The night at length arrived. Our troops, said to be twelve thousand strong, were drawn up, under arms, ready for embarcation. A party of about thirty, of which I was one, was detached in three boats: and having landed, well down to the mouth of the river, we immediately proceeded to my father's house. He, with his two sons, who, until this period, had remained on the Island, and had communicated much important information to the American commander, now joined us. Our orders were, to proceed to Black Point, so called, which was the place designated for the landing of our army. The landing was to be made, at a signal which had been previously arranged; and we were ordered to secure the sentinels in our route, and to call on the inhabitants to come out, with their teams, &c., to assist in transporting the cannon. On our way, we captured two mounted light-horsemen, who were patrolling the shore; and, after our arrival at the appointed station, we waited until near day-break, for the signal. But it was not given; and, to our great mortification and disappointment, we were under the necessity of leaving the Island, accompanied by my father and brothers, who would undoubtedly have been condemned to an ignominious death, if they had remained; as the active part which they had taken, in communicating intelligence to the American forces, was now discovered. They were accordingly compelled to abandon a valuable property, which was afterwards destroyed by the ruthless enemy. Houses, barns, orchards, fruit trees, fences, were all wantonly torn in pieces; and the whole farm left a barren waste,—the mere soil, which they could not destroy, alone remaining.
My venerable parents being thus reduced, at once, from affluence to extreme poverty, the Legislature of the State granted my father the sum of two hundred pounds, lawful money; which, in the then depreciated state of the currency, was but a
