Government house, Fredericton, N.B.,

   Major Richardson, Montreal.

   November 26th, 1839.

“Dear Sir;—­I am favored with your very interesting communication of the 2nd instant, by which I learn that you are the brother of two youths whose gallantry and merits—­and with regard to one of them, his suferings—­during the late war, excited my warmest admiration and sympathy.  I beg you to believe that I am far from insensible to the affecting proofs which you have made known to me of this grateful recollection of any little service I may have had it in my power to render them; and I will add that the desire which I felt to serve the father will be found to extend itself to the son, if your nephew should ever find himself under circumstances to require from me any service which it may be within my power to render him.”

“With regard to your very flattering proposition to inscribe your present work to me, I can only say that, independent of the respect to which the author of so very charming a production as ‘Wacousta’ is entitled, the interesting facts and circumstances so unexpectedly brought to my knowledge and recollection would ensure a ready acquiescence on my part.”

   “I remain, dear sir your very faithful servant”

   “(Signed) J. Harvey. "

The “Prophecy Fulfilled,” which, however, has never been seen out of the small country in which it appeared—­Detroit, perhaps, alone excepted—­embraces and indeed is intimately connected with the Beauchamp tragedy, which took place at or near Weisiger’s Hotel, in Frankfort, Kentucky, where I had been many years before confined as a prisoner of war.  While connecting it with the “Prophecy Fulfilled,” and making it subservient to the end I had in view, I had not read or even heard of the existence of a work of the same character, which had already appeared from the pen of an American author.  Indeed, I have reason to believe that the “Prophecy Fulfilled,” although not published until after a lapse of years, was the first written.  No similarity of treatment of the subject exists between the two versions, and this, be it remembered, I remark without in the slightest degree impugning the merit of the production of my fellow-laborer in the same field.

The author.

New York City, January 1st, 1851.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

As we are about to introduce our readers to scenes with which the European is little familiarised, some few cursory remarks, illustrative of the general features of the country into which we have shifted our labours, may not be deemed misplaced at the opening of this volume.

Without entering into minute geographical detail, it may be necessary merely to point out the outline of such portions of the vast continent of America as still acknowledge allegiance to the English crown, in order that the reader, understanding the localities, may enter with deeper interest into the incidents of a tale connected with a ground hitherto untouched by the wand of the modern novelist.