It was dull work here for Alec and I, since there was little we could do to aid in the task, and I proposed that we spend the remainder of the day with my mother, for it might be many weeks before such another opportunity would be ours.
Therefore it was that until daybreak on Sunday morning, the first of August, we remained quietly at home, and then set out with my father, who had come ashore about midnight, to take our places on board the Lawrence as members of her crew.
Old Silas was there, ready for duty, as might have been expected, and when the brig, under the influence of the early morning breeze, passed the town toward that neck of sand which threatened to deprive us of the opportunity to take part in the battle we believed to be near at hand, every woman and child in the settlement stood on the shore to witness what they probably believed was a departure.
The cruise came to a speedy ending.
The Lawrence dropped anchor with her bow just resting on the sand-bar, and orders were given for the gunboat Trippe,[3] which was the smallest vessel in the fleet, to go ahead for the purpose of ascertaining the depth of water.
When she grounded, not more than fifty yards from where the flag-ship lay, it seemed certain we would not be able to get a single craft out, and Alec Perry said despondently to me:—
“It seems as if we were fated to remain idle while the Britishers hold control of the lake. It were better my brother had remained at Newport, than to come here only to be balked of his purpose.”
I could say nothing cheering, for the same thought was in my own mind; but Captain Perry and my father were not men who could be so quickly disheartened. An obstacle in their way only served to arouse them to greater effort, and one would have said that this apparent disaster had long been foreseen and provided for.
The entire fleet had come to anchor when the gunboat grounded, and, as if by previous arrangement, every small boat near the shipyard and the shore round about put off to take part in the arduous labor which must be performed before our squadron could be gotten into deep water.
Now came five days of excessive and exhaustive labor, during which time I do not believe Captain Perry was below more than two hours on a stretch, although Dr. Parsons had declared that he was dangerously ill, and then the work had been performed.