Consternation seizes British troops on Long Island. The brave soldiers on the parapet at Governor's Island quake with fear. All New York rushes to the river-side to find out what it can mean. Nothing, on all the face of the earth, _ever_ happened like it before, one and all declare.
Opinion varies concerning it, from bomb to earthquake, from meteor to water-spout, and settles down on neither.
Poor Ezra Lee feels that he _meant_ well, but did not act wisely. David Bushnell praises the sergeant, and takes all the want of success to himself, in not going to do his own work.
Meanwhile, with astonishment, Generals Washington and Putnam and David Bushnell himself behold, as did the Provincials, _after_ the battle of _Bunker-Breed's_ Hill, _victory in defeat_, for lo! no British ship sails up the East River, or appears to bombard New York.
Silently they weigh anchor and drop down the bay. The little American Turtle gained a bloodless victory that day.
NOTE.--The writer has carefully followed, in the account of the Turtle's attempt upon the Eagle, the statement of Ezra Lee, made to Mr. Charles Griswold of Lyme, more than forty years after the occurrence, and by him communicated to the _American Journal of Science and Arts_ in 1820. For the description of the wonderful mechanism of the machine, the account given _at the time_ by Dr. Gale in his letters to Silas Deane has been chosen, as probably more accurate than one made from memory after forty years had passed.
David Bushnell was appointed from civil life Captain-Lieutenant of a Corps of Sappers and Miners--recommended for the position by Governor Trumbull, General Parsons and others. June 8, 1781, he was promoted full Captain. He was present at the siege of Yorktown and commanded the Corps in 1783.
He was also a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
Bellman Grey and Blue-Eyed Boy were hurrying up Chestnut street; the man carried a large key, the boy a new broom.
It was a very warm morning in a very warm month of a very warm year; in fact it may as well be stated at once that it was the Fourth day of July, 1776, and that Bellman Grey and Blue-Eyed Boy were in haste to make ready the State House of Pennsylvania for the birth of the United States of America. No wonder they were in a hurry.