Next
morning, he bade his parents farewell and, with his clothes tied up in a
little bundle, set out on his way to the town.
A flag was streaming from a long pole, and Fernando heard the roll of
the drum and the shrill notes of a fife. The company was more than half
made up when he arrived. He enlisted at once and four days later the
company was ready to march.
As yet the armies of the United States were not organized, and for some
time Captain George Rose was at a loss what to do with his volunteers.
They were riflemen, ready for any detached service to which they might
be assigned. The militia forces raised were, of course, to serve in
their own respective States; but the volunteers were allowed to attach
to any regiment they chose. For some time, it was doubtful whether
Captain Rose would be sent West under Hull and Harrison, or to the North
to act under General Jacob Brown.
The latter course was at last decided upon, and they hurried to the
northern frontier of New York. But small preparations had been made for
the defence of this portion of the frontier. From Oswego to Lake St.
Francis, an expansion of the St. Lawrence, General Brown's forces were
scattered. The length of this territory was about two hundred miles.
There was only one American war-vessel (the _Oneida_) on Lake Ontario.
This was commanded by Lieutenant Melancthon Woolsey; while the British,
in anticipation of difficulties, had built at Kingston, at the foot of
the lake, a small squadron of light vessels-of-war.
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