but a relief mission to bring the loyalists to Fort St. Johns. Stuart said he had had to post bail for 400 pounds, and await the exchange of a colonel. Later the rebels let him leave, but his party was not protected by a flag of truce.2 Smyth returned on October 9 with Stuart's party, and Justus decided not to wait any longer for a message from Vermont. On the 11th he and Smyth set out from Isle aux Noix in the only available vessel, the Trumbull, a row galley with eight guns captured from the rebel fleet in 1776.

They stopped briefly at the Loyal Blockhouse and sailed on towards Crown Point to see whether Colonel St. Leger had any news of Ira Allen or Joseph Fay.3 Before they reached St. Leger's encampment they took aboard Sergeant Andrew Reakley, King's Rangers, a scout and the bearer of bad news. Ensign Thomas Lovelace had been hanged, while another scout, Lemuel Casswell was a prisoner. With Caleb Clossen and Casswell, Reakley had been proceeding towards New York City, and they sought shelter with Levi Crocker, who had provided a safe house in the past.

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