Elsies Vacation and After Events | Page 9

his camp
saw that it had fallen into the possession of the foe.
"Pryor had retreated in safety, after spiking his guns. He and his
command fought their way through the enemy's ranks with their guns,
swam the west branch of Hampton Creek, and, making a circuit in the
enemy's rear, fled without losing a man or a musket.
"Jones had seen it all, and spiking his gun followed Pryor's men to the
same place.
"In the meantime Crutchfield had rallied his men, those who still
remained with him, on the flank of Servant's riflemen, and was again
fighting vigorously.
"But presently a powerful flank movement of the foe showed him that
he was in danger of being out off from his line of retreat. He then
withdrew in good order and escaped, though pursued for two miles by
the enemy.
"That ended the battle, in which about thirty Americans and fifty of the
British had fallen. Then presently followed the disgraceful scenes in
Hampton of which I have already told you as having brought lasting
infamy upon the name of Sir George Cockburn."

"I think he was worse than a savage!" exclaimed Lulu hotly.
"Certainly, far worse; and more brutal than some of the Indian
chiefs--Brant, for instance," said Rosie, "or Tecumseh."
"I cannot see in what respect he was any better than a pirate," added
Evelyn, in a quiet tone.
"Nor can I," said Captain Raymond; "so shameful were his atrocities
that even the most violent of his British partisans were constrained to
denounce them."
CHAPTER IV.
Before the sun had set the Dolphin was again speeding over the water,
but now on the ocean, and going northward, Philadelphia being their
present destination. It had grown cloudy and by bedtime a steady rain
was falling, but unaccompanied by much wind, so that no one felt any
apprehension of shipwreck or other marine disaster, and all slept well.
The next morning Lulu was, as usual, one of the first to leave her berth,
and having made herself neat for the day she hurried upon deck.
It had ceased raining and the clouds were breaking away.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed, running to meet her father, who was
coming toward her, holding out his hand with an affectionate smile, "so
glad it is clearing off so beautifully; aren't you, papa?"
"Yes; particularly for your sake, daughter," he replied, putting an arm
about her and bending down to give her a good-morning kiss. "Did you
sleep well?"
"Yes, indeed, papa, thank you; but I woke early and got up because I
wanted to come on deck and look about. Where are we now? I can see
land on the western side."
"Yes, that is a part of the Delaware coast," he answered. "We are

nearing Cape Henlopen. By the way, do you remember what occurred
near there, at the village of Lewis, in the war of 1812?"
"No, sir," she said. "Won't you please tell me about it?"
"I will; it is not a very long story. It was in March of the year 1813 that
the British, after destroying such small merchant craft as they could
find in Chesapeake Bay, concluded to blockade Delaware bay and river
and reduce to submission the Americans living along their shores.
Commodore Beresford was accordingly sent on the expedition in
command of the Belvidera, Poictiers, and several smaller vessels.
"On the 16th of March he appeared before Lewis in his vessel, the
Poictiers, and pointing her guns toward the town sent a note addressed
to the first magistrate demanding twenty live bullocks and a
proportionate quantity of hay and of vegetables for the use of his
Britannic majesty's squadron. He offered to pay for them, but
threatened in the event of refusal to destroy the town."
"The insolent fellow!" cried Lulu. "I hope they didn't do it, papa?"
"No; indeed, they flatly refused compliance and told him to do his
worst. The people on both sides of the bay and river had heard of his
approach and armed bodies of them were gathered at points where an
attack might be expected. There were still among them some of the old
soldiers of the revolution, and you may be sure they were ready to do
their best to repel this second invasion by their old enemy. One of these
was a bent old man of the name of Jonathan M'Nult. He lived in Dover,
and when, on the Sabbath day, the drums beat to arms, he, along with
men of every denomination to the number of nearly five hundred,
quickly responded to the call, took part in the drill, and spent the whole
afternoon in making ball-cartridges.
"The people of all the towns of the vicinity showed the same spirit and
turned out with spades and