88 • JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



J. B. Lossing, in his sketches of the war of 1812, asserts that 

 the countersign "was obtained from a treacherous dweller near, 

 who, by false pretenses, had procured and conveyed it to General 

 Vincent." 



There is a tradition that the statement made by Lossing is not 

 wholly devoid of truth. The person referred to as "a treacherous 

 dweller near," was Mr. Isaac Gorman, who then hved on lot 22, in 

 the 3rd concession of Saltfleet. It appears that when the advance 

 pickets of the invading army approached Stony Greek on the after- 

 noon of the 5th June, they saw a man setting gate posts at the end 

 of the lane leading to his house. They took this man prisoner and 

 marched him to the lake shore where some 1,500 of the Americans 

 were encamped. He was left in charge of an officer who at first 

 treated him with scant courtesy. Hearing this officer speak of 

 Kentucky, he informed him that he too was a Kentuckian, This 

 produced a great change in the bearing of the officer, who, after this 

 declaration, treated him as a friend and not as a foe. They engaged 

 freely in conversation when Gorman told him that he was a cousin 

 of General W. H. Harrison, then commanding the American army 

 in the' west, and as boys they had many a time played together at 

 school. This established confidence, and the officer gave him per- 

 mission to return to his home. Mr. Gorman asked how he was to 

 pass the sentries. The officer, placing the fullest confidence in his 

 integrity, gave him the countersign, and he at once started on 

 his way. 



In the meantime Mrs. Gorman had become very anxious as to 

 the fate of her husband. While busy with her household cares, 

 who should come in but her youngest brother William, then a 

 young man of 19, and who was afterwards known as "Billy Green 

 the scout." She informed him that her husband had been made a 

 prisoner while at work, and was then in the hands of the Americans. 

 They talked the matter over very earnestly, when young Green 

 determined to make a search for his missing brother-in-law, and if 

 possible find out where he was confined. He started in the direc- 

 tion of the lake shore and was fortunate enough to meet his 

 brother-in-law at Davis' on his way home. Here Gorman gave the 

 countersign to young Green, who at once started for his home on 

 the mountain. It was now getting quite dark. After several nar- 



