Page:History of the Fenian raid on Fort Erie with an account of the Battle of Ridgeway.djvu/91

86 This station is about half a mile from Erie and to the westward of the high road from Colborne; I had hardly entered the station, when I heard a cry that troops were coming down the hill between myself and the town.

I jumped into my conveyance and turned towards Erie to give the alarm to the Company of Volunteers left there. Finding the approach to Erie cut off and the enemy's skirmishers stealing round to surround me, I turned round and drove to the shore in the direction of Colborne. Near Ridgeway, I turned up towards the high road and passing the Railway Bridge found it on fire. I stopped and got some buckets from a neighbouring farm and with the assistance of the driver managed to put out the fire. I then went on to the Garrison road, where I heard an account of the engagement with Colonel Booker's force, and of its retreat to Colborne. I found two wounded men at a road side-house. One of them I took into Colborne. The other was too badly hurt to move.

I arrived at Colborne between 6 and 7 in the evening. The force had been increased since the previous day, and now consisted of the the 7 P. A. O. with 4 companies of 22 Oxford, and the Drumbo Company attached, two Companies of Home Guard, the Caledonian Company, and the Queen's Own and 13th, in all about 1400 men. The Garrison was in the greatest state of confusion, and the troops that had been engaged in the morning considerably exhausted from want of rest and food.

I rendered what assistance I could to Lieut.-Col. Booker who appeared quite overcome by fatigue and anxiety. He begged me to undertake all necessary arrangements, and later in the evening requested me to take the command out of his hands. Finding this was also the wish of the other Volunteer Officers of superior rank to myself, I telegraphed for instructions and was desired by Colonel Lowry to take the command. I posted a line of outlying pickets at a radius of one mile, from the town extending from the shore to the Welland Canal with strong supports in rear, and ordered the remainder of the troops to lie down and get what rest they could.

I telegraphed in various directions for food and ammunition, and by 2 A.M., Sunday 3rd, had an ample supply of both.

About 1 o'clock the alarm was sounded, and officers and civilians rushed up, informing me that the enemy was marching on us in force, and within 500 yards west of the town where I had placed no pickets.

The alarm was entirely without foundation, but had the effect of depriving the troops of the few hours rest they might have had. All through the night reports were coming in of large forces being landed on the shore between Colborne and Erie, also entirely without foundation. I sent the tug boat, however, still kept at our service by its owner Mr. McCallum, to watch the shore between Colborne and Erie, and called on some of the civilians to act as scouts, and keep me informed of any movements in the neighbourhood.