Book: Ridgeway

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Buoyed with this spirit, and moved by the conviction that the eyes of
the world were upon him, the first glimpse of the enemy was as one of
sunshine to him; and as he looked around him and saw his brave
officers and men towering and immoveable as cliffs in the presence of
the angry deep, the strange fire so noticeable sometimes in his eye,
blazed forth as though his soul went out in flame through each glaring
orb; and the work of death had begun.

The battle of Ridgeway was commenced by skirmishers who were posted on
both sides, among the woods and orchards with which that locality
abounds; and although for some short period but little life was lost
on the part of either the British or the Fenians, the daring of the
latter had evidently confused and, in a degree, paralyzed the former
from the first. In the woods, they gave the Highlanders a dreadful
overhauling, and when pressed by numbers they steadily fell back upon
the main body, with advantage to themselves and with loss to their
opponents. When once aware of their position, and the great odds
against them, in the incredible space of ten minutes, they threw up a
breastwork of rails, from behind which they now began to deal the most
deadly havoc amongst the enemy. The men engaged in more exposed
positions, performed absolute miracles of valor, and charged the foe
in the face of the most galling fire, until they actually touched
their bayonets, and then poured in the murderous volley that shattered
their ranks and strewed the field with their wounded and dying. As we
learn from Major Denison, of the British forces, the Fenian officers
were ever in front of their men, cheering them on to death or victory,
and evincing such instances of true bravery as commanded the
admiration of even those against whom they fought. Individual acts of
the most terrible daring were performed by them, and so generally did
the whole of O'Neil's staff, including his gallant Aid-de-Camp, Lieut.
Rudolph Fitzpatrick, as well as all the officers of the various
companies, participate in the dreadful struggle, that even to this
hour no writer has attempted to give any one of them pre-eminence over
the other. And so of the rank and file, also. Scarce a single man of
them, at one period, but was spattered with the blood of the enemy;
and never did a solitary knot of them give way, for an instant, before
any force that they were ordered to withstand. Wherever they moved the
dead and wounded tumbled before them, until, fatigued by the frightful
heat of the weather, they were, from time to time, constrained to
pause in their dreadful work.

The engagement had continued for about an hour, when the brave Lieut.
Lonergan bit the dust, while a cheer for Ireland struggled through the
death rattle in his throat. He fell, a true hero and patriot, and well
was his death avenged; for no sooner had its intelligence spread
through his company, than its members became absolute tigers, and
literally glutted themselves with blood. Then it was, that the
Sun-burst carried through that hot field, from beginning to end, by
Sergeant John Smith, of the 7th I.R.A., company G, might be seen
flying where the enemy was thickest, surrounded by a struggling band,
each of which was a host himself. Then it was, that the wild cry of
"Erin go bragh!" smote on the ear of the foe like a death knell,
paralyzed all their energies, and froze the warm current in their
heart. At that moment a dozen men in green were worth a regiment of
the material he fought against; and thus it was, that the enemy
determined to mass all their forces against the gallant O'Neill, who
stood like a rock amid the dreadful conflict, giving his orders with
as much coolness as if he were dictating a letter; and, while the
bullets whistled about him like hail, applauding the noble deeds of
his men and officers, the next moment to be whirled into the dreadful
_melee_ himself.

With the keen, quick eye of a soldier, O'Neill perceived the intention
of his adversary, who had, now, as he saw clearly, made up his mind to
mass all his force against the Fenian troops and flank them. At this
point the Boys in Green were ordered to fall steadily back and take up
a new position, some distance in the rear of their rail barricade. The
movement was performed in the most masterly manner; while the enemy
continued to extend his wings--both right and left. On perceiving it,
however, he construed it, as it was intended he should, into a
retreat, and paused for a moment to consider what was best to be done.
While deliberating, however, O'Neill, who had in vain been for some
time endeavoring to draw out his centre, perceiving that the moment
had arrived, sounded the charge, and, the next instant, the whole
compact body of the invaders, with himself and his officers at their
head, were thundering down, with the sweep of the Cyclone, upon the
weak and startled centre of the foe, crashing through it like a
cavalcade of thunder bolts, and scattering the whole of the English
forces like chaff before the wind!

In the twinkling of an eye the enemy was flying in every direction
before the victorious army of the Irish Republic! In their ignoble
flight they divested themselves of all the clothing they could
decently spare, and of everything that could tend to impede their
progress! The field was strown with their great coats, knapsacks,
rifles, and musical instruments belonging to their bands. Their dead
and dying were left unheeded, and in every direction lay the
unmistakable evidences of their sudden disaster and hopeless defeat.
The compactness and dreadful resolve of the force slung against them
by O'Neill, and the masterly way in which the bolt was hurled, at once
bid defiance to all their pre-conceived ideas of fighting, or of the
wonders that could be attained by a handful of brave men, commanded by
a dauntless and experienced soldier; so, that their rumored attempt at
rallying is supposed to have originated in a desire on the part of
their historian, to lessen the disgrace of their defeat in the eyes of
the people of Canada; for it is well known, that so hot and heavy was
the pursuit, that they not only had no time to rally, but so intent
was each one of them on effecting his own personal safety, that all
discipline was at an end; until the Fenians, on perceiving that they
were not yet reinforced, felt it advisable, notwithstanding their
success, to fall back on Fort Erie, for the purpose of keeping their
line of communication open with the American shore.

And yet until this disaster had overtaken them, the British troops
fought well, considering the incentives they had to stake their lives
on the field of battle. Nor were the Queen's Own, who suffered so
severely in this tremendous charge, and who fled so panic-stricken
before it, a whit behind, in courage, some of the companies who appear
to have escaped with less censure from the Canadian public, in
relation to the loss of this important field. The Queen's Own, as we
are creditably informed, came up well to the mark on more than one
occasion; and only gave way before such a charge as that which carried
the day at Fontenoy, and which was, at the period, absolutely
irresistible.

Barry and his comrades of the Canadian Fort fought throughout the
whole morning with the most heroic courage. In several hand to hand
encounters he performed prodigies of valor, and once thought he
perceived the Kid and Black Jack, together with Wilson whom he saw in
their company at Newbiggin's farm, fighting on the English side. In
this he was not mistaken; for these three worthies, on discovering the
superior force of the British, at once concealed their horses and
wagon in a sheltered hollow hard by the field, and making a detour
through the woods on the verge of which they were passing, joined in
the engagement, against the men who had treated them so well but a few
hours previously. This they accomplished immediately after Col. Starr
had driven in the outposts of the enemy, and when they had ascertained
that the English forces outnumbered the invaders to an extent which,
as they supposed, rendered the success of the latter totally out of
the question.

While on one occasion, Nicholas was engaged with a Highlander whom he
was pressing hard, a ball grazed his shoulder, evidently fired
stealthily from behind a neighboring tree. A glance in the direction
revealed the form of the Kid retreating from the spot and seeking
shelter behind another, around which were gathered a few of the enemy
who were paying some attention to a wounded officer. This struck him
as strange; but as he had other work in hand, he permitted his
cowardly assailant to escape for the moment. Later in the day,
however, he caught yet another sight of him, and was satisfied that he
had made a second deadly attempt upon his life. In this way the matter
stood touching this peculiar case, until the total rout of the forces
and their retreat towards Ridgeway village; when Barry, left with a
few men to look after the dead and wounded while the main body pursued
the fugitives, had yet another opportunity of testing the kindly
intentions of Smith; for while he and four or five others were
collecting the dead into one particular spot beneath a huge elm, in
the vicinity of a house near which the greatest carnage had taken
place, another ball whizzed by his ear; and the next moment the door
of the building opened and out rushed half a dozen men, armed to the
teeth, and laying one of his party dead at his feet with the only
bullet that had taken effect out of a volley that had been fired as
they rushed forward to overwhelm him in a hand to hand struggle.

The assailants were now six to five, but Barry soon made the numbers
more equal, and the fight becoming desperate, two of his antagonists
closed with him, who appeared to be men of tremendous activity and
great personal courage. What seemed strangest, however, in the whole
of this sudden attack, was, all the party that rushed from the house
were masked, although he was satisfied that one of them, at least, was
the Kid. The contest had continued for about eight or ten minutes when
one of his assailants was stretched at his feet by an unseen hand; the
other taking immediate flight. He looked around,--a stranger stood by
his side. He was a handsome young man dressed in the plain garb of a
farmer. Anxious to learn how the rest of his comrades fared, while
thanking his new ally for his timely assistance, he glanced in the
direction in which they fought; all save one was wounded but their
antagonists lay beside them dead or dying. Begging the stranger to
render him some assistance in staunching the blood of those who still
survived, and removing them to a shed belonging to the house hard by,
he discovered that his fallen adversary, who lay quite senseless from
the blow he had received, now seemed to be bleeding profusely from
some wound inflicted by himself; although until that moment he had not
noticed it. His enemy had fought with a long, keen dagger after he had
discharged his rifle and thrown it away, while the fugitive used one
of the ordinary rifle-bayonets in his attack. The superb swordsmanship
of their intended victim, however, was more than a match for them, and
would, in all probability have triumphed of itself had not the contest
been broken in upon in the manner already described.

In the course of a very few moments, the sufferers were removed from
out the broiling sun to the shed just mentioned, where they were cared
for as well as circumstances would permit--the stranger passing to and
from the adjoining house with the necessary bandages, water, etc.

While removing the masks of two of the assailing party, who appeared
to be mortally wounded, for the purpose of giving them the draft of
water they had so earnestly though feebly implored, as Barry
suspected, one of them was the Kid. The other was Wilson, whose last
midnight journey had evidently been performed, as he was sinking fast,
and that, too, without having gratified his love of plunder in a
single instance connected with the invasion from which he and his two
companions had anticipated so much. Outside, beneath a huge elm, lay
Black Jack stone dead, from a frightful bayonet wound in his throat.
His mask had fallen off in his death struggles, which must have been
frightful, judging from the manner in which his clothes were covered
with dust and the way in which the earth was kicked up all around him.
Never was a more horrible face turned in such hideous blindness on the
sun. His eyes were staring wide open, and his huge mouth, fringed with
blood-stained froth, seemed stretched in demoniacal laughter at some
horrid and unearthly orgy in which he was about to join. The sight was
actually appalling; and Barry turned away from it in utter loathing to
minister to those who were yet within the reach of human aid.

Although, dangerously wounded, he found that, unlike the same number
of their comrades who lay stretched on the green sward without, his
two companions who had been brought to the earth without being killed,
were not beyond the reach of hope. With their antagonists, however, it
was different; and now that Barry perceived the Kid; or Smith as we
shall now call him, was fast approaching his end, in the great anxiety
that he felt concerning the fate of his beloved, he knelt beside him
and implored him to give him any information that he might possess
regarding her, and so atone, before he crossed the threshold of the
grave, for any wrong that he might have been instrumental in doing her
through the machinations of others.

The dying man raised his heavy eyelids for a moment and ere they
dropped again, managed, as if by one last effort, to point towards the
prostrate form of the principal antagonist of our hero, who still lay
insensible a short distance from him. His chest labored wildly for a
few seconds, but before he could ejaculate a single word, a sudden
spirt of blood leaped from his mouth and he was dead. Wilson had
passed away more slowly and less perceptibly. From the moment he had
been removed to the shed he spoke but once; and that was when he
uttered a feeble cry for water. On beholding the latter dead, the
stranger, who had lent such timely aid to our hero, regarded the
silent form with a curious expression of countenance, and then turned
away towards the house. In the meantime, the man who had for so far
lain insensible, began to recover slowly. Hitherto, his mask which hid
but half his face, leaving his mouth and chin uncovered, had not been
removed; but now, as if in some uneasy dream, his trembling hand tore
it mechanically away, revealing, to the utter astonishment of Barry,
the hooked nose and ghastly countenance of Greaves!




CHAPTER XVI.


Had O'Neill a single troop of cavalry when he broke the British lines
at Ridgeway, the 2d day of June, 1866, would have been the darkest
that had ever occurred in the annals of Canada. He would have
literally annihilated all the forces that were brought against him on
that field, and struck such terror to the heart of the enemy, as to
have still farther paralysed their volunteer service and destroyed the
confidence of the Canadian people in the vaunted invincibility of the
arms of England for many a long day, if not for all time to come. But
owing to circumstances already referred to, he fought under every
disadvantage possible to an invading army. Still, as the case stood,
his triumph was not the less brilliant or decisive. He routed the
enemy, horse and foot; and had he been in a position to dispose of
prisoners, he could have taken a very large number with scarcely any
effort; from the fact, that after the fearful charge that had broken
through their lines, they became completely panic stricken and
demoralized. As he pursued the flying forces towards Ridgeway, what he
would have given for a few mounted riflemen or dragoons; but as a
signal and glorious defeat was more his object than the spilling of
blood, he now felt, unsustained as he was, it would be wise to fall
back upon Fort Erie, in the hope that reinforcements had arrived
there, although he was unable to leave even the smallest handful of a
garrison to maintain the foothold he had so far achieved. Seeing there
was nothing further to gain but everything to lose by remaining longer
in a position he could not by any possibility maintain, in view of the
hostile forces that he knew would soon be pouring down upon him from
other quarters, he paused on the verge of the carnage that he might
have wrought still further, and addressed himself to securing the
safety of his little band of heroes and occupying some position on the
frontier from whence he could, if hard set, effect his transit across
the river, or take up a final stand, fighting until the last man fell
in his ranks, if necessary to the success of any landings that he
might learn of as having taken place on the Canadian shore at other
points, or in view of the intention of the authorities at Buffalo to
reinforce him, and enable him to pursue the campaign, so gloriously
opened, with renewed hope and vigor.

The news of the disastrous defeat of the British arms spread like
wild-fire; throwing the inhabitants in the immediate vicinity of
Ridgeway, as well as those of the village itself, into a state of the
most fearful consternation. Houses were barricaded and property
concealed in the full anticipation that the conquerors would act upon
the world-wide maxim, "to the victors belong the spoils." But, as we
have already seen, it was the government and not the peasantry or
people of the country that O'Neill had come to overthrow. No better
evidence of this could be afforded than that shown by the
circumstance, that, although two infamous and relentless robbers, and
their scarcely less culpable acquaintance and friend, Wilson, had, for
two days and two nights, followed in the wake of his army, not a
single opportunity was afforded them of joining any portion of his
command in a stealthy raid upon the habitations or any of the people,
or of taking an advantage of the confusion and lawlessness which
almost invariably surround the camp of an invader. From first to last,
his troops observed with singular fidelity, his order that the lives
and property of the Canadians not found in arms against him, should be
held as most sacred. And in no instance, although the temptations were
various and marked, was this injunction violated. On this head, Major
Denison himself is most explicit; and when we have the testimony of an
enemy upon the subject, the most exacting incredulity cannot look for
more conclusive evidence in the premises.

As already observed, when the rout and confusion of the English
commenced, they fled in all directions; but their main body set off,
at full speed, for Ridgeway, through which village, and for a mile
beyond it, they were pursued by the Irish forces. As was to be
expected, their wounded and dying strewed the way; while those who
were thoroughly acquainted with the locality made their escape to the
shelter of whatever woods or dwellings were to be found along the line
of retreat, without actually bordering upon it. Amongst these latter
were Greaves and the persons who made such a sudden and deadly attack
upon Barry while engaged in looking after the dead and wounded that
were found convenient to the house already referred to. This
habitation ought to have been well known to one of the party at least;
for it was neither more nor less than the residence of Wilson, in
which Kate M'Carthy and Martha and her aunt had barricaded themselves,
in the apartment of the former, after having secured the outer doors,
when they heard the tide of war rolling towards them. Wilson,
understanding how the case stood with them, when he found he could not
gain admission, and being sensible that they could not hear his voice,
hastily effected an entrance by a window in a sort of out kitchen,
attached to the rear of the building, and soon admitted his
companions; re-bolting the door, and running up stairs to warn the
other inmates of the house not to speak or stir, but remain barricaded
as they were, until they heard from him again. This done, he descended
to where his comrades were, and was about to make some observation,
when the Kid instantly drew the attention of Greaves to the party who
were collecting the dead and wounded hard by, among whom he at once
recognized Barry. In the twinkling of an eye, the countenance of
Greaves was lit with an expression the most revolting; and turning to
his companions he exclaimed in a low, hissing voice--

"Now, my countrymen, we can avenge ourselves in part, at least, for
the disasters of the morning. There stand some of the most active and
dangerous of the army of the invader, and it is for us to take signal
vengeance on them, and not permit a single one of them to escape out
of our hands. We must not risk firing upon them at a distance so
great; as should we chance to miss a single shot, they would be sure
to slip beyond our reach. Let us rush out upon them then, with such
arms as we have at our command; and after giving them a volley pounce
upon them knife in hand, for they appear quite unconscious of any
impending danger. Above all things, do not let that officer escape. He
is the most deadly enemy we have had to encounter to-day. Let him, at
least, be despatched without fail, and one thousand dollars shall be
distributed amongst you the moment I find him a corpse before my
eyes."

The Kid, Jack and Wilson understood all this; for the first of the
villains had explained previously to the latter two, that Greaves was
interested to an unaccountable extent, in the death of Barry; and had,
on that very morning, before he left Ridgeway, promised him a round
sum if he managed to despatch him in any way; whether by stealth, or
otherwise. This he attempted, as we have already seen; but hitherto
without the desired effect; so that, now, when his game was within his
reach, and where he felt that he should be the gainer, no matter by
whom our hero was laid low, he immediately fell into this second
proposition, as did all the others who stood around him.

In a few moments, then, Wilson procured the masks already noticed;
they being a portion of his stock in trade, and loading the three
rifles they had at their command, the door was stealthily opened and
the assault made, which had resulted in such disaster to themselves.

When Barry had recovered from the utter surprise occasioned by the
presence of Greaves, and overcome the speechless astonishment into
which it had thrown him, he knelt down beside the wounded man, and
began to examine into the extent of his injuries. At first a few flesh
wounds about the shoulders and arms were all that he could discover;
and as these had bled freely, he fancied that the feeble condition of
the wretch, was attributable simply to a loss of blood; and, now, that
his wounds had been staunched, he believed he should gradually recover
strength, so as to be able to offer some explanation of his presence
in that part of the Province, as well as of the circumstances in which
he now found himself. On a closer examination, however, and just about
half an inch below the nipple of his left breast, the young soldier
perceived a small discolored wound, evidently made with the point of
his own sword during the struggle that had just terminated, and from
which not a single drop of blood had flowed, outwardly at least. Here,
without a doubt, all the danger lay; and as our hero was not versed in
injuries, beyond the reach of external applications, all he could do
was to bathe the bitter, little, blue or discolored orifice--the lips
of which seemed to be pressed together in a vicious sort of manner--in
some of the water that had been previously procured at the adjoining
house, when the wounded men were removed from the open field. During
this operation the eyes of Greaves were steadily fixed upon him, and
when he had again bathed the wound and adjusted the head of the
unfortunate sufferer on a pillow made of some hay found in one corner
of the shed, the lips of the patient became as it were suddenly
unsealed, while the light of a larger intelligence, rushed full into
his eyes. At this period the wounded companions of our hero were
comparatively easy, on the temporary couch made for them by the
stranger, just before he disappeared and entered the dwelling a second
time; so that, for the moment, there was not much to distract his
attention from anything that Greaves might vouchsafe to say, some
terrible foreboding having just rushed into his mind, based upon the
dying intimation of Smith, that the man who lay thus helpless and for
aught he knew dying before him, was in some way connected with the
fate of his betrothed.

Scarcely had the conviction seized upon him, when Greaves motioned him
to draw nearer. On eagerly complying with the request, he bent his ear
almost to the lips of the sufferer, who breathed with great
difficulty, and whose voice was scarcely audible, so weak had he
become. As though by some effort of his indomitable will, however, he
managed to collect all his energies into his tongue and throat; and
after whispering through his compressed and pallid lips the single
word "listen!" began slowly as follows:

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