[M’coLLoM] MEMOIRS OF THE McCOLLOM FAMILY 125 
roar of Niagara was again heard as a dirge of the ages. Huge masses 
of clouds covered the sky, and through rifts of these the moon occa- 
sionally shone upon the field of carnage and suffering. Rapid firing 
on both sides was soon resumed again with rushing onslaughts. 
Charges and counter-charges with hand-to-hand encounters were 
frequent, and the cannon at times almost muzzle to muzzle. The 
defence was heroically maintained by the small defending army until 
near midnight when firing again ceased; they lay upon their arms 
during the night, and when morning dawned they found that the 
United States troops had retreated from the field, had thrown their 
heavy baggage into the river, and, destroying the bridge at Chippewa 
after passing over it, retired to Fort Erie where they remained 
entrenched for a time too strongly for General Drummond to dislodge 
them after two attempts with his limited force, but they soon returned 
to United States territory again, with desires for conquest of Canada 
fully dispelled and content thereafter to remain within their own 
domain. 
After this thrillmg experience, John McCollom and wife and 
family of four daughters and one son, John 8. McCollom, who was 
the youngest, resided peacefully upon the farm which he had obtained, 
and soon developed it into an attractive and comfortable home, at 
which the early Methodist ministers and other pioneers were always 
assured of kind hospitality. A few years subsequently the daughters 
were married and in homes of their own, and Mr. McCollom, assisted 
by his son, had good success in clearing the farm, in planting fruit 
and ornamental trees and in obtaining good returns as fruits of 
industry from crops, from the raising of stock, ete. With keen solici- 
tude for the progress of religious and political affairs, the two very 
important factors in establishing growth of the new country on a 
substantial basis. They regarded with deep interest the beneficial 
spread of religion by ministers, who endured hardships in travelling 
over very extensive districts, among those in new settlements who 
had been for years almost entirely deprived of its ministrations. 
They watched closely with much concern the trend of political mea- 
sures and issues, also the favouritism and many reprehensible methods 
of procedure adopted by those placed in authority by the Crown, as 
well as by those elected to the legislature through connivance of the 
former, whose dutiful servants or accomplices they thus became. 
Many prominent government positions with large salaries attached 
were for years given to relatives and scions of the British nobility, 
who presumed to look upon colonists as unworthy of consideration. 
Requisite legislation could not be obtained, as affairs of government 
were so largely conducted and manipulated by this irresponsible clique, 
