r were appointed at which
Capt. Smith would meet him.

About 11 o'clock at night the march was resumed, and moving
briskly they arrived near to Bedford, where they met Thompson; who
communicated to them the fact, that the garrison had been apprized
of their object that in consequence of having heard from them on
the preceding evening, at the Crossings of Juniata, it was not
expected they would arrive before mid-day, that their number was
known, and the enterprise ridiculed. Thompson then returned to
Bedford, and the party moved silently under covert of the banks of the
river, 'till they approached near to the Fort, where they lay
concealed, awaiting the opening of the gate. About day light
Thompson apprised them that the guard had thrown open the gate, and
were taking their morning's dram; that the arms were stacked not far
from the entrance into the Fort, and three centinels on the wall.

Upon hearing these things, Capt. Smith with his men rushed rapidly to
the Fort, and the morning being misty, were not discovered 'till they
had reached the gate. At that instant the centinels fired their guns
and gave the alarm; but Capt. Smith and his men took possession of the
arms, and raised a loud shout, before the soldiers of the garrison
could learn the cause of the alarm, or get to the scene of action.

[86] Having thus obtained possession of the Fort, Capt. Smith had the
prisoners released from the guardhouse, and compelling a blacksmith to
knock off their irons, left the Fort with them and returned to
Conococheaque. "This, Capt. Smith says, was the first British fort in
America, taken by what they called American rebels."

Some time after this, an attempt was made to apprehend Capt. Smith, as
he was proceeding to survey and locate land on the Youghogany river.
In the encounter which succeeded, a man (by the name of Johnson) was
killed; and the murder being charged on Smith, he was confined for a
time in Bedford jail; but fearing a release, the civil authority sent
him privately through the wilderness to Carlisle, to await a trial for
the alledged offence. On hearing this, upwards of three hundred
persons (among whom were his old "Black boys,") proceeded to Carlisle
to effect a rescue; and were only prevented the accomplishment of
their object, by the solicitation of Smith himself. He knew his
innocence, and preferred awaiting a trial; and how willing soever he
might have been to oppose any encroachments of the military,