in, has been the scene of many bloody encounters. I heard a
good deal about the matter afterwards from Edward Fleetwood Pelew, whose
brother Israel was long a messmate of mine, and who was himself engaged
in the affair I have to relate. General Gates commanded the American
forces in the north, and he had strongly fortified Ticonderoga. Our
army in Canada was at that time under the command of Sir Guy Carleton, a
very brave and dashing officer. The success which Sir William Howe had
met with on the seaboard inspired him with an ardent desire to signalise
himself in the north; and he hoped to be able to expel the rebels from
their posts on the lakes, and, by a triumphant march down the banks of
the Hudson, to form a junction with the main body of the British army at
New York. To effect this object he fitted out a fleet of small craft of
every description on which he could lay his hands on Lake Champlain. It
was placed under the command of Captain Pringle. The Americans got
notice of what was going forward, and got a fleet together under the
orders of General Arnold. Our fleet were ready by the first week in
October, and made sail up the lake in search of the enemy. They cruised
for some time, and were almost in despair of falling in with the
American squadron, believing that it must have run for shelter to the
extreme southern point of the lake, when, as with a fair wind they had
already passed Valcour Island, they caught sight of the enemy drawn up
across the channel between that island and the main. Our flotilla
instantly hauled their wind, and stood in to attack the enemy. The
Americans, to do them justice, behaved gallantly, and no man could have
fought his vessels better than did Arnold; but our force was
overpowering, and they got dreadfully cut up. Some Indians were landed
on the island, who, getting on their flanks, galled them terribly with
their rifles. Still they fought on till darkness came to their aid.
Our larger vessels could not get into the channel, or they would have
been completely cut up. At night the British squadron had to haul off;
and, when morning dawned, it was found that Arnold, and such of his
vessels as still kept afloat, had made his escape up the lake. Several
of them were, however, overtaken and captured, while others were sunk or
run on shore and burnt. Arnold with the remnant took shelter under
Ticonderoga. This success was not followed up by Sir Guy, as he found
that Ticond