my
brigade skirmished with a British force commanded by General Riall
from an early hour in the morning till late in the afternoon. We had
driven the enemy down the river some twelve miles to Street's Creek,
near Chippewa, where we encamped for the night, our army occupying
the west, while that of the enemy was encamped on the east side of the
creek. After our tents had been pitched I noticed a flag borne by a
man in a peasant's dress approaching my marquee. He brought a letter
from a lady who occupied a large mansion on the opposite side of the
creek, informing me that she was the wife of a member of Parliament
who was then in Quebec; that her children, servants, and a young lady
friend were alone with her in the house; that General Riall had placed
a sentinel before her door; and that she ventured, with great doubts
of the propriety of the request, to ask that I would place a sentinel
upon the bridge to protect her against stragglers from our camp. I
assured the messenger that the lady's request should be complied with.
Early the next morning the same messenger, bearing a white flag,
reappeared with a note from the same lady, thanking me for the
protection she had enjoyed, adding that, in acknowledgment for my
civilities, she begged that I would, with such members of my staff as
I chose to bring with me, accept the hospitalities of her house at a
breakfast which had been prepared with considerable attention and was
quite ready. Acting upon an impulse which I never have been able to
analyze or comprehend, I called my two aids, Lieutenants Worth and
Watts, and returned with the messenger.

"We met our hostess at the door, who ushered us into the dining room,
where breakfast awaited us and where the young lady previously
referred to was already seated by the coffee urn, our hostess asking
to be excused for a few minutes, and the young lady immediately served
our coffee. Before we had broken our fast, Lieutenant Watts rose from
the table to get his bandanna (that being before the days of
napkins), which he had left in his cap on a side table by the window,
glancing through which he saw Indians approaching the house on one
side and redcoats approaching it on the other, with an evident purpose
of surrounding it and us, and instantly exclaimed, 'General, we are
betrayed!' Springing from the table and clearing the house, I saw our
danger, and, remembering Lord Chesterfield had said, 'Whatever it is
proper to do it is proper