‹ La poésie lyrique en France au dix neuvième siècle [microforme]Chapitre 51 sur 72 · IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT · texte numérisé non relu

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the following morning, at Stevensville, a small village situated a few miles northwestwardly from Fort Erie. Captain Akers, of the Royal Engineers, was despatched as à messenger to Port Colborne, with instructions to the officer in command there to proceed to Stevensville, with the greater part of his forces, in time to join the regulars between ten and eleven o’clock in the forenoon of the following day. As Colonel Peacocke was not well informed as to the topography of the neighbourhood, he left the officer in command of the volunteers to choose whatever route might seem best, Captain Akers reached Port Colborne about two in the morning of the 2nd. His message was delivered to Lieutenant-Colonel Booker, who, being the senior officer, had assumed the chief command there. But certain information which had reached Port Colborne several hours before had filled the volunteer officers with military ardour. They had heard that the Fenian force at Fort Erie was much smaller than had been supposed. It was said that many of the latter had been drinking hard ever since landing in the country, and that they were in no condition to resist an attack from sober and determined men. After some deliberation, the two volunteer officers, in conjunction with Captain Akers, conceived an independent scheme, involving important modifications of that formed by Colonel Peacocke. In pursuance of this scheme, Booker, with his forces, was to start for Fort Erie by rail, in time to reach his destination at eight o’elock next morning. Dennis and Akers, with a company of volunteer artillery, were to embark on a steam tus at Port Coiborne, and proceed round the coast and down the Niagara river to reconnoitre, returning to Fort Erie in time to coûperate with Bookrr at eight o’elock. “Should Colonel Peacocke approve of this,” says Captain Akers in his report, “he would march by the river road from Chippewa, and make a combined attack with Colonel Booker at some point between Fort Erie and Black Creek, cutting off the enemy's retreat by the river—the tug to be employed

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