Commodore Barney's Young Spies A Boy's Story of the Burning of the City of Washington

It is two years since what we called the "War of 1812" came to an end, and I, Amos Grout, once owner of the oyster pungy, Avenger, propose to set down here that which happened t...

The moments passed in silence, save for the hissing of the rain-drops as they mingled with the water of the river, and I was saying to myself that of a verity we must have drift...

Darius would have it that the traitor had not been seriously hurt by the blow on the head; but when he failed to show any signs of consciousness after we stowed him away in the...

If I would tell all that was done in and around Washington by our people, and then have space in which to set down that which we lads were able to accomplish after the British h...

It is now in my mind to set down what may be dry reading for some who chance to see this labor of love on which I am engaged, and yet if any one desires to know exactly why it w...

It seemed to me much like disastrous defeat to burn the flotilla on the approach of the enemy, without making any effort whatsoever to defend it, and for the time I believed tha...

Of a verity Elias Macomber did me a good turn when he started the quarrel with Darius Thorpe, for up to this time I had been sadly lacking in patriotism, as may have been learne...

Jerry was at the tiller; Jim Freeman and his friends stood near me at the main-hatch ready to obey the commands of Darius, and since all hands of us, with the exception of Josia...

It was evident that Commodore Barney did not propose to spend any more minutes with us explaining the proposition he had made, and, indeed, it really was high time he attended t...

I had not supposed that the people of Benedict would know very much concerning what was going on at the lower end of the bay; but the Avenger was hardly more than at anchor when...

It was as if the elements favored us in the race to Nottingham and indeed I counted it a race in which were pitted against us the British fleet and Elias Macomber.

"There seems to be no good reason why Jerry and I should not visit our homes, leaving you to continue on with the news. We can take the canoe, and paddle up the river to-night."

After we were in a position to see all that might be going on immediately opposite, and for a mile or more down the river, we could make out the spars of several ships which app...

The first thought in my mind, on being aroused from deep slumber by a heavy blow on my feet, was that the enemy had come upon us, and a battle had been begun while I remained un...

The British sailors did not make any talk on returning to consciousness and finding themselves bound hand and foot. The officer, however, after recovering from the bewilderment...

I question if my companions were any less uneasy in mind regarding our seeking a refuge in the city about to be occupied by the British, than was I; but no one ventured to say e...

Jerry was thoroughly astonished, after I had told my story, because we had had such plain sailing when there was nothing to start us on a course for the missing comrade. We had...

Even after knowing that the deserter was near at hand, we had considerable difficulty in locating him, and not until after making a complete circle around the swimmer could I se...

Not a member of our party spoke until we descended the companion-way stairs, and faced the lads and my father, who had lighted a candle as a sort of welcome, and then Darius exc...

As I have said, Captain Hanaford shoved his tiller hard over, throwing the pungy around until her nose struck the mud, and it was a question of getting her off the bank in the s...

I am minded to set down here what I afterward saw printed, concerning the doings in other portions of Washington, the particulars of which we were ignorant at the time.