was Mrs. Travilla, or Grandma Elsie, as Lulu and Grace called her,
who that afternoon started the captain upon the historical sketches so
greatly enjoyed by the younger part of the company, to say nothing of
the older ones.

"We will pass near enough to Forts Gaines and Morgan to get a view of
them--the outside at least--will we not, Captain?" she asked, with a
smile.

"Yes, mother," he replied. "Pensacola also, whither, as I have said, the
British went after their fruitless attack upon Fort Bowyer--now Fort
Morgan--then occupied by the Spaniards under Manrequez, and where they
were publicly received as friends and allies.

"All that, and the revelations of Jean Lafitte concerning their attempt
to engage him and his outlaws to help them in their contemplated attack
upon New Orleans, kindled the hottest indignation in the minds of
Jackson and the people of the Southwest. The general issued a
proclamation in retort for one sent out by the British officer Nichols
shortly before, in which he had made inflammatory appeals to the
French, who were prejudiced against the Americans, and the Kentuckians,
who were discontented because of a seeming neglect by their
government--a state of things largely owing to the arts of ambitious
politicians.

"Nichols had also sent out Indian runners to excite their fellows
against the Americans, and in that way he gathered nearly a thousand
Creeks and Seminoles at Pensacola, where they were supplied with
abundance of arms and ammunition.

"Jackson, in his proclamation--told of all this the conduct of the
British, and the perfidy of the Spaniards--and called upon the people of
Louisiana to 'arouse for the defence of their threatened country.'"

"And did they do it, sir?" queried Walter.

"Yes; they were thoroughly roused and much excited by the threatening
aspect of affairs, and at once set vigorously to work to prepare for
determined resistance to the threatened invasion of their country and
their homes.

"Jackson was impatient to march on Pensacola and break up that
rendezvous of the enemies of the United States, but it was slow work to
get his troops together, and November had come before he had his forces
ready for the attack.

"At last, however, he had four thousand men gathered at Fort Montgomery,
due north from Pensacola, and on the 3d of the month they marched for
that place, some Mississippi dragoons leading the way.

"On the evening of the 6th, Jackson, with his whole arm