by James Spurr
“Aye, Captain. I was going to enlist this morning,” Trove answered, wiping his greasy mouth with his leather sleeve.
William hinted, “You would help not only your nation, but also your mates, if you would wait just a bit,” and he offered Trove a look of mischief.
Knowing well the suggestion was irresistible, Trove handed over his plate and fork and inquired, “What would have me do, Captain?”
“Stick with me today. I will keep you plenty busy, fashioning a surprise for ‘yon British tars.” He gestured upriver to the ships off Fort Erie. “You can always sign on for a stint with the Navy in a couple of days.”
Troves eyes gleamed, “Sounds like great fun! Will James be joining us?”
“James will be working to prepare some boats, with the navy lads. We shall need your canoe, however. Don’t you fret, we shall be in the thick of it!”
Trove nodded in complete contentment. William stood and returned the wiped plates and forks. “We shall begin presently, Trove. Take your ease and I will be back as soon as I have a word with Lieutenant Elliott. I will meet you at the canoe.”
“Aye, Captain,” Trove replied. “We’re fortunate to have such a leader as Lieutenant Elliott.”
William turned and walked away. He knew Trove’s new-found opinion could have come from none other than James.
William checked with the clerk seated at a small desk on the wooden porch, guarding the door to what served as Naval Headquarters.
“Captain Lee to see Lieutenant Elliott.”
A moment later, he was shown in. The interior was rough but comfort-table, with a large fireplace that served for cooking and separate sleeping quarters. Lieutenant Elliott was seated at his desk, the stars and stripes hanging on the wall behind him. A chair and a rough bench were available for conferences. William took the chair.
Elliott greeted, “Good Morning, Captain. I take heart in your seeking me out so early. I trust you have considered our discussion of yesterday and I pray you are here to offer your assistance to the cause.”
“Indeed, Sir, I am committed to the cause. I have thought about your plan and I see some real merit…” William had decided on flattery as his first tact.
Elliott beamed. “Excellent, I would like you to lead one of—”
William continued, undeterred, “… and with a couple of added details, you, Sir, cannot but succeed!”
Elliott was instantly suspicious of William, newly arrived in Black Rock and so calm and confident, “What details?”
William could well imagine him thinking he would not have some merchant master telling him how to take men into action. On the other hand, William mused, he needed this merchant master’s experience with ships and boats and in leading men to implement his plan. It was his hope that Elliott would realize this. To his relief, the Lieutenant, after a moments further thought, appeared to come to this conclusion. The younger man nodded and the negotiation began.
Captain Lee made to presume that which he was quite certain had not even been considered, “I am sure you have already made arrangements for a diversion, Sir, but of course, yesterday, discussing broad strokes, we did not go over details.”
“Diversion?” Elliott raised a brow and leaned over his desk. “What do you suggest, specifically?”
“Use the current to bring down a raft of burning brush.”
“Here now, Lee, I intend to capture the vessels, not burn them.”
“Of course, Sir, but the perceived threat will take all eyes away from the men, approaching from the opposite direction in the boats.”
Elliott looked at the chart on his desk, back to William’s eyes.” Continue.”
They talked for some time about the likely direction of the wind, some forty hours hence. Still, Elliott was intractable on what seemed an obvious and critical point. “But Sir,” William persisted, “with all eyes to the south, the boats should approach from the north. Rowing along the east river bank and then directly across from Buffalo is all too obvious, easily detectable and I fear will not take advantage of the diversion.”
Elliott countered, “Rowing upriver against the western bank will expose the boats to early discovery by sentries.”
William conceded, “Aye, there is some minor risk, but if discovered, they cross to the east with likely no casualties.”
Elliott waved his hand dismissively, “Captain, our direct approach is more than adequate. If you want to provide a diversion, fine, but I doubt we will need even that.”
William could sway him no further. He raised a final topic, “My son James is under your command presently. I wonder, Sir, if you could, after our success here on the river, recommend to him that he return to the east and obtain a berth in his old ship, Chesapeake?”
“I know the lad, Captain; a fine young man with excellent skills. We served together on Chesapeake.” Lieutenant Elliott began to stroll across the room and finished, “I am afraid, however, we need him badly on the Great Lakes.” Elliott was just showing him the door when Captain Lee deftly turned the tide.
“Sir, tell me, would you have any use for some navigational documents? Detailed renderings of the safe passages on the lakes, the navigable rivers, and the known ports and their surrounding areas, along with a good deal of other information.” William did not elaborate that such documents were not hypothetical, but in fact already existed, compiled by William using his years of experience over the course of much of the prior summer. Nor did he reveal how close the British had come to securing these same documents when they boarded and confiscated Friends Good Will.
Elliot would have to be a fool to not understand the significance of such information in a time of war.
Elliott was not a fool. He stopped short of the porch, grasped William’s arm and asked intently, “Do you have such knowledge? Could you provide this information?”
William assured, cooperatively, “I can and I will, certainly.” As Elliott beamed, considering the praise he would earn upon securing such valuable information, William then added, in a very serious tone, “Whether here at Black Rock or to Chauncy in Sacket’s Harbor, we shall see.”
Elliott understood instantly. His expression grew grim. He walked to the window, stared across the river and considered for some moments. He then turned, nodded, and with no affection or gratitude in his voice, confirmed, “You go about your diversion, Mr. Lee, and we will proceed down from the west bank of the River.” After walking back to his desk, considering the chart and calculating in his head some time and distance and factoring the current, “Situate the diversion a cable length south of the ships at 0400. Assemble with my men at your boat at 0100 and we shall set off together.”
William sought to confirm, “And the course, Sir?”
Elliott turned and with some resentment in his eyes answered, “West, to the opposite bank, then south.”
“And the transfer of my son?”
Elliott’s voice grew cold, “Here now, Lee, you push too hard, by half. Let us first see how he performs in action and what fate has in store for us all this night. Indeed, let us see how you perform when the work grows warm!”
William considered, nodded and began to depart when Elliott called to him, “And the documents, Lee? How do I know you even possess such information?”
William stopped on the porch, considered the insult to his honor and abilities and then turned to assure, “I will begin today and have a portion completed by tonight’s departure. If you find the detail insufficient, Sir, you can row those boats any direction you so please!” Then as he walked off the porch, he added softly, under his breath, “Although without me and mine.”
The two men understood each other perfectly. With that understanding came a profound mutual dislike. Both took some minutes to cool and focus upon a very busy day ahead.
William found Trove, waiting by his canoe. He tossed a pair of gloves over to him and placed two axes, a saw, a coil of line, a shuttered lantern, well oiled rags and a full pack gently into the botto
m of their small craft. Trove asked with some enthusiasm, if not excitement, “Our course, Captain?”
They paddled upriver along the eastern shore to about a mile south of the small village of Buffalo. They spoke little, but as William scouted the woods adjacent to the beach and selected a stretch containing ample dry wood and brush, he began to explain to Trove how to make a proper fire raft. They worked the balance of the morning and as they broke for lunch, Trove commented upon the ample food William had thought to bring along. William revealed, “You will remain here Trove and take your dinner from these stores. I will also leave you a watch.”
Trove’s eyes grew wide, “And you, Captain?”
“Well, I shall walk back to Buffalo and return to Black Rock by horse. It seems I am to lead a boat of men, one of whom will be my son, to capture yonder ships,” he gestured to the outline of hulls and spars about two miles distant.
Trove was not shy at expressing his disappointment, “I would rather see action with you and James, Sir! You said I would be in the thick of it.”
William smiled at his excitement then assured, “You, Trove, are entrusted with this critical diversion. If you fail, we will be easily discovered.” William then grew serious, “Our lives are in your hands. Why you? Because your judgment of current, wind, course and timing are the finest I’ve encountered. Only you could accomplish what I am about to describe.”
Trove swallowed, understood his role was important, well suited to his skills as a waterman and entirely essential in serving to protect his Captain and James. Captain Lee pointed seaward to the ships. “You will need to position this raft such that wind and current will take her just a cable length from the ships at precisely 0400.”
Initially, Trove was silent; his jaw slack, his expression doubtful. But within seconds, William saw in Trove that which he had often encountered in him whilst sailing the inland seas. Trove first glanced at the sky, then the treetops behind him, then carefully studied the water. He was already calculating the likely wind for later that evening, both direction and velocity and together with the set and drift of the current. He was working the problem, like the finest mathematician, all without a day’s schooling. He was drawing upon his instincts, experience and judgment.
And while Trove studied and thought, Captain Lee finished the rough frame of a raft, piled it with dry, easily ignitable brush, and controlled by a single line to a simple canoe. While he worked he considered what was most obvious to him as a Captain and as a father; he was most of all, with Trove, relying upon something else in addition to that learned from the sea, something taught Trove not from nature, but from his comrades. William trusted his life and that of his son to Trove’s sense of duty and devotion to the cause and to his shipmates.
William asked for the final count and was assured of thirty men; sailors and some volunteers who had boarded his Durham boat. Most of the more confident, the ones with boat experience, manned the oars. Grapnel hooks, line, cutlasses and pistols were properly stowed. Elliott set out first from the bank with little fanfare just after 0100 hours and William, following close behind, made only to assure Elliott’s course was due west. Elliott must have found the first two pages from his documents enticing enough. William then turned his attention to his command. He did not know any of the men in his boat, although one of the lads had crewed for a merchant master well known to him on the Lakes. Some of them seemed to know of him.
As they settled into the stroke, with no need for quiet among them for some time, William stood next to the tiller and addressed the men. “Now, lads, this conflict is new and you have not served with me but for the last few lengths. Let me tell you what you can expect of me, what you should expect of each other and what I will expect of you.
“I will tell you the entire plan and then warn that all plans rarely match the reality as will unfold. You will need to understand our objective, what we need to accomplish and if the plan falls by the board, work together to accomplish what we must. That is correct; I am telling you to understand, observe and when no longer needing to remain quiet, speak and cooperate, one with the other.”
William continued to explain all the details, right down to which of them would cast the grapnals, who among them would board with the ax and cut the cable, which were to fight the anchor watch expected aboard and which were to get the ship underway. He assigned topmen, helmsmen and stations along the pinrails.
Meanwhile, Trove napped late into the day and awoke just after dark. In the hours remaining, he improved upon the manner in which the line was tied to the raft, making certain it would remain underwater and thus not burn through and part unexpectedly. He also contrived a series of large stones, which could be hitched to the line and serve as an anchor of sorts so to keep the raft from drawing too near the vessels. Mostly, he studied the wind and weather, waited and worried.
Coincidentally, in accordance to his own design and calculations, he also set off in Sarah, towing the raft at short scope, at about the same time as did the boats downriver. The wind was just east of south and he would have to paddle hard to the west, perhaps even south of west to negate the southerly current so to place the raft precisely where he determined wind and current would send her down near to the ships.
There was no moon and, although clear, the starlight did little to reveal the Durham boats as they drew so close to enemy soil. As the boats reached just several lengths from the western shore, the men took turns unshipping an oar and wrapping them in cloth so to muffle the stroke. The boats drew alongside. Captain Lee exchanged some hushed observations with Lieutenant Elliott and together they checked their watches and directed the men to remain stationary in the river for about 15 minutes. At 0230 hours they began to row upriver, easily and slowly as the current was diminished so close to shore, just as William had hoped, thus saving the men for the warm work ahead.
At that same time, Trove was paddling furiously, keeping his ungainly tow from sweeping to the northeast instead of remaining largely south of the ships. At one point he feared he was nearing his objective much too soon and actually paddled directly south for some time, forestalling current. While making little headway, his effort caused time to pass with little or no further drifting northward. He was young and strong, but still extended and nearly exhausted. He paused, opened the shutter on his lamp and determined he had but another ten minutes of hard work, before he allowed nature to work for him instead of him working against it.
Captain Lee guessed that within twenty minutes his boat would be alongside the snow Adams, or rather, now flying the Union Jack, Detroit. He thought of his son James, who at the last minute had boarded Lieutenant Elliott’s boat, which would board the brig Caledonia. He then worried for Trove, and he stood and strained to see well upriver and anticipated that he should be seeing the flame from the raft any moment now.
One of the men in the bow drew his attention with a loud whisper.
There was the flame, yet low, but distinct and growing in both height and intensity. Trove had set his lamp upon the oiled rags. From what William could gauge from the wind and current, Trove had positioned the raft perfectly. Now he only hoped it would be spied by the lookouts on the fort ramparts and the anchor watches upon the ships before the approaching boats were detected.
Soon there were calls and shouts from both the shore and the ships. It appeared both anchor watches had huddled at the bows attempting, William guessed, to rig spring lines to give themselves some maneuverability to dodge the fearsome raft, as not enough crew were aboard either ship to get underway. Meanwhile he signaled his men and they rowed at a feverish pace. Just five more minutes and they would be alongside.
Trove played the painter and the paddle, timing the drift so that it would not come so near as to torch the ships, but would steadily progress toward the ships so to cause concern and attention. As the flames grew, the light that it shed illuminated the nearby waters. He let out more line, not wanting to be revealed as a target, but worried that with more line
he could affect less control. Suddenly he saw a boat approaching the raft. He was momentarily confused. Captain Lee had mentioned nothing of his boats coming to meet him. He soon realized this was a British Durham boat put out from the fort to intercept and tow the raft away from being a danger to the ships. Men were calling out to each other, waving long pikes, working with coiled line and their general activity and focus upon the raft kept them from spying his canoe for just long enough for him to deploy the crude anchor of several fair sized rocks. He expected the anchor might well drag, but it would slow the advance of the raft. It was time for him to go.
Captain Lee’s boat pulled alongside Adams first, just seconds before Lieutenant Elliott’s boat struck the larboard counter of Caledonia. His landing was so gentle at the chains the grapnals were not needed and the men scrambled silently over the side. The crew was yet gathered forward. When they finally heard motion behind them, it was too late. They were night blinded from staring at the fire, were at point blank pistol range and cutlass point and, with nearly thirty well armed enemy on deck, they offered little resistance.
Captain Lee ordered the British sailors into the ship’s boat tied alongside to starboard and cast them away with no oars. The current sent them astern, forevermore irrelevant to the action now unfolding. Meanwhile, topmen were aloft, deck crew were at their stations and he ordered, “Haul on the starboard spring line!”
As the bow began to fall away to larboard, a couple of shots rang out from aboard Caledonia, although Captain Lee generally assessed she was nearly underway as well. He called, “Let fall fore and main topsail and t’gallants, cast off brails and haul away clewline, cast off headsail downhauls and haul away headsail and topsail halyards.” On the heels of his words a loud thump was heard under the starboard bow, immediately followed by many shouts, shots and the clattering of metal. The British Durham boat, no longer concerned for the raft and no longer fooled by the diversion, was attempting to board and retake Captain Lee’s first prize, Detroit.