Here I was taken Sick, and some of the
Light Infantry promised me if I would inlist [sic], that they would provide for me; and having neither Friends nor Money,
I was obliged to consent. They ordered me a Bed, and Care to be taken of me.
Five Days after, they put me on board a Sloop, and sent me to Kingston, and put
me into a Hospital, where I was three Months.
The Regiment remained here till May [1759], when we went to Albany, from thence to
Fort William Henry, and then to Tionderoga and Crown Point; both of which
Places surrendered to General AMHERST.1
Having survived
all he previously went through, one would have thought Thomas Brown would have
succumbed to his illness rather than facing more hardships and privations as a
soldier. At least during this stage in
his military career he was enjoying some success. If I were writing this story myself, I would
have added more details to Brown’s accounts of the fall of the French forts and
then concluded his journal there. But,
of course, this is the story of Thomas Brown and just when you thought it was
over it suddenly takes an unexpected turn!
On Sept. 19th, went Pilot of a Scout to
Cachanowaga [Caughnawaga], with
Lieutenant McCurdy, and on our Return, as we were on Lake Champlain, turning a
Point of Land, and under great Way, we discovered in a large Cove a French
Brig, but it was unhappily too late for us to make our Escape. We were pursued
and taken Prisoners (being 7 in Number), and the next Morning sent to Nut 6
Island; where we were stripp'd by the Indians, and dressed after their manner.
From thence we were conducted to Montreal and examined before the Governor;
after which we were ordered to Prison. I applied to the Governor, and told him
That I had been a Prisoner there two Years, and had liv'd with such a Farmer,
and desired Liberty to go to him again; upon which he sent for my Master's Son,
and being inform'd of the Truth of what I related, consented. 2
What? Brown in captivity in Montreal again? And left in the custody of the same
farmer? Only God could providentially
permit those circumstances to come about according to His sovereign decree
because no one would ever believe it could happen otherwise. If I believed in luck, which I don’t, I would
say Brown has to be the unluckiest guy ever, of all time! Then again, consider how blessed by God he
really was. Who would ever imagine
falling into the hands of their savage enemies repeatedly and yet living to
tell about it? What will happen to Brown
now?
I tarried with the Farmer till November
25th [1759], when by a
Flag of Truce 250 English Prisoners came to Crown Point, where I rejoined my
regiment.
After repeated Application to General AMHERST
I was dismissed, and returned in Peace to my Father's House the
Beginning of January, 1760, after having been absent 3 Years and almost 8
Months.
" O! that Men would praise the LORD for
his Goodness, and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men!"
" Bless the LORD,
O my Soul! “ 3
Is it
possible? Thomas Brown survived it all
and returned to his family! It is no
wonder that Brown referred to his narrative as “uncommon sufferings and
remarkable deliverance” because that is exactly what happened. Nothing is more appropriate for the closing
of this narrative than to sing praises to God, which is exactly how Brown
concluded it. All I can say is, “Amen!”
Christ, not man, is King!
Dale
1) “A Plain
Narrativ of the Uncommon Sufferings and Remarkable Deliverance of Thomas
Brown,” The Magazine of History, Extra No. 4, Vol. 1 (New York, NY: William
Abbatt, 1908), p. 220.
2) Ibid., p.
221.
3) Ibid., p.
221.
No comments:
Post a Comment