w anything of the work in hand, began to mark out the batteries; but
he soon lost temper, and declared that "it was not for him to venture
his reputation with such ungovernable and undisciplined men and
inconstant officers."[114] He refused to bring up the cannon, saying
that it could not be done under the fire of the fort; and the naval
captains were of the same opinion.

One of the chaplains, Rev. John Barnard, being of a martial turn and
full of zeal, took it upon himself to make a plan of the fort; and to
that end, after providing himself with pen, ink, paper, and a
horse-pistol, took his seat at a convenient spot; but his task was
scarcely begun when it was ended by a cannon-ball that struck the ground
beside him, peppered him with gravel, and caused his prompt
retreat.[115]

French deserters reported that there were five hundred men in the fort,
with forty-two heavy cannon, and that four or five hundred more were
expected every day. This increased the general bewilderment of the
besiegers. There was a council of war. Rednap declared that it would be
useless to persist; and after hot debate and contradiction, it was
resolved to decamp. Three days after, there was another council, which
voted to bring up the cannon and open fire, in spite of Rednap and the
naval captains; but in the next evening a third council resolved again
to raise the siege as hopeless. This disgusted the rank and file, who
were a little soothed by an order to destroy the storehouse and other
buildings outside the fort; and, ill led as they were, they did the work
thoroughly. "Never did men act more boldly," says the witness before
quoted; "they threatened the enemy to his nose, and would have taken the
fort if the officers had shown any spirit. They found it hard to bring
them off. At the end we broke up with the confusion of Babel, and went
about our business like fools."[116]

The baffled invaders sailed crestfallen to Casco Bay, and a vessel was
sent to carry news of the miscarriage to Dudley, who, vexed and
incensed, ordered another attempt. March was in a state of helpless
indecision, increased by a bad cold; but the governor would not recall
him, and chose instead the lamentable expedient of sending three members
of the provincial council to advise and direct him. Two of them had
commissions in the militia; the third, John Leverett, was a learned
bachelor of divinity, formerly a tutor in Harvard College, and soon
after its president,--