“Don’t croak, Master Boyd,” Alec shouted, with a hearty laugh that went far toward driving the sense of disappointment from my heart; “signs don’t count except among old women, and because we failed to capture one small Britisher, there’s no reason to believe we shan’t bag plenty of them before this voyage has come to an end.”
The gunner refused to be cheered, and as our fleet stood out from the harbor, heading for Sandusky bay, where General Harrison was encamped, Silas went below, as if there was no longer any necessity for him to perform a seaman’s duty.
I am overly long in coming to that portion of my story which is of importance, and therefore must put an end to the words lest it become necessary to cut short the account of that day when Oliver Perry made his name famous, at the same time giving every man of us an opportunity to distinguish himself.
We arrived off the point of the peninsula at the entrance of Sandusky bay on the morning of August 18th, and there signal guns were fired that General Harrison might have knowledge of our position.
Then we waited for some word from the troops until evening, when Colonel Gaines, with several officers and a guard of Indians, came on board.
Camp Seneca was only twenty-seven miles away, so the colonel informed our commodore, and boats were sent at once to bring the general out to the Lawrence.
Four-and-twenty hours later Harrison came on board with a large following of Americans and Indians, and for a time the deck of the Lawrence was much like a fair-ground.
From this time until a full week had passed, it seemed as if Silas Boyd was in the right when he declared that our failure to capture the first of the enemy’s vessels sighted was proof that ill-luck would attend the cruise.
Immediately after General Harrison came on board plans for the campaign were laid, and we spent much time sailing to and fro to find a suitable place for a rendezvous.
Then my father was sent in the Ohio to procure additional stores from Presque Isle, and also to make certain that matters there were as they should be. At the same time the fleet sailed toward Malden on a reconnoissance, but was met by heavy weather which rendered it impossible to accomplish anything of importance.